[Normando]

Publico.pt

14-09-2004

A explosão de um carro armadilhado em frente a uma esquadra de polícia no centro de Bagdad matou pelo menos 47 pessoas e feriu mais de cem, segundo o mais recente balanço fornecido pelo Ministério da Saúde.

O carro armadilhado explodiu à entrada da esquadra de Al Karj, em frente a uma série de lojas que se encontravam cheias de gente no momento da explosão, às 07h00 de Lisboa.

Uma nuvem de fumo cobriu de imediato todo o sector, considerado um bastião dos fiéis a Saddam Hussein, na margem ocidental do rio Tigre. O atentado ocorreu na rua Haifa. No domingo passado morreram nesta mesma rua 13 pessoas, entre elas duas crianças, e 59 ficaram feridas, depois de várias horas de combates entre tropas norte-americanas e rebeldes armados.

Num outro incidente, doze polícias e um civil morreram num ataque armado lançado por desconhecidos contra o veículo em que seguiam, em Baquba, a norte de Bagdad, segundo informaram fontes policiais.

Grupo de Al-Zarqawi reivindica autoria de atentado em Bagdad
 
Um comunicado atribuído ao grupo liderado pelo jordano Abu Mussab Al-Zarqawi, alegado líder da Al-Qaeda no Iraque, reivindica a autoria do atentado desta manhã contra o quartel-general da polícia iraquiana, no centro de Bagdad, que matou 47 pessoas.

"Com a vontade de Alá, um dos leões das Brigadas dos Mártires conseguiu atacar um centro de recrutamento do corpo da polícia infiel", afirma um comunicado publicado no sítio ansarnet.ws/vb, assinado pelo grupo Tawhid wal Jihad (Unicidade e Guerra Santa).

Segundo a nota, cuja autenticidade não foi ainda verificada, a operação terá sido perpetrada por um único bombista-suicida, cuja identidade não é revelada.

Segundo o último balanço do Ministério da Saúde, o ataque, ocorrido na movimentada rua Haifa, fez 47 mortos e 114 feridos. Até ao momento havia apenas a indicação de que a explosão tinha sido provocada por um carro armadilhado.

Numa outra nota, divulgada pouco antes, o Tawhid wal Jihad assumiu a responsabilidade pela autoria de outro ataque ocorrido esta manhã, contra um mini-autocarro que transportava polícias iraquianos, em Baquba, a norte de Bagdad. Segundo um responsável policial, o veículo foi barrado por dois automóveis, onde seguiam vários homens armados, que abriram fogo contra o autocarro, matando 12 polícias e um civil.

"Os heróis do Tawhid wal Jihad punem com mão de ferro todos os que ousam trair a religião e a honra e atacaram em Baquba um carro que transportava dez membros da polícial infiel, matando-os", lê-se na nota.

O grupo chefiado por Zarqawi, que os EUA afirmam ser o líder operacional da Al-Qaeda no Iraque, reivindicou vários atentados no país desde a queda do regime de Saddam Hussein, visando em particular as forças policiais e os militares americanos. O grupo, de dimensão desconhecida, mas que contará nas suas fileiras com combatentes de outros países da região, reivindicou também o sequestro e execução de cidadãos estrangeiros a trabalhar no país.

A coligação liderada pelos militares americanos oferece uma recompensa de 25 milhões de dólares por informações que conduzam à captura do jordano.  

Ah! Grande resistente que este Zarqawi é. Vai tudo a direito: civis, policias, soldados...

[Ricardo Nunes]

"O grupo que raptou os dois jornalistas franceses no Iraque divulgou, esta sexta-feira, um comunicado num «site» da Internet acusando a França de «crimes» e qualificando-a de «inimiga dos muçulmanos».
Num longo texto, onde não constava qualquer referência sobre o destino dos sequestrados, o Exército Islâmico do Iraque apresenta aquilo que designa como uma lista de "crimes cometidos pela França" em vários países, nomeadamente, na Argélia, na Tunísia e no Egipto.«A França distinguiu-se pela sua guerra contra o Islão e os muçulmanos e cometeu carnificinas contra a nação (islâmica)», escreve o grupo, salientando que «nenhuma pessoa livre e crente pode esquecer esta página» da história da França.

[Normando]

Ai, ai Chirac, põe-te fino senão daqui a uns mesitos estás a tirar os restos da torre Eiffel do rio Sena...

[JLRC]

Iraqi Border Patrol Gets New Equipment
 
 
(Source: US Central Command; issued Oct. 4, 2004)
 
 
 MOSUL, Iraq --- The Iraqi Border Patrol battalion received 40 Jeep Liberties and 1,500 body armor vests Sept. 29, equipment that will further their ability to ensure the safety and security of Iraq as its citizens prepare for elections in January.  
 
The body armor vests were purchased by Task Force Olympia with funds from the Commander’s Emergency Response Program at a cost of $832,500. The vehicles were purchased in Baghdad by Multi-National Security and Transition Command, Iraq.  
 
Training and equipping the Iraqi Security forces is the key to ensuring the safety and security of Iraq. Multi-National Forces are working with Iraqi government officials to ensure the IBP are prepared to provide security during the upcoming elections.  
 
Iraqi government officials have long recognized the border of Iraq as an entry point for terrorists, weapons and money coming into the country. The donation of this equipment is important in preventing terrorists and smugglers from crossing into the country illegally.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor to the DCI on Iraq’s WMD
 
 Source: Central Intelligence Agency
 
 Ref: no reference
 
 Issued Oct. 6, 2004 in PDF format
 
 
 More than 1,000 pages, 200GB in PDF

This report relays the findings of the Special Advisor to the Director of Central Intelligence on Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction (i.e., the final report by the Iraq Survey Group). Although media attention has focused mainly on its finding that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction at the time of the US invasion, the report includes detailed factual information on a variety of Iraqi programs, including delivery systems, nuclear, chemical warfare and biological warfare programs. Also provided is information on Iraq’s strategic intent and its finance and procurement arrangements.  
Because of the report’s size, it has been broken down into three main sections (each about 60 GB), while the “key findings” from each section have been extracted by the CIA and are provided as a separate, much smaller PDF file. The CIA says an HTML version is being prepared. The link below is to the report’s download page.  
 
 
 (PDF format)
 
 Full text

[JLRC]

Iraqi Police Officers Receive 10,000 Pistols
 
 
(Source: US Central Command; issued Oct. 11, 2004)
 
 
 BAGHDAD, Iraq --- The Multinational Security Transition Command – Iraq delivered 10,000 9mm Glock pistols to the Baghdad Public Service Academy, Saturday, for distribution to Iraqi Police Service recruits attending the school.  
 
The delivery is just part of the overall distribution of Glocks earmarked for Iraqi Police Service officers received in country by the multinational command two weeks ago. In addition to Saturday’s issue, a 10,000-plus Glock shipment from the large delivery also went out to Iraqi Police Service advisors in the various Major Support Commands for issue to officers already in service throughout the country. The two distributions raise the total Glocks delivered in the past week to more than 20,000 pistols.  
 
The Multinational Security Transition Command – Iraq’s Civilian Police Assistance Training Team – tasked with assisting the Iraqi government to train, mentor, and equip its civil security forces – will distribute the remaining weapons in the coming weeks.  
 
The Glock is an extremely durable lightweight steel and polymer composed Austrian-made pistol largely regarded as one of the most reliable weapons in the world as well as the law enforcement weapon of choice.  
 
-ends-

[Ricardo Nunes]

US teams 'tried to free hostages'
 
 
Mr Armstrong's killing reportedly spurred rescue teams to try again
American rescue teams tried at least twice to free two US citizens and a Briton taken hostage in Iraq and later killed, sources say in Washington.
Eugene Armstrong and Jack Hensley were killed soon after their abduction on 16 September while British man Kenneth Bigley was beheaded last week.

Rescuers acting on intelligence reports reportedly went to two sites in Baghdad but on both occasions found nothing.

"They just got there and nobody was there," the unnamed sources said.

All three men, who had been working as engineers in Iraq, were killed on camera by an Islamist group believed to be led by Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Mr Bigley, 62, was allowed by his captors to issue desperate appeals for his release on video before he was finally beheaded, three weeks after his capture.

Iraqi reports say he tried to flee from his captors shortly before his death.

Two attempts

According to a US source, rescue attempts were carried out early on in the hostage drama - the first when all three of the hostages were thought to be still alive and the second after the first American, Mr Armstrong, had been killed.

"We don't really know whether the men were ever at the spots," one official told Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity.

"But there were attempts to get them."

US defence officials insisted at the time that considerable efforts were being made to try to get the hostages released.

On Tuesday, UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told the Commons that an intermediary had passed messages to the militants holding Mr Bigley, urging them not to kill their captive.

"But at no stage did they abandon their demands relating to the release of women prisoners, even though they were well aware that there are no women prisoners in British custody in Iraq."

He added that there would be "a full internal review of what we have done, a look at whether there were other things could have done which might have made a difference".

"I genuinely don't think there are, however," he said.

Mr Bigley's family, meanwhile, thanked the public for its support.

Mr Bigley's 65-year-old brother, Stan, said the display of solidarity had made the family's three-week ordeal "a little more bearable".

Source: U.S. tried twice to rescue hostages
Intelligence led to 'dry holes,' says official with direct knowledge
Tuesday, October 12, 2004 Posted: 8:54 PM EDT (0054 GMT)
 
 
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The United States tried twice to rescue the two Americans and one British citizen held hostage in Iraq, according to a U.S. official with direct knowledge of the attempts.

The attempts involved deploying U.S. military as well as other government personnel on two separate occasions. Intelligence led the rescue teams to two locations in Baghdad, the official said.

Both times, the source said, the missions came up with "dry holes."

There was evidence at both locations that people had been there, but they were empty when the U.S. teams arrived, the official said.

"A lot of people had a lot of sleepless nights trying to find them," the official said.

It's not clear whether the hostages were moved, or whether the intelligence was faulty and the hostages were never there.

Americans Eugene Armstrong and Jack Hensley, along with the Briton, Kenneth Bigley, were kidnapped September 16 from their home in Baghdad.

The first rescue attempt came when all three men were still alive, the source said.

The second attempt came after Armstrong was killed September 20, the source said.

All three hostages were eventually beheaded. According to the official, no U.S. personnel were wounded or killed in either mission.

The U.S. military does not discuss specific details of rescue missions or the intelligence that led the missions to be undertaken. But U.S. Special Forces train constantly for rescue missions, and the United States has said it always searches for hostages and tries to do everything possible to rescue them.

Seven mosques raided
Iraqi security forces, backed by U.S. Marines and soldiers, launched a series of raids Tuesday on seven mosques in the central city of Ramadi, the U.S. military said.

"Our participation in these raids has been limited to supporting Iraqi security forces," U.S. Brig. Gen. Joseph F. Dunford said.

Ramadi is in the restive "Sunni Triangle" area about 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Baghdad.

Insurgents have used mosques at times to stage attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces.

"The mosques are suspected of participating in a spectrum of insurgent activity, including harboring known terrorists, storing illegal weapons caches, promoting violence against the Iraqi people and encouraging insurgent recruitment," said a coalition news release.

"The raids are an effort to search the mosques for known terrorists and insurgents, illegal weapons caches and insurgent propaganda."

The U.S. military said the mosques are considered holy sites and are not targeted unless they are used in the insurgency.

On Monday, the U.S. military launched an airstrike against a mosque in Hit -- a town about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Ramadi -- amid a battle with about 100 insurgents who had attacked U.S. Marines from inside the building.

Also Tuesday, U.S.-led forces launched airstrikes in Falluja that destroyed a meeting center and a safe house used by the Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's network, the U.S. military said.

The military said "successful precision" strikes took place around midnight and 4 a.m. (5 and 9 p.m. Monday ET).

The first strike destroyed a restaurant and a neighboring building in central Falluja, a witness said. The restaurant owner said four employees were inside at the time of the strike.

A statement from the U.S. military said the building was used as a center by al-Zarqawi to hold terrorist meetings.

"Terrorists frequently planned operations from this location. Plans included targeting Iraqi governmental leadership, Iraqi security forces, coalition forces and innocent Iraqi citizens," the military said.

"The location had been under the terrorist organization's control for more than a year, and innocent civilians knowingly stayed away."

In the second airstrike, the military's statement said, "Intelligence sources tracked and confirmed that al-Zarqawi associates were using the safe house at the time of the strike. The terrorists at the site had been involved in planning suicide attacks and kidnappings."

That attack destroyed a house in a neighborhood in eastern Falluja. Hospital sources said four people died in the airstrike.

U.S. warplanes have been making daily bombing runs in Falluja in recent weeks, targeting safe houses and other locations they believe are linked to al-Zarqawi.

Al-Zarqawi has been blamed for fomenting unrest in Iraq through the insurgency, carrying out attacks against U.S. forces, Iraqi government officials and other Iraqis.

His Unification and Jihad group also has been blamed for numerous beheadings of foreigners in Iraq, including the killings of American Nicholas Berg, and Armstrong, Hensley and Bigley.

[JLRC]

Iraqi Air Force Set to Receive Additional Aircraft
 
 
(Source: US Department of Defense; issued Oct. 13, 2004)
 
 
 BAGHDAD, Iraq --- The Iraqi air force’s 70th Squadron will take possession of the first two SAMA CH2000 light air surveillance aircraft Oct. 29, in Basrah, as the first delivery of an addition to the force that will number eight to 16 aircraft.  
 
In standing up the balance of the aircraft, the Iraqi air force will receive two CH2000 airplanes per month – deliveries kicking off in December – with final deliveries completing the $5.8 million acquisition at the end of March.  
 
The SAMA CH2000 is a two-seat single engine-prop airplane equipped with forward- looking infrared – a multi-sensor imager offering high performance, precision, and high level imaging, officials said. The aircraft also will be equipped with state-of- the art communications systems guaranteeing continuous and secure air and land communications using various bandwidths, and are capable of day and nighttime missions.  
 
“This is the second stage of building the air force,” Iraqi Air Force Commanding General Maj. Gen. Kamal al-Barzanjy said. “There will be many stages in the future.”  
 
The first stage began a month ago in Basrah, with solo Iraqi air force operations commencing with two previously acquired Australian-made SB7L-360 Seeker reconnaissance aircraft. The additions to the Seeker force will enhance the surveillance capacity to cover the entire country as Iraqi air force missions continue to concentrate on infrastructure and border security.  
 
“We will cover all lands in Iraq from two flight circles based in Basrah and Kirkuk and reaching down to Baghdad,” Barzanjy said. “With these airplanes we can cover pipelines, electrical facilities and our borders.”  
 
The special imaging capabilities of the new aircraft complement the similarly equipped Seeker aircraft. Operations will continue out of Basrah with the 70th Squadron crews and will be supported from Kirkuk when a second squadron stands up early next year, officials said.  
 
The air force also will continue to coordinate flight missions with Iraqi and multinational forces on the ground. Both squadrons are due to be fully operational by September 2005.  
 
-ends-

[Paisano]

Pelotão americano recusa-se a cumprir missão no Iraque

Bagdá - O Comando Central dos EUA confirmou que estão sendo investigadas notícias de que vários soldados de uma unidade de reservistas recusaram-se a participar de uma missão no Iraque. Segundo o jornal The Clarion-Ledger, de Jackson, Mississippi, um pelotão de 17 soldados da 343ª Companhia de Oficiais da Intendência recusou-se a sair em uma missão de entrega de combustível na quarta-feira, na base de Taji, norte do Iraque, alegando que seus veículos estavam em mau estado e que não havia escolta armada adequada.

Parentes dos soldados disseram ao jornal que os eles consideraram a missão perigosa demais, e que vários foram detidos depois de se recusar a obedecer as ordens. A negativa de toda uma unidade de realizar uma missão numa zona de guerra constituiria um preocupante ato de indisciplina. Um comunicado do Comando Central garantiu que tratou-se de um incidente "isolado".

Fonte: O Estado de São Paulo

[Ricardo Nunes]

Uma excelente, mas pequena, reportagem fotográfica efectuada pela TIME:

  http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/ramadi/

[JLRC]

Australia to Assist Fijian Deployment to Iraq
 
 
(Source: Australian Department of Defence; issued Oct. 19, 2004)
 
 
 The Australian Defence Force will provide assistance to a Fijian military contingent preparing to deploy under United Nations (UN) auspices to Iraq.  
 
Defence Minister Robert Hill and Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer announced today that Australia will provide support with training, equipment and related logistics, following a request from the Government of Fiji.  
 
Fiji will contribute a guard contingent and a personal protection detachment to the UN Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI).  
 
Australia strongly supports UN efforts to establish a significant presence in Iraq, involving the full range of agencies and with appropriate security protection.  
 
Australia welcomes Fiji’s contribution to UNAMI and is pleased to support them through the provision of equipment and training.  
 
We are keen to ensure the UN can deploy sufficient personnel to fulfill its mandate to advise and support the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq on the process for holding elections.  
 
We strongly encourage the international community to support the Iraqi people on their path to democracy.  
 
There are currently about 920 Australian Defence Force personnel in the Middle East, as part of multinational efforts to develop a secure and stable environment in Iraq.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Iraq: U.S. Rejects Saudi Proposal for Muslim UN Force
 
 
(Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; issued Oct. 19, 2004)
 
 
 PRAGUE --- The rejection of the Saudi plan provides a new measure of the difficulties Washington is having in convincing Muslim states to join the security effort in Iraq on terms both sides can live with.  
 
The White House said yesterday that it would not support the Saudi initiative due to objections by U.S. field commanders in Iraq and Iraqi government officials.  
 
Spokesman Scott McClellan said the Iraqi government had some concerns about having troops from a neighboring country inside Iraq. He said the multinational commanders also had some concerns about forces operating outside the chain of command structure.  
 
Phillip Mitchell, a military specialist at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, says the commanders of the multinational forces consider a single chain-of-command structure in Iraq essential for field operations.  
 
“Without coordinated command-and-control of all forces on the ground there is a very distinct possibility of confusion,” Mitchell said. “And without any coordination it’s quite possible that operations being carried out by, let’s say, forces under one command and operations being carried out by forces under a separate command, those two forces could clash and we could see clashes of ‘Blue on Blue’ [allied forces mistakenly attacking each other due to poor communications].” This week’s rejection of the Saudi proposal could mark the end of the longest-standing initiative from a Muslim state to involve Muslim forces in securing Iraq.  
 
The Saudi plan, first proposed in July, envisioned organizing a force of 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers from Muslim states to serve under UN control and help stabilize Iraq -- a task now mostly in U.S. hands.  
 
The plan contains several unresolved questions. Among these are which countries would contribute troops and who would pay for the deployment.  
 
Riyadh had earlier ruled out sending any of its own troops after the Iraqi government said it would not welcome troops from neighboring states for fear of potential political interference in Iraq’s domestic affairs. Instead, the Saudis sought to interest countries outside the immediate region, including Algeria, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, and Pakistan.  
 
The Saudi plan sought to rally support among Muslim states by stressing the troops would be under a command structure controlled by the UN. Riyadh also said any deployment of Muslim troops should be offset by comparable decreases in the number of coalition troops in Iraq.  
 
Both of those conditions appeared to be a concession to widespread feeling in the Muslim world that the United States acted unilaterally in invading Iraq and without a specific UN resolution. Muslim governments have been reluctant to join the U.S.-led coalition over the past 18 months for fear of appearing to approve of Washington’s military action.  
 
The failure of the Saudi initiative could now spell the end to any immediate prospects of Muslim states taking part in securing Iraq.  
 
Those prospects were already uncertain as many of the countries Riyadh initially mentioned as potential contributors to the Muslim force have hesitated to volunteer their troops.  
 
Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf early on said Islamabad would send troops only if other Muslim countries decided to do so.  
 
“In principal, Pakistan would like to help, if we can contribute to any peace and harmony [in] Iraq. But we need to look into the fact of whether the people of Iraq want us to come there, first of all,” Musharraf said. “Then other Muslim countries [must] decide to join so that Pakistan is not the only country. And [then there is] the issue of [a] UN mandate and those arrangements when Pakistan accepts.”  
 
Indonesia said earlier this year that it would not support the idea unless it was under a UN framework.  
 
Libyan leader Muammar Ghadaffi said two months ago the Saudi proposal would only be feasible if coalition troops withdrew first, so that Muslim soldiers would not be regarded as part of an occupying force.  
 
Washington’s rejection of the Saudi initiative comes after U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell initially welcomed the initiative as a starting point for discussions earlier this year.  
 
U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in July the United States would support the Saudi goal and maintain discussions on the matter.  
 
But in rejecting the proposal yesterday, U.S. officials gave no indication of whether they or Iraqi officials would now launch alternative efforts to persuade Muslim states to contribute troops to the multinational force.  
 
Shortly after Iraq’s sovereign government took power in late May, interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi sent letters to the governments of Bangladesh, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Oman, and Pakistan formally requesting troop contributions.  
 
Only two states with predominantly Muslim populations have so far contributed units to the U.S.-led coalition -- Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Ministerial Statement to the House of Commons by Secretary of State for Defence, Geoff Hoon
 
 
(Source: UK Ministry of Defence; issued Oct. 19, 2004)
 
 
 Mr. Speaker, with permission I would like to make a statement about the deployment of UK forces in Iraq.  
There has been considerable speculation in the media over the past several days about the United Kingdom deploying forces outside its current area of operations in southern Iraq.  
 
The only relevant fact is that the UK military received a request on 10 October from the US military command in Iraq for assistance.  
 
Such requests and discussions between allies are routine. There is regular dialogue with our Coalition allies and with the Iraqi security forces on all aspects of operations in Iraq. Requests for assistance form part of these exchanges. The actual disposition of Coalition Forces in Iraq has been adjusted regularly since the end of combat operations. The Danish contingent, for example, has taken on a greater share of responsibility within MND(SE), and the Japanese have deployed a 500 strong contingent into the Dutch Area of Operations.  
 
This particular request, if agreed, would involve UK land forces operating outside MND(SE). It is worth bearing in mind that Royal Air Force personnel have been operating over the whole of Iraq when required to support the Coalition, and that some British personnel are based in Baghdad to support Coalition operations. Other British land forces have previously operated outside MND(SE).  
 
Iraqi security forces and Coalition forces have recently been involved in intensified operations to restore areas under the control of militants and terrorists to the authority of the Iraq Interim Government. Recent operations in Najaf, in Samarra, and in North Babil have been undertaken as part of this effort. The political process is moving ahead as a result of these actions.  
 
This strategy is designed to increase pressure on and deal with those terrorists who are trying to prevent the rebuilding of Iraq, and who threaten the holding of free elections in January.  
 
The US request is for a limited number of UK ground forces to be made available to relieve US forces to allow them in turn to participate in further operations elsewhere in Iraq to maintain the continuing pressure on terrorists. The request does NOT ask for UK troops to be deployed to Baghdad City, nor to Fallujah.  
 
We are obviously considering this request. There are a number of issues that require assessment, including: timing; the length of the potential operation; command and control arrangements; logistics; and which forces would be the most appropriate to conduct the operation. None of these details have as yet been decided, and a UK reconnaissance team will deploy to the area tomorrow to provide further information which will inform the Chiefs of Staff. I expect the final recommendation from the Chief of the Defence Staff by the middle of the week.  
 
All these factors require careful consideration. Once we have made a decision, I will inform the House in the usual way.  
 
Speculation over the weekend has focused on the suggestion that the request is somehow political, and its timing linked to elections. I want to make clear that the request is a military request. And although it is linked to elections, it is not linked to the US elections, but with efforts to create the best possible security situation in which to hold the Iraqi elections in January.  
 
A number of commentators have voiced concerns about UK forces coming under US command, and about rules of engagement. If we agree to this request, the arrangements will ensure that Uk forces have a specific task; they will be responsible for a particular area. There are no practical difficulties for UK forces operating alongside those from the US. Our forces are fully engaged with all of our Coalition partners at every level of planning. On a daily basis, UK forces work alongside forces from Italy, from Denmark, and other nations including Poland, the Netherlands, and Japan. This is a matter of routine and is an effective and practical way of ensuring coherence both in our own area and with those areas that surround it.  
 
UK rules of engagement are more than adequate for tasks of the type envisaged. There is no need to adjust them. They will provide proper protection for UK forces, as they have during operations in volatile areas in our own sector, such as in Al Amarah.  
 
It is worth noting that, as the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces develop, they will expand the areas under their independent control. As a result, Coalition forces will need to become more able to act flexibly in support of Iraqi security forces, as they in turn take on greater responsibility for the protection of Iraqi civilians and property.  
 
The Government remains totally committed to holding free elections in January. And to seeing a government in Iraq that takes its rightful place in the international community, and one that delivers prosperity and a new future for the Iraqi people. This is something that should unite all sides of the House. It is right that the United Kingdom should do what it can to contribute to this fundamental strategic objective.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Ministerial Statement to the House of Commons by Secretary of State for Defence, Geoff Hoon
 
 
(Source: UK Ministry of Defence; issued Oct. 19, 2004)
 
 
 Mr. Speaker, with permission I would like to make a statement about the deployment of UK forces in Iraq.  
There has been considerable speculation in the media over the past several days about the United Kingdom deploying forces outside its current area of operations in southern Iraq.  
 
The only relevant fact is that the UK military received a request on 10 October from the US military command in Iraq for assistance.  
 
Such requests and discussions between allies are routine. There is regular dialogue with our Coalition allies and with the Iraqi security forces on all aspects of operations in Iraq. Requests for assistance form part of these exchanges. The actual disposition of Coalition Forces in Iraq has been adjusted regularly since the end of combat operations. The Danish contingent, for example, has taken on a greater share of responsibility within MND(SE), and the Japanese have deployed a 500 strong contingent into the Dutch Area of Operations.  
 
This particular request, if agreed, would involve UK land forces operating outside MND(SE). It is worth bearing in mind that Royal Air Force personnel have been operating over the whole of Iraq when required to support the Coalition, and that some British personnel are based in Baghdad to support Coalition operations. Other British land forces have previously operated outside MND(SE).  
 
Iraqi security forces and Coalition forces have recently been involved in intensified operations to restore areas under the control of militants and terrorists to the authority of the Iraq Interim Government. Recent operations in Najaf, in Samarra, and in North Babil have been undertaken as part of this effort. The political process is moving ahead as a result of these actions.  
 
This strategy is designed to increase pressure on and deal with those terrorists who are trying to prevent the rebuilding of Iraq, and who threaten the holding of free elections in January.  
 
The US request is for a limited number of UK ground forces to be made available to relieve US forces to allow them in turn to participate in further operations elsewhere in Iraq to maintain the continuing pressure on terrorists. The request does NOT ask for UK troops to be deployed to Baghdad City, nor to Fallujah.  
 
We are obviously considering this request. There are a number of issues that require assessment, including: timing; the length of the potential operation; command and control arrangements; logistics; and which forces would be the most appropriate to conduct the operation. None of these details have as yet been decided, and a UK reconnaissance team will deploy to the area tomorrow to provide further information which will inform the Chiefs of Staff. I expect the final recommendation from the Chief of the Defence Staff by the middle of the week.  
 
All these factors require careful consideration. Once we have made a decision, I will inform the House in the usual way.  
 
Speculation over the weekend has focused on the suggestion that the request is somehow political, and its timing linked to elections. I want to make clear that the request is a military request. And although it is linked to elections, it is not linked to the US elections, but with efforts to create the best possible security situation in which to hold the Iraqi elections in January.  
 
A number of commentators have voiced concerns about UK forces coming under US command, and about rules of engagement. If we agree to this request, the arrangements will ensure that Uk forces have a specific task; they will be responsible for a particular area. There are no practical difficulties for UK forces operating alongside those from the US. Our forces are fully engaged with all of our Coalition partners at every level of planning. On a daily basis, UK forces work alongside forces from Italy, from Denmark, and other nations including Poland, the Netherlands, and Japan. This is a matter of routine and is an effective and practical way of ensuring coherence both in our own area and with those areas that surround it.  
 
UK rules of engagement are more than adequate for tasks of the type envisaged. There is no need to adjust them. They will provide proper protection for UK forces, as they have during operations in volatile areas in our own sector, such as in Al Amarah.  
 
It is worth noting that, as the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces develop, they will expand the areas under their independent control. As a result, Coalition forces will need to become more able to act flexibly in support of Iraqi security forces, as they in turn take on greater responsibility for the protection of Iraqi civilians and property.  
 
The Government remains totally committed to holding free elections in January. And to seeing a government in Iraq that takes its rightful place in the international community, and one that delivers prosperity and a new future for the Iraqi people. This is something that should unite all sides of the House. It is right that the United Kingdom should do what it can to contribute to this fundamental strategic objective.  
 
-ends-

[Ricardo Nunes]

Bodies of 49 Iraqi army recruits found near Baquba: police

The bodies of 49 new Iraqi army recruits have been found near the town of Baquba, north-east of Baghad, the police chief of the province of Diyala said today.

"We have found the bodies of 49 new recruits executed on the road between Baladruz and Badra," said Walid Khaled Abdelsalamam.

Police said insurgents appeared to have intercepted the soldiers as they were travelling home on leave and forced them to lie on the ground before shooting them.

"They were all executed, we found them executed," Interior Ministry spokesman Adnan Abdul-Rahman said.

He said the soldiers had been travelling in three minibuses, which were all burned-out wrecks after the attack.

The soldiers were based at Kirkush, about 90km north-east of Baghdad.

A senior security official, who asked not to be named, said the soldiers were unarmed and wearing civilian clothes.

They were mostly from the mainly Shiite Muslim cities of Basra, Amara and Nassiriya in southern Iraq.

"It appears that they were ambushed by a large, well-organised force with good intelligence," the source said.

The attack was another blow to the efforts of the interim government to develop Iraqi security forces to tackle a raging insurgency that US-led forces have failed to quell.

Members of Iraq's security forces are a favourite target in an insurgency that flared up in the aftermath of last year's US-led invasion and which US and Iraqi officials are desperate to crush.

--AFP/Reuters

  http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtm ... ID=6589834

Impressionante. Paz às suas almas.

Cada vez mais admiro os membros das forças de defesa iraquianas. É preciso muita coragem para fazer aquilo que fazem.
Entretanto aqui ficam umas imagens da força de ellite iraquiana ICTF (Counter Terrorism Force) - cerca de 800 homens - que estão a ser treinados pelas forças americanas fora do Iraque.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ: An Iraqi ICTF (Counter Terrorism Force) soldier stands to attention during an inspection 20 October 2004, at an undisclosed location in Iraq. The force which is being trained by the US military in a neighboring country is made up of up to 800 men and will be deployed in Iraq to retrieve 'HVT' or high value targets.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ: An Iraqi ICTF (Counter Terrorism Force) soldier with night goggles attached to his helmet is seen during an inspection 20 October 2004, at an undisclosed location in Iraq. The force which is being trained by the US military in a neighboring country is made up of up to 800 men and will be deployed in Iraq to retrieve 'HVT' or high value targets.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ: Iraqi ICTF (Counter Terrorism Force) soldiers take part in a show case operation 20 October 2004, at an undisclosed location in Iraq. The force which is being trained by the US military in a neighboring country is made up of up to 800 men and will be deployed in Iraq to retrieve 'HVT' or high value targets.