THE TENSION: Combat Camera: Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham Visit Iraq

Sen. John McCain arrives at the Mosul Airfield, March 16, accompanied Major Gen. Mark P. Hertling, commander of Multi-National Division-North and Lt. Gen. Riyadh Jalal Tawfiq, commander of the Ninewah Operations Command. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina follows. (Photographer: Sgt. Patrick Lair, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

Sen. John McCain arrives at the Mosul, March 16, accompanied Major Gen. Mark P. Hertling, commander of Multi-National Division-North, Lt. Gen. Riyadh Jalal Tawfiq, commander of the Ninewah Operations Command and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. (Photographer: Sgt. Patrick Lair, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

Sen. John McCain listens to Lt. Gen. Riyadh Jalal Tawfiq, commander of the Ninewah Operations Command, and Major Gen. Mark P. Hertling, commander of Multi-National Division-North, during a briefing in Mosul, March 16. (Photographer: Sgt. Patrick Lair, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

Dispatches from the Front:

MOSUL, Iraq, March 16, 2008 -- On the 35th anniversary of his release from the Hanoi Hilton, Arizona Senator John McCain arrived in Mosul with South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham to get an assessment of the situation in Northern Iraq from American and Iraqi military leaders, March 16.

The senators met with Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, commander of Multi-National Division-North, Col. Michael Bills, commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Lt. Gen. Riyadh Jalal Tawfiq, commander of the Ninewah Operations Command, members of the U.S. Dept. of State and other military leaders for a briefing on current operations in northern Iraq.

“The purpose of the day’s visit was to provide a first-hand account of the situation in Mosul to elected American political leaders,” said Lt. Col. Bob Molinari, regimental operations officer, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

“This is a critical location for battling against the terrorists,” Hertling said. “They can go back to the American people and tell them how important this battle is.”

The senators flew into Mosul from Washington D.C. for a two-hour meeting and planned to make several more stops on March 16 in other areas of Iraq.

Commanders briefed the American officials on recent progress made by coalition forces in and around Mosul.

Since taking over the battle space last November, 3rd ACR troops have been building police checkpoints along the main city roads, establishing combat outposts in city neighborhoods and bolstering local Iraqi army and Iraqi police forces.

In February, Gen. David Petraeus, commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq, Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq, Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Iraq’s Sunni Arab Vice President Tariq al Hashimi, all paid visits to Mosul.

(From a Multi-National Division – North Public Affairs Office press release.)

Related Posts:
Combat Camera: U.S. Congressional Delegation Visits Kirkuk, Iraq
Combat Camera: On Board USS John S. McCain; Feb. 16, 2008
National Guard Rescues U.S. Sen. John Kerry in Afghanistan