U.S. Air Force Delivers 77,000 Pounds of Relief to Burma

Operation Caring Response - Airmen from Yokota Air Base, Japan, prepare to service a C-130 Hercules at Utapao Thai Royal Navy Air Base, Thailand, after its delivery of U.S. humanitarian relief supplies to the people of Burma May 14. The Airmen are deployed in support of Operation Caring Response. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Sonya Croston)

News in Balance:

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii, May 17, 2008 (AFPN) -- A total of four Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft have delivered more than 77,000 lbs. of relief supplies to Burma as part of the ongoing U.S. relief efforts following Cyclone Nargis which devastated the coast of the Irrawaddy Division in Burma, May 2.

To date, Air Force aircrews have delivered USAID relief supplies including water, plastic sheeting, hygiene kits, water jugs, mosquito netting and food in support of Operation Caring Response.

"The Air Force is proud to be participating in this humanitarian effort," said Lt. Col. John Graham, Air Force liaison officer for Joint Task Force Caring Response. "The Air Force trains daily to rapidly respond to crises throughout the world. We feel it is important to use this capability to aid other countries in times of emergency and help mitigate suffering and save lives."

Supplies delivered during Operation Caring Response have totaled 21 pallets of water, 8 pallets of plastic sheeting, 5 pallets of hygiene kits, 4 pallets of blankets, 3 pallets of mosquito netting, 2 pallets of water jugs and one pallet of food.

According to USAID officials, heavy rainfall continues to affect southern Burma, particularly the Rangoon and Irrawaddy Divisions. Continued rains in the affected area and upstream river systems are likely to lead to prolonged flooding in the region.

Seven additional missions have been scheduled to drop off supplies to Burma, but traditionally have required daily Burmese permissions to deliver and enter the country. Deliveries have been limited to the Rangoon International Airport.

More than 45 members of the 36th Contingency Response Group from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, remain prepared to open or operate airfields to facilitate relief operations outside of Utapao, Thailand, if necessary.

(Story by Capt. Genieve David, 13th Air Force Public Affairs.)

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Pulsed-Detonation Engine Flies Into U.S. Air Force History

The Long E-Z aircraft, powered by the pulsed detonation engine, makes its history-making flight Jan. 31 at Mohave, Calif. Soon it will be on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (Courtesy photo)

Focus on Defense:

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio, May 17, 2008 (AFPN) -- The engine that naysayers thought could never propel an aircraft across the sky is now at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, where it will be displayed this summer and remembered for its 2008 history-making flight.

The pulsed detonation engine, developed by a team from the Air Force Research Laboratory here, flew its record-breaking manned flight Jan. 31 at Mohave, Calif.

The pulsed detonation engine, or PDE, was flown on a modified Scaled Composites Long-EZ aircraft by test pilot Pete Siebold. He achieved a speed of over 120 mph and 60 to 100 feet altitude, which produced greater than 200 pounds of thrust. A jet assist takeoff was used to minimize takeoff roll and provide more runway margin, but was subsequently shut down when the PDE provided plenty of thrust for flight.

"The aircraft is in our restoration facility awaiting transfer for exhibit in our Experimental and Flight Test Gallery -- a most appropriate location for such a fine example of innovation," said Terry Aitken, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force senior curator.

What makes the PDE so unique is instead of burning fuel, called deflagration, to get propulsion, air and fuel are mixed, ignited and detonated in controlled explosions inside open-ended tubes that look like exhaust pipes. When detonation moves through the tubes, it creates a supersonic shockwave that continually pulses and generates thrust.

The increased thrust could be capable of powering future aircraft up to speeds of Mach 4, or four times the speed of sound, and beyond. The PDE can be combined with other engine cycles, such as turbines, rockets, or hypersonic scramjets, to optimize flight envelopes, said Fred Schauer, assigned to the AFRL Propulsion Directorate.

"This engine offers the capability of static to near hypersonic flight with good supersonic efficiencies. Pulsed detonation engines could make sense for missions that require efficient supersonic cruise and/or boost from low to high speeds," Mr. Schauer said.

Another plus for the engine is its ability to run on a variety of fuels and maintain near-constant-volume combustion, which makes it highly fuel efficient.

"This is a potential game-changer in terms of fuel efficiency," Mr. Schauer said. "For comparison, if we had operated this same engine with conventional combustion we would have made less than a third of the thrust for the same fuel burn. In comparison to traditional engines, fuel savings of 5 to 20 percent could be expected."

These fuel efficiency savings are expected for typical propulsion applications if pulsed detonation technology can be integrated into conventional systems. Current research is directed toward realizing these benefits, Mr. Schauer said.

The primary goals of the proof of concept demonstration were to show that the experimental PDE could sustain an aircraft, withstand the extreme acoustic pressure during detonations, and prove that the noise level was not prohibitive for a pilot or those on the ground. Mr. Schauer said some of the biggest doubts about the PDE concerned survivability of an airframe and personnel.

Though the flight demonstration engine, made from off-the-shelf automotive parts, was designed in 2002, Mr. Schauer and his team worked over the years to refine the engine and developed a method to burn the fuel and air in a way that increased the intensity of the explosions.

A major drawback that kept the team from flying earlier was the excessive drag caused from all the accessories hanging under the aircraft.

"This was overcome by placing an aerodynamic cowling over the PDE, which was designed by Scaled Composites," Mr. Schauer said. "The engine also endured 100 hours of durability ground testing and 30 hours of airframe integration tests. "We never stopped working on pushing the technology."

The engine was developed and manufactured in-house by members of the AFRL Propulsion Directorate's Turbine Engine Division, Combustion Branch and its on-site contractor, ISSI. The successful flight test was a joint AFRL effort that included the activities of AFRL Propulsion Directorate for PDE developmental research and the propulsion package; AFRL Air Vehicles Directorate for structural, aero and acoustics; AFRL Human Effectiveness Directorate for exposure limits and acoustic protection, AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate for structural materials; and Scaled Composites, Inc. for vehicle integration and flight testing.

The next steps for PDE are to develop systems that have the durability of the first engine, but with the performance of current innovations as well as hybrid turbine-based detonation cycles, Mr. Schauer said.

(Story by Larine Barr, 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs.)

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Combat Hammer Allows Military to Evaluate Precision-Guided Munitions

Lt. Col. Miles Demayo takes off in his F-16 Fighting Falcon from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., May 9 en route to Hill AFB, Utah. Sixteen jets and 172 Airmen from Shaw AFB went to Hill AFB for Combat Hammer, an exercise that assesses operational effectiveness and suitability of weapons and weapons systems in several different tactical scenarios. Colonel Demayo is the 55th Fighter Squadron commander. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Bevier)

Focus on Defense:

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah, May 17, 2008 (AFPN) -- In a "remote village" west of Salt Lake City, a 2,000-pound enhanced guided bomb unit-15 slips suddenly through an open window of a 30-foot building with immaculate precision. Zero fatalities result from this TV-guided infrared intrusion that occurred May 13.

The village -- stacks of cargo containers positioned to reflect an average Afghan village -- was erected to help Weapon System Evaluation Program specialists test and evaluate electronic warfare, armament and avionics, chemical defense, reconnaissance and aircrew training devices in a realistic combat scenario.

The weapons testing program, known as Combat Hammer, is part of the Air Force's ongoing effort to test weapons systems in training missions that also prepare air crews for upcoming deployments.

Testing flights during the week have included B-1 Lancers and B-2 Spirits, along with F-15 Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-22 Raptors.

Hill Air Force Base hosts Combat Hammer, which is powered by the U.S. Air Force Air Warfare Center at Nellis AFB, Nev.; 53rd Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla.; the 53rd Weapons Evaluations Group at Tyndall AFB, Fla.; the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Eglin AFB; and the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron, Det. 1, at Hill AFB.

Sixty-five percent of all Combat Hammer operations are performed at the Utah Test and Training Range, an area operated by Hill AFB range personnel. The availability of space, the desert environment and the accessibility of using moving targets makes this testing ground the most ideal setting in the United States, according to 1st Lt. Scott Crowell, an F-15 pilot from the 391st Fighter Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.

Combat Hammer also provides weapons specialists the opportunity to practice loading live munitions onto the aircraft, something they rarely are allowed to do at their home base, according to Staff Sgt. James Deczynski of the 55th Fighter Squadron and Air Maintenance Unit at Shaw AFB, S.C.

"Since day one, we have been training to go to war," Sergeant Deczynski said. "Something like this helps prepare us."

Airmen from the 55th FS and the 391st FS will provide close-air support in Southwest Asia in September. These exercises help ensure that those Airmen and weapons will be thoroughly evaluated and combat-ready.

(Story by Lee Anne Hensley, 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs.)

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Pentagon Discusses Ethics for Federal Employees

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Micheal Cruz applies paint touch-ups to an American flag on the panel of a CH-46E Helicopter in the hanger bay of the USS Essex. Cruz is assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Audrey M. Graham.)

Focus on Defense:

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2008 -- Showing appreciation for the men and women that risk their lives to defend the United States is essential, and yet rumors and fears about ethical restrictions that limit the amount of gift giving is a concern for many philanthropic organizations.

Lee Bradley, director of the Department of Defense Ethics, Standards and Conduct Office came on ASYLive BlogTalkRadio yesterday to clarify some of these concerns.

"I recognize that a whole lot of people believe that gift rules are very restrictive, ... but federal employees really live by the creed of ‘public service is a public trust.’ We are governed not only by our joint ethics regulations that exist in DoD, but we are also governed by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Standards and Conduct," Bradley explained.

Bradley went on to say that many of these restrictions are actually not as prohibitive as some individuals might think. In fact, exceptions are made in many circumstances, particularly for wounded servicemembers. The basic gift rules in DoD are that government employees may not accept gifts over $20 from 'prohibited sources,' which are DoD contractors or outside entities seeking to do business with DoD or the government, or if it appears that the gift is being given because of an individual’s official capacity.

"We don't want there to be an appearance that the gift is being given to curry favor with the federal government employee in order to get a leg up on the competition for certain government contracts," Bradley explained.

"If for instance, a corporation wanted to give a beautiful Waterford statue of the capital to the commanding general of Fort McNair, we would conclude that that gift was being given because of his official capacity," Bradley said, addressing the part of the law about individuals’ official capacity.

However, if a gift is given to a group of individuals and not targeted to individuals specifically because of their official position, this law does not apply.

"If for instance, a wealthy philanthropist wants to invite all Navy personnel in the San Diego area to a San Diego Padres baseball game, the Department of Ethics will then determine if [the philanthropist] is a prohibited source: Doing business with DoD? Is he attempting to get contracts with DoD? If it passes the first test and the answer is no, we then make sure that a high-ranking official is not singled out and given the ticket because of his official position. Instead, this philanthropist is giving these tickets to all Navy personnel in the area. Under these circumstances it is perfectly acceptable for the Navy personnel to accept the tickets."

These laws are further modified when it comes to wounded soldiers. "About two years ago, as a result of the public's interest in supporting the war effort, Congress passed a provision in the DoD Appropriations Act that gives the Department of Defense more latitude in this area," Bradley said.

He explained that if a "servicemember incurs a combat-related disability, or illness or injury in a combat operation or zone while on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, he or she can accept an unsolicited gift." This rule also applies to family members as long as it does not violate another statute, such as the bribery statute.

The only restriction with this law is that if the gift received is valued at an excess of $335 dollars or an excess of $1,000 dollars in multiple gifts from the same source over a year, then an ethics official from the department must review the gift and make a written determination. This does not mean that it is unlikely that the servicemember will be able to keep the gift however, Bradley explained. "I have seen a gift of a home valued at $250,000 that had to be reviewed, and the servicemember met all qualifications and still received the home."

Bradley went on to discuss restrictions placed on public officials when attending events. "When it comes to DoD officials attending events, the organization cannot use your official title to draw people into the event, but it doesn’t mean that you can't participate in these events," Bradley explained.

In addition, when attending an event, an official must be careful to not express favoritism for a specific non-federal entity thus giving it "preferred status." A general cannot say, 'The Red Cross is the nation's premier disaster-response organization.' They must instead say, "The Red Cross is one of the nation's premier disaster-response organizations. It is really just a ban on giving one organization preferred status over another."

Bradley stressed that it is incredibly important that federal employees keep up to date on this information. She encouraged anyone with questions to visit the DoD Standards of Conduct Office Web site for the latest updates.

(Story by Jamie Findlater, Special to American Forces Press Service.)

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Forces in Afghanistan Nab Eight Taliban Suspects

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2008 -- Afghan and coalition security forces detained eight suspected Taliban militants during a joint operation conducted in Paktia province yesterday, U.S. military officials said.

Afghan and coalition forces searched several compounds in the province’s Zadran district while looking for a Taliban operative with links to local roadside bomb attacks and the movement of insurgent fighters. Some explosives components discovered during the search were removed for disposal.

In other news, one militant was killed and 13 others were detained during a coalition operation in Helmand province May 14.

During a search of several compounds in the Garmser district, coalition forces fired on and killed a militant that was deemed a threat. Thirteen people linked to terrorist operations were detained during the operation.

(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)

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Forces in Iraq Kill Terrorist, Detain 19

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2008 -- Coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained 19 suspects during a series of operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq operatives in central and northern Iraq today, military officials said.

• Coalition forces killed one insurgent and captured another during an anti-al Qaida operation near Khan Bani Saad, about 20 miles north of Baghdad.

• In Baghdad, coalition forces detained one suspected terrorist.

• In Mosul, coalition forces captured an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq financier and seven other suspects.

• In Tikrit, coalition forces detained four suspected terrorists.

• Near Balad, coalition forces detained five suspected terrorists during operations to disrupt al-Qaida in Iraq's foreign-terrorist facilitation network.

"We continue to target al-Qaida in Iraq's terrorists who bring nothing but misery to the Iraqi people," said Army Maj. John C. Hall, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

In yesterday's operations:

• U.S. soldiers detained a suspected terrorist during an operation in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. The detainee is a suspected Iranian-trained "special groups" member wanted for complicity in several murders, bomb attacks, and weapons trafficking. "The soldiers of 1st [Brigade Combat Team] 'Raider Brigade' remain steadfast in their efforts to bring these dangerous criminals to justice," said Army Maj. Dave Olson, a 4th Infantry Division spokesman. "The Iraqi security forces and coalition forces strive to provide a stable, secure environment for the Rashid district and its citizens."

• Iraqi soldiers captured a mid-level special groups leader in Husayniyah. The detainee is believed to have coordinated recent bomb, rocket and small-arms attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces. Three additional suspects also were detained. "The capture of this cell leader will likely affect the ability of special groups criminals in Husayniyah to conduct attacks against Iraqi security and coalition forces," said Army Col. Bill Buckner, a Multinational Corps Iraq spokesman. "This will prevent special groups leadership from exploiting the city as a safe haven."

• U.S. soldiers killed one insurgent and wounded another during a firefight in eastern Baghdad. The U.S. patrol had been struck by an explosive that damaged a vehicle. Soon afterward, enemy fighters engaged the U.S. soldiers with small-arms fire. The soldiers returned fire and killed one enemy fighter and wounded another. No soldiers were injured in the attack.

• U.S. soldiers killed six insurgents during three engagements in the Shula sector in northwestern Baghdad. The soldiers killed three insurgents during two separate firefights; three other insurgents were dispatched by a Hellfire missile. "Our soldiers are trained professionals and will defend themselves with appropriate force," said Army Col. Allen Batschelet, chief of staff of Multinational Division Baghdad and 4th Infantry Division.

• Iraqi commandos captured an al-Qaida-affiliated terrorist during an operation in western Mosul. The detainee is connected to the placement of explosives in the area. Six other suspects also were detained. "Iraqi special operations forces, partnered with coalition forces, will continue to pursue terrorists who threaten innocent Iraqi citizens," Buckner said.

In May 14 operations:

• Fourteen Iraqi civilians were killed and eight were wounded when an al-Qaida in Iraq member detonated a suicide vest at a funeral near Abu Ghraib. U.S. and Iraqi forces provided security and rendered assistance. The wounded were taken to the Fallujah and Abu Ghraib hospitals for treatment. "This is an attack by terrorists who place no value on human life and intentionally attack and kill innocent Iraqis," said Army Lt. Col. David Davidson, 25th Infantry Division. "As friends and family gathered to grieve for the loss of the headmaster of the technical school, whose job was to educate and bring a brighter future to Abu Ghraib and the nation of Iraq, these criminals chose to carry out this cowardly act."

• U.S. soldiers found a weapons cache containing 9 mm pistols, pistol magazines, detonators, and a spool of command wire, cell phones, false identification cards, and a couple undeveloped rolls of film inside an apartment building in southern Baghdad. Five suspects were detained during the operation.

• Iraqi and U.S. soldiers found a buried weapons cache in Abu Osage, about 30 kilometers southwest of Baghdad, after following up on a tip from a local resident. The cache contained: nine mortar rounds, three 57 mm anti-aircraft rounds, six boxes of small arms rounds, two boxes of 25 mm mortar rounds, one box of 60 mm mortar fuses, and one 120 mm mortar tube with tripod. The munitions were taken to an Iraqi army base for disposal.

In May 13 operations:

• Special groups terrorists fired an 82 mm mortar at a coalition base that missed and landed near a market in the Karadah district of Baghdad. The market burned down about 30 minutes later. Coalition investigators are checking out an Iraqi police report attributing the cause of the fire to faulty generator wiring. "These special groups criminals are indiscriminately endangering the lives of innocent Iraqi civilians. This is typical of the cowards who target Iraqi citizens and show no concern for Iraq and its future," said Army Maj. Joey Sullinger, a 10th Mountain Division spokesman. "Our hearts go out to our Iraqi neighbors who lost their livelihoods in the market fire."

• Troops on a joint Iraqi-U.S. reconnaissance mission assisted by a Sons of Iraq detachment discovered six separate weapons caches in Maderiyah. The first cache contained: one 120 mm mortar round, one 100 mm anti-aircraft round, 12 rocket-propelled-grenade warheads, eight 73 mm rockets, and a mortar tripod. The second cache contained: 300 anti-personnel grenades, 100 meters of detonation cord, 100 rounds of PKC machine-gun ammunition, and five sticks of dynamite. A third cache contained 10 empty 155 mm illumination canisters. Although empty, the canisters could have been used to construct improvised explosive devices, officials said. The final three caches in total contained: one 23 mm antiaircraft gun with a tripod, 200 23 mm rounds, an SS-30 M3 127 mm rocket, and three 120 mm mortars, all of which were serviceable.

• "Most of the 300 anti-personnel grenades were serviceable," said Army Capt. Richard Aaron, a commander with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. "Because they were found with detonation cord, these most likely would have been used to booby trap homes or areas where al-Qaida in Iraq expected U.S. or (Iraqi army) soldiers to search."

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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More International Pressure Needed to Curb Iran's Interference in Iraq

News in Balance:

Pentagon Previews Report on Iran's Meddling in Iraq

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2008 -- A preview offered to Iran of details in a yet-to-be-released Multinational Force Iraq report about its meddling in Iraq appears to have had no effect, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said yesterday. However, that may change when the report goes public, he added.

The report, prepared under Army Gen. David H. Petraeus' leadership, documents how Iranians have been supplying, training, equipping and financing extremist Shiite groups within Iraq, Morrell told reporters during a Pentagon news briefing. Petraeus has called these so-called "special groups" the biggest threat to the Iraqi government's stability.

Information from the MNFI report "has already been shared with the Iranian government," Morrell said. "I don't know what, if [any], difference that has made. Perhaps when the rest of the world sees it -- sees the extent to which they have been undermining a duly elected government and really wreaking havoc within that country, perhaps it will increase the international pressure on Iran to change its ways."

Even with "extraordinary military pressure" on Iranian-backed groups operating in Iraq, Iran hasn't scaled back its activities, Morrell said. "We go after them relentlessly," he said. "And we have done so to great success recently, uncovering huge caches of weapons that we continue to find that are clearly being provided by the Iranians."

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is committed to ratcheting up diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Iran to get it to stop its destabilizing activities and to abandon its nuclear ambitions, Morrell said.

"The secretary believes we should be continuing all of those pressures simultaneously and in an amplified way to make sure that Iran feels the pressure of remaining a destabilizing influence in the Middle East," he said. "Through those pressures, he hopes to gain the leverage to ultimately, at some point, have them say, 'Enough. We're ready to talk about changing our ways.'"

Gates has been dealing with Iran for 40 years and "is still looking for the elusive Iranian moderate with whom we can deal rationally and constructively," Morrell said.

And while the secretary considered the merits of reaching out to Iran in 2004 while it was under then-President Mohammad Khatami's leadership, he sees little chance of positive exchange with Iran's current leadership, Morrell said. Iran's activity in Iraq was "somewhat ambivalent" under Khatami, he told reporters, but is anything but that under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "It is entirely unhelpful," he said.

Historians will determine if not engaging with the Khatami government was a lost opportunity, Gates told retired diplomats yesterday at a meeting of the Academy of American Diplomacy in Washington.

Direct talks with Iran under Ahmadinejad's leadership can be effective only after Iran bows to mounting international pressure and ceases its destabilizing activities, Morrell said the secretary now believes.

"With the election of Ahmadinejad and the very unambiguous role that Iran is playing in Iraq today, we need to find a way to build up some leverage with the Iranians and then sit down and talk," Gates told the Academy of American Diplomacy. "We can't go to a discussion being completely the demander with them not feeling they need anything from us."

The secretary has been candid about using U.S. military activities -- including the temporary presence of two aircraft carriers in the Arabian Gulf early this month -- to remind Iran of U.S. strength in the region, Morrell said.

The United States has enough military assets in the Middle East to amplify its message, but prefers to emphasize diplomatic and economic pressure first, he said.

"Obviously, we have 150-plus thousand troops in a neighboring country. We have many more troops in the region. We have ships. We have planes. We have more than enough assets," he said. "But that is not the course of action at this point. It is an option that remains on the table."

(Story by Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service.)

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Forces In Iraq Kill Two, Detain 21 Terrorism Suspects

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2008 -- Coalition forces killed two terrorism suspects and detained 21 others during operations across Iraq today.

Fifteen miles west of Baghdad, coalition forces targeted an individual suspected of managing vehicle-bomb attacks. Two were killed and three were caught at the compound. Forces recovered a rifle and a case of hand grenades.

Forces captured a man suspected of smuggling illegal weapons into Iraq and three others in the Mansour district in Baghdad. Forces first nabbed the man, and he then gave up the location of the others.

Coalition and Iraqi forces joined to target terrorist elements in and around Mosul. They caught one suspect southeast of Mosul. In Mosul, forces caught a man suspected of handling car bombings and of bringing foreign terrorists into the country. Two others were detained in the operations.

Coalition forces in Beiji captured three wanted men and seven other suspects. Two of the wanted men are alleged foreign terrorist facilitators associated with suicide bombings, and the other is believed to be part of a car-bombing network in the Tigris River valley.

Yesterday in Iraq, a female suicide bomber attacked an Iraqi army battle position 12 miles south of Baghdad. One Iraqi soldier was killed and seven were wounded.

Also yesterday, soldiers killed five enemy fighters in operations in western Baghdad. U.S. soldiers were attacked by the fighters using small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in Kadamiyah. The soldiers killed four attackers. Later, soldiers received sniper fire from a building in Kadamiyah. An aerial weapons team fired a Hellfire missile, killing one attacker.

In other operations across Iraq:

• A bomb-laden motorcycle exploded in Kirkuk on May 13. The motorcycle was parked outside an elementary school on a route that leads to an open market. Reports are that a car was destroyed and 12 civilians were injured in the blast.

• Iraqi police caught a man May 13 wanted for several murders in the Shurta community.

• U.S. soldiers found a rocket-propelled grenade with launcher and ammunition in the Jihad community May 13.

• In the Karb De Gla community May 13, members of the “Sons of Iraq,” a citizen security group, turned in more than 100 pounds of plastic explosives to U.S. soldiers.

• U.S. soldiers recovered a weapons cache May 12 in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad following a tip from a local citizen. Soldiers recovered about 200 feet of detonation cord, 50 blasting caps, 200 rounds of ammunition and several timers.

• On May 12, U.S and Iraqi army soldiers recovered a weapons cache in the Doura community. A local tip led to the cache holding a 155 mm artillery round, rocket-propelled grenade rounds, RPG launchers, machine guns, ammunition, body armor, homemade hand grenades, homemade explosives, and hundreds of items used to make homemade explosives.

• Iraqi army soldiers recovered a weapons cache near Say Fahal village, southwest of Baghdad, May 12. The cache included explosive devices, more than 180 60 mm mortar rounds, 130 mm high-explosive projectiles, a 122 mm rocket, and a 155 mm rocket along with fuses and ammunition.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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U.S. General Cites Iranian Links to Terrorists in Iraq

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2008 -- So-called “special groups” terrorists operating in Iraq apparently are receiving training, arms and funding from Iranian sources, a senior U.S. military official posted in Iraq said yesterday.

“Over the course of the last several months, we have publicly discussed numerous times, and shown numerous times, the evidence on four separate occasions on what we have found and continue to find: Iranian-made weapons in the hands of criminals in Iraq,” Army Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner told reporters during a Baghdad news conference.

U.S. officials previously have discussed evidence that indicates some Iraqi militants “are being trained in Iran and receiving funding from Iranian Quds forces to conduct violent attacks in Iraq,” Bergner said. The Quds Force is a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard widely believed to be responsible for operations, including terrorist operations, outside Iran’s borders.

Such Iranian meddling in Iraqi affairs violates Iraq’s sovereignty, Bergner pointed out.

“With this evidence, the government of Iraq has recently engaged its neighbor and again sought fulfillment of Iranian commitments previously made to stop the flow of weapons, training and funding” to insurgent groups in Iraq, Bergner said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has established a committee to collect and analyze the reports of Iranian activity and to develop a unified approach to address the issue, Bergner said.

“We will continue to provide information and evidence we have collected to the government of Iraq, to be considered along with their own evidence from the Iraqi security forces,” Bergner said. “As coalition forces, we will continue to fulfill our commitment under the United Nations mandate, together with our Iraqi partners, to support the government of Iraq’s efforts to improve security and stability.”

U.S. and Iraqi forces are targeting Iranian-supplied insurgents in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a question-and-answer session with members of the Heritage Foundation in Colorado Springs, Colo., yesterday. However, he said that such initiatives are internal to Iraq, and that diplomatic discussions between the Iraqi and Iranian governments are continuing.

“I think we have a number of activities under way to try to deal with particularly what the Iranians are doing in support of the special groups and others in Iraq, in terms of going after them,” Gates said.

Gates applauded Maliki’s recent decision to dispatch Iraqi troops into Basra to take on Iranian-backed extremists.

The Iraqi forces “have found substantial caches of Iranian-supplied weapons” in Basra, Gates said. This development, he said, has opened the eyes of the Iraqi government regarding the apparent Iranian complicity in supplying arms and other materials to some insurgent groups in Iraq.

“I think it has awakened them to the reality of the magnitude of Iranian meddling in Iraq,” Gates said. “And, so, we are being very aggressive in going after the networks in Iraq and the individuals who are interfering and are supplying weapons from Iran.”

The apparent Iranian supply links to some insurgent groups in Iraq is being taken seriously by U.S. and Iraqi officials, Gates noted.

“We have a number of other activities under way” within Iraq designed to undercut Iranian efforts to supply insurgents, the secretary said.

(Story by Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service.)

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U.S. Flights Continue to Deliver Supplies to Burma

U.S. Marine Cpl. Stephen B. Clark and Somkeart Nilpet stage clean water May 11, 2008, Utaphao, Thailand, to be used for an upcoming U.S. humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission to Burma. Clark is a traffic management specialist with the Exercise Cobra Gold 2008 Joint Movement Control Center. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Eric Arndt.)

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2008 -- A total of eight Air Force C-130s have delivered supplies to Burma as part of the U.S. relief effort following Cyclone Nargis, a senior military official said yesterday.

Five C-130 Hercules transports delivered water, blankets, rations, mosquito netting and plastic sheeting yesterday. “We have to have permission every time we go in,” the official, speaking on background, said. “U.S. officials have a verbal OK to bring in five more planeloads of relief supplies today, he added.

Military planners said they want the Burmese to accept six CH-53 helicopters to speed delivery of the supplies to those hardest hit by the cyclone deep in the Irrawaddy River delta. Burma has only a handful of helicopters, and military officials doubt the nation has the capability to deliver the supplies to those most in need.

The U.S. effort currently is limited to deliveries to the international airfield at Rangoon. The Hercules airlifters land, offload the supplies and then depart, the military official said. No Americans are on the ground to assist in assessing what the cyclone victims need and how best to get the supplies to them. U.S. military airfield specialists are standing by for the OK to help the Burmese manage the supplies that are flowing in.

Cyclone Nargis hit an area with 2 million people. A Burmese government spokesman said more than 35,000 people are dead and more than 30,000 are missing. United Nations estimates said the number killed could be more than 100,000.

The U.S. military is looking at options for setting up a helicopter forward operating base outside Burma, the official said. The base ideally would put U.S. choppers within easy range to deliver supplies to the southern Irrawaddy River delta. Officials said many areas in the delta are still under water and that there are no roads to many affected towns and villages. The helicopters would allow supplies to reach those people.

In addition, the USS Essex Expeditionary Strike Group is off the coast of Burma. Clean water is the biggest need now, and the Essex group has 14,000 5-gallon water bladders ready to deliver. The ship also has pallets of other supplies the crew could deliver quickly. “The capacity on those ships is incredible,” the official said.

The U.S. ships are only part of a flotilla rushing to provide aid the Burmese government is reluctant to accept. British, French and Australian ships are converging on the area, the official said.

But delivering fresh water and other supplies is only the first piece of the relief effort the Burmese people need, the official said. As terrible as the loss of life already has been, “the disease and all the second- and third-order effects remain,” he noted.

(Story by Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service.)

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Forces in Iraq Capture 16 Suspects

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2008 -- Coalition forces caught 16 suspected terrorists today in central and northern Iraq during operations to disrupt the al-Qaida in Iraq network.

Coalition forces captured a wanted man and five other suspects during two operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq cells in Mosul. The wanted man is believed to be a cell leader who plans and conducts bombing attacks against coalition forces.

West of Samarra, about 65 miles north of Baghdad, coalition forces captured an alleged associate of senior al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in Salahuddin province.

Northwest of Balad, about 50 miles north of Baghdad, coalition forces captured a man who allegedly facilitates suicide bombings. They detained six additional suspects in that operation.

Coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists in Baghdad during an operation targeting an al-Qaida in Iraq senior leader.

In operations in Iraq yesterday, an Iraqi special weapons and tactics team caught four suspected terrorists in Tal Afar, about 240 miles northwest of Baghdad. The operations targeted major cell members of the Islamic Sons of Iraq, which officials said is a front organization for the foreign-led al-Qaida in Iraq. Those captured are suspected of recent bombings and attacks against the local citizens and coalition forces.

Also yesterday, Iraqi army soldiers found a large weapons cache in Mosul. The cache included 600 pounds of bulk explosives, grenades, 200 pounds of ammunition, 16 radios, three mortar tubes, a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher, eight AK-47 assault rifles, a rocket, 10 dynamite blocks and five pipe bombs.

In operations May 11, a local citizen led Iraqi soldiers to a cache in Shakariya, southwest of Baghdad. The cache included 50 rocket fuses, varied ammunition, an anti-tank grenade, three pressure plates, a bag of homemade explosives, and various trigger components.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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Forces in Afghanistan Kill Taliban Militants

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2008 -- About a dozen militant extremists were killed yesterday during a coalition forces operation in Afghanistan’s Helmand province to disrupt Taliban weapons supply operations, military officials reported.

Coalition forces searched compounds in the province’s Garmser district, targeting a Taliban commander conducting weapons supply operations in the area. While conducting their search, coalition forces saw militants setting up an ambush and responded with small-arms fire and air strikes.

Coalition troops discovered rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns, assault rifles, cases of ammunition, and two mortars. The troops destroyed the weapons to prevent their use, officials said.

(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)

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Forces in Iraq Expand Operations Into Qurnah

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2008 -- Coalition and Iraqi forces expanded their operations about 70 kilometers north of Basra, Iraq, into Qurnah today, as the Iraqi army continues to develop its capabilities for tactical maneuvers over long distances.

Operation “Charge of Knights,” which began in March in Basra, launched in Qurnah with a drop of 100,000 leaflets over the small village encouraging residents’ cooperation. The operation involves Iraqi security forces operating with coalition air and ground support. United Kingdom and U.S. military transition teams are embedded with their Iraqi counterparts.

In other operations in Iraq today:

• Coalition forces captured a wanted man in Tikrit, about 100 miles north of Baghdad, suspected of being involved with helping foreign terrorists and other terrorist activities.

• Five other suspects were caught further north in Beiji, and near the Hamrin Mountains north of Baghdad, forces caught five suspects while targeting al-Qaida in Iraq operatives in Diyala province.

• Two men suspected of housing senior al-Qaida leaders in the country were caught in Mosul.

In operations in Iraq yesterday, U.S. soldiers killed three enemy fighters and recovered a weapons cache. Forces killed two men after they exploded a homemade bomb in northwestern Baghdad, and killed another man after he emplaced a bomb in New Baghdad. In separate operations, soldiers in West Rashid recovered a weapons cache consisting of five homemade bombs and two explosively formed projectiles, bombs designed to pierce armored vehicles.

Also yesterday:

• In Mosul, coalition forces caught four suspects thought to be connected to the city's al-Qaida in Iraq network.

• Also in Mosul, forces recovered four weapon caches and detained seven suspects. The caches held more than a dozen pipe bombs, improvised explosive devices, mortar rounds and fuses, several circuit boards, more than 200 pounds of explosives, detonators, several blasting caps, fuses and a timer.

• Soldiers recovered several large weapons caches across Baghdad. In eastern Rashid, forces found 54 82 mm mortar rounds and 27 60 mm mortar rounds, and another cache that held seven rocket-propelled-grenade rounds, a light machine gun and assorted ammunition. In the Mansour district, a cache held five grenades and fuses, three pounds of dynamite, three rocket motors, an AK-47, a 9 mm sub-machine gun and bomb-making materials. In Adhamiyah, a cache was found that held two 57 mm rockets, two 60 mm mortars and a 122 mm illumination round.

• Forces captured a wanted man during an operation in Karmah, about 30 miles west of Baghdad. He is believed to be tied to attacks against coalition forces.

• In Arab Jabour, about 5 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, coalition forces destroyed a known al-Qaida in Iraq weapons cache and staging site. The area was known to have been used for manufacturing bombs, stashing weapons caches, training, and launching sniper attacks at coalition force convoys. The area was rigged with pressure-plate bombs and bombs hidden in palm trees. Two U.S. Air Force F-16s dropped eight 500-pound bombs on the area.

In operations in southern Baghdad on May 11:

• Soldiers seized two rocket-propelled grenades, a hand grenade and a high-explosive anti-tank round while conducting a combat patrol in the Amil neighborhood.

• Soldiers caught six suspected criminals in the Risalah neighborhood.

• A local citizen led soldiers to a cache in Shakariya, about 24 kilometers southwest of Baghdad. The cache held 50 rocket fuses, ammunition, an anti-tank grenade, three pressure plates, a bag of homemade explosives and various trigger components.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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9/11 Co-Conspirators Charges Referred

ARLINGTON, Va., (Sept. 11, 2001) -- Medical personnel and volunteers work the first medical triage area set up outside the Pentagon after a hijacked commercial airliner crashed into the southwest corner of the building. U.S. Navy Photo by Journalist 1st Class Mark D. Faram (Released)

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2008 -- The Defense Department announced today that charges against five of the six detainees who are alleged to be responsible for the planning and execution of the attacks upon the United States of America on September 11, 2001 have been referred to trial by military commission. Those attacks resulted in the death of 2,973 people, including 8 children. The referred charges detail 169 overt acts allegedly committed in furtherance of the 9/11 events. The accused will face trial in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In accordance with the Military Commissions Act of 2006, the Convening Authority has the sole discretion to determine what charges will be referred to trial. In exercising her independent judgment, the Convening Authority, Ms. Susan Crawford, has referred to trial charges against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi. The five accused will be tried jointly, and the cases are referred as capital for each defendant, meaning they face the possibility of being sentenced to death.

The Convening Authority has dismissed without prejudice the sworn charges against Mohamed al Kahtani. Because the charges were dismissed without prejudice, the government has the option of charging Kahtani separately, but he will not be tried with the other accused in this case.

The charges allege a long-term, highly-sophisticated, organized plan by al Qaeda to attack the United States. Each of the accused is charged with conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, terrorism and providing material support for terrorism.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali are also charged with hijacking aircraft.

The charges allege that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks by proposing the operational concept to Usama bin Laden as early as 1996, obtaining approval and funding from Usama bin Laden for the attacks, overseeing the entire operation, and training the hijackers in all aspects of the operation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash is alleged to have administered an al Qaeda training camp in Logar, Afghanistan where two of the September 11th hijackers were trained. He is also alleged to have traveled to Malaysia in 1999 to observe airport security by US air carriers in order to assist in formulating the hijacking plan.

Ramzi Binalshibh is alleged to have lived with the Hamburg, Germany al Qaeda cell where three of the 9/11 hijackers resided. It is alleged that Binalshibh was originally selected by Usama bin Laden to be one of the 9/11 hijackers and that he made a "martyr video" in preparation for the operation. He was unable to obtain a US visa and, therefore, could not enter the United States as the other hijackers did. In light of this, it is alleged that Binalshibh assisted in finding flight schools for the hijackers in the United States, and continued to assist the conspiracy by engaging in numerous financial transactions in support of the 9/11 operation.

Ali Abdul Aziz Ali's role is alleged to have included sending approximately $120,000 to the hijackers for their expenses and flight training, and facilitating travel to the United States for nine of the hijackers.

Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi is alleged to have assisted and prepared the hijackers with money, western clothing, traveler's checks and credit cards. He is also alleged to have facilitated the transfer of thousands of dollars between the accounts of alleged 9/11 hijackers and himself on September 11, 2001.

The military commissions provide the following protections for the accused: to elect not to testify at trial and to have no adverse inference drawn from it; to be represented by detailed military counsel, as well as civilian counsel of his own selection and at no expense to the government; to examine all evidence presented to a jury by the prosecution; to obtain evidence and to call witnesses on his own behalf including expert witnesses; to confront and cross-examine every witness called by the prosecution; to be present during the presentation of evidence; to have no statements obtained by torture admitted; to have a military commission panel (jury) of at least five military members (12 in a capital case) determine guilt or innocence by a two-thirds majority, or in the case of a capital offense, at least 12 members must unanimously decide to impose a sentence of death; and the right to an appeal to the Court of Military Commission Review, then through the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to the U. S. Supreme Court.

These protections are guaranteed to the defendant under the Military Commissions Act, and are specifically designed to ensure that every defendant receives a fair trial, consistent with American and international standards of justice and the rule of law.

The charges are only allegations that each accused has committed a war crime under the Military Commissions Act. The accused are presumed innocent of any criminal charges unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at a military commission.

(From a U.S. Defense Department press release.)

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