tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-169781402024-03-25T02:09:28.671-04:00THE TENSIONVeritas vincitSteven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.comBlogger7578125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-37526548160565528052010-09-05T19:48:00.005-04:002010-09-05T19:56:52.775-04:00Wire: With Combat Over, US Troops Battle in Baghdad<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="Off the Wire" border="0" alt="Off the Wire" src="http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/8715/007017copy.jpg" /></center><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">O</span></strong>ff the Wire:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2010 -- Newswire services this evening reported that just days after President Barack Obama touted the end of U.S. combat operations and Iraq's ability to defend itself, American troops found themselves battling heavily armed militants assaulting an Iraqi military headquarters in the center of Baghdad on Sunday.<br /><br />The fighting killed 12 people and wounded dozens, AP said.<br /><blockquote>It was the first exchange of fire involving U.S. troops in Baghdad since the Aug. 31 deadline for formally ending the combat mission, and it showed that American troops remaining in the country are still being drawn into the fighting.<br /><br />The attack also made plain the kind of lapses in security that have left Iraqis wary of the U.S. draw-down and distrustful of the ability of Iraqi forces now taking up ultimate responsibility for protecting the country.<br /><br />Sunday's hour-long assault was the second in as many weeks on the facility, the headquarters for the Iraqi Army's 11th Division, pointing to the failure of Iraqi forces to plug even the most obvious holes in their security.</blockquote>The number of U.S. troops has fallen from a high of 170,000 to just under 50,000 this August; all U.S. troops must be out of Iraq by 2012, AP noted.<br /><br /><em>(Report from newswire sources.)</em><br /><br /><a href="http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100905/D9I204T00.html">Source</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-57909075337768298002010-09-02T10:03:00.007-04:002010-09-02T10:16:28.525-04:00Wire: In Iraq, the War's Name has Changed but the War Remains the Same<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="Off the Wire" border="0" alt="Off the Wire" src="http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/3615/officemilitaryteletypem.jpg" /></center><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">O</span></strong>ff the Wire:<br /><br /><strong>Operation Iraqi Freedom is now Operation New Dawn</strong><br /><br />WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2010 -- Newswire services yesterday reported that even as President Barack Obama was announcing the end of combat in Iraq, American soldiers were sealing off a northern village as their Iraqi partners raided houses and arrested dozens of suspected insurgents.<br /><br />The Associated Press noted that while the U.S. has reduced number of troops and the White House has re-branded the mission, the operation in Hawija was a reminder that U.S. forces are still engaged in hunting down and killing al-Qaida militants and may have to use lethal force to defend themselves against attacks.<br /><blockquote>That reality was front and center at a change-of-command ceremony in one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces outside Baghdad that the American military now uses as its headquarters. Officials warned of a tough road ahead as the U.S. moves into the final phase of the 7 1/2-year war.<br /><br />Of paramount concern is Iraqi leaders' continued bickering, six months after parliamentary elections, over forming a new government -- a political impasse that could further endanger stability and fuel a diminished but still dangerous insurgency.<br /><br />"Iraq still faces a hostile enemy who is determined to hinder progress," Gen. Lloyd Austin, the newly installed commander of the just under 50,000 U.S. troops still in Iraq, told the swelling crowd that was clad in military fatigues and political suits. "Make no mistake, our military forces here and those of the Iraqi nation remain committed to ensuring that our friends in Iraq succeed."<br /><br />{. . .}<br /><br />The remaining U.S. forces in Iraq would be "as combat ready, if need be, as any in our military," Biden said, flanked by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen for the 75-minute ceremony, which also changed the U.S. mission's name from "Operation Iraqi Freedom" to "Operation New Dawn."</blockquote>AP said that three years ago, about 170,000 U.S. troops were in Iraq. Of those who remain, fewer than 10 percent -- or 4,500 -- are special forces who will regularly go on raids and capture terrorists, albeit alongside Iraqi troops.<br /><br /><em>(Report from newswire sources.)</em><br /><br /><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hwK_CSpBxsNuVUEaDuOwmSSCiqGwD9HVCPLG0">Source</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-85824847584533048742010-08-31T13:56:00.005-04:002010-08-31T14:06:02.837-04:00Wire: 21 US Servicemembers Killed in 48 Hours in Afghanistan<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="Off the Wire" border="0" alt="Off the Wire" src="http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/8715/007017copy.jpg" /></center><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">O</span></strong>ff the Wire:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2010 -- Newswire services this afternoon reported that 21 U.S. servicemembers have been killed in Afghanistan since Friday, updating earlier stories reporting that 19 U.S. servicemembers were killed in 72 hours there.<br /><br />The UK Telegraph reported that a series of bomb attacks badly mauled U.S. troops in eastern and southern Afghanistan in the past 48 hours.<br /><br />The death toll among in the NATO-led coalition has reached 484 this year and is predicted to far surpass 2009’s total of 521, the Telegraph said.<br /><br /><em>(Report from newswire sources.)</em><br /><br /><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7972863/Afghanistan-bomb-attacks-kill-twenty-one-US-soldiers-in-48-hours.html">Source</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-17690785746123501452010-08-31T09:20:00.010-04:002010-12-13T08:30:17.182-05:00Flashback, Dec. 2008: Bush Signs Iraq Security Pact, Sets Troop Withdrawal Deadlines<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="News in Balance" border="0" alt="News in Balance" src="http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3832/113611copy.jpg" /></center><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">N</span></strong>ews in Balance:<br /><blockquote><em>EDITOR'S NOTE: As President Barack Obama prepares to claim the fulfillment of his campaign promise to bring the Iraq war to an end, it is important to recount the facts surrounding the story. In December 2008, President George W. Bush, at the request of the the Iraqi government, signed the Status of Forces agreement that set the troop withdrawal timeline to end the war.<br /><br />Reprinted below is a news article discussing the details of the agreement.</em></blockquote>WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2008 -- With fewer than 40 days left in office, President George W. Bush signed a security pact in Baghdad yesterday, putting an end in sight for the Iraq war after nearly six years of fighting.<br /><br />“The war is not over yet,” Bush said, “[but] it is decisively on its way to being won.”<br /><br />During a surprise farewell visit to Baghdad yesterday, Bush met with Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for a signing ceremony, affirming the two landmark agreements to withdraw U.S. troops and formalizing a long-term relationship between the two countries.<br /><br />“[The agreements] cement a strategic partnership between our two countries, and they pave the way for American forces to return home as the war in Iraq approaches a successful end,” Bush said. “They represent a shared vision on the way forward in Iraq.”<br /><br />Two years ago, such an agreement was unimaginable, Bush said. Violence and attacks in Iraq were rising, and sectarian lines were dividing much of the Iraqi people. Terrorism and fighting in many regions proved difficult to overcome. The Iraqi people have suffered greatly, he added.<br /><br />“[The Iraqi people] suffered car bombings and suicide attacks and [improvised explosive devices], and desperate efforts by terrorists to destroy a young democracy,” he said. “Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have stepped forward to defend this democracy, and many have paid a dear price.”<br /><br />Bush said the American people sacrificed a great deal for Iraq to reach this point too, as fighting there has required large amounts of time, resources and American lives. More than 4,000 U.S. servicemembers have been killed in Iraq since March 2003. More than 300 coalition troops also have been killed.<br /><br />The agreements honor all those who have sacrificed by building a freer, safer and more hopeful world, Bush said.<br /><br />“In terms of the agreements, this is a major achievement,” Bush told reporters. “Is it the end? Absolutely not. There is more work to be done.”<br /><br />The strategic framework agreement provides the underpinning for a U.S.-Iraq trade and investment relationship as well as diplomatic, cultural and security cooperation. It sets the foundation for a long-term bilateral relationship between the two countries.<br /><br />The status-of-forces agreement outlines the framework for American forces withdrawal while providing authorization and protections for U.S. troops to continue support operations after the United Nations mandate expires Dec. 31.<br /><br />Although the pace of meeting those agreements depends on the Iraqi government and military, Bush said, the SOFA acknowledges that U.S. combat forces in Iraq are required to withdraw from Iraqi cities, villages and localities no later than June 30, and it calls for a complete withdrawal of forces by Dec. 31, 2011.<br /><br />Both agreements were passed by Iraq’s parliamentary councils Nov. 27 and by the presidency council Dec. 4. Both take effect Jan. 1.<br /><br /><em>(Report by Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden, American Forces Press Service.)</em><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Tags: </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/open+thread" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Open Thread</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Wire" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Wire</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Headlines" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Headlines</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/DOD" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">DOD</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Military" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Military</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/War" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">War</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/United+States" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">United States</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/U.S." rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">U.S.</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/News+in+Balance" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">News in Balance</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Iraq" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Iraq</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/operation+iraqi+freedom" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Operation Iraqi Freedom</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OIF" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">OIF</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Global Tags: </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Washington+DC" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Washington DC</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/News+and+politics" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">News and Politics</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/News" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">News</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/politics" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Politics</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/current+events" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Current Events</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Current+Affairs" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Current Affairs</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Life" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Life</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/culture" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Culture</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Buzz" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Buzz</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/tension" rel="tag"><span style="font-size:78%;">Tension</span></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-90048333715537945212010-08-31T08:28:00.003-04:002010-08-31T08:35:15.351-04:00Wire: 19 US Servicemembers Killed in 72 Hours in Afghanistan<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="Off the Wire" border="0" alt="Off the Wire" src="http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/4765/atomicqv061113sepiadl.jpg" /></center><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">O</span></strong>ff the Wire:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2010 -- Newswire services this morning reported that five U.S. troops were killed in southern and eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday in fighting that has left 19 servicemembers dead since Saturday.<br /><br />The Associated Press reported that in Tuesday's attacks, NATO said four troops were killed by a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan, while a fifth died in a battle with insurgents in the country's south. No other details were given.<br /><blockquote>The deaths bring this month's total to 55, including a Marine killed in fighting in the volatile southern province of Helmand on Friday whose death was not announced until Monday night. That is still fewer than the 66 killed in July, the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion.</blockquote><em>(Report from newswire sources.)</em><br /><br /><a href="http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100831/D9HUEJ000.html">Source</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-5735256969118591252010-06-22T13:56:00.009-04:002010-06-24T13:28:33.396-04:00Rolling Stone? Really?<blockquote>UPDATE: Here's a different view. Writing in <em>The Atlantic</em>, Marc Ambinder says Gen. McChrystal is a social liberal much like President Barack Obama (for whom he voted in the 2008 election) who welcomed gays into his inner circle, who disdained Fox News, and "who grew increasingly frustrated with his reputation as Dick Cheney's hired assassin."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/06/mcchrystals-social-liberalism-and-the-integration-of-gays-in-the-military/58663/">Read it</a>.<br /><br />Understanding McChrystal's politics may go a long way to explain unguarded comments to a writer from <em>Rolling Stone</em>.</blockquote><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">A</span></strong> profile piece on Gen. Stanley McChrystal appears in the upcoming edition of <em>Rolling Stone</em> magazine.<br /><br />Did anybody actually READ the article before they reported on it?<br /><br />Nope. Reporters wrote stories last night based on leaks of the article.<br /><br />Somehow I doubt many folks have read the article.<br /><br />Then again, <em>Rolling Stone</em> isn't the type of source for trusted, objective, mature news to which any skilled reporter would normally look for a story.<br /><br />What's next? Will the media get outraged about comments appearing in <em>Mad Magazine</em>? (Forget about how the media ignored <em>The National Enquirer</em> story about John Edwards.)<br /><br />Here's a <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37847841/ns/us_news-military">link</a> to a copy of the <em>Rolling Stone</em> article.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-84766278317174523282010-03-27T17:48:00.004-04:002010-04-01T17:51:39.733-04:00Wire: Under Obama, US Troop Deaths Double in Afghanistan<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="Off the Wire" border="0" alt="Off the Wire" src="http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3615/officemilitaryteletypem.jpg" /></center><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">O</span></strong>ff the Wire:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, March 27, 2010 -- Newswire services this morning reported that the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan has roughly doubled in the first three months of 2010 compared to the same period last year.<br /><br />The Associated Press reported that those deaths have been accompanied by a dramatic spike in the number of wounded, with injuries more than tripling in the first two months of the year and trending in the same direction based on the latest available data for March.<br /><blockquote>U.S. officials have warned that casualties are likely to rise even further as the Pentagon completes its deployment of 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and sets its sights on the Taliban's home base of Kandahar province, where a major operation is expected in the coming months.<br /><br />[. . .]<br /><br />In total, 57 U.S. troops were killed here during the first two months of 2010 compared with 28 in January and February of last year, an increase of more than 100 percent, according to Pentagon figures compiled by The Associated Press. At least 20 American service members have been killed so far in March, an average of about 0.8 per day, compared to 13, or 0.4 per day, a year ago.</blockquote>The steady rise in combat deaths has been widely ignored by mainstream media outlets and generated less public reaction than the spike in casualties last summer and fall.<br /><br /><em>(Report from newswire sources.)</em><br /><br /><a href="http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100327/D9EN48U80.html">Source</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-40338125774618417242010-02-26T19:06:00.001-05:002010-02-26T19:09:05.275-05:00Pentagon Identifies Army Casualty (OIF)<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="News in Balance" border="0" alt="News in Balance" src="http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3917/0americanflag2copyau5.jpg" /></center><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>N</strong></span>ews in Balance:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2010 -- The following news release made available Friday by the U.S. Department of Defense is the text of a statement identifying a casualty: <blockquote>The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.<br /><br />Sgt. William C. Spencer, 40, of Tacoma, Wash., died Feb. 25 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained Feb. 20 while supporting combat operations at Combat Outpost Marez, Iraq. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment, Olympia, Wash. </blockquote><em>(Report from a U.S. Defense Department news release.) </em><br /><br /><em>NOTE: Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) will be renamed to Operation New Dawn (OND) effective September 1, 2010.</em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-33660405540414656192010-02-26T16:56:00.003-05:002010-02-26T17:01:52.420-05:00Pentagon Discuses New Internet, Social Media Policy<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="News in Balance" border="0" alt="News in Balance" src="http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4874/2620954794b469fc9bebcop.jpg" /></center><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>N</strong></span>ews in Balance:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2010 -- A new Defense Department policy released today authorizes servicemembers to access Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other Web 2.0 platforms from nonclassified government computers, as long as it doesn't compromise operational security or involve prohibited activities or Web sites.<br /><br />Defense Department officials issued the long-awaited policy today, establishing consistent rules for all military members and employers.<br /><br />Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III, who signed the policy, said it strikes a critical balance between the benefits and potential vulnerabilities of these applications. "This directive recognizes the importance of balancing appropriate security measures while maximizing the capabilities afforded by 21st-century Internet tools," he said.<br /><br />While authorizing access to these tools, the new policy also recognizes the importance of protecting military networks and operations, explained David M. Wennergren, deputy assistant secretary of defense for information management and technology.<br /><br />For example, the new policy allows commanders to temporarily limit that access as required to maintain operations security or address bandwidth constraints. It also prohibits malicious activity on military information networks and denies access to sites promoting prohibited activity such as gambling, pornography and hate crimes.<br /><br />While information sharing may seem the polar opposite of security to some people, Wennergren said the Defense Department can no longer afford to consider just one or the other.<br /><br />"If you look at either one individually, you will fail," he said. "You will have great security, but no ability to access information sharing. [Or], if you think only about sharing, you will run into issues of operational security and letting bad things into your system. So you can no longer think of them as two separate subjects."<br /><br />The new policy promotes what Wennergren calls "secure information sharing," providing the balance needed to tap into the capabilities social media networking provides without compromising security.<br /><br />He emphasized the importance of personal responsibility in using unclassified military networks to access these tools, and said the department will continue to evaluate the policy after it takes effect.<br /><br />"There's a huge imperative for security," Wennergren said. "It is everyone's responsibility in the department to make sure they are doing all that they can to protect our information and our information systems."<br /><br />Ultimately, he called responsible, security-conscious use of social media networks a win-win proposition for the Defense Department and its members, enabling them to take full advantage of the power of social media networking.<br /><br />"The world of Web 2.0 and the Internet provides these amazing opportunities to collaborate," Wennergren said. It not only promotes information sharing across organizational boundaries and with mission partners, but also enables deployed troops to maintain contact with their loved ones at home.<br /><br />"So if you work on those two pieces" -- access and security -- "this really is giving people this avenue to do amazing things in terms of getting the information shared and making decisions happen much more rapidly," Wennergren said.<br /><br />Until now, most servicemembers have been able to access social media platforms from their government computers, but policies have not been consistent across the department. The Marine Corps instituted a policy in early 2007 blocking Marines from accessing these sites through the Marine networks. Marines have, however, been permitted to access the sites from personal computers.<br /><br /><em>(From a report by Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service.)</em><br /><br />Download: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/NEWS/DTM%2009-026.pdf">Responsible and Effective Use of Internet-Based Capabilities (pdf)</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-24974807975931778882010-02-26T16:46:00.001-05:002010-02-26T16:50:14.410-05:00Pentagon Identifies Army Casualty (OIF)<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="News in Balance" border="0" alt="News in Balance" src="http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3917/0americanflag2copyau5.jpg" /></center><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>N</strong></span>ews in Balance:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2010 -- The following news release made available Friday by the U.S. Department of Defense is the text of a statement identifying a casualty: <blockquote>The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.<br /><br />Cpl. Daniel T. O'Leary, 23, of Youngsville, N.C., died Feb. 23 in Fallujah, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 307th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. </blockquote><em>(Report from a U.S. Defense Department news release.) </em><br /><br /><em>NOTE: Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) will be renamed to Operation New Dawn (OND) effective September 1, 2010.</em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-47002195237343627702010-02-26T13:56:00.002-05:002010-02-26T13:59:34.395-05:00Pentagon Discuses First Female Submariners<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="News in Balance" border="0" alt="News in Balance" src="http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4874/2620954794b469fc9bebcop.jpg" /></center><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>N</strong></span>ews in Balance:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2010 -- Female sailors will begin serving on submarines by the end of next year, with Naval Academy graduates leading the way, Navy leaders told a Senate committee yesterday.<br /><br />Navy Secretary Ray Mabus told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Navy is in a good position to move forward with integrating women onto submarines.<br /><br />“We think we learned a lot about integrating women in the services years ago, and those lessons are relevant today,” Mabus said. Those lessons, he said, include having a “critical mass” of female candidates, having senior women to serve as mentors, and having submarines that don’t require modifications: the SSBN ballistic missile and SSGN guided-missile subs.<br /><br />Finally, Mabus said, “We have the lesson learned to make sure any questions are answered, … and we’re very open and transparent on how we’ll do this. We think this is a great idea that will enhance our warfighting capabilities.”<br /><br />Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates notified Congress on Feb. 19 of the intended change to Navy policy. Mabus had pushed for the change since taking office in May. Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, endorsed the change, saying in a statement released in September that his experience commanding a mixed-gender surface-combatant ship makes him “very comfortable” integrating women into the submarine force. The Navy changed its policy to allow women to serve on combatant ships in 1993.<br /><br />“We have a great plan, and we’re ready to go for the first women to come aboard in late 2011,” Roughead told the Senate committee yesterday. In a prepared statement to the committee, he said the change would enable the submarine force “to leverage the tremendous talent and potential of our female officers and enlisted personnel.”<br /><br />Besides the incoming officers from the academy, the first women submariners will include female supply corps officers at the department head level, Roughead said. The change will be phased in over time to include enlisted female sailors on the SSBN and SSGNs, he said. Women will be added to the Navy’s SSN fast-attack submarines after necessary modifications can be determined, he said.<br /><br />“This initiative has my personal attention, and I will continue to keep you informed as we integrate these highly motivated and capable officers into our submarine force,” Roughead told the committee.<br /><br /><em>(Report by Lisa Daniel, American Forces Press Service.)</em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-12443420328040194152010-02-26T13:52:00.002-05:002010-02-26T13:55:46.255-05:00OEF Summary, Feb. 26, 2010: Forces in Afghanistan Find Drugs, Weapons<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="Dispatches from the Front" border="0" alt="Dispatches from the Front" src="http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/6928/080828m0564a154copy.jpg" /></center><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">D</span></strong>ispatches from the Front:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2010 -- Afghan and international patrols found three weapons caches in Afghanistan’s Helmand province yesterday.<br /><br />One cache, found in the Reg-e Khan Neshin district, contained eight rifle rounds, eight assault rifles, ammunition and an ammunition-filled vest.<br /><br />Two caches were found in the Nad-e Ali district, containing seven illumination rounds, six high-explosive rounds, 80 pounds of ammonium nitrate, 51 pounds of homemade explosives, 100 pounds of shrapnel, and four large home-made bombs. One bomb contained 75 pounds of homemade explosives, the second contained five mortar rounds, and two others contained 10 mortar rounds each.<br /><br />In operations yesterday:<br /><ul><li>A combined force found several caches of weapons and drugs in Daykundi province. The caches contained 1,100 pounds of ammonium nitrate, more than 100 pounds of opium, 2 pounds of pure heroin, a small bag of opium seeds, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, a shotgun, two assault rifles, a bolt-action rifle and a substantial amount of ammunition. The security force arrested one suspected insurgent in the operation. </li></ul><p></p><ul><li>In Helmand province, a patrol found a substantial amount of ammonium nitrate in a compound. The patrol was involved in clearing the city in support of Operation Moshtarak when they found 5,500 pounds of the material along with bomb-making components. </li></ul><p></p><em>(Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news releases.) </em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-30406420071184204432010-02-26T13:25:00.004-05:002010-02-26T13:33:20.156-05:00Pentagon Releases New Internet, Social Networking Policy<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="Focus on Defense" border="0" alt="Focus on Defense" src="http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/9799/armymil6056820100111090.jpg" /></center><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">F</span></strong>ocus on Defense:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2010 -- The following news release made available Friday by the U.S. Department of Defense is the text of a statement announcing the release of a policy memorandum regarding the use of Internet-based capabilities:<br /><blockquote>Today the Department of Defense released a policy memorandum regarding the safe and effective use of Internet-based capabilities, including social networking services (SNS) and other interactive Web 2.0 applications.<br /><br />The memorandum makes it policy that the DoD non-classified network be configured to provide access to Internet-based capabilities across all DoD components. Commanders at all levels and heads of DoD components will continue to defend against malicious activity on military information networks, deny access to prohibited content sites (e.g., gambling, pornography, hate-crime related activities), and take immediate and commensurate actions, as required, to safeguard missions (e.g., temporarily limiting access to the Internet to preserve operations security or to address bandwidth constraints).<br /><br />The directive is consistent with the increased security measures that the Department has taken to secure its networks and reinforces existing regulations related to ethics, operations security, and privacy.<br /><br />"This directive recognizes the importance of balancing appropriate security measures while maximizing the capabilities afforded by 21st Century Internet tools," said Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III.<br /><br />Use of Internet-based capabilities, including SNS, have become integral tools for operating and collaborating across the DoD and with the general public. Establishing a DoD-wide policy ensures consistency and allows for full integration of these tools and capabilities. </blockquote>Download: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/NEWS/DTM%2009-026.pdf">Responsible and Effective Use of Internet-Based Capabilities (pdf)</a><br /><br /><em>(Report from a U.S. Defense Department news release.) </em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-85879417893664013612010-02-26T10:13:00.008-05:002010-02-26T10:31:27.077-05:00Combat Camera Video: Patrol in Marjah, Afghanistan (B-Roll)<center><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='400' height='326' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dybT7GRxFaQtJxUa1bZmhjah_AEZdUzbMqz9Wo2l3eQ4yDw88rQQczFYZXpfNR7G-mPBqQ4PkxV8Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></center><br /><em>NOTE: News readers click <a href="http://thetension.blogspot.com/2010/02/combat-camera-video-patrol-in-marjah.html">here</a> to watch the video.</em><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">D</span></strong>ispatches from the Front:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2010 -- Embedded above is a b-roll video of a patrol through a shopping bazaar in the city of Marjah, Afghanistan which only days earlier, was a kinetic combat zone. Scenes include Marines paying battle damage claims to business owners and service members interacting with the local populace showing them the newly established security in the region. (Produced by Cpl. Jennifer Calloway, Regimental Combat Team-7, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs. Length: 00:13:09. Exceeds YouTube length limits.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.google.com/custom?domains=thetension.blogspot.com&q=Combat+Camera&sitesearch=thetension.blogspot.com&sa=Google+Search&client=pub-0049513480502747&forid=1&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A1&hl=en" target="_blank"><img style="CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143240818092396706" title="COMBAT CAMERA" border="0" alt="COMBAT CAMERA" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLQ_lmLWz0LQdYoZygcViTDoszAGS5LY_c0CGiaSQUGaUM0AghSfhsCiaOL78_0BuDUGTmcLFycWrGyfc2H_iU9RDVXW4cE__dLjqPE7TD_pMQ6sfQnUl6cue5pmt6uk17QuA/s400/video_camera_icon1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.google.com/custom?domains=thetension.blogspot.com&q=Combat+Camera&sitesearch=thetension.blogspot.com&sa=Google+Search&client=pub-0049513480502747&forid=1&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A1&hl=en" target="_blank"><strong>More Combat Camera Imagery on THE TENSION</strong></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-31210178034531003812010-02-26T09:52:00.003-05:002010-02-26T09:58:15.942-05:00Pentagon Discuses Operations in Marja, Afghanistan<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="News in Balance" border="0" alt="News in Balance" src="http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4874/2620954794b469fc9bebcop.jpg" /></center><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>N</strong></span>ews in Balance:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2010 -- Operations in Marja, Afghanistan, are transitioning from the clearing to the holding phase, as yesterday's turnover of the government center there marks a symbol of progress, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said yesterday.<br /><br />Twelve days into Operation Moshtarak, the offensive in the former Taliban stronghold is "trending in a very positive direction," Morrell said, on both the military and governance fronts.<br /><br />The new Afghan government raised its flag over Marja yesterday, with Abdul Zahir Aryan installed as its administrator. Morrell called the transfer of the government center "symbolic of where we are in this operation."<br /><br />Much of the city is now under Afghan and coalition control, and many of its citizens are returning to their homes, Morrell reported. Bazaars have reopened, and they're full of goods that demonstrate the freedom of movement needed to promote commerce.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the Afghan government is extending its reach to ensure the clearing and subsequent holding phases of the counterinsurgency strategy successfully lead to building good governance and quality-of-life improvements.<br /><br />"Yesterday, there were more shuras taking place in Marja than there were troops in contact," Morrell said yesterday, referring to government-sponsored citizens' meetings. "That's the kind of progress ... that we've been looking for and that we are heartened to see."<br /><br />Morrell took care not to sugarcoat the operation. "Although signs point to progress, it is still clearly a very dangerous situation," he said. "We're still losing troops," with improvised explosive devices remaining the biggest threat.<br /><br />"So we have to be very careful about how we progress into those areas that are not under Afghan and coalition control," he said. "We're doing so in a very thorough, methodical way so as to alleviate any potential for civilian or coalition force casualties."<br /><br />The United States has suffered more casualties than Afghan security forces in the operation only because they tend to conduct high-risk missions such as route-clearing operations, and because enemy forces see them as more prized targets, Morrell said.<br /><br />Morrell conceded that the Afghan security forces will need help "for some time," particularly in the intelligence and logistics arenas. But he dispelled reports that Afghan security forces aren't carrying their load in the fight.<br /><br />"No one has ever questioned their willingness or their ability to fight," he said. "These guys are every bit in the midst of this operation. ... They match us one for one on the ground."<br /><br />Meanwhile, across the border, the Pakistani government continues to show leadership in its own offensive on Taliban and al-Qaida leaders. Morrell said it's too soon to tell if these activities will prove to be game-changers. But he said there's hope among the Pakistanis that the dynamics are beginning to change in their country, as in Afghanistan, to favor the people rather than the Taliban.<br /><br />"We are hopeful that our combined efforts on both sides of the border will undermine the confidence and the capability of the Afghan Taliban and of the Pakistan Taliban," Morrell said, with more of their members laying down their weapons and reintegrating into society.<br /><br />The key, he said, is to reverse the downward slide that had become apparent in both countries to put the momentum with their governments and pressure the enemy to want to rejoin society.<br /><br />While not addressing specific reports of high-value targets the Pakistanis have captured or killed, Morrell praised the ongoing effort and reiterated U.S. support to help as needed.<br /><br />"We are here to help them in any way they are comfortable as they continue to pursue this enemy that's a threat not just to us and/or efforts in Afghanistan, but obviously to the Pakistani people as well," he said.<br /><br /><em>(From a report by Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service.)</em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-32172891178071922072010-02-26T09:49:00.001-05:002010-02-26T09:51:18.733-05:00Pentagon Identifies Army Casualty (OEF)<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="News in Balance" border="0" alt="News in Balance" src="http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3917/0americanflag2copyau5.jpg" /></center><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>N</strong></span>ews in Balance:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2010 -- The following news release made available Thursday by the U.S. Department of Defense is the text of a statement identifying a casualty:<br /><blockquote>The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.<br /><br />Sgt. Marcos Gorra, 22, of North Bergen, N.J., died Feb. 21 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained while supporting combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. </blockquote><em>(Report from a U.S. Defense Department news release.) </em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-23733988239485490042010-02-25T12:57:00.004-05:002010-02-26T09:48:20.646-05:00Combat Camera: Sandstorm MRAP Patrol Near Tikrit, Iraq<center><a href="http://www.imagebam.com/image/f5beca69617770/" target="_blank"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" title="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" border="0" alt="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" src="http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/5180/30971834.jpg" /></a></center><span style="font-size:85%;">U.S. Army soldiers of the 573rd Clearance Company, 1st Engineer Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, climbs into his mine resistant ambush-protected vehicle before departing on a convoy route clearing mission near Tikrit, Iraq, Feb. 22. (Photo by Chief Petty Officer Michael Heckman, Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq.)<br /><br /></span><center><a href="http://www.imagebam.com/image/15bf5f69617772/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" title="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" border="0" alt="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" src="http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/5908/76096344.jpg" /></span></a></center><span style="font-size:85%;">U.S. soldiers of the 573rd Clearance Company, 1st Engineer Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. listen to a weather update as they wait for the go command while staging up to depart on a convoy route clearing mission near Tikrit, Iraq, Feb. 22. (Photo by Chief Petty Officer Michael Heckman, Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq.)<br /><br /></span><center><a href="http://www.imagebam.com/image/80b0bc69617774/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" title="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" border="0" alt="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" src="http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/1228/63938416.jpg" /></span></a></center><span style="font-size:85%;">U.S. Army Pfc. Jovan Nikolic of Dawsonville, Ga., and Sgt. Kevin Baker of Jamestown, Ind., assigned to the 573rd Clearance Company, and attached to the 1st Engineer Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division discuss mission details as they wait to depart on a convoy route clearing operation near Tikrit, Iraq, Feb. 22. The amber glow in the air is caused by the filtered light of a sandstorm and is accented by the search lights of Nikolic and Baker's mine resistant ambush-protected vehicle. (Photo by Chief Petty Officer Michael Heckman, Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq.)<br /><br /></span><center><a href="http://www.imagebam.com/image/fee95069617775/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" title="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" border="0" alt="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" src="http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5734/82660577.jpg" /></span></a></center><span style="font-size:85%;">U.S. Army Pfc. Jovan Nikolic of Dawsonville, Ga., and Sgt. Kevin Baker of Jamestown, Ind., assigned to the 573rd Clearance Company, attached to the 1st Engineer Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. discuss mission details before departing on a convoy route clearing operation near Tikrit, Iraq, Feb. 22. (Photo by Chief Petty Officer Michael Heckman, Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq.)<br /><br /></span><center><a href="http://www.imagebam.com/image/f7538269617765/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" title="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" border="0" alt="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" src="http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/5800/73433501.jpg" /></span></a></center><span style="font-size:85%;">An amber luminous glow caused by the filtered light of a sandstorm is accented by the search lights of mine resistant ambush protected, or MRAP vehicles utilized by the U.S. Army 573rd Clearance Company, 1st Engineer Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. The vehicles where staging up before departing on a convoy route clearing mission near Tikrit, Iraq., Feb. 22. (Photo by Chief Petty Officer Michael Heckman, Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq.)<br /></span><br /><a href="http://www.google.com/custom?domains=thetension.blogspot.com&q=Combat+Camera&sitesearch=thetension.blogspot.com&sa=Google+Search&client=pub-0049513480502747&forid=1&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A1&hl=en" target="_blank"><img style="CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141593530630656146" title="COMBAT CAMERA" border="0" alt="COMBAT CAMERA" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNb3Awz-5iBPORCLNC-b62KHmCe58Ynpr0n7fflsYC2kgnK0Q7GkxudRq9GziMQF4y3voTv0Kxaz2786r1WTCyLNznu7s13RkFWXZmGLvIdLajz3n01Ii-ptYVzSifMRSu_55_/s400/camera.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.google.com/custom?domains=thetension.blogspot.com&q=Combat+Camera&sitesearch=thetension.blogspot.com&sa=Google+Search&client=pub-0049513480502747&forid=1&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A1&hl=en" target="_blank"><strong>More Combat Camera Imagery on THE TENSION</strong></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-51852572647961608292010-02-25T11:44:00.002-05:002010-02-25T11:52:55.916-05:00OIF Summary, Feb. 25, 2010: Forces in Iraq Nab 9 in Separate Operations<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="Dispatches from the Front" border="0" alt="Dispatches from the Front" src="http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/8616/hires080720a7969g187bco.jpg" /></center><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">D</span></strong>ispatches from the Front:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2010 -- Iraqi police arrested nine terrorism suspects in combined operations with U.S. advisors in recent days, military officials reported.<br /><br />Police arrested three suspected terrorists yesterday in a rural area northeast of Baghdad during an operation conducted to capture a regional leader of Jaysh al-Mahdi, an Iranian-backed terrorist group.<br /><br />Acting on a warrant issued by an Iraqi judge, the 3rd Emergency Response Unit and U.S. advisors searched two buildings for the suspected leader of several cells responsible for committing crimes such as kidnappings for ransom to raise money for weapons and supplies used in attacks against security forces operating in the area.<br /><br />After preliminary questioning and assessment of the evidence at the scene, police arrested three suspected criminal associates of the wanted man.<br /><br />In operations Feb. 23 and yesterday in Baghdad and Abu Ghraib, police arrested a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq assassination-cell leader and five suspected criminal accomplices.<br /><br />Police and U.S. advisors stopped a vehicle on a public road and searched two buildings based on intelligence reports indicating that assassination cells were posturing for pre-election attacks in hopes of disrupting campaign efforts and deterring voters from participating in national elections.<br /><br />In western Baghdad on Feb. 23, Iraqi police and U.S. advisors stopped a vehicle in which a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq assassination-cell leader was believed to be traveling. Information gathered at the scene led police to identify and arrest the wanted cell leader and two suspected criminal associates.<br /><br />Following the arrests, the security team proceeded yesterday to search the wanted man's home in Abu Ghraib and a suspected weapons-cache site in western Baghdad belonging to the arrested man. In the Abu Ghraib building, police arrested two suspected criminal associates of the cell leader. Although no weapons or explosives were found during the search in western Baghdad, police identified and arrested an additional suspected criminal associate of the captured suspected cell leader.<br /><br /><em>(Compiled from U.S. Forces Iraq news releases.)</em><br /><br /><em>NOTE: Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) will be renamed to Operation New Dawn (OND) effective September 1, 2010.</em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-79861976425953019252010-02-25T10:29:00.002-05:002010-02-25T10:36:43.971-05:00Combat Camera: Operation Moshtarak Outside Badula Qulp<center><a href="http://www.imagebam.com/image/c6de1669597229/" target="_blank"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" title="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" border="0" alt="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" src="http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/9915/65054329.jpg" /></a></center><span style="font-size:85%;">U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Jesse Underwood engages enemy forces during Operation Moshtarak in Badula Qulp, Afghanistan, Feb. 19, 2010. The International Security Assistance Force operation is an offensive mission being conducted in areas of Afghanistan prevalent in drug-trafficking and Taliban insurgency. Underwood is from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Efren Lopez, U.S. Air Force.)</span><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.imagebam.com/image/36fc2769597204/" target="_blank"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" title="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" border="0" alt="CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE" src="http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/5332/92550447.jpg" /></a></center><span style="font-size:85%;">U.S. Army Soldiers engage enemy forces during Operation Moshtarak in Badula Qulp, Afghanistan, Feb. 19, 2010. The International Security Assistance Force operation is an offensive mission being conducted in areas of Afghanistan prevalent in drug-trafficking and Taliban insurgency. The soldiers are from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Efren Lopez, U.S. Air Force.)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.google.com/custom?domains=thetension.blogspot.com&q=Combat+Camera&sitesearch=thetension.blogspot.com&sa=Google+Search&client=pub-0049513480502747&forid=1&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A1&hl=en" target="_blank"><img style="CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141593530630656146" title="COMBAT CAMERA" border="0" alt="COMBAT CAMERA" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNb3Awz-5iBPORCLNC-b62KHmCe58Ynpr0n7fflsYC2kgnK0Q7GkxudRq9GziMQF4y3voTv0Kxaz2786r1WTCyLNznu7s13RkFWXZmGLvIdLajz3n01Ii-ptYVzSifMRSu_55_/s400/camera.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.google.com/custom?domains=thetension.blogspot.com&q=Combat+Camera&sitesearch=thetension.blogspot.com&sa=Google+Search&client=pub-0049513480502747&forid=1&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A1&hl=en" target="_blank"><strong>More Combat Camera Imagery on THE TENSION</strong></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-38922441526772856082010-02-25T10:17:00.004-05:002010-02-25T10:23:47.330-05:00Combat Camera Video: 8-1 CAV Cloak Troop Operate in Afghanistan, Part 1<center><object width="400" height="330"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PAOqGziHzM0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PAOqGziHzM0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="330"></embed></object></center><br /><em>NOTE: News readers click <a href="http://thetension.blogspot.com/2010/02/combat-camera-video-8-1-cav-cloak-troop.html">here</a> to watch the video. </em><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">D</span></strong>ispatches from the Front:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2010 -- Embedded above is a b-roll video of U.S. soldiers with Cloak Blue Troop, 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment registering Afghanistan Border Police (ABP) into the Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment System (HIIDES) at checkpoint 6, in preparation for an upcoming specialized training course, Afghanistan, Jan. 19, 2010. (Produced by Master Sgt. Juan Valdes, Defense Imagery Management Operations Center. Part 1 of 3. Length: 00:01:26.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.google.com/custom?domains=thetension.blogspot.com&q=Combat+Camera&sitesearch=thetension.blogspot.com&sa=Google+Search&client=pub-0049513480502747&forid=1&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A1&hl=en" target="_blank"><img style="CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143240818092396706" title="COMBAT CAMERA" border="0" alt="COMBAT CAMERA" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLQ_lmLWz0LQdYoZygcViTDoszAGS5LY_c0CGiaSQUGaUM0AghSfhsCiaOL78_0BuDUGTmcLFycWrGyfc2H_iU9RDVXW4cE__dLjqPE7TD_pMQ6sfQnUl6cue5pmt6uk17QuA/s400/video_camera_icon1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.google.com/custom?domains=thetension.blogspot.com&q=Combat+Camera&sitesearch=thetension.blogspot.com&sa=Google+Search&client=pub-0049513480502747&forid=1&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A1&hl=en" target="_blank"><strong>More Combat Camera Imagery on THE TENSION</strong></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-31291110446093020792010-02-25T09:28:00.003-05:002010-02-25T09:34:00.036-05:00Video: USS Carl Vinson Flight Operations<center><object width="400" height="330"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DcF6NDztpG0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DcF6NDztpG0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="330"></embed></object></center><br /><em>NOTE: News readers click <a href="http://thetension.blogspot.com/2010/02/video-uss-carl-vinson-flight-operations.html">here</a> to watch the video.</em><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">F</span></strong>ocus on Defense:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2010 -- Embedded above is a b-roll video of sailors aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) conducting flight operations on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. (Produced by Spc. Seaman Aaron Shelley, Defense Imagery Management Operations Center. Length: 00:02:20.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.google.com/custom?domains=thetension.blogspot.com&q=Combat+Camera&sitesearch=thetension.blogspot.com&sa=Google+Search&client=pub-0049513480502747&forid=1&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A1&hl=en" target="_blank"><img style="CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143240818092396706" title="COMBAT CAMERA" border="0" alt="COMBAT CAMERA" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLQ_lmLWz0LQdYoZygcViTDoszAGS5LY_c0CGiaSQUGaUM0AghSfhsCiaOL78_0BuDUGTmcLFycWrGyfc2H_iU9RDVXW4cE__dLjqPE7TD_pMQ6sfQnUl6cue5pmt6uk17QuA/s400/video_camera_icon1.gif" /></a> <a href="http://www.google.com/custom?domains=thetension.blogspot.com&q=Combat+Camera&sitesearch=thetension.blogspot.com&sa=Google+Search&client=pub-0049513480502747&forid=1&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A1&hl=en" target="_blank"><strong>More Defense Imagery on THE TENSION</strong></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-14760824795547206922010-02-25T09:08:00.001-05:002010-02-25T09:13:18.959-05:00OEF Update, Feb. 25, 2010: Operation Moshtarak<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="Dispatches from the Front" border="0" alt="Dispatches from the Front" src="http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/6860/captphoto12544747639532.jpg" /></center><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">D</span></strong>ispatches from the Front:<br /><br />KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 25, 2010 -- Shuras outnumbered military engagements the last few days. At the invitation of Helmand governor Gulab Mangal, Nad-e Ali deputy district governor Haji Zahir held a shura in Marjah attended by 200 residents.<br /><br />The deputy district governor spoke about improving security conditions and said that more Afghan National Police would be posted in Marjah. He promised to ensure the opening of shops and clinics, and personally oversaw the distribution of rice, beans, cooking oil and sugar to the gathering.<br /><br />New shops have opened at bazaars in Marjah, with new products such as telephones, computers and other electronics being offered alongside fresh fruits and vegetables.<br /><br />There has been a significant increase in the number of local residents returning to the area. This is accompanied by a decrease in the number of residents registering as internally displaced persons. Yesterday only 144 families registered, down from 165 the day before.<br /><br />Occasional small-arms engagements are still being reported. Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks remain the greatest threat to civilians and security forces. There has been a nearly 50-percent increase in the number of IED tips by residents. This is in addition to a greater number of IED turn-ins in central Helmand. Both of these trends are contributing to greater safety and security for civilians and combined forces in the area.<br /><br /><em>(From a NATO International Security Assistance Force news release.) </em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-82135638293002410742010-02-24T13:20:00.002-05:002010-02-24T13:24:23.850-05:00OEF Summary, Feb. 24, 2010: Forces in Afghanistan Nab Bomb Maker<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="Dispatches from the Front" border="0" alt="Dispatches from the Front" src="http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/7762/capt12093b3ef89a4bd2854.jpg" /></center><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">D</span></strong>ispatches from the Front:<br /><br />KABUL, Feb. 24, 2010 -- A combined Afghan and international security force arrested a suspected bomb maker after discovering an explosives cache in Afghanistan's Helmand province yesterday as part of Operation Moshtarak.<br /><br />The cache consisted of more than 100 pounds of explosive, 220 pounds of ammonium nitrate, an 8 2mm mortar fuse, three ammunition-filled vests, and various explosive components such as anti-tamper switches.<br /><br />The bomb maker was found with blasting caps on his person. The explosives were destroyed on site.<br /><br />In other operations yesterday:<br /><ul><li>A combined Afghan and international security force searched a vehicle in Helmand province after intelligence reports indicated militant activity. A search of the vehicle indicated a Taliban commander was possibly in a nearby village, which the combined force searched with the assistance of local elders. The security force detained several men for further questioning. </li></ul><p></p><ul><li>A combined patrol discovered a weapons cache consisting of 22 mortar rounds in Khost province. The ordnance was destroyed on site.</li></ul><p></p><ul><li>In Helmand province, a patrol discovered 15 bags of marijuana totaling more than 200 pounds. The drugs were destroyed.</li></ul><p></p><ul><li>A separate patrol discovered a weapons cache while searching an insurgent bunker in Helmand province as part of Operation Moshtarak. The cache consisted of three 107 mm rockets, five rocket-propelled grenades, two anti-personnel charges, an artillery fuse and a hand grenade. The ordnance was destroyed.</li></ul><p></p><ul><li>Afghan National Police defused four mines and discovered 110 pounds of explosive materials in Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Kunduz provinces yesterday.</li></ul><p></p><ul><li>In an operation conducted in Herat province, Afghan police discovered a machine gun, three mines, three hand grenades, five rocket rounds and 1,150 rounds of rifle ammunition.</li></ul><p></p><ul><li>A patrol discovered an explosives cache in Kandahar province. The cache contained nearly 90 pounds of ammonium nitrate, eight 155 mm shell casings, two radios, a dismantled radio, a circuit board and a large spool of wire. The materials were destroyed on site.</li></ul><p></p><em>(From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news release.) </em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-37922779499039920592010-02-24T09:16:00.001-05:002010-02-25T09:18:46.901-05:00US Airpower Summary, Feb. 24, 2010<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="Dispatches from the Front" border="0" alt="Dispatches from the Front" src="http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/8112/hires081112f7823a160cop.jpg" /></center><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">D</span></strong>ispatches from the Front:<br /><br />SOUTHWEST ASIA, Feb. 24, 2010 -- Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in the following operations, Feb. 23, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials.<br /><br />Air Operations in Afghanistan:<br /><br />Close Air Support<br /><br />Konduz, Regional Command-North<br />U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon pilots and F-15E Strike Eagle aircrews provided armed overwatch for friendly ground forces and several friendly convoys. Friendly ground forces reported taking enemy small-arms fire and requested shows of force to prevent further enemy aggression. The shows of force, with flares launched, were performed over enemy positions and deemed successful when desired effects were achieved.<br /><br />Asadabad, RC-E<br />U.S. Air Force F-15E aircrews conducted shows of force in support of a friendly-forces ground operation. The shows of force were declared successful.<br /><br />Karbala, RC-S<br />U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet aircrews conducted a show of force, with flares, to support a friendly-forces ground operation. The show of force was deemed successful.<br /><br />Chahar Bagh, RC-S<br />U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet aircrews conducted a show of force. The show of force was declared successful.<br /><br />A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer aircrew provided reconnaissance support over several convoy routes and later conducted an armed overwatch mission for a friendly-forces convoy. A show of force was conducted to deter potential enemy activity in the area of the convoy routes and was declared successful when no enemy action was noted.<br /><br />U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet aircrews conducted a show of force, launching a flare. The show of force was deemed successful.<br /><br />Qalat, RC-S<br />A B-1B aircrew provided reconnaissance support for friendly forces and conducted a show of force to deter potential enemy activity in the area. The show of force was declared successful when no enemy action was noted.<br /><br />U.S. Navy F/A-18C Hornet pilots provided armed overwatch for friendly forces. Pilots conducted a show of force, with flares launched, which was declared successful.<br /><br />Coalition pilots provided armed overwatch for a friendly-forces convoy. The pilots conducted a show of force, with flares launched, over the convoy to deter potential enemy action in the vicinity of the convoy. The show of force was successful as no enemy action was noted.<br /><br />Surkhabad, RC-S<br />A B-1B aircrew provided reconnaissance support and conducted shows of force to deter a possible enemy attack against friendly ground forces in the area. The shows of force, with flares launched, were declared successful when no enemy action was noted. The aircrew later provided armed overwatch for a friendly-forces infiltration and extraction operation.<br /><br />Airlift Action<br /><br />Paktika province, RC-E<br />A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircrew flew a combat-resupply mission in Paktika Province, Afghanistan, airdropping approximately 70,000 pounds of supplies to friendly forces to sustain ground operations.<br /><br />Badghis Province, RC-W<br />A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircrew flew a combat-resupply mission in Badghis Province, Afghanistan, airdropping approximately 18,000 pounds of supplies.<br /><br />Konar Province, RC-E<br />U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircrews flew a combat-resupply mission in Konar Province, Afghanistan, airdropping approximately 30,000 pounds of supplies to friendly forces.<br /><br />Air Operations in Iraq:<br /><br />There was no significant action to report today.<br /><br />Air Power Statistics:<br /><br />Close Air Support:<br />Sorties flown to support ISAF & Afghan security forces: 80<br />Sorties flown to support Operation IRAQI FREEDOM: 16<br /><br />Surveillance & Reconnaissance:<br />Sorties flown in Afghanistan: 36<br />Sorties flown in Iraq: 29<br /><br />On Feb. 22<br />Air Mobility:<br />U.S. Air Force airlift sorties: 145<br />Short tons of delivered cargo: 788<br />Passengers: nearly 3,200<br />Airdropped cargo: approximately 120,000 pounds<br /><br />Aerial Refueling:<br />Sorties flown: 44<br />Fuel delivered: approximately 2.6 million pounds<br />Aircraft refueled: 200<br /><br />Medical Evacuation:<br />Air Force HH-60 aircrews and Pararescue Airmen transported 9 patients<br />Sorties flown to support OEF: 8<br />Sorties flown to support OIF: 1<br />Personnel Recovery/Hero Flight: None<br /><br /><em>(Report from a U.S. Air Force news release.)</em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16978140.post-87790788695795376402010-02-24T08:53:00.004-05:002010-02-24T09:09:17.629-05:00Wire: 1/3 of All US Casualties in 8-Year Afghan War Have Occurred Since Obama Ordered Escalation<center><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: default" title="Off the Wire" border="0" alt="Off the Wire" src="http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/4765/atomicqv061113sepiadl.jpg" /></center><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">O</span></strong>ff the Wire:<br /><br />WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2010 -- Newswire services this morning carried few if any reports of the rising American death toll in Afghanistan. However, the CNS news service reported that more than 300 U.S. soldiers have died in the region since May 15, 2009, the day when the first major wave of new troops ordered by President Barack Obama arrived in the country.<br /><blockquote>The 308 U.S. casualties in Afghanistan since then account for about a third of the total of 920 U.S. casualties in the eight-year war.<br /><br />Of the 308 soldiers who have died since mid-May 2009, 287 were killed by enemy action, according to a CNSNews.com database of all casualties in the Afghanistan theatre of war.<br /><br />The southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar located along the Afghan border with Pakistan have been the deadliest regions for U.S. soldiers since President Obama's escalation in U.S. forces in the region began.<br /><br />Approximately 81 U.S. soldiers have died in combat in Helmand and 58 in Kandahar, for a total of 139 in those two provinces. That is about 45 percent of the U.S. casualties in Afghanistan since May 15 of last year.<br /><br />On Feb. 17, 2009, President Obama ordered the deployment of 17,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. The main body of those troops arrived in Kandahar on May 15, 2009.<br /><br />In December 2009, Obama stepped up his surge with 30,000 more troops, bringing the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan to more than 100,000.<br /><br />Last year was the deadliest for American soldiers since the U.S.-led military effort in Afghanistan began in October 2001. </blockquote>The CNS database of Afghanistan war casualties is derived from official U.S. Defense Department casualty reports, but also includes information from reports in the news media.<br /><br />CNS is parented by the Media Research Center, a media watchdog organization.<br /><br /><em>(Report from newswire sources.)</em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p></p>
Please help maintain THE TENSION by visiting the blog and clicking through the advertisements.</div>Steven Moyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762913641383171453noreply@blogger.com0