US-Generalstabschef: Iran verstärkt Waffenlieferungen nach Irak

Der Iran verstärkt nach US-Angaben seine Waffenlieferungen für schiitische Milizen im Irak. Der Iran schicke zunehmend moderne Waffen in den Irak, sagte US-Generalstabschef Mike Mullen am Donnerstag (Ortszeit) in Washington. Teheran unterstütze "sehr direkt extremistische Truppen, die unsere Soldaten töten", sagte Mullen. Die iranischen Waffenlieferungen seien "bedeutend" und hätten zugenommen. Es bestehe kein Zweifel daran, dass Teheran seinen Einfluss vor allem im Süden des Irak auszudehnen versuche.

Quelle: AFP

Deadly blasts rock Baghdad; 'Chemical Ali' hanged

BAGHDAD – Suicide bombers struck near three hotels popular with Western journalists and businessmen Monday just as Iraq announced the execution of Saddam Hussein's notorious cousin known as "Chemical Ali." At least 36 people were killed and more than 80 injured, security officials said.
The blasts — coming in a span of about 15 minutes in downtown Baghdad — came shortly before state television announced that Ali Hassan al-Majid had been hanged.
There was no claim of responsibility for the latest major attacks in Baghdad — about six weeks after a series of blasts killed 127 and brought outcry against Iraq's government for repeated security lapses as U.S. troops withdraw.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the latest bombings "represent an extension" of the activities of insurgents linked to Saddam's regime. But he stopped short of declaring the blast as possible revenge for the execution.
The first explosion struck at about 3:40 p.m. in the parking lot of the Sheraton Hotel, toppling high concrete blast walls protecting the site and damaging a number of buildings along the Abu Nawas esplanade across the Tigris River from the Green Zone.
Two other blasts followed minutes later, striking near the Babylon Hotel and al-Hamra Hotel, which is popular with Western journalists and foreign security contractors.
The officials said the death toll was expected to rise. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
According to initial tallies, 15 of the victims were at the al-Hamra, 14 at the Sheraton, and the remaining seven died at the Babylon, including two policemen.
Outside the Sheraton, a high-rise tower with views of the Tigris River and the fortified Green Zone on the other side, the blast left a 10-foot-deep (three-meter) crater in the parking lot. Cars were torn apart by the spray of metal and glass, which littered the lawns and courtyards of the popular fish restaurants along the river.
The force of the explosion was strong enough to topple a row of 10-foot (three-meter) concrete blast walls along the road.
Iraqi police sealed the area and Iraqi helicopters circled overhead.
At the al-Hamra, two men in a car opened fire on guards at the hotel checkpoint before detonating the explosives, a third police official said.
Baghdad's top military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, said suicide bombers were involved in all three attacks.
The government spokesman al-Dabbagh confirmed the execution of "Chemical Ali," but did not give other details or the precise timing of when it was carried out.
The execution took place about a week after he was sentenced to death for the poison gas attacks that killed more than 5,000 Kurds in the Kurdish town of Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988.
It was the fourth death sentence against him for crimes against humanity during the Saddam era.
_____
Associated Press Writer Sinan Salaheddin

Gunmen wound civilian in Kirkuk

01/24/10 Reuters: Gunmen wound civilian in Kirkuk
Gunmen in a speeding car opened fire and wounded one civilian on Saturday in Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

01/24/10 Reuters: Sticky bomb kills off-duty army officer in Shirqat
A sticky bomb attached to a car killed an off-duty army officer on Saturday in the town of Shirqat, 300 km (190 miles) north of Baghdad, police said

01/24/10 Reuters: Roadside bomb kills policeman, wounds two others in Garma
A roadside bomb exploded near a police patrol, killing one policeman and wounding two in the town of Garma, 30 km (20 miles) northwest of Baghdad, police said.

01/24/10 Reuters: Bomb kills one person and wounds 3 others in northern Baghdad
A bomb attached to a car killed one person and wounded three others in the Adhamiya district of northern Baghdad, police said.

01/24/10 CSMonitor: Soldiers' wives: Fighting mental, emotional battles of their own
A new study shows higher levels of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders among Army wives whose husbands have had lengthy deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. New programs aim to help, but there's a stigma in a professional culture that values toughness.

01/24/10 AFP: Iraq to probe bomb detection unit
An Iraqi parliamentary committee will investigate the ongoing use of a device used to detect bombs at checkpoints in the country despite a ban by Britain, its members said on Sunday.

01/24/10 chicagotribune: Baghdad crackdown corks drinkers' spirits
The Iraqi capital is almost dry. Raids have closed bars, liquor stores and restaurants. Some observers suspect politics are at play; others see religious motivation.

01/23/10 DoD: Army Casualty Identified
Pfc. Gifford E. Hurt, 19, of Yonkers, N.Y., died Jan. 20, in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related accident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 214th Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Sill, Okla.

01/23/10 AFP: US to appeal Blackwater court decision
Vice President Joe Biden says the US government will appeal against a US court decision to drop charges against an American company whose security guards are accused of killing 14 Iraqi civilians in 2007.

01/23/10 WaPo: CBS reporter Kimberly Dozier, injured in Iraq bombing, goes back to Baghdad
Last month, I finally made it back to Baghdad. I'd left on May 29, 2006, unconscious on a stretcher after my CBS News team and the 4th Infantry Division patrol we'd been covering walked into the path of a 300- to 500-pound car bomb.

01/23/10 AFP: Biden calls for fair, credible, transparent Iraq election
US Vice President Joe Biden says Iraq's March 7 election must be fair, credible and transparent but insists Washington will not interfere in a simmering row over barred candidates.

01/23/10 AP: After 7 Years Marines End Role in Iraq
The U.S. Marine Corps wrapped nearly seven years in Iraq on Saturday, handing over duties to the Army and signaling the beginning of an accelerated withdrawal of American troops as the U.S. turns its focus away from the waning Iraqi war to a growing one in Afghanistan.

01/22/10 NYTimes: Biden in Iraq to End Voting Dispute
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrived Friday in a visit that underlined an enduring reality of Iraq under the Obama administration: As the United States prepares to withdraw, an Iraqi political system tailored to crisis and brinkmanship has repeatedly necessitated United States intervention to propel the political process forward.

01/22/10 theaustralian: Fifth-generation serviceman injured, traumatised and abandoned by the military
ANDREW Bird has dealt with the victims of Taliban torture in Afghanistan, the worst of natural disasters in Pakistan, human failings in the Solomons and the constant threat of death on repeat deployments to Iraq.

01/22/10 Reuters: Roadside bomb wounds two civilians in western Mosul
A roadside bomb wounded two civilians on Thursday when it exploded near a police patrol in western Mosul, police said.

01/22/10 Reuters: Roadside bomb wounds child in central Mosul
A roadside bomb exploded outside the home of a Christian family, wounding a child, in central Mosul, on Thursday, police said.

01/22/10 Reuters: Grenade hurled into a pharmacy wounds 2 people in central Mosul
An attacker wounded two people when he hurled a hand grenade into a pharmacy on Thursday in central Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

01/22/10 Reuters: Suicide bomber wounds Iraqi army officer in Baaj
A suicide bomber blew up a truck near an Iraqi army base on Thursday, wounding an Iraqi army officer, in Baaj, 375 km (235 miles) northwest of Baghdad, police said.

01/22/10 AP: Non-combat injuries most common in soldiers
American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan were more likely to be medically evacuated for health problems such as a bad back than for combat injuries, a new study says. Researchers also found psychiatric disorders rose during the period studied - 2004 to 2007 - despite an increased focus on treating mental health problems.

01/22/10 BBC: More names on Iraq election ban
Iraq's election commission chief has said more candidates are likely to be banned from running in parliamentary elections on 7 March. A committee has already barred more than 500 candidates.

Officials: Bombs kill couple, policeman in Iraq

SINAN SALAHEDDIN ASSOCIATED PRESS
Originally published 09:08 a.m., March 18, 2009, updated 08:12 a.m., March 18, 2009

BAGHDAD (AP) - Bombs killed a farming couple and a policeman in separate attacks Wednesday in northern Iraq, officials said.

One man and his wife were killed at about 5:30 a.m. while working in their orchard in the Diyala province town of Sadiyah.

Police said they don't think the bomb was targeting the couple but was left behind by insurgents who long controlled the area.

Also Wednesday, a suicide car bomber struck a patrol, killing a policeman and wounding two others in the northern city of Mosul.

Insurgents remain active in Diyala and Mosul despite security gains and an overall decline in nationwide violence. Many were believed to have fled north to escape U.S.-Iraqi military operations in Baghdad and surrounding areas.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they're not authorized to release the information.

In southern Iraq, authorities believe they have found another mass grave from Saddam Hussein's regime.

Local villagers found two skulls, bones and old clothes in the oil-rich Nahran Omar area northeast of Basra.

The director of the local human rights commission, Mahdi al-Timimi, said excavation for more remains will start Thursday. He could not comment on how many remains might be unearthed.

Several Saddam-era mass graves have been unearthed since the dictator was ousted following the 2003 U.S. invasion.

The latest discovery caused a temporary halt to oil exploration in the section being excavated.

The victims were believed to have been killed in 1991 when Saddam's forces brutally crushed a Shiite uprising following the Gulf War.

Saddam's cousin known as "Chemical Ali" al-Majid and another former Baath party official Abdul-Ghani Abdul-Ghafur were sentenced to death late last year after being convicted for their roles in the operations against the Shiites.

Ten other defendants were sentenced to jail in the same case and three were acquitted.

Logistics of leaving Iraq begin to take shape

(03-01) 04:00 PST Baghdad - --

The U.S. military map in Iraq in early 2010: Marines are leaving the western desert, Army units are in the former British zone in the south and the overall mission is coalescing around air and logistics hubs in central and northern Iraq.

Meanwhile, commanders will be shifting their attention to helping Iraqi forces take full control of their own security.

The Pentagon has not released the full details of President Obama's plan to end America's combat role in Iraq by Aug. 31 of next year, but the broad contours are taking shape.

Statements from military officials, U.S. government reports and interviews by the Associated Press with Iraqi and U.S. planners offer a wide-angle view of the expected American formation in Iraq when the pullout quickens early next year.

Between 35,000 and 50,000 soldiers are expected to remain in a transition period before all troops must leave by the end of 2011 under a joint pact. In his speech Friday, Obama outlined the roles ahead.

"Training, equipping and advising Iraqi security forces as long as they remain nonsectarian; conducting targeted counterterrorism missions, and protecting our ongoing civilian and military efforts within Iraq," he said at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

There should be little immediate change in the American presence this year.

The bulk of the current 138,000 U.S. troops are expected to remain until Iraq's national elections scheduled for late this year. Maintaining security for the balloting is considered a top priority by the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno, and other high-ranking Pentagon officials.

Then the pullout will accelerate.

The first significant shift could be with the 22,000 Marines in Anbar province, a broad wedge of western desert where insurgents once held sway over key cities such as Fallujah and Ramadi.

The Marines have already tested exit routes through Jordan with plans for a full-scale exodus during the "2010 calendar year," said Terry Moores, deputy assistant chief of staff for logistics for Marine Corps Central Command.

The Marines could possibly leave a small contingent, but expect to turn over military duties to the Army.

In the south, the U.S. Army is making plans to fill the void left by the departure this spring of 4,000 British troops based outside Basra, the second-largest city in Iraq and a hub of the nation's southern oil fields.

Odierno has said a division headquarters - about 1,000 personnel - plus an undetermined number of troops would be sent to Basra. The transition is expected to begin in late March, and it's likely a U.S. force will remain around Basra until the final pullout in 2011.

Northern Iraq, meanwhile, poses the greatest uncertainties for the Pentagon.

Mosul - Iraq's third-biggest city - remains one of the last havens for al Qaeda in Iraq and its streets are among the most dangerous in the country.

The northern city of Kirkuk is another potential trouble spot. Tensions between Kurds and Sunni Arabs over control of the city - and center of the northern oil fields - show no signs of easing.

In Baghdad, the U.S. military is already making changes in anticipation of the first step of the withdrawal timetable: U.S. forces out of major cities by June.

The United States has handed over the Green Zone to the Iraqi government, closed forward operating bases and combat outposts in the city or turned them into smaller stations where U.S. troops work alongside Iraqi security forces.

But Camp Victory, a huge base on the outskirts of Baghdad in a former Saddam Hussein palace complex, will continue to serve as the U.S. nerve center in the capital.

Iraqi president meets top Iranian leaders

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is meeting top Iranian leaders on Friday on his second trip to the Islamic republic in almost two years, the offical IRAN news agency reported.

Talabani, a Kurd, will hold talks with his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the head of Iran's Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and others.

Other media reports said Talabani is also expected to meet Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Iraqi leader arrived in Iran on Thursday on his way home from a trip to South Korea. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation from the ministries of foreign affairs, trade and electricity.

He previously visited Iran in June 2007.

Ahmadinejad travelled to Iraq in March 2008 in the first ever visit by an Iranian president to the former arch-foe, symbolising the flourishing ties between Tehran and the Shiite-led government in Baghdad.

The two Shiite-majority countries fought a war between 1980 and 1988 in which around one million people died.

Relations have warmed considerably since the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime in Iraq by US-led forces.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki visited Tehran in January to seek Iran's help in rebuilding the country and the two neighbours agreed to establish a high-ranking joint committee to improve cooperation.

Say Hello to The Combat Operator

At Defense Tech, we're always trying to bring to our readers news and information that directly impacts your daily lives. Whether it's the geopolitics of Russian relations with India, the budgetary hurdles of yet another troubled Pentagon program or a new pouch or holster, we want to make sure you have the information you need to help make informed decisions in your professional endeavours.

That's not to say we want to shy away from healthy debate. In fact, DT is the place for raucous conversations about today's pressing national security issues. And we want to do more of that too.

In that vein, I want to introduce a new contributor to the blog who's an expert in an area that has exploded in recent years and caused quite a bit of controvery of its own.

Jake Allen is a security contractor and consultant, a former Marine infantry officer and a veteran of several years of work in Iraq as a civilian PSD operator. He's got more stories he can't tell stored in the tip of his pinky finger than we might acquire in a lifetime.

Late last year he introduced a new e-newsletter called "The Combat Operator" that chronicles the weekly news and developments of the private military company world. It's a great resource on its own, but Jake also hosts a kick ass podcast (Combat Operator Radio) that he hosts on his Web site but is also available on iTunes.

We're going to post some of Jake's content, get some exclusives from him and keep in touch with him via blogcast and podcast from here on out to keep tabs on what's happening in the PMC world.

So without further ado, here's some of Jake's thoughts on Blackwater losing its State Dept. contract:

Blackwater will not have their license renewed by the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior. And to kick them while they are down the moral cowards at the U.S. State Department (DoS) are now indicating that they will not renew Blackwater's task order for the global WPPS (Worldwide Personal Protective Services) contract which ends in May of this year. So instead of losing simply one AO, albeit the largest, Blackwater are now faced with loosing their most lucrative client altogether.

Blackwater's reaction to these foregone conclusions was predictable. Did they get out in front of this story by offering even a shadow of contrition and evidence of the lessons they had learned. Did they shuffle their management or illustrate any improvements to their operational leadership, governance or oversight? No. In fact, have they ever fessed-up to even the possibly, possibility mind you, that their unprecedented and explosive growth in mission-scope and thus manpower might have, just might have, been the source of some problems? Uhh...No. Have they ever acknowledged that some, just some, no matter how small a percentage of their work force, might have committed mistakes? Note: I did not say crimes I said mistakes. The answer is: No, no and double-no. As far as anyone at Blackwater is concerned the entire organization from Erik Prince down to the lowest FNG are completely and utterly devoid of any wrongdoing. It's all a witch-hunt fuelled by the left wing media with their liberal pacifist agenda.

If that seems a little hard to believe that's because it is. Instead of owning up to and dealing with an 'acceptable' level of corporate mistakes and then offering to be part of the solution Blackwater decided a long time ago to be unapologetic, obstinate, opaque, obstructive and arrogant. True to form, and like a spoiled child, last week they offered to leave Iraq on 72-hours notice. It was not an offer as much as it is a thinly veiled threat designed to punish the DoS and in the process hold hostage the U.S.'s foreign policy capabilities in the region. The DoS deserves to be held hostage since it was they who allowed one PSC to have a disproportionate amount of the WPPS contract. Had they more equitably divided the work among 4 to 5 companies the loss of one would not be as catastrophic.

Honestly, the level of hubris on display here by Prince is on par with Jeffrey Skilling of Enron infamy who, down to the last minute, insisted Enron made no mistakes and the whole scandal was simply the media out to get them because they were so smart, innovative and successful.

OK. Before I go any further on this little diatribe I feel obligated to make a few declarations.

I am a passionate proponent for not only a strong private security sector I am one of only a handful of people who openly advocate for private militaries and their use on the offensive to resolve conflicts in places which are witnessing widespread human suffering due to insecurity. I am no left-wing pacifist.
I am not against Blackwater as a company, an institution or as a concept. In fact I ardently support exactly what they should be standing for and doing. I just don't support what they actually are doing or how they have done it.
I am deeply disappointed by what Blackwater has done to our industry at large and for the repercussions all operators will have to deal with as a result of their performance. You can bet the first poor expat operator who faces an Iraqi court will have to bear the brunt of an entire countries hatred for contractors. Not to mention the increase in stringent regulations which are surely around the corner. More badges, more personal disclosure of information to the Iraqi authorities, more forfeiture of rights, the list goes on.
I am simply pointing out that all organizations, in every instance, ultimately take on the beliefs and the image of their leaders. If you don't believe me pick a history book and read about the likes of Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Julies Caesar, Lee Iacocca, Jack Welch, Ken Lay, etc, etc, etc...whether good or bad it starts and ends at the top.
I always approach issues like this from the instruction I received as young officer in the Marine Corps. USMC doctrine teaches that "A leader is responsible for everything his troops do or fail to do." Full stop. No excuses. It won't be the enemy's fault, the media's fault, a private's fault or a senior NCO's fault. If it goes bad, as the leader and the officer you own it. Either you were not smart enough or present enough as a leader to see the problem developing or you were too weak as a leader to fix when it did develop. If disaster struck it was because you either failed to provide the foresight or the oversight. Don't look left and don't look right. Look strait into the mirror. I apply that unapologetically high standard to myself and I apply it to Blackwater's leadership at all levels from the President of the company down to the Team Leaders and the Vehicle Commanders have failed.

This is probably a good time to make it clear that Blackwater's ranks are filled, filled I tell you, with hundreds of good, honest, solid, hard working operators who are also technically and tactically at the top of their game. And when many of these operators turn up over at outfits like Triple Canopy or Dyncorp those organizations will benefit from their contribution. However, there is a certain minority of Blackwater staff and contractors who should be screened for poor personal and professional judgement and decision-making. Those should not be offered the chance to cross-deck to another firm.

Most Troops Out of Iraq by August 2010

February 25, 2009
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is expected to order all U.S. combat troops to leave Iraq by August of next year, administration officials said, closing the door on a war that has led to the death of 4,250 American Soldiers.

The pullout recommended by Obama's security advisers would free up troops and resources for the war in Afghanistan, where Obama has said the threat to national security is acute. The Iraq withdrawal would be completed 18 months from now.

"We are now carefully reviewing our policies in both wars, and I will soon announce a way forward in Iraq that leaves Iraq to its people and responsibly ends this war," Obama said in his address to Congress on Tuesday.

Iraq's government is welcoming the withdrawal report, saying Iraqi forces would be ready to take full responsibility for security.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki supports an accelerated pullout and Iraqi officials will work closely with American commanders under a possible timetable to remove U.S. Soldiers from the battlefield by August 2010, said Sadiq al-Rikabi, one of al-Maliki's top advisers.

An announcement could come as early as this week, a senior White House official said Tuesday, adding that Obama has not yet approved the final details. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because an announcement was not yet planned, said Obama could discuss Iraq during a trip to North Carolina on Friday.

Obama built enormous grass-roots support for his White House bid by promising a quick end to the unpopular Iraq war. His 16-month withdrawal plan, based on removing roughly one brigade a month, had been predicated on commanders determining that it would not endanger U.S. troops left behind or Iraq's fragile security.

Officials said that upon entering the White House, Obama requested a range of options from his top military advisers, asking for plans ranging between 16 to 23 months.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had recently forwarded three withdrawal alternatives for Obama's consideration - 16, 19 and 23 months, the longest an alternative preferred by Iraqi officials and some of Obama's Iraq-based generals. The 19-month plan, which was selected, was pegged to his January inauguration.

Other senior military officials were more sanguine about a quicker pullout. Marine Maj. Gen. John Kelly, who just left his job overseeing U.S. operations in Anbar Province, said Tuesday that violence there has dropped to an almost "meaningless" level over the past year. Kelly told reporters Tuesday most U.S. forces in Anbar could have pulled out months ago.

The emerging plan now leaves Obama two months off his campaign pledge, and with between 30,000 and 50,000 troops still in Iraq to advise and train Iraqi security forces and to protect U.S. interests.

The residual force would include intelligence and surveillance specialists and their equipment, including unmanned aircraft, according to two administration officials and a Pentagon official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan has not been made public.

The complete withdrawal of American forces will take place by December 2011, the period by which the U.S. agreed with Iraq to remove all troops.

About 142,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq, roughly 14 brigades, about 11,000 more than the total in Iraq when President George W. Bush announced in January 2007 that he would "surge" the force to put down the insurgency. He sent an additional 21,000 combat troops to Baghdad and Anbar province.

Although the number of combat brigades has dropped from 20 to 14, the U.S. has increased the number of logistical and other support troops. A brigade is usually about 3,000 to 5,000 troops.

Congress has approved more than $657 billion so far for the Iraq war, according to a report last year from the Congressional Research Service.

As the Obama White House prepared to address the Iraq pullout, the man Obama defeated for the White House challenged suggestions by administration officials that the United States should lower its expectations in Afghanistan.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., insisted in remarks prepared for a speech Wednesday that Afghanistan could be turned around with sufficient resources.

In a speech planned at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, McCain said the United States should brace itself for violence in Afghanistan that worsens before it gets better.

McCain said that while "some suggest it is time to scale back our ambitions in Afghanistan," the U.S. should start spending more on development to keep Afghans from being seduced by the Taliban.

But McCain also echoed recent cautions from Obama, Gates and Mullen that the Afghan conflict would be hard going in the coming months.

"The scale of resources required to prevail will be enormous, and the timetable will be measured in years, not months," said McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

A recent classified Pentagon report urged Obama to shift the military strategy in Afghanistan to de-emphasize democracy-building and concentrate more on targeting Taliban and al-Qaida sanctuaries inside Pakistan with the aid of Pakistani military forces.

Irak

Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of strongmen ruled the country until 2003. The last was SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. US forces remained in Iraq under a UNSC mandate until 31 December 2008 and under a bilateral Security Agreement thereafter, helping to provide security and to support the freely elected government. In October 2005, Iraqis approved a constitution in a national referendum and, pursuant to this document, elected a 275-member Council of Representatives (CoR) in December 2005. After the election, Ibrahim al-JAAFARI was selected as prime minister; he was replaced by Nuri al-MALIKI in May 2006. The CoR approved most cabinet ministers in May 2006, marking the transition to Iraq's first constitutional government in nearly a half century. On 31 January 2009, Iraq held elections for provincial councils in all provinces except for the three provinces comprising the Kurdistan Regional Government and at-Ta'mim (Kirkuk) province.


http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irak

Militarii români din Irak vor acţiona în cadrul operaţiunii "Apus de soare"

Militarii români din Irak vor acţiona, începând de astăzi, în cadrul Operaţiunii denumite "Apus de Soare", în baza acordului bilateral semnat între România şi Irak.

"Apus de Soare" înlocuieşte operaţiunea "Iraqi Freedom", la care România a fost parte începând din 2003. Totodată, începând cu data de 3 martie comanda operaţiunilor militare româneşti va fi preluată de Comitetul mixt româno- irakian. Potrivit memorandumului, a cărui valabilitate expiră la 31 iulie 2009, militarii români din Irak vor avea patru tipuri principale de misiuni - non-combat, de sprijin umanitar, sprijin medical, instruire şi consiliere -, majoritatea urmând a fi dislocaţi la Tallil, iar personalul medical, la Camp Bucca si Camp Cropper. Ministerul Apărării Naţionale a precizat că, ţinând cont de noile misiuni asumate de România, efectivul total al militarilor români care vor îndeplinii misiuni în Irak va fi de aproximativ 350 de militari.

U.S. soldier, Iraqi interpreter killed by police in Mosul

BAGHDAD, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- An American soldier and an Iraqi interpreter have died as a result of small arms fire attack in Iraq's northern city of Mosul, the U.S. military said on Wednesday.

A military statement said the attack took place at approximately 2:00 p.m. local time (1100 GMT) on Tuesday during a meeting at an Iraqi police station in the city.

Three U.S. soldiers and a second Iraqi interpreter were also wounded by the attack, another military statement said without elaboration, adding the cause of the incident is under investigation.

"Injured personnel were taken to the Combat Support Hospital in Mosul, where the U.S. soldier died of his wounds," the statement said.

On Tuesday, a local police source said two Iraqi policemen opened fire on U.S. soldiers in the city, killing four of them and an Iraqi interpreter, before they fled.

On Feb. 9, a suicide car bomber killed four U.S. soldiers and their Iraqi interpreters in Mosul, 390 km north of Baghdad.

The attacks proved that violence continues in large parts of northern and central Iraq despite massive U.S. and Iraqi military offensive in the past year.

Mosul remains a stubborn stronghold of Sunni insurgency, including extremist militant group al-Qaida.

The latest death raised the toll of the U.S. soldiers who have been killed in Iraq to 4,251 since the U.S.-led invasion in Iraq in March 2003, according to media count based on Pentagon figures.

BW