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Everything about Iraq says chop it into three

Explosions, gunfire and other clatter are the soundtrack for life in BaghdadBy Associated PressFriday, December 31, 2004
BAGHDAD, Iraq - It's the time of the year for the music world's Top 10 lists. Iraqis who wake and fall asleep to explosions and gunfire have something else to offer: The Top 10 distinctive sounds heard in Baghdad's daily life.
What Iraqis say they ``listen'' to:
10. The roar of power generators. ``Oh! They are our best friends, those generators,'' said Mahasen Chalabi, a 40-year-old accountant. ``We've been living in war since 1980 and generators have been the one useful thing - we lose power in both summer and winter and without the coolers and heaters, God knows how it'll be.''
9. Gunfire. ``We hear no birds, we hear bullets. It's the most disrupting sound,'' said George Nichola, a 23-year-old literature student. ``I automatically start seeing scary images in my mind,'' he added. ``It's like being in the Wild West.''
8. Construction. ``I actually don't mind it. It reflects our determination against terrorists - they bring down one house, we build another,'' said Mohammed Basil, a 34-year-old marketing executive. ``But I mind it when it's something built by foreign troops - we don't want them to build stuff and stay.''
7. Police and ambulance sirens. ``Our life now has become all about sirens,'' said Ammar Mansour, a 27-year-old businessman. ``Before, we used to shriek at the sound of sirens, but now complacency rules.''
6. Loudspeaker warnings by coalition patrols: ``You'll be driving and they'll yell at you 'Stop! Let the patrol pass first,' and one can't help wonder: how rude,'' said Mohammed Ahmed, a computer science engineer.
5. The rattle of tanks and Humvees. ``Don't they say the war is over? Why then the tanks and those scary vehicles?'' said Mohammed Hashem, 21. ``I can understand these vehicles patrolling the major highways, but why the narrow residential streets? And they have this habit of not coming alone, there has to be a whole loud bunch.''
4. The clatter of helicopters. ``It's so provocative, those army helicopters flying all the time above us,'' said Khawla Adnan, a 40-year-old former civil servant. ``What's even more annoying is that they fly at such low altitude, and the kids get really scared,'' she added.
3. Sirens in the Green Zone, the fortified home of the U.S. Embassy and headquarters of the interim government. ``This particular siren really depresses me,'' said Umm Mustafa, a mother of two and a Green Zone resident. ``I wonder what its use is? The Green Zone is frequently attacked anyway and the siren goes off after the attack takes place, so what's the point?''
2. Explosions. ``It's the sound that has come to accentuate our misery,'' Duha Mohammed, a doctor's assistant, said of car bombs that hit Baghdad almost every day. ``Day after day, these booms terrorize us. It's one redundant sound the people have become sick and tired of. It hurts us to see our city destroyed by these criminals.''
1. Silence. ``Believe it or not, what petrifies me most is when it gets quiet, I feel like it's the silence that precedes a storm,'' said Chaki Shukri, 41. ``Normalcy for us is the noise of helicopters, gunfire, explosions and sirens.''

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Multi-National Forces recently captured a senior member of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist network in northern Baghdad, according to a statement released Friday by Iraq's government.
Fadil Hussain Ahmed al-Kurdi, 26, was responsible for "facilitating communications between al Qaeda and the al-Zarqawi terror networks as well as coordinating the movement of terrorists in and out of Iraq," according to the statement.
Al-Kurdi -- an Iraqi Kurd also known as Abu Ubaydah al-Kurdi, or "Ridha," -- was picked up along with two others during a raid on a terrorist safe house, thanks to information from "courageous Iraqi citizens," the government said.
He is the brother of Umar Baziyani, identified by the Iraqi government as a terrorist in the al-Zarqawi network, who was captured in May by Multi-National Forces.
The brothers remain in detention and are being question by Iraqi and coalition forces.
The government says Zarqawi's network has suffered significant losses recently.
Abu Marwan, 33, a key leader of a Mosul-based terror group affiliated with the al-Zarqawi's network was captured on Dec. 23, according to Iraqi officials. He was "responsible for conducting and commanding terrorist operations in Mosul," the government said.
"The capture of Ridha and Marwan removes two of Zarqawi's valuable and formerly trusted officers from his al Qaeda-linked network," the government statement said.

The Hour of the Mullahs By Bernhard Zand The upcoming Iraqi elections are opening up old wounds. Faced with the prospect of a Shiite victory, Iraq's Sunnis are at odds with Tehran's religious conservatives. They view Shiite leader Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim as little more than a a puppet of Iraq's former enemy Iran. Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim must have known early on that one day the burden of responsibility would rest on his shoulders. Saddam Hussein had six of his brothers murdered. Only one of his brothers was still alive when the tyrant was overthrown and the rest of his family was able to return from exile in Iran. Mohammed Bakir al-Hakim, the ayatollah, spent 20 years in Tehran preparing to rehabilitate the Hakim family and to bring Shiites into power in Iraq. Three months later, this seventh brother became the victim of a politically motivated assassination. He and almost a hundred of his supporters died on August 29, 2003 at the gates of the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf, in what has been the biggest attack to date in post-war Iraq. Abd al-Aziz, who had always been overshadowed by Mohammed Bakir, took his brother's place as the leader of Iraq's most powerful Shiite party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Little was heard from him after that. Hakim was a member of the Governing Council set up by US Civilian Administrator Paul Bremer. His supporters were part of the subsequent Iraqi transitional government, while Hakim himself focused on developing political connections and expanding the Badr Brigade, the country's most powerful militia. But Hakim consistently avoided public appearances, preferring to wield power from behind the scenes. That will now change. Hakim's name is at the top of the list of candidates being fielded by the United Iraqi Alliance, forged by Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani and the most powerful political alliance heading into the election slated for January 30. Hakim also plays a key role in the central issue dominating the election: Can a Shiite victory pacify Iraq, or would Hakim's election to the office of president or prime minister merely pave the way for Tehran to assume control over the country? Last week's good news of the release of two kidnapped French journalists on Tuesday was overshadowed by a series of grim reports. By last Wednesday, the week's death toll had already risen to 90, including 22 killed in an attack on a US mess hall in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and 66 in a double attack on Shiite shrines in Najaf and Kerbela. According to interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, the terrorists' goal is to "create ethnic and religious conflicts." Allawi believes that the terrorists operating in Iraq are using Osama bin Laden as their model, and that the number of attacks will increase during the weeks leading up to the election. It is unsettling that even some of Allawi's supporters are contributing to heightened tensions. They have been inciting Iraqis to a level of hatred that had previously been preached only by extremist fringe groups, and are being backed by politicians ranging well into the ranks of moderate groups. Allawi's defense minister, Hazem Shaalan, has demonized the election alliance headed by Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim. "Iran is Iraq's and the Arab world's most dangerous enemy," Shaalan told a group of American and military personnel and NATO officers in Baghdad. "We must focus all of our efforts on stopping these advancing black hordes," he said. Shaalan's words may have reminded some in his audience of Saddam's anti-Persian propaganda during the Iraq/Iran war. But the central message in Shaalan's election campaign - that the black-turbaned Shiite mullahs plan to establish a "dictatorship of Islam" -- has long been a standard argument of Washington's foreign policy hawks. Is Tehran meddling in the election? Last week, US President George W. Bush said that Iranian meddling in the Iraqi elections would be unacceptable. In an interview with the BBC, Iraqi interim President Ghazi al-Yawer provided Bush with plenty of cause for concern. Tehran, al-Yawer said, is lending financial support to Shiite parties in Iraq, and it has already stationed hundreds of thousands of troops along the two countries' 1,400-kilometer (870-mile) shared border to exert its influence over the outcome of the election. Members of Iraq's Sunni minority are truly alarmed by Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim's offer to have his 100,000-strong Badr Brigade guard polling sites on January 30. The brigade, established in Tehran in the 1980s and trained by Khomeini's revolutionary guard, fought alongside the Iraqis in the first Gulf War, and many Iraqis refer to its members simply as "the Iranians." Hakim himself spent 20 years in Iranian exile. His trimmed beard, collarless shirt, brown robe and black turban, which identify him as a descendant of the prophet Mohammed, correspond precisely to the image of an Iranian cleric. He already aroused suspicion when, as a member of the Iraqi Governing Council, he visited Iran in the fall of 2003 and then Iran's new ally, Syrian President Bashir al-Assad. He also offended Sunnis, Christians and even secular Shiites when, as president of the Governing Council, he tried to establish Sharia law as the basis for Iraqi family and divorce law in December 2003. Hakim's plan met with resistance from a broad coalition of secular members of the government, as well as Paul Bremer, and ultimately failed. The problem faced by Bremer's successors in Baghdad is that despite the many concerns raised by the leading Shia candidate, Hakim remains the Shiite's best hope. The alliance headed by Ayad Allawi, who Washington installed as interim prime minister in June, is not expected to fare well in the upcoming election. Allawi is widely viewed as an American puppet who further discredited himself by authorizing the attack on Falluja and by repeatedly expressing his appreciation to the US military. A man with broad appeal In contrast, Hakim appears to have achieved something that has eluded every other post-war political leader in Iraq: He has sufficiently distanced himself from the Americans, thus broadening his appeal among widely disparate groups, while at the same time maintaining a chilly but cordial relationship with Washington, a relationship that will come in handy should Iraq's first democratically elected parliament appoint him president or prime minister. Before the Iraq war began, Hakim met with US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President **** Cheney. The way things have developed in Iraq since then, Hakim's appeal now makes up for his shortcomings, at least from Washington's perspective. He is more moderate that the young Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, and more credible than Ahmed Chalabi, Washington's former and long-since abandoned protégé who, following a prolonged dispute with Hakim, has now joined the same election coalition. Hakim also has the blessing of the one man who will presumably decide the outcome of the election: Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the principal spiritual leader of Iraq's Shiites. Unlike Hakim, Sistani is Persian by birth and still holds an Iranian passport, which disqualifies him from running for political office in Iraq. Even if he could run for office, Sistani is unlikely to do so. In contrast to the ayatollahs in Tehran, he is a member of "quietist" school of the Shia, which frowns on clerics holding political office. A close associate reports that in recent weeks Hakim's headquarters in the Tigris villa of Saddam's former foreign minister, Tariq Aziz, has been turned into a sort of politburo for Sistani, who normally lives quietly in Najaf. According to the source, "Sayyid Hakim meets with him almost daily for spiritual advice and guidance." It's an effective division of labor. After all, unlike Sistani or his murdered brother, Mohammed Bakir, Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim's spiritual education only brought him to the rank of Hojatolislam, the second-highest rank in the religion before reaching the status of ayatollah. He would have to spend at least another decade studying the scriptures to reach the rank of ayatollah. It remains to be seen, however, what kinds of political appointments Hakim the politician has in mind should his election coalition prevail at the polls in late January. He is rumored to be considering nuclear scientist Hussein al-Sharistani, currently the number seven candidate on his election list, for the position of prime minister. According to Hakim's associate, however, "Sayyid Hakim is ambitious. I believe he wants to be president." Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan

A U.S. tank burns on the back of a transport truck after it came under attack on a highway in Baghdad Monday. (Photo: AP)

And the beat goes on.....

15 killed in Iraq violence
BAGHDAD, Dec 30: Fifteen Iraqis were killed in attacks across the country on Thursday as plans were unveiled to deploy 100,000 Iraqi soldiers to stave off a bloodbath on election day exactly a month from now. The deadly violence came one day after battles between US troops and guerillas in the northern city of Mosul left at least 26 dead, including a US soldier, and 30 people were killed when a booby-trapped house in Baghdad exploded. The grim business of hostage-taking again surfaced, with two Lebanese businessmen kidnapped in an upmarket neighbourhood of Baghdad late on Wednesday. And the Iraqi government announced that a senior aide to the country's most wanted man, Abu Musab al Zarqawi - whose militants are behind many deadly attacks and killings of hostages - was captured recently in Baghdad. A similar arrest was made in Mosul. On Wednesday guerillas detonated car bombs against a US patrol and attacked a combat outpost in Mosul, triggering air strikes and clashes that left at least 25 guerillas dead, the US military said. A US soldier died of wounds suffered in one of the car bombings, the military announced. Across the country, at least 15 Iraqis have been killed in various attacks by guerillas since Wednesday night, security officials said. Three border policemen were gunned down in Baquba, north of Baghdad, while on leave, and the son of local police chief was kidnapped. In the capital, an Iraqi army officer was killed while strolling in the street. Four civilians were killed in an ambush at Shorgat, north of the capital, while further north two civilians were killed and four hurt when a bomb exploded near their car as it followed a national guard convoy. Two more Iraqis died and four were wounded when they tried to break through a national guard roadblock in Syniya, a woman was killed and three people wounded by a roadside bomb on the road between Baghdad and Balad and, in Samarra, a national guard was died and four others were wounded in an ambush. The violence raised to well over 100 the death toll for the past 48 hours. Despite the volatile security situation, US President George Bush insisted elections must go ahead as planned on Jan 30, even as a militant group reiterated to sabotage the poll with deadly violence. ELECTION THREAT: An Al Qaeda-linked group, Ansar al Sunna, which claimed responsibility for last week's attack against US troops in Mosul, renewed a threat to attack polling stations during the election, in a statement on its website. "It's very important that these elections proceed," Bush said Wednesday. US and Iraqi officials have said they hope an increase in offensives against guerillas, coupled with airtight security on Jan 30, will allow voting to go ahead across the nation. Brig Gen Erv Lessel, the US-led military's deputy director of operations, bluntly listed the potential election day hazards. "They (guerillas) will make attempts to try to disrupt the process by attacking election officials as well as those Iraqi citizens who have volunteered to be candidates and campaign in the political process. There will be attempted attacks against polling places and polling locations." Adel Lami, a ranking officer on Iraq's Independent Electoral Commission, said "about 100,000 police and national guard will be mobilized". Brig Lessel said US forces would ramp up their operations before Jan 30 to disrupt the resistance, with its turbulent mix of Saddam Hussein loyalists, criminals, religious hard liners and renegade tribal factions. -AFP

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SOLDIERS DISCOVER, SEIZE MULTIPLE WEAPONS CACHESAR RAMADI, Iraq -- Soldiers from an engineer battalion in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Marine Division of the I Marine Expeditionary Force discovered 18 separate weapons caches during sweeping operations on Dec. 28 and on Dec. 29 in Ramadi.The 44th Engineer Battalion, which has been serving in Iraq since August, discovered complete mortar systems, mortar and artillery rounds, rockets, explosive material used in roadside bombs, and various types of small arms and ammunition.The number of discovered caches demonstrates the brigade’s successes in decreasing the enemy’s inventory of weapons and munitions. Weapons and munitions included mortar shells, homemade grenade launchers, assault rifles, anti-personnel landmines, anti-tank mines and various forms of ammunition. The discovery, seizure and subsequent destruction of the weapons caches, greatly reduces anti-Iraqi forces’ ability to launch attacks against Multi-National forces and innocent Iraqis.

Iraqis gathered on Wednesday in Baghdad at the site of a powerful explosion in which insurgents lured the police to a booby-trapped home on Tuesday.

Iraqi rebels clash with US troops
Insurgents control parts of Mosul
US troops killed around 25 insurgents in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul after they were attacked by suicide bombs, the US military has said.
An army spokesman said the car bombs had targeted a patrol and military outpost and that troops sent to the area came under attack.
Fifteen US soldiers were injured in the clashes, he added.
The battle follows an insurgent attack on a US base near Mosul on 21 December which left 22 people dead.
Mosul has seen a wave of violence since November's offensive on Falluja.
On Wednesday, smoke could be seen rising from the location of the blasts while insurgents roamed the streets.
A fuel truck was used to attack the soldiers who were stationed at a house in Mosul, witnesses told Reuters news agency.
The US army says more of its troops will be sent to the city of 1.5 million inhabitants ahead of elections on 30 January.

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Mourners carry the body of Muhammed Ameen al-Faidhy, during his funeral after he was shot dead by gunmen outside his house in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, November 22, 2004. Al-Faidhy was a member of the Iraqi Muslim's Clerics Association and his assassination came one day after the bodies of three men killed by insurgents were found lying on a street in the city on Sunday. REUTERS/Stringer

Masked Iraqi policemen guard Iranian and Iraqi smugglers following their arrest in the southern city of Basra, November 22, 2004. A gang of four Iranians and seven Iraqis was captured in a Basra hotel on Monday after being suspected of smuggling stolen artifacts. REUTERS/Atef Hassan


Masked Iraqi policemen guard Iranian and Iraqi smugglers following their arrest in the southern city of Basra, November 22, 2004. A gang of four Iranians and seven Iraqis was captured in a Basra hotel on Monday after being suspected of smuggling stolen artifacts. REUTERS/Atef Hassan

Mourners gather around the grave of Muhammed Ameen al-Faidhy, during his funeral after he was shot dead by gunmen outside his house in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, November 22, 2004. Al-Faidhy was a member in the Iraqi Muslim's Clerics Association and his assassination came one day after the bodies of three men killed by insurgents were found lying on a street in the city on Sunday. REUTERS/Stringer

Smiling Iraqi women walk away with frozen chickens handed out by US soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, in the Shiite Muslim neighborhood of Sadr City, 26 December 2004, in Baghdad. A gift of some 28 sheep and frozen chickens were handed out to the residents of this poor neighborhood.

US must pay for damages in Iraq
By Naomi Klein
LONDON: Colin Powell invoked it before the invasion, telling aides that if the US went into Iraq "you're going to be owning this place". John Kerry pledged his allegiance to it during the first presidential debate , saying: "Now, if you break it, you made a mistake. It's the wrong thing to do. But you own it." It's the so-called Pottery Barn rule: "You break it, you own it." Pottery Barn, a chain of stores that sells upmarket home furnishings in shopping malls across America, apparently has an in-store policy that if you shatter anything while shopping, you have to pay for it, because "you own it". In US foreign policy, this little dictate has come to wield more influence than the Geneva conventions and the US army's law of land warfare combined - except it turns out that the rule doesn't even exist. "In the rare instance that something is broken in the store, it's written off as a loss," an exasperated company spokesperson recently told a journalist. Never mind that. The imaginary policy of a store selling $80 corkscrews continues to be the favoured blunt instrument with which to whack anyone who dares to suggest that the time has come to withdraw troops from Iraq: sure the war was wrong, the argument goes, but we can't stop now - you break it, you own it. Though not invoking the chain store by name, Nicholas Kristof laid out this argument in a recent New York Times column. "Our mistaken invasion has left millions of Iraqis desperately vulnerable, and it would be inhumane to abandon them now. If we stay in Iraq, there is still some hope that Iraqis will come to enjoy security and better lives, but if we pull out we will be condemning Iraqis to anarchy, terrorism and starvation, costing the lives of hundreds of thousands of children over the next decade." Let's start with the idea that the US is helping to provide security. On the contrary, the presence of US troops is provoking violence on a daily basis. The truth is that as long as the troops remain, the country's entire security apparatus - occupation forces as well as Iraqi soldiers and police - will be exclusively dedicated to fending off resistance attacks, leaving a security vacuum when it comes to protecting regular Iraqis. If the troops pulled out, Iraqis would still face insecurity, but they would be able to devote their local security resources to regaining control over their cities and neighbourhoods. As for preventing "anarchy", the US plan to bring elections to Iraq seems designed to spark a civil war - the civil war needed to justify an ongoing presence for US troops no matter who wins the elections. It was always clear that the Shia majority, which has been calling for immediate elections for more than a year, was never going to accept any delay in the election timetable. And it was equally clear that by destroying Fallujah in the name of preparing the city for elections, much of the Sunni leadership would be forced to call for an election boycott. When Kristof asserts that US forces should stay in Iraq to save hundreds of thousands of children from starvation, it's hard to imagine what he has in mind. Hunger in Iraq is not merely the humanitarian fallout of a war - it is the direct result of the US decision to impose brutal "shock therapy" policies on a country that was already sickened and weakened by 12 years of sanctions. Paul Bremer's first act on the job was to lay off close to 500,000 Iraqis, and his primary accomplishment - for which he has just been awarded the presidential medal of freedom - was to oversee a "reconstruction" process that systematically stole jobs from needy Iraqis and handed them to foreign firms, sending the unemployment rate soaring to 67 per cent. And the worst of the shocks are yet to come. On November 21, the group of industrialized countries known as the Paris Club finally unveiled its plan for Iraq's un payable debt. Rather than forgiving it outright, the Paris Club laid out a three-year plan to write off 80 per cent, contingent on Iraq's governments adhering to a strict International Monetary Fund austerity programme. In the name of "free-market reforms", the IMF also wants to eliminate the programme that provides each Iraqi family with a basket of food - the only barrier to starvation for millions of citizens. There is additional pressure to eliminate the food rations coming from the World Trade Organization. So let's be absolutely clear: the US, having broken Iraq, is not in the process of fixing it. It is merely continuing to break the country and its people by other means, using not only F-16s and Bradleys, but now the less flashy weaponry of WTO and IMF conditions, followed by elections designed to transfer as little power to Iraqis as possible. This is what Argentinian writer Rodolfo Walsh, writing before his assassination in 1977 by the military junta, described as "planned misery". And the longer the US stays in Iraq, the more misery it will plan. But if staying in Iraq is not the solution, neither are easy bumper-sticker calls to pull the troops out and spend the money on schools and hospitals at home. Yes, the troops must leave, but that can be only one plank of a credible and moral antiwar platform. What of Iraq's schools and hospitals - the ones that were supposed to be fixed by Bechtel but never were? Too often, antiwar forces have shied away from speaking about what Americans owe Iraq. Rarely is the word "compensation" spoken, let alone the more loaded "reparations". Antiwar forces have also failed to offer concrete support for the political demands coming out of Iraq. For instance, when the Iraqi national assembly condemned the Paris Club deal for forcing the Iraqi people to pay Saddam's "odious" debts and robbing them of their economic sovereignty, the antiwar movement was virtually silent, save the dogged but under-supported Jubilee Iraq. And while US soldiers aren't protecting Iraqis from starvation, the food rations certainly are - so why isn't safeguarding this desperately needed programme one of our central demands? The failure to develop a credible platform beyond "troops out" may be one reason the antiwar movement remains stalled, even as opposition to the war deepens. Because the Pottery Barn rulers do have a point: breaking a country should have consequences for the breakers. Owning the broken country should not be one of them, but how about paying for the repairs? -Dawn/The Guardian News Service

Soldiers with the 502nd Engineer Company position their bridge erection boats against the current as they remove an assault float-bridge from the Euphrates River near Al Qaim, Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Lee Harshman)

Iraq War update

Dec 29, 2004
Iraqi Security Forces Defeat Insurgent Coordinated Attacks, MNF Detains 18Mosul, Iraq -- Iraqi Security Forces decisively defeated three separate attacks by anti-Iraqi insurgents as they attempted to seize two police stations while Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade,..more
Explosion Rocks Western BaghdadBaghdad, Iraq -- A large explosion in northwestern Baghdad killed at least 22 people, including four Iraqi policemen and injuring at least 10 others...more
Marine Logistics Unit Provides Lifeline for Security ForcesFallujah, Iraq -- Like a line of floats in a holiday parade, a Marine logistical convoy rolls through Fallujah's empty streets to reach Marine and Iraqi forces operating throughout the city...more
Task Force Danger Soldiers Detain One After Attack Near BaqubahTikrit, Iraq – Task Force Danger Soldiers detained an individual wanted for murder in a raid near Balad at about 11:05 p.m., December 28...more Arabic/ع
First Infantry Division Soldiers Detain two in RaidTikrit, Iraq – First Infantry Division Soldiers captured two individuals during a raid near Balad at about 3:45 p.m., December 28...more Arabic/ع
One non-combat Death in Al Anbar ProvinceAl Anbar Province, Iraq - One Sailor assigned to the I Marine Expeditionary Force died in a non-hostile incident Tuesday, Dec 28 while conducting security and stabilization operations in the Al Anbar Province...more
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Hotline Succeeding In Foiling Iraqi Insurgents28 Dec 2004 - Washington — Leads generated through a hotline to report insurgent activity in Iraq demonstrate that the Iraqi people want to bring an end to the violence against innocent civilians and critical infrastructure, a top officer in the Army's 1st Cavalry Division told reporters in Baghdad today. Brig. Gen. Jeffrey W. Hammond, the division's assistant commander for support, said the tips hotline received more than 400 calls during the past few months. These enabled the coalition to take prompt action — from freeing several women who had been kidnapped for ransom to identifying and destroying vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices Hammond said "were rigged and ready to explode." Billboards throughout Baghdad promote the hotline as a way for the Iraqi people to "fight the war in secret" without fear of reprisal, Hammond said. Because of a campaign of intimidation aimed at Iraqis helping to move their country forward, "people were virtually paralyzed to reach out for help," he noted. Now, thanks to the hotline campaign, "people today are picking up the phone and calling us. They are sharing information," the general said. Hammond said the hotline and its success have "hit a nerve with the insurgents" who regularly vandalize billboards promoting the campaign. But Hammond said the 200 billboards around Iraq are replaced as quickly as they're destroyed. "I'm not going to stop," he said. He called the enemy "a selfish minority" that uses practices that "have no connection whatsoever to the Islam religion" and no interest in "the short- or long-term needs of the Iraqi people." In Baghdad, Hammond said, the enemy is a mix of foreign fighters, former regime elements, religious extremists and criminals who "are trying to impede progress by attacking critical infrastructure and civilians." Hammond said their tactics — murdering civilians simply "for doing what's right for the people of Iraq" and attacking electrical towers, hospitals and other infrastructure — are part of a plan to instill fear and gain power. "This isn't going to work," he said. Hammond said the coalition's and Iraqis' persistence against the insurgents is paying off. Last Christmas, he said, the coalition experienced a 500 percent spike in attacks. A similar spike was anticipated again this year, but didn't materialize, he said.

SCIRI’s Hakim escapes assassination bid

At least 13 people killed in suicide car bombing near Baghdad office of top Iraqi Shiite leader.

BAGHDAD - Top Iraqi Shiite leader Abdel Aziz Hakim escaped with his life after a suicide car bombing at his office on Monday that killed 13 people, the interior ministry said.
The bombing was the latest attack against the country's majority Shiite community in the run-up to next month's crucial elections.
"Thirteen people were killed and 66 were injured and about 60 cars were destroyed," the interior ministry official said.
He said Hakim's offices had been badly damaged in the attack, with walls destroyed and windows blown out.
At least one car bomb exploded outside Hakim's party office in Baghdad, his son Mohsen Hakim said in Tehran, adding: "Thank God, Abdel Aziz Hakim and the other members of his family are safe and sound."
A spokesman for Hakim in Baghdad, Haitham al-Husseini, said three or four guards were killed in the attack while a medical source at a Baghdad hospital said one woman was killed and 24 others wounded.
Husseini confirmed the explosion was a suicide car bombing.
"We had an attack against our offices here by a suicide bomber. It seems he was trying to get through the main gate, but his vehicle exploded," Husseini said.
Husseini blamed toppled leader Saddam Hussein's old Baath party for the attack, saying: "It was elements of the old regime and other extremists trying to stop the political process in Iraq."
An interior ministry official said the car bomb exploded in the southeastern Jadriyah neighborhood of the capital, where Hakim lives in the former home of Saddam's deputy prime minister Tareq Aziz.
Hakim is the head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), a leading member of a Shiite coalition called the Unified Iraqi Alliance running in the January 30 elections.
SCIRI's founder, Ayatollah Mohammed Baqr Hakim, the brother of Abdel Aziz, was assassinated in a car bombing that killed around 80 people in the Iraqi Shiite shrine city of Najaf in August 2003.
Twin bombings against the Iraqi holy Shiite cities of Karbala and Najaf on December 19 killed a total of 66 people and wounded nearly 200.
Abdel Aziz Hakim lived for several years in exile in Iran where he headed SCIRI's former military wing, the Badr Organisation, before his return to Iraq.

Rebels attack Iraqi police near Tikrit, car bomb explodes in Baghdad
By Associated Press, 12/28/2004 02:21
Iraq (AP) Insurgents killed 12 Iraqi policemen in an attack on a near the city of Tikrit, and a car bomb targeting the home of a senior Iraqi National Guard officer wounded nine people in northern Baghdad, officials said Tuesday.
Arkan Mohammed, a government official in Tikrit, said 12 men had died when gunmen attacked a police station 12 miles south of the city, Saddam Hussein's hometown.
U.S. military spokesman Capt. Bill Coppernoll confirmed that there had been attack on police near Tikrit, but he could not provide casualty figures.
The car bomb in Baghdad targeted the home of a senior Iraqi National Guard officer in the Azimiyah neighborhood, said Maj. Shaheed Attiyah of the Iraqi police. Nine of his guards and passers-by were injured, three of them seriously.
Insurgents frequently launch attacks the interim government's security forces, killing hundreds so far this year.

Bin Laden, al-Zarqawi benefit in alliance
By LARRY MARGASAKASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER


Exiled Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect behind the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, speaks in this 1998 file photo at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan. In an audiotape broadcast Monday, Dec. 27, 2004 by Al-Jazeera satellite television, a man purported to be Osama bin Laden endorsed Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi as his deputy in Iraq and called for a boycott of next month's elections there. (AP Photo/ FILE)
WASHINGTON -- An audiotape purportedly from Osama bin Laden suggests the al-Qaida chief has accepted Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi's offer to unite the world's most famous terror group and the bloodiest insurgency inside Iraq, national security experts say.
Bin Laden could benefit from allying himself with an anti-American fighter who gets daily publicity. Al-Zarqawi may get more financial assistance and support from bin Laden's backers, the experts said.
But for bin Laden, the alliance comes at a price: He is now tied to a man directing bomb attacks against Iraq's majority Shiite Muslims as well as Americans.
In an audiotape broadcast Monday by Al-Jazeera satellite television, the man appearing to be bin Laden described al-Zarqawi as the "emir," or prince, of al-Qaida in Iraq and said Muslims there should "listen to him." He also called for a boycott of Iraqi elections planned for next month.
"Bin Laden gets the benefits of Zarqawi's notoriety," said Vince Cannistraro, former CIA counterterrorism chief. "He (al-Zarqawi) has got the pre-eminent insurgency in Iraq. He's the one who is the bloodiest, who carried out the most dramatic and public suicide bombings."
The difference between this and other bin Laden alliances, Cannistraro said, is that bin Laden - a Sunni Muslim - "has not been a vocal enemy against the Shiites. By adopting Zarqawi, he's taking that whole package, someone who is virulently anti-Shiite."
The CIA said Monday it had not yet identified the man on the tape as bin Laden.
Dr. Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at the Rand Corp., said al-Zarqawi also gets an advantage by association with his former rival.

"Zarqawi tried to milk his broader association with bin Laden and al-Qaida to win new sources of support and recruits and finances," Hoffman said.
Hoffman, whose company is known for its problem-solving research, agreed that both men benefit from the alliance.
"I think bin Laden wants to leverage off of Zarqawi's cachet and popularity amongst radial jihadists," he said. "Zarqawi realizes that his association with al-Qaida and bin Laden - perhaps not in tangible terms in the fighting in Iraq - but in terms of support and assistance can pay vast dividends."
Ben Venzke, president of the private IntelCenter in Alexandria, Va. and a consultant to government agencies, said the alliance does not demonstrate any weakness by bin Laden. Rather, it enhances his public message.
"Al-Qaida is very savvy when it comes to understanding public perception, its media campaign and messaging and its image," he said.
"There is no question, and I think it would be safe to presume, that al-Qaida understands that if they officially tie that name (al-Zarqawi) in, it gives them an even greater media presence in terms of operations that are being conducted."
In calling for a boycott of elections, bin Laden appears to also be speaking as a political leader, not just a terrorist going into battle.
The speaker on the tape said, "In the balance of Islam, this constitution is infidel and therefore everyone who participates in this election will be considered infidels. Beware of henchmen who speak in the name of Islamic parties and groups who urge people to participate in this blatant apostasy."
Roger Cressey, who was the deputy to former White House counter-terrorism chief Richard Clarke, said the boycott message indicates bin Laden has been trying to broaden his audience.
"He is trying to position himself as speaking to a global Islamic community in a way that further defines the fight against the West in his terms," Cressey said.
"If he can show he's more than just a rank-and-file terrorist, that will help his message."
Cressey said bin Laden is trying to reach "the part of the Muslim world that is sympathetic to the message, but is not willing to endorse him. These are fence sitters, people who have serious problems with the U.S. policy but have not become activists against us yet."
Peter Bergen, a fellow at the New American Foundation, a Washington think tank, says he doesn't believe bin Laden's call for a boycott will have much effect because most of the Sunnis against the election already were planning to shun the polls. "It's just one more reason to boycott it," he said.
With the release of still another bin Laden tape, Bergen said, "The tapes are coming thick and fast, which means they (the terrorists) are feeling secure."
---
Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann in Crawford, Texas, contributed to this report.

Blast at Shiite's home kills 15The target of the attack in Baghdad, a political leader, survived. He is a favorite in the Jan. vote.By Hannah AllamInquirer Foreign Staff
BAGHDAD - The Shiite Muslim leader of Iraq's largest political party survived a suicide bombing outside his Baghdad compound yesterday that killed 15 people and wounded at least 50 in another apparent attempt to thwart the Jan. 30 parliamentary election.
The blast targeted the home of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq and the top candidate on a mostly Shiite ticket that is expected to dominate the election.
In a setback to the vote, Iraq's most influential Sunni Muslim political party withdrew from the election yesterday, saying security conditions in volatile provinces would not allow the Sunni minority to participate fully. A Sunni boycott of the vote could lead to skewed results that would undermine the legitimacy of the election.
Also yesterday, the U.S. military announced the deaths of two American soldiers in separate incidents. One was killed and four were injured by a homemade bomb in Baghdad. Another soldier died of wounds from a roadside bomb in Samarra, 60 miles north of the capital.
Hakim was home during yesterday's bombing, safe behind the tall, thick blast walls that protect his office and residence in the upscale Jadiriyah district of Baghdad. The residence was previously assigned to Tariq Aziz, the ousted deputy prime minister.
In TV interviews, Hakim placed equal blame on extremists and the interim government, which he said was unable to protect candidates and voters in the election. The attack came eight days after car bombings in two Shiite holy cities south of Baghdad killed more than 60 people.
"The bomber tried to break into the compound through the main gate, but his car just exploded," said Haitham al-Husseini, Hakim's spokesman. "All the time, the terrorists are targeting the main political leaders, and this was one of those attacks."
Fifteen people were killed and at least 50 were wounded in the explosion, said a police captain, Ahmed Ismail. Thirty-two cars on the street were destroyed or damaged.
Hakim's brother, Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, was killed in a car bombing in the Shiite holy city of Najaf that killed 85 in August 2003. The brothers had spent years of exile in Iran before returning to Iraq after Saddam Hussein's ouster.
Shiites make up about 60 percent of Iraq's population and are eager to take political power after decades of domination by Hussein's mostly Sunni regime. Sunni extremists have targeted Shiite leaders with bombings, executions and kidnappings in the countdown to the election.
Many employees of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq survived the Najaf bombing, but sat wounded in the capital's Yarmouk Hospital after yesterday's attack.
Hospital staff said some of the wounded were so badly burned that the wailing relatives in the hallways could not identify them. As is typical after large bombings, hospital beds filled quickly and patients waited for care in the corridors.
"Another bloody day," said physician Mazen Falah, whose lab coat was stained red. "The days of Yarmouk Hospital are all the same now."
Hours after the bombing, the Iraqi Islamic Party, the largest Sunni political faction, announced its withdrawal from the elections at a news conference in Baghdad. Mohsen Abdel-Hamid, the party's chairman and a member of the interim National Assembly, said the group's demands to delay the vote for six months or until security improved were met with silence from the Iraqi Electoral Commission.
For that reason, Abdel-Hamid said, party officials decided they could not participate in a process that would leave out thousands of voters because of violence in predominantly Sunni cities that are still under curfew. The decision came after weeks of conflicting statements on whether the party would campaign or follow Sunni clerics' call for a boycott.
At least one member of the Sunni party has been assassinated in recent days, suggesting insurgent pressure for it to quit the elections.
Abdel-Hamid said the withdrawal was because "elections could not be carried out in a free, impartial way for all of Iraq." He added that Iraqis were confused by the complicated process and needed more voter education.
"Election officials continue to refuse to listen to reason and postpone the elections," Abdel-Hamid said. "They insist elections will be held on time even though the security situation of Iraq is going from bad to worse."
The electoral commission issued a statement saying that it was too late to remove the party's name from the ballot but that any votes for the group would be declared invalid.
The withdrawal means there is no established Sunni party on the ballot.

Marines of Weapons Company 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment provide security during a mounted patrol in the Sperah province of Afghanistan, Dec. 8, 2004. 3/3 Marines is conducting security and stabilization operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Marine Corps. photo by Cpl. Justin L. Schaeffer)

A member of Special Operation Force's working with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Division Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), scans for enemy activity down a street in Mosul, Iraq. 1-24INF, Iraqi commandos, and the Iraqi National Guard are participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson)

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide bomber detonated his car Monday at the gate of the home of the leader of Iraq (news - web sites)'s biggest political party, killing nine people and injuring 39, police said. The cleric was unharmed.
Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq — the country's most powerful Shiite political group — was in his residence in Baghdad's Jadiriyah district when the attack occurred, said his spokesman, Haitham al-Husseini.
The blast, which shook the district and sent a cloud of smoke high above the area, killed nine people and injured 39, said a police commander on the scene who declined to be named. Thirty-two cars on the street and near the gates were destroyed or damaged.
"It was a suicide attack near the gate leading to the office," al-Husseini said. "Several of the guards were killed and wounded."
Hakim also heads the candidate list of the 228-member United Iraqi Alliance coalition, which is expected to dominate Iraq's new constitutional assembly following the first free elections on Jan. 30. The coalition is supported by Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
The residence, where Hakim has his home and offices, was previously the house of Tariq Aziz, a jailed former senior aide to Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) who has been in prison since April last year.
Political and religious leaders of the Shiite community, who strongly back the holding of next month's vote, have been repeatedly targeted by the mainly Sunni Muslim insurgents since Saddam's ouster.
The Shiites, who make up about 60 percent of Iraq's 26 million people, have traditionally been dominated by the Sunni minority, which accounts for about a fifth of the population. Their leaders are eager to translate that numerical superiority into political power after next month's ballot — the first free elections since the overthrow of the monarchy 45 years ago.
In August 2003, a suicide bomber killed Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, elder brother of Abdul Aziz and former leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
Like his late brother, Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim is a Shiite cleric who opposed Saddam Hussein from exile in Iran before returning to Iraq after last year's U.S.-led invasion.
Meanwhile, a U.S. soldier died of wounds Monday and another was injured in a roadside bomb explosion in Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said in a statement.
The latest casualty brings to at least 1,324 the number of U.S. troops who have died in Iraq since the beginning of the war in March 2003.
The violence came a day after the Iraqi militant group Ansar al-Sunnah Army posted a video on the Internet purportedly showing footage from last week's suicide attack at a U.S. base in Mosul. The group claimed that the bomber slipped into the base through a hole in the fence during a guard change.
The footage showed a black-garbed gunman wearing an explosives belt around his body — apparently the suicide bomber, identified in the tape as Abu Omar al-Mosuli — bidding farewell to his comrades. The video gives no further details about the bomber beyond his name.
The Ansar al-Sunnah Army had earlier said it would release a video of last Tuesday's attack, which killed 22 people, including 18 U.S. service members and civilian contractors.
The bombing — the deadliest attack on a U.S. base in Iraq — has prompted a U.S. military investigation into how the bomber got onto the heavily guarded site and how security at bases can be improved. Three Iraqi National Guardsmen and a fourth "non-U.S. person" were also killed. The military has not said whether that fourth man was the bomber.
The U.S. military has said the attacker probably was wearing an Iraqi military uniform, and one general said the Iraqi security forces may have been infiltrated. The Iraqi chief of staff, Gen. Babaker B. Shawkat Zebari, said in an interview Sunday with The Associated Press that the bomber may have bought a uniform from the market but was not a member of the Iraqi security forces.

In the first section of the video — with a time signature of Dec. 20, a day before the attack — three gunmen wearing black masks and clothes and holding automatic rifles are shown sitting in front of a black banner with the group's name on it. One of them, apparently al-Mosuli, sits on the left, wearing an explosives belt.
The gunman in the center reads a statement describes how the attack will be carried out. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.
"Let Bush, Blair and Allawi know that we are coming and that we will chase them all away, God willing," he said, referring to President Bush (news - web sites) and prime ministers Tony Blair (news - web sites) of Britain and Ayad Allawi of Iraq.
The two men then embrace the one wearing the explosives belt.
An image then shows a map of the base, as one of the gunmen points out locations using a military knife. One location is marked "the dining hall" in Arabic.
A later outdoor video image — shot on Tuesday, when the attack occurred — shows a fireball rising from the distance with the accompanying sound of the explosion. A final image — shot from a vehicle driving past the base — shows the torn white tent that served as the base mess hall.

Dec 27, 2004
Reconstruction Update for FallujahFallujah, Iraq -- Navy Civil Engineer Corps officers assigned to the Officer in Charge of Construction detachment of the I Marine Expeditionary Force Engineer Group have administered seven Fallujah reconstruction contracts for rubble removal,...more
One Task Force Danger Soldier Killed, Another Wounded in SamarraTikrit, Iraq -- A Task Force Danger Soldier died of his wounds, and another Soldier was wounded when anti-Iraqi forces in Samarra attacked their combat patrol using an improvised explosive device on Dec. 26 at about 9:20 p.m...more

Another Weapons cache Seized, Two People DetainedAr Rutbah, Iraq -- Elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit seized another weapons cache and detained two more individuals during a security patrol Saturday night.The Marines were conducting a patrol south of Ar Rutbah when they observed 14 military-aged males loading materials onto a trailer outside of a house. Upon further investigation of the area, the Marines uncovered approximately 50 to 75 155 mm high-explosive projectiles and empty ammunition crates.The owner of the house and the truck’s driver were detained.There were no casualties.Another ammunition crate was filled with military publications that included a military-type photo album. The military publications contained a picture of Saddam Hussein and photos believed to be of U.S. military tactics.Security patrols are conducted in an effort to disrupt insurgent activities in the Al Anbar Province. Weapons caches seizures decrease the insurgents’ inventory of munitions needed for the production of improvised explosive devices.

Another "Good news from Iraq" one of my favorite reads!

Operation Wonderland Wraps Up Ramadi, Iraq -- Marines and Soldiers of the 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force wrapped up Operation Wonderland on Dec. 24, which netted 29 detainees and multiple weapons caches. Forty-eight sites were raided during the four-day operation in an effort to disrupt insurgent activity and networks in and near the provincial capital. Anti-tank mines, mortar rounds, artillery rounds, fourteen rifles, one shotgun and one pistol were confiscated. Various insurgent paraphernalia were seized, which included cell phones, a saber, a computer and $20,541 in cash. Multi-National Forces also seized a Chevrolet Caprice with an altered fuel tank, which is suspected of being converted into a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.The Marines, Soldiers and Sailors of the 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force stand committed to enhancing security and stabilization of the Al Anbar Province in advance of the upcoming elections.

Soldiers Capture Key Leaders of Harun Terrorist NetworkCamp Ramadi, Iraq -- Second Brigade Combat Team Soldiers of the of the 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, captured two key leaders of a terrorist group claiming affiliation with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s terrorist network during sweeping operations in Ar Ramadi. The Soldiers captured Saleh Arugayan Kahlil (Mahalawi), also known as Abu Ubaydah, on Dec. 8, and Bassim Mohammad Hazeem, also known as Abu Khattab, on Dec. 12.Both of these individuals were cell leaders for a local Zarqawi-affiliated terrorist group operating in Ar Ramadi and western Al Anbar Province. This group is responsible for intimidating, attacking and murdering innocent Iraqi civilians, Iraqi police and security forces, and business and political leaders throughout the Anbar province. Over the last several months, this terrorist group kidnapped and executed 11 Iraqi National Guardsmen, detonated improvised explosive devices and car bombs resulting in the death or injury of dozens of Ramadi citizens, and smuggled foreign terrorists into the country to destabilize the region and prevent economic growth in Iraq. Local citizens are providing useful, detailed information regarding these terrorists. The information provided by the citizens of Ar Ramadi has led to the capture of several members of this group since early December. In addition to the surrender of these two key terrorist leaders, many foreign fighters were also detained. The detainees have provided information regarding the involvement of other individuals who are actively recruiting and smuggling foreign terrorists.The Marines, Soldiers and Sailors of the 1st Marine Division of the I Marine Expeditionary Force stand committed to assisting Iraqi Security Forces in enhancing security and stabilization of the Al Anbar Province in advance of the upcoming elections.

First we vote, then we kick you out!

B A G H D A D
THEY CAME TO BAGHDAD: 945 Buwayhids; 1055 Seljuks; 1258 Mongols led by Hulagu; 1340 Jalayrs; 1393 & 1401 Mongols led by Tamerlane; 1411 Turkoman Black Sheep; 1469 Turkoman White Sheep ; 1508 Safavids ; 1534 Ottomans under Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent; 1623 Safavids; 1638 Ottomans under Sultan Murad IV; 1917 British; 1941 British again to depose pro-German government; 2003 Anglo-American invasion

Some humor for Christmas!

http://41034.funnyfunnyvideo1.com/video.php?vid=3273HGAgaXXC6

http://41034.funnyfunnyvideo1.com/video.php?vid=32443hgsgGGHz8
The Last Rolo
http://41034.funnyfunnyvideo1.com/video.php?vid=23aaCSc3zxcDWS71g
http://41034.funnyfunnyvideo1.com/video.php?vid=FD3aa42r3DXDczahH
http://41034.funnyfunnyvideo1.com/video.php?vid=gadf870kfwji

Former French hostage: Iraqi militants wanted Bush re-elected
By Associated Press, 12/24/2004 06:21

PARIS (AP) French journalists held hostage for four months in Iraq said their militant captors told them they wanted President Bush to win re-election.
In a four-page account of their ordeal, one of the reporters, Georges Malbrunot, also wrote that they saw several other hostages who were later decapitated. The journalists said their captors viewed foreign businessmen working in Iraq as their enemies.
One of the captors from the group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq said Bush's re-election would boost their cause, Malbrunot wrote in Friday's edition of Le Figaro, the French daily he works for.
''We want Bush because with him the American troops will stay in Iraq and that way we will be able to develop,'' Malbrunot cited the captor as saying.
Bush beat Democrat John Kerry to win the presidency last month.
Another captor, who described himself as the group's head of internal intelligence, told the men that the Islamic Army has four enemies: American and coalition troops, ''their collaborators, that is to say Italian businessmen, or even French,'' as well Iraqi police and spies.
Malbrunot wrote that the Islamic Army has 15,000 to 17,000 members and that its hostage-takings are carefully organized.
''There are those who stop people on the roads, those that carry out interrogations, those that keep guard and those that judge,'' he wrote.
He and fellow French reporter Christian Chesnot feared at times that they would be killed, he said.
Others hostages they saw who were later decapitated included two Macedonians, an Iraqi power station executive and a bodyguard for Ahmad Chalabi, a candidate in next month's Iraqi elections and a one-time Pentagon favorite, he recounted.
Malbrunot, 41, and Chesnot, 38, were released Tuesday.
In a separate interview on RTL radio, Malbrunot said it would take time to recover from their ordeal. ''Sleeping, for example, is hard,'' he said.
''But the life of a free man is far easier than that of a hostage,'' he added.

Five Iraqis were killed in a car bomb attack between the Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, said hospital officials. The attack took place at about 3:00 pm (1200 GMT) in the path of a US military convoy.

Elsewhere, two activists with links to Iraq's most wanted man, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, have been detained in the city of Ramadi, the US Marines said. "Two key leaders of a terrorist group claiming affiliation with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist network were captured by soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of First Marine Division ... in Al Ramadi recently," the marines said in a statement.
Saleh Arugayan Kahlil, also called Abu Ubaydah, and Bassim Mohammad Hazem, also known as Abu Khattab, were captured respectively on December 8 and 12 in Ramadi, the marines said, according to AFP.
Meanwhile, gunmen killed the dean of Baghdad University's School of Dentistry on Saturday. Hassan Al Rubaiei was driving along the western bank of the Tigris when gunmen sprayed his vehicle with automatic gunfire, a police official told Reuters.

Member of the Muslim Scholars Commission killed in IraqIraq, Military, 12/25/2004
Iraqi security and medical sources said that four Iraqis including a six year old child were killed and other 11, including two of the national guards were injured in various incidents took place in the north of Baghdad.One Iraqi was killed and other four injured in armed confrontations between gunmen rejecting foreign presence in Iraq and the Iraqi national guards in al-Dalou'eya city to the north of Baghdad.Sheikh Muwaffaq Muzafar al-Douri, member of the Muslim scholars commission was killed by the fire of one American soldier while they were breaking into his house in al-Amereyah quarters to the west of Baghdad. The incident took place before he was to head to perform Friday's sermon in Abi Baker al-Saddiq mosque in al-Radwaneyah area to the south of the capital.In Samera, one child was killed and other three civilians injured in a bomb explosion while a car was running on the road between Sameraa and Tikrit to the north of the capital.In al-Sadeya city to the north of Baghdad, Sheikh Zeid Khaleifa Mohsin al-Bunni was killed by bullets of unidentified persons on Thursday evening. One American source said that the Sheikh was a member in the city's municipal council.

It appears Syria is starting to take an active role in Iraq!

Iraqi police see Syrian hand in Najaf bombing(AFP)25 December 2004
NAJAF, Iraq - The Iraqi police chief in Najaf accused the Syrian government Saturday of involvement in last weekend’s deadly bombing that killed 52 people in the Shiite pilgrimage city.
One of three suspects arrested in Najaf immediately after the attack “confessed that Syrian intelligence services had played a role in the blast”, on December 19 that wounded more than 140 people, said General Ghaleb al-Jazairi.
“He had lived in Syria where he began to work for the Syrian intelligence” at a camp for Iraqi refugees, he said.
The suspect comes from the southern port of Basra, the general said.
Police found him immediately after Sunday’s car bombing and a scarf stained with blood was found in his belongings, Jazairi added.
More than 50 people have been rounded up in Najaf in connection with the attack that coincided with a car bombing in the shrine city of Karbala that killed 14 people.

A car bomb has killed five people between the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala, sites of twin car bombings a week ago, the chief of police in Najaf said.
Ghalib al-Jazairi said those killed were civilians but the bomb in the town of Khan al-Nus appeared to have been aimed at a US military convoy. A witness confirmed that, saying a Landcruiser vehicle blew up as the military convoy passed.
Khan al-Nus lies about 30km north of Najaf.
Sunday's bombings in Najaf and Karbala killed more than 60 people and wounded nearly 200 in what was seen as an attempt to sow sectarian conflict between Shia and Sunni Iraqis.
Attacks on US forces are relatively rare in an area where Iraq's Shia majority predominates.
The area around Karbala was until a few days ago controlled by Polish forces.
Warsaw is withdrawing its troops from Iraq and US forces are due to take over in the city, which is 110km south of Baghdad.

Somebody turn this guy in! 25 million Dollar Reward!

Mideast - AFP

Zarqawi-linked insurgents held in Iraq: US military
Sat Dec 25, 8:27 AM ET

Mideast - AFP
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Two insurgents with links to Iraq (news - web sites)'s most wanted man, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, have been arrested in the turbulent city of Ramadi, the US Marines said.
AFP/File Photo

"Two key leaders of a terrorist group claiming affiliation with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist network were captured by soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of First Marine Division ... in Al Ramadi recently," the marines said in a statement.
Saleh Arugayan Kahlil, also called Abu Ubaydah, and Bassim Mohammad Hazem, also known as Abu Khattab, were captured respectively on December 8 and 12 in Ramadi, the marines said.
The pair were leaders of a cell the marines called the "Harun terrorist network".
Marines accused the group of executing 11 Iraqi national guardsmen, blowing up booby-trap devices and car bombs that killed or wounded dozens of Iraqis, as well as smuggling foreign fighters into the country to fight the new US-backed Iraqi government.
The arrests were linked to tips-offs from Iraqi civilians, a rare occurrence in Ramadi's bleak atmosphere of urban war, where many are too intimidated to help the Americans.
The marines said, "many foreign fighters were also detained" but did not provide a number.
Ramadi, the capital of troublesome Al-Anbar province, is riven by daily urban battles between marines and insurgents that have cost dozens of lives and decimated the city.
Al-Qaeda-linked Zarqawi, who has a 25-million-dollar price on his head, is believed by the Americans to have contacts and affiliations with insurgent cells around Ramadi as well as in the rest of central Iraq.
Zarqawi's group has claimed responsibility for a string of bombings, kidnappings and executions in the war-torn country.

This Guy is worth a lot of dinars!

Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi

Two key terror network members captured in Iraq
Suicide bombing of fuel truck in Baghdad killed 9
Saturday, December 25, 2004 Posted: 10:23 AM EST (1523 GMT)
(CNN) -- Two men the U.S. says are key figures in Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist network are in U.S. custody following a sweep of Ramadi, Iraq, U.S. military sources revealed in a statement Saturday.
Soldiers of the Marine Expeditionary Force captured Saleh Arugayan Kahlil (Mahalawi), also known as Abu Ubaydah, on December 8 and caught Bassim Mohammad Hazeem, also known as Abu Khattab, on December 12, the release states.
According to the statement, the two men were cell leaders of the "Harun terrorist network," anl al-Zarqawi-affiliated group operating in Ramadi and western al Anbar province.
"This group is responsible for intimidating, attacking and murdering innocent Iraqi civilians, Iraqi police and security forces and business and political leaders throughout the Anbar province," it read.
The U.S. military blames the Harun terrorist network for kidnapping and killing 11 Iraqi National Guardsmen during the last several months and carrying out several lethal bombing attacks.
The terrorist cell also is believed to have smuggled foreign terrorists into Iraq, in an effort "to destabilize the region and prevent economic growth in Iraq," according to the statement.
The soldiers who captured the men were attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Marine Division of the I Marine Expeditionary Force.
Rumsfeld surprise
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has returned from a surprise visit to Iraq where he visited troops on Friday in Tikrit, Mosul, Falluja and Baghdad.
On the day of his visit, a suicide bomber driving a fuel truck exploded the vehicle in the affluent al-Mansour neighborhood , a police official said.
Rumsfeld was in Baghdad for part of his one-day Iraq trip but was believed to have left the country before the explosion.
Rumsfeld did not go to the al-Mansour district, which has been the site of previous attacks and abductions of Americans and other foreigners.
The blast killed at least nine people, wounded 20 others and set six buildings on fire, according to hospital officials.
Fifteen people, including women and children, were in critical condition, and many had suffered severe burns, Yarmouk Hospital officials said. Two Sudanese guards sustained wounds in the attack.
After the blast, police said they were on the lookout for a possible second fuel truck and a BMW that may have been associated with the attack.
The target of the bombing was not clear. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The blast occurred close to the Sudanese, Libyan and Jordanian embassies. The area also is home to many prominent Iraqi politicians, including dissident Ahmed Chalabi, a candidate in the January 30 presidential election, and Adnan Pachachi, a leading Sunni politician.

1st FOB Marez update: Disposition of WoundedBaghdad, Iraq – The following is a breakout of affiliations and locations where 76 wounded service members and civilians were transferred to after the attack at Forward Operating Base Marez near Mosul.51 U.S. Army3 DoD Civilians6 U.S. Contractors1 Iraq Security Forces15 OthersImmediately following the attack, the 76 wounded were:
29 Treated locally and Returned to duty5 Transferred to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center40 Transferred to Coalition medical facilities in Iraq2 Transferred to local hospitals (non-US personnel)On Thursday, Dec 23, 28 additional patients were transferred from Multi-national medical facilities to Landstuhl RMC. Seven patients held at Multi-national medical facilities were treated and returned to duty. Late Thursday, six patients were transferred from Landstuhl RMC to Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas. Saturday, Dec 25, two patients will be transferred to Madigan Army Medical Center at Ft. Lewis, Washington and four patients will fly to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington D.C. The remaining 21 patients will be treated at Landstuhl RMC. United States Armed Forces personnel, DoD civilians and U.S. contractor personnel are receiving the best healthcare and specialized care possible, both at the deployed locations and rear-based medical facilities. Non-US personnel are being treated at professional medical facilities throughout Iraq. Their transfer back to their home country will be coordinated individually. This attack at FOB Marez could have caused many more deaths if it wasn’t for the quick response of the Soldiers, civilians and medical professionals who began to provide aid immediately after the attack. “What impressed me the most was the immediate response to the injured personnel” Col. Dallas Hack, Multi-National Force–Iraq Surgeon, said. “The first responders assessed, stabilized and transferred all of the wounded personnel to multiple health care facilities within 30 minutes after the attack. How well our outstanding medical professionals reacted here, in the air and at our regional medical centers, exemplifies our robust military health care system.”

Medical heroics save lives in Mosul attackMosul, Iraq -- Many Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Marez here will forever remember Dec. 21 as the day an explosion ripped through the chow hall, interrupting their noon meal with a shower of shrapnel and thousands of tiny metal ball bearings. The American people will remember watching on television the most deadly attack on Multi-National Forces in Iraq since the war began. But the medical personnel at the 67th Combat Support Hospital here will remember the scene at the hospital as huge numbers of casualties arrived and the harrowing hours they spent tending to their injured comrades.Although the attack tragically took the lives of many Soldiers and civilians, the extent of the destruction could have been much worse. Were it not for the quick response of the Soldiers and medical professionals who began treatment immediately after the explosion, many more lives could have been lost.Immediately after the dust cleared from the explosion, Soldiers began to bandage and move the injured to the hospital. Using tables as stretchers and shirts as bandages, the Soldiers on scene instinctively performed the medical aid that every Soldier is trained to do in order to stabilize a casualty until medical personnel arrive. The attack was reported by radio to the Soldiers at the 67th CSH, who immediately began preparing for the arrival of the injured. An announcement went out over a speaker in the medical personnel living area, alerting those Soldiers on call. As they arrived at the hospital, the staff reported to their assigned areas, ready to put their skills to use.“I walked through the door and saw patients everywhere; some were bleeding, some gasping for air,” said Medic Spc. Victoria Castillo. It was a scene they had rehearsed many times before. They have trained constantly to handle a mass casualty scenario, and in the past 11 months, they have responded to several incidents requiring treatment of multiple injuries. Although the hospital has many well-trained specialists, the first moments after a tragedy like this are filled with everyone pitching in to help with basic life-saving procedures, such as stopping bleeding and patching wounds. Even the support personnel were active participants, as the unit’s mechanics, cooks and engineers carried litters and copied down vital information.“During a mass casualty situation, everyone drops their individual skills and becomes a medic, focusing on basic skills like making sure bleeding and breathing are controlled,” said Sgt. 1st Class Daniel White, assistant chief ward master.As the patients arrived by the dozens, medical personnel assessed and sorted the more serious injuries from the lesser ones. Then they began to stabilize and treat the injured. Nearly 90 patients consisting of Multi-National and Iraqi Forces were brought to the hospital for treatment.“When the patients arrived, they were evaluated by priority and sorted by how serious their injuries were. Surgical patients were identified and the worst were brought to the operating room,” said Maj. Simon Telian, a general surgeon at the 67th CSH.In a perfect example of organized chaos, the hospital came alive. X-ray technicians with portable equipment examined those with broken bones. A radiology specialist gave CT scans to those with abdominal and head wounds. The lab and pharmacy kept the patients supplied with blood and painkillers. Within the first eight hours, the medical staff had performed eight major surgeries and many more minor surgeries. The injured were stabilized and some were evacuated by helicopter to larger hospitals in Balad and Baghdad. Several would eventually continue on to a military hospital in Germany. During the evacuation and treatment of the injured, a barrage of mortar rounds hit the hospital. Even under those dangerous circumstances, the medical staff bravely moved the wounded to shelter and continued treatment. The hustle and bustle of the trauma center required the help of every staff member. For hours, the medical professionals hovered around the makeshift beds, stabilizing and comforting the injured Soldiers. “You just keep going non-stop without looking back,” Castillo said.Although some of the injured were civilians, the majority of the casualties were U.S. Soldiers. Treating fellow Soldiers can take an emotional toll on medical professionals.“It is more difficult to work with American Soldiers because you feel closer to them,” said 1st Lt. Sarah Kuehl, a registered nurse at the 67th CSH.For the medical Soldiers who deal with life and death situations, instinct takes over as they work. Their extensive training automatically kicks in, and they are focused completely on the person whose life is in danger. “Situations like that are overwhelming. You have no time to think, you just have to do your job,” Castillo said.Extensive training occurs to plan for various emergencies; however, there is always the unknown. Though Soldiers use common scenarios when they train, there are always factors that change when a real emergency arises. The more than 90 casualties treated by the 67th CSH is the largest number of casualties any hospital in theater has seen at one time during the Iraq war.“If someone had told me we would be faced with this kind of situation, I would have told you that it’s not possible,” White said. “But we worked hard, and we worked as a team to pull it off.”After every patient was treated and stabilized, the reality of the situation set in. Twenty-two people were dead and 40 were evacuated to larger hospitals. The scene in the hospital was the worst any of the medical personnel had seen in the last 11 months. “At the end, we got together as a group after we took a last look at the patients to make sure everyone was stable. Only then were we able to relax and talk about the experience,” Telian said.Thanks to the dedication and determination of the medical staff, many Soldiers’ lives were saved that day. The Army’s highly skilled medical professionals perform heroics every day and are essential to the success of the Multi-National Forces’ mission in Iraq.Release #0412024k

Multi-National Forces Disrupt Terrorist Attempts, Detain 38Mosul, Iraq (December 24, 2004) – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) prevented a potential car bomb attack and detained 38 suspects in separate operations over the past 24 hours. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment prevented a potential attack from occurring on security forces Thursday Dec 23 after they located a car containing a detonator, bomb making material and a video camera. Two subjects fled before they could be apprehended. An Explosives Ordnance Disposal team cleared the vehicle.Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 14th Cavalry Regiment conducted cordon and search operations near the city of Singar today for suspected terrorist cell members. Multi-National Forces detained 32 insurgents who remain in custody for questioning. Soldiers also confiscated five AK-47s, two handguns and two million dinars.Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment detained two suspicious individuals Thursday at a traffic control point in central Mosul after Multi-National Forces spotted the subjects observing the checkpoint from a distance. A search of the subjects produced 1,000 blank identification cards and the suspects were taken into custody. 3-21 also conducted search operations near the northern city of Hammam al Alil Thursday in an attempt to locate suspected weapons caches. The search resulted in the detainment of three insurgents who remain in custody.Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 14th Cavalry Regiment conducted search operations of a Tal Afar business Thursday that resulted in the detention of one individual after Multi-National Forces discovered anti-Iraqi forces propaganda and other documents containing schematics and chemical equations in the business. The suspect remains in custody.Multi-National Forces from Task Force Olympia continue to work together with members of the Iraqi Security Forces, leaders and citizens of Iraq to make it a safe, prosperous, and democratic nation. Anyone with information should call the Joint Coordination Center’s new telephone numbers at 513462 or 07701623300.

Mosul bomber wore Iraqi uniform23.12.2004 - 20:30WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A suspected suicide bomber who killed 22 people in a mess hall at a U.S. base near Mosul, Iraq,probably wore an Iraqi military uniform, the U.S. commander in the area says."What we think is likely, but certainly not certain, is that an individual in an Iraqi military uniform, possibly with a vest-worn explosivedevice, was inside the facility and detonated the (device) causing this tragedy," Brig. Gen. Carter Ham said in an interview with CNNtelevision on Thursday."That's preliminary. We will find out what the truth is and then take necessary actions as we gain more information," Ham said.The explosion on Tuesday was the deadliest attack against Americans since the beginning of the war in Iraq to overthrow SaddamHussein. Of the 22 killed, 18 were Americans.Investigators were seeking to learn how base security was breached, Ham said, and he acknowledged a failure in the Mosul attack."Clearly in this instance I failed to identify some shortcoming that allowed this to occur. That's why we're doing this investigation, tofind out where was that seam that these murderers were able to exploit," he said.It was unlikely the bomber was acting alone and the attack was probably "some time in the planning, days perhaps," Ham said."I think it is probably a well-coordinated action, rather than the actions of one particular individual," he said.Ham said there was no reason to doubt a claim of responsibility made by Iraq's militant Army of Ansar al-Sunna group, which hassworn to attack Iraqi officials and foreign forces until "God's law" prevails.