1

1

This election will change the world. But not in the way the Americans imagined
Robert Fisk in Baghdad
01/29/05 "The Independent" -- Shias are about to inherit Iraq, but the election tomorrow that will bring them to power is creating deep fears among the Arab kings and dictators of the Middle East that their Sunni leadership is under threat.
America has insisted on these elections - which will produce a largely Shia parliament representing Iraq's largest religious community - because they are supposed to provide an exit strategy for embattled US forces, but they seem set to change the geopolitical map of the Arab world in ways the Americans could never have imagined. For George Bush and Tony Blair this is the law of unintended consequences writ large. (full article)

Britain investigates crash of Royal Air Force C-130 Hercules in northwest of Baghdad that killed around 10.

BAGHDAD - Investigators were due Monday at the site of the crash of a British military transport plane northwest of Baghdad that killed around 10 personnel, Britain's biggest single loss since the invasion of Iraq.
A military expert quoted on BBC radio in Britain said it was possible the Royal Air Force C-130 Hercules could have been shot down, but the British defense ministry refused to speculate on the cause of Sunday's crash.
"Clearly there will be a very thorough investigation into exactly what happened," a ministry spokesman in London said on condition he not be named.
"We will have people on the ground today examining the crash site to see what evidence they can gather which can be fed into this investigation," the spokesman said.
"We had US and UK forces on site yesterday" to help examine the site, he added.
The ministry also declined to comment on reports in the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mirror that members of Britain's elite Special Air Service (SAS) were aboard the flight.
"We simply do not comment on special forces operations," he added.
Britain's domestic Press Association newswire quoted military sources in Iraq as saying the transport plane rarely travels north of Baghdad.
The sources said the aircraft was primarily used to ferry troops from the British sector headquarters in Basra, the main southern city, to the capital.
According to the Royal Air Force website, the Hercules is used primarily to carry troops, passengers and freight.
The ministry spokesman also said next of kin had to be notified before he could comment on Australian foreign ministry remarks that a Royal Air Force navigator having dual Australian-British nationality might have been aboard.
British military sources estimated that about 10 people perished in the crash, saying it was highly unlikely the toll was above 15 dead and expected to have a clearer toll later Monday.
The transport plane went down northwest of Baghdad at 4:40 pm (1340 GMT), according to the coalition military press office in Baghdad, with wreckage scattered over a large area.
An officer with the US-led military coalition in Baghdad, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the plane had been heading to Balad, which lies 70 kilometers (40 miles) north of Baghdad.
Balad houses one of the largest US airbases in Iraq and has two runways, according to Britain's Press Association newswire. Its 25-square-kilometre (10-square-mile) airfield is protected by a 20-kilometre (eight-square-mile) security perimeter.
The crash, which occurred during a spate of attacks aimed at sabotaging the first democratic elections in Iraq for 50 years, could have been caused by "hostile action," said Air Vice-Marshall Tony Mason, a military expert.
"On the face of it we have a fully-serviceable aircraft, we have an extremely competent crew, we have the potential indicator that the first statement said the crash site covered a wide area, which suggests impact in the air rather than the ground," Mason said.
Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, he added the transport plane was very secure and reliable and that the Balad base was regarded by US troops as very dangerous to fly in to or out of.
He said he doubted it was a regular run for the crew.
He added: "We don't know the composition of the nine people.
"It could have been Army and Air Force or it could have been an entire RAF crew from Lyneham.
"It could have been SAS, it could have been any combination of troops. If it is SAS of course we shall probably never know because the Ministry of Defence regards movements of the SAS as very, very highly classified."
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told the BBC on Monday that the crash resulted in "the largest single loss of British service lives" since Britain joined the US-led invasion of Iraq nearly two years ago.
"Our hearts go out to the family and comrades of those who were killed and injured," Straw said. "Theses were very brave men as all those who have been killed or injured over the last two years."
The previous largest single loss of British lives was eight soldiers killed in a helicopter accident on March 21, 2003. Prior to the crash 76 British troops had lost their lives in Iraq in combat or accidents.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said Sunday "this country and the wider world will never forget them."
Britain currently has about 7,500 troops in Iraq.

An Iraqi militant organisation today claimed it had shot down an RAF Hercules transport plane in Iraq, killing up to 15 British service personnel.
A statement posted on an Islamic website by Ansar al-Islam, one of Iraq's longest-established militant groups, said its fighters had tracked the aircraft, "which was flying at a low altitude, and fired an anti-tank missile at it".
The transport plane had been flying from Baghdad to Balad, where there is a US military base, when it crashed around 25 miles north-west of the Iraqi capital. The crash happened as polls closed in the Iraqi election, and its cause is still unknown.
"Thanks be to God, the plane was downed and a huge fire and black clouds of smoke were seen rising from the location of the crash," the statement said.
Ansar al-Islam is thought to have been the creation of Osama bin Laden's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in the months after the September 11 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.
The Ministry of Defence has not yet said what it believed had caused the crash, but the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, today said military officials would reveal as soon as possible whether the plane had been shot down or had suffered a mechanical failure. An investigation is beginning today.
At least 10 - and possibly as many as 15 - service personnel were believed to have died, but the exact numbers were not known. There was also media speculation that the plane had been carrying SAS personnel, but the MoD does not comment on the activities of special forces.
Mr Straw paid tribute to the troops killed in the Hercules crash, saying: "Our hearts go out to the families and comrades of those who were killed and those injured. These are very brave men, as are all the service personnel who have been killed or injured in the last two years."
The area in which the plane went down is not controlled by British forces, but UK defence sources said it was likely to have been carrying a number of service personnel responsible for loading and security.
C130 Hercules aircraft are used to ferry troops and equipment between Britain and Basra in southern Iraq, and between Basra and Baghdad, but they do not often fly north of the Iraqi capital.
The Hercules - which has been the RAF's workhorse for many years - is a relatively slow and low-flying aircraft. It is frequently used for humanitarian operations, distributing food and equipment. Without freight, it can carry around 100 troops.

IRAQI ELECTIONS – An unidentified sheik enters a polling site in southeastern Baghdad on Jan. 30 as Iraqi policemen providing security for the location look on. Despite the potential of violence from insurgents, large numbers of registered voters in Iraq took part in the first free election in more than 50 years. U.S. Army photo High Res Photo

An Iraqi man proudly displays his blue finger, indicating that he has voted, after having been the first person to vote in an eastern Baghdad polling station during Iraq's first free national election, Jan. 30, 2005. (Official U.S. Army photo)BAGHDAD, Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi is among the first people in Iraqi history to vote today, January 30, 2005, at the polls. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Army Staff SGT. Angelique Perez

Abdul Aziz Hakeem, top politician for the SCIRI party, is among the first in Iraqi history to vote today, January 30, 2005, at the polls. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Army Staff SGT. Angelique Perez

Jan 29, 2005
Marines Back up Iraqi Security Forces in NajafAn Najaf, Iraq -- On the eve of Iraq’s parliamentary elections, Marines here are busy combing the city’s streets for suspicious activity...more
Diyala Provincial Council Hosts Peace Day IIDiyala Provincial Government Building, Ba’qbah, Iraq --The Diyala Provincial Council hosted a Peace Day Jan. 27...more Arabic/ع
Troops Discover Explosive Device in Baghdad Baghdad, Iraq -- Task Force Baghdad Soldiers discovered an improvised explosive device while patrolling in the Iraqi capitol...more Arabic/ع
Soldiers Detain two Suspected of Polling Center Attacks Camp Liberty, Baghdad -- Soldiers attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, detained two suspects...more Arabic/ع
Soldier Killed by IED Blast in Baghdad Baghdad, Iraq -- A Task Force Baghdad Soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device...more Arabic/ع
Iraqi Election Offices Ready for Vote Last of UN-Made Ballots Delivered to PollsBaghdad, Iraq -- The last of the United Nations-made ballots for the Rusafa district of Baghdad were packaged and delivered yesterday from an undisclosed warehouse...more
New Technology Launches to Help Locate Origin of Insurgent AttacksMosul, Iraq -- Military officials in northern Iraq have announced the launch of Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensors System...more Arabic/ع
Another Citizen’s Tip Leads to Defusing of BombMosul, Iraq – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team)...more Arabic/ع
More Insurgents Taken off the Streets, Helping Election SecurityMosul, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team)...more Arabic/ع
Six more Insurgents Detained by MNF in Northern IraqMosul, Iraq – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team)...more Arabic/ع
Two Killed in Helicopter Crash Baghdad, Iraq -- Two Task Force Baghdad Soldiers died when their helicopter went down in the southwestern portion of the Iraqi capital...more Arabic/ع

An Iraqi Army soldier uses a megaphone to announce instructions to a group of people gathering in front of an eastern Baghdad polling station. U.S. Army photo

Hundreds of residents of the Al Monsour district in western Baghdad walk along the freeway Jan. 30, 2005, to get to their polling sites. Civilian vehicle traffic in the Iraqi capital was banned during the Iraqi national elections. U.S. Army

1

Iraqi President Al Yawer is the first person in Iraqi history to vote today, January 30, 2005, at the polls. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Army Staff SGT. Angelique Perez

Iraqi Army troops line up to cast their vote in the Iraqi national election on Jan. 30, 2005 at a polling site in the Al Monsour district of Baghdad. U.S. Army photo

Iraqi President Al Yawer is the first person in Iraqi history to vote today, January 30, 2005, at the polls. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Army Staff SGT. Angelique Perez

FREE TO VOTE — Iraqi voters wait in line Jan. 30, 2005, at a polling site in Baghdad, Iraq. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Dave Ahlschwede

Jan 30, 2005
Servicemember Killed in ActionCamp Fallujah, Iraq -- A servicemember assigned to the I Marine Expeditionary Force was killed in action on Jan. 30 at about 3:30 a.m. while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in the Al Anbar Province...more
Iraqi Troops Capture Attackers South of BaghdadForward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq -- Iraqi Army troops captured two insurgents who had fired at their checkpoint south of Baghdad on Jan. 30...more Arabic/ع
Task Force Baghdad Troops Capture Seven Insurgents Responsible for Embassy Rocket AttackBaghdad, Iraq – Seven insurgents responsible for the Jan. 29 rocket attack on the U.S. Embassy were captured by Task Force Baghdad troops approximately one hour after launching their attack...more Arabic/ع
Iraq Armor Unit Helps Secure the VoteBaghdad, Iraq -- Tanks and armored personnel carriers of the Iraqi Army’s 1st Brigade, 1st Mechanized Division...more Arabic/ع
Five Detained in KirkukTikrit, Iraq -- Task Force Danger and Iraqi Security Forces detained five men in a series of raids in Kirkuk...more Arabic/ع
Iraqi Police Stations, Polling Places TargetedCamp Echo, Iraq -- Iraqi police stations and polling places were targeted by anti-Iraqi forces in several attacks...more Arabic/ع

Polls have opened in Iraq's election, amid an unprecedented security operation.

Baghdad, Iraq - Iraqis drive through the streets in their car covered with the Iraqi flag and election posters, in front of an American armoured vehicle, yesterday. Iraqis are to choose a 275-member National Assembly and legislatures in each of the 18 provinces in today's balloting. (Photo: AP)

An Iraqi security member guards a polling station in the Al Saei district of Basra, southern Iraq (news - web sites ), January 29, 2005. Security remains very high ahead of the elections scheduled on January 30. (Toby Melville/Reuters)

An Iraqi man receives a retina scan at Brahma Park, in Fallujah, Iraq, from Lance Cpl. Luis Molina with Marine Wing Support Squadron Three Seven Thre (MWSS-373), Jan 25, 2005. Marines are utilizing a Biometric Analysis Tracking System (BATS), an identification system that involves that involves taking thumbprints, a photograph of the face and a retinal scan. 1st Marine Division is engaged in Security & Stabilization Operations (SASO) in the Al Anbar Province, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Official Photo by: SSGT. JONATHAN C. KNAUTH, 1ST MARDIV. COMBAT CAMERA,FLT/ BRAHMA PARK,Alabama ANBAR,Iraq

US casualties continue to rise in Iraq, as the war-ravaged country intensifies security measures before elections.

Five killed in Iraq suicide bombing(AFP)29 January 2005
BAQUBA, Iraq - A suicide car bomb attack Saturday killed five people, including a child, at Khanaqin, an Iraqi town on the border with Iran, police said.
The attack on the eve of Iraq’s historic election targeted the Turkmen of Iraq Front political party, police said.

Two US troops die in copter crash as clashes reported in Baghdad
29-01-2005 , 03:10
Two American troops were killed when their helicopter crashed in western Baghdad, the US military said in a statement. "Two Task Force Baghdad soldiers died when their helicopter went down in the southwestern portion of the Iraqi capital" late Friday, the statement said Saturday.
Five other soldiers from the same Baghdad-based division were killed in a string of attacks Friday.

Meanwhile, heavy machine gun and rifle fire were heard Saturday in central Baghdad. The shooting seemed to be coming from the area around the Green Zone, The AP reported.

Workers smuggled into polling stations
From correspondents in Mosul, IraqJanuary 29, 2005
From: Agence France-Presse

HUNDREDS of Iraqi election workers along with voting material were transported overnight by US soldiers to polling sites around Mosul amid intense security measures in the northern city.With the milestone vote only hours away, the election workers were all given about two hours of training and promised the equivalent of $US500 ($645) for their effort.
Umm Alaa, 40, is the only woman inside a huge tented gym and recreation facility at a US base swarming with nearly 500 rowdy male election workers, most of them flown in early today, hours before from Baghdad or southern Shiite areas.
She and 23 other women from her native Shiite city of Hilla, south of Baghdad, were supposed to work polls in Ramadi, west of the capital, but she was separated from them after she missed her flight and ended up instead in Mosul, another tense, predominantly Sunni Muslim city.
"We must all lend a helping hand to our bleeding nation," says the feisty mother of two, wrapped up in a traditional black abaya and seated on top of her travel bag.
Nearby, a man with a loudspeaker drills a group of frenzied men huddled on the floor with last-minute instructions on how to verify the age of prospective voters tomorrow.
"You are witnessing history," beams a US military officer standing close by.
Preparations for elections only got underway in Nineveh province, which includes Mosul, one week ago. Voter registration never happened here because of the security threats.
The province's number of eligible voters is estimated at about one million, according to Khalid al-Kazar, the electoral commission's representative here.
Umm Alaa and a dozen of her colleagues along with eight carton boxes packed with ballots are boarded into Stryker combat vehicles belonging to the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment.
Most say they are motivated to do this by their patriotic duty, the orders of Shiite spiritual leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani to take part in the elections and their dire economic and living conditions.
"Let's break the back of the terrorists by putting the ballot in the box," says Ali Dakhil, 39, from Baghdad's Shiite slum of Sadr City.
The group is let down outside the Al-Fadhila girls school in the Al-Mansur working class neighbourhood on the city's west side.
They were escorted by US soldiers through concrete barricades and barbed wire ringing the building and handed over to Iraqi soldiers on the inside.
The soldiers are part of a contingent of more than 4000 army special force members and commandos sent from Baghdad to help secure the elections in Mosul.
They will be directly inside the polling sites and at the entrances searching all voters walking in as US soldiers in armoured vehicles and tanks stand guard close by.
A ban on vehicle travel inside the city is in effect until Tuesday.
US warplanes and Apaches will provide air surveillance while Navy Seal snipers will be posted on rooftops around polling sites, which are expected to number 40 in Mosul.
One such site is the Al-Madrasa Al-Khazrajiya in the city's ancient quarters, an area suspected of being a refuge for insurgents and militant foreigners.
Iraqi soldiers stand guard in front of the one century old boys school and on many of the side streets in the vicinity as barbed wires dominate the scene.
Inside some of them take a rest from their duties.
"Iraq will remain forever great," says one of the slogans that decorate the blue-painted walls.
Chants mourning the deaths of revered Shiite Imams Ali and Hussein blare from the tape recorder of a pick-up truck parked in the school's courtyard.
"If they do not want to vote that's their business, the rest of Iraq is voting," says First Lieutenant Hamad, who did not want to give his last name, referring to the boycott of the elections by most Sunnis.
He is from Hilla and member of the country's majority Shiite community, who are expected to sweep to power after years of oppression under Saddam Hussein's Sunni regime.
A reminder of the level of anti-elections sentiment was on display less than one kilometre away from the school.
Dozens of austere-looking bearded men wearing the hallmark Sunni white skull caps stream out of the Al-Zaywani mosque after Friday prayers under the gaze of US soldiers.
"Your participation in the elections is an endorsement of the Crusaders' campaign against Muslims," says a poster plastered at the mosque's entrance.
A US soldier rips it off and burns it.

1

1

1

1

Jan 28, 2005
Iraqi, Marine Forces Detain 14 south of BaghdadForward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq -- Iraqi security forces, backed by elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit...more Arabic/ع
Weapons Cache DiscoveredMosul, Iraq -- Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team)...more
Seven Suspected Insurgents CapturedMosul, Iraq -- Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team)...more
Cavalry honors The Soldiers of Task Force 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team gather to honor their fallen brothers and sister...more
Excavation Unearths more Explosives south of BaghdadBaghdad, Iraq – Task Force Baghdad Soldiers found another large weapons cache in the north Babil region of Iraq...more Arabic/ع
Troops Discover Explosive Devices in BaghdadBaghdad, Iraq -- Task Force Baghdad Soldiers discovered three improvised explosive devices while patrolling the streets of the Iraqi capital last night...more
Iraqi Army, Police Cadet Training Underway at Regular Iraq Army Base
Tallil, Iraq -- The new regular Iraqi Army base in south central Iraq graduated its first police cadet training class in November 2004 due to the efforts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...more
Combat spurs awarded at Camp LibertySpc. Jennifer Laroach, of Brooklyn, N.Y., gets gold spurs placed on her boots during the Headquarters Company...more
First Infantry Division Soldiers Detain Three in Raid Tikrit, Iraq -- First Infantry Division Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 4th Cavalry Regiment, detained three individuals during a raid near Tikrit...more Arabic/ع
Task Force 1-18, ISF Soldiers Foil Polling Site AttackTikrit, Iraq -- Alpha Company, 1-112 Infantry, a National Guard company based out of the Pittsburgh area...more
Leaders Discuss Upcoming ElectionsForward Operating Base Dagger, Tikrit, Iraq – Leadership from around the Salah Ad Din Province met here Jan. 25 with Maj. Gen. John R.S. Batiste...more
Iraqi Governors Address Election Concerns Tikrit, Iraq -- Governors of north-central Iraq provinces and the commander of the 1st Infantry Division expressed their hope about Sunday’s national elections...more Arabic/ع
Civil Education Center Helps Reform Iraqi CriminalsAL ALUM, Iraq -- More than a year ago, Moeed Maher Khalf despised Americans so much that he wanted them to either leave Iraq or die...more
Warriors Take ReinsLogistics Support Area Anaconda, Balad, Iraq – The Soldiers of 1st Corps Support Command’s force protection company, Task Force Warrior, took over responsibility for the security...more

1

Dr. Farid Ayar (left) and Mr. Ez Al Deem Al Mohammady, both members of the International Election Committee Iraq, demonstrate the voting process during a press conference concerning the Jan. 30, 2005, Iraqi elections. The press conference took place on Jan. 25, 2005, at the Baghdad Convention Center. DoD photo by Master Sgt. Dave Ahlschwede, U.S. Air Force.

1

Jessica, I don't have much on Karl other than a Photo of him sweeping an area in Hadithah. Iraq. I'm am sorry about Karl. He was on the front lines of the war on terror and paid the ultimate price.
I have had several request from people that lost a loved one. They are looking for reasons, looking for answers, I don't have any. War is a brutal business.
Jessica, only time and tears will take away your pain. Remember Karl for who he was and be proud of him. He died advancing Democracy, A noble cause indeed!
Take Care

Anonymous said...
Hello, I am trying to find information on the death of Lance Corp. Karl Linn of the 2nd Platoon, Company C, 4th Engineering Battalion out of Lynchburg. While searching the web for information, I came across your blog. You apparently mentioned something about him, but I could not locate the information on your site.He was a dear friend, and I just want to know what happened..

Lance Cpl. Karl Linn, 20, a Richmond, VA, native and combat engineer with C Co., 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment sweeps an area with a metal detector looking for weapons in Hadithah, Iraq.. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Will Lathrop

An Iraqi boy runs past a car just as it explodes in front of a school scheduled to be used as a voting center in Baghdad, January 28, 2005. Iraq (news - web sites ) clamped tough security measures across the country, sealing land borders and curbing travel to foil insurgents bent on wrecking Sunday's election, but a car bomb killed four people in Baghdad. (Ali Jasim/Reuters

Iraqi youths gather around the bodies of four dead Iraqi soldiers in Ramadi, 113 kilometers (70 miles) west of Baghdad, Friday, Jan. 28, 2005. The soldiers were kidnapped four days earlier and found dead with a message from the insurgents. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Two armed guards watch registrants arrive at the Independent Election Commission of Iraq, in the southern city of Basra

Defying threats, many in Baghdad plan to vote(Reuters)28 January 2005
BAGHDAD - Despite threats by insurgents to kill anyone who votes, many Iraqis in Baghdad say they are determined to take part in Sunday’s watershed election.
“I have to vote because our situation is so unstable. Criminals with weapons think they can rule, but on Sunday the peaceful majority will silence them,” said Sarmad Basheer, a 42-year-old Sunni Muslim.
“I’m not scared because these terrorists are losing and even if I died, I would become a martyr.”
The government has announced extraordinary security measures to try to protect the polls. Land borders have been closed and curfews have been extended at night. On polling day, all non-official traffic will be banned from the streets.
“I’m definitely not scared because I’m confident that the security will be sufficient. The terrorists are cowards and traitors, they hit unprotected targets,” said Muhsin, an elderly man, while watering his garden.
“I’m going to vote for 169 or 285,” he said, referring to the numbers identifying a Shi’ite alliance expected to win the most support in the election and a secular list of candidates headed by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, a Shi’ite.
Most Iraqi Shi’ites, oppressed for decades under Saddam Hussein, strongly support the elections. But several leading Sunni Arab parties have pulled out of the polls, saying guerrilla violence will prevent Sunnis from voting.
“I’m not going to vote because no one in my area speaks about elections and besides, I would have voted for the Iraqi Islamic party but they pulled out,” said Hamid al-Jubouri, a 31-year-old Sunni Arab shopkeeper.
But he said ordinary Iraqis had no desire to see civil war.
“I’m not willing to fight a civil war and neither is any other Sunni I know,” Jubouri said.
Abu Omar, a 73-year-old Iraqi living in Baghdad’s southern Seydiya neighbourhood, said he just hoped the polls would bring more stability to Iraq.
“I am a Sunni but my four sons married Shi’ite women. Saddam has gone and we are all glad. All we hope is for us all to live in peace,” he said, adding that he would vote for the group headed by secular Sunni elder statesman Adnan Pachachi.
Najla al-Ani, a 21-year-old biology student, said she would vote for candidates who had promised to press for a withdrawal of U.S.-led foreign troops.
“I am patriotic and I would love to vote but I’m scared,” she said. “I might go and vote in another area.”
Ani said most Iraqis were sick of violence and the insurgents were increasingly reviled.
“These criminals who chop off heads are losing support in areas that initially welcomed them,” she said.

A car bomb has exploded close to a police station in southern Baghdad, killing five Iraqis and injuring four

Jan 28, 2005
Troops Discover Explosive Devices in BaghdadBaghdad, Iraq -- Task Force Baghdad Soldiers discovered three improvised explosive devices while patrolling the streets of the Iraqi capital last night...more
Iraqi Army, Police Cadet Training Underway at Regular Iraq Army Base
Tallil, Iraq -- The new regular Iraqi Army base in south central Iraq graduated its first police cadet training class in November 2004 due to the efforts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...more
Combat spurs awarded at Camp LibertySpc. Jennifer Laroach, of Brooklyn, N.Y., gets gold spurs placed on her boots during the Headquarters Company...more
First Infantry Division Soldiers Detain Three in Raid Tikrit, Iraq -- First Infantry Division Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 4th Cavalry Regiment, detained three individuals during a raid near Tikrit...more
Task Force 1-18, ISF Soldiers Foil Polling Site AttackTikrit, Iraq -- Alpha Company, 1-112 Infantry, a National Guard company based out of the Pittsburgh area...more
Leaders Discuss Upcoming ElectionsForward Operating Base Dagger, Tikrit, Iraq – Leadership from around the Salah Ad Din Province met here Jan. 25 with Maj. Gen. John R.S. Batiste...more
Iraqi Governors Address Election Concerns Tikrit, Iraq -- Governors of north-central Iraq provinces and the commander of the 1st Infantry Division expressed their hope about Sunday’s national elections...more Arabic/ع
Civil Education Center Helps Reform Iraqi CriminalsAL ALUM, Iraq -- More than a year ago, Moeed Maher Khalf despised Americans so much that he wanted them to either leave Iraq or die...more
Warriors Take ReinsLogistics Support Area Anaconda, Balad, Iraq – The Soldiers of 1st Corps Support Command’s force protection company, Task Force Warrior, took over responsibility for the security...more

Iraqi Candidate Killed on Videotape; Other Attacks Leave a Marine and Several Iraqis DeadBy EDWARD WONG Published: January 28, 2005
AGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 27 - Insurgents unleashed a string of fierce attacks across central and northern Iraq on Thursday that left nearly a dozen Iraqis and an American marine dead, while the militant group led by the country's most wanted guerrilla posted a video on the Internet showing the fatal shooting of a candidate from the prime minister's slate in Sunday's elections.
The killing of the candidate, Salem Jaafar al-Kanani, was one of the most direct strikes yet against Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's party. Mr. Kanani appears as No. 150 in a list of candidates led by Dr. Allawi, according to a Web site aimed at informing overseas Iraqi voters. Dr. Allawi's slate is expected to perform well on Sunday, when millions of Iraqis are to vote in the country's first multiparty elections in decades. But given the large number of competing slates, it was considered unlikely that Mr. Kanani would have ended up winning one of the new National Assembly's 275 seats.
The video of his killing, with at least three shots to the chest, was posted by the group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian militant who vowed earlier this week to wage all-out war on the process of democracy.
The murder of Mr. Kanani and a spate of attacks on Thursday, which included suicide car bombings in the besieged cities of Samarra and Baquba, appeared intended to sow fear among Iraqis as they decide whether to vote on Sunday.
The marine was killed and four other Americans were wounded in combat in Babil Province, which lies immediately south of the capital, the American military said. American forces have carried out several offensive sweeps through the area in recent months, but to no avail.
In that region, on the main highway running from Baghdad south to Najaf, which is often controlled by insurgents, members of the Iraqi National Guard had set up checkpoints about every three miles on Thursday. Traffic was sparse, and it was clear that Iraqi security forces were trying to clamp down on movement as the elections drew closer. But insurgents managed to set off a roadside bomb near an American convoy in the market town of Mahmudiya, killing at least three Iraqis and injuring seven others, the Associated Press reported, citing a local hospital director.
The military said an American soldier in Tikrit died Thursday of accidental gunshot injuries.
The videotape of the killing of Mr. Kanani began with several minutes showing his identification cards, including one from the Titan Systems Corporation, a company that provides interpreters to the American military. Another card showed his membership in the Iraqi National Accord, Dr. Allawi's party.
Mr. Kanani then spoke to the camera. "I advise all young men not to back the enemy occupiers and ask them to serve the people of their homeland," he said. "I was captured by the mujahedeen. They treated me very well."
The video then showed Mr. Kanani lying face-up on a floor as an insurgent fired three bullets into his chest.
In the other violence on Thursday, a suicide car bomb in Samarra exploded near an Iraqi Army patrol, killing an Iraqi soldier and two civilians, Reuters reported, citing an American officer. Doctors at a local hospital said four Iraqi soldiers and two civilians were wounded.
Samarra has been the site of some of the toughest fighting in Salahuddin Province, a Sunni-dominated area that served as a strong base of support for Saddam Hussein. The First Infantry Division swept through the city last fall, only to have insurgents regroup weeks later and resume their attacks. Of all the cities in the embattled province, Samarra is expected to be one of the biggest trouble spots heading into the elections.
In Baquba, 30 miles northeast of Baghdad and also under the watch of the First Infantry Division, a suicide car bomb exploded near the governor's office in the city center, killing a captain in the Iraqi National Guard and wounding four others, said Col. Adnan Abdul-Rahman, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry.
Insurgents also killed a police officer from the Hamadini tribe in a drive-by shooting west of the northern city of Mosul, in the Ash Shifa area, police officials said. In Mosul, a city of up to three million, insurgents have frightened many of the newly trained Iraqi policemen into abandoning their jobs.
A bomb went off in the Tikrit area on Thursday, Colonel Abdul-Rahman said. The Associated Press reported that the explosion killed one Iraqi bystander and narrowly missed an American military convoy.
The A.P. also reported that an Iraqi national guardsman was killed in Ramadi when insurgents attacked American and Iraqi forces guarding a school to be used as a polling center. Marines in Ramadi have suffered some of the highest casualty rates of the war, with guerrillas regularly setting off roadside bombs in the town center and ambushing American convoys on the highway.
Khalid al-Ansary contributed reporting from Najaf for this article,

January 27, 2005Release Number: 05-01-107FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETASK FORCE 1-18, ISF SOLDIERS FOIL POLLING SITE ATTACKTIKRIT, Iraq -- Alpha Company, 1-112 Infantry, a National Guard company based out of the Pittsburgh area, and Soldiers from the 201st Iraqi Army Battalion established a hasty traffic control point Jan. 22 north of Tikrit, in the area called Kadasia, and swiftly apprehended two insurgents.The Soldiers operating the traffic control point identified the suspected vehicle as it approached their position, slowed the vehicle and instructed the passengers to get out of the car. The occupants of the vehicle, one of whom was an Iraqi National Police officer, were found in possession of a 120-millimeter artillery round wired as an improvised explosive device.The Explosive Ordinance Disposal team arrived on site and destroyed the device. Through questioning, the insurgents revealed their plan to place the explosive device at an elections polling site in the area. The intelligence developed by the Tikrit Joint Coordination Center increases the Iraqi Security Forces’ ability to react to actionable intelligence and thwart insurgents schemes to disrupt Iraqi elections.Lieutenant Colonel Amir, the 201st Iraqi Army executive officer, was pleased with the progress of his staff in developing intelligence.“Our battalion operates better every day, and today we showed that we can make the elections safe,” he said. (Story by Capt. Michael Prudhomme, Task Force 1-18 Infantry)

PATROL — U.S. Marines assigned to 1st Platoon, Company G, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, radio in for movement time during a foot patrol in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Jan. 20, 2005. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew D. Young

1

1

Let Freedom Ring!

Anti-US forces in Iraq have attacked an Australian military convoy in Baghdad, an army patrol in Samarra, police and polling stations in Kirkuk and the governor's office in Baquba.

U.S. mulls $50 million bin Laden bounty

The State Department is considering doubling the bounty for Osama bin Laden to $50 million.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As part of an intensified effort to capture terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, the State Department is considering doubling the bounty on his head to $50 million, State Department officials said Monday.
Legislation passed in November by Congress as part of the appropriations bill allowed the State Department to double the current $25 million reward for information leading to bin Laden's capture, under the Rewards for Justice Program.
The program seeks to prevent acts of terrorism against the United States. It pays rewards for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of terrorists attempting to commit or committing acts against U.S. interests.
Bin Laden is still thought to be hiding somewhere along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, but intelligence officials in both countries say there has been no sign of him for the past 20 months, according to Time magazine.
In 2003, the Bush administration paid a $30 million reward -- $15 million each for Uday and Qusay Hussein -- to the informant who provided the tip that led U.S. troops to the home in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul where Uday and Qusay were hiding. They died there in a firefight with American forces.
Last July, the State Department raised the bounty for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the accused terrorist mastermind in Iraq, from $10 million to $25 million.
On Monday, the al-Zarqawi group al Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, at a checkpoint near the headquarters of interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's party, according to an Internet statement. (Full story)
Officials said the State Department is reviewing whether to double the reward for bin Laden to $50 million, with the final decision to be made by incoming Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
This month, the Rewards for Justice Program also launched an advertising campaign in Pakistan to publicize the existing reward for bin Laden.
Print ads in Urdu and Pashto languages have begun to run in Pakistani newspapers featuring photos and reward amounts for bin Laden, Taliban leader Mullah Omar and other Taliban and al Qaeda leaders.
The print ads will be followed by a broadcast ad blitz in cities and border areas where U.S. officials believe bin Laden is hiding.
"The people there are largely illiterate," said Rep. Mark Kirk, who wrote the legislation that would allow the doubling of the reward. "So we're going to back up this campaign with a radio campaign that is the primary way people find out about the world."
Kirk, an Illinois Republican, returned last week from a visit to Pakistan.
Officials said the scripts for the radio ads are being finalized, and that the ads should be running within 10 days to two weeks. A television ad campaign is also in development, the officials said.

Jan 27, 2005
Marine Killed in Action South of BaghdadForward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq -- One U.S. Marine was killed in action and four others wounded...more
Two hundred twelve graduate from DRR courseBaghdad, Iraq – Two hundred twelve direct recruit replacements graduated from the Iraqi Training Battalion in Al Kasik...more
Four Suspected Insurgents CapturedMosul, Iraq – Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team)...more Arabic/ع
One 1st ID Soldier Dies from Gunshot WoundTikrit, Iraq – One 1st Infantry Division Soldier died from a gunshot wound sustained about 2:05 a.m., January 27 on Forward Operating Base Normandy...more Arabic

8

Spc. Nichols right, and Pfc. Lambert, both with Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, keep watch for any suspicious activity in the yard of a gas station in Buhriz, Iraq, after a raid of the premises for known anti-coalition insurgents. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elizabeth Erste)

Hundreds of rockets are laid out on the ground following Task Force 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment's discovery of a huge weapons cache, Jan. 23, 2005. U.S. Army photo courtesy 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division More Photos

1

1

1

1

1

1

WANTED
Mustafa Setmariam Nasar
(Mustafa Sitmaryan Nassar)
Up to $5 Million Reward
Date of birth: October 26, 1958
Place of birth: Aleppo, Syria
Aliases: Abu Musab al-Suri, Umar Abd al-Hakim
Mustafa Setmariam Nasar, also known as Abu Musab al-Suri, is an al-Qa'ida member and former trainer at the Derunta and al-Ghuraba terrorist camps in Afghanistan.
Born in Aleppo, Syria in 1958, Nasar was a member of the radical Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. He fled Syria in the 1980s and traveled widely throughout the Middle East and North Africa, before associating with the Algerian Islamic Group. He settled in Madrid in 1987 and gained Spanish citizenship through marriage.
While in Spain, he authored a series of inflammatory essays under the pen name Umar Abd al-Hakim. In 1995 he moved to United Kingdom and served as a European intermediary for al-Qa'ida. Nasar traveled extensively between Europe and Afghanistan throughout the late 1990s, finally moving his family to Afghanistan in 1998.
He attempted to organize his own extremist group prior to September 11, 2001 - but in the wake of the attacks he pledged loyalty to Usama Bin Ladin as a member of al-Qa'ida. While in Afghanistan, Nasar worked closely with Midhat Mursi al-Sayid 'Umar AKA Abu Khabab al-Masri to train extremists in poisons and chemicals at the Derunta terrorist camp.
He is likely in Afghanistan or Pakistan. Recent unconfirmed press reports suggest that he may have had a role in the March 11, 2004 Madrid Bombings.

HELP STOP TERRORISMIf you have information that can help us find international terrorists send a tip now by CLICKING HERE.
We are promoting our determinationto prevent acts of international terrorism worldwide and are willing to pay handsomely, up to $5 million in any currency, for information that prevents such acts. [more...]

1

Wanted
Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi
Up to $25 Million Reward
Date of birth: October 30, 1966
Place of birth: Zarqa, Jordan
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Hair: Dark
Eyes: Dark
Sex: Male
Complexion: Olive
Passport: Jordanian Z264958
Aliases: Ahmad Fadil Al-Khalailah, Abu Ahmad, and Abu Muhammad, Sakr Abu Suwayd.
Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi has had a long-standing connection to senior al Qaeda leadership and appears to be highly regarded among al Qaeda and a close associate of Usama Bin Laden and Saif Al-Adel .
All responses will be kept strictly confidential. Individuals providing information may be eligible for a reward, protection of their identities, and relocation with their families.

1

Counter-Terrorist Financing - Rewards Program: The U.S. Government is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the dismantling of any system used to finance a terrorist organization and information leading to the arrest or conviction of those who planned or aided in any act of terrorism against U.S. persons or property. (more info

Wanted
Usama Bin Laden
Up to $25 Million Reward
Date of birth: 1957
Place of birth: Saudi Arabia
Height: 6'4" -6'6"(1.94-1.98m)
Weight: 160 lbs (71 kg)
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Complexion: Olive
Sex: Male
Citizen: Saudi Arabian
Characteristics: Full beard, mustache; walks with cane
Status: Fugitive
Aliases: Usama Bin Muhammad Bin Ladin, Shaykh Usama Bin Ladin, the Prince, the Emir, Abu Abdallah, Mujahid Shaykh, Hajj, the Director
Usama Bin Laden is wanted in connection with the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and for the August 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. He is believed to be in Afghanistan.
Indicted for: murder of U.S. nationals outside the United States; conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals outside the United States; attack on a federal facility resulting in death.
Usama Bin Laden , Muhammad Atef , Ayman Al Zawahiri , Mustafa Mohammed Fadhil , Fazul Abdullah Mohammed , Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani , Fahid Mohammed Ally Msalam , Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan , Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, Saif Al-Adel , Anas Al-Liby , Ahmed Mohamed Hamed Ali , and Muhsin Musa Matwalli Atwah , and others already in custody are believed to be responsible for the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya on August, 7, 1998. These terrorist attacks indiscriminately killed 224 innocent civilians and wounded over 5,000 others. These terrorist are believed to be part of an international criminal conspiracy headed by Usama Bin Laden. The U. S. Government is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction, in any country, of those people listed above.

1-800-US REWARDS 1-800-877-3927 Rewards for Justice Washington, D.C. USA 20522-0303 e-mail a tip

1

US forces' darkest day as 36 troops die

MATT SPETALNICK
IN BAGHDAD

UNITED States forces suffered their deadliest day yet in Iraq yesterday, when 31 marines died in a helicopter crash and five other American troops were killed in attacks across the country.

The transport helicopter came down in the desert of western Iraq near the town of Rutba, close to the Jordanian border, killing all on board.

The cause of the crash remained unclear, although some reports suggested the CH-53 Sea Stallion, which was carrying personnel from the 1st Marine Division, came down in a sandstorm.

A search and rescue team was at the site last night and an investigation into what caused the crash was under way.

George Bush, the US president, expressed sorrow at the loss of life and said he knew Americans would find the new deaths discouraging.

The previous deadliest day for US forces was 23 March, 2003, the third day of the war, when 28 US soldiers died - mostly in fierce fighting in southern Iraq.

The worst single incident for US troops was also a helicopter crash. In November 2004, two Black Hawk helicopters collided while trying to avoid ground fire, killing 17 service members. The US military has lost at least 33 helicopters since the start of the war.

Four more US marines were killed in the Anbar province of western Iraq yesterday, and an American soldier died in a rocket attack north of Baghdad.

Mr Bush yesterday urged Iraqis not to be deterred from voting by the latest outbreak of violence in the country.

Calling the election a "grand moment in Iraqi history", the US president said: "I urge all people to vote. I urge people to defy the terrorists ... they have no clear view of a better future. They’re afraid of a free society."

With only three days remaining before the election, guerrillas carried out a string of attacks yesterday, targeting political groups and voting sites.

A truck bomb exploded near the offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in the northwestern Iraqi town of Sinjar, killing at least 15 people and wounding 30, the local mayor said.

Earlier in the day, gunmen opened fire with machine-guns on the local headquarters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Communist Party in the city of Baquba, north of Baghdad, killing a traffic policeman.

Insurgents set off three car bombs in rapid succession in the town of Riyadh, north of Baghdad, killing at least five people - including three policemen.

Four US soldiers were injured in a car bombing in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, the US command said.

Another car bomb targeted a multinational forces convoy on the road to Baghdad’s international airport, injuring four soldiers.

In the northern city of Mosul, a video filmed by insurgents showed three Iraqi men who had apparently been taken hostage and who said they worked for Iraq’s electoral commission.