U.S. Approves of Pakistan Fight Against Taliban, Pentagon Spokesman Says

The United States fully supports Pakistani operations against the Taliban and other terror groups, a senior Defense Department spokesman said yesterday.

At a news conference today, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell also discussed U.S. efforts to avoid inflicting civilian casualties in Afghanistan while fighting an enemy that intentionally places civilians in peril.

The United States has been pressing Pakistan for months to act as Taliban fighters increased their control over portions of the federally administered tribal areas and in the Swat Valley, Buner and Dir areas of Pakistan.

Morrell called the operations in the area the largest counterinsurgency fight in Pakistan's history. "They have shown a persistence in waging it, and we want to be nothing but encouraging of them continuing to do so," he said during a Pentagon news conference.

Pakistani officials estimate that between 800,000 and 900,000 people in the region have become refugees. "The end is to protect innocent civilians caught in the crossfire," Morrell said. "So people are encouraged to leave war zones, so that they do not become unwitting victims of the Pakistani military's efforts to go after terrorists who have shown complete and utter disregard for the safety and well-being of their neighbors and other innocent civilians in their midst."

Pakistan is setting up refugee camps to handle those fleeing the fighting, and the United States and other nations are prepared to send aid.

In Afghanistan, civilian casualties in Farah remain in the news. Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry visited an area where close-air support was used against Taliban terrorists when U.S. aircraft dropped ordnance in support of an Afghan security forces operation.

"The initial indication from things looks as though the close-air support was very measured, and that there was a great deal of care to ensure that ... it was proportional to the threat faced by the forces on the ground," Morrell said.

Morrell called the attacks – and possible civilian casualties – the sad reality of war against the Taliban.

"We face an opponent that shows complete and utter disregard for human life; that's willing to behead innocent civilians; that's willing to put other innocents in harm's way so that they can advance a propaganda campaign and paint us as ... the aggressor, as the one who does not care for the well-being of the Afghan people," he said. "That couldn't be further from the truth."

The United States regrets the loss of any innocent lives in Farah or other battles, Morrell said. No other military takes the measures to minimize civilian losses that the U.S. military does, he said.

"And our opponent, perhaps more than almost any enemy that we've faced in modern times, shows complete and utter disregard" for civilian lives.

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

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Peru Declares State of Emergency, Deploys Special Forces to Break Up Indigenous Protests

/PRNewswire / -- In Peru, indigenous protests against recent government decrees affecting their land and resource rights continue to spread throughout the country. Amazon Watch has received several alarming reports of violent crackdowns against peaceful demonstrators by Special Forces after President Alan Garcia declared a state of emergency in the Cusco, Ucayali, Loreto and Amazonas regions over the weekend.

For the past month, indigenous peoples have blockaded roads and rivers throughout the Amazon to protest new decrees which make it easier to transfer indigenous peoples' land and resource rights to oil, mining, logging and agricultural companies to the detriment of local inhabitants. The decrees have also set the stage for the privatization of water resources.

In the town of Bagua in the Amazonas region near the border with Ecuador, there have been reports that on Sunday armed forces cracked down on peaceful Awajun and Huambis demonstrators on the Corral Quemado Bridge resulting in several serious injuries. Two people are reported missing.

Elsewhere, several thousand Shawi and Cocama Cocamillas have blockaded the road between Yurimaguas and Tarapoto, a major transport route.

Yesterday in Lima, Peru's Prime Minister, Yehude Simon met with leaders of AIDESEP, Peru's leading indigenous rights organization.

Last Friday 42 indigenous leaders staged a hunger strike in the Peruvian Congress to demand that the full legislature debate the repeal of the decrees and eight Peruvian Catholic bishops issued a statement saying the decrees were a "twisted concept of development" that "threaten to increase regional poverty" in the Amazon.

The Peruvian government has auctioned off huge swaths of indigenous lands to mining and energy concessions. During the month-long protest, the Garcia administration has signed contracts for another 15 oil concessions - the majority of them in the Amazon.

"The government has not defended us against the oil, mining and logging companies that continue to pollute our communities after they illegally entered our lands," said Alberto Pizango, the president of AIDESEP. "The government is not abiding by international treaties signed by Peru as well as our own Constitution."

"We urge the Garcia administration to refrain from using force and instead enter into meaningful talks with indigenous peoples to resolve their legitimate concerns," said Atossa Soltani, Executive Director of Amazon Watch.

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Security Remains Improved, Progress Continues, Odierno Says

From an overall perspective, security in Iraq remains improved, the Multinational Force Iraq commander said during a Pentagon briefing Friday.

"We continue to see overall levels of violence at or near the lowest level since the summer of 2003 inside of Iraq," Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno said.

In addition, Odierno said, the capacity and capability of the Iraqi security forces is much improved and the Iraqi people understand and continue to reject attempts by al-Qaida and other elements to create a new cycle of sectarian violence.

The general acknowledged that while violence is low, it hasn't been eradicated, as terrorists are intent on conducting high-profile suicide attacks designed to garner attention and spark sectarian discord. April was the deadliest month this year for both American and Iraqi forces.

"I would emphasize that this is not 2006 or 2007," he said. "We have yet to see sectarian retribution, [and] all the political parties and government officials are appropriately disavowing the recent attacks. We continue to see indications that the Iraqis want to move forward, whether it's in the form of voting for their elected leaders, improving economic conditions or normalizing relations with their regional partners."

As the Iraqi government takes greater control of its country's security, U.S. forces are stepping further into the background, Odierno said. Implementation of the status-of-forces agreement between the United States and Iraq is moving along as well, he added.

"We've closed more than 50 installations in Iraq," he said. "We've returned security of the Green Zone to the government of Iraq, and we've turned over the Republican Palace, which served as a U.S. embassy, among other examples."

The general noted that President Barack Obama announced that U.S. forces will end combat operations in Iraq at the end of August 2010, changing over to an advisory and training mission.

"We will maintain a force [of about 35,000 to 50,000] to ensure that we can achieve our new missions while providing sufficient force protection and still be able to conduct counter-terrorism missions," he said.

The Iraqi government also has assumed complete responsibility for paying the "Sons of Iraq" civilian security groups – "a clear sign of resolve" to continue the important program, Odierno said. In fact, the Iraqi government has budgeted more than $300 million to ensure full payment of members for 2009.

"Perhaps even more important, the leadership has shown its determination to move the [Sons of Iraq] members into the Iraqi security forces and other ministries," he said.

Iraq's Council of Ministers approved the integration of 80 percent of the Sons of Iraq into nonsecurity ministries, and 20 percent into the security ministries.

"We are fully aware that the challenges are still in front of us as Iraq continues to evolve," Odierno said. "And as it continues to improve, the problem set actually becomes more complex as we move forward."

Odierno cited evidence of Iran's continued funding, training and equipping of surrogates who continue to conduct disruptive operations in Iraq.

While Iranian interference has lessened, he said, this behavior is not what Iraq should expect from a neighbor. Iran has an opportunity to form a positive relationship with Iraq based on respect for Iraq's sovereignty, he said. Syria also could improve its relations with Iraq, he added, if it demonstrated a commitment not to allow foreign fighters intent on causing trouble in Iraq to stage from within its borders.

The impact of the global economic crisis has not been lost on Iraq either, Odierno said. With much of its economy tied to the price of oil, and with oil prices slipping, the Iraqi economy has taken some blows.

"[The Iraqi government] will have to make some very difficult decisions between Iraqi security force modernization, service improvement and infrastructure investment over the next couple years," he said.

At the end of 2011, when all U.S. forces are out of Iraq, it doesn't mean the U.S. relationship with the country will end, the general said, noting a second agreement between the two nations.

"The second was the strategic framework agreement, which is designed to ensure cooperation in many areas between the United States and the government of Iraq," Odierno said. "[This includes] areas such as medical, cultural, scientific, economic and other endeavors that will strengthen the country and help our two countries enjoy a long and enduring friendship based on mutual respect as sovereign nations."

He said he hopes Iraq can achieve long-term stability and develop a common vision for the way ahead.

"An Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors is able to defend and protect its people against internal and external threats and is a respectful participant in the community of nations is achievable, but much work is still ahead," Odierno said.

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
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Better-equipped National Guard Still Faces Critical Shortages

Equipment critical to both domestic and warfighting missions and aircraft essential to guarding the nation's air sovereignty remain areas of concern for the National Guard.

That was the message Air Force Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, director of the Air National Guard, and Army Maj. Gen. Raymond W. Carpenter, acting deputy director of the Army National Guard, gave members of the House Armed Services Committee's air and land forces subcommittee May 5.

"The Army has made great progress toward improving equipping levels within the Army National Guard," Carpenter said. "In recent years, the Army has made an unprecedented level of investment in Army National Guard equipment."

But both Carpenter and Wyatt said more needs to be done – and the Air Guard director sounded a warning about aging F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighter aircraft.

"Our primary concern is that 80 percent of the F-16s, the backbone of our air-sovereignty alert force, will begin reaching the end of their service life in eight years," Wyatt said. "We need solutions for what we in the Air National Guard refer to as the 'mid-term gap,' and for long-term recapitalization. Neither of these can be sacrificed.

"If we sacrifice the mid-term, we risk uncovering a critical line of defense. If we sacrifice the long term, or fifth generation, we risk what can best be referred to as our children and grandchildren's critical edge. Everything has to be on the table. This infrastructure of equipment is not just fighters; it includes tankers, air traffic control, command and control, security and communications – the entire system supporting and protecting our nation's last line of defense."

Critical dual-use items needed for both domestic and overseas missions are a top priority for the Army National Guard and the National Guard Bureau, Carpenter told committee members.

"It is ... important to note that a significant quantity of critical dual-use equipment, while it may have been issued to [Army National Guard] units, is chronically unavailable to governors ... due to continuing rotational deployments," Carpenter said.

Modernizing the truck fleet, procuring more battle command equipment and expanding stocks of water purification systems, generators, material-handling equipment, field feeding systems, tactical ambulances and aviation ground equipment are key concerns for the Army National Guard.

"We appreciate ... the strong interest of the Congress and the Department of Defense in closing the gap between our domestic requirements and the available equipment in our armories and motor pools," Carpenter said.

"Shortfalls in equipment will impact the Air National Guard's ability to support the National Guard's response to disasters and terrorist incidents in the homeland," Wyatt warned. "Improved equipping strengthens readiness for both overseas and homeland missions and improves our capability to train on mission-essential equipment."

The 1950s technology used by air traffic controllers and the 40 percent of the Air National Guard's vehicles that are at or beyond their life expectancy also are areas of concern for the Air Guard, he added.

The hearing was intended to get a straightforward assessment of the National Guard's equipment levels in light of the Commission of the National Guard and Reserves recommendation that the Guard be equipped and resourced as an operational reserve rather than the Cold War model of a strategic reserve, said U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, the committee chairman.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is expected to provide Congress with a detailed budget in the coming weeks, and the directors said they could provide more information once that budget is released.

By Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill
Special to American Forces Press Service
Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill serves at the National Guard Bureau
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U.S. Praises Morocco's 'Comprehensive Counterterrorism Approach' and 'International Cooperation' to Combat Rising al-Qaeda Threat in Sahara

/PRNewswire / -- The following is being released by the Moroccan American Center for Policy:

Yesterday, the U.S. State Department praised the Kingdom of Morocco's "comprehensive counterterrorism approach" as it works with the U.S. and its regional and international partners to combat the growing transnational threat from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and other terrorist groups.

"The Government of Morocco, and frequently the King himself, regularly and strongly condemned terrorist acts, wherever they occurred," said the annual report to Congress submitted by the State Dept.'s Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. "The Moroccan government pursued a comprehensive counterterrorism approach that, building on popular rejection of terrorism, emphasizes neutralizing existing terrorist cells through traditional law enforcement and preemptive security measures, and prevented terrorist recruitment through comprehensive counter-radicalization policies."

The report detailed the success Morocco has seen from its multi-faceted strategy and social reforms to combat terrorism, which goes far beyond "traditional security measures." Specifically, the report highlighted Morocco's $1.2 billion National Human Development Initiative "aimed at ameliorating the socio-economic factors that terrorists exploit" as well as the official sanction of mourchidates, or female spiritual guides, whose role is to promote moderation and religious tolerance in mosques across the Kingdom and in Moroccan immigrant communities abroad.

The report also stressed that a key to Morocco's counterterrorism efforts has been "its emphasis on international cooperation" which has helped Moroccan authorities "disrupt plots to attack Moroccan, U.S. and other Western-affiliated targets, and aggressively investigat[e] numerous individuals associated with international terrorist groups."

"For more than 220 years, Morocco and the United States have continuously worked together to combat security threats to both countries - from piracy on the high seas in the late 1700's to today's increasing terrorist challenge in the Sahara and elsewhere," said Robert M. Holley, executive director of the Moroccan American Center for Policy. "The U.S. and Morocco must work even more closely with its international partners on these critical issues to protect and advance the lives of millions in North Africa, as well as the broader international community."

Yesterday's State Department report underscores many of the same concerns raised in recent weeks by 233 Members of Congress in a letter to President Barack Obama, which states that "[v]ital U.S. interests in North Africa are increasingly challenged by growing regional instability." The Members - representing a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives as well as the highest ranking members of the Democratic and Republican leadership - called on President Obama to strengthen U.S. support for Morocco's compromise autonomy proposal to peacefully resolve the Western Sahara conflict, which they consider to be the "single greatest obstacle impeding the security cooperation necessary to combat this transnational threat."

In March, a special report, "Why the Maghreb Matters," released by the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies and the Conflict Management Program at Johns Hopkins University, presented the recommendations of a distinguished panel including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Ret. General Wesley Clark and former Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat. The panel noted the 400% spike in terrorist attacks in the region since 9/11 and advocated increased U.S. engagement with Morocco and other North Africa nations to protect American security interests and to thwart a growing peril from al-Qaeda terrorists in the Sahara.

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Extremists' Defeat Requires Commitment, Centcom Commander Says

A substantial and sustained commitment is required to disrupt and ultimately defeat al-Qaida and other extremist elements in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the commander of U.S. Central Command told a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee on Friday.

"The strategy described by President [Barack] Obama several weeks ago constitutes such a commitment," Army Gen. David H. Petraeus told members of the military construction, Veterans Affairs and related agencies subcommittee. "Although ... additional resources will be applied in different ways on either side of the [border between Afghanistan and Pakistan], Afghanistan and Pakistan comprise a single theater that require comprehensive, whole-of-governments approaches that are closely coordinated."

Afghanistan requires a comprehensive counterinsurgency approach, which is what Army Gen. David D. McKiernan, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan and NATO's International Security Assistance Force will work to execute with the additional U.S. and coalition resources that will arrive there over the summer, Petraeus said.

The additional forces will provide increased capability to secure and serve the people, pursue extremists, support Afghan security forces development, reduce illegal narcotics and help develop capabilities that will increase the legitimacy of both Afghan local and national governance, Petraeus said.

"A major focus of our efforts in Afghanistan is building the Afghan security forces so that they are capable of assuming full responsibility for their country's security over time," the general said. "As was the case in Iraq, additional forces will only be of value if they are employed properly."

The increase of U.S. forces in Afghanistan has created new critical infrastructure requirements. Expanded contingency construction authorities for Afghanistan and across the area of responsibility provide an important interim solution, Petraeus said. He added his gratitude for the committee's support of the expansion.

Turning to Pakistan, Petraeus said the situation there is closely linked to that in Afghanistan.

"The extremists that have established sanctuaries in Pakistan's rugged border areas not only contributed to the deterioration of security in eastern and southern Afghanistan, they also pose an ever-more serious threat to Pakistan's very existence," he said. "Al-Qaida senior leadership and other transnational extremist elements are located in Pakistan, and have carried out an increasing number of suicide bombings and other attacks."

In addition, they have carried out attacks in India and Afghanistan, as well as various countries outside the region, including the United Kingdom, Petraeus said, and also have continued efforts to carry out attacks in the United States.

Though the Pakistani military has stepped up operations in parts of Pakistan's ungoverned tribal areas in response to the increased concern over this activity, much more work is required, the general told the lawmakers.

"Given our relationship with Pakistan and its military over the years, it is important that the United States be seen as a reliable ally in assisting with that work," Petraeus said. "The Pakistani military has been fighting a tough battle against extremists for more than seven years."

The U.S. military will focus its assistance in two main areas, the general said. It will expand its partnership with the Pakistani military and help it build its counterinsurgency capabilities by providing training, equipment and assistance.

"Second, we will promote closer cooperation across the Afghan-Pakistan border by providing training, equipment, facilities and intelligence capabilities and by bringing together Afghan and Pakistani military officers to enable coordination between the forces on either side of the border," Petraeus said.

These efforts, he said, would be aided substantially by the Pakistani Counterinsurgency Capability Fund.

"Pakistan is a unique situation and nuanced authorities," the Centcom commander said. "[Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard] Holbrooke and I have determined that we need both foreign-military financing and PCCF to accomplish our mission."

He explained the Pakistani Counterinsurgency Capability Fund will allow the U.S. military to expand and focus its security development plan with Pakistan, but added that the rest of the region poses challenges.

"As we increase our focus on, and efforts in, Afghanistan and Pakistan, we must not lose sight of other important missions in the Centcom [area of responsibility]," Petraeus said. "There has for example, been substantial progress in Iraq, but numerous challenges still confront its leaders and its people."

Despite these challenges, Petraeus said, progress is being made in Iraq, especially in the development of the Iraqi security forces. This steady progress has enabled the continued transition of security responsibility to Iraqi elements, further reductions of coalition forces and the steady withdrawal of U.S. units from urban areas, he said.

"We are thus on track in implementing the security agreement with the government of Iraq and in executing the strategy laid out by the president," Petraeus said.

Iran also remains a major concern for Centcom, the general said. The country continues to carry out destabilizing activities in the region and is continuing development of nuclear capabilities and missile systems that many consider to be linked to the pursuit of nuclear weapons and delivery means.

"Iran's actions and rhetoric have, in fact, prompted our partners in the Gulf to seek closer relationships with us than we have had with some of them in decades," Petraeus said. "We are also helping to bolster the Gulf states and the Central Asian states to help them deal with threats to their security, which range from al-Qaida to robust militia and organized criminal elements."

The United States also is working with partner nations to counter piracy and to combat illegal narcotics production and trafficking, and to interdict arms smuggling. All of these activities threaten stability and the rule of law, and often provide financing for extremists, he said.

"Finally, in all of these endeavors, we seek to foster comprehensive approaches by ensuring that military efforts are fully integrated with broader diplomatic, economic and developmental efforts," Petraeus said. "There will be nothing easy about the way ahead in Afghanistan or Pakistan, or in many of the other tasks in the Central Command area.

"Much hard work lies before us," he continued, "but it is clear that achieving the objectives of these missions is vital, and it is equally clear that these endeavors will require sustained, substantial commitment and unity of effort of all involved."

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
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Mullen, Gates Share Deep Concern Over Pakistan

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff expressed deep concern on Friday that "events continue to move in the wrong direction" in Pakistan and that the situation there may be approaching a tipping point.

"I think we're certainly closer to the tipping point," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told Ann Curry of NBC-TV's "Today" show, who is traveling with him in the region. "I don't think that we're there."

Mullen said he shares Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's concerns that the Taliban have taken full control of Pakistan's Swat Valley. Clinton told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on April 22 this trend "poses a mortal threat to the security and safety of our country and the world."

U.S. officials fear it's giving extremists a safe haven for launching attacks in Pakistan as well as Afghanistan.

"I'm increasingly both concerned and frustrated at the progression of the danger," Mullen said.

Mullen's comments were aired this morning as yet-unconfirmed news reports said the Taliban had begun to withdraw its forces from the Buner Valley, 60 miles from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.

Yesterday, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates emphasized the gravity of the Taliban's increasing influence and control in Pakistan, and the need for a strong Pakistani response.

"My hope is that there will be an increasing recognition on the part of the Pakistani government that the Taliban in Pakistan are in fact an existential threat to the democratic government of that country," Gates told reporters who traveled with him to Camp Lejeune, N.C., to visit deploying Marines.

"I think that some of the leaders certainly understand that, but it is important that they not only recognize it but take the appropriate actions to deal with it," Gates said.

What happens in Pakistan directly affects Afghanistan, he said. "The stability and longevity of democratic government in Pakistan is central to the efforts of the coalition in Afghanistan, and it is also central to our future partnership with the government in Islamabad," he told reporters.

"We want to support them. We want to be helpful in any way we can," Gates said. "But it is important that they recognize the real threats to their country."

Earlier this week, as Mullen visited Combat Outpost Deysie in Afghanistan, commanders reported that Taliban forces are flowing back into Afghanistan after a winter spent training and refitting in Pakistan.

An additional 17,000 U.S. combat troops will begin arriving soon in Afghanistan to focus on this vulnerable region. "We're going as fast as we can go right now," Mullen said. "We want to get it right."

But Mullen said the Pakistani military "has to increase pressure as pressure increases on this side to stop that insurgent flow."

Additional U.S. trainers being sent to Afghanistan will help build capabilities within the Afghan security forces to stand up to these threats. Mullen said success in Afghanistan depends on the Afghan military's ability to provide the security needed for other progress to occur.

"They have to take over the security for their nation," Mullen said. "That's the only way we're successful in the long run."

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
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Mullen Cautions Iraq on Arab-Kurd Confrontations

Iraqi Kurds and Arabs must compromise to realize the full potential of the country, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during a visit to Erbil, Iraq yesterday. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with the president and prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government areas in Iraq. He also visited the U.S. Regional Reconstruction Team for the area. Mullen said there have been tense times between Kurds and Arabs in Iraq, but that any disagreements must be worked out. Cool heads must prevail, the chairman said.

"An outbreak of violence between the peshmerga (armed Kurdish fighters) and the Iraqi security forces would adversely impact the progress the country has made, and I told the Kurdish leaders that," Mullen said during the meeting with reconstruction team. "They know this must not be allowed to happen." The oil-rich city of Kirkuk is a flash point between the regional government and the national government. There have been confrontations between the peshmerga and Iraqi security forces – most recently in February – but they have no escalated to violence. Mullen was struck by the willingness to discuss and compromise from President Massoud Barzani in his meeting. The president also told Mullen that any solution to the PKK problem with Turkey, but be a political one. The PKK is a radical Kurdish group launching terrorist attacks inside neighboring Turkey. Development is key to the region's future, Mullen said.

"This is the civilian face of the Iraq surge," Lucy Tamlyn, the chief of the Regional Reconstruction Team, said to Mullen.

Tamlyn is an economic officer for the State Department. Her most recent assignment before taking the job was in the African nation of Chad. Now she is in charge of development for the three provinces that make up the Kurdistan Regional Government – Erbil, Dahuk and Sulamaniyah. Unlike the more well-known provincial reconstruction teams in the rest of Iraq and in Afghanistan, there are no U.S. servicemembers on the team, although they work with American servicemembers based in the region. The civilian workforce manages a large portfolio of projects aimed at improving life in the three provinces.

"The Kurds like us and they don't want us to leave," Tamlyn said. "We're working with the Kurds on goals they have set including essential services, rule of law issues and developing the private sector." The group also has a strong public diplomacy outreach effort. The area is peaceful and has been a "permissive environment" since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, she said. This means that team members are able to work closely with Kurdish officials on projects across the region. They are also able to train and mentor Kurdish Regional Government officials. Erbil is a booming city in the traditional sense. There are many new buildings and ground has been cleared for even more. Shops are modern and clean and there are road construction projects throughout the city.

"It gets more primitive out(side) of the cities, but that is part of the process as we move forward," Tamlyn said. The U.S. team is helping the Kurds build the infrastructure which includes water projects, electricity and the oil and gas infrastructure.

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
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CanJet Flight 918 - Update

/PRNewswire/ -- April 20th 2009, Halifax, Nova Scotia - CanJet Airlines has set up a toll free number for anyone who may have questions about family or relatives who may have been travelling on CanJet Flight 918.

Family or relatives can call 1-888-777-6429.

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Iraqi-Born Dutch Citizen Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Terrorism Conspiracy Against Americans in Iraq

/PRNewswire / -- An Iraqi-born Dutch citizen was sentenced to 25 years in prison today for conspiring to murder Americans overseas, including by planting roadside bombs targeting U.S. soldiers in Fallujah, Iraq, and by demonstrating on video how these explosives would be detonated to destroy American vehicles and their occupants.

The sentencing of Wesam al-Delaema, age 36, was announced today by David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Jeffrey A. Taylor, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; and Joseph Persichini, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Washington Field Office.

At a hearing today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Paul Friedman imposed the 25-year sentence against al-Delaema for conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals outside the United States. Al-Delaema pleaded guilty to this charge on Feb. 25, 2009. The Court made a finding that this offense was a federal crime of terrorism. In addition, video materials referenced in al-Delaema's factual proffer were played in court for the first time.

On Tuesday, in a separate case, al-Delaema was sentenced in Superior Court for the District of Columbia to 18 months imprisonment for aggravated assault. Al-Delaema pleaded guilty to this charge on March 3, 2009, admitting that he kicked a D.C. prison guard to the point of unconsciousness while the guard was prone on the ground during an incident at the D.C. jail in 2007. The prison guard sustained significant injuries, including a subdural hemorrhage, during the incident.

The sentences for these separate offenses are to be served concurrently and were agreed upon as part of the global plea agreement. According to an agreement between the United States and the Netherlands, al-Delaema will serve out his sentence in the Netherlands.

According to the plea agreement and factual proffers filed in court, between October 2003 and May 2, 2005, al-Delaema entered into an agreement with several co-conspirators to murder U.S. nationals in Iraq. As part of the conspiracy, al-Delaema traveled to Fallujah in October 2003. There, al-Delaema and his co-conspirators -- calling themselves the "Mujahideen from Fallujah" -- declared their intentions to kill Americans in Iraq using improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

As part of the conspiracy, al-Delaema and his co-conspirators discussed and demonstrated, on video, the way in which the IEDs they had buried in a road near Fallujah would be detonated and would destroy American vehicles driving on the road and kill the American occupants of those vehicles.

According to the factual proffer that he agreed to, al-Delaema not only created "how-to" and recruitment videos, but also filmed the effects of roadside attacks in Iraq. Furthermore, after his return to the Netherlands, al-Delaema continued to attempt to obtain propaganda videos for those seeking to kill Americans in Iraq, frequently attempting to obtain raw footage of attacks on Americans in Iraq.

Al-Delaema was arrested by Dutch law enforcement authorities on May 2, 2005, and he initially faced similar charges in that country. Following his arrest, Dutch law enforcement and prosecution authorities worked cooperatively with the FBI in its investigation of al-Delaema's terrorist activities.

In September 2005, the United States filed a formal request with the Netherlands seeking al-Delaema's extradition. The extradition request was subsequently granted by a Dutch court and then by the Dutch Ministry of Justice. In December 2006, the extradition request was sustained on appeal in the Netherlands. In January 2007, al-Delaema was flown to the United States, arrested and taken into custody by the FBI.

"This case represents the first use of U.S. criminal courts to prosecute an individual for terrorism offenses against Americans in Iraq," said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. "The sentence imposed today should serve notice that the United States will use all available tools to pursue those who would plot attacks against our men and women serving in Iraq."

"The actions of this defendant were repugnant and contributed to the considerable violence against Americans in Iraq," stated U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor. "This case, which represents the first use of the United States criminal courts to prosecute an individual for terrorism offenses against Americans in Iraq, demonstrates our resolve to use every tool at our disposal to defend Americans, both at home and abroad."

"The FBI is prepared at a moments notice to vigorously investigate injuries and threats to citizens, whether they occur in or outside the United States," said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Joseph Persichini, Jr. "We would particularly like to thank our Dutch law enforcement partners who worked with us for the past four years to bring this case to fruition."

The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI's Washington Field Office, with assistance from the Dutch National Police Agency and the National Office of the Public Prosecutor in the Netherlands. The Office of International Affairs in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice coordinated the extradition efforts on behalf of the United States.

The prosecutors handling the case are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregg Maisel and Rachel Lieber of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney David I. Miller of the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department's National Security Division.

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U.S. Wrong on Somalia; Center Will Soon Appoint an Attorney for Somali Pirate in U.S. Custody

/PRNewswire / -- The Somali Justice Advocacy Center expresses a great deal of concern over the current U.S. policy in effect towards Somalia. The current geopolitical situation involving U.S. policy towards Somalia is one of abandonment.

The consequences of the absence of the Wilsonian idealism which American policy has stood for, and the continuation of a policy of non-engagement has clearly become catastrophic. This failed U.S. policy has led to factions that proliferate and strive while Al Qaeda is now shifting and controlling most of the southern Somalia.

Somali Justice Advocacy Center furthermore expresses a concern over recent U.S. and French deadly military action against the pirates. This endangered the lives of many other hostages in Somalia. The Center is involved in talks to release a Nigerian ship with ten crewmen who are now hostages in Somalia.

The pirates in Somalia are currently holding more than 200 hostages along the coastline and more on their ships.

Somali Justice Advocacy Center appeals to the international community to pay close attention to the plight of the Somali people and help the reinstitution of minimum law and order in the country. Somali Justice Advocacy Center will soon appoint a lawyer to the surviving pirate now in U.S. custody. The Center finds the idea of persecuting a Somali pirate in U.S. courts odd and illegal in strict accordance with international law. The Center furthermore believes the agreement between U.S. and Kenya to persecute Somali pirates in the Kenyan judicial system should be null and void. The Center asks the U.S. to hand over the Somali pirate to the Puntland administration in Somalia.

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WJS: Warnings on Iran

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the nuclear threat from Tehran.
Benjamin Netanyahu formally became Israel's Prime Minister last week, and he could not have been blunter about the strategic challenge ahead: "It is a mark of disgrace for humanity that several decades after the Holocaust the world's response to the calls by Iran's leader to destroy the state of Israel is weak, there is no condemnation and decisive measures -- almost as if dismissed as routine." He added, "We cannot afford to take lightly megalomaniac tyrants who threaten to annihilate us."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123897499619091093.html#mod=djemEditorialPage

Financial Crisis Puts New Urgency on Security, Chairman Says

The global financial crisis is adding a layer of uncertainty that could exacerbate problems in many parts of the world, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said on NBC-TV's "Today Show" Thursday morning.

"This global financial crisis in the months ahead could have a significant effect on security around the world," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told host Matt Lauer during the interview. "That creates an additional sense of urgency [for leaders] in resolving that as fast as we can."

The chairman did not speculate as to where problems might crop up. Some obvious groups may take advantage of the added uncertainty of the financial crisis in their areas, but there are other areas in which planners may not have advance warning.

"We're not very good at predicting the future," Mullen acknowledged. "My concern is that as governments struggle to take care of their people, those shortfalls could result in increased pressures on those governments to provide for their people. That could result in increased levels of instability."

Mullen also touched on the importance of civilian experts and the troop-level increase in Afghanistan.

Civilian experts are needed to help put the Afghan governance infrastructure in place and to coach Afghans in the various ministries. Civilian experts also are needed to advise provincial and village councils.

Building government entities, improving agriculture and creating jobs will help improve the long-range outlook for Afghanistan. "That aspect of moving forward is really critical, and we haven't had that to date," Mullen noted.

The increase in U.S. troop levels that President Barack Obama has announced will serve two purposes, the chairman said. The 17,000 additional forces are combat troops and "are really focused on turning the tide with respect to the violence level and providing security for the Afghan people," he said. "Our center of gravity is the Afghan people who we've got to get to a point where they feel secure."

The chairman said 4,000 additional soldiers will train the Afghan security forces, and are the long-term aspect of the new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy the president announced last week.

"The exit strategy in Afghanistan is to have them provide for their own security -- the police the army -- and those 4,000 troops will be focused on that," Mullen said.

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
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Social Software Keys Information Sharing, Security, Researchers Say

Social software such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter may close information gaps on the battlefield by advancing collaboration and information sharing among warfighters and analysts, according to researchers at the National Defense University.

"Social tools ... give people platforms to share information with each other in ways that you really can't do with e-mail or some more traditional forms of communication," said Mark Drapeau, associate research fellow at NDU's Center for Technology and National Security Policy during an April 1 "Armed with Science" audio webcast on Pentagon Web Radio.

"Every warfighter wants the right information at the right time, but in many cases it is very hard to know what the 'relevant' information is in advance," Drapeau said. "Social software can facilitate simple sharing of possibly relevant information to supplement traditional methods, yielding better knowledge for better decision-making."

Social software encompasses a broad range of tools that connect people and promote information sharing over networks such as the Internet. These tools include social networking, video and photo sharing, blogs, wikis, and instant messaging.

While many social software tools are freely available to the public, cyber security concerns, infrastructure limitations, employee demographics and existing federal policy have hindered the integration of these tools in the federal workplace.

"[The Defense Department] is simply the largest organization in the world. Large organizations, in general, are not very good at sharing information," Drapeau said.

Drapeau is working with Linton Wells II, former chief information officer for the Pentagon, on a soon-to-be published research paper that proposes a framework for how the department can use emerging social software to increase information sharing, transparency, and engagement with the public. The paper will address the national security and intelligence concerns that have limited the use of these tools, he said.

Drapeau compared the balance between information sharing and security to the balance between inhaling and exhaling. "We need both," he said.

"While cyber security is a very serious and important issue, completing your mission is a more serious and important issue," Drapeau said. "People need access to tools that will help them accomplish their mission."

Social software has played a role in a number of international events with U.S. national security implications. During last year's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, citizens used the micro-blogging platform, Twitter, to share information about the events as they happened in real-time. In March, the State Department used Twitter to deny rumors that could possibly have led to a siege on the American Embassy in Madagascar.

The push to incorporate social software into the Defense Department is in line with a memo President Barack Obama issued in January, "Transparency and Open Government," which directs leaders to foster in their agencies a system of transparency, public participation and collaboration by leveraging emerging information technologies, including social software.

Drapeau said this effort extends beyond just allowing the use of social software in the department.

"It means the government being more accountable to the people, being more transparent to the people, and working better with the people," he said.

(Author John Ohab holds a doctorate in neuroscience and works for the Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media directorate.)
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Former U.S. Navy Member Abu-Jihaad Sentenced for Disclosing Classified Info‏

Nora R. Dannehy, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and other federal officials announced that Hassan Abu-Jihaad, formerly known as Paul R. Hall, 33, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Mark R. Kravitz in New Haven to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for disclosing previously classified information relating to the national defense.

“This defendant provided classified information to others with the understanding that it could be used to endanger the lives of hundreds of members of the United States Navy, and we are pleased that the court imposed the maximum prison term allowed under the law,” Acting U.S. Attorney Dannehy stated. “I want to acknowledge the efforts of all the agents, analysts and prosecutors involved in this matter who have worked diligently over the course of several years to bring this defendant to justice.”

According to the evidence provided at trial, in 2001, four or five months after the October 2000 attack on the U.S.S. Cole, Abu-Jihaad provided classified information regarding the movements of a United States Navy battle group, which was charged with enforcing sanctions against the Taliban and engaging in missions against Al Qaeda, to Azzam Publications, a London-based organization that is alleged to have provided material support and resources to persons engaged in acts of terrorism through the creation and use of various internet web sites, e-mail communications, and other means, including www.azzam.com.

Between approximately February 2000 and the end of 2001, the web site http://www.azzam.comwww.azzam.com was hosted on the computer web servers of a web hosting company located in Trumbull, Connecticut. At the time the classified information was disclosed to Azzam Publications, Abu-Jihaad was an enlistee in the United States Navy on active duty in the Middle East and was stationed aboard the U.S.S. Benfold, one of the ships in the battle group whose movements were disclosed.

Evidence presented at trial indicated that, in December 2003, British law enforcement officers recovered a computer floppy disk in a residence of one of the operators of Azzam Publications. Forensic analysis of the disk disclosed a password-protected Microsoft Word document setting forth previously classified information regarding the upcoming movements of a U.S. Naval battle group as it was to transit from San Diego to its deployment in the Persian Gulf in 2001. The document went on to discuss the battle group’s perceived vulnerability to terrorist attack.

According to the evidence at trial, subsequent investigation uncovered several email exchanges from late 2000 to late 2001 between members of Azzam Publications and Abu-Jihaad, including discussions regarding videos Abu-Jihaad ordered from Azzam Publications that promoted violent jihad and extolled the virtues of martyrdom; a small donation of money Abu-Jihaad made to Azzam Publications; and whether it was “safe” to send materials to Abu-Jihaad at his military address onboard the U.S.S. Benfold.

In another email exchange with Azzam Publications, Abu-Jihaad described a recent force protection briefing given aboard his ship, voiced enmity toward America, praised Usama bin Laden and the mujahideen, praised the October 2000 attack on the U.S.S. Cole – which Abu-Jihaad described as a “martyrdom operation,” – and advised the members of Azzam Publications that such tactics were working and taking their toll. The email response from Azzam Publications encouraged Abu-Jihaad to “keep up... the psychological warefare [sic].”

The evidence at trial also indicated that Abu-Jihaad’s contact information – namely, his Navy email account – was among the few saved in an Azzam Publications online address book.

The evidence at trial included the testimony of six Navy witnesses indicating, among other things, that as a Signalman in the Navigation Division of the U.S.S. Benfold during the 2001 deployment, Abu-Jihaad had access to certain classified information, including advance knowledge of the battle group’s movements.

The evidence at trial also included court-authorized wiretap recordings, during which Abu-Jihaad used coded conversation to refer to jihad; admonished others not to speak openly about jihad over the phone or on the Internet because it was “tapped”; and discussed having conversations with associates using a shredder and after frisking them for electronic components.

The calls played for the jury also included Abu-Jihaad’s use of the terms “hot meals” and “cold meals” in reference to his current and former ability, respectively, to provide inside information or intelligence about potential U.S. military targets. Abu-Jihaad told an associate that he “hadn’t been on that job in X amount of years . . . to see . . . what the fresh meal is,” and in 2006, told another associate that he had not “been in the field of making meals” for more than four years. The evidence established that Abu-Jihaad had left the U.S. Navy in 2002.

On March 5, 2008, a federal jury in New Haven found Abu-Jihaad guilty of one count of providing material support of terrorism, and one count disclosing previously classified information relating to the national defense. On March 4, 2009, Judge Kravitz partially granted a defense motion for a judgment of acquittal on the material support of terrorism charge. The charge of disclosing previously classified information relating to the national defense carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Acting U.S. Attorney Dannehy commended the substantial efforts and cooperation of the several federal law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”); the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Haven, Phoenix and Chicago; the United States Attorney’s Offices in Phoenix and Chicago; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and the Internal Revenue Service’ Electronic Crimes Program.

Acting U.S. Attorney Dannehy also praised the substantial efforts of law enforcement authorities from the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter-Terrorism Command within New Scotland Yard, whose efforts and assistance have been essential in the investigation of this matter.

This case is being pursued by a Task Force out of Connecticut consisting of law enforcement officers from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service’s Electronic Crimes Program; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

The case is being prosecuted by a team of federal prosecutors including Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Reynolds and William Nardini from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, Trial Attorney Alexis Collins from the Counter-Terrorism Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division in Washington and Trial Attorney Rick Green from the Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist David Heath.

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