count


count

Count

May 23: 2954

June 12 3195 11:45 p
June 13 3210 10:30p
June 14 3228 7:30p
June 15 3238
June 16 3249 11:45p
June 18 3274 8 a.m.
June 18 3288 10p.m
June 20 3350 11p.m
June 22 3371 8 a.m.
June 23 3381 10 a.m.
June 24 3408 10 p.m
June 26 3435 8 a,m.

June 27 3455 4p.m.
June 28 3465 9p.m.
June 29 3486 7p.m.
June 30 3501 11p.m.
July 1, 3547 11.p.m.
July 2 3585
JUly 3 3649 11 p.m.
July 6 3718 4p.m.
July 15 3830 10 p.m.
July 16 3885 11 p.m.
July 18 3997 1 p.m. afternoon
July 19 4024 1:30 p "
July 20 4071 1 p

Anbar Situation Has 'Turned the Corner,' U.S. General Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2007 – The security situation in Anbar province has greatly improved in recent months, thanks to additional U.S. troops provided by the surge and the growing presence of trained and vetted Iraqi soldiers and police, a senior U.S. military officer said today.

Statistics show that daily insurgent-generated violence, as measured by small-arms, mortar and improvised-explosive-device attacks, has decreased in Anbar since this time last year, Marine Maj. Gen. Walter E. Gaskin, commanding general of Multinational Force West, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference.
"I can report that the future of the province looks promising," said Gaskin, who has commanded MNF-West for about six months. But there remains "a lot of work left to do in al Anbar," he cautioned, noting al Qaeda in Iraq is still active in the province.
Still, trends show the surge of U.S. forces is having an effect on insurgent operations in Anbar, the general said, adding that he believes "we have turned the corner."
Gaskin said the province experienced 428 insurgent attacks during July 13-19, 2006. This year, from July 12-18, Anbar experienced just 98 extremist-mounted attacks, he said. Combined with other recent developments, the statistics demonstrate that the counter-insurgent strategy of clear, hold and build is working in Anbar province, Gaskin said.
Today, about 34,000 Iraqi soldiers and police in Anbar province work side by side with U.S. troops, Gaskin pointed out.
"We owe the lion's share of the progress we've experienced to the hard work, dedication and in some cases, bravery, of the Iraqi forces," Gaskin said, noting there are now Iraqi police in every major city of the province.
Gaskin said the combat-tested 1st Iraqi Army Division, "plans and operates independently in their own battle space," while the new 7th Iraqi Army Division is quickly progressing in capability.
"The Iraqi police, the Iraqi army and the coalition forces in Anbar stand together," Gaskin pointed out, as efforts continue to train and equip Iraqi soldiers and police to become self-sustaining.
The increase of U.S. troops in Anbar generated by the surge provides the capacity to go after al Qaeda insurgents, as Iraqi soldiers, police and militia push them out of the cities and into the province's hinterlands, the general explained.
Gaskin said surge forces have become a crucial part of the progress achieved in Anbar province, noting the additional troops have enabled his troops to maintain a persistent presence in an area north of Fallujah that has long been considered an enemy gathering point.
From that area, "there are multiple avenues of approach into the western belts of Baghdad," Gaskin observed.
The sailors and Marines of the 13th Expeditionary Unit have been blocking insurgent incursions from Anbar into Baghdad and its environs, Gaskin said, and they are denying the enemy the needed time and opportunity to plan attacks and to rest and refit.
Additionally, U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces in Anbar have been finding large weapons caches and car-bomb-making facilities on a daily basis, he said.
Gaskin said he's also buoyed by the fielding of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles into his area of operations. The armored vehicles feature V-shaped hulls that protect crews from underside blasts caused by armor-penetrating IEDs.
"We have about 200 of those MRAPs in al Anbar," Gaskin said, noting the vehicles are proving to be "real lifesavers." The addition of the MRAPs, he added, has enabled an increase of IED-clearance teams that patrol local streets and roads. The vehicles, he said, are being flown into Iraq straight from the factory to reduce fielding time. Gaskin anticipates that he'll have about 1,000 MRAPs by the end of this year.
And the recent development of Anbar's sheikhs turning against al Qaeda is more welcome news, Gaskin said, noting the province's tribal leaders are now encouraging their young men to join the Iraqi army and police, as well as forming government-vetted, anti-insurgent militias.
Most Sunni leaders in Anbar now view their boycott of the 2005 elections as a mistake, the general said, and they're now more amenable to working with the central government in Baghdad.
Gaskin said he sees more opportunity as well as challenges in the months ahead. Increased numbers of trained and vetted Iraqi security forces operating in Anbar, including additional police patrolling the province's major cities, free up more U.S. troops for mentoring duty with Iraqi military and police units.
Meanwhile, the building of logistics capability across the Iraqi security forces continues to be a challenging, but doable task, the general said.
At the same time, "we need to stay focused on combating the terrorist threat that remains very real and very dangerous," Gaskin pointed out. "But, we must begin by training both the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army in sustaining themselves with Iraqi systems and decreasing their reliance on coalition forces."
Pay problems experienced within Iraqi military and police forces are being addressed and fixed, the general noted. And the 7th Iraqi Army Division took control of its motor-transport regiment July 11, he said.
Training Iraq's military and police forces to enable them to equip and re-supply their forces "is the next crucial step" in their development, Gaskin said.
The "sons of Anbar" deserve credit for increasingly stepping up and taking responsibility for their security, and the improved performance and capabilities demonstrated by Iraqi soldiers and police serving in the province signify "an unprecedented achievement," Gaskin said.

Iranian Public Ready to Deal on Nuclear Weapons, But Not Uranium Enrichment

The Iranian public is ready to support a deal committing the Iranian government to renounce the development of nuclear weapons and allow full inspections. Iranians are not willing, however, to support giving up the enrichment of uranium for nuclear energy.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the August 2006 inauguration of the Arak heavy water reactor (Iranian government photo)

A new poll by sponsored by Terror Free Tomorrow and conducted by D3 Systems shows that a slight majority of Iranians (52%) believe their country should develop nuclear weapons. Nonetheless, overwhelming majorities support a deal under which Iran would provide “full inspections and a guarantee not to develop or possess nuclear weapons” in exchange for incentives, including:

• trade and capital investment overall to create more jobs (favored by 80%)
• trade and capital investment in energy refineries to lower the price of gasoline (79%)
• medical, education and humanitarian assistance to Iranian people in need (80%)
• technological assistance for developing peaceful nuclear energy (80%)

A slight majority (51%) would also be willing to offer “full transparency by Iran to assure there are no Iranian endeavors to develop or possess nuclear weapons” as part of a process of normalizing relations with the United States.

Iranians are not ready to negotiate away their nuclear energy program, however. In the Terror Free Tomorrow (TFT) poll an extraordinarily high 92 percent approves (78% strongly) of Iran’s effort to develop nuclear energy.

In June 2006, the United States, Russia, China, Britain, Germany and France offered Iran a package of economic incentives in return for a commitment to stop enriching uranium. Iran rejected the offer, maintaining that its enrichment program serves only peaceful purposes. Since then the United Nations Security Council has twice approved sanctions aimed at forcing Iran’s leadership to change its mind.

Soft Support for Nuclear Weapons

Polls from other organizations also suggest that though Iranians support nuclear energy, they do not put a high priority on developing nuclear weapons. A WPO poll conducted in the fall of 2006 found that two thirds approved of Iran being part of the NPT, even when reminded that this meant Iran was prohibited from developing nuclear weapons. Only 15 percent favored Iran withdrawing from the treaty while 60 percent were opposed.

The TFT poll shows that only 29 percent of Iranians consider “developing an arsenal of nuclear weapons” to be a “very important long-term goal” for the government of Iran. In contrast, “improving the Iranian economy” is considered very important by 88 percent and “seeking trade and political relations with Western countries” by 47 percent.

Together these results suggest that Iranian support for developing nuclear weapons is soft and that they may view their nuclear program as a bargaining chip. A slight majority would be willing to forego the development of nuclear weapons in order to normalize relations with the United States and overwhelming majorities would do so in exchange for economic incentives.

Strong Support for Enrichment

The 2006 WPO poll found that nine out of 10 Iranian respondents thought it was “important” for Iran to have a full-fuel-cycle program, including a remarkably high 84 percent who said “very important” and another 7 percent who viewed it as “somewhat important.” Only 4 percent said such a program was not important.

In contrast to their willingness to renounce nuclear weapons in exchange for incentives, Iranians showed strong resistance to negotiating away Iran’s ability to enrich uranium. The survey presented Iranian respondents with a series of incentives that might be offered in exchange for giving up its program and then asked how significant each one was. In no case did a majority of Iranians consider the incentives significant.

The incentives dismissed as insignificant included the “US making an official commitment to not use military force against Iran” (dismissed by 66%), “repealing US legislation calling for regime change in Iran” (64%), “Europe committing to ensure Iranian access to enriched uranium” (62%), “lifting US economic sanctions against Iran” (59%), “unfreezing Iranian assets held by the US” (57%), and the United States “providing “spare parts for civilian aircraft”(57%). Even transferring “nuclear energy technology to Iran” did not attract much enthusiasm (dismissed by 58%). The one incentive that was only dismissed by a plurality (46%) was allowing Iran to join the WTO.

Iranians also insist that military threats would have little impact on their support for Iran’s nuclear policies. Asked in a May 2005 Zogby poll how they would react if “Iran is faced with military strikes in order to stop its nuclear program,” only 28 percent said that it would make them less likely to support the program. Nearly half (47%) said this would only make them more supportive.

Other scenarios elicited similar responses. Asked how they would react “if Iran is threatened with sanctions by the United Nations,” only 27 percent said they would be less likely to support Iran’s nuclear program and 47 percent said they would be more likely. Fifty-two also said that “if the price Iran paid for its nuclear program was a worsening of its economy,” they would still be more inclined to continue the program (less inclined, 37%).

Tata sets wheels in motion for Ford deal

By Mark Kleinman, Asia Business Editor
Last Updated: 1:10am BST 18/07/2007

Mark Kleinman - A high price for the beautiful game
The Indian car maker Tata Motors is in the early stages of evaluating a bid for the Jaguar and Land Rover marques which, if completed, would rank among India's biggest overseas takeover deals, The Daily Telegraph has learned.


Ratan Tata is India's best-known businessman

Tata Motors, which is controlled by Ratan Tata, India's best-known businessman, is understood to have instructed advisers in the past fortnight to begin evaluating the merits of a joint offer for Jaguar and Land Rover, which have been earmarked for disposal by struggling American car giant Ford. Analysts suggest that Jaguar and Land Rover may fetch about $1.5bn (£735m).

People close to the situation last night said that Tata Motors' evaluation of a bid was at an "exploratory" stage and may not lead to a formal bid for the two brands.

One person familiar with the position said that Tata Motors had signed a confidentiality agreement with Ford in recent days.

Mr Tata is responsible for India's biggest foreign takeover, having acquired the British steel company Corus through his Tata Steel business for £6.7bn earlier this year.

advertisement
Tata Sons, the parent group, has been an acquisitive grower of its businesses, which range from retail and chemicals to IT outsourcing and tea.

The group's automotive unit has been drawing up plans to launch the world's cheapest car, a $2,500 vehicle that could be launched as early as next January. Besides Tata, other car makers may be interested in bidding, while a formal auction would also be likely to attract private equity firms. Cerberus, the US buyout firm, acquired Chrysler this year for just under $7.5bn.

A spokesman for Tata Motors said the group did "not comment on speculation about mergers and acquisitions".

Ford declined to comment.

Information appearing on telegraph.co.uk is the copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited and must not be reproduced in any medium without licence. For the full copyright statement see Copyright

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 19, 2007 – Al Qaeda bombings and other acts of violence conducted across Iraq are designed to incite sectarian strife and create enough chaos and instability to bring down the country's central government, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq told a panel of U.S. legislators here today.

"I have seen attacks from al Qaeda that have been aimed at virtually every community in Iraq," Ryan C. Crocker, who is now about four months into his tour as the top U.S. diplomat in Iraq, told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Deadly al Qaeda-mounted attacks in Iraq have targeted Sunnis, Shiites, Arabs, Turkmen, and Kurds in an attempt to provoke ethnic or tribal retaliations, said Crocker, who spoke to the legislators via satellite from Baghdad.
The Feb. 22, 2006, bombing of the Shiite Golden Mosque in Samarra touched off sectarian violence across Iraq. Terrorism experts point to the Samarra bombing as a classic example taken out of al Qaeda's playbook. The terrorists returned June 13, 2007, to blow up the mosques' two minarets, or praying towers.
Fortunately, he said, al Qaeda "has had fairly limited success in re-igniting" large-scale sectarian violence as was experienced in the immediate aftermath of the first Samarra mosque bombing.
The terror group also targets coalition troops, as well as members of Iraq's military and police forces, which are important symbols of the Iraqi government, Crocker said.
Al Qaeda also has targeted a number of Baghdad's bridges and other civic infrastructure, Crocker said. In addition, al Qaeda is responsible for a recent suicide-vest attack on the Iraqi parliament, he said.
Yet, things are looking up, Crocker said, noting many Sunni tribes in Anbar province now are rejecting al Qaeda and cooperating with the Iraqi government.
Iraq's neighbors can play an important role in lessening al Qaeda's influence in the region, Crocker said, especially in regard to the situation where foreign fighters and ordnance are entering Iraq from Syria and Iran.
Recently initiated regional conferences are promising mechanisms where Iraq and its neighbors can discuss issues of mutual concern, Crocker noted. One such conference, on border security, is slated to be held in Damascus, Syria, in early August, he said.
"This is an opportunity to get all of Iraq's neighbors engaged" in discussions about regional security, Crocker said.
He added that al Qaeda has targeted Saudi Arabia and Egypt for regime change, in addition to its designs on Iraq.
"They have all suffered losses among their citizens from al Qaeda attacks, so they have common cause here, and they need to move forward in that way," Crocker said.
It's paramount, he said, for countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt to ensure their young men don't fall under al Qaeda's spell.
Therefore, continued regional talks are useful tools that will be employed as part of diplomatic efforts to diminish and eliminate al Qaeda's influence in the area, Crocker said.
In mid-September, Crocker and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, are to present their assessment of the effectiveness of the troop surge and the overall situation in Iraq to President Bush, Congress, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.
Also today, Crocker and Petraeus held a secure video teleconference with 50 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 40 U.S. senators during a White House-sponsored meeting at the Pentagon. The conference was held at the Pentagon, a defense official noted, because it possessed a large-enough facility to accommodate it.
Gates and Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, greeted the members of Congress and welcomed them to the Pentagon on behalf of all the men and women in uniform. They then turned the event over to the White House.
Afterward, members of both houses of Congress came away with a good sense of Crocker's and Petraeus' opinions of the current situation in Iraq, the defense official said.