Welcome Back Tony

Just a short note to say...

WELCOME BACK TONY!!!

Tony Snow was back at work today and I’ll put up his White House Press Briefing, from this morning, when the video is up.

No need for me to tell you what has been going on with him and his cancer scare. We’ll let him do it...

> Read Transcript of the Press Gaggle by Tony Snow HERE (Sorry... no White House Video available)

AubreyJ.........

Tony Snow White House File Photo

Photo for the Day - April, 30, 2007

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of Multi-National Corps - Iraq, inspects Zaganiyah Patrol Base in Iraq April 29, 2007, with U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Royce Manis, right, of the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment. Odierno is visiting troops at several newly established bases to answer questions and recognize the Soldiers for their service.
DoD photo by Sgt. Jessica Kent, USMC

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

No. 513-07 April 30, 2007
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
1st Lt. Travis L. Manion, 26, of Doylestown, Pa., died April 29th while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Manion was assigned to 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Camp Pendleton public affairs office at (760) 725-5044.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 512-07 April 30, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Michael R. Hullender, 29, of Little Falls, N.J., died Apr. 28th in Iskandariyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit during combat patrol operations. Hullender was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the U.S. Army Alaska public affairs office at (907) 384-1542.

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

No. 511-07 April 30, 2007
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. William J. Callahan, 28, of South Easton, Mass., died April 27th while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Callahan was assigned to 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the 2nd Marine Logistics Group public affairs office at (910) 451-3538.

Soldier Missing in Action from the Korean War is Identified

No. 510-07 April 30, 2007
Soldier Missing in Action from the Korean War is Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is:
Cpl. Pastor Balanon Jr., U.S. Army, of San Francisco, Calif.
He will be buried May 3rd in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

Representatives from the Army met with Balanon's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the secretary of the Army.

In late October 1950, Balanon was assigned to L Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Calvary Regiment, then engaging enemy forces south of Unsan, North Korea, near a bend in the Kuryong River known as the Camel's Head. Chinese communist forces attacked the 8th Regiment's positions on Nov. 1, 1950, forcing a withdrawal to the south where they were surrounded by the enemy. The remaining survivors in the 3rd Battalion attempted to escape a few days later, but Balanon was declared missing in action on Nov. 2, 1950, in the vicinity of Unsan County.

In 2001, a joint U.S.-North Korean team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), excavated a burial site in Kujang County, south of Unsan County. A North Korean citizen living near the site told the team that the remains were relocated to Kujang after they were discovered elsewhere during a construction project. The battle area was about one kilometer north of the secondary burial site.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in Balanon's identification.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

No. 509-07 April 30, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died April 27th in Fallujah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations. They were assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Killed were:
Spc. Eddie D. Tamez, 21, of Galveston, Texas.
Pfc. David A. Kirkpatrick, 20, of Upland, Ind.

For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Stewart public affairs office at (912) 767-2479.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 506-07 April 30, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Cpl. Jeremy R. Greene, 24, of Springfield, Ohio, died April 28th at Forward Operating Base Tillman, Afghanistan, due to injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident. His death is under investigation.
Greene was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-8286.

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

No. 505-07 April 30, 2007
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Christopher Degiovine, 25, of Lone Tree, Colo. Degiovine died April 26th while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at (910) 450-7200.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 504-07 April 30, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Nicholas E. Riehl, 21, of Shiocton, Wis., died April 27th in Fallujah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit during combat patrol. He was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Stewart public affairs office at (912) 767-2479.

Taking A Moment To Remember Our Fallen Heroes

Some of our bravest gave their all these last few days...

Take a moment to read their names,
(in the posts below/above this one,) and in your own way
thank them for all they have done and were
willing to do for you -- me and this great country of ours…

God bless each and every one of them and their

families, friends and loved ones.

AubreyJ.........

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

No. 503-07 April 30, 2007
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Peter Woodall, 25, of Sarasota, Fla. Woodall died April 27th while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the 2nd Marine Logistics Group public affairs office at (910) 451-3538.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 502-07 April 30, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Daniel F. Mehringer, 20, of Morgantown, W.Va., died April 27th in Bagram, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident. His death is under investigation.
Mehringer was assigned to Division Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 501-07 April 30, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Michael D. Thomas, 34, of Seffner, Fla., died April 27th in Hirat Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire. Thomas was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at (910) 432-6005.

136 Taliban Fighters Killed, Two Detained in Afghanistan

April 30, 2007
Coalition forces killed 136 Taliban combatants and captured two suspects during operations in Afghanistan over the past four days.

During a raid this morning in the Khowst district of Khowst province, coalition forces detained two men at a suspected al Qaeda safe house. Upon arriving at the site, coalition forces discovered the men trying to hide an automatic weapon, ammunition and military-style load-bearing vests.

The raid was conducted based on credible reports of recent sightings of militants and weapons at the compound, military officials said. The detainees will be questioned to determine their identities and their affiliation with violent extremists in the area. No shots were fired, and there were no injuries during the operation.

U.S. Special Forces soldiers, accompanied by Afghan National Police and other coalition members, identified and engaged several Taliban fighting positions 37 miles south of Shindand, in Herat province, while conducting a reconnaissance patrol yesterday.

After gaining intelligence describing Taliban activity in the Zerkoh Valley, coalition and Afghan National Police forces maneuvered into positions to pinpoint and attack the Taliban fighters. Once in position, coalition and Afghan National Police forces initiated the attack on the enemy positions with mortars, small arms and rocket propelled grenades.

A few hours later, additional coalition and Afghan National Army reinforcements arrived. A coalition aircraft was requested and dropped multiple munitions on several identified enemy locations. As Taliban fighters attempted to flee, an AC-130 gunship engaged and killed 26 enemy fighters on both sides of the river valley. A total of seven enemy positions were destroyed, and 87 Taliban fighters were killed during the 14-hour engagement.

Forty-eight hours earlier and under the cover of darkness, U.S. Special Forces and Afghan National Police patrolling near the village of Parmakan, in the Zerkoh Valley, received small-arms and rocket-propelled-grenade fire from more than 70 Taliban fighters.

During the engagement, 49 Taliban fighters, including two local Taliban leaders, were killed by a combination of small-arms fire and close-air support. As was previously reported on April 27, one U.S. Army soldier was killed in the engagement.

Every precaution was taken to prevent injury to innocent Afghan civilians during the two battles, and there were no civilian injuries reported, U.S. officials said.

"Taliban fighters are no match for ANP and coalition forces," said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a Combined Joint Task Force 82 spokesman. "We will intensify our operations to rid Afghanistan of all Taliban and foreign fighters who harm innocent Afghan civilians and threaten the government of Afghanistan."
(Taken from a news article by DoD’s American Forces Press Service that was compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 82 news releases)

Al-Qaeda Video Urges Bombs and Fire on Israel

An al-Qaeda leader called on the Islamist Hamas group to fight Israel with “bombs and fire” in an Internet video posted on Sunday, days after militants launched rockets into southern Israel breaking a ceasefire... “Where is revenge, where are the bombs, where is the fire?” Abu Yahya al-Libi asked members of the military wing of Hamas in a video posted on a website used by Islamist militant groups...
Read this story in full at YNETnews.com

US, Iraqi raid in Mahmudiyah nets Iranian-marked rockets, mortars - eight suspected extremists detained

Saturday, April 28, 2007
A U.S. and Iraqi raid in a Mahmudiyah apartment complex detained eight suspected extremists and discovered three caches containing mortar systems, rockets and ammunition April 22nd.

Soldiers of 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, from Fort Drum, N.Y., discovered the caches at about 6:30p.m. local time.

Coalition forces have found many weapons caches in the Mahmudiyah area, but most rocket and mortar rounds found there have been deteriorated and apparently intended for use in improvised explosive devices. In contrast, the 60mm and 82mm mortar systems, three 107mm rockets, three 60mm and three 82mm rounds found in the latest cache were nearly new.

Soldiers of the unit examined the weapons, which were stamped with recent dates and Iranian markings.

Also found was bulk ammunition for a PKC machine gun. The munitions were seized for further investigation.

The detainees were taken into Iraqi Army custody for further questioning.

(Taken from press release #20070428-13 by Multi-National Corps-Iraq - Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory)

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

No. 499-07 April 28, 2007
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Adam E. Loggins, 27, of Athens, Ala., died April 26th from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion,6th Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Media with questions about this Marine can contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs Office at (910) 450-7200.

US Troops Seize Four Members of Gang Smuggling Bombs from Iran to Iraq

BREITBART.com has a good read that starts off like this... US forces on Friday detained four members of a gang suspected of smuggling armour-piercing bombs from Iran to Iraq and sending back militants for "terrorist training", the military said... A statement from US command in Iraq said the suspects were picked up in an early morning raid on the east Baghdad suburb of Sadr City, a known stronghold of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia.. "The individuals targeted during the raid are suspected members of a secret cell terrorist network known for facilitating the transport of weapons and explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, from Iran to Iraq," it said....
Read the rest at link below...
US troops seize gang 'smuggling bombs from Iran'

Out of Iraq - Why Are the Democrats Doing This?

Omar, at IRAQ THE MODEL website has another great read today and it starts out like this... Instead of trying to come up with ideas to help... they try to halt the sincere effort to stabilize Iraq and rescue the Middle East from a catastrophe... I am Iraqi and to me the possible consequences of this vote are terrifying. Just as we began to see signs of progress in my country the democrats come and say ‘well, it’s not worth it, so it’s time to leave’... Evidently to them my life and the lives of twenty five million Iraqis are not worth trying for and they shouldn’t expect us to be grateful for this...
Read the rest HERE

Defense Department Takes Custody of Senior al Qaeda Leader Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi

Defense Department Takes Custody of al Qaeda Leader

April 27, 2007
The Defense Department announced today that it has taken a senior al Qaeda operative into custody at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

...

The detainee, Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, was transferred to Guantanamo this week from CIA custody and is now under the control of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Bryan Whitman, a Defense Department spokesman, told reporters. Abd al-Hadi is considered a high-value detainee, like the group of 14 detainees who were transferred to Guantanamo from CIA custody in September, Whitman said.

At the time of his detention, Abd al-Hadi was one of al Qaeda’s highest-ranking and most experienced senior operatives, Whitman said. Abd al-Hadi was one of al Qaeda’s key paramilitary commanders in Afghanistan from the late 1990s, and from 2002 to 2004, was in charge of cross-border attacks in Afghanistan against coalition forces, he said. In recent years, Abd al-Hadi also directed plots to assassinate perceived opponents of al Qaeda, including Pakistani President Perez Musharaff and a United Nations official.

“What’s important here, I think, is that we’ve taken another bad individual that wants to do harm not only to coalition forces and the United States, but our allies around the world, off the streets, and is no longer able to plan, conduct and coordinate attacks,” Whitman said.

Abd al-Hadi was born in Mosul, Iraq, in 1961, and is a former member of the Iraqi military who spent more than 15 years in Afghanistan, according to information released by the Defense Department. Before Sept. 11, 2001, Abd al-Hadi was a member of al Qaeda’s ruling Shura council, a now-defunct advisory board to Osama bin Laden, as well as the group’s military committee.

Abd al-Hadi associated with leaders of other extremist groups allied with al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, including the Taliban, according to Defense Department information. Abd al-Hadi interacted was known and trusted by bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, and met with al Qaeda members in Iran.

At the time of his capture, Abd al-Hadi was trying to return to Iraq to manage al Qaeda’s affairs and possibly focus on operations outside Iraq against Western targets, Whitman said. He would not discuss the details of Abd al-Hadi’s capture, as it occurred before he was in Defense Department custody.

Like all detainees who arrive at Guantanamo, Abd al-Hadi will undergo a period of in-processing and will undergo a combatant status review tribunal, which will determine his status as an enemy combatant, Whitman said. No date has been set for this tribunal, he said, but as in the cases of the other 14 high-value detainees, the Defense Department will release a redacted transcript after it takes place.

Abd al-Hadi’s transfer brings the number of detainees at Guantanamo Bay to about 385.

(Taken from a news article by DoD’s American Forces Press Service)
Photo from Rewards for Justice website
..

>>> Chosun.com has this take on the story...
Pentagon Takes Senior Al-Qaida Operative Into U.S. Custody

Photo for the Day - April 27, 2007

CORDON AND SEARCH
An Iraqi army soldier leads the way to search the roof of a house during a cordon and search with U.S. Army soldiers in Ameriyah, Iraq, April 27, 2007.
U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tierney Nowland

Army Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott says Progress Continues In Iraq Despite Spectacular Attacks

Progress Continues Despite 'Spectacular' Attacks, General Says

April 27, 2007
Progress continues in Iraq despite headline-grabbing enemy attacks, a top U.S. general in Iraq said yesterday.

"There's some areas that we need to work a little bit harder at," Army Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott said of the Baghdad surge strategy. He pointed to vehicle-bombs as a primary area of concern.

Scott, deputy chief of staff for strategic effects for Multinational Force Iraq, told online journalists in a conference call that while there has been a slight increase in the number of "spectacular" car-bomb attacks around Baghdad, there has also been positive movement as a result of the U.S.-Iraqi surge strategy.

"Overall sectarian violence has decreased. Overall violence in the city of Baghdad has decreased," he said.

With U.S. troop levels still below their full projected strength under the plan, Scott said it is too early to accurately gauge lasting progress on the ground.

"The force is still moving in," the general said. "A real true assessment probably won't be able to be done until mid- to late summer after all the forces are in and we've been able to conduct the operation in its entirety."

The joint U.S.-Iraqi operations are being conducted with an eye to buying time for the Iraqi government to make critical strides of its own, Scott explained. He characterized the pace of the Iraqi political debate as slow to anxious Western audiences, but impressive given the fact the Iraqi national assembly is still in its infancy.

"We need to understand that the Council of Representatives has been an acting body for 11 months, and they are moving very slowly forward" on key unifying legislation, Scott said. "But for any government that has only been in formation for this short a period, I commend them for the progress that they've made."

The general referred to several political battles over hydrocarbons revenues, reform of the de-Baathification regime, constitutional review, election legislation, and other issues that threaten to further divide Iraq's various ethnic and sectarian factions.

"These are huge legislative actions," he said. "Each of them has direct impact on the national reconciliation."

Scott said U.S. officials are assisting the Iraqi representatives in negotiating acceptable compromise positions.

"No doubt there's a lot of work that needs to be done on each of these legislation items, and it's not going to be easy, but we're working with them on all of them," he said. "It needs to be done correctly."

The general deflected criticisms of the Iraqi government's political will, noting its members have stood up to fierce challenges with a constantly increasing sense of urgency.

Recalling the April 12 suicide bombing inside the Council of Representatives building, Scott noted the Iraqi members of parliament met the very next day to condemn the violence that killed one of their peers.

"A weak government would not have met the next day, but the Council of Representatives met in full session the next day and declared their full support against the terrorist activities," he said. "This government here in Iraq is determined to continue to prosecute this war."

Scott explained that blame could not be attributed to any one political party for delays in passing key bills.

"It's the normal process of sitting down together and reconciling their views," he said. Meanwhile, Scott noted, the Iraqi security forces are advancing at their own rate, to the extent that in some areas they are assuming control for entire provinces from the coalition. Maysan was the latest province to have command and control for its security operations taken up by the provincial government.

"Every day the government of Iraq becomes stronger - their government and their security forces," Scott said. In Maysan, he noted, "We're still embedded with the Iraqi forces, but they have the lead."

Scott said the United States is working with the United Nations to increase visibility on coalition operations in Iraq, and discussing areas for potentially expanded U.N. participation. The United States also is assisting the Iraqi government in executing its budget, he said.

(Take from a news article form DoD’s American Forces Press Service that was written by Tim Kilbride who is assigned to New Media, American Forces Information Service)

***************************
About below Video: U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, commander, Multinational Force-Iraq, briefs reporters in the Pentagon, April 26, 2007, on his view of the current military situation in Iraq.

(Powerful stuff... be sure to click it out)

Iran With Nuclear Weapons in less than Three Years?

Iran Could Have Nuclear Weapons in less than Three Years
...

Iran could obtain nuclear weapons in less than three years - sooner than previously anticipated -- according to a new U.S. Intelligence assessment, CBS News reported late Thursday... Previous assessments suggested Iran would not be able to obtain atomic weapons for about eight years, but the new report says Iran has overcome technical difficulties in enriching uranium that could speed up the process...
Read the rest of the story at link below...
Iran Could Have Nuclear Bomb in Three Years, Report Says
...
>>> DEBKAfile.com has this take on the story...
US intelligence estimates Iran has overcome technical difficulties in uranium enrichment, shortening to 2010 the date for enough bomb-grade material - CBS
...
>>> HotAir.com has this report...
New Intel Report: Worst-case scenario - Iranian nukes by 2010
...
U.S. Department of Energy photo

Saudi Foils Large Terror Plot - 172 Militants Arrested with Some Being Trained as Pilots for Attacks

Police have arrested 172 Islamic militants, some of whom were being trained abroad as pilots so they could fly aircraft in attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil fields, the Interior Ministry said Friday... The ministry issued a statement saying the detainees were planning to carry out suicide attacks against "public figures, oil facilities, refineries ... and military zones" ... some of which were outside the kingdom... In their crackdown, the police seized large quantities of weapons, explosives and money. More than 120 million riyals ($32.4 million US Dollars) had been seized in the operation...
Read the story in full at YNET.com

Wife and Daughter Of Saddam’s Cousin Found Dead In Tikrit

The wife and daughter of the brother of ‘Chemical Ali’ al-Majid, one of the most notorious figures of the former regime, have been found slain at their home in this northern city, police said... The wife of Hashim Hassan al-Majid had been shot and the daughter strangled, police Capt. Samir Mohammed said yesterday...
Read this story in full at Cybernoon.com

Soldier Missing From The Korean War Is Identified

No. 498-07 April 27, 2007
Soldier Missing From The Korean War Is Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, has been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is:
Cpl. Clarence R. Becker, U.S. Army, of Lancaster, Pa.
He was buried April 25 in Indiantown Gap, Pa.

Representatives from the Army met with Becker's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the secretary of the Army.

On Dec. 1, 1950, Becker went missing in action when the convoy of trucks in which he was riding was ambushed south of Kunuri, North Korea. He was captured and taken prisoner. U.S. servicemen who were held in captivity with Becker said he died in the North Korean Pyoktong POW Camp 5 around May 1951 from malnutrition and disease. He was buried near the camp.

Following the Armistice, the Chinese Army exhumed remains from several POW camp cemeteries and repatriated them in 1954 to the United Nations forces during Operation Glory. Becker's remains could not be identified at the time and were subsequently buried as unknown remains at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific-the Punch Bowl-in Hawaii.

In 2005, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) reexamined Korean War-era documents relating to unknowns buried at the Punch Bowl, which suggested that some of these remains might be identifiable. Later that year, JPAC exhumed a grave there believed to be associated with Becker.

Among other traditional forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the JPAC also used dental comparisons in Becker's identification.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/ or call (703) 699-1169.

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

No. 497-07 April 27, 2007
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Willie P. Celestine Jr., 21, of Lafayette, La., died April 26th while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Media with questions about this Marine can contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs Office at (910) 450-7200.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 491-07 April 26, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Jeremy E. Maresh, 24, of Jim Thorpe, Pa., died April 24th in Baghdad, Iraq, from a non-combat related incident. His death is under investigation.
Maresh was assigned to C Battery, 1st Battalion, 213th Air Defense Artillery, Spring City, Pa. For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Pennsylvania Army National Guard at (717) 861-8468.

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

No. 490-07 April 26, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of nine soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died April 23rd in As Sadah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their location.

Killed were:
1st Lt. Kevin J. Gaspers, 26, of Hastings, Neb.
Staff Sgt. Kenneth E. Locker Jr., 28, of Wakefield, Neb.
Staff Sgt. William C. Moore, 27, of Benson, N.C.
Sgt. Randell T. Marshall, 22, of Fitzgerald, Ga.
Sgt. Brice A. Pearson, 32, of Phoenix, Az.
Sgt. Michael L. Vaughan, 20, of Otis, Ore.
Spc. Jerry R. King, 19, of Browersville, Ga.
Spc. Michael J. Rodriguez, 20, of Sanford, N.C.
Pfc. Garrett C. Knoll, 23, of Bad Axe, Mich.

All were assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661.

(More HERE)

Photo of the Day - April 26, 2007

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Neil Habershaw and Tech. Sgt. Sean Field, both forward air controllers assigned to 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, coordinate close air support from the rooftop of the Karbala provincial compound in Karbala, Iraq, April 24, 2007. The regiment is assessing the compound to determine if it would make a suitable joint coordination center for the province.
DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Sean A. Foley, USA

Defeatist Democrats Who Control Senate Pass Iraq Troop (WHITE FLAG) Withdrawal Bill

FOXNEWS.com has the story that starts off like this... A defiant Democratic-controlled Senate passed legislation Thursday that would require the start of troop withdrawals from Iraq by Oct. 1, propelling Congress toward a historic veto showdown with President Bush on the war.
.

Read the story at link below...
Senate Approves Iraq War Funding Bill With Timeline for Troop Pullout

File photo from the Reid.Senate.gov website

...

I love this Headline from the BBC News website...
It reads: Congress united on Iraq pull-out
Now I’ll have to say it was a fair read BBC gave to the story... but the title would have been more to reality with one that read... Democrats in Congress united on Iraq pull-out.

AubreyJ.........

...

THE VOTES IN CONGRESS:
Today’s vote in the SENATE was: 51 to 46 in favor
Yesterday’s vote in the HOUSE was: 218 to 208 in favor

How they voted in the Senate can be read at the United States Senate website.
Note:
Only One I/Dem voted Nay: Joe Lieberman (ID-CT)
Mr. Lieberman -- Thank you, sir.
Two white flag waving Republicans voted with the Dems, Yea: Hagel (R-NE) - Smith (R-OR)

...

White House Press Briefing by Dana Perino started off this way today...
MS. PERINO: Eighty days after President Bush submitted his troop funding bill, the Senate has now joined the House in passing defeatist legislation that insists on a date for surrender, micro-manages our commanders and generals in combat zones from 6,000 miles away, and adds billions of dollars in unrelated spending to the fighting on the ground...
Read the Q&A’s HERE
Has Video

House OKs Iraq Troop (WHITE FLAG) Withdrawal Bill

A sharply divided House brushed aside a veto threat Wednesday and passed legislation that would order President Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq by October 1st. The 218-208 vote came as the top U.S. commander in Iraq told lawmakers the country remained gripped by violence but was showing some signs of improvement... Read the story at link below...
House OKs Iraq Troop Withdrawal Bill
File photo from the speaker.gov website

Statement by Deputy Press Secretary on Emergency War Funding

Seventy-nine days after President Bush sent Congress a request for emergency war funding for our troops, the House of Representatives has passed disappointing legislation that insists on a surrender date, handcuffs our generals, and contains billions of dollars in spending unrelated to the war.

Last November, the American people voted for a change in strategy in Iraq - and the President listened. Tonight, the House of Representatives voted for failure in Iraq - and the President will veto its bill.

Democrats have forced this process to continue for too long. The President calls on the Senate to quickly pass this legislation so the President can veto it and then work with the Congressional leadership on a clean bill that funds our troops while respecting the judgment of our military commanders and helping ensure the safety of the American people.
(From The White House - Office of the Press Secretary - April 25, 2007)

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Warns Hamas Over Qassam Fire

Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday warned the Palestinians that an Israeli response was possible following the Qassam rockets fired by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip and the attempt to kidnap an IDF soldier...
Read the story at YNET.com

MFA File Photo EHUD OLMERT

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

No. 485-07 April 25, 2007
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Dale G. Peterson, 20, of Redmond, Ore., died April 23rd while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Peterson was assigned to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs Office at (910) 450-7200.

Photo for the Day - April 25, 2007

1st Lt. Scott MacLaren, from the 2nd Infantry Division, seems to be popular with an Iraqi child in the Salman Pak area of east Baghdad, Iraq.
USA photo by Staff Sgt Bronco Suzuki

Senator McCain Officially Announces Candidacy for President of the United States

...
...
U.S. Senator John McCain officially announced his candidacy for the President of the United States today in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with remarks at a 12:00 p.m. EDT rally in Prescott Park.
Click HERE to read Senator McCain's remarks, as prepared for delivery...

Senator McCain Senate file photo

This short clip is 1:59 long. I love the last part of it. I think you will too...

Rudy Giuliani Warns of a New 9-11 if Democrats Win

During his speech Tuesday to the Rockingham County Lincoln Day Dinner, Rudy Giuliani said if a Democrat is elected president in 2008, America will be at risk for another terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, 2001. He said in part... “I listen a little to the Democrats and if one of them gets elected, we are going on defense... We will wave the white flag on Iraq. We will cut back on the Patriot Act, electronic surveillance, interrogation and we will be back to our pre-Sept. 11 attitude of defense.” He also said... “The Democrats do not understand the full nature and scope of the terrorist war against us.”
The POLITICO has the story at link below...

Giuliani warns of 'new 9/11' if Dems win

Photo Credit Jason Bedrick

Vice President Cheney Bashes Harry Reid and Democrats over Iraq

Vice President Dick Cheney came out this afternoon, (Tuesday) giving a rare but brief statement... and just bashed Harry Reid and the Democrats over the Iraq War.

DEFEATISM by the Dems is the word.

More info to come, with video when I find one...
AubreyJ.........

UPDATE: 2:30pm CDT

The Raw Story website has the story and the video at link below...
Cheney blasts Reid on Capitol Hill; Senator lashes back at 'president's attack dog'
Be sure to click it out if you missed it today... The video has Cheney’s statement in full and then Reid -- well just be Reid... and CNN & MSNBC being CNN -- MSNBC...
...
>>> Full Transcript can be found at The White House website, link below...
Vice President's Remarks on Senator Reid's Comments on Iraq

White House photo by Joyce Boghosian

President Bush Discusses Iraq War Supplemental

During a statement to the news media on the South Lawn today, (Tuesday) President Bush vowed again to veto any bill containing anything that would handcuff our generals, add billions of dollars in unrelated spending, and begin to pull out of Iraq by an arbitrary date. He also explained what was wrong with the Dems approach to this war...

The president started off his statement like this...
Good morning. Seventy-eight days ago I sent Congress a request for emergency war funding that our troops urgently need. I made it clear to Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill that I'm willing to discuss our differences on the way forward in Iraq. But I also made it clear our troops should not be caught in the middle of that discussion.

Yesterday, Democratic leaders announced that they plan to send me a bill that will fund our troops only if we agree to handcuff our generals, add billions of dollars in unrelated spending, and begin to pull out of Iraq by an arbitrary date.
I'm disappointed that the Democratic leadership has chosen this course. The bill they announced yesterday includes some of the worst parts of the measures they had earlier passed with narrow majorities in the House and the Senate. They know I'm going to veto a bill containing these provisions, and they know that my veto will be sustained.

But instead of fashioning a bill I could sign, the Democratic leaders chose to further delay funding our troops, and they chose to make a political statement. That's their right. But it is wrong for our troops and it's wrong for our country. To accept the bill proposed by the Democratic leadership would be to accept a policy that directly contradicts the judgment of our military commanders. I strongly believe that the Democrats' proposal would undermine our troops and threaten the safety of the American people here at home. And here is why...
Read the rest HERE
* Has video

White House photo by Joyce Boghosian

Photo for the Day - April 24, 2007

A U.S. Air Force Airman prepares a C-17 Globemaster aircraft for takeoff from an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia April 18, 2007.
DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr., USAF

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 482-07 April 24, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Steven R. Tudor, 36, of Dunmore, Pa., died April 21st in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using indirect fire during combat operations. Tudor was assigned to the 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-8286.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 481-07 April 24, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Jeffrey A. Avery, 19, of Colorado Springs, Colo., died April 23rd in Muqudadiyah, Iraq, from wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated during checkpoint operations. He was assigned to the 571st Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.
For more information on this soldier, contact the Fort Lewis public affairs office at (253) 967-0154 or (253) 967-0147.

Airmen Missing In Action From Vietnam War Are Identified

No. 480-07 April 24, 2007
Airmen Missing In Action From Vietnam War Are Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

They are:
Col. Norman D. Eaton, of Weatherford, Okla.
Lt. Col. Paul E. Getchell, of Portland, Maine
Both men were U.S. Air Force. Eaton will be buried April 25th at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., and Getchell will be buried later this spring at Arlington.

On Jan. 13, 1969, Eaton and Getchell crewed a B-57B Canberra bomber participating in a nighttime attack on targets in Salavan Province, Laos. The target area was illuminated by flares from a C-130 aircraft; however, the flares dimmed as the B-57 began its third bombing run on the target. The crew was low on fuel, but decided to continue the attack run without illumination. The C-130 crew received a radio transmission indicating that the B-57 was off target and seconds later, the plane crashed. Eaton and Getchell could not be recovered at the time of the incident.

In 1995, a joint U.S.-Lao People's Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident and interviewed a Laotian citizen who recalled the crash. Another joint U.S.-L.P.D.R. team surveyed the site and found wreckage and crew-related materials consistent with the citizen's report.

In 2003, a joint U.S.-L.P.D.R. team excavated the crash site and recovered Eaton's identification tag. The team was unable to complete the recovery and subsequent teams re-visited the site five more times between 2004 and 2005 before the recovery was complete. As a result, the teams found Getchell's identification tag, human remains and additional crew-related items.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of the remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 479-07 April 24, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Ray M. Bevel, 22, of Andrews, Texas, died April 21st in Yusifiyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit during combat patrol operations. Bevel was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-8286.

Task Force Lightning Patrol Base Attacked - Nine Killed, 20 Wounded

Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Nine Task Force Lightning Soldiers died as a result of injuries sustained from an explosion near a patrol base in Diyala Province, Monday.

Twenty Soldiers and one Iraqi civilian were wounded when a suicide vehicle born IED attacked the patrol base. Twelve Soldiers were returned to duty after initial medical care, and eight Soldiers and the Iraqi civilian were evacuated to a Coalition Forces’ medical treatment facility for further care. Three of those Soldiers were later returned to duty.

The names of the deceased Soldiers are being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense.

(From Press Release #20070424-01 by Multi-National Corps-Iraq - Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory)

>>> Comments here deleted... I apologize...

From the heart I say this... My thoughts and prayers do go out to all the families, friends and loved ones of these Fallen and wounded Heroes.

God bless each and every one of you.
AubreyJ.........

******************************

>>> Update: 9:00am CDT – Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The DelawareOnline website has this story that goes in part like this ... The U.S. soldiers were all paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, the division said Tuesday... Maj. Tom Earnhardt, a spokesman for the division at Fort Bragg, N.C., said it was the highest number of casualties for the division since the Iraq war began... The soldiers were members of the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, Earnhardt said...
Read the story at link below...
Al-Qaida group claims bomb that killed 9 paratroopers

Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin is Dead at Age of 76

Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin

is Dead at Age of 76

Boris Yeltsin, who oversaw the Soviet Union's demise and became Russia's first president, has died aged 76, the Kremlin says... Mr. Yeltsin, 76, had a history of heart trouble, though the cause of death has not been announced...

...
Read the story at the BBC NEWS website
Has videos, photos and more
(Above link should update as more info comes in)

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 475-07 April 23, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Marlon B. Harper, 34, of Baltimore, Md., died April 21st in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when he came in contact with enemy forces using a rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire during combat operations. Harper was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 474-07 April 23, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. William W. Bushnell, 24, of Jasper, Ark., died April 21st in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was struck by a rocket propelled grenade during combat operations. Bushnell was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Bliss public affairs office at (915) 568-4505.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 473-07 April 23, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Christopher M. North, 21, of Sarasota, Fla., died April 21st, in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using an improvised explosive device and small arms fire during combat operations. North was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Riley public affairs office at (785) 239-3410.

Taking A Moment To Remember Our Fallen Heroes

Some of our bravest gave their all these last few days...
Take a moment to read their names,

(in the posts below/above this one,) and in your own way

thank them for all they have done and were

willing to do for you -- me and this great country of ours…
God bless each and every one of them and their
families, friends and loved ones.
AubreyJ.........

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 472-07 April 23, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pvt. Michael J. Slater, 19, of Scott Depot, W. Va., died April 21st in Taji, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle rolled over during combat operations. Slater was assigned to the 407th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661.

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

No. 471-07 April 23, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died April 18th in Taji, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Killed were:
Cpl. Wade J. Oglesby, 27, of Grand Junction, Colo.
Cpl. Michael M. Rojas, 21, of Fresno, Calif.

For more information on these soldiers, contact the Fort Lewis public affairs office at (253) 967-0154 or (253) 967-0147.