Afghanistan: On Ground Updates - June 30, 2008

Afghanistan: On Ground Updates

Program Trains Auxiliary Police Officers in Afghanistan
Monday, June 30, 2008

About Photo: (Left to right) Navy Petty Officers 2nd Class Jovener R. Mironchik and Elizabeth M. Luna, along with Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos A. Ramirez and Seaman Brian L. Boyd Jr., gather with Afghan National Auxiliary Police officers before a graduation ceremony at the Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team's training facility near Asadabad, Afghanistan.
Read the story HERE
U.S. Navy photo

Preparing The Battlefield - Bush Administration Steps Up Secret Moves Against Iran

The CounterCurrents.org website brings us this lengthy report and it starts off like this... Late last year, Congress agreed to a request from President Bush to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran, according to current and former military, intelligence, and congressional sources. These operations, for which the President sought up to four hundred million dollars, were described in a Presidential Finding signed by Bush, and are designed to destabilize the country’s religious leadership. The covert activities involve support of the minority Ahwazi Arab and Baluchi groups and other dissident organizations. They also include gathering intelligence about Iran’s suspected nuclear-weapons program... Clandestine operations against Iran are not new. United States Special Operations Forces have been conducting cross-border operations from southern Iraq, with Presidential authorization, since last year...
Read the full report in full HERE

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

No. 555-08 June 30, 2008
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Edgar A. Heredia, 28, of Houston died June 26th while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the MARSOC public affairs office at (910) 450-6499.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 547-08 June 29, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Travis K. Hunsberger, 24, of Goshen, Ind., died on June 27th of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device while on combat patrol near Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.
For more information, the media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-432-3383 or after-hours at 910-303-1004.

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

No. 546-08 June 29, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died from wounds suffered June 26th near Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan, when their convoy encountered improvised explosive devices, small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.

Killed were:
Sgt. 1st Class Matthew L. Hilton, 37, of Livonia, Mich., who was assigned to the 425th Infantry Regiment, Michigan Army National Guard, Selfridge, Mich.
Sgt. 1st Class Joseph A. McKay, 51, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment (Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition), New York Army National Guard, Jamestown, N.Y.
Spc. Mark C. Palmateer, 38, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., who was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment (Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition), New York Army National Guard, Jamestown, N.Y.

For more information on Hilton, media may contact the Michigan National Guard public affairs office at (517) 481-8140, or (517) 647-5338 after hours.
For more information on McKay and Palmateer, media may contact the New York National Guard public affairs office at (518) 786-4581, or (518) 786-4500 after hours.

Afghanistan-Pakistan: On Ground Updates - June 28, 2008

Afghanistan-Pakistan:
On Ground Updates

Pakistan Military Launches Major Offensive...
Against Taliban In Khyber Tribal Region
Saturday, June 28, 2008

Guardian.co.uk website has the story and it starts off like this... Pakistani forces bombarded suspected militant hideouts with mortar shells Saturday as the government launched a major offensive against Taliban fighters threatening the main city in the country's volatile northwest, officials said... The offensive in the Khyber tribal region marked the first major military action Pakistan's newly elected government has taken against the militants operating in the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan...
Read the rest at link below...
Pakistan bombards suspected Taliban hideouts

VOANews.com reports it this way... The Pakistani military has launched a new offensive against Taliban militants near the northern city of Peshawar, prompting a leading Taliban commander to temporarily call off peace talks with the government... Saturday's action near the northern city of Peshawar came after officials said Friday there is credible evidence the Taliban was preparing for an assault on the North West Frontier Province capital...
Read the full report at link below...
Pakistani Forces Attack Taliban Near Peshawar

OnlineNews.com.pk website has this informative report up this early afternoon our time and it starts off like this... A military operation has been started against the militants in Khyber Agency while Amir Tehrik-e- Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baitullah Mehsud has announced to suspend peace agreements with the government against the operation... According to sources, 9 armored personnel carriers (APCs) and more contingents of FC have been sent to Tehsil Bara from Tehsil Jamrood and 3 tanks have also been arrived in Bara Bazaar... Army spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas said that the army is readying the paramilitary Frontier Corps to target militants in the Khyber tribal region, next to Peshawar. Khyber is also a key route for moving US military supplies into neighboring Afghanistan...
Read the full report at link below...
Operation started in Khyber Agency, Baitullah announces to halt talks with Govt

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While their at it... maybe they will get lucky and take out al Qaeda’s Number One and Two, Osama bin Laden & Ayman al-Zawahiri.
AubreyJ.........

DoD Identifies Marine Casualties

No. 545-08 June 27, 2008
DoD Identifies Marine Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of three Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The following Marines died June 26th while supporting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq:
Lt. Col. Max A. Galeai, 42, of Pago Pago, American Samoa.
Capt. Philip J. Dykeman, 38, of Brockport, N.Y.
Cpl. Marcus W. Preudhomme, 23, of North Miami Beach, Fla.

The Marines were assigned to 2d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3rd Marine Division, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
For additional background information on these Marines, news media representatives may contact the Marine Corps Base Hawaii public affairs office at (808) 257-8840/70.

Republicans Say Democrats Offering Nothing But Sham Legislation, Blame And Excuses

Republicans Say Democrats Offering Nothing But...

Sham Legislation, Blame And Excuses
Friday, June 27, 2008

Photo courtesy of DOE

CNSNews.com brings us this news article today and it starts off like this... As oil prices set yet another record, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insists that Democrats are doing something to reduce prices at the pump, "here and now." Republicans scoff at the notion. They say Democrats are offering nothing but sham legislation, blame and excuses...
Read the full article HERE

Iraq: On Ground Updates - June 27, 2008

Iraq: On Ground Updates
Officials Identify Mosul al-Qaida Leader...
Killed in Recent Operation
Friday, June 27, 2008

A terrorist killed during a June 24 operation in Mosul, Iraq, has been positively identified as the city's top al-Qaida in Iraq leader, military officials here reported today.

Officials said coalition forces killed Abu Khalaf, the al-Qaeda in Iraq "emir" of Mosul.

In the operation, coalition forces engaged and killed a man who was reaching for a pistol, another who was wearing a suicide vest, and a woman who tried to detonate the dead man's suicide vest. Associates later identified Abu Khalaf as one of the men killed in the operation.

As coalition forces were taking down the terrorist leader, officials said, they also were moving in on one of his suspected closest assistants, detaining him and uncovering more than $100,000 in U.S. currency.

Abu Khalaf previously had been a deputy and Mosul military commander for a close associate of former al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a June 2006 coalition bombing raid. He rose through the ranks to become the terror organization's overall chieftan in Mosul.

In that capacity, officials said, he met with senior al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in Mosul and Jazeera, coordinating and ordering dozens of attacks against Iraqi citizens, Iraqi forces and coalition forces.

Information gleaned from associates in custody revealed that Abu Khalaf often traveled with foreigners, and associates identified the suicide-vest-wearing man killed with him as Abu Khalud, a Syrian who was a longtime close associate of the Mosul terrorist leader, officials said.

"With the declining morale [among al-Qaida in Iraq operatives] and paranoia within their ranks, Abu Khalaf's death and loss of funds will severely impact their terrorist operations," Navy Lt. David Russell, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said.

News article by DoD’s American Forces Press Service - Taken from a Multinational Force Iraq news release

Afghanistan-Pakistan: On Ground Updates - June 27, 2008

Afghanistan-Pakistan:
On Ground Updates
Pakistan's Peshawar Under Threat
Of Falling To Taliban
Friday, June 27, 2008

ATimes.com brings us this troubling report this morning and it begins like this... With grudging surprise, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has acknowledged the strength of the Taliban, illustrated by its repeated calls for more troops to be sent to Afghanistan, notably for the two important provinces of Kandahar and Khost... There has even been speculation that these provinces might fall, significantly increasing the pressure on the US-backed government of President Hamid Karzai... The NATO command reasoned the only response was joint operations with the Pakistani military along the Durand Line that separates Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Islamabad, under Washington's pressure, this year began preparations to cooperate...
Read the full report at link below...
Islamabad blinks at Taliban threat

Reuters.com reports...
Taliban bring vigilante law to Pakistan's Peshawar

TheNews.com.pk website reports the story this way... At a senior-level meeting on the state of the militancy in the tribal belt, the government has again reiterated its plan to follow a strategy of engagement combining dialogue and the use of force. The COAS will have the responsibility for reviewing the need for military operations, while the civilian arms of the state are meant to initiate the dialogue with tribal elders. At the same time, there have been claims of heightened militancy in the NWFP in general, where Peshawar itself it viewed to be in threat of falling to the Taliban. Such fears do seem exaggerated as it is one thing for the militants to run around free of checks in the tribal areas and quite another to take over a provincial capital. Either way, what is clear is that the government is failing to push with a clear agenda of engagement in the tribal belt...
Read the full report at link below...
Need for focused strategy

Soldier Missing In Action From The Korean War Is Identified

No. 544-08 June 27, 2008
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:
Sgt. Edward J. O'Brien, U.S. Army, of Omaha, Neb.
He will be buried July 2nd in Minneapolis, Minn.

Representatives from the Army met with O'Brien'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 November 1950, O'Brien was assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, then deployed north of the Chongchon River, along the main road running south out of Unsan, North Korea. On Nov. 26, the Chinese army struck the U.S. and Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) forces during the Battle of the Chongchon River. As a result, U.S. and R.O.K. forces, including the 35th Regiment, were forced to withdraw to the south. O'Brien was last seen when opposing forces overran his company's position about 10 miles southwest of Unsan.

In 1998, a joint U.S./Democratic People's Republic of Korea team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), excavated a site containing the remains of a U.S. soldier who died south of Unsan in the general vicinity where O'Brien was last seen. The team found human remains and two military identification tags with O'Brien's name on them. A North Korean national told the team that he first uncovered the remains while constructing his house, and that he buried them at the nearby site which was excavated.

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 O'Brien's 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 Casualties

No. 540-08 June 27, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Bryan M. Thomas, 22, of Lake Charles, La., died June 23rd in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered in Salman Pak, Iraq, when his patrol encountered small arms fire during combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
The Department of Defense announced June 25 the death of Capt. Gregory T. Dalessio, who was killed in the same incident.
For more information media may contact the U.S. Army, Europe, public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-5816 or 8694, or email: ocpa.pi@eur.army.mil


No. 541-08 June 27, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Joshua L. Plocica, 20, of Clarksville, Tenn., died June 25th in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
For more information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.


No. 542-08 June 27, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died June 25th in Mosul, Iraq, from wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on June 24th. They were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.

Killed were:
Sgt. Alejandro A. Dominguez, 24, of San Diego, Calif.
Spc. Joel A. Taylor, 20, of Pinetown, N.C.
Pfc. James M. Yohn, 25, of Highspire, Pa.

For more information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.

No. 543-08 June 27, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died June 24th in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered from a bomb blast.

Killed were:
Chief Warrant Officer Robert C. Hammett, 39, of Tucson, Ariz., who was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Maj. Dwayne M. Kelley, 48, of Willingboro, N.J., who was assigned to the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion, Green Bay, Wis

For more information on Hammett, media may contact the Fort Carson public affairs office at (719) 526-4143; after hours (719) 526-5500.
For more information on Kelley, media may contact the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command at (910) 432-7241; after hours (910) 432-7714.

Photo for the Day - June 27, 2008

* Photo for the Day * Iraqi Army Soldiers watch as U.S. Army Soldiers check an AK-47 handed off to them by the owner during a joint patrol conducting a weapons search in Shulla, Iraq, June 19, 2008.
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez

Haynesville Shale Updates - Thursday, June 26, 2008

This Post Last Updated: Monday, June 30, 2008
12:30pm CDT
Haynesville Shale
Large Natural Gas Deposit, Northwest Louisiana
UPDATES:
Thursday, June 26, 2008

Note: This post will be updated over next few days so check back

Photo Credit: AubreyJ.........
Wells of Past, 1967 - Grandfather’s Farm - Red Shute Plantation
Bossier Parish

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NOTE: You really need to check out the KTAL post--
* KTAL website had this report up Wednesday evening and it goes in part like this... Free money? Maybe not... If you have big hopes of cashing in on the Haynesville Shale, you might want to do some research first...
Read the rest at link below...
Residents Think Haynesville Shale Could be Windfall Need to Be Aware of Obstacles
Above link has News Video

* Canada.com reports... EnCana Corp. on Wednesday bolstered its position in an emerging resource play in the southern United States by consolidating interests in its northern Louisiana shale gas area...
Read the full report at link below...
EnCana ups shale gas stake

* ShreveportTimes.com had this report up Wednesday morning and it goes in part like this... Nearly 600 people came to the educational seminar on natural gas production and the Haynesville Shale at LSU-Shreveport on Tuesday night... And many were turned away shortly before the seminar began because the auditorium was at capacity... The seminar was sponsored by the LSUS Center for Business and Economic Research and the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association...
Read the full report at link below...
Hundreds attend Haynesville Shale seminar

> The Shreveport Times also had this report... Southwood High's flagline was practicing on the corridor in front of the school's office as hundreds of Southern Hills residents filtered into the auditorium for a Haynesville Shale 101 meeting June 17...
Read the rest at link below...
Residents turn out in droves for Haynesville Shale meeting
(Note: Above links will likely expire after several days from original posting)

* SmartLink.com has a few links you might wish to check out HERE

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* UPDATE *
Monday, June 30, 2008

* PR Newswire website has this press release...
Petrohawk Energy Corporation
("Petrohawk" or the "Company") (NYSE: HK) today announced that it has completed its initial horizontal well in the Haynesville Shale. On June 27,
2008, the Elm Grove Plantation #63 (100% working interest) was placed on production. On June 29, 2008, the well produced at an average rate of approximately 16.8 million cubic feet of natural gas per day with 5,600 pounds flowing casing pressure on a 26/64" choke...
Read the full release at link below...
Petrohawk Energy Corporation Reports Haynesville Shale Result and Leasehold Update

* The Fort Worth Business Press website has this report up this early Monday morning and it goes in part like this... Indigo Minerals LLC will sell about 89,500 acres of its Haynesville Shale properties to Calgary, Alberta, Canada based EnCana Corp. in an all-cash, $457 million transaction... Houston-based Indigo Minerals’ properties, located in several Northwest Louisiana parishes, include leased and unleased minerals and interests in 242 wellbores already drilled on the properties, according to a press release; Indigo will retain about 22,000 acres of Haynesville properties, including a contiguous 7,700 acre plot in the Logansport Field, northwest of DeSoto Parish. After the transaction, expected to close July 31, EnCana will own more than 414,500 acres of Haynesville Shale – among the top positions held in the area...
Read the full report at link below...
EnCana boosts acreage in Haynesville Shale

* CNNMoney.com reports...
Southern Star Energy Reports Year-End 2008 Reserves; Company Actively Evaluating Asset for Haynesville Potential

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* Links of Interest *

* City of Shreveport website...

Shreveport Shale

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* Louisiana Office Of Conservation Home Page

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* Louisiana Office Of Conservation 2008 Schedule of Public Hearings

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* Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Home Page

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* Louisiana Oil & Gas Association

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* National Association of Royalty Owners

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* Geology.com

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* Photo Galleries by the Shreveport Times Haynesville Shale

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* Interactive Map by the Shreveport Times of Gas Wells in Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto and Webster
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* KSLA.com...
Oil & gas companies drilling in the Haynesville Shale
.

* Chesapeake Energy Corporation

.

* Twin Cities Development, LLC

.

* Brammer Engineering

.

* Gas Leases - You’re sitting on a Gas MineThis link is full of info you need to know before signing an Oil/Gas Lease Contract

Click it out at link below...

Gas-Lease.org
.
* Ark-La-Tex Association of Professional Landmen

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Past Post:

> Sunday, May 4, 2008...

Playing the Haynesville Shale - Large Natural Gas Deposit in Northwest Louisiana

.

> Sunday, May 11, 2008...

Haynesville Shale Updates - Sunday, May 11, 2008

.

> Thursday, May 15, 2008...

Haynesville Shale Updates - Thursday, May 15, 2008 thru Tuesday, May 20, 2008

.

> Wednesday, May 21, 2008...

Haynesville Shale Updates - Wednesday, May 21, 2008

.

> Thursday, May 29, 2008...

Haynesville Shale Updates - Thursday, May 29, 2008

.
> Thursday, June 5, 2008...

Haynesville Shale Updates - Thursday, June 5, 2008
.
> Thursday, June 12, 2008...

.

Haynesville Shale Updates - Thursday, June 12, 2008
.
> Wednesday, June 18, 2008...

.

Haynesville Shale Updates - Wednesday, June 18, 2008

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AubreyJ.........

President Bush Discusses North Korea

President Bush Discusses North Korea
From the White House Rose Garden
Thursday, June 26, 2008...

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. The policy of the United States is a Korean Peninsula free of all nuclear weapons. This morning, we moved a step closer to that goal, when North Korean officials submitted a declaration of their nuclear programs to the Chinese government as part of the six-party talks.

The United States has no illusions about the regime in Pyongyang. We remain deeply concerned about North Korea's human rights abuses, uranium enrichment activities, nuclear testing and proliferation, ballistic missile programs, and the threat it continues to pose to South Korea and its neighbors.

Yet we welcome today's development as one step in the multi-step process laid out by the six-party talks between North Korea, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United States.

Last year, North Korea pledged to disable its nuclear facilities. North Korea has begun disabling its Yongbyon nuclear facility -- which was being used to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons. This work is being overseen by officials from the United States and the IAEA. And to demonstrate its commitment, North Korea has said it will destroy the cooling tower of the Yongbyon reactor in front of international television cameras tomorrow...
Read the full Transcript HERE

Above link has the full video

...
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...
FOXNews.com has this report on today’s events and they start it off like this... Pledging "action for action," President Bush on Thursday said North Korea has demonstrated a commitment to dismantling its nuclear weapons program and will be rewarded by being removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors and having trade sanctions lifted... The president spoke hours after North Korea submitted its long-awaited declaration detailing its nuclear weapons activities. The government said that it would televise the demolition of the cooling tower at its Yongbyon nuclear facility on Friday, and turned over documents to China about its plutonium core and waste activities...
Read this report in full at link below...
Bush Offers Carrots in Exchange for North Korea Nukes Declaration
.
AFP.google.com has this take on the news... North Korea handed over details of its nuclear programmes Thursday, paving the way for its removal from the US terrorism blacklist amid years of efforts to persuade the North to abandon the atom bomb... Six months behind schedule, officials delivered the dossier to China -- the host country for the six-nation talks since 2003 that have worked to entice the North to exchange nuclear weapons for aid and diplomatic concessions...
Read the rest at link below...
NKorea hands over nuclear dossier
.
EarthTimes.org reports it this way... North Korea's move on Thursday to declare details of its nuclear programme brought the country one step closer to becoming only the world's third nation, after South Africa and Libya, to dismantle a nuclear weapons programme. The long-awaited move, in which China led the mediations, has been anticipated for months...
Read this report in full at link below...
North Korea revives optimism of third post-nuclear state

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North Korea has disappointed us so many times in the past... it’s hard to get too excided over anything from them. But... with fingers crossed... just maybe this will be the time when we will be able to start off with new... meaningful relations with North Korea...
.
AubreyJ.........

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UPDATE:
Friday, June 27, 2008

RIA Novosti website has this report up early this morning... Russia's Foreign Ministry welcomed on Friday the demolition of a cooling tower in North Korea's main nuclear reactor complex at Yongbyon... South Korean television earlier reported that North Korea destroyed the 20-meter (60-foot) cooling tower shortly after 4:00 p.m. (7:00 GMT)...
Read the full report at link below...
Russia welcomes destruction of reactor cooling tower in N. Korea

CNN.com has this report... North Korea on Friday destroyed a water cooling tower at a facility where officials acknowledge they extracted plutonium to build nuclear weapons, CNN's Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour reported from the scene... The massive implosion, which came at about 5pm local time Friday at the Yongbyon facility, was intended to be a powerful public symbol of a move to end nuclear activities by the Communist nation once branded a member of an "axis of evil" by U.S. President George W. Bush... The destruction of the highly visible symbol of North Korea's long-secret nuclear program came just a day after the country released details of its program...
Read this report in full at link below...
N. Korea destroys nuclear reactor tower
The above link has photos, videos and more

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North Korea Destroys Nuclear Reactor Tower

Video posted on LiveLeak by komakazzi
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DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

No. 538-08 June 26, 2008
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Christopher D. Strickland, 25, of Labelle, Fla. died June 25th, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
News media representatives with questions about this Marine may contact the 1st Marine Logistics Group public affairs office at (760) 725-5043.

Photo for the Day - June 25, 2008

* Photo for the Day * Part of the Family
A family welcomes the presence of Soldiers at their home in a landfill in Al Sabiat, northwest of Baghdad, June 15, 2008. The Strykehorse Soldiers visits the people and regularly patrols the area to asses the condition and offer improvements to their quality of life by providing aid to the people.
Photo by Capt. Ronnie Geronimo, 2nd Stryker Brigade 25th Infantry Division

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

No. 536-08 June 25, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Ryan J. Connolly, 24, of Vacaville, Calif., died June 24th in Khogyani, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck a suspected landmine. He was assigned to the 173rd Special Troops Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Bamberg, Germany.
For more information media may contact the U.S. Army, Europe public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-5816 or 8694, or email: ocpa.pi@eur.army.mil

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 535-08 June 25, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpt. Gregory T. Dalessio, 30, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, died June 23rd in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered in Salman Pak, Iraq, when his patrol encountered small arms fire during combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
For more information media may contact the U.S. Army, Europe, public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-5816 or 8694, or email: ocpa.pi@eur.army.mil .

Israel: On Ground Updates - June 24, 2008

Israel: On Ground Updates
Many Throughout The Middle East
Wonder If Israel Will Attack Iran
Tuesday, June 24, 2008

* CBN.com has this report by their Middle East Bureau Chief Chris Mitchell and it starts off like this... The question in the air here in Jerusalem, Israel and in fact throughout the Middle East is ... will Israel attack Iran? The question started to take on a more serious tone following last week's revelation that Israel's air force held an elaborate maneuver over the Mediterranean Sea, which seemed to mirror a potential attack on Iran's nuclear facilities...
Read the rest at link below...
Will Israel Attack Iran?

* China View website has this report... A senior Iranian commander said on Tuesday that the Islamic republic's armed forces are prepared to deliver an "awe-inspiring" response to any attack against the country, Iran's Press TV satellite channel reported... Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said no "strategic mistake" by Israel or the United States would be overlooked by Iran...
Read this report in full at link below...
Senior commander: Iran to give "awe-inspiring" response to any attack
* AlArabiya.net reports on John Bolton’s take on all the mess with Iran... Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, said on Tuesday that he believes Israel will attack Iran's nuclear facilities if Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama wins the upcoming presidential elections...
Read the full report at link below...
Israel to attack Iran if Obama is elected: Bolton

File photo by IDF

UPDATE: Drill Here - Drill Now - Pay Less, June 24, 2008

UPDATE:
Drill Here - Drill Now - Pay Less
A Real Change Campaign to Lower Your Gas Prices
Over 1,136,488 People Have Now Signed The Petition

Video posted on YouTube by AmericanSolutions

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The Petition reads:
"We, therefore, the undersigned citizens of the United States, petition the U.S. Congress to act immediately to lower gasoline prices by authorizing the exploration of proven energy reserves to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources from unstable countries."

Next week, these signatures, gathered from citizens in all 50 states, will be delivered to the U.S. Senate as a first step toward stopping the destructive Warner-Lieberman bill which would raise the cost of gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, and aviation fuel.

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Join the 1,136,488 people who have already signed the Petition HERE

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You’re doing a great job with it, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you...
AubreyJ.........

Iraq War and the Left Wing Educated Idiots!!!

Iraq War and the Left Wing

Educated Idiots!!!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Hey -- Derrick J. Jackson... This news article of yours on the Boston.com website today is SO 2004 - 2006!
Big Oil and the war in Iraq

AubreyJ.........

Taking a Moment to Honor our Fallen Heroes

Taking a Moment to Honor our Fallen Heroes

Since that tragic day on 9-11-2001… many of our bravest have given their all while fighting for this great country of ours. Please take a moment to thank them, in your own way, for all they have done and were willing to do for you -- me and this great country of ours. May God bless each and every one of these fallen Heroes, all of those who have been wounded, all of their families, friends, loved ones and their comrades in arms who were at their side.
AubreyJ.........

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

No. 529-08 June 24, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died June 21st in Kandahar City, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device and small arms fire.

Killed were:
Lt. Col. James J. Walton, 41, of Rockville, Md., who was assigned to a Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
Spc. Anthony L. Mangano, 36, of Greenlawn, N.Y., who was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry (Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition), New York Army National Guard, Geneva, N.Y.
Sgt. Nelson D. Rodriguez Ramirez, 22, of Revere, Mass., who was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry (Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition), New York Army National Guard, Geneva, N.Y.
Sgt. Andrew Seabrooks, 36, of Queens, N.Y., who was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry (Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition), New York Army National Guard, Geneva, N.Y.

For more information on Walton, media may contact the Fort Riley public affairs office at (785) 239-3410.
For more information on Mangano, Rodriguez Ramirez and Seabrooks, media may contact the New York National Guard public affairs office at (518) 786-4581.

Iraq, On Ground Updates - June 23, 2008

Iraq: On Ground Updates
Violence in Iraq Drops to Four-Year Low
Monday, June 23, 2008

Violence in Iraq dropped in May to its lowest level in four years, according to a Defense Department report released to Congress today.

The quarterly report, required by Congress, measured progress in the country in March through May of this year.

The report highlighted that all major violent indicators dropped during the reporting period by as much as 80 percent.

"Coalition and Iraqi forces' operations against al-Qaida in Iraq have degraded its ability to attack and terrorize the population," the report reads. The report concedes, though, that al-Qaida still remains a major threat, and that the recent progress is still "fragile, reversible and uneven."

Civilian deaths in May dropped to a two-year low. The report suggests that even the high-profile bombings that drove up civilian deaths in April are having less of an effect at inciting sectarian violence than other such attacks in the past.

The report hails the emergence of the Sons of Iraq, local security groups made up of citizens, as the most significant development in the past 18 months in Iraq. More than 100,000 Iraqi citizens now help to provide security for their towns, villages and neighborhoods, and the program has spread from primarily a Sunni initiative to Shiia and mixed communities as well.

The report also credits the Iraqi government's success at fighting illegal militias and Iranian-backed groups with contributing to lower levels of violence. The government's efforts have reinforced a greater public rejection of the militias, according to the report.

"Overall, the communal struggle for power and resources is becoming less violent," according to the report. "Many Iraqis are now settling their differences through debate and the political process, rather than open conflict."

Iraqi security forces have continued to improve, although at varying rates. The report cites Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's military drive in Basra as generating a positive response from all Iraqi communities.

"Despite some initial difficulties and the uneven performance of local police, Iraqi forces won the support of most Basrawis and a greater share of the Iraqi population," the report reads.

The report also notes that in many areas Iraqi forces are operating independently, or side-by-side with coalition forces, and that the Iraqi government is assuming a broader ownership of its security programs.

"These units consistently demonstrate a high level of proficiency in counterinsurgency operations against [al-Qaida in Iraq] and other extremist groups," the report reads.

Iran's support of extremist groups in Iraq is now the country's biggest security challenge, according to the report.

"Despite promises to Iraqi government to the contrary, Iran continues to fund, train, arm, and guide [Jaysh al-Mahdi] special groups and other Shiia extremist organizations," the report says.

Iraqi forces have uncovered "massive" weapons caches and ammunition of Iranian origin, some manufactured as recently as this year, the report notes.

Other assertions in the report include:

-- Expanded oil revenues are sufficient to support development and reconciliation programs

-- The Iraqi economy is expected to grow by 7 percent this year

-- Oil production is expected to increase by 10 percent this year

-- Lower inflation has boosted Iraqi purchasing power and provided a more stable environment for private sector development. Core inflation dropped to 12 percent in 2007, down from 32 percent in 2006

-- Capital budget execution continues to improve, but spending at all levels of government is still hampered by bureaucracy, corruption and sectarian division

-- Iraqis have seen an increase in the delivery of essential services such as electricity, water, sanitation and health care, but overall Iraqi satisfaction with those services remains low

From news article by DoD’s American Forces Press Service - Written by Fred W. Baker III

Map courtesy of CENTCOM

No. 527-08 June 23, 2008

No. 527-08 June 23, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Du Hai Tran, 30, of Reseda, Calif., died Jun. 20th in Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit while on patrol during combat operations. He was assigned to the Fires Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.
For more information media may contact the U.S. Army, Europe, public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-5816 or 8694, or email: ocpa.pi@eur.army.mil.

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

No. 525-08 June 23, 2008
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Matthew E. Mendoza, 24, of San Antonio, Texas, died June 20th while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
For more information about this Marine, media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at (760) 763-5397.

Israel: On Ground Updates - June 22, 2008

Israel: On Ground Updates
Sunday, June 22, 2008

* JPOST.com brings us this early Sunday morning report and it starts off like this... Amid reports that the Israel Air Force recently conducted a massive drill as a "dress rehearsal" for an attack against Iran, The Jerusalem Post has learned that the IAF significantly increased the number of overseas drills it has participated in over the past two years...
Read the full report at link below...
Israel remains mum on Iran strike drill

* The REUTERS India website reports...
Iran will give a "devastating" response to any attack on the country, its defence minister was quoted as saying on Sunday...
Read the rest at link below...
Iran to give "devastating" response to any attack

* CNN.com has this take... A military strike on Iran would turn the Middle East "into a ball of fire," said Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency... ElBaradei made the remarks in an interview aired on Saturday by Al Arabiya TV. The interview comes a day after reports emerged that Israel conducted a large-scale military exercise that the United States believes is in part a message to Iran that Israel has the capability to attack its nuclear program... "In my opinion, any military strike -- as I mentioned -- is the worst thing that can happen now," said ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency... "It will make the Middle East turn into a ball of fire. It is a lot worse than having sanctions...
Read this report in full at link below...
ElBaradei warns against strike on Iran

File photo by IAF

DoD Identifies Navy Casualty

No. 522-08 June 22, 2008
DoD Identifies Navy Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death a sailor supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Hospitalman Dustin Kelby Burnett, 19, of Fort Mohave, Ariz., was assigned to First Marine Division Detachment, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
He died June 20th while conducting combat operations in Farah Province, Afghanistan.
For further information related to this release, please contact First Marine Division Detachment, Twentynine Palms Headquarters at (760) 725-4675.

President Bush’s Saturday Radio Address - June 21, 2008

President Bush’s
Saturday Radio Address
June 21, 2008

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Americans are concerned about the high price of gasoline. Everyone who commutes to work, purchases food, ships a product, or takes a family vacation feels the burden of higher prices at the pump. And families across our country are looking to Washington for a response.
The fundamental problem behind high gas prices is that the supply of oil has not kept up with the rising demand across the world. One obvious solution is for America to increase our domestic oil production. So my Administration has repeatedly called on Congress to open access to new oil exploration here in the United States. Unfortunately, Democrats on Capitol Hill have rejected virtually every proposal. Now Americans are paying the price at the pump for this obstruction. So this week, I asked Democratic congressional leaders to take the side of working families and small businesses and farmers and ranchers and move forward with four steps to expand American oil and gasoline production.

First, we should expand American oil production by increasing access to the Outer Continental Shelf, or OCS. Experts believe that the OCS could produce enough oil to match America's current production for almost ten years. The problem is that Congress has restricted access to key parts of the OCS since the early 1980s. So I've called on the House and Senate to lift this legislative ban and give states the option of opening up OCS resources off their shores while protecting the environment. There's also an executive prohibition on exploration in the OCS, which I will lift when Congress lifts the legislative ban.

Second, we should expand American oil production by tapping into the extraordinary potential of oil shale. Oil shale is a type of rock that can produce oil when exposed to heat and other processes. One major deposit in the Rocky Mountain West alone would equal current annual oil imports for more than a hundred years. Unfortunately, Democrats in Congress are standing in the way of further development. In last year's omnibus spending bill, Democratic leaders inserted a provision blocking oil shale leasing on Federal lands. That provision can be taken out as easily as it was slipped in -- and Congress should do so immediately.

Third, we should expand American oil production by permitting exploration in northern Alaska. Scientists have developed innovative techniques to reach this oil with virtually no impact on the land or local wildlife. With a drilling footprint that covers just a tiny fraction of this vast terrain, America could produce an estimated 10 billion barrels of oil. That is roughly the equivalent of two decades of imported oil from Saudi Arabia. I urge members of Congress to allow this remote region to bring enormous benefits to the American people.

Finally, we need to expand and enhance our refining capacity. It has been 30 years since a new refinery was built in our Nation, and lawsuits and red tape have made it extremely costly to expand or modify existing refineries. The result is that America now imports millions of barrels of fully refined gasoline from abroad.

This imposes needless costs on American families and drivers. It deprives American workers of good jobs. And it needs to change.

I know Democratic leaders have opposed some of these policies in the past. Now that their opposition has helped drive gas prices to record levels, I ask them to reconsider their positions. If congressional leaders leave for the Fourth of July recess without taking action, they will need to explain why $4-a-gallon gasoline is not enough incentive for them to act.

This is a difficult time for many American families. Rising gasoline prices and economic uncertainty can affect everything from what food parents put on the table to where they can go on vacation. With the four steps I've laid out, Congress now has a clear path to begin easing the strain high gas prices put on your family's pocketbook. These proposals will take years to have their full impact, so I urge Congress to take action as soon as possible. Together, we can meet the energy challenges we face -- and keep our economy the strongest, most vibrant, and most hopeful in the world.

Thank you for listening.

Audio can be heard HERE
Taken from the White House website – White House file photo by Eric Draper

Photo for the Day - June 21, 2008

* Photo for the Day * Wheelie Impressive
An Iraqi boy pops a "wheelie" along Route Texas while riding past a U.S. Army vehicle patrol of military policemen assigned to the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Battalion Combat Team, June 17, 2008.
U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Cohen A. Young