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Tuesday, February 15, 2005


COLD WEATHER DUTY — U.S. Air Force Staff Sgts. Michael Coakley and Charles McDaniel clear snow from the engine of a KC-135 Stratotanker at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, Feb. 15, 2005. The base here received 14 inches of snow in 36 hours. The airmen are crew chiefs assigned to the 376th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Westfall

Qalah Musa Bala, Afghanistan


U.S. Army Spc. Melissa Ault hands out clothes to Afghan girls in Qalah Musa Bala, Afghanistan, Feb. 10, 2005. Ault is assigned to the 33rd Area Support Group, part of the Illinois Army National Guard. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Johnny R. Aragon



U.S. Army Sgt. Tara Holloman, assigned to Task Force-Eagle, 33rd Area Support Group, helps organize the distribution of clothes to Afghans in Qalah Musa Bala, Afghanistan, on Feb. 10, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Johnny R. Aragon



U.S. Army Spc. Melissa Ault, assigned to Task Force-Eagle, 33rd Area Support Group, hands out clothes to young Afghan girls in Qalah Musa Bala, Afghanistan, Feb. 10, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Johnny R. Aragon



U.S. Army Spc. Melissa Ault, assigned to Task Force-Eagle, 33rd Area Support Group, hands out clothes to young Afghan girls in Qalah Musa Bala, Afghanistan, Feb. 10, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Johnny R. Aragon



U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Julie Weiss, assigned to Task Force-Eagle, 33rd Area Support Group, gives medical aid to local Afghans in Qalah Musa Bala, Afghanistan, on Feb. 10, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Johnny R. Aragon

In Today's News - Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Quote of the Day:
"Liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker. But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us, at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood."
John Adams, A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law, 1765


JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Lebanon puts army on alert
Lebanon plunged into deep mourning and put its army on alert against violence Tuesday, a day after a massive bomb killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and raised fears that Lebanon might revert to the political violence of its 1975-90 civil war.

Deal said reached on Jericho handover
A Palestinian negotiator said Tuesday he has reached final agreement with Israel on the handover of the West Bank town of Jericho to Palestinian control, including the removal of the main Israeli roadblock in the area, in what would be an important precedent for pullbacks from four more West Bank towns in coming weeks.

Iran mosque fire kills 59, injures 250
A fire raged through a crowded mosque in Tehran during evening prayers Monday after a female worshipper's veil caught the flames of a kerosene heater, killing at least 59 people, and injuring more than 250, Iran's official news agency reported.

FBI said conducting intelligence abroad
The FBI is conducting intelligence operations abroad without notifying colleagues at the CIA and State Department, current and former government officials say.


Ananova: War In Iraq
Freed detainees denied passports
The Government is refusing to issue passports to some of the Britons released from Guantanamo Bay last month under a rarely used law.

Straw hints at Kashmir peace
British foreign minister Jack Straw has hinted that an agreement may be on the cards for a bus service to run across the military line which divides the disputed region of Kashmir.


Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iran Foreign Minister Hopeful on EU Deal
Iran's foreign minister expressed hope Tuesday that his country could reach a fruitful agreement with the European Union on its nuclear activities.

U.S. troops battle insurgents in Baghdad
U.S. troops fought insurgents in a central Baghdad neighborhood Tuesday and a Turkish businessman held hostage for almost two months was released after his family reportedly paid a ransom.

Challenges lodged against Iraq election
Iraq's Independent Electoral Commission said Tuesday that it received at least six complaints from political groups challenging the results of the Jan. 30 elections.

Hariri death raises fears of instability
Leaders across the Middle East condemned the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, fearing it would reopen old wounds and threaten the fragile Palestinian-Israeli truce.


Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Turkish businessman freed after held hostage in Iraq
A Turkish businessman, Kahraman Sadikoglu, has been freed after almost two months as a hostage in Iraq and is expected home on Tuesday, the Turkish foreign ministry said.

U.S. Troops Battle Insurgents in Baghdad
U.S. troops fought insurgents in a central Baghdad neighborhood Tuesday and a Turkish businessman held hostage for almost two months was released after his family reportedly paid a ransom.

Even in war zone, love blossoms
Instead of candles at dinner, Sgt. Damon Schroeder plans to make do with glowing green chemical light sticks.

Mosque And State: Just How Close?


Weather
Weather information from The Weather Channel

Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar


From Fox News
U.S. Battles Insurgents in Iraq- Pol Escapes Bomb Attack
Report: Deal Reached on Jericho Handover
Iran Hopeful on EU Nuke Deal
South Korea Proposes Talks
Lebanon on Alert After Attack
White House: Bombers Must Pay
Timeline: Lebanon's Recent History
Sevan Implicated
Fast Facts: Oil-for-Food Program


From the Department of Defense
Extremists Try to Impose 'Dark Vision'
DOHA, Qatar, Feb. 14, 2005 — The Middle East is currently going through a revolutionary period in which small groups of religious extremists are attempting to impose their "dark vision" upon the vast majority of the region's people, the U.S. general responsible for the region said. Story

Abizaid: Iraq Situation Defies Vietnam Analogy

Shiia Slates Win in Iraq, Call for Unity
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2005 — The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq announced the results of the nationwide voting that took place Jan. 30. Commission officials announced the results in a Baghdad news conference Feb. 13. Story

COMMENTARY
Leaving Fear Behind
By John D. Negroponte and U.S. Army Gen. George Casey
Although the heroic vote for freedom here in Iraq was humbling, it did not surprise us. Since the transition to Iraqi sovereignty seven months ago, we have seen daily manifestations of Iraqi courage and determination. More

ON THE GROUND
Afghan Army Assists in Plane Crash Aftermath
KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 14, 2005 — The crash of a Kam Air Boeing 737 passenger jet on Feb. 4 was believed to be Afghanistan's worst air disaster. When helicopter rescue attempts by the International Security Assistance Force were hampered by weather, the Afghan National Army responded with boots on the ground. Story

Coalition Doctors Mend Boy’s Cleft Palate
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Feb. 14, 2005 — Three-year-old Khan Mohammad was born with a severe cleft palate. With his lip and gums split in the middle up to his nostrils and teeth protruding from the gums, it was difficult for the boy to eat and breathe. Coalition doctors were hoping to change that. Story

Speicher Runways Make Redeployment Easier
FORWARD OPERATING BASE DANGER, TIKRIT, Iraq, Feb. 14, 2005 — Redeployment is being made easier for 1st Infantry Division soldiers thanks to the reconstruction of two runways at Forward Operating Base Speicher’s airfield. Story

82nd Airborne Division Gets New Digs
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb. 14, 2005 — The insurgency has been bad for business at Baghdad’s Sheraton Hotel. The hotel’s opulent lobby was quiet. However, just before sunset on a recent afternoon, several trucks loaded with passengers pulled up outside the hotel. The 82nd Airborne was checking in. Story

Mississippi Guard Unit Reports for Duty
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq, Feb. 14, 2005 — The 155th Brigade Combat Team from the Mississippi National Guard officially reported for duty with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force after completing a transfer of authority today. Story

Iraqi Pilots Fly Prime Minister on C-130 Mission
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb. 13, 2005 — Two days after their first training flight on a C-130 cargo plane, a crew from an Iraqi Air Force squadron were back in the cockpit Feb. 12 for their first mission: flying Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi round trip from Baghdad to As Sulaymaniwah West. Story

IN IRAQ
Marines Prepare Helicopters for Return Home
Marines, Iraqis Celebrate Improvement Project
Command Change Marks Year of Transition
Operation Cracks Down on Illegal Weapons
Texas Soldiers Discover Iraq’s Past
Iraqi Police Commandos Get Connected

IN AFGHANISTAN
Engineers Help Expand Kandahar Airfield
Team Helps Afghan Police Train for Future
Jalalabad Team Assesses Needs, Delivers Aid

IN UZBEKISTAN
Troops Bring Donations to Uzbek School
Airmen Drop Supplies to Troops in Afghan Mountains

WHY I SERVE
Family's Sense of Service Motivates Marine
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2005 — "It just felt like service was something everyone was supposed to do," U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Mandy L. McCammon said in Utapao, Thailand, recently. Story

'Mail Call' Host: 'Support the Troops'
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2005 — "I want you to go to AmericaSupportsYou.mil … let the troops - let me - know how you're supporting the troops," former Marine Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey, host and star of "Mail Call," said at the Pentagon, Feb. 11. Story

Special Report - Iraqi Elections
Elections Deal Blow to Terrorists
Elections Boost Confidence in Forces
Troops Relate Election Day Events

TOP NEWS
Attack Kills U.S. Soldier, Wounds 3
Arrest Warrants Announced
Incidents Claim Four Soldiers
Abizaid Visits Troops in Iraq
Photos: Rumsfeld, Abizaid in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
Year in Review 2004 Fact Sheets (pdf)
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps
Weekly Progress Report (pdf)

IN AFGHANISTAN
Missing Aircraft Search Continues
Forces Secure Weapons, Render Aid
Enduring Freedom Marks 3 Years
Afghanistan Daily Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Rumsfeld Stresses Unity
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
USS Newport News Returns Feb. 15
Army Confident in Transformation
Air Force Looks Toward the Future
Navy Keeps Eye on Future Force
Marines Project Future Demands
National Guard, Reserve Update

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