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Coalition, Iraqi Forces Kill, Detain Terrorists

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:16 EST

American Forces Press Service

April 21, 2008 - Coalition forces battling al-Qaida terrorists and Iranian-trained "special group" criminals killed 23 terrorists and detained 42 others during multiple engagements and missions across Iraq between April 18 and 21. "Iraqi security and coalition force soldiers are targeting criminals who violate the Iraqi rule of law," said U.S. Army Col. Allen Batschelet, chief of staff for Multinational Division Baghdad.

"Coalition soldiers are not targeting any political group or organization, but rather working with the [Iraqi security forces] targeting criminals who are engaged in violent acts or about to commit a violent act," Batschelet emphasized.

"It is the Iranian-supported special group criminals who are the primary reason the people of Baghdad are suffering. They are responsible for continued [improvised-explosive-device] attacks and firefights that are causing innocent civilian deaths," he said.

During two operations in Mosul, coalition forces captured an alleged al-Qaida leader and a suspected associate today. The missions were based on information gathered in an April 3 raid. The alleged al-Qaida leader is believed to oversee attack operations.

In separate operations yesterday, Multinational Force Baghdad soldiers took part in a series of engagements with terrorists and special group criminals.

-- At 4 a.m., soldiers assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment's 7th Squadron detained two men carrying illegal weapons and bomb-making materials in the East Rashid district.

-- At 6:40 a.m., soldiers assigned to the 21st Infantry Regiment's 1st Battalion spotted five individuals emplacing an improvised explosive device in the Adhamiyah district. The soldiers engaged the terrorists, and during the engagement, the IED detonated, killing three terrorists and wounding another.

-- At 8 a.m., the 21st Infantry Regiment's 1st Battalion engaged and killed seven terrorists carrying three PKC machines guns, three AK-47 rifles, and a rocket–propelled-grenade launcher. A Stryker element supporting the mission killed two more criminals carrying AK-47s on a nearby rooftop.

-- At 3:30 p.m., a coalition force observation post in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood was fired upon by three special group criminals. U.S. soldiers returned fire killing one and wounding the other two.

-- At about 4 p.m., soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team discovered a substantial weapons cache containing 14 blocks of high explosives in the Zubaida area of Baghdad's Rashid district.

-- At 4: 45 p.m., following a rocket attack, an unmanned aerial vehicle positively identified five special group criminals loading a vehicle with rocket rails in Sadr City. The UAV followed the vehicle to a house and engaged the criminals as they were unloading the vehicle, firing one Hellfire missile, destroying the vehicle and rockets rails, and killing the two criminals.

-- At 10:20 p.m., soldiers assigned to the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team killed three criminals with a missile fired from an unmanned aerial vehicle after they were positively identified carrying weapons at a cache site in eastern Baghdad.

In other operations yesterday, coalition forces also captured a suspected Iranian-trained special groups commander and three other suspected criminals in the Kadamiyah district of Baghdad. Coalition forces also killed four terrorists and detained four suspects in an operation north of Baqouba that targeted individuals believed to be housing foreign terrorists in the area.

"We are not initiating these engagements," U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a 4th Infantry Division member and a spokesman for Multinational Division-Baghdad, said of the April 20 actions. "Coalition forces will continue to defend ourselves against criminals who ignore the Iraqi rule of law."

In earlier operations, tips from local citizens netted three weapons caches in operations in Hakara and Basra on April 18 and 19.

-- Based on a tip, Iraqi army and U.S. from Multinational Division Center found a weapons cache during a combat patrol in Hakara on April 19.

-- Also acting on a tip, Iraqi army soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 36th Brigade, 9th Division, working with Multinational Division Southeast forces discovered a weapons cache in two vehicles during Operation Charge of the Knights in the Quibla district of Basra on April 19.

-- A tip from another local citizen led Multinational Division Center soldiers from 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), to a weapons cache near the Abu Eid bridge April 18.

In other operations April 18:

-- Coalitio forces detained four suspected terrorists during operations targeting alleged associates of al-Qaida leaders southwest of Samarra and in southern Baghdad.

-- In southern Baghdad, coalition forces secured a building and detained a suspect allegedly involved in procuring bomb-making materials, including components for suicide vests.

-- In Beiji, coalition forces coordinated three operations targeting individuals believed to conspire with an al-Qaida leader known for coordinating bombing attacks. One suspect who attempted to evade the ground force was injured in the operation and taken to a military medical facility. Coalition forces captured two wanted men and detained 12 additional suspected terrorists.

-- During two operations in Mosul, coalition forces killed three and detained seven suspected terrorists, including one who was believed to have hidden a senior terrorist leader in his house. The targeted individual allegedly conducted attacks against Iraqi security and coalition forces and was involved in killings in Baghdad.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq and Multintional Force Iraq news releases.)

Gates Forms Task Force to Promote Intelligence, Su

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:35 EST

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

April 21, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates established a new task force last week to ensure the Defense Department is doing everything possible to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets to support warfighters, he announced today. Gates told officers at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., he created the task force to give the ISR issue the same level emphasis that another task force he established has put on mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles.

"My concern is that our services are still not moving aggressively in wartime to provide resources needed now on the battlefield," the secretary said during a speech to Air War College students. "While we have doubled this capability in recent months, it is still not good enough."

Gates expressed frustration at the pace of progress, slowed by people "stuck in old ways of doing business" who make instituting change "like pulling teeth."

The new task force will move the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance issue to the front burner as it explores "more innovative and bold ways to help those whose lives are on the line," he said.

Getting more ISR support to deployed forces "may require rethinking long-standing service assumptions and priorities about which missions require certified pilots and which do not," Gates said.

"For those missions that still require manned missions, we need to think hard about whether we have the right platforms," he said. Particularly in environments where the United States and its partners have total control of the skies, "low-cost, low-tech alternatives" may provide the basic reconnaissance and close-air support needed, he said.

Gates recalled the introduction of unmanned aerial vehicles in the 1990s, when he was director of central intelligence. "The introduction of UAVs around this time meant far less risk and far more versatile means of gathering data, and other nations like Israel set about using them," he said. "In 1992, however, the Air Force would not co-fund with CIA a vehicle without a pilot."

As he called today for out-of-the-box thinking about how the military can operate in the most sensible, affordable way, Gates said it's time to recognize the role unmanned aerial vehicles play in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions -- and how much more they can contribute.

"Unmanned systems cost much less and offer greater loiter time than their manned counterparts, making them ideal for many of today's tasks," he said.

He noted a 25-fold increase since 2001, with 5,000 now in the military inventory. "But in my view, we can do -- and we should do -- more to meet the needs of men and women fighting in the current conflicts while their outcome may still be in doubt."

Brad Berkson, director of program, analysis and evaluation, will chair the new task force and provide regular updates to Gates beginning early next month, said Bryan Whitman, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.

Other task force members include representatives of the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, the Joint Staff, the military services, the comptroller, and other Defense Department components.

America Supports You: Organization Hires Heroes

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:54 EST

By Jamie Findlater

Special to American Forces Press Service

April 18, 2008 - Returning from combat in Iraq or Afghanistan with a disability certainly brings with it a number of challenges, but for one soldier, a great aid to his successful recovery was the easy transition he made into the civilian job market. Justin Callahan enlisted in the U.S Army as a combat engineer when he was 18. When he was 21, he deployed to Afghanistan, where he led a squad of 8 men squad leader. During a routine patrol, Justin was hit by an IED and suffered a left leg amputation below the knee.

During his recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, Justin was approached by Bayne Tippins, a businessman who offered him a job as soon as his health returned.

Callahan inspired Tippins to found Hire Heroes USA, an non-profit organization dedicated to helping disabled veterans to find the right fit in the civilian job market. Hire Heroes USA is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects individuals, non-profit groups and companies who want to support U.S. military men and women.

"Hire Heroes USA was designed to give other wounded servicemembers like myself the opportunity that I was fortunate to have right out of the hospital," Callahan said during an interview on America Supports You Live BlogTalkRadio. He and Tippins discussed the organization's success during the interview.

Callahan explained that the biggest challenge for many wounded warriors is getting their confidence reestablished after a tragic event.

"It's really to pick them up and point them in the right direction, helping them to re-establish the confidence they've lost going through something traumatic...and the direction to move forward," he said.

Part of re-establishing this confidence is understanding how the skills developed in the military apply to the civilian job market. One skill, Callahan mentioned, is leadership.

"A non-commissioned officer is responsible for 6 to 8 soldiers operating under very stressful situations...they are taught the hard things by the military."

Callahan talked about his day-to-day experience working with countless organizations that see great value in employing those with military experience. Employers notice military experience and benefit from an incredibly motivated group of individuals, Callahan explained.

"These men and women are so motivated to get into a good job that has a steady salary where they have the opportunity to advance."

Now the challenge for Callahan and Tippins is reaching out to the many veterans who might need assistance and do not realize how to best market their skills to a new audience. Callahan explained that the organization places everyone from sales reps to IT professionals, and from security personnel to project managers.

"A lot of servicemembers don't know what's out there. They are used to doing a certain job in the military, and when they get in the civilian world they do not always know how to apply and transfer the skills they have learned making them noticeable to employers," Callahan said.

One example of many such skills is the ability to handle logistics, Tippins said.

"Getting men and troops and supplies from point A to point B is an incredibly transferable skill," he said.

Tippins also said learning new skills easily is a common attribute of veterans.

"They are extremely trainable," he said. "The acquisition of the new skills within a new position comes easily because of their experience in the military."

Tippins explained that the mission Hire Heroes USA is to reach out to candidates, identify their strong qualities and let them know that there are jobs available for them.

"Some servicemembers just need to understand that company XYZ has a need for you.... Hire Heroes USA is designed to be a bridge to get out in front of organizations that are anxious to hire them," Tippins said. "We want to help them adjust to becoming a great member of society that they have already defended so bravely."

Afghan Army Making Progress; Police Force Needs Wo

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:48 EST

By Gerry J. Gilmore

American Forces Press Service

April 18, 2008 - Afghanistan's growing army is starting to take the lead in battles against Taliban insurgents, but the country's constabulary still requires work, the U.S. commander in charge of training and equipping those forces said today. The pace of Afghan Army development has been "quite remarkable in terms of their ability to field a force," said Army Maj. Gen. Robert W. Cone, chief of Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan.

In addition, Afghan soldiers have been taking the lead in most of the major operations against the enemy over the past three months, Cone told Pentagon reporters from his base in Kabul during a satellite news conference.

"This is critically important, because the Afghans learn by doing and when they're out in front it reinforces the classroom learning that they've had on staff planning and anticipating and synchronization," he explained.

Cone took command of the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan on July 16, 2007. Based on Camp Eggers in Kabul, the command's mission is to train, equip and advise the Afghan Army and national police force.

The Afghan Army now has about 63,000 soldiers on duty and in training, Cone reported, with a projected force-growth to about 76,000 troops by the end of this year. The Afghan Army's end strength is expected to reach 80,000 soldiers in 2009, he said.

Today, the Afghan Army has fielded 12 of 14 authorized brigades and 33 infantry battalions, Cone said. Last month, the Afghans certified one of their infantry battalions as trained and ready to conduct independent operations.

"This is a positive milestone for this relatively young Army, and it says something about the leadership of this specific unit and the commitment of the Afghan National Army and of its leaders," he said.

The Afghan Army didn't have any commando battalions at this time last year. Today, however, the Afghans have trained and stood up four commando units that are the equivalent of the U.S. Army's elite Ranger light-infantry units. A fifth Afghan commando battalion is slated to come on line this summer, he said.

Cone praised the fighting spirit of Afghanistan's soldiers.

"I would tell you that the Afghan fighter is in my view a top-ranked individual; this is a martial people, they are very good at fighting at the individual level," he said. Afghan troop leaders, he noted, are being taught how to incorporate command-and-control, communications as well as military logistics systems.

Meanwhile, Afghan troops are very happy with ongoing deliveries of M-16 rifles and armored Humvee trucks to replace old or obsolete equipment, he observed.

"We are very optimistic, as we look at this summer that we will close all of their equipment shortages," Cone said, in time for anticipated increased confrontation with Taliban insurgents with the coming of warmer weather.

Hwever, training Afghanistan's police remains a work in progress, Cone acknowledged, citing past resource priorities including the availability of trainers.

"The shortfall in trainers has specifically affected the police training program ... we can only cover down on about 30 percent of the police districts in Afghanistan," Cone explained. The shortage of trainers, he said, has prolonged the development and reform of the police.

"To date, we have been able to meet the requirements for the Afghan National Army. That was our first priority and that has been covered by a combination of U.S. and NATO trainers," Cone noted. "But, the police program is clearly where the shortfall is felt most."

The Focused District Development program that was launched in October targets deficiencies in police conduct and performance, he said.

"This strategy is aimed at reforming the way that policing is done at the district and community levels," he explained. Seven police districts have completed the program's eight weeks' of formal police training and those officers have returned to duty under the mentorship of U.S. trainers.

Cone's organization is working with the Afghan Ministry of Interior to train up the police. The goal, he said, is to reform 52 of the more than 300 Afghan police districts by the end of 2008. He estimated it will take about five years to complete the program.

"It is important to note that the police are the 'face' of government to the Afghan people and for so long that face has been associated with corruption and unprofessionalism," Cone observed.

"Focused District Development is the first real, major step in breaking this cycle of corruption and (to) provide Afghans a professional, well-led and well-trained police force," he said.

Bush: U.S. Will Maintain Troop Levels in Korea

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:27 EST

By John J. Kruzel

American Forces Press Service

April 20, 2008 - The United States will keep its current number of troops -- roughly 28,000 -- deployed to the Republic of Korea, President Bush said yesterday. During a joint news conference with his South Korean counterpart President Lee Myung-Bak, Bush said the two leaders constantly assess the need for U.S. forces on the Korean Peninsula, and both agree on the necessity of maintaining present levels there.

"We reached an agreement to maintain the current U.S. troop level on the peninsula. This is a mutual agreement that benefits both our nations and will strengthen our alliance," Bush told reporters at Camp David.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-Hee will coordinate the implementation of U.S. forces, the president said.

On this first-ever visit by a Korean head of state to the presidential retreat, Bush thanked Lee for South Korea's military commitment in the Middle East.

"We're also thankful for the Koreans' contributions to young democracies, whether it be Afghanistan or Iraq or Lebanon," Bush said. "And we want to thank you and your people, Mr. President, for those sacrifices."

During closed-door talks before the news conference, the leaders also discussed South Korea's request to upgrade its foreign military sales status. The Foreign Military Sales program is the government-to-government method for selling U.S. defense equipment, services and training, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency Web site.

"Korea has asked to upgrade its foreign military sales status with the United States and to have the same access to U.S. military technologies as NATO and other key allies, and I strongly support this request and have instructed Secretaries Rice and Gates to work with the Congress to get this done," Bush said, referring to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The U.S. and South Korea are working alongside China, Russia and Japan to press the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program, Bush said. These six-party talks have resulted in North Korea beginning to disable plutonium production facilities at Yongbyon, Bush added.

"And now North Korea must fulfill its other obligations: provide a full declaration of its nuclear programs and proliferation activities in a verifiable way," the president said.

President Lee said South Korea and the U.S. do not "harbor hostile intent" towards North Korea, but rather seek to promote multilateral dialogue.

"I'm very happy with the results of today's meeting, and we will work very closely together to see the complete dismantlement of the nuclear weapons program of North Korea, and we will work closely within the six-party talks framework," Lee said.

Special Agent James O. Born

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:08 EST

April 22, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) The April 23, 2008, program of Conversations with Cops at The Watering Hole features a conversation with special agent and author James O. Born.

Program Date: April 23, 2008

Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific

Topic: A conversation with James Born

Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement

About the Guest

James Born is a Special Agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He has been involved in investigations such as organized crime, violent crimes, economic crimes, drug cartels, and police corruption.

Before working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, James Born joined the US Marshals service in early 1986 as a deputy marshal. One year later, he transferred to the Drug Enforcement Administration. In four years with Drug Enforcement Administration, he was assigned to the West Palm Beach field office, and traveled within the United States and Panama. He spent a great deal of time in Miami during the height of the drug wars. His investigations at Drug Enforcement Administration generally focused on cocaine smuggling from Colombia. In addition, he worked undercover in a number of situations, in one case volunteering to assist the ATF as an undercover agent in the Ku Klux Klan during an explosives investigation.

James Born writes fictional novels set in Florida. According to one reader, “It's always exciting to pick up a novel by an author who started off with great work and who keeps getting better with each new book. Born fits that description. Escape Clause, his third novel featuring Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent Bill Tasker, is easily his best, not an easy mark to reach considering the high quality of Walking Money and Shock Wave, his first two novels.” James Born’s fourth novel is Field of Fire.

About the Watering Hole

The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement

Program Contact Information

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA

editor@police-writers.com

909.599.7530

Praise for Villains

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:32 EST

April 22, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website also has separate listings for federal and international law enforcement officials. One author listed, Dick Kirby, recently released his new book Villains.

Dick Kirby was born in the East-End of London, England in 1943. He joined the London Metropolitan Police in 1967. Dick Kirby worked as a detective sergeant in east and north London and served on Scotland Yard's Serious Crime Squad and the Flying Squad for half of his 26 years of service. Throughout his career he was commended on 40 occasions for courage, leadership and his detective ability. He retired from the police force in 1993. Dick Kirby is the author of Rough Justice, The Real Sweeney, You’re Nicked and his most recent release Villains.

Dirk Kirby’s latest book is received strong praise:

“All of the stories are told with Dick Kirby’s acerbic, black humor in a compelling style by a detective who was there.”

American Police Beat, April 2008 edition.

“ … a great collection of true stories that rival the best of the fictional yarn spinners.”

Joseph Wambaugh.

“I’m a huge Dick Kirby fan … this is a fast-paced, riveting read, made even more enjoyable by Kirby’s trademark humor.”

Tangled Web Website, March 2008.

“This is magic. The artfulness of these anti-heroes has you pining for the good old days.”

The Daily Sport, 28 February 2008.

According to the book description of Villains, “Police officers are now no longer encouraged to talk to criminals, and that’s a pity. Wonderful stories once were shared as a result of a quick pint with a snout down the pub, or as a respite during interrogation, when both copper and criminal would stop for a fag. Those were the glory days, where gripping accounts of slashings, fit-ups, dodgy deals, blaggings and petermen would filter through and become folklore. These days such intimacy is frowned upon (and smoking in interrogation cells is of course banned) so it is only here that these stories can be recounted. In Villains’ Tales the reader will be introduced to the bad, the mad and the dangerous to know, recounted in gripping style by those who had intimate dealings with the shady characters, both criminal and copper, from London’s underworld, long ago.”

More information about Dick Kirby is available at www.police-writers.com/dick_kirby.html

Police-Writers.com now hosts 981 police officers (representing 411 police departments) and their 2079 police books in 35 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Bush Marks 25th Anniversary of Terror Attack on U.

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:16 EST

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

April 18, 2008 - Twenty-five years after terrorists detonated a massive car bomb, killing 52 people at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, President Bush urged unity in condemning terrorism he said continues to threaten the United States. The Islamic Jihad Organization, today known as the terrorist group Hizballah, launched the April 18, 1983, attack that left 17 Americans and 35 Lebanese citizens dead. Those killed included Marine Cpl. Robert V. McMaugh, an embassy guard, and Army trainers Sgt. 1st Class Richard Twine, Staff Sgt. Ben H. Maxwell and Staff Sgt. Mark E. Salazar.

Employees of the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development and members of the Central Intelligence Agency's Middle East contingent were also killed.

President Ronald Reagan quickly denounced the "vicious terrorist bombing" as a "cowardly act" that would not deter U.S. goals of peace in the region.

Bush marked the anniversary of the Beirut embassy bombing in a statement released yesterday remembering those killed and honoring the sacrifice of their family and friends and those wounded in the attack. He called the anniversary "a timely reminder of the danger U.S. diplomats, military personnel and locally employed staff bear in their service to the the United States."

"Since the Beirut attack, we and citizens of many countries have suffered more attacks at the hands of Hizballah and other terrorists, backed by the regimes in Tehran and Damascus, which use terror and violence against innocent civilians," Bush said. "All nations should condemn such brutal attacks and recognize that the purposeful targeting of civilians is immoral and unjustifiable."

The bombing was the deadliest terrorist attack the United States had ever faced in its history, although more attacks were to follow.

The Beirut embassy bombing opened a new chapter in attacks against Americans overseas. Six months later, on Oct. 23, 1983, two truck bombs struck barracks in Beirut that houses U.S. and French members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon. The attacks, which occurred 20 seconds apart, killed 241 U.S. Marines, as well as 58 French servicemen and six civilians.

Other embassy attacks were to follow: in 1998 on the embassies in Dar es Salaam,Tanzania; and Nairobi, Kenya; and in 2002 on the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan.

Bush noted that the people of Lebanon have remained resilient despite living the better part of three decades living under the threat of violence, assassinations and other forms of intimidation.

"They and their leaders continue to work for a peaceful and democratic future, even as Syria, Iran, and their Lebanese proxies seek to undermine Lebanese democracy and institutions," he said.

"The United States will continue to stand with the Lebanese people and their government as they struggle to preserve their sovereignty and independence, seek to bring justice to victims of terrorism and political violence, and seek election of a president committed to those values," Bush said.

From Iwo Jima to Computer Crime

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:48 EST

April 21, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three police officers who have written a variety of works, from a personal account of the Battle of Iwo Jima to a text on investigating computer crime.

Alfred Stone left his home in Marlin (Texas) as a teenager to join the U.S. Marines during World War II. As a member of the Fifth Marine Division, he participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima and after served with the occupying forces in Japan. He was called back to duty during the Korean conflict. Alfred Stone’s 38 year law enforcement career included service as a highway patrol officer and other service with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Alfred Stone is the author of The Investigating of Crimes: An introduction and A Marine Remembers Iwo Jima: Dog Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Marines, Fifth Marine Division; and, a co-author of Strategies for Community Policing.

According to a reader of A Marine Remembers Iwo Jima: Dog Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Marines, Fifth Marine Division, “This is an outstanding transcript of one Marines personal account of the many men who fought on IWO JIMA. The author more importantly wishes the reader to draw their on conclusions from these personal accounts. The history of these events is depicted in the most accurate rendition, more importantly the writer wants the reader to understand these events as they unfold from that standpoint.”

Michael Knetzger is a fourteen-year law enforcement veteran and currently a Lieutenant with the Green Bay Police Department (Wisconsin). Michael Knetzger began his law enforcement career as a patrol officer and detective for the Town of Brookfield Police Department. He is a certified State of Wisconsin Technical College Instructor and teaches criminal justice courses at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Colorado Technical University Online and ITT Technical Institute. Michael Knetzger has successfully completed the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists forensic examiner program, Basic Data Recovery & Analysis course, and several other courses and seminars on investigating internet crimes. He is also a certified tactical instructor and teaches defensive and arrest tactics, firearms, and professional communications skills courses to new law enforcement recruits. Michael Knetzger has a BA in Justice and Public Policy and a Masters in Public Administration. He is the co-author of True Crime in Titletown, USA: Cold Cases and Investigating High-Tech Crime.

Jeremy Muraski is an eight-year law enforcement veteran and currently an Advanced Patrol Officer, Webmaster and Field Training Officer with the Green Bay Police Department. He has worked as a Network Administrator for Kimberly Clark Corporation and at various jobs as a Computer Support Engineer and Help Desk Specialist supporting online investors for Fidelity Investments. Jeremy Muraski is certified to teach for The Wisconsin Technical College System and teaches criminal justice courses at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, including Investigating High Tech Crimes, and Juvenile Law.

Jeremy Muraski has completed AccessData's Forensic Toolkit Course, the National White Collar Crime Center's Basic Data Recovery & Analysis (BDRA) course, and several other courses and seminars on investigating Internet crimes. In addition to having developed college level course work in computer crime, he holds a number of computer certifications such as Microsoft Access Database Design and Administration and Website Design and Computer Network Administration. Jeremy Muraski is a co-author of Investigating High-Tech Crime.

Bush, U.K. Prime Minister Talk Tough on Terrorism

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:00 EST

By John J. Kruzel

American Forces Press Service

April 17, 2008 - In two-part harmony, President Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown vowed to work together to combat terrorism. During a joint news conference at the White House Rose Garden following a closed-door meeting, the two leaders pledged continued multilateral military commitment in Afghanistan and spoke critically about Iran's uranium enrichment.

"Prime Minister Brown understands our enemies remain determined to strike our countries and to kill our people. He and I share a determination -- a fierce determination -- that these evil men must be stopped and that we can defeat their hateful ideology by the spreading of liberty and freedom," Bush said, calling the prime minister his good friend.

Invoking Winston Churchill's famous phrase, Brown said no bilateral bond has better served the world than the "special relationship" between the United States and United Kingdom. "And following our excellent meeting, I'm able to report that the bond between our two countries is stronger than ever," he added.

Brown praised his American counterpart for leading the crusade against global extremism. "The world owes President George Bush a huge debt of gratitude for leading the world in our determination to root out terrorism and to ensure that there is no safe haven for terrorism and no hiding place for terrorists," he said.

On Iraq, the president said the two nations are working together and lauded recent efforts by British troops in Basra. "During the recent fighting in the Basra province, our nations coordinated our support for the Iraqi security forces as they took on extremists and criminals," he said. "I'm most thankful for the brilliance of the British helicopter crews that fired under courage and helped evacuate wounded Iraqi soldiers."

Brown agreed that his nation's overwatch role in Basra in southern of Iraq is making "substantial progress." He added that much of the leaders' discussion involved U.S.-U.K. forces serving together in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We praise the commitment of the troops of both America and Britain and all who serve in these two countries," he said.

America and Britain, respectively, have the first and second largest number of forces in Afghanistan and are determined on the success of our missions, the prime minister said. He added that he and Bush agreed at the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, early this month to match the military effort in Afghanistan with proposals that will enable economic and social development there.

Bush said he appreciates the 7,900 British troops bravely serving in Afghanistan. "We talked about the very successful NATO summit that we just concluded in Romania," he said, referring to his afternoon discussion with Brown. "We talked about our commitment to see to it that e succeed in Afghanistan."

The heads of state also agreed on mounting multilateral opposition to Iran's defiant pursuit of nuclear capabilities.

"Our position is clear: that we're going to work together, along with other nations, to make it abundantly clear to the Iranian regime that they must not have the capability of developing a nuclear weapon," the president said.

Echoing Bush, the prime minister said, "Iran continues to defy the will of the international community, and we are agreed on the need to strengthen the sanctions regime and ensure these sanctions are effectively implemented."

Brown said he will meet with other European leaders over the next few days to discuss moving forward with the issue across the continent.

Creech, Miller and Katz

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:29 EST

April 16, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added two law enforcement officers from Texas and one from Florida.

Paul Creech began his 40 year law enforcement career with the Texas Highway Patrol which became part of the Texas Department of Public Safety. After ten years as a Highway Patrol Officer, Paul Creech began to fly aircraft for the Texas Department of Public Safety. Paul Creech is the author of Eagle with a Badge.

According to the book description of Eagle with a Badge, it “is the true story of pilot Paul Creech, who flew state police helicopters and other aircraft for thirty years, preceded by ten years as a highway patrolman. It was a life of extreme danger, with times of stark terror, interspersed with the routine that all police officers know. By day, by night, in weather ranging from floods and tornadoes to snowstorms, Paul rescued people, and helped ground officers apprehend bank robbers, murderers, and escaping convicts.”

After graduation from high school, Rick Miller served three years as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. He served almost twelve years as an officer, detective, and supervisor with the Dallas Police Department, after which he was the chief of police for the Killeen Police Department (Texas) and the Denton Police Department (Texas). After receiving his juris doctorate from Baylor University in 1983, Rick Miller entered the private practice of law in Killeen. Rick Miller is the author of Sam Bass & Gang, Bloody Bill Longley: A Biography, The Train Robbing Bunch and Bounty Hunter.

According to the book description of Sam Bass & Gang, “the legendary Sam Bass refused to give up his companions to the trailing lawmen. In 1878, the chase ended with the famous gunfight on the streets of Round Rock, Texas.”

Marty Katz is a retired sergeant from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Marty Katz is the author of Past the Uniform. According to the book description, “Ever wonder what it is like to be on the other side of a 9-1-1 call? Come along for the ride. View the world through the windshield of a patrol unit and behind the yellow tape of crime scenes.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 978 police officers (representing 409 police departments) and their 2074 criminal justice books in 35 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Squint, Gilbreath and Sweatt

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:10 EST

April 16, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three Texas law enforcement officials.

Dale Squint entered the US Army in 1956 and served a three year enlistment which included duty Japan and Korea. In 1960, he began his law enforcement career with the El Paso Police Department. Dale Squint worked uniform patrol for approximately four years and then was promoted to detective. In 1967, he joined the Texas Department of Public Safety and served in the Highway Patrol until 1970. Dale Squint joined the Border Patrol in 1970, serving out the remained of his law enforcement career. Dale Squint is the author of My Border Patrol Diary: Laredo, Texas.

After serving in the United States military, West Gilbreath joined the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Department in Las Cruces, New Mexico. On February 1, 2001, West Gilbreath retired as the Lieutenant of the Criminal Investigations Division to start a second career. He and his family relocated to Denton, Texas where he is a criminal investigator for the University of North Texas Police Department. West Gilbreath is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, and received a Heritage Award for preserving the history of the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Department through the creation of the Historical Museum of Lawmen. West Gilbreath is the author of Death on the Gallows: The Story of Legal Hangings in New Mexico, 1847-1923.

John Sweatt is a technical associate with ATA Associates, Inc. A retired, twenty-two-year veteran of the Houston Police Department, he worked extensively in the hit and run accident detail and accident investigation division. He received his BS in 1978 from the University of Houston and has continued to develop expertise in advanced accident reconstruction, radial tire belt separations, restraint systems examinations, truck brake failure analysis, vehicle damage analysis, ground base aerial crush photography, airbag technology and development, and tractor-trailer rollovers and underride accidents.

John Sweatt’s areas of specialized expertise include: accident investigations, accident reconstruction, and commercial vehicle investigations and reconstruction. He is a licensed private investigator in the state of Texas and is HAZWOPER certified. John B. Sweatt is the co-author of Handbook of Charts and Tables for Vehicle Dynamic Analysis.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 975 police officers (representing 409 police departments) and their 2068 criminal justice books in 35 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Forensics Team Gives Voice to Saddam's Fallen, Sho

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:56 EST

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

April 17, 2008 - Dr. Michael "Sonny" Trimble saw evidence of Saddam Hussein's brutality firsthand as he led a team that excavated nine mass graves in Iraq, then looked evil in the eye as he testified in an Iraqi court against the regime's atrocities. But through those horrors, Trimble said, he witnessed something awe-inspiring as well: America's message to the world of its commitment to the rule of law and the value of human life.

A forensic archeologist for the Army Corps of Engineers' St. Louis District, Trimble received the Army's Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service this week for his work leading a mass graves team in Iraq. Army Secretary Pete Geren and Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard A. Cody praised Trimble during an April 15 Pentagon ceremony for conducting forensic mass-grave exhumations and analyses that proved Saddam's role in genocide and crimes against humanity.

The assignment Trimble got in June 2004 was vastly different from his typical work inventorying and maintaining museum collections for the Corps of Engineers. The mission: stand up a forensic-analysis team, buy the necessary equipment, excavate nine major mass graves throughout Iraq, and analyze what the team found at a forensic laboratory the team would set up near Baghdad International Airport.

And the biggest challenge of all: be on the ground digging within 60 days.

Trials against Saddam were already under way, but so far, all evidence against him consisted of testimony and archival evidence such as execution orders he signed. "In the end, in any homicide, you have to have the body," Trimble said. "You have to be able to show that this person was murdered and how he was murdered. And in the case of genocide, you have to be able to show that the murder was gruesome and cold-blooded -- which, in this case, wasn't hard to do."

It was a daunting assignment despite Trimble's 34 years of forensics experience, the last 21 years with the Army Corps of Engineers. He drew on training he received working with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command in Hawaii, the only Defense Department organization with a mission anything like the one Trimble and his team would carry out. JPAC excavates and analyzes the remains of suspected U.S. servicemembers still unaccounted for from past conflicts.

Trimble said he is still amazed that he was able to push through all the processes required to get his team on the ground working within two months.

"I'm not sure anyone has ever done that that fast, and I am not sure I could ever do it again," he said. "It was unbelievable. We were working 16-, 17-, 18-hour days, minimum."

The way mass graves were excavated in Bosnia is far more typical of the way forensic archeologist work. "You go out after the war is over. No one is shooting at you. You have the luxury of time as you excavate these graves, and you have to excavate them very carefully so that nothing is challenged in court," Trimble said.

That wasn't to be the case in Iraq.

"We hit the ground, and they said, 'You have to start getting these graves, finding them, digging them up, doing it carefully and writing that final report (to the court) that had to be translated into Arabic,'" Trimble said. "We had to do it fast and carefully -- and fast and carefully don't usually go together, especially in this field."

When Trimble and his team completed their mission, they didn't have a body. They had 367. Of those, 301, mostly Kurdish women and children, were uncovered in three mass graves related to Saddam's 1987-1988 Anfal campaign. Others were Shiites killed during the 1991 uprising in Karbala.

The Anfal campaign left more than 200,000 Kurds dead and possibly far more, but received little international attention, Trimble said. Saddam's order to execute 148 people in the Shiite town of Dujail -- a crime for which Saddam was later executed -- garnered far more publicity.

Unlike in Dujail, where Saddam singled out men and boys for revenge killings after a failed assassination attempt, the Anfal attacks were part of a longstanding campaign that wiped out nearly every Kurdish village in vast areas of northern Iraq. The campaign aimed to eliminate the Kurdish population, an objective Trimble said was best served by eliminating its women and children.

In many cases, the victims were told they were being resettled. Then, with all their worldly possessions in tow, they were taken deep into the desert to be killed, Trimble said. The killers "had pre-cut linear graves with heavy equipment, and they marched people into the graves, usually in the early evening, and machine-gunned them and covered them up," he said.

Iraq is riddled with graves of Saddam's fallen, Trimble said, guessing that he and his team found only a tiny fraction of them. "The whole country is filled with them," he said.

As they performed in-depth scientific analyses of the remains they found, Trimble and his team felt heartbroken by what they found. Lack of acid in the soil had preserved most of the clothing that clung to skeletal remains, leaving no doubt that the victims were mostly women and children. Women clung to bags of pots and pans and other household goods. Young children lay within reach of pacifiers buried with them in the dirt.

Trimble said he and his team felt an obligation to the victims as they went to work as part of the Department of Justice's Regime Crimes Liaison Office in Iraq team. Their job was to provide indisputable proof the Iraqi court needed in its three separate cases against Saddam, his cousin Ali Hassan Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, known as "Chemical Ali," and other former Baath Party officials.

As a culmination of the team's efforts, Trimble was called to testify against the defendants. He spent five solid hours in August 2006 recounting to the court his team's findings, being challenged directly by Saddam as well as Chemical Ali, who Trimble said had the piercing eyes of a "stone-cold killer."

Following what Trimble described as a "very fair" court process, the court found the defendants guilty.

To Trimble, the convictions weren't the end of the team's work. The team members took each set of human remains they had analyzed, wrapped them in cloth, and returned them to the Kurdish people. "It was important for us to show that respect for the human remains," Trimble said.

The Kurds buried the remains in a national cemetery and plan to build a museum similar to Washington D.C.'s Holocaust Museum to honor those killed. Clothing and other items discovered in the graves will help tell the stories of the Anfal campaign, Trimble said.

Trimble called it a privilege to be a part of the team that helped bring Saddam and his fellow regime members to justice and to ensure the world knew the story of those whose lives they took down. "I felt an obligation to the people I had worked with, but especially to the Kurdish and Shiia people murdered," he said. "After awhile, you get very close to the bodies of these people, and you really want to take care of them. I felt I owed that to them in a very big way."

But equally gratifying, Trimble said, was the opportunity to help show the world the values the United States embraces. "I thought this was the best representation of the United States," he said.

By helping the Iraqis set up a legal system to ensure fair trials, the United States demonstrated its commitment to the rule of law -- not tribalism -- to settle disputes, he said. And by committing people and resources to the process, the United States showed the value it places on human life.

"This was the best story we had going in a tough situation over there," he said. "It showed the United States coming over, training people, setting up a law system and really showing people in the Middle East that we take life seriously and are willing to put people and resources behind that."

Face of Defense: Iraqi-Born Marine Becomes America

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:42 EST

By Marine Cpl. Scott McAdam

Special to American Forces Press Service

April 17, 2008 - Marine Lance Cpl. Evan Eskharia, a basic water systems technician with Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), received his United States citizenship during a naturalization ceremony at Al Faw Palace here April 12. Receiving his U.S. citizenship in the war-torn country of his birth represents the culmination of his family's determination and will to flee an oppressive regime and seek the freedoms and opportunities only offered in America.

"This is in my top three proudest days of my life," said Eskharia, who lived in El Cajon, Calif., prior to joining the Marine Corps. "It's up there with the birth of my son and receiving my eagle, globe and anchor," he said referring to the Marine Corps symbol.

The naturalization ceremony was the largest outside the United States, with 259 servicemembers from 71 different countries receiving their citizenship.

"It's that feeling in your heart, that now you're a U.S. citizen; it feels really good," Eskharia added.

When Eskharia was 9 years old, he and his family fled Iraq to Turkey due to Saddam Hussein's oppressive regime. At the time, when an Iraqi boy turned 16, he would be drafted into the Iraqi military. Having five male children, Eskharia's mother and father decided they would rather leave the country than see their children become part of Saddam's tyranny.

"It was very difficult for my parents to leave everything behind," Eskharia explained. "My parents wanted us to have a better life and better opportunities, so we left."

Once the Eskharia family reached Turkey, the Turkish government placed them in a refugee camp in Istanbul for more than three years.

Eskharia remembers his time in the refugee camp as difficult -- his family treated horribly, with clean water scarce, very little liberty to go outside, and living with nine to 10 people in rooms built for three.

In 1993, the Eskharias applied for and received a green card from the United States. The family moved to California and started a new life as so many immigrants have done before them.

Even though the time in Turkey was hard for the Eskharia family, it made coming to the United States and enjoying the freedom afforded to Americans well worth it.

To repay the country who took him and his family in, Eskharia made a decision few American citizens and even fewer immigrants make -- to join the United States Marine Corps.

"He's (Eskharia) put in a lot of hard work to get into the Marine Corps and to get his naturalization," said Eskharia's brother-in-law, Sgt. Wendall F. Anderson, a special intelligence systems administrator in 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). "He feels that since America took him and his family in, he owes America a debt of gratitude and that's why he joined the Marine Corps."

While in the Marine Corps, Eskharia used his newfound brotherhood as a support system while applying for citizenship.

"It is a great feeling knowing you have the backup and support of the Marine Corps," Eskharia said. "They are always there for help."

Through deploying with the Marine Corps, Eskharia found himself back in the country of his birth.

"It feels good knowing that I can contribute to Iraq," Eskharia said. "I do speak Arabic, not fluently, but I can still understand what people say, and if Iraqis have a question, I can help them out and try to explain what is going on."

Though a lot has changed in the last 15 years, being in Iraq has brought back some childhood memories.

Currently stationed at Taqaddum, Eskharia remembers Lake Habbaniyah, where he, his father and two brothers used to fish and swim.

"We drove by Lake Habbaniyah the other day, and I was like, 'Huh, I remember this lake,'" Eskharia said. "I remember the hills around there, but there is a lot of barbed wire and fences now that weren't there before. It's a lot different now."

Conquering one of his life goals, Eskharia stays focused on his future. Speaking Aramaic, and with his knowledge of Arabic, Eskharia would like to go to military linguist school in Monterey, Calif., to hone his Arabic language skills and become a linguist for the Marine Corps.

"I feel he makes a great Marine; he's a good person, a good father, a good husband and a good brother," said Anderson, a Buffalo, Mo., native. "I think this is well-deserved."

"In my heart, this is what I've always wanted to do," Eskharia explained. "I've wanted to be a U.S. citizen ever since we came to the states from Baghdad. It's very important to me because it's an accomplishment and an achievement in my life."

(Marine Cpl. Scott McAdam is assigned to 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.)

Two Rangers and a Marine

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:53 EST

April 15, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added two Texas Rangers and one police officer who is a former Marine.

W. J. L. Sullivan was a sergeant with the Texas Rangers from 1889 to 1901. He is the author of Twelve Years in the Saddle with the Texas Rangers.

Captain Daniel Roberts joined the Texas Rangers in 1874 and served periodically until 1882. Captain Daniel Roberts’ autobiography, Rangers and Sovereignty, was published in 1914.

David Cortez is a former United States Marine who served one year with the Third Reconnaissance Battalion in Okinawa, Japan. David Cortez is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University and holds a BA in business administration. He is a twenty-four year veteran of the Fort Worth Police Department, where he currently serves as a sergeant in the Patrol Division. Among his many assignments in police work are the Patrol Division, Vice, Intelligence, Narcotics, Burglary, Detective, Gang Unit, Federal Drug Task Force, (known as Weed-n-Seed) and the Training Division. David Cortez is the author of A Personal Guide for Cabin and Cockpit Self Defense.

According to the book description of A Personal Guide for Cabin and Cockpit Self Defense, “This book outlines a variety of self defense related issues. First it recognizes terrorism profound impact on the flight industry and the American way of life. Secondly, it draws informal parallels between the current flight industry and our system of policing while defining some terrorist methods of operations. Moreover, the book addresses a need for a change in attitude and purpose as it relates to flight personnel. Varied issues involving fear, emotional control, legality, personal attitudes, edged weapons defenses, and personal weapons, are delineated in this book.. What’s more, realistic self-defense measures are clarified for Cabin and Cockpit Defense. This book is a classic "HOW TO" on Self-Defense and a must read for airline personnel, police and the military.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 972 police officers (representing 408 police departments) and their 2065 criminal justice books in 35 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.