Iraq Report, 15 August/05

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from Iraq that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. This briefing is brought to you by Joel Gaines of No Pundit Intended and Andrew Olmsted of Andrew Olmsted dot com.

TOP TOPICS

• The clock has struck midnight and millions of Iraqis are watching Cinderella to see if her new Iraqi constitution will turn into a pumpkin. Today is the day Iraq's constitution is supposed to be completed so that voters will have time to evaluate it prior to the December elections. Parliament claims it will get it done on time, but they are clearly going to run right up to the wire if they are to succeed.

• Good News from Iraq roundup. No, it isn't Chrenkoff.

• The Word Unheard catches wind of what could be a significant tactical victory for Iraq with the discovery and capture of what appears to be a terrorist chemical facility. The factory does not appear to be in the business of manufacturing even primitive chemical weapons, but it may be involved with the terrorists car bomb industry. While there are doubtless numerous such sites around Iraq, the size of this one suggests removing it can't help but undermine the terrorists at least for a time.

Other Topics Today Include: Bush administration mixed messages; news from Mosul; Saddam's palace turned over to the people; reconstruction highlights; Carnival of the Liberated; women's rights in Iraq.

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD

• The Bush Administration gave another load of ammunition to its critics last week with what the press called mixed signals over plans to withdraw from Iraq. If the administration hopes to retain popular support for the war, its going to have to do better than simply hope the press will put the pieces together of its own accord.

• Michael Yon is still bringing the best news from the streets of Mosul. In Jungle War, he takes you through an op with Deuce Four and their encounter with a recent IED attack. Also, some of the soldiers are asking, "does anyone care?" Send Michael an email so he can tell them we do.

• US forces in Tikrit have turned Saddam's hometown palace, used as a brigade HQ, over to the Iraqi army 4th Brigade.

• A U.S. UAV drone crashed near Mosul on August 10th. U.S. military spokesmen noted that it was not recovered, and that locals had made off with the wreck.

• The battle between offense and defense continues, and while offense always has an edge, QandO note that the U.S. Army's policy of uparmoring vehicles is saving a lot of lives against increasingly sophisticated IED attacks.

• Major General J.N. Mattis, Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom, called them "the biggest improvement in lethality for the Marine infantryman since the introduction of the M1 Garand in WWII." Trijicon Inc. in Wixom, MI calls them ACOG - Advanced Combat Optical Gunsights - and every Marine will be getting them.

• In addition, U.S. forces are all getting enhancements to their Interceptor OTV body armor vests.

RECONSTRUCTION & THE ECONOMY

• Here are some of this week's reconstruction highlights: The Constitutional Dialogue program has organized over 3,000 dialogues throughout Iraq, reaching almost 80,000 Iraqis who also shared their opinions through 64,000 questionnaires. USAID’s Community Action Program (CAP) worked with a Baghdad community to unclog overloaded sewer lines and remove sewer overflow from city streets. CAP worked with a community in Maysan Governorate to rehabilitate its local school’s 12 classrooms, three administration rooms and two storage rooms. A Lab Technician training course to be held in Amman, Jordan, in early September is being planned for technicians from Iraq’s five regional Environmental Health Education Resource Centers (EHERC).

IRAQI POLITICS

• SCIRI has turned up the rhetoric for an autonomous Shi'ite region in the south, while the majority of Iraqis seem to prefer an all-encompassing federalism.

• The balancing act between reconciliation and retribution continues with the decision to allow some members of the Iraqi Special Tribunal to remain on the Tribunal despite their having been members of the Baath Party.

• We discussed the concern for women's rights in the nascent Iraqi constitution last week, and the concern for minority rights is strong in Iraq. This week Vik Rubenfield at the Big Picture , noting a curious silence in the media on this vital issue.

• The latest Carnival of the Liberated is up at Dean's World.

ETCETERA

• We have already told you about Pvt. Nils Thompson, the Deuce Four soldier killed by a sniper a day after his 19th birthday. His brothers in Iraq mourned him with a memorial only days ago and his family honors him today in New York.

• Jon and McQ at QandO take a look at the sad Cindy Sheehan situation. But nobody considers the human cost.

• Do you have your GI Bracelet? Many military families fall into financial hardship when the breadwinner is injured or killed. The entire $5 purchase price of the GI Bracelet is donated to support our troops and their families! Please join us to give back to these brave people in their time of need.

• The troops are still there. So is the Winds of Change.NET consolidated directory of ways you can support the troops: American, Australian, British, Canadian & Polish. Anyone out there with more information, contact us!

• Don't forget Chief Wiggles' Toys for Iraq drive!

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