REPORTS FROM THE FIELD

• Terrorists killed 19 Iraqi police and soldiers in Baquba Saturday in three separate attacks.

• BlackFive tips us to a Marine's last letter home - "Obviously," he wrote, "if you are reading this, then I have died in Iraq."

• Major K is helping train the ISF and discusses the progress - "All over the country, this army has been being built from the ground up. It started with basic training, where new soldiers were forged with better training than was given to the "Commandos" of the old regime."

• Security Watchtower reports on an interesting technology being tested in Iraq - Boomerang Units.

• Iraq buried many of the 953 people killed during a panic caused when someone warned of a suicide bomber in a crowd. The ensuing stampede left more than 1,000 Iraqis injured, many of whom are still in critical condition.

RECONSTRUCTION & THE ECONOMY

• Take a look at this week's reconstruction highlights: More than 65 members of Iraqi business associations, consumer organizations, and women’s business groups attended the customs, tariff and trade workshop in Baghdad to learn about the modern role of the Customs Department in facilitating trade and law enforcement. USAID trained 183 Iraqis in beekeeping basics in an effort to help vulnerable groups gain a sustainable income. Participants included 44 widows, 79 poor farmers, and 41 people with disabilities. Twenty-two Iraqi journalists who make up the core staff of the future National Iraq News Agency (NINA) recently completed a reporting, writing, and editing workshop. The University of Mosul has made substantial steps in institutional development as it expands Internet access and reaches out to the community. In coordination with the Iraqi Ministry of Health (MOH), USAID implementing partners, including UNICEF, launched an emergency polio immunization campaign to prevent the resurgence of the disease. The campaign reached 4.7 million children in five days. To date, USAID and partner firms have renovated over 110 PHC clinics and provided skills training for over 2,500 primary health care providers and 700 physicians. Several water projects in Fallujah have been completed despite the difficulties of working in a conflict area.

• The Iraqi Highway Patrol opened its new HQ in Baghdad this week. The project included the overhaul of eight buildings, 11 guard towers, a surrounding wall, new security gates, sewage system, water, and electricity.

• The Iraqi government is resorting to rationing gasoline as Iraqi's infrastructure remains incapable of producing sufficient fuel for the nation's cars. Shortfalls like this will not only undermine public support for the government, but will harm attempts to get the economy on track. A terrorist attack halted all oil exports from Kirkuk, adding to Iraq's economic woes.

IRAQI POLITICS

• America's ambassador to Iraq defends the new Iraqi constitution as the countdown to the vote begins.

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

THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE

• Seven British soldiers face a court martial on charges of murdering an Iraqi civilian. The charges stem from an incident in southern Iraq in May, 2003.

• Iraq will reopen its embassy in Kuwait, closed since the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Iraq's foreign minister says that relations between the two countries are 'as good as can be,' claiming that a fence Kuwait is building along the border would help Iraq by reducing infiltration attempts by terrorists.

ETCETERA

• Mudville Gazette's Dawn Patrol is up.

• Do you have your GI Bracelet? Many military families fall into financial hardship when the breadwinner is injured or killed. The entire 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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