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For Immediate Release
August 28, 2007
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Ancient University Opens Rebuilt Student Center
By Norris Jones
Gulf Region Division Centra

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Renovation work on
one of the oldest universities in the Islamic
world was completed this month in
Baghdad by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE).
Mustansiriya University, founded in
1234 by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir,
is located on the east side of the Tigris
River near Sadr City.
Mohammad Attar, a 29-year-old civil
engineer who works for USACE, graduated
from Mustansiriya and says he is proud to
have helped oversee the $1 million in improvements
to the student center and soccer
field there.
The student center was burned and the
looted following the overthrow of Saddam
Hussein in 2003 and had been unusable
until this month. Historically it has been a
key structure on the campus, and Attar
remembers attending many graduation
festivities there when families and students
would gather to celebrate the special
day.
The project included new air conditioning
ductwork and chillers, new skylights,
roof repair, new marble interior walls and
floors, new plumbing and electrical wiring,
new doors and windows, plastering and
painting, and rebuilding the cafeteria
kitchen and dining area.
In addition, the university’s soccer field
was reseeded and an irrigation system
installed.
“Education is a priority for every Iraqi
family,” Attar explained. “We are taught
from a young age that through education
and hard work, anything is possible.
That’s the reason, despite two separate
bomb blasts earlier this year that killed
and wounded hundreds of students; their
fellow classmates still risk the journey
every day.”
He says helping with Mustansiriya is
definitely a highlight of the projects he
deals with. “Our efforts have made a difference
benefiting thousands of Baghdad
students,” he said.
He explained that in Iraqi culture, the two top educational choices are medicine
and engineering. He finds his work rebuilding
Iraq a very satisfying profession.
“We’re constructing new schools and
courthouses, installing water and sewer
lines, renovating hospitals, upgrading
electrical substations and networks, building
new fire stations and youth centers.”

Attar’s has a goal of returning to the
college himself someday to earn a Masters
Degree and is confident his children will
possess that same passion for learning –
“it’s a fundamental part of our Iraqi society.”
Editor’s

DefendAmerica News Article: East Baghdad Residents Join Guard Force to Boost Neighborhood Security - 08/29/07

U.S. Army Pfc. Emmanuel Ramanan, in background, looks on as Cpl. Ganem Najim of the Iraqi army’s 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 11th Infantry Division, discusses firing techniques with the first 30 members of Adhamiyah’s Critical Infrastructure Guard Force, in Baghdad. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael Pryor
First class of 30 poised to begin work in Adhamiyah.
By Sgt. Mike Pryor 2nd Brigade Combat Team 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs BAGHDAD, Aug. 30, 2007 — It’s just after 10 a.m., and a large crowd has gathered outside the Adhamiyah District Advisory Council building. Dozens of men mob the entrance.Normally, this building is where citizens come to complain about potholes and power outages, and where wailing mothers come to plead for the release of their detained sons. But the men gathered here this morning did not come to complain about problems, they came to be part of a solution. “The first time we did this, we had maybe 15 people show up. But the word got around and they’re starting to really show up now. They just keep coming.” U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Chhay Mao The men are all here to apply for jobs with Adhamiyah’s new Critical Infrastructure Guard Force (CIGF), a security force made up of local men that will protect area schools, hospitals, fuel stations, and government buildings. In Adhamiyah, a Sunni enclave in east Baghdad that has long been a haven for insurgents, U.S. and Iraqi forces have struggled to make residents more active partners in security. But the surprising embrace of the guard force is just one of a growing number of signs that Adhamiyah residents are starting to take a more aggressive role in protecting their community, say U.S. soldiers based in the area. “They’re standing up, and I think it shows they’re ready to take their neighborhood back into their own hands,” said Columbia, Md.-resident Capt. Albert Marckwardt, commander of Troop B, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. The first 30 CIGF volunteers recently completed training, and will soon receive their assignments. More than 400 applications for CIGF jobs have been received so far, and the total force strength is expected to reach more than 750, said Homewood, Ill.-resident 2nd Lt. Brian C. Smith, the squadron’s Iraqi Security Forces liaison officer. The CIGF has been met with enthusiasm by the people of Adhamiyah, as evidenced by the recent turn out of job-seekers at the building. More than 50 hopefuls turned up, some waiting for several hours to fill out the paperwork and put in their applications. “The first time we did this, we had maybe 15 people show up. But the word got around and they’re starting to really show up now. They just keep coming,” said Modesto, Calif., native, Sgt. 1st Class Chhay Mao, a platoon sergeant with B Troop who was helping screen applicants. The vetting took place upstairs, in a stuffy room filled with long tables. The applicants entered in small groups, some of the men shy, others cocky and laughing, to give their information to the soldiers at the tables. One soldier asked Mohammed Said Ahmad, a muscular 25-year-old with a baseball cap on backward, why he wanted to join the CIGF. “We are here because we want to secure Adhamiyah for our kids and our families,” Ahmad said passionately. When the soldier asked the next man in line, 49 year-old Talib Hussein, Hussein’s reply was a little more matter-of-fact.	“I have two wives,” Hussein said wearily. “I need money.”Both motivations are valid as far as coalition forces are concerned. Smith said that the CIGF program is as much about providing jobs as it is about providing security. “Honestly, it’s about 50-50,” said Smith. “For security in Adhamiyah, you need these guys to work,” said 1st Sgt. Muhammed Hassan Ali, the Iraqi noncommissioned officers in charge of training new CIGF recruits. Ali said residents with good paying jobs would be less tempted to take insurgent money for planting bombs or throwing grenades at patrols.As for the potential problems created by having another armed paramilitary group in the area, the Squadron has taken measures to mitigate the risk, Smith said. All applicants must be fingerprinted and undergo an iris scan, with the information cross-referenced against names in an extensive criminal database. Candidates who pass the background check then take part in a five-day training program to teach them basic marksmanship, weapons maintenance, vehicle and personnel search techniques, codes of conduct and rules of engagement, said Smith. The training takes place at Combat Outpost Apache, built on the ruins of one of Saddam Hussein’s opulent palaces on the banks of the Tigris. NCOs from the Iraqi army are the instructors, with U.S. soldiers in an advisory role. The first 30 recruits attended the training this month. On training day two, the group was out on the firing range. A few had previous military experience, and handled their AK-47s like old pros. Others, especially the younger men, needed some coaching, but Ali and his small staff helped them along. The recruits who finished first went over to sit on the steps in the shade. As they smoked cigarettes and wondered what was for lunch, some of the men noted how strange it was that they were training on the grounds of Saddam’s palace, a place where – in previous times – Adhamiyah residents “disappeared.” One new recruit, Ahmed Raja Al Assan, said the CIGF should have been developed years ago. Assan said having a security force made up of local people would make it easier to catch terrorists who try to infiltrate Adhamiyah. “We know who is good and who is bad,” he said. After the marksmanship training was over, white-haired Thabit Numan, one of the oldest of the new recruits, came up to Smith and Ali to shake their hands. Before coming to the training, many in the group had been scared, Numan explained. Some had expected to be mistreated by the Iraqi soldiers. But instead they had been shown respect and treated like brothers, the old man said. In a few days, training would be over, and the men would get their first mission. “We are ready,” Numan said, before turning and walking off toward the palace.

http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/aug2007/a082907ls1.html

Dennis Shanahan, Political editor, Baghdad | August 31, 2007

THE US troop surge in Iraq has thrown al-Qa’ida off balance and produced a dramatic reduction in sectarian killings and a drop in roadside bombings.

David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, said the build-up of American forces in Baghdad since late January had produced positive outcomes. These included the killing or capture of al-Qa’ida fighters, causing the terrorist group to lose influence with local Sunnis.

The strategic gains against insurgents would lead to a changed and possibly longer-term role for Australian troops, shifting from security operations to a focus on training Iraqi soldiers and police.

General Petraeus told The Australian during a face-to-face interview at his Baghdad headquarters there had been a 75 per cent reduction in religious and ethnic killings since last year, a doubling in the seizure of insurgents’ weapons caches between January and August, a rise in the number of al-Qa’ida “kills and captures” and a fall in the number of coalition deaths from roadside bombings.

“We say we have achieved progress, and we are obviously going to do everything we can to build on that progress and we believe al-Qa’ida is off balance at the very least,” he said.

General Petraeus’s overview comes a fortnight before he is due to present a crucial report on military progress in Iraq to the US Congress and President George W. Bush.

Australian Defence Minister Brendan Nelson, after being briefed by General Petraeus in Baghdad, said he now had a clear picture of progress in Iraq. He said John Howard and Mr Bush would discuss future military requirements for the conflict when they met at the APEC summit in Sydney next week.

Australia’s 550-strong Overwatch battlegroup, based at Tallil in Dhiqar province, is likely to complete its mission by the middle of next year, following a British troop drawdown from southern Iraq.

Dr Nelson said it was “fair to say we will continue to look for increased opportunities for training” for Australian forces into next year.

General Petraeus said the surge strategy, involving the deployment of an extra 20,000 troops in Iraq, would continue for a few months before the troop level in the country was phased down. But the objective was to hold all the gains that had been made so far.

He acknowledged there was still too much violence and that al-Qa’ida and militias with the “malign involvement” of Iran were still serious threats. But the surge strategy had turned the US forces into pursuers instead of defenders. “And that is a much better place to be than to be doing a deliberate attack into their defences, like we had to do in Ramadi,” he said. “Ramadi was like Stalingrad.”

According to General Petraeus’s figures, which will be put to Congress, the number of ethnic- and religious-related deaths would be down to a quarter of what they were last December by the end of August. He said “ethno-sectarian deaths” were the most important measure of progress.

“If you look at Baghdad, which is hugely important because it is the centre of everything in Iraq, you can see the density plot on ethno-sectarian deaths,” he said.

“It’s a bit macabre but some areas were literally on fire with hundreds of bodies every week and a total of 2100 in the month of December ‘06, Iraq-wide.

“It is still much too high but we think in August in Baghdad it will be as little as one quarter of what it was.”

The number of weapons-cache captures had doubled from 1977 in January this year to 4141 in August.

General Petraeus said “improvised explosive devices” — roadside bombs — were the largest killer in Iraq and in “another indicator that is reassuring, this has come down for about eight of the last 11 weeks to the lowest in at least a year, Iraq-wide”.

“We see al-Qa’ida as public enemy No1 because it is the enemy that carries out the most horrific attacks designed to re-ignite ethno-sectarain violence,” he said.

“That is not to say militia extremists supported by Iran are not of enormous concern because they are.

“There is growing concern by the Iraqi Government, by us, and our own Government as we have learned more and more about the degree of this malign involvement of the Iranian Quds force with the militia extremists that have been supported by them, trained, equipped, armed, funded and even in some cases directed.”

Dr Nelson, who went to Afghanistan and Iraq this week and is now in Washington, said General Petraeus had presented a detailed presentation on security inside the country.

“We finished our meeting with a very clear picture of his thinking of the assessment of the security situation, not just in Baghdad but also in the south and the work being done by us and the British,” he said.

“No one should underestimate the importance to what is happening in Iraq of our contribution and the significance of it to the Americans and the Iraqis themselves.

“We will wait until we see the President’s response to the report and we will shape our forward planning around that response.

“I think it is fair to say that we will continue to look for increased opportunities for training.”

The Defence Minister said Australian forces were highly regarded as trainers and whenever he asked the Iraqis to nominate what they wanted they “always said training”.

“Our support for continuing support and involvement in Iraq is a minority position but we have a moral responsibility to these people to see this job through,” Dr Nelson said.

This is clear cut signs the surge is indeed working!   

Inaugural Patriot Golf Day evokes creative and emotional support
More than 2,600 golf facilities nationwide have registered to participate in the inaugural Patriot Golf Day, Sept. 1.

08.28.2007 08:39 pm (ET)

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — More than 2,600 golf facilities nationwide have registered to participate in the inaugural Patriot Golf Day, Sept. 1, with PGA Golf Professionals blending both their creativity and public relations support to provide for the families of the country’s fallen heroes who have become disabled or lost their lives as a result of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Patriot Golf Day, begun by PGA Golf Professional and Capt. Dan Rooney of Broken Arrow, Okla., has in effect taken wing with initiatives. The program is a joint initiative of The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association.

To find a participating facility or to make a donation, please visit www.PlayGolfAmerica.com.

“What we are witnessing is a tremendous start to honor and to support the families of those men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” said PGA of America President Brian Whitcomb. “There is no limit to the creativity and the spirit by which our member professionals have come forward for Patriot Golf Day. It is a very proud moment for me as a PGA Golf Professional.”

The following are examples of how PGA facilities are promoting Patriot Golf Day:

–PGA of America District 7 Director Randy Hunt, the general manager at Milburn Country Club in Overland Park, Kan., has guided a patriotic theme for the weekend to reach a $1,000 goal. American flags on each flagstick and tee marker, a local VFW Post providing veterans, who will be arriving on Harley Davidson motorcycles to greet players on the first tee; a leader board to identify contributions made by every player; a “thermometer” goal indicator attached to a flag on the 10th tee to keep the golfers updated how close they are to the goal and present PGA Golf Professionals and members of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America to help explain to golfers the mission of Patriot Golf Day and who will serve as starters on the first and 10th tees.

–The PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., also will be awash in red, white and blue for Patriot Golf Day. The American Legion Unit 318 will participate and present a check, and bring members to help collect the $1 donations. The United States Coast Guard in Fort Pierce will bring two of its members who will display a 25-foot boat that is a part of the Homeland Security program. In addition, the Color Guard Unit from Patrick AFB will make a special appearance, while U.S. flags will serve as pin flags throughout the Wanamaker and Ryder Courses. The PGA Golf Club staff will be dressed in red, white and blue and wear flag pins on their lapels.

–The Illinois PGA Section, in conjunction with the 85th Illinois PGA Championship/PGA Professional National Championship, will seek voluntary donations from competitors at registration and through all three rounds. The Section will match all donations at the conclusion of the Championship. Additionally, long-time Illinois PGA partner, Nadler Golf Cars, will match all donations made by Illinois PGA members.

–At Coffee Creek Golf Course in Edmond, Okla., local ROTC students in uniform will greet all customers, solicit donations and coordinate a silent auction. Additionally, PGA Director of Instruction Greg Warren will donate 20 percent of his lesson revenue on Sept. 1.

–All five golf shops and the Golf Learning Center at Kiawah Island (S.C.) Golf Resort will join in the Patriot Golf Day initiative. The resort plans to seek donations from players, members and hotel guests through Sept. 7.

–The Links Course at Hawks Prairie in Lacey, Wash., will have military veterans staffing the golf facility and accepting donations from players. The course also will host a free golf event for active duty military personnel. Financial support is being provided by a local merchant.

–Southern Hills Plantation Club in Brooksville, Fla., will collect donations and for every $10 donated to Wounded Warriors Inc., golfers will be entered in a raffle to win items such as golf lessons with the PGA Golf Professional, spa treatments and other amenities.

–Sunkist Country Club in Biloxi, Miss., is challenging other golf courses to match all $1 donations received at their club. Sunkist will send an extra dollar for each one received.

–Del Tura Country Club in Fort Myers, Fla., is offering a free golf clinic for the first 25 golfers and is accepting donations. Golfers can play 18 holes for only $15, including a golf cart. All proceeds will be donated to Wounded Warriors Inc.

–Ko Olina Golf Club in Kapolei, Hawaii, is donating $1 over every round played to Wounded Warriors Inc., in support of the Fallen Heroes Foundation. In addition to participating in the Patriot Golf Day program, the facility is offering Military Appreciation prices throughout September.

–Oak Hill Golf Club in Sutherlin, Ore., made an early start to Patriot Golf Day. Last May, the ownership donated $25 per round to their local National Guard unit. The donations reached $5,000. Those funds went to families of three area guardsmen who perished in Iraq.

–Essex Fells Country Club in Essex Fells, N.J., announced it will charge each club member $5 to support Patriot Golf Day. Players will be entered in a raffle for a new driver.

–Palmetto Dunes on Hilton Head Island, S.C., will hold a celebrity golf tournament on Sept. 1, and will honor four soldiers returning from Iraq as well as four firefighters who were first responders during the Sept. 11, 2001 attack in New York City.

–Grand Haven Golf Club in Grand Haven, Mich., which is owned by Rooney and his father, John, have secured matching funds for Patriot Golf Day from four different local companies. On Monday, Grand Haven will make a presentation at the local Rotary Club to challenge some more companies to do the same. Additionally, an ad will be posted in the local newspaper highlighting these companies and again issuing a challenge for others to respond.

Patriot Golf Day founder Rooney is an F-16 pilot in the 125th Fighter Squadron of the Oklahoma Air National Guard, who has logged two tours of duty to Iraq and is scheduled for a third tour in 2008. Rooney spends approximately 10 days a month flying. He is also in the process of establishing The Fallen Heroes Foundation, which will pay for the education of a spouse and/or children of a fallen or wounded soldier.

Rooney, who owns Grand Haven Golf Course in Michigan with his father, John, said that he has received countless e-mails of support, including sharing with PGA NEWS the following note from First Lt. Nathan Childers, now a financial consultant based in the Washington, D.C. area.

“I just wanted to applaud what you’re doing with this foundation. I spent a year in Iraq as an Infantry PL with the Georgia ARNG’s 48th BCT in 2005 and 2006 myself,” said Childers. “Unfortunately, we transported more than our share of fallen heroes and personally understand the sacrifice these families are making every day.

“I am previously committed on Patriot Day and unfortunately can’t get 18 in that day, but I am donating, via your Web site, $1 for each of my (expected) rounds for 2007.”

Childers said that he applauds Patriot Golf Day’s premise of continual and unconditional support of the families of fallen heroes.

“I truly believe in what you’re doing as I’ve seen what my soldiers’ families are going through after all they’ve sacrificed for our country,” said Childers. “I know my financial contribution is not much, but if there is anything at all I can do to assist your efforts, please let me know. Thanks again for everything you’re doing with the foundation and your military service as well. As a ‘ground-pounder,’ we appreciate what you USAF guys do for us up there.”

Childers added his own golf story about having a moment of enjoyment hitting golf balls in Iraq.

“Did you ever have a chance to hit balls with the local kid down near the south gate at Anaconda/Balad? He had three or four old clubs (a 4-, 5-, 8- and 9-iron, if I remember correctly)? It was about 10 of the worst balls I’ve ever seen, and charged $2 for 5 balls. After you hit 10 balls, he personally ran down and retrieved them and brought them back. It wasn’t easy hitting off the makeshift turf (an old rug), much less swinging with body armor and a Kevlar on, but it was worth every swing.”

The PGA of America is the world’s largest working sports organization, comprised of 28,000 men and women golf Professionals who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf while serving millions of people throughout its 41 PGA Sections nationwide. Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has enhanced its leadership position in a $62 billion-a-year industry by growing the game of golf through its premier spectator events, world-class education and training programs, significant philanthropic outreach initiatives, and award-winning golf promotions. Today’s PGA Golf Professional is the public’s link to the game, serving an essential role in the operation of golf facilities throughout the country.

On July 4th, more than 200 Iraqi children participated in a Youth Soccer Day hosted by U.S. Marines and Iraqi police in Hadithah.

Gunnery Sgt. Eric Johnson’s full article is available here.

From the article:

The first hour was spent posing for pictures. After the initial photo op and introductions, soccer balls were passed out. Through donations from friends and family back in the United States and from some Iraqi police officers, over 100 soccer balls were given to the kids. Along with the soccer balls, hundreds of toys, stuffed animals, and backpacks were also distributed.

[…]

Friendliness from the locals toward Marine and Iraqi forces over the last few years has been minimal. Anyone approaching a Marine or Iraqi patrol was looked at as a possible insurgent, and not allowed to get too close. The city has seen a shift in the security and the attitude of the local people. The success of the Youth Soccer Day proved the rebirth this city has seen. Marines and police alike were covered with hugging hands and grabbing fingers.

“I thought that at one point the kids were just going to mob me over,” said Cpl. Joseph Dayner, PiTT communications advisor. “I just kept pushing through the crowd passing out toys.”

The Youth Soccer Day was a testament to the successful counter-insurgency campaign 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, is conducting in the Hadithah Triad. The Iraqi police have played a large role in the city’s stability. The force is a lot larger, more professional, and the people of Hadithah readily accept them. It is a sign of hope that the situation here has turned the right corner.

“We’re helping the Iraqi people help themselves,” said Capt. Aaron Armetta, a 2-14th Infantry Regiment medical officer.

Armetta was referring to the August 14th medical operation in al-Blasem, southwest of Baghdad, in which U.S. and Iraqi troops treated nearly 200 patients.

Was the medical operation successful? According to Armetta, “The mission today was an absolute success. Not only did we foster our relationship with the local Iraqi populace, we enhanced cooperation between U.S. and Iraqi army forces. My medical team was able to work hand-in-hand with four Iraqi medics.”

Read the full article at mnf-iraq.com.