The ESL Free Press

Defense Department Wants Book Burning Canceled

A church in Florida, USA, plans to burn copies of the Koran on Saturday, the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The U.S. Department of Defense wants this canceled.

General David Petraeus, commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, says it would put his troops in danger.

Geoff Morrell, Pentagon press secretary, spoke of a time in 2005 when there were mistaken reports that Korans had been dishonored. That caused violent protests around the world. Fifteen people were killed.

Morrell says his boss, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, is thinking about talking to the leader of the church. He will have to talk this over with his advisers.

Morrell also says the media has given too much attention to this story.

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Shooting in Iraq

Two American soldiers and an Iraqi soldier were shot and killed in Salahuddin Province, Iraq, on Tuesday. Nine people were wounded.

The U.S. military says this was a deliberate (intentional) attack.

Meanwhile, U.S. cavalry soldiers arrived in Iraq for Operation New Dawn. They will be there, not to fight, but to help Iraqi soldiers keep order.

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Iraqis Kill Two in Firefight

Iraqi soldiers fought with terrorist suspects on Saturday. They killed two, wounded two, and later arrested seven others. An Iraqi civilian (non-fighter) was also wounded.

It began when the soldiers went to a building where the suspects were. The soldiers told everyone in the building to leave, but instead, the suspects shot at them. The troops fired back.

In the building, they found information that led them to arrest several other suspects.

The two wounded suspects and the civilian were taken to a hospital. They are in stable condition.

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The "Soda Straw" View of War

The U.S. Secretary of Defense says an Internet video showing U.S. troops firing at Iraqi civilians does not tell the whole story.

Robert Gates spoke in Lima, Peru, where he is meeting with defense officials from other countries. He says he is frustrated with the video, because the people who posted it are not held responsible for its effects. But the U.S. military must now find out what really happened.

Gates says it is good for reporters to travel with troops and see what they do. But it can be like "looking at the war through a soda straw." He says:

"And if the platoon (small unit) you are with had a good day, then the war is going well. And if they had a bad day, the war is going badly. And that is the problem with these videos."

SourcePrintable: Download The _Soda Straw_ View of War.pdf (20.6K)

"Sharia Emir" Suspect Killed in Baghdad

A man believed to be a "sharia emir" -- one who enforces religious rules for terrorist groups -- was killed by soldiers in Baghdad on Friday.

The Iraqi and U.S. troops were searching a building. They told everyone to come out. One man went to the roof instead. He jumped to the next building. Then he hid in some stairs.

The soldiers surrounded him. The man acted as if he were about to surrender. But then he jumped at a soldier and tried to grab his gun. Other soldiers shot and killed him.

The dead man was Mohannad Rahman Salim Muhaymid al-Ani, also known as Sinan. He was the one the soldiers had been searching for.

Three other people were arrested at the time.

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Wanted Man Killed in Fight with Police and Soldiers

Iraqi police found a suspect they were looking for -- but he fought to the death.

An Iraqi judge issued a warrant for a man's arrest. He was accused of being a member of Al-Qaida in Iraq. The judge believed the man was planning a car bombing during New Year celebrations.

Police, with American troops, searched for the man in a house. They saw someone inside and told him to come out with them. Instead, he reached for a gun. They then shot and killed him.

This man turned out to be the suspect.

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Iraqis Fight Terrorist Suspects in Border Villages

Iraqi troops, with U.S. advisors, fought with terrorist suspects today in villages near their border with Iran.

The military had been told a terrorist group, helped by Iran, was working out of this area. Troops went to the village of Ali ash Sharqi. As they got there, people fired at them from several houses. The soldiers fired back and killed about five of the enemy. Another man tried to run away but was wounded. He was captured in a field and taken to hospital. 12 people were arrested in the village.

In another village, Ali al Gharbi, troops found weapons and explosives. They arrested 10 people there.

The suspects are thought to belong to Khataib Hezbollah, a group backed by Iran.

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Things in Iraq Are Not Always What They Look Like

Danger came from unexpected places during the last few days in Iraq.

For example, a man in police uniform turned out to be a suicide bomber. He was shot by Iraqi police as he tried to attack a police station. His explosive vest went off. Three police officers and a U.S. soldier were injured.

Also, a truck repair shop near the Beiji refinery (oil plant) was hiding Russian anti-aircraft rocket rounds. Police found them after getting a tip.

Source

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Terrorist Trainers Arrested

Two women were arrested near Baghdad on Monday. They are suspected of planning to commit suicide car bombings. Two other people were arrested at the same time. All are suspected of training terrorists. They are believed to have connections to Al-Qaeda.

Iraqi special forces, with U.S. advisors, made the arrest. They had warrants.

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Iraqi Forces Shoot Suspect

Iraqi security forces shot and killed a man who had been arrested and broken free. This happened in Mosul on Friday.

They found the man in a house while they searched for an Al-Qaeda member. The man was thought to be helping the terrorist. While the troops searched the house, the man got loose. He attacked his guard and was shot to death.

On Wednesday, also in Mosul, Iraqi soldiers found a truck with metal welded onto the bed (back). In it, they found bombs that could be set off by a cell phone.

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