WHEN: September 21, 2008, at 13:00 p.m.
I wish I had been able to go to that press conference. Maybe I coulda gotten some hot new material for my book-in-progress, "Iraq, Iran & North Korea: From Axis of Evil to Hot New Tourist Destinations". The chapters on Iran and North Korea are already written -- and now all I need to do is visit the pilgrim sites of Najaf, see some of Iraq's charming antiquities sites, stay in the Kurdish version of a five-star hotel and tour this new romantic island honeymoon destination on the Tirgris -- and, of course, try to find a publisher....
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UMM QASR, Iraq- Iraqi Navy officials held the third annual Iraqi Navy Planning Day here Nov. 0 to finalize input to the current update to the Navy Service Plan.
The NSP is the formal plan laying out the goals and objectives for the IqN for the next four years and is updated annually. It supports the overarching 2020 plan from the Ministry of Defense, which looks at the progressive expansion of capability across the three services - Army, Navy, and Air Force - in stages, through 2011, then 2015, thence 2020.
The Planning Day culminated a three-phase planning process focused on operationalizing the NSP. During this process, the IqN headquarters staff identified the conditions required to achieve the goals set out in the NSP and the details necessary for transition. The final day included a brief of their results to Iraqi Adm. Jawad, Head of the Navy.
Over the next few weeks, utilizing Jawad's guidance, planners will develop final input to the NSP revision. In mid-December, the IqN will hold its Naval Staff Planning Day, where headquarters staff will update the NSP with plans through 2012.
"This session showed maturity beyond the one before. It's evidence of development and improvement in [Iraqi] naval staff capability. They're starting to grapple with real issues. They've a difficult path still ahead of them, but they are taking the right steps and making the right progress," said British Royal Navy Capt. Paul Abraham, commander of the Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq's Maritime Strategic Transition Team.
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MND-N Soldiers visit projects in progress in Tamim province
KIRKUK, Iraq - Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, visited and finished on-going projects within and around the city of Dibis in Tamim Province, Iraq, Nov. 19. The first event of the day was the weekly Dibis city council meeting. "It is nice to be able to talk to the people, get to know who is making the decisions and then try to affect these decisions in a positive way," said 2nd Lt. Nathaniel De co*k with Company C, 1st Bn. 67th Ar. Reg., 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
A security meeting followed thereafter.
"Dibis is, by far, our best place in relation to security," said Capt. Pedro Rivera, commander of Company C, 1st Bn. 67th Ar. Reg. The focus on security is to connect the Iraqi Army, Police and Sons of Iraq, so they can start working together, training and
conducting joint patrols, Rivera said. One of the completed projects the team visited was an IP station recently opened in Mama Village, near Dibis.
Another project which was recently completed was the Dibis Post Office. Outside its doors, the post office has a sign which reads: "Prosperity, Unity, Security-this project has been given to you by the local government of Kirkuk." The post office was refurbished, repainted and several rooms were added.
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