ONE DAY AFTER U.S. COMBAT TROOPS LEAVE IRAQ THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED

You won't find any of this reported in your mainstream media, but this is what took place in several provinces in IRAQ only one day after all U.S. combat troops left the country.

Source: http://www.warnewstoday.blogspot.com

Baghdad:#1: “Two bombs went off late Wednesday (Aug. 18) targeting a police vehicle patrol in al-Kesra region in al-Aadhamiya, northern Baghdad, injuring ten people, including two policemen, and damaging the car and nearby stores,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: “Two civilians were wounded when a mortar shell hit a house in Abi Nawas street near the Green Zone, central Baghdad,” the source added, noting that they were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

#3: Two civilians were wounded in an improvised explosive device explosion in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, according to a security source. “The bomb exploded in al-Baladiyat region, eastern Baghdad, injuring two civilians,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “Anti-explosives experts managed to defuse another bomb at the same place,” he added.

#4: Two civilians were wounded on Thursday by an improvised explosive device in northern Baghdad, a police source said. “The bomb went off today (Aug. 19) targeting a police vehicle patrol near Kourniesh al-Aadhamiya, northern Baghdad, injuring two passing civilians,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Diyala Prv:#1: A sticky bomb attached to the car of a government-backed Sahwa militia leader killed him and wounded his brother when it exploded in eastern Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad, police said.

Madean:#1: In Madaen, southeast of Baghdad, gunmen opened fire on a security checkpoint manned by Local Awakenings Council members, killing one and wounding two others.Mosul:#1: Gunmen using silenced guns opened fire at an Iraqi military checkpoint, killing a soldier in western Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

#2: A roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army patrol killed one civilian and wounded two soldiers when it went off in eastern Mosul, police said.

#3: Police found the body of a man with gunshot wounds to the head in the town of Bartila, west of Mosul, police said.

Al Anbar Prv:#1: Two people were killed and three others were wounded when a car bomb exploded at an Iraqi police checkpoint in Ramadi on Wednesday night, police officials said.

#2: A roadside bomb exploded near a civilian car in Falluja, killing one person

.#3: A policeman was killed on Thursday by a sticky bomb in eastern Falluja, a police source said. “A bomb, stuck to the cop’s vehicle, went off on the Baghdad-Falluja road near the Cement Factory in eastern Falluja, killing him instantly,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency, noting that the blast caused material damage to the car.

#4: A policeman was killed and two more were wounded in a roadside bomb explosion in northern Ramadi on Thursday, a police source said. “The bomb exploded in 5 Kilometer region, northern Ramadi, targeting a police vehicle patrol,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

FANTASTIC VIDEO OF U.S. AIR FORCE TAKING OUT INSURGENTS (Click on picture to play video)

VIDEO OF U.S. AIR FORCE PARA-RESCUE TEAM SAVING LIVES IN AFGHANISTAN (Click on picture to play video)

WATCH AS U.S. APACHE GUNSHIP WIPES OUT TALIBAN IN A PICKUP TRUCK (Click on picture to play video)

U.S. DRONE ATTACKS KILL INNOCENT PAKISTAN CITIZENS (Click on picture to play video)

DRONE ATTACKS ON PAKISTAN DAMAGE OBAMA'S IMAGE (Click on picture to play video)

MSNBC EXCLUSIVELY COVERS LAST U.S. TROOPS LEAVING IRAQ (Click on picture to play new video)

U.S. ENDS COMBAT OPERATIONS IN IRAQ--AL JAZEERA NEWS

The final U.S. combat troops---Stryker Brigade 42---have left Iraq and crossed into Kuwait.


Read the full Al Jazeera report here:


US ends combat operations in Iraq - Middle East - Al Jazeera English


Click on link to read full Al Jazeera story of U.S. troop pullout from Iraq

MSNBC'S RICHARD ENGEL "LIVE" FROM IRAQ AS STRYKER BRIGADE LEAVES IRAQ

The following link is to a series of videos coming "live" from Iraq as the last of U.S. Combat troops leave Iraq.

MSNBC's Richard Engel reports on Stryker Brigade 42 leaving Iraq.

TURN UP YOUR SOUND

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/38761789#38761789

CLICK ON LINK TO PLAY VIDEO

FIRST REPORT: FINAL U.S. COMBAT BRIGADES PULL OUT OF IRAQ---WASHINGTON POST

Final U.S. combat brigade pulls out of Iraq

By Ernesto Londoño Washington Post Foreign ServiceWednesday, August 18, 2010; 7:08 PM

http://www.washingtonpost.com

Lt. Col. Mark Bieger huddled his infantrymen in a darkened parking lot minutes before they were to depart Baghdad for the last time.

"This is a historic mission!" he bellowed, struggling to be heard over the zoom of fighter jets and unmanned drones deployed to watch over the brigade's convoy to Kuwait. "A truly historic end to seven years of war."
The 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, which left Iraq this week, was the final U.S. combat brigade to be pulled out of the country, fulfilling the Obama administration's pledge to end the U.S. combat mission by the end of August. About 50,000 U.S. troops will remain in Iraq, mainly as a training force.

"Operation Iraqi Freedom ends on your watch!" exclaimed Col. John Norris, the head of the brigade.

"Hooah!" the soldiers roared, using an Army battle cry.

Shortly before midnight Saturday, a group of infantrymen boarded Stryker fighting vehicles, left an increasingly sparse base behind and began scanning the sides of a desolate highway for bombs. For many veterans, including some who made the same trip in the opposite direction years ago under fire, it was a fitting way to exit.

"They're leaving as heroes," Norris said of his soldiers. "I want them to walk home with pride in their hearts."

Besides pride, the soldiers will carry with them the hidden costs of war: hardened glares; tales of comrades' deaths relayed in monotone sentences devoid of emotion; young faces rendered incongruously old.

There might never be an acknowledged end to the Iraq war -- a moment where it ceases being America's conflict. U.S. commanders acknowledge that the months-long political impasse over the disputed March 7 election and a flurry of other unresolved disputes in Iraq have the potential to erode hard-won security gains.

But U.S. commanders also seem to be stressing that this is no longer America's war to lose.

"I will let history judge whether we reached irreversible momentum," Norris said. "That's not my call."

By the end of this month, the United States will have six brigades in Iraq, by far its smallest footprint since the 2003 invasion. Those that remain are conventional combat brigades reconfigured slightly and rebranded "advise and assist brigades." The primary mission of those units and the roughly 4,500 U.S. special operations forces that will stay behind will be to train Iraqi troops. Under a bilateral agreement, all U.S. troops must be out of Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011.

Leaving Iraq one last time is particularly emotional for veterans who have served multiple tours, several soldiers said in the two-day journey through the southern desert to Kuwait in cramped, windowless vehicles.
Silver remembrance bracelets to honor fallen comrades and tattoos that speak of loss and sacrifice are among the visible signs of the toll this conflict has taken on a generation of volunteer warriors.

More than 4,400 U.S. service members have died in the Iraq war since the invasion.

Several of these soldiers have served in Iraq more than one tour; some as many as four.

They witnessed the toppling of a dictator and its aftermath, including the rise of a powerful and lethal insurgency. That extended the conflict long after the words "Mission Accomplished" appeared on a banner as President George W. Bush prematurely declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq aboard an aircraft carrier May 1, 2003.
They were thrust into the frontlines of a brutal sectarian war that ultimately ebbed. And they helped secure elections that bore a government system more akin to an oligarchy than a parliamentary democracy.

Spec. Clinton J. Clemens, 26, was barely 18 when he traveled the same route northward in September 2003, clutching a .50-caliber machine gun mounted on a vehicle.

"I was scared to death," the Edgefield, S.C., native recalled. "I remember crossing the border and about 15 minutes later is when we took our first contact. It was the first time I'd ever been shot at."

Shortly after arriving in the western city of Ramadi in fall 2004, Clemens said, he realized that the war was far from over. Sunnis who had been fired from government jobs formed armed groups and began attacking U.S. forces daily.

Sgt. Luke Hitchcock, 26, of Olean, N.Y., said he got his first real taste of combat during his third deployment while stationed in Arab Jabour, a rural area southeast of Baghdad that was a Sunni insurgent stronghold in 2007.

"That was a horrible area. My platoon took six casualties," he said, speaking evenly. "I received a Purple Heart during that deployment. I was blown up." He suffered shrapnel wounds from a roadside bomb and was hospitalized for a month before returning to duty.

His fourth and final deployment was cathartic, Hitchcock said, because he believes he is leaving behind a safer country with a large and proficient army. "I think the fact that we stuck it out a few extra years to help their forces take control of their country" is important, he said. "That helps you hold your head up high as you leave and know that you made a difference."

But it is also clear that the departing soldiers are not leaving behind a peaceful country. The brigade ended up driving out in waves -- rather than having most soldiers flown out -- because that allowed the military to keep its last combat force a few weeks longer as commanders assessed the risks of political instability.

Commanders spent weeks studying the perils of the 360-mile night-time drive through the sweltering, dusty desert of southern Iraq. Powerful roadside bombs lined the two-lane road . And Shiite militias have stepped up attacks against U.S. bases in southern Iraq in recent weeks.
As a precaution, the military demanded that journalists accompanying the soldiers on the trip refrain from disclosing details of their departure until early Thursday, when the last group was scheduled to cross the Kuwaiti border.

For some troops, the protracted political crisis in Baghdad was a source of angst. Many Iraqis fear that militants are exploiting the period of uncertainty to make a comeback.

"Of all the time and effort that we put in this country, the blood, the sweat, the tears, I wish you could see an answer within a couple of weeks or a couple of months," said the brigade's second in command, Lt. Col. Darren Wright, 42, of Dallas. "But we won't know that for another three to five years: Will all your efforts pay off?"

Some soldiers said that's unlikely.

"I hope good things come from it," said Clemens, the specialist. "But I think as soon as we leave, things are going to fall apart."

The first departing soldiers made it to the Kuwaiti border Sunday as dawn was breaking. They emerged from the vehicles smelly and sweat-stained. Their uniforms were dirty; their boots worn out.

There were a few high-fives but no air of jubilation as they covered the .50-caliber machine guns atop the vehicles and began dumping bullets from ammunition packs into cartons. Most will return to Fort Lewis, Wash., where the 2nd Infantry is based. Others will leave the military, while some will move to other units. And none will be deployed for at least another year because Army regulations now stipulate that soldiers must have at least as much at-home rest as their last combat deployment.

"I hope this becomes a place where I can come back in 25 years," said Hitchcock, the sergeant. "But other than that, I'm glad it's over. I'm glad it's ending. I'm glad we can stop sending people here."

Editorial comment: We will be reporting all night on the last of U.S. Combat troops leaving IRAQ.

U.S, SOLDIERS KILLED IN MORTAR ATTACK (Click on picture to play video)

WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS DISTURBING IMAGES. U.S. SPECIAL FORCES KILL AFGHAN CIVILIANS (Click on picture to play video)

GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS IN KABUL AFGHANISTAN ATTACKED BY GUNMEN AND SUICIDE BOMBERS (Click on arrow to play video)

AH-64 GUNSHIPS WIPE OUT TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN (Click on picture to play video)

U.S. AND NATO TROOPS BATTLE TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN (Click on picture to play video)

U.S. ARMY COMES UNDER SURPRISE TALIBAN ATTACK IN AFGHANISTAN (Click on picture to play video)

TALIBAN ARE MAKING BIGGER BOMBS TO ATTACK OUR TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN (Click on picture to view video)

UNSUNG HEROES OF THE WARS---MILITARY COMBAT MEDICS (VIDEO)

This video is a tribute to the Military Combat Medics.

TURN UP YOUR SOUND

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://youtu.be/sSQh9gcB7Y0

CLICK ON LINK TO PLAY VIDEO

FABULOUS MUSIC VIDEO TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES MARINES (Click on picture to play)

57 IRAQI ARMY RECRUITS KILLED BY SUICIDE BOMBER

A suicide bomber killed 57 young Iraqis waiting in line to sign up as Iraqi Army recruits on Tuesday morning in Baghdad.

At least 127 other were injured in the blast.

The bombing is still another indication that IRAQ is far from being the stable nation the mainstream media in the United States has been reporting.

Read full account of suicide bombing here:

Bomber strikes Iraqi army recruits - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Click on link to read the complete Al Jazeers news report.

HEART-BREAKING VIDEO OF MEDICS WORKING TO SAVE THE LIFE OF MARINE PVT. JOSH MASTERSON WOUNDED IN AFGHANISTAN (Click on arrow to play video)

JUDY SASSER'S TWO SONS, CHRSTOPHER AND MATTHEW, RETURN HOME FROM IRAQ (Click on arrow to play video)

U.S. AIR FORCE PARARESCUE TEAM ON COMBAT RESCUE MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN (Click on arrow to play video)

SONG FOR THE SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN (CLICK ON IMAGE TO PLAY VIDEO)

DAYTIME ATTACK ON AN UNDISCLOSED FOB IN AFGHANISTAN (Click on arrow to play video)

A RARE LOOK AT THE TALIBAN FROM BEHIND THEIR LINES (Click on arrow to play video)

MARINES FROM FOX COMPANY ENTER COMBAT WITH TALIBAN (CLICK ON ARROW TO PLAY VIDEO)

WOUNDED SOLDIERS,SOME GAVE IT THEIR ALL (click on arrow to watch video)

U.S. TROOPS PULLOUT OF IRAQ, BUT COUNTRY IS STILL IN CHAOS

The mainstream media is all giddy over the fact that "the surge" worked in IRAQ and American troops are starting to depart the country.

This blogger couldn't be happier to see American troops leave IRAQ, but the facts are IRAQ is still a very unstable nation as witnessed by this report out of IRAQ which spells out the number of attacks which continue to take place.

Again, the mainstream media in the United States is either unaware of what you will read below, or they simply have turned a blind eye to security problems in IRAQ.

Read more here about security incidents over past day in IRAQ:

http://warnewstoday.blogspot.com

Reported security incidents over past 24-hours in IRAQ

Baghdad:#1: Four civilians were wounded when a sticky bomb attached to their car went off in eastern Baghdad. “The blast occurred last night in Palestine Street, eastern Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency on Monday.

#2: An IED went off near a civilian vehicle in al-Amiriya, western Baghdad, leaving two on board and another nearby wounded and causing severe damage to the vehicle,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#3: Another IED blast targeted an Iraqi army patrol in the area of Camp al-Rasheed, southeastern Baghdad, leaving two soldiers wounded and damaging their vehicle, the source said.

Diyala Prv:#1: A suicide car bomber rammed his car into a bus carrying Iranian pilgrims, killing one Iraqi man and wounding 10 Iranians, in the town of Muqdadiya, 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad, a source in the security operation centre of Diyala province said. Another police source in the town said the incident involved a parked car bomb.

#2: A U.S. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) crashed yesterday evening in Iraq’s Diyala province, approximately 2 kilometers northeast of Muqdadiyah. The small UAV impacted an open area outside of a residential suburb after experiencing engine problems.

Mahmoudiya:#1: “An IED went off at the entrance of al-Mahmoudiya town, (30 km) southern Baghdad, leaving one civilian killed and three others wounded and damaging vehicles near the blast site,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Abu Ghraib:#1: “Another IED attached to a civilian vehicle went off in Abu Ghraib area, (25 km) western Baghdad, killing a civilian and wounded two others who were on board and causing severe damage to the nearby buildings and vehicles,” the source added.

Karbala:#1: Unknown gunmen on Sunday used guns with silencers to rob a gold shop in Karbala city, wounding four civilians. “An armed group driving an OPEL car robed today a gold shop at the al-Nassir neighborhood, 3 km southern Karbala,” an eyewitness told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. He noted that the gunmen used guns with silencers. “They wounded a number of people, including the shop’s owner, and then they escaped to an unknown place taking away gold items and money from the shop,” the eyewitness added.

Umm Qsar:#1: The U.S. Navy said Sunday that gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles had boarded four commercial ships in a two-hour time span in the vicinity of an Iraqi oil terminal in the northern Persian Gulf on Aug. 8. The assailants took computers, cell phones and money from crew members before fleeing, according to Lt. John Fage, a spokesman for the Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. The vessels were identified as the American ship Sagamore, the Antigua-flagged Armenia, the North Korean Crystal Wave and the Syrian Sana Star. The seaborne robbery — which occurred about 20 miles (32 kilometers) off the port of Umm Qasr in an area patrolled jointly by the U.S. and Iraqi navies — raised concern about a new threat in the strategic area.

Basra:#1: “A roadside bomb went off today near the house of a police officer (major) in the 50-Hosh area, 7 km north of the Basra city, causing damage to the house but without any casualties,” the source added.

Mosul:#1: Two policemen were killed and three others wounded in two separate attacks with improvised explosive devices in western and southern Mosul city on Sunday, a local police source said. “An IED went off in al-Tojjar neighborhood, western Mosul, near a police patrol of the 7th Emergency Contingent, leaving a policeman and three others injured,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.“A second IED went off near a federal police patrol on the Baghdad road, southern Mosul, killing a patrolman,” the source added.

#3: One Iraqi army soldier was killed on Sunday and another wounded when unknown gunmen attacked an army checkpoint eastern Mosul city. “The attack occurred in the al-Qadissiya al-Thaniya neighborhood, eastern Mosul,” a local police source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#4: Gunmen shot dead a policeman manning a checkpoint in central Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

#5: A civilian was killed and his son wounded during a shootout when Iraqi army forces chased suspected militants in eastern Mosul, police said.

Al Anbar Prv:#1: A policeman was wounded after gunmen waged an attack with hand-grenades on Sunday, a source in al-Falluja police said. “Unidentified gunmen on a bicycle attacked a Falluja police patrol that stopped in the area of Jubail, southeastern Falluja, with hand-grenades, leaving a patrolman wounded,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

MSNBC's ED SCHULTZ, FILM PRODUCER ROBERT GREENWALD AND FORMER CIA AGENT JACK RICE TALK ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT AFGANISTAN WAR.

TALK