European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday april 1 2007 stars and stripes Page 7 stopping to smell the roses above army pc Brice Sandefur an infantryman with company c 1st battalion 23rd infantry regiment 3rd Stryker brigade combat team 2nd infantry division stops to smell a Rose after searching a House in Baghdad Ghazal Yah neighbourhood left pfc Brandon Kroger with the same team pulls Security while the rest of his squad and 6th iraqi army division troops search a House in Ghazal Yah photos by Jeffrey Ledesma Courtesy of the army uss Stennis finishes first of exercises in the persian Gulf stars and stripes the uss John c Stennis has completed a Dua Carrier exercise with the uss Dwight d Eisen Hower in the persian Gulf and will make its first port Call of this Middle East Mission officials said Friday the two carriers had been involved in High pro file exercises last week in International Waters near Iran As tensions with that nation Rose in the Wake of Iran seizing 15 British sailors and marines in the Gulf while military officials pointedly did not name Iran in talking about the exercises they were aimed at demonstrating the importance of both strike groups ability to plan and conduct dual task Force operations As part of the navys commitment to maintaining maritime Security and stability in the the Navy did not say where the Stennis port Call would take place but noted that it is the first Liberty granted to the ships sailors in 10 weeks at sea before getting to the Gulf on monday the Stennis had been in the Northern arabian sea in support of ground forces in Afghanistan the Stennis left its Home port in Bremerton on Jan 16 i always get a charge out of announcing Liberty command master chief Joseph Curtin said in a news release everybody been out Here for a Long time and working hard we earned the Stennis Carrier strike group includes Carrier air Wing 9 destroyer Squadron 21 the uss anti Etam the uss Preble the uss Okane and the uses Bridge violent Tal afar by Joseph Giordono stars and stripes american military officials Are condemning violence that killed More than 150 people in the North Ern iraqi City of Tal afar and have begun providing emergency Aid for civilians there officials said Friday and iraqi troops Are distributing food water shelter and medical supplies to hundreds of people affected by the violence on Friday morning a shipment of humanitarian meals and 43 tents was delivered to victims of the bombings that sparked the carnage the violence began tuesday when car bombs were detonated in crowded marketplaces the next Day shiite militias and of duty iraqi police swept through sunni neighbourhoods and killed dozens of people officials said in a Friday afternoon interview with can from Camp Speicher outside Cikrit army Brig Gen Nick Bednarek Deputy commander of multinational forces Ira North confirmed that 18 police officers have been arrested in Ninevah province in connection with tuesdays alleged reprisal killings of 70 people initial indicators were that yes the iraqi police were in Bednarek told can they will investigate that fully to ensure that Justice is the police officers were questioned by iraqi officials Bednarek said and the Gover nors of Iraq and iraqi officials have launched a full investigation into this to ensure that those who were responsible Are brought to Justice by iraqi asked How it would be possible for iraqis to Trust the police in the aftermath of the Slaughter Bednarek replied that perhaps part of the Good news Story of what has occurred in Tal afar As a result of this horrific that it is iraqi officials who have taken the Lead in bringing those who were responsible to Gen David Petraeus com Mander of multinational Force Iraq issued a statement Friday condemning a sunni terrorist organization for sparking the blood shed in Iraq elements once again displayed their total disregard for human life carry ing out Barbaric actions against in Nocent iraqi citizens in an Effort to reignite sectarian violence and to undermine recent iraqi and coalition successes in improving Security in Petraeus said these horrific attacks demonstrated a Laidas Complete rejection of respect for life itself and the coalition joins iraqi Lead ers in condemning these latest acts of coldblooded in the Days after the attack military and iraqi civilian leaders held a news conference to address the people of Tal afar All of your leadership is required right now this is exactly what the terrorists want to do said Brig Gen Frank Wiercinski Deputy commander for support of task Force lightning the at tackers have made us Grieve to Gether but they will not break the will of the leadership of Tal Tal afar Long has been one of the More strategically important cities in after insurgents took control of the City and used it As a staging base for attacks the 3rd armoured cavalry regiment fought a pitched battled in sep tember 2005 to reclaim the City it was also the first notable example of the Clear hold and build Strat egy that american forces shifted to in an Effort to build Security president Bush later cited Tal afar in speeches As an example of successes in Iraq in the months since some military officials have said the successes in Tal afar had made it even More of a target for insurgents stars and stripes reporter Lisa Burgess contributed to this report email Joseph Giordono at War crimes court convicts australian arrested in Afghanistan the associated press Guantanamo Bay naval base Cuba an australian Detainee held for five years at Guantanamo Bay was found guilty Friday of providing material sup port for terrorism the first conviction at a War crimes trial since world War n David Hicks a 31yearold Muslim con Vert faces a prison sentence of up to seven years under a plea agreement revealed Friday that also requires Hicks to drop any claims of mistreatment by the government since he was captured in Afghanistan and taken to Guantanamo Bay said the judge Marine corps col Ralph Kohlmann the plea agreement also Calls for an unknown portion of the sentence to be sus Pended Hicks had pleaded guilty to the charge monday night but was not convicted until Kohlmann accepted his plea during Fri Days session the agreement Calls for Hicks to be returned to Australia within 60 Days of his sentencing which is expected within Days the government had previously agreed to let him serve any sentence in Australia Hicks 31 was dressed for the hearing in a Gray suit with a dark tie and with his hair newly Cut Short the former Outback Cowboy and Kangaroo Skinner who aided Al Aida during the invasion of Afghanistan showed Little emotion As he confirmed to the judge that he conducted surveillance on the former american embassy in Kabul Hicks could have been sentenced to life in prison he had been also charged with supporting terrorist acts but that count was dismissed As part of the agree ment
