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A Soldiers News Blog
Thursday, October 07, 2004
 
Operation Holiday Spirit
Thousands of Angels Seeking Help with Getting Holiday Stockings for the Troops

Soldiers' Angels launch Operation Holiday Spirit



(PRWEB) October 7 , 2004 -- Having a must do mindset the members of Soldiers' Angels have made it their number one priority to get Christmas stockings to all of the men and women deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world during this upcoming holiday season. What started as a small wish of Patti Patton-Bader, the founder, has sparked attention from several large corporations, a radio-talk show personality, and a Hollywood actor.



Also in this campaign is the efforts of VFW in Centerreach, New York who has agreed to pack all of the stockings.Soldiers' Angels, a non profit organization started by a mother whose son informed her that members of his unit were not receiving mail from home. The organization has been sending letters and care packages to our men and women of the military since June of 2003. â??May no soldier go unlovedâ?? has been Patti Patton-Baderâ??s motto since the beginning of what started out as one womanâ??s dream has grown to over 14, 000 members supporting our military. To date the organization has about 10,000 military members in its adoption program. While the numbers keep growing everyday the members have not lost focus of their mission and that is to â??provide aid and comfort to our militaryâ?¦â??



Since starting the Stockings for Troops campaign the organization has received 331 cases of items from Neutrogena they plan on putting in the Christmas stockings. AT&T, the only carrier whose phone cards work from many locations where our military are currently deployed, is matching minutes on their phone cards. Ms. Patton-Bader and the rest of the Angels believe that if our military cannot be home for the holidays, they can a bit of home to our military. Between now and November 20th Soldiersâ?? Angels hopes to send 140, 000 Christmas stockings to the military men and women defending our countrites freedom far from home. The organization would like to fill each stocking with a card of encoragement, an AT&T phone card, some holiday candy, hot chocolate packets, instant soup, a sand scarf, and other holiday items. They have set up a special link on their website, www.soldiersangels.com for monetary donations.



They are asking that all donations of stockings, AT&T phone cards, cards, and other holiday items to fill the stockings be sent to the VFW Post 4927, 31 Horseblock Road, Centerreach, NY 11720. All monentary donations can be sent to Soldiers' Angels, 1729 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104. You may call John Adams of the VFW at (631) 585-7390 or Patti Patton-Bader at (626) 398-3131 for more information on items needed or how to donate.





 
 
Iraq War News
Explosion damages Istanbul cathedral: "An explosion shattered windows at the seat of the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians in Istanbul on Thursday, officials said. There were no reports of injuries."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. Navy helicopter crashes in Kuwait: "A U.S. Navy helicopter crashed Thursday immediately after takeoff in Kuwait, but all seven crew survived, the 5th Fleet's headquarters said."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. report: Iraq didn't have WMDs: "Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction programs had deteriorated into only hopes and dreams by the time of the U.S.-led invasion last year, a decline wrought by the first Gulf War and years of international sanctions, the chief U.S. weapons hunter found."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. 'almost all wrong' on weapons (7 Oct 04) in Radio Free USA



IRAQ: Refurbishment of schools in the south continues: "BASRA, 7 Oct 2004 (IRIN) - Salah Sabah, a maths teacher and an assistant at Irshad Primary School in the southern city of Basra, has been visiting the Educational Directorate regularly since the year 2000 to ask for help to rehabilitate his school."

In IRIN: Iraq Crisis



U.S. raises security alert in Green Zone after foiled bombing: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - U.S. authorities raised the security alert in the heavily guarded Green Zone after an improvised bomb was found in front of a restaurant there, officials said Thursday. Twenty Iraqis were arrested in the north in operations against those suspected of planting bombs against U.S. and Iraqi targets."

In Modesto Bee: Iraq



Accusations say U-N and other officials profited from illicit Iraq oil sales in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror



More than 200 detainees freed from Abu Ghraib after latest review at facility in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror



Blair faces final judgment on WMD: "The Government is facing up to confirmation Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



Muslim loses Iraq war legal bid: "A Muslim reservist airman who refused to take part in the Iraq war because of his religious beliefs has lost his landmark legal battle over his prosecution by the RAF for going absent without leave."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



Soldier killed, two wounded near Fallujah: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - An explosive device hit a U.S. convoy near the rebel-held city of Fallujah, killing one soldier from the 13th Corps Support Command and wounding two, the military said in a statement Thursday."

In Fresno Bee: Iraq



Bomb discovered at Green Zone restaurant: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - An improvised bomb was found in a restaurant in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, home of the U.S. Embassy and key government offices, American officials said Thursday."

In Fresno Bee: Iraq



Detainees released from two Iraq prisons: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - About 240 detainees were released from U.S. and Iraqi custody Thursday under a review process set up following the prisoner abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib prison, the U.S. military said."

In Fresno Bee: Iraq



Prepping for the debate...Saddam's danger?...Pakistani violence in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror



Only Hussein Had Full Picture: "WASHINGTON â?? Shortly before the U.S. bombing and invasion of Iraq last year, Saddam Hussein gathered his top generals together to share what came to them as astonishing news: The weapons that the United States was launching a war to remove did not exist. (Los Angeles Times)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Report Accuses Ex-Head of U.N. Oil Program: "Vivid allegations of widespread corruption at the U.N. oil-for-food program by the top U.S. arms inspector have added credibility to accusations the United Nations looked the other way while Saddam Hussein's government skimmed billions of dollars and offered kickbacks to European and Arab countries and officials. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Afghan government says drug smugglers were behind political attack yesterday in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror

 
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
 
Iraq War News
IRAQ: Syrian refugees face difficulties in troubled capital: "BAGHDAD, 6 Oct 2004 (IRIN) - The Syrians in and around Baghdad may be Iraq's most unusual group of refugees. Many of the 500 Syrians live in central Haifa Street, scene of numerous bombings and firefights between insurgents and US forces in recent weeks."

In IRIN: Iraq Crisis



Report may undercut Bush's Iraq rationale: "The final report of the chief U.S. arms inspector for Iraq is expected to undercut a principal Bush administration rationale for removing Saddam Hussein: that Saddam's Iraqi government had weapons of mass destruction. Weapons hunter Charles Duelfer will provide his findings Wednesday to the Senate Armed Services Committee."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Car bomb kills 10 Iraqis near Baghdad: "A car bomb exploded Wednesday at an Iraqi military camp northwest of Baghdad, killing 10 Iraqis and wounding more than 20, officials said, in the latest attack on security forces that are key to U.S. plans for fighting the insurgency."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Al-Sadr followers agree to cease-fire: "Followers of renegade Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have agreed to a cease-fire with Iraq's interim government aimed at ending weeks of fighting in the vast Baghdad slum of Sadr City, a mediator said Wednesday. However, key members of the cleric's movement insisted terms of the deal had not been finalized."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Car Bomb in Western Iraq Kills at Least 10: "A suicide car bomb blew up near aNational Guard center in western Iraq on Wednesday, killing atleast 10 people, as U.S. and Iraqi forces struggled to quellinsurgents bent on derailing elections due in January. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Bremer changes tune, defends U.S. actions in Iraq: "EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - A day after suggesting that the United States didn't initially send enough troops to Iraq to stem lawlessness, the former top U.S. administrator in Iraq softened his assessment, saying he only recognized the problem with the benefit of hindsight and insisted there are enough soldiers on the ground now."

In Fresno Bee: Iraq



UK patrol escapes Basra bridge bomb: "A roadside bomb exploded as a British patrol was crossing a bridge in Basra, killing one Iraqi and injuring ten others, including four policemen."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



in



Car bomb hits Iraq military camp; 10 dead: "A suicide car bomber struck Wednesday at an Iraqi military camp northwest of Baghdad, killing 10 Iraqis and wounding more than 20, Iraqi officials said."

In Kansas City Star: Iraq

 
 
Report: Deal With Iraq Rebel Chief
CBS News: Iraq Crisis: "Reports of a new truce with Shiite militia leader Muqtada al Sadr come amid fresh violence across Iraq. Troops hit an insurgent stronghold south of Baghdad, a bomb struck Basra and clashes erupted in Mosul."
 
Monday, October 04, 2004
 
Iraq War News
Two blasts rip through Baghdad, killing 21: "Two car bombs ripped through crowded Baghdad streets on Monday, killing at least 21 people and wounding 96, as insurgents step up their campaign to undermine the country's U.S.-backed interim government and drive the United States and its allies out of Iraq."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Australian election is referendum on Iraq war, U.S. ties: "John Howard appears poised to become Australia's second-longest serving prime minister when the country goes to the polls Saturday, despite criticism over the war in Iraq and his dwindling credibility. (Chicago Tribune)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Samarra victory encourages Iraqi forces: "SAMARRA, Iraq â?? Bloodied by weeks of suicide bombings and assassinations, Iraqi security forces emerged Sunday to patrol Samarra after a morale-boosting victory in this Sunni Triangle city, and U.S. commanders praised their performance."

In kgw.com: Iraq News



Another Two Airstrikes in Fallujah: "

From The Australian :

Nine people were killed in two pre-dawn raids by United States planes on suspected rebel targets in Fallujah, west of the capital of Baghdad today, according to a local hospital.

Doctor Adel Khamis of Fallujah general hospital said the second of the two strikes killed nine people, three of them women and two children.

He said 14 people were wounded in the strike, while no casualties were reported in the first raid.

Death tolls provided by one side or the other cannot be verified independently.

A military statement said US forces â??conducted a precision strike against a building where approximately 25 anti-Iraqi forces network members were moving weapons on the outskirts of Fallujahâ??.

In a second raid, â??multinational Force-Iraq once again struck members of the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi terrorist network operating in central Fallujahâ??, the military said.

â??In the last month, multinational Forces have successfully conducted ten offensive strikes on the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi terrorist network. Each action removed foreign fighters from the streets of Fallujah and strengthens the safety of Iraq,â?? the US statement said.

A senior US military source claimed last week that more than 100 Zarqawi operatives had been killed in recent weeks in strikes on Fallujah, a no-go zone for ground troops.

"

In Command Post: Irak



Bomb threat plane diverted to UK: "A Singapore Airlines plane en route from Frankfurt to JFK airport in New York was diverted to Manchester Airport following a bomb threat."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



IRAQI BORDER PATROL GETS NEW EQUIPMENT in CENTCOM: News Release



MARINES CAPTURE FOREIGN FIGHTERS IN AL ANBAR in CENTCOM: News Release



IRAQI NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS GRADUATE FROM TRAINING in CENTCOM: News Release



1ST CAV'S BLACK JACK BRIGADE TO COMPLETE YEARLONG ROTATION in CENTCOM: News Release



KOREAN SOLDIERS ASSUME OPERATIONAL AUTHORITY FROM MULIT-NATIONAL BRIGADE NORTHWE in CENTCOM: News Release



PRECISION STRIKE IN FALLUJAH in CENTCOM: News Release



MNF PRECISION STRIKE TARGETS ANTI-IRAQI FORCE TRAINERS in CENTCOM: News Release



Indonesia confirms identity of women hostages in Iraq: "Indonesia confirmed the identity of two women being held hostage by militants in Iraq and appealed to Muslim leaders in the Middle East to help secure their release. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

 
Sunday, October 03, 2004
 
Ransom plea may save hostage Bigley: "The brother of British hostage Ken Bigley is investigating whether it might be possible to buy his sibling's life."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



Four civilians killed in Fallujah strike: "Four civilians were killed and 12 injured in a series of overnight strikes in rebel-held Fallujah, the city hospital said Sunday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Iraq's `Nuclear Mastermind' Tells Tale of Ambition, Deceit: "WASHINGTON â?? On most days now, Mahdi Obeidi rides his new mountain bike, plays with his grandkids and works on getting a U.S. patent for technology he originally developed to build a nuclear bomb for Saddam Hussein. (Los Angeles Times)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Pope Denounces Kidnappings in Iraq: "Pope John Paul II denounced kidnappers for using human beings as bargaining chips, and said Saturday that journalists were paying a heavy price in their work during conflicts. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

 
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