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SOUTHWEST ASIA, Feb. 4, 2017 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, bomber and fighter aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 31 strikes in 45 engagements in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, seven strikes destroyed 14 oil wellheads and two oil refinement stills.

-- Near Bab, three strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units; destroyed two tactical vehicles, two heavy machine guns and two fighting positions; and damaged a command and control node.

-- Near Idlib, a strike destroyed a fighting position.

-- Near Raqqa, 20 strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units; destroyed 11 oil tanker trucks, six oil barrels, three oil refinement stills, two fighting positions, two tunnels, two vehicles, an ISIL headquarters, an oil storage tank and a command and control node; and damaged 16 supply routes.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted seven strikes in 18 engagements in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraqs government:

-- Near Huwayjah, a strike destroyed an improvised explosive device factory.

-- Near Irbil, a strike destroyed a front-end loader and a dump truck.

-- Near Mosul, five strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units; destroyed eight watercraft, three vehicle bombs, two barges, a vehicle and an artillery system; damaged three supply routes; and suppressed a mortar team.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq > U.S. ... - Department of Defense

Mr Mercer, a former Army captain, told The Telegraph: I have made my distaste for the methods and behaviour of Ihat - and the MoDs complicity in it - very obvious over the last year.

The evidence has been clear and I look forward to publishing our report a week Wednesday.

And in a withering attack on Whitehall mandarins, he added: I am pretty clear where the problems lie.

"There is a rotten core of civil servants in the MoD who have made decisions without Ministers or military input, and have in the process demonstrated a disturbing lack of understanding or respect for the more subtle qualities that bind an army together and make men fight for each other or a cause.

Things have improved this year but, prior to my investigation, there was no heed whatsoever paid to how this process has affected our people. That is a deep regret of mine.

Excerpt from:
Revealed: MPs to demand end to witch hunt of British troops in Iraq after 10-month inquiry - Telegraph.co.uk

Truck Hit By Train In Murfreesboro

Reports stated a red pickup truck was hit by a train between Smyrna and Murfreesboro.

Police have still been searching for who's responsible for gunning down a man in East Nashville.

Three children were injured when a vehicle overturned on Interstate 65 in Davidson County.

A Tennessee lawmaker has been hoping to change some minds about the use of medical marijuana in the state.

Crews have been searching for the body of a man who has been missing for more than a week.

Nashville has been set to welcome a former interpreter for the U.S. government and his family to town following President Donald Trump's

A Mount Juliet mother and her son have nothing more than the clothes on their backs after their home was hit by not one, but two fires in 24 hours.

Emergency crews responded to the scene of a house fire in East Nashville that displaced a family of five.

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Family Heading To Nashville From Iraq - NewsChannel5.com

Wall Street Journal

NATO to Start Training Soldiers in Iraq - WSJ Wall Street Journal The North Atlantic Treaty Organization will begin its training effort in Iraq on Sunday, as the alliance looks to step up its efforts to assist in the fight against Islamic ... and more »

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NATO to Start Training Soldiers in Iraq - WSJ - Wall Street Journal

Michael Diamond, Community columnist 7:33 a.m. CT Feb. 4, 2017

The Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor on Jan. 31. With President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration, the subject of who can come to America has once again become a hotly debated topic.(Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Last week, the only noise louder than jet engines at large U.S. airports were the raucous demonstrators protesting one of President Trumps recent executive orders, this one suspending immigration from seven majority Muslim countries, along with potential changes to the vetting process for newcomers.

Among the many concerns about the policy is the issue of local interpreters in these countries.These men and women are usually locals who greatly assist U.S. forces and are given preferential treatment when it comes to immigration.Many of them put themselves in great danger sometimes much greater danger than the military personnel they assist.

Many in the military have raised the concern that this executive order will not only create barriers for those who should gain immediate entry, but will also reduce the likely pool of new interpreters. This is a valid concern.After all, if we were in their situation, we would almost certainly avoid risking our lives on behalf of a country that doesnt appear to want us to live there.

I spent approximately six months in Kuwait and Iraq in 1991, and although the current interpreter issue is more closely tied to the post 9/11 wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, I thought Id introduce you to two of the interpreters I spent the most time with during Operation Desert Storm, where I was in Kuwait City, and Operation Provide Comfort, where I was in northern Iraq.

Although I worked with a few interpreters in Kuwait City, the interpreter I spent most of my time with was Mohammad. Mohammad was part of a really smart program someone in the government thought of (and how often can we say that?).The military had a need for interpreters who were familiar with Kuwait City, and they figured out where a lot of potential candidates were hanging out: on the campuses of American universities.Mohammad was a faculty member at Kansas State, and everywhere I went, he was with me.

People usually only think about the language translation when they hear the word interpreter,but in reality their knowledge of local geography and customs is every bit as important.During the Iraqi occupation, one of the many ways that the local Kuwaitis harassed the occupying troops was by pulling down all the street signs.This was a great idea until we arrived.This was the pre-GPS era, so we had to use satellite maps and vector our way toward our various objectives.Mohammad was indispensable as he knew how his boyhood city was laid out, which somewhat helped compensate for his unending singing of the first lines from the song The Age of Aquarius while we were together.

But the closest relationship I had by far was with Ahmed, my Kurdish interpreter while we were in northern Iraq as part of the humanitarian relief effort after Desert Storm. I dont remember how Ahmed acquired his language skills since I know he hadnt been anywhere other than Iraq, but he and I spent most of our waking hours together.He helped me in a number of ways, from establishing a working relationship with the various elders and power brokers in the Kurdish culture, to helping track down the parents of a lost child (something I learned: its easy to get lost in a refugee camp when youre 6).

Ahmed had relatives in Sweden and I know he was trying to figure out how to escape Iraq.

When I left, I wrote a note for Ahmed to present to any State Department or U.S. military officials he might encounter in hopes he could parlay that into a good job, or even a ticket to U.S. citizenship. It felt like a cheap and insufficient thank you from our nation, but it was the only option available at the time.

I often think of the many interpreters that have made vital contributions to our country since 9/11.Although most of them have never been to the United States, in many ways they are some of the finest Americans you could hope to meet. I expect our country to loudly and clearly honor our immigration commitments to them and their families.

Michael Diamond is a Combined Locks resident. He can be reached atmed@michaeldiamond.com.

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Link:
Immigration order hits home after Iraq duty - Appleton Post Crescent