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The VFW, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the VFW Auxiliary and the Veterans Day Parade Committee are coming together to host an event, held from 12 pm to 2 pm following the VFW Flea Market, on Sunday, March 26 at 2821 E. Prospect Avenue.

This particular event is in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and the return of the last POWs from North Vietnam; the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War conflict; and the 20th anniversary of the Iraq War.

All veterans and their families are invited to attend the flea market in the morning, then a complimentary barbecue lunch will be held from 12 pm to 2 pm. Service officers will be on hand to assist veterans in need.

The event following will have a complementary barbecue dinner and entertainment.

The following are some information on the anniversaries this year.

Korea The de facto ending of the Korean War was with the Korean Armistice Agreement signed on July, 27, 1953. The United States was discussing terms for an agreement to end the Korean War by mid-December of 1950. Talks concerning an armistice started on July 10, 1951 in Kaesong with the two primary negotiators being Chief of Army Staff General Nam Il, a North Korean deputy premier, and United States Vice Admiral Charles Turner Joy. After a two-week period, a five-part agenda was agreed upon.

The items discussed were the following: 1. Adoption of an agenda. 2. Fixing a military demarcation line between the two sides to establish a demilitarized zone as a basic condition for the cessation of hostilities.

3. Concrete arrangements for realization of a ceasefire including the composition, authority and functions of a supervisory organization to carry out the terms of a truce and armistice.

4. Arrangements relating to prisoners of war.

5. Recommendations to the governments of countries concerned on both sides.

A problematic negotiation point was the repatriation of POWs. The Communists held 10,000 POWs, while the United Nations Command (UNC) held 150,000 and many Chinese Peoples Volunteer Army (PVA) and Korean Peoples Army (KPA) soldiers refused to be repatriated to the north, which was unacceptable to the Chinese and North Koreans.

The armistice was signed on July 27 by United States Army Lieutenant General William Harrison Jr. and General Mark W. Clark representing the UNC, and North Korea leader Kim Ilsung and General Nam Il.

Vietnam On March 26, 1973, the JMC (Joint Military Commission) agrees that the last of the American POWs (including nine held in Laos) would be released, and the remaining 5,000 combat troops would withdraw in the next two days. The White House declared, This does and will end the United States presence in Vietnam.

On March 27, the final POW release began. 32 POWs held by the Viet Cong (VC) as well as nine Americans and a Canadian missionary held by Laos, were among the first let go. Hanoi agreed to help in the recovery of missing and dead US servicemen.

By March 29, the last US combat forces departed South Vietnam with 7200 Department of Defense civilian employees remaining in-country.

Iraq The Iraq War began on March 20, 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by the United States-led coalition known as the Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I) also often referred to as the Coalition forces.

The US, joined by the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland launched a shock and awe bombing campaign that quickly overwhelmed Iraqi forces. Saddam Hussein was captured during Operation Red Dawn in December of 2003 and Hussein was executed three years later on Dec. 30, 2003.

The resulting power vacuum resulted in a widespread civil war between Shias and Sunnis, as well as an insurgency that emerged to oppose coalition forces and the post-invasion Iraqi government.

US troops were officially withdrawn on Dec. 18, 2011. The US would become reinvolved in 2014 at the head of a new coalition with the main phase of the conflict concluding with the defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in 2017, but a low-level ISIL insurgency is ongoing in rural north parts of the country.

Once again, the VFW Flea Market will be held in the morning on Sunday, March 26 with the barbecue lunch and entertainment from 12 pm to 2 pm.

See the rest here:
VFW event honoring Korea, Vietnam and Iraq veterans to be held on ... - Ponca City News

On March 19, 2003, the U.S. initiated war on Iraq with what it called a massive "shock and awe" bombing campaign that lit up the skies, laid waste to large sections of the country and paved the way for American ground troops to converge on Baghdad. Watch the video above for more.The invasion was based on claims that Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed weapons of mass destruction. No weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq.Just after the explosions began, U.S. President George W. Bush said in a televised address on March 20, "At this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger."The U.S., along with coalition forces primarily from the United Kingdom, was able to capture Iraqs major cities in just three weeks.Saddam went into hiding soon after the American invasion. After an intense manhunt, U.S. soldiers found him in December 2003, just miles outside his hometown of Tikrit. He was arrested and began trial for crimes against his people, including mass killings. He was found guilty of crimes against humanity and was executed on Dec. 30, 2006.The U.S. declared an end to the war in Iraq in 2011, nearly 10 years after the fighting began. By the time the war ended, tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians were dead, along with 4,487 American troops.American forces remain in the country as a show of commitment to the region and a hedge against Iranian influence and weapons trafficking.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

On March 19, 2003, the U.S. initiated war on Iraq with what it called a massive "shock and awe" bombing campaign that lit up the skies, laid waste to large sections of the country and paved the way for American ground troops to converge on Baghdad.

Watch the video above for more.

The invasion was based on claims that Saddam Hussein had secretly stashed weapons of mass destruction. No weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq.

Just after the explosions began, U.S. President George W. Bush said in a televised address on March 20, "At this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger."

The U.S., along with coalition forces primarily from the United Kingdom, was able to capture Iraqs major cities in just three weeks.

Saddam went into hiding soon after the American invasion. After an intense manhunt, U.S. soldiers found him in December 2003, just miles outside his hometown of Tikrit. He was arrested and began trial for crimes against his people, including mass killings. He was found guilty of crimes against humanity and was executed on Dec. 30, 2006.

The U.S. declared an end to the war in Iraq in 2011, nearly 10 years after the fighting began. By the time the war ended, tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians were dead, along with 4,487 American troops.

American forces remain in the country as a show of commitment to the region and a hedge against Iranian influence and weapons trafficking.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Excerpt from:
This Day in History: US begins war in Iraq in 2003 with explosions in Baghdad - 4029tv

PodcastPodcast, The Take

Twenty years after the war, many Iraqis are suffering the consequences of burn pits the US used to dispose of waste.

In Iraq, some scars of the US-led invasion remain hidden, even as the wars 20th anniversary is marked this week. The US military for years disposed of waste in burn pits on wide swathes of land that were constantly smoking. Some were the size of a football field. In them were plastics, electronics, and military and medical waste. The environmental impacts of the invasion, including those burn pits, continue to plague Iraqis to this day. After years of lobbying, the US government approved legislation to address the health impacts on US soldiers, but there has been no discussion of compensation for Iraqi civilians.

In this episode:

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei and Amy Walters with Chloe K Li and our host, Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Adam Abou-Gad and Munera Al Dosari are our engagement producers.

Alexandra Locke is The Takes executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeeras head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

See original here:
What does the US owe Iraq for the military's toxic burn pits? - Al Jazeera English

Check against delivery!

Good afternoon to everybody.

I am very happy to have the opportunity to welcome the Foreign Minister of Iraq, Minister Fuad [Mohammed] Hussein, for this[EU-Iraq]Cooperation Council.

I see that the Minister comes with [an] important delegation - a very large delegation accompanying you, dear Minister - and the presence of Foreign Affairs Ministers from the European Unions side tonight at the meeting, reflects the importance that both sides attach to this partnership and to this Cooperation Council meeting.

You know that the Council Cooperation is the highest level of our bilateral engagement with Iraq.

This is the third Council that takes place after a pause of seven years too many years. But after this pause, we have already had with today [included] three Councils. The pause was mainly due to the situation in Iraq which was very dire years ago. More recently, also for the impact of [the pandemic of] COVID-19.

But the COVID-19 has gone, and Iraq has made a lot of progress - considerable progress - and it is in our interest to contribute to further stabilising the situation and support the authorities.

This meeting will show that we want, Minister, to enhance our cooperation building on what we already have, which is a solid partnership. Because among other things, we are important trading partners. We have an excellent cooperation in [in the field of] security. We are part of the Anti-Da'esh Coalition. We have our civilian mission, our [EU] Assistance Mission in Iraq [EUAMIraq] which assists you on the security sector reform.

And after a difficult post Daesh period, Iraq now has a government with an ambitious domestic agenda that includes a lot of reforms. AndI commend the Prime Minister [of Iraq,Mohammed Shia] al-Sudani for making the fight against corruption a high priority for his government.

On our side, we are keen to support such reforms and encourage our Iraqi friends to remain on this course.

Minister, the Iraqi government can count on our help for the benefit of the Iraqi people, but also for the sake of regional stability. Because yes, we appreciate a lot the constructive role of Iraq in this region.

We have seen recently Saudi Arabia and Iran normalising their relations. This will add more stability to the region. And lets not forget that the first round of negotiations leading to a positive outcome took place in Baghdad. Baghdad was the theatre of this important rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

That is a good reason to welcome your policy as a good neighbourhood relations maker: not only you are stabilising your country, but you are contributing to stabilise the region.

And at the same time, we condemn the attacks against Iraqs territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Minister, my colleague Commissioner [for Home Affairs, Ylva] Johansson will also participate in the Council. Commissioner Johansson - as you know - is in charge of home affairs, thatinclude migration. Migration is an important area where we have to make progress together, sooner than later. Our agenda today is much wider than that.

And Minister, I am very much looking forward to our exchanges, first bilaterally, and then in the Cooperation Council with your delegation, and quite an impressive number of Foreign [Affairs] ministers of Member States of the [European] Union, who will be with us tonight.

Thank you.

Q&A

Q. Mr Borrell, may I ask you a question about this diplomatic breakthrough. If this breakthrough between Saudi Arabia and Iran where Iraq played a role [inaudible]. I would like to ask you if you expect this toenhance lets say or bring morestability to the region by the fact that Iran has to stop its interference in the internal affairs of the countries in the region. Plus, would this agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran ease the difficulties ahead of the JCPOA?

It is certainly good news, the fact that two countries who were - lets say - in a difficult relationship, decided to restart diplomatic engagement and to send Ambassadors. That can only contribute to the stability of the region and ease tensions.

The JCPOA is a different issue. The JCPOA has its own government bodies. We continue working on that. A good relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran is good for everything, but the JCPOA has its own dynamics.

Q. What is the current state of EU-Iraq relation? And what steps is the European Union taking to support Iraq towards stability and prosperity?

This is a general question that has a concrete answer. Our relations are a powerful driver for prosperity for Iraq because, as I said, we are the most important trade partner. Just that justifies that, we have to be in a very good relation. Apart from that, we share the same approaches on many geopolitical problems: fight against terrorism, the need for Iraq to have international support, in order to increase its political stability. Our relations will be for sure a solid contribution to the prosperity and stability of Iraq.

Q. What kind of help will the European Union provide to Iraq? We have many things in Iraq, for example in the politics, the economy. What are you going to do for Iraq?

Have a look at the result of the meeting and you will find there a good answer. We have a very rich agenda, we will touch about all the topics that mark our relations. Your question was more or less the same as your colleague. I cannot tell you now, what is going to be the result of our meeting, but I am sure that we will cover a lot of issues in which we could improve our relations for the mutual benefit of all of us.

We are the most important trade partners of Iraq, and we are a considerable force for stability. I think that our relation will contribute a lot to the stability of the region, the prosperity of the country. Also, for us, Iraq[is] important, Iraq is an important supplier of energy but not only that.

Link to the video:https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-239018

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Iraq: Press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell before the ... - EEAS

21 March 2023

Bill Moore was responsible for the 19th Mechanised Brigade

When a British commanding officer was sent to Southern Iraq in June 2003, he led 4,500 soldiers into war. They were told the country had weapons of mass destruction that were a threat to international peace.

Operation Free Iraq began on 20 March 2003, when the US and UK led a coalition invasion of the country in a mission to remove its leader Saddam Hussein.

Then a brigadier, Bill Moore of Wiltshire, commanded the 19th Mechanised Brigade that operated in the provinces of Al Basra and Maysan.

"A lot of us who came back from the Iraq war, we were no longer the same as when we went away," he said.

"Some of us did not come back.

"We lost nine of the team in Iraq, many more were seriously injured. I could have changed nothing - but a sense of responsibility is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life."

By May, Iraq's army had been defeated and its regime overthrown. Saddam Hussein was later captured, tried and executed.

However, no weapons of mass destruction were uncovered.

Twenty years on Mr Moore, who was aged 44 at the time, has been reflecting on the legacy of the conflict.

Mr Moore with some members of his team in Al Basra

When he arrived in Southern Iraq, it was the height of summer, and soldiers were operating in temperatures as high as 58C.

"There was no electricity, little water and no humanitarian aid," he said.

"People shot at us, they used mortars and made home-made bombs which became very sophisticated and could destroy our tanks.

"Our objective was to provide a secure environment so we could grow the Iraqi institutions and provide stability for the local people to thrive. But that was made very challenging."

Mr Moore said the different departments across the UK government did not work together to provide the right resources for soldiers and local people.

"There was nothing tangible in the two provinces to show the UK was committed to re-construction of Iraq," he said.

"There were no clinics staffed by British doctors and nurses, no cultural offices to engage the locals, there was no training to help Iraqi police, no teachers to help reform schooling and no local government officials to help resolve the financial crisis."

Having later been promoted to Maj Gen, Mr Moore returned to Iraq in 2009 for a joint operation with US and Iraqi Armies

Mr Moore said his brigade faced hostility from local people who did not believe the UK was serious about improving their country.

"If things are not going right in the country, people take it out on the occupying forces, not the powers behind them - so they took their frustration out on us soldiers," he said.

"There would be verbal abuse, stone-throwing, petrol-bombing, and shootings.

"It wasn't because they didn't like what we stood for, it was frustration that nothing was changing.

"Local people were fed up of not having electricity, water, jobs, and they were still living in bombed-out buildings."

Mr Moore working on joint operations alongside the Iraqi Army

Mr Moore said the lack of progress made by the government, created a situation where gaining the trust of local people was difficult.

"One thing we knew we needed to do was to try and understand the culture we were being introduced to," he said.

"I met all the key imams in the area, and also received a couple of dressing downs from them.

"I got on very well with them, they knew we were in a difficult position, but they also had their position to sustain.

"One gave me a telling off about how useless the British were, but I was hugely respectful to him, he was a religious leader.

"Later, I found out he had taped the conversation and played it to his followers, to show he had put a British commander in his place."

Mr Moore commanded 4,500 troops across Southern Iraq in 2003

But a task even more difficult was the weight of being responsible for 4,500 people, even 20 years later, Mr Moore said.

"When we left Iraq in November 2003, we felt a sense of unfinished business, despite doing the best job we could do," he said.

"I always reflect on whether it was worth it - for all the injuries and people who did not come back.

"No weapons of mass destruction were found. It is a tricky and frustrating equation to square away.

"Those soldiers and officers, they were somebody's husband or son, or sister or brother."

Sir John Chilcot's inquiry into the war found intelligence "had not established beyond doubt either that Saddam Hussein had continued to produce chemical and biological weapons or that efforts to develop nuclear weapons continued".

"Saddam had built up chemical weapons in the past - and used them against Kurdish civilians and the Iranian military," Mr Cameron said.

"He had given international weapons inspectors the run around for years.

"And the report clearly reflects that the advice given to the government by the intelligence and policy community was that Saddam did indeed continue to possess and seek to develop these capabilities.

"However, as we now know, by 2003 this long-held belief no longer reflected the reality."

More here:
A commander's story: Loss and frustration in Iraq - BBC