AQI active; Aziz sentenced; Afghan forces train as strategy looms

AQI down but not out in Iraq

U.S. intelligence officials in Iraq said the spate of recent attacks on the country suggest al-Qaida elements are still a threat to national security there.

A suicide bomber struck a tribal council meeting Tuesday in Abu Ghraib, killing at least 33, while a weekend attack on a police recruiting station in Baghdad killed more than 30 people.

The uptick in violence following the January provincial elections in Iraq suggests al-Qaida maintains the capability to recruit volunteers and conduct terrorist operations despite nearly six years of military operations in the country, the online Long War Journal reports.

"We've had good success against al-Qaida in Iraq suicide and IED (improvised explosive device) cells in Baghdad and the surrounding areas, but we appear to have some new cells that need to be taken down," one intelligence officer told the Journal on condition of anonymity.

Despite the surge in violence, however, the attacks show al-Qaida is more limited in its ability to conduct widespread attacks throughout the country than it was prior to the U.S. counterinsurgency effort dubbed "the surge."

Iraqi and U.S. military officers deny al-Qaida is reconstituted all through Iraq, however, as most of its activity is limited to the eastern and northern parts of the country.

"Aside from some pockets in northern Ninawa and Diyala provinces, AQI and allied Islamist groups like Ansar al-Sunnah no longer control territory," the intelligence official said.

Iraqi officials meet Diyala tribes

Sunni tribal chiefs in Diyala province met with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Rafeaa al-Eissawi to discuss social services and the security situation there.

Eissawi, the former governor of Ninawa province, said in a statement to the Voices of Iraq news agency that the meeting also included discussions on the agricultural sector.

"The meeting tackled also ways to improve the agricultural reality in Diyala," the statement read.

Sunni parties won major concessions in the January provincial elections in Diyala, taking 15 of the 29 seats there collectively.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Vice President Tariq Hashimi met with the U.N. special envoy to Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, to discuss the U.N. mission there.

U.N. and U.S. reports said violence is down significantly in most parts of the country as top military officials in Iraq prepare for a drawdown of American forces as part of a bilateral Status of Forces Agreement.

Iraqi officials said that they are preparing to welcome U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Baghdad "soon" to meet with top officials.

Clinton wrapped up a visit to Turkey during the weekend, praising Iraq's northern neighbor for its cooperation in the Iraq effort.

Tariq Aziz gets 15 years for 1992 executions

An Iraqi tribunal Wednesday sentenced former Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and others to 15 years for the deaths of 42 businessmen exploiting U.N. sanctions.

Aziz, along with Ali Hassan al-Majid, better known as "Chemical Ali," were handed 15-year prison sentences Wednesday by the Iraqi High Tribunal for their role in the 1992 deaths of 42 Baghdad merchants accused of exploiting market conditions while Iraq was under the U.N. sanctions regime.

This is the first sentence given to Aziz, a 72-year-old Christian who faced several other charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court acquitted Aziz on charges stemming from atrocities committed during the violent suppression of Kurdish and Shiite uprisings by the regime of Saddam Hussein.

Aziz, who turned himself into U.S. forces in April 2003, told the court he was proud of his membership in the now-outlawed Baath Party but added he was not responsible for the 1992 deaths, al-Arabiya reports.

His lawyer, Giovanni di Stefano, told the BBC World Service on Wednesday the sentence was politically motivated, noting that given Aziz's age and credit for time served, the term was notably lenient.

Two of Saddam's half brothers, Watban Ibrahim Hassan and Sabaawi Ibrahim Hassan, were given death sentences for their role in the 1992 killings.

Afghan forces conduct operations in Helmand

Afghan national security forces along with troops from the International Security Assistance Force conducted counterinsurgency operations in Helmand province.

Afghan and ISAF troops conducted patrols in support of Operation Aabi Toorah in parts of southern Helmand province, where Taliban insurgents remain particularly active.

Afghan troops supported by British forces were inserted into the area by helicopter and searched compounds for weapons caches and various munitions, ISAF reports.

"This operation is all about understanding the area," said British Color Sgt. Bob Maddison. "Moreover, it's not just about ISAF's understanding; it is also for the locals' own awareness of what (the Afghan forces) and ISAF represent."

ISAF officers with British forces praised the joint mission as a success against insurgent activity in the area.

"We have engaged the enemy decisively in what they considered a safe area," said Lt. Col. Charlie Stickland. "This has been a hugely successful operation here in rugged, beautiful southern Helmand."

Washington anxious for Afghan strategy

Lawmakers with the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee are anxiously awaiting word on the Afghan strategy as the situation there worsens, officials said.

National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair said in response to questions from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that the Afghan government's control over the country "is decreasing, and that is a bad trend," the Army Times reports.

McCain was briefing top officials on options to restore stability to the situation in Afghanistan following nearly eight years of military operations.

U.S. military officials and President Barack Obama have said American forces are losing the war in Afghanistan. Obama has put Afghanistan at the top of his agenda, however, and Washington is expected to send an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan as U.S. forces draw down in Iraq.

The comments from Blair come as U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Maples expressed concern over the ability of the Afghan government to provide basic services as the border areas with Pakistan grow more volatile amid a declining security environment.

Maples said there has been some progress in the training of national police and military forces but worried that the improvements were not sufficient to provide domestic security for national elections later in the year.

"Progress has been made in training the police, but the force is hampered by corruption and faces many violent districts and a continuing narcotics trade," he said.

Afghan army trained on M-16

Recruits with the Afghan army wrapped up weapons training, trading in their AK-47s for the more accurate M-16, military officials said.

Recruits were trained at the Kabul Military Training Center on basic handling and maintenance for the M-16, which officials said was a new aspect for Afghans, the U.S. military reports.

"Compared to the M-16, AK-47s require little maintenance," said Lt. Col. Sean Nikkila. "M-16s require regular cleaning, which is a new concept to many of the (Afghan National Army) soldiers who are familiar with the AK-47."

The M-16 is considered superior to the AK-47 in terms of accuracy and effectiveness over a long range. The M-16 also uses standard NATO rounds, which allow Afghan forces to utilize a better product that is compatible with their international counterparts.

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office said Afghan forces have made gains, with about 75 percent of the national police forces capable of conducting operations with only limited supervision.

The same report, however, said more U.S. troops would be needed for training purposes as officials try to increase the number of forces in the Afghan army from 80,000 to 134,000.

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