The CENTCOM Newsletter for the week of 5 December 2005 can be found here. Among the stories covered this week:

Baghdad, Iraq — Greatte residents in the northern Baghdad district of Adhamiyah will soon be the recipients of more reliable electricity, due in part to the installation of two and a half miles of underground power cable. The cable will connect two new substations, helping bring power to approximately 2,500 to 3,000 local homes.

Experts expect the power cable project, which began in July 2005, to be finished this month once testing is complete.

Qalat, Afghanistan — A new building to house a girl's school opened Nov. 21 in downtown Qalat.  'For the past few months the girls have been having classes in tents and are very excited to finally have a real school building,' said Air Force 1st. Lt. Ethan Haynes, general engineer, 37th Civil Engineer Squadron.  While building the new school members of the Qalat Provincial Reconstruction Team decided to add a basketball court to the school grounds for the girls, said Haynes.  As the school was being built, Haynes and other service members would stop by and play basketball or soccer with the girls.

Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan — Since their arrival in support of Operation Enduring Freedom here, Air Force civil engineers have hit the ground running.  From repairing a 200—square—foot crater on the runway in less than an hour to making a previously substandard airfield fully operational, the 451st Air Expeditionary Group Civil Engineer Flight is helping take the fight to the terrorists.  'A fully operational airfield is essential in allowing us to project combat air power and take the fight to those who would cause us harm,' said Capt. Jason Riebel, flight commander, deployed here from Pope Air Force Base, N.C.

Djibouti City, Djibouti — U.S. service members deployed to the Horn of Africa typically do not have very much free time. Work takes up most of their days, but what little free time they do have is easy to fill. There are excellent gym facilities, video games and movies, a cantina that hosts nightly activities, sports and even a pool. One of the most popular ways to enjoy precious time away from work here, however, is donating it to help others.  The interfaith chapel on Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, organizes trips for service members to local orphanages so they can lend a helping hand to the orphans living here and spend their time doing something fun and worthwhile.  'It sounded like the perfect way to exercise my own faith by extending love and hope to the poor and hurting,' said U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Tyler Parris.

CENTCOM also reports that the Central Criminal Court of Iraq has been very busy handling cases against terrorists, including three Al Qaeda members.  The particular cell has also been responsible for smuggling foreign fighters into Iraq.

Baghdad, Iraq — Iraqi Ministry of Justice officials announced today that three members of an al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist cell, located in the Adhamiya area of Baghdad, were convicted by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq for threatening the public safety, crimes against the security of Iraq and belonging to armed groups who threaten the Iraqi people.

The members of the Adhamiya terrorist cell have planned and participated in armed attacks against Iraqi Police, Iraqi National Guard, Iraqi civilians, and Coalition Forces. The cell is also responsible for getting foreign Anti—Iraqi Forces fighters into Iraq from locations such as Morocco, Tunisia, and Northern Africa.

These successful convictions show that the Iraqi security forces are continuing to work toward capturing and bringing to justice all active members of this deadly insurgency.  These verdicts reinforce the will of the Iraqi people that former regime members, insurgents and their supporters are held accountable and punished by a court of justice.

Compiled by Douglas Hanson