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Examples of how to rebuild resilient societies in the wake of natural disasters and man-made conflicts, from countries are varied as Iraq and India, were on offer during the second day of the EU Development Days conference in Brussels on Thursday (8 June).

Speakers from the World Bank, the United Nations, the EUs Department of Development and Cooperation, and the Iraqi Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers were on hand to swap examples of recovery from cyclones, flooding, conflicts and civil wars.

But the main message was the traditional mantra of NGOs, civil society and governments, to Build Back Better was not enough. The hundreds of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Iraq needed more than just a new home, Mahdi Al-Alaq said. A brick-and-mortar building was nothing without food and water security, the prospect of a livelihood, and conflict resolution.

Our plans must meet the unexpected, the Iraqi minister told an overflowing hall of around 120 development professionals at the EU-funded conference.

We have immediate needs, in terms of the urgent needs of the IDP in hot regions. But we have strategic needs, such as stabilising liberated areas.

We have a huge task force working to return IDPs, but this process needs good livelihoods, drinking water, and most of all schools for the children.

Restoring damaged houses [alone] is not enough. Tens of thousands of our people, and our security forces have sacrificed their lives, but now we need to clean the land of mines, and support vulnerable women and children.

The role of women was a recurrent theme of the two-hour discussion. Hiba Qasas, the United Nations chief of crisis preparedness and response, pointed out that in the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone, some 90% of the deaths were of women and children.

Despite the passing of nearly three decades, the story has not changed much, she explained. The 2004 Asian tsunami saw 70% of its victims as women and children.

Although men are the chief mortalities in conflicts, the women bear the brunt afterwards, with one in five female IDPs experiencing sexual violence, Qasas noted.

Crisis is not gender neutral. Risk is not equally shared, she declared. In terms of armed conflict, there are some 5 million widows in Iraq, and 30% of the displaced in the current Yemen conflict are female-led households.

Yet, Qasas continued, globally just 4% of peace agreements have a female co-signatory, and there are few women negotiators. Convener Nigel Fisher had to reach back to Guatemala in 1991 to find an example of a peace process led by women.

Qasas pointed out that in flood-prone Bangladesh, it was frequently womens groups who came up with the best recommendations for future preventative and recovery measures but their voices were not always listened to.

DG Devcos Leonard Mizi a late addition to the panel admitted that in rural areas women still face barriers, such as asymmetric access to information and services.

Recovery is a critical opportunity to build back better, he said, but it was too often poorly executed. We need to think more out of the box, he concluded.

Fisher pointed out that meaningful livelihoods in post-crisis or disaster communities are not just clearing up rubble.

For a family, living in a new home is not going to keep them alive, without food security, and a prospect of a livelihood.

Jo Scheuer, the United Nations Development Programmes Director of Climate Change and Risk, stated baldly that without women, we wont achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

But he went on to point out that according to the US military one of the biggest threats in decades to come would be climate change.

There have always been conflicts over land and water. There will be more and more in future, and it will only get worse as climate change increases unchecked.

Sea-level change is already happening, no two ways about that, Scheuer said, adding that Even areas and regions not affected now will have to think about it, as they might have to host climate refugees.

Sameh Wahba, Group Director at the World Bank, pointed to another factor urbanisation.

In Africa, we are seeing urbanisation on a scale never heard of before in human history, he said. These people all need land, shelter and housing but they are trading livability for the possibility of a livelihood, ending up on the margins of cities, at risk of flooding and landslides.

Convener Nigel Fisher concluded, The last crisis is never the same as the next one.

However, on a note of optimism, Wahba pointed out that, with $255m invested in India since the cyclone of 2000, in shelters and evacuation planning, it was estimated that some 99.6% of potential casualties has been avoided.

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Lessons from Iraq and India on building 'resilient' recovery after disasters - EURACTIV

SOUTHWEST ASIA, June 7, 2017 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 28 strikes consisting of 70 engagements, 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

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 21 strikes consisting of 35 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed three vehicles and a front-end loader.

-- Near Raqqa, 17 strikes engaged 10 ISIS tactical units and destroyed seven fighting positions, two ISIS bridges, two vehicles, an ISIS boat and an ISIS communications tower.

-- Near Tabqah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

-- Near Tanf, a strike engaged a pro-Syrian regime tactical unit, destroyed two artillery systems and an anti-air artillery system and damaged a tank.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of 35 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Beiji, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three ISIS staging areas and two vehicles.

-- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged six ISIS tactical units; destroyed 20 fighting positions, two heavy machine guns, a supply cache, a mortar system, a vehicle and a rocket-propelled grenade system; damaged a command-and-control node, an ISIS supply route and a fighting position; and suppressed a mortar team.

-- Near Rawah, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed four ISIS staging areas, an ISIS headquarters, and an ISIS warehouse.

June 5 Strikes

Additionally, eight strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on June 5 that closed within the last 24 hours.

-- Near Raqqa, Syria, seven strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two ISIS staging areas, two fighting positions, a vehicle-borne-bomb factory, an ISIS tunnel, an ISIS sentry post, a vehicle and a command-and-control node.

-- Near Mosul, Iraq, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit, destroyed an ISIS command-and-control node, a heavy machine gun and an artillery system.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does 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.

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Strikes Continue Against ISIS in Iraq, Syria - Department of Defense

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Stratton, 35th Fighter Wing

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan, June 7, 2017 One Two ... Three ... He counts each detainee as they enter his unit's prison camp in Iraq.

"We were doing a head count; in-processing new members," Air Force Tech. Sgt. Shannon Hutto, a 35th Security Forces Squadron flight chief here, said. "Then I heard a thump."

He looked up to see a rocket shimmering overhead and heading in his direction.

!!BOOM!!

"It landed about 30 feet from me," he said.

Hutto grabbed his M-9 Beretta pistol from its holster after spotting the detainees and realizing they were running in the direction of the gate.

"I'm going to have to shoot them all," he thought, but then he realized where they were going and reholstered his weapon. "They were helping their friends and family, assessing the injured and finding ways to triage and help."

Looking around, Hutto found only three or four other U.S. service members not hiding under barriers crying in horror and shock. He grabbed them, told them where to go, what they needed and what needed to be done to start saving lives.

"You don't realize how important self-aid buddy care is until you're strapping on some medical latex gloves, blood everywhere -- on you, your patient, the ground -- and you're saving people," he said. "I practiced what I learned at Basic Military Training on every person I could find."

Leading Under Fire

Hutto said it was in that moment he realized he was meant to lead.

"I was an airman first class back then, but it was in that one single act that let me know I can do this -- I can be a leader," he said.

Hutto joined the Air Force June 7, 2005. He said he wanted to see the world, get an education and serve his country. Coming from small-town life in Enterprise, Alabama, he said, "I didn't want to just sit around and get in trouble -- I needed structure -- I needed a life."

Twelve years later, his list of medals is likely double that of most in his squadron, but he's got a story for each -- he'll be the retired veteran that kids flock to for war stories.

"I wouldn't go that far," he laughed as he looked to the floor, eyes glazing and finally found the strength to say, "But I do have some stories; many of which I wouldn't share with kids."

Hutto said he's learned training saves lives.

"I've seen a lot of tragedy, and it occurs due to a lack of drive and training," he explained. "We need to really focus on hands-on, tangible and operational training that makes us more effective, increasing our productivity."

Set the Bar High

All that training takes strong leaders willing to set the bar high above the comfort level of their subordinates, Hutto said, adding that leaders should never be afraid to hold their people accountable.

"Just be honest with them," he continued. "Effective leadership is not defined by making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results, not attributes. This is why I mold defenders to perform under pressure with hands-on training and leadership by example."

He's got the experience; with three deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, all of which were between eight and 11 months long, far exceeding the Air Force-standard, six-month deployment.

"Hopefully none of my airmen will ever have to experience what I've gone through, but if they do, then I am positive they'll be ready," he said.

Deployments, temporary assignments and permanent changes of station all epitomize the life of a service member. Hutto's seen more combat than most airmen see in their entire career, and spent months at a time, totaling years, away from his four daughters and wife, Air Force Staff Sgt. Melanie Hutto.

"Not only is he setting an example for his airmen, but he's setting an example for our daughters as well," Melanie said as a big smile swept across her face. "He's always been there for us, even when he couldn't physically be with us."

Hutto said it's his kids who helped him prioritize his life.

"You start figuring out what's most important," he said as he explained his morning routine of bottling milk, changing diapers, adding, "It's all about finding a path and getting ready for the next stage in life."

A Rough Start

His first few years of Air Force life included nonjudicial punishment, copious piles of paperwork and, finally, the realization that he realized he just needed to slap himself and wake up.

"As an airman, I did things the hard way," Hutto explained, lamenting how his technical school military training leader told him he'd never make it past his first enlistment. "But look at me now, I'm about to put on master sergeant, I've got a loving wife, daughters, friends [and], family and subordinates who respect me. You live, you learn and push forward."

The Air Force expects its leaders to build airmen capable of adapting to evolving Air Force mission capabilities while being an active, visible leader. Whether on patrol, at his squadron or at home, Hutto inspires others to be leaders.

"He's my inspiration," Melanie said as she glances down at her own rank. "I've got to catch up with him, so I'm always learning from my husband how to be a better Air Force leader."

But at the end of the day, Hutto said it's about his family first and foremost.

"My whole life is about making the lives of my children better."

More:
Face of Defense: Iraq Experience Shapes Airman's Leadership Style - Department of Defense

The Kurdish region of the war-torn country has significant oil reserves and its pipeline with Turkey means the Yes campaign will face fierce opposition from Baghdad

IRAQs Kurdish region will hold a bombshell independence referendum in September, despite fierce opposition from Baghdad.

Iraqi Kurds largely support the idea of an independent state, but a yes vote in September would only be the start of a contentious project that would face major external and internal challenges.

Reuters

The date for the independence referendum shall be Monday, September 25, 2017, Kurdish leaders said in a statement.

The statement added: It will be on that day when the people of the Kurdistan region, as well as those living in the disputed areas, will cast their votes on whether they accept independence.

The decision was made at a meeting attended by Kurdish leader Massud Barzani and representatives of the regions political parties.

Iraqi Kurdistan is made up of three provinces that are run by an autonomous regional government and protected by their own security services, providing the basis for a potential state.

But there are major political and economic obstacles to Iraqi Kurdish independence.

The presidency statement said the referendum would include areas of Kurdistan outside the administration of the region, which were termed disputed areas.

This refers to swathes of northern territory that are claimed by both Kurdistan and Baghdad, including the key oil-rich province of Kirkuk.

Opposition in Baghdad to Iraqi Kurdistan becoming independent would become even greater if the region tried to take disputed territory along with it.

Iraqi Kurdistan, like the rest of the country, depends almost entirely on revenue from crude sales to provide government funds.

Kurdistan exports most of its oil via a pipeline leading to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, but also overland through Turkey by tanker truck.

A major external challenge to independence is potential opposition from Turkey.

Getty Images

Turkey has a large Kurdish minority with which the government has been engaged in a multi-decade armed conflict, and Ankara would almost certainly fear that Iraqi Kurdish independence could fuel increased calls for a similar move within its territory.

Due to how Iraqi Kurdistan exports its oil, Turkey potentially has both an effective veto over independence in general, and a ready means to apply huge pressure to any fledgling state's economy if it did split from Iraq.

Given the poor state of relations between Ankara and Baghdad, Iraq is likely to oppose part of its territory being turned into a state under Turkey's influence.

Internally, Iraqi Kurdistan has been hit hard by low oil prices to the point that it has stopped paying some government employees for extended periods.

And while the concept of Kurdish independence has broad appeal, Iraqi Kurds are deeply divided politically, which could lead to paralysis in a new state.

The regional presidency's statement said that "the political parties... agreed to resolve some of the outstanding political and economic issues prior to the date of the referendum".

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Kurds in Iraq are to hold a referendum on independence on September 25 - The Sun

WASHINGTONArmy Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said he supports additional troops in Afghanistan and keeping a residual force in Iraq should Mosul be retaken from the Islamic State during a Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing Wednesday.

Now, one week past a bombing in Kabul that left 150 people dead, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked the chief, looking toward the next decade, if he would support an increase in troop presence in Afghanistan as an interim solution.

Milley said he would support an increase but would not offer specific numbers as they are currently under analysis as part of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis major strategic readiness review.

Graham also asked Milley if he believed the U.S. should leave a residual force in Iraq should Mosul be taken from the Islamic State. The chief said he would make such a recommendation if Iraq's government would consider it.

Milley was less forthcoming as to whether more troops are needed in South Korea as North Korea grows increasingly cantankerous and active in its missile testing.

That is a very difficult question full of all kinds of nuances. I cant give you a yes or a no, Milley said, adding, the situation in Korea calls for a forward presence with the right capacity to respond to a belligerent North Korea, but that may not mean more troops.

The bottom line: the Army will likely continue to play a growing role in stabilizing hot spots around the world. And recent history has taught that drawing down or pulling out troops from war-torn countries before the government is stabilized leaves a vacuum for the resurgence of terrorist organizations to gain footholds and power, making it more likely U.S. forces will stick around unstable regions in the future.

And Graham noted the kind of force projection necessary to suppress conflict could be dangerously hampered should sequestration remain in effect.

Milley said roughly 50 percent of the demand from combatant commands and 70 percent of unexpected urgent demand are met by Army forces. He added there are roughly 180,000 soldiers deployed in 140 countries conducting training, deterring opponents, conducting humanitarian assistance, participating in peacekeeping missions and supporting combat operations.

The Armys fiscal year 2018 budget request funds for the total Army, to include active, National Guard and Reserve, at 1,018,000 troops.

The wish list known formally as an unfunded requirements list is typically sent to Congress by each of the services to help guide Capitol Hill in considering additional funding beyond the budget request Congress might provide as lawmakers begin to draft the policy and spending bills.

He said he believed the right size for the Army now would be around 540,000 to 550,000 troops in the active force, 353,000 to 355,000 for the Guard and 205,000 to 209,000 for the reserve.

Yet, more clarity on the right size of the force across the U.S. military services will come from Mattis strategic readiness review. The review is due out later this summer, according to defense officials.

Excerpt from:
Army chief supports increased force presence in Afghanistan and Iraq - DefenseNews.com