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March 8, 2009

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Diversions (III)

By Greyhawk

Remember the Iraq drawdown you heard about last month? The one where a Brigade originally scheduled for Iraq was going to Afghanistan instead? Well, a funny thing about that...

Last weekend we noted this obscure bit of news from ABC:

Gen. Odierno will receive a Stryker Brigade to replace the incoming replacement brigade diverted to Afghanistan just a week ago. That means that he will continue to maintain the current level of two Stryker brigades in Iraq.

While that story might be obscure, it's anything but insignificant. The diversion of the Stryker Brigade (one of two that were then scheduled to replace the two currently in Iraq) to Afghanistan made headlines as the President appeared at Camp Lejeune to announce his Iraq drawdown and Afghanistan "surge". As noted here at the time, that followup report - if accurate - "exposes everything you've heard about troop deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two weeks as an absolute hoax on the American public."

Read the first entry in this series for details of the preparations made by the Stryker Brigade for an Iraq deployment - 10-month Arabic language schools being just part of the training rendered useless by a reassignment to a country where the locals don't speak it.

Of course, "intensive, 10-month Arabic language training" and "exercises... where they had to help their commanders negotiate with native-speaker role players" were now useless - but if they were no longer needed in Iraq, so be it.

But they were needed in Iraq - just not as badly as the Obama administration needed to make it appear that troops initially slotted for Iraq were going to Afghanistan instead - seemingly making good on a key campaign promise. So with much fanfare the Iraq drawdown (consisting entirely of the Stryker Brigade)/Afghanistan surge (Strykers plus a Marine unit) was announced, and subsequent polls indicated Americans were wildly enthusiastic about the idea.

And a few days later no one would notice the bombshell reported by ABC: "Gen. Odierno will receive a Stryker Brigade to replace the incoming replacement brigade diverted to Afghanistan just a week ago" - perhaps because within 24 hours of reporting that news they changed it to this:

ABC News has also learned that Gen. Odierno will continue to maintain a Stryker Brigade presence in Iraq through the upcoming elections as he had requested. There are currently two Stryker Brigades in Iraq. When their tours end later this year, only one of those departing brigades will be replaced by an incoming Stryker Brigade.

Not only was there no explanation of the "correction", there wasn't even an acknowledgment of the change on the site.

But wait... there's more...

*****

I don't like conspiracy theories - I suspected that ABC's initial report was due to some sort of simple misunderstanding and that the corrected version was in fact correct. But to confirm that I sent a simple email to them:

Greetings Just linked this in a post, but subsequently discovered the line "ABC News has also learned that Gen. Odierno will receive a Stryker Brigade to replace the incoming replacement brigade diverted to Afghanistan just a week ago" has since vanished without explanation.

What happened?

Even though it was the weekend they were kind enough to reply:

That was updated.
I checked to see if they were referring to a subsequent update - they weren't. So I replied:
Clearly. But that's rather a dramatic change to make without explanation, don't you think? The original version indicates the entire narrative of diverting troops from Iraq to Afghanistan is a fraud perpetrated on the American public. The later version is hardly newsworthy.

Aren't corrections of that magnitude worthy of an appended explanation?

It's been a week since that was sent and I've received no reply. But that's probably because other developments have rendered the point somewhat moot.

*****

Specifically, last Monday the DoD announced:

The Department of Defense announced today that 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, based in Ft. Lewis, Wash., will deploy in the fall of 2009 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The brigade consists of approximately 4,000 personnel and will deploy as a replacement unit for a formation currently operating in Iraq. Its deployment will provide commanders in Iraq the flexibility to maintain the appropriate level of effort based on their assessment of the security situation on the ground.

The next day's Tacoma News Tribune would report:

A Fort Lewis Stryker combat brigade will deploy to Iraq this fall, several months ahead of the original schedule, Army officials said Monday.

When the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division departs, all three Stryker brigades based at the Army post will be simultaneously deployed to combat for the first time. Each brigade has about 4,000 soldiers.

And ABC would change their story once again - this time with an explanation:

Editor's Note: Over the weekend, additional information led us to rework this article. We have restored the original wording as additional reporting reconfirms the information posted Friday night.

Gen. Odierno will maintain a two-Stryker Brigade presence through the rest of this year even though a replacement Stryker Brigade had been redirected to Afghansitan [sic]. The Pentagon's announcement Monday that the 4th Stryker BCT, 2nd Infantry Division will head to Iraq in the Fall means both brigades currently in Iraq will be replaced by Stryker Brigades. In shorthand, the 4th SBCT/2nd ID will replace the 1st SBCT/25th ID and the 3rd SBCT/2nd ID will the 56th National Guard Stryker Brigade.

Kudos to them for reporting it, but they fail to connect the dots - removing a Brigade from Iraq (or from the schedule to go to Iraq) and replacing it with another Brigade is no way to accomplish a "drawdown" (except in newspaper headlines).

*****

Let's recap the salient points here:

1. In September, 2008, the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) - after months of preparation - is ordered to Iraq. (One of two SBCTs that were then scheduled to replace the two currently in Iraq)

2. In February, 2009, President Obama announces his Iraq drawdown/Afghanistan surge - the 5th SBCT will be diverted to Afghanistan instead of Iraq.

3. March, 2009, the DoD announces the 4th SBCT will deploy to Iraq this fall, several months ahead of the original schedule replacing the 5th SBCT in the rotation in order to maintain two Stryker Brigades in Iraq.

For the record, I'm in favor of commanders on the ground getting the forces they need to get the job done. I have no doubt that two Stryker Brigades are needed in Iraq, and others in Afghanistan.

I'm deeply concerned when I see troop rotations "adjusted" in what appears to be an effort to fool the American public. But I appreciate that the Obama administration can do that in plain sight, even providing press releases detailing exactly how they're doing it.

I'm even more concerned that those efforts - and the ramifications thereof - are obvious to an American media assumed to be independent of the Executive Branch but apparently unconcerned about reporting its activities. Item two above was headline grabbing/TV news lead story material - item three indicates it was a fraud.

One year ago that would have been a hell of a story, don't you think?

More: Diversions (IV)


Bookmark and Share - via email, facebook, twitter, etc.

Posted by Greyhawk / March 8, 2009 11:52 AM | Permalink

16 TrackBacks

Fewer things in life must be more fun than sticking soldiers under a shell and shifting them around at will. Of course it’s easy to do when you have no vested interest in their mission — afterall the current Administation has taken every op... Read More

Diversions (IV) from Mudville Gazette on March 9, 2009 9:41 AM

A couple (among many) of interesting comments from the previous post:I'm a soldier in 4/2, so I thought I'd throw my two cents in. The way things are being explained to us is that if we want most of the combat brigades gone by 31 Aug 2010, 4/2 had to d... Read More

Diversity from Mudville Gazette on March 9, 2009 9:50 AM

Just an aside - after reading the comments here and here I've come to the conclusion I'm an Obama loving Obama hater. There's really no other explanation for it. (Though some might accuse me of being an Obama hating Obama lover, I suppose...) Unless...... Read More

Here's how you pull a Three-Brigade Monte: President Obama promised to drawdown Iraqi troops. He was going to pull out a brigade from Iraq. So, he does--he withdraws the troops from Iraq and puts them in Afghanistan. That means there... Read More

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and other sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a li... Read More

Let the Mudville Gazette count the ways: Last weekend we noted this obscure bit of news from ABC: Gen. Odierno will receive a Stryker Brigade to replace the incoming replacement brigade diverted to Afghanistan just a week ago. That means... Read More

Fewer things in life must be more fun than sticking soldiers under a shell and shifting them around at will. Of course it’s easy to do when you have no vested interest in their mission — after all the current Administration has taken every ... Read More

Fewer things in life must be more fun than sticking soldiers under a shell and shifting them around at will. Of course it’s easy to do when you have no vested interest in their mission — after all the current Administration has taken every ... Read More

Keep your eyes on the ball from Right Minded Americans on March 14, 2009 12:18 PM

Why isn't this story all over the news? It looks like Obama is playing games. Not surprising seeing that any military knowledge he has came from playing Risk as a kid. The DoD announced: "The Department of Defense announced today... Read More

Fewer things in life must be more fun than sticking soldiers under a shell and shifting them around at will. Of course it’s easy to do when you have no vested interest in their mission — after all the current Administration has taken every ... Read More

Fewer things in life must be more fun than sticking soldiers under a shell and shifting them around at will. Of course it’s easy to do when you have no vested interest in their mission — after all the current Administration has taken every ... Read More

Fewer things in life must be more fun than sticking soldiers under a shell and shifting them around at will. Of course it’s easy to do when you have no vested interest in their mission — after all the current Administration has taken every ... Read More

Fewer things in life must be more fun than sticking soldiers under a shell and shifting them around at will. Of course it’s easy to do when you have no vested interest in their mission — after all the current Administration has taken every ... Read More

Fewer things in life must be more fun than sticking soldiers under a shell and shifting them around at will. Of course it’s easy to do when you have no vested interest in their mission — after all the current Administration has taken every ... Read More

Fewer things in life must be more fun than sticking soldiers under a shell and shifting them around at will. Of course it’s easy to do when you have no vested interest in their mission — after all the current Administration has taken every ... Read More

Fewer things in life must be more fun than sticking soldiers under a shell and shifting them around at will. Of course it’s easy to do when you have no vested interest in their mission — after all the current Administration has taken every ... Read More

36 Comments

So -- let's see if I have it correct. Obama's announcement of a redeployment of one incoming Stryker brigade from Iraq to Afghanistan was prominent on-the-air news.
The fact that this brigade has been learning Arabic for months -- useless in Afghanistan -- was not mentioned.
The fact that this brigade will be replaced by yet another Stryker brigade was not reported, but was deliberately ignored by the network. It was quietly posted instead, much later, on the network web site.
So the Administration is succeeding, with MSM connivance, to give the public the fraudulent impression that our Iraq combat forces are being drawn down quickly, (as promised by Obama in the campaign). Both reality, and the waste of resources associated with covering up reality, are being suppressed by the press.
Please correct if I'm wrong.

Greyhawk,

There might be more to this story even than what you have written here. My niece's husband is based at Fort Lewis, and he was just deployed to Iraq. This past week we found out that his deployment was lengthened from 12 to something like 15 months. We also found out that she is due to deliver their first child in November, so we are hoping he will be able to come home for that. He works in a medical unit, and I don't know much more than that, but I can find out, if you would like.

So if I understand this correctly, you are saying that:

1. A brigade was diverted from deploying to Iraq to deploying to Afghanistan, and this was publicly identified as a "draw-down" of forces in Iraq.

2. Several days later it was reported that another brigade's deployment to Iraq is being pulled forward.

3, The comment above indicates yet another brigade's return to the US is being pushed back.

This all sounds like a net effect on manpower of essentially zero, but a negative effect on the fit between the training of the deploying forces and their duties. That will presumably result in degraded effectiveness, and thus increased casualties, am I right?

I can accept that a CiC might have to make sub-optimal military decisions in the face of political realities, but I would hope those realities would involve the interests of the nation, not simply the Potemkin-like fulfillment his political promises. In this case it sounds like it was the latter.

What are the duties / options of a the military commander in such a situation?

As my son is 5-2ID SBCT and took those Arabic Class's and, trianed his ASS off for Iraq. I could power a nuclear plant just by dipping my kiester in the water. Gotta think Geobbels would be proud of our media. Rick (Doc) Wright EX 82nd 1/05

A "Stryker Brigade" is basically a unit riding around in armored cars, right? Armored cars have been around since WWI and have generally fared poorly in combat against real armored vehicles, such as tanks. Why does a unit riding around in armored cars get a special designation?

If you'll recall from the campaign, when Obama wanted to transfer interpreters from Iraq to Afghanistan, he obviously doesn't know that there are different languages spoken in those two countries so the issue of the Arabic training doesn't matter to him. It's all about the permanent campaign.

Greyhawk,

This isn't the first time "THE ONE" has tried to manipulate the war operations to his advantage. Remember when he tried to get the Iraqis to stall U.S. redeployments for the sake of his campaign?

He wanted to make it look as if the impending withdrawal and success created by American military operations including the surge, were all his idea.
Link:
http://sfcmac.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/obama-tried-stalling-us-redeployment/

This narcissistic charlatan has no shame.

Sherlock
"net effect on manpower of essentially zero" - well, depends on what you mean. In Iraq, yes, but an increase in Afghanistan with no concurrent decrease in Iraq. As near as I can determine, none of the 17,000 troops "surging" (see this report from Afghanistan) into Afghanistan will be at the expense of totals in Iraq.

That total has decreased from surge levels and might continue to do so - depending on conditions on the ground. But thus far the only Brigade designated to go to Iraq this year then switched to Afghanistan has been replaced by another Brigade for Iraq.

But then again - there are 22 Brigades "in the pipeline" for Iraq, or in Iraq this year, so there are plenty more opportunities for "diversions".

I think this is a case of (more) bad reporting from the multi-layer fact checkers:

“These units have been identified for some time now to go in as replacement units,” he said. “This isn’t part of the additional capabilities that we’re applying. These are rotational forces and do not alter or change any announcements made last week. … We’re still at the same [troop] levels in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=53285

Sorry Sherlock - missed your last question: "What are the duties / options of a the military commander in such a situation?"

Answer: Salute smartly and lead the mission. (I'd bet on "successfully" too.)

J Reecer: many Brigades have some "special designation" - "Stryker", "Heavy", what have you. The Strykers are well qualified and proven for the mission they are performing, which is why they're in demand.

All you have to do is watch charleyy gibson's "news" cast to know that it's nothing but a 30 minute propaganda show for the obama presidency.

Isn't it funny how quickly the "milblogs" turn traitor as soon as there isn't a Republican president? Who'd have ever expected you to hate your country so quickly?

As a left-liberal who voted Green the past two elections, this doesn't totally surprise me. I doubt Obama will have all troops out of Iraq by the end of 2011, and, of course, his plan only includes Army and Marines; says nothing about USAF.

That said, the nutbar "conservatives" here fulminating about the pseudo-liberal media are good for a laugh. Time to put your tinfoil hats back on.

I'm speechless.


@SocraticGadfly,

Pseudo-liberal media? Wassa matta? The New York Times, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Washington Post aren't "pseudo" liberal enough?

Leftwingnuts saturate the MSM, but all you libs can do is fling the tin-foil hat accusation.

Call your proctologist. He found your head.


Can anybody find a published TPFDL—time-phased forces-deployment list from OSD? That should solve this issue.

"The Realist" blathered:

Isn't it funny how quickly the "milblogs" turn traitor as soon as there isn't a Republican president? Who'd have ever expected you to hate your country so quickly?

Wow, the irony. A Democrat becomes president and suddenly dissent is treason.

Funny how the milbloggers found their dissenting voice shortly after noon, EST, on Jan. 20th. Can a wingnut Code Pink be far behind?

Ah, the sweet sound of projection.

I'm a soldier in 4/2, so I thought I'd throw my two cents in. The way things are being explained to us is that if we want most of the combat brigades gone by 31 Aug 2010, 4/2 had to deploy ASAP in order to fit in a 12-month deployment before the deadline. Not going to get into the political bit for obvious reasons. We just got back from Iraq in June 08 so it's a tough time for a lot of families, so keep us all in your thoughts. This is our job and we're proud to do it.

I realize the odds of getting an honest answer are zero, but would the lefties chiming in here please explain how pointing this out is somehow a bad thing and or 'dissenting'.

I mean what, exactly, are we dissenting about? That the CIC is using the troops as political props? Doesn't that bother (especially) you lefties that want the troops OUT NOW and, instead, he just pulled a flim-flam on you (this little sideshow was to trick YOU into thinking he was doing what he promised, not us)? And, even better, instead of condemining him for it, you're on here yelling at us because we're concerned (still!) about the troops and their families?!

God, it must be really interesting living inside some of your heads, what with all the loose change, gravel and water sloshing around.

Before Bush was president, the wingers were in full whine about 19 troops killed in Somalia. Then, while the planes were in the air on the way to Serbia on the first day of hostilities, they condemned the operation because they didn't like the CIC.

Then the partisan picture changed, and the wingers didn't bat an eyelash about a prez who lied his way into two wars and screwed 'em up royally. More than 4,000 Americans dead? Cost of freedom, bucko. Suck it up.

Now the partisan climate changes, and you are pacifists. It's so transparent. You couldn't care less about this country, and to you the military is full of people who are expendable for your politics. You don't know a single thing about real patriotism or love of country, and you never will.

Then the partisan picture changed, and the wingers didn't bat an eyelash about a prez who lied his way into two wars and screwed 'em up royally.

Actually, he didn't. Nice use of the "repeat a lie" technique though. You guys always resort to it in your rantings at some point.

For Teh Narrative!

Now the partisan climate changes, and you are pacifists.

Oops, another lie. Try again.

(Hm. Wonder if Willysnout/Whatever name he choses after getting banned again has wandered back under yet another name.)

Realist:

Instead of posting a bunch of non-sequitirs and revising history, can you just answer the following questions:

1. Are you happy that Obama *isn't* drawing down troop levels in Iraq?

2. Are you happy that, as it turns out, he LIED to you about this fact?

3. Are you at all bothered that because of this little political shell game, that there are troops that are now UNDER-PREPARED for Afghanistan and are going to be put in harm's way?

4. Are you at all bothered that because of this little political shell game, that there are troops that are now UNDER-PREPARED for Iraq and are going to be put in harm's way?

5. Does it even matter if we ARE a bunch of knuckle-dragging, war-profiteering, troglodytes working for Halliburton? Who cares if we're a bunch of hypocrites?! What difference does it make in the context of what is going on here and now?

Here's my answers and you tell me if I'm being a 'pacifist' or a 'dissenter' just because there's a (D) after the prez's name:

1. No, actually I'm pissed because a lot of fine men and women (and their families) were expecting them home and/or not expecting to see them leave so early.

2. No, actually I'm pissed because HE FUCKING LIED TO YOU, ME, AND EVERY OTHER AMERICAN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE ROPE-A-DOPE AND, APPARENTLY, ABC AT LEAST, WENT RIGHT ALONG FOR THE RIDE.

3. Yes, I'm pissed and upset because he's going to send under-trained troops into a war zone where, thanks to said under-training, they face worse odds of coming home alive and/or in one piece ALL IN ORDER TO APPEASE BRAINDEAD ASSHOLES LIKE YOU WHO, ALL OF A SUDDEN, DON'T SEEM TO CARE ABOUT THE TROOPS AT ALL (since, you know, you've been screeching for nearly a decade that you love the troops, but hate the war).

4. See answer 3 plus: we know you hate the troops, hate Bush, hate Iraq, hatehatehatehate and don't care if another bunch of 'knuckle-dragging, war-profiteering, troglodytes working for Halliburton' marches off to an untimely death because you never cared about the troops and ONLY care about your precious Obama (who, incidentally, fucked you over in front of the world!)

5. None of this should matter if you give a damn about our men and women in uniform (which you don't) because they're the ones being fucked in this deal, regardless if we're every bit as bad as you think we are. It doesnt matter how cartoonishly monstrous we are IF YOU CARE ABOUT THE TROOPS MORE THAN YOUR PRECIOUS OBAMA (who, incidentally, fucked you over in front of the world!)

The 'best' part is, he made ALL Americans in general look like the bunch of rubes you've been calling us in the 'Red States' for the past 8 years and at the expense of our soldiers' lives, you asshole. And the biggest joke is that, instead of being upset about the little political theater he gave you (before he gave you the hook), you're mad at us because we don't want to see the troops take it like you like it.

Some amplifying information that changes the spin a little: the diversion of a brigade from Iraq to Afghanistan was in the works with the previous administration. In this case, Obama was merely executing the plan that was already rolling (and taking credit for it). Separately, you will note in his big Iraq speech that he did indicate that levels will stay essentially status quo through the end of the national elections (through '09). That means we now need to replace the brigade he diverted. So no real drawdown until '10.

Realist, you are an ass (in the donkey sense).

When Rumsfield was screwing things up by not listening to the generals, I seem to remember a lot of conservatives griping about it. Obama is doing even stupider things now, and for purely political reasons.

For the sake of my Marine son, my Navy husband, and my Army brother, I hope to God someone talks some sense into him before he starts getting our soldiers killed. And make no mistake: every drop of blood from these brigades (and future deployments) resulting from inappropriate training, language barriers, and the wrong equipment will be on Obama's hands. Not Bush's. Time for the slacker-in-chief to sit his butt in the chair and learn his job.

I am a 4/2 SBCT mom, and now I am hearing on the comments here that this a 12-month deployment? We were told 8-months since they are going back way ahead of schedule.

Their training has been cut short. Their time of preparation has been cut short. Their time in garrison and with their families has been cut short, and my confidence in this CiC is nonexistent. It's going to be a long couple of years.

It might be worth pointing out that the last time 4/2 deployed it was also accelerated, that time due to the "surge." The media about wet its collective pants because the troops were missing out on valuable training because they were being rushed into the combat zone. Why no hand-wringing this time, I wonder?

Did the Obamessiah tell us that they speak Arabic in Afghanistan? So no problem here. Move along you racist Obama hating neocons.

SFCMac, you just proved my point about laugh value!

And,no, they're not that liberal. They all supported the Bush bottom line on the invasion. Other than a fairly liberal stance on abortion, they're not liberal, not really liberal, on gay rights.

If I want really progressive info on foreign policy and such, I read The Nation and Counterpunch.

And, being a shithead, you'd know about proctologists.

===

Patrick, actually he DID lie. I guess if you tell enough yourself, you don't recognize them in other people.

===

ECM, especially, Kywhite and others: Why is it that everybody who hates Bush supposedly hates the military, too? Realist said nothing of the sort.

How does him pointing out the lies count as "treason" or whatever?

BUT, by you all CLAIMING he said stuff like that, you bring on caricatures about yourself.

Know what I mean?

You do, somewhere inside, but you won't admit it.

Why? Because, ultimately, you have a "martyr complex" and like indulging it.

===

MorgChop: Somebody is dumb for not sending the Ft. Lewis unit straight to A-stan. I'm sure the stupidity started with Shrub. It would be nice for Obama to overrule it.

Oh, for the record, my sister recently retired from a 20-year career between active duty Army, Reserve and Guard. I've never called her a mouthbreather, either.

Geez, you folks do feel persecuted.

It's not the lying by folks like Gadfly and Realist that bothers me. I'm used to it by now. It’s like having an enema (Gadfly will be thrilled by the scatological reference) - just ignore it and it will soon be over.

Of course peacniks hate the US troops - it's their trademark. We have nearly a decade of anti-military rants from the Far Left loons that has not yet been stuffed down the memory hole. Hate is their gist to America.

No - it's the fact that Gadfly and Realist are stupid and clumsy liars that bothers me. It is way too easy to disprove what they say. They honestly believe that we are stupid enough to swallow whatever swill they dish out. Such shoddy workmanship! Their mentor Joseph Goebbels would be disappointed.

SocraticGadfly breaks the irony meter with:

Patrick, actually he DID lie. I guess if you tell enough yourself, you don't recognize them in other people.

Ah, more projection. Typical.

(Anyone suspect "Gadfly" here is "Realist" posting under a different pseudonym? Or am I just hoping there isn't more than one of these... individuals floating around the net.)

I hope to God someone talks some sense into him before he starts getting our soldiers killed.

Hmm. Maybe 4,300 of them?

As a soldier in 3/2 SBCT we knew that one of the Stryker Brigades at Ft. Lewis was likely to be bumped to Afghanistan and the rotation for the other six Stryker brigades adjusted to fill the gap.

The Army only has 7 Stryker Brigades, and they are much better than "armored cars". They are Armored Fighting Vehicles, 20 tons of rolling steel that bring the pain. That is why Stryker Brigades are in demand in both theaters. We hit harder for longer than Light brigades and have a smaller logistical/maintenance footprint than Heavy brigades.

Since we were schedule to Iraq only a month or two behind 5/2 we were hoping to get the Afghanistan mission, but that didn't happen because the Powers That Be wanted a Stryker Brigade "right now" instead of "Right Now plus 6 weeks".

Mrs G copy.png

March 17, 2010


Dawn Patrol 03/17/2010
[Mrs Greyhawk]
Bookmark and Share - via email, facebook, twitter, etc.

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.Refresh for updates.


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Support Our Troops, Read Their Stories

----------------------------


AFGHANISTAN

Suicide attackers killed in Afghanistan -- [CNN]
Two suicide attackers, dressed as women, stormed a relief agency in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday and were killed by police before they could detonate their explosives.

US kills 8 terrorists in 2 new airstrikes in North Waziristan -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
The US launched a strike in the village of Hamzoni and another in Datta Khel, the second there in two days.

S.N.A.B.U. = Situation Normal All BAF-fed Up -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
After 2 hours of driving and being bounced around on the Afghan highways like a ping-pong ball, we arrived at our destination. Originally we were planning to drive on to
BAF and then off-load the Humvees. But when we found out about the mountain of paperwork and coordination required to escort our ANA counterparts on the installation, we opted to off-load outside the base and drive them the remainder of the way.

Post Office Doesn't Like Me -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Imagine it's your first day on the job and you are responsible for picking up the mail and incoming packages for the camp. You visit the main post office and in a wooden bin they have a stack a mail of that hasn't been picked up in awhile. Then you ask the question "Is there any other mail?" The clerk has this sheepish grin and leads you out back to a metal storage container. Inside the container, there are hundreds of boxes marked with your camp's address. As you examine the boxes closer, you notice most of these boxes are marked for a SMSgt Rex Temple at your camp. You have never met this person and your vehicles don't have enough spare room to haul all of these packages.

Danger Room Explainer: Outsourced Intel in Afghanistan -- [Danger Room]
When is intelligence really intelligence, and when is it merely "atmospherics"? It may sound abstract, but it goes to the heart of a New York Times scoop about a defense official who apparently set up an off-the-books intelligence operation in Afghanistan.
On Monday, the Times ran a story about Michael Furlong, the Defense Department official being investigated over an ad hoc spy ring. The piece raised more questions than it answered, and Washington Post intelligence columnist David Ignatius is now filling in some of the blanks.
In a column today, Ignatius distills the story. "Under the heading of 'information operations' or 'force protection,' he writes, "the military has launched intelligence activities that, were they conducted by the CIA, might require a presidential finding and notification of Congress. And by using contractors who operate 'outside the wire' in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the military has gotten information that is sometimes better than what the CIA is offering."
Ignatius also unpacks some of the curious semantics around this..


IRAQ

Iraq Votes - Part VI -- [MEMRI]
The Elections Commissions announced yesterday the results of 79% of the votes counted. The results delivered a big surprise showing Ayad Allawi's Al-iraqiya slate ahead of Prime Minister Al-Maliki's State of Law by a few thousand votes. This is not much given that the counting of the votes is still going on, but the State of Law has already asked for a recount, particularly in the Province of Baghdad claiming fraud.[1]
The fact, however,...

Mission Accomplished: Astroturfing Baghdad -- [Danger Room]
Lots of strange press releases land in my inbox, but the first line of this one stood out: "The world leader in artificial turf is proud to announce that the first artificial turf sports field in Iraq for the U.S. Government has been installed at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad."




U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Allies everywhere feeling snubbed by President Obama -- [Washington Post]
The contretemps between President Obama and Israel needs to be seen in a broader global context. The president who ran against "unilateralism" in the 2008 campaign has worse relations overall with American allies than George W. Bush did in his second term.

Chahar-Shanbeh Souri -- [Planet Iran]
People are chanting a new message to Obama saying: "Hossein, Hossein, stop trying to talk to our murderers!"




WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

If bin Laden is found, he'll be killed, Holder says -- [AP]
Holder: If bin Laden found, he'll be killed -- Osama bin Laden "will never appear in an American courtroom," Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. told House members at a hearing Tuesday. -- "Let's deal with the reality here,"

ACLU files lawsuit for information on US Predator program -- [Threat Matrix]
The American Civil Liberties Union has followed up its Freedom of Information Act request that was filed in January seeking information on the US Predator program. Today, the ACLU filed a lawsuit against the the Defense Department, the State Department, and the Justice Department, demanding enforcement of its January request for information on the program. The full press release release from the ACLU is..


SUPPORTING THE TROOPS

Army Suicides Grow, but This Soldier Was Saved -- [Politics Daily]
...Alone in his barracks room at Forward Operating Base Rustamiyah, Sanders, a soft-spoken young man with a pleasant demeanor, seized his M-4 carbine, put the barrel under his chin, squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the trigger.
When Sanders pulled the trigger of his loaded carbine, there was only a light click. Horrified both at what he had done and what he had failed to do, Sanders tore open his weapon, searching frantically to find why it hadn't fired. He quickly identified the reason: no firing pin.
At that moment his roommate, Spec. Albert Godding, walked in. "Where's my firing pin -- I don't have a firing pin!'' Sanders yelled, terrified that he'd misplaced that critical piece and would get in trouble for losing it. "And how,'' Godding asked gently, "did you discover it was missing?'' When Sanders realized what had happened -- that Godding was worried enough that he'd removed the firing pin ...

Silver Star Winner Reprimanded for Afghan Battle -- [ABC]
Three Army officers have received letters of reprimand for failing to prepare adequate defenses for a combat outpost in Wanat, Afghanistan, where a mass Talibanattack in July 2008 resulted in the deaths of nine soldiers and 27 wounded, Defense Department officials confirmed to ABC News.
"These are essentially career-enders," said a military official of the letters of reprimand.
Two Defense Department officials said the actions are not yet final because the review that led to the letters of reprimand is still ongoing and the three officers have a period of time to respond and request reconsideration of the disciplinary action.
Among the three officers receiving the letters of reprimand is Capt. Matthew Myer, the company commander of the unit attacked at Wanat, who was awarded the Silver Star for his brave actions in repelling the attack.


Making today matter -- [Soldiers Angels Germany]
From Chaplain Campbell of Warrior's Sanctuary:
Last weekend while my wife and I were returning from a quick shopping trip we saw some flashing lights on the other side of the freeway. Not from a police car or a fire truck. The flashing lights were from large "Am Buses" transporting our wounded warriors to Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Navy Medical Center at Bethesda.
And it got him to wondering,


MILITARY

Arrrrrrmy Training, SIR! -- [This Ain't Hell]
I'm sure you've all read that the Army, for some stupid reason, is changing basic training. Their reasons are specious and indicative of why Army training was changed thirty years ago.
...The Army wants to do away with the endurance running and focus on some sort of short distance sprints and zig-zagging. Dicksmith seems pleased about. I'd remind the Army and dicksmith that endurance running builds soldiers' immune systems and their aerobic capacity - improving their overall internal health. Do away with distance running and you're going to make the force less effective.


WELCOME HOME

Bushrod honors were not misplaced -- [Fredericksburg.com]
Jermon Bushrod's return to King George after his Super Bowl victory resulted in some letters that I feel were way off mark ["Football players aren't 'heroes,' King George," Feb. 26].
Mr. Bushrod is a millionaire, no doubt. He also happens to be one of the most humble, respectful gentlemen you will come across.
He's a local boy who has done good and provides a positive role model for our kids. He deserves accolades for all his accomplishments and the example he sets.
To compare him and his welcome home to our troops in harm's way displays an agenda or maybe a misguided avenue to express a point.
As a 24-year military veteran, I certainly had no issue with the fanfare in which Mr. Bushrod was welcomed home. Nor, do I suspect, did any of my fellow service members, active or not. Maybe a more powerful message would come from a letter expressing a desire to read more of the positive stories involving our troops, instead of the dirty laundry.

They're Coming Home! -- [KBND]
We are going to have four welcome home celebrations. One in Portland, one in Bend, one in Medford, and one in the Eugene Springfield area.




THE MEDIA/CULTURE

It's just some ribbon. -- [From my Position...]
American Idol is one of the Mrs.' guilty pleasures. While I watched it tonight, I was treated to Andrew Garcia, a talented performer, singing something. I can't remember what, however, because I was way to interested in why he was wearing a series of ribbon devices on his pocket. One of those medals is the Army commendation medal. The others I haven't bothered to look up yet.

andrewgarcia.jpg




POLITICS

GE and Ronald Reagan: The Mutual Gift That Keeps On Giving -- [Politics Daily]
As part of a one-year celebration to honor the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth, General Electric will run ads honoring the 40th president's legacy -- and will donate $10 million to The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library

Petraeus Testifies About DADT
PETRAEUS: It would include an assessment of the likely effects on recruiting, retention, moral and cohesion and would include an identification of what policies might be needed in the event of a change and recommend those polices as well.


The Petraeus briefing: Biden's embarrassment is not the whole story -- [Foreign Policy Blog]
The Mullen briefing and Petraeus's request hit the White House like a bombshell. While Petraeus's request that CENTCOM be expanded to include the Palestinians was denied ("it was dead on arrival," a Pentagon officer confirms), the Obama administration decided it would redouble its efforts -- pressing Israel once again on the settlements issue, sending Mitchell on a visit to a number of Arab capitals and dispatching Mullen for a carefully arranged meeting with the chief of the Israeli General Staff, Lt. General Gabi Ashkenazi. While the American press speculated that Mullen's trip focused on Iran, the JCS Chairman actually carried a blunt, and tough, message on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: that Israel had to see its conflict with the Palestinians "in a larger, regional, context" -- as having a direct impact on America's status in the region. Certainly, it was thought, Israel would get the message.
Israel didn't. When Vice President Joe Biden was embarrassed by an Israeli announcement that the Netanyahu government was building 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem, the administration reacted. But no one was more outraged than Biden who, ...


HUMOR/SATIRE


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The Mudville Gazette is the on-line voice of an American warrior and his wife who stands by him. They prefer to see peaceful change render force of arms unnecessary. Until that day they stand fast with those who struggle for freedom, strike for reason, and pray for a better tomorrow.
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  • Jimro: As a soldier in 3/2 SBCT we knew that one read more
  • Realist: I hope to God someone talks some sense into him read more
  • Patrick Chester: SocraticGadfly breaks the irony meter with: Patrick, actually he DID read more
  • Mwalimu Daudi: It's not the lying by folks like Gadfly and Realist read more
  • SocraticGadfly: Oh, for the record, my sister recently retired from a read more
  • SocraticGadfly: SFCMac, you just proved my point about laugh value! And,no, read more
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  • Murdoc: It might be worth pointing out that the last time read more
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The Mudville Gazette is written and produced by Greyhawk. Unless otherwise credited, the opinions expressed are those of the author, and nothing here is to be taken as representing the official position of or endorsement by the United States Department of Defense or any of its subordinate components. Furthermore, I will occasionally use satire or parody herein. The bottom line: it's my house.

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