Dawn Patrol 11/20/2009
[Mrs Greyhawk]
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.
Support Our Troops, Read Their Stories
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Updating....
AFGHANISTAN
White House Aides: No Afghan Decision Before Thanksgiving -- [Washington Post]
President Obama will not announce his decision on sending more troops to Afghanistan before the Thanksgiving holiday, senior aides said Thursday. The news came as the president greeted 1,500 troops at Osan Air Base in South Korea, just before boarding Air Force One and heading back to Washington after an eight-day trip to Asia.
...Obama arrived on the base 3:19 p.m. local time (1 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) and received a rousing welcome from 1,500 troops in camouflage uniforms, many holding cameras or pointing cellphones to snap pictures.
"You guys make a pretty good photo op," the president said.
Standing on a riser wearing a blue suit and red tie, with a cluster of troops and a large American flag behind him, Obama expressed "the gratitude of the American public" and said his meetings in four countries over eight days in Asia will help deliver a "safer, more prosperous world for all of us."
He got a huge cheer when he told them he was increasing military pay. "That's what you call an applause line," he said, before boarding his jet and taking off at 4:11 p.m.
Light vs. Heavy: Brigade Combat Teams -- [Wings Over Iraq]
While the Obama White House debates the exact troop numbers for the new counterinsurgency strategy, it's safe to say that there will be an increase of around 20,000 to 40,000 additional "combat troops" (definition to follow). While the troop numbers must primarily take into consideration the desired effect in Afghanistan, planners must also take into account one additional factor: how many brigade combat teams we have available. (Based on over 100,000 troops in Iraq and over 60,000 in Afghanistan)
Honoring the fallen -- [FOB Tacoma]
As they left for the mission on Nov. 5, they swept the roads near Jelewar, Afghanistan, for mines. They scanned the area for any wires that could be used to detonate a bomb.
"We thought we did everything right," Lt. Brian Giroux later said.
But in what has become the signature attack in southern Afghanistan, insurgents detonated a bomb underneath their 20-ton Stryker, killing Spc. Aaron Seth Aamot and Spc. Gary Lee Gooch Jr., both 22 years old
Fear Factor -- [Free Range International]
The Problem - In the war on terror, our greatest enemy is our self. Like the company picnic we have become a community of self licking ice cream cones and have forgotten the mission, or more tragically become so self-absorbed in power point success and vertical movement within dysfunctional organizations that champion mediocrity and the status quo. This risk adverse culture has paralyzed the intelligence world and is metastasizing to the military and other government organizations to the point of a terminal diagnosis or paralysis through analysis. Our current senior management (I cannot use the word leadership as that implies the ability to lead and inspire others which if were the case this post would not be necessary)in the military and intelligence services have become a large group of frighten children who put career advancement and self preservation ahead of the mission.
Border Crossings -- [Bouhammer]
After observing approximately 15-20 bad guys cross the Afghan-Pakistan border in the same spot for two nights in a row, I decided to take a squad of Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers, my Embedded Tactical Trainer (ETT) NCO, and myself to set up an overnight ambush along their avenue of approach. Now for all of you Monday morning quarterbacks who are already saying to yourself why didn't you set up an ambush after the first night or use mortars, artillery, or even call in air assets to eliminate this threat. Well, those are courses of action that were discussed but other priorities limited our manpower for maneuver capabilities, air coverage wasn't available at the time, and we could only get a few mortar rounds off before the enemy would scurry back across the border into Pakistan and then our hands were tied with the rules of engagement.
As soon as darkness arrived, my squad of 12 ANA soldiers and I moved out towards the pre-determined ambush site.
US Defense Secretary Urges Against Afghan Withdrawal Timeline -- [Voice of America]
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates is urging caution on those who are calling for a timetable for an allied withdrawal from Afghanistan. Among those who have spoken about a "timetable" or an "endgame" in recent days are British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and US President Barack Obama. It was during a CNN interview this week that President Obama said his eagerly-awaited new Afghanistan strategy will include an "endgame." He said without the "discipline" a plan for ending the conflict would impose, the United States could find itself in "a multi-year occupation" that is not in its interests.
Afghanistan: We will need western troops for another five years, says country's president -- [Daily Record]
HAMID KARZAI was sworn in for a second term as Afghan president yesterday and vowed to make the country safe within five years.
He also pledged to stop foreign security companies operating in the country so that Afghanistan would "control its own security".
ANSF vetting -- [Embedded in Afghanistan... - in Afghanistan]
It's always disturbing to hear news of Coalition trainers being turned on by their trainees. When you hear of an incident like the one a couple of weeks ago where the five Brits were killed by one of their trainees, it certainly makes you wonder how feasible the end strategy of training more and more Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF...an umbrella term to cover the ANA, ANP, Border Police, and other security agencies within Afghanistan) is. Thankfully, such incidents are rare, but with more and more ANSF out there, we're bound to start seeing more of this. To significantly increase the size of the ANP and ANA they are going to have continue lowering the already low standards for recruits...many are essentially conscripts already.
Currently...
Karzai Sworn In for Second Term as President -- [New York Times]
Tainted by a flawed election and allegations of festering corruption in his government, President Hamid Karzai was inaugurated Thursday for a second term, promising to remedy the country's problems and to have the Afghan Army assume full control of security within five years. Speaking in Dari and Pashto, Mr. Karzai reached out to the country's two largest ethnic groups as well as to his defeated political rivals in a speech at a midday ceremony at the presidential palace. Above all, his address seemed aimed at the United States and other Western allies,...
ISAF + COIN Academy -- [Charlie Simpson's War - in Afghanistan]
Not a lot to report here. Yesterday all the roads were closed due to Karzai's inauguration. So we were confined to the compound all day.
Afghans Want Obama to Hold Karzai's Feet to the Fire -- [Los Angeles Times]
On Afghanistan's independence day in August, my friends in Kandahar were puzzled. Why was the government bothering to celebrate the holiday? With 100,000 or so foreign troops occupying our country, how could we consider ourselves independent? When my American friends and professors ask me if I think the United States should send additional troops to Afghanistan, I tell them yes, but only if the resources are distributed on the condition that the Afghan government cleans up its act. This often causes bewilderment on their part. "But Afghanistan is a sovereign state," they invariably reply. "How can the United States interfere in Afghanistan's domestic politics?" In fact, as my friends noted on "independence" day, Afghanistan is not at this point a sovereign state.
Profile: Abdul the Jingle Truck Driver -- [Sgt Danger - in Afghanistan]
I've been leading a gun crew on these security missions for some five months now, and have a pretty good grasp on the concept. I've had very unique experiences: adjusting to the intense summer heat, the mad downtown traffic, the boredom of miles of dirt road, and the stress of constant enemy lookout. But the our local jingle truck drivers are going through a hell of a time too. What is it like for them? On our last mission - we got back to yesterday, after four days on the road - I asked our interpreter to introduce me to one of the drivers. Papa J, as we call him, said, "I know the guy."
Heading home -- [Desert Bound - in Afghanistan]
Well, over the past month, I havn't been able to get access to my blog. As I said before, the internet here is lacking. They are still trying to get MWR computers/phones setup, but it still looks like it's another month out. I'll try and post at least one more detailed wrap-up of my time here, but my six month tour has finally come to an end. It's been great getting to know everyone that found comfort and encouragement through my postings.
Improvements in Afghan Governance Will Take Time, Gates Says -- [Defense Link]
Improving the quality and professionalism of Afghanistan's central government will not be accomplished quickly, and will involve continued discussion between US and Afghan officials, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. "My view on all this is that improvements in governance in Afghanistan will be evolutionary," said Gates, in response to a Pentagon reporter's question on the possibility the United States could link the amount of assistance it provides the Afghan government through its performance in rooting out alleged corruption. Newly re-elected Afghan President Hamid Karzai has pledged that he will fight government corruption.
Mullen: Talks Favor Broad Afghanistan Solution -- [Defense Link]
President Barack Obama's security team recognizes troops alone aren't the answer as it begins wrapping up strategy deliberations about the way ahead in Afghanistan, the top military officer said today. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the talks are nearing their conclusion, predicting that Obama will announce his decision "in the near future." Mullen told participants in the National Guard Bureau's Joint Senior Leadership Conference that he's satisfied by the depth and breadth of the discussions as the team addresses the challenges in Afghanistan and makes recommendations to the president.
Italy Remains a 'Determined' Ally -- [Washington Times]
Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata, the newly appointed Italian ambassador to the United States, objected to the term "war" to describe the conflict in Afghanistan, but he said Italy had dropped restrictions that had kept its troops away from the fighting. In an interview with editors and reporters at The Washington Times Thursday, Mr. Terzi said that Afghanistan is a key component of Italian foreign policy. He said Western involvement in Afghanistan could best be described as "peacekeeping" instead of war, because it has been mandated by the UN Security Council.
To Succeed in Afghanistan, We Must Fail -- [Los Angeles Times]
Afghan President Hamid Karzai's inauguration today will be a somber affair. Gray storm clouds are slowly replacing the blue skies, and the sour tang of charcoal smoke hangs in the air. The mood among the internationals here is similarly gloomy. So many conversations end with the scratching of heads, with the tacit admission that no idea that has come forward has been big enough to reverse the Afghan government's steady loss of control. This is not because of the flawed elections or the ghastly killing of foreigners. That's all bad, but it's not doomsday. Nearly two years ago, I heard the distant rumbles, like thunder, of the attack on the Serena Hotel in Kabul, which killed seven people. The Afghan government's legitimacy was being questioned then too, and urgent reforms demanded - without practical result. Two elections had already happened and were marred by fraud. We have been here before, and survived. No, what is depressing about the situation in Afghanistan is not that it has suddenly gotten much worse but that it steadily fails to get better.
Deadly bomb strikes Peshawar - 19 Nov 09
Taliban Chief Hides Among Pakistan Populace -- [Washington Times]
Mullah Mohammed Omar, the one-eyed leader of the Afghan Taliban, has fled a Pakistani city on the border with Afghanistan and found refuge from potential US attacks in the teeming Pakistani port city of Karachi with the assistance of Pakistan's intelligence service, three current and former US intelligence officials said. Mullah Omar, who hosted Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders when they plotted the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, had been residing in Quetta, where the Afghan Taliban shura - or council - had moved from Kandahar after the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
Why the Pakistan Army Won't Fight Afghanistan's Taliban -- [TIME]
In return, he reportedly offered a range of fresh incentives, "including enhanced intelligence sharing and military cooperation.
IRAQ
Expecting the unexpected -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
In Balad with Task Force 38's medevac unit, Company C, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment. Typically, the unit flies routine missions pick up patients, medical supplies, doctors and nurses from outlying bases and bring them to Balad. The patients come to Balad for a higher level of care - surgery or evaluation such as an MRI. Some are staged there for transport to an even higher echelon of care at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
The crews must be prepared at all times to ...
Iraq Sentences Sunni Leader to Death -- [New York Times]
A leader of a Sunni Awakening Council was sentenced to death for kidnapping and murder on Thursday, setting off charges that the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government was trying to weaken the Sunni movement, which is credited with much of the reduction of sectarian violence here since 2006. The Sunni leader, Adil al-Mashhadani, who led the Awakening militia in the impoverished Fadhil neighborhood of Baghdad, was arrested in March on charges of terrorism. His arrest set off 24 hours of fighting between Awakening members and American and Iraqi security forces, ...
Iraq's Election Law Morass -- [New York Times]
Iraqis have quickly learned to play hardball politics. That was evident on Wednesday when one of Iraq's two vice presidents, Tariq al-Hashimi, who is a Sunni, vetoed an important election law at the last minute. He demanded a change that would allocate more parliamentary seats for Iraqi Sunnis living abroad. It is unquestionably better for Iraq's political leaders to wage their battles through legislative maneuvering than in the streets. But their repeated delays in completing the election law (there have been nearly a dozen attempts) threatens their fragile constitutional system as well as the American military withdrawal. And it could provoke new violence.
New View of Samarra -- [Outside the Wire - JD Johannes - in Iraq]
In the lexicon of Iraq, few words carry as much meaning as Samarra.
This city on the Tigris river north of Baghdad was the source of the sectarian slaughter of 2006 and 2007 and the scene of some the most violent fire fights of the same era.
Even as late as 2008, it was city to be by-passed when traveling north or south on Highway 1. The city is peaceful enough now, but still struggling with an identity crisis. It is a Sunni city but home of a holy Shia shrine that draws millions of pilgrims a year.
Who Flies That Blackhawk? The Whole Story -- [In Iraq Now (at 56) - in Iraq]
Task Force Diablo is based in Pennsylvania but includes units and soldiers from across the nation. Because National Guard soldiers bring a variety of life and work experiences with them on deployment, even the smallest unit can include soldiers with a surprising array of skills and experience. In September Alaska-based, Charlie 1-52nd MEDEVAC needed a crew for the chase bird for a routine flight to two of their remote sites. Alpha 1-106th from Illinois supplied a crew for a Pennsylvania 1-150th Blackhawk helicopter. The four soldiers who comprised the Illinois crew on a Pennsylvania helicopter following an Alaska MEDEVAC show how different the members of a four-man unit can be.
U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD
US Talks Tougher on Dealing With Iran -- [Wall Street Journal]
The international spokesman for Iran's main opposition movement called for President Barack Obama to increase his public support for Iranian democrats and significantly intensify financial pressure on Tehran's elite military unit, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Mohsen Makhmalbaf, during an unofficial visit to Washington, also said Thursday that Iranian opposition leaders supported US efforts to use diplomacy to contain the nuclear ambitions of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government.
Get Ready to Bomb Iran -- [Washington Times]
Representatives from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia are scheduled to meet today in Brussels to discuss future steps to dissuade Iran from developing the capacity to build nuclear weapons. Our message to the world leaders: If you want peace, prepare for war. President Obama said yesterday that the international community intends to send a "clear message" to Iran. Unfortunately, Iran has clearly gotten the message already: It has nothing to fear.
Japan wants US military base out of Okinawa -- [PRESS TV]
Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama says he will devise a plan to relocate the US military airfield based in Okinawa as soon as possible.
N. Korea Among Topics of Discussion as Obama Wraps up Asia Tour -- [Washington Post]
With none of the tension presented by a rising China and a willful Japan, President Obama's visit to South Korea on Thursday was short, congenial in substance and splendid in form. Ending a sometimes bumpy week-long tour of East Asia, Obama said the welcoming ceremony in Seoul - a glorious, sun-drenched mingling of music, flags and traditional garb - was the "most spectacular" he has seen in his travels. In his talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, whose right-of-center government has embraced political cooperation with the United States, Obama also found much to his liking.
An Anti-pirate Policy that Works -- [Washington Times]
Merchant ships need guns to fight pirates. Seven months ago, Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama and held its captain hostage. Pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama again this week but were repulsed because the Maersk Shipping Line put armed guards on its ships. Pirates successfully attacked another unarmed ship on Monday, leaving 28 members of its crew dead. On Tuesday, 36 crew members of a Spanish ship were released only after pirates were paid a $3.3 million ransom. But when the pirates got within 300 yards of the Maersk Alabama, the ship tried evasive maneuvers and its security team successfully engaged in small-arms fire. Vice Admiral Bill Gortney of the US Naval Forces Central Command said the actions of the Maersk Alabama were following the maritime industry's "best practices."
WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM
Major Hasan's E-Mail: 'I Can't Wait to Join You' in Afterlife -- [ABC News]
United States Army Major Nidal Hasan told a radical cleric considered by authorities to be an al-Qaeda recruiter, "I can't wait to join you" in the afterlife, according to an American official with top secret access to 18 e-mails exchanged between Hasan and the cleric, Anwar al Awlaki, over a six month period between Dec. 2008 and June 2009.
Intercepted e-mails deemed innocent by the FBI detail possible terror relations.
More Photos"It sounds like code words," said Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, a military analyst at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies.
Air Defense Push Inspired by 9/11 Gets a 2nd Look -- [New York Times]
The commander of military forces protecting North America has ordered a review of the costly air defenses intended to prevent another Sept. 11-style terrorism attack, an assessment aimed at determining whether the commitment of jet fighters, other aircraft and crews remains justified. Senior officers involved in the effort say the assessment is to gauge the likelihood that terrorists may succeed in hijacking an airliner or flying their own smaller craft into the United States or Canada. The study is focused on circumstances in which the attack would be aimed not at a public building or landmark but instead at a power plant or a critical link in the nation's financial network, like a major electrical grid or a computer network hub.
Obama Not Consulted on Terror Suspect Trial
Arrests in Chicago Drive Home Global Nature of Terrorism Threat - [Washington Post]
David C. Headley, a peripatetic Chicagoan accused of scouting potential terrorism targets in India and plotting to kill two Danish journalists, was not always David C. Headley. Until 2006, he was Daood Gilani, but he told investigators he had changed his name to raise less suspicion when he traveled abroad. He lived anonymously in an apartment leased in the name of a dead person. He changed e-mail accounts often and spoke in code on the telephone. The strategy worked less than perfectly, according to the FBI, which arrested him on terrorism charges last month at O'Hare International Airport on the first leg of a trip to Pakistan.
SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT
Linda's "Blanket Ladies" -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Readers of this blog are familiar with Linda Ferrara and her Blanket Ladies. There are many more than pictured here, including one group called the Sunshine Club. The groups meet regularly to make blankets for the patients coming through Landstuhl.
So they were very excited recently when they spotted one of their blankets in the longer version of the video in the story here about the 86th CASF
Local Marine looks to recover at home
Show of Support Surprises Heroes -- [NewsWest 9]
MIDLAND - West Texans gave heroes a big welcome. Several injured troops flew in to the Tall City this week and on Thursday, the streets were packed with folks from across the Basin who came to say thanks. The 6th Annual Show of Support banquet filled up the Horseshoe Arena.
25 injured troops rode into the Tall City for the Show of Support celebration - each bringing with them a unique background
BART will offer free tickets for military members -- [KGO-TV]
Beginning in 2010, BART will offer free $50 tickets to active duty military personnel who are in the Bay Area on leave from the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan
Community teams up to support troops -- [South Carolina Now]
"I wanted to lift their spirits, to make them feel good about not being able to be home with their families," Johnson said.
With the help of many volunteers and local business donations Johnson has finished 116 care packages to send overseas.
One of Johnson's neighbors did a fundraiser at work to help get items for the care packages. "When she backed her car up to my door there was just so much stuff it scared me. Donations kept coming we kind of got slow a minute here and fast a minute there. I wish I could do it over again, I would love to do it over again," Johnson said.
MILITARY
Military experiment seeks to predict PTSD -- [KFDA]
(AP) - A military experiment in California is meant to try to predict who's most at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder. Earlier this year, a quarterly
Positive Petraeus Lessons -- [Washington Times]
The essence of counterinsurgency strategy (COIN), integral to defeating Sept. 11, 2001-type extremists infecting various Middle East countries, is building confidence among the population. The key is working hand-in-glove with the respective military and civilian authorities to help stabilize their combustible nations so they might be free of the specter of extremist violence, thereby enabling the buildup of family, community and nation, according to each culture's unique and beautiful character. This new, irregular warfare is fought largely on human terrain, about which Gen. David H. Petraeus has written in the COIN bible, ...
Pentagon Launches Review of Fort Hood Shooting -- [Defense Link]
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today announced the Defense Department will conduct a broad review of the Nov. 5 Fort Hood, Texas, shooting that left 13 dead and dozens injured. Former Army Secretary Togo West and retired Navy Adm. Vernon Clark, former chief of naval operations, will head the initial 45-day review, which will inform a follow-on investigation expected to last four to six months. "The shootings at Fort Hood raise a number of troubling questions that demand complete but prompt answers," Gates said during a Pentagon briefing. "It is prudent to determine immediately whether there are internal weaknesses or procedural shortcomings in the department that could make us vulnerable in the future." The department review is separate from both the criminal investigation of Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan
Probe into Fort Hood Massacre
Army Lacks Guide on Jihadists in Ranks -- [Washington Times]
The Army has guidelines on how to deal with racist views and actions within the ranks, but none on how to deal with Islamic jihadism, a former Army vice chief of staff told Congress on Thursday. Retired Army Gen. John M. Keane said this absence of guidance fostered a politically correct reluctance to investigate the man accused in the Fort Hood shootings, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. A military pamphlet created after the 1995 racially motivated shootings at Fort Bragg is the intended guidebook on how to deal with extremist activities and prohibited conduct but is mostly focused on white supremacist behavior, Gen. Keane told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in the first congressional oversight hearing on the Fort Hood shootings. "Clearly we don't have specific guidelines in dealing with jihadist extremists," Gen. Keane told the Senate homeland security committee.
WELCOME HOME
Army captain welcomed home from Iraq -- [Citrus Daily]
A well-deserved Hero's Welcome was observed for Capt. Eric Evans from his recent tour of duty from the "Iraqi Theater of Operations". The welcome home
THE MEDIA
Fearing Obama-bashing, Army limits media access to Palin event at Fort Bragg -- [Hot Air]
The AP and a local paper put up a fuss so the base relented and is now granting limited access -- provided that neither Palin herself nor anyone else there is interviewed. They're not worried about Sarahcuda, I don't think; hopefully, she's disinclined to bash the C-in-C in front of a military audience. They're worried about conservative troops chattering with each other about politics, getting worked up, and then being roped in by reporters eager for an anti-Obama quote or two to prove that the right-wingers in the military hate America or whatever.
POLITICS
Poll: Majority Of Republicans Think Obama Didn't Actually Win 2008 Election -- ACORN Stole It! -- [TPM]
The new national poll from Public Policy Polling (D) has an astonishing number about paranoia among the GOP base: Republicans do not think President Obama actually won the 2008 election -- instead, ACORN stole it.
Just there to burnish his image? Obama tells troops 'You guys make a pretty good photo op' -- [Examiner]
Are American soldiers risking their lives in defense of...well, of whatever the heck they're fighting for in Iraq and Afghanistan worth only a good photo opportunity for American Presidents.
...No, of course not. Who would make such a bad joke?
Probably just an attempt at a making a funny by the President, but like his 'You're likable enough, Hillary' barb that fell flat, this President just is not a funnyman. In fact, his jokes tend to be the exact opposite of funny if not just straight-up offensive.
HUMOR / SATIRE
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I doubt many people care about the plight of Nazis whose personal bigotry makes them manifestly unfit for service.
For example, the Stars and Stripes story didn't even mention what level of disability rating he might receive, or what access to veterans' health care he might have for the rest of his life. It's almost as if they aren't the least bit concerned.
Perhaps they aren't concerned because the story isn't about disability ratings or the future of veterans' health care. Perhaps they have written other stories about those issues. We can't tell whether they have from your post. It's almost as if you aren't the least bit concerned.
Quite the moral conundrum, isn't it? If he's tossed out with no access, will he later kill himself and be featured in a story condemning the military for discharging troops for "psychiatric diagnosis" and them turning their backs on them?
The story I foresee won't explain (beyond "psychiatric") the specific nature of his "problem" - just as most stories of military suicide rates don't get into those sorts of details.
In many cases citing "Iraq veteran" status - or even just "veteran" status is as far as any reporter is willing to go by way of explanation. That's nowhere near far enough.
Two thoughts on this:
1. The military historically has been one of the most effective agents for actually changing the minds of individual bigots - far more effective than any laws or do-gooder organizations have ever been. We had a Civil War and much of the eventual reconciliation came from the descendents of that war's enemies serving together in later wars and in peace. More klansmen go into the service than come out.
2. In the other largely regimented institution in our society -our prison system, there are the Mexican Mafia and the Black Muslims in addition to the Skinhead/Aryan organization. Presumably there is at least some similarity in demographics, so if some minority of servicemen are in one group, another minority are in the others. I'd be willing to bet the SPLC isn't nearly as interested in these other groups. If they are truly concerned about domestic terrorism they should be. If this is just a setup to raise money they won't be.
"More klansmen go into the service than come out." Amen, brother.
"If this is just a setup to raise money..." oh perish the thought. ;)
I really must call BS on the sailor who declares himself nuts because he has to serve with people who have a different skin tone. I enlisted in 1964 and even back then I knew the military was integrated. I knew it before I raised my hand and swore the oath, taking that one step forward. Right up until then I could have turned around and left, of course the draft would have caught up with me unless I figured out some clever excuse.
My point is, even I, at that age being dumber than a pile of hammers, knew the Services were made up of everybody. We went into boot camp black, white, brown, etc. We came out green.
A couple years later the black guy from Detroit was sleeping under a poncho liner with a Georgia redneck with a California Mexican standing guard. Funny though, we'd get back in the base camp and the '60s racial strife was going full bore.
Last I looked the '60s have been over for a long time, except on the left where it's still 1968.
Look, SPLC makes its money (big donations and some small) from claiming that right wing racists are under every bed and planning to take over yesterday. It's resulted in a decent income for them for nearly thirty years.
It has one limitation. The number of racists has been steeply declining for at least fifty years. Half a century ago, much of the country had segregated drinking fountains. If someone publicly argued for them today, he'd be classed as a psychotic. Even the Klan (if you could find some of them) would disavow him as a lunatic.
So SPLC has hitched its economic wagon to fighting something nearly as dead as the smallpox virus. It has to go hunting for something on which to fundraise, and hopes every now and then to find a exhibitionist who doesn't mind looking like a loonie. OK, they found one, whipped out a story, and will probably pull in a grant from someone. No need to get excited.
BTW, the members of the Realsaxon website were just annihilated by guys from Normanskickass.com. The survivors are going to be turned over to angevins.gov, who are real hardasses.
Angevins? No way - those guys are fags!
But thank you, D.T. Hardy. A truly great comment from start to finish.
You too, Peter. (By the way, you might appreciate this story.)
To you and all others here (including Bluejay who rightfully called me out) - you have elevated the level of the discussion, and I appreciate that.
If you really want to amuse and/or depress yourself, read the comments at the Gawker or Raw Story links.
The hatred and contempt for people who serve (unless they're gay, I guess) is palpable.
But they Support the Troops™!
I read a few comments at Boing Boing - some were bad enough.
What's funny (meaning not funny) are those who can't imagine a recruiter or a commander or a First Sergeant/SNCO could be a black woman (or anything other than a white heterosexual male). That all these imaginary ignorant white male bigots in charge allow racists and rapists and various other ne'er do wells to run rampant in the ranks just because they need the numbers.
Kudos to those who call BS in comments there. (Some of whom are then accused of being blind like Germans in 1935...)
To understand the context of this, you have to understand that most leftists believe that neo-nazis, klansmen, christian-identity etc are large groups to which a significant percentage of the American right belong to and a much higher percentage are sympathetic to. When they find a web site with "dozens" i.e. more than 24, kooks merely claiming military service they see this as confirmation of the vast fascist conspiracy that underlies the American right.
In the fantasy world of the left, the neo-nazis are the distillation of the American right. They believe this with iron certainty even though neo-nazis and the like are (1) overtly hostile to capitalism and big business (2) hostile to mainstream christianity and often atheist (3) opposed to free trade (4) opposed the liberation of Iraq (5) hold Israel to blame for all the troubles in the middle-east etc. If you remove the racism from their ideology, you end up with an ideology very close to that of the American far left.
Their need to inflate there own self-righteousness leads them magnify a tiny, highly-marginalized, wacky subculture of racist socialist into this great threat to the republic. They especially like to stigmatize the military whenever possible so they absolutely believe that such people are common in the military. They see an ice cube floating by on the ocean an imagine a iceberg in the depths.
Conversely, they ignore the viscous anti-Americans on the far left. Almost all of the large anti-democracy rallies during the early part of the liberation of Iraq were organized by ANSWER a anti-revisionist i.e. Stalinists communist group. Bill Ayers was easily the equivalent of neo-nazi, complete with terrorism but no one on the left has any problem with him moving in the same political circles as Obama.
The obsession with neo-nazis is the leftist's version of Dungeons and Dragon were they get to imagine themselves heros fighting some monstrous evil instead deluded geeks obsessing over pathetic, powerless, losers on the margins of society.
What ever kills a lonely Saturday night I suppose.
When I reported to my battalion for duty (back in the 70's) they were just wrapping up a homosexual rape case that sent two guys to the stockade. A couple of years later when I was at Brigade HQ we got a Nazi transferred up to us because he was in "imminent" danger in his battalion. He was a great admirer of Hitler, and hunted up (so he said) a semi-clandestine Nazi club/shrine in Germany when we went over for ReForGer. They discharged him because he was distributing pamphlets. One of the other guys at HQ had a disgustingly perverse porn collection. We also had drunks, adulterers, fornicators and rabid Elvis fans.
It takes all kinds, and the military's got every one of 'em.
Are these the same ones who "told the stories at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Jenjis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside"?
If so, I want them out of the military and testifying before Congress. This is where our next generation of leadership comes from!
If anybody in the military is actually doing any of that stuff, they probably ought to be disciplined as well.
How many people are in the military again?
In 20 years of Army service, I encountered Nazis once. In 1989, I was a MILCOM's EO Advisor on my third tour in Germany and conducted an informal inquiry on behalf of the Community Commander. A group of three junior soldiers became loosely affiliated with a local group, the latter of which was banned by German law. While they had not participated in the group's activities while on duty or in uniform and therefore were not subject to punishment under the UCMJ, their conduct went to character. One of the three was administratively discharged and the other two were barred from reenlistment. Seldom was there a substantiated case of either Skin Head or pro-Nazi activity in Europe during my two years as an EOA. Beyond that, in was not uncommon for soldiers to purchase there some piece of Nazi memorabilia (which was not prohibited) and I met a few who collected it solely because of historical interest of for future profit. (I myself have a 1939 Reich-pfenning (a penny) with the Nazi cross on it.) Were there and are there bigots in our military? Sure, and they come in every color. Yet if they demonstrate discriminatory behaviors or act in any way contrary to good order and discipline, leaders and commanders then and now root them out and boot them out.
How many members of the nation of Islam are in the military, a group that openly hates whites? Is there any research being done on this? Of corse not! The black man ALWAYS has agood reason to vent against the white man in any fashion he deems neccessary due to the mistreatment that those white men's ancestors befell on his right? Gimme a fucking break...
How many members of the nation of Islam are in the military, a group that openly hates whites? Is there any research being done on this? Of corse not! The black man ALWAYS has agood reason to vent against the white man in any fashion he deems neccessary due to the mistreatment that those white men's ancestors befell on his right? Gimme a fucking break...