Dawn Patrol

Mrs Greyhawk

Iraq

Interview with COL Milley [DVIDS video]
Colonel Mark Milley, Commander, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division talks from Baghdad to an MSNBC News reporter about Operation Lightning, recent terrorist activity in Iraq, and the progress of Iraqi security forces.

Today's Lightning brief. [Iraq the Model]
Operation lightning is showing good results in Baghdad and its suburbs one week after it was launched and I guess that this good effect comes from the high coordination among the different departments of Iraqi security forces as well as the multinational forces.
The last 24 hours or so resulted in arresting some 300 terrorists and suspects in addition to confiscating amounts of weapons and munitions according to local papers and TV.
So, here's a summary of the operations:

CNN - Morale Buster [Hurl's Blog - in Iraq]
A couple of days ago I was in the chow hall eating and watching CNN. A segment came on about the war here in Iraq. The focus of the segment was why the insurgency over here is so hard to defeat, and if we are making progress defeating it, then why the upsurge of violence? The way it was presented clearly implied that we are not making progress, but are losing and the insurgents are winning. Nothing about any of our successes was mentioned.

Several of the guys watching this with me are all involved ? daily - with going out on patrols and raids. They come back with prisoners all the time. They also interact with locals who express support, but are too afraid of the terrorists to do anything but just try and stay alive

Interview with Major General William Webster [DVIDS video]
Major General William Webster, Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division in Baghdad, talks to WTOC in Georgia about the conditions in Iraq for the Soldiers and the tasks completed by the 3rd Infantry.

Interview with Colonel H.R. McMaster [DVIDS video]
Colonel H.R. McMaster, Commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, talks from Mosul to CBS reporter about the ongoing operations in Iraq, and the Iraq Army stepping up to round up insurgents with the support of the Coalition.

"ROUGH GUIDE" FOR ASPIRING MUJAHADEEN (adnkronosinterna'l)
When travelling, wear jeans and carry a walkman - try not to look like an Islamic fundamentalist - and for precise instructions on how to link up with Iraqi groups "contact the Salafite jihadist exponents in your own countries". These are just some of the travel tips and suggestions provided on an Islamist internet site for potential al-Qaeda recruits from various Arab and Western countries who have signalled their desire to go to Iraq to fight against the American troops.

1/25 SBCT Life in Mosul, Iraq
Daily blog of 1st Brigade (Stryker) 25th Infantry Division (Light) that has been deployed since September 2004 to Mosul, Iraq.

One medal I'd rather not have [Who's your Baghdaddy? - in Iraq]
We presented our first Purple Heart the other day. Hopefully it's our last. The impetus for this particular award was for an event I chronicled back in February. (Yes, it takes that long to process the paperwork). As you can see by the pics below, the soldier is fine now. He was pretty banged up by the IED that hit his vehicle, but thankfully he and his crew members are back on the prowl.

The things you learn from the Green 1 [Phil and Becky - in Iraq]
Every day, we submit a report to Brigade called the Green 1. It describes all of the exciting things that happened in the last 24 hours in our area of operations. It breaks down into combat, security, civil-military and information operations.

Now that I am on the extreme graveyard shift, the Green 1 is one of my sources to find out what happened throughout the previous day.

Marines (And "Big Windy") Find Friends Instead of Foes [Blackfive]
...the 3/3 Marines were ready to be "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy". It turns out that they were able to be "No Better Friend"...

I DON'T KNOW MY HUSANDS NAME [SFC Kevin Kelly's Dixie Sappers]
We finally made it to the house we were to do the search of. This is a huge house with a fenced in yard with a gate locked. There is construction equipment everywhere in the yard. We made it inside the yard and went to the house. There was only one man in the area, but about 10 women and 20 kids. We had to gain control of all of them and get them in all together for safety. We had the oldest woman in the group come up and start talking to us. As soon as she started talking, the lies about the house and her husband started flowing. At first all the men were at the hospital, then it was they were all in Abu Gharib prison and then it was they were at work. We didn?t know which story to believe. It was so bad that she actually told us that she didn?t know her husbands last or middle name

Getting the hang of this Democracy thing... [Major K - in Iraq]
This is what progress looks like. It is slow, painful, and usually accompanied by a lot of cigarette smoke, especially in this area of the world, where it seems like everyone smokes. This is the local council of Sheikhs meeting with the local leaders of the Iraqi Police, Iraqi Army and US Forces.

The rights of the disabled [Iraq the Model]
Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces are witnessing a considerable activity in holding public conferences and meetings for civil-society organizations to voicing their opinions and hopes about writing the new permanent constitution of Iraq and to guarantee the participation of wider segments of the Iraqi people in the talks about this vital process.

Getting there is half the fun (PT3) [Reverse Retna from the Sandlot - just left Iraq]
(please scroll down and read Pt 1 and Pt 2 if you haven't already)
I awaken from my little slumber as the guy across from me on the plane drops his helmet on my foot. I look up and he says we're about to land. We hit the ground in what is one of the better C-130 landings I've experienced. Everyone comes alive as we start gathering up our stuff and the loadmasters stop to prepare to drop the ramp and unload our baggage palate. When everything is unloaded we shuffle off the plane and stand on the tarmac in Kuwait. The Sun is already high in the sky and it feels hot...my watch says it's 0545. We stand around for about 15 mins while we wait for the buses. Everyones spirits are high since we've finally made it out of Iraq.

Afghanistan

Afghan, Coalition Forces Nab Insurgents [Defense Link]
Afghan and coalition forces apprehended 17 insurgents armed with rifles along the Pakistani border June 6, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan reported today.

Letters

Letter from a Doctor in Iraq to his Dad [No Pundit Intended]
Dear Dad,
The first rule of war is that young men and women die. The second rule of war is that surgeons cannot change the first rule...

We had already done around a dozen surgical cases in the morning and the early afternoon. The entire medical staff had a professional meeting to discuss the business of the hospital and the care and treatment of burns. It is not boastful or arrogant when I tell you that some of the best surgeons in the world were present - I have been to many Institutions, and I have been all around the world, and at this point in time, with this level of experience, the best in the world are assembled here at Balad.

A letter of thanks [The Fourth Rail]
To the readers of The Fourth Rail for helping me look after my soldiers through your generous contributions, to Bill for providing a platform for you to do so, and to Cheryl, that crazy aunt that everyone has, for helping get "Adopt a Squad" started, Thank You all.
On behalf of my squad, thank you all for your support and for keeping us (and all deployed service members) in your thoughts and prayers. Believe me, it means a lot to all of us. At times life here in Baghdad can get a bit rough, however seeing the support that you all lend us does help keep us going.

Military Issues

Are you kidding me? [From My Position... On the way! - in Iraq]
Excerpt from this story:
The burial site - a series of deep trenches that held about 2,500 bodies, many of them women and children - is one of many mass graves that dot the country?

Retraction from previous post - ?Don?t know for sure? [The Quonset Hut]
Yesterday I posted a story regarding William Schulz, the Executive Director of Amnesty International. I wrote this post while in an emotional state and as a consequence I stated some very nasty things about Mr Schulz. At this time I would like to retract a comment I made.

Hypocrisy [DSS Hubris]
You Big Mouth, You! and Curious Muse both highlight a disturbing trend among not just the Islamic public, but in our own media: the double standard that the United States is held to. Amnesty Internatonal proclaims that Guantanamo is a Gulag, and Thomas Friedman has called for Gitmo to be shut down.

What is being done in our name [Riding Sun - in Iraq]
...Our troops' misdeeds at Abu Ghraib have been given ample coverage in the media, and are about to receive even more, thanks to the ACLU. Our troops' hardships and setbacks have been the subject of award-winning photojournalism, courtesy of the Associated Press and the Pulitzer Prize Board. Yet our troops' triumphs ? not just in combat, but in the ordinary good deeds they do every single day ? are scarcely mentioned in the media. Perhaps they're not considered "newsworthy." Nevertheless, as the ACLU points out, Americans deserve to know about them.

People You Can Meet in Warrenton, VA: [Grim's Hall]
I met a gentleman today of many years and poor hearing. After a while, I discovered -- not that he told me, but another man did while he was out of range -- that the old gent was a former B-17 pilot with the 8th Army Air Force during World War II. He had five thousand hours in a B-17.
The Eighth Army Air Force -- the Air Force, not the Eighth Army as a whole -- had higher combat losses in WWII than the United States Marine Corps.

Going back to sea. For the last time ever, maybe. Depending on the breaks. [Neptunes Lex]
Be gone for a week and a bit. Taking the COD out tomorrow. Hate sitting backwards in an airplane. Really hate someone else landing me aboard ship. Would have thought I'd be used to it, by now.
Would have been wrong.
Last time I was at sea, I remember one night trudging back to my hooch after a long day at work, after taps. The ship was dark and quiet, and

Guard, Reserve troops' pay issues are task force's focus ? and challenge [Stars&Stripes]
...Reserve components are deployed almost as frequently as their active-duty counterparts in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet ?the pay structures are so different between the active and the reserve,? said retired Navy Adm. Donald Pilling, chairman of the new defense advisory committee on military compensation.

MSM Reports

Strange Reports on Matador from Debka [The Adventures of Chester]
Two separate Alert Readers have drawn attention to this article: DEBKAfile - Impatient for Assad to Go, Washington Made Much of Routine Syrian Scud Test. Among other claims, the article makes these assertions about the recent Operation Matador:

Last month, aware of the ground shaking under his feet, Assad performed an epic about-face ? or at least gave the appearance of turning over a new leaf.

More Media Slander [lt Smash - Indepundit]
GATEWAY PUNDIT catches Washington Post reporter Ceci Connelly slandering the US military on FOX News (Trey Jackson has the video).

Connolly: There have been many homicides of prisoners.

Hume: How many?

Connolly: I believe close to a 100.

Hume: A hundred murders?

Connolly: Homicides around the world. In Afghanistan. In Iraq, that have come through Pentagon Investigations.

The actual number, of course, is much smaller.

Outside Iraq but Deep in the Fight (Washington Post)
When the Americans led the invasion of Iraq, the men of Abu Ibrahim's family gathered in the courtyard of their shared home in the far north of Syria. Ten slips of paper were folded into a plastic bag, and they drew lots. The five who opened a paper marked with ink would go to Iraq and fight. The other five would stay behind.

Crumbs for Africa (New York Times)
At a time when rich countries are mounting a noble and worthy effort to make poverty history, the Bush administration is offering a drop in the bucket.
President Bush kept a remarkably straight face yesterday when he strode to the microphones with Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair, and told the world that the United States would now get around to spending $674 million in emergency aid that Congress had already approved for needy countries. That's it. Not a penny more to buy treated mosquito nets to help save the thousands of children in Sierra Leone who die every year of preventable malaria.

The Right Path to Arab Democracy (Washington Post)
The Bush administration is right to support democratic change in the Arab Middle East. The question is how best to go about that delicate process. If we push too hard, we may add to the perception that we are trying to impose our will. If we fail to push hard enough, we may contribute to the view that America supports freedom for everyone except Arabs. To succeed, we must find a balance that combines a firm commitment to democratic principles and an understanding of the complexities of the Arab world.

Live News Mistakes.... Priceless [Dude, Where's The Beach? - My Hitchhikers Guide To The World]
Came across this MSNBC mistake, and yes... it's priceless. I wonder how quickly they retracted this error in reporting... or was it an error at all?

Does It Ever End? [Euphoric Reality]
From the AP:

A Spanish judge wants to question three U.S. soldiers as suspects in the death of a Spanish cameraman who was killed when a U.S. tank fired on a hotel housing foreign journalists during the 2003 assault on Baghdad.
The Pentagon has found no fault with the soldiers, but High Court Judge Santiago Pedraz wants to question the three men who were in the tank?

The Pentagon already released a report saying the soldiers ?acted appropriately?, but of course the media doesn?t like that answer because it doesn?t fit their agenda. So, the ?New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists obtained the 52-page report under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act and said it strengthened its own finding that the hotel shelling could have been avoided [emphasis mine].?

Bad Intentions Stay That Way [Dadmanly - in Iraq]
Regular readers now that I have been a strong critic of Newsweek in its recent media scandal. So there?s no love lost here when the Newsweek Baghdad Chief takes parting shot at our efforts in Iraq. Newsweek, biased? Oh no, of course not. Hard feelings? No, I?m sure this is as objective a view as could be.

Carter Calls on U.S. to Shut Down Gitmo (AP)
Former President Carter on Tuesday called for the United States to shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison to demonstrate its commitment to human rights.

Other Parts of the World

Palestinian prisoners report Qur?an abuse at Israeli jail (Aljazeera.com)
Palestinian prisoners say that Israeli soldiers desecrated the Qur?an at the ?Megiddo? prison.

Prisoners reported that Israeli security forces tore and stepped on three copies of the Qur?an during a search operation inside the prison.

Unrest in the Phillipines [Making Tomorrows Military Today]
Check out this article.
ECHOING an earlier warning by the Armed Forces, the Philippine National Police yesterday said the controversies and scandals rocking the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were but a prelude to a larger scheme to overthrow it.
Wow. I have not heard anything in the news media about the unrest in the Phillipines.

Vietnam looks to build ties with U.S. army (Reuters)
Communist Vietnam said a visit by a senior U.S. defense official will firm up ties between the former Vietnam War enemies and boost understanding between their armies, state-run media reported on Wednesday.

Politics

CAUGHT ON TAPE: DEM CHAIR DEAN CALLS GOP 'WHITE CHRISTIAN PARTY' [Drudge]
In this 4 min. 48 sec. excerpt from Howard Dean's remarks Monday in San Francisco, Dean responds to a question from reporter Portia Li with the World Journal about a poll showing a slide in support for Republicans among Asian and women voters. ...

Kerry "Releases" His Records [TacJammer]
So John Kerry has released his military records to the Boston Globe. The Globe, being the upstanding paradigm of journalism that it is (see here, for an example of their journalistic credibility), will undoubtedly give the world the straight story on the contents of those records.

Yes. And someday I might don a cape and tights and fly under my own power.*

DC ... Press ... Press ... DC [Daisy Cutter]
(DC approaches mike. Press murmurs with anticipation.)

DC: Good morning. Thanks for coming to my ranch today. Great to see you all. It will be two weeks tomorrow since the launch of "Blogs for McCain's Opponent". As many of you know, we started this blog ring in the wake of the McCain-led "compromise" on judicial nominees. For me, it was simply the last straw. I am tired of Sen. McCain's masquerading as the voice of reason and the heir to the Reagan legacy. It is an insult to those of us who know better and know history.

More Leftist Moral Equivalence [Eric's Grumbles Before The Grave]
The left is, as usual, on a full on rampage that is equating the behavior of someone they don't like with someone that most Americans find despicable. Before I go any further, let's get a couple of things straight.

Chicken Little Al Gore-Bot Sez the World is Going to End [Mr Minority]
Earth Mother loving Al Gore-Bot (the inventor of the Internet) is on a "Global Warming" crusade, and has warned the Mayors of the world to fight it.

What Is He Thinking? [Balloon Juice]
Look- when Howard Dean won the chairmanship of the DNC, I snickered with my fellow Republicans about how he was going to destroy the Democrats and how this was great for the GOP. I joked that it was great that a Karl Rove plant was now heading the opposition.

A Whimper Not A Bang [Ipse Dixit]
Since John "Weeble" Kerry has kinda, sorta signed a Form 180 and kinda. sorta allowed at least some of the previously secret parts of his military record (the parts held by the Department of the Navy, anyway, not the full record stored in St. Louis*), I've removed the counter ticking the days since he promised to do so from the right-hand sidebar. Yes, there's still a fair sized chunk of his record that no-one's seen, not even the friendly hometown paper he allowed to see these new records, but to continue to make any bones about anything Kerry does is to grant him more importance and relevance than he merits. The only people who still think Kerry is a relevant political figure are John and Tuh-ray-zah.

The Clinton Legacy [Andrew Olmsted]
Via The Corner I see that President Clinton's legacy is being discussed again, this time in response to John Harris's book, The Survivor. Richard Cohen indulges in some Clinton nostalgia while serving up the (unintentionally) amusing line that Harris's book about Clinton is the first written by an objective journalist or historian. It is left to the reader's imagination to speculate on how Cohen defines objective, although I suspect it leans in the direction of someone who thinks the way he does. This is not uncommon, as most of us like to think of ourselves as far more reasoned and logical than we in fact are, yours truly not excepted.

In Memory

Shared Photos [Bunker Mulligan]
These pictures show what type of man our father was, both as a dad and a husband. Then in the later years, a grandfather.

Actress Anne Bancroft Dies at Age 73 [AP]
Anne Bancroft, who won the 1962 best actress Oscar as the teacher of a young Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker" but achieved greater fame as the seductive Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate," has died. She was 73. She died of cancer on Monday at Mount Sinai Hospital, John Barlow, a spokesman for her husband, Mel Brooks, said Tuesday