Dawn Patrol

IRAQ

Mosul [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
Emails coming in by the bucket, soldiers stopping me on the road, all asking if the leadership in Baghdad really knows what is going on with soldiers in combat. I cannot answer whether the top generals know what is going on; I did not ask. I can say, however, with complete confidence, that CSM Jeffrey Mellinger, who is the top non-commissioned officer in the theatre, knows more about the situation in Iraq than anyone I have met.

We're not to blame [In Iraq for 365]
A terrorist loaded a vehicle full of bombs, waiting for the moment he could ram it into American Soldiers. Meanwhile American Soldiers were cordoning off a section in Baghdad searching for weapons. In between searches, like we do on nearly every mission, these soldiers passed out candy to Iraqi children.

Now They?ve Gone Too Far [A Soldier's Perspective]
...With that all said and my frustrations aired, let me add some perspective?soldier?s perspective. Did you know that just yesterday there were 7 IEDs (just that I know of) that were either detected or exploded with no damage or casualty, except to the poor shmuck trying to emplace it? Did you know that this happens on a daily basis where IEDs explode, killing their makers or just detonate with no one around? These children?s lives will serve a greater purpose. Iraqi?s are smart people. They aren?t oblivious to what?s going on. If this story is kept alive, the people will increase their desire to organize and defeat these terrorists.

wandering around in the cities of Kirkuk, Erbil and Sulaymania. Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in Iraq]
I've been hearing a lot about how beautiful and quiet the city (Sulaymania) is and it didn't disappoint me at all; the city is living in peace and a great degree of order.
The funny thing is that in Kurdistan you can find restaurants and shops named after American cities like Washington Restaurant or Miami Jeans Store and stuff like that, you can even find American flags at jewelry shops along with crosses, Quranic verses, hearts and evil-kicking turquoise stones!

Lets Talk About The National Guards [An Average Iraqi - in Iraq]
...One other thing, did you know that the uniforms of the National Guards and Police forces in Iraq are being sold in certain areas of Baghdad, especially Bab Al-Sharjy, which is almost a market of everything, anything can be found there. For example right after the war there, a friend of mine tells that he did see a commercial written by hand on a wall saying (Solve your problems for just 1500 Dinars) which is a little less than a dollar, guess what you will by that, a HAND GRENADE. Anyway I guess I drifted off point, back to the National Guards, anyone can get their uniforms, Imagine the chaos that could create, it has been known for some terrorist groups to mimic national guards units and do whatever they please in their name, which isn't exactly what we can call popular in Baghdad.

New Twist in the Information War: Zarqawi Clashes With His Spiritual Mentor [Austin Bay]
The AP and USA Today report that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has threatened his Ismalist spiritual mentor, Isam Mohammed al-Barqawi. Earlier this month Barqawi (B, not Z) was detained by Jordanian authorities.
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To Zarqawi this means his spiritual adviser is listening ?to Satan?:

Desert Alchemy [365 and a Wake Up - in Iraq]
Today the wind returned, a stifling current of air that flowed through the FOB like the hot breath of some infernal entity. By midmorning the air was little more then an overheated conduit of raw energy. As I walked across the FOB I closed my eyes for a minute and felt like I was standing behind a jet turbine spooling up for takeoff. By early afternoon the thermometer that hangs outside our building was no longer a reliable gauge, the mercury had already pushed past 120 degrees.

New Definitions [Ghraib Danger in Abu Ghraib]
There has been continuous sand storms over the past couple of weeks. The sand here is as fine as baby powder and blows up at a moments notice at the slightest movement of wind. One night my friend Derek and I were walking back to the hooch, and it was night so we couldn't really see much on the walk home, but around the LSA is lighted, and just from walking and talking through a mild sand storm on the way home which is probably 4 minutes at the most, a film of brown had built up on Derek's teeth. This place is crazy. It still seems so surreal that I'm even here. The worst part is you know you're breathing it in. Because the sand appears innocuous enough. It just looks like a little fog has rolled in. Sometimes visibility is not that bad, and sometimes you can't see more than 25 yards. But it's so fine, at first blush, it's easily mistaken for fog. Except when you start coughing and sneezing later and your mucous is disgusting dark colors, and you know you haven't been smoking...

July 13, 2005 [Hurl's Blog - in Iraq]
As mentioned earlier, there has been somewhat of a surge in operations here. The involvement of Iraqi army and police has increased significantly over the past few months. I have also read many reports about the lack of electricity, but from my observations there are lights on all over Iraq as far as I can see. Any power outages are due to terrorist activity, not a lack of infrastructure. Two nights ago I flew over a new powerplant under construction....

Scenes from Iraq: Life in the war zone [The 48th Goes to War]
My older brother asked me halfway through this assignment whether Iraq has changed me. I answered in all sincerity at the time that one hot shower and a cold beer would cleanse me of this place forever.
After all, I?ve only been with the 48th Brigade Combat Team about three months, not the full year that soldiers must spend in the war zone. And I?m an observer, a bystander, not a combatant.

Thoughts on paying respect [Phil and Becky - in Iraq]
...Iraq is a strategic front on the war on terror with the ultimate objective being a thriving, liberal democracy in the heart of the Middle East. This is how our civilian leadership has decided to wage the culture war and turn the tide against a generation of anti-American vitriol that has saturated the Middle East. In one view, the liberation of 25 million Iraqis was a positive side effect, but not necessarily the primary motivation behind our efforts here.

Iraqis March Against Terror [BlackFive]
There was a protest march of Iraqis against terror on July 5th. You probably haven't heard about it from Peter Jennings or Dan Rather:
QAYARRAH, Iraq: Citizens of the southern city of Qayarrah, of the northern province of Ninewah, gather to demonstrate their defiance against terrorism during the March Against Terror.
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All photos were taken by Army Specialist David Nunn. (pics)

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Iraq's Rush To Failure (New York Times)...J Alexander Thier
...Despite President Bush's no-retreat-no-surrender rhetoric, the military and political truth about Iraq is growing clear: the American military will not defeat this insurgency. The rebels can be defeated only by political reconciliation among Iraqi leaders, and the constitutional process is the essential step.

Data Shows Faster-Rising Death Toll Among Iraqi Civilians (New York Times)...Sabrina Tavernise
Iraqi civilians and police officers died at a rate of more than 800 a month between August and May, according to figures released in June by the Interior Ministry. In response to questions from The New York Times, the ministry said that 8,175 Iraqis were killed by insurgents in the 10 months that ended May 31

The White House spin cycle (MSNBC ...David Shuster)
I don't know if things are getting better or worse in Iraq. But I do know, from a close friend who works at the White House, that the Bush administration is now panicked over the erosion of public support for the occupation.

Recent attacks suggest we're not safer (USA Today)...Alexander Rostocki
When I read the editorial "After 7/7, people begin putting terror into context," I thought USA TODAY was ignoring the elephant in the room.

Foreign Digest - Hussein's Trial Could Begin As Early As Aug., Judge Says (Baltimore Sun)...Unattributed
Saddam Hussein could go on trial as early as next month for his alleged role in a massacre 23 years ago, a top judge said yesterday. He said the deposed dictator could face the death penalty.

Why Iraq Oil Money Hasn't Fueled Rebuilding (Christian Science Monitor)...Howard LaFranchi
WASHINGTON ? First, the good news: With oil prices at record highs, Iraq is on track to bring in $20 billion or more in oil revenue this year.

That may sound like a lot of petrodollars, especially for a war-torn country with tremendous needs in infrastructure repair and services delivery.
But the bad news is that very little, if any, of that money will actually be used in the country's stalled reconstruction - despite past lofty predictions that oil-rich Iraq would be financially self-sufficient by now.

AFGHANISTAN

Bagram, Afghanistan: A Patrol [Austin Bay- In Afghanistan]
And a video. Thanks to Trey Jackson and Glenn Reynolds.

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Afghans, not the U.S., deposed the Taliban (LA Times -Letters)
In the July 11 editorial, "Still a land of danger," you write: "In the months after 9/11, U.S. troops quickly ousted Afghanistan's Taliban rulers." But U.S. troops did no such thing. Before the fall of Kabul to the Afghan Northern Alliance in November 2001, there were no U.S. regular combat formations in Afghanistan.

SUPPORT THE TROOPS

Support The War?.But Don?t Support The Troops [Pass the Brass]
Thanks to Brian H for bringing this little Jewel to light. As controversial as it is?.it almost appeals to me. I?m freakin weird.
...Need I remind the reader that it is our flag, not the troops, that we salute? It is our nation-state, not a bunch of 20-year-olds in parachute pants, that deserves our allegiance. As a patriot and true American, my heart sings at the thought of the Pentagon, and the zealous, calculating measures undertaken by the proud military bureaucracy of this great superpower. I feel a surge of pride when I think about our high-tech GBU laser-guided bombs, capable of carrying a 2,000-pound warhead. I tied a ribbon around my tree for the safe return of our nation?s F-16s, because our military aircraft are instrumental to finishing our work in Iraq. And on the back of my car, I have a sticker stating my support for the CIA?s ongoing efforts in Iraq.

Ford Jr. insults TN soldiers again Lance in Iraq]
The lightweight Congressman visited Carroll County and again referred to soldiers in Iraq as "oil cops" (via Bill Hobbs). The first time he made that derogatory statement I thought he was throwing a little red meat to anti-military Democrats. However, if he's using that phrase while visiting with newspaper editors it's a core part of his message.

The Left Does Not Support the Troops - And Here?s Why [Euphoric Reality]
There?s a phenomenal article at townhall.com about the Left, and how they need to quit saying ?support the troops? when they do anything but.

TERRORISM

Eyewitness account from Underground Bomb in London [Reaching for Lucidity]
This is from ITV News (video)

Who Wants 72 Virgins [Kerfuffles]
...The actual number of virgins allotted to the faithful, seventy-two, is found nowhere in the Koran. For this promise Muslims must read the Hadith, traditional sayings traced to Muhammad. Hadith number 2,562, known as the Sunan al-Tirmidhi reads, "The least [reward] for the people of Heaven is 80,000 servants and 72 wives, over which stands a dome of pearls, aquamarine and ruby."

Enough?stop it..you manslayers [Iraq at a glance - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...I just want to discuss why the suicide attacks always done by Muslims? Have you ever heard a Christian or someone from any other religion bombed him/herself? NO...

Muslims Condemn, Applaud Bombings [Smash]
PROMINENT BRITISH MUSLIMS have condemned last week's terror bombings in London.
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But another British Muslim, Yamin Zakaria, offers a dissenting view...

MSM REPORTS ON TERRORISM

The True War: Within, And For, Islam (Washington Post)...Jim Hoagland
...The only case of panic coming out of the London bombings seems to have been a knee-jerk Pentagon warning to U.S. Air Force personnel to stay out of London for their own safety. The order was quickly rescinded, but Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld owes the people of London a lot more, beginning with an official apology.

THE TEACHER BOMBER (Sky News)...Unattributed
One of the bombers who brought carnage to London taught disabled children, it has emerged.
Mohammed Sadique Khan, 30, of Dewsbury, was a supply teaching assistant who taught disabled children in Beeston, it has been revealed.

Hasib Hussain: The boy who grew up to bomb the No 30 bus (The Independant News Online)...Arifa Akbar and Ian Herbert
He was the tallest boy in his class. Hasib Hussain, aged 10, in his final year at Ingram Road Primary School in Holbeck, Leeds, was already showing signs of being a promising athlete and had ambitions to be a professional cricketer. But he was always an unassuming child.

A few years later, however, Hussain was to become one of Britain's first home-grown suicide bombers at the age of 18.

THE VAN GOGH MURDER

7th Century meets the 21st century [CDR Salamander]
After a few months break, it is time to get back to the case of Theo Van Gogh.
No reason to rehash the background or brutal nihilism of the murder, you should know them by now. If not, go ahead and buy your daughter a burka. (OK Dhimmi, here you go...

?I cannot feel for you ? because I believe you are an infidel.? [Parrot Check]
The above was said to the mother of murdered Dutch filmaker Theo Van Gogh by the Islamic fascist who shot Van Gogh 15 times, stabbed him mulitple times and then, just to make sure I guess that Van Gogh would not survive, the murdering dog slit the filmers thoat. And all of this because Van Gogh made a film noting the abuses of women under Islamic law. Maybe this explains why these animals can slice the head off innocent civilians without even blinking an eye and even praise God Allah as they do so.

MILITARY

Luke Air Force Base Complaint
The following complaint was recently documented at Luke Air Force Base. The responses are from a senior officers.

A letter to the Editor;
Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show?
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To his credit, the complainant, Mr. MacRae, tendered a written apology which was published in The Republic on 9 July:...

POLITICS

The Unhinged Minority by Pat Sajak
...Republicans are painted as power-mad fiends eager to turn back the clock on all the social progress this nation has enjoyed under the ?enlightened? rule of the Democrats. It?s more power they want, and they?ll stop at nothing to get it! Despite having lost the Presidency, both houses of Congress, the majority of Governorships and an increasing number of state legislatures, Democrats seem to have convinced themselves they are the victims of some massive evil scheme.

Hollywood Mafia [Florida Cracker]
I hope none of y'all own desirable property in the city of Hollywood. Their commission is eminent domaining to benefit a developer for the second time this month and they plan to keep on doing it:
When Commissioner Cathy Anderson asked what the public purpose was, City Attorney Dan Abbott did not hesitate.
"Economic development," he said, "which is a legitimate public purpose according to the United States Supreme Court."
The vote was unanimous.

Nevada Young Republicans 'Imploded' [Balloon Juice]
This will be making the rounds of lefty bloggers tomorrow, so you might as well see it here first:
Nevada's chapter of the Young Republicans has basically imploded, leaving its chairman with up to $25,000 in personal debt and allegations that he mishandled money.

THE MEDIA

thoughts on the press [Boots in Baghdad - in Iraq]
We went out this morning and did school assessments. School assessments consist of going to the schools in our area and seeing what they need, whether it be supplies or increased security. We have been joined by an Iraqi television journalist. He is a nice guy and will be with us for a few days. A couple of days ago we went into some of the poorer parts of our area and handed out several hundred chickens. There are pictures at Boots In Baghdad Photographs.

The Beeb's "Terrorist" Problem [Alenda Lux]
There has been much coverage in the past couple days about how the BBC, in its initial coverage of the London terrorist attacks, abandoned its past poliy of calling those who blow up innocent civilians "militants" or "extremists." This article from Tuesday's Telegraph summarizes the story.
The BBC has re-edited some of its coverage of the London Underground and bus bombings to avoid labelling the perpetrators as "terrorists", it was disclosed yesterday.
Early reporting of the attacks on the BBC's website spoke of terrorists but the same coverage was changed to describe the attackers simply as "bombers".
The Ba'athist Broadcasting Corporation's editorial policies specifically say that the word "terrorist" is to be avoided.

Parallels [Horologium]
The news media loved to make parallels between Afghanistan and Vietnam; here's another one:...

MSM? Are corporations abandoning the news biz? Or has the audience left? [Quillnews]
Quillnews saw a few straws in the wind indicating what corporate America thinks about the news outfits within their corporate sheds. Consider the chatter that must have taken place at last weekend?s gab fest at Idaho?s Sun Valley sponsored by investment bankers Allen & Company for communications industry big shots:

BLOGGERS

Reasoned Audacity on CNN -- the Cable Industry and Indecency [Reasoned Audacity]
I didn't know that the CNN show that I taped awhile back did finally make it on air. Today I stumbled across a transcript over at
SpeakSpeak.org that Amanda Toering has posted under "Stupidity Affects Us All."

CONGRATS

This blog, one year later [American Soldier]
American Soldier says,
This blog is officially a year old. I remember the day I sat down and decided to write my thoughts. At first I was very raw and aggressive in my entries. The time was full of so much uncertainty. I wasn?t sure where or when I was going to leave but I knew something would occur.

VACATION DAY, BUT ONE SMALL REQUEST Kevin Kelly - Dixie Sappers - in Iraq]
I am taking a vacation today, but do ask one small favor of you. Today is MAJ Bratu's birthday and I think he is close to 50 now. I just found out about it when his dad wanted me to make sure he got a good surprise. I'm sure he would love it if he got a lot of birthday wishes from people all over. I'm sure that Ricky wouldn't mind forwarding a few emails to MAJ Bratu. I like the OLD MAN even if he does bark at me all the time. I'll write more tomorrow. God Bless, Kevin