DAWN PATROL

IRAQ

CG Sniper Video [Jack Army]
Via email: "The video tape was taken from captured terrorist scum in Iraq - you've got to watch it. The footage was recorded by a terrorist sniper team (who were later captured by coalition forces, hence, we have the tape). It just came out of a briefing in Iraq in the last few days. In it, a Soldier takes a hit from a sniper square the chest - it knocks him right on his back, ...

I FOUND A VERY LOYAL MSU FAN TO POSE WITH FLAG [Kevin Kelly - Dixie Sappers - in Iraq]
...we had an old man approach us. We asked him if there were any more adult males at home and he said no, only him. We had a group go inside to look around while we talked to the old man. While talking, we saw another man walking from the house toward us. We asked the man if that was all the males and he said yes. Wrong answer, then another came out and then another. We finally got all of them out. Wrong answer again, there was one more. I guess since most of the males and females here all tell us the truth, yeah right, we would believe them and not look in the house. We...

Round 2 of the Property Lease Program in Fallujah [5th Cag's Experience - in Iraq]
In case you can't tell, I'm in awe of the Marines who run the entrance to the CMOC. There's a Sgt in charge, and several other Marines, to include "our girls," the female searchers, as well as some Iraqi Public Order Brigade soldiers. True professionals, all.

Commander's Message - 15 July 05 [TASK FORCE DRAGOON - in Iraq]
...The soldiers of TF Dragoon continue the great work they have been doing here in northern Salah Ad Din Province, despite the heat and sandstorms.
One indicator of our success has been clear: the number of attacks against Coalition Forces in our Area of Operations is down significantly for the month, as TF soldiers capture bomb and rocket cell members, effectively breaking their ability to plan, target, fund and construct these weapons. Make no mistake, it is hard, thankless work most of the time, but ...

Suicide Bomber Stopped Near Checkpoint Before Attack [GX: The Guard Experience]
7/14/05, WASHINGTON? Iraqi and Task Force Baghdad forces wounded and captured a suicide bomber today before he could blow himself up near a coalition checkpoint in central Baghdad.

Wow, What a Day! [Voices of Soldiers - in Iraq]
My day started at 7:00 AM as I was going out on foot patrol with the Iraqi Army. Over the course of the day I went on 3 patrols and saw several trouble spots in the red zone.
Others in our group were taken to see the reconstruction projects as well as going on patrol and visiting an orphanage in the red zone adopted by our American Soldiers! I was 1/2 mile from the suicide bomber.
You should be so proud of the wonderful job our soldiers do. Children flock to the Humvees whenever they stop. It is no wonder the murdering terrorists have gone to the softest targets of all, children accepting candy and gifts from our soldiers!

AJC Reporter Reflects on Experiences in Iraq [Banter in Atlanter]
Reporter Dave Hirschman and photographer Curtis Compton have been alongside Georgia's National Guard Troops (108 AR 48 BCT) serving in Iraq. Today Hirschman reflects on his experiences in Iraq and the amazing men and women that he's been priviledged to spend time with. His post really does give some insight that, for the most part, you will not get from reading a normal daily newspaper or watching the nightly news. Here's an entertaining tidbit, but I suggest reading the rest for yourself.

Day 189 - Joe [The Story of Us - husband in Iraq]
HOLY CRAP! Im not even sure where to start, so bear with me. For starters, yes it is 4:30 and yes Im still awake, can NOT sleep, worrying....
Joe got online at 4am, so I guess its good I wasnt.
....There was ALOT of "I love you" scattered through that, but I didnt want to bore yall with that, so I did take them out, but that was our conversation. All 20 mins of it.
Im a little blown away right now ...seizures?! cat scans?! OMG!

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

What Iraqi bloggers are saying (Special to The Daily Star)...William Fisher
Writing in the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal last May, US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz called attention to "Omar, one of the new Iraqi 'bloggers.'" He was referring to those Iraqis who have a weblog, or "blog," a simplified, often free personal website that looks like an online diary, and that allows virtually anybody to post his or her thoughts on the web.
Wolfowitz quoted from an entry Omar posted to his blog after a suicide car bombing killed Iraqi interim Governing Council president Ezzedine Salim last May: "We cannot ... protect every single person, including our leaders and the higher officials who make favorite targets for the terrorists - but we can make their attempts go in vain by making our leadership replaceable."

U.S. Discloses The Capture Of A Top Terrorist In Iraq (New York Times)...Kirk Semple
The American military command announced Thursday that a group of 30 insurgents captured during raids in recent days included a senior commander of a terrorist group with ties to Al Qaeda. The commander is also suspected of involvement in the abduction and killing of Egypt's top diplomat in Iraq, and in drive-by shootings that failed to kill senior diplomats from Pakistan and Bahrain.

Time to Pull Out. And Not Just From Iraq. (New York Times)... John Deutch
...America embarks on an especially perilous course, however, when it actively attempts to establish a government based on our values in another part of the world. It is one matter to adopt a foreign policy that encourages democratic values; it is quite another to believe it just or practical to achieve such results on the ground with military forces.

8 Months After U.S.-Led Siege, Insurgents Rise Again in Falluja (New York Times)...Edward Wong
..."Some preferred the city quiet, purified of the gunmen and any militant aspect," said Abdul Jabbar Kadhim al-Alwani, 40, the owner of an automotive repair shop, expressing a widely held sentiment. "But after the unfairness and injustice with which the city's residents have been treated by the American and Iraqi forces, they now prefer the resistance, just so they won't be humiliated."

A Poverty of Dignity and a Wealth of Rage (New York Times)...Thomas L. Friedman
A few years ago I was visiting Bahrain and sitting with friends in a fish restaurant when news appeared on an overhead TV about Muslim terrorists, men and women, who had taken hostages in Russia. What struck me, though, was the instinctive reaction of the Bahraini businessman sitting next to me, who muttered under his breath, "Why are we in every story?" The "we" in question was Muslims.

Children, candy, death (LA Times)...Unattributed
The disavowal could indicate worry about a backlash against the deaths of youngsters. Iraqis have asked why insurgents were killing their fellow citizens in an attempt to force coalition troops to leave. Now they ask again, "Why kill children?" ...
...Even those who want coalition troops to leave immediately should understand that a nation can't be built on the bones of murdered children.

AFGHANISTAN

Rocket attack, mines, anwsers, new links and quote [Going Down Range - in Afghanistan]
Yes, there was a rocket attack here. I am all right. Don?t worry, I what did I was suppose to do and I will not go into much detail other that when you hear a rocket fly over your head, it sounds like God is ripping a big bed sheet and a loud bang like an artillery cannon going off, but with a different pitch when the rocket impacts. I understand two civilian contractors were seriously injured, but basically it was harassment fire....

12 July 2005 1724z [Hokie - in Afghanistan]
We left Bagram some time around 0400z this morning and arrived here in Bishkek two hours later. Yesterday was an interesting day to say the least. I was woken up by a couple of sirens followed by the giant voice. Four detainees had escaped during the previous night, and they were sounding the alarm to alert everyone to the possible threat. Under normal circumstances, the alert probably would have inspired at least a modicum of concern; but being that we were scheduled to leave the country in just a few hours, it served as more of an annoyance than anything else. The largest complaint was that the D-fac was closed due to the fact that local national workers would not be allowed on post. In addition to that, Disney Road, the main street on post, was all but deserted because each of the camps had restricted traffic in and out while they searched the area for the escapees.

Out of Afghanistan [The National Guard Experience - just out of Afghanistan]
And awaaaaay we go...
Well, I finally left Afghanistan and I'm here in Krgyzstan now. Things got weird earlier this week on Bagram after4 prisoners escaped. The really strange thing was, every soldier on Bagram carries a weapon. But the base was on total lockdown and we were confined to our living areas.

Greetings from Kabul [Adventures in Afghanistan - In Afghanistan]
Some of you were a bit wary about me making a trip down to Kabul, but I did it anyway. This has been a goal of mine for months now, and I'm excited to have finally done it. Let me give you a quick background as to why I was so anxious to get down here:...

Renovated Bank Opens in Kabul Province [GX: The Guard Experience]
Afghanistan continues to march along the path to reconstruction as a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held July 7 for a newly renovated bank branch.
"This shines as yet another example of the many positive steps forward occurring in this great country,"

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Taliban Say Qaeda Escapees Safe In Guerrilla Haven (Boston Globe)...Reuters
Four Arab al Qaeda militants who escaped from a heavily fortified U.S. detention center in Afghanistan this week reached a Taliban haven safely on Thursday, a spokesman for the guerrilla movement said.

KOREAS and CHINA

North Korea to Become US Ally? [GI Korea - in Korea]
Now Playing: Maybe We Could Add Them to the Coalition of the Willing
The meeting between Kim Jong Il and Chinese officials this week must of been quite interesting:
Kim said "the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was the behest of President Kim Il Sung," his late father and the North's longtime former leader, the North's Korean Central News Agency reported on Wednesday.
I'm theorizing that the Chinese must have put some big time pressure on Kim to resume the negotiations and begin saying the right things. The Chinese want to get this nuclear issue wrapped up before the 2008 Olympics so it doesn't over shadow China's chance to be the world's center of attention and they may be ...

Misconceptions and Misconceptions [koreasjournal(ed) - in Korea]
Here is a list of what the Korean Amb. to the US says are common misconceptions about South Korea held by the US media and intellectuals --
The five are:▲ anti-American sentiment is rife in Korea; ▲ Koreans no longer want U.S. troops in their country; ▲ Koreans place greater importance on their ethnic unity with North Korea than their alliance with the U.S.; ▲ President Roh Moo-hyun is overly progressive; ▲ Korea is leaning toward China and away from the U.S. ...

Today's ROK and Roll [Barbarian Envoy - in Korea]
...Today?s theme (sob!) is how the world doesn?t understand South Korea.
...Mission To Brainwash: Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Hong Seok-hyun wants to tell Americans what they should think about South Korea.

China stockpiling oil? Preparing to invade Taiwan? [General's Quarters]
The Vodkapundit postulates about the Chinese economy, oil consumption, and Taiwan. Neither he, nor I, like how it reads.
I?ve been wary of the ChiComs for a long time now, and that bit of blogging reinforces my wariness. The responses to the post also uderscore my wariness. This stuff smells. Smells BAD.

MSM REPORTS ON KOREAS and CHINA

N. Korea may take up alleged US nukes in S. Korea, Japan at talks (Japan Today)
SEOUL ? North Korea wants to take up the alleged presence of US nuclear weapons in South Korea and Japan at the upcoming six-nation talks aimed at persuading ...

Chinese General Threatens Use Of A-Bombs If U.S. Intrudes (New York Times)...Joseph Kahn
China should use nuclear weapons against the United States if the American military intervenes in any conflict over Taiwan, a senior Chinese military official said Thursday.

TERRORISM

18 and death to go [Bloodletting]
...Now, since he was 18 years old, this would mean that he was about 14 when 9-11 happened. 14 years old. At 14 years old, it is still possible to mold a young mind. This means that the moderate muslims failed. They said that they were a religion of peace, but apparently, they failed to teach that to their young boys, and now, even after seeing where it leads, the muslim community of which he was a part refused to send a clear signal to him, or anyone else within their community that terrorism was against Allah. Had they done so, then undoubtedly, undoubtedly, he would have, at the very least, tried to figure out who was right; the "extremist msulims" of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, or the "moderate muslims" of Britain.

Thailand Terror
Well this sucks:
BANGKOK, Thailand - In a show of force, suspected Islamic separatists set off at least four bombs and fired at security personnel in an evening attack Thursday on a provincial capital in southern Thailand, killing at least one person. [Alexander the Average]
The three weeks that my unit spend in Thailand last year at Cobra Gold were a wonderfully enriching experience. We made friends with many of our Thai counterparts, and I hope none of them were hurt. The Thai soldiers are tough and competent, and ...

MSM REPORTS ON TERRORISM

A Brit Calls for More Flag-Waving HT: Andi's World
In the aftermath of the terror attacks in London, Boris Johnson, writing for The Daily Telegraph, believes some introspection is in order. Americans can certainly appreciate a Brit who has come to realize that perhaps America's "flag-waving" reputation isn't so bad after all.
We seem to have pulled off the rare feat of breeding suicide bombers determined to attack the very society that incubated them; and the question is why. Why does America import its suicide bombers, while we produce our own? Last summer we had a magnificent holiday driving around America, and for a cynical Brit it was astonishing to see the way the Americans fly that flag of theirs.
On every porch, on every flagpole, on every bumper: there were the stars and stripes, unabashed, exuberant, proud. Contrast our treatment of the Union Flag,...

Britain's home-grown terrorists (CNN)...Matthew Chance
Terrorists don't usually attack their own. It happens, of course: In Iraq, for instance, insurgent bombers all too often kill Iraqi civilians.
But, till recently, it's been terrorists from one community killing people in another:

Al Qaeda's Information War (Washington Times)...Austin Bay
...In the 21st century, intense media coverage magnifies the terrorists' capabilities. This suggests winning the global war against Islamist terror ultimately requires denying terrorists weapons of mass destruction and curbing what is now al Qaeda's greatest strategic capability: media magnification and enhancement of its bombing campaigns and political theatrics.

Of heroes and hatred (townhall.com)...Oliver North HT: View From Tonka
In the midst of one of the greatest challenges we have ever faced, we in the Western world have developed a serious communications problem. In this era of hyper-sensitivity and political-correctness, words no longer have meaning. Those who are good are too often portrayed as evil; indefensibly wicked acts are made less so by the way they are described. Words like "hero" and "hatred" have lost definition. In the midst of a struggle for survival, the inability to discern attackers from allies, friends from foes and heroes from cowards is potentially catastrophic.
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...The flip side of all this is also painfully obvious. The word "hero" no longer means one who has willingly put himself in grave physical jeopardy for the benefit of another. Heroes are people who overcome evil by doing good at great personal risk. Through self-sacrifice, fortitude and action -- whether they succeed or fail -- heroes provide a moral and ethical framework -- and inspiration -- for the rest of us.
Unfortunately, our modern definition of "hero" has been corrupted to include all manner of people who do not warrant the title.

MILITARY LIFE

Update 13 July [From My Position - Recovering at Walter Reed]
Another day, another post! Alice and I went to the post office today to mail some things and we were excited when we saw EIGHT cards in the mailbox! Thank you all so much for the cards! I opened each one and gave them to Chuck to read. He is able to hold the cards b/w his fingers on his right hand. He was very touched by the cards and I know they are helping him keep his spirits alive! I have also read (to him) all of the other cards that he has received. So we thank you all for the cards!

Almost one year [Letters to Iraq - Husband in Iraq]
...So much has happened to keep me busy and so much has happened that he has missed. We have moved into a new house and added on two more bedrooms and made lots of other changes and improvements. The two oldest children are now married and one is expecting a baby by Christmas. We have obtained full custody of his middle son, who is now living with me full time. We have buried his mother and dealt with many cruel blows from his extended family during the process. We have discussed and made decisions regarding finances, children and religion via a telephone and the internet.

Tuesday, July 12, 2005 [Military Bride - husband in Iraq]
We've seemingly mastered the art of a deployment phone conversation as well. Randomly throughout the conversation we'll throw in our "I love you"s and "I miss you"s just incase the call gets dropped (which happens all too often), and I'm so used to the delay now I hardly even notice it. Some days I wonder if I hallucinated there ever being a delay - I remember all too well how annoying it was to have either long periods of silence or just an enomorous jumble of overlapping conversation, and the inconsistency of it now makes me wonder if it's not as big of a delay as it originally was or if I really just am that used to it. And fighting. Thankfully we haven't really "fought" since Matt's been gone though we have had a few conversations that left me feeling like I was toting around an anvil in my stomach, and I think it's important to mention to girls (and guys) just starting off on the Deployment Adventure that being thousands of miles apart doesn't exempt you from the rules of a relationship - you probably will fight. What's important is how you handle it and not to lose your head over it, which is certainly harder said than done; when you get in a fight with someone on the other side of the world and have absolutely no control over the situation, it's an awful helpless feeling, but stressing out over it isn't going to help alleviate the circumstances any - it'll only make it worse for you.

Missing our husbands [Military Wife - husband in Iraq]
Ok I've noticed, on a few blogs I've that we all are missing out husbands today, me included. Why today? I miss my honey I miss him a lot. I went into V. Secret today and I think that made me miss him even more. They have such cute stuff in there, and why buy anything if it's just going to hang in your closet for the next however long.

The Range [Army Girl]
It was kind of disheartening to see the soldiers that were getting out. I can't blame them for getting out but I do feel like we're on different sides now. They were so sick of everything and were complaining and talking about all of the things they were going to do and NOT do when they get home.. like, no pt.. no more waiting in lines.. no more people treating them like shit. And I had to laugh. They are so naive. It doesn't matter where you go, you're still going to have issues. It's just a different package. Most of them have been in since they were 17/18 and they don't have a clue as to how to live life on the outside.
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It's a different world.. and I know they'll make it. But I can't help be feel worried for them. I've done the civilian thing for a while.. and I know it's trade offs.. and if I thought that were much better.. I'd be doing it again, instead of on this volunteer tour for two years.

Various Happenings In My World [Julie Anna-Infantry Wife ]
...My friend's husband just came home for leave from Iraq the other day. He seemed tired and a little weary of his surroundings. Poor guy jumped after the lid on a trash can slammed shut. But everyone around here is used to that sort of reaction from a soldier who just got back- it's expected, actually. My friend *S* kept looking at him, soaking every detail of him in, a sort of disbelief that he was actually standing there. I remember doing that. You literally have to touch your husband to make sure he's real. It took me awhile after hubby came back from Iraq to get used to the fact that he was really home. I was afraid to let him out of my sight for days because when he was gone, at work or the doctors, my mind would play cruel tricks and I would be convinced that he was still in Iraq.

MILITARY ISSUES

Gloom, despair, and agony on me... [Castle Argghhh!]
Hmmmm. Interesting confluence of stuff here the last two days. The Dems are playing serious ball to get the White House back - and Hillary is in the thick of it (this is the same article I linked to yesterday - stay with me, I'm not suffering from Alzheimer's). They are trying to show they *can* be tough on Defense. (If this *is* a true change in spots, you can thank the GOP for forcing it)

We have Morning Sun commenting on that post:...
First thing that came to my mind since the Dems suggest it so often is a Draft.
Odd at a time when quote " recruitment numbers are down " that thinking to increase troop strength is the thing to do. ...
We aren't just concerned about recruitment. We also have some retention issues, though while they report out well, in some places, there *is* a dark side to it. There are some ugly stories - but that doesn't mean the Army is "trapping" everybody with threats of stop-loss. But I don't doubt this happens: ...

RE-ENLISTING

Green, again. [Red State Rant]
At Lance?s request, I?m proud to announce on Red State Rant that after an extended effort, I?ve finally been accepted back into Uncle Sam?s Big Green Gun Club. A little background:
My efforts began on September 11, 2001, when the news about the terrorist attacks in New York City came over the radio. I immediately drove to the recruiter?s office to inquire about reenlistment options.

Re-enlistment (pics) [Steven Kiel - in Iraq]
I decided to re-enlist for six more years. Below are a few pictures from my ceremony today. There was a nice bonus, so I joked around about getting a big check to carry it around, like Happy Gilmore. SSG Wheaton made it happen with a little help from SGT Arce and SGT Andrade.

POLITICS

Novak Told Rove About Plame [Captain's Quarters]
The New York Times now has a source within the grand jury proceedings in the Robert Fitzgerald investigation into the alleged leak of Valerie Plame's status as a CIA operative. The new article for tomorrow's edition by David Johnston and Richard Stevenson reveals that Karl Rove spoke with Robert Novak before he released his column -- but that Novak told Rove about Plame, including her name, and not the other way around:...

Wilson: My Wife Wasn't Undercover at Time of Leak [The New Editor]
Joseph Wilson told Wolf Blitzer in a CNN interview that his wife wasn't undercover at the time her name was leaked in Robert Novak's now infamous column.

O'Connor Urged to Reconsider Retirement [Starboard]
Please Sandy, don't leave. It just won't be the same without you. What can we do to get you to stay? Better parking space? Free gas? How about Chief Justice for a year? Well, two out of three she already has. It is the third carrot that liberals and left-leaning Republicans are dangling in front of Associate Justice O'Connor if she stays on pending the retirement of Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

THE MEDIA

"Inflamed by the participation in the Iraq war"? The Washington Post invents the news. [Hugh Hewitt]
The left is focused on Karl Rove. Serious people are focused on this:
"A government memo published in the Sunday Times last weekend warned that a loose group of 'extremist recruiters' sympathetic to the al Qaeda network was targeting susceptible young Muslims, especially those with technical and professional qualifications in engineering and computers. Most did not have police records, it said....

Why does the BBC have a hard time calling terrorists "terrorists?" [Counter Column]
Well, that's what happens when you go out of your way to recruit your top newsroom management from Al Jazeera.

IN MEMORY OF...

SEAL's Crosses [Froggy Ruminations]
I had never been to a SEAL memorial before. Of course I have had many friends die in training and combat, but I was never able to attend any of their services. So when 11 Frogmen died at 8,000 feet in the Hindu Kush, I felt compelled to attend one of the memorial services. The first one that I heard about was for the fallen members of SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE at

Lance Armstrong Honors Fallen SEALS [BlackFive]
First, be sure to visit (Navy SEAL) Matthew Heidt's Froggy Ruminations and read about the visits made to the memorial ceremonies honoring the fallen SEALS.
Matthew Heidt Attends the SEAL Memorial at the Punchbowl...

Scott King Attends the East Coast Memorial
Denise R. sends this link from a SEAL Officer at SOCOM:...