Dawn Patrol

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs, other blogs, and the mainstream media. 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. (We have a daily "Open Post" too, if you have something on another topic you can link there.)

IRAQ

The Battle for Mosul: Reality Check -- [Michael Yon]
[Click title above for video of small IED attack. Probably a "two-banger."]

Mosul, Iraq

For more than a week, I've been trying to finish the Battle for Mosul Part IV. Meanwhile, the battle for Mosul is still on. Writing about this war takes a back seat to living it. Yesterday, for instance, there was fighting and one of our brother units lost a young soldier in battle.

Oceans of Time -- [365 and a Wake Up]
I once heard that the largest rivers in the world don?t cascade from high mountains, they silently churn across the tract less sea in wide ribbons of kinetic force. Time here in Baghdad flows like those broad currents, always churning forward in some great anonymous flow. Out here a calendar isn?t just a schedule. It?s a map. And a lifeline. And an anchor.

Something to Chew on -- [Firepower Forward - in Iraq]
have often thought about how to answer the continually re-occurring question, ?Why do you fight??, and I wonder why it?s so difficult to put into words.
...I usually have a fairly decent ability to put my feelings into words yet somehow I struggled with how to portray my feelings about this, about the compelling reason I feel to be here and be a contributor to this campaign. Some may perceive this to be a lack of substance or conviction, that isn?t the case. It?s more that the issue is so vast that it can?t be capsulated into a few quick epithets or euphemisms. In my mind, to say simply that this is a ?Religious War? or ?Blood for Oil? is a not only hubris, it is condescending, arrogant, and indicative of overt laziness. Even a precursory ...

This is what it looked like... (PICS) -- [Major K - in Iraq]
About a week a go, we had a dust storm unlike any I have seen in the past seven months. It was not quite a sandstorm as I could not feel myself being pelted with the large grains of sand. It was the the fine powdery dust that gets into and all over everything. We have had several of these since we got here, but never one as bad as this. This time it was...

Constitution extension -- [Phil and Becky - Phil's in Iraq]
I was hoping that the draft Constitution would be announced yesterday, but it seems that we'll have to wait another week (or longer). In the grand scheme of things, pushing the announcement one week to the right is not particularly significant. What is important is whether or not the Iraqi people ratify the proposed Constitution in the referendum scheduled for October 15th. Delaying the initial announcement by a week won't impact the timeline of the referendum, and if it results in a better product that is more likely to pass then I'm all for it.

WE GOT BOXES, TV's, and T-SHIRTS -- [Kevin Kelly - Dixie Sappers - in Iraq]
Today was a good day to catch up on awards, NCOER's, and moving in. I didn't go anywhere outside the wire today. We did have one group go to Kalsu for some meetings and to pick up some stuff. I was blessed to get the TV that PJ had sent to me for our guys to watch DVD's on. It is a 20" color flat screen TV. It is absolutely amazing that people we have never met before does something like this. I believe that Sears actually paid for the shipping. We got that and then we got about 12 more boxes from the Leake County Chamber of Commerce. We also got company t-shirts in the mail today sent from the Family Support Group. They were very nice blue t-shirts with a yellow ribbon on the left breast and an engineer castle on the back with Operation Iraqi Freedom written underneath. We hit the jackpot today. The small packages are just as wonderful, but when you get something for...

Constitution update. -- [Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Al-Iraqia TV is providing live coverage from the meetings in convention center; right now there are meetings between the leadrs of political powers to reach a final agreement over the few remaining disputed parts of the constitution.

Iraqis Miss August 15 Deadline -- [Austin Bay]
I think this White House press release means the Iraqi constitutional negotiatiors didn?t meet their August 15 goal. (It looks like this was just released, but there is no date-time-group on the website.)

Body armor Redux -- [Six More Months - in Iraq]
This headline in the NYTimes caught my eye : U.S. Struggling to Get Soldiers Updated Armor. This is the opening sentence:
For the second time since the Iraq war began, the Pentagon is struggling to replace body armor that is failing to protect American troops from the most lethal attacks by insurgents.

Now I would hate to accuse the ?newspaper of record? of displaying bias in it?s reporting, but it would have been equally as accurate to say this: U.S. upgrading Body Armor to protect servicemembers.
For the second time since the Iraq war began, the Pentagon ...

Queen Amidela Reporting From Basra -- [Iraqi In America]
Most of you know her as "my friend from Basra." She reported to us a few times before. She's not into blogging, but the murder of Steve Vincent changed her mind. She decided to carry his torch.

Me, her and our American friend spent a few days deciding on a nickname to shield her identity. We decided on Queen Amidela from Star Wars.

She already sent me two dispatches. Last night's dispatch brings yet another sad story. Here's her letter:
Mr. Vincent's translator is getting better. They ...

Good news from Iraq, 16 August 2005 -- [Winds of Change]
Note: As always, also available from "The Opinion Journal" and Chrenkoff. Thank you to James Taranto, Joe Katzman, and all of you dear fellow bloggers and readers, regular and irregular, for your support for the series.

Conservative activist and commentator L. Brent Bozell III recently wrote about an encounter with a veteran:..

Saudi Al-Qaida Members Reported Killed in Iraq -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
Two young Saudi Al-Qaida recruits have been reported killed in recent suicide bomb attacks near the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Allegedly, one of the men, 20-year old Mansour al-Hameed (a.k.a. "Abul-Hajer", "Abu Azzam") was responsible for a July 27 suicide bombing operation by Al-Qaida's Al-Baraa bin Malik Martyrs Brigade targeting Iraqi National Guard troops in Al-Azamiyah that killed ten people and wounded at least nine others.

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Iraqis Fail To Meet Constitution Deadline -- (Washington Post)...Ellen Knickmeyer and Omar Fekeiki
Iraqi factional leaders failed to meet Monday's deadline for drafting a constitution in an often-rancorous debate that appeared to have widened rifts among Shiite, Sunni, Kurdish and secular groups.

Waiting For History -- (Newsweek)
Officials are trying to put a positive spin on the delay. But Iraq?s constitution writers face problems that can?t easily be solved in seven days.
The lights went out on Iraq?s constitutional process Monday night--literally. As the National Assembly met in late-night session to avert a constitutional crisis in the fledgling-new nation, there was a power failure in their temporary home inside Baghdad?s heavily fortified convention center.

Japanese Opposition Vows To Pull Troops From Iraq -- (Jerusalem Post (jpost.com))...Associated Press
Japan's main opposition party plans to pull the country's troops from the US-led reconstruction effort in Iraq by December if voted into government in next month's nationwide elections, a party official said Tuesday.

Good News, Bleeding To Get Out -- (National Review Online)...Deroy Murdock
Amid roadside bombs, constitutional tensions, and even a blinding sandstorm last Monday, outside the blogosphere (see here and now here) one wonders if anything is going right in Iraq. Plenty is, actually, although the mainstream media rarely mention such good news.

The Disintegration Of Iraq -- (Washington Times)...Allan Topol
If and when a constitution is agreed upon in Baghdad, that will not mean that a single democratic nation will rise from the ashes of Saddam Hussein's police state. The signs are already crystal clear. Fissure into separate Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish entities is inevitable...

Deceptive Talk About Iraq -- (Boston Globe)...Thomas Oliphant
...Tours of duty were extended. The reserves were raided. The National Guard was raided. Military commitments in the rest of the world, including the fight against terrorism and the effort to establish stability in Afghanistan, were compromised.

AFGHANISTAN

Brick Billets at Salerno I -- [Miserable Donuts]
They "jingled" everything. Above left is a water trailer used for mixing concrete in Salerno for the brick billets. Above right is mid-level of sophistocation in concrete mixing (at the high end we had a concrete batch plant and at the low end we had a pile of components on the ground that water was poured on (imagine making homemade pasta)). Afghans have pretty good bricks, but

28 Alleged Taliban Die in Clashes -- [Target Centermass]
...I ask again, with fighting raging ?across southern Afghanistan,? is this finally the quagmire war opponents had predicted? The story seems to give the impression that the Afghan Dixie is a madhouse. Well, two little details lead me to say ixnay on the agmirequay. First, as is clear in the story, the bad guys are getting killed in bunches. This is certainly not a new development. Second, ...

Letter from Afghanistan - More on Night Stalker Shootdown -- [ROFA Six]
This letter tells a tale of heroism, valiant men and awesome warriors who fight fiercely for America's freedom. I don't know the author of this letter, I wish I did, so I could buy the guy a beer or two. The letter was sent to me by an old friend. It offers more chilling details of the shootdown of the Night Stalker Chinook and the loss of the crew and SEAL passengers. It is the most complete description of the events of that day I have seen. I expect only the AAR tells more....

The Ramp Ceremony [A Storm In Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
...Some notes about this particular one. Our airfield is busy. REGULARLY busy. Especially this time of day. There was no activity. Nothing. I could hear sounds from miles away, and I was mere feet from the runway. The base had managed to arrange for no activity, no loud noises (no firing range, no EOD explosions, no maintenance), and no aircraft for this Soldier's departure.

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Pakistan won?t extend deadline for repatriation of Afghan refugees -- [Khaleeji Times]
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan?s Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao says a Sept. 15 deadline for repatriation of 6,000-7,000 Afghan refugees from the capital Islamabad will not be extended. | Sherpao made the...

US troops chip away at problems in Afghanistan -- Taipei Times]
SLOW PROGRESS: US soldiers are working to boost security ahead of next month's elections, but limited manpower means patience is required | The armored US Humvees sweep through the pine-fringed villag...

Spanish Troops Die in Afghan Copter Crash -- (Washington Post)...DANIEL COONEY
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A helicopter belonging to the NATO-led international security force crashed Tuesday in western Afghanistan, killing 17 Spanish troops, officials said.

SUPPORT THE TROOPS

Have you thanked your Soldier's Angel lately? -- [Doc in the Box]
Sorry about the lack of posts this week, my cohort and I are getting the squadron ready for a medical inspection sometime in the near future. Lots of record reviews and data entry. After this, it will be easy sailing till our next middle east trip in the spring.

Fund Helps Children, Spouses -- [American Supports You]
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2005 ? Rebecca Campbell started the Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund in 2003 to raise college tuition for the children of servicemembers killed in the war on terrorism. The fund has since expanded to encompass other financial needs. It now aims to provide a wide range of assistance to the children and spouses of troops who have been killed or injured

TERRORISM

Only Nixon Can Go To China -- [Villianous Company]
While driving home last week on the Beltway, I heard something truly remarkable. Something that filled my heart with hope.

And since that time, I have heard nothing more about it. Not in the newspaper. Not on my television. Not on the radio. And when, at last, I typed several search terms into Google this morning, I was dismayed at how little I found. This is the only post I will write today, and it will remain at the top of my site for the next week. It is that important.

THE MEDIA

The licensing of journalists and a proposed amendment to the FFIA -- [TigerHawk]
Like the New York Times, Bob Dole wants to license reporters. Or, more fairly, he wants to license particular reporters in order to grant them immunity from prosecution should they participate in a crime. The vehicle he endorses, Richard Lugar's Orwellian "Free Flow of Information Act," is nothing more than a conspiracy between the political establishment and the corporate press to define a class of citizens that have more rights than ordinary Americans. As has already happened in many states, federal politicians propose giving the mainstream media a particular privilege not available to ordinary citizens in the guise of enhancing the "free flow" of information.

Mark Yost Vindicated. Knight-Ridder Indicted! -- [My View from Tonka]
I think this is one of the better take downs on Mark Yost's behalf that I've read. Just in case you aren't aware of the circumstances....Mark (he's an editor for the St. Paul Pioneer Press) wrote a column saying the MSM reporting on Iraq was lacking.

POLITICS

Sure Is Dark In Here... -- [Beast7's How it Ought to Be]
Howard ?Hee-Haw? Dean, Democratic National Committee chairman and failed candidate for Democratic Party Presidential nominee, must have been tasting shoe-leather when he stated, "It looks like today, and this could change, as of today it looks like women will be worse off in Iraq than they were when Saddam Hussein was president of Iraq," on CBS' "Face the Nation" yesterday.

Vietnam 2: Electric Boogaloo -- [Xenophon]
We?ve all seen the tired old tactic of the Iraq War opposition comparing Iraq to Vietnam. But the comparison does not hold up to even the most casual of examination, although the complexities of each conflict escape anyone simple enough to even connect them.

The first problem is a myopic concentration on America?s war in Vietnam. People forget that our involvement from 1965-1975 was just the final conflict in an ongoing struggle for independence on the part of the Vietnamese people.

A Lamentable Tendency -- [Neptunus Lex]
To over-react...
...It went thusly: "Let us pray for the children of Iraq" (fine, no problem) "and their parents" (heavens yes) "who are dying of cancer" (em... sure, why not?) "because of our use of depleted uranium." (Oh. My.)

MSMS REPORTS ON POLITICS

Husband of peace vigil mom files for divorce -- (MSNBC)...AP
Cindy Sheehan says stress of son?s death led to separation
FAIRFIELD, Calif. - The husband of Cindy Sheehan, the mother camped outside President Bush?s Texas ranch to protest the death of a son in the Iraq war, has filed for divorce, according to court documents.

Sen. Biden Says Bush Should Fire Rumsfeld -- (New York Times on the Web)...Associated Press
President Bush needs to fire Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and level with the American people about the situation in Iraq, said U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden, who is testing the political waters for a possible White House run in 2008.

MORE REVIEWS 0N "OVER THERE" III

Over There Episode 3
I will start off and tell you that I got an email from a person who claims to work on the show Over There. It actually is a comment on the site so I will repost it:

?I work on over there, and let me tell you that the tec advisor who has lived and breathed that shit first hand in iraq has pushed hard to make things as true as possible, but in the first episode a lot of things got vetoed, HOWEVER...

Bochco's Botched and Biased "Over There" -- [Michael Fumento]
...If "Over There" has a true military advisor, he deserves the firing squad. In the first episode a squad is pinned down while besieging a terrorist-filled mosque. The unit remains for about 36 hours with no air support, because "Air is dedicated to another area." Never mind that planes or choppers are always available within minutes. They request artillery, again to no avail. There's no armor.

MILBLOGGING/BLOGGING

New Milblogger "Pebble Pie" -- [Assumption of Command - in Iraq]
Once again, it is time to welcome a new member of the Milblogs ring.

Pebble Pie is a "Blue Star Mom". That means she has a child in the military. she has a list of her favorite quotes:

MSM REPORTS ON bLOGGING

Taming the Wild Web -- (Times Online)...MATTHEW YEOMANS
Since the internet was born, there has been a tug-of-war between aggregating information and finding ways to navigate through it. Two of the great navigation milestones were the Web browser and the search engine. Now, with the galloping growth of blogs (some 80,000 new blogs are created every day, according to blog search engine Technorati) and the proliferation of social-network sites, a growing group of companies is trying to figure out how to turn the cacophony of personalized information into usable form ? and viable businesses.

CONGRATS

One year and still going -- [In Iraq for 365]
It's been a year since I started this blog. It's been fun. Here's a rundown...

160 posts
20,000 hits
1,348 comments
689 emails
40 hate emails from anti-war types or extreme Islamic folks
1 naked picture emailed to me
37 emails from reporters
15 emails from literary agents and movie producers
42 comments and emails begging me to stop wearing Brut

The most touching email....

Happy Birthday Mike -- [The Siegrist Blogs - in Afghanistan]
Mike turned 29 a few days ago but with the op tempo here it has been a pain in the ass trying to get everyone in the same room, sorry that we were a few days late bro but the XO hooked you up.

Happy Birthday to the 82nd Airborne Division -- [A Redleg's Perspective]
Put on your boots, boots, boots
and parachutes, chutes, chutes
We're going up, up, up
and coming down, down, down

HUMOR

A Democrat Fable - Caring More than Republicans -- [GM's Corner]
The Barber
One day a florist goes to a barber for a haircut. After the cut he asked about his bill and the barber replies: "I'm sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I'm doing community service this week."

The florist is pleased and leaves the shop.

Next morning when the barber goes to open there is a thank you card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

Later, a cop comes in for a haircut,...

(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)