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

An email to Soldiers' Angels from a Hero... -- [Iraq War News]
Hello Everybody,
I wanted to send all of you a huge thank you for your support.We are doing good things over here contrary to what you might see in the news. It is terrible news hearing the devastation that Hurricane Katrina has caused. I know things will be taken care of at home and it always seems nothing can happen fast enough. For those of you that have family affected know that we watch the news daily here and are hoping you and your families are safe.

I have been successful in one of my first projects. Initially I was trying to get a wheelchair sent over here for a small crippled child.

New evidence about the Tragedy of the Shiites on the bridge -- [Hammorabi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
There are reports by the Iraqi media that the death of more than one thousand Iraqi Shiites on Al-Aaimah bridge has been planned in advance. The reports indicated that the bridge had been weakened from several points including the fence just prior to the incident. A source in the Interior Ministry told Al-Sabah newspaper that the investigators are now examining traces of deliberate cuts believed to be done with a hacksaw in the bridge structure.

Amr Mousa leave Iraq alone and stop causing more loss of life in out country -- [An Iraqi's Thoughts - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Dear Amr Mousa,

We as peace loving Iraqis who wish to see a democratic, federal and prosperous Iraq ask you to please leave us alone and stay out of our business. When one of our ministers shakes hands with an Isreali Minister you always have the time to come on every media outlet and make it a storm. Your efforts to de-legitmize anything thats productive in Iraq and to make the murderers and rapists seem like heroes shows us where your real intersts lie.

The Magic Stick!! -- [Treasure of Baghdad - an Iraqi in Iraq]
The day before yesterday, I was reading a local newspaper and suddenly a headline drew my attention. "What should we do and what the Municipality should do".
Back in the 1980s, I remember how Baghdad was clean and neat. The streets were so clean, traffic signs everywhere and traffic policemen stood monitoring if someone violates the law. People were so clean and organized.
...These people did not make Baghdad clean and organized because they respected the law. They did that because they were afraid of Saddam! Yes, Saddam. Being a tyrant, he used to punish the people severely to the extent he forced the people respect law.

Today, Baghdad looks miserable, dirty, and terrible. It is strange that this dirtiness increased after the invasion of the Americans to Iraq. Tanks and humvee hummers, completed the tragedy by driving on the sidewalks and destroying all the fences of the highways.

The Roadblock - [365 and a Wake Up - in Iraq]
As our vehicles came around the sharp corner we ran into something wholly unexpected, a neat row of rock and brick that sprawled across the road. The impromptu roadblock had a strange castaway symmetry to it; it brought to mind long summer days spent building little dams in the local streams. As the vehicles lurched to a halt I could feel a wave of frustration flare - we were on our way back to the FOB after an extended mission and everyone wanted to get back.

The Hunting Lodge -- [Faces from the Front - JD's Blog - in Iraq]
South of Fallujah, West of the Euphrates, where the green canal country meets the barren desert plains of Al Anbar that stretch all the way to Syria, men of mettle have taken up residence in an abandoned factory and taken the fight straight to the heart of an insurgent cluster.

ECP 1 crew: changing the way they do business -- [Live in Iraq]
It?s hailed as the greatest thing since sliced bread, or at least, the Iraqi-Arabic equivalent thereof.

After weeks of hard labor, that's what Marines like Lance Cpl. Richard Spillers say how the people of Fallujah and their city council representatives see the newly reconstructed Entry Control Points-One and One A.

Is the heat over? -- [NEW MILBLOGGER!-Updates from Your CWFour - in Iraq]
I woke up this morning to an AB-SO-LUTE-LY beautiful morning. A spectacular blue sky without a hint of dust or dumpsmoke, a gentle breeze and a slight CHILL... yes, CHILL in the air. I could not believe it. It felt almost like a New England fall morning.

IN HIS EYES -- [An Average Iraqi - an Iraqi n Iraq]
These posts are going to be stories that are told by people I know, other Average Iraqis. Before I get into the post, I would like to take a minute to announce the beginning of a new Iraqi blogger: Baghdad Treasure is my newest Iraqi Blogger Friend. Back to the post:
..."He jumped at me, grabbed my hand with one of his arms, and with his free hand unlocked my door. I don't know where the other one came from, but he was ready, he opened the door, and hit my with the back of his gun, by that time I was coming out of shock so I caught his arm, but the other one pushed me out of the car, and kept yelling at his partner; "Kill him!!! Finish him". I don't know why he didn't, but by that time, I was exhausted, I'm too old for this. He pulled me out of the car, hit me again, at the same place and left me. I remember hearing the sound of my car's engine coming back to life, and then sounds became a blur. For a few minutes ...

first of the last -- [Blog Machine City- in Iraq]
Today as the usual crew of the Pontiff, JoKur, Twizzy, and I walked to the DFAC, we witnessed an astounding spectacle: a series of flatbed trucks bearing the first wave of our signal vehicles. Their destination: Kuwait. We hollered and waved and saluted at first, but then we fell silent, just staring at the boxy green trucks as they rolled slowly past. I felt an electric tingling on the back of my neck, unable to tear my gaze from the beautiful sight of the flatbeds receding into the sun-washed distance; once again, I thought, there should be some music associated with this - if this were a movie, it would be the beginning of the final montage leading to the end credits.

As I write this, I have to admit that I feel a little choked up thinking about the scene; it's a ...

Any Mail To Me -- [Sisyphus Today... - in Iraq]
I have greatly appreciated all the support and love I have received in the packages, letters, etc from many of you readers, friends, and family. Since time is drawing to a close for me here, the mail room is closing down soon. So that means if any of you are inclined to send me anything, please do so by the end of September.

SADDAM'S BRICKS -- [2005 Tour of Duty - in Iraq]
How do you ensure your legacy lives on forever? Build statues, palaces, and have your name stamped on the bricks. Saddam had his name engraved on the bricks that build the palaces. It is said that ...(pic)

Iraq Pictures - Monday, September 05, 2005 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
An Iraqi Army platoon sergeant from the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraq Army Division, briefs Idaho National Guardsman 1LT Chad Knowles, "Colts" platoon leader, 1st Battalion, 148th Field Artillery, Task Force Liberty, before a joint counter-IED and combat patrol. (Pics)

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Annan: War Spread Terrorism -- (Washington Times)...Combined Dispatches
The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq has turned the country into a new hub of terrorism worse than Afghanistan under the Taliban, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said yesterday.

?Saddam trial politically motivated? -- (The News International)
AMMAN: Members of Saddam Hussein?s defence team on Monday said the announcement that the deposed Iraqi leader would go on trial next month over a 1982 massacre was politically motivated with no basis in law.

"It is all politics. It has nothing to do with the law," said Jordanian lawyer Issam Ghazzawi, spokesman of the Amman-based defence team.

"The announcement about the trial date is illegal because it was made by the official government spokesman and not by the court.

A Pre-Katrina View Of August -- (Washington Post)...Michael Getler
It seems trivial to write, or even think, about anything this week other than the chaos and tragedy that is still unfolding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. But what follows are some reader challenges to a few Post stories that developed in August before Katrina hit, and while I was away, and that seem worthy of note and comment.

Early in August, Assistant Defense Secretary Lawrence Di Rita wrote to take strong exception to a July 13 article on Page A12 by Ann Scott Tyson under the headline "Official Admits Errors in Iraq." It was based on an interview with outgoing Undersecretary of Defense Douglas J. Feith, who was deeply involved in war planning.

Di Rita wrote that Feith "did not admit 'errors' or 'missteps,' " as the story says. "Nowhere in this story does the reporter use the interviewee's own words in a way that would justify her thesis." What Feith did, Di Rita said, "was to

Two killed in raid on Iraqi ministry -- (The Australian)
BAGHDAD: Insurgents launched a surprise attack on Baghdad's heavily guarded Interior Ministry building yesterday, killing two police officers and wounding five.

Insurgents Assert Control Over Town Near Syrian Border -- (Washington Post)...Ellen Knickmeyer and Jonathan Finer
Fighters loyal to militant leader Abu Musab Zarqawi asserted control over the key Iraqi border town of Qaim on Monday, killing U.S. collaborators and enforcing strict Islamic law, according to tribal members, officials, residents and others in the town and nearby villages.

As U.S. Tries To Secure An Iraqi Town, Insurgents Respond -- (New York Times)...Michael Moss
The American military recently moved into this small town 10 miles south of Falluja, one of the most violent locales in Iraq, to secure it for the coming elections, and the insurgents took all of a day to respond. They fired a rocket that missed the Americans and landed instead in a nearby playground, killing a 12-year-old boy and wounding eight other children.

Leader Says Other Arabs Are Insensitive To Iraq's Plight -- (New York Times)...Robert F. Worth Link not available yet
In an unusual public rebuke, President Jalal Talabani angrily criticized other Arab states on Monday, saying they had insulted Iraq by not sending diplomats to Baghdad and had not sent condolence letters about the stampede last week in which almost 1,000 Shiite pilgrims were killed.

Some Officers Believe The War 'Will Last For Years' -- (Miami Herald)...Joseph L. Galloway
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was out on spin patrol last week, declaring that we're going to win in Iraq no matter how long it takes. President Bush is still staying the course and predicting victory. But what do the officers who are fighting this war in the worst parts of Iraq think? Do they still believe victory is possible?

AFGHANISTAN

Good news from Afghanistan, 6 September 2005 -- [Winds of Change - Arthur Chrenkoff]
Note: Also available from "The Opinion Journal" and Chrenkoff. As always, big thanks to James Taranto and Joe Katzman for their support of the series, and to all my readers and fellow bloggers whose encouragement has kept it going for over a year now.

Across Afghanistan, good news for the farmers, and the rest of the population:

Afghanistan Still a Hot Zone -- [Andi's World]
A while back, I promised a fellow Army wife that I wouldn't forget about Afghanistan. Her husband lost a limb there as a result of an IED. With most of the news focused on Iraq (understandably so), the operations taking place in Afghanistan by approximately 15,000 U.S. troops and an additional 5,000 multi-national forces, are sometimes overlooked.

As with Iraq, good things are happening in Afghanistan.

Gratutious Afghanistan Photo of the Weekend -- [Miserable Donuts]
CPT Matt Pintur and I decided to keep an eye on school construction in Jangadam. We were happy enough to see rebar actually being used... Luckily, CPT Pintur had worked in construction in the past. After I left, he was able to see it finished. (pic)

Reflections -- [onhiswings - in Afghanistan]
...Wow... September already, how great is that. Time here seems to have it's own interesting speeds if you will. Sometimes fast and sometimes slow. I will say that the latter half of our deployment has also seemed to follow the latter time-speed more often than not but that's ok. Anyway, last night I was digging through some things I had on a shelf some what thinking about what whould have to get packed in what bag when the time comes, and I came across a small fake leather-bound writing tab that a good friend of the family had given me a while back. I'd written in it a few times during the whole start of this thing and it was intersting to read what I'd put down months ago. So with us being on the short end here, I thought I'd throw in the first few pages. ...

New Recommended Readings Entries -- [Fortunate Son - in Afghanistan]
...I've been working on a new journal entry for quite a while now. To be honest, I've written it, thrown it away and rewritten a couple times now trying to strike a balance between the ups and downs of this "adventure" or whatever you call it. I don't want to come off too "Pollyanna" about my experiences - there's no Hollywood script here, and I want that to be clear anyone who might be considering this line of work. At the same time what I'm learning is that the real challenge, no matter what you do, is to transcend the obstacles that you face and maintain your focus.

Just FYI, our team got hit by an IED on 9 August. Noone was injured, but it was a sobering reminder that this mission is no joke....

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Choppers Leaving Troops High And Dry -- (New York Daily News)...James Gordon Meek
Rank may have its privileges, but it is no exception when waiting to hop a ride with the tiny fleet of choppers the Bush administration has committed to the Afghan war.

An eye in the sky that saves lives -- (Stars and Stripes)...Terry Boyd
It was March 2, 2002 when Finch ? then a light infantry scout with the Fort Drum, NY.-based 10th Mountain Division ? stepped out of a CH-47 Chinook and into Afghanistan?s fabled Shahikot Valley and the middle of Operation Anaconda.

?It wasn?t two minutes after we stepped out of the Chinooks that we started taking heavy fire,? he said. Taliban fighters were throwing everything at his company-sized force ? small arms, artillery and mortars. ?We had 32 wounded in the first two hours,? Finch said, including himself in that number.

U.S. And Afghan Forces Kill 25 Suspected Taliban In Two Raids -- (Los Angeles Times)...Paul Watson
U.S. and Afghan forces killed 25 suspected Taliban fighters and captured dozens more in operations in two southern provinces over two days, Afghan and U.S. officials said.

Pakistan Builds Its Forces On Border -- (Reuters)
Pakistan has sent thousands of troop reinforcements to its western border to help choke off the Taliban-led insurgency in the weeks before Afghanistan's parliamentary elections, a military spokesman said Monday.

THOSE LEFT BEHIND

Be strong, and we will get through this" -- [NEW MILBLOGGER!-My Life as a Soldiers Wife - husband in Iraq]
It is funny, writing this blog, I never actually thought it would help someone. I just wanted to get out some of my emotions, some of my fears, some of my pain. I wanted the soldiers to have an idea of what it is like for their loved ones back home, but I never though about the other wives. I never thought that I, of all people, would be helping someone with their deployment. It is so hard for me, I never thought I would be able to help. But apparently, I do. I am touched, and so very happy.

I was chatting with a woman today, a woman whose husband had just left for Iraq. This woman was scared, sad, and so confused.

I got a call -- [Updates on my soldier - Blue Star Mom]
I went to the grocery store and Dan called and left a message on my answering machine. I missed him by 5 minutes... He said that he won't be able too call for a few days but not too worry...He is okay.
I just wanted to let all of my family know. He is okay.

LATE NIGHT PHONE CALLS...
When I was awakened last night at precisely 10:25 p.m. by the house telephone ringing, it took me just a second to realize what was going on, only after total panic. Carla I know that you can just imagine all the thoughts that flew through my mind. Thank goodness for no electricity, otherwise I would have seen who it was on the caller ID before I picked the receiver up.

The lady identified herself as D. with the Army National Guard. She was wanting to know if we were ok after Katrina, and to know if I would like for her to send my soldier an email telling him that we were fine. So by this time I am breathing again. I nicely told her no thank you, that we had already been in contact with him, and he knew that we were ok.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS

Michael Moore's written several of the world's most inane letters over the years; the latest is posted here. -- [Iraq War News]

It's full of the usual vitriol; here are a couple of the choice bits:
Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?

I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to...

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Back to Kosovo -- [Way Down In Kosovo]
There have interesting goings on here that I have not yet written about. The day I got back from R&R two Serbians were killed in a little just outside of the mountain town of Strpce, and two others were wounded in what was called a drive-by shooting. A few nights ago there was a car bombing in Vitina...which apparently wasn't quite a car bombing. It appears that the guy with the bomb was carrying the damned thing in his lap, and it was a command detonated sucker; this means he was probably going to use a cell phone or garage door opener, or some other radio device to set it off.

News Shorts: Saudi, Indonesia, Katrina -- [Winds of Change - Donald Sensing ]
DAMMAM, Saudi Arabia ? Saudi security forces battled heavily armed suspected al Qaeda members holed up in a sea-front apartment building Monday, a day after two militants -- one of them the kingdom's No. 3 most-wanted terrorist -- died in clashes across this eastern city.

Come Together, Right Now! -- [Assumption of Command - in Iraq]
If I was to talk about a war torn country where three groups of people with long standing hatred are trying to work together to get their country to stand up on it's own, you would probably think I was talking about Iraq. But there is another country that fits this description as well: Bosnia.

Mustang Sarge (My dad) sent me this Article

Reproducing Orwell's mill in Iran. -- [Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Why is Iran choosing to defy the world withal the present dangers of a military reaction if Iran kept pushing things to the edge?

Does Iran want to develop nuclear power for peaceful utilization? If that was the case then the European offer is very reasonable and I find it generous and it cannot be claimed (without rising suspicions) that this offer doesn't meet the needs for a peaceful program. Not only that, it even guarantees better support than if Iran depended on its own capabilities as Europe will be contributing with her nuclear expertise?but Iran refused the offer.

Culprits In Crime -- [Barbarian Envoy - in S Korea]
On September 1, Stephan Haggard and Marcus Noland held a press conference in Washington lambasting Seoul and Beijing for exacerbating famine in North Korea. A U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea report draws conclusions based on the performance of NGOs in North Korea striving to stop famine. There is also this shorter distillation from Noland of the same argument with a policy recommendation.

MSM REPORTS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Iran Changes Tack In Nuclear Standoff -- (Christian Science Monitor)...Scott Peterson
Iran's first fear about its controversial nuclear program has long been that it could provoke a US or Israeli military strike.

Putin Tells West Not To Interfere In Ex-Soviet Republics -- (London Times)...Michael Binyon
RUSSIA will not tolerate outside interference in former Soviet republics or any attempts to destabilise countries on Russia?s borders, President Putin declared last night.

Russia Opposes Reporting Iran To UN -- (New York Times on the Web)...Reuters
Russia said on Monday it opposed reporting Iran to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program, putting itself on a collision course with the United States in a global body where Moscow holds a veto.

KATRINA

Shukran, Kuwait -- [Neptunas Lex]
Well this is a nice touch, as well as being a pleasant surprise:
KUWAIT CITY -- The oil-rich Persian Gulf state of Kuwait said Sunday it will donate $500 million in aid to U.S. relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

The offer is the largest known put forward since the hurricane ravaged Louisiana

LTG Honore is a John Wayne Dude -- GI Korea Blog - in S Korea]
The mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin has some complimentary things to say about LTG Honore:
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin calls Lt. Gen. Russel Honore a "John Wayne dude" who can "get some stuff done."

"He came off the doggone chopper, and he started cussing and people started moving," Nagin said in an interview Thursday night with a local radio station.
...I got plenty of good LTG Honore stories from his time in Korea.

However, for a situation that is begging for someone to be in charge since no one within the city, state, or national governments are showing any leadership in organizing a disaster relief plan; LTG Honore is the right man for this job. When he was here in Korea there was never any doubt who was in charge. His cussing and tantrums do not endear him to many people, but he does get results and right now immediate results in evacuating and aiding people is what is needed most.

Part 4: Report from New Orleans -- [Austin Bay]
Here?s the fourth email from our Illinois police officer. Some of the police teams have been assigned to look for survivors from a retirement home.

President Bush Appealed for Mandatory Evacuation -- [Austn Bay]
That?s what this AP report on the Times-Picyaune?s website says. The date of the report: August 28. Looks like President Bush leaned on Nagin and Blanco ?otherwise the evacuation order would have been ?voluntary.?

Key grafs:...

Lying Moron.... -- [Hurl's Blog - in Iraq]
There is almost no circumstance in which I would so boldly call someone a liar or moron to their face. But this would be one of those very rare circumstances. Michael Chertoff - YOU are either a LIAR or a MORON. You should be fired IMMEDIATELY.

Here is an article which I will reprint in full (along with my comments in italics) in which the Head of the Department of Homeland Security - Michael Chertoff - claims that Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath was completely unpredicted. ...

Heh, and here I said we weren't going to be... [Argghhh!]
...all Katrina, alla time.

Since the services are taking hits for not being there fast enough with enough (leave aside who has responsibility for what) I've been harvesting pics of military participation in the relief effort - this batch harvested from the service websites. I know - the uncharitable will say all these photos are just a Potemkin village. If that's how you feel, go be angry somewhere else, okay?

I'm just opening a little window, in a very little corner of the Internet.
(Sept. 4, 2005) ? Hurricane Katrina survivors are stacked five-high as they are medically evacuated from New Orleans to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., aboard a U.S. Air Force Reserve Command C-130 Hercules aircraft configured for medical evacuation flights. The Navy's involvement in the Hurricane Katrina humanitarian assistance operations is led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in conjunction with the Department of Defense. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Andrea Decanini

Click the picture to visit the album.

More Giuliani, Less Clinton -- [Outside the Beltway]
John Tierney believes that the biggest mistake made by state, local, and federal officials was in trying to be Bill Clinton rather than Rudy Guiliani.

As fast as they can -- [Six More Months - in Iraq]
I do want to spout off a little bit at some of the critics who are attacking how long it took for the military to arrive. There seems to be a perception that the National Guard is available at a moments notice, capable of just rising out of the ground where they are needed, instantly capable of providing food, shelter and medical care. Reality is that it?s going to take 2-3 days from the time the Governor decides they need large numbers of Guard troops until any are available. Think about it. What needs to happen? What are the troops needed for, what?s expected of them, what expectation is there of the need for force,...

Dispatches from Iraq 6 -- [Dave's World - dipatches from Matt in Iraq]
...Just like people all across the country have friends and acquaintances who have been affected by Katrina, so too do some of the soldiers deployed with me. One of my friends had his truck in Louisiana, and was lucky enough to have his family store it away where it wasn't affected by the torrent. My other buddy is planning on attending school down there after we return, and wonders what is going to happen to all the students who had just moved to the area to start their college year. He also wonders whether his school will be in session when he finally returns. Another friend had his entire family down there, and wasn't sure if they were safe for several days after the storm hit. Yet another soldier's whole family is from New Orleans' outlying areas, and didn't know whether they were safe until days after the storm hit.

Not Enough Sandbags -- [A Soldier's Thoughts - in Iraq]
... Now I want to clarify two points before I go on. First I want to explain that I have met some really great Iraqis here in Iraq, and that I have done many good things for those that I could (I have never just gone out killing). The second point I want to clarify brings us full circle. You are probably cursing me right now, wishing you could yell into my face how soldiers are SUPPOSED to train then fight in Wars, and of course I can't and won't disagree with you (I am not a conscientious objector). However, I do want to interject something into your rant at me. We are more than just some trained War machines, we are citizens who have sworn to protect America. We are the ones (both active duty soldiers like myself and national guard and reserve) who could have been there helping those in the Gulf Region.

Korea Donates $30 Million to Hurricane Relief -- [GI Korea Blog - in S Korea]
I have figured that with the US facing probably it's worst natural disaster ever that we as a country would find out who our real friends are. Korea has stepped up and offered immediate aid assistance:

Sean Penn Goes On Rescue Mission, Sinks Boat, Gets Jeered At -- [Florida Cracker]
It sounded like the perfect rescue mission: no training, an entourage, a white flak vest, and a personal photographer. Sean Penn remains one of the most entertaining actors in Hollywood:(pics)

MSM REPORTS ON KATRINA

Katrina in black and white -- (MSNBC)...Josh Mankiewicz
In the aftermath of the hurricane, equality is discussed as much as recovery
With a killer storm on the way to New Orleans, people with cars left town. But those without the means had to stay. What we saw were the poorest of the poor, literally left behind in a city that?s two-thirds black?a city where white homes generally sit at higher elevations, while many poor blacks live in areas that flood much more easily. And now, the discussion is now as much about recovery as equality.

A Hurricane Of Blame -- (New York Post)...Ralph Peters
...What's striking is that the administration and the staffers at Homeland Security didn't seem to grasp all the resources available to them ? or even what their responsibilities were. Anything but reassuring, the clumsy initial response to Katrina must have Islamist terrorists stroking their beards, smiling and thinking ahead.

U.S. Delays Planned Airlift Of Evacuees To D.C. Armory -- (Washington Post)...Hamil R. Harris and Theola S. Labbe
The proposed airlift of 400 Hurricane Katrina evacuees to the D.C. Armory yesterday was temporarily delayed by federal officials who sought more time to develop a comprehensive national plan for placing victims across the country, authorities said

Ineptitude leads to death -- (New York Daily News)...Errol Louis
All across America, viewers choked up Sunday - you had to - watching Aaron Broussard, the president of Jefferson Parish, adjacent to New Orleans, go on "Meet the Press" to tell the agonizing story of one of his top aides, the county's emergency management director. "His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home and every day she called him and said, 'Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?' And he said, 'Yeah, Mama, somebody's coming to get you,'" Broussard recounted.
...Behind the tears, you could hear that Nagin and Broussard know full well what outsiders are only beginning to understand: They are part of a system of government that is broken at all levels, rife with cronyism and corruption and their inevitable consequence, incompetence.

Federal investigators are probing corruption in the administration of former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial. A man named Glenn Haydel, who is Morial's uncle, is currently facing federal embezzlement charges for allegedly steering $550,000 from the New Orleans public transport system, the Regional Transit Authority, to his own management company - and putting $350,000 of that sum into a personal bank account.

Guard Troops To Provide Hurricane Relief -- (New York Times on the Web)...Associated Press
Most of the 2,800 Louisiana National Guard soldiers who are returning home early from their Iraq mission intend to join in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, their commander said Monday.

Red Tape Keeping Samaritans From New Orleans -- (Washington Times)...Combined Dispatches
Hundreds of would-be rescuers are wending their way to the Gulf Coast in buses, vans and trailers. But critics say government red tape has hampered many who are trying to help Hurricane Katrina's victims.

Celine Dion, Harry Connick slam N. Orleans suffering, as Sean Penn sinks -- (Yahoo News)...(AFP)
LOS ANGELES - An emotional Celine Dion rounded on US authorities over their slow rescue effort in hurricane-crippled New Orleans, while actor Sean Penn's personal crusade to save victims took on water.

Movie star and political activist Penn, 45, was in the collapsing city to aid stranded victims of flooding sparked by Hurricane Katrina, but the small boat he was piloting to launch a rescue attempt sprang a leak.

MSM REPORTS ON TERRRORISM

U.S. Shaken By Qaeda 007 -- (New York Post)...Niles Lathem
U.S. counterterrorism authorities have been engaged for months in a shadow war with a computer hacker extraordinaire who is using cutting-edge technology to help al Qaeda and other jihad groups with their vast Internet operations, The Post has learned.

POLITICS

CodePink's Window Dressing -- [Andi's World]
I arrived at Walter Reed earlier than usual this past Friday night. It didn't take long to realize that this night was going to be a little different than the others. At 6:15, there were already three Pinkos on site, a rare occurrence. By 7:00, they had amassed 15 people.

CodePink early arrivals (click on photos to enlarge):

CodePink Pickets Balboa -- [Smash]
LAST MONDAY, I came across a group of protesters picketing outside Balboa Naval Hospital. I asked why they were there, and they told me it was because President Bush was visiting. I assumed that it was a one-time event.

I was wrong.

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Bush rhetoric bends truth -- (Gulf News)... AP
The Iraqi insurgency is in its last throes. The economy is booming. Anybody who leaks a CIA agent's identity will be fired. Add another piece of White House rhetoric that...

THE MEDIA

Kanye West and the NBC Telethon in the LA Times -- [A Soldier's Angel - Holly Aho]
I came across this article today in the LA Times, 'The Show Didn't Benefit by Censors', which discusses West's off script comments during the NBC's "A Concert for Hurricane Relief". This article is almost as stupid as just about everything else I'm reading when it comes to the circus of the hurricane aftermath.

The entire article is stupid, but let's look real quick at the third & second to last paragraph: ...

Not News -- [Outside the Beltway]
In a country where more people get their news from Entertainment Tonight than any other source, this is a valid headline:

Lance Armstrong Engaged to Sheryl Crow (Reuters)

On my "My Yahoo" page Reuters is running this story second...

CONGRATS

$5000!!!!! and now $5425!!!!! (UPDATE) -- [Babalu Blog]
One last angelic Babalu reader put us over the top!!! We're at (UPDATE: and past) the $5000 mark - we did it! One last reader took care of business. UPDATE: And since that, six more Babalu saints for New Orleans have marched in, making the total $5425!!!!! But everyone opened their hearts and their wallets toward this.

Now Babalu ranks in the top 20 of the blogosphere for donations! But if you are still thinking of donating - do it - this is a big one and the charities are going to need all the help they can get. What a great job!

One Month Anniversary. -- [Where I Stand]
One month, twenty posts, and 2900 hits. Not too bad for a first month. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to review my opinions especially those who left appropriate comments. For those who left inappropriate comments, I still have the power of deletion .

WELCOME HOME

A fond Farewell -- [NEW MILBLOGGER! - It's a living... sorta - in Iraq]
To my friend...
hadn't seen you in a couple of years, but when we met again not long ago it was like you'd never left. Now we must part company again. Why? ...
... this will be my last entry from my current location. This afternoon I will begin a journey that will take me half-way around the world and may take over a week. Thank you for all of your support and prayers while I've been gone from my family and friends. The next time I sign on I will no longer be "Bill in Iraq." I will be "Bill in California!" Cheers!

Finally -- [NEW MILBLOGGER!-There and Back Again - in Iraq]
Finally the time has come for us to pack things up and head off for the next year. We are leaving sometime Sunday or Monday. Up until this point, all of the preparation and training has seemed like dream. Now that we are on the brink of leaving, I begin to wonder if I have spent enough time preparing and how I am going to be able to cope with another year away from the ones I love

HUMOR

The "Disaster Porn" Stars of Cable News (Part I) -- (WuzzaDem)
Let's bring in Jack Cafferty now. Jack, was there a - I want to choose my words carefully, here - was there a failure on the part of the Governor of...

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