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

Chemical Weapons Alert! -- [Iraq the Model - an Iraqi In Iraq]
Al-Arabiya TV has breaking news about the operations in Tal-Afar saying that Al-Qaeda in Iraq is threatening to use chemical weapons!!
No details so far.

Update:

Al-Arabiya says...

Battle for Mosul: Progress Report -- [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
?Bad timing," explained LTC Erik Kurilla, lying in his hospital bed at the Madigan Army Hospital in Fort Lewis, Washington, recovering from gunshot wounds suffered in combat in Mosul on 19 Aug, 2005... "I wanted to be there with my soldiers until the end, keeping our boot on the enemy's neck and pushing his back up against a wall, right until the very last minute,"...

Always Watching -- [Faces from the Front - JD's Blog - in Iraq]
?They could be planting a dozen IED?s down there.?

The illumination grenade came out of Sgt. Nawrocki?s M-203 grenade launcher with a pop, and the flickering golden light sent the Iraqis scurrying.

WEEKLY ROLL-UP - Sunday, September 11, 2005 -- [NEW MILbLOGGER!- Weekly Newsletters from SSG Paul Farr in Iraq]
...Also this week, we attended a very important meeting with about 50 Sheiks and village representatives from all over our Area of Responsibility. The purpose was to address some security issues and concerns we have around our base camp. Many of you already know we were hit with mortar fire a couple of weeks ago. Not to mention we?ve had some IEDs (roadside bombs) targeting our patrols and convoys. The message conveyed to the attendees was that if they can?t get a handle on the insurgent problem and quit harboring them, there would be no more projects, to include shutting down the projects about to get started. And, we would be forced to conduct more aggressive combat operations, something the local villages surely would not enjoy, and something those of us who have been fostering a positive relationship would not enjoy. That point sunk in and a ?concerned citizen? warned our forces of an IED near one of our patrol routes. Thankfully, the IED exploded prematurely before any of our troops or Iraqi Forces stumbled across it. The team conveys the same message every time we go out; if you take care of us, we?ll take care of you.

Marine saved by combat protective gear -- [Live in Iraq]
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Sept. 12, 2005) -- Marines from Company A, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion were recently hit with a roadside bomb while convoying back to Camp Fallujah. Thanks to the protective gear the Marines wore, there were no fatalities.

How to Hide a Power Plant -- [Jon Jivan - in Iraq]
For eight years (1980-1988), the Iraq/Iran War ravaged the two neighboring nations taking away the lives of one and a half million people. Essential to the Iraqi strategy was the operation of Saddam Airbase in Northern Iraq: a base that housed many of Iraq?s MIG and Mirage fighter jets. Because of Iran?s ability to send in missiles and aircraft of their own deep into Iraqi territory, Iraq littered the base with hardened bunkers, hangers? and a hidden power plant.

The Silence of the Lambs -- [365 and a Wake Up - in Iraq]
...A minute later the cook wheeled out an enormous steaming pot ? his sweaty face beaming with the singular pride of a father bringing a Thanksgiving turkey to the table. He wheeled the pot over to CPT Mac and carefully placed the main course in the middle of the bowl. The cooks obvious pride in his culinary masterpiece did little to assuage CPT Mac?s shock when he realized his meal was staring back at him. To his credit CPT Mac didn?t let the Iraqi?s see his sudden wave of nausea, but in that instant all the Americans suddenly regretted asking their hosts for an authentic Iraqi dinner.
...By this point the Iraqis could no longer contain themselves, and the entire scene started to look like a clip from an Indiana Jones movie. The Iraqis used their bare hands to eagerly tear chunks ...

With the help of his interpreter -- [Weekly Newsletters from SSG Paul Farr in Iraq]
"SSG Farr with the help of his interpreter, explain to villagers the process for getting projects nominated by the Iraqi government. As I have explained in the past, the Coalition Forces were able to build schools or work on other projects without really including the Iraqi government in the process. Now with a legitimate government in place, we educate the people on how to use their government and make them work for the people. We also tell them if the people they elected can?t help them, then to vote them out of office. I?ve even encouraged some of the more vocal people to run for office?Central Iraq, 31AUG05"(pic)

Iraq Report, 12 Sep/05 -- [Winds of Change - Andrew Olmsted ]
Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from Iraq that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. This briefing is brought to you by Joel Gaines of No Pundit Intended and Andrew Olmsted of Andrew Olmsted dot com.

Good Help Is Hard To Find -- [MREater - in Iraq]
Walking along the gravel road near our CHUs, I saw the cleaning crew spread out and working in various bathrooms and showers. The crew is composed of locals, supervised by a civilian, and overwatched by soldiers, which the soldiers call TCN (Third Country National) duty. I walked by the civilian, who was saying to the soldier ?Look at ?em. Diggin' for gold. None of ?em got a damn thing.?

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Militants put price on Iraqi PM's head -- (Reuters)
DUBAI - An Iraqi militant group has offered up to $100,000 for killing the prime minister and top officials who launched an offensive on rebels in a northern town, according to an Internet statement posted on Monday. Full Article

As Offensive in Iraq Continues, Troops Find Unexpected Quiet -- (The Washington Post)... Jonathan Finer
TALL AFAR, Iraq, Sept. 11 -- For the second day, U.S. and Iraqi forces mounting a large-scale offensive in this northwestern city had little contact with insurgents Sunday, as troops conducted house-to-house searches through largely abandoned neighborhoods and detained a handful of young men

More Than 150 Insurgents Killed in Iraq -- (AP)... JACOB SILBERBERG
TAL AFAR, Iraq - Insurgents melted into the countryside through a network of tunnels to escape an Iraqi-U.S. force that reported killing about 150 rebels while storming the militant bastion of Tal Afar. Following the classic guerrilla retreat on Sunday, the city has now been swept clear of extremists for the second time in a year. Iraqi and U.S. military leaders vowed to redouble efforts to crush insurgents operating all along the Syrian frontier and in the Euphrates River valley

Iraq's president sees Iraqi society united -- (Arabic News)
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani says the vocal disagreement between different ethnic and religious communities in Iraq should not be interpreted as a sign of civil discord...

IRAQ: FALLUJAH TO GET 46 MILLION DOLLAR HOSPITAL -- (AKI)
Baghdad, 9 Sept. - The Iraqi government has set aside 46 million dollars to build a new hospital in Fallujah, the central Iraqi city destroyed in the US military offensive in November last year. "The building of this hospital has a strong symbolic value becase it is happening in a city which has suffered a lot of oppression and tyranny," said industry minister Asama al-Najafi at the ceremony to mark the placing of the first stone of the building.

AFGHANISTAN

Supporting the Provincial Elections -- [Fortunate Son - in Afghanistan]
The Afghan people are on the verge of yet another unprecedented and historic election on 18 September where they will elect their provincial leadership (think: Senators and Congressmen). Our team has been out in the streets of Nangarhar province polling the locals and handing out a paper called "Peace Radio" which promotes rule of law, Afghan nationalism and contains information about the elections.

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Afghan vote a milestone but democracy fragile -- (Reuters)...David Brunnstrom
KABUL, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Millions of Afghans will vote next Sunday for a national assembly and provincial councils, a milestone in Afghanistan's difficult path to stability after the fall of the Taliban.

The vote will be a step forward to broadening representative government but analysts say the fledgling democracy remains fragile and many years of international support will be needed before it can stand on its own.

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

MSM REPORTS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Koizumi Wins Japan Election by Landslide -- (AP)...HANS GREIMEL
TOKYO - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's triumph in parliamentary polls handed the leader a new mandate Monday to harness his revitalized ruling party and turn promises into action for a range of sweeping economic reforms. His landslide victory Sunday boosted his Liberal Democratic Party's standing in the lawmaking lower house by nearly 20 percent and gave ruling lawmakers a two-thirds majority - along with a coalition partner - to override votes in a still-hostile upper house.

MIDDLE EAST: ISRAELI GAZA OCCUPATION OVER AFTER 38 YEARS -- (AKI)
Gaza, 12 Sept. - The last Israeli soldiers left Gaza on Monday morning, bringing to an end 38 years of occupation on the Strip. The last military vehicle crossed the Kissufim pass shortly after 7am, and at 7.03am General Aviv Kochavi, commander of the Israeli forces in Gaza closed the Kissufim gate, saying at a brief ceremony: "The mission has been completed and an era has ended." The thousands of soldiers still in the Gaza Strip had been given the order...

KATRINA

Hurricane Katrina Memorial, Inspired by the Flight 93 Memorial --[Soldiers' Angel - Holly Aho]
Inspired by the Flight 93 Memorial a call went out for a round-up of ideas for a Katrina Memorial. Despite heavy competition from over 1,000 architectual firms and private citizens, one stands out above the rest for its creative and meaningful design:
...When asked if he'd noticed that his design bears a striking and perhaps inappropriate resemblance to a hurricane he had this to say...

Day 233 - Good News Sunday -- [Wayne's World - Blue Star Mom]
For this week?s Good News, it doesn?t get much better than a preview of Rick Reily's column to be published in this week's Sports Illustrated.
...Sports? No, sports had absolutely nothing to do with the Gulf Coast's trying to survive Hurricane Katrina.

Except that while the fifth-ranked LSU football team practiced in Baton Rouge, about 80 miles northwest of New Orleans, the coaches were hollering above the drone of helicopters, 20 in all, dropping off evacuees.

Except the infield of the outdoor track was being used as a heliport 24
hours a day.

Real Americans -- [Hurl's Blog - in Iraq]
A reader of this blog has been sending me numerous stories about the way Americans in Mississippi have been responding and working together to overcome the devastation of Katrina. The stories also tell of the Americans from all over who have joined together in helping and supporting these people.

These are stories you are not likely to read or hear in the main-stream print or TV media. This particular reader made the astute observation that, just like the MSM does not report the truth in Iraq, it appears they also are failing to report the truth in the aftermath of Katrina.

MSM REPORTS ON KATRINA

Lack of plan hurt Katrina-hit states' response -- (Palm Beach Post)...Dara Kam, Alan Gomez
HT: to reader Dave
TALLAHASSEE ? One thing Florida knows is hurricanes.
Florida emergency planners criticized and even rebuked their counterparts -- or what passes for emergency planners -- in those states for their handling of Hurricane Katrina. Gov. Jeb Bush, the head of Florida AHCA and the head of Florida wildlife (which is responsible for all search and rescue) all said they made offers of aid to Mississippi and Louisiana the day before Katrina hit but were rebuffed. After the storm, they said they've had to not only help provide people to those states but also have had to develop search and rescue plans for them. "They were completely unprepared -- as bad off as we were before Andrew," one Florida official said.

Sorry Mr President, Katrina is not 9/11 -- (The Guardian)
Slipstreaming behind the annual rituals of sorrow and reverence for 9/11, George W Bush has decreed that, five days later, on the 16th, there is to be a further day of solemnities on which the nation will pray for the unnumbered victims of Hurricane Katrina. Prayers (like vacations) are the default mode for this president who knows how to chuckle and bow the head in the midst of disaster but not, when it counts, how to govern or to command. If you feel the prickly heat of politics, summon a hymn to make it go away; make accountability seem a blasphemy.

Katrina Pushes Issues of Race and Poverty at Bush -- (The Washington Post)...Michael A. Fletcher
Hurricane Katrina has thrust the twin issues of race and poverty at President Bush, who faces steep challenges in dealing with both because of a domestic agenda that envisions deep cuts in long-standing anti-poverty programs and relationships with many black leaders frayed by years of mutual suspicion.

'I Don't Think I've Ever Had A More Surreal Experience' -- (The Washington Post)
Veteran Rescue Workers Surprised by Challenges in Louisiana

Firms with Bush ties snag Katrina deals -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON - Companies with ties to the Bush White House and the former head of FEMA are clinching some of the administration's first disaster relief and reconstruction contracts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
At least two major corporate clients of lobbyist Joe Allbaugh, President George W. Bush's former campaign manager and a former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, have already been tapped to start recovery work along the battered Gulf Coast.

Hopelessness Begins to Lift in New Orleans -- (AP)...BRETT MARTEL
NEW ORLEANS -- Though 50 percent of New Orleans remains flooded and teams are still working to recover the dead, there are signs that hopelessness is beginning to lift two weeks after Hurricane Katrina plowed ashore.

TERRORISM

CT Blog Experts on the 9/11 Anniversary: Four Years Later, Are We Safer? -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
On Thursday, the Counterterrorism Blog held a live panel discussion titled, "Four Years Later: Are We Safer?" Rep. James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, gave the opening remarks, and Rep. Bennie Thompson, ranking Member of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, provided written remarks for the event. On the fourth anniversary of the deadly attacks which changed the world, Contributing Experts Dennis Lormel, Michael Cutler, Michael Kraft, Victor Comras, and Douglas Farah share their written statements on the subject (Zeyno Baran's post below includes a portion of her presentation at the panel).

MSM REPORTS ON TERRORISM

Tape Warns Of Attacks On Cities -- (The Washington Post)...AP
NEW YORK, Sept. 11 -- A tape delivered to ABC News in Pakistan this weekend features a masked man making terrorist threats against Los Angeles and Australia.

ABC News reported that the man is believed to be Adam Yahiye Gadahn, a Californian purported to be an al Qaeda member and wanted by the FBI. The CIA said Sunday it is aware of the report but had no immediate comment about the tape's authenticity.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS

Received Our Handmade Bracelets Today! -- [Soldiers' Angel - Holly Aho]
If you missed this post in my blog about the soldiers making handmade bracelets from parachute cords and buttons from their uniforms go back and read it now! My mom ordered one for each member of our family, including each of my little boys, and they just arrived today. My bracelet is dark green and white, as is my mom's, and the boys' are light and dark green. They are beautifully made, great craftsmanship, and were a perfect fit. My mom had to give them sizes for my 2 year old, and my other small boys, and their tiny bracelets are so cute!! They fit perfectly!

Each bracelet is only $5, which includes shipping, and is made by soldiers currently stationed in Iraq.

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Kilgore Can't Count On a Lift from Bush -- (The Washington Post)
President's Rating Lags Among Va. Voters

THE MEDIA

Reuters: Practicing what it calls journalism -- [TigerHawk]
From a Reuters photo caption from this afternoon:

Iraq closed its border with Syria on Sunday to stop what it calls foreign fighters entering the country, as a U.S.-backed military operation to wipe out suspected terrorists in the city of Tal Afar continued.

Reuters, practicing what it calls journalism,

Boycott Yahoo! -- [Pepple Pie - Blue Star Mom]
Dump their email addresses if you've got them, or fill them with junk, but for God's sake don't use Yahoo email addresses to send any kind of "real" or especially sensitive information as Yahoo will happily divulge your private information, location, IP address and even the original email message so that you would get deep, very deep in the shit.
Thank you Yahoo.

Information supplied by Yahoo ! helped journalist Shi Tao get 10 years in prison

MSM REPORTS ON THE MEDIA

MEDIA: ALJAZEERA TO SCREEN FAHRENHEIT 9/11 -- (AKI)
Doha, 9 Sept. - Arabic satellite broadcaster al-Jazeera is planning to screen the controversial video-documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, by American director Michael Moore, on Sunday, the fourth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. The film has been scheduled for prime time, with an 8pm slot.

Chat From the War Zone -- (LA Times)...Chris Gaither
With the hiring of blogger-journalist Kevin Sites, Yahoo is set to compete with TV news.
Yahoo Inc. has been talking like a major media company. Today it will start acting like one.

Ten months after Lloyd Braun, former chairman of the ABC television network, began plotting the company's content strategy, the Internet giant plans to announce today the first of many original programs expected to come from the Yahoo Media Group headquarters in Santa Monica

IN MEMORY OF 9/11

9/11 Hate Fest in South Korea -- GI Korea Blog - in S Korea]
The Korean media is now all over the violence in Inchon. What I find ironic is that the past week I have had many Korean people ask me how such violence can happen in New Orleans after a hurricane and say such a thing would never happen in Korea. Then I see violence like this; it just makes me wonder if Koreans are any different from the people in Louisiana:

9/11 -- [Major K - in Iraq]
...Four years ago today, we decided that we had had enough and were not going to take it anymore. This war has been raging for over twenty years. Four years ago, we started fighting back. This is bigger than Al Qaeda, Afghanistan, the Taliban, Iraq, Zarqawi and the Ba'athists. Everyone of them, however, is an indispensible part of this war. Today, I am glad to be here more than any other day.

Do you know what day it is? (or The Global War on Terror Generation) -- [Courafe without Fear - in Iraq]
September 11, 2005 is one of those days that people who lived through it will remember for the rest of their lives. Like Pearl Harbor was for my Grandparents generation, The Greatest Generation. Using that analogy, I guess we're the Global War on Terror Generation.

Most of 9/11 is still a blur for me. I recall seeing the TV on a break from a fire training class. I remember the instructors, both Vietnam Vets, not being able to talk much. I remember a hasty cell phone call to my National Guard Armory and CPT Bowser, my CO at the time. I remember hearing about the plane crashing in Pennsylvania, and...

"America Remembers" "Patriot Day" or "9/11" -- [Dave's Not Here - in Iraq]
In late 2001 President George Bush signed into law a bill proposing that 9/11 forever be known as a day of remembrance called Patriot Day.

I'm not sure I like the choice of names, and it's obvious that the people of the US haven't adopted the name. Some say it should be called "America Remembers," but is that name really any more fitting?

Lest we forget 9/11 -- [Two Blue Lines]
...Today, I remember why my husband has been separated from his family for the last 15 months. Today, I thank God that my family is safe and that my husband is honorable enough to help make that happen.

IN MEMORIAM: RESCUE 9-11 -- AMERICAN CITIZEN SOLDIER - in Iraq]
...Many wish to resume the policy of strategic retreat. To them, nothing is worth the specter of war, not even the wholesale slaughter of their fellow citizens. Terrorists counted on America to remain passive.

9/11 NOT FORGOTTEN -- [2005 Tour of Duty - in Iraq]
The local baker made a cake in remembrance of the terrorist attack on 9/11. It also commended the brave police officers of the NYPD and courageous Fireman who served during the day of the attack. I thank all Americans for their continued support...

We Will Never Forget - A Sept 11 Video Tribute -- [Soldiers' Angel - Holly Aho]
Ok, you know me and videos...I enjoy making them. I had no intention of making one for 9/11 until I started reading the blogs yesterday. You know, I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the news on September 11, and I remember watching the news as the horror unfolded. But that is not a good enough retrospective look.

September 11, 2003 -- [Winds of Change - Joe Katzman]
9/11: Anniversary & Remembrance
N.B. (See also the 2004-2005 roundup, which is even more comprehensive and organized. Many of the links here that are still valid are also included there.)

Amidst the clamour and tumult of all the 9/11 related posts over the past 2 years, some in particular have deeply impressed me. Allow me to share a few with you...

Four Years -- [Neptunus Lex]
It?s hard to believe it?s only been four years.
Four years ago we stared at the television screens in shock and anger, teary-eyed, uncomprehending, lacking the vocabulary. We watched the endless loops of those buildings coming down, the Pentagon on fire, a field in rural Pennsylvania. Four years ago our children looked to us with questioning eyes, asking us wordessly how this could happen. Four years ago we did not quite know how to answer them.

Not Fearing the Reaper -- [Baldilocks]
Death. You?re thinking about it; so am I. How to stave it off, how not to die of a painful and/or debilitating illness and, most of all, how not to perish in a disaster, whether that disaster is of human or divine origin.

Surely, you can see the contradiction in that. We exercise, eat right, don?t smoke/quit smoking, use anti-aging potions and have work done to try to look good and keep our old age comfortable, but if we?re going to die young in some large- or small-scale disaster, we don?t have to worry about any of that anyway. Yet, we view dying young as incredibly tragic.

9/11 -- [Argghhh!]
Take a moment, ponder the event and the impact it's had on our lives - 9/11 echoes in the response to Katrina.

Remember the Day...(pic)

and that while we fight...(pic)

We also build - and in some cases, fight so we *can* build.(pic)

Sometimes, we ...

September 11, 2005 We will never forget
The following is reposted from last year with some new links at the bottom

On September 11th, 2001 my son was at Fort Sam Houston, Texas in Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) for his specialty as a Combat Medic. A month later, he was heading home for leave prior to his first duty assignment with the 1st Cavalry Division. We made arrangements to meet in NYC where we would spend the night before taking a plane home the next morning. I told him that he would soon be going to war and I wanted him to see what it was he would be fighting for. We would visit "Ground Zero", the site of the World Trade Center attack. We ate in Times Square and when we were done, we headed for the subway station to take the train downtown. On the way, we found a statue that was to be delivered to a fire station, abandoned for the time being in the street. It had been turned into a shrine; the first of many we would encounter on our trip into the heart of darkness.

Not yet...for me, at least -- [Cowboy Blob's Saloon, Smokehouse, and Shootin Gallery]
Tomorrow night I can finally feel right about commemorating Patriots' Day. You see, on that fateful day 4 years ago, I had just finished watching the Armed Forces Korea Network's taped broadcast of Monday Night Football on Tuesday night. I had a good beer buzz going, snug in my off-base contract housing apartment. The game had just finished and I changed the channel to get the news before bed, only to see an airliner crash into the first Tower. I don't know how old that footage was, but when the second airliner hit, it was live.

I knew we were at war. I knew I was going to get recalled to base shortly. When my phone didn't ring immediately, I turned off the TV and went to bed. Thankfully, the beer let me get some sleep. Whether it was through incompetence or wisdom, the powers-that-were didn't launch the general recall until early the next morning.

I awoke clearheaded and alert, knowing I was in for a long day. I was the last one into the office; most of my NCO trainers and their airmen trainees lived in the barracks on base. The big TV that usually displayed exercise messages was tuned to CNN and everybody was quiet, ...

It's That Date Again... -- [Fuzzilicious]
So much has been said and written about what happened in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania on that awful day. I have no great insights to add or new information to share. But I offer this: I did not forget what I knew and understood by the end of that day. And I will never forget. I will remember the heroes, mourn the victims, and ponder the lessons. I will never forget.

I wrote the following essay a couple days after the first anniversary of the attacks on 9-11-01. On the actual anniversary I...

Our After 9/11 site is online -- [Mr Snitch]
The 9/11 site & video clip are now up. No burning buildings, no rubble, no explosions, no speeches, no screeches, no Bin Laden, no bodies. Just a remembrance of some people whose lives were cut short through no fault of their own, with poignant candid snapshots from their lives, and music.

Heads in the sand...Or heads up their asses? -- [A North American Patriot]
On the Deranged Underground there was absolutely NO MENTION of 9/11, not even in the discussion forums except one snarky comment, calling the 9/11 Freedom March a 'fascist spectacle'...Clearly indicating that none of their commentators actually know what the word 'fascist' or 'freedom' really mean, in the English language.

The Daily Kos waited all day, before making a brief mention about the attack in a post written for the purpose of whining about 'Saddam having nothing to do with 9/11'...
...The great Arianna Huffington made it as a brief mention, in a sidebar..."On the fourth anniversary of 9/11, we look back at a week dominated by another tragedy..." and proceeds to list off posts relating to how Bush bungled the Katrina relief effort. That's it!

NEVER FORGET. NEVER AGAIN. -- [The Patriot]
The people below were sons, daughters, moms, dads, husbands, wives, sisters, brothers, girlfriends, boyfriends, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers, policemen, firemen, airline employees, brokers, soldiers, sailors, bankers, pilots, etc...
-human beings going about their day just like you and me-
and all of them were victims of the terrorist attacks
against America committed by cowards on
September 11, 2001:

MSM REPORTS ON MEMORY OF 9/11

Terror war all but forgotten on home front -- (Chicago Times)...Mark Steyn

Enduring a Kinship of Loss -- (The Washington Post)...Ceci Connolly
Sept. 11 Emergency Teams Mark Anniversary in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 11 -- Gerry McCarty lost 70 friends in the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and to this day, the former New York City police officer cannot travel past Ground Zero.

"I don't go down there," he said Sunday, visibly steeling himself for questions he'd rather not contemplate. "I don't drive by. I don't walk by."

Pentagon rally mixes remembrance, Bush support -- (USA Today)...AP
It was a demonstration unlike legions of others in the capital. The T-shirts were Pentagon-approved, signs were banned and Cabinet secretaries, usually the target of protest, cheered on the throngs.

CONGRATS

TARA -- [A Soldier's Thoughts - in Iraq]
Five years ago today was the day I was married to the most amazing woman. There were many things that I didn't know about her then that I do know now.

I didn't know that I would love her more now than I could ever love her then.

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