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

Pizza and heart rates --[MREater - in Iraq]
I have a wide variety of duties, and a couple of nights ago my duty was dumpster diving. We had an allegation of wrongdoing, the evidence of which was supposed to show up in the trash. It didn?t, but I was otherwise surprised by what I saw.

Email from Iraq --[My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy]
I think you would be amazed at the morale of the young military people here. I know I am. I?ve been in for over 28 years and I have seen good and bad. These youngsters are getting the job done in a way I would never have imagined...

Grief --[365 and a Wakeup]
Tonight our grief collapsed into a singularity, centered on a simple memorial in the center of a drab slab of concrete. A memorial to three fallen brothers; SSG Daniel Scheile, SGT Paul Neubauer, and SGT Michael Sonoda.

47. And the Horrendous Monster, All of a Sudden, Stirred (Part 1) & 48. And the Horrendous Monster, All of a Sudden, Stirred / Part Two --[Ishtarria - an Iraqi in Iraq H/T Iraq the Model]
Thickly moustached, as was common among the regime?s angels of punishments, he was somewhere in his thirties, tall, slim and good-looking with a fair complexion. He was dressed in what seemed to be a fashionably big-ticket suit that matched nicely his shirt and his tie. His accent instantaneously betrayed his Tikriti origin, and marked him as of the same hometown as the dictator and the majority of his retinue.

BAGHDAD, BEFORE AND AFTER ! --[Treasure of Baghdad - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Several great before and after pics in this post.

Washington Post Discovers Zarqawi?s Lead Role In Iraq --[Austin Bay Blog]
This story isn?t exactly news, but kudos to the Washington Post for reporting it. Zarqawi began ?hijacking? the Iraqi insurgency in the spring of 2004? to stir the Shia-Sunni civil war he mentioned in his infamous letter to his Al Qaeda seniors.

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Iraqi woman bomber kills army recruits --[Reuters]
A female suicide bomber blew herself up outside a U.S. military office in the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar on Wednesday, killing herself and at least five other people and wounding 53, police said.

Iraqis call Lynndie England jail term travesty --[Reuters]
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqis expressed fury on Wednesday over the three-year jail sentence for Lynndie England, the U.S. soldier notorious for holding a naked inmate by a leash in Abu Ghraib prison, saying it exposed American hypocrisy.

Denmark to Send Three Helicopters to Iraq --[Defense News]
The Danish military has decided to boost its presence in Iraq with three unarmed helicopters and 25 crew, after parliament gave the green light on Sept. 27, the military said.

AFGHANISTAN

Kabul Serena Hotel and The Reawakening of Afghanistan --[Frisko Dude]
It always amazes me when I hear about some new hotel under construction in a former war zone such as Afghanistan, but I was just pointed in that direction from an Afghan travel story in this week's New York Times.

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Suspect in Afghan Italian kidnapping arrested again --[Reuters]
suspected mastermind of the kidnapping of an Italian aid worker is re-arrested weeks after being freed through the intervention of an army general.

At least six Afghan soldiers hurt in Kabul blast --[Reuters]
An explosion hit buses carrying Afghan troops leaving a training camp on the outskirts of the capital Kabul on Wednesday, wounding at least six soldiers, police said.

German Defense Minister: Troops Still Needed in Afghanistan --[Defense News]
Defense Minister Peter Struck said he expected the German parliament to extend the mandate of troops serving in Afghanistan by one year when it votes on Sept. 28.
?The situation in Afghanistan demands that German soldiers must remain there,? Struck told ZDF television.

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

That explains it --[Riding Sun]
We all know (if we listen to anti-war protesters) that President Bush invaded Iraq, and is eyeballing Iran, because he wants their oil. But why has he taken such a hard line on North Korea? The Japan Times has the answer...

The fifth anniversary of the second intifada --[Tiger Hawk]
The Palestinian Arabs launched their so-called "second intifada" against Israel five years ago today, on September 28, 2000, 348 days before al Qaeda attacked New York and Washington.

MSM REPORTS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Israel launches new air strikes in Gaza --[Reuters]
Israel launched missile strikes that knocked out power to thousands of Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday as it pressed an offensive to halt cross-border rocket fire two weeks after its withdrawal from the strip.

Britain Rules Out Military Action on Iran --[AP]
Military action against Iran is inconceivable and diplomacy could still end the international standoff over Tehran's nuclear program, said British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, whose country plays a key role in negotiations.

TERRORISM

"Abu Azzam": Is He Really Al-Qaida's No. 2 in Iraq? --[The Counterterrorism Blog]
While there is no doubt that Abu Azzam is a relatively influential figure within Al-Qaida's local Baghdad network, there are several cogent reasons to question his purported title as "Number 2."

Jihad from Jail: Kevin James Pleads Not Guilty --[The Counterterrorism Blog]
Their targets allegedly included military bases and recruitment centers, synagogues, the Israeli Consulate, and El Al airline facilities. This case is significant for many reasons, not least of which is the fact that it's the first alleged terrorist plot since 9/11 to be hatched in a U.S. prison cell.

Al Qaeda stalks the Paris metro --[Tiger Hawk]
Surely this is powerful evidence that opting out of Operation Iraqi Freedom doesn't earn a free pass from the jihadis...

MSM REPORTS ON TERRORISM

Negroponte Says Terror Database Is Working --[AP]
New York City police were led to a possible al-Qaida associate last month after a search of a federal terror database during a routine traffic search, National Intelligence Director John D. Negroponte said Tuesday.

Training called key for finding biological terrorism --[Boston Globe]
The lesson of the 2001 anthrax attacks, when four patients were sent home without a diagnosis, has not been learned, Sisson said.
States and medical residency programs should require bioterrorism training for doctors, he said.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Honoring Military Families --[Andi's World]
I have never been hugged and kissed by so many strangers in all my life. Everyone wanted to make sure that our military families were truly honored. I can safely say, Mission Accomplished. (pics)

The Moronic Convergence Diverges --[Winds of Change]
My friends Rona and Mark went to DC and took photos of the pro-soldier counter-protest and the antiwar protest. Many inventive signs and t-shirts.
Not that evident from the DC event is that the antiwar coalition is beginning to fray at the edges just a bit.

Operator, operator, I'm so glad you found me home... --[Soldier's Mom]
I think back to the days before he was injured and was still in Iraq. Each hour that we didn?t hear -- whether the instant messenger was silent or the phone didn?t ring ? one drip from a faucet into a million gallon bucket ? not fast enough, not soon enough, not often enough. It?s a bucket that can never be filled. And we suffer these terrible addiction-like responses, too ? you crave and demand and NEED to hear from your soldier.

An Update on Kyle --[Soldiers Angel - Holly Aho]
I had the opportunity to talk with Kyle today on the phone. I hadn't had the opportunity to visit him the last 3 weeks due to the construction we are doing on our home, and it was driving me nuts not knowing how he is doing lately. So I gave Kyle's mother a call to check up on things and she was at the hospital visiting Kyle at the time. Now let me tell you, I'm learning new things every day.

MSM REPORTS ON SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS...OR NOT

Honor lines road for fallen soldier --[Lexington Herald-Leader]
HARLAN - Students from Cawood High School, hospital employees and others turned out to line the roadway as Sgt. Matthew L. Deckard's body was carried to its final resting place yesterday.

MILITARY

New Advertising Campaign For Marines --[Patriot Voices]
On October 1, the Marine Corps will debut its latest television commercial, ?Diamond,? in front of a nationwide television audience. (pic)

I don't normally do this . . . --[An American in Italy]
All I can say is that I'm disappointed to know that an army spouse holds this defeatist attitude. Yes, the Army world can sometimes be difficult to move through, but if you hold true to your own self esteem and beliefs you can make the system work for you, not against you.

POLITICS

Thoughts on a local discussion forum --[Eric's Grumbles Before The Grave]
I answered the points more or less in order. His points were:
-The free market failed in the 19th century.
-Government schools are good.
-Government protects us from evil doers
-Government provides a social "safety net" for citizens...

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Brown blames locals for Katrina response --[Reuters]
The former head of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, who resigned under a hail of criticism over the slow response to Hurricane Katrina, blamed local officials on Tuesday and said his agency had done a good job.

Blanco Goes to D.C. to Answer Brown Charge --[AP]
Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco will appear before a Senate panel this morning, but she's already come out swinging against former FEMA head Michael Brown.

GOP Hopes for Another Smooth Confirmation --[AP]
Now that John Roberts is assured of becoming the newest Supreme Court chief justice, Republicans are pointing to the conservative judge's confirmation process as the way future candidates should be treated.

Sen. Hillary Clinton Seeking Donations --[AP]
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is asking her backers to step up their donations, saying opponents of her 2006 re-election effort "will raise and spend hundreds of millions of dollars against me."

THE MEDIA

"Those People at That Point Needed Help No Matter What Was True" --[Media Blog]
Now take that last statement apart from the particular circumstances of Hurricane Katrina and the Convention Center. Is it okay for a journalist to report things even if they are false or exaggerated, as long as the reporting helps needy people?

Matthews Plays Wiffle Ball with Sheehan --[Media Blog]
Chris Matthews just had Cindy Sheehan on "Hardball." This is Matthews' idea of a hardball interview, I guess...

A tip of the hat to CBS --[The Anchoress]
I can testify to the difficulty of being a nobody blogger trying to nail down facts, and the serious advantage a newsgatherer has when they can call Max Mayfield at the National Hurricane Center, declare they are calling from CBS news, and get someone credible on the phone to confirm or deny a rumor that is flying through the internet...But it is precisely because the MSM does have premier access to sources and the patina of professionalim on their side that any evidence of journalistic laziness, of expedition-over-firm-exposition is really inexcusable.

Libel Memorandum Attributed Falsely to Court Nominee --[NY Times]
Judge John G. Roberts Jr., nominated to be chief justice of the United States, was not the author of an unsigned memorandum on libel law that was the focus of an article published in The New York Times yesterday. The Times erroneously attributed it to him.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD/HUMOR

It's humor, folks, it's humor --[Tidewater Musings]
It's only a joke, folks, it's only a joke.
And if you don't have a sense of humor or feel that any humor directed at the Commander-in-Chief is inappropriate, read no further. (pic)
MG Note: It is a pretty funny picture

'Dead women' elected as councilors --[Reuters]
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Police in northwestern Pakistan have launched an inquiry after complaints about two dead women being declared elected in a local election held last month, election officials said Monday.

Cindy Sheehan Arrested, Forced to Live Indoors --[Scrappleface]
Washington D.C. police today arrested anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan, forcing her to live indoors, at least temporarily...A police spokesman said the perpetually-grieving peace icon would eventually "be released into the wild."

Fearless Nazi Hunter ?Supported Troops, Not Mission? --[Point Five]
Less well known, but certainly as important, another Nazi hunter was memorialized this week. Hans Schroder, whose stirring rallying cry was, "I support the Nazi troops, but not their mission," was remembered on the National Mall on Sunday by leaders and speakers at the anti-war protests sponsored by ANSWER and United for Peace and Justice.

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