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

Update: Iraq Constitutional Referendum Dispatch -- [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
My dispatch entitled ?Purple Fingers," covering the Iraqi Constitutional Referendum, is finished. An excerpted version will be published in ?The Weekly Standard? on Monday, 24 October 2005. The complete dispatch will be published here on the same day.

Sorry for... -- [Ma Deuce Gunner - in Iraq]
...I will try and do one more interview with my interpreters before I leave. I would like for the questions to come from you, my readers. Please leave your questions in the comments of this post. Deadline for submission of questions is: 0800 EST, 22 October, 2005. Thanks.

THE OATH -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
Today was a good day. We sat as the sun went down and ended this Thursday. Smoking a cigar we listened to the many different prayers being broadcasted through the area. Not much fighting had gone on around us for the day but yesterday a SBVIED and numerous IEDs took their toll.

May you find peace -- [Six more months - in Iraq]
Because the core of my job is controlling access to the camp, I have met thousands of Iraqis over the past 9 months. Many I speak to for a moment, just to determine what their business is and to make a quick decision about one time access, most for about 10 minutes to interview them prior to granting them longer term access. The Iraqis I know best are the interpreters, my own and those who work for other units here on the camp.

The trial, as some Iraqis see it... -- [Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in Iraq]
The hot topic in Baghdad today is Saddam?s trial and one can easily see opinions divided about it; some see that it is a true victory for justice while others think the trial was seriously weak and in my opinion this is not unexpected from a people living the transition from a totalitarian regime to a state of law and institutions thus why some (or actually many) still think that the trial has to be repressive so they didn?t like the calm behavior of the judge especially when he addressed Saddam using the word ?Mr?.

He's a hero? He's a villain? -- [Treasure of Baghdad - an Iraqi in Iraq]
These are the words I heard from the people whom I talked to when the trial of Iraq's former dictator was broadcasted on all of the Arab news channels live.

Before going out reporting, I was watching the TV footage of Saddam in Dujail in 1982. "One thing I want to ask Saddam if I see him face to face,"

Peace is not the answer -- [Hurl's Blog - in Iraq]
...IT SEEMS UNLIKELY that many of the so-called peace marchers who trooped through Washington and London two weekends back listened on Thursday ? at least not with an open mind or sympathy ? to George Bush's cogent explanation of why coalition troops are fighting and dying in Iraq

IN THE NAME OF GOD THE COMPASSIONATE THE MERCIFUL -- [THE MESOPOTAMIAN - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...Now I know that some of my friends may not be particularly fond of Islamic rituals nor especially well inclined towards the Islamic religion itself. You must know that personally, I don't blame them at all and find their attitude perfectly understandable in view of the great damage done to the reputation of our religion by the Takfiris and the terrorists and the like. We ourselves are extremely dismayed by the actions and attitudes of many of our fellow Muslims, so how can we blame others for quite rightful indignation in the face of the atrocities and abominations of the so-called "islamist" extremists and "fundamentalists". Yet I have a very difficult request which I would like to submit to my friends; and that is

Longest Absence Yet... Happy Ramadan -- [Sentinel 47: Keeping the Gate - in Iraq]
Such mixed emotions fill these days.

On one hand, this environment is so sheltered, so capable of providing a hiding place from reality. Then again, my deployment to Iraq has given such ample opportunity to realize that SO MANY people are busy doing that regardless of location anyway!

South Korean, Iraqi Aid Seized -- [GI Korea Blog - in S Korea]
Aid sent from South Korea to Iraq was recently seized according to the JoongAng Ilbo:

A total of 14 South Korean vehicles carrying aid shipments for the Iraqi people have been seized by armed Iraqi militants since last month, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

Last minute training -- [Lance in Iraq - in Iraq]
The med platoon recently did a surgical airway lab. A friendly goat butcher helped out with the parts.(pics)

Everything is Wonderful Now -- [J Barne's Coffee Shop - in Iraq]
...Fall has done more than fallen, its hit like a texas tornado. The temperature went into a plunge from the 90's to the 60's about a week ago and as result we're freezing! And some people may ask "What does Fall feel like in Iraq?" Well, it's not very different from the eastern part of the states, except being a shade warmer on the thermometer. The trees gently tumble on themselves with the cool breeze that has traveled the desert in search of no real destination. Everybody is forced to do a quick hop from summer combat gear to winter battle wear.

Let's try this again -- [Dagger Jag]
Well, it's been ten months since I last posted and I'm assuming that most people who were reading this blog are really not following it much anymore. I returned from Iraq in February of 2005 and am now working in Heidelberg, Germany. So much has changed but today I got the urge to revisit my old blog and write a bit about Iraq and the changes that I've seen take place since I've returned to Germany.

The NYT locates al Qaeda in Iraq -- [TigerHawk]
The relative role of al Qaeda in the Iraq insurgency -- as opposed to Ba'athist rejectionists and Sunni nationalists -- has become an inherently partisan question. Supporters of immediate American withdrawal jump on any evidence that al Qaeda or "foreign" fighters are a small consideration, while stay-the-coursers tend to emphasize al Qaeda. The reason for this is obvious:

Speaking with President Bush -- [They Call Us, "Doc" - in Iraq]
Yesterday, I (bottom right corner in the picture) was chosen to be among a small group of soldiers assigned to the 42ID's Task Force Liberty that would speak to President Bush, our Commander-in-Chief. The interview went well, but I would like to respond to what most of the mass-media has dubbed as, "A Staged Event."
First of all, we were told that we would be speaking with the President of the United States, our Commander-in-Chief, President Bush, so I believe that it would have been totally irresponsible for us NOT to prepare some ideas, facts or comments that we wanted to share with the President.

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Saddam Trial Defense Lawyer Found Dead -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A defense lawyer in Saddam Hussein's mass murder trial has been found dead, his body dumped near a Baghdad mosque with two gunshots to the head, police and a top lawyers union official said Friday. Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi was abducted from his office Thursday evening, a day after he attended the first session of the trial, acting as the lawyer of one Saddam's seven co-

Journalist freed after 36 hours of secret diplomacy -- (TIMES Online)
RORY CARROLL, the Guardian correspondent kidnapped in Baghdad this week, was released safe and well last night.
The Irish journalist was freed after 36 hours of intensive negotiations after his abduction by an armed gang in the capital?s Shia-dominated Sadr City district on Wednesday.

Stryker Brigade Finds Huge Weapons Caches -- (News Miner)
Huge. Significant. Crippling to anti-coalition forces. Like an early Christmas.

Soldiers with the 4th Squadron, 14 Cavalry of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team from Fort Wainwright are running out of words to describe the importance of the number of weapons caches they are finding in recent days throughout their area of operation in Iraq.

A Shot To the Heart In Baghdad -- (Washington Posr)
BAGHDAD, Oct. 20 -- Two hours after the explosion, the fifth grade classroom was silent and deserted, the air still lightly tinged with smoke. Abandoned grammar books lay open to Thursday's lesson, which was also printed on the blackboard. In a rear corner of the room, where a mortar round or rocket had pierced the roof and demolished a small desk, all that remained were a patch of dried blood, a shredded sneaker and some rubble.

Baghdad torn by guilt and betrayal -- (TIMES Online)
From James Hider in Baghdad and Mohanned al-Qubeisi in Tikrit
HEATED argument broke out yesterday amid the biscuits and tinned meat in Abu Ali?s shop near the bomb-scarred walls of Baghdad?s Green Zone.

Foreign Fighters Captured In Iraq Come From 27, Mostly Arab, Lands -- (New York Times)...Dexter Filkins
Some 312 foreign nationals, including one American, have been captured while taking part in the insurgency in Iraq since April of this year, a senior American military commander said Thursday.

AFGHANISTAN

French soldiers injured -- [Afghan Lord - Afghani in Afghanistan]
Yesterday afternoon,two French soldiers were wounded while their vehicle hit the explosive device in the Shamali plains, northwest of the capital of Kabul.

Gratuitous Afghan Photos Return IX -- [Miserable Donuts]
Construction worker helping build wooden huts to replace tents at Bagram Airfield. These jobs were highly prized, and the contracts hotly sought. We spent a fair amount of time trying to fight kickbacks and bid-rigging amongst the Afghans, as well

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Aid worker among 4 killed in Afghan violence -- (Reuters)
KABUL - A local aid worker and two senior provincial officials were among four people killed in Afghanistan, officials said on Friday, in attacks blamed on Taliban militants

Afghan President Tries to Reduce Outrage -- (AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- President Hamid Karzai said Friday he was "very unhappy" to learn that U.S. soldiers had burned the bodies of two dead Taliban fighters, but he said mistakes happen in war and Afghans shouldn't let the incident mar their impression of the United States....

S. ASIA EARTHQUAKE

BW Update -- [The Siegrist Blogs - transferred from Afghanistan to Pakistan]
Hi all, I have a down day today so I will update the blog with some pics later today. Everyone is doing great things here in the Pak. Two of our birds just left out a half hour ago, so they will be gone all day. We have been landing at sun down most days. Typical day is: Wake up 0430, cold shower, cup of coffee dress then head over to ops for a flight brief.

MSM REPORTS ON S. ASIA EARTHQUAKE

Kashmir quake the world's toughest relief operation -- (Reuters)
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan - The aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Pakistan's northern mountains is turning into the toughest relief operation the world has ever known, international aid officials said on Thursday.

"We have never had this kind of logistical nightmare ever. We thought the tsunami was bad, this is worse," said United Nations emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland.

In 'Heartland Of Jihad,' An American Helping Hand -- (Christian Science Monitor)...Gretchen Peters
...In Pakistan, animosity toward America - and especially its military - runs deep. The latest Pew survey found only 23 percent of Pakistanis view the US favorably. Since Sept. 11, 2001, Pakistan has refused to permit US troops to hunt terrorists on its soil, saying the public would never accept it. But anecdotal evidence suggests that the US military's role in northern Pakistan, in one of the largest rescue efforts this country has ever seen, is changing attitudes here too.

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Burdens of War -- [Kevin Sites - in Africa]
Newly freed children bear both babies of their captors and wounds that will never heal.

The story of Michael's captivity can be seen in his face -- and his leg. He pulls up his pants to show me a baseball-sized lump on his right shin.

HUMP DAY -- [So Far From Home - in Kosovo]
What a day!!!! Today started as just a normal routine day. Myself, squad, 1SG and commander headed out to a scheduled radio show that he was to participate in. While in route we received a radio call from "higher" directing a change of mission. We were to immediately proceed to an area and conduct an interdiction and possible search. Additionally other elements in sector were directed to change mission and converge on the location. Once we arrived we conducted the operation uneventfully.

Diplomacy and hand grenades -- [....one missionary in Kosovo - in Kosovo]
As I always say, it?s been an interesting week?or several weeks in this case. The news this week is popping with stories of final status talks while at a colleague?s house a hundred and fifty kilometers away, hand grenades announced a different message. This week the UN inspector issued a favorable report regarding the ?final status? talks for Kosova.

MSM REPORTS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

U.S. Denies Feeding Tube Misuse at Gitmo -- (AP)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The chief doctor at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay denied allegations by hunger striking prisoners that feeding tubes have been misused as a form of punishment, according to an affidavit released Thursday....

Indonesians challenge US envoy in lively exchange -- (Reuters)
JAKARTA - U.S. goodwill envoy Karen Hughes got a earful from a group of mostly female Indonesian Muslim students on Friday, who expressed anger at the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and attacked Washington's foreign policies.

U.N.: Syria, Lebanon Involved in Slaying -- (AP)
UNITED NATIONS - Top Syrian intelligence officials approved the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and their Lebanese counterparts helped organize it, according to a U.N. probe that officially linked Damascus to the slaying for the first time. The exhaustive report into the Feb. 14 car bomb that killed the popular opposition leader and 20 others stopped short of fingering Syrian President Bashar Assad or his inner circle. But it accused the regime of failing to cooperate in the probe and alleged Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa lied in a letter to the investigating commission.

TERRORISM

The Lesser of Two Evils in Saudi Arabia -- [Strategy Page]
October 20, 2005: On October 13th, a new Islamic terrorist group announced its formation in Saudi Arabia. The ?Echo of Tuwayq Brigades in al-Zulfa" declared themselves part of the Organization of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia needs all the help it can get, as most of its known members have been arrested or killed.

State Department's Management of "J Visa" Program Enables Terrorist Infiltration -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
Today we will focus on a GAO report that delves into the "J Visa" Program. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the alphabet soup of visas, the J visa is one that is issued by the United States Department of State for exchange visitors. The concept of the J visa, at least in theory is actually a good one.

MSM REPORTS ON TERRORISM

SAUDI ARABIA: AL-QAEDA FLYERS HANDED OUT IN MECCA -- (AKI)
The Saudi police in the holy Muslim city of Mecca arrested a group of Nigerian immigrants on Monday who were distributing leaflets carrying a big photo of Osama bin Laden. According to Arab newspaper al-Hayat, before they were detained by the security forces, the Nigerians had handed out many copies of the flyer in at least five areas of the city, which is the most important in the Islamic world.

BOSNIA: THREE TERROR SUSPECTS ARRESTED -- (AKI)
Sarajevo, 21 Oct. - Bosnian police has arrested three people suspected of preparing terrorist acts, local media reported today. The police said a Turkish, Swedish and Bosnian citizen were arrested in the last two days in Sarajevo, but gave no names. The police said that after searching two buildings in the Sarajevo...

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

A Request for Help From Soldiers Angels Founder -- [Holly Aho - A Soldier's Angel]
Patti Bader, the founder of the non-profit organization Soldiers Angels, is requesting help. Here is her email:

I am very sorry to report donations to Soldiers Angels is at an ALL TIME LOW.
We will not be able to effectively assist soldiers if this continues.
Please put call out to ALL Angels,

Support Soldiers' Angels While Shopping Online -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Soldiers' Angels has recently become a partner of Buy for Charity, which allows you to donate money to the charity of your choice without costing you a penny.

It works like this.

Buzz Robertson and Valour-IT -- [Fuzzilicious]
As we gear up to raise more money for Valour-IT, here's a reminder of why it matters so much.

Many of you may have already read about SFC Buzz Robertson, who received a laptop from Valour-IT. When Buzz's mother heard about the laptop's arrival, she wrote: ...

TO OUR SOLDIERS ~ THANK YOU -- [Yikes!]
If, by some small chance, any of my own dear adopted Heroes should happen to read this ~ this one's for you!!!!!!!!!!!!
There can be no way to describe the feeling I get when I see the news. I see so many of you fighting for something that so many of us take for granted.

So many people are depending on you for help. I think about all the dangers you face every minute of every day, for so many of us who are here at home. ...

MILITARY / MILITARY LIFE

A Letter to the Republic for Which We Stand -- [WORDSMITH AT WAR]
Americans, we remain your constant and faithful servants.
Satellites that hover 23,000 miles above the planet in geospatial orbit feed down into our little dish and we get to see sports and current events and news. We know what you?re up to. We might watch the news for 10 minutes after a long shift outside the wire, just enough to get the highlights, or read it on the internet, or have friends mail us copies of newspapers, or monitor CNN just as the insurgents do, for breaking news. Maybe you know one of us personally, or maybe we?re nothing more to you than nameless faceless soldiers on the news. Either way, we still know about the hurricanes down South, the newest movies, the earthquakes in Pakistan, and the latest football scores.

Not Alone in this Fight -- [Sgt Hook]
When we send our soldiers off to far away lands to fight for freedom and defend our way of life, we too often neglect their families asking them to ?suck it up.? The families of our soldiers make up a very special group in society that deserves better. In recent years we?ve learned to place more emphasis on the value of family readiness and have made concerted efforts to improve their well being and quality of life, especially during deployments. The special operations community has cracked this nut long ago and typically do an outstanding job of taking care of their families. It looks like more improvements to the rest of the Army?s Family Readiness Groups are on the way.

Paredes Receives Honorable Discharge -- [Soldiers for the Truth]
"Ten months to the day after he refused to board the war-bound USS Bonhomme Richard, and some 9 months before the scheduled expiration of his active duty obligation, Pablo Paredes is once again a civilian. Just last week the former Petty Officer was discharged from the U.S. Navy administratively "under honorable conditions."

Body Armor: Re-Inventing The Wheel PartI -- [The Middle Ground]
As I was reading an article from Euphoric Reality called Saving Ryan's Privates regarding new armored shorts, I was struck by their similarity to medieval armor from Europe and even Japan. As can be seen in this image of a knight circa 1066 and the Battle of Hastings, warriors had long determined the necessity of adding protection to their upper legs and groin area.

MSM REPORTS ON MILITARY

U.S. Troop Level To Fall Below 30,000 -- (Miami Herald)
By the end of this year the number of U.S. troops in South Korea will drop below 30,000, a milestone in a shift of responsibility for defending the country from communist North Korea, the top U.S. commander here said Thursday.

POLITICS

Coburn Loses Battle of Bridges -- [Ourside the Beltway]
The Senate voted overwhelmingly last night, 82-15, against Tom Coburn's proposal to kill the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" and divert the money to rebuilding the New Orleans-Slidell bridge. But not before some theatrics.

Remember, The Rich Don't Pay Taxes -- [Dude, Where's The Beach?]
In 2003 (the latest year available)

The top 1 percent paid 34.27 % of federal income tax revenues.
The top 10 percent paid 65.84 %
The top 50 percent paid 96.54 %
...

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Possible cover-up a focus in CIA leak case: lawyers -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON - Prosecutors investigating the outing of a covert CIA operative are focusing on whether top White House aides tried to conceal their involvement from investigators, lawyers involved the case said on Thursday.

White House Defense Shaky in CIA Leak Case -- (AP)
WASHINGTON - Even if White House aides leaked a covert CIA officer's identity, they were simply passing along information they'd already heard from the news media, the administration's supporters maintain in a defense that looks increasing shaky as new evidence accumulates. Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald now knows that Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, met three times with a New York Times reporter before the leak of Valerie Plame's identity, that Libby initiated a call to NBC newsman Tim Russert and that Libby was a confirming source about the wife of Bush administration critic Joseph Wilson for a Time magazine reporter.

THE MEDIA

O?Reilly on Today: ?No Spine Zone? -- [The Political Teen]
Note the above graphic. The Today Show misspelled the name of O?Reilly?s book and his phrase, The No Spin Zone. I?m not a conspiracy theorist, however this was no mistake.

PBS FRONTLINE ON TORTURE -- [Froggy Ruminations]
I just finished watching the Frontline report on ?The Torture Question? and there really wasn?t much of a question about how the libs over at PBS feel about the issue. They were seemingly able to directly connect SecDef Rumsfeld to General Ricardo Sanchez to General Janet Karpinski to some Colonel named Pappas, to the military interrogators themselves

Not Over, Not Forgotten -- [TBone's WAR JOURNAL]
The following was borrowed from Spc. Jon H. Arguello of the Task Force Bayonet Public Affairs office. He is another fine Army journalist who writes about what is really going on there. He seems a little disappointed with the main stream media. We can't trust the MSM to let the world know what is going on, so we must rely on fine Americans like Jon.

MILBOGGING / BLOGGING

Milblogging news -- [Doc in the Box]
New post from Eric of Dagger Jag, it's been 10 months since he's posted and will the wonders never cease? Sgt Hook posted too! Eric is from the same batch of OIF 2 milbloggers that sprung me out and Sgt Hook is one of the original crew, looks like they're both getting back in the game.

CONGRATS

That's my boy! -- [It's a living... sorta]
Did you ever see those old Tom & Jerry cartoons where Spike (the bulldog) teaches his son how to chase cats and Tom is victimized for the rest of the skit? My point is this: Spike often laughs and says, "Ah-ha-ha... that's my boy!" That's the way I felt yesterday. My son turned 4 and I couldn't be more proud. I'd post pictures, but my wife already did, so I'd invite you to go there to see him.

HUMOR / SATIRE

Spotlight on Miers' 'Inadequate and Insulting' Answers -- [ScrappleFace]
Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers has ignited another firestorm on Capitol Hill with her 'inadequate and insulting' written answers to several questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to unnamed Senate sources.

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