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

Who’s playing with fire? -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
The election commission last night announced shocking preliminary results of the elections in 11 Iraqi provinces.
The results “after counting 89% of the votes in Baghdad showed that the UIA won 1,403,901 votes, the Accord Front won 451,782 while Allawi’s list won 327,174” said a spokesman of the election commission.

Many Thanks -- [IBN_ALRAFIDAIN - an Iraqi in iraq]
...I think that I should thank Mr. Bush for his nice words, he said on receiving out-of-country Iraqi voters Thursday in the Oval Office of the White House, addressing the Iraqi people. The man is able to see my inside feelings of joy and relief on saying:

With the President-- [Better Kurdistan and Iraq -- an Iraqi in Washington]
I had the pleasure of meeting President Bush in this historic day, December 15, 2005 in the Oval Office. He talked with and listened to us, Iraqi voters, for about an hour, took individual picture with us and gave us each a souvenir. He promised us that the US will not abandon Iraq this time.

Democracy in Kurdistan - the imprisonment of Dr Said Qadir -- [WELCOME TO EAST OF KURDISTAN ]
Today Kurdistan stands on a precipice, before it lie two options, to either revert to Middle Eastern “democracy” or to take up the torch of freedom and show the world that true democracy can take root in the cradle of civilisation.
To the outside world the Iraqi elections of the 15th of December symbolised the fruit of the Bush administrations process of democratisation in the greater Middle East, however for Kurdish voters the essence of democracy, the entitlement to chose was elusive. This is not because of the draconian rule of the Kurdish parties in Kurdistan but due to southern Kurdistan’s attachment to “Arab” Iraq, for as long as this arrangement continues Kurds only have one choice before them either Middle Eastern hegemony and oppression from Baghdad or dictatorial rule from fellow Kurds, which is not really a choice at all.

Appearance on the Buzz Cut -- [Dadmanly - just returned from Iraq]
Buzz Patterson asked to interview me today on his program, The Buzz Cut, on Rightalk.com, scheduled for 1-2:00 pm EST Monday December 19th.

Buzz wants me to talk about my impressions from my recent 10 month stint in Iraq and the stunning success of last week's Iraqi Parliamentary elections.

THE PRESIDENT -- (One Marine's View - in Iraq)
The Honorable Mr Bush gave his Address the Nation speech Sunday night. You can read the entire transcript by clicking here. It was a great speech and said what many of you are saying with one voice. In past blogs I mentioned “one person can make a difference” and many of YOU are doing that. The President apologized and took responsibility (democrats look that up it’s a new word for you) and stated “It was the right thing to do” and he is right that it defiantly was the right thing to do. However I don’t think he had to apologize. Lets help the left sided thumb suckers remember Sadam killing those hundreds of Kurds in his own land with a variant of mustard gas and cyanide. (Note: Mustard gas, yea its WMD.) A truly horrific, painful, slow technique used to kill people. They may not have had it when we went into Iraq but they defiantly had it before we went in as they stalled the UN inspectors to move the stuff.

The President’s Radio Address -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
...Here is my question, with all due respect to the President. If the Patriot Act is so essential in protecting Americans from terrorism, then why are we putting in anti-methamphetamine clauses? That is a domestic industry that has nothing to do with terrorism. Certainly, methamphetamine manufacturing is illegal, but unrelated to the security of the nation.

There are many other problems with the Patriot Act. It is stopgap legislation that has been on the books for too long. It should be rewritten.

Taking the Fight to the Terrorists -- [They Call Us, "Doc"]
...It's very good and if you saw the address, you could feel the passion that he feels. Maybe I could feel the same passion because I was over there, in the mix, helping the Iraqi security forces make the PROGRESS that is being seen now.

It's so funny to see some of the MSM almost have to BREAK DOWN and report on some of the GOOD stuff...WHY?! It's because that's what is REALLY happening in Iraq. GOOD things are happening, both for the Iraqi people and for the United States and the rest of the free world.

Home Made Explosives in Iraq -- [Strategy Page]
December 20, 2005: Terrorists in Iraq appear to be running short of pilfered (from Saddam’s ammo dumps) artillery shells and explosives. Home made explosives are increasingly being used for roadside bombs. One of the more novel explosive concoctions is one using concentrated hydrogen peroxide and other materials. This is a known recipe for improvised explosives, although the Iraqis are adding cumin (something found in many kitchens, and grown in Iraq), instead of charcoal, to get the mixture into an explosive state.

Operation Moonlight, with a Twist -- [ThreatsWatch - Bill Roggio]
The Iraqi Army assumes a greater role in planning and executing security operations in Western Anbar

KUWAIT CITY: On the evening of my departure from Iraq, I had the pleasure to have dinner and a long conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Starling, the operations officer of Regimental Combat Team – 2. As the operations officer, Lt. Col. Starling is the architect of the slew of operations which culminated with Steel Curtain, the big push to establish a permanent joint Coalition and Iraqi presence in the Western Euphrates River Valley.

The Farm -- [Wordsmith at War - in Iraq]
As a Signal Officer, I am not required to leave the base everyday on combat missions. I spent time as an enlisted soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Air Assault Division, and during those years, fate did not place me in combat. I did a lot of training for war, but no war. Now, here in the year 2005 I find myself a 1st Lieutenant in the Utah Army National Guard, acting as the Signal Officer for an outstanding unit. I am comfortable and content in my position as a staff officer. I understand the importance of all positions as they are inter-twined with one another.

But as I’ve said, everybody is a gun. I recently led a team on a mission to check for a suspected Al Qaeda weapons cache at a place I’ll call the “the farm.” There were three teams, and they needed a Lieutenant to act as team leader. My name came up, and my Operations Officer called me in to see him.

Reconstruction in Iraq! -- [24 Steps to Liberty - an Iraqi in Iraq]
First of all, thank you all for the nice response to the reconstruction debate that went on. I never knew this would be of such importance.
I would like now to show a picture of what is happening in Iraq now.

Some of you said that the phone system in Iraq was rehabilitated, or rebuilt the phone system. Well, the phone system was never bombed dear. The only telecommunication building which was bombed in Baghdad was the Sinak building, which was for communication outside Iraq. And believe it or not, the building is still rubble! But that doesn’t mean there is no telecommunication rehabilitation in the country

I'll follow up with more on the election and what is to follow. -- [Chairborne Stranger]
There is lots of positive news from the press, from American military officers, and of course the Iraqi military perspective.

For those new to the blog, I work as an advisor attached to the Iraqi Military, so I just tag along wherever they go and help out on the missions. We live with them and share their life. It can be both trying and exciting. Then again, so can't Iraq itself.

Elections-Part III -- [365 and a Wake Up - in Iraq]
...Although you won’t read it in any book there are thousands of techniques to wile away the time. The techniques are passed down from Soldier to Soldier, forming a oral tradition that a Zen monk would envy.

But however apt the technique, over time it becomes increasingly difficult to remain focused and alert. An hour or two after the off shifts had settled into sleep I walked between positions to check up on the Soldiers. The moon glittered in the winter sky like a silver lantern, and it drenched the area with its cool light. As I settled into each site there would be a short whispered exchange and then the troop on duty would point out the highlights of the last few hours. They would point out the houses with generators, and note how often the occupants would slip out their doors to refuel their growling engines. They would ...

Dec, 18, 2005 -- [We will make it through - in Iraq]
... We get to this place, its in Kurdistan, and we're waiting to finish our business there. This guy comes up to me, all smiles. He can't speak a word of English. Him and his buddy walk up to me holding up a cell phone. I had no idea what they were, judging by the uniform they were Kurdish paratroopers.(I didn't think their military was that advanced, but I guess thats why we're here.) I finally figured out he wanted a picture with an American Soldier, me. I was a bit flattered, its usually me thats asking these strange people for pictures. So I had his buddy take one of me and him as well. What they'll do with it, I have no idea. It's just one of those little things I'm going to take home with me, experiencing another culture.

Baghdad Journal I -- [Porphyrogenitus - in Iraq]
I will say that I see more Coalition/Allied troops than I thought I would - Liberty is a big HQ, so even Coalition forces that are mainly operating elsewhere have a presence here. I've seen British troops, lots more Australian troops than I thought I would, Georgian troops (not "Down South" Georgia, but Caucasus Georgia), Japanese soldiers, a Dutch soldier or two, and troops from a surifit of Slavic countries. Contractors seem to come from all over, too. My first meal in country I sat at a table with 3 KBR employees - one from the States, and two who had Slavic accents (dk which country and I didn't get a chance to ask). From these, admittedly limited, impressions, it's more of a multinational effort than one might think from reports.

Yes, I've also seen some Iraqi troops,...

Long nights -- [ericmalmgren.com - in Iraq]
The nights are the hardest.
The night eats away at you, slowly striping away your peace of mind. Night is the lonely time. The remembering time. Memories can be painful. Old regrets, bitter conflicts, pages left unwritten. Wrapped Night’s embrace, old demons come forth. Demons that you once thought long banished surface to once again run through your mind and savage your soul.
In the sharp light of day, the mind has no time for such things. The Here and Now compels these monsters back with the sharp sword of activity. But they always return, haunting your sleep, viciously rending your emotions and wearing you down with the weight of deeds done and undone. Regret will drive you mad, shame will castrate you and longing will kill you slowly. The very memories that should bring comfort turn against you,

Christmas 2005 -- [1Lt Charles Bradley Triplett - in Iraq]
It has been a long time since I have sent one of these out. This is mostly because things have been pretty slow for the most part. We are still doing the Artillery mission which means sitting in a small room and waiting for someone to shoot at us so we can shoot back. Like I said earlier, it is slow so that means no one is shooting at us and you can’t really complain about that.

Gearing up for Christmas -- [Desert Cheif - in Iraq]
Who would ever think that Christmas in the desert, thousands of miles away from family, friends, and loved ones would be nice -- but it's really not as bad as I thought it would be.

I find it truly amazing how those serving in the military always find a way to adapt and overcome; perhaps one of my many reasons for spending way more than one-half of my life in the Army. I've found many military members in my life to become almost like family to me and you know who you are!!! Therefore, getting ready for Christmas has been kind of fun here. You can't believe ALL the decorations that family members have sent over, all the cards & banners from school children and church groups, and all the good will being shared. All of our cubicles (as small as they may be!) are decorated with amazing thoughts and wishes. It's not been too bad. So far...

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Honeymoon over as Sunnis cry foul over Iraq vote -- (Reuters)
BAGHDAD - Iraq's rebellious Sunni Arab minority cried foul on Tuesday over results of last week's election, angry at signs Shi'ite Islamists will remain the dominant force.

Bush Leaves Out the Bad News in Iraqi Poll -- (AP)
President Bush is making selective use of an opinion poll when he tells people that Iraqis are increasingly upbeat.

US freeing Saddam's 'Dr. Germ' and 'Mrs. Anthrax' -- (Reuters)
U.S. forces in Iraq are freeing "Dr Germ and "Mrs. Anthrax," two of Saddam Hussein's leading biological warfare experts, following the failure to find weapons of mass destruction, lawyers said on Monday.

U.S. Air Power Strikes Iraq Targets Daily -- (AP)
The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps have flown thousands of missions in support of U.S. ground troops in Iraq this fall with little attention back home, including attacks by unmanned Predator aircraft armed with Hellfire missiles, military records show.

Five US soldiers plead guilty to Iraq abuse -- (Reuters)
Five U.S. Army Rangers court-martialed over charges of detainee abuse in Iraq have pleaded guilty and been given punishments varying from 30 days to six months in confinement, the military said on Monday.

Driver of Jordanian ambassador kidnapped in Baghdad -- (AFP)
The driver of the Jordanian ambassador to Iraq was kidnapped in Baghdad, the latest in a new spate of abductions in the war-torn country.

AFGHANISTAN

End state, crap, irony, and media -- [Going Down Range - in Afghanistan]
The Taliban and al Qaeda will never negotiate with the infidel Americans and their Afghan lackies. The Coalition, US and Afghan forces can not eliminate hatred, misogamy and pedophilia and those are some of the better qualities of the Taliban. The US is promoting education, democracy, economic growth and women’s rights. When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, they did the opposite. The US will have a presence in Afghanistan for many more years. Just ask the Germans, Italians, and Japanese how long America has bases on their soil. Ask any Afghan if they want the US to leave and the answer is no.

Historical day in Afghanistan history -- Afghan Lord - an Afghani in Afghanistan]
Today is a historical day in Afghanistan political history. Today all representatives are gathering together to shake hand and say greeting Afghanistan! Today they will inaugurate the parliament which is one of the pyramids of system.

Today is a public holiday in Afghanistan in respect of inauguration of parliament. People seem happy although suffered of injustice and war in the last 24 years. In their faces you can read; no war after this, brotherly and friendly living.

Education Year Ended with Violence in the South -- [Afghan Warrior - an Afghani in Afghanistan]
The enemies of peace and stability killed a teacher in front of the school students in southern Helmand province last Thursday. Mohammed Harif was shot to death by the Taliban insurgents after he ignored their orders to stop teaching girls. The attack was carried out by two armed men riding a motorcycle. Teacher Mohammed Harif received many warning letters from the Taliban to stop teaching but he was still teaching the girl and boy students.

Standing Up for Justice And Truth in Afghanistan -- [Afghan Reality - an Afghani in Afghanistan]
Better late than never. The war-riven country has eventually adopted an 'Action Plan for Peace Reconciliation and Justice' at the conclusion of a conference in Kabul .
Hailed as a "significant step", the action plan deserves recognition, at least in rhetoric, for two main reasons.

Cold Weather Operations - Jingle Tuck Style -- [Miserable Donuts]
A Jingle Truck driver outside of Bagram demonstrates how to warm up your truck engine, before starting. And people used to wonder why I walked around with my jaw hanging down so much... (pic)

Vice President Cheney in Afghanistan -- [The Hooker and his Girl - Hooker's in Afghanistan]
I have to tell about my husband, he was flying the chopper ( which stirred up a duststorm ) and have to spread some smiles ( I marked them in the text.)

A Long Year and a Long December -- [Firepower Forward - in Afghanistan]
So how do you define a good year? Is it a span of time marked by moments of happiness, notable achievements, and successes? Do the days punctuated by laughter have to outweigh those stained with tears, or is it a cumulative effect of how we recollect our overall experience of the preceding months as the church bells fade from midnight mass on Christmas Eve?

My Own Personal NGO -- [Kabulog - in Afghanistan]
...So the new crusade, my own personal j***d (umm...I wont use the word, eventually wanting to get back to the US and trying to not to get kicked out of the country too.) It really is about developing a civil society here, civil in every sense of the word. I’ll come up with a proposal, do some demographic studies, implementation assessments, impact studies, come up with a statement of work, and of course, terms of reference. I’ll establish an impact evaluation method and propose actual metrics to be measured and studied.

All this will be done for a program to bring a cultural element of critical cynical hipster to hip to be a hipster cadre in this society. “AfghaniStar,” I mean it is brilliant, the name that is, but really, now, this can’t be taken sitting down. If we’re going to have the best/worst of pop culture here, there must be the accompanying best/worst aficionados of mass culture—those, well us, snub-nosed, elitist mass culture critics. We avant-garde, we only who can truly appreciate the brilliance of “AfghaniStar” for what it truly is. This, obviously, with out ever watching a single episode.

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Karzai praises Afghan rebirth -- (Washington Times)
President Hamid Karzai proclaimed a "new beginning" for his country yesterday in an emotional address to women, warlords and democrats assembled for the inaugural session of the new Afghan parliament.

NATO must cover U.S. Afghan troop cuts -- U.N. -- (Reuters)
Planned cuts in U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan must be covered by deployments of NATO-led peacekeepers due to take place next year, the U.N.'s peacekeeping chief said on Tuesday.

Three Italians hurt in Afghan suicide attack -- (Reuters)
Three Italian peacekeepers were slightly wounded in a suicide car bomb attack in the western Afghan city of Herat on Tuesday, and at least one attacker died, a spokesman for the NATO-led peacekeeping force said

AFGHANISTAN: 'AL-QAEDA MILITANT' RESURFACES IN VIDEO -- (AKI)
Rome, 19 Dec. - Six months after his escape from the US detention centre on the Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, the suspected Islamic terrorist, Abu Yahya al-Libbi has resurfaced in a new video that has been broadcast on various Islamic forums on the Internet. In the video, al-Libbi is seen marching together with a group of militants in Afghanistan. The escaped prisoner was presented in the film as a leading representative of the al-Qaeda terrorist network who is involved in preaching.

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Japanese Cure for Avian Flu -- [GI Korea - in S Korea]
If I had to choose between the Korean kimchi cure for the avian flu virus or the Japanese antidote I think I would definitely prefer the Japanese remedy:

I kid you not! The Kirin Brewery has apparently discovered or developed avian flu antibodies to protect humans from the flu...

Difficult people. -- [Way Down in Kosvo - in Kosovo]
It seems as though it is some law of human nature that no matter how well any particular thing is apparently progressing, there is always someone who is going to be a complete ass because they are not getting what they want. Case in point: last Wednesday evening we were in Kllokot for a village meeting where our commander presented our proposal for the sewer project. 27 men from the village showed up for the meeting, but now women. As a matter of fact the only women present were our Serbian translator (and hero) Dada, and the Serbian translator for the Vitina LMT.

Everything went fairly well for the first half of the meeting, and the men of the village were mostly receptive to what we are trying to do, and very, very cooperative. That may not seem like a big deal but,

A Painful Choice in Yemen -- ( Washington Post)
U.S.-funded program to bring democracy to the Arab nation weighs leader's edict and tribes' needs.

MSM REPORTS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Iran's President Bans All Western Music -- (AP)
TEHRAN, Iran - Hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has banned all Western music from Iran's state radio and TV stations - an eerie reminder of the 1979 Islamic revolution when popular music was outlawed as "un-Islamic" under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Today, though, the sounds of hip-hop can be heard blaring from car radios in Tehran's streets, and Eric Clapton's "Rush" and the Eagles' "Hotel California" regularly accompany Iranian broadcasts.

WAR ON TERROR / TERRORISM

Patriot Act Facts: There is "Judicial Oversight" and No Proven "Abuse" -- [The Counterterrorism Blog]
I've said in various public fora that the USA Patriot Act is the most "slandered" and most misunderstood law in America today, and that the public understands the dreaded Internal Revenue Code better that the Patriot Act. That level of misunderstanding is apparently true even of our own Victor Comras, who complains of a lack of "judicial oversight" and a perception of "abuse." First of all, as I wrote last week, there has been no proven abuse of Patriot Act powers, as reported to the Congress repeatedly by the Justice Department Inspector General. And the editors of "National Review" wrote a rebuttal to part of Victor's post even before Victor posted, so here are pertinent excerpts:

Teach your children well, Hezbollah style -- [Peace like a River]
My children are age 5 and 4. The videos we let them watch are Care Bears, Bambi, Fox and the Hound, Snow White, Veggie Tales, Country Mouse City Mouse, etc... Nothing very violent, always with an uplifting message. Focusing on whatsoever is good and pure, as the Good Book says.

MEMRI has video of an Egyptian children's claymation show from Al-Manar TV, which is affiliated with the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah. It shows Jews turning into apes and pigs and being washed away in the sea.

A translation, and a link to the actual video which you can view, are here.

Al Qaeda Tries Reviving Bin Laden -- [Strategy Page]
December 20, 2005: In a long-distance radio interview about ten days ago, Mullah Dadullah, the one-legged Taliban veteran who appears to command insurgent operations in Afghanistan, declared that, “The expansion of NATO operations in Afghanistan and increase in the number of NATO troops will make it easier for the Taliban to target and attack them." Dadullah, who was Taliban intelligence chief when the Islamist movement ran Afghanistan, is believed hiding out somewhere in the mountainous region astride the Afghan-Pakistani frontier. Of greater interest is the contents of a video that seems to have been released shortly the interview.

MSM REPORTS ON TERRORISM

Researchers Find Barbie Is Often Mutilated -- (AP)
LONDON (AP) - Barbie, beware. The iconic plastic doll is often mutilated at the hands of young girls, according to research published Monday by British academics. "The girls we spoke to see Barbie torture as a legitimate play activity, and see the torture as a 'cool' activity," said Agnes Nairn, one of the University of Bath researchers. "The types of mutilation are varied and creative, and range from removing the hair to decapitation, burning, breaking and even microwaving."

Bush accuses leak instigators of helping enemy -- (Sydney Morning Herald)
By Michael Gawenda Herald Correspondent in Washington. A FEISTY and sometimes angry George Bush has accused those who leaked the fact he had authorised wiretaps on hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Americans ...

Bush’s Snoopgate -- (NewsWeek)
The president was so desperate to kill The New York Times’ eavesdropping story, he summoned the paper’s editor and publisher to the Oval Office. But it wasn’t just out of concern about national security.

Administration Cites War Vote in Spying Case -- (New York Times)
President Bush and two senior aides argued that authority for domestic spying grew out of a 2001 Congressional resolution.

F.B.I. Watched Activist Groups, New Files Show -- (New York Times)
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 - Counterterrorism agents at the Federal Bureau of Investigation have conducted numerous surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations that involved, at least indirectly, groups active in causes as diverse as the environment, animal cruelty and poverty relief, newly disclosed agency records show.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Christmas Spirit -- [Desert Odessey - in Qatar]
Ah the wonders of Christmas.

As I approached my desk this morning I was greeted by a pile of gifts and envelopes that was heretofore unprecedented. Couple that with some of the things I have had the opportunity to see children write recently and dare I say—the Christmas Spirit may be eeking its way into my corner of the desert and the cold heart it has produced this year. Amongst the gifts were a couple of care packages—(mind you, this is in addition to the monster care package I received from my Mom last week), one from none other than Richmond from One For the Road with enough cookies to feed the entire CAOC (to which they are happily obliging). There was also a care package from the office at home (before you begin to think that they’ve changed completely, read on), and an envelope from Sarah’s school.

MILITARY

Operation BS! -- [Pundits My *ss]
Knowing that I’ve been letting other projects slow my posting pace down, I’ve been mentally preparing commentary on the electronic eavesdropping story and the president's recent speeches. But once again I find myself furious at the amazing arrogance of my friend Paul Rieckhoff. Paul has just changed the name of his left wing oriented veteran’s organization. What was Operation Truth is now Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Now it may seem to be a step down in arrogance to claim to be speaking for veterans rather than for the very concept of truth. But as one of the veterans of this war, I find myself deeply disturbed by this change.

Army Training, Sir! -- [Pound by LB]
Training, training, training. That's what we do in the Army. We train for war, while in the back of our mind we hope we will never go there. But it's what we do. We train to prepare for the worst hoping that our reactions will be so engrained in our heads we'll do the right thing without even thinking about it. The ultimate goal is to minimize casualties and increase our chances of success in our missions. We train constantly.

...The hard part is sitting with these soldiers everyday, my family of soldiers and seeing their faces knowing that we might not all come home. I pray that we all will, but the fact is there are no guarantees. The other day, we stopped at the Shoppette, and outside there was a new black truck parked in the handicap space with a purple heart sticker in the window. None of us really thought anything about it until we came out of the shoppette and saw a very humbling site. A handsome, young soldier, muscular and hopeful, in a wheechair with both of his legs amputated at the knee. I didn't know what to do. I looked at him and he looked back and smiled. It was like he was saying it was ok, he was proud of his service and what he did and of what he sacrificed.

POLITICS

Congressman calls for Bush impeachment -- [Stop The ACLU]
This is getting ridiculous. U.S. Rep. John Lewis said Monday in a radio interview that President Bush should be impeached if he broke the law in authorizing spying on Americans. The Democratic senator from Georgia told WAOK-AM he would sign a bill

Europeans' Reactions Mixed on Bush Speech -- (AP)
Europeans reacted Monday to President Bush's weekend defense of his Iraq policy with a mix of criticism and hope that his seemingly humbler tone could signal a break from the hawks in his administration.

Bush ratings rise on Iraq election, economy: poll -- (Reuters)
A successful Iraq election and an improved domestic economic outlook have lifted U.S. President George W. Bush's job-approval rating to its highest level since March, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Monday.

No Going Home -- [Baldilocks]
No girly man, our governor:
SACRAMENTO – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday told officials in his hometown in Austria to remove his name from a sports stadium and stop using his name to promote the city.

The governor's request came after politicians in Graz began a petition drive to rename the stadium, reacting to Schwarzenegger's decision last week to deny clemency to condemned inmate Stanley Tookie Williams. Opposition to the death penalty is strong in Austria.

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

House passes torture ban, war funding -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON - The U.S. House of Representatives early on Monday passed final legislation to ban the torture of detainees and voted to advance the Pentagon $50 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Democrats Say They Never OK'd Wiretapping -- (AP)
WASHINGTON - Some Democrats say they never approved a domestic wiretapping program, undermining suggestions by President Bush and his senior advisers that the plan was fully vetted in a series of congressional briefings. "I feel unable to fully evaluate, much less endorse, these activities," West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the Senate Intelligence Committee's top Democrat, said in a handwritten letter to Vice President Dick Cheney in July 2003. "As you know, I am neither a technician nor an attorney."

Bush’s Snoopgate -- (NewsWeek)
The president was so desperate to kill The New York Times’ eavesdropping story, he summoned the paper’s editor and publisher to the Oval Office. But it wasn’t just out of concern about national security.

...No wonder Bush was so desperate that The New York Times not publish its story on the National Security Agency eavesdropping on American citizens without a warrant, in what lawyers outside the administration say is a clear violation of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. I learned this week that on December 6, Bush summoned Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger and executive editor Bill Keller to the Oval Office in a futile attempt to talk them out of running the story. The Times will not comment on the meeting,
but one can only imagine the president’s desperation.

THE MEDIA

Present at the Birth--Almost -- [Faces From the Front]
The TV cameras were assembled, the reporters milling about, the politicians were preparing their spin and a small-town boy from Kansas was watching the slow and painful birth of a Free Iraq.

The deadline for drafting a Constitution for the Free Iraq was set for August 15th, but the parties, Shia, Kurd and Sunni could not reach agreement.

An extension of one week was agreed on and the delegates went back to work drafting a constitution.

The deadline was near. For days delegates negotiated, haggled and, in Iraq tradition, drank tea and smoked cartons of cigarettes inside the Baghdad Convention Center. All sides focused on one thing--getting the best deal for their constituencies.

Tucker Carlson is still wrong. -- [The Thunder Run]
Tucker Carlson is at it once again. His latest essay; “What if Bush is right about Iraq”, which can be found here and here, backhandedly supports the notion that we may just be on the right path with Iraq. He writes rather tellingly, “There's a consensus among the media that the war was a mistake from the beginning and that Bush's handling of it has been inept. I share that view. As a result — and also because Iraq stories get terrible ratings — Thursday's elections were all but ignored in cable news and under-covered in print.

MSM REPORTS ON MEDIA

BAGHDAD TO SWARTHMORE -- (The New Yorker)
A group of enterprising students at Swarthmore College, in Pennsylvania, has some advice for the politically disaffected: If you find the media’s Iraq coverage unsatisfactory, pick up the phone. Don’t call the Times, or CNN, or Rupert Murdoch; call Baghdad. There are a couple of Iraqi phone books available on the Internet, and plenty of interesting people willing to share their stories directly, from six thousand miles away, many of them speaking decent English. When your phone bill starts to get out of hand, try downloading Skype, software that allows two people to talk free, from anywhere in the world, using computer microphones and a headset.

CONGRATS

Hello Everybody, -- [Mike's Iraqi Adventure - in Iraq]

I had a very exciting day today.

First of all Santa came to visit us at work today! I got a candy bar :)

There was a big meeting today in our building composed of all the "Important" people involved in the reconstruction project. Apparently the work that Iris and I have been doing here is a very hot issue. General McCoy came to my desk with all the other "big" people involved in the meeting and presented Iris and I each with a big gold coin. I accepted the coin, hardy hand shake and his acknowledgment of all my hard work.

Adjustments -- [MREater]
...A young female OIF veteran came into the Armory seeking tuition assistance, as she has enrolled in college part time. She also just started a new full-time job. And she just moved into a new apartment. And she just filed for divorce. She said that she was married about three months before being deployed. During the 18 month separation, she and her new husband grew apart, and now they’ve decided to call it quits. I guess you could say she’s putting her life back together after redeploying.

I came across another OIF vet, a middle-aged master sergeant.