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

Forming a new governmenmt; the long hard labor... -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
The international investigation team that came to Iraq to check on election results announced that they are delaying the announcement of their report until Thursday.
The interesting thing about this is that the team said they’d disclose their report after the team members leave Iraq! This suggests that the team wants to avoid upsetting any particular Iraqi party while they are still here.

Brrrrrrrrrrr! -- [America's Son - in Iraq]
Today, I saw some fruits of our labors here. As I was on a patrol with the Iraqi army, I saw large groups of children walking to school. Backpacks, books, and smiles. It was a real joy. I saw an American soldier help a young girl fix her shoe which had broke sometime on her way to school; 550 cord and duct tape will fix absolutely anything! It was moving. I have said all along that among other things, this is a generational war we are fighting. These young children will one day lead this country. Every simple gesture, such as what I witnessed today, will be a memory tomorrow that will eventually lead to our long-term success in this country. It has without a doubt been a collective effort, but I gained a real sense of personal satisfaction by what I witnessed today, and I hope and pray that tomorrow will bring the same.

Step by Step -- [Peace like A River]
I've mentioned before I view the process of bringing stability to Iraq as a series of steps that cannot be taken all at once. In 2003, Iraq was in the thrall of a brutal dictator. At some point we hope and expect Iraq to settle down into a stable nation, one able to defend itself.

The Scent of Home -- [Marine Corps Moms]
Mail from home is a major motivator for depoyed Marines. Motomail is efficient, messages are delivered the next day, but there is something special about being handed a sealed envelope. My son mentioned one time that each time mail was passed out, he was up on his tippytoes until he heard his name. Letters are read and reread, pictures are tucked inside a helmet and worn out on patrol as a reminder of loved ones safe at home. And when the envelope is ripped open, sometimes there is an intangible, yet very real, reminder of home.

Army stress -- [Marketing Iraq? - in Iraq]
I want to take a minute to talk about a situation that I'm pretty familiar with. I'll say up front that I don't have a solution to the problem either. It is one of the bigger reasons that Army re-enlistment isn't higher though. Also, I'll say that part of this is my opinion and part of it is from a news story I read (link following). Let me try to explain it. Throughout your daily life in the civilian world every part of what you are doing has a flavor of your personality. The way you talk to people, the way you dress, the way you work, and the way you have a good time all show the kind of person you are. In the Army that's not the case most of the time. In fact, quite often you are doing a job in a manner that will represent the Army in the most positive light. This is something I understand and appreciate.

Today -- [Chris Whong - in Iraq]
We have all returned to Arifjan for the memorial service. It’s great to see everyone in one place again, even if the reason is tragic… Our Battalion Commander and Sergeant Major said the same thing when they addressed the 243rd Engineers this afternoon. Having the company together allowed them to issue awards that would have had to wait a few more months, and to have a “pow-wow” question and answer session with the Colonel.

Donation -- [Treasure in Baghdad - an Iraqi in Iraq]
On my first entry about Jill’s kidnapping and Allan’s terrible assassination, I received a comment from Lisa Ramaci, Steven Vincent’s wife saying that the Steven Vincent Foundation will donate $500 to Mrs. Enwiyah, and if they can scrape some more money together, they will add to that total.

Thanks a lot Lisa. I am really speechless. The whole world is honored of knowing how great you are and how your late husband, the hero, died for the sake of revealing the truth and the word of righteous.

Iraq Pictures - 16 January 2006 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
SGT Stephen Phillips of A Company, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion helps a local child with repairs to his book bag during a visit to the recently constructed, and as yet, unnamed schoolhouse in Husseinia. Visits such as these help to better assess the needs of the local population as well as what issues must be addressed so that they can better serve the community and carry out their civil responibilities.

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Iraq: 99 Percent of Dec. 15 Vote Was Valid -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraq's electoral commission ruled Monday that more than 99 percent of the ballots from the Dec. 15 parliamentary elections are valid, opening the way for a new government to start coming together. Final election results have been delayed by fraud complaints mainly lodged by the Sunni Arab minority, and groups looking for a political edge in dealing with the Shiite Muslim majority could still make further protests and hold up the naming of new leaders for two or three months.

Fraud detected in Iraq election -- (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
| The Independent Electoral Commission in Iraq, which is collating the results of December's parliamentary election, has announced that the votes cast in 227 ballot boxes have been annulled because of...

US tries to loosen Shiite grip in Iraq -- (Christian Science Moniter)
Sunni Arabs have gained US backing in government negotiations, causing Shiites to strengthen their resolve.

Noticeable Improvement In Performance Of Iraqi Economy -- (Al Sabah newspaper)
16 January 2006 (Baghdad: Al Sabah newspaper) -- In a second series of statistical data published by the commercial section of the US Embassy in Baghdad concerning the Iraqi economy’s performance ...

Social security to cover 1 million families, official says -- (Azzaman in English)
All Iraqis with no income or financial support will receive for the first time “meaningful” monthly salaries from the state, Finance Ministry Undersecretary said.... more

Iran coastguard kill Iraqi, Basra governor says -- (Reuters)
DUBAI (Reuters) - The Iranian coastguard has killed one Iraqi soldier and kidnapped nine others in a confrontation with the Iraqi coastguard, the governor of Basra told al Jazeera television on Monday

Spain court remands alleged militant ringleader -- (Reuters)
MADRID, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Spain's High Court has remanded the alleged ringleader of a group of suspected Islamists accused of recruiting fighters to send to Iraq to carry out suicide bombings for al Qaeda, a judicial source said.

IRAQ: SHIITE'S MOST REVERED SPIRITUAL LEADER REFUSES CITIZENSHIP -- (AKI)
Najaf - The man revered by most of Iraq's shiites as their spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Mohammad al-Sistani, says he will not accept Iraqi citizenship, choosing intead to remain a national of Iran. "I was born Iranian and I will die Iranian," al-Sistani reportedly told the Baghdad government which had offered him an Iraqi passport. Al-Sistani, 75, was born in Mashad, Iran, but has lived in the Shiite holy city of Najaf for over 30 years. In recent months some Sunni and secular party have described his comments as "foreign meddling in Iraq's internal affairs."

Australia inquiry into Iraq 'kickbacks' -- (Aljazeera.net)
Australia's monopoly wheat exporter was aware of paying secret "service fees" to Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq through inflated wheat prices, but hid it from the United Nations, an inquiry has been told.

Carmaker's managers in Iraq bribery allegations -- (Times Online)
THE German-American carmaker DaimlerChrysler has suspended at least six managers over allegations that they had bribed officials to obtain import licences for Iraq under the United Nations Oil-for-Food programme.

Judge Refuses to Drop Charge in Iraq Death -- (AP)
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AP) -- A military judge on Monday rejected a request to dismiss a murder charge against an Army officer accused of suffocating an Iraqi general in 2003....

An Army Death, and a Family Left In the Dark -- (Washington Post)
'Friendly Fire' Incident In Iraq Remains Murky
Army Spec. Jesse Buryj was in the gun turret of a Humvee that night, guarding a traffic circle in Karbala, Iraq. The soldiers were on edge -- they had been warned about a car bomb -- so when a dump truck came barreling into the intersection, they opened fire from all sides. But the truck kept coming and crashed into Buryj's armored vehicle, sending the 21-year-old hurtling to the ground.

U.S. tally of wounded drops 26% -- (USA TODAY)
WASHINGTON — The number of U.S. troops wounded in Iraq fell by more than a quarter in 2005 from a year earlier, Pentagon records show. Military officials call that a sign that insurgent attacks have declined in the face of elections and stronger Iraqi security forces.

AFGHANISTAN

God Speed Renegades -- [Firepower Forward]
When you live at one end or the other of Bagram Airfield, you are awakened at some very odd hours by the noise of various and sundry aircraft conducting maintenance runs on their engines, pre-flight checks, or most notably, C-17s performing a short field take-off (consisting of running all the engines to full power while standing on the brakes) or reversing their engines in order to stop before over running the end of the runway and drifting into a minefield. Regardless of the aircraft or the procedure, it takes a little while to get used to all the noise and develop the ability to sleep through it.

Afghanistan Video Roll Up for 2005 -- [Siegrist Blog - in Afghanistan]
Another great video by Don

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Motorbike Bomber Kills 20 in Afghanistan -- (AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A suicide bomber drove a motorbike into a crowd at a wrestling match in an Afghan border town Monday, killing 20 people. It was the third deadly bombing in a little over 24 hours in the Taliban's former stronghold province of Kandahar....

Remember Afghanistan? Insurgents bring suicide terror to country -- (The Independent)
A 15-year-old suicide bomber killed five Afghan soldiers yesterday by throwing himself in front of a convoy. In a separate attack, 20 more died when a motorcyclist detonated his explosive-packed vest..

Karzai warns that Afghanistan could again be used as a terror base if the West leaves --(Boston Herald)
Afghanistan’s president urged nations not to turn their back on his country four years after the ouster of the radical Taliban, warning it could again be used a staging post for terrorists to at...

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Mexican military incursions reported -- [Small Town Veteran]
The U.S. Border Patrol has warned agents in Arizona of incursions into the United States by Mexican soldiers "trained to escape, evade and counterambush" if detected -- a scenario Mexico denied yesterday
...So, what is it going to take to get George Bush to face the fact it's time to tell Donald Rumsfeld to defend our borders by whatever means necessary? We have an Army and Air Force quite capable of doing the job. Why aren't they being told to?

MSM REPORTS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

New Orleans Mayor Says God Mad at U.S.-- (AP)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Mayor Ray Nagin suggested Monday that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and other storms were a sign that "God is mad at America" and at black communities, too, for tearing themselves apart with violence and political infighting. "Surely God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country," Nagin, who is black, said as he and other city leaders marked Martin Luther King Day.

China's Answer to Columbus -- (New York Times)
The unveiling of an old Chinese map has revived the claim that Chinese explorers were the first to discover America. Go to Article

EU3 launch move to refer Iran to Security Council -- (Reuters)
LONDON (Reuters) - European powers on Monday began drafting a resolution to have Iran referred to the U.N. Security Council next month over its contentious nuclear work, diplomats said, after Russia and the West neared agreement on strategy.

News Brief - (Christian Science Moniter)
This weekend, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (l.) was sworn in as president of Liberia, and Michelle Bachelet (r.) won a presidential runoff in Chile. Each woman is the first female elected leader of her respective country.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Major Terror Plot Against US Ignored By US Media -- [Open Fire]
According to the following article a major terror plot against the United States was disrupted by the use of an Italian wiretapping program. The eavesdropping program alerted authorities to a small group of Algerian terrorists with plans "to conduct a series of major attacks inside the U.S."

Civil War Within Al Qaeda -- [Strategy Page]
January 17, 2006: The rift appears to be widening between what might be termed “Al Qaeda Center,” represented by by Osama Bin Laden’s right hand man Ayman al-Zawahri, and “Al Qaeda-in-Iraq” (AQII) leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The bombings earlier this month of Shia religious sites in Karbala which caused some 50 deaths and scores of injuries, resulted in an enormous amount of bad publicity for Al Qaeda throughout the Moslem world. Reportedly, as a result of the attacks, al-Zawahri admonished al-Zarqawi over attacks against civilian targets and Shia religious sites. Al-Zarqawi’s reaction was to post on an “official” AQII website a statement denying responsibility for the attacks, though reaffirming that Shia were heretical swine.

Saddam's Terrorist Connections Are No Secret -- [Strategy Page]
January 17, 2006: One of the most unreported stories concerns Saddam Hussein’s connection to various terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda. This has been lost in a lot of the arguments over weapons of mass destruction. Some of it is due to skepticism about any claim made by the American government. Another part is due to an insistence on a court-room level of proof – an impossible standard for intelligence agencies to meet in most cases. That said, evidence is emerging of the Saddam Hussein regime’s connections to terrorism. The regime openly handed out checks to the families of Palestinian murder-suicide bombers. It also harbored the terrorist Abu Nidal – until the terrorist’s reported suicide. Abu Abbas, the mastermind of the Achille Lauro hijacking (during which a wheelchair-bound American citizen was killed), also was in Iraq when captured.

Monday's Winds of War: 16 Jan 2006 -- [Winds of Change]
Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by Peace Like a River and Security Watchtower.

MSM REPORTS ON WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

TERRORISM: BIN LADEN 'DEAD' SAYS AUSTRALIAN EXPERT -- (AKI)
Sydney, 16 Jan. (AKI) - An Australian terrorism expert says he has seen evidence, which could show al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is either seriously ill or dead. Professor Clive Williams, from Macquarie University told the Australian state radio ABC that he has been provided with evidence, by an Indian colleague, supporting the theory that bin Laden died of massive organ failure in April 2005.

Spy Agency Data After Sept. 11 Led F.B.I. to Dead Ends -- (New York Times)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 - In the anxious months after the Sept. 11 attacks, the National Security Agency began sending a steady stream of telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and names to the F.B.I. in search of terrorists. The stream soon became a flood, requiring hundreds of agents to check out thousands of tips a month.

Pakistani Ruling Party Demands U.S. Apology -- (AP)
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan's ruling party on Monday demanded an apology for an alleged CIA airstrike that killed at least 17 people, but the country's prime minister said his trip to the United States this week would go ahead as planned. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and his ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q on Monday condemned the alleged U.S. airstrike on a village near the Afghan border, which intelligence officials have said targeted al-Qaida's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

AirTran Airways Crewmembers Adopt Soldiers -- [Web of Support]
From Altitude Newsletter AirTran Airways ORLANDO CREW MEMBER WEAVESWEB OF SUPPORT FOR OUR TROOPS Although he has managed in just two months to transform the lives of several U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq, Crew Member George Freed refuses to take any credit."I just see myself as a funnel or an instrument," said George, who works in Material Planning for AirTran Airways in Orlando. "The soldiers are just glad to hear from somebody. They enjoy what we do for them." When he is not working at AirTran Airways, George is sending care packages and letters of encouragement to soldiers in Iraq through the Web of Support.com Soldier Adoption Program.

On the Sidewalks of Walter Reed -- [The Gunn Nutt]
The writing may not have been on the wall exactly, but it was visible to all who walked along the PinkoPath tonight. There were some special messages awaiting Gael Murphy and her acolytes that could not have been ignored or misunderstood.

MILITARY

Military Forward Command Post Toy -- [Soldiers' Angel - Holly Aho]
It's the Military Forward Command Post with Two 12" Military Action Figures. Apparently this is such a popular toy it's sold out everywhere, but you might find one on ebay. Not surprisingly, there's controversy from the anti-war left. They recommend instead the World Peace Keepers Battle Station. I have to ask though - what do they think all the guns in that 75 pc play set are for? The soldier in the peace keepers battle station has 8 rifles and numerous handguns.

Pentagon Thinks US Soldiers Need Adult Super-Vision -- [Winds of Change - Joe Katzman]
USMC LCPL SensingNew firm PixelOptics of Roanoke, VA has announced that it will receive $3.5 million from the Defense Department to develop "SuperVision," a technology that may improve the vision of US soldiers beyond 20/20 via electro-active prescription lenses. The technology uses sensors and electro-active transparent material to alter the index of refraction of the lens dynamically, without any moving parts.

MSM REPORTS ON MILITARY

Marine busted after 36 years AWOL -- (United Press International)
FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- A man who went AWOL from the U.S. Marines after learning of the My Lai massacre is behind bars in Texas.

Ernest McQueen dropped out of high school to join the Marines in January 1968. He walked away from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina in November 1969.

"I just decided I didn't want to be a part of killing anybody," McQueen told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "That's about as plain as I can say it."

POLITICS

ACLU Sues NSA --- [Stop The ACLU]
...So, while our military fights the good fight, the ACLU are sueing over an inconvenience in its ability to talk to the very people who want to kill us all. Like I said before, the ACLU’s slogan of “Keep America Safe and Free” is an absolute lie. They care more about the imaginary rights of our enemies than any kind of safety for America. They have done absolutely nothing for America’s safety, and everything in their power to fight the efforts to protect America!

Quote Of The Day - Martin Luther King Day Edition -- [WizBang!]
"When you look at the way the House of Representatives has been run, it has been run like a plantation and you know what I'm talking about..."
Hillary Clinton, pandering to the crowd at The Martin Luther King Day celebration at Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network, when asked what distinguished Democrats from Republicans right now.

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Murtha and the Mudslingers -- Washington Post)... E. J. Dionne Jr.
I underestimated the viciousness of the right wing.

Last November, Rep. John Murtha, a Democrat and a decorated Marine combat veteran, came out for a rapid American withdrawal from Iraq. At the time, I wrote: "It will be difficult for Bush's acolytes to cast Murtha, who has regularly stood up for the military policies of Republican presidents during his 31 years in Congress, as some kind of extreme partisan or hippie protester."

Ted Kennedy's Club Discriminated -- (NewsMax)
When Ted Kennedy tried to chastise Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito for his one-time membership in a group opposed to admitting more women and minorities to Princeton, the pot was calling the kettle black.

Sen. Kennedy still belongs to a social club for Harvard students and alumni that was thrown off campus nearly 20 years ago after refusing to allow female members, an investigation by the Washington Times reveals.

McCain says Republicans 'lost our way' on spending - (Reuters)
SPARTANBURG, South Carolina (Reuters) - Republican Sen. John McCain, back in the state where a bruising primary loss crippled his 2000 White House bid, said on Monday his party had "lost our way" on spending and needed to clean up widespread influence-peddling and lobbying abuses.

Former President Gerald Ford Hospitalized -- (My Way News /AP)
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) - Former President Ford was undergoing treatment for pneumonia Monday at the same facility where he was briefly hospitalized a month ago, his chief of staff said. He was said to be doing well.

Spotlight on Lobbying Swings to Little-Known Congressman -- (New York Times)
...He had made his biggest public splash in 2003, when he ordered the House cafeteria to start calling French fries "freedom fries" because France had opposed the war in Iraq. Fluent in Farsi - an interest that grew out of having an exchange student live with his family - Mr. Ney lived for a time in Iran as a teacher, and later taught in Saudi Arabia.

THE MEDIA

The NYT strikes again -- [Winds of Change - Donald Sensing]
There is a kerfuffle about this New York Times web site photo.

New York Times publishes more propaganda for Al Qeada -- [No End but Victory]
Better open your note books and take note. The New York Times is spinning for Al Qeada again. In its haste to claim that the attack in Pakistan was another screw up for the United States, the New York Times ran this photo.
Check out the caption and see if anything strikes you as odd. […]

A Question About Leaks -- [Tiger Hawk - Cassandra]
I have a question about leaks of classified information. In 1972, the Supreme Court (in Branzburg v. Hayes) refused to recognized the concept of journalistic privilege...

Time Magazine Cites Our Blog in "Slamming Its Doors on the World" -- [Reigime Change Iran]
...It was an honor to be mentioned, but unfortunately their copy proofers didn't catch the mistake in the title of our blog. They cited RegimeChange not RegimeChangeIran. (RegimeChange.blogspot.com is an small anti-Bush blog, not an Iran blog). They made the same mistake on Bloomingdales link). I fixed them in this post.

MSM REPORTS ON MEDIA

CNN allowed to resume work in Iran after apology -- (Reuters)
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran on Tuesday lifted its ban on CNN after the US news network apologized for misquoting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying Tehran wanted nuclear weapons, a top culture ministry official said.

MILBLOGGING / BLOGGING

I Have Been Reviewed -- [Across the Pond - in Iraq]
No, I havent got smacked yet by I Talk 2 Much although I am still waiting. Actually, I got an email from the Editor over at Blog Tribune who wanted to ask me a few general questions. After reviewing the questions to make sure I could honestly and accurately answer them, I decided why the hell not. He had 8 questions for me ranging from where I'm from to daily life over here in Iraq. I sent the email back to him last night and already he has finished the review and it is posted already. If anyone is interested in what its like over here in a short story compared to going through my archives click here.

The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
...Where is it useful? It’s filled with practical advice as the title suggests. Most of that practical advice is more related to being a decent human being than it is to blogging. The Weblog Handbook is a good read if you are ethically challenged or prone to getting into flame wars with other citizens of the virtual reality we called the Net. It’s a good read if you want to blog for the long term and aren’t sure what sort of writing will make people come back to visit you again and again.

MSM REPORTS ON MILBLOGGING / BLOGGING

Schools Warn Teen Bloggers --(Washington Post)
Administrators concerned students' remarks may be read by college admissions, future employers.
...In recent weeks, several Washington area schools have taken action against the use of blog sites, in particular Facebook.com but also the sites MySpace.com and Xanga.com, which allow teenagers -- and sometimes younger children -- to post details of their lives for all to see.

CONGRATS

Happy Blogiversary -- [Peace like a River]
Today marks the beginning of the fourth year of this blog.
Thought I'd give a very brief history of how this electronic heap of ASCII characters got to this point.

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