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

Water... the lifeblood of Southern Iraq -- [Grandma in Iraq - in Iraq]
...I just put out a press release about a $16 million project that will provides cleaner and more reliable water supply to the 2.5 million residents of Basrah and Thi Qar Provinces. The project is part of what the Iraqis call the Sweetwater Canal and in this case the refurbishment was at Basrah/Umm Qasr Water Supply.
...Everytime an Iraqi contractor bids on a reconstruction project, hires local Iraqi workers that are brave enough to work facing intimidation threats to themselves and their families, it is a sign that democracy is winning here. Every step toward reconstruction is significant and has an immediate impact on the health, security, safety and welfare of the Iraqi people.

Operation Swarmer -- [An independent look at Iraq - journalist embed in Iraq]
iI just got back in from the field covering Operation Swarmer. So I am a tad exhausted after running around the desert covering what is guerilla war -- chasing ghosts.
...Anyway, I was the only embedded journo out there for the op's first day. I embedded with a squad of junedis and another of American Grunts. We -- along with 1,400 soldiers and junedis who flew or drove to other spots -- flew out in Blackhawks to an isolated Landing Zone way out in the desert. The closest house was about four klicks out. Suffice to say it was a long, slow two days.
UPDATE -- I've been working pretty hard today trying to get this dispatch out. It's gonna be a big one too; several short video clips, around 20 photos and an account of the op from H-Hour.

Mar. 19th, 2006 -- [Sappersgt - in Iraq]
I'm a bit put out. You all have heard of that Operation Swarmer thing down in Samarra? Well, half my platoon in there. Seems not all the guys went in via helicoptor, and we are (I guess) one of the only Engineer units to bring a certain piece of equipment to Iraq. We certaintly are the only ones in the 101st Airborne Division. Did I mention that? Our divisional HQ is 101st so we are likely to get authorized to wear that combat patch. Big whoop. I'm sticking with my 4ID. Or as I put it, how many dictators did (FITB unit) arrest here?

Monday, March 20, 2006 -- [Chairborne Stranger - in Iraq]
I've been back and out in an the local area living with the Iraqi Army. Very interesting (and isolated) times. Usually very boring, punctuated by the random small arms engagements that break out near or at our location.
...I will say that, for all the press, in my area of Iraq I haven't seen any crazy civil wars or even more violence, it seems to be about the same as always. And I live in the 'volatile' al Anbar province.

All quiet in the heart of Baghdad -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
The last few days have been eerily quiet here in the Green Zone. An injection of American troops coupled with Operation Swarmer to our north seem to have changed the routines quite drastically. Things are happening behind the scenes too, as negotiations continue on shaping the government. It has been slightly more than three months since the elections in which Iraqis voted in much higher number than we do back home in the U.S. The media continues to try and give the impresssion that Iraq is embroiled in a full scale civil war, doing Iraqis and the coalition a great disservice.

Released Iraqi Mukhabarat Notes Translated -- [ThreatsWatch]
Document Released by FSMO Joint Reserve Intelligence Center Translated to English
With the recent release of FMSO DOC-EX Operation Iraqi Freedom Documents, much remains in Arabic. One such document titled the Iraqi Intelligence Service (Mukhabarat) document is an English printout of an FAS look at Iraq’s Mukhabarat.

Visit to Kirkush -- [Murphy Around The World - in Iraq]
I spent a couple of hours last night talking to Col R., the Iraqi LNO that we have supporting us. We had him all day for our trip and had some time to kill waiting for our flight out of Kirkush. It turns out that Col R knows quite a bit of English, much more than my pathetic Arabic. We have a terp with us but I didn’t need him for this.
...He was recently selected for promotion to General but turned it down because he’d have to relocate to Ramadi or Fallujah or Baghdad. He says he’s very happy to stay in the relative safety of Balad and besides, he calls the Headquarters in Baghdad corrupt and full of thieves. It is an old boy’s network and you’re either in or you’re not. He doesn’t have any relatives in high places but achieved his status thru service.

Speaking truth to pinheads -- [Wizbang]
With the anniversary of the war in Iraq (or, as I like to call it when I'm feeling formal, the Iraq Campaign of the War on Terror), I think it's long overdue time to actually LOOK at some of the anti-war crowd's charges and give them the slightest shred of credence, for at least long enough to rip them to pieces.
I don't recall the original source of the statement "if you repeat a lie often enough, people will eventually believe it," but it's a fair observation of human nature. The anti-war crowd has taken that concept and proven it beyond their wildest dreams:

View From The Front: "The difference between now and two years ago is incredible." -- [Soldier's Angel Germany]
Some timely perspective for this day, the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.
Letter received by Soldiers' Angel Lisa from a CO on progress in Iraq, media coverage of the war, and thanks for support.

Iraq three years on: taking stock, Part I -- [TigerHawk]
The media and the blogosphere are taking stock of the Iraq war from various angles. Belgravia Dispatch has famously despaired, the Guardian has published a progressive case for the war, Donald Rumsfeld conjures up his own wishful thinking, Gateway Pundit is looking at various wrong predictions made by critics of the war, and Canadians compare Bush to Hitler (as if that were news).

The War Tapes - [BlackFive]
I recently had the privilege to view "The War Tapes" - a 94 minute documentary told by soldiers on deployment to Iraq. The War Tapes was born from an idea that Deborah Scranton, the director, had of melding technology and documentary film making - an idea that she describes as "living journalism."

American Muslims Hating US Troops -- [LGF]
A pro-US article posted on an Islamic web site by a Muslim serving in the US armed forces provokes some very disturbing responses:

To Lisa in Italy -- [Midnight in Iraq - in Iraq]
I recently found an email in my inbox from Lisa, a 23-year-old journalism grad student at Rome University. She is doing her graduation research on “blogs from Iraq” and polled a few milbloggers. I thought I would share part of our brief conversation (my answers inserted):
Q: Why in the first place did you decide to go in Iraq?
A: I am a product of September 11th. To be quite honest I didn’t really understand what was happening on that fateful Tuesday, but after I figured it out it ignited a rage in me that took me through two and a half years of training and thousands of miles to bring me where I sit right now. Make no mistake: I want to be here.
Q: As a soldier you sure thought this war was necessary but, on a personal basis, as a man what was your genuine feeling? A: My genuine feeling is that this war is necessary for the safety of my nation and my loved ones.
Q: Do you think that the situation is better now in Iraq thanks to you contribution?

Who's Fighting For You: 2 -- [T.F. Boggs - in Iraq]
Here is the second interview in the Who’s fighting for you series. The interview is with 20 –year-old Specialist Jodrey. I hope you find him as good as a guy as I do. He is a genuine and caring soldier and I think everyone will be able to tell from the interview.
Q: What do you think history will say about what we did here?
A: Well I believe it will say that we had a good part in, I guess, in establishing a good government. I think that the country does have hope and I think history will say good things about what we are doing. Right now a lot of people may not agree with what we are doing but the same thing happened in Vietnam.

Dadmanly -- [Basil's Blog]
Q:What do soldiers think of the mainstream media's portrayal of the situation in Iraq?
A:Most of us decided long ago that most of what's found in MSM is hopelessly slanted, politically driven, and completely out of touch with reality on the ground. Embedded reporters, especially those working during the active ground combat phase of the war, produced some great stuff. You could get a good idea of what it was like to be a soldier, how incredibly fast everything happened, how stunning and complete our military victories.
Q:What is the most important thing Americans need to know about Iraq and its people?...

Mission #6 Photos -- [Basic Training - in Iraq]
I know I have photos from my 5th mission still to put up, but I really like these. They were the first chance I've had to interact with the public and as you can see, the kids were definately excited to get the school supplies and toys that many of you have sent.
New visitors can get information about what I am collecting for our brigade to pass out to school-aged children in the Abu Ghraib neighborhood.
As I mentioned the main purpose of the mission was to provide medical care to the people in this village. The line was fairly long.

INTRUDER ALERT! -- [Those Wacky Iraqis - in Iraq]
Iraqis come in many shapes and sizes. We have the standard brown eyed, black haired sterotypical Arabs; red haired, brown eyed circassians; brown haired, blue eyed Kurds, etc. Because of this there is no ability to profile people according to look. This adds to the security issues on post.
If anyone tries to come through the gate without going through proper checks they are challenged. If they don't stop deadly force WILL be used. This was not the case the other evening. This local Iraqi came walking through the gate and did not respond to the challenges.

Saturday, March 18, 2006 -- [Chapter: War - in Iraq]
Its crowded as I walk around taking in all that is in front of me. People bustle about, bumping into me and each other, seeking items on their lists. I am in the main PX at BIAP, otherwise known as Baghdad International Airport.

Im dirty, there is mud caked on my uniform and boots, and I smell of gunpowder.

People of all nationalities shop and work here making it a true international setting, but not the one Saddam imagined I am sure. People from Fiji, Tahiti, the Phillipine Islands. Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Indians. There are Thai, and Eastern Europeans, soldiers of all nationalites, and mysterious civilian contractors armed to the teeth.
...Im in awe. I had no idea there was anywhere in Iraq that would have this much for sale in one place at one time.

Definite articles -- [Talking Salmons - in Iraq]
Whew I made it back to my room. Traveling outside has become very hazardous, not from enemy fire, but the threat of Article 15s – the military’s “shame shame, you knew better” Uniform Code of Military Justice article.
...You see, there was a new memo from our command: after a certain time in the afternoon, no one can travel outside without a “battle buddy.” This makes heading home from the office for guys who aren’t blessed with a nine to five “fluff” job an adventure, as I’m one of the last to leave my office.
“Battle buddy,” “fighting friend,” whatever the hell you want to call it, is the Army’s way of reducing what’s called “non-battle injuries.”
So, if I have to use the latrine (down the street), I should wake up my roommate?
Shoot, I need to take my laundry to the drop-off point...anybody going? Hello? You? How about you? Not today? No? Crap

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

U.S. abuse continued in wake of Abu Ghraib -- (NY Times)
As the Iraqi insurgency intensified in early 2004, an elite Special Operations forces unit converted one of Saddam Hussein's former military bases near Baghdad into a top-secret detention center. There, American soldiers made one of the former Iraqi government's torture chambers into their own interrogation cell. They named it the Black Room.

Iraqi Report: U.S. Killed Villagers -- (Philadelphia Inquirer)
An Iraqi police document accuses U.S. troops of executing 11 people, including a 75-year-old woman and a 6-month-old infant, after a raid Wednesday on a house about 60 miles north of Baghdad.

Clashes, Accusations Mark Anniversary Of Iraq Conflict -- (Boston Globe)
Clashes between U.S. forces and suspected insurgents, and allegations of American troops killing noncombatants, marked the third anniversary Sunday of the start of the American-led invasion of Iraq.

Veterans' Voices On Iraq -- (Washington Post)
Voices of 100 Veterans: The War in Their Words
...But it was not bad in the ways they see covered in the media -- the majority also agreed on this. What they experienced was more complex than the war they saw on television and in print. It was dangerous and confused, yes, but most of the vets also recalled enemies routed, buildings built and children befriended, against long odds in a poor and demoralized country. "We feel like we're doing something, and then we look at the news and you feel like you're getting bashed." "It seems to me the media had a predetermined script." The vibe of the coverage is just "so, so, so negative."

Three years on, U.S. troops say steadfast in Iraq -- (Reuters)
HILLA, Iraq (Reuters) - Three years to the day after they invaded Iraq, most American troops still believe in their mission but know that the general population has -- at best -- mixed feelings about their presence.

Bush Urges U.S. to See Progress in Iraq -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- After three years of war in Iraq, President Bush is trying to get Americans to look beyond the unrelenting violence that dominates news reports and see progress....

Bush Using Straw-Man Arguments in Speeches -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- "Some look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude that the war is lost and not worth another dime or another day," President Bush said recently....

Children's Sorrow -- (Arizona Republic (Phoenix))
...Today, on the third anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, 63 soldiers with Arizona ties have died in the Iraq war, leaving behind at least 45 children who have lost a parent in the war. Across the nation, more than 40 percent of the 2,314 U.S. military war dead were married, and an estimated 1,600 children have lost a parent in the Iraq war.

Analysis: Envoy Dives Into Iraq Diplomacy -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Zalmay Khalilzad spends a lot of time these days in a soundproof room at the U.S. Embassy, sitting in front of television cameras and repeating a single message: Iraq must have a unity government and Americans must be patient until that happens....

Students killed in Tal Affar as security worsens -- (Azzaman/English)
Unidentified gunmen killed nine students from Tal Affar, the city which a few months ago was the scene of fierce fighting between U.S. troops and Iraqi resistance groups.
“Criminals now roam freely in the city,” said Sheikh Mohammed Taqi, a member of parliament representing the Tal Affar

Iraqis May Protect Volatile Areas by 2007 -- (AP)
ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT (AP) - Iraqi Army forces may be able to take over the more volatile regions of their country by the end of this year, as long as they have the equipment and logistical support they need, the top U.S. military commander said Monday. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that by year's end the Iraqi army will have recruited all of the units it needs, and the U.S. will have trained "a vast majority of their Army."

Rumsfeld: Leaving Iraq like giving Nazis Germany -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leaving Iraq now would be the same as handing postwar Germany back to the Nazis, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in a column published on Sunday, as retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton called Rumsfeld incompetent and urged him to resign.

Iraq War Enters 4th Year With More Deaths -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Suspected insurgents marked the third anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq Monday with roadside bombings that killed at least seven policemen, and authorities reported finding 10 more bullet-riddled bodies dumped in the capital, one of them a 13-year-old girl. The violence took up where it left off Sunday when at least 35 people died.

Saddam's Philippines Terror Connection -- (Weekly Standard)
SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME PROVIDED FINANCIAL support to Abu Sayyaf, the al Qaeda-linked jihadist group founded by Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law in the Philippines in the late 1990s, according to documents captured in postwar Iraq. An eight-page fax dated June 6, 2001, and sent from the Iraqi ambassador in Manila to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baghdad, provides an update on Abu Sayyaf kidnappings and indicates that the Iraqi regime was providing the group with money to purchase weapons. The Iraqi regime suspended its support--temporarily, it seems--after high-profile kidnappings, including of Americans, focused international attention on the terrorist group.

The Stuff That Happened -- (NY Times)
Three years ago, the United States invaded Iraq. We can all run the story through our minds: Shock and Awe, Coalition of the Willing, Mission Accomplished, looting, "Stuff happens," no W.M.D., suicide bombers, purple fingers, blasted shrine.

AFGHANISTAN

St. Paddy's in the 'stan! -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanistan]
It was no accident that Powell, the fire support officer for Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, was playing his bagpipes on this day, and an appreciative audience of soldiers and Marines was happy to take it all in.

On Frequent Rotations and Morale -- [Miserable Donuts]
Part of the problems I am having right now might stem from something a lot of servicemembers might wish for... short rotations. Not mine/ours, mind you - but those of other services, and other nations. And not for the reason you think. I was not jealous or resentful of USAF 3-4 month tours, USMC 6 month rotations, or the 4 months at a time the RAF Regiment spent in theater. What bothered me was that I formed friendships with these people, only to have them leave.

Afghanistan: Who exactly is the enemy? -- [Cao's Blog]
...This is the reason why Mullah Omar was removed from the most wanted terrorist list, along with Gulbadin Hekmatyar.
If you read the news reports and think about it- the evidence is clear–that’s precisely what they’re doing and that’s why the news of the recent GI killed and releasing 47 enemy combatants at Bagram is so disappointing and upsetting while Jack Idema and his men are being held at Pulacharke as “political prisoners”.

Topic: Jonathan Idema -- [Factbites]
IDEMA
Idema claimed he was in Afghanistan as an adviser to the Northern Alliance, a militia opposed to al-Qaeda and the then-ruling Taliban government.
Idema's transformation from penniless ex-con to counterterrorism super-spy was a collaborative work in which the mass media played a crucial, if unwitting, role, according to journalists and military personnel who watched it happen.
Idema said the income from those tapes helped fund his future missions in Afghanistan, possibly including the private prison and interrogation operation that is the focus of his current trial.

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Afghan jailers want to unload gang of 3 -- (Chicago Tribune)
PUL-ICHARKHI, Afghanistan -- For the men who run Afghanistan's biggest prison, the toughest challenge is not the occasional prison break, Al Qaeda and Taliban inmates or the recent riots.
Instead, it's the three Americans.
...The three men--former soldiers Jonathan Keith "Jack" Idema and Brent Bennett and cameraman Edward Caraballo--were arrested in July 2004 on charges of running a private jail and torturing prisoners in their own war on terrorism.

Afghan May Face Death For Alleged Conversion -- (USA Today)
A man in Afghanistan is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death after being charged with converting from Islam to Christianity, a crime under the country's Islamic sharia laws, a judge said Sunday.

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Homeward bound -- [SandGram - on his way home from Iraq]
...They put us in a super nice hotel about 20 minutes from the airport that included it's own pub. Since all we had on were our desert cammies, we were NOT allowed outside of the hotel for any reason. Also, the State Department had reported a growing number of political anti-war protesters in Ireland harassing troops, so they warned us not to speak to any of these folks if they approached us in the hotel. I am here to tell you that we never ran into such persons while there. The pub was full of the most kind and gracious folks in the world. They even let me get up and sing Elvis with the band around 11 pm.

Anti-War Anniversary Protests a Bust -- [Gateway Pundit]
In Australia... Saturday's protest of 500 people was small compared to the mass demonstrations that swept across the country in the buildup to the invasion — the largest Australia had seen since joining U.S. forces in the Vietnam War.

MSM REPORTS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Thousands Around Globe Call for End of War -- (AP)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Protesters marking the third anniversary of the Iraq war made their voices heard across the world over the weekend, with the largest marches in London, Portland and Chicago, though in numbers that were often lower than in previous years....

North Korea Assails 'Axis of Evil' Comment -- (AP)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea berated President Bush on Monday for repeating his earlier description of the communist state as part of an "axis of evil," saying it shows the United States intends to attack it....

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Al-Qaida in Saudi Resurfaces with Martyrdom Video of Abqaiq Mastermind Fahd al-Farraj -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
On March 15, Al-Qaida’s Committee in the Arabian Peninsula released the first edition of a new video series titled “Blood that will never be forgotten” commemorating its “martyred” operatives in Saudi Arabia. This first edition, subtitled “The Battle of Al-Yarmuk District in Eastern Riyadh” featured the recorded will of Al-Qaida commander Fahd bin Farraj al-Juwair al-Farraj, who headed the organization at the time of his death. Al-Farraj—one of the original participants at the notorious Al-Battar training camp inside Saudi Arabia during 2002-2003—was also named by Al-Qaida as the mastermind behind the failed February 2006 suicide bomb attack on a major oil refinery in the eastern Saudi town of Abqaiq.

MSM REPORTS ON WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Starve Terrorism: Naif -- (Arab News/ AP)
Austrian President Heinz Fischer meets with Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal at the Guest Palace in Riyadh.
RIYADH, 20 March 2006 — Interior Minister Prince Naif said yesterday that the war on terror was far from over. Answering a question after his meeting with Austrian President Heinz Fischer, the prince said: “The Kingdom is in a state of war with these people (terrorists). There will be no end to terrorism unless its roots are starved.”

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Liberal Lie: Dick Durbins Claims He Supports Our Troops -- [Expose the Left]
On FOX News Sunday, Senator Dick Durbin (D) attempted to show his support for the troops:
DURBIN: Well, let me say first I want to thank the general, as you did, and all the troops in uniform for their service to our country and risking their lives every single day for us.
Durbin was singing a different tune last summer:

MILITARY

Federal Ban of Military Funeral Protests Proposed -- [Jawa Report]
Disgusted by the antics of the Westboro Baptist Church hate cult, US Representative Mike Rogers (R-MI) will introduce legislation that would prohibit protests an hour before or after a funeral and keep protesters at least five hundred feet away from family members of the deceased.

Combat Lifesavers -- [a mobilized year - in Iraq]
The combat lifesaver is taught advanced techniques in casualty assessment, hemorrhage control, and the treatment of tension pneumothorax. Among other training, the combat lifesavers are also taught basic techniques on casualty stabilization and administering IV fluids.
...Time and time again as indicated in after actions reports involving injuries, one of the first things soldiers mention about the incident is that they were so glad that they had a combat lifesaver in the gun truck.

War Letters, Past and Present – Part I -- [Wordsmith at War - in Iraq]
This is a letter written by Lloyd Maywood Staley to his sweetheart Mary Beatrice Gray. Mr. Staley’s grandson maintains this website of many war letters written by his grandfather during World War I. Here is some historical reference from the same website that puts the following letter into perspective:

MSM REPORTS ON MILITARY

Some Troops Headed Back To Iraq Are Mentally Ill -- (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Besides bringing antibiotics and painkillers, military personnel nationwide are heading back to Iraq with a cache of antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications.

Ill-Equipped Guard Units Alarm States -- (Chicago Tribune)
The conflict in Iraq, launched exactly three years ago as bombs began lighting up Baghdad's midnight skies, has left America's National Guard as one of the most critically wounded casualties of the war.

POLITICS

Political Props -- [Fuzzilicious Thinking]
When it comes to politics, the members of the military walk a fine line. For example, they cannot use their uniform or rank to endorse or reject a politician. I know that many are simply reluctant to talk politics at all and when pressed often decline to associate themselves with an organized political party.
...However, the Democrats apparently have no such concerns about using the military. The Washington Times has obtained a strategy memo from the office of Democratic Leader Harry Reid that consists of nothing but guidelines and suggestions for how to attack President Bush by exploiting the military.

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Durbin: It's Too Early to Censure Bush -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A top Senate Democrat said Sunday that President Bush should be held responsible if he violated the law in authorizing the domestic spy program. But Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said it is too early to tell if either censure or impeachment of Bush would be appropriate....

Libby Trial May Be Embarrassment for Bush -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Lawyers for Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide are signaling they may delve deeply at his criminal trial into infighting among the White House, the CIA and the State Department over pre-Iraq war intelligence failures....

THE MEDIA

Times Admits To Lying About Abu Ghraib Prisoner -- [Sweetness & Light]
Ah, another quiet Saturday morning.
The day when the New York Times sneaks out its admissions about the lies it posted on its front page throughout the rest of the week when everybody was paying attention.

Our boys on the front are not EVIL! -- [Girl on the Right]
Rosie Dimanno is on the front page of the Toronto Star today making our soldiers out to be bastards.

Belzer Proclaims He Knows Better About Iraq than Uneducated Soldiers in Iraq -- [NewsBusters]
When Congresswoman Ileanna Ros-Lehtinen contended Friday night, on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, that servicemen she's met in Iraq are “saying 'we're proud of our mission, we know what we're doing over here. We don't want you guys in Washington to lose it over there,'” actor/comedian Richard Belzer condescendingly fired back, claiming that to “ask them” is “bullshit” since, apparently unlike him, “they don't read twenty newspapers a day.”
...The Republican Congresswoman from Florida countered that her stepson is a college graduate, leading Belzer to snidely denigrate the military: "You think everyone over there is a college graduate? They're 19 and 20-year-old kids who couldn't get a job.”

Latest News - [Michael Yon]
Robert Kaplan embedded with US forces in Mosul shortly after I left that city. Mr. Kaplan is a highly respected journalist and author. His lengthy and detailed accounting of the situation in Mosul can be used as a reference point for framing our thinking about the process of building democracy in Iraq. Readers of my dispatches about the outstanding successes of US and Iraqi forces in Mosul, likely will find much of what Mr. Kaplan says imminently familiar. This is probably due to the fact that Kaplan and I are among the few writers who spent enough time in Mosul to discover how isolated incidents and individual threads of concern fit within the larger context.

They Just Can't Help Themselves -- [4 Mile Creek - in Iraq]
But like most writers for the NYTs, he just couldn't keep his Lefty mindset from entering the writeup he did for the book. Trying to show how hard it is for a black man in America (and of course, completely missing the point of the book that was written by the successful black brother), he writes:
"What happened to Robert Wideman after his arrest is all too familiar in a country where one finds a disproportionate number of black males in jail, in the army or in the morgue as homicide victims."
...What I can't understand is why this would be seen as three negatives. I see two negatives, one positive. That's just me I guess.

MSM REPORTS ON MEDIA

THE DEFIANT WAR -- (San Fransico Chronicle)
She's averaging just two days per month here. The next morning she will fly off again, the surreal star of what is -- depending largely on one's political perspective -- either an epic tragedy or a farce. After stops for protests in New Orleans and Washington, D.C., she will breakfast in Manhattan with actress Susan Sarandon, who is set to portray her in a biopic movie. A crew will film Sheehan for a weekly reality series on the Sundance Channel. Her letters to President Bush inspired "Peace Mom," a one-woman monologue show in London. A memoir is due to her publisher April 1.

WELCOME HOME

Welcome home, 3rd ACR -- [Murphy Around The World - in Iraq]
I'm posting this in its entirety. My brother received it from the Commander of the ACR Unit that his son Paul was attached to in Iraq. They were up in the northwest corner, the wild, wild west near Tal Afar. It's a tremendous account of Iraq from last year to about 2 weeks ago. Paul was assigned to Sabre Squadron.
March 13, 2006
Dear Squadron Families,

Going home -- [Going Down Range - on his way home from Aghanistan]
The interpreters I worked with wished me good luck and a safe journey home. I told them that I would visit them in a few years with my family and show them where the TICs and IEDs were at. I gave them a hug and wished them a safe, peaceful and prosperous future.
What is interesting is how many soldiers are going to the Active Army from the reserve. A lot. A few requested Iraq. That was a surprise. A couple of soldiers are ETS’ing or leaving the army, but many more re-upped to stay in the reserves. This is a post in it self.

Homeward bound -- [Sandgram - home from Iraq]
...I will have to change my blog to reflect that I'm home now, but part of me is still over there. I think they should bring back the draft, or a choice of four things for every 18-year-old in our nation. Either go into the military and see the world; go into the peace Corps and help out folks in our own back yard vice Africa; go into the border patrol and keep all the deadbeats out; or join some sort of CCC like they had in the thirties and forties. This will give our nation's youth and future leaders a greater understanding of just how great America truly is!!

IN MEMORY OF...

DELICACY -- [Tribune Blogs - journalist embed in Iraq]
Jerome Gourley finds solace in his 9-month-old granddaughter, Addison, as he awaits the return of his son's body.
In his words (click for larger view):

SORROW -- [Tribune Blogs - journalist embed in Iraq]
Colleen Parkin follows the casket of her son, Matthew Smith, killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq.
In her words (click for larger view):

Remembering SSG Newman -- [Fortunate Son - in Afghanistan]
I've been meaning to write this post for nearly a month now. SSG Clint Newman died north of Deh Rawod in central Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee on February 13th. The loss of SSG Newman has been the hardest so far for all of us. Having been with the 321st for several years, Clint was a close friend to many there and part of the core group that made the 321st what it was.