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

"Daddy, I Can See Your Face!" -- [Serving the People of Iraq - in Iraq]
Summary: The ability of Iraqis to work together to improve their situation increases nearly every day. Recently, an Iraqi Air Force transport plane took five children and their families to Turkey where doctors helped repair the children's eyesight.
The Pentagon Channel shows a television program each day that I enjoy watching when I get a chance, called Freedom Journal Iraq. I’ve learned such things as that an oil production site was recently completed in Um Kasr, that several large weapons stockpiles have been found, and that Iraqi policemen and soldiers are becoming better trained and more able to maintain order and promote growth and prosperity in their country.

Looks like they've finally done it. -- [An independent look at Iraq - journalist embed in Iraq]
...While Maliki's nomination is great I don't think this development means a general down turn in the insurgency. Plenty of people, mostly Sunni, won't like this guy for a number of reasons. First, becuase he's Shia; second, because he has a serious personal beef with the Ba'athists; third, because he's Shia; forthly, and lastly, the Bad Boys have too much time, money and blood invested in their little cause(s) to give up now.

Meanwhile, Turkish and Iranian Troops Mass on the Border -- [Strategy Page]
...Until the new government is formed, a lot of people are putting a lot of plans, including reconstruction, on hold. They have to know who they will be dealing with for the next four years.
While Iraqis wait, U.S. troops have been chasing Islamic and Sunni Arab terrorists around. The terrorists have fewer and fewer places to hide. But the constant action has doubled the death rate for American troops (from last month).

The Heart List Grows, The Support Continues -- [Stryker Brigade]
In December 2005, Stryker News published the story of First Lt. Brett Phillips (1st BN, 17th INF) at FOB Marez and SSG William Verble (278th Regimental Combat Team, formerly of FOB Cobra, Tennessee National Guard) handing out small dolls of color in the Mosul and Baghdad regions of Iraq. Both soldiers are medics and gave out the dolls while on medical screening missions.

This is my first post in Iraq. -- [SGT Dock's Holiday - in Iraq]
I have been here a while and am already bored. My job is to simply open and close a traffic gate and wait for injured people to arrive at said gate. As you have probably guessed (given that I am bored), i have yet to treat anything more serious than a small cut to a finger tip. (Welcome to REMF/FOBbit status.) Woot. I have filled the time on my shift by talking to my co-workers (when they happen to pass by), reading the paper (when it comes), and watching birds "make sweet lovin' down by the gateside" .

Saturday, April 22nd, 2006 -- [My Turn - in Iraq]
When I first got here, to this FOB site... i was wondering how things would be... a few months after being here with absolutely NO incidents I started thinking, "Is Iraq really that dangerous?" Sure, i'd imagine mortars falling from the sky and blowing stuff up, but... that hasn't quite happened, and I hope it never happens. There were the two RPG attacks... still, not quite mortars.

Soldier Growth -- [a mobilized year - in Iraq]
One of the great things about being a military leader is to see soldiers grow. I’ve witnessed a number of soldiers come into their own over the last 10 or so months during our mobilization. For example, I’ve got one soldier who a year ago could, at best, be described as “wayward.” He was always in trouble. He lacked discipline, didn’t care about much, and had an attitude about virtually everything. Today, he’s like a new man. He’s gained self respect.

DEMIGODS AND GENERALS -- [American Citizen Soldier - in Iraq]
A coterie of retired generals have in recent weeks spoken out against the continued employment of the Secretary of Defense. And just like the campus chanters and chattering classes they echo, these Grumpy Old Men have not even bothered to elaborate on their surface critiques. For a group so disparaging of nearly every aspect of the conduct of the war, these generals sure don’t sweat the details. Here are what appear to be the most common refrains voiced by this outspoken and hardly retiring collection of flag officers

Between a rock and two hard places... -- [David Mishevitz - Comics on Duty - in Iraq]
...The average attacks on this base is supposedly 38 a month. I'll keep score for ya'll during my stay. So far between landing, showering, shopping at the PX and Haji shops as well as meeting the local fave restaurant owner (prime location just opposite the swimming pool) there are none - Score is 0.
During yesterday's show I mentioned a gum-chewer in the crowd. He came up to me after, "Be careful who you make fun of, you're about to visit me at the firing range." From now on everyone can chew gum at my shows.

And Now For Something Completely Different... -- [Skull Nation in the Sandbox - in Iraq]
...I've been thinking about the transition from soldier to civilian over the last few days. Will it be difficult? Not for me. I am so sick of who I am here I can't wait to be me again. Some of our boys will have trouble though. Folks back home should talk to the Family Readiness Groups so they are prepared for and can identify some of the bullshit they are in store for when we get back. I will start planting seeds here so they are thinking about the transition too. Realize that many of them have seen and done shit that is not normal back home. Try to understand and prepare yourselves for weird moods and "left field" crap. It will pass.
We are almost home! Soon, soon, soon.

An Innocent Heart -- [Hardtack and Havoc]
Anyone who has been to any third world country knows that there are a great many stray animals. Iraq is no different. Lonely soldiers often adopt these lost souls to be pets, companions and unit mascots which has led to a CENTCOM general order saying "Thou Shalt Not". The IA base I live on is no different, it has many many stray dogs. A lot of them have been cared for by IA soldiers, civilian workers who are away from home and lonely. Even a few U.S. units have their adopted animals to include our local SF unit who by their very existence are above all rules.

Serving Military Officers and the Rumsfeld Debate -- [Outside the Beltway]
After a couple of weeks of spotlighting a handful of retired generals who are unhappy with Donald Rumsfeld’s second stint as Defense Secretary, Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt apparently decided to see what serving officers think. The result is a front page piece in today’s NYT entitled, “Young Officers Join the Debate Over Rumsfeld.” While mostly anecdotal, it reads true based on my own conversations with serving officers.

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Prince Harry: Send me to war or I'll quit -- (The Australian)
PRINCE Harry has threatened to quit the British Army if commanders refuse to send him to the frontline.
The prince and his older brother William have both made it clear they want to see active service with their units.
Earlier this month Harry, 21, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals, the army's oldest and most senior regiment.
The Blues and Royals have been deployed in almost every major operation of the past 25 years, including the Falklands, Bosnia and both Gulf wars.
And now it has been revealed the determined prince told top brass at the Sandhurst military academy: "If I am not allowed to join my unit in a war zone, I will hand in my uniform."

Inspectors Find More Torture at Iraqi Jails -- (Washington Post)
BAGHDAD -- Last Nov. 13, U.S. soldiers found 173 incarcerated men, some of them emaciated and showing signs of torture, in a secret bunker in an Interior Ministry compound in central Baghdad. The soldiers immediately transferred the men to a separate detention facility to protect them from further...

Deadly Month for U.S. Soldiers in Iraq -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Insurgents killed three American soldiers in the Baghdad area Sunday and fired mortars near the Defense Ministry in a spree of violence that killed at least 29 Iraqis as politicians began work on forming a new government. The largest Sunni Arab party raised new allegations of sectarian killings - one of the most urgent issues facing the new leadership.

Bush Urges Iraqi Leaders to Act Quickly -- (AP)
TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (AP) -- President Bush on Sunday called Iraq's top leaders to congratulate them on breaking a political impasse and urge the quick formation of a coalition government....

Bush reminds Iraq leaders of 'awesome' duty -- (Reuters)
TWENTYNINE PALMS, California (Reuters) - President Bush on Sunday called Iraqi leaders to congratulate them on moving to form a unity government and told them they had "awesome responsibilities" to their people.

U.S. Envoy: Iraq Gov't Has Ways to Go -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Iraqi leaders are "some distance" from finalizing their new government, but Americans should be patient over the pace of protracted negotiations that involve more than simply picking officials to fill posts, the U.S. ambassador said Sunday....

Warily, Iraqis Investing Hope in New Leaders -- (NY Times)
Iraqis are wary of their new government, but seem to be clinging grimly to the battered hope for democracy.

Young Officers Join The Debate Over Rumsfeld -- (New York Times)...Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt
The revolt by retired generals who publicly criticized Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has opened an extraordinary debate among younger officers, in military academies, in the armed services' staff colleges and even in command posts and mess halls in Iraq.

AFGHANISTAN

Something Worth Fighting For -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian in Afghanistan]
The recent death of four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan must leave many of us wondering what is worth fighting for. We hear generals and politicians all to often speak of keeping Afghanistan from falling back to where it was; a haven for terrorists. But, we hear a different story come from the troops themselves. A common theme among soldiers deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq is that they are compelled to fight and sacrifice for the indigenous people. Endless tales of our warriors being motivated by the civilians of Afghanistan can be found.

Taliban Spring Offensive Sputters Forward -- [Strategy Page]
April 24, 2006: The Taliban are making a major effort, but are squeezed by thousands of NATO troops moving into southern Afghanistan, and 80,000 Pakistani troops operating along their side of the border.

Whipping Boy -- [Michael Yon - in Afghanistan]
The sound lashed across the desert, chased by the sounds of men yelling.
I grabbed my camera and walked over, joining a group of several dozen Afghan men, all of whom were out here in the middle of the desert building a British military base. As I approached, I made a few photographs, then sat with them in the dust, shutter snapping all the while.

Friday News o' Afghanistan III -- [Miserable Donuts]
Friends getting job promotions. 4 hour marriages? It must be time for the Friday News from Afghanistan...
Here are a few stories of security, politics, economics and life in Afghanistan. I am sure you hadn't heard a few of them.

A Visit to Osama's House -- [Fortunate Son]
The last place Osama Bin Laden was ever seen in public was at his home in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Well, technically its just a bit out of town. Conveniently on the way to his commute to Tora Bora down in the Pachir Wa Agam district just two hours drive south. Well, the other day our team finally got around to going by and "paying our [dis]respects".

Afghanistan Embed Update & Latest Post -- [The Fourth Rail]
I am still working out the details for the Afghanistan embed, but I am focusing on two options: embedding with the Marines in Kunar province, and embedding with the Canadians in Kandahar province. Both services are doing excellent work in the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban as well as facilitating reconstruction efforts in the war-torn nation. I am trying to work out a way to embed with both units.

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Britain Warns of Danger of Taliban Return -- (AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Britain's defense secretary warned on Sunday that any let up on militants could see the toppled Taliban regime and al-Qaida regain power in Afghanistan....

No Peace in the Province -- (Spiegel Online)
By The Afghan capital Kabul is blossoming, but the rest of the country remains a war zone in which Western troops routinely encounter warlords, drug barons and the...

Afghan Bomb On Road Kills 4 Canadians -- (New York Times)...Carlotta Gall
Four Canadian soldiers were killed Saturday when their vehicle was blown up by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, Canadian military officials said.

US AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Fourteen Hundred Years -- [4 Mile Creek - in Iraq]
A few years back, I had a mission in support of the Royal Saudi Army. My mission was to ready the Royal Saudi Army to receive a form of military support from the US (best not described here). That mission required me to get the Saudis up to snuff on things like security, property accountability, sensitive item checks and reports, and a few other areas along those lines. For eight months straight I had to report up through my chain that I had achieved absolutely no movement towards that goal. Finally, in my eighth monthly briefing where I reported I was still months away from completion, my CG demanded to know what, exactly, the problem was keeping me from getting the job done. I told him matter of factly, “Fourteen hundred years of islam."

MSM REPORTS ON US AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Schumer Seeks Aid in Hunt for 9/11 Remains -- (AP)
NEW YORK (AP) -- A New York senator on Sunday asked Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to send an elite military unit to search for human remains at ground zero after hundreds of new bone fragments were found at an adjacent building in recent months....

U.S., Japan Agree on Troop Realignment -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States and Japan have struck a bargain over a plan to realign U.S. forces in Japan, with Japan agreeing to finance $6.1 billion of the nearly $10.3 billion cost, the Japanese defense chief said Sunday night. Japanese Defense Minister Fukushiro Nukaga told reporters after his three-hour meeting with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld that Japan wanted to have an appropriate sharing of costs in transferring 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to the Pacific island of Guam.

Chavez: U.S. Diplomat Welcome in Venezuela -- (AP)
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuela's president said Sunday that he would welcome a visit by a top U.S. State Department official and hopes to build close ties with like-minded Americans despite his vehement opposition to President Bush....

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Bin Laden Tape (VIDEO/AUDIO) -- [Expose the Left]
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) – Osama bin Laden issued new threats in an audiotape broadcast on Arab television Sunday and accused the United States and Europe of supporting a “Zionist” war on Islam by cutting off funds to the Hamas-led Palestinian government.

Why is Osama declaring war on the world? -- [Austin Bay]
Salah Nasrawi reports for the Associated Press that bin Laden is urging jihadis to head for Sudan. Why? To prepare to wage holy war against…get ready… The United Nations.

The War on Terror is poorly named -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
Filed by Trevor under Politics, United States (Sunday April 23, 2006 at 11:22 am)
This Reason article claims that the War on Terror is actually a war on jihadists, and is well worth reading.

BIN LADEN'S "STATE OF JIHAD" SPEECH -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
One more time Al Jazeera pomotes an Usama Bin Laden speech. After airing portions of the Bin Laden audiotape al Jazeera posted large fragments of the “speech” on its web site. This was the longest version possible we were able to have access to. After careful reading, my assessment of the “piece” got reinforced: This is not just another audiotape or videotape of a renegade in some cave. Regardless of who is the speaker and his whereabouts, the 30 minutes long read statement is a declaration, probably as important as the February 1998 declaration of war against America, the Crusaders and their allies.

MSM REPORTS ON WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Bin Laden Says U.S. Waging War on Islam -- (AP)
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Osama bin Laden issued new threats in an audiotape broadcast on Arab television Sunday and accused the United States and Europe of supporting a "Zionist" war on Islam by cutting off funds to the Hamas-led Palestinian government. He also urged followers to go to Sudan, his former base, to fight a proposed U.N. peacekeeping force.

Hamas rejects bin Laden message -- (AlJazeera.Net)
Hamas and a Sudanese rebel group have distanced themselves from a statement from Osama bin Laden condemning the West for its actions in both countries.

Experts Debate al-Zawahri, Osama Split -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Osama bin Laden is hiding in a remote tribal area along Afghanistan's 1,500-mile border with Pakistan, separated from his top deputy and, in a sign he has to be careful about whom he trusts, surrounded by fellow Arabs....

Al Qaeda Mystery Man Described in Documents -- (LA Times)
A suspect in the 9/11 and LAX plots has been held and interrogated since '01, papers show. But the puzzle seems to deepen.
WASHINGTON — When Mohamedou Ould Slahi's name appeared on the list released last week of Guantanamo Bay detainees, the Pentagon was officially confirming that one of Al Qaeda's most mysterious figures had been in custody since late 2001.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Six Days to Make a Difference -- [Andi's World]
I've been fixated on the MilBlog Conference, but the clock is ticking on Fran O'Brien's. Friday night, I was wandering around the restaurant and I went in the back room where our wounded heroes were dining. I stood there for a little bit soaking up the scene. What a great atmosphere. I also saw Paul Wolfowitz there

Deployment Cost Me My Job -- [MREater]
I have previously written that I got new job duties upon my return from active duty. The job was explained to me to be a promotion, and I got a small raise, so I wasn't greatly upset. I do miss the old job and don't like the new one as well.
Also, I had asked for the new duties. I had wanted them as extra duties to the job I held when I left. However, as it turned out, I lost the old duties and just got the new ones. I thought the change had occurred because of my request.

MSM REPORTS ON SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Hero Iraq vet tossed from wheelchair in cop brawl -- (Boston Herald)
A nationally acclaimed Marine paralyzed in the Iraq War was tossed from his wheelchair and an undercover cop knocked out cold with a broken jaw during a mad melee early yesterday morning at a Revere Beach bar.
"I said, ‘I’m a Marine. What are you doing?’ ” James Crosby, 21, told the Herald he pleaded for his life as he was allegedly being hoisted off the ground by his windbreaker and slammed back down by Revere police officers. “They said, ‘If you’re a Marine then you know how to shut the (expletive) up.’ ”

Disabled Vets Need The Cheer -- (Philadelphia Inquirer)...Kevin Ferris
...In the same steady tones, Koster says this Friday will be last call for O'Brien's. The owners and the Hilton couldn't come to terms on a new lease. Koster was insisting on an elevator. "The troops never complain about it," Koster said. "But I'm embarrassed to run them through the coatroom to the service elevator. They deserve better."

Many American Veterans Wind Up On The Streets -- (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)...Michele Munz
...One out of every three men stopping you for spare change or sleeping on a park bench has served our country, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a national survey.

MILITARY

A snapshot of the Army in the late 1990s -- [CounterColumn]
I couldn't determine the exact year, but I thought this Chief of Staff of the Army's survey of Majors from what appears to be the late 1990s or 2000 to be very interesting.

Intelligence Interrogation and Debriefing Battalions -- [Strategy Page]
April 24, 2006: The U.S. Army has formed the first of four Intelligence Interrogation and Debriefing (IID) battalions. Each of these battalions will have 147 personnel, most of them specialists in screening and interrogating captured personnel, or people being screened for possible illegal behavior.

MSM REPORTS ON MILITARY

Sailors Getting Soldiers' Training in S.C. -- (AP)
FORT JACKSON, S.C. (AP) -- Navy sailors are trading their sea legs for dry land combat skills to help them survive in war zones, and the training is coming from an unusual place - the Army....

POLITICS

"Big Love" - The Media, CIA, Democrats, & Castro Sympathizers -- [Gateway Pundit]
The Media...
After the CIA frogmarched (definition #2 is best) the $9,500 Democratic donor from the General's Office last week, the Associated Press was so excited that there was actually a leak story with a leaker and a leak that they felt it only appropriate to publish a picture of Cheney aide Scooter Libby in its coverage of the Democratic donating CIA leaker.

McClellan Replacement Wish -- [Baldilocks]
Pajamas Media has extensive links on the likely-forced resignation of White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. As many have noted, this is probably a wise move, as Mr. McClellan has seemed rather hapless against an increasingly hostile Washington press corps. Nothing against him; as Tammy Bruce opines, he seems like a nice man. Perhaps that’s the problem:

KERRY: 'IF YOU'RE LEAKING TO TELL THE TRUTH...' -- [Drudge Report]
Former presidential candidate John Kerry has come to the defense of a fired CIA officer accused of disclosing classified information to the press.
"I'm glad she told the truth but she's going to obviously -- if she did it, if she did it, suffer the consequences of breaking the law,' Kerry explained to ABC THIS WEEK.

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Democrats Suggest Double Standard on Leaks -- (Washington Post)
Key Democratic legislators yesterday joined Republicans in saying they do not condone the alleged leaking of classified information that led to last week's firing of a veteran CIA officer. But they questioned whether a double standard exists that lets the White House give reporters secretly...

Paper calls for Dick Cheney's early retirement -- (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Los Angeles Times editorial on Sunday called for a "far more audacious" makeover of President George W. Bush's administration, saying he should send Vice President Dick Cheney into early retirement.
Earlier this week, Bush Press Secretary Scott McClellan resigned and Karl Rove gave up his policy role as part of a White House sweep aimed at reviving Bush's sagging job-approval ratings ahead of November's pivotal mid-term elections.

Kennedy says he'd again back Kerry for president -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. Edward Kennedy said on Sunday if fellow Massachusetts Democrat John Kerry makes another bid for the presidency in 2008, he would again back him.
"If he (Kerry) runs, I'm supporting him," Kennedy, the leading liberal in the U.S. Congress, told NBC's "Meet the Press."

Kerry Dismisses Idea Whites Run Nomination -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. John Kerry dismisses as "absolutely ridiculous" the notion that his support for Iowa and New Hampshire's prominent roles in the presidential nomination process means he thinks only the votes of white people count.

THE MEDIA

An Experiment in Journalism -- [Michael Totten]
I went to the Middle East for six months so I could expand my freelance writing portfolio. But I found, after a few months, there may be a better way forward than publishing disconnected dispatches here and there for low pay.
The mainstream media is an industry in decline. The audience shrinks every year. Profits circle the drain. Budgets for foreign bureaus and correspondents have been gutted stem to stern. Most journalists are paid pitifully low salaries even in good times, and freelancers are paid even worse.

ABC News Defends McCarthy -- [Wizbang]
ABC News is jumping to the defense of Mary McCarthy by employing an age-old excuse: everybody does it.

New York Times Goes to the Source -- [CJR Daily]
...When you're the biggest guy in the room, you obviously provide the biggest target -- a position the Times is no doubt used to by now. But for those critics who slam the paper for ignoring what soldiers are doing on the ground on a day-to-day basis, the paper has replied with the best weapon at its disposal: It has set up a group blog of four active-duty soldiers and Marines currently deployed in Iraq, telling their stories as they experience them.

MSM REPORTS ON MEDIA

At Los Angeles Times, a Columnist Who Used a False Web Name Loses His Blog -- (NY Times)
In the last few years, newspapers around the country have been testing the waters of the seldom-restrained, often scrappy world of Web-based journalism by setting their reporters loose to write their own blogs.
Last week, the experiment backfired for The Los Angeles Times. The newspaper suspended the blog of one of its columnists after it was revealed that he had posted comments on the paper's Web site and elsewhere on the Web under false names.

MILBLOGGING / BLOGGING

First Ever Milblogging Conference a Success -- [GI Korea - in S Korea]
The first ever Milblogging Conference in Washington, DC was a success with many prominent milbloggers highlighting the many positive aspects of the military blogging community:

Op-For Radio Strikes Back -- [OPFOR]
It's the MOAP: The mother of all podcasts! Click here for the second installment of Op-for Radio!
In our second podcast, recorded from the 2006 Milblog Conference, John and I interview an all-star cast of milbloggers.... Matt and Uncle Jimbo from Blackfive, LT Smash, and Chuck from TC Overide.
We discuss where Milblogging is going, combat in Iraq, and OPSEC for bloggers. Then we move on to a roundtable on topics such as immigration, and the current hot-button issue: Iran.

THE GOOD, BAD AND THE UGLY -- [One Marine's View]
(pic of Capt B, Marty from AnySoldier and “Taco” from Sandgram)
The first annual MilBlog convention is over. What a pleasure it was to meet everyone and put a face to a name. Thank you all that got to attend for those that couldn’t you got to come out next year! I departed for the convention at 1400 (2pm) on sunnyfriday afternoon which would put me in the Walter Reed area in plenty of time to go bash some pinkos! Entering Va, the sky’s opened up and everyone decided to get on their cell phones and drive 45 mph in front of me.

Colonel Hunt & the Bloggers Part 2: What do you want for war blogging for the future? -- [The War Tapes]
Hunt asks everyone "what do you want" for the blogging from, for example, "Iran."
Dadmanly: "I want the embeds back."
An audience member calling herself a "clueless civilian," says, "its got to be easier to find out what the troops are doing. . . .You're talking about what do we want, now...I don't want somebody in some office deciding."

Military bloggers speak out against more restrictions -- (Stars and Stripes)
Speakers at conference say self-regulation can maintain security
WASHINGTON — Overregulation of military weblogs by the defense officials will not only demoralize troops but also silence many of the military’s strongest advocates, a panel of leading bloggers said Saturday.