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

The Iraqi Constitution and Sharia -- [Serving the People of Iraq and Iran]
Summary: Many strident voices have claimed that American troops are dying for nothing more than the opportunity for another Islamic nation to apply Sharia (Islamic law) to oppress its people. The following is a discussion of how Sharia is applied in the Islamic world and what we might expect its implementation to be in the new Iraq.
A lot of people are worried that the rights of women, non-Muslims, and Iraqis in general will be trampled under the new Iraqi constitution, because the Constitution enshrines Sharia, believed by many to be a violently oppressive system of government. Conceptually—and in certain cases historically—the argument is valid. It appears, though, that the Iraqi constitution contains a healthy blend of support for the inalienable rights of humanity with a dependence on Islamic law. But as are all constitutions, the Iraqi Constitution is a framework that needs to be implemented, so it remains to be seen how Iraqi life will be affected by the Sharia going forward.

What did Bout Do With Weapons for Iraq? -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Douglas Farah]
In one of the strangest twists of recent Bout-related events, a company in Bout's business orbit was found to have flown several hundred thousand AK-47 assault rifles from Bosnia to Iraq, theoretically for use by the new, U.S.-traine Iraqi army and police. Unfortunately, there is no record of the weapons ever actually landing in Iraq, although it appears that the now-defunct air freighter, Aerocom, did make the flights.
This was first reported in a new report by Amnesty International report and I have confirmed the basic outlines from other intelligence sources.

Iraqi Women Cannot Use Cell Phones, But Iraq Is Still Fine! -- [24 Steps to Liberty - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...A few days ago, neighbors of mine told me that pamphlets were distributed in the neighborhood pointing out several orders that the residents should follow if they wanted to live. The neighborhood woke up one day to see these papers thrown in the streets, no one handed them and they weren’t signed by any organization. They were just orders written in papers and asking people to follow. I didn’t see the papers yet, but I asked some people to find me some of them.
- Women should not walk in the street without a head scarf.
- Women shouldn’t drive cars or use a cell phones in the street.
- Men shouldn’t wear shorts or grow a goatee.

Summer in Baghdad, the Baghdad furnace… -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
...This summer electricity in Baghdad is almost nonexistent, the national grid provides one hour every five other hours; reasons are numerous and government excuses are even more but maybe the straw that broke the back of the camel was the shut down of Biji station which one of the biggest in the country. The reason in this case is supposed to be that the 200 employees and their families were forced to leave the station and their homes at gun point; most of those people are not from the same town or province and they lived for years in a small housing compound near the station

Charlie Kilo, part three -- [Fun With Hand Grenades - in Iraq]
...Once again in the middle of the city wondering when my face will get shot off as I blatantly point the fifty cal at anybody and everyone who so much as looks at me funny. I normally don’t get bad feelings before missions. As of this entry I’ve only uttered “I have a bad feeling about this one” three times. Twice, bad things have happened. This time was one of them.
As EOD worked to blow up yet another discovered IED we tried to get the Haji on the corner shop to sell us some soda. At first he refused to sell to us because we were American. After our terp had a lengthy conversation with him we discovered he was, in his own words, “forbidden to sell to the Americans.”

In good company -- [The Will to Exist- in Iraq]
Another morning that started with a bang. I was up most of the night suffering from a head cold and the nasal drainage that accompanies that type of infection. At 0555 the first bomb was detonated just across the river by EOD. Another member of my unit told me he dropped his shaving cream. Even when it’s just EOD blowing up a found IED or two you get no warning and it can startle you out of a sound sleep. Did you know we’re clearing more than 50% of IEDs now? It was about 40% two months ago.

The Afternoon From Hell -- [Just Another Thunderhorse Roughneck! - in Iraq]
It wasn’t planned that way. We weren’t supposed to be out all night. Heck, I was planning on getting online and chatting with my wife and boys. I made an appointment. I started wondering to myself what she might have been thinking. Would she be worried? Would she guess that maybe something came up and that I’m busy? Would she be upset? And what about the boys? Would they understand?
...It turned into a late night because not one but two IEDs hit us. That’s right, two in one day. That’s pretty good. No one got hurt though.

Iraq Pictures - 15 May 2006 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
An Iraqi army soldier from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade 5th Iraqi Army Division walks through the village of Tahrir on an Iraqi army lead patrol.

Scrubbed Helo Raid -- [Midnight in Iraq - - Iraq]
We loitered at the south end of Camp Fallujah waiting to start our convoy brief, which would cover our route of travel, contingency plans, and a plethora of other information essential to the conduct of a convoy. However, on this particular day we would begin to face challenges even before the convoy began. It appeared that some type of inclement weather was moving in. On the distant horizon I could make out a dark brown blob, presumably a cloud, that grew increasingly larger with time. As it approached the blob revealed itself to be more of a large wall extending as far as the eye could see in both directions.

Sadr City -- [Those Wacky Iraqis - in Iraq]
I get asked a lot about what Iraq looks like. I am located in a more rural area than most but have spent a lot of time in Baghdad. This is what 1/4 of Baghdad looks like. This is Sadr City and it is a slum. Open sewage in the streets, trash everywhere, dusty, crowded, and dangerous. Almost 1 million people live in these conditions. Notice the dishes on the roof tops. Saddam did not allow that.

THE WESTERN CORRIDOR -- [Dan in the Desert - DoD contractor in Iraq]
...While I was in Fallujah, I found another stash of REVA 4x4s. There are a dozen or so of these vehicles scattered around the country, and they are sent to the "hot" areas because of their durability (the hull of these vehicles is V-shaped to deflect blasts from IEDs).

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Strategic Retreat? -- (Washington Post)...Paul Farhi
It's not who attended Monday's screening of the war documentary "Baghdad ER" that disappointed the film's producers, but rather who didn't. The National Museum of American History's theater was mostly full -- of civilians. Only a few rows were filled by men and women dressed in the crisp, olive-drab uniforms of the U.S. Army.

Morale Slippage In Iraq -- (Washington Times)...Cal Thomas
Morale is slipping in Iraq. Fighters are growing doubtful of success. A comprehensive strategy for winning the conflict is nonexistent.

'Hartford Courant': US Sending Mentally Unstable Troops into ... -- (Editor & Publisher)
HARTFORD US military troops with severe psychological problems have been sent to Iraq or kept in combat, even when superiors have been aware of signs of mental ...

Potent Mixture: Zoloft And A Rifle -- (Hartford Courant)...Lisa Chedekel and Matthew Kauffman
When Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark C. Warren was diagnosed with depression soon after his deployment to Iraq, a military doctor handed him a supply of the mood-altering drug Effexor.

In a Dispute, Army Cancels Rebuilding Contract in Iraq -- (NY Times)
The Army Corps of Engineers said Friday that it had canceled the work remaining on a $70 million project to refurbish 20 hospitals in Iraq, deepening a dispute with one of the largest American contractors operating here and seriously threatening an ambitious United States-led effort to improve Iraqi health care.

IRAQ: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES DIPLOMAT KIDNAPPED IN BAGHDAD -- (AKI)
Iraqi police began carrying out house to house searches in various areas of the capital Baghdad early Wednesday morning, following the abduction of an United Arab Emirates diplomat. The UAE national was kidnapped late on Tuesday while walking home, near the embassy in the residential Mansour area. According to satellite TV channel al-Arabiya the authorities are still trying to identify the kidnappers and the government has ordered police roundups which started Wednesday at daybreak.

AFGHANISTAN

LIFE IN AFGHANISTAN -- [Anthony - in Afghanistan]
...Life in Kabul, Afghanistan has taken on a monotonous routine at best. One wakes up, performs the days mission, returns alive and in one piece and does it all over again the next day. Unfortunately, the top brass has decided to make an already difficult life for us even harder. Stricter rules of engagement, stronger "no-drinking and no-fraternization policies enforced with an almost Gestapo-like zeal, Article 15 punishments handed out like candy and a no day off work-schedule are all doing more to crush motivation that it is to curtail complacency!!
Despite the hardships however, my platoon (specifically my squad), remains a tight knit group. We do everything as a team, on and off duty. We argue like family members and watch each others asses

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Afghan Women Graduate U.S. College Program -- (AP)
BRISTOL, R.I. (AP) -- When she was a child growing up in Afghanistan, Nadima Sahar loved to draw. But after the Taliban came to power in the 1990s, her love for art became a secret.
The strict Islamic movement banned art and secular music, so only Sahar's family knew about her drawings.
"I couldn't share them with my neighbors," Sahar said.

Canada wants to extend Afghan mission to 2009: report -- (Reuters)
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's new minority Conservative government plans to extend the country's 2,300-soldier mission in Afghanistan by two years to 2009, opposition politicians and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said on Monday.

US AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Iran and Turkey Squeeze Iraq’s Kurds -- [ThreatWatch]
Emboldening Turkish and Iranian Kurds, Tehran and Ankara Fear Renewed Separatist Movements
The merger of the dominant political parties within Kurdish Iraq, Masoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Jalal Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), while very good for the long-suffering Kurds within Iraq, poses all sorts of problems for Kurdish Iraq’s neighboring states, Iran and Turkey.

UK - Chavez offers oil to Europe's poor -- [The Cabarfeidh Pages - in United Kingdom]
Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez arrives in London today with an extraordinary promise to offer cut-rate heating oil for needy families in Europe, modelled on a similar campaign in the US which has been seen partly as a bid to embarrass President George Bush. It's extraordinary, but not for the reasons the Observer thinks.

Euro Backlash: The Socialists Dig In -- [The Celestial Junk Blog - in Canada]
The Socialist Utopian class has had the run of Europe for decades now. It is firmly entrenched in the media, academia, and politics. Anything or anyone even approaching what would be considered centrist in North America, is pilloried relentlessly by the EU elite and the EU MSM. The reek of academic arrogance wafts from university campuses, broadsheets, magazines, and the electronic media. In essence, the elite class knows all, while the peasantry, especially that in America, knows nothing.

MSM REPORTS ON US AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Guard Vows 6,000 Troops For Border -- (Washington Post)...Spencer S. Hsu and Darryl Fears
The commander of the National Guard pledged yesterday that 6,000 troops will be trained and ready to carry out President Bush's order to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border starting next month, but the narrowness of their mission and long-standing doubts about U.S. enforcement efforts shadowed Bush's call to "gain full control of the border."

The Guard Has Heard The Plan. Now It Needs The 'How.' -- (New York Times)...David S. Cloud
National Guard officials said Tuesday that they were confident that they could handle the complexity of sending thousands of soldiers to the border with Mexico in the fight against illegal immigration. State officials, who will be in control of the troops, said they were awaiting more details from the federal government, which acknowledged Tuesday that it was still working out how to handle such a major domestic deployment.

U.S. Secretly Backing Warlords In Somalia -- (Washington Post)...Emily Wax and Karen DeYoung
More than a decade after U.S. troops withdrew from Somalia following a disastrous military intervention, officials of Somalia's interim government and some U.S. analysts of Africa policy say the United States has returned to the African country, secretly supporting secular warlords who have been waging fierce battles against Islamic groups for control of the capital, Mogadishu.

Pakistan wants duty free access to US, EU markets -- (Dawn)
Pakistan said on Friday it needed duty-free access to US and EU markets for its products to give a future boost to its economy and help cope with the fallout of the...

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Pentagon video postscript: moment by moment -- [Hot Air]
Let’s look at the screencaps. Here’s the last shot of the calm before the storm, taken at 0:24:53. Note the horizon directly above the yellow ticket dispenser on the right. (pic)
Here’s the next frame, the one Kevin screencapped, taken at 0:25:07. Don’t focus on the white blur; focus on the area above the ticket dispenser.

The European Understanding With Terrorists -- [Strategy Page]
While the March 11, 2004 terror bombing in Madrid was thought to have been a victory for the Islamic terrorists, it was actually a major defeat. Up to that point, Europe was not going all out to shut down Islamic terrorist activity in its midst.

Credible threats against the Danish cartoonists -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Olivier Guitta]
If you thought that the Cartoon Jihad was over, think again. Indeed, several European secret services are on the lookout for special Islamist commandos allegedly trying to kill the 12 Danish cartoonists involved in the Jyllands Posten Muhammad cartoons. Most probably, a European sleeper cell could be activated for that mission. Nonetheless, an entrance of dangerous Pakistani elements thru Turkey is envisioned.

MSM REPORTS ON WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Pentagon Releases 9/11 Security Video -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon on Tuesday released the first video images of American Airlines Flight 77 crashing into the military headquarters building and killing 189 people in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The images, recorded by Pentagon security cameras outside the building, were made public in response to a December 2004 Freedom of Information Act request by Judicial Watch, a public interest group. Some still images from the video had previously been leaked and publicly circulated, but this was the first official release

Bush the 'biggest terrorist in the world today' -- (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has reacted angrily to new United States sanctions on his country.
The US has banned arms sales and technology transfers to Venezuela, because it says Mr Chavez's Government has failed to cooperate in the US-led war on terrorism.
Speaking on a private visit to London, the Venezuelan leader has thrown the accusation back at his accusers, calling the US an irrational empire and President George W Bush "the biggest terrorist in the world today".

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Soldiers' Angel Celebrates 101st Birthday Filling Care Packages for Soldiers -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
She was 7 years old when the Titanic went down, and still remembers that day.
Mary Irvin Roun was born on April 13, 1905 in Turnersville, NJ, and recently celebrated her 101st birthday in Cedar Key, Florida with over 50 guests from all over the country.

Joint Service Open House this Weekend! -- [Soldiers' Angel - Holly Aho]
Oh, I soooo wish I could go to this! If you don't have plans for this weekend and live near Andrews Air Force Base I highly recommend going to their Joint Service Open House this weekend, May 19 - 21. It's free admission, and open to the general public (May 20th and 21st) with some really cool shows happening like the Blue Angels, the Canadian Snow Birds, the Golden Knights and more! You can find a full schedule of events here.

I don't support the troops -- [Bill MySpace Blog]
...Nam. We left because of political pressure at home. Do you know why there was political pressure at home? The war was started under false pretenses. The American people were lied to. This actually does sound familar.
...And finally, no I don't support your President. I don't support our Country in this war. I don't support this injust invasion of a sovern nation. I don't support domestic wire tapping. I don't support the erossion of out civil liberties. And I sure as hell don't support the troops. They got themselves into this. They signed up for it. If I felt strongly in favor of this then I would sign up. You will be hard pressed to find a Republican on Capitol Hill with family in the military, stationed on the front line.

MILITARY

Americans Enlist in Record Numbers -- [Strategy Page]
May 16, 2006: In the last seven months, the U.S. Army has met or exceeded all of its recruiting goals. In that time, over 160,000 people have enlisted, or re-enlisted. The total strength of the active duty and reserve forces are 1.2 million men and women, all of them volunteers.

Our Army will never be broken -- [Counter Column]
Don't miss this scathing exchange between military writer Joe Gallagher (the same Joe Gallagher who co-wrote We Were Soldiers Once, and Young, and Pentagon chief flack Larry Di Rita.
Di Rita is trying to argue that the Army is stronger now than it was in 2000, and that the Army of 2001 could not have withstood the kind of indefinite troop rotation that it is enduring now.
Here's Gallagher's response:

Whatziss (with a twist) -- [Castle Argghhh!]
I’m sure you’ve all heard the military procurement horror stories -- href="http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/skt8716.html">the $500 hammer, the coffeemaker for the C-5 that was built to withstand G-forces that would turn the crew two-dimensional, the Air Defense system that showed a preference for ...

Save your Mommy, Kill a Commmie -- [SandGram]
The sweat stings as small drops make it into your eyes during the two-hour drill session on “The Grinder” which in laymen’s terms is a large asphalt parking lot the size of three football fields. We lucked out and had the Grinder booked from 0900 to 1100, but by 0930, the sun was starting to peek over the tops of the tall trees on the East end. The humidity was increasing too, causing our hands to slip on the plastic M-16 A1 rifle that we had to constantly switch from shoulder to shoulder.

MSM REPORTS ON MILITARY

Raising The Issue Of Parity In Pay Beyond The Military -- (Washington Post)...Stephen Barr
The push for "pay parity" is underway. A group of House members is urging leaders of the House Appropriations Committee to support a 2.7 percent pay raise for the civil service next year, the same raise that the House recently approved for the military in a defense authorization bill.

POLITICS

Senate Republicans about as impressed with President Bush’s “amnesty for illegal aliens” speech as Liberals were -- [The Gun Toting Liberal]
...I’ll be the first to say I’ve served with, and admire the Aussies, but I would NEVER show such desperation as to call a press conference with one standing by my side, nodding his head in agreement as I addressed the nation to espouse the values of an EXTREMELY, and LIBERALLY modified version of Neal Boortz’s “Fair Tax”.

More on S.2611 -- [Philologous]
Mike Rosen, KOA-AM Denver today interviewed Robert Rector, author of the Heritage Foundation study I mentioned previously. Rector told Rosen that S.2611 is “a stealth open border law” and its proponents are trying to ram it through. He also said that this legislation, if passed as is, will permit 100,000,000 legal immigrants over the next 20 years. As I read through Rector’s analysis—and portionsof the Senate Bill itself—I continue to just be shocked. The purpose of this legislation must be to increase the size of the welfare state and, thereby, the entitlement class. Idon’t really know that, of course. But I’m at a loss to see the purpose of this sort of legislation.

O’Reilly Exposes Dean’s Lie That Bush Wants To Send Illegals Back -- [Expose the Left]
On tonight’s “Most Ridiculous Item” segment, O’Reilly called Howard Dean a liar when he said President Bush wants “to find twelve million undocumented people” and “send them all back” on Monday night’s edition of The Daily Show. Actually, President Bush has never advocated sending illegal immigrants back. Here’s the line:

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Confidence In GOP Is At New Low In Poll -- (MSNBC)...Richard Morin and Dan Balz
...Not quite a third -- 32 percent -- said they approve of the way Bush is handling Iraq, down five points in the past month and a new low in Post-ABC polling. Fewer than four in 10 -- 37 percent -- say Iraq has been worth the cost, the lowest level of support recorded in Post-ABC polls. Nearly two in three Americans believe the war has not been worth it -- a view shared by eight in 10 Democrats, seven in 10 independents and a third of all Republicans.

Rumsfeld Protest: Silent Dissenter Wanted All Focus On Himself -- (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)...Lee Weber
When Randy Aronov stood in the audience and turned his back during a May 4 speech by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, it was not an act of civil disobedience, but an act of shameless self-promotion.

Is Al Gore Running for President Again? -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Al Gore is running to California, New York, Utah, Washington, France and points in between to promote "An Inconvenient Truth," a film chronicling his elaborate slide shows to educate people about global warming....

THE MEDIA

Pen-MAN-ship -- [Michael Yon]
When it comes to losing the information war, we have only ourselves to blame. We do not demand the best from our media, and as a result we allow the media to deceive us. The Washington Times, previously cited here for its excellent coverage of the Captain Furat story, sunk low when it published the May 12th “Inside the Ring” column by Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough.

View From the Soapbox -- [Fire and Ice]
I've mentioned before that I live in Fredericksburg, Virginia. One of many wonderful things about this beautiful and historic rivertown is our hometown newspaper, The Free-Lance Star. The Op-Ed page editors occasionally humor me by publishing one of my soapbox ramblings. I thought I would share a couple of them with you over the next couple days. I am finding myself, now that I'm in the rear with the gear, compelled to respond to things I read in this well-balanced paper.

“War of Words” at the American Enterprise Institute – Part 1-- [Daily Dispatch]
(On May 17, 2006, AEI hosted the “War of Words” veterans in a panel discussion entitled “Veterans Speak Out on the Coverage of the Iraq War.” DD will publish their statements on May 17, 18 and 19

ABC Ignores Denial by Phone Companies of NSA Story, Leads with Low Bush Rating -- [NewsBusters]
Tuesday's CBS Evening News devoted a story to how all three phone companies -- BellSouth, Verizon and AT&T -- denied they supplied the NSA with massive records of numbers called by their customers, as charged in a Thursday front page USA Today story which led to an ongoing media firestorm. Verizon, for instance, maintained: “Contrary to the media reports, Verizon was not asked by NSA to provide, nor did Verizon provide customer phone records.” NBC Nightly News ran a story on the denials by BellSouth and Verizon. But ABC's World News Tonight didn't utter a syllable about the denials which undermine the media's obsession of the last six days.

MSM REPORTS ON MEDIA

Verizon Denies Giving NSA Phone Records -- (AP)
NEW YORK (AP) - Verizon Communications Inc. says it did not give the government records of millions of phone calls, joining fellow phone company BellSouth in disputing key assertions in a USA Today article. The denials leave open the possibility that the National Security Agency requested customer calling data from long-distance companies like AT&T, Sprint and MCI in 2001, but not from companies that were mainly local phone companies, such as Verizon.

MILBLOGGING / BLOGGING

Blackfive and Michael Yon on Pundit Review Radio -- [Pundit Review]
What a special double feature on Pundit Review Radio last night. Two of the leading military bloggers, Matt from Blackfive and Michael Yon, joined us to discuss the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the role of Syria and Iran, and the state of the domestic insurgency here at home.

CONGRATS

Lucky 20,000 -- [Hardtack and Havoc - in Iraq]
The twenty thousandth visitor to Hardtack and Havoc: