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

Wild Bill, part two -- [Fun With Hand Grenades - in Iraq]
...Fighting this war is HARD. It’s extremely difficult to acquire a target because the teenager on the corner could be holding a grenade while the sixty year old man down the street lets an RPG shooter use the second story of his house while the guy who looks like his car is stalled actually has a bomb in the trunk while everyone else looks at you with the fuck you smile because there’s an IED ten feet away from you and they all have AK-47s stashed in their cars. So when the IED rips apart a truck and the RPG shooter lets loose and the hand grenade gets thrown and the car blows up and you start getting shot at from multiple directions you just shoot anyone that makes you feel threatened. Ok, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but do you understand what I’m trying to say?

Ex CNN Embed Seems To Doubt Haditha Charges -- [Sweetnes & Light]
An amazing article, considering it is from the DNC’s own CNN. But then again, the embeds are the closest we’ve gotten to real journalism in this war:
I know the Marines that were operating in western al Anbar, from Husayba all the way to Haditha. I went on countless operations in 2005 up and down the Euphrates River Valley. I was pinned on rooftops with them in Ubeydi for hours taking incoming fire, and I’ve seen them not fire a shot back because they did not have positive identification on a target.
I saw their horror when they thought that they finally had identified their target, fired a tank round that went through a wall and into a house filled with civilians. They then rushed to help the wounded — remarkably no one was killed.

Tell It To The Marines -- [Democracy Project]
I've heard smart people say ignorant things for the past few days about the incident in Haditha. — None actually knows much but are quite eager and willing to conjecture or pass judgments. — Mary Katherine Ham provides a concise chronology of the partial information available.

A Soldier's Thoughts on Haditha -- [Gateway Pundit]
Blue Crab Boulevard has posted A Soldiers Views on Haditha.
Mary Katherine Hamm at Hugh Hewitt reports on the facts of the investigation as they stand right.
Democracy Project writes "Tell It To The Marines".

Coalition, Iraqi forces hinder terrorist activities -- [MNFI]
BAGHDAD, Iraq (May 31, 2006) – In separate operations this week, Coalition forces and Iraqi security forces thwarted terrorist operations aimed at derailing progress in Iraq.

Motivation -- [Charlie Company - in Iraq]
Pfc Medley being his normal, motivated self.

Amnesty Period -- [Charlie Company - in Iraq]
Sir, do you have anything in your car that we should know about before we search it?

Kurdistan Save the Children -- [Pearls of Iraq]
Many people have written about how they can help the children in Iraq. I began vetting, or scoping out NGO’s (Non Government Organizations) who have a firm foundation and strong programs. In addition, I have met with “up and coming” NGO’s who are developing strong programs but are still getting established, including training on organizational management and governance (more about these organizations in future posts).
I visited with Kurdistan Save the Children whose work expands Kurdistan and includes Baghdad. They are strong in education, youth centers and cultural centers, which they call Kaziwa which means ‘dawn’ in Kurdish. I visited one center in Sulaimaniya and was so pleased at the hard work four young men have accomplished over the years.

A Piece Of Cake -- [Michael Yon]
A story of Combat, Cakes, and Love
...Walt saw much intense combat, but the first time he got hit really hard in his body was by a homicide car bomber whose dismembered parts landed atop the Stryker. Walt was knocked unconscious. There was a big fight. Bombs, jets, dead people everywhere, and Walt was taken to the hospital with serious burns to his back and some loss of hearing, but he soon returned to duty.

Disparity in Courage -- [The Foxhole Philosopher - in Iraq]
One of the things that strikes me is the tremendous disparity in courage between American Soldiers and others around them. Every day soldiers do things that are extremely dangerous. They don't ask for justifications or examine root causes, they just do them. I am always amazed to see soldiers race towards a fight, instead of away from it.
The most obvious difference is between American Soldiers, and the people with whom we work over here. Don't get me wrong, sometimes the courage of Iraqi's is amazing. Some of them shame me into being a better person, but on the balance, at the first sign of trouble, they look for help instead of solutions.

My photos from Fallujah and Ramadi now posted -- [Michael Fumento - journalis embed in Iraq]
Yes Virginia, there is an Iraq outside of Baghdad. And there are lots of neat things to photograph besides the latest victims of a Baghdad bombing. Here's a slideshow presentation of 250 of them, from darling tykes to fierce fighting, to one of the strangest war injuries you'll ever see.

The Combat Artist -- [Fire and Ice]
I’m going to make an assumption that you would probably like to ask me three questions: What does war have to do with art? What is a combat artist? And why would the United States Marine Corps, of all organizations, send fine artists into harm’s way? I’ll try to answer these as best I can over the next couple weeks. At the same time I hope to provide a glimpse of who I am, both as artist and Marine.

'We don't bow our heads in shame' --[Dispatches from Iraq - journalist embed in Iraq]
...I asked Capt. Andrew Del Gaudio, commander of Kilo Company based here at the Provincial Government Center, if there would be any rousing speeches. There would be none of that, he told me. His boys will be doing their jobs, just like everyday. Regular insurgent attacks here keep them plenty busy.
For Del Gaudio, though, it is a day of reflection. “It’s a way for us to remember the dead,” he said. “We bow our heads in sadness, we don’t bow our heads in shame.”

Pack it up Boys -- [Skull Nation in the Sandbox - in Iraq]
Today we had a customs inspection and packed up all the crap we aren't using. We also had an awards ceremony and it was cool to see our soldiers get some recognition. I'm very proud of them. It was very hot today. Tree and I are beet red. The base is getting CROWDED. I've been smiling a little more now that we are so close. The new guys are ok and excited to be somewhere a little more kinetic than where they were. They will clean up our leftovers in short order.

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Iran to supply Basra with electricity -- (Azzaman)
Iran has agreed to supply Basra with 175 megawatts of electricity, the head of the southern city’s municipal council said.
Nasseif al-Ubadi, fresh from a visit to Tehran, said Iran has promised to start furnishing the city with power “very shortly.”
The agreement comes as Basra, Iraq’s second largest city, suffers from acute power shortages with outages extending for nearly 20 hours a day.

Insurgent Attacks In Iraq At Highest Level In 2 Years -- (Boston Globe)...Bryan Bender
The Pentagon reported yesterday that the frequency of insurgent attacks against troops and civilians is at its highest level since American commanders began tracking such figures two years ago, an ominous sign that, despite three years of combat, the US-led coalition forces haven't significantly weakened the Iraq insurgency.

Car Bombing in Iraq Kills 5 Policemen -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A parked car packed with explosives hit a police patrol in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Wednesday, killing at least five policemen and wounding 14, including a senior officer, as violence continued unabated after one of the bloodiest days in recent weeks. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, meanwhile, arrived in Basra in a bid to stem escalating violence in the southern city. Sectarian tensions have been worsening in the Shiite-dominated area, where Britain has about 8,000 soldiers and other countries also have troops.

Officers Not a Target of Iraq Death Probe -- (AP)
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) -- Three officers relieved of command from a Marine battalion are not targets of investigations into whether their troops killed as many as two dozen Iraqi civilians and tried to cover it up, the attorney for one of the officers said Tuesday....

Military Inquiry Is Said To Oppose Account Of Raid -- (New York Times)...Eric Schmitt and David S. Cloud
A military investigator uncovered evidence in February and March that contradicted repeated claims by marines that Iraqi civilians killed in Haditha last November were victims of a roadside bomb, according to a senior military official in Iraq.

Iraq Envoy Wants Slaying Inquiry -- (Los Angeles Times)...Paul Richter
Iraq's new ambassador to the United States was officially received by President Bush at the White House on Tuesday, and hours later accused U.S. troops of killing his unarmed cousin and then conducting a flawed investigation.

Bush learned of Haditha deaths after press -- (Boston Globe)
President Bush learned of reports that U.S. Marines killed two dozen unarmed Iraqi civilians only after reporters began asking questions, the White House said Tuesday.

Arab World's Reaction To Alleged Killing Is Muted -- (Philadelphia Inquirer)...Hamza Hendawi, Associated Press
Allegations that U.S. Marines killed 24 civilians in Haditha, a volatile town in western Iraq, have caused barely a stir in Iraq and much of the Arab world - where American troops are reviled as brutal invaders who regularly commit such acts.

The soldier who wasn't -- (Washington Times)
Left-wingers flocked to the "soldier" calling himself Jesse MacBeth to hear claims of horrific war crimes in Iraq. But thanks to sleuthing by conservative bloggers, we now know that "Jesse MacBeth" -- the name should have tipped us off -- has never even served in the Army. "False face must hide what the false heart doth know," said the real MacBeth. The fake MacBeth couldn't hack it either.

Hopes For Iraq Pullback Fading -- (Los Angeles Times)...Louise Roug and Peter Spiegel
The Pentagon's hopes of making substantial reductions in U.S. troop levels in Iraq this year appear to be fading as a result of resurgent violence in the country, particularly in the Sunni Arab stronghold of Al Anbar province, military officials acknowledge.

A Political Path Out of Iraq -- (Washington Post)...Fareed Zakaria
...At his news conference last week, the only concrete plan he outlined to move forward -- on a path out of Iraq -- was a better-functioning Iraqi army and police force. In this respect Bush is hardly alone. Many who criticize him on the right and left say that the training of Iraqi troops is happening too slowly, or that we need more American troops, or that we should flood the city of Baghdad with forces to stabilize it. But all these solutions are technocratic and military, while the problem in Iraq is fundamentally political. Until we fully recognize this, doing more of the same will accomplish little.

AFGHANISTAN

FOB Tillman -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanistan]
...It was amazing to see just how much construction was taking place at once on the large base, which will hold thousands of ANA (Afghan) soldiers when it's completed.
...Heading towards the mountains that border Pakistan, and our next destination, FOB Tillman...named of course for Pat Tillman, the NFL star who quit football to become an Army Ranger after 9/11, and was later killed in Afghanistan.
Sandbag bunkers guard the entrance to this outpost, situated in Lwara, an area that looks desolate but is actually a very active border region. It was here that Kevin Sites was writing about on his blog a couple of months back...

Coalition forces caused bloody riot in Kabul -- [Afghan Lord - Afghani in Afghanistan]
On may 29 a road accident by coalition forces caused a bloody riot in Kabul city on Monday as known yet tens of people were killed in and more than hundred including the police forces wounded.

Quiet As It Shouldn’t Be -- [Kabulog - in Afghanistan]
...It was oddly serene. Odd because the serenity was continually broken by the sounds of passing rioters chanting, and exchanges of gun fire and whatever else was on hand and would explode. There would be the stillness of a shallow breeze. All the sudden broken by a few gun-shot claps and the swelling noice of a crowd passing. An exchange of gunfire echoing off the hills and buildings. And then quiet. Quiet like you never hear in the center of Kabul.

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Taliban kill, kidnap dozens of Afghan police -- (Reuters)
KABUL (Reuters) - Taliban guerrillas have killed at least a dozen Afghan police and abducted up to 40 others in two separate attacks in the south of the country, officials said on Wednesday.

Suspected Taliban Occupy Police Station -- (AP)
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) - Hundreds of suspected Taliban fighters attacked a remote central Afghan town on Wednesday and occupied a district police headquarters after the battle, driving out security forces, an official said. Elsewhere, suspected Taliban fighters fired a grenade at a police vehicle in southwestern Afghanistan, killing the Zabul Province deputy police chief, Ghulam Rasool, and wounding three policemen, officials said.

U.S. military investigates Kabul shooting -- (AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan - The U.S. military said Wednesday it is investigating whether American troops involved in a deadly road crash that sparked the worst riots in Kabul in years fired their guns into a group of demonstrators or over their heads.

Afghans Call For Trial Of U.S. Troops -- (Los Angeles Times)...Paul Watson
A special session of Afghanistan's parliament Tuesday called for the prosecution of U.S. troops involved in a fatal traffic accident that sparked hours of intense rioting here.

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Israel Steps Up Counter-Rocket Tactics -- [Threats Watch]
Following Conflict on Both Lebanon and Gaza Borders, IDF Takes Out Gaza Crew During Launch
With volleys back and forth across the northern Israeli border with Lebanon throughout the weekend subsiding somewhat as a UN-sponsored truce holds, Israeli action in Gaza took a new, aggressive turn. Israeli reaction to rocket attacks from northern Gaza into Israel has to-date been reactionary in nature and most often after-the-fact. Artillery shelling of open fields and buildings used as the launch points of choice primarily by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Popular Resistance Committees terrorists has been the norm.

Iran and the SCO -- [Peace Like A River]
Currently the SCO includes Russia, China, and the Central Asian states of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
One important matter the SCO is considering is whether to admit Iran as a full member. Iran currently has observer status, along with Mongolia, India and Pakistan.

Turks Stop Nuclear Technology from Getting to Iran -- [Strategy Page]
NUCLEAR, BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS
May 31, 2006: A Turkish government investigation uncovered Iranian firms, located in Turkey, that imported components needed for Iran's nuclear program, and then illegally shipped them on to Iran. The equipment was imported into Turkey under the pretense that it was to be used in Turkey.

MSM REPORTS ON U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Iran's Military Plans For Invasion By U.S. -- (Washington Times)...Iason Athanasiadis
Iran, apparently anticipating an American invasion, has quietly been restructuring its military and testing a new military doctrine that calls for a decentralized, Iraqi-style guerrilla campaign against an invading force.

US Shifting 8,000 Marines To Guam -- (Chicago Tribune)...Associated Press
Some 8,000 US Marines will leave Okinawa for Guam under a proposal approved by Tokyo that is the largest realignment of US troops based in Japan in 50 years, a senior Japanese official said yesterday.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Germany and Jihad -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Jeffrey Imm]
With the World Cup opening June 9 in Munich, Germany is having an increasing problem with the growth of radical Islamism. German Federal Prosecutor Kay Nehm has recently stated that the country is sitting on a "powder keg" of radical Islamist migrants who could be plotting an terror attack in Germany. Today - Der Spiegel has reported on a foiled suicide bomb plot by three German women.

ACLU Against New Law Banning Taxpayer Funded Travel To Terrorist States -- [Stop the ACLU]
The ACLU are suddenly interested in improving security? This law is straight up common sense, and if the ACLU were truly concerned for the security of Americans they would be applauding it. The law does not prevent anyone from actually travelling to these countries, it only prohibits taxpayer funds from paying for it. If professors and students want to travel to these dangerous countries they can do it at their own risk, and their own dime.

MSM REPORTS ON WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

The new breed of cyber-terrorist -- (Independent)
Could a ruthless new breed of cyber-terrorist cause meltdown at the click of a mouse? Jimmy Lee Shreeve reports. According to cyber ...

Law bans travel to `terrorist states' -- (Miami Herald)
A new state law will crack down on educational trips to Cuba and the use of state money to travel to any of the other four states designated as `terrorist.'. ...

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Beer for my horses -- [FAST BUNNIES - in Iraq]
...The day after I was back in Q-West we had a Toby Keith concert. This, I must admit, was not my first Toby Keith concert. It was, however, my first sober Toby Keith concert. Quite a difference. I've noticed that there are quite a number of country music stars (and I'm really, really not a country fan at all) who make their way to Iraq on USO tours, as well as frequent visits by comedians. Rap and pop stars? Not so much. Wonder why that is? Surely a coincidence.

MILITARY

Legal Help for Veterans -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
The Department of Veterans Affairs has a long history of providing less than stellar care and services to those men and women who have served our nation in the armed services.
The Washington Post reports today that members of Congress are attempting to tweak the morass of legal red tape that intimidates many veterans from ever asking for necessary help in the first place. My plain English one sentence synopsis of the article ...

Top Six US Military Bases -- [GI Korea - in S Korea]
Can anyone guess what the top six US military installations around the world are? Hint none of them are in South Korea or Japan.

MSM REPORTS ON MILITARY

New up-armored Humvee debuts -- (Army Times)
The Army has started fielding new up-armored Humvee to give soldiers protection choices for different missions.
The M1151/52 series, which will replace the current M1114 , will be equipped with removable armor plating, said Col. Thomas Spoehr, director of force development for the Army’s G8. told attendees to the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement’s Military Armor Protection conference in Washington, D.C

VA official quits over ID theft flap -- (Army Times/ AP)
A Veterans Affairs deputy assistant secretary who didn’t immediately notify top officials about a theft of 26.5 million veterans’ personal information is stepping down, citing missteps that led to the security breach.

POLITICS

“Peace Activists” Try To Block Stryker Delivery -- [Sweetness & Light]
Stryker vehicles headed to Iraq make it to port
Peace activists tried to hold up Army convoys
The next time you hear these "peace activists" talk about how they support the troops and are so concerned about their safety, remember this article - and the hundreds of other stunts they have pulled to hurt our military.
Remember all their crocodile tears at the "lack of body armor" and "unprotected humvees"?

Hank Paulson bets on George W. Bush -- [TigerHawk]
It is long past news that John Snow has resigned, and that President Bush has tapped Goldman, Sachs CEO Hank Paulson to be Secretary of the Treasury. See Cardinalpark's personal take below.
After reading Cardinalpark, it isn't surprising that George W. Bush wanted Hank Paulson to take the job -- he is an excellent choice even if he did go to Dartmouth -- but it is surprising that Paulson took the job.

Caught Between A Rock And A Hard Place... -- [Tanker Brothers]
Why do I feel like my country is being held hostage?
As if we didn't have enough to fend off, with CAIR, the ACLU, the Liberal Anti-War Left...and now we have to deal with our own Republicans.
Let me say this: I have always voted Republican. I can't remember when I ever voted for a Democrat, or a Third party. That being said, consider this:
Our Senate Republicans have screwed us. They know that they have a free hand with the Immigration issue, and there's nothing we can do about it. They know that we can't possibly vote against them, since a Democrat-controlled Senate would be a disaster.

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Moderate Republicans an Endangered Breed -- (AP)
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) -- Moderate Republicans are off and running in the summer horse racing town of Saratoga Springs and other upstate New York cities, struggling to save their jobs and a dying political breed....

Ex-Kansas GOP Chair Switches Affiliation -- (AP)
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- The former chairman of the Kansas Republican Party jumped ship in a big way Tuesday, switching his affiliation to Democrat amid speculation that he would become Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' running mate....

THE MEDIA

Reality Check -- [Balloon Juice]
Congress has begun debating whether we should imprison journalists for publishing classified information. As usual Glenn Greenwald has the must-read commentary.

MILBLOGGING/ BLOGGING

First Annual Milbloggers Shootout -- [Where I Stand]
I mentioned that I would be at Ft. Lewis this summer and
Barb from Righty in a left state mentioned that many milbloggers from the region could probable get together for a range day. Since I love a good range day I am proposing the First Annual Milbloggers Shootout to be held at a location to be determined on 15 July 06. If you are interested in attending then drop a comment below and steal the banner above.

WELCOME HOME

Back in the U S of A -- [TBone's War Journal]
Hello. Sorry it's been a while since I posted. I'm back home from overseas finally, and am almost officially retired. Things are kinda hectic looking for a job and trying to transition back to regular home life, so if I don't post for a little while, please forgive me.

IN MEMORY OF... / MEMORIAL DAY

A Loss For the Nation: Bobby Says Goodbye to Doug Dicenzo -- [Bobby's World]
...it was both ironic and tragic this afternoon, as I read the Pentagon's identification of Army casualties, that I was shell-shocked by the news that the Class of 1999 lost another member: Doug Dicenzo, who was killed in Iraq last week. Doug is not the first member of West Point's Class of 1999 to be killed in Iraq-- that would be Benny Smith, whose helicopter was shot down more than two years ago-- nor is he the first friend of mine to have been killed in Iraq: I eulogized the death of Jay Harting on this website a year ago. But like Benny and Jay, the death of Doug hit extremely close to home. I hadn't seen Doug in almost six years-- when he had just graduated Ranger School and I was still working my way through the Infantry Officer Basic Course at Fort Benning-- but our friendship began almost eleven years ago, when we spent ...