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

Soldier Gives His Purple Heart to CBS’s Kimberly Dozier -- [NewsBusters]
In a Thursday night update on the CBS Evening News on the condition of Kimberly Dozier, the CBS News correspondent seriously injured Monday in Baghdad, Sheila MacVicar reported that a soldier at the U.S. military hospital in Germany, where Dozier is recovering, gave her his Purple Heart. From Landstuhl, MacVicar related:

Haditha Doctor Was Arrested, Hates US -- [Sweetness & Light]
You have probably heard by now that the doctor who examined the bodies of the civilians in Haditha after the alleged Marine rampage said they were shot in the chest and head and from close range.
You have probably also heard it reported that the death certificates of the deceased record that all the victims were shot.

MEETING IRAQ -- [Tribune Blog - Dispatches: by Matthew D. LaPlante - in Iraq]
We first met Bart Rindlisbacher in Mosul last fall. At the time, the reserve soldier from Utah told us he'd been vastly impressed by the work and dedication of his motley collection of Iraqi coworkers -- most of whom would suffer violent reprisals were it learned that they come to work each day at the American military base.
About halfway into his deployment with the 872nd Maintenance Company, Rindlisbacher -- a Utah Highway Patrol trooper in his civilian life -- remained impressed and inspired by the Iraqi crew.

Courage and commitment -- and most of all, compassion -- [Tribune Blog - Dispatches: by Matthew D. LaPlante - in Iraq]
...Coe was one of the first to meet the convoy when it arrived at the clinic.
"We met the convoy commander as he dismounted his vehicle. I saw pain in his eyes and sadness in the eyes of his team, but they were still Soldiers. They still moved and acted with a sense of order," Coe observed.
...As the 144th completed its work of preparing the fallen Soldier for transport, a heavy rain pelted the camp. An uncommon occurrence in this part of the world, it "seemed as if the heavens themselves wept with the convoy team," said Coe, "but the weather did not deter those who wanted to pay their last respects."

Ignoring the good stuff -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
Pain, death, suffering, failure and misery get the limelight in the mainstream press. And stories like U.S. Army instructors teach leadership skills to Iraqis get completely ignored. I guess teaching loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor and personal courage aren’t worth reporting.

The Haditha Killings -- [Midnight in Iraq - Michael Yon's Frontline Forum]
...Regardless of what happened at Haditha, I think we should recognize the Marines who make these decisions every day, most notably the infantry. Nineteen-year-old men fresh out of high school are put into impossible situations, and somehow they almost invariably do the right thing. Unfortunately, it’s those rare instances of a broken moral compass that make the news. The life and death games that young men in our fighting forces play all over the world make the responsibilities of corporate CEOs pale in comparison.

IRAQI REPUBLIC RAILROAD -- [Dan in the Desert - contractor in Iraq]
...Leaving the Green Zone, you really get to see more of Iraq. I know folks who work here in the IZ. They've never left their compound. They just hunker down in their offices, never going outside...never experiencing Iraq. Granted, Iraq is pretty dangerous, and driving around in an armored vehicle isn't exactly the same experience an Iraqi would have, but you do get to see more than you would watching TV.

Hatchery -- [Tribune Blog - Dispatches: by Matthew D. LaPlante - in Iraq]
Sen. Orrin Hatch, who a short time ago derided congressional visits to Iraq as not helpful and wasteful of military resources, has posted a photo gallery of himself with U.S. troops during his recent trip to Baghdad.
Hatch's representatives insisted the senior senator's visit to the war zone had nothing to do with the fact that this is an election year and Hatch,

Memorial Day -- [A mobilized year - in Iraq]
...On this trip, I had an added bonus. This truck crew had been asked to field test a new cooling vest. The way it works is that while the crew is in the vehicle, they can wear a vest under their armor that plugs into the vehicle’s cooling system. A cool liquid substance is then circulated under the armor through the vest. I tell what, it worked like a charm. I had a smile on my face for at least half of the mission just in wonderment on how well the system worked.

V is for Victory (part 1) -- [Talking Salmons]
It was sunset. The summer had abated to a tolerable mild searing and we drank in the breeze. Racing down side streets, two Nissan trucks shot toward a site along the lakes and canals of Camp Victory, in search of an evening concert.
Toby Keith was here! It was the greeting I got from most of the troops I’d met so far on this visit south.
...It took me back to the states, years ago, free on Friday nights, racing to a theater or some damn restaurant some guy’s girl insisted on. Never leaving on time, we’d finally pile in and sprint between stop signs and traffic lights. Revving up, revving down, fumbling for some tunes, the sun in our faces as the evening started.
It was strangely relaxing, just the trip to the concert. I guess it was the sun that sent me back.

Parting Shots -- [Skull Nation in the Sandbox - in Iraq]
...We are almost gone. There are alot of troops here and things have quieted down as the enemy thinks about their current situation. It will be interesting to track events from home instead of living it.

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

New 'Iraq massacre' tape emerges -- (BBC News)
The BBC has uncovered new video evidence that US forces may have been responsible for the deliberate killing of 11 innocent Iraqi civilians.

Ivestigators of Haditha Shootings Look to Exhume Bodies -- (Washington Post)
Criminal investigators are hoping to exhume the bodies of several Iraqi civilians allegedly gunned down by a group of U.S. Marines last year in the city of Haditha, aiming to recover potentially important forensic evidence, according to defense officials familiar with the investigation.

Marines to Face Charges in Iraqi's Death -- (AP)
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Military prosecutors plan to file murder, kidnapping and conspiracy charges against seven Marines and a Navy corpsman in the shooting death of an Iraqi man in April, a defense lawyer said Thursday. The eight men are being held in the brig at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base north of San Diego, said Jeremiah Sullivan III, who represents one of the men.

Marine Irked at Inclusion in Haditha Case -- (AP)
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A Marine captain who was relieved of command after members of his battalion were accused of killing civilians in Haditha, Iraq, denied any role in the slayings and complained that he had become a "political casualty."
"It makes my blood boil to see my name lumped in with this massacre, when I was in a different city not playing any role in this incident,"

Bush Didn't Know About Probe -- (Boston Globe)...Associated Press
It took nearly a month for President Bush to be told that the military was investigating reports that Marines killed unarmed civilians in Iraq, the White House said yesterday.

U.S. Troops in Iraq to Get Ethics Training -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- The U.S. military ordered coalition troops in Iraq on Thursday to undergo special training in ethics and "the values that separate us from our enemies" in the wake of allegations that Marines killed two dozen unarmed civilians in Haditha....

Marines to Face Charges in Iraqi's Death -- (My Way News)
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Military prosecutors plan to file murder, kidnapping and conspiracy charges against seven Marines and a Navy corpsman in the shooting death of an Iraqi man in April, a defense lawyer said Thursday.

Dog Handler Convicted of Abu Ghraib Abuse -- (AP)
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) - A military jury on Thursday convicted an Army dog handler of using his animal to torment a prisoner at Abu Ghraib. Sgt. Santos A. Cardona is the 11th soldier convicted of crimes stemming from the abuse of inmates at the prison in late 2003 and early 2004.

War Atrocities: Awareness Grows, Tolerance Drops -- (Christian Science Monitor)...Brad Knickerbocker
Revelations that US troops may have targeted and killed civilians in Iraq last year are focusing a bright light on America's rising awareness of and intolerance for war atrocities.

Vying For Power, Militias Roil Basra -- (Christian Science Monitor)...Dan Murphy
...Now, Basra is the only city in Iraq under emergency rule, evidence of how far the city has careened off course. Locals say death squads openly patrol the streets and a police official reached by phone reports that at least 400 assassinations in the past two months. Residents describe a political climate that is a cross between Al Capone's Chicago and Medici Florence

AFGHANISTAN

Taliban Offensive Shot to Pieces -- [Strategy Page]
The last two weeks have seen an ambitious Taliban offensive shot to pieces. As many as a thousand Taliban gunmen, in half a dozen different groups, have passed over the Pakistani border, or been gathered within Afghanistan, and sent off to try and take control of remote villages and districts. The offensive was a major failure, with nearly half the Taliban getting killed, wounded or captured. Afghan and Coalition casualties were much less, although you wouldn't know that from the mass media reports (which made it all look like a Taliban victory).

A day in Kabul; Police remain a target in Southeast -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Bill Roggio - in Afghansitan]
Kabul, Afghanistan: The city of Kabul remains quiet as evidence emerges that U.S. Army troops fired on demonstrators while leaving the scene of Monday's accident. According to General Amanullah Gozar, Kabul's chief of highway police who was present at the accident, the U.S. convoy started to leave the accident site after the Afghan mob turned violent. Soldiers in one or more lead vehicles fired warning shots into the air, but a soldier in the trailing vehicle apparently fired into the crowd after hearing gunshots from the crowd. General Gozar confirmed the traffic accident was indeed unintentional, and the U.S. troops immediately began to administer medical assistance to those injured. President Hamid Karzai was critical of the soldier's use of weapons, and the Afghan Parliament called for punishment of the American soldiers.

News of Afghanistan IX - Early Edition -- [Miserable Donuts]
I sure hope this Chinese cement is better quality than the Pakistani junk used at Bagram in 2005. I mean, the second the stuff dried, it started to crumble. Had to all be replaced. I think the contracting officer's comment was something to the effect of $#%@*& those *&^%$!.

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Soldier in Afghan abuse case acquitted -- (AP)
FORT BLISS, Texas - Pfc. Damien M. Corsetti, the last soldier charged in the Army's investigations of prisoner abuse in Afghanistan, could only weep when he learned he was acquitted of abuse charges.
Corsetti, 26, was cleared by a court-martial panel Thursday of charges of assault, maltreatment, dereliction of duty, using hashish and drinking on duty. The panel deliberated for just 30 minutes.

US Soldiers Creating Road Rage In Afghanistan -- (Boston Globe)...Jim A. Chiavelli
...The irony is that there are no more polite Westerners in Kabul than US soldiers. Every civilian is a ``sir" or a ``ma'am," and, from top officers to private soldiers, they're uniformly eager to help. But behind the wheel, they're all 18 years old and 20 minutes late for the prom.

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

22nd Century Arabia -- [Michael Totten]
I did not meet a single person, foreign or expat, in Beirut who has been to Dubai and had much nice to say about it. Most described it as a culture- and history-free shopping mall on the Gulf, an Arab Las Vegas which can't hold up to Beirut's authenticity. Maybe they're right. I don't know. I haven't been there. But check out what the skyline will look like after the Burj Dubai skyscraper, the soon-to-be tallest building in the entire world, is finished.

UN prepares to leave Kosovo after status talks -- [Kosovo Report]
The United Nations mission administering Kosovo (UNMIK) said Thursday it had begun preparations to leave the southern Serbian province after the final settlement on its status is reached.

It's All America's Fault -- [Strategy Page]
islamic Courts militia continue to push back warlord gunmen in Mogadishu.
In three months of fighting, there have been over 2,000 casualties, including over 400 dead. Over half of those losses occurred in the last three weeks because of the Mogadishu fighting. A coalition of warlords, calling themselves the Alliance for Restoration of Peace and Counter Terrorism (ARPCT) are losing their war with the Islamic Courts.

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

Corps Takes Blame for New Orleans Flooding -- (AP)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A contrite U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took responsibility Thursday for the flooding of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina and said the levees failed because they were built in a disjointed fashion using outdated data. "This is the first time that the Corps has had to stand up and say, `We've had a catastrophic failure,'" Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, the Corps chief, said as the agency issued a 6,000-page-plus report on the disaster on Day 1 of the new hurricane season.

Army Builders Accept Blame Over Flooding -- (NY Times)
A report has concluded that New Orleans's levees were not built for a storm anywhere near the strength of Hurricane Katrina.

Schwarzenegger to Order Troops to Border -- (AP)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed Thursday to send the California National Guard to the Mexican border, ending a 17-day standoff with the Bush administration. The two sides had been at odds over whether California Guardsmen would join the effort to bolster the Border Patrol and who would pay for it.

"We Are Determined" -- (SPIEGEL)
In an interview with SPIEGEL, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad discusses the Holocaust, the future of the state of Israel, mistakes made by the United States in Iraq and Tehran's nuclear dispute with the West.

WORLD CUP: 75 EURO MPs SEEK TO BAN AHMADINEJAD FROM TOURNAMENT -- (AKI)
Brussels, 1 June (AKI) - Seventy-five members of the European parliament on Thursday signed a petition demanding that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad be banned from European soil and not allowed to attend matches played by the Iranian national football team at the World Cup which kicks off in Germany on 9 June. The 75 parliamentarians, who are members of the main political groups in the European parliament, sent their appeal to the EU's Austrian rotating presidency and to the international football federation (FIFA).

Six Powers Reach Accord On Iran Plan -- (Washington Post)...Glenn Kessler
The United States and five other major world powers agreed Thursday to offer Iran a broad new collection of rewards if it halts its drive to master nuclear technology, but they threatened "further steps in the Security Council" if Iran refuses.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

An Astonishing Decision, Inconsistent with Common Sense, Which Should Be Repudiated by the President Immediately -- [Hugh Hewitt]
The Department of Homeland Security has made funding decisions that are simply absurd, and recognized as such immediately by Americans of every political stripe. These allocations should immediately be withdrawn by order of the president for re-evaluation in light of the obvious threats which face population centers and the great cities of the United States.

Bank Secrecy Act Compliance Not Getting Easier, But Not Broadening Either -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Andrew Cochran]
Developments on the regulatory and legislative front signal at least a temporary halt to efforts to ease Bank Secrecy Act compliance burdens within the U.S. and to broaden its scope to include international wire transfers.

MSM REPORTS ON WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

N.Y. Steamed Over Terror Fund Cutbacks -- (Washington Post)
NEW YORK -- From Times Square and the Empire State Building to the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty, New York is a city of spectacular landmarks. Ask any of the 41 million tourists who visited last year.

SPAIN'S SUPREME COURT QUASHES SYRIAN'S 9/11 CONVICTION -- (AKI)
Madrid, 1 June (AKI) - Spain's Supreme court on Thursday overturned the conviction of a Syrian-born al-Qaeda suspect for helping plan the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States. The court threw out a 15-year jail term handed down to Imad Yarkas, but upheld his 12-year sentence for leading an al-Qaeda cell in Spain. It also acquitted three other men who were convicted with Yarkas last September along with 17 others in what was Europe's biggest-ever al-Qaeda trial. The reasons behind Thursday's verdict are due to be published at a later date, the court said.
The court however turned down al-Jazeera journalist Taysir Alouni's appeal against his six-year prison term - which he is now serving for having helped al-Qaeda transfer funds to Afghanistan.

Study Wants Nuclear Weapons Outlawed -- (AP)
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- A study led by former U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix called Thursday for outlawing nuclear weapons and reviving global cooperation on disarmament including security guarantees to curb the nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea....

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Letters Of Appreciation -- [Patriot Riders]
I met you both yesterday, Memorial Day, at the funeral of Captain Robert Seidel III, in Emmitsburg Maryland. My godson was his best friend of most all his 23 years. I am a former United States Marine and was totally torn inside at the presence and commitment of all your support. You came in with such kindness and respect and stood in the hot sun as such great troopers.
My Godson was having a hard time with his friends lose. Although he was always pro military and played (Army) all his childhood with Robert he had ill thoughts since his death of the Military. He was not too responsive to his friends and family and had wondered why the cowardly act of a roadside bomb could have taken his friends life. He was always a face to face fighter and just could not comprehend how this could have happened. I had great concerns about his own mental thoughts and that he might injure himself in anger.
I must say that yesterday was a great turning point for him and his attitude and I have to attribute it to yourselves Mr. Bell and Mr. Bright, and all of the others that took your time that day to Honor a fallen Soldier that you did not even know.

Living Legends: Soldiers' Angels has Honored America's Fallen War Heroes by Donating 100 Trees and Wreaths to their Families -- [Soldiers' Angel Germany]
Thank you for the beautiful Pygmy Date Palm its really nice. I got it yesterday.
Please thank everyone that made this possible. It will always remind us of Joe. I will be place it at his favorite placed in my parents house, a back room where he would love to play his drums.

MILITARY

So you think you rate a Bronze Star? HERO'S CALL -- [One Marine's View]
...Warriors are earning Bronze Stars at the cyclic rate through Operation Iraqi Freedom & Operation Enduring Freedom. If you think you shoulda, would of, could of earned one read below for what these warriors from in the past and now are doing to earn them. Then ask yourself, do I rate a Bronze Star?

Underrated Movies on Military Matters -- [Strategy Page]
When war movies are discussed, some films automatically come to mind, like Saving Private Ryan or Pearl Harbor. These films get a lot of the press, and a lot of the attention, but some of the best war movies are ones you may not have heard much of, and they can only be acquired by checking the second-hand sales at Amazon. Here are, arguably, the best ten war movies that fall into this "underrated" category.

MSM REPORTS ON MILITARY

In Las Vegas A Pilot Pulls The Trigger. In Iraq A Predator Fires Its Missile -- (London Daily Telegraph)...Francis Harris
An RAF unit based in the Nevada desert is conducting highly secret operations against Iraqi insurgents and Afghan guerrillas using unmanned, powerfully armed American Predator aircraft.

U.S. Sailor Convicted In Robbery, Slaying -- (Los Angeles Times)...Times Wire Reports
A Japanese court convicted a U.S. sailor of killing a woman during a robbery near Tokyo and sentenced him to life in prison, a court official said.

US marines appear before Makati court -- (Philippine News)
A PLEA of not guilty was entered for four US marines who appeared before a Makati court yesterday to answer charges of raping a 22-year-old Filipina.

POLITICS

Code Pink Runs "Illegal Occupation" Ads in Iraqi Newspapers -- [Gateway Pundit]
To CodePink, it doesn't matter if it puts American soldiers and marines in danger or not... It's all about the cause!
This is just gross and immoral..

DEM: PUT BULLET BETWEEN BUSH'S EYES -- [Michelle Malkin]
State Comptroller Alan Hevesi publicly apologized Thursday for a "beyond dumb" remark about "putting a bullet between the president's eyes."
Hevesi hastily called a mea culpa press conference hours after putting his foot in his mouth at the Queens College commencement.

Goodbye, Republicans. Or Democrats. Or Both. Whatever - [Q and O Blog]
...The party system, as it's developed at the national level since 1968, has left liberty-loving Americans at a bit of a loss. One of the parties seems to have a laissez-faire attitude towards economic questions, but has become increasingly totalitarian on moral issues, while the other party has become laissaez-faire on moral issues, while becoming increasingly totalitarian on economic issues. Within a generation—indeed, half a generation—we have turned out one party in Congress for their arrogance and wild spending, only to see their successors from the opposing party quickly growing to ape their predecessors ways. And ...

ACLU Demands Perverts Get Sporting Chance at Kids -- [Jawa Report]
Stop the ACLU reports on the latest ACLU pro-pedophile lawsuit, this one aimed at an Indianapolis city ordinance that requires convicted sex offenders to stay at least 1,000 feet from facilities like playgrounds and swimming pools when children are present.

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Bush to Back Gay Marriage Ban Amendment -- (AP)
President Bush will promote a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage on Monday, the eve of a scheduled Senate vote on the cause that is dear to his conservative backers.

THE MEDIA

Media Drives By Haditha -- [Daily Dispatch]
The media has decided that Hiditha is the story that could get what they have always wanted–a withdrawal from Iraq.
Here is just a sample of the reporting from the major networks.

Olbermann Smears O’Reilly On Malmedy, Pretends To Care About Troops (VIDEO) -- [Expose the Left]
Keith Olbermann ran yet another hit piece of Bill O’Reilly, this time trying to paint him as anti-Military. Laughable, truly laughable. Olbermann, the television personality who is obsessed with the unproven allegations about what happened in Haditha and is defaming the troops, calls O’Reilly anti-Military. Holy Batman, has hell frozen over?

Is Google Purging Conservative News Sites? -- [NewsBusters]
Something frighteningly ominous has been happening on the Internet lately: Google, without any prior explanation or notice, has been terminating its News relationship with conservative e-zines and web journals.

Missed Opportunities -- [CSM Jeffrey J. Mellinger - Michael Yon's Frontline Forum]
I say just send us reporters. I have heard it said that there were more embedded reporters in some battalions during OIF than there are in the whole country now. What are the stories they chase? Let’s see what’s on the top ten stories for ABC and the AP news today…..

MSM REPORTS ON MEDIA

About 170 Washington Post staff take buyouts -- (SignOnSanDiego)
WASHINGTON – About 70 reporters, editors, photographers and newsroom administrators have taken early retirement offers from The Washington Post Co. amid declining circulation at its flagship newspaper.

IN MEMORY OF...

Ultimate Sacrifice -- [Miss Ladybug]
It was about 2 o'clock when my tour was complete. I told J I would see him at the ballgame later that night, and went to my car. As I was getting in the car, I noticed a funeral procession going down the street. When I saw all the motorcycles with American flags, I just knew it was a military funeral. This thought was further reinforced when I saw one of the riders wearing the new Army camoflauge. Once all the motorcycles had passed, I also noticed some passengers in the cars were also in military uniforms. When I got home, I checked the Patriot Guard Riders website,