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 Thousand-Miles Road Starts with One Step -- [Treasure of Baghdad - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...I know that attacks will increase. I know more people are going to die. I know mistakes are going to be continued. I know everything will not be fixed soon like in the fairy tales. But I am happy that this man is killed. I believe his death is the real first step: the thousand-miles road starts with one step.
Although everybody knows that I am against the U.S. occupation to Iraq, I believe what they did in helping the Iraqis kill Zarqawi was a good real step for a better Iraq after three years of destruction and struggle. It’s only now that I feel the US forces are really serious and want to get rid of the terrorists who came as a reaction to their occupation to the country in a way or another. It’s only now I felt that they really want to accomplish their mission and go back home soon. I really hope that what I am feeling is right.
I am happy, very happy indeed.

An Eye for an Eye... -- [Neurotic Iraqi Wife - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...For a few minutes I was really over the moon....but then a few seconds later....I realised this is just like Saddam...I thought by capturing him, things will get better, but then tens of thousands of other Saddams appeared...The same with this low life scum...Many others will come out...And believe it or not, some tv channels have already made him a martyr.....
...there is this little time to be happy, slightly happy that the death of Zarqawi may be a good start...A Good start for the new Iraq...Now Its the time for dismantling the militia's and killing all the terrorists, be it Iraqi or not, anyone who is a member of any organisation that is responsible for murdering Iraqis has to get killed...This is it...Its either a hard fist or nothing.

Al-Zarqawi Killed -- [Hammorabi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...Zarqawi without doubts went into the bottom of the Hell with blood of many innocent children, women and men in his dirty hands.
There were celebrations going on now in the holly city of Najaf and Kerbala. On the other hands there are sadness and shock among his allies in the region and abroad like Al-Jazeera Qatari TV and other Arab pro-terrorists thugs.

Zarqawi's End -- [IraqPundit -an Iraqi exile]
...Although certain Western poseurs have been announcing some imaginary surge in "grass-roots" support for Zarqawi among Iraqi Sunnis, the fact is that the Anbar
tribes were disgusted by the murder of countless Iraqi civilians, and united against him.
Iraq improved today, though true peace is obviously still far off. There are already reports of more deaths at the hands of terrorists who are now killing only for the sake of murder. Zarqawi's death is another setback for a campaign that is only about death. The Zarqawi movement has failed to achieve any of its goals.

Zarqawi's Last Moments -- [MilBlogs - Andi]
The Australian has a great summary of events leading up to the strike that killed Zarqawi. The article also touches upon the aftermath of the bombing. I find this passage particularly satisfying:
The house, and all inside it, was wiped out. However, Jordanian sources last night said Zarqawi did not die instantly. Though mortally wounded, he was alive when Iraqi and US troops arrived on the scene. His brutal reign ended 10 minutes after the bombs fell.

When death equals birth -- [Marketing in Iraq? - in Iraq]
Yesterday marked a turning point in the war in Iraq. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death equals birth of legitimacy for this new Iraqi government. I think that it will also be the rebirth of hope for the Iraqi people. The US military and it's Coalition partners stand proud today and proclaim that, you can run and you can hide...but you can do neither forever.

Zarqawi's Death: An Important Opportunity for New Iraq -- [Austin Bay]
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death is, like Branch Rickey's definition of luck, the residue of design.
A U.S. Air Force strike on a farmhouse near the Iraqi town of Baqubah killed Zarqawi, known as Z-Man to his pursuers. His deeds mark him as a savage mass murderer and a religious zealot with a mile-wide streak of megalomania. He was also a gambler, an operational terrorist "commander" who sought to incite a sectarian civil war, theorizing a Shia-Sunni conflict in Iraq would (in his words) "rally Sunni Arabs" to al-Qaida.

Michael Berg Defends al-Zarqawi, Hangs Up On Gibby (AUDIO) -- [Expose the Left]
Michael Berg, the father of Nick Berg, who was beheaded by al-Zarqawi, was on The John Gibson Show earlier this afternoon to defend the dead terrorist and blast President Bush. Berg, who is not new to the Bush bashing scene, claimed the President has killed over 150,000 people, while al-Zarqawi has only a “couple hundred” “attributed” to him. He says President Bush is “almost as bad as” al-Zarqawi and called the terrorist’s death a “tragedy.”

Great News in Iraq -- [Dadmanly]
UPDATE: In a more nuanced version of defeatism, the New York Times delivered what strikes me as likely a pre-prepared Obituary on Zarqawi, reported by the ever-reliably defeatist Dexter Filkins.
Here’s how Filkins starts his assessment of what the death of Zarqawi will mean:

Why was Zarqawi killed rather than captured? -- [Huffington Post]
According to the Times, reports from Iraqi villagers suggest that American forces on the ground may have exchanged fire with people in the house where Zarqawi was holed up prior to the bombings that ultimately killed him. Thus, the answer to the question of why Zarqawi wasn't captured may turn out to be very straightforward -- there was simply too high of a risk that large numbers of US troops would be killed, or that Zarqawi would yet again elude American forces -- but it is important nonetheless, for reasons that should be obvious.
I wrote above that Zarqawi's death was "unquestionably good news"; it was not, however, unquestionably the best news.

Quick bullets on the new Iraqi ministers -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
Iraq’s new government will be more important to the overall story of Iraq than yesterday’s news of Zarqawi termination.
The government announced the new Minister of Defense, Minister of Interior and Minister of State for National Security.

Iraqi Testimonies -- [24 Steps to Liberty - an Iraqi in Iraq]
The Iraq memory Foundation is a non-governmental group that was established by a number of Iraqi former exiles to document the 25 years of miseries Iraq and the Iraqis had lived under the rule of the Baath party and Saddam Hussein. One of the projects this foundation is working on is to document testimonies of Iraqis who have suffered torture or lost relatives to the brutal regime of Hussein. I have got a pack of five DVDs telling stories of about 40 Iraqis. Here, I will tell some of these stories to participate in telling the world our dark history of more than three decades....

Double Standards -- [T.F. Boggs - in Iraq]
Over the last few months I have slowly been changing my outlook on Iraqis. Sure there are plenty of great Iraqis who are just like you and I. They have the same wants, needs and cares as Americans do. Then there are Iraqis who have no idea what the world is really like and I cannot rest the blame solely on them. They have only had three years of relative freedom with which to get in touch with the 21st century. They were oppressed most of their lives and had little access to schools, libraries, outside television and Internet. What they did have access to was for the most part controlled propaganda and the knowledge they have as a result of that propaganda is the cause of considerable disagreements between them and I on issues that seem relatively clear to me i.e. what actually happened during the Iran-Iraq war. “Umm I think you guys have it wrong, Saddam didn’t kick the Iranians butts like he told you he did.”

Sunni Arabs Seek Mercy and Peace -- [Strategy Page]
June 9, 2006: The war in Iraq is becoming more of a police operation. Although there are six times as many armed men fighting in Iraq, versus Afghanistan, there have been more air strikes in Afghanistan over the last few months, than in Iraq. Each month, more of the combat operations are all, or mostly, carried out by Iraqi troops and police.

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

That warm, fuzzy feeling when a murderous thug is blown to hell -- (Boston Herald - Jules Crittenden)
...So what is the significance of Zarqawi’s death?
Sometimes, you just have to stop and smell the roses. We’re in the middle of a very long war. Savor the moment: In this case, it’s that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you learn that a cold-hearted, murderous thug has been blown to hell.

Iraq hails killing of Zarqawi as start of new era -- (Reuters)
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is a "new beginning" for Iraq, the interior minister said on Friday, but authorities imposed a traffic ban in an apparent effort to prevent al Qaeda reprisal attacks.

"Heavenly justice" done, says Zarqawi victim -- (Reuters)
KUWAIT (Reuters) - A Jordanian whose wedding turned into a bloodbath in a bombing claimed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said on Thursday the killing of the al Qaeda leader in Iraq was "heavenly justice".

Father of beheaded man blames Bush, not Zarqawi -- (Reuters)
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Michael Berg, whose son Nick was beheaded in Iraq in 2004, said on Thursday he felt no sense of relief at the killing of the al Qaeda leader in Iraq and blamed President Bush for his son's death.
Asked what would give him satisfaction, Berg, an anti-war activist and candidate for U.S. Congress, said, "The end of the war and getting rid of George Bush."

Democrats call Zarqawi killing a stunt -- (Washington Times)]
Some Democrats, breaking ranks from their leadership, today said the death of terrorist leader Abu Musab Zarqawi in Iraq was a stunt to divert attention from an unpopular and hopeless war. — "This is just to cover Bush's [rear] so he doesn't have to answer" …

Bush Cautiously Notes Chance to 'Turn the Tide'-- (NY Times)
...Representative John P. Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat and former marine who has become a fierce critic of the Iraq war, said now that a "real thorn" in the side of the Americans has been removed, Iraqi forces were trained and a government was in place, the Bush administration should compose a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops.
"We cannot win this," he said in an interview on CNN. "It is a civil war they are involved in. Al Qaeda is a small part of this."
He added, "We have Sunnis fighting Shiites and the Americans are caught in between."

Greenfield: A cautionary note -- (CNN)
Al-Zarqawi's death is good news, but Iraq's problems will persist
NEW YORK - The death of a man who celebrated indiscriminate killing, and who claimed to have personally beheaded American captive Nicholas Berg, can certainly be seen as unalloyed good news.

Zarqawi's Life After Death -- (NY Times)
WITH the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi outside Baghdad, the United States has struck its most important blow in the war on terrorism since driving Al Qaeda out of Afghanistan. Easily the deadliest terrorist at work over the last three years, Mr. Zarqawi was probably responsible for more deaths than Osama bin Laden and leaves behind a jihadist movement that has been drastically changed in no small part by his actions.

The Short, Violent Life of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi -- (The Atlantic Online)
How a video-store clerk and small-time crook reinvented himself as America’s nemesis in Iraq
On a cold and blustery evening in December 1989, Huthaifa Azzam, the teenage son of the legendary Jordanian-Palestinian mujahideen leader Sheikh Abdullah Azzam, went to the airport in Peshawar, Pakistan, to welcome a group of young men. All were new recruits, largely from Jordan, and they had come to fight in a fratricidal civil war in neighboring Afghanistan—an outgrowth of the CIA-financed jihad of the 1980s against the Soviet occupation there.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi -- [Times Online Obituaries]
1966 - June 7, 2006
Murderous leader of Islamist terrorists in Iraq who dreamt of surpassing in brutal influence even Osama bin Laden
FROM his beginning as a hyperactive child and school bully in a rough and dusty Jordanian town to the height of his infamy as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi knew little apart from violence. He seems to have felt whole only when locked in conflict with others. He was seen by most of his associates as a dim-witted brute, yet he was able to inspire his followers to sacrifice their lives for his murderous cause.

Hatred He Bred Is Sure to Survive Terrorist's Death -- (NY Times)
While Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death could erode his group's ability to carry out attacks, the insurgency he helped ignite will go on without him, according to officials.

Surveillance and Betrayal Ended Hunt -- (NY Times)
An informant inside Al Qaeda provided the critical piece of intelligence that led them to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, according to a Pentagon official.

Al-Zarqawi deputy unwittingly aided airstrike -- (MSNBC/ AP)
U.S. military seized on rendezvous between terrorist, spiritual adviser

Al-Qaida Likely to Alter Marketing Efforts -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- With the demise of charismatic terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaida will be looking for a new sales approach in its worldwide fundraising campaigns....

After Zarqawi, No Clear Path for a Weary Iraq -- (Washington Post)
Death of Jordanian-born insurgent leader eliminates lead advocate of extreme violence, but will not entirely extinguish Iraq's deadly sectarian conflict.

Martyr or villain - the jury is still out -- (The Sunday Morning Herald)
...Sometimes there seem to be two realities at work in the Middle East: an American version of US policy towards Iraq, the Palestinian territories and elsewhere, and another version heard in the streets of tradition-bound cities like Tripoli, where distrust of the US - its alliance with Israel, its aims in Iraq and the region - runs so deep that almost anything it pronounces lacks credibility.
Many speculated that Zarqawi was either an American creation or, at the very least, a convenient foil whose reputation and role the US military encouraged and exaggerated in Iraq.

Gunmen kidnap senior Iraq oil official in Baghdad -- (Reuters)
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Gunmen kidnapped a senior official of Iraq's oil ministry after he left work in Baghdad on Thursday, police and ministry sources said on Friday, highlighting the lawlessness still afflicting the vital sector

AFGHANISTAN

Deathwatch in Action, Real Action -- [Counterterrorism Blog- Bill Rogiio - in Afghanistan]
...Tonight I had the displeasure of witnessing the Death Watch in action. An Al Jazeera report, based on an unsubstantiated claim from an unnamed Taliban source, indicated a Canadian soldier was kidnapped in Afghanistan. Reuters repeated the unsubstantiated claim, which later morphed into an unspecified number of Coalition troops....

Afghanistan: Three Articulate Articles -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troop]
“Col. Patrick Donahue is optimistic that eastern Afghanistan is on the road to stability.”
That’s the way an article in the Fayetteville Online begins, and from there its feature with Col. Donahue goes to explain the American troopers faith in Canadian and British troops, not to mention his faith that the Afghan mission is going well:

Canada Rushes More Armor to Afghanistan -- [Strategy Page]
June 7, 2006: Canada put in a rush order for 25 more Nyala armored vehicles for its 2,300 troops in Afghanistan. The Nyala is a South African vehicles, costing about $1.1 million each, that was designed to resist landmines and roadside bombs. It was developed from the earlier Mamba armored personnel carrier, and has an excellent track record.

News of Afghanistan X -- [Miserable Donuts]
Here is a quick whip 'round by Radio Free Afghanistan

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Canada probes report troops seized in Afghanistan -- (Reuters)
OTTAWA, June 7 (Reuters) - The NATO-led coalition of forces in Afghanistan is investigating a report that some Canadian soldiers have been abducted in the war-torn country, Canada's Defence Department said on Wednesday.

US frees Taliban suspects in Afghanistan -- (Reuters)
KABUL, June 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. military freed 33 Taliban suspects from Bagram airbase on Thursday as part of an Afghan reconciliation programme, while the militants' insurgency raged on with assassinations, ambushes and roadside bombs.

AFGHANISTAN: TALIBAN COMMANDER OUTLINES STRATEGY -- (AKI)
Qalat, Afghanistan, 9 June (AKI) - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - A senior Taliban commander has told Adnkronos International (AKI) the insurgency against the foreign troop presence in Afghanistan has widened into a revolt where tribal rivalries are being buried in favour of a united front and warned that suicide attacks will intensify. At an unidentified mountain location near Qalat, capital of Zabul province, two men on a motorcycle approach this AKI reporter. One of them, a short man in his mid-30s with a white turban and a long beard introduces himself as commander Mullah Gul Mohammed Jangvi.

Poll: U.S. Backing for Troops Steadfast -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that many Americans perceive the alleged atrocities against Iraqi civilians by U.S. forces as isolated incidents while saying the U.S.-led invasion was a mistake, an unusual disconnect that sets this conflict apart from Vietnam. The survey of 1,003 adults was completed Wednesday, shortly before the announcement that U.S. airstrikes had killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida leader in Iraq, and the Iraqi parliament's approval of candidates for ministers in charge of the army and police.

Poll: Majority support troops, not Iraq war -- (MSNBC)
... where the American people wholeheartedly support the troops and support for the ... of the Armed Services Committee, described the current troops as the ...

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Iran Forging Forward with Nuclear Activities -- [Security Watchtower]
A new report from the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) has noted that Iran resumed feeding UF6 gas into a pilot cascade of 164 centrifuge enrichment after a five-week pause. The report also revealed that Iran also installed two more 164-centrifuge networks, in direct defiance of a United Nations resolution

The UN is in Serious Trouble -- [Tigerhawk - Cardinalpark]
The Deputy Secretary General took some shots at the US yesterday. He complained about US support of the UN budget and an inability to secure financial sponsorship for a renovation of the UN facilities here in NY. He complained that the current administration is unwilling to defend the UN from Congressional assault. He complained that the American people are duped by Fox News and Rush Limbaugh's incessant tirades against the UN. Altogether it was a pretty aggressive, public criticism of the US. Which is fine I suppose, if you don't rely on the US Congress approving something like 20+% of your funding and the generosity of the US for your home base.

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

Rockets fly after Palestinian militant faction leader killed in Israeli airstrike -- (USA Today)
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian militants vowed Friday to avenge Israel's assassination of the Hamas government's top security chief in an attack that threatened to ignite large-scale violence between the two sides.

MIDDLE EAST: TOP PALESTINIAN MILITANT KILLED IN GAZA RAID -- (AKI)
Gaza, 9 June (AKI) - A former head of Israel's Shin Bet domestic security service said on Friday that the Israeli army (IDF) had to take out senior Palestinian militant, Jamal Abu Samhadana, who died in an air strike in the border town of Rafah late on Thursday. "Samhadana had to go. He was involved in terror attacks, one of the few who never tried to hide it," Ami Ayalon told Israeli Army Radio.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Saudi Arabia Declares al Qaeda Defeated -- [Strategy Page]
June 9, 2006: On May 7th King Abdallah declared that al Qaeda had been "defeated" in Saudi Arabia. Saudi security authorities reported that clashes since May of 2003 had resulted in the deaths of about 150 Saudi and foreign personnel, as well as at least 120 confirmed al Qaeda operatives.

MSM REPORTS ON WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Iraqi man chosen to lead Qaeda’s global operations -- (Azzaman, English)
The al-Qaeda organization has selected Abdulhadi al-Iraqi, an Iraqi national from northern Iraq, as the new commander of its global operations.
The appointment comes following the seizure of Abu Faraj al-Libi by Pakistani forces in May.
Al-Qaeda has a large following in Iraq particularly among Sunni Muslims. It operates through different organizations under various nomenclatures.

Report: CIA used Syria for 'outsourcing of torture' -- (World Tribune)
LONDON — The CIA employed Syria as a contractor for detention and torture of Al Qaida suspects, a report said.
The Council of Europe released a report that outlined CIA cooperation with Syria from 2001 through 2004. The report, which focused on secret CIA flights of Al Qaida suspects, asserted that the U.S. intelligence agency sent abducted Syrian natives from Europe to Damascus, where they were imprisoned and tortured by Syrian intelligence.

Osama Bin Laden Keeping a Low Profile -- (AP)
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Tracking down Osama bin Laden has proven tougher than getting to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi because the top al-Qaida leader keeps a lower profile, surrounds himself with far more faithful followers and has more places to hide, intelligence experts say....

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

How God Made A Soldiers' Angel -- [Soldiers' Angels New York]
The following writing is by angel Bessie. She has given me permission to share it with you. I needed a kleenex when reading it. Please leave her a comment here and let her know what you think of it.

Ethics Training -- [Just Another Thunderhorse Roughneck! - in Iraq ]
...I think we already have. Won that is. It’s just a matter of time before the mission is accomplished and we all get to come home. These are just a few quotes I took from some thank you cards. The class of 1st graders at Horizon Christian School made the cards. I’m going to hand them out to the platoon but I couldn’t stop reading through all of them first. I’m sure they’ll make all of the guys feel proud about what they’re doing. As I’m sure everyone has heard before, it’s the thought that counts.

The May Backpack Delivery to Landstuhl -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Another month - another delivery of backpacks for the patients at Landstuhl hospital!
Everyone hates those drafty hospital gowns - especially soldiers! - so the backpacks contain a t-shirt and a pair of boxers. Just as important, each backpack contains a letter from home and a hand-made Blanket of Hope.

Operation THANK YOU returns to Miramar -- [Smash]
COME JOIN US in saying "Thank You" to our military tomorrow at MCAS Miramar!
...If you’re not in San Diego, you can organize your own Operation Thank You at a military base or recruiting station near you. All it takes is some blank cardboard, a marker, and an hour or two of your time.

MILITARY

An embarassment only a father could love -- [Fast Bunnies - in Iraq]
...Somewhere in Washington there is a company commander who is wondering why God is punishing him with such an irresponsible subordinate, there is a platoon wondering why their commissioned leader is such an embarassment, and there is a 28 year old LT who's understanding of UCMJ, the United States Constitution, and the general concept of international law is obviously lacking.

Perhaps Not a Good Idea -- [Strategy Page]
June 9, 2006: Military procurement is often a nightmare, what with all the people and organizations involved, and all the opportunities for people to change their minds. Here's a real nightmare example of how badly things can go. Back in 1989, Pakistan decided to manufacture its own 23mm cannon ammunition for its jet fighters. It ordered raw materials and manufacturing equipment from China. Then as now, China is a major source for military materials.

MSM REPORTS ON MILITARY

Soldiers quit army in protest after acquittal on boy's death -- (The Guardian)
Two soldiers cleared this week of the manslaughter of a 15-year-old Iraqi in Basra in May 2003 are to leave the army in protest at their treatment.

THE MEDIA

E&P: Papers Show Dead Zarqawi but not Dead Americans -- [Media Blog]
Editor and Publisher faults the media for showing "graphic Zarqawi images" but not dead Americans in an article called "Dead and Loving It":

CBS Terrorism Analyst: Zarqawi's Death Good For Al Qaeda -- [NewsBusters]
On a day when many in America are rejoicing at the death of the most wanted man in Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi, a man who is responsible for countless deaths in Iraq and who made it his mission to spark civil war, CBS brought in a long time Bush administration critic to discuss its implications on this morning's "Early Show." Co-host Harry Smith, utilizing spin that would make "Baghdad Bob" jealous, attempted to portray Zarqawi’s death as being bad news for America, and his guest, CBS News Terrorism Analyst Michael Scheuer, was happy to back his assertions even going so far as ...

Zarqawi’s ‘Troubled Childhood’ Leads to Terror? -- [NewsBusters]
The MRC has been following the media’s reaction to the death of terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al Zarqawi all day. Much of the coverage has been focused on downplaying the significance of the event. Now we have a new angle. MSNBC anchor Milissa Rehberger hosted First Look, the early morning coverage of Zarqawi’s death. At 5:45AM EDT, in an attempt to give her audience a full picture, this is how she described the life of a brutal murderer:

MILBLOGGING / BLOGGING

Pentagon; NSA to to establish Blog Mining Division -- [The Gun Toting Liberal]
Yep, that’s right: this Republican-led Government has decided that our tax money should finance a data mining program which will scour our blogs and the Internet for as much personal information as it can possibly piece together about each and every one of us. As they are doing this, they will be combining all of THIS personal information with our credit reports, criminal records (if applicable), and anything else (medical records?) these jackass TRAITORS in bow ties and checkered golf pants can come up with on us to merge into a single personnel file for every American Citizen.

CONGRATS

Ultrasound today-The baby is a.... -- [Soldiers' Angel - Holly Aho]
GIRL!!
Yep, the ultrasound this morning showed that we're having a girl I had the ultrasound lady check at least 5 times during the ultrasound just to be sure there was no mistake. So....it's time to go buy some pink baby stuff!! Yay! After 4 boys I can't even imagine going to buy baby girl clothing

Happy Birthday -- [Iraqi Pictures - in Iraq]
Charlie Company would like to wish LCpl Christopher Jackson a Happy Birthday. Right now, he's enjoying it with some fun in the sun.

Happy Birthday to Me -- [Miserable Donuts]
A 40 year metamorphasis:

WELCOME HOME

Welcome home, 155 BCT! (My MS Trip) -- [Yikes]
PICTURES CAN BE SEEN HERE. THERE ARE SEVERAL IN THE POST BELOW.
Wow, where do I even BEGIN to tell y'all about this weekend?! To begin at the very beginning for those who don't know the story, I have friends in Meridian, Mississippi, who I met through www.WebofSupport.com. My friend, Janis, is the wife of MS National Guardsman, Norris Galatas, and is a major driving force behind Web Of Support. Janis's husband, Norris, was severely wounded in Iraq on April 19, 2005. It was only by a series of miracles that he survived the IED explosion (and I've seen pics of his wounds and what was left of his truck…not pretty!!!). To this day, poor Norris is still in awful lots of pain and still undergoing major surgeries to fix stuff. Well, anyway, the final, official homecoming ceremony of the 155 BCT was scheduled

HUMOR / SATIRE

Democrats Vow to Fight On After Zarqawi Loss -- [SrappleFace]
(2006-06-09) — As Blackberry devices and cell phones on Capitol Hill hummed with news of the death of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi yesterday, Congressional Democrats vowed that despite the loss they would fight on in “the war on the war on terror.”

Satan and Zarqawi: An Initial Interview! -- [GM's Corner]
By now, almost anyone with access to the news has heard that Zarqawi has been killed by two 500 lb Mk-82 bombs. No doubt, there are many who welcome this news, just as there are some who are quite angry. But none, I suspect are as angry as Zarqawi after his death when he met someone he did not expect to meet.

Zarqawi's Probate -- [Stolen Thunder]
In the name of Allah the Most Compassionate – except to infidels and apostates – we are gathered here to read the last will of our brother Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was brutally cornered and killed by the Crusader Fajarah. I read from the will, written in Abu’s own hand – this is strange ink?