Dawn Patrol

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and other sources around the world. 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.

IRAQ

Widow of abducted soldier gives to Iraqi boy -- [Air Force Times]
NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y. — At about the same time an 11-year-old Iraqi boy was on an operating table having heart surgery on Long Island last week, the widow of an Army captain abducted and slain in Iraq was opening a package at her home in California.
...On Tuesday, Charlotte Freeman fought back tears as she presented the gadget to the smiling, gum-chewing boy named Ali as a token of what she hoped would be a lifelong friendship that began between the boy and her husband in Iraq.

2-27 -- [American Soldier - injured in Iraq]
Let me take you back a year ago. An irrelevant city, nameless street and a small home where a little girl and her mother lived. I never did see the father during my many trips past this home. I often wondered where he was, dead, divorced, who knows. I’d have my gunner hand out extras candy whenever we’d pass this home. The child looked like my own daughter. Dark wavy hair, charcoal eyes and tan skin. She always had a smile and waved while the boys tried to look tough. She would giggle and laugh at us. It brought a piece of home to the long nights on patrol or the early morning stroll. Just another day in Iraq right?
We all had ways to deal with our tour. For me it later evolved into seeing the future of Iraq. These children loved us and we appreciated it. However this was not meant to be a happy story. This is reality in a war.

Dividing the Mahdi Army -- [The Fourth Rail]
With Muqtada al-Sadr now in Iran, the Iraqi government and Coalition forces are stepping up efforts to divide and conquer his Mahdi Army. Asharq Alawsat has confirmed that Multinational Forces Iraq (MNF-I) is "holding talks with commanders of Muqtada al-Sadr's Al-Mahdi Army with the 'Iraqi Government's blessing,'" as well as "several Iraqi armed group."

The Next Steps in Iraqi Economic Reform -- [Austin Bay - Strategy Page]
Call it an economic and political victory for "New Iraq" -- and an indication that we may see more in the future.
This past Monday, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's cabinet finally agreed to a reformed "oil law." The cabinet will forward the legislative package to the Iraqi parliament for action later this spring.

The more the merrier... -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
Advancing a political track is indispensable for a stable future for Iraq for sure. Experts and observers differ in their suggestions for solutions; some think politics must be given the priority while others insist the solution is military, but in fact both tracks are essential and should go hand in hand without giving one track a priority over the other even though one or the other sometimes seem to pose the greater challenge.

Bush's 2007 Proposal -- [No Pain No Gain - an Iraqi blogger]
...I have gained some interesting insight from this new strategy plan that changed the sense of direction with USA and Iraq politics.
...Alot of the American friends I know seem to worry about the fate of their troops in Iraq which encourages them to want their troops immediately pulled out of Iraq. However, such Americans need to be aware that there is a right time for everything on Earth. US troops cant just leave Iraq with no plan with how Iraq will survive the chaos by itself.
If US troops sought to withdraw from Iraq 2 years ago, I would have certainly agreed to it but demanding the withdrawal as of now is not a good idea. I believe this for certain reasons, one of them because Iran and Israel do not have one of the most relevant relationships between them and US having to completely step off Iraqi soil will have Iraq dragged into this circle of more tension and violence with its neighbors.

This Is The Easy Part -- [Strategy Page]
February 28, 2007: "Witness protection" has become a major tactic in the effort to clear terrorists out of Baghdad. While cell phones make it easy to call in the location of bomb factories, terrorist safe houses, and car bombs on the move, the terrorists make a point of trying to locate and kill the snitches. The Iraqi police are still pretty corrupt. With enough cash, you can get information on phoned in tips. Tipsters getting murdered may not make the headlines, but the word gets around. The only way to protect the witnesses is to take down entire gangs, and that requires capturing the gang bosses, and shutting down most of the gang operations in a short space of time.

Iraq Pictures -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
Newbern, N.C., native SGT Shawn Mackey, a health care specialist with Company C, 299th Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, assesses the health of a newborn Iraqi baby during a medical assistance mission in the village of Abidone inside the Bay Al Sabir High School of the Abu Ghraib district of Baghdad. The event was to thank the community for its continued support of coalition and Iraqi security forces by offering health and dental care to the village's residents.

The Diyala Two-Step -- [Intel Dump]
Two recent articles about the Diyala province -- what some call "Little Iraq" because of its demography and geography -- help to illuminate why forward progress seems so elusive in Iraq.
On Saturday, Rajiv Chandrasekaran reported in the Washington Post on the difficulties faced by the State Department-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Diyala. The article comes on the heels of another report characterizing the Diyala PRT efforts as difficult, to say the least. To put it bluntly, they lack the people, the resources, and the support they need to do their job. Consequently, counterinsurgency efforts in Diyala have stalled.

Top U.S. Intel Official: Iran Training Iraqis To Use Munitions -- [Defense News]
Iran is training anti-American Iraqi Shiites at sites inside Iran and Lebanon in the use of armor-piercing munitions blamed for the deaths of 170 U.S. troops in Iraq, the top U.S. intelligence official said on Feb. 27.

Iraqi tip leads to large IED find -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD – A large cache of improvised explosive devices was discovered Monday by Iraqi police and Coalition forces near the Baqubah area in the Diyala province

Hostages freed by paratroopers, weapons cache secured -- [MNF-I]
KALSU, Iraq – Dismounted paratroopers located an insurgent safe house uncovering a
weapons cache and freeing two hostages south of Baghdad Feb. 26.
Paratroopers from 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th
Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division located the safe house, where
they found the two hostages and a weapons cache near Mahmudiyah.

Iraqi swat captures eight Mahdawiyah insurgent group members -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD – Al Hillah Iraqi Special Weapons and Tactics personnel captured eight suspected members of the Mahdawiyah insurgent group during operations with Coalition advisors Feb. 26 in the Wardiyah district of Al Hillah. The suspects are believed to be involved in attacks against Iraqi Security Forces and civilians in the area.
The suspects are allegedly part of the insurgent group that fought against the Coalition force and Iraqi Security Forces Jan. 28 in Najaf. The suspects are believed to threatening the lives of persons within the leadership of Iraqi Security Forces in Babil Province.
There were no Iraqi civilian, Iraqi forces or Coalition force casualties.

AFGHANISTAN

Neon Genesis Evangelion -- [Afghanistan Without a Clue - in Afghanistan]
...One thing I want to do more of is to introduce you to some of the fine Afghans who make CMA the great organization that it is. Today I’d like to introduce Maj Abdul Hafiz. He is the S1 (personnel officer). I’ve been working with him since my arrival here, and I’ve seen him grow into a real dynamo of an officer. When I first arrived here, he would, as so many ANA officers did, expect me to work all the problems he encountered. However, it did not take much mentoring before he worked personnel issues on his own, and he’s been on top of things ever since. He is a competent, hard-working man who is always smiling and always thankful for our help (though we rarely have to help him anymore).

Spartans Turn Over Southern, Western Provinces -- [Centcom]
FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan — Task Force Spartan turned over five provinces in the southern and western portions of their former battle space to Task Force Fury during a transfer of authority ceremony held here Feb. 21, 2007.
Task Force Spartan, comprised of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, handed much of Regional Command-East to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers of Task Force Fury.

Britain to Send 1,400 More Troops to Afghanistan -- [Global Security]
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2007 – Great Britain will deploy an additional 1,400 troops to Afghanistan this summer, British Secretary of State for Defense Desmond Browne told the country’s Parliament yesterday

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Clash of Conservatives in Iran -- [Strategy Page]
February 28, 2007: There seems to be a major political clash developing in Iran. The religious leadership seems to want to avoid an outright clash with the UN/U.S. over the nuclear issue, and appears to prefer not having nukes. Apparently, they believe having nukes makes them more vulnerable to attack than not having them. This is not as unreasonable as it may seem at first – after all, they'll never be able to have enough nukes to deter the US, and so their nuclear "threat" will have little impact on American policy. Worse, even if they have just one or two nukes, it will be enough to seriously threaten Israel, which they believe would have no compunctions in taking preemptive action.

The Mecca Agreement -- [MEMRI]
– A Strategic PLO-Hamas Alliance for Establishing a Palestinian State Without Hamas Recognizing Israel
The text of the Mecca agreement, which was signed under Saudi auspices on February 8, 2007, is couched in general terms and deals mainly with intra-Palestinian relations. The policy section of the agreement appears in the letter of appointment for the future Palestinian government, and is part of the agreement

China Surprise -- [Strategy Page]
February 28, 2007: China is putting a lot of effort into its commando forces, and not letting many details get out. However, based on what has been published in China, and what leaks out of the country via the Internet, is that the Chinese special operations forces (SOF) remain small, well equipped, and well trained. There are fewer than 5,000 troops in the Chinese SOF, organized into 6th Special Warfare Group, 8th Special Warfare Group, 12th Special Warfare Detachment and Naval Commando Unit.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

UN Counter-Terrorism Handbook -- Form Over Substance -- [Countrterrorism Blog]
Following up on a recommendation contained in last year’s UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the UN has put together a new on-line “counter-terrorism” handbook which is meant to help guide countries wishing to assess UN counter-terrorism support services. As the UN Counter-Terrorism Handbook Site states:

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Medical Warriors -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
I've been getting some emails about the first installment of a 5-part NBC News Special called Wounds of War. Although I don't get American TV here, Bonnie sent me the link to the piece on the MSNBC website. From what I know and have seen personally, this is the real thing and quite well done.

Hero to Hero Appreciation Project -- [Soldiers Angels Network]
Soldiers’ Angels have adopted the wounded service members at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
We encourage all Veterans and active duty personnel to write letters and cards of support and encouragement to the wounded and ill troops who are being treated in medical facilities in Germany.
The cards and letters will be included in Transitional Backpacks or separately as needs dictate, but in both cases distributed directly through Soldiers’ Angels Germany.

MILITARY

Your Soldier -- [Sgt Hook]
A couple of weeks ago I received an email that originated from the office of the commanding general of my division inquiring into a soldier of mine, PFC Charley Benton. My initial thoughts were understandably, “what the hell did Benton do that the CG is involved?” Well, the following letter was sent to the general and I think it explains everything (editor’s note: all names and unit designations have been changed as releases were not obtained prior to publication):
On January 31, 2007, I was involved in a serious vehicular accident on I-25 near Big City. I was traveling in my 2004 Ford F-150 when I spun out of control on the ice at 70 mph. I was struck on my driver’s door, sprayed with broken glass, and sent skidding into the grassy median. The van that struck me vanished. Traffic never slowed. No one stopped to help. I sat stunned and in shock in the broken glass beside the twisted metal of my driver’s door. I remember looking up and seeing a man in a military uniform running across the highway dodging cars and sprinting to my assistance. He seemed like an angel. I was alone, scared, and in a cloudy stupor with a concussion. He climbed into the passenger seat and checked on my and calmed me. My cell phone rang, and I remember telling someone I was in an accident, but I would be alright now because the army had arrived. I felt incredibly safe and comforted.
A red sports car spun out of control and was following nearly my exact accident path heading for my vehicle but luckily stopped short. Once he knew I was alright,...

Online claim created for items lost in moves -- [Air Force Times]
The Air Force is easing the hassle of airmen whose property is lost or damaged during moves.
The Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps has created an online claim filing system for personnel claims, available at https://claims.jag.af.mil.

POLITICS

Iraq’s only Similarity to Vietnam: Its Dangerous Anti-War Movement -- [Iraq War News]
Contrary to media reports and the perception of a majority of Americans, the United States was winning the war in Vietnam following the successful watershed battle known as the Tet Offensive. Sadly, the Vietnam War was not lost on the battlefield. The carnage and repressive regimes that followed the U.S. exit may have been avoided had the truth been known by the American public. The United States was defeated by a carefully conceived, multi-pronged propaganda campaign that set the stage for America’s eventual failure ...

At the risk of further arguing with fools… -- [Neptunus Lex]
…. and that neutral observers might not be able to tell the difference, here’s an interesting discussion by McQ, on Greenwald, on Lieberman. Contrasting Lieberman’s 2005 WSJ op-ed on Iraq with his most recent effort, Greenwald purpored to find dishonesty in the Senator’s argument. But as McQ points out:

PORTRAIT OF THE CONGRESS AS A WRUNG HAND -- [American Citizen Soldier]
..."This may become the first time in the history of the United States Congress that it has voted to send a new commander into battle and then voted to oppose his plan that is necessary to succeed in that battle." I'll allow that President Bush is no historian, but I'm pretty sure he's correct. If the Pelosi Bunch is so sure of their position, why did they not put their mouths where our money is and reject Gen. Petraeus outright, coax Wesley Clark out of retirement with a vintage "We Like Ike" campaign button, and then withhold funds and turn out the lights, roll over, and go to sleep?

Obama on Iraq in '02 -- [Real Clear Politics ]
File this clip under "more trouble for Hillary Clinton." It's Illinois State Senator Barack Obama on a local public affairs television show in late November 2002 giving a pretty clear explanation of why he would have voted against the Iraq war authorization: ...

THE MEDIA

Analytic Challenge -- [Dadmanly]
I have been tracking an ongoing conversation that springs from new reporting from Mother Jones, of all places, journalism-wise. As part of a series “Iraq 101,” Mother Jones hosts a piece written by Peter Bergen and Paul Cruickshank, entitled The Iraq Effect - The War in Iraq and Its Impact on the War on Terrorism.
Bergen is as reliable an anti-war critic as can be found, but he strenuously attempts to do so with evidence and data he marshals to achieve that end.

Two Big Iraq Reporting Blunders Yesterday? -- [IraqSlogger]
Officials Say Two Stories That Grabbed Headlines Yesterday Are False
Alleged blunder number one: U.S. and Iraqi officials today dismissed as false reports yesterday that a car bombing killed 18 children and women in Ramadi. The initial report came from the state-run al-Iraqiya TV network.
Alleged blunder number two: Yesterday, Iraqi press reports claimed Iraqi VP Adil Abdul-Mahdi was accusing an unnamed "official" of involvement in the Monday assassination attempt against him -- a bombing that left the VP slightly wounded and killed and badly wounded others.

Sensationalism Abated -- [No End but Victory]
Bob Woodruff was severely injured in an attack in Iraq back in January 2006 while embedded north of Baghdad. Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt were seriously wounded by an improvised explosive device that hit the Iraqi personnel carrier they were riding in.
...Woodruff has a newfound appreciation for the suffering and sacrifice our Soldiers and Heroes endure in defense of our country. He “got religion” you might say, and he selflessly means to get THEIR stories told.
Why can’t more of our so-called “Journalists” turn their backs on their editorial agendas, and their “if it bleeds it reads” mentality, and fight FOR our GI’s instead of always fighting AGAINST them?

Must-See: Bob Woodruff's "To Iraq and Back" -- (ABC News)
Phenomenal, Moving TV Documentary Now Can Be Seen in Full Online

Hersh: Bush World's Biggest Worry -- [NewsBusters]
If there were any doubt as to the degree to which the MSM loathes and distrusts President Bush, it should be dispelled by the performance of Sy Hersh on today's Hardball and the way he was applauded by Chris Matthews. At the end of Hersh's appearance, Matthews put this question to the investigative reporter:
"What's your biggest worry in the world? Is it Iran? Is it this administration going to war with Iran? Is it a civil war in Iraq? Is it Musharraf's inability to fight the Taliban on his own soil? What's your biggest worry?"

Thoughts: Drudge, Hypodermic Needle Theory & 'The Drip' -- [Jawa Report]
There's a case to be made the Drudge helped tank the markets today, particularly when thinking about information/news sensitive environments like the market floors.
...By the same token, the overall MSM coverage of the war in Iraq has had a negative net impact on the opinions and perceptions of many Americans regarding the daily events taking place there. Individual stories are not enough to do it alone. This is not to say that covering the markets is exactly like covering a war, but I would surmise that market reporters at least report positive developments in the markets from time to time without hesitation.

HUMOR / SATIRE

Gore Lives Carbon-Neutral, Fat-Neutral Lifestyle -- [ScrappleFace]
(2007-02-28) — Oscar-winning filmmaker Al Gore today expanded his call for Americans to reduce their output of greenhouse gases — the so-called carbon-footprint — adding a demand to cut the rate of adult-onset obesity, which he termed “your gluteal fatprint.”

(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)