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

Meanwhile -- [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
I am back in Baghdad, having driven with Command Sergeant Major Jeffrey Mellinger more than 1,200 miles up and down Iraqi roads over a ten-day period. CSM Mellinger’s direct boss is now General David Petraeus, and although the general has only been commanding the war in Iraq for three weeks, changes he’s made are already apparent. More on that during subsequent dispatches.

US and Iraqi forces launch a joint air assault in to Baghdad, Iraq. -- [Live Leak]

AIR STRIKE LEADS TO HOSTAGE RESCUE; WEAPONS CACHE UNCOVERED -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD, IRAQ – An assessment performed by Coalition Forces following an air strike in Arab Jabour on Saturday led to the rescue of four Iraqi citizens and the uncovering of a terrorist weapons cache today.

Thoughts from Duke about why we went into Iraq in the first place: -- [Broken Masterpieces - Duke dispatches from Iraq]
TFTC Mar 4
...This same principle applies to national security. I have heard many complain that no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq so we are not justified to be here and for that reason we should pull out and that Bush should be impeached for lying to the Congress and the American people. Let me set the record straight with completely de-classified information that anyone could find, if they looked hard enough (a challenge to reporters).
There have been over 500 weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq since we invaded, and this is just the unclassified information. The weapons contained at least two different types of chemicals, both nerve and blister agents. The criticism and explanation why this information does not get bigger press is that these were old weapons and not evidence of a new weapons program; however,

Street Justice. -- [Iraq The Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
As we noted more than once before, Operation “Imposing Law” is an escalating effort with military and political components. After the troops fixed their feet on the streets of Baghdad, PM Maliki and the troops are pushing forward with both components.

Crime? During War? -- [Jack Army - in Iraq]
Yeah, crime. In my area it's a bigger problem than the insurgency. Really.
We have people that are taking advantage of the relative calm in our area but lack of complete security to commit crimes with relative impunity. Some is undoubtedly related to terrorist assholes that want power. They are using any little rift, real or imagined, to create a larger wedge and gain power. Who are they driving wedges between? Well, the government and the people. The security forces and the people. The government and the security forces. Sunnis and Shia. This village versus that village. Locals versus people from outside the immediate area. Kurds and Turkomen and Arabs... The list goes on.

Iraq Trip Report -- [Small Wars Journal]
Based upon a February 2007 trip revisiting locales in Anbar and Baghdad that I had tracked for years, permit me to offer the following observations.
Overview. What is shaping up in Iraq? There are four ongoing wars. 1) Shiite mafias in the south, 2) Anbar Sunni extremists 3) Shiite ethnic cleansing around Baghdad 4) Sunni extremist car bombings in Baghdad

Arabian Nights -- [Acute Politics - in Iraq]
Last night we went down into the canal region south of Falluja. We cleared back and forth through the tall reeds, along canals, and through villages. In one nasty little village, we found a bomb in an intersection. It was a large plastic tube of rocket propellant, jury-rigged as an IED. The LT decided, along with the EOD team, to shoot it and try to set it on fire, rather than get down on the ground to blow it up. Of course, we all foresaw the result-

U.S. Army Soldiers rescue two in torture house -- [MNF-I]
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – U.S. Army Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry (Airborne), Regimental Combat Team 6, rescued two victims in a torture house and discovered a chemical storage facility near Karmah, 10 km northeast of Fallujah, March 1.

Iraqi Security Forces Captures Leader of Insurgent Cell in Karabilah -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD – Iraqi Security Forces captured the suspected leader of an insurgent cell during operations with Coalition advisors March 3 in Karabilah, near the Syrian border.
The suspect is allegedly responsible for trafficking weapons and improvised explosive devices used in attacks against Iraqi civilians and security forces in the area.

Joint operations nab 50 terrorists -- [MNF-I]
TIKRIT, Iraq – Soldiers from Task Force 1-319 and the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division detained more than 50 insurgents during three days of operations focused on terrorist cells in Abu Ajeel, Wynot, and Owja near Tikrit in Salah ad Din.
Paratroopers from Task Force Loyalty’s Company B, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, detained more than 40 personnel in the Abu Ajeel area with assistance from an Iraqi Emergency Services Unit, and the Iraqi army. The operation disrupted an Improvised Explosive Device Cell that has been operating in the area as well as delivering an insurgent cell leader who has been spearheading attacks against coalition and Iraqi security forces in recent months.

Capture of Terrorists in Iraq: Big Fish Captured or Another False Alarm? (updated Mar. 5) -- [Andrew Cochran - Counterterrorism Blog]
Multinational Forces Iraq has announced the capture of over 50 terrorists in Salah ad Din province in northern Iraq: "Soldiers from Task Force 1-319 and the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division detained more than 50 insurgents during three days of operations focused on terrorist cells in Abu Ajeel, Wynot, and Owja near Tikrit in Salah ad Din." Forty of the terrorists were part of an IED cell, while ten others were "involved with financing and executing attacks on coalition forces."

Iraq Mystery Weapon Identified -- [Strategy Page]
March 4, 2007: The mystery weapon picture that's been showing up around the net, appears to be something that began in Chechnya (where the local Islamic terrorists built improvised weapons firing 55mm rockets), and evolved into a new design for firing RPG rockets. The U.S. Army has come to call the mystery weapon the C5K, and it sports a scope. The C5K is a misnomer, and refers to another improvised weapon (a launcher for an unguided aircraft rocket, the S-5K, a 8.8 pound, 55mm projectile). These mystery weapons are made in small quantities, in workshops set up for that purpose. Things like this are intended to provide an easier-to-handle launcher for RPG rockets.

Rebuilding in Iraq shifts to self-sustaining Iraqi effort -- [MNF-I]
WASHINGTON — Rebuilding Iraq is shifting from a U.S.-led “jump start” effort to a self-sustaining Iraqi driven phase, said the director of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office Saturday.

Doubts raised about Lancet study on Iraqi death toll -- [Allahpundit - Hot Air]
Not for the first time, either, but the previous challenge had to do with methodology. The new questions raise the possibility of fraud.

What's Not News in Iraq -- [Strategy Page]
At least a hundred, of the six million people in Baghdad, were killed by Sunni Arab terrorist attacks in the last four days. The two week old "Battle of Baghdad" has forced Sunni and Shia gangs to stay in hiding. That has helped the terror bombing operations, as these depend on stealth and surprise. The army and police catch many of the bomber vehicles at check points, but there are so many attempts that the terrorists can still carry out a few successful attacks a week. However, recent attacks appear to be of the "use it or lose it" variety. The more intense security operations inside Baghdad have uncovered bomb workshops and safe houses, meaning that more bombers will have to come in from the suburbs. But ...

Iraq’s political and economic bullet -- [Ausin Bay]
Several economists and economic development experts argue that land –specifically “land reform” – is key to ending Iraq’s complex civil conflict. Among them is Peter Schaefer. Schaefer served in Vietnam as an American military intelligence officer then in the mid-1970s became deeply involved in economic development analysis and property right issues. His is also a former adviser to Peruvian economist Hernando De Soto.

Important Undercurrents in Iraq -- [Captain's Journal]
The Arab League has called on the United Nations Security Council to set a timetable for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq. Continuing with the demands, in a request that might be humorous if it weren’t so sad, ”the list also includes a call for the fair distribution of wealth and the disbanding of all militias.”

AFGHANISTAN

Humanitarian Assistance Mission -- [Afghanistan JAG]
We went out to a local village this morning to distribute food and clothes. We exhausted our entire supply of both, so the clothes that everyone is sending me will be used on the next mission. We'll also order more food for next time.

News of Afghanistan ٤٩ -- [Miserable Donuts]
And now for the puritanical view of Kabul, as seen by a Pakistani who ain't too happy.
...My blogfather podcasts an interview with TF Phoenix's DC. He's ILARNG, 'cause when you care to send the very best...

Pics from our last HA Drop... -- [Task Force Phoenix 5 - in Afghainstan]
(Pics)(Pics)(Pics)(Pics)(Pics)

Taliban Leadership Embarrassed -- [Strategy Page]
March 5, 2007: Sometimes the personal touch does work. U.S. vice president Cheney paid a visit to Pakistan last week, and met with Pakistani president Musharraf, to complain about Pakistani reluctance to crack down on Taliban activity along the Afghan border. Shortly after Cheney flew off to Afghanistan, Pakistani police made some raids in southwest Pakistan (Baluchistan), where they arrested the number three guy in the Taliban chain of command, Mullah Obaidullah Akhund. This was just the kind of action Cheney wanted, because there were frequent sightings of Taliban big shots in places like Quetta. But Musharraf had his reasons as well. Recently,...

AFGHANISTAN: TALIBAN CLAIMS CONTROL OF ANOTHER HELMAND DISTRICT -- (AKI)
Karachi, 5 March - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - At least 19 Afghan civilians have been killed over the past 24 hours in strikes and gunfire incidents by coalition forces in Afghanistan in response to militant attacks on NATO targets. Although NATO has said it is trying to reduce civilian casualties, the attacks look set to continue as the "spring offensive" materialises. Taliban commander Abdul Khaliq told Adnkronos International (AKI) that they have taken control of Nawzad district in Helmand province and prior to the recent attacks the Taliban distributed leaflets warning people to keep away from NATO installations or convoys

Fear of Roads in Afghanistan -- [Strategy Page]
March 5, 2007: One of the reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan consists of paving 900 kilometers of dirt roads. This will cost $366 million, and foreign experts are running into resistance from Afghans living along those roads. The foreigners attribute this hostility to Afghans angry at the corruption in the government. That's not the case. Afghans don't trust their government because it is corrupt, but because it is the government, and they don't trust any government. What's really important is tribe, clan, and family. As for the roads, somehow, the local folks will learn what to do with them if they're safe enough to travel on. But ...

As Afghan Troops Build Capacity, Decisive Battles Loom -- [GX Online]
The anticipated spring offensive may mark the beginning of the end for the Taliban in Afghanistan, a military official told bloggers and online journalists in a conference call.
"If the Taliban do not make it through this offensive, we feel that by next year they'll have limited access to Afghanistan," Army COL David B. Enyeart, deputy commander, Task Force Phoenix V, said.
COL Enyeart, whose Soldiers oversee training of the Afghan forces, said coalition officials fully expect a surge in Taliban and insurgent attacks in time with the country's spring thaw. "We know there's going to be a spring offensive," he said. "There always is."

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

The Night of the Generals -- [Strategy Page]
About a quarter of the North Korean population are malnourished, and getting sick and dying at a higher rate than the rest of the population. Overall, the population up north is only getting about 80 percent of the food they need. Lack of fuel means that most urban dwellers are only getting an hour of electricity a day. Shipments of food aid from South Korea won't necessarily get everyone fed. That's because, unlike the halted UN food aid (which had to be monitored), the South Korean food aid will not be monitored. As Chinese rice traders across the border know, that means a lot of the South Korean food aid will be sold, so the government can buy things it needs (consumer goods for the ruling class, and weapons and equipment for the security forces.) North Korea will be tempted to sell a lot of the food aid, because the armed forces are in terrible shape, and the generals want more resources to modernize, and conduct more training.

IRAN NUCLEAR: MILITARY ATTACK COULD SPEED UP ATOMIC PLANS -- (AKI)
London, 5 March - Military strikes against Iran over its nuclear programme could accelerate rather than halt Tehran's production of atomic weapons, according to a report by British think tank Oxford Research Group published on Monday. In the report's introduction, Hans Blix, the former chief of the nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), wrote that "armed attacks on Iran would very likely lead to the result they were meant to avoid - the building of nuclear weapons within a few years."

Heart-ache: U.S. attack would destroy Iranian antiquities -- [Hot Air]
Count on al-Guardian to have its priorities straight. This comes from page two of the media’s “Iran = Iraq” playbook, page one being the claims of doctored intelligence about those Iranian IEDs. Page three will be hand-wringing about the looting that would ensue if we hit Bushehr.
There are plenty of good reasons not

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

CIA Rushing Resources to Bin Laden Hunt -- [The Blotter]
Armed with fresh intelligence, the CIA is moving additional man power and equipment into Pakistan in the effort to find Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al Zawahri, U.S. officials tell ABC News.
"Reports that the trail has gone stone cold are not correct," said one U.S. official. "We are very much increasing our efforts there," the official said.

Serious Terrorist Probe on American Airlines -- [LGF]
At Annie Jacobsen’s web site Aviation Nation, we discover an account of an apparent terrorist dry run on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami—the same route and airline on which Richard Reid failed to detonate his shoe bombs: American Airlines Flight 62: A Terrorist Probe?
This report was posted in mid-February, and has received no media coverage whatsoever. Jacobsen confirmed that the incident did occur, with an American Airlines spokesperson.

Adam Gadahn: Myths and Facts -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
For those who have not seen it yet, I highly encourage readers to take a look at my colleague Raffi Khatchadourian's piece published in January in the New Yorker, "Azzam the American: The making of an Al Qaeda homegrown." Raffi was able to interview some folks who knew Gadahn back when he was just an odd kid from a goat farm in central California, and it is fascinating to trace the development of his personality over the years. Both by himself and by others, Gadahn is characterized by words like "loner", "socially inexperienced", and his own chosen title as the "revolting geek of mass proportions." The picture that emerges of Gadahn is of an intelligent, but arrogant armchair warrior, largely isolated from his peers, and who is desperately seeking to be heard and to be counted "in the big movement of history that's happening right now."

TERRORISM: AL-QAEDA VOWS TO TARGET PRINCE HARRY ALLEGES BRITISH TABLOID -- (AKI)
London, 5 March - Third in line to the British throne, Prince Harry and his men will this week pose as hooded hostages in a training exercise in which they will use tear gas and stun grenades to free Harry from Islamist terrorists. The news comes after a Sun tabloid newspaper investigation revealed a series of threats against Harry posted on extremist websites since the army announced his deployment to Iraq in late May.
The extremist website messages represents "clear incitement", the Sun quoted Internet terrorism expert Neil Doyle as saying on Sunday. One message reportedly read:...

Barrier Manian -- [Strategy Page]
March 4, 2007: There a lot of large scale barrier systems going up in the world, whose main function is to keep Islamic terrorists out. For example;
India is building a 4,000 kilometer barrier along its border with Bangladesh.
...Israel is building a 700 kilometers barrier between itself and the Palestinian West Bank
...Pakistan is building a barrier along its 2,400 kilometer border with Afghanistan
...Spain is building barriers around its two enclaves in Morocco .
Thailand is building a 75 kilometer barrier along its

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

The treatment of our wounded ... -- [CounterColumn]
Now that the Washington Post uncovered the mess that was going on in Walter Reed, all sorts of tales of squalor and woe are coming out of the woodwork.
...The problem? Well, part of the f*cking problem all along has been that when the Army wanted to close some bases so they could redirect resources into modernizing facilities, Congresscreeps of BOTH parties fought them tooth and nail, and that goes back to 1989.

So why are outpatients living in substandard billeting? Because in some cases, that's what they have left... -- [Balloon Juice]
Raw Story has put together a compelling case that the failures at Walter Reed came in large part from an ideological drive to privatize government services.

Iraq Veterans Memorial on You Tube? -- [Holly Aho]
This disturbs me. It's an Iraq Veterans video memorial to commemorate the 4th anniversary of the Iraq War. I think the idea is fine, but those putting it together, not so fine. The organization Brave New Foundation is the think tank and promoter of this video, as well as its editors and organizers. They've set up a website just for this project here. The general idea is to have people send in videos they've made commemorating soldiers, about 60 seconds for each video. They intend to compile them altogether and have an unveiling of their creation on the 17th of March, via a link that will suddenly be active to view their video on youtube.com.
A couple of things that disturb me about this. Their website for the video memorial itself seems fairly innocuous, although their disclaimer you need to agree to if you send in a video (while it may be standard verbage...I don't know) is still a little unnerving. I decided to dig a little deeper and used the link to view the project's headquarters website. Here's where I became more than a little cynical.

Cannot have it both ways; Support the Troops, Support the Mission

MILITARY

The Pentagon Likes the New SECDEF -- [OPFOR]
Today's WAPO says folks at the Puzzle Palace like the new guy
At the Pentagon, where Gates has been greeted as a liberator, "you can already feel the stability," said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Charles F. Wald, formerly the deputy U.S. commander in Europe.
Note the choice of the word "liberator." But,
Gates has been welcomed largely because of who he is not rather than what he has done, noted a longtime friend who has held top national security posts.

IN MEMORY OF...

"He would do it all over again, and he loved being an American" -- [Malkin]
An American hero, R.I.P.:
Even when he was a little boy playing with his GI Joe action figure, there was little doubt what Jonathan Cadavero would do when he grew up.
"That's going to be me," he'd say of his toy soldier.
He came from a patriotic, pro-military family. Two of Cadavero's uncles had fought in Vietnam. His maternal grandparents had fled Stalin-era Ukraine and told tales of oppression that stoked his instinctive love for his own country.

POLITICS

Cindy Sheehan Meets Her Match in Vermont -- [Welcome To Andi's World]
Last week, I was in disbelief over reports that a Vermont State Senate committee couldn't find one single person who would agree to go on record in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and in opposition to Cindy Sheehan's defeatist rhetoric.

New Documentary Reveals Michael Moore’s Deceptions -- [Sweetness & Light]
Tables turned on Fahrenheit 9/11’s maker
The hunter has become the hunted. Michael Moore, the celebrated left-wing film-maker, has become the unwilling subject of a new documentary that raises damaging questions about the credibility of his work.

Swift Boating the Swift Boaters (updated) -- [QandO Blog]
It has become an article of truth to many on the left that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth were a pack of liars. They believe that this group of former Vietnam Swift Boat vets were enticed by Republican operatives to sell themselves out to sink the presidential aspirations of John Kerry. And they further believe that the only reason it worked was because Kerry was slow to respond.

ACLU Child Porn Ex-Chapter Prez: It's Worse Than You Thought -- [Ace of Spades]
...and of course entirely embargoed by the national media.
What's worse than videos of the rape/torture of children?
How about videos of the rape/torture of infants and toddlers?

THE MEDIA

US Papers Monday: Plan B is Plan A -- [Irag Slogger]
GIs in Sadr City; "It Is Just Not Walter Reed"
With its Walter Reed Hospital series continuing to rattle the military establishment, the Washington Post fires another volley today, broad-siding the White House with two more front-page reports that question the administration’s fitness for command: one extending the Walter Reed allegations to the rest of the veterans' care system, and another alleging that the Bush administration has no "Plan B" for Iraq. Meanwhile, ...

Mum On Plan B -- [Captain's Quarters]
The Pentagon has not discussed an alternate strategy for Iraq if the surge does not produce the desired results, the Washington Post reports. Peter Pace, Joint Chiefs chairman, parries such questions with the response that "Marines don't talk about failure," and that "Plan B is to make Plan A work":

Post Seems to Complain About 'No Option For Failure' In Iraq Plan -- [NewsBusters]
"Bush Iraq Strategy Has No Option for Failure," read the headline on the Washington Post home page when I accessed it at 1:30 this morning.
But is that just a statement of fact or a lament about a lack of a "failure option" for the war in Iraq itself. Here's the blurb that followed teaser headline:

NY Times- The Must-Not-Do List -- [Uncle Jimbo - BlackFive]
The New York Times has some unsurprisingly, atrocious advice for the President.Our list starts with three fundamental tasks:
Restore Habeas Corpus
One of the new act’s most indecent provisions denies anyone Mr. Bush labels an “illegal enemy combatant” the ancient right to challenge his imprisonment in court.

Exposing the GI Fifth Column, Again -- [GI Korea]
This really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but the NY Times has now joined the astroturfing campaign to create a perception that there is a "growing" movement in the military to oppose the war in Iraq. If you haven’t read about the astroturfing campaign then you really need to read my prior posting on Exposing the GI Fifth Column, before reading any further because you probably won’t understand half the things I’m about to talk about.

Slander at the LA Times -- [Dadmanly]
MILBLOGGER Jason Van Steenwyk asks whether the LA Times bothers to fact check their Op Ed pieces, in a scathing critique of partisan contributor Rosa Brooks.
Contrary to Brooks conflation of Medal of Honor recipient Bud Day with the Swift Boat Veterans for Peace, Steenwyk notes that Day is not technically a Swift Boat Veteran, although he did appear in one of their ads.

MILBLOGS

MilBlogs at Another Conference -- [Welcome To Andi's World]
This week, American Legion members are descending on Washington for their 47th Annual National Conference. I've been invited to speak to some of the members about the explosion of Milblogs, and I'm looking forward to it.
I've been credentialed to cover the conference and plan to live-blog as many of the events as possible, though I won't be present for all of them. The list of speakers is impressive. You may have read about a couple of these speakers before. One speaker will be OIF Veteran and wounded warrior, Chris Bain. If you were at Fran O'Brien's last year during the MilBlog Conference, you may recognize Chris. Though Fuzzy didn't know who she was writing about here, it was Chris.

HUMOR / SATIRE

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