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

"Saddam said our soldiers could not take the heat. He thought wrong." -- [Michael Yon]

Michael Yon's photos are copyrighted, and are published with permission only.

Troops Psyched About "Surge" -- [Danger Room - journalist embed in Iraq]
...The 57th's officers give the surge high marks, which is the unanimous perspective of everyone at all levels of command I've spoken with since arriving. That's understandable: in a cynical sense, no one is going to want to dump on the new plan, but on a more basic level, it has resulted in much fewer attacks on U.S. troops in Baghdad, which is an unambiguously good thing. Yet there's something else at work -- an emotionally fundamental desire to attribute cause and effect to the American side for a change.

LET'S LAUNCH THIS FOKKER! -- [NBC Brian Williams blog - journalist embed in Iraq]
So there we were sitting on squishy, vaguely sticky sofas in the dated, cavernous, sparse and dark confines of the main terminal at Baghdad International Airport. I was chatting with Gen. Wayne Downing, while I scrolled through some photos of the trip that cameraman Jeff Riggins had taken and downloaded onto his laptop. Suddenly there were five straight concussions. We all knew what they were -- rockets or mortars -- and we all know there's always the chance that they were controlled explosions.

Duke in Iraq - 3/8/07 -- [Broken Masterpieces - Duke dispatches from Iraq]
was reading the Stars and Stripes the other day and saw an article that said a recent poll showed that only 28% of American’s thought we would win the war in Iraq.
...First, I thought I should address the issue of when people say, “winning the war in Iraq”, what they really should say is winning the global war on terror. The war in Iraq has been won. The Iraqi government and the US government are not at war. We are in Iraq at the request of the elected government. We are no longer at war with Iraq. We are still at war with terrorists who are largely targeting fellow Muslims in Iraq. That is to say the war we are fighting in Iraq is the global war on terror. This should be shouted from the roof tops because what we are seeing and hearing from the world media is the framing of the discussion to appear that we have already lost and the coalition should pack up and leave.

The Fighting Killions -- [Michael Fumento] (VIDEO)
It's only fitting that I met Spc. Robert Killion during one of the fiercest gun battles of his 12-month tour in the wild-west Iraqi city of Ramadi in Al Anbar province. I was originally on the other side of the top of a house behind a machine-gunner, hoping to photograph him with shell casings ejecting from his weapon as he fired. But all the firing was coming from the other side. "Way to go Killion!" shouted the soldier in front of me. So I hauled tail over there, taking up position just behind this tall, lanky GI as he keenly scanned the streets below with his M-249 5.56 millimeter squad automatic weapon (SAW). Of four confirmed enemy kills for his entire unit that day, Rob got three from that position.

RE: The Fighting Killions -- [Michael Fumento]
My latest article, "The Fighting Killions," concerns a remarkable military family. I met one of them, Rob, on a rooftop during a firefight in Ramadi. Of four confirmed enemy killed that day, Rob pegged three of them with his M-249 light machine gun. He also almost had the dubious distinction of having his head shot off by a sniper while I filmed him. Only much later did I find out that his brother and dad were serving in Iraq, his wife had served in Iraq, and his mother had served in the Air Force. Most remarkable, perhaps, is his father Rick. Rick served on active duty with the Air Force, got out, joined the Army Reserve, got out, and figured his military days over forever when Rob joined the active Army and his brother Doug the Reserves. Rick knew both were headed for Iraq so he once again put on a uniform, joined Doug's unit, and shipped out with his boy to Mosul.

A Coup Is Not The Way Out! -- [24 Steps to Liberty - an Iraqi blogger]
The Fadhila Islamic Party announced today its withdrawal from the Shiite alliance [officially dubbed The United Iraqi Alliance] in the Iraqi government. The party is one of the powerful Shiite parties that hold 15 seats of the 130 the Shiites have in the parliament. They got the seats after they joined the Shiite alliance and ran as one bloc in the parliamentary elections in December 2005.
Déjà vu! We’ve heard things like this before. A few months ...

The Burning of Mutanabbi Street -- [Iraq Pundit - an Iraqi blogger]
On Monday, a car bomb exploded on Baghdad's Mutanabbi Street, killing 26 people and injuring scores more. Wanton murders like this remain frequent in the capital, with "insurgent" ghouls intentionally blowing up young schoolgirls and women in outdoor markets.
...when I saw The Washington Post's account of the bombing, which included the following breathtaking assertion: "When Saddam Hussein was in power, Mutanabi [sic] Street exuded a defiant spirit that reverberated through its bookstores and the famed Shabandar Cafe. Here, intellectuals, over cups of sweet tea, engaged in lively debates."
What an astonishing thing to claim. Suggesting that Saddam's regime tolerated a "defiant" café culture is, in its own way, another blow at Baghdad's heart and memory. It isn't merely that the statement is untrue, it's deeply unjust to the Baghdadis of intellect who had to live through Saddam's years of unrestrained brutality.

Muqtada al-Sadr Appears in Karbala -- [IraqSlogger]
Cleric Emerges from Weeks of Hiding
Muqtada al-Sadr has appeared in public in Karbala, before "hundreds" of supporters, Nahrain Net reports in Arabic.
According to the report, al-Sadr was surrounded by dozens of aides. An eyewitness quoted in the report says that none of them appeared armed.

Sadr City Base One of Baghdad's Largest -- [IraqSlogger]
Fadhila Attacked for Corruption; Mass Graves in South
The Scoop from Key Arabic-Language Websites
Al-Melaf cites a senior security official that said U.S. troops are in the process of building one of the largest military bases in Baghdad in the middle of Sadr City, the Mahdi Army’s stronghold. The source said that U.S. military officers met with city elders who overwhelmingly approved the U.S. decision, which they said would largely improve security in their district. According to the website, construction of the base will start soon and will employ a large number of the city’s impoverished youth.

SADR CITY

Attacks on troops have fallen dramatically since new security measures were put in place

Suspected AQ Media Emir, alleged "Butcher" captured in raids -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed one terrorist and captured 16 suspected terrorists including an alleged al-Qaeda media emir during raids Friday morning throughout Iraq.
In Mosul, Coalition Forces captured an al-Qaeda related suspect known as “The Butcher” who is allegedly responsible for numerous kidnappings, beheadings, and suicide operations in the Ramadi and Mosul areas. Coalition Forces captured five additional suspects and killed one terrorist during the raid.

‘Wolverines’, Apaches engage, kill terrorists -- [MNF-I]
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – A combined operation between ground forces and Apache attack helicopters engaged and killed a platoon-sized element of enemy fighters west of the Baghdad International Airport Complex on Iraqi Highway 1 at approximately 9 p.m., March 7.

Good News Bad News -- [Jules Crittenden]
Hope lost, hope maintained, dreams and longing on International Women’s Day in Baghdad.
Bad news, Dem Cong war plan still calls for surrender. Good news, they probably won’t be able to agree on this either. “Son of Slow-Bleed” if you will. Meanwhile, Instapundit informs us the Senate figures its safe to let our guard down at the border.

OIF Briefing 09 March 2007 -- [Pentegon Channel]

MG Benjamin Mixon, Commander of Multi-National Division-North and the 25th Infantry Division, speaks with Pentagon reporters, providing an update on ongoing security operations in Iraq.

Georgia to send more troops to Iraq -- [Iraq Updates]
Georgia is to more than double its contingent of soldiers in Iraq to 2,000.
The former Soviet republic's embassy in the US said on Thursday that it would raise the number from the current 850 in an effort to pave the way to joining Nato

AFGHANISTAN

News of Afghanistan ۵۰ -- [Miserable Donuts]
50?! Seems like I just started doing these little round ups of news from Afghanistan. Mind you, my focus has changed a bit over the course of that time. I am trying to let people see more than bombs. Afghanistan is a more complex story than that. Also, I just want people to see who is interested in that country - and why.

Top Pakistan Nuclear Scientists in Taliban Custody -- [Pat Dollard]
New Delhi, March 07: Two top nuclear scientists of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) are currently in Taliban custody. The two were working at PAEC’s facility in North West Frontier Province. Zee News investigations reveal that the two scientists were kidnapped about six months ago. To avoid international embarrassment Pakistan Government has kept this information under wraps.

Afghan prisoners: Prof. Attaran's agenda/Minister O'Connor -- [The Torch]
The good professor, in a piece in today's Globe and Mail, reveals what he's really up to.
1) He wants to smear the Canadian Afghanistan mission with the American Iraq brush:

History Lesson Part 2 -- [Afghanistan Without a Clue - in Afghanistan]
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES FOLLOW
... 1994 - The Taliban militia is formed and begin to take over the country. Two Mujahideen factions fight against Rabbani and Masood's government; Kabul is reduced to rubble.
Han hates all the Mujahideen. As he shows me photos of their soldiers, he tells me which tribe they are from, based on the clothes they wear. He repeatedly shows me how they look like animals, and tells me how evil they are. Whenever he shows a photo of Rabbani, he calls him names. One photo shows Rabbani and some of his cabinet praying. Han snorts.

Afghan women suffer domestic violence (8th March) -- [Afghan Lord - Afghani in Afghanistan]

It is not now but a prolonged years especially a dark period of Taliban that Afghan women suffered of violence. Violence not only in out side house but inside. Though afghan men always look to their wives as possessed materials who owned by paying. In Afghanistan women are completely apart of daily live, what the husbands believe to them is too different than western men do.
Sometimes Afghan men beating their wives for nothing just they like it to show their power and anger in his family member. When they feel to beat their wife they do it ...

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Peace in Our Time! Financial Edition -- [One Free Korea]
...Here is a prediction: If the North Koreans don’t shut down Yongbyon within 60 days, it will be politically difficult, perhaps impossible, for the United States to deliver the first shipment of fuel oil. Note that the steps taken in the initial phase are to be “coordinated,” which is diplospeak for “reciprocal.” Another prediction: the South Koreans will want to deliver it anyway to preserve the appearance that the agreement survives; the U.S. side may not object for the very same reason. This will be a very important test of the Administration’s will.

Osama bin Laden's Birthday Party Tomorrow -- [ROFA Six]
09 March 2007 - OBL turns 50 years old tomorrow. But no cake or party for him. Shari'a doesn't recognize birthday celebrations.
It's a shame really. There are lots of folks prowling the hills of Pakistan who would love to come to his party

Secret Network Helped Iranian Defector -- [FreedomZones]
Apparently, Gen. Ali Reza Asghari's Feb. 7 disappearance at a hotel in Istanbul days after his wife and other family members left Iran for a purported vacation was neither a kidnapping nor a mystery; it occurred with the help of a well-organized Iranian dissident group and experts say more defectors are on the way as opposition to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad increases within Iran. And it seems that more are planned:

Brass Ready to Declare Kosovo a No-Combat Zone, says Washington Post -- [On Point]
ON Point: Top Defense Department officials are considering a proposal to downgrade thecombat status of U.S. forces who are part of the NATO peacekeeping missionin Kosovo, a decision that could cause the 1,500 U.S. soldiers currentlydeployed there to lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars each month intax benefits and combat pay.Such a decision, expected within the next month, would indicate thatPentagon officials do not believe Kosovo is still a combat zone, despiterising tensions in the Balkans over...

DARFUR: HUMANITARIAN WORK SUSPENDED AFTER MILITIA SURROUND CAMP -- (AKI)
New York, 9 March- Hundreds of Arab militia in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region recently surrounded a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) after abducting two civilians from the camp, forcing the temporary suspension of humanitarian work there, the United Nations mission to the impoverished country denounced on Thursday. Arab militiamen swept through Ardamata IDP camp in west Darfur Wednesday, capturing two civilians, the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) said. The two suspects were reportedly taken to the government police station but the militia refused to allow the officers to investigate.

URGENT MESSAGE to European Union: AU still not paying its peace force in Sudan's Darfur -- [Sudan Watch]
...From the outset of the rebellion, slick media-savvy rebels, some residing outside of Sudan in countries such as USA, Canada, France, Germany, UK, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Chad, Eritrea (and many others) made extensive use of the world's press to pressure and engineer UN troops onside, which I believe is one of the reasons why Khartoum is against UN troops in Darfur - it would embolden the rebels and cause all sorts of mayhem, encouraging other lowlife opportunists. (See JEM. The International Crisis Group noted that JEM's president Mr Khalil Ibrahim "is a veteran Islamist and former state minister who sided with the breakaway (Popular Congress) in 2002 and went into exile in the Netherlands ... there is additionally evidence of some level of involvement of al-Qaeda with the Islamist JEM organisation")

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

US sends spies into Pakistan to kill bin Laden -- (Telegraph)
Hearing begins for suspected September 11 mastermind
America is stepping up its hunt for Osama bin Laden by dispatching additional CIA operatives and paramilitary officers to Pakistan to kill or capture the al-Qa'eda leader.

A New Enemy in the War on Terror -- [FredomZones]
In light of this post over at 'but that's just my opinion', I've decided to repost the following, Originally Posted 3/25/06
The United States has another enemy in the war on terror. It's not Iran, Syria, or even France. It is Russia. A few weeks ago I wrote about some of the evidence about what happened to the WMD's in Iraq (It has more recently become a favorite topic for bloggers), evidence mysteriously missing from the MSM.

Terrorists Trying to Bring Back the Bad Old Days -- [Strategy Page]
March 9, 2007: Terrorist violence was down slightly in February, with 18 dead and 15 wounded, compared to 21 dead and three wounded in January. The few remaining Islamic terrorists in northeastern Algeria, appear determined to go down fighting and killing. Since the GSPC announced its merger with al Qaeda last year, there has been an increase in bombings, and a decrease in the traditional massacre of civilians with knives and guns. Apparently, al Qaeda convinced the GSPC terrorists that they would anger fewer Algerians if they blew people up, rather than slitting their throats.

Islamist Websites Behind Georgia Motorist Death Threat Down -- [Jawa Report]
The Black Lion Blog, which first posted a death threat against a Georgia motorist for displaying a bumper sticker deemed offensive to Muslims, is now offline. Good riddance.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Angels Need Help @ Landshtul -- [From My Position... On the way!]
Angels Landstuhl Army Medical Center is completely out of shoes could you
purchase and ship one pair shoes size 9-13 and send to:
Landstuhl Army Medical Center
Attn: Chaplains
APO AE 09180
These are for soldiers wounded in battle who have all their clothes cut off and arrive in Germany wearing a sheet and a smile.

Defense Secretary's Message to Troops: Care for Wounded Soldiers -- [GX Online]
3/9/07, Washington, DC—When I was nominated to take this post just over three months ago, I said that the patriots who have volunteered to serve in our armed services have no equal in the world. I made a solemn commitment to the Congress, to the nation, and to you to keep the welfare of men and women in uniform uppermost in my mind at all times.

Buffalo Jills Military Tour -- [Soldiers Angels New York]
Eight Buffalo Jills Cheerleaders and their Choreographer left New York for Kuwait and Iraq on February 21st. They participated in a 12-day tour to visit and entertain the troops with a 1-hour variety show that included dancing, interactive games and prizes. They visited 23 bases, did 23 meet & greets, and 9 shows.

MILITARY

New Management at Walter Reed Army Medical Center -- [RedState]
As a career Army officer I’ve watch the unfolding saga of Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) with a mixture of emotions, mostly shame and outrage. Shame that my Army would allow a cesspool like the outpatient facilities exist and outrage that there were commissioned officers and noncommissioned officers who disgraced themselves and the uniform in their dereliction of duty.
Significant changes are in the works.

No Help on TRICARE Hikes -- [Military.com]
Coalition Stands Firm Against Higher TRICARE Fees
Members of the Task Force on the Future of Military Healthcare learned Wednesday why The Military Coalition (TMC) may be the most formidable lobbying force ever to fight on behalf of service members, retirees and families.

Why Do Intellectuals Oppose the Military? --[American Thinker]
Almost a decade ago the late Harvard philosopher Robert Nozick penned an essay asking "Why Do Intellectuals Oppose Capitalism?" That is, why would those who live well reject the open society that allows them to do so? The essay was less a venture in social science than a thought experiment about the upbringing of intellectuals and the outsized influence this group exerts on society. Much of what Nozick says about intellectuals' reflexive disdain for capitalism also helps explain their disdain toward the military - and even the differences are intriguing. So his essay is worth pondering today as we survey civil-military relations in a nation at war.

AUSA: Harvey, Wallace, and K-MAX -- [Weekly Standard Blog]
Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey, who submitted his resignation on March 2 after the Washington Post reported on the poor conditions and long delays wounded soldiers were facing at Walter Reed, spoke in Ft. Lauderdale this afternoon on day two of the AUSA Winter Symposium. Upon being introduced as secretary of the Army, Harvey let out a self-deprecating "not for long." The audience gave the outgoing secretary a warm reception, but Harvey looked like a broken man. He spoke for 20 minutes about the challenges the Army faces, and its successes, though his comments were largely confined to a verbatim reading of his powerpoint slides. Harvey made no mention of Walter Reed, but he did declare that "the Army must remain the preeminent land power on earth because we are the preeminent land power on earth"--whatever that means. The secretary also emphasized the need to continue investment in the Army's Future Combat System (FCS).

The Plight of Women in the Army -- [CounterCloumn]
Salon has a rather hysterical take here:
As thousands of burned-out soldiers prepare to return to Iraq to fill President Bush's unwelcome call for at least 20,000 more troops, I can't help wondering what the women among those troops will have to face. And I don't mean only the hardships of war, the killing of civilians, the bombs and mortars, the heat and sleeplessness and fear.
I mean from their own comrades -- the men.
...I don't mean to say sexual assault and harrassment doesn't happen in the military, and don't want to minimize the events that have occured. It does happen. Is it as rampant as the Salon article studiously implies by avoiding all but anecdotal evidence? No.

No Good Deed Goes Unexploited -- [Strategy Page]
March 9, 2007: The U.S. Army thought it had a good idea when it offered bonuses for soldiers in South Korea, if they would stay in South Korea for an extra 12 or 24 months. Then word got out that some troops kept extending their duty in South Korea, to avoid going to Iraq. So the army recently changed the rule. You could not extend your duty in South Korea unless you had served at least one year in Iraq or Afghanistan.

POLITICS

White House Vows Veto Over Iraq Plan -- [Military.com]
WASHINGTON - House Democratic leaders vowed Thursday to pass legislation setting a deadline of Sept. 1, 2008, for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq, a challenge to President Bush's war policy that drew a blunt veto threat in return.
"It would unnecessarily handcuff our generals on the ground, and it's safe to say it's a nonstarter for the president," said White House spokesman Dan Bartlett.

General Hoffa, Reporting For Duty! -- [ RS Insider - RedState]
The RS Insider hears that House Democratic Leaders turned down a chance to meet with General Petraeus this morning – and considering how they were busy rolling out their plan to undercut him today, that’s understandable.
But it’s interesting to see who they have been meeting with as they formulated their antiwar plan. Top Generals? Academic experts?
Well, no…

Will the surge work? Will we fail in Iraq? Who cares? -- [Jeff Emanuel - RedState]
U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, asks the basic question about President Bush's "surge" in Iraq. If it works, "So what?"
So says the Palm Beach Post's Thursday (3/8) editorial, which lauds the "conservative" Democrat (and Mark Foley replacement) for his stance, and defends the Democrats' "slow bleed" strategy by saying that the real problem is that the "administration's policies in Iraq have bled America of credibility."

Video: Petraeus’s first press conference; Update: Pullout could start by July 1, says Pelosi; Update: Bush counsel vows veto; Update: CNN reporter rips Dems’ timetable -- [Allah Pundit - Hot Air]
I hadn’t seen any footage of him speaking until today and I figured many of you are in the same boat, so here’s the man one of the Freepers is calling “Betraus.” Why? Because he suggested that instead of hunting them to the last man, which would be impossible anyway, we might need to negotiate with some of the Sunni jihadist and Shiite militia groups — but not the Mahdi Army, for which he sees no role. The boss says this is already common knowledge among the troops she spoke with in Baghdad.

THE MEDIA

Why Die for a Headline? -- [Strategy Page]
March 9, 2007: Media has become a weapon, more so than in the past. As a result, there are more casualties among journalists. Over the last ten years, about a thousand journalists have been killed because of their work. The media critics doing the killing had tried to get the victims to change the content of their victims reporting. When the victims refused to comply, they were killed. Sometimes there were an escalating series of warnings (threats, property damage, beatings, even kidnapping and torture). The trend is getting worse. There were 147 murdered journalists in 2005, and 167 last year. Most of the deaths are

Judge says U.S. Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh's arguments for lighter sentence stay secret -- (AZSTARNET)
NEW YORK — The public cannot see the arguments American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh made in the hope of shortening his 20-year prison sentence, a federal judge has ruled.

HUMOR / SATIRE

Move It - [HT: Neptunus Lex / Jarhead Dad] More videos here

Day By Day

GOP Iraq Pull-Out Amendment to End War on AIDS -- [ScrappleFace]
(2007-03-09) — Just a day after Democrats introduced a bill setting a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, Republicans today plan to offer an amendment which would establish a timeline for U.S. retreat from the war on AIDS.

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