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. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.

IRAQ

Letter to America -- [Jack Army - in Iraq]
I asked an Iraqi I know to write a letter to Americans. I told him he should write whatever he wants. Specifically, I said, "if you could say anything you wanted to the American people, what would it be?" He wrote a letter and was very passionate when giving it to me. I could tell that he had agonized over this letter, what he wanted to say and how best to say it. He speaks English well but has a little difficulty writing it. I wanted to give you his words without any help from my, but I did edit slightly only to make a few confusing sentences a little more understandable. Because he wrote such a long letter, I broke it into two parts. Below is part one. My Iraqi friend is eager for feedback. I promised him that I would share any comments about his letter with him. So, feel free to address your comments to him. Unfortunately, for security reasons, I cannot tell you much about this fine man, but I can tell you that I admire him for what he does and his dedication to Iraq.
This is what he wrote:...

Letter to America, Part II -- [Jack Army - in Iraq]
An Iraqi's letter to America, Part I is here, and continues here:
...By the way, this is the same guy who said this and this. This fellow is college educated and has a good job in town in addition to being an interpreter. As you can tell, he is a very deep thinker and pays attention to everything that happens around him. He tries to follow the news and I have heard him discussing politics, Iraqi and international, with fellow interpreters and I.A. officers many times.
I believe that Iraq's future rests on people like this guy. He sees a better life and wants it for his country. I hope he gets it.

Iraqis Urged to Take Up Arms -- [Military.com]
BAGHDAD - Prominent Shiite and Sunni politicians called on Iraqi civilians to take up arms to defend themselves after a weekend of violence that claimed more than 220 lives, including 60 who died Sunday in a surge of bombings and shootings around Baghdad.

Ummmm... We Were Here First -- [Soldier's Mom]
I get email... and it seems Maj. Gen. Lynch of the 3ID has ruffled a few feathers of a unit in his AO that would like to remind him that they have been there fighting the fight for quite some time...
...So, this soldier says this:
[T]here is one concern that I've got that is REALLY bothering my guys. I would never ask this as a personal favor, but for the sake of every member of [my] Troop, 1/40th Cavalry I really wish someone would set the record straight about these 2nd BDE, 3ID... who have shown up in our area as a part of the overly publicized Marne Torch operation. It's no secret that we... have been [here] the last 9 months and we've got over 30 purple hearts and 2 KIA to show for it as well as -- and this is just my platoon -- having covered 731 kilometers completely dismounted. Now, if these 3ID guys showed up in an area their Commanding General claims has had "zero American presence" since the beginning of the war, how did we accumulate those hard statistics?

Newscast – Air Force brings big guns to fight -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD — The latest version of the 3rd Infantry Division’s Marne Forward newscast is available upon request from the Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS) by calling (678) 421-6604 or by accessing the DVIDS Web site at http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=video/video_main.php.
This week’s program includes stories of the Army and Air Force working together in major operations, and the Iraqi army taking the lead in Arab Jabour to earn the confidence of the local community. There’s also footage of one of the largest re-enlistments in Iraq, officiated by Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of Multi-National Force - Iraq.

Two-day clearing operation in Mansour nets cache, community support -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers, in conjunction with the Iraqi Army, conducted a two-day clearing operation in western Baghdad last week.
Task Force Patriot, the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, partnered with the 2nd “Falcon” Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Infantry Division for the two-day operation, known as Operation Patriot Strike. The combined force cleared parts of the two neighborhoods of Hateen and Yarmouk in the Mansour District.
This was the first battalion-wide operation for the Patriots since Operation Arrowhead Strike IX in April and the first combined battalion-level effort for the Patriot and Falcon battalions. More than 100 Iraqi troops participated in the clearing operation.

Military forces moving in on insurgents

Baqubah Update: 05 July 2007 -- [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
...Media coverage went from a near monopoly (Michael Gordon from New York Times and me) to a nearly capsized boat as journalists flooded in from other parts of Iraq to see the fight. They managed to miss most of it. Today, I’m told, there are now only 3 journalists remaining, including one writer (me).
As with the Battle for Mosul, which I held in near monopoly for about five months during 2005, the most interesting parts of the Battle for Baqubah are unfolding after the major fighting ends. But as the guns cool, the media stops raining and starts evaporating, or begins making only short visits of a week or so.
The big news on the streets today is that the people of Baqubah are generally ecstatic, although many hold in reserve a serious concern that we will abandon them again. For many Iraqis, we have morphed from being invaders to occupiers to members of a tribe. I call it the “al Ameriki tribe,” or “tribe America.”

‘Arrowhead Ripper’ continues to deny terrorists resources -- [MNF-I]
BAQOUBA, Iraq – Iraqi army and Coalition Force Soldiers from Task Force Lightning continued offensive operations in and around the capital of Diyala province, Iraq, as Operation Arrowhead Ripper continued to deny resources to al-Qaida terrorists during its twentieth day in the area.
Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, and 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, discovered and disabled five vehicles being prepared as vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and caches containing pipe bombs, sniper rifles and other explosives and IED-making materials.

Michael Yon discusses Bless The Beasts, and the Children Live From Baqubah -- [Pundit Review]
Following Someone You Should Know, Bruce McQuain from QandO stayed with us for an extended interview with Michael Yon, who joined us live from Baqubah, Iraq. Michael is the Ernie Pyle of our generation.

Repeating the Success of Anbar -- [Captain's Journal]
Hopes are high that the success of the Anbar Province can be repeated in Diyala and other provinces.
...In Settling with the Enemy I discussed the necessity to put erstwhile Sunni insurgents to work ensuring security. But it was more than enlisting the insurgents to work for us that has at least partially pacified the Anbar province. There have been four years of hard work by the Marines to effect security. The past regime ensured that the population, accustomed to acquiescing in the face of brutality, and who had seen much of it over the past several years, would come ever so slowly to the U.S. and Iraqi side.

Muqtada al Sadr back in Iran -- [The Fourth Rail]
Mahdi Army leader leaves Iraq and goes to Iran for second time this year
Muqtada al Sadr, the leader of the Shia Mahdi Army and the Sadrist bloc in parliament, has left Iraq and is in Iran, military sources told Reuters. An anonymous U.S. military intelligence official and a military officer stationed in Iraq told The Fourth Rail the Reuter's report is accurate, but would not say when they believe Sadr left Iraq. Sadr's flight from Iraq and return to Iran comes as Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki issued an unusually strong statement calling for Sadr's Mahdi Army to disarm, and Iraqi security forces continue to battle his Mahdi Army in southern Iraq.

Cancer patient answers call to duty -- [Soldiers Angels Network]
A Dilworth, MN native isn't letting breast cancer stop her from serving in Iraq.
Elizabeth Cowie, a 42-year-old mother of two from California, will deploy soon for Iraq. She's with the 1113th Transportation Company of San Jose, Calif.
Cowie was diagnosed with cancer in April and had a lumpectomy May 22, a second surgery a week later and a five-day targeted radiation treatment, according to an Associated Press story. She was declared cancer-free June 8.
Cowie chose not to stay behind.
"The commander said, 'Are you sure? You have an opportunity to go home and be with your family and go through this.' And I said, 'No, I have a family here. I have my civilian family, but this is where I need to be and where I'm needed,' " Cowie told the AP.

Bronze Star -- [Letters from the Desert]
To all who shall see these presents, greeting: This is to certify that the President of the United States of America authorized by Executive Order, 24 August 1962 has awarded
The Bronze Star Medal
Major James B. Higgins, United States Army
...It has been awhile since I have posted due to my schedule, and trying to get to a computer that will allow me to post to my blog. The good news is that my delay has been in large part to wrapping things up here. This week I will leave for Kuwait, and, Lord willing, by this time next week I will be at Ft. Hood. The next stop after that is home!
I'll keep you apprised.

465 -- [Foreign and Domestic - in Iraq]
As I perused the internet today, I noticed a lot of people talking about the date, 07-07-07, and the good luck they think will come with it. For me, July 7th, 2007 marks 100 days plus 1 year in theater. We are now down to the last few days, hopefully no more than a week, and then we start the journey home. A brief stop in Wisconsin for the 3 P's, poking, prodding and paperwork, known as demobilization. And then we will be back at Fort Living Room, and back to our lives. But our lives have changed so much.
For starters, I'm not going back to the home I left, since I don't live there anymore. And the 2 year old and the 5 year old I left behind are now soon to be 4 and 7. Two years is a big amount of time in anyone's life, but so much more so for a child.

Saturday, July 07, 2007 -- [The Desert Excursion - in Iraq]
Well folks, here it is. The is my last official blog from the Middle East.
It has been a long road but finally we can see the end. Our bags are on our backs and we are headed home. It has been lots of fun sharing this whole experience with everyone and I have enjoyed all the comments and e-mails from all of you.
Thanks to all of you that kept in touch, sent letters or packages, and thought about me. I hope to see many of you when I get home.

AFGHANISTAN

Dustoff in Afghanistan -- [Soldier's Angel Germany]
This Dustoff team is one of the many medical units supported by Soldiers' Angels. Visit my friend Roger at the Soldiers' Angels - Medical Support blog for more info.
...F*cking almost got shot today.
We got called for a 5-patient mission. I grabbed a Special Forces medic to come with me. We get put into the LZ [Landing Zone] as the infantry guys are bombing the sh*t out of the mountain.
After putting us down my dustoff bird takes off and goes into a holding pattern. I link with a commo guy and he tells me someone from the fire team is coming down the hill a little to meet up with me to take me up to the causalities.
We start moving with the other flight medic, the SF medic, 4 infantry guys, our photographer and me. We have moved 75 meters up hill and we start hearing a whizzing sound and then bullets ripping through leaves. We all hit the deck and find cover.

Taliban Fight Each Other Over Traditions -- [Strategy Page]
July 9, 2007: In Afghanistan, even the radicals are having problems with their radicals. The Taliban are undergoing something of a civil war, and it's all about tribal traditions. The Taliban, on both sides of the border, are basically political manifestations of traditional Pushtun tribal culture. That is, very conservative, especially when it comes to the treatment of women and in religious matters. Not all Pushtun tribes share the very conservative attitudes espoused by the Taliban. In fact, the reason why the Taliban is now a struggling minority is because so many more moderate (or less radical) Pushtun tribes have rejected the Taliban ideas. But even among the Taliban true believers, there are moderates and radicals, and that has led to a growing civil war within the Taliban.

Operation Ghartse Gar continues -- [Peace Like A River]
The British and Coalition forces continue the hard work of pushing the Taliban out of the Sangin valley in Helmand province (map) as part of Operation Ghartse Gar. From the British MoD:

News of Afghanistan - The Return V (Edition 61) -- [Miserable Donuts]
I am going to be a bit more "military" in this edition. When I saw this, I felt a bit bad that I had been underreporting what the US/Canada/Britain/ISAF have been doing. So, here we go:

Aftermath Of 15 ANP Vs. 200 Taliban - Afghanistan

US Military comments on what happened when 15 ANP went into a compound with 200 Taliban inside.

ISAF soldiers respond to enemy fire in Kunar -- [ISAF News Release]
KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – ISAF forces operating in Kunar province today responded to enemy fire after being attacked in a remote area several kilometers north of Asadabad village.
ISAF forces were engaged with small arms fire from multiple positions. The ground commander called in airstrikes against positively identified enemy firing positions, including a hostile compound.
Initial indications are that there were a number of insurgent casualties.
“Contrary to some press reports, at this time there is no reason for us to believe that there are any civilian casualties of any type,” said Maj. John Thomas, ISAF spokesman.

Sunday, July 8, 2007 -- [ETT PA-C - in Afghanistan]
...Our internet is being turned off tomorrow so it may be awhile before I'm on again. MWR in all their wisdom is cutting off funding to us because there aren't enough US soldiers here to warrant the funding. So, we are looking for other solutions. I'll email and update you all as I fly to other FOBs and hope we get this under control soon.

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

The History of the Muslim Brotherhood in the U.S. Courts -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
The most pointed and interesting discussions at the recent NEFA Conference on the Muslim Brotherhood involved the issue that is the subject of so much recent public commentary: whether Western governments should embrace the Brotherhood as an effective counterweight to Al Qaida. Meanwhile, the lawsuit filed by several Arizona-based Muslim leaders against US Airways, after passenger complaints led to their being pulled from a recent Minnesota flight, along with the libel actions filed against those who have dared to write about Islamic charities in the U.S., raises an interesting issue that was not addressed at the NEFA event nor, to my knowledge, by any legal commentatory: what is the Muslim Brotherhood’s history with the American courts?

Dig We Must, With North Korean Help -- [Strategy Page]
July 9, 2007: In central Iran, satellite photos revealed several tunnels being dug into a mountain near a nuclear weapons research facility. Several other nuclear research facilities have had some of their operations moved underground, but this tunneling operation is one of the most ambitious "protective" efforts yet undertaken. Iranian officials have been to North Korea, and seen the extensive underground facilities there. It's possible, even likely, that North Korean engineers are lending their expertise (for a fee) to assist the Iranians in their tunnel construction. Tunnels for industrial facilities are not quite the same as highway, aqueduct or mining tunnels, which Iran has many of.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

The Enemy Is Sophisticated -- [Town Hall - Hugh Hewitt]
One of the obstacles to the public's understanding of the war is the widespread belief that because the terrorists are brutal and cruel as well as contemptuous of modernity that they are somehow unsophisticated and thus not as dangerous as they have repeatedly declared themselves to be. Not even the appearance of a neurosurgeon among their number makes much a dent on this view.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

F*cking almost got shot today. -- [Soldier's Angels - Medical Support]
That's the way a medic started his letter to one of our Angels. You can read all about it at my buddy MaryAnn's blog.
I write a lot about the medics who work the CSH's and aid stations and the casualties they have to deal that come in their door. Lots of these folks also have experience as combat medics - the ones who go into combat with a unit and are right there on the scene with them. In a combat unit, nobody has it tougher than the medics. A lot of them are 19 year-old kids, with 16 weeks of training and all of a sudden they are responsible for providing all the care that a fully-equipped ambulance team of EMT's back home would...with only what they can carry in a backpack.

Beg, Grovel - I need your help! -- [Spouse Buzz - GBear]
I'm writing a post to beg, grovel and plea for help! As most of you know, I am founder of an organization called "Sew Much Comfort". We provide adaptive clothing for the wounded troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. This clothing allows the troops to get dressed soon after their injury, provides them with more comfort and dignity than the ever-so-unpleasant alternative (hospital gown!) and lets them know, with every stitch, that America supports them!
The clothing we've created up til now has been geared solely for their hospital rehabilitation. But, we've had requests recently from troops returning to active duty who need to have their uniforms adapted to accommodate injuries and prosthetics. This is where it gets sticky!!!!!

DJ Emery on the Today Show -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
This just in from Jamie:
Hello everyone! DJ's segment from the Today Show is online! I know a few of you missed it and the rest of you, like me, would love to watch it again and again and again!
You can watch the segment here.

Telephone Companies Torment the Troops -- [Strategy Page]
July 9, 2007: The United States is making it illegal for a telephone company to keep billing someone in the military for a long term cell phone contract, if the cell phone user has been sent overseas for more than 90 days. This is part of a larger movement it enable troops to get out of long-term financial commitments (rental leases, health club, and other membership contracts) when they are sent overseas. Some states have passed laws to deal with this, and there is a drive for federal legislation. Meanwhile, legislators are getting more complaints from troops who have had their cell phone contracts cancelled unexpectedly because the telephone companies didn't like all the roaming charges piled up by those transferred for a few months to another part of the United States.

Keeping Watch Over The Wounded … A Father’s Love -- [A Soldier's Mind]
This story is both heartwarming and inspirational. It’s wonderful to hear about parents who’ve lost their children, like Robert Stokely, or who’s children were injured, like the subject of this story, Michael Sparling, who are dedicated to continuing to honor their children by supporting their brothers and sisters in the military. Both of these gentlemen have my utmost respect and admiration. After reading about Michael Sparling, I think you’ll understand why I feel that way. To many of our Wounded Warriors and their families, Michael Sparling is nothing short of their guardian angel.

Boy Scout Sends 13,000 'Goodies' to Deployed Troops -- [The Tank - W. Thomas Smith Jr.]
Like all candidates for Eagle Scout, Boy Scout Nick Balbona, 14, was required, as he says, to "spearhead a service project that shows leadership and ambition."
.That he has, through a "comfort goods" for Marines effort the Scottsdale, Arizona teenager started in May. Balbano has collected some 13,000 goods from his school and church, which already have been sent to Marines in Iraq.

MILITARY

Former Steeler Joins The Marines -- [KDKA] HT: The Tank
(KDKA) PITTSBURGH A man from Shaler who used to play for the Steelers will now wear a uniform of a different kind.
Bob Dzvonick, 27, joined the Marines and says football is now a distant memory.
He chased his dream of playing professional football until he was 26, and even played one season for the Steelers in the NFL Europe league.

WELCOME HOME

Team Badger Soldiers Arrive Home -- [Badgers Forward - in Iraq]
Two fantastic Soldiers and Squad Leaders arrive home to their loved ones.

POLITICS

Give the 'Surge' a Chance -- [WSJ]
This week, Democrats on Capitol Hill are expected to present several different bills meant to undermine the war in Iraq. I fear that it will be difficult for Americans to discern the facts, as members on the Hill (including some Republicans) will revisit past failures and lament unfortunate losses rather than undertake a serious critique of the new counterinsurgency strategy.
Why? Because for some members of Congress, there is a growing fear that Gen. David Petraeus just might have a winning strategy in Iraq.

The President, The War, And The Push For Impeachment -- [Iowa Voice]
...My point is, don’t kid yourselves…this has been the plan all along. Republicans impeached Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice, yet Democrats continue to claim it was about sex, when it wasn’t about that at all. It infuriates them to no end that their liberal god has that blemish on his presidential record. And that’s what this really is about…it’s payback time, plain and simple. We’ve already seen that behavior towards the Republicans in Congress, and they clearly plan to do the same with the administration.
And if, on the off-chance that Democrats in Congress refuse to bow to pressure from their base, they will face the wrath of the kooks who once supported them.

Julian Bond: "The War in Iraq Weakened Our Levees-Resulting in Katrina" (Video) -- [Gateway Pundit]
Among other things, Julian Bond blames the War in Iraq on the weakened levees in New Orleans.
Unhinged?... You be the judge.
Remember while you listen to this latest unhinged rant by Julian Bond that the NAACP advertises itself as a non-partisan organization:...

The impeachment drive gains steam -- [Michelle Malkin]
Cindy Sheehan returns: “Cindy Sheehan, the soldier’s mother who galvanized the anti-war movement, said Sunday that she plans to run against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unless she introduces articles of impeachment against President Bush in the next two weeks.”

THE MEDIA

The world of mirrors and shadows -- [Peace Like A River]
The NYTimes has an interesting story today about an aborted operation in early 2005 aimed at senior members of Al Qaeda in Pakistan.
A secret military operation in early 2005 to capture senior members of Al Qaeda in Pakistan’s tribal areas was aborted at the last minute after top Bush administration officials decided it was too risky and could jeopardize relations with Pakistan, according to intelligence and military officials.
My primary interest in this story has to do with my (purely speculative) theory of what led to another attack aimed at Zawahiri, the attack on the compound at Damadola in Pakistan's Bajaur Agency in January 2006, a year after the events in this NYT story.
That attack killed several high-ranking Al Qaeda members, including Abd Rahman al-Masri al-Maghribi, who was Zawahiri's son-in-law. Sadly, Zawahiri was in fact not at that meeting, and missed an early shot at his 72 virgins.

BUSH CALLED OFF ATTACK ON TOP AL QAEDA LEADERS!

Compare and Contrast -- [Badgers Forward - in Iraq]
September 11, 2006 - I stood in the parking lot of a Starbucks in Chicago, kissed Mrs. Badger 6 and hugged her as long as I could - then she got in her car and headed home and I hopped in my rental car and headed back for Fort McCoy, then Kuwait and Iraq.
We were headed for Ar Ramadi and Al Anbar province, the stronghold of the Sunni insurgency. September 11, 2006 was also the day this Thomas Ricks article appeared in the Washington Post.
I was pretty down after reading that article. The chief intelligence officer of the Division I was going to support was reportedly saying Al Anbar was a lost cause. What was I as a combat leader supposed to tell my Soldiers?

A question of nomenclature: The al Qaeda "in Iraq" argument -- [TigerHawk]
A couple of weeks ago I predicted that Clark Hoyt, the new Public Editor at the New York Times, would "carefully defend the Times from the grave risk that it tilts too far to the right." Judging by today's column -- "See al Qaeda Around Every Corner" -- my cynicism is exceeded only by my prescience.

Should We Lie More To Report "The Truth?" -- [Jawa Report]
That's the question being knocked around in this Poynter Institute column.
The question is framed as a great ethical dilemma for journalists, and their chosen case study (now the editor of Harper's) is angry that the Washington Press corp for being afraid to "lie" more to get to "the truth."
I'll leave it to you to decide whether this 'deception tool' is good for the already abysmal credibility of the mainstream press.

The Media's Bright, Shining Lie -- [Villainous Company]
When telling a really big lie, the important thing is to lie with gusto. Repetition matters too. When a falsehood is repeated over and over, familiarity alone begins to lend it substance and credibility. The novel, given sufficient time, becomes conventional wisdom. Most people don't have the time or energy to research every assertion they encounter. After all, "everyone" is saying it, and so it must be true: ...

Sarah Baxter Is A Journalist Who Is Misinformed About The Surge -- [RedState]
Consider the following paragraph from this story, relating to Colin Powell's statement that he tried to talk President Bush out of invading Iraq

HUMOR / SATIRE

Day By Day

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