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

View from the Tunnel -- [MilBlogs - Greyhawk - in Iraq]
This NY Times Op/Ed from a group of 82d Airborne NCOs is well written, thought provoking, and worthy of more than a quick read. While I disagree with many of their conclusions, the facts they present in support are indeed fact. The authors are clearly well-informed from personal observation and external sources, but in most cases the therefore that follows many of those facts is where we part company.
We are indeed working to straighten out a hell of a mess in Baghdad, and any number of things can foil our objectives. In fact, failure is easier and quicker than success, our failure can bring success to others (is, in fact, prerequisite to their success as they currently envision it) and

"Vision" - [MilBlogs - Greyhawk - in Iraq]
For viewpoints decidedly different from the links I included in my previous entry on this topic, see Paul Rieckhoff, Andrew Sullivan, Think Progress, and ...
There are two basic concepts being touted on the left:
This completely refutes a recent optimistic analysis of the war by Brookings Institute scholars Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack because they were only there for 10 days while the GIs have been there for over a year.
And ...

Too hot for the Times: Vets for Freedom respond to soldiers’ anti-war NYT op-ed -- [Hot Air]
VFF agrees with the NYT soldiers that political reconciliation won’t happen until conditions on the ground make it possible. Where they disagree is how best to get to those conditions: the NYT seven hint that we should side with the Shiites and let them do what they have to do. VFF appears to think U.S. troops can defeat the radicals on both sides, which is a hard argument to be making this morning in light of the news about Pace allegedly wanting (or rather, needing) to cut troop levels in half next year:

NIE's Key Judgement -- [Outside the Wire]
As I and many have noted, the speed of battlefield has outpaced distinguished professors published in Foreign Affairs and much commentariat.
This NIE is catching up to conditions on the ground that were developing months ago.
But they Key Judgment is made on the last page:
"We assess that changing the mission of Coalition forces from a primarily counterinsurgency and stabilization role to a primary combat support role for Iraqi forces and counterterrorist operations to prevent AQI from establishing a safehaven would erode security gains achieved thus far.

Pace advises troop cuts -- [Q and O]
Given the way this is written I'm not sure there will be a clash. Most of what I've read says the Surge will continue through April of 2008. LTG Ray Odierno, 2nd in command and the day-to-day commander of Operation Phantom Thunder has said previously that if trends continue it is possible some troops may be withdrawn by the end of the year.
I would guess Petraeus is well aware of the strain a deployment of this size puts on the military and is planning for withdrawals during 2008. I'd also guess that politically that will be an attractive thing at the time for Republicans.

"Report Cites Grave Concerns on Iraq's Government" (UPDATED) -- [INDC Journal]
As this is a story based on a leaker's analysis of a forthcoming report, and not a direct analysis of the report (nor is it the report itself), apply grains of salt to taste:

Iraqi council makes strides in community -- [MNF-I]
Qaisi said the council is striving to unite the community and bring stability to Iraq. There are approximately 150 sheiks currently involved in the council. Qaisi brought three with him for support.
“All three sheiks here and the leaders of the support council along with all the other members of this support council are working very closely with the local government,” Qaisi said. “And they're working very close to stabilize the security along with accomplishing the national reconciliation with central government.”

When are we going to admit that Iran is at war with a sovereign Iraq - as well as with America? -- [Redstate]
“A Public Affairs officer within Multinational Force-Iraq privately expressed his concern to me that the media were spiking or deliberately misrepresenting reports made by the military about Iranian involvement”

Sworn to protect: Volunteers begin service to Iraq -- [MNF-I]
ABU GHRAIB — “I promise to give my allegiance and my service to the nation and people of Iraq,” the middle-aged men said in unison.
“I promise to cooperate in order to serve the Iraqi people and build a new Iraqi nation,” they continued with their hands stacked one over the other on top of a copy of the Quran.
“I will support and defend the Iraqi government and the people of Iraq against other organizations. For these reasons I sign below,” the men concluded, subsequently signing a card with the oath they had just sworn to uphold with God and one another as witnesses.

Anbar's newest Policemen

8/23/07 - HABBANIYAH, Iraq -- Men recruited within the Anbar Province become first to graduate from the Police Training Center in Habbaniyah.

Security and Justice Projects Helping Secure Iraq -- [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Thirty two court facilities are complete as well as 93 fire stations with still more security and justice projects anticipated to come on line soon, according to officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division (GRD). Correctional facilities, training academies, witness protection facilities and secure document
storage sites are on the way also.

The Future of Iraq -- [Assad Baghdad - in Iraq]
I took these pictures today while on a mission in the Adhamiya district of Baghdad -- north of the Green Zone, on the east bank of the Tigris. We dismounted our vehicles and had to walk several blocks to access the civil courthouse, where we were to meet the judge and talk with lawyers practicing at the court. Adhamiya is the oldest part of Baghdad, and predominantly Sunni. This was our 7th attempt to visit this courthouse--previous efforts had been scrubbed due to security.
After we got back to the Green Zone this afternoon, I showed the pictures to an Iraqi national who works on our staff. Iraqis can sometimes (or most of the time!) be pretty dramatic, but what he shared with me is important, and so I thought I would share it with you.

Children around Fallujah -- [Fightin 6th Marines - in Iraq]
We have been receiving a few requests about children in the area. Recently, while at a meeting in the city, we ran across this little boy. He was curious, as many kids are, but when they want to sit and play with a Marine, you know that things are going well here.

Iraq Pictures - 23 August 2007 - [Iraq Pictures]
An Iraqi bank teller counts out Iraqi dinars at the bank in Baqubah, Iraq. About 35 billion dinars were transported from the Iraqi Central Bank in Baghdad, Iraq, to Baqubah, Iraq, by the Iraqi army, without the help of coalition forces, Aug. 22

New Glass -- [Badgers Forward - in Iraq]
Road trip from Camp Ramadi to Camp Falluja. Again. But this trip is different. Down Michigan, through Ar Ramadi, through Habbinyah, and through Al Falluja - in HUMVEES. Pathfinder 6 and I are escorting journalist Bill Schaefer to the Camp to meet with Team Badger Soldiers so he can give you his version of their story.

Iraq, Insurgents shooting at our Humvee get a big surprise from the air

Links - [Acute Politics - in Iraq]
Question from Dave Dilegge (Small Wars Journal):
"Yeah, if I could just follow up on one quick thing here. If you were, say, commandant for the day or CINC for the day, what one or two capabilities that you may not have or need more of would top your list?"
Answer from COL. Simcock:
"That's an easy question. And the commandant was just out here a couple weeks ago and I told him exactly what I wish I had more of. Engineers and route clearance. Those are the two capabilities. It's a lowdensity, high-demand type capability that we just -- we need more of out here. ... They do a great job for us, but I'm just -- I just don't have enough of them. "
I hear it's pretty much the same story everywhere. What's more (as you'll soon hear when I have the final details and time to write), my guys are some of the very best.

Disappointments -- [All Quiet on the Southwest Asian Front - in Iraq]
In an additional disappointment, the BN CO has apparently decided that a concussion isn't really a combat injury, and a Purple Heart is unwarranted in my case, the regs regarding enemy-fire-blast-induced injuries notwithstanding. I'm still mixed on my feelings about that. The headaches that are still lingering may be part of that. Eh, c'est la armee.
So now the leave countdown is kicked back to 41 days. I'm too tired right now to even think straight. But I'm sure the time really is getting longer as I go now.
Day 163

Predator strike after IEDs planted on road

AFGHANISTAN

Taliban Leader's Strategic Name-Dropping -- [The Tank - W. Thomas Smith Jr.]
According to Stratfor (sub. req.):
Osama bin Laden is alive and actively involved in operations against U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, top Taliban military commander Haji Mansour Dadullah said, according to the transcript of a video released Aug. 22. The statement offers a glimpse of the Taliban's leadership structure and probably was motivated more by a desire to confirm Dadullah's position than to provide an update on bin Laden's status.
In the transcript of the 12-minute video released yesterday, Dadullah (aka Mullah Bakht Mohammad) — the senior Taliban military commander for southern Afghanistan and the younger brother of former top Taliban military chief Mullah Dadullah — says bin Laden is "alive and well," and that he has given him (the younger Dadullah) his (bin Laden's) "blessing" to succeed older brother Mullah Dadullah, who was killed in action against U.S. and Afghan forces in Helmand Province three months ago.

Just Another Day at the FOB ... -- [Richard's Deployment - in Afghanistan]
... The media seems to highlight the disenchanted, unhappy Soldiers but in my experience they are in the minority. For me, sometimes I feel guilty for being happy here, for enjoying life on (and off) the FOB.
But for me, the best days on the FOB are actually off the FOB. Recently I had the opportunity to visit our local Provincial Hospital in the city of Khowst. I’ve been there often enough that it feels very familiar to me. We were visiting the hospital director and conducting some training. Our relationship with the Provincial Hospital is good, and getting better all the time.

US Marine's Encounters with Children in Afghanistan

A compilation of clips from 3/3 India company US Marines encountering children in afghanistan

The eastern Afghanistan offensive -- [The Fourth Rail]
Senior al Qaeda leader may have been wounded in the ongoing battle at Tora Bora
The battle at the Tora Bora mountains in Nangarhar province has completed its first week, the fighting has intensified as Afghan Army and US forces hunt Taliban and al Qaeda fighters who have infiltrated the region. Scores of Taliban and al Qaeda operatives are reported to have been captured after upwards of 50 terrorists were killed in the initial fighting. A senior al Qaeda leader was also reported to have been wounded in the attack.

News of Afghanistan - Edition 65 -- [Miserable Donuts]
Having seen it in 2005, I was surprised to see this dam has actually held up as well as it did to this point. I suspect the locals are right that a little cleaning isn't enough.
When I see fighting in the Tagab and "Taliban" in the same story, I get suspicious. The Tagab is the main smuggling route N/S from the Panjshir Province. Guns, Goods and Opiates. Note the quote is from the "crime branch chief".

Castles Still Have Their Uses... -- [Castle Argghhh! - CW4BillT - in Pakistan]
Troops foil attack on Hangu fort
PESHAWAR (AFP): - Pro-Taliban militants attacked a paramilitary camp in northwestern Pakistan overnight in a clash that wounded a dozen soldiers, officials said Thursday.
One militant was killed in the hour-long shootout following the raid on the fort by more than a dozen heavily-armed men...[who] attacked with rockets, hand grenades, and Kalashnikov rifles, but were beaten off.
Attacking a castle, even when most of the inhabitants are asleep, is not a good idea.

"Qala-I-Bist" -- [ETT PA-C - in Afghansitan]
So in our area of operation (AO) happens to be some ruins of palaces from Alexander the Greatand many more conquerors that followed. There happens to be several smaller palaces along the Helmand River but the main one, Qala-I-Bist (castle at Bist), we recently visited. A few pics above. The palace was built in a huge rock mountain along the river a couple thousand years ago, or if my history it wrong, whenever the heck Alex the Great was hanging out in this area for vacation. So, at the top, used to be a much more. The surviving part is in the rock itself. You look down these huge shafts that are bricked about 200 feet down into the rock. It's absolutely amazing. When you look around, the basic people in this country can't build better than this, 2000 years later, albeit some western trained people can throw some construction up.

A Death in our Family -- [A*W*A*C]
I got an e-mail from Hamid today, with very sad news. For the last several months his family was supposedly working to get him engaged, as I mentioned back when I was still in Afghanistan. Well, recently he discovered that in fact, his mother had done nothing, and the girl’s family got tired of waiting, and now she is engaged to someone else. Although he has trouble writing in English, he had no trouble expressing his anguish at this betrayal. Now there is literally no one he can trust.
Finally, MSgt Gillespie, US Air Force, part of the team that replaced us in Afghanistan, was killed recently. Needless to say, this hits very close to home. Here is the press release from his home base, Luke AFB in Arizona:

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Soldiers' Heroism and Charity in South Korea -- [Gazing at the Flag]
Meet PFC Russell McCanless Jr and PFC Reid Erickson. Stationed in South Korea, the two entered a building to check to see if anyone was in the apartment above a burning restaurant. They encountered an elderly woman who pleaded for them to help her daughter who was disabled. PFC Erickson assisted the mother and PFC McCanless carried the daughter to safety.
'They answered their call to duty," said Maj. Gen. James A Coggin, 2nd Infantry Division commander, during the award ceremony at Camp Red Cloud, Korea. "They put their lives on the line to help save the lives of others. Their personal courage proved to the world, proved to their fellow Soldiers and proved to themselves what being a Soldier is all about."

Defense Ministry Responds to Attempts to Give Away Korean Territory -- [GI Korea]
...It is unbelievable that the Unification Ministry is willing to give up sovereign Korean territory that ROK military personnel have lost their lives defending and the Unification Ministry didn’t even bother consulting the military about what the national security consequences of such actions would be. Than again these are the same people who treat these dead ROK military personnel as if they are criminals for defending their home land. If the Unification Ministry pushes on with changing the NLL, USFK may need to get involved because the DMZ and the NLL were established by the UN at the conclusion of the Korean War. It will be interesting to see if USFK will be willing to approve of such a change that would have national security consequences on the peninsula, especially when the ROK military does not agree with it.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Fearing the Law They Face -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
By The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT)
Congressional plans to outlaw material support for designated terrorist groups and their leaders in 1996 caused a stir for leaders of the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), evidence released Wednesday shows.

Muslims resent FBI's release of ferry passenger photos -- [Jihad Watch]
Seattle Muslims in a Full Court Victimization Press: "We need to get some type of apology from them and figure out how to get back to where we were." The FBI agents shouldn't apologize for doing their jobs and trying to protect people. Gomez is right: "people in those communities have to get over this sensitivity toward feeling victimized." And instead of resenting anti-terror efforts, some cooperation with them would be most welcome.
An update on this story.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Help Me Win a Harley, AND Honor a Fallen Hero!!!! -- [Yikes]
On Saturday, August 25, I will be participating in the first annual Mike Stokely Foundation "Ride to Remember," a fundraising event seeking to raise the funds necessary to establish a scholarship at Georgia Military College in the name of Sgt. Mike Stokely, who was killed in Iraq on August 16, 2005. In addition to raising money for a very worthy cause, which is plenty of motivation in and of itself, they are having a raffle: for every cumulative $250 donated in my name, I get a free raffle ticket for a chance to win the grand prize at the end of the day - a Harley!!!!! :-) (and I reeeeaaaaallllllyyyyyy wanna win that Harley, haha, since I'm currently bike-less and trapped in my old, falling-apart car!! Momma Kat needs new wheels, y'all!) Seriously, though: Motorcycle raffle or not, this is still a great cause: honoring one of our local fallen heroes, investing in the youth of this state and in America!! As much as I want that Harley (did I mention, I really, really, really would LUV to win it?! as would all the others who will be there, haha), what I want EVEN MORE is for this ride to be a huge success, and for the Mike Stokely Scholarship to be firmly established forever at Georgia Military College. That, my friends, is the deepest motivation for my blegging. :-)

Give 'em an inch… -- [View from the 8th Floor]
and they’ll go a mile.
That's my spin on that common catch phrase. To me, it perfectly describes many people who join Soldiers’ Angels. Show them what can be done, and they'll do five times as much as expected. Frankly, they amaze me.
Case in point. There is a new crowd of Angels out in Manassas, VA (about 30 miles west of DC). Through a corporate initiative, they were given a little encouragement and "space" (not funding) to do volunteer work, particularly in support of our men and women in uniform and their families. Different locations chose different ways to volunteer. The Manassas location chose to participate in Soldiers’ Angels programs. Part of the pitch for Soldiers’ Angels came from an employee, who just happens to be a mom, a veteran of OIF, AND a Soldiers’ Angel.

MILITARY

Mattis to Sharratt: Case Dismissed! -- [Eurphoric Reality]
Talk about good news coming in bunches!!! This is indeed great news. This is also proof that seemingly ordinary men who tirelessly seek the truth will be rewarded. One man that fits that description is Tim Harrington. Tim has worked so hard on digging out evidence of these men’s innocence that he’s become an ‘adopted’ member of these Marines’ families. Justice-loving people should thank Tim for his role in exposing the holes in the prosecution’s cases.
Gen. Mattis did the right thing in dropping the charges against LCpl. Justin Sharratt and Capt. Stone. I wish he’d just done it sooner.
There’s more than a few ‘down arrows’ to go around. One of them goes to Rep.
John Murtha. On May 17, 2006, Rep. Murtha declared that these Marines had “killed innocent civilians in cold blood.” We now know that that’s been proven false beyond all doubt.
Here’s what we know from Capt. Dinsmore’s testimony:

Interview | The Daily Show - Lt. Col. John Nagl [HT:SWJ]

POLITICS

Finally! Combating the anti-victory crowd -- [WND]
A few months ago, the national media coverage of the war in Iraq was downright depressing for military families and their supporters.
News media coverage of Iraq was showcasing acts of violence on a nightly basis. Television commentators solemnly assured us that Iraq was a hopeless cause and was already consumed by a full-blown civil war. Anti-military protesters were waging constant protests here on the home front, throwing red paint at veterans' memorials and military recruitment centers.
But now things are changing in a big way.
Digg it

"IED's, RGP, saf, and Comments"... -- [Jim Spiri - in Iraq]
...This mission was now over. We had made contact, found two IED's the hard way, an RPG was shot at us from somewhere, and lots of small arms fire was directed at us and other elements.
The bad guys area was found, again. This was the morning of August 24, 2007, in Mosul, Iraq.
By the early afternoon, we were back and I was having lunch in the chow hall. I sat near the television and listened to all the reports about Senator John Warner's comments that were all over the wires in the past 24-hours. I began to feel a bit frustrated.
Many times lately, I've seen the enemy evade and escape us. He is clever and knows the strategy of harassment. He gets caught eventually, through lots of hard work by us and many other elements working 24/7 to eliminate him. But I keep hearing this political wrangling about how and when to leave at every meal on the television in the chow hall.
I keep going back to things the President has said over the past five years about telegraphing our move to the enemy. At every place during my time in theatre, I'm constantly reminded about OPSEC, which stands for operational security. Now, I hear some of the most powerful players in our government, basically telegraphing our next move to the world audience.

SENATOR WARNER: PROTECT AMERICA, NOT GEORGE BUSH!

“Our troops have earned more time” -- [Michelle Malkin]
Democrat Rep. Brian Baird is one of the most liberal members of Congress. Last week, he made headlines and angered moonbats after returning from Iraq and concluding that precipitous withdrawal would be disastrous. Today, he has an op-ed in the Seattle Times elaborating on the need to stay and fight despite his initial opposition to the war:
The invasion of Iraq may be one of the worst foreign-policy mistakes in the history of our nation. As tragic and costly as that mistake has been, a precipitous or premature withdrawal of our forces now has the potential to turn the initial errors into an even greater problem just as success looks possible.
As a Democrat who voted against the war from the outset and who has been frankly critical of the administration and the post-invasion strategy, I am convinced by the evidence that the situation has at long last begun to change substantially for the better. I believe Iraq could have a positive future.

Hillary: Terror Attacks Help Republicans -- [NewsBusters]
In a new low of political promoting, Senator Hillary Clinton says that a new terror attack would help Republicans. The New York senator is reported by the New York Post online edition as saying,
"It's a horrible prospect to ask yourself, 'What if? What if?' But if certain things happen between now and the election, particularly with respect to terrorism, that will automatically give the Republicans an advantage again, no matter how badly they have mishandled it, no matter how much more dangerous they have made the world,"

THE MEDIA

ABC News Paints Suspicious Men on Ferry as Victims of 'Ethnic Profiling' -- [NewsBusters]
Washington State authorities and the FBI on Monday released photos, taken by the captain of a Pugent Sound ferry, of two men that passengers and crew saw acting suspiciously -- taking photos of doorways, for instance -- but Thursday's Good Morning America seemed more concerned about “ethnic profiling” than identifying the potential terrorists who had been seen on up to a half-dozen ferries. “The case is raising concerns about security. But it's also raising concerns about possible ethnic profiling,” declared news reader Kate Snow. Reporter Neal Karlinsky asked: “Are these two men terrorists casing the boats for attack?” or “are they totally innocent passengers, the victims of ethnic profiling?”

HUMOR / SATIRE

Warner: Show Qaeda U.S. Commitment Not Open-Ended -- [ScrappleFace]
(2007-08-24) — Sen. John Warner, R-VA, yesterday called on President George Bush to start bringing troops home from Iraq “to show al Qaeda that the U.S. commitment to fighting Muslim terrorists overseas is not open-ended.”
“This is a two-way street,” said Sen. Warner. “We’ve kept our end of the deal, delivering crushing blows to the terror networks, but al Qaeda has refused to capitulate. It’s time to send a strong, clear message that our devotion to fighting the enemies of freedom is not a blank check.”
The influential member of the Senate Armed Services Committee said, “Usama Bin Laden

Hillary to Qaeda: Help Me Beat GOP, Halt Terror ‘Till 2009 -- [ScrappleFace]
(2007-08-24) — Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, convinced that a U.S. terror strike before the 2008 elections would help Republicans to hold the White House and recapture Congress, today called on al Qaeda to delay planned U.S. martyrdom operations until early 2009.
“I’m respectfully asking al Qaeda for a brief hiatus,” said Sen. Clinton, “until we can accomplish our shared goal of removing Republicans from power.”

Dancing Marines

5/14 Marines dancing when there is nothing else better to do.. "Since we're in the middle of nowhere.."

Day By Day

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