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

Iraq poll: Improvements across the board -- [Hot Air]
A consortium of global media companies, including the BBC and ABC News, commissioned an opinion poll of Iraqis to determine their state of mind. They found that Iraqis have grown significantly more optimistic across the board, with major gains in confidence regarding security and a drop in support for militias. The poll comes at the fifth anniversary of the invasion and about a year after the change in American tactics now called the “surge” began

Study offers glimpse into what it takes to be suicide bomber -- [Seattle Times]
The suicide bombers who have killed 10,000 people in Iraq, including hundreds of U.S. troops, usually were alienated young men from large families who were desperate to stand out from the crowd, according to a U.S. military study.
As long suspected, most came from outside Iraq. Saudi Arabia, home of most of the Sept. 11 hijackers, was the single largest source. And the pipeline is continually replenished by al-Qaida in Iraq's recruiters.

Deep Thoughts with Biggie Smalls -- [Kaboom - in Iraq]
Here is a short collection of some of Biggie’s finer moments with my platoon. Keep in my mind, that some of my soldiers think he suffers from PTSD, due to surviving multiple IED strikes in the three years he has worked for Coalition Forces. Also, after some prodding, he reluctantly revealed that he lost three young children during Desert Storm, and that he visits their graves every time he goes home. He has seen far more war over the course of his life than one man ever should. Not all warriors in Anu al-Verona carry rifles when they leave the wire.
-- Biggie: “I am worry that my family would be hurt if people knew I work with Americans. That is why I do not tell them.” Me: “Wait? So you’re saying no one in your family knows you work here? Not even your wives?” Biggie: “Women cannot keep from the talk. They be too proud of me and do the chatter when I am away. Then they will die!”

Observations Of The Arab Culture -- [Zen Traveler - in Iraq]
After a year living in the Arab culture, here are some things that I’ve noticed. I’m not claiming that I understand them, nor am I making any sort of judgment. These are just observations from a western point of view.
-The men are “babied” in the western sense of the word. They’re coddled by their mothers, and soon after by their wives. There’s very little sense of male self-reliance.
- Lying does not carry the same social or cultural stigma as it does in the west.

Provincial Reconstruction -- [CBN News - Chuck Holton - dipatch from Iraq]
Provincial Reconstruction Teams are fanning out across Iraq to bring the next phase of progress and healing to that country. These groups of soldiers and DOD civilians are the elite forces most needed now to stake down the gains that have been made. Their weapons? Things like chickens, construction tools and now computers.
This girls's school in Haditha is being outfitted with computers and internet service that will allow its students to interact with the world beyond their village. This is a much bigger deal than just giving some kids the ability to search wikipedia for their school projects. Here's why.

Iraqi Army: Mosul archbishop died of natural causes -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio - in Iraq]
MOSUL, IRAQ: Paulos Faraj Rahho, the Chaldean Catholic archbishop of Mosul, may not have been murdered by his kidnappers, according to new information provided by the Iraqi military. Rahho appears to have died of natural causes while he was held hostage by terrorists demanding millions of dollars for his release.
...“There were no signs of torture. We believe he died of a heart attack, of natural causes.”
The Iraqi Army’s assessment matches a report from the SIR Catholic news agency, which indicated the archbishop died of illness just prior to being left in a shallow grave in eastern Mosul.

Taking Down The Gangs of Iraq -- [Strategy Page]
March 17, 2008: The collapse of the Sunni Arab terror movement has not halted Sunni Arab efforts to hurt the country. Sunni Arabs are still heavily involved in corruption and criminal gangs. Having dominated the economy and government for centuries, the corrupt practices of the Sunni Arabs have become the model for other groups that attain power. But the blame should not entirely be on the Sunni Arabs. Over two thousand years ago, Greek, and then Roman, conquers of the Middle East complained of the corruption endemic in the region, and how it even turned upright Greek or Roman officials into crooks and slackers.

Cheney to Meet With Iraqi Leaders During Surprise Visit -- [WaPo]
Vice President Cheney made an unannounced visit to Baghdad this morning, just two days before the five-year anniversary of the start of the war, to push Iraqi leaders to do more to resolve the political disputes still driving the conflict.

Petraeus: New Prez Pushing Ill-Advised Withdrawal Could Replace Me -- [NewsBusters]
David Petraeus was diplomatic in his language and careful to honor the primacy of civilian authority over the military. But the commanding general of multi-lateral forces in Iraq has left little doubt that if a new president wanted to withdraw from Iraq faster than would reflect Petraeus's considered military opinion, his family would be happy to have him home.
ABC's Bill Weir interviewed the Gen. Petraeus as part of a Good Morning America special today marking the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq. The opening segment focused almost exclusively on the costs of the war.

THE LONG WAR -- [Boston.com]
Five years after the invasion of Iraq
Can it hold? (Video)
Five years after the Iraq war began, and one year into the US troop "surge" bombings and attacks across the country have plummeted, and a relative calm has settled in. But now with gradual troop reductions underway, and calls for a speedier withdrawal growing, the critical question on the ground in Iraq is: Can it hold?

Reflections on the Invasion of Iraq -- [NY Times]
To mark this week’s fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, the Op-Ed page asked nine experts on military and foreign affairs to reflect on their attitudes in the spring of 2003 and to comment on the one aspect of the war that most surprised them or that they wished they had considered in the prewar debate

Iraq war's cost: Loss of U.S. power, prestige, influence -- [McClatchy]
The winner of the 2008 elections will command U.S. forces still at war in Iraq, Afghanistan and against elusive terrorists with a deadly reach. The U.S. economy will remain burdened. ... America's moral leadership and decision-making competence will continue to be questioned," begins a study of foreign-policy choices for the next president, which a Georgetown University task force released last month.
"Restored respect will come only with fresh demonstrations of competence," the study said.
The numbers don't inspire confidence:...

AFGHANISTAN

Still Kicking -- [Partamian Report - in Afghanistan]
I'm still alive and I'm still in Afghanistan. I won't be here for too much longer. The deployment is drawing to an end. I just went down to Helmand Province. I flew down on a British Sea King helicopter. Not the best ride in Afghanistan, but it beats walking.

Rugby Is A Mood Altering Activity -- [Bill and Bob's Excellent Afghan Adventure - in Afghanistan]
There hasn't been much of two things required for writing lately; time and motivation. The time issue is pretty obvious, there has been lots of travel. O, Maniac, and I are back at Dubs now, reunited with the original team. Everyone's got stories to tell, and everyone is fine... for the most part.

Coalition forces disrupt militant operations in Khowst, Helmand provinces -- [Combined Joint Task Force -82 - in Afghanistan]
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - A number of armed militants were killed and five suspected militants were detained March 14 in two separate Coalition forces’ operations to degrade militant networks in the region.
In an operation in the Tani District of Khowst province, Coalition forces performed a search of compounds targeting a militant linked to improvised explosive device facilitation operations.
A number of armed militants were killed when they posed a credible threat to Coalition forces.
A person exited one of the buildings during one encounter. Coalition forces identified themselves in Pashtun, and the person initially complied with the instructions given to assume a non-hostile posture. The person then re-entered the building. A few moments later, he exited the building again with a second person armed with an assault rifle.

MPs Train Afghanistan Policemen

British soldier awarded the Military Cross for fighting off 150 Taliban -- [HT: OP-FOR]
A BRITISH soldier who almost single-handedly took on 150 Taliban after he and his 50-man convoy were ambushed in Afghanistan has been awarded the Military Cross.
Fusilier Damien Hields used his grenade machinegun to destroy seven Taliban positions before his ambushers realised he was their main threat. After peppering his vehicle with bullets, they hit the 24-year-old soldier. He had to be dragged off for treatment by his driver after he tried to continue fighting.

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Ethics: On the Flag -- [Grims Hall - in Iraq]

the American flag is not something that can be owned by an individual, like a piece of property. It belongs to all of us, and its care to all of us. While an individual can buy a flag, if he does not take care of it properly -- or if he deliberately insults it -- any citizen is fully correct as a point of ethics to rescue it and restore it to the honor it is due.

Dozens Killed In Tibet Riots 2008.03.15

China bans entry of foreigners in Tibet -- [NDTV.com]
China has prohibited the entry of foreigners to Tibet and asked the tourists currently there to leave.
This announcement has been made in the wake of the worst-ever violence in two decades in region's capital, stemming from pro-independence protests, that have left at least 10 people dead.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

British: Let's Talk to al Qaeda! -- [Jawa Report]
Bad: Former chief of staff to Prime Minister calls for opening up channels of communication with al Qaeda.
Worse: Current British Security minister says it would be silly not to have secret talks with al Qaeda.

Getting Inside al Qaeda -- [Strategy Page]
March 17, 2008: After seven years of intense effort, Western counter-terror organizations appear to have developed a growing network of spies within al Qaeda, and other Islamic terrorist organizations. There are two primary reasons for this (aside from persistence). First, there was the defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq. The 2004 al Qaeda decision to undertake a massive terror campaign in Iraq did much to reduce al Qaeda's stature throughout the Arab world. Many al Qaeda members, and supporters became demoralized at the slaughter of so many Moslems, and the inability to kill many infidels (non-Moslems). Opinion surveys throughout the Moslem world clearly show al Qaeda popularity declining as the number of Moslem terror victims in Iraq increased.

New FATF Study Highlights Need For Closer Government - Financial Sector Cooperation to Combat Terrorism Financing -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
From time to time FATF, the Paris based Financial Action Task Force, publishes new guidance and “best practices” to re-enforce the anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing practices of its member countries and the international financial community in general. The latest addition to this series is a special Terrorism Financing study issued February 29th (and published on the FATF website March 14th) which assesses current terrorism financing methodology and recommends new actions to combat it.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Urgent - We Need Your Help to Continue Supporting the Wounded -- [Soldier's Angels - Medical Support]
I was contacted by 7 new medical units this week alone because they have heard about what we do. Now, you need to understand what these medics need and that always worry that are asking for too much. Here are a very few examples:
-"If you could spare a few blankets, our patients could sure use them."
-"I hope I'm not asking for too much, but we can't get shampoo and soap here."
-"We lost 5 men this week, and morale is really down. Anything you can send would be a big help. Maybe some magazines or Dvd's to take their minds off their buddies who were lost".

We Must Be More Than An Army At War and A Nation At Peace... -- [Castle Argghhh!]
Another project for local supporters of the troops (or anyone else interested), I received a note from Soldiers' Angels Alert Team
Help us support our troops! We have had troops in Kosovo for over 10 years. After the Serbian death squads began ethnic cleansing, our troops were deployed to protect the innocent civilians and keep Europe from exploding again. We stay there because peace is still a tenuous thing. Recently, Kosovo declared Independence and Serbian nationalists were angered once again. These troops do hard work, have maintained security, treated the ill, built schools, built local governance, trained police and many other programs to help secure the peace and return Kosovo to a fully functioning country. Please support them by writing a letter and telling them that their service to our nation, wherever it is, whatever they do, is something to be proud of and something we appreciate.

MILITARY MENTORS SOUGHT FOR TAPS GOOD GRIEF CAMP ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND -- [T.A.P.S]
More Than 300 Children of the Fallen Will Find Comfort & Grieve Loved Ones Lost
WASHINGTON – Mentors can play a critical role in helping children grieving the loss of a loved one in the Armed Forces, and TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, is recruiting 300+ mentors to help at its 14th annual Good Grief Camp being held Memorial Day Weekend near Washington, DC.
“We’ve found that children who have attended the Good Grief Camp felt a closeness to each other like many have never experienced as they are surrounded by others their age who have experienced a similar loss,” said Heather Campagna, the director of the Good Grief Camp for 2008. “There is a comfort when someone says they understand…and for the first time in many instances, they know it is true..

Mission Accomplished! Now It's Your Turn -- [View from the 8th Floor]
They made it! And I'm so pleased that I was in time to walk the last 1/2 mile with the Resolve to Win marchers.
After 16 days and 383.2 miles, they arrived at the Lincoln Memorial. I can't imagine how they must have felt (tho, this picture on their most recent web post may give you some idea!), but I was so VERY proud to be standing with them.

MILITARY

Patton and the 2008 vote -- [Boston Globe]
"Americans love a winner," Patton growled, "and will not tolerate a loser. Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win - all the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. . . . The very thought of losing is hateful to an American."
Nowadays, the thought of losing a war isn't as hateful to some Americans as the thought of losing an election. Recall MoveOn.org's infamous "General Betray Us" ad last fall, which was intended to undercut the commander of US forces in Iraq.

WELCOME HOME

POLITICS

Antiwar Protesters Force Senate Into Recess

THE MEDIA

US Media Ignores 20 Year Anniversary of Halabja Massacre -- [Gateway Pundit]
The US media ignored today the 20 year Anniversary of the Halabja Massacre.
ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, AP and Reuters did not run reports on this historic anniversary.
On March 16th, 1988 the people of Halabja, Iraq suffered the worst chemical attack committed by the Iraqi regime. On that day, 5,000 innocent civilians, 75% of them women and children, immediately perished. This was not the only chemical attack ordered by Saddam, it was just the worst- Halabja.

Iraq in the Talking Points (More Bizarre Sunday Rambling) -- [LT Nixon - in Iraq]
There is an article today about a well-to-do New Yorker who decided to shun the life of glamour and join the Army. If you thought the military was mostly brain-dead hicks, you would be incredibly wrong. The military is the one of the few professions where it doesn’t really matter your socio-economic background before joining.

The Iraq War Fades Away -- [Strategy Page]
March 16, 2008: The war in Iraq is passing from the American memory, before it's even over. Analysis of news reports on the war, show that 15 percent of news stories were about the Iraq war last Summer, but are only three percent now. It's out of sight, out of mind. For example, a recent survey asking people how many U.S. troops had died in Iraq, only about a quarter knew the number (4,000). That's half the number who knew the correct number all the way back to 2003

HUMOR / SATIRE

Day By Day

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