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

Iraqi oil exports via Turkey surge to 400,000 bpd -- [Azzaman in English] HT: Haider Ajina
Iraq says it has boosted its oil exports via Turkey to 400,000 barrels per day, the highest volume through the twin-pipeline since the 2003 U.S. invasion.
But an Oil Ministry source said pumping at this ‘high rate’ was only made possible due to a substantial drop in attacks of sabotage in past weeks.

Road linking Falluja to northern provinces re-opened -- [Iraq Updates] HT: Haider Ajina
Local authorities in the predominantly Sunni province of al-Anbar re-opened a road linking Falluja city to northern provinces after it was closed for security reaons, an official security source said.
"The road linking Falluja to Samarra, which passes through the al-Tharthar desert north of the city, is open as of Monday. Travelers using this road do not have to fear any risks anymore

Citizens Line Up at Tameem Recruiting Drive -- [MNF-I]
COMBAT OUTPOST CASHE — One hundred and seventy-five Iraqi men waited for their opportunity to join the police force during a recruiting drive at the 3rd Battalion, 1st National Police Brigade headquarters in Tameem, a town southeast of Baghdad, March 22.
Prospective policemen went through a rigid screening process to find the best possible applicants, said 1st Lt. Kurt Cheeseman, from Greenwood, S.C., the targeting officer for 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment. Men between the ages of 18 and 35 had to bring a national identification card, proof of intermediate education and pass a reading and writing exam, medical screening and physical fitness test. Additionally, the men were registered in the biometrics enrollment system and the Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment System and interviewed by the Mada’in Qada chief of police. “It is a very thorough process. It is a four-day event, but we have a lot of men that want to be policemen,” Cheeseman said.

Sadrists order disobedience campaign -- [Iraq Updates]
Followers of Al-Sadr have called for a nationwide civil disobedience campaign.
Followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have called for a nationwide civil disobedience campaign to protest raids and detentions.
The head of the Sadrist parliamentary bloc says the move comes because of the continued U.S. and Iraqi actions against the movement's Mahdi Army militia despite a cease-fire.

Iran, Not al-Sadr, Leading Shi'a Attacks In Iraq -- [Threats Watch - Steve Schippert]
As Shi’a militias and armed groups strike out at US and Iraqi targets from Baghdad to Basra, it is curious to note how many news reports attribute the attacks to Muqtada al-Sadr, either directly or indirectly.
...But Muqtada al-Sadr was sidelined from any command by Iran weeks ago. There are no attributions of direct quotes, commands or comment from Muqtada since the Shi’a militia uprising began in earnest. And there is a very simple explanation for this: The puppet has had his strings cut. Iran is calling the shots.
The fact that his note exists is far more important than its specific wording.

Iraqi security forces battle the Mahdi Army -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio - in Iraq]
The Iraqi security forces have launched Operation Knights' Assault against the Mahdi Army and other Iranian-backed Shia militias in Basrah. Muqtada al Sadr’s unilateral ceasefire may fall apart as fighting breaks out in Bagdad and southern Iraq.

Stake Through Their Hearts: Killing al Qaeda -- [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
The sun was setting over Nineveh as four terrorists driving tons of explosives closed on their targets. On August 14, 2007, the Yezidi villages of Qahtaniya and Jazeera were under attack, but only the terrorists knew it as they drove their trucks straight into the hearts of the communities.
The shockwave from detonation far outpaced the speed of sound. Buildings and humans were ripped apart and hurled asunder.
...Al Qaeda is still trying to spin Iraq into civil war, but whereas in 2005-2006 al Qaeda was succeeding, today al Qaeda is being shredded.

The Dungeon of Fallujah -- Upgraded -- [Michael Totten - in Iraq]
Last month I published a piece here called The Dungeon of Fallujah about my visit to the wretched jail in the city. As it turns out, the place was worse than I thought. Prisoners had to supply their own food or starve. I didn't report that detail because I didn't know it. But Marine Major General John Kelly (whom I don't think I met) read my report, investigated the jail, and fixed it. No one in the military talked to me about this. I learned about it from Mary Madigan in my comments section, she learned about it from Ace, and he learned about it from UPI

Museum of horrors exhibits forms of torture practiced by Saddam -- [Iraq Updates]
Gruesome instruments of torture and the personal effects of victims killed by henchmen of dictator Saddam Hussein haunt Iraqis five years after the fall of his brutal regime. The display, on show in Baghdad, is due to travel across the country in "tribute to the thousands of martyrs" murdered when Saddam was in power, former political prisoner Amed Naji al-Badawi said.
...Nooses hang from the ceiling, and a wooden coffin-like box containing a medieval-looking torture rack on which prisoners were pinned and stretched takes center stage.
Pictures of hangings and bodies are plastered on the walls. "These are the horrors of the Saddam regime," said Badawi, a stout man in his 50s who spent five years in the jails of Saddam's feared "mukhabarat" secret service

Easter at Balad -- [IN-Iraq - in Iraq]
...Balad is the logistics hub for the military in Iraq. It supplies the "bullets and the beans," as any staff sergeant will tell you. But Balad supplies them for the entire theater. This is why so many of Indiana's 76th soldiers will be doing convoy security.
There are about 30,000 people working and living behind the wire here. Almost half of them are said to be civilian contractors who do any work and maintainence the Army and Air Force don't do.
...The base was nicknamed "mortaritaville" for obvious reasons. Since we've only been here several days, it will take time to know if it still lives up to its bombastic reputation.
The soldiers of Indiana's Echo 113th, who've been here almost a week, say they hear mortars daily. But because the base is so large and the mortars the enemy uses so inaccurate, everyone walks around base without any protection or seeming concern

Iraq News (26 March) -- [LT Nixon - in Iraq]
The Good: Route Irish, which connects the Green Zone to the Baghdad Airport and Victory Base Complex, used to be known as the most dangerous 6-mile stretch on the planet. Now, not so much according to this AFP article. I've been on Route Irish a few times and I can confirm this. Tough-guy contractor types who wear the "I survived Route Irish" after 2005 should probably get kicked in the sack.

The Geometry Was All Wrong! - - [Miserable Donuts - in Iraq]
Intersecting Parallels? What non-Euclidian geometry informed the shape of this ancient structure? What mad glyphs are these that remain inscribed in the bricks? What Elder rites had been performed under the Moon that shone those centuries ago upon the great city along the life giving Euphrates River... Ha. My apologies, but I happen to be a big fan of H.P. Lovecraft and the Running Dog had sent me a most well done e-mail in that idiom. I wasn't going to blog anything about the Ziggurat at Ur (and so I told a fellow milblogger), as it has been done by other, earlier Milbloggers. And it is kind of like writing about the Eiffel Tower when you go to Paris - none too unique.

The Big List -- [Strategy Page]
March 26, 2008: For the past year, American forces in Iraq have been on the offensive. The troops are not just going after an anonymous enemy. They have a large list (thousands of names) of key people in the various Iraqi and al Qaeda terrorist organizations.

Vets for Freedom: David Bellavia -- [Hot Air - Ed Morrissey ]
As I promised, I saved this clip for last. David Bellavia is best known for his book House to House, which is his personal account of the war in Anbar. I could not include Pete Hegseth’s introduction of Bellavia, but the Bellavia contributed much, much more than just a memoir to the war effort. The Army awarded him the Bronze Star and Silver Star, and Hegseth warned us that these were just temporary; he’s under consideration for the Medal of Honor for his bravery, which would make him the first living MoH recipient from this war. He went into a house alone where at least six insurgents had his unit pinned down, and the only one to come out alive was Bellavia.
Bellavia continues his efforts to defeat the enemy in Iraq with a stirring presentation, one that at turns was funny, heartwrenching, inspirational, and defiant:

5 more... -- [ARIES2K1 GONE TO IRAQ - in Iraq]
where I work, like many other places in the world, consists of people who have to work together as a team to get shit done...imagine how hard it is working with people for only 8 hours a day, 5 days a week...now imagine working with those people for 12-13 hours a day, 7 days a week....
...we got our new LES today, with the extra $1000 since today is my official 366th day...one year and one day...so for the next 2 months, ill get an extra $2000, one for april and another for may...there goes my vacation money for the rest of the year. i want to buy something something nice also...something to let her know that i love her all too much. i think i might have to wait until i'm sure i'll have a job come september but i dont think we'll be hurting anytime soon.

DUMB IRAQI INSURGENT

THIS DUMB INSURGENT DECIDES TO FIRE AT ONE OF OUR TANKS WITH A RIFLE!!!

AFGHANISTAN

Urban combat -- [Yellowhammering Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
Semper Gumby -- [Bill and Bob's Excellent Afghan Adventure - in Afghanistan]
...Working with Afghans also requires a great deal of flexibility. Afghans will drive the mentally rigid to distraction with their sometimes unpredictable, seemingly whimsical behavior. Gumby was heavily involved in all of our mentoring and advising operations with the ANP.
Dealing with Afghan civilians requires a gumbylike flexibility, too. Nothing will screw up your timeline like an Afghan who suddenly decides that his 50 goats need to be on the other side of the road. Gumby is vigilant, yet flexible to deal with capricious Afghan conditions while on combat patrols.

Freedom Watch Afghanistan - 26 March 2008

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Chavez: Anyone but McCain -- [Hot Air - Ed Morrissey ]
Hugo Chavez has made sure Americans understand his preferences for the upcoming presidential election. He says he could work with the US — but only if we do not elect John McCain as President:
...Thank goodness Chavez shared his thoughts with us on McCain. At least now we know how Sean Penn will vote in November. That open question had bothered me of late.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Terrorism Disconnect? -- [Threats Watch - Jay Fraser]
It happened last Friday. In what is characterized as an informal meeting with reporters, U.S. Attorney General Mike Mukasey commented that he has been ‘surprised’ by scope of terrorist threats facing this country. The apparent disconnect with the true threat of terrorism by Mr.Mukasey is quite concerning. Frankly, this doesn’t engender a lot of confidence in the lead lawyer of this country.
...At the same time that he expresses concern over the expiration of FISA, and says that he’s not hopeful for a compromise

Come Die For Me -- [Strategy Page]
Two recent audio tapes from Osama bin Laden have attempted to mobilize al Qaeda fans in Europe and Israel. The first message, directed at the twenty million Moslem inhabitants of Europe, condemned the publication of cartoons criticizing Islamic terrorism. Conservative Islam forbids showing images depicting the Prophet Mohammed. Moslems also don't like to be criticized, or accused of being violent. Bin Laden is trying to harness the anger and motivate young European Moslems to making terrorist attacks. During the last three years, al Qaeda has been unable to carry out any attacks in Europe or North America.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Ramstein CASF receives 50,000th patient since 2003 -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
The 435th Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility (CASF) at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany recently received its 50,000th patient since 2003.
Contrary to popular belief, not all medevacs out of theater are Wounded in Action. WIAs have accounted for approximately 11,000 or 22% of the patients. A roughly equal number are classified as non-battle injuries. NBIs can result from vehicle rollovers or work with dangerous equipment. The remainder are called "Disease/other" by the DoD. Service members downrange are subject to the same ailments they might have suffered back home.
Although violence is down throughout Iraq, the number of total medevacs has remained fairly stable due to the high number of deployed service members.
Unfortunately we've seen an uptick in patients medevaced to Germany in March which has almost completely wiped out our supply reserves. We're in urgent need of just about everything. Here's a list of the most important items:- Phone cards
- Sweatpants & Zippered Hoodie Sweatshirts, grey or dark colors, mostly sizes L and XL
- Sleep pants, sizes M, L, XL
- Boxerbriefs, sizes M. L, XL
- Toothbrushes, individually wrapped
- Blankets of Hope
- Body lotion
- Flip flops, large mens sizes only
We can also use coffee, which we distribute to the staff of the 24-hour departments at the hospital such as surgery, ICU, and Missions.
Items sent to Germany should be sent in 'bulk', versus care packages for individual soldiers. We recommend sending Parcel Post, which can be considerably less expensive.
If you would like to help, or know of any groups who'd like to put together a support project, let me know.
Important:
- Notify us at maryann.phillips @ gmail.com when items are shipped.
- Include a note with your name, Email address, and short description of items sent in your packages. Without this information, we regret will not be able to confirm their receipt.
- Please allow 6-8 weeks for receipt confirmation.

Hello Everyone -- [Soldiers Angels Network]
First of all I would like to personally thank each and every one of you for truly being Angels on Earth.
All Soldiers Angels contribute to a cause that truly makes a difference for the better of those heroes who volunteer to defend our freedoms. Although Patti is the founder and our public persona, without you, none of this would happen.
Our Soldiers Angels chain is only as strong as each link in it and we are one strong organization with over 180,000 volunteers. Together combined we walk the walk and accomplish great deeds of kindness.

He is on this earth somewhere... -- [Bliss of the Unknown - Blue Star Mom]
My son is now on the other end of the earth. He is embarking to an "unknown" world that I only get a glimpse through media and the World Wide Web. He is an American Warrior. He is a Defender and I am sure at times he will have to take an Offensive stand when called upon to do so.
...I find myself in SHOCK and AWE that the Average American does not keep up with current World Issues and truly understands that there is more to defending their land then they will ever know. At this moment, I am sure that are Classified Operations throughout the world that the Media and my next door neighbor do not know about. Warriors of our country do not seek to gain monetary means nor glory from others. But they choose this life for honor and the rights that I have everyday.

War Memorial to Slain Iraqi Soldier Vandalized -- [Gateway Pundit]
A war memorial dedicated to a local soldier who died while serving in Iraq was vandalized this past week.
Sgt. Brandon Lee Wallace was killed by a roadside bomb near Fallujah in April, 2007.
His father wrote a song in memory of his hero son after his death.

MILITARY

I am beginning to wonder.... -- [BlackFive - Deebow]
How long it is going to be before we award an MoH to a living recipient? Now, before everyone gets all crazy about what I am talking about here, let me explain.
I have seen the complaint by many in the blogosphere and elsewhere that based on the number of years at war with the Islamofascists and the number of MoH's awarded (in comparison to the other conflicts we have fought), that we are way behind in recognizing our heroes for their selfless acts of heroism that give of themselves for their country, and for the men and women who are standing next to them on that midnight raid or walking patrol somewhere outside the wire.

The Destroyermen's Mission Statement -- [The Destroyermen - Yankee Sailor - sea bound]
Here it is: To deliver an authentic, unvarnished, informative and entertaining account of life aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer, report on USS RUSSELL's contribution to the Global War on Terror and execution of America's Maritime Strategy, and provide insight into the character of the American Sailor.
Our first objective is to offer a true-to-life picture of what American Sailors do day in and day out aboard a warship, in port and at sea. There are, after all, more blogs out there detailing life of the ground-pounding variety than you can shake a cat-o-nine-tails at, but precious few that tell about American Sailors at sea.

Farewell to Paradise -- [The Destroyermen - Yankee Sailor - sea bound]
...Soon, we were bidding farewell to Mighty Mo’ and turning out of the basin for the channel. As we pulled away from the pier, though, the crowd struck me as unusually thin. I soon discovered why. All along the channel, the shores were dotted with small groups and individuals gathered to say their goodbyes and wave as the ship passed. A man and three children perched on rock at the water's edge, and stood at attention and saluted. The ship’s whistle howled one prolonged blast in farewell as we passed the final group, left our home behind, and hurried off to undertake the potentially deadly business at hand.

The Army's TMAAG -- [SWJ - Colonel Robert Killebrew, USA (Ret.)]
The Chief of Staff of the Army's recent decision not to field the proposed Theater Military Advisory and Assistance Groups (TMAAG) was the right one. Regardless of which party wins the general election this fall, future U.S. national security strategy will include increased assistance to allies fighting against radical Islamic aggression. Whether called "building partnership capacity" or some other acronym, the essential idea will be to help other states fight their own wars, rather than providing U.S. combat forces as a first resort. The Army's TMAAG was an effort to get out front of this emerging strategy, but it was taking the wrong route.

WELCOME HOME

welcome to America -- [all expenses paid afghan vacation - home from Afghanistan]
I finally have my feet firmly planted on U.S. soil for the first time in over a year, and it feels comfortably familiar yet foreign all at the same time. My unit came in to FT Bragg for a week (plus or minus a few days) filled with lots of fun out-processing and demobilization activities. Most of this simply involves a lot of waiting, paperwork, and a lot of boring briefings.
A few more days to go and I’ll be back at home in Arizona trying to make the big transition back to my old life.

Welcome home hero -- [Tehachapi News]
Staff Sgt. Micah Stott, has been fighting for our country in Iraq, but came home to be with his family for a short rest.
The VFW of Tehachapi will be hosting a Community Pot Luck for Micah Stott on Sunday, March 30 from 3 - 6 p.m. There will be live music, good food and real hometown hero. All are invited.
Arriving home March 23, Micah is home for his rest and relaxation leave, which is 18 days long. He will be heading back to Iraq at the end of his leave to complete his 15-month Tour of Duty.

After 30 years, vets to receive a ‘welcome home’ -- [Daily American Online]
As troops continue to travel to the conflict in Iraq, Menear said he and other veterans will not allow them to be forgotten when they come home

POLITICS

McCain Asks When Clinton Will Apologize to Petraeus [HT: Stop The ACLU]

War Stories and Cameras -- [Austin Bay]
John Kerry's "Christmas in Cambodia" yarn ignited the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Whatever your memory of the 2004 presidential campaign, Kerry's sudden silence about a wartime Christmas "seared" in his memory was a rare example of a citizens group (the Swifties) publicly backing down a powerful U.S. senator and a major-party presidential candidate.
Kerry's full quote, delivered in the midst of a 1986 Senate debate about aid to the Nicaraguan Contras, is rhetorically powerful: "I remember Christmas of 1968 sitting on a gunboat in Cambodia. I remember what it was like to be shot at by Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge and Cambodians,...
Hillary Clinton is having her "Cambodian" moment -- her claim that she ducked sniper fire when she landed in Bosnia in 1996. Cameras, however, were rolling. The CBS News clip juxtaposing Clinton's stump speech rendition of her "snipers tale" to the tender hugs reality of her Bosnian excursion exposes the candidate's story as blarney.

Air Force Pilot Who Flew Clinton to Bosnia Tells His Side of the Story

Obama Discusses Iraq and McCain in Fayetteville, NC

Barack talks about the mistakes John McCain has made in his position on Iraq....barack obama iraq mccain clinton

If McCain vs. Obama, 28% of Clinton Backers Go for McCainIf McCain vs. Clinton, 19% of Obama backers go for McCain -- [Gallup.com]
PRINCETON, NJ -- A sizable proportion of Democrats would vote for John McCain next November if he is matched against the candidate they do not support for the Democratic nomination. This is particularly true for Hillary Clinton supporters, more than a quarter of whom currently say they would vote for McCain if Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee.
These conclusions are based on an analysis of Democratic voters' responses to separate voting questions in March 7-22 Gallup Poll Daily election tracking. In each day's survey, respondents are asked for their general election preferences in McCain-Clinton and McCain-Obama pairings. Democratic voters are then asked whom they support for their party's nomination.

100 Years -- [Weekly Standard - Michael Goldfarb]
...But here's the question. If we're going to "end the war in Iraq," the Democrats favorite euphemism for declaring defeat and going home, what about Afghanistan? Has anyone asked Barack or Hillary how long they plan to maintain U.S. forces in that country? If they really plan on fighting on to victory in the "good war," a straight answer would probably be something like 100 years. It would seem that any honest debate on this point would lead to a rather simple conclusion: victory takes 100 years, defeat takes 18 months. Give or take.

THE MEDIA

Reuters: "George Bush Says He Doesn't Regret War's Cost in Lives" -- [Gateway Pundit]
Reuters made this dishonest statement yesterday in their grim milestone report that 4,000 soldiers had lost their lives in the Iraq War...Here is what the president actually said about the mission in Iraq yesterday via The New York Times:

Negative U.S. Media Linked to Increased Insurgent Attacks -- [Amy Proctor]
Negative news coverage and anti-war slanted media reports kill U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians, but hey, it’s all in the name of “democracy”.
Periods of intense news media coverage in the United States of criticism about the war, or of polling about public opinion on the conflict, are followed by a small but quantifiable increases in the number of attacks on civilians and U.S. forces in Iraq, according to a study by Radha Iyengar, a Robert Wood Johnson Scholar in health policy research at Harvard and Jonathan Monten of the Belfer Center at the university’s Kennedy School of Government.
The increase in attacks is more pronounced in areas of Iraq that have better access to international news media, the authors conclude in a report titled “Is There an ‘Emboldenment’ Effect? Evidence from the Insurgency in Iraq.”

HUMOR / SATIRE

Day By Day

Hillary Defends Against 'Swiftboating' on Bosnia -- [ScrappleFace]
(2008-03-25) — After a CBS News video appeared on YouTube contradicting former First Lady Hillary Clinton’s account of her 1996 landing in Bosnia “under sniper fire”, a spokesman for Sen. Clinton’s presidential campaign said unnamed critics were trying to “swiftboat” her “in a fashion reminiscent of what they did to John Kerry in 2004.”

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