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

Operational Update: Maj. Gen. Bergner, Maj. Gen. Atta, June 4 -- [MNF-I]
IMPROVED SECURITY
For the third week in a row security incidents in Iraq are at the lowest levels in four years. These numbers reflect fewer attacks on Iraqi civilians, fewer attacks on Iraqi and Coalition Forces, and fewer attacks on the Government’s infrastructure. These security gains follow the coordinated offensive operations over the past year, and the recent security operations in Baghdad, Mosul, and Basra. They are being achieved today even as the fourth of five Brigade Combat Teams is returning home, and that includes two Marine battalions and a Marine Expeditionary Unit have already returned home.
A key factor in these joint operations has been the steadily increasing capacity of the Iraqi Security Forces. Iraqi military leaders have planned, led, and executed recent operations in Iraq’s largest cities. Iraqi soldiers and police have shown their capacity to clear neighborhoods of thugs and criminals, and at the same time distribute emergency aid and take care of the local citizens. Iraqi pilots have increased the number of sorties flown to support ground operations. Iraqi sailors have re-established security at Iraq’s vital ports. As a whole, the Iraqi Security Forces have made great strides in expanding their capability.

Genesis (II) -- [Greyhawk]
On reasons for success in Iraq - from part one
In reality both the increase in US troops and the development of "awakening councils" were crucial. For example, recall that with no safe havens in Anbar, al Qaeda fled to Baqubah in Diyala Province. Months would pass before that could be addressed, but as Mike Yon would report, the combination of US surge forces and the 1920's Revolution Brigades (who like the Anbar tribes had turned on al Qaeda) were able to secure the area.
Like most Americans, Barack Obama knows very little about Iraq.
In fact embracing (or perhaps outright creating) the "Awakening" movement did prove to be the lynchpin in the success of "the surge" - without which the Awakening Movement would have failed.
Here I must acknowledge what some may perceive as a bias. I was part of the surge. In the Winter of 2007, as I explained the surge and discussed tipping points I was also preparing to go. By Spring I was in Iraq with a unit in Multi National Division-Center, the division formed as part of the surge.

Exodus (II) -- [Greyhawk]
As the rest of the world debates the "progress" in Iraq, displaced Iraqis are returning home. One might think that would be cause for hope leading to calls for support. If so, one would be wrong.
Back in October I attempted to explain what was going on in Iraq in as few words as possible. I was busy - there was a war still going on ("we've won" not being the same as "it's over") so it wasn't until November that I had time to offer further details. But around that time American media sources essentially confirmed what I was saying - they stopped covering Iraq in all but a cursory fashion. (The news coverage we'll be examining below comes from foreign sources.)
I'd actually had the sense that we'd tipped the scales a few weeks earlier, but was waiting for a non-violent end of Ramadan (generally a period of increasingly violent al Qaeda attacks in Iraq - if the group has any capability) to express the thought "out loud". It's likely that Iraqi refugees were awaiting the same signal - because at that point they began to return.

Mahdi Army Commanders Captured - [Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal]
Iraqi police announced the arrest of five senior leaders of the Mahdi Army in the city of Karbala as assassination attempts were made on three police commanders in Baghdad and southern Iraq. The largest attack occurred in a Shia neighborhood in Baghdad, and resulted in more than 13 killed and 50 wounded. The Karbala police announced the captureof Mahdi Army commanders Ali Abd Taan, Sayyid Munadil, Muhsin Sharea, Haidar Jouri, and Razzaq al Samma. The five men lead a Mahdi Army unit in Karbala that was behind attacks on Iraqi police forces during a religious festival in August 2007. The attacks led to the closing down of the festival and a declaration of a unilateral cease-fire by Mahdi Army and Sadrist movement leader Muqtada al Sadr.

10th Mountain Division assumes MND-C mission -- [Task Force Marne]
A bright red and white flag with the words “Climb to Glory” now flies above Multi-National Division - Center headquarters, symbolizing the transfer of authority from the 3rd Infantry Division to the 10th Mountain Division, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Apache Takes Out Insurgent With 30mm In Iraq

Apache Takes Out Insurgent With 30mm In Iraq "Insurgent Body Flying"
AH-64 Followed An Insurgent Who Is Carrying Ak-47 And He Was Shooting At Iraqi Army Check Point, 2 Of His Insurgent Team Has Been Taken Out By Apache At Begining And The 3rd Insurgent Escaped, But Later The Second Apache Found Him And Taken Him Out By 30mm While He Is On The Way Back Home.

US Marines FireFight With Insurgents In Iraq

US Marines Engage Insurgents With Small Arms In Iraq.

Can the U.S. and Iraq Have a Long-Term Relationship? -- [Iraq the Model - Mohammed Fadhil, iraqi blogger]
Iraqi society and the broader Muslim world are debating a proposed long-term security arrangement between Iraq and the U.S. But will Tehran's allies smother it?
...The national scope of this debate goes beyond the talk of politicians –who are trying to use their position on the agreement for electoral campaigning– and people’s talk in the streets to Friday prayer sermons. Interestingly, the issue has also attracted curiously broad attention from Arab and regional leaders and media.

From The Frontline - June 3

This edition features stories from U.S. Marines and Sailors serving under the Regimental Combat Team 1 in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. Provided by Regimental Combat Team 1.

NSN-No Shit News -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
Local Sheiks in our area have continued to tell of stories about how life was with Al-Qaida present. The evil that existed and now, its not a new way of life, it’s a new era. Economy growing, shops opening, insurgents are now the outcast, not the shop owner, not the Iraqi Policeman, the insurgents. I remember how it was on my previous deployments; it was not a good way of life for any of the above, except for the enemy. Now things are back in the peoples hands. Why can’t some Americans see this? Why can’t they see the growth of the Iraq’s, their leadership taking steps, their cohesion? May be those that deny it see it but ignore it. The insurgents see this, and they hate it. Maybe a letter from one insurgent to another would read like this.

Apache Engage Insurgent Sniper Hideout With 30mm In Iraq "Close Air Support"

AH-64 Takes Out Insurgent Sniper Hide Out In Iraq.

U.S. spokesman suggests further troop withdrawal from Iraq -- [Voices of Iraq]
Baghdad, Jun 4, (VOI) – A spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq on Wednesday said that a further withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq is on the cards, reiterating his country's assertions that negotiations with Iraq on the long-term security agreement are moving forward. "Four of the five brigades, which were added to the Multi-National Force (MNF) in Iraq in June 2007, have pulled out. In July 2008, the remaining brigade, along with two Marine battalions, will follow suit," General Kevin Bergner said during a Baghdad-based press conference today.
Bergner said that a further troop withdrawal will be possible after commanders submit their reports about the progress of the security situation to the top commander.

10-Year-Old Al-Qaeda Girl Carries Out Suicide Bombing In Iraq -- [MEMRI Blog]
An Iraqi security source reports that Al-Qaeda sent a 10-year-old girl to carry out a suicide bombing at an Al-Sahwa (Awakening) forces building in a village north of Ba'aqubah, Iraq.
The girl blew herself up near the building but no one else was wounded.

Iraq in real time P.1-- [Washington Times]
Avid news readers may have a hard time visualizing the surge in Iraq, or even understanding just what the new strategy has meant for troops in harm's way.
Filmmaker J.D. Johannes is here to help. Johannes went to Iraq, video camera in hand, and captured key elements of the surge. Now, his findings are part of a three-episode documentary called “Outside the Wire.”
Even viewers who consider themselves up to speed on the latest news from Iraq will appreciate the clarity, and context, delivered by the episodes. Viewers can see the benefits of U.S. soldiers getting to know their Iraqi counterparts, the struggle citizens had in deciding between embracing the insurgency or the occupiers and the cultural norms that fed into the raging violence that struck the country post-Saddam Hussein.
It’s all about context, and it’s one reason why Johannes, a former Marine, is frustrated by many news accounts flooding out of Iraq. “I really paid attention to larger themes. What is the surge? What is the Anbar awakening?” he says of his documentary.

Hannah - Iraq

"This is a little girl that was kind of like the Battery Mascot while in Iraq..."

Soldiers Operate Out of Former Seminary

Middle Eastern Night at the MWR -- [James Aalan Bernsen - in Iraq]
The MWR is where soldiers and others on base go to relax, sit on real, authentic couches, use computers, play pool and watch television. Although the television's almost always tuned into wrestling, so I don't think you could call it relaxing. MWR stands for Morale, Welfare and Recreation, and every base has one of these places that ostensibly gives us a chance to unwind and take our minds off the war.

AFGHANISTAN

Marines in Afghanistan: Garmsir finally quiet -- [Military Watch]
After more than a month of fighting, as in this Associated Press file photo, Marines in southern Afghanistan are reporting that the Helmand Province town of Garmsir is finally subdued.
The operation, planned to last up to 12 days when it was launched April 28, was aimed at eradicating an insurgent command center in Garmsir and seizing control of the region, which was used as a major insurgent staging center and smuggling route for opium and weapons.
During Operation Asada Wosa, the Marines reported about 150 enemy engagements, mostly involving small arms, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. Marines discovered just under 50 insurgent caches of bomb-making materiel, RPGs, mines and other explosives.

24th MARINE EXPEDITIONARY

Fighting the evil of the Taliban, Afghanistan.

Progress stems from key Afghan meeting -- [Combined Joint Task Force - 101]
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (June 2, 2008) — Parliament Leaders, Village Elders and other government officials attend a meeting at the Governor's Compound in the district of Mahmood Raqi, located in the Kapisa province, Afghanistan, to discuss recent issues that have arisen with construction contractors,

Soldiering On - 30-05-2008:

After suffering their first casualty, the Lithuanians serving in Afghanistan have no choice but to soldier on.

Confined to Afghan outpost by rocket attacks, unit finds ways to pass the time -- [Stars and Stripes]
Zerok Combat Outpost, at the edge of a plateau about 7,700 feet above sea level, is surrounded by mountain ridges rising several hundred feet higher. Enemies love to climb on the far side of those ridges and lob rockets and missiles toward the soldiers below.
...Soldiers admit that the days can run together. "I don’t know what date it is," Spc. Corey McRae admits. "I don’t know what day of the week it is." Attacks serve to break up the monotony, according to Thornburg. "It’s about 95, 96 percent boredom with about 5 percent excitement," he said.

This Is Insane, But Normal -- [Strategy Page]
June 3, 2008: The ceasefire across the border in Pakistan has led to a resumption of Taliban recruiting over there, and sending the gunmen into Afghanistan to terrorize people into supporting the Taliban. In Pakistan, the Taliban have 10,000-20,000 armed tribesmen at their disposal. The Pakistani has about 100,000 soldiers and locally recruited (and thus of dubious loyalty) border guards who are withdrawing from tribal territory as part of a peace deal (that will, hopefully, reduce Islamic terror attacks inside Pakistan). The Pakistani Taliban get paid for fighting in Afghanistan, mainly to protect the heroin production and shipping operations.

Fire fight

fire fight in Afghanistan

History Lesson 101 -- [The SandGram - in Afghansitan]
This came from our XO, a fine young Air Force Officer who gave us a short brief on the Hazara. If you have read “Kite Runner” then you already have an idea of who the Hazara are and how they are treated. Here is a little background on them. This whole country is based off of tribes and clans, which makes putting them all together very difficult. We had a group of Police Recruits get into a fight last week because one group was Pashtu and the other Dari. They took to each other with metal pipes and caused some injuries but no deaths. See, there is the problem, they hate each other and it could be something that dates back to a bad business deal a century ago. Almost like the Hatfield and McCoys. Anyway, enjoy your first History lesson.

Sarkani Key Leader Engagement

A leader engagement to advance agriculture, education and infrastructure to the people of Sarkani, Afghanistan.

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Rezko Guilty on 16 Counts -- [PJM - Rick Moran]
Obama friend and fundraiser Tony Rezko has been convicted of being deeply involved in criminal activity connected to powerful politicians. Will he now make a deal with prosecutors and begin implicating others?
New From MEMRI TV: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: The Countdown for the Decline of America's Demonic Power Has Begun. Zionist Germ of Corruption Will Be Wiped off the Face of the Earth -- [MEMRI Blog]
(transcript): Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Our beloved Imam [Khomeini], you commanded that the arrogant [powers] of the world must be destroyed. You commanded that the global rule of hegemony must be removed. I'd like to say that thanks to you illuminating presence, thanks to your guidance, thanks to your ardent and divine words, thanks to the continuance of your illuminating rule, and thanks to the steadfastness of the Iranian people, today, the cruel and arrogant [powers] have reached a total dead end, and thanks to God, the countdown for the decline of America's demonic power has begun.

Obama: Kenyans react

(CNN)- David McKenzie gets local reaction in Kenya to Sen. Barack Obama's victory.

Good news: Hamas unendorses Obama -- [Hot Air]
The Illinois senator was ridiculed, criticized and generally harassed back in April when a top Hamas adviser, Ahmed Yousef, told a radio interviewer that the Palestinian militant group — considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government — liked Obama and hoped he would win the U.S. presidential election…
That may have changed Wednesday, when Obama went before American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington a day after clinching the Democratic nomination and declared his strong support for Israel…
“Obama’s comments have confirmed that there will be no change in the U.S. administration’s foreign policy on the Arab-Israeli conflict,” Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters in Gaza.
...That’s one mighty thorough unendorsement, which is curious given that they only “endorsed” him in the first place six weeks ago, after he’d spent the past year telling anyone who’d listen how much he loves Israel.

On the 40th Anniversary of His Assassination: Robert Kennedy's 1948 Reports from Palestine
"The Jews informed the British government that 600 Iraqi troops were going to cross into Palestine from Trans-Jordan by the Allenby Bridge on a certain date and requested the British to take appropriate action to prevent this passage. The troops crossed unmolested....I saw several thousand non-Palestinian Arab troops in Palestine, including many of the famed British-trained and equipped Arab legionnaires of King Abdullah [of Trans-Jordan]. There were also soldiers from Syria, Lebanon, Iraq."
"The Arabs in command believe that eventually victory must be theirs. It is against all law and nature that this Jewish state should exist. They...promise that if it does become a reality it will never have as neighbors anything but hostile countries, which will continue the fight militarily and economically until victory is achieved."

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

How to measure al Qaeda's defeat -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
In an article published in the Washington Post on Friday May 30, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden is quoted as portraying al Qaeda movement as
"essentially defeated in Iraq and Saudi Arabia and on the defensive throughout much of the rest of the world, including in its presumed haven along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border."
The article said Hayden asserts that
"Osama bin Laden is losing the battle for hearts and minds in the Islamic world and has largely forfeited his ability to exploit the Iraq war to recruit adherents." More importantly, the article quotes the chief intelligence declaring a "near strategic defeat of al-Qaeda in Iraq; near strategic defeat for al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia; significant setbacks for al-Qaeda globally -- and here I'm going to use the word 'ideologically' -- as a lot of the Islamic world pushes back on their form of Islam."

Wael Julaidan, Founder of al Qaeda, Back in Action in Saudi Arabia? -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
Is Wael Julaidan, founder of al Qaeda and one of only two Saudis ever designated as terrorist financiers by the Saudi regime and supposedly out of circulation, back in the public spotlight? It would seem so.
According to the English language Saudi paper, the the Arab News Julaidan was a featured speaker at a recent conference hosted by the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY).
...This would mean, in essence, that one of the very few actions the Saudis claimed to have taken against the financiers and sympathizers of al Qaeda, was a bogus as almost every other step the Kingdom has claimed to have taken.

UPDATED (w/complete text of statement): Al-Qaida Claims Attack on Danish Embassy in Islamabad -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of a communiqué issued by senior Al-Qaida commander Mustafa Abu al-Yazid claiming responsibility for the June 2 suicide bombing attack on the Danish embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. According to al-Yazid, “one of the courageous heroes from Al-Qaida executed a martyrdom operation… targeting the Danish Embassy in Islamabad… We will soon publish more information…

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

That's Bob in the middle... but who the heck are those other two guys? -- [Soldiers Angels' Germany]
In typical fashion, Bob calls himself nothing but a "conduit" and gives all the credit to others. Not just to the generous donors in and around the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, but also to his contacts downrange.
...I had the pleasure of seeing Bob again recently - this time during a trip to Germany with some of his students. He made a point of adding Landstuhl to the group's agenda giving me and Chris, a fellow Soldiers' Angel and nurse at Landstuhl, the opportunity to tell his students about our Heroes and their caregivers.
What a role model. Don't you wish America had more professors like Bob?
A big BZ and many thanks to Bob, his wife Cindy, the good folks at Kenan-Flagler Business School, UNC - Chapel Hill, CPT Guthrie, and everyone else who supported this effort to show the Soldiers of the 173rd how much we care for them. Airborne! Sky Soldiers!

MILITARY

Vindication For Marine Charged in Haditha Cover-up -- [PJM - Bob Owens]
Lt. Andrew Grayson has been acquitted of charges that he helped cover up the killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha. With charges dropped against five of the eight Marines involved the incident and only two more trials to go - apologies may soon be in order.

The Possible Failure of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," in the Armed Services -- [TownHall]
...This is believed to be the opening salvo in an effort to repeal the 1993 law which relates to eligibility for military service. The intent of some is to repeal the measure passed in 1993 by a strongly Democratic Congress. That measure became, thanks to President William J. (Bill) Clinton, what is known as the "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy about homosexuality for the Armed Forces.
Repeal of that policy would likely not fly in this Congress. But liberals anticipate strong gains in the 2008 elections, possibly as many as 40 Senate and House of Representatives seats. With that margin there would be little doubt that the policy would change,

WELCOME HOME

Families Welcome Home 185th Airmen From Active Duty -- [KTIV, IA]
Fifty airmen from the 185th Air Refueling Wing are home safe after serving six weeks on active duty in Afghanistan supporting "Operation: Enduring Freedom.

Homecoming from Iraq 'a wonderful day' -- [The News Journal]
.."It's a wonderful day," she said while waiting for her nephew, Michael Emmell, "but I just feel like crying right now."
She and her husband, Danny, who live in Glasgow, joined more than 2,000 others who were waiting for the Delaware Army National Guard's 153rd Military Police Company to get home from more than a year's deployment in Iraq.

Home

Welcome home for Iraq herores (UK) -- [ Leyland Guardian]
A heroes welcome awaited Leyland soldiers who returned home from Iraq after a gruelling six month tour.
Hundreds of family and friends gathered at TA Kimberley Barracks in Preston on Friday for the homecoming of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, including two Leyland soldiers who stepped off the bus to a rapture of applause.
...The soldier, who had served in Iraq before, added: "It is great to have everybody here to welcome us home but it is strange because we didn't have any of this the first time around.

POLITICS

"Bipartisan GI bill excludes GOP leadership " -- [Washington Times]
Democratic Sen. Jim Webb outflanked top Republicans by courting veterans groups to create a "21st Century GI Bill," a legislative gambit that has again put GOP lawmakers at odds with President Bush and the party's presumptive presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain.
Most major veterans groups, who generally have been supportive of the Bush administration, are solidly behind the measure to expand college aid for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and they want Mr. Bush to reconsider his promised veto.
"This was clearly a cooperative operation, bipartisan and with involvement with the veterans service organizations," said Steve Robertson, legislative affairs director with the American Legion. "That's why I think everyone's pretty much in sync with it... it was a group effort."
Veterans groups say that wasn't the case with a competing and less-costly Republican proposal sponsored by Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Richard M. Burr of North Carolina and Mr. McCain of Arizona.
"We didn't have that much input into [the Republican version] - there was no dialogue to my knowledge other than 'this is it,'" Mr. Robertson said.

Barack Obama: Wrong On Iraq- Wrong On Haditha -- [Gateway Pundit]
If it were up to Barack Obama America would have surrendered Iraq, a violent bloodbath would have ensued. Not event the possibility of a genocide was reason enough for Obama to keep US troops in Iraq.
Thank goodness Barack Obama did not get his way.
Today Iraq is a great success story thanks to the Bush Surge:
** Al-Qaeda in Iraq is at its weakest state since the US invasion in 2003.
** US fatalities continue to decline to all-time lows
** Sectarian attacks and deaths in Baghdad have decreased by more than 90%
** Al-Qaeda in Iraq is even reporting a 94% drop in attacks.
When asked about the Haditha incident in June 2006 on Hannity and Colmes, Barack Obama joined with rat John Murtha who said that US troops had killed innocents "in cold blood."

Michelle Obama Initiates Black Militant "Pound" Salute.

.. then Barack pats her behind. Very presidential. PhsheeAww!

An Open Offer to U.S. Senators -- [Michael Yon]
Whatever we do in Iraq from here forward, we must strive to make better decisions than those made between 2003 and 2006. And one way to achieve that is by making certain that our civilian leaders are fully informed. All three candidates for President are extremely intelligent, but that doesn't mean that all three are tracking the truth on the ground in Iraq. Anyone who wants to be President of the United States needs to see Iraq without the distorting lenses of the media or partisan politics. I would be honored to visit Iraq with Senator Obama, Senator Clinton, Senator McCain or any of their Senate colleagues.
I hereby offer to accompany any Senator to Iraq, whether they are pro-or anti-war, Democrat or Republican. I will make this offer personally to a few select Senators as well. Our conversations during the visit would be on- or off-record, as they wish. Touring Iraq with me, as well as briefings by U.S. officers and meetings with Iraqis, would provide an accurate and nuanced account of the progress and challenges ahead, so that the Senators might have a highly informed perspective on this most critical issue. Our civilian leaders need to make decisions based on the best information available. The only way to learn what is really going on in Iraq is to go there and listen to our ground commanders, who know what they are doing.

Obama's Evolving Position on Iran. -- [ABC News]
Don’t call Barack Obama an appeaser.
In his speech Wednesday before the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, Obama sounded a bit like the more hawkish officials in the Bush administration.
He said the military option is “on the table” for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program, and in stark contrast to earlier statements, he said he would meet with Iranian leaders “if and only if it can advance the interest of the United States.”
Obama’s tone was strikingly different from it has been in the past
During a debate last summer, he said he would be willing to meet with Iranian leaders and other American adversaries “without preconditions” during the first year of his presidency. Today, he made it clear that we should not expect a President Obama to be sitting down with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad any time soon

Obama-mania lost on paratroopers -- [BlackFive]
Got this email from a paratrooper
(By the way... I watched this on CNN being aired on AFN as I sat down to eat chow the other night at 0200 hours... In Iraq)
..During this speech he mentioned how he was going to get all the troops out of Iraq...
He also stated how there were no Al Qaida in Iraq...
Note: My friends and I would like nothing more than to come home!
Now if you think we are going to be able to just pick up at the stroke of a pen and get all the troops out of these wars... you are sadly mistaken.
...There is a reason why - if you watched the news over the past few days that the overall majority of places in the mostly muslim populated countries think Obama being nominated is a good thing... figure it out. Appeasement - The theory of "if we suck up to these guys and give them countless millions in funds, they will like us... Hate to tell you - it doesn't work. The people in AQ are committed and patient and what they are committed and patient to doing is killing your infidel asses.
As for the no AQ in Iraq...
The well trained paratroopers are working hard on that!
Trust me - there are a lot less...

Why Obama Must Go to Iraq -- [WSJ - PETE HEGSETH]
Earlier this year, I spent five days in Iraq, walking the same streets in Baghdad where I had served two years earlier as an infantry platoon leader in the 101st Airborne Division.
The visit reinforced for me not only the immense complexity of the war – so often lost in our domestic political debate – but also the importance of taking the time to visit Iraq to talk with the soldiers and Marines serving on the front lines in order to grasp the changing dynamics of a fluid battlefield.
Obama has traveled to Iraq just once – in January 2006. This was more than a year before Gen. David Petraeus took command and the surge began. It was also several months before Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government came into office. Although Mr. Obama frequently criticizes the Iraqi leader on the campaign trail, he has never actually met him.
...Mr. Obama has dismissed the value of such trips, suggesting they are stage-managed productions designated to obfuscate, not illuminate, the truth. This has become an all-too-common sentiment within the Democratic Party

Obama vs. McCain: The Gloves Come Off -- [PJM - Rick Moran]
Barack Obama's historic nomination victory was only the first step. Now the election campaign begins in earnest. Fasten your seatbelts: as Tuesday night's speeches demonstrated, the coming battle will be rough.

Michelle Obama to be guest host on ‘The View’ -- [CNN]
NEW YORK (AP) — Michelle Obama will be a guest host on “The View” on June 18. — The popular ABC daytime talk show had invited her to be a guest this month, but she sent back word that she would like to be a host like Cindy McCain did in April …

Blogger Conference Calls: McCain Invites Critics From Right & Left -- [NewsBusters]
With the traditional media admitting they find it hard to curb their enthusiasm for Barack Obama, John McCain demonstrated again today that he is reaching out to the new media, giving blogging critics from the right and left the opportunity to participate in the blogger conference calls he has been regularly conducting. The Washington Times noted the phenomenon in an article of May 16, McCain widens dialogue on blogs, reporting that three of the seven questions in the May 15 conference call were posed by liberal-leaning bloggers.

THE MEDIA

Ban on Iraq war propaganda faces fight -- [Washington Times]
Current law doesn't regulate retired officers
Congressional Democrats want to ban Pentagon propaganda on the Iraq war, but they are likely to find that enforcement is easier said than done.
An existing legal prohibition, for example, didn't deter a Pentagon program aimed at influencing retired military officers frequently interviewed by the news media. It also didn't prevent a culture within the Bush administration that former White House spokesman Scott McClellan claims favored propaganda over honesty in selling the war to the public. And what is propaganda anyway? Nearly every press briefing involves a military or civilian official trying to influence the interpretation of events.
...On April 20, the New York Times uncovered a six-year Pentagon program that cultivated several dozen military analysts to generate favorable news coverage of the war. These retired military generals were given talking points, taken on trips to Guantanamo Bay prison and Iraq, given access to classified intelligence and briefed personally by senior defense officials, including then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, according to e-mails, transcripts and other records provided to the Times and eventually released by the Defense Department.
That the officers maintained extensive ties to the Pentagon after retirement wasn't surprising, as is custom among military's senior ranks. But the program seemed to unfairly reward these new media personalities and the defense companies that employed them as lobbyists with plum access to the department as long as the retired officers spoke in favor of the war.

TNR's James Kirchick: Pat Buchanan is a Nazi Because His Father Was? -- [NewsBusters]
The New Republic has a rather interesting "book review" penned by James Kirchick on its website. It is a piece of work that really takes the cake for name calling, guilt by association, sins of the Father being visited on the son and serves as an all around typical example of a piece that lacks seriousness. It begins well enough, yet ends devolving into simple name calling with Kirchick basically saying author Pat Buchanan is a nazi lover and in sympathy with "authoritarians" because Pat's father liked "General Franco."

McClellan's Bush-Bashing Book to be Made Into a Movie? -- [NewsBusters]
Honestly, do Hollywoodans have no shame?
If rumors swirling around Tinseltown about a movie being made about Scott McClellan's new Bush-bashing book "What Happened" are true, the answer to that question is a resounding "No."

HUMOR / SATIRE

Day By Day

American troops having fun in Iraq

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