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This story may be worth a chuckle - but it's just one illustration of the huge disconnect between the US military and the American press. That sort of rigid, misinformed belief in stereotypes is just one symptom of a larger disease - other manifestations include outright hostility and contempt.
Glenn Reynolds on press negativity about Iraq. Follow the various links and you'll encounter Knight Ridder's Baghdad bureau chief, Hannah Allam:
"Mr. Yost could have come with me today as I visited one of my own military buddies, who like most officers doesn't leave the protected Green Zone compound except by helicopter or massive convoy. The Army official picked me up in his air-conditioned Explorer, took me to Burger King for lunch and showed me photos of the family he misses so terribly. The official is a great guy, and like so many other soldiers, it's not politics that blind him from seeing the real Iraq.That's an interesting argument - the military officers in the Green Zone have no idea what's going on in Iraq. One would think that with all the balanced press coverage they wouldn't need to venture out from their protective walls to learn about the crushing defeat of the US military there."The compound's maze of tall blast wall and miles of concertina wire obscure the view, too.
USA Today, for instance, presents an exhaustive, page-one examination of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment - a group that the author indicates is all but defeated by the Iraqi insurgency.
Their "...patriotic fervor now seems spent". They are "angry to be back" in Iraq. "Evidence of victory is scant" "they just want to go home" "Their loved ones suffer with them." Their patrols are "dark and nightmarish" (and are actually compared to a Disneyland ride in the story). As with all such "news reports" from Iraq, there are no direct quotes from any Marine supporting the overall tone of the piece - in fact there are no positive notes whatsoever. We must take the author's word for it: these Marines have been beaten. Badly. They are just barely keeping a tenuous grip on their own humanity. The Marines may have a different perspective - but it doesn't appear here.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post, echoing Allam, takes a look at the stinking, festering hell-hole that is Baghdad, and compares it with the view from the military officers in the Green Zone:
On the city's streets, the daily reality involves death, random violence and routine deprivations for people who are beyond anger. But a different view has been presented in the Green Zone, the concrete-barricaded headquarters for U.S. troops, diplomats and contractors, and the interim Iraqi government. There, the situation is described as progressing toward a gradual handover from U.S. forces to Iraqi control.Here's a quick look back at some other recent Mudville posts on the emerging themes in curernt press coverage of the military.
The mercenary military is increasingly distant from American society.
Closing where we began, here's Michael Fumento:
Yost was right; media coverage on the war is terribly slanted ? such that it may threaten our ability to win.Of course, that's just his opinion.
(Background on the Yost brouhaha here. Must-read if you aren't familiar with the story.)
Can you count on reporters to provide the unvarnished truth about Iraq? Are they familiar with the troops that are so often the subject of their reports? Or do they subscribe to some pre-conceived, deeply ingrained prejudice about the situation? I think this offers insight.
The Los Angeles Times polled it's staffers who have covered the U.S. military in Iraq for their opinions of the TV show "Over There". In response to the question "Do the characters seem real?" Five out of six said "yes".
We rounded up MilBlog response to the program here. The main complaint from those reviews was that the characters are simple-minded cliches - caricatures of real people. "Dope-smoking Black Guy" "Screaming Sarge" "Stupid Loo-tenant" "College Boy" "Ignorant Patriotic Texan" etc etc.
I suppose, as with every aspect of the war on terror, the reporters and the actual participants have different points of view. Draw your own conclusions.
We interrupt the latest reports about terrorist atrocities with a news bulletin: Support for suicide bombings and Islamic extremism, along with hatred of the Great Satan, is actually waning in the Muslim world.Via The Corner. Cliff May's headline can't be beat - "Why Don't They Hate Us?"If that comes as a surprise, it's because of the old adage that good news is no news. While the increase of anti-Americanism around the world and especially in Muslim countries has been exhaustively covered since 2001, not enough attention has been paid to an important survey released in the last month that found global opinion shifting in a more positive direction.
<...>
The percentage of people holding a favorable impression of the United States increased in Indonesia (+23 points), Lebanon (+15), Pakistan (+2) and Jordan (+16). It also went up in such non-Muslim nations as France, Germany, Russia and India.
Related post here.
And something new from Russ Vaughn:
Handmaidens of Terror?
Michelle Malkin notes, I believe with some error,
The politically correct are handmaidens of terror.
But handmaiden may be a too-mild appellation
For the worms at the core of the threat to our nation,
Who are far more concerned with our socialist purity,
Than commonsense measures for our nation?s security.
They?ll insist we don?t need anti-terrorist powers,
Till terror bombs blow down their own ivory towers.
More than mere handmaids in true servile sense,
They?re concubines of correctness in Jihadist tents,
Plying socialist sweetmeats to death-dealing masters,
Naively abetting more future disasters.
Respect our dark brothers say these houris beguiling,
No need for your paranoid, racist profiling.
Forget swarthy males from the East caused our losses,
We must share their pain, understand their root causes.
These handmaids ignore their own reasoning powers,
Like no grannies flew planes into those twin towers;
Or why we?re not shown after a terror event,
Any mug shots of men of Caucasian descent.
They insist we ignore facts as plain as their faces,
Like Islamo-fascists tend to be certain races.
No, Michelle, dear, I fear that handmaiden?s in error,
Simply too mild a term for these true whores for terror.
Russ Vaughn
(Inspired by Michelle Malkin?s column here)
Anne Applebaum searches the globe for Pro-Americanism:
Anecdotally, it isn?t hard to come up with examples of famous pro?Americans, even on the generally anti?American continents of Europe and Latin America. There are political reformers such as Vaclav Havel, who has spoken of how the U.S. Declaration of Independence inspired his own country?s founding fathers. There are economic reformers such as Jos預i, the man who created the Chilean pension system, who admire American economic liberty. There are thinkers, such as the Iraqi intellectual Kanan Makiya, who openly identify the United States with the spread of political freedom. At a recent event in his honor in Washington, Makiya publicly thanked the Americans who had helped his country defeat Saddam Hussein. (He received applause, which was made notably warmer by the palpable sense of relief: At least someone over there likes us.) All of these are people with very clear, liberal, democratic philosophies, people who either identify part of their ideology as somehow ?American,? or who are grateful for American support at some point in their countries? history.Read the whole thing (free registration required).<...>
Looking at age patterns in other generally anti?American countries can be equally revealing. In Canada, Britain, Italy, and Australia, for example, all countries with generally high or very high anti?American sentiments, people older than 60 have relatively much more positive feelings about the United States than their children and grandchildren. When people older than 60 are surveyed, 63.5 percent of Britons, 59.6 percent of Italians, 50.2 percent of Australians, and 46.8 percent of Canadians feel that the United States is a ?mainly positive? influence on the world. For those between the ages of 15 and 29, the numbers are far lower: 31.9 percent (Britain), 37.4 percent (Italy), 27 percent (Australia), and 19.9 percent (Canada). Again, that isn?t surprising: All of these countries had positive experiences of American cooperation during or after the Second World War. The British of that generation have direct memories, or share their parents? memories, of Winston Churchill?s meetings with Franklin Roosevelt; the Canadians and Australians fought alongside American G.I.s; and many Italians remember that those same G.I.s evicted the Nazis from their country, too.
Update: Related story here.
Remember the hand grenade incident?
Here's an update:
A man arrested after a fatal shootout with police has admitted throwing a grenade at a rally in May where U.S. President George W. Bush was making a speech, a Georgian official said last Wednesday.Powerline has more.
An Arizona National Guardsman who had been openly critical of the war in Iraq on his Web log has been punished for violating operational security and for 11 counts of disobeying orders, according to Multinational Coalition Force-Iraq.I wonder if we've heard the last of this story?Spc. Leonard A. Clark was busted down one rank to private first class, fined $820 per month for two months and sentenced to 45 days restriction and 45 days of extra duty.
Via email, a note from a former student of Stanford history professor David Kennedy (background here):
Full disclosure: David Kennedy was a professor of mine my freshman year, and I enjoyed his History of Democracy class very much. Anyways, I think you may have the wrong idea about the Mercenary Army idea. You see, Kennedy asked me to join that army.I encourage readers to follow that link. I'll likely post additional commentary on this topic later. For those interested I also recommend this response to Kennedy's NY Times oped from a Minnesota National Guard member who's currently serving in Iraq.Kennedy was the chosen faculty speaker the day before graduation at Stanford this year, and he gave a very good speech, part of which contained everything in that Op-Ed. He may have reworked a few of the paragraphs, but the language looks very familiar. Live, though, there was much more. He challenged us, the graduating seniors, to see to it that the costs of American military action were not borne by only a tiny minority by choosing to serve, among other things. It's lost in the translation to the Op-Ed, but when the speech was given Kennedy more or less told us that we should join the army. He was more forceful about the distinctions between the army and Hessians too, going out of his way to praise men and women in uniform.
I wrote about the speech at the time, and you can still find my reaction at my blog
Update/correction: Originally mis-identified the author of the second link - corrected!
From Kit Jarrell and Heidi Thiess:
Over the next few installments of this story, you will hear of people like Gary Linderer, Kenn Miller, Frank Souza, and Rey Martinez. You may already know them; in fact, you may own some of their books. Other men in this story - Riley Cox, Tony Tercero, John Reid, and others - may not be as familiar to you, but by the end of it, you will know them all. These men were brought together by the war in Vietnam; their brotherhood forged in blood, sweat, and combat. They have awards, memories, and familiar names etched on a wall as reminders of their time ?in country?, as part of F Company, 58th Long Range Patrol. For some of them, the scars are obvious. For some, they are more hidden; silent and lurking - but for all of them, they are permanent. Such is the nature of war.The story starts there, and ends with accusations of atrocities in 2004. Must read.<...>
On 19 November 1968, two twelve-man ?heavy? reconnaissance teams were inserted five kilometers apart into the Ruong Ruong Valley south of Camp Eagle, their base of operations near the city of Hue.1 The Ruong Ruong was out in the middle of nowhere; deep in the mountains. The entire map they worked in was a ?free-fire zone?, meaning anything that moved was a target according to the U.S. Army. Their mission was to locate the base camp of the North Vietnamese Army?s (NVA) 5th Regiment, which was known to be in the area, and to possibly confirm and identify the presence of a second regiment. Above all, their objective was to not get caught by enemy troops. Get in, find the enemy and get out. As members of one of the Army?s 101st Airborne Long Range Patrol companies, that was their job: Silent, yet deadly.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry said yesterday that he will treat the war on terror "primarily" as law-enforcement action even as he pledged to remain committed to Iraq and to personally plead for international help in policing and rebuilding that nation.Law enforcement update:
"First, that we have the resolve in this country to deal with the subject of terrorism and people who engage in it should be prepared to sacrifice a major portion of their life in confinement....Says Judge John Coughenour, sentencing millennium bomber Ahmed Ressam to serve a maximum of 16 1/2 more years in jail for smuggling explosives into the US in order to blow up the Los Angeles airport.
To be fair, anyone attempting to commit mass murder in the USA will also get a very stern lecture from the judge - something they can reflect upon at length during their two decades of incarceration - less time off for good behavior.
But to be even more fair, that stern lecture will be balanced with language condemning the US tactics used against terrorists.
Blackfive looks at another example of the New York Times' developing meme: the military is increasingly distant from mainstream American society. Says Stanford history professor and mainstream American David M Kennedy:
Leaving questions of equity aside, it cannot be wise for a democracy to let such an important function grow so far removed from popular participation and accountability.He's right, in a limited way. The American Left is far, far out of touch with the American military. Since the abolition of the draft Leftists don't serve.
And when an American Leftist says "mainstream American" they mean themselves - exclusively. They are ignorant of the other, much larger segment of society that does not subscribe to their rigid dogma. (This also is helpful in understanding their confusion over the elected government of the nation.)
Of course, the broader topic of Kennedy's rant is this:
The United States now has a mercenary army. To be sure, our soldiers are hired from within the citizenry, unlike the hated Hessians whom George III recruited to fight against the American Revolutionaries. But like those Hessians, today's volunteers sign up for some mighty dangerous work largely for wages and benefits - a compensation package that may not always be commensurate with the dangers in store, as current recruiting problems testify.Not Nazis, mind you, but that other hated German military force - Hessians. Kennedy also bemoans the "good old days" when Democrats were dragged kicking and screaming by force into the nations military service
Some will find it offensive to call today's armed forces a "mercenary army," but our troops are emphatically not the kind of citizen-soldiers that we fielded two generations ago - drawn from all ranks of society without respect to background or privilege or education, and mobilized on such a scale that civilian society's deep and durable consent to the resort to arms was absolutely necessary.To which Blackfive responds:
This NY Times op-ed is really another indicator of academia's distance from main-stream American society. Stanford History professor David M. Kennedy writes about our mercenary army. He is as clueless as he is pompous.Read the rest over there - it's uses too strong lanquage for me to quote any more at Mudville. ;)
He has Kennedy's email address too, in case any of you Hessians wants to send a shoutout from the mainstream.
Update: A response from a former student of Professor Kennedy, and another from a California Guardsman just back from Iraq here.
Second Purple Heart For Twice Wounded Marine
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Scott M. Biscuiti
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, OKINAWA, Japan (July 22, 2005) -- A humvee carrying four Marines rolls along a quiet dusty road near Al Anbar province, Iraq. The vehicle nears a suspicious pothole in the road and maneuvers around it. An explosion from a double-stacked mine hidden in the pothole thrusts the front end of the vehicle in the air and sends shrapnel flying. The humvee crashes down violently.
All the Marines in the vehicle received the Purple Heart Medal for wounds received. However, for Lance Cpl. Anthony J. St. Dennis, it was his second in less than two months.
?When I joined I figured I would be going (to Iraq), but I never thought I would be a combat veteran or receive a Purple Heart,? said St. Dennis, a stinger missile gunner with1st Stinger Battery, 1st Marine Air Wing.
St. Dennis, a Detroit native, joined the Marine Corps on his 17th birthday but did not choose a specific military occupational specialty.
After completing recruit training at Parris Island S.C., Sept. 3, 2003, he learned he would be a stinger missile gunner with 1st Stinger Battery.
Soon after arriving at the unit in April 2004, St. Dennis learned he would be deploying to Iraq.
?On April 1, he said he was going to Iraq,? said Kathleen B. St. Dennis, Lance Cpl. St. Dennis? mother. ?I asked if it was an April fools joke. He said no.?
During St. Dennis? time in Iraq, he suffered wounds on two separate occasions within a two-month period. Once from an insurgent?s bullet and another from the blast of a mine.
?I didn?t realize I got shot until I got back to base and looked at my arm and saw my blouse soaked in blood,? St. Dennis said about his first wound received in Iraq.
He was a 240G medium machine gunner in the lead vehicle of an explosive ordnance disposal escort team sent to destroy a suspected improvised explosive device. The driver of the vehicle attempted to evade a pothole concealing a double-stacked anti-tank mine, but the pressure of the tire on the ground was enough to set it off, according to St. Dennis.
?I was hit with shrapnel in my right shoulder. It ruptured my left eardrum, and I sustained a concussion,? St. Dennis said.
Every Marine present at the explosion shared the same first thought, and it was not about their own injuries, St. Dennis said.
?The number one thing on my mind was the other Marines,? St. Dennis said. ?The Marines I was there with took care of me, helping me heal up and get me back in the fight.?
Five months after his second wound, St. Dennis learned he would be leaving Iraq and heading home.
?I didn?t know if I?d ever see him, or if he would come back wounded or dead,? said his mother. ?When he left Iraq and went into Kuwait, he said ?Mom, you don?t have to worry anymore.? When he said that, a weight was lifted. I could sleep at night after that.?
Regardless of St. Dennis? location, he maintains a positive attitude about life, according to Lance Cpl. Joseph S. Dwyer, a friend from his unit who served with him in Iraq and received the Purple Heart Medal for wounds received from the mine explosion.
?He?s a jokester,? said Dwyer, a Douglasville, Ga., native. ?He?s the guy who no matter if the situation is good or bad, he makes everyone laugh to ease the tension.?
Though St. Dennis jokes a lot during his off time, he puts the title of Marine before all else, according to Dwyer.
?When it comes to the Marine Corps he is very serious,? Dwyer said. ?If a Marine needs something, he will be the one to take care of it. He puts other Marines before himself.?
This selflessness is a trait instilled by his family and he continues to exhibit it in all aspects of his life, his mother said.
?He paid for his aunt and me to come here with his hard-earned combat pay,? she said proudly. ?It was an honor to meet all his fellow Marines. He is an only child, but now I see how many brothers he really has.?
Family Member Group Press Release
July 27th, 2005
The September 11 Family Group Coalition has released the following statement:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2005
Contact: Anthony Gardner 973-216-2623 (MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY)
New York, N.Y., July 27, 2005 - Fifteen September 11 organizations representing the majority of the families of victims lost in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 today announced the launch of two new initiatives that will help America ?Take Back the Memorial? at Ground Zero.
?Campaign America? is the way that concerned communities across the country can show their support to ?Take Back the Memorial.? Concerned citizens are encouraged to download the Campaign America Resolution located at www.takebackthememorial.org and present it to their local city or town councils for consideration. Municipalities which have passed the resolution, will be listed on the Campaign America Honor Roll located at www.takebackthememorial.org. The passing of the Campaign America Resolution by communities across America will send a powerful message that this is America?s 9/11 Memorial, and American communities will not stand for the International Freedom Center and Drawing Center being located on the World Trade Center site.
The ?Offline Petition Drive? is an extension of the widely successful online petition by www.takebackthememorial.org. Currently the online petition has garnered over 36,000 signatures including nearly 1900 family relatives of September 11 victims. The offline petition will reach supporters without easy access to the internet. We encourage supporters to printout the Petition kit and instructions (available at www.takebackthememorial.org) and gather the signatures of friends, neighbors, and co-workers.
36523 people including 1897 9/11 family members have signed the petition.
SPREAD THE WORD AND HELP GATHER SIGNATURES!
DOWNLOAD THE NEW PETITION KIT
Marine Continues Fight After Recovery From Wound Photo by: Cpl. Tom Sloan
CAMP HURRICANE POINT, AR RAMADI, Iraq -- Lance Cpl. Joseph J. Tellez, a rifleman with 4th Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, shows off the 7.62 mm round that an enemy sniper shot him with June 7. The 21-year-old from Ceres, Calif., was conducting security and stability operations in the Al Anbar capital in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom when the sniper shot him. The round hit Tellez a few inches below his left shoulder, passed through his body and exited an inch below his left nipple. The 2002 Ceres High School graduate returned to full duty a month later to fight terror on the urban battlefield.
"I was shot," Tellez said, adding, "and he shot me in the back."
The round hit Teller hard, but it didn't bring the 6-foot, 230-pound warrior down.
"I felt a sharp pain, but I stayed on my feet," he said. "I quickly checked myself over and saw that blood and all kinds of muscle and fatty tissue dripping on my trousers like a water faucet. I remained calm, though, and my breathing was normal."
After his quick self-assessment, Tellez countered the sniper's attack as he ran for cover.
"I flipped him off," he said, smiling at the fact that he shot the sniper the bird and not with rounds from his M-16 A4. "I didn't know where he was so I couldn't shoot at him. I didn't want him to have the satisfaction of killing a Marine."
Tellez is a three-time veteran of OIF, and this is the first time he's been wounded. His battle scar is currently a quarter-sized, inch-deep, dried-out bullet hole in his chest. He even has the 7.62 mm round that made it.
?I was wearing my medical kit on my Flak Jacket, and the round stuck into it,? he said. ?I?m going to drill a hole in the round and make a necklace out of it.?
Getting shot came as no surprise to Tellez.
?I knew there was a risk of getting killed in the infantry,? he said. ?I?m real patriotic, though, and joined the Marines so I could fight terrorism and protect my family.?
Apparently the people of San Diego didn't read it that way...
A postscript to yesterday's story on the New York Time's fabrication of demands made on Americans by US troops. Times Watch responds to the same story, and notes the obvious holes in the cheese - how exactly would it benefit the GIs if Americans were to bow to their alleged demands?
What those would accomplish for the troops Shanker keeps silent about. Despite the assumption made in that paragraph, none of the military members Shanker quotes actually demand such World War II-era measures as gas rationing (a theme strengthened in the story with archived photos of old propaganda posters).Good to see at least a few people noted that other crucial point too - the Times could offer no actual quotes supporting their claims. The Times is inventing a fictional version of the war in Iraq, fabricating the voices of US soldiers.
Speaking of fictional accounts of the war in Iraq, looks like one's coming soon to a TV near you. The LA Times reports:
"Over There," Steven Bochco's new American-troops-in-Iraq series, uneasily walks a difficult line ? just like its characters.Got that Hollywood does Iraq sick feeling in your stomach yet? How about this:Premiering tonight on FX, "Over There" is the network's second series, after "Rescue Me," to have sprung, in a general way, from the events of 9/11.
Set in contemporary Iraq among the members of a small, variously employed combat unit, and to a lesser extent among the people they left behind, it shares with the earlier, FDNY-set series elements of unusual stress and heavy gear. Co-created by "NYPD Blue" mastermind Steven Bochco (who was approached by FX to develop the series) with Chris Gerolmo, it's technically accomplished, convincingly played and reliably diverting, and it raises a lot of questions ? not so much as to what we're doing or not doing in Iraq, but about what it means to watch a television fiction set there.
Bochco, for one, is not kidding himself about higher purpose: "Our agenda ... is simply, and fundamentally, to create a very compelling entertainment," he says in the video press kit FX sent out with the series' first three episodes. Gerolmo is more expansive: "War is a natural subject of television. It's got all the drama of 'Law & Order' and it's got all the action of '24' and, for better or worse, it's got all the gore of 'CSI.' Why not write about war? ... We can give you a powerful, visceral gut-wrenching experience that the news can't give you."That can mean one of two things, of course. Lefties in America believe that the news doesn't tell how truly awful Iraq is, while troops in Iraq know that the media overemphasizes the bad news from there. Which view does this program present? The first clue that it might actually be a good show comes from the fact that the LA Times reviewer pans it outright:Gerolmo has a point about the growing failure of the news to communicate any sense of the reality of Iraq.
"Over There" seems relatively well-intentioned and -researched, but it falls victim to movie convention and, worse, to a lack of curiosity about its own characters and setting... But for the most part it feels fuzzy, its lack of detail and complexity only somewhat disguised by a plurality of big events.Given this thumbs-down review from the LA Times it sounds like this is definitely a show worth watching. Ironically this "fictional" version of the war in Iraq could easily succeed in telling the real story - in a way the New York Times refuses to.
Wonder if any of the story lines will sound familiar to MilBloggers and readers?
The reviewer also adds that the characters are stereotypes, the soldier's wives are too pretty, the soldiers are portrayed as heroes, and at the heart of all the problems he has with it, this: "There is no blurring of right side and wrong."
That, in the minds of journalists, is the potential cardinal sin of Iraq war reporting - if "there is no blurring of right side and wrong." Apparently that must be blurred - for the sake of what, we don't know. Credibility, perhaps?
Odd - there's no blurring of right and wrong in this piece from the Miami Herald:
As Iraqi insurgents become more skilled at hiding deadly roadside bombs, the Pentagon is scrambling to find new ways to protect American troops.Iraqi insurgents are "skilled" - and Americans are "scrambling". Any questions?
Here's another glowing review of the war on terror from the NY Times:
Despite months of assurances that their forces were on the wane, the guerrillas and terrorists battling the American-backed enterprise here appear to be growing more violent, more resilient and more sophisticated than ever.Sophisticated... violent... precise... resilient...<...>
And the insurgents are choosing their targets with greater precision, and executing and dramatizing their attacks with more sophistication than they have in the past.
The NY Times coverage of "insurgents" in Iraq sounds increasingly like a gaggle of star-struck junior high school girls describing the greasy haired kid with the souped-up moped they think is their dream date. Both types of authors are victims of the blurring of right and wrong.
There's always hope that the middle school girls might outgrow their obsession.
Here's an example from the linked story of exactly what turns the Time's boys on:
Last Sunday, in the Shiite town of Musayyib, about 40 miles south of Baghdad, a suicide bomber dashed beneath a truck full of liquefied gas and blew himself up, igniting a giant fireball that killed more than 70 people and wounded at least 156.Hey - if that's sophisticated by New York definition then I guess I'm proud to be from flyover country.
Here's more precise, sophisticated terrorist behavior, described by MilBlogger Rusten Currie:
My roommate, LT Irish, has been nearly killed for a third time today. The Durkas are tossing TNT at us now. A stick bounced off of LT Irish?s HMMWV, he told me that the first thing he thought as it bounced less than a foot from him, the only thing between him and it was thick armoured glass. He said he wondered why they were tossing road flares at him in daylight. Using them for signaling in broad daylight didn?t make sense. Then he realized what it was.Read the whole thing. The post is really about the blurring of right and wrong. The real blurring of right and wrong - not the sort the LA Times TV critics demand:
LT Irish, saw the man who tried to murder him fleeing into a vehicle, he ordered the gunner to fire at the man and the vehicle. The kid in the turret, not much older than 24 froze. Momentarily paralyzed with the horrific realization that he was about to murder another human being.That sort of unsophisticated response rarely occurs in the enemy camp.
That sort of story could make good television. The sort that gives LA Times reporters fits.
We pause for this brief, important message from Daniel Pipes:
What do Islamist terrorists want? The answer should be obvious, but it is not.A generation ago, terrorists did make clear their wishes. Upon hijacking three airliners in September 1970, for example, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine demanded, with success, the release of Arab terrorists imprisoned in Britain, Switzerland, and West Germany. Upon attacking the B'nai B'rith headquarters and two other Washington, D.C. buildings in 1977, a Hanafi Muslim group demanded the canceling of a feature movie, Mohammad, Messenger of God," $750 (as reimbursement for a fine), the turning over of the five men who had massacred the Hanafi leader's family, plus the killer of Malcolm X.
<...>
Most anti-Western terrorist attacks these days are perpetrated without demands being enunciated. Bombs go off, planes get hijacked and crashed into buildings, hotels collapse. The dead are counted. Detectives trace back the perpetrators' identities. Shadowy websites make post-hoc unauthenticated claims.
But the reasons for the violence go unexplained. Analysts, including myself, are left speculating about motives.
<...>
In nearly all cases, the jihadi terrorists have a patently self-evident ambition: to establish a world dominated by Muslims, Islam, and Islamic law, the Shari'a. Or, again to cite the Daily Telegraph, their "real project is the extension of the Islamic territory across the globe, and the establishment of a worldwide ?caliphate' founded on Shari'a law."
<...>
What the terrorists want is abundantly clear. It requires monumental denial not to acknowledge it, but we Westerners have risen to the challenge.
CENTCOM 's web site has a new feature - a newsletter compiling stories of the accomplishments of CENTCOM troops in their AOR in the war on terror. Don't expect this to be widely read by the teeny-boppers the New York Times calls reporters.
Because they're fair and balanced, CENTCOM now also offers a compilation of news releases from the terrorists too. Here's one of the latest:
"Statement issued by the Shari' ah CourtCoincidentally, that kidnapping of the Algerian envoys was another example cited by the NY Times in supporting their "increasingly sophisticated insurgents" claim. As with their claims about what American troops are saying, it's revealing to contrast the terrorist press releases with the coverage they get in the American media.The court' s decision on the Algerian envoys
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Praise be to God, who says: "In the Law of Equality there is (saving of) Life to you, o ye men of understanding." [part of a Koranic verse]. May God ' s peace and blessings be upon he who obeyed the Sunnah and [the Holy] Book [Prophet Muhammad], upon his household and good companions, and also upon those who follow them charitably until doomsday.
Due to the apostasy of the contemporary despotic governments that gave their legislation and constitutions precedence over God ' s shari ' ah and injunctions, that ruled Muslims evoking instruments other than the Islamic shari ' ah, that did not make do with this, but also fought those who called for obeying the auspicious shari ' ah, killed honest mujahidin and God-fearing scholars, and supported Jews, Christians, and infidels in the course of their war against Islam and Muslims; the ambassadors of these governments and their representatives wherever they are have become legitimate targets for the mujahidin ' s swords. God says: "Then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them." [Part of a Koranic verse]
The prophet, may God ' s peace and blessings be upon him, says: "Kill whoever changes his religion." This hadith is related by Al-Bukhari.
Based on the above, the Shari ' ah Court of the Al-Qa ' ida Organization in the Land of the Two Rivers has decided to carry out God ' s ruling on the diplomatic envoys of the apostate Algerian Government, who are Chief of Mission Ali Belaroussi and diplomatic attache Azzedine Belkadi by killing them.
Another example of terrorists in their own words:
The Secret Organization Group.The Al Qaeda organization in Europe .
In the name of Allah most merciful, most gracious, and may God bless the Prophet Mohammed. The Islamic world should celebrate it is time to revenge the British Zionist Christian government. This is in response to the British participation in the slaughter being carried out in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The heroic holy warriors carried out a blessed attack in London and now Britain is burning from fear, terror and anxiety through its northern, southern, eastern and western corners. We warned the British government and the British people repeatedly - time and time again - and here we are. We have kept our promise and carried out this blessed military attack. This comes after great efforts and the long preparations by the heroic holy warriors to guarantee the success of the attack. We are in the process of continuing our warnings to the Danish and Italian governments and all the Crusader governments that they will receive the same punishment if they do not withdrawal their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Arthur Chrenkoff once again reports an under-reported story. This time it's not good news:
Ateeque Sharifi, 24, who was living in Hounslow, West London, fled Kabul three years ago to seek refuge in Britain. He was the only male member of his family to escape death at the hands of the Taleban...Skilled... sophisticated... violent... precise... resilient...Eight months after arriving in Britain, Mr Sharifi enrolled in West Thames College and began mastering the English language, working in his spare time at a take-away pizza restaurant. Most of his wages were sent to Afghanistan to his younger sister who still lives there.
...He died in the explosion set off by bomber Jermaine Lindsay as their Piccadilly Line train approached the station at Russell Square.
"There is no blurring of right side and wrong."
Indeed.
Update: Two Algerian diplomats who were kidnapped in broad daylight less than a week ago have been killed after receiving a death sentence from what was described as a religious court, a group led by the Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said in an Internet posting on Wednesday.
Hat tip to Mrs G for several stories above pulled from the Dawn Patrol.
Michelle Malkin has the apology letter from Pa Lt Governor Knoll's office here.
And a follow up post here. Do the Pittsburgh TV stations send cameras to all GI funerals, or only if the Lt Governor requests it?
An old joke:
Two Psychiatrists pass in the street.
"Hello" says one.
"Hmmm..." thinks the other "I wonder why he said that?"
This has nothing to do with Psychiatry, I just wonder why he said that.
Seems to me whenever I read something in the paper actually written by a soldier it looks like this:
On June 16, 2004, I willingly said goodbye to my wife and parents in a parking lot at Fort Drum, N.Y., not knowing if I would ever see them again. I don't expect any kinds of praise for this or special thanks because that is my job, and I knowingly volunteered for it. I never would have done that if I did not believe that I was defending this great country of ours and all those in it.That's from Lt David Lucas, just back from Iraq, and writing in his hometown paper. He also notes this (and it's the most commonly expressed complaint I've ever heard from GIs back from Iraq):
I know that the war my men and I fought is a totally different war than the one I see being reported by almost the entire media.In a nutshell, I think most GIs back from Iraq would say they served willingly and gladly, but would appreciate it if they didn't have to fight one enemy in Iraq and another in the States. It's not surprising that some in the media might make efforts to deny that problem.
Or worse, fabricate their own version of what soldier's want. According to the New York Times, soldiers in Iraq and around the world are demanding that Americans begin making more sacrifices for the war:
WASHINGTON, July 23 - The Bush administration's rallying call that America is a nation at war is increasingly ringing hollow to men and women in uniform, who argue in frustration that America is not a nation at war, but a nation with only its military at war.What a coincidence - the soldiers' alleged demands for higher taxes and conscription to fill military ranks are solid planks in the Democratic Party's platform.From bases in Iraq and across the United States to the Pentagon and the military's war colleges, officers and enlisted personnel quietly raise a question for political leaders: if America is truly on a war footing, why is so little sacrifice asked of the nation at large?
There is no serious talk of a draft to share the burden of fighting across the broad citizenry, and neither Republicans nor Democrats are pressing for a tax increase to force Americans to cover the $5 billion a month in costs from Iraq, Afghanistan and new counterterrorism missions.
There are not even concerted efforts like the savings-bond drives or gasoline rationing that helped to unite the country behind its fighting forces in wars past.
"Nobody in America is asked to sacrifice, except us," said one officer just back from a yearlong tour in Iraq, voicing a frustration now drawing the attention of academic specialists in military sociology.
Here are all the actual quotes from soldiers in the story:
"Nobody in America is asked to sacrifice, except us," said one officer just back from a yearlong tour in Iraq...and
"For most Americans," said an officer with a year's experience in Iraq, "their role in the war on terror is limited to the slight inconvenience of arriving at the airport a few hours early."If I were a cynic, I'd propose that "one officer just back from a yearlong tour in Iraq" and "an officer with a year's experience in Iraq" were the same person. But I'm not cynical (/cynicism) so I'll simply note that neither quote supports the story's claims. Every military person I know is quite proud of the fact that due to their service Americans are not suffering - as both "one officer" and "an officer" noted. I've never heard a US soldier demand that Americans suffer more.
Let me emphasize that, because it's crucial: I've never heard a US soldier demand that Americans suffer more.
Here's the third and last quote in the piece from a soldier:
While officers and enlisted personnel say they enjoy symbolic signs of support, and the high ratings the military now enjoys in public opinion polls, "that's just not enough," said a one-star officer who served in Iraq. "There has to be more," he added.I'm sure that "one-star officer who served in Iraq" is a different person than "an officer" and "one officer", both of whom also had served in Iraq, but once again I see a factual statement that in no way supports the author's claims.
Of course, given that this is a New York Times article, we can't know for sure whether the story was written by the person who's name is on it or by an editor who simply added numerous sentences, clauses, or paragraphs to suit his own purposes.
That's what they recently did to Phil Carter, after all. Rather brazenly editing in phrases to his oped that had nothing whatsoever to do with his piece.
I'll let them explain, without changing any of the words:
The Op-Ed page in some copies of Wednesday's newspaper carried an incorrect version of the below article about military recruitment. The article also briefly appeared on NYTimes.com before it was removed. The writer, an Army reserve officer, did not say, "Imagine my surprise the other day when I received orders to report to Fort Campbell, Ky., next Sunday," nor did he characterize his recent call-up to active duty as the precursor to a "surprise tour of Iraq." That language was added by an editor and was to have been removed before the article was published. Because of a production error, it was not. The Times regrets the error.They explained it further afterwards:
"Within 10 minutes" after receiving the changes, he recalled, "I said, 'No way.' Those were not words I would have said. It left the impression that I was conscripted." His call-up was "not a surprise," he told me, because he had actually "volunteered" for mobilization. (It's not clear when the editors first learned that he had volunteered for active duty.)That time I added emphasis - making the last line bold. It's curious, that not writers bit - considering that Phil has a great, well written blog, has been published in Slate (more than just that one link), and also at least once previously in the New York Times. So since "not a writer" doesn't apply they must have had some other reason for changing his words.<...>
This sort of give-and-take is standard practice on the Op-Ed pages. "We try to clarify and improve copy," said Mr. Shipley. "We do this for the benefit of our contributors, many of whom are not professional writers.
We can only guess what that might be.
We've noted drug and alcohol stories here before. In the US population as a whole:
An estimated 17.6 million American adults (8.5 percent) meet standard diagnostic criteria for an alcohol use disorder and approximately 4.2 million (2 percent) meet criteria for a drug use disorder. Overall, about one-tenth (9.4 percent) of American adults, or 19.4 million persons, meet clinical criteria for a substance use disorder -- either an alcohol or drug use disorder or both -- according to results from the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) reported in the current Archives of General Psychiatry [Volume 61, August 2004: 807-816].Note that the figures are estimates of numbers of people with use disorder, not one time, casual users. We'd expect that number to be higher.
But among soldiers in Iraq, the numbers seem to be significantly lower, as the London Daily Telegraph reports:
According to US army figures, out of the 4,000 men of the 256th Brigade Combat Team, 53 faced alcohol-related charges and 48 were charged with drug offences.The types of drugs aren't noted. Nor are the number of overlapping cases among the 48 drug and 53 alcohol cases. But the low figures aren't surprising, given that alcohol is banned and most drugs are too. One wonders how many drug related issues involve sharing prescriptions, always a problem, and likely the leading cause of drug busts in Iraq. But if the author is aware of the answer he chooses not to provide it. Still one thing seems certain - drug and alcohol problems aren't rampant among troops in Iraq.
Here's the Telegraph's headline:
By the way, probably the easiest way for US troops to obtain alcohol would be from their British or Australian allies, who aren't subject to the order banning it.
Want to do something to support the troops? Maybe you can meet the magic vegetable oil bus when it comes to your town.
Jane Fonda is ready to exercise her political beliefs once again.Maybe those are the veterans who think Americans should suffer more.The actress announced her plans to embark on a cross-country roadtrip to protest the war in Iraq during an event to promote her autobiography, Jane Fonda: My Life So Far.
"I can't go into any detail except to say that it's going to be pretty exciting," Fonda told an audience Saturday in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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This time around, Fonda will be traveling aboard a vegetable oil-powered bus, accompanied by her daughter and the families of Iraq war veterans.
Speaking of veterans - check your local Vietnam Veterans organization for bus arrival times in your area. They'll know.
Update: The NY Times can't quote a single soldier to support their contention - but none the less claim that US troops are demanding more sacrifice from civilians. Want to see how many people believe what they read in the NY Times without question? Click here. Enjoy.
Try the comments at Eschaton too.
Update 2: Times Watch responds to the same story, and notes the obvious holes in the cheese.
What those would accomplish for the troops Shanker keeps silent about. Despite the assumption made in that paragraph, none of the military members Shanker quotes actually demand such World War II-era measures as gas rationing (a theme strengthened in the story with archived photos of old propaganda posters).
Mike Yon writes:
Greetings!
We happened to come in from a combat patrol just in time to see the final countdown for the Space Shuttle Discovery. Was great to see the Shuttle go back to space!
Interesting developments in Mosul. Have nabbed some serious terrorists in last few days. I woke up to the sound of a large IED explosion that shook the walls, and the day started from there. IEDs are a daily occurrence here. But apparently as reprisal for capturing the bad guys, there were some attacks on several of the police stations today, but the cops held their ground. Was no chance of getting overrun like the old days. A couple police were wounded but nothing too serious. We brought them more ammunition, and there was even an American General out there with us. (Good way to lose a General, but at least he can see what's going on.)
There is a definite shift in the soldiers here at Deuce Four. They talk more and more about their families and children and getting home; the return draws nearer. I plan to come home with Deuce Four before returning to Iraq.
But for now, we continue here in Mosul while the astronauts circle the earth!
Please visit the latest dispatch entitled "Empty Jars".
Michael
Greyhawk says: never miss Yon's latest! Always a great read.
Vietnam veteran and author John Harriman returns to Mudville with the latest installment of his series Warrior to Warrior, letters from a Vietnam veteran to our soldiers in Iraq.
Why take so much pride in shame?
Dear Warrior in Iraq . . .
Gen. William C. Westmoreland died last week. Which brings us the chance to rehash the history of the Vietnam War. And I figure there's no better rehashing format than a brief quiz. Here goes.
Who was Gen. Westmoreland anyhow?
A. The general who started the Vietnam War.
B. The general who ended the Vietnam War.
C. The general who lost the Vietnam War.
D. All of the above.
E. None of the above.
F. Depends on whom you ask.
Okay, that was a trick question, I admit it. Anytime you use the words, "Vietnam War" and "history" in the same breath you'll just have to go with F. It depends.
Vietnam, you see, is a remarkable exception to all the rules of history. Since ancient times, philosophers have remarked that the history of war is written by the victors. An expression that refers the ability of the winning nation to justify both the war and the victory, to define the nature of war crimes of the losers and to punish the named criminals.
The exception to this rule being Vietnam. For the history of our experience in Vietnam was written in the press and by antiwar protesters who took their sanctuary--and their history degrees--on American college campuses.
The writers of Vietnam history then, have declared that America lost the war and that Gen. Westmoreland was the general who commanded American troops in that loss. Then they wrote the history that proves it. That history is so tattooed on the collective American mind that an American presidential candidate in 2004 could blurt, largely without being challenged, that he made forays into Cambodia at Christmas 1968 when he served in "Nixon's war."
The popular history has Vietnam as Nixon's war, and no amount of fact can change a collective mind as stubborn as the mind is on this point. Nixon himself is responsible. He was a dark and awkward man who promised in his campaign for president to end the war in Vietnam. I remember this campaign because I was in Vietnam and voted by absentee ballot for Nixon's opponent.
Yes, I'm embarrassed to say I voted for Hubert Humphrey, President Johnson's vice president, who said he would win the war. Nixon won the presidency and pounded on the enemy to bring him to the bargaining table. Nixon's aim was to get a peace with honor. You could argue the honor part, but five years after he won the presidency, in 1973, America withdrew its last combat soldiers from South Vietnam, where no significant fighting had gone on for a two years or so. We withdrew those troops on our own, without military pressure.
So what? you ask. Well, a couple points worth mentioning. It wasn't Nixon's war, technically, until January 1969, when he was inaugurated. The candidate was wrong on that point.
And, as to losing in Vietnam, you'd have to ask the French about that. They marched out of Vietnam as losers. After the battle of Dien Bien Phu, in which thousands of their troops were surrounded and pummeled by artillery and human wave attacks for weeks. The French surrendered 10,000 men in May of 1954 and gave up a colonial empire.
In an eerily similar battle at Khe San, Vo Nguyen Giap, the Vietnamese general who defeated the French, tried the same tactics of surround and pummel against the Marines. The Vietnamese lost that battle, at a huge cost in lives to both sides. Later, during the Tet offensive, another huge gamble and the last significant offensive action by the Vietnamese, was another loss for the enemy. But the writers of history said the cost was too dear. They said the enemy was too stubborn. They said we couldn't win.
Antiwar protesters demanded peace. Nixon promised peace. They demanded withdrawal. Nixon gave them withdrawal. As I say, you can argue the honor in it, if you like, but we left without the Communist military escort that showed the French the way home.
Then, two years later, the North Vietnamese attacked the South, a country no longer defended by American soldiers. South Vietnam crumbled.
The writers of history began writing that America lost the war. Then having declared the loss, the losers began writing the history of Vietnam in shame and automatic phrases like "Nixon's war" and "Vietnam, America's first lost war."
Last week the death of Westmoreland brought out the phrases again. I couldn't help but notice the perverse sense of pride in calling it to our attention: America's first lost war. That superior air of: We knew that was a bad war; we were against it all along; and we were right, huh? That note of: It could happen again. In Iraq. Bush's war.
I can't honestly say that we won in Vietnam; all I can do is insist that we did not lose. We left on our own terms.
I can't predict whether we'll win in Iraq; all I can do is ask the people who say they support the troops to stop taking so much pride in shame, to stop cheering for the other side. Is that too much to ask?
Till next week . . .
God bless you and Godspeed.
____________
John is a veteran of two combat tours in Vietnam and a member of the American Legion. These columns are excerpts from an upcoming book. His current book, Delta Force #1 : Operation Michael's Sword is a fictional account of the 9/11 attacks and the early days of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Three Indonesian housewives face up to five years in prison for allegedly trying to lure Muslim children into Christianity at a Sunday School "Happy Week"...Don't worry about that sort of thing ever happening in America, where freedom from religion is a constitutional right. Here's the latest progress on stopping the fundies:The three women faced threats from a yelling mob of 150 fundamentalists during a court appearance in West Java last week. It is claimed that the women were teaching lessons in reading and writing to mixed classes of Christian and Muslim children, taking them on trips to parks and swimming pools, and rewarding them with treats such as pencils for memorising Christian prayers and Bible verses. Many of the alleged offences took place at a special Happy Week earlier this year, although the lessons began in 2003.
<...>
About 10,000 Christians were killed in Indonesia between 1998 and 2003 and about 1,000 churches were burnt down by Muslim mobs, according to campaigners. Although religious conflict has eased in recent years campaigners say that about 100 churches have been closed down in the past five years in West Java.
The Anti-Defamation League has asked the U.S. Naval Academy to stop holding prayers before midshipmen eat lunch, saying the practice is an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.ChicagoThe request was made in a June 17 letter from Abraham H. Foxman, the league's national director, to the academy's superintendent, Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt.
In the letter, Foxman says the constitutional separation of church and state is violated "when 4,000 midshipmen of many different faiths are brought together for compulsory prayer."
As precedent, the letter cites a recent ruling by a federal appeals court that organized mealtime prayers at the Virginia Military Institute were unconstitutional.
A federal judge in Chicago says the Pentagon can't fund the National Boy Scout Jamboree after this year.More:U-S District Court Judge Blanche Manning recently signed an injunction that bars the Defense Department from financially supporting future jamborees, which draw thousands of Boy Scouts from across the nation every four years.
The June 22 order by U.S. District Judge Blanche Manning stems from a 1999 lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois that claimed the Defense Department's sponsorship of the Scouts violates the First Amendment because the group requires its members to swear an oath of duty to God.More:The Department of Justice, which represents the Defense Department in legal matters, said Thursday the government was still considering its options and had not yet decided whether to appeal, said Justice Department spokesman Charles Miller.
The order doesn't cover this year's National Scout Jamboree, which gets under way July 25 and is expected to draw more than 40,000 people to the Army's Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. The next jamboree, typically held every four years, won't be held until 2010 to coincide with the Scout's 100th anniversary.
Mr. Bork said the ACLU's actions show the watchdog group's lack of a "moral compass.""This highlights more than anything else how rabid the ACLU is about the Scouts. They can't seem to let go of the Boy Scouts for anything. It's really unfortunate. They want to attack the Boy Scouts of America and the Pentagon for supporting the Boy Scouts, and they want to support kids running around naked in the woods."
Mr. Bork was referring to an ACLU lawsuit filed earlier this year in support of a proposed children's nudist camp in Virginia. A federal judge ruled in July that teens and children could not attend the camp without a parent or guardian.
"Their moral compass is turned around 180 degrees. I don't get it," Mr. Bork said.
Previous entries:
Banning Scouts from military installations:
Scout's Honor
Recognize these Medals?
The Latest
Banning Prayer from military academies:
Air Force Report Generates Widespread Confusion
Air Force Academy Update
From the Academy
God and Country
Chapel Doors Revisited
Locking the Chapel Doors
Are there Atheists in Cockpits?
Via e-mail:
Greyhawk:
Today, at 12:30 PM a press release will go out stating three things:
We are asking the American people to withhold donations towards the World Trade Center until the IFC and the Drawing Center are eliminated from the memorial plans, until the story of 9/11? those who were lost, those who died to save them, and the courage of the American people ? is made the centerpiece of the memorial. (www.911familiesforamerica.org)
We are asking the American people to SPREAD THE WORD AND HELP GATHER SIGNATURES! A downloadable petition kit is available and it contains everything they need (petition, a flier, and instructions). http://takebackthememorial.org/?page_id=99
We are announcing Campaign America where Americans would present the resolution to their local government and ask them to pass the resolution supporting the effort. http://takebackthememorial.org/?p=111
The links are up. We will not quit.
Thanks for your support in this effort.
-- Tim Sumner
That's a nice turn-around from last Fall, when the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the Governor's struggle to ensure that absentee ballots from soldiers in Iraq would not be counted if they came in after the deadline. But as far as apologies, kudos to the Governor for his first step. The story notes that Gov. Rendell added that he believed Knoll had given her business card to the family so they could contact her if they were victimized by the State:Written apologies will be sent to a fallen Marine's relatives angered by Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll's uninvited appearance at the soldier's funeral and her criticism of the war in Iraq, Gov. Ed Rendell said Sunday.Rendell said he will send a personal letter to the family of the late Marine Staff Sgt. Joseph Goodrich, of Westwood, and will ask Knoll to do the same. Goodrich, 32, a police officer and infantry unit leader, died July 10 in a mortar attack in Hit, Iraq.
Rendell said he hadn't spoken with Knoll about the incident, but was disturbed by the family's charge that she made a political statement against the war.
"It's not the business of state government to support the war, but our state supports the men and women who are fighting this war," Rendell said during an appearance in Mt. Washington.
The story doesn't offer details as to why the Lt Governor anticipated problems in that area. Is this a common problem in Pennsylvania? Perhaps the Governor's office should look into that.Rendell said he thinks Knoll, 74, of McKees Rocks, meant no harm by attending the memorial service last Tuesday. He believes Knoll gave her business card to a family member so that Goodrich's family would have a contact within state government if they later needed help securing benefits.
Hat tip: Ripclawe and Michelle Malkin, who says:
This is not enough. Where the hell is Knoll to apologize publicly to the family and explain her noxious behavior? The Post-Gazette notes that this may not have been the first time she showed up unwelcome at a memorial service.Perhaps those benefit problems are widespread?
Lt David Lucas, just back from Iraq, writes an oped in the local paper.
"Let's support our troops. Bring them home." Please don't ever say those words again. Nothing is so disheartening to our troops who are in harm's way than to hear our own citizens say things like that.Unfortunately, I think that's exactly why they say it.
Goodrich's father is also a Marine, having served in the Pacific during WWII. Looks like the Lt Governor made the wrong choice when scanning the obituaries for campaign stops.The family of a Marine who was killed in Iraq is furious with Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll for showing up uninvited at his funeral this week, handing out her business card and then saying "our government" is against the war.Rhonda Goodrich of Indiana, Pa., said yesterday that a funeral was held Tuesday at a church in Carnegie for her brother-in-law, Staff Sgt. Joseph Goodrich, 32.
She said he "died bravely and courageously in Iraq on July 10, serving his country."
In a phone interview, Goodrich said the funeral service was packed with people "who wanted to tell his family how Joe had impacted their lives."
Then, suddenly, "one uninvited guest made an appearance, Catherine Baker Knoll."
She sat down next to a Goodrich family member and, during the distribution of communion, said, "Who are you?" Then she handed the family member one of her business cards, which Goodrich said she still has.
"Knoll felt this was an appropriate time to campaign and impose her will on us," Goodrich said. "I am amazed and disgusted Knoll finds a Marine funeral a prime place to campaign."
<...>
"Our family deserves an apology," Rhonda Goodrich said. "Here you have a soldier who was killed -- dying for his country -- in a church full of grieving family members and she shows up uninvited. It made a mockery of Joey's death."
What really upset the family, Goodrich said, is that Knoll said, 'I want you to know our government is against this war,' " Goodrich said.
Poor Catherine! She may have been (like so many others) taken in by Michael Moore, one of the first to attempt to use funerals of Iraq war vets for his own gain:
The family of U.S. Air Force Maj. Gregory Stone was shocked to learn that video footage of the major's Arlington National Cemetery burial was included by Michael Moore in his movie "Fahrenheit 9/11."But Moore's myth - the portrayal of the fallen in the War on Terror as victims - lives on. It's disappointing but not surprising that the Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania - along with so many others - believes it.Maj. Stone was killed in March 2003 by a grenade that officials said was thrown into his tent by Sgt. Hasan K. Akbar, who is on trial for murder.
<...>
The mother of the major labeled Mr. Moore a "maggot that eats off the dead."
Let's play a game. The source of information for this game is the Southern Poverty Law Center. The game is called Who Am I?
Who am I?
As a lawyer in the 1970's I won a handful of civil-rights related lawsuits, though but my legal career ended in 1979 when I was permanently disbarred for filing suit against a court reporter for being late delivering a document. My State's Supreme Court said I had "little regard for the ethics of [my] profession." (I once sued Sears for $50-million when their local store was several days late delivering a television set.)
In 1986 and 1987 I received three awards for my civil rights cases, including one bestowed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
In 1988 I supported Al Gore's presidential campaign, hosting his visit to my hometown.
In 1990 I ran for governor of Kansas in the Democratic primaries, but lost with 11,634 votes, 6.7% of the total.
In 1991 I began the "Great Gage Park Decency Drive," an attempt to purge a park in my hometown of the homosexuals that were using it as a meeting place.
In 1992 I ran for the U.S. Senate, and gained 30.8% of the ballots cast in the Democratic primary, perhaps due in part to my anti-homosexual efforts. During the campaign I referred to my opponent as a "bull dike".
Who am I? I'm Fred Phelps, and since those days I've become notorious for my "God Hates Fags" campaign. I'm often mistakenly referred to as a right-wing conservative Christian, but the reality is I hate Jerry Falwell too.
And more recently I too have started protesting the funerals of those military members killed in the war on terror..
The Kansas preacher who tried to erect an anti-gay monument in a Boise city park says he's coming to Idaho this week to picket the funeral of a fallen soldier.Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, says God killed Idaho National Guard Corporal Carrie French with an improvised explosive device. Phelps says God is retaliating against America for a bombing of his church six years ago.
<...>
Phelps says there is no reason he is targeting French specifically. He says his church will protest any public funeral of soldiers killed in Iraq.
In January of 1993, Fred Phelps, his wife Marge, Fred Phelps Jr., and Betty Phelps-Schurle were invited to (and attended) the inaugural ball in Washington D.C..In the ensuing four years, Phelps (and consequently Westboro) turned against Gore for his and Clinton's decided pro-and-neutral stances on homosexuality. Gore nevertheless invited Fred Phelps, Marge, Fred Jr., and Betty back for the 1997 inauguration; they responded by bringing the entirety of Westboro to the White House and picketing on the front lawn during the ball, (report on Phelps' ball picket) with signs proclaiming that Gore, Clinton, and both mens' families were going to hell not necessarily for their stances on homosexuality, but because they had "betrayed" Westboro.
In 1998, Westboro picketed the funeral of Gore's father, screaming vulgarities at Gore and telling him "your dad's in Hell."
Rev. Phelps has run in numerous Democratic primary elections for governor of the state of Kansas in 1992, 1994, and the last time in 1998, when he came in last with 15,000 votes out of a total of over 103,000 votes cast, or 15%.
While Mike Moore got an exalted place at their 2004 convention, it's good to see that the majority of his fellow Democrats now apparently consider Phelps persona non grata for his anti-gay activities. You gotta draw the line somewhere, after all.
What do these three have in common?As a side note, no one on the Left should be surprised when others don't think it's funny that their first attack on Supreme Court nominee John Roberts involves questioning his sexual orientation. Yes, you're only joking, heh. Chuckle. We get it. That whole "gay" thing is no big deal to the Left.
When they have the funeral for the Democratic Party, I don't think I'll go.
Update: Blackfive has contact info for Governor Ed Rendell (D. Pa.)
The Governor, however, has been seen in Mudville before, when he refused to extend the absentee ballot deadline for troops serving overseas in the war on terror prior to last year's Presidential election.
Update 2: The Governor responds quickly.
The milblogger as naturalist: A Camel Spider enjoys dinner by flashlight.
Neptunus Lex has a new look. Same great commentary, different frame.
Et tu, Hugh?
An email from Sean Dustman:
This guy has taken over a few milblog sites, Paint it Black, This is your war, Op for Soldier, etc. Writing nonsense stuff with links to Amateur Facial and some other site called IM Live, both links are just slipped in there. Just a warning so you can pull your links or blog about it. I don't want to give this guy any traffic, already wrote blogger about it. All of the blogs he took over looked like milblogs though.Thanks Sean! This looks like a new version of porn spam. I think these bloggers shut down their blog spot sites, and someone else came along and created new blogs with the same names/urls. My guess is that if the original owners had left their sites up - even without updating - it wouldn't have happened. In other words, I doubt there's any hacking going on here. I notice that none have the old blog rolls, milblogs banners, or other things the previous blogs had.
There's no reason to think only milblogs will be victims of this. Look carefully at any old favorite blog that shuts down then reappears with all new content.
Anyone with these sites on their blogrolls might want to do a little clean up. And let's hope that blogger recognizes this for what it is, and shuts them down.
Marine Corps Base Quantico and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation hosted the unveiling ceremony for the U.S. Mint?s commemorative U.S. Marine Corps silver dollar coin at Lejeune Hall Wednesday.
?This is the first time the United States Mint has ever struck a coin for one of the services, and we are extremely proud,? said Gen. Michael Hagee, commandant of the Marine Corps.
The Pentagon has been developing a device for non-lethal crowd control. Dubbed the Active Denial System, the weapon projects a microwave beam at rioters that will cause heat and intolerable pain in under five seconds.
Sounds kinder than a machine gun - but not everyone agrees:The Active Denial System (ADS) is a non-lethal, counter-personnel directed energy weapon. It uses breakthrough technologies to provide un-precedented, standoff, non-lethal capabilities at ranges beyond effective small arms range.ADS projects a focused, speed-of-light milli-meter-wave energy beam to induce an intolerable heating sensation on an adversaryskin and cause that individual to be repelled without injury. ...ADS will enable U.S. forces to stop, deter and turn back an advancing adversary without applying lethal force. This capability is expected to save countless lives by providing a means to stop individuals without causing injury, before a deadly confrontation develops.
The technology was originally developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory and matured under the sponsorship of the Department of DefenseJoint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate. Approximately $51 million has been invested over the past eleven years. The technology was developed in response to Department of Defense needs for troops to have options short of deadly force. Non-lethal technologies can be used for protection of defense resources, peacekeeping, humanitarian missions and other situations in which the use of lethal force is undesirable. ADS will provide these capabilities close in as well as at longer standoff ranges.
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Non-lethal technologies can be used for protection of defense resources, peacekeeping, humanitarian missions and other situations in which the use of lethal force is undesirable.
Active Denial Technology uses a transmitter producing energy at a frequency of 95Ghz and an antenna to direct a focused, invisible beam towards a designated subject. Traveling at the speed of light, the energy reaches the subject and penetrates the skin to a depth of less than 1/64 of an inch. Almost instantaneously it produces a heating sensation that within seconds becomes intolerable and forces the subject to flee. The sensation immediately ceases when the individual moves out of the beam or when the system operator turns it off.
Despite this sensation, the beam does not cause injury because of the shallow penetration depth of energy at this wavelength and the low energy levels used. It exploits the bodynatural defense mechanism that induces pain as a warning to help protect it from injury.
But New Scientist magazine reported Wednesday that during tests carried out at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, participants playing the parts of rioters were told to first remove their glasses and contact lenses to protect their eyes.In another test, they were also told to remove metal objects such as coins in clothing to avoid local hot spots developing on their skin.
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Questions were raised in the New Scientist article.
"What happens if someone in a crowd is unable for whatever reason to move away from the beam?" asked Neil Davison, coordinator of a nonlethal-weapons research project at Britain's Bradford University. "How do you ensure that the dose doesn't cross the threshold for permanent damage? Does the weapon cut out to prevent overexposure?"
Note the LA Times headline: Scientists Concerned by Gun on Tap for Iraq.
CQ (Congressional Quarterly) Today reports (not available on line) that the U.S. House of Representatives debated and passed a measure proposed by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla, to oppose ?premature withdrawal? of U.S. troops from Iraq.
?Incessant calls for an established date for withdrawal from Iraq have a negative effect,? Ros-Lehtinen said on the floor. ?The amendment before us seeks to restate our commitment. Let us not waiver in our commitment in Iraq.?But Democrats complained the amendment was ?unnecessary and inflammatory.?
Jim McDermott, D-Wash., called the amendment ?a Republican PR stunt.?
?Reality, like body armor, is in short supply with this administration,? McDermott said on the floor. ?Our soldiers do not need the tin sound of another hollow amendment. They need the sound of silence when the bombs stop falling.?
But Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, urged colleagues to ?truly support our troops in word and in deed by supporting the Ros-Lehtinen amendment,? and received a smattering of applause after his speech.I'm not sure how many sets of body armor each GI in Iraq needs, but I do know everyone has at least one - and replacements are also available.
A key point: both measures were proposed amendments to HR 2601 - which passed 351-78 - authorizing funding for State Department operations and international aid. The amendment opposing withdrawal from Iraq was added on a 291-137 vote - the Guantanamo amendment received slightly lower opposition. Bot are non-binding provisions of the bill.The House also spent an hour on an amendment by Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., that would declare that the lawful detention and interrogation of alleged terrorists at Guantᮡmo Bay, Cuba, is essential to winning the war against terror, eventually adopting the proposal by a vote of 304-124.Rohrabacher contended that detainees at Guantᮡmo Bay are actually better off, having gained weight and access to medical care since their capture.
But debate often moved away from Guantᮡmo Bay and toward the prison abuses at Abu Ghraib in Baghdad last year.
Congress has been too lax in accountability ?for abuses that started at Guantᮡmo and ended up in Iraq,? said Democrat Earl Blumenauer of Oregon.
The Senate should have some fun with this one.
Actual text, Iraq provision: ...to enhance the security of the U.S. by making it the policy of the U.S. to pursue a transfer of responsibility for Iraqi forces only when they are ready to assume such responsibility and not to withdraw prematurely the U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq. Requires any withdrawal to be done only with careful coordination with a decision by the elected government of Iraq which shall be reached jointly when it is clear that the aim of the establishment of a free and stable Iraq that is at peace and not a threat to its neighbors has been or is about to be achieved.
Passed, 291-137 2 Present Roll call results here.Actual text, Guantanamo Provision: ...to express the sense of Congress that the capture, detention and interrogation of international terrorists are essential to the successful prosecution of the Global War on Terrorism and to the defense of the U.S., its citizens, and coalition partners from future terrorist attacks; and that the detention and lawful, humane interrogation by the U.S. of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is essential to the defense of the U.S. and its coalition partners and to the successful prosecution of the Global War on Terrorism.
Passed, 304 - 124, 2 Present. Roll call results here.Posted by Greyhawk at 09:09 PM | Comments (3)Was it Suicide?
Some thoughts from Michael Ledeen - posted prior to today's attacks in London.
Also see this.
Posted by Greyhawk at 08:23 PMAnd, oh by the Way...
...how does it feel to be on the wrong side of history?
That's the last line I would have added.
Posted by Greyhawk at 08:14 PM | Comments (1)A Tough Assignment
Think you've had tough assignments? Meet Lt Col Dwight Sullivan - an interesting choice for a tough job. In fact, this could get very interesting:
Do you think this might reduce claims of biased military tribunals?The Pentagon's new chief defense counsel for the Guantᮡmo Bay, Cuba, war-crimes trials is a Marine reservist called to active duty from a six-year stint at the American Civil Liberties Union.And some colleagues expect a feisty Marine Lt. Col. Dwight Sullivan, in his 40s, to preside over a Pentagon defense team that is sworn to defend suspected terrorists and has vowed to challenge the Bush administration's military tribunals before the U.S. Supreme Court.
...as managing attorney of the ACLU's Baltimore office, he has litigated in civilian courts and worked on a gamut of civil-liberties issues -- including gay rights, police brutality, and the Ku Klux Klan's right to take part in an adopt-a-highway program.
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Sullivan got his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1986. His first 10 years as a lawyer were as an active-duty Marine Corps officer, including a year as a trial counsel in Okinawa, Japan.
Update: FYI - Senate approval not required. I'm waiting to see the Left's response on this, if there is one. I'm not sure how this will fit their current Guantanamo narrative, but there's got to be a way...
Posted by Greyhawk at 07:44 PM | Comments (3)July 20, 2005
RIP
The Canadian-born Doohan fought in World War II and was wounded during the D-Day invasion, according to the StarTrek.com Web site.Alzheimer's and pneumonia. He was 85.More here:
You may have never noticed, watching the Original Series and the movies, that Mr. Scott has a physical handicap ? he's missing the middle finger of his right hand. That's because the actor kept it very well hidden. (Watch the shows again carefully ? Scotty is almost always clenching his right hand, or hiding it behind a console ? but if you know to look, the missing digit is occasionally apparent.) That injury occurred on D-Day. Lt. Doohan successfully led his Canadian troop onto the beach and pushed inland to establish the best possible gun position (along the way Doohan shot two German snipers, never knowing whether he killed them). A field was secured and command posts were established, but not all Germans between the beach and their position had been captured. That night about 11:30, Doohan and another officer were walking between command posts when machine gun fire broke out. Doohan was hit; he fell into a shell hole, looked at his hand and saw blood. Three bullets struck the one finger. Never losing consciousness, he actually walked to the regimental aid post, unaware he also took four bullets in the leg.There was an eighth bullet, and it was nothing less than a miracle that he's still with us today. It hit his chest, four inches from his heart. But it ricocheted off the sterling silver cigarette case in his pocket, the one his brother had given him for being best man at his wedding. It's like a trite plot twist, he acknowledges ? his brother saved his life from thousands of miles away. Jimmy pushed the dent out of the cigarette case and continued using it until he quit smoking years later. He stayed in the military, learned to fly and came to be known as the "craziest pilot in the Canadian Air Forces."
Africa
7/19/2005 - KIGALI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Rwanda (AFPN) -- A C-17 Globemaster III departed here July 18 carrying 95 Rwandan troops deploying to help ease the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.The airlift started the 86th Aerospace Expeditionary Group?s involvement in NATO?s support to the African Union expanded mission in the region. The airlift is expected to last 30 days.
?The people of Darfur need help,? said Col. Scott Schafer, the group commander. ?This first airlift means that Rwandan troops are on the way.?
The troops were sent off with the music of a Rwandan military band, and marched to the C-17 through a Rwandan military honor guard hailing them with fixed bayonets. The aircraft was from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., and was flown by a crew from McChord AFB, Wash.
?All of our efforts in support of (the mission in the Darfur region of Sudan) underscore our commitment to an important team effort,? said Capt. Joel Harper, the group?s public affairs chief. ?We are working with the international community, specifically the African Union and NATO, to help achieve peace in a unified Sudan.?
During the operation, about 150 Airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany; Royal Mildenhall, England; and strategic support from U.S. Transportation Command will move about 1,200 Rwandan troops from Kigali to Al-Fashir, Sudan.
?We?re not alone in this mission,? Colonel Schafer said. ?We?re working with our allies in NATO and the AU to ensure Darfur gets help.?
The U.S. airlift is part of the larger multinational effort to improve security and create conditions in which humanitarian assistance can be more effectively provided to the people of Darfur. NATO Secretary Gen. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer announced June 9 that the alliance would help the AU expand its peacekeeping force in Darfur from 3,300 to about 7,700 in the coming months.
U.S. European Command began deploying Airmen and equipment here July 14.
About 120 U.S. Air Forces in Europe Airmen and three C-130 Hercules aircraft from Ramstein deployed to Africa in October 2004 to conduct a similar mission. By mission's end, the C-130s had carried about 350 AU troops and 118,000 pounds of cargo. (Courtesy of USAFE News Service)
KIGALI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Rwanda -- Rwandan forces stand by to board a C-130 Hercules from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on July 19. The Ramstein Airmen were here to provide transportation for 1,200 Rwandan forces to Sudan in support of NATO's response for the African Union's expanded peacekeeping mission in Darfur with logistics and training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Bradley C. Church)
The Stars and Stripes has more on the mission here.
And although some African news agencies have picked up the story I can't find coverage in the US media - where the usual story is that the US isn't doing enough.
Also rarely mentioned in media coverage is the fact that the two-decades old "civil war" in Sudan is an effort by the Muslim north (often referred to as "the government") to slaughter the Christian and Animists (often referred to as "rebels") who populate the southern areas of the country. The situation is further complicated by the more recent battles (more accurately: ethnic cleansing) raging between Arab Muslims (often referred to as "the government") and African Muslims (often referred to as "rebels") - mostly in the Darfur region of western Sudan. None of this should be confused with the even more recent conflict in eastern Sudan.
Note that Rwanda - the nation providing the peacekeeping forces, was itself recently the site of civil war and genocide.
Of course, as UN humanitarian chief Jan Egeland makes clear, the real problem is in Niger:
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The west African nation of Niger is suffering "an acute humanitarian crisis" in which children are dying because the world community ignored U.N. appeals for urgent aid, the U.N. humanitarian chief said Tuesday.Jan Egeland said 2.5 million people are in desperate need of food, including 800,000 malnourished children. Some 150,000 of those children will die soon "unless we really get to step up our operation."
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The United Nations first appealed for assistance for Niger in November and got almost no response. Another appeal for $16 million in March got about $1 million. The latest appeal on May 25 for $30 million has received about $10 million.
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As of July 1, the United States had committed over $1.6 million to nutritional, agricultural and livestock programs to implementing partners. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has appealed for $4 million for agricultural programs in Niger and received just $650,000 from Sweden, he said.
More:
"It's a race against time to get to 1.2 million beneficiaries with 23,000 metric tons of food which we are sending," Egeland said.He said the World Food Program and the Niger government last May appealed for 16 million dollars but got virtually nothing.
"Now we have an appeal (revised upward) for a total of 30 million dollars and I got in recent days positive pledges" from the European Commission, other European donors, several Arab states, some of Niger's African neighbors and the United States, he added.
He said Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Belgium, the European Union, the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Germany, the United States had disbursed, sent or committed a total of 10 million dollars and more money was in the pipeline.
US officials said Washington had committed over 1.6 million dollars to Niger's humanitarian needs since May.
Posted by Greyhawk at 07:28 PM | Comments (4)F22 Raptor
Langley AFB Virginia, home of the First Fighter Wing, is now the home of the Air Force's first operational F22 aircraft.
The 27th Fighter Squadron -- the Air Force's oldest continuous fighter squadron -- will be the first unit to transition to the Raptor. It is a job the squadron knows well. The squadron was the first to switch to the F-15 Eagle, the Air Force's premier fighter since the early 1970s."We can go against threats that F-16 (Fighting Falcons) and F-15s wouldn't even think about trying to attack," said Lt. Col. James Hecker, 27th Fighter Squadron commander.
By using today's technology and smart weapons, he said, the F/A-22 specializes in placing ordnance on coordinates. In other words, he does not have to follow the bomb to the target. The aircraft's technology takes care of that.
Combine that with stealth, speed and a radar-absorbing paint scheme, and the Raptor will prove a tough customer for the enemy.
"In boxing, if you fought a man you couldn't see, he'd hit you all day," the colonel said. That is what the Raptor does.
In the background of the photos above you can see Ft Monroe, Va, an interesting choice for this historic shot.
The Fort is still "on active duty" - moat and all - and since 1973 has been home to the Army's Training And Doctrine Command (TRADOC).Fort Monroe was built between 1819 and 1834, but the history of fortifications on the site goes back much further. As early as 1608, Captain John Smith recognized the importance of building a fort at Point Comfort, as the English colonists called this land. In 1609 they built Fort Algernourne here, with the mission of protecting the approaches to the colony at Jamestown. Throughout the colonial period, there were other fortifications at this site, but none lasted very long.When the United States entered the War of 1812 against Great Britain, the young nation soon found that its old systems of defense were inadequate to protect its coasts and port cities. The capture and burning of Washington, D.C. in 1814 was a hard lesson. But from that experience grew a new system of coastal defenses, of which the first and largest was Fort Monroe.
All in all a nice juxtaposition of images.
Along with retiring the F15's, in order to make room for the Raptors Langley will also move eleven Ospreys to Ohio.
(Click here if you didn't get the joke.)
Posted by Greyhawk at 05:26 PM | Comments (8)July 19, 2005
Words Fail...
Two heroin addicts were sentenced to state prison yesterday for burglarizing the Bridgeport apartment of a slain U.S. Marine while his widow was away making funeral arrangements for him last year.Montgomery County Judge Paul W. Tressler sentenced Kevin Selvoski, 25, of Bridgeport, and Robert Coulson, 27, of Swedesburg, to 71/2 to 30 years in prison.
The prison sentences were longer than usual in part because of the "extreme emotional distress" that the victims suffered, Tressler said.
Both men had pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal conspiracy for breaking into the home of Cpl. John Todd 3d on July 3 last year. Todd was killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb on June 29, 2004.
Selvoski, who was a childhood acquaintance of Todd's, called his widow, Colleen Rado, on her cell phone to offer his condolences. Upon learning that no one was at the couple's apartment, Selvoski and Coulson decided to commit the burglary, they said in court.
They stole a computer and video games and went to Philadelphia to sell them. They returned with three bags of heroin.
"If I can't have my husband back, I'd like to see the people who betrayed him brought to justice," Rado said yesterday.
Carol Todd, John Todd's mother, said in court yesterday that she recalled seeing Selvoski at her son's wake with tears in his eyes.
"You think your heart can't break any more than it has," she said.
Selvoski and Coulson apologized to Todd's family yesterday. Selvoski said they decided to commit the burglary after spending all day drinking and getting high.
"I just want the family to understand," Selvoski said. "It wasn't personal. I would have done it to anybody."
Posted by Greyhawk at 09:04 PM | Comments (4)Recovering
LANDSTUHL, Germany ? Landstuhl Regional Medical Center recently surpassed a hallmark number in its treatment of patients injured in operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.There are those who believe the US military is "covering up" the number of wounded from the war on terror. This story will likely do nothing to change their opinions. But virtually all who are injured in combat or otherwise are sent from the front to Landstuhl. Many, if not most, are returned to duty at their deployed location. Others move on to Stateside facilities.A combination of more than 25,000 troops, civilians and coalition members from 37 countries involved in the global war on terrorism has received treatment at Landstuhl.
The medical center, which treated its first patient from OEF in fall 2001, reached the 25,000 patient mark this July Fourth.
Regular readers of milblogs are familiar with at least one such individual.
Of course, many are not so fortunate. Here's a must read story of recovery of a different sort.
Update: An in depth look at the Army's numbers, thanks to Soldier's Dad. That number of patients injured might be incorrect, as it appears that without including those who were treated for illness the total falls far short of that figure.
Posted by Greyhawk at 08:49 PM | Comments (2)Lawyers, Guns, and Money
The global war on terror isn't just about military combat. It's about global legal combat as well. In fact, many have argued that the primary approach should be one of law enforcement over military operations. Here's one such quote as a reminder:
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry said yesterday that he will treat the war on terror "primarily" as law-enforcement action even as he pledged to remain committed to Iraq and to personally plead for international help in policing and rebuilding that nation.There's nothing to argue with in that actual quote. Of course, there always has been a law enforcement side of the war on terror. But how well is it working? Now is as good a time as any for a progress report on that cooperative, international front."In order to know who they are, where they are, what they're planning and be able to go get them before they get us, you need the best intelligence, best law-enforcement cooperation in the world," the Massachusetts senator said in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press."
From Europe:
German High Court Blocks Qaeda Suspect's ExtraditionOne response:BERLIN, July 18 - In a ruling seen as a sharp blow to coordinated counterterrorism efforts in Europe, Germany's highest court refused Monday to turn over to Spain a citizen suspected of aiding Al Qaeda, arguing that a recent European agreement to streamline extradition procedures violated the rights of German citizens.
The case involves Mamoun Darkazanli, 46, a German of Syrian origin suspected by Spanish authorities and independent experts on terrorism of having provided logistical and financial support to Al Qaeda.
Mr. Darkazanli, who runs a trading company in Germany, is pictured on a videotape at a wedding in Hamburg in 1999 attended by two of the pilot-hijackers in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
Judge Baltazar Garzf Spain, using the new European procedure, issued a European warrant against Mr. Darkazanli last year, accusing him of being the "permanent interlocutor and assistant" in Europe for Al Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden.
But on Monday the German Constitutional Court declared the law creating the European warrant void, even though it was ratified by the German Parliament in November. The court reasoned that the law infringed on the right of every citizen of Germany, enshrined in its Basic Law, to a court hearing in this country before extradition can take place.
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"It's a dark day for the terrorist hunter," said a German counterterrorism expert, Rolf Tophoven. "We need new laws to fight terror, because otherwise we will create the impression that German law is protecting militant Islamists."
''Thank God,'' said his wife Brigitte Darkazanli, reached at the couple's Hamburg apartment by telephone after the verdict. ''When one is sitting innocent in prison it's a terrible thing ? I'm going to be glad to see him home.''Speaking of going home, "progress" might be made for another who wants just that. From America:Appeal Of Detained Terrorism Suspect To Be Heard TodaySee - they start by arresting the dirty bombers, then they come after the dirty books. Meanwhile, other long-demanded trials will soon be under way:For more than three years, Jose Padilla, an alleged al Qaeda operative, has been held without trial, much of the time without access to a lawyer.
A former Chicago gang member and Muslim convert, Padilla was arrested at O'Hare International Airport in May 2002. A month later, he was designated an "enemy combatant" by President Bush and sent to a naval brig in South Carolina.
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit will convene in Richmond to consider a question with vast implications for civil liberties and the fight against terrorism: whether in the absence of criminal charges the president can indefinitely detain a U.S. citizen captured on U.S. soil.
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Attorneys for Padilla, joined by a host of civil liberties organizations, say that his detention is illegal. If not constrained by the courts, they argue, it could lead to the military being allowed to hold anyone, from protesters to people who check out what the government considers the wrong books from the library.
Military Tribunals To Begin For Gitmo DetaineesDefense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld announced yesterday the go-ahead to restart the first military trials of al Qaeda terror suspects, after a U.S. appeals court endorsed President Bush's policy of treating detainees at Guantanamo Bay as enemy combatants.
The Pentagon later issued a game plan, saying 12 of the 520 prisoners at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, suspected of being al Qaeda and Taliban members are in line to undergo military commissions to judge guilt or innocence. The Pentagon named Yemeni-born Salim Ahmed Hamdan, who is accused of being a bodyguard of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, and Australian David Hicks, suspected of being an al Qaeda fighter, as the first to go on trial.
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Mr. Rumsfeld is an architect of a major 2002 administration decision that terror suspects captured in Afghanistan would be classified as enemy combatants and not be entitled to all the legal procedures for prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention.
The policy soon came under assault from human rights groups, and a district court judge ruled that Mr. Hamdan must receive a hearing on whether he was a prisoner of war before a military tribunal is convened.
On Friday, the judge was overruled by a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Colombia. The judges ruled that Mr. Bush had authority from Congress to set up commissions in time of war and said al Qaeda suspects are not entitled to Geneva guarantees.
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In addition to Mr. Hamdan and Mr. Hicks, the Pentagon named two detainees as facing trial: Yemeni-born Ali Hamza Ahmad Sulayman al Bahlul and Sudanese Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmound al Qosi. Each is charged with murder and conspiring to launch attacks on civilians.
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Mr. Rumsfeld made the announcement with one of Washington's closest allies in the war on Islamic terrorists, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, by his side during a visit to the Pentagon. Mr. Howard, whose government had raised objections about the commission process, gave his approval after changes were made in evidentiary procedures.
"Australia is satisfied that the military commission process in relation to David Hicks ... will provide a proper measure of justice," Mr. Howard said. "We welcome the appeals court decision in the United States, which removes a roadblock to a speedy adjudication of Mr. Hicks' position."
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In Mr. Hicks' case, the charges say he converted to Islam from Christianity in Australia. He traveled to Afghanistan in early 2001 and attended al Qaeda terrorist training camps. He engaged in combat against U.S. forces before being captured.
Which brings us to Australia:
Military Trial 'Undermines' Hicks's DefenceThere you have it. Sleep well, citizens of the world. Elsewhere tonight rough men stand.US Government pressure to hold a military tribunal hearing for accused terrorist David Hicks within the next few weeks is intended to undermine the Australian's defence, his US lawyer said.
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Monday announced Hicks's case would be heard as soon as possible.
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His US lawyer, Major Michael Mori, said the US Government was trying to force proceedings in the knowledge that preparation for Hicks's defence had not been completed.
"I still have several months of preparation to do to get ready for a commission ... I would not be ready to go to trial to give David a proper defence in several weeks; it would take several months to get ready," Major Mori told the Nine Network.
"If they started a commission in a few weeks we would be set up to fail, that would be really what they would be putting us in, a position ... to just fail.
Posted by Greyhawk at 08:06 PM | Comments (2)Geography Lesson
The Christian Science Monitor takes a look at the "geography" of recruiting shortfalls:
Statistics released by the Army and National Guard last week point to several trends across the 50 states:There's more at the link. Including a careful explanation of the trends. It's not that Red Staters are more patriotic - it's just that they are more economically disadvantaged than Blue Staters:Across all three sectors of the Army - the Army, Reserve, and Guard - states in the Midwest and Great Plains have had the smallest drop-off in recruiting. These states are currently meeting 86 percent of their National Guard recruiting goals - tops for any region of the country. For their part, the Army and Reserve set out a national goal, which is 80,000 troops for the Army this year. The last time the Army set an 80,000-troop goal was 2000, and the Midwest states are on a pace to hit 84 percent of their total from that year.
Far more new soldiers come from the South, however. The South still shoulders a disproportionate recruiting burden compared with the rest of the country; its recruits make up nearly 40 percent of the Army soldiers who have enlisted since the beginning of the fiscal year in October.
For the Army, at least, the Iraq war appears to have had little effect on recruiting in red states versus blue states. Recruiting is down by virtually the same amount in both areas - at 73 percent of 2000 levels in red states and 72 percent in blue states. Red states, however, have produced 63 percent of the recruits enrolled since October, though they make up barely more than half the total US population.
All sectors of the Army place the lowest recruiting burden on the Northeast, where they expect the fewest number of recruits compared with the population. The Northeast remains the poorest-performing quarter of the nation. While the South is at 82 percent of its year-to-date National Guard mission, for example, the Northeast is at 70 percent.
It presents a dilemma for the military. "Do you look to overproduce in an area that is capable of doing it? How much do you back off from areas that have underproduced in the past?" says Doug Smith of Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox, Ky.
As well, in a political atmosphere that has equated patriotism with support for the war in Iraq, regional recruiting is a topic fraught with dangers, and recruiters approach it carefully.
"Over the past two generations, the people the armed forces disproportionately recruit from have moved out of the Northeast," says Loren Thompson, a defense analyst with the Lexington Institute in Arlington, Va.I had no idea Minnesota was such a poverty stricken State....drawing a direct line between patriotism and recruitment rates would be misleading. The real link is economic. "It's not political philosophy. It has to do with why a military career would be appealing," says Mr. Thompson. "It is a step up for those that are disenfranchised, but not an attractive alternative for those who are already established in society."
Update: Apologies to Minnesota. Their recruitment success has nothing to do with economics or patriotism, as the story makes... uh... clear:
For example, the Minnesota Army National Guard is at 112 percent of its year-to-date goal, ranking No. 1 in the country. One reason is that the Minnesota Guard has had to work hard for its recruits because it lacked large bases, and therefore large numbers of troops who were likely to enter the Guard once they left the Army.To sum up: Minnesota is #1 due to hard work overcoming the lack of large bases (?), followed by a bunch of Midwestern and Southern States where poverty leads people few options other than to join the military. The Northeast is under-represented because people there are more established in society."Good old-fashioned hard work - that's the thing that works the best," says recruiting commander Lt. Col. Dirk Kloss.
That philosophy, beyond region or political affiliation, he and others say, is the surest guarantor of recruiting success.
Related story: Death and Taxes
Posted by Greyhawk at 06:43 PM | Comments (4)July 18, 2005
And now For Something...
...completly different - a blog from a comedian touring Afghanistan performing for the troops. (Hat tip: Calivalleygirl)
Ok, so there was about eleven of the guys from the french military who showed up, and it was like a gift from the comedy gods. They were all wearing tight latex tops, and the most unbelievably short shorts I had ever seen. I just asked them some really polite questions about how comfortable they were in they're outfits, and if they really felt that was the look of a great soldier... and it killed the place went wild.Posted by Greyhawk at 09:32 PMDeath and Taxes
This might be news, but it's no surprise (hat tip Mrs G):
WASHINGTON ? Soldiers are re-enlisting at rates ahead of the Army's targets, even as overall recruiting is suffering after two years of the Iraq war.This is buried a bit farther down:The high re-enlistment rates would make up about one-third of the Army's projected 12,000-troop shortfall in recruiting, although the re-enlistments won't address some key personnel vacancies, such as military police and bomb-disposal experts.
Army officials attribute the strong re-enlistment rates to unprecedented cash bonuses and a renewed sense of purpose in fighting terrorism. Some of the record bonuses are tax-free if soldiers re-enlist while in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Re-enlistment bonuses range from as little as $1,000 to as much as $150,000, depending on the type of job and length of re-enlistment. The $150,000 bonuses are offered only to senior special operations commandos who agree to stay in the military for up to six more years. The average bonus is $10,000, said Col. Debbra Head, who monitors Army retention at the Pentagon.
About 60% of all soldiers who have re-enlisted this year, Conway said, have received cash bonuses of some kind.So these are the facts: 60% of all soldiers who have re-enlisted this year have received cash bonuses averaging $10,000. Thirty-five percent of Army re-enlistments have come in combat zones - meaning 65% of those receiving bonuses were taxed heavily (combat zone tax exclusions apply to bonuses too). In spite of the well deserved $150,000 bonuses offered only to senior special operations commandos, the best description for any bonus is modest (we'll offer a contrast shortly).While the USA Today piece points out the non-financial motivations that lead Gis to re-up, watch for future references elsewhere claiming that because of Iraq the Army must rely on large cash bonuses to keep the ranks full.
Military leaders still worry that a record number of overseas deployments are wearing down troops and encouraging too many quality personnel to leave service.If something seems unusual about the wording, it's probably because it's from January 2002 - over one year prior to the invasion of Iraq.Yet robust reenlistment rates among deployed forces suggest morale is high and troops are never more satisfied than when facing danger.
What explains the paradox?
Tax breaks, most likely.
As career-minded service members rotate through combat zones and hazardous duty areas, including Bosnia, Kosovo, the Persian Gulf and now Afghanistan, they learn to time their reenlistment to take full advantage of tax breaks embedded in such assignments.
For enlisted members and warrant officers, all military compensation paid while assigned there is tax exempt, including reenlistment bonuses.
***** Now for that promised comparison:
In the financial section of the newspaper or the business magazine, there is an article about a man, Philip J. Purcell, who has just left a huge financial services company after his performance was deemed subpar, and he's taking home a $113.7 million severance package.That's from Ben Stein (hat tip: Banter in Atlanter) who goes on to note:Then I turn from the financial news to the general news section of the paper, or to the barrage of e-mail messages I get from people in the Army and Navy and Marines and Air Force, and I read about men and women who are taking fire from insurgents in Iraq and being blown up by homemade bombs that the Pentagon refers to as improvised explosive devices. The people being blown up are maybe corporals, and they get $1,900 a month, including combat pay.I appreciate the sentiment, but let's pause and set the record straight. An E4 with four years in service gets 1877 a month in base pay alone. If he's married and living off base he gets another variable amount - for Ft Hood Texas area (chosen at random) that's 775 dollars a month. In those circumstances he also gets 267 a month for meals. (If he's single and in the barracks, he's got free room and board.) Now add in combat pay - 225/month, hazardous duty pay 150/month and for the married guy another 250/month for family separation allowance. And oh-by-the-way free medical for the whole family, free dental for him and low-cost for the family, and tuition for off duty education. He may qualify for other allowances too. And if he goes career you can toss in a pension plan with no contribution from the soldier. This leaves a not bad for a high school graduate amount of disposable income - nowhere near the 113 million for Philip J. Purcell, but not quite as small as the number Mr. Stein is touting. His point is still valid, and appreciated - there's a real disparity between the two compensation packages, and he's correct in noting the application of the same to police, fire, and other deserving folks in service to their nation and community. But it really is time to end the comparison of military pay to fry chefs at McDonalds too.You can look closer at the numbers here.
By the way, I don't want anyone anywhere paying higher taxes so I can get a pay raise.
As Ben Stein notes, Purcell's job has already been filled. But those so inclined can enlist here: Army Navy Air Force Marines - but please, remember - if too many of you do they'll take away the bonuses!
Posted by Greyhawk at 09:13 PM | Comments (5)Arthur's Email
Dear friends
As always - there's plenty more going on in Iraq than terrorism:
As Al Qaeda goes on the offensive, more than ever we need a good news
offensive of our own.Thanks for helping to put forward the other side of the story.
Arthur
Greyhawk here: Arthur (who lives in Austrailia) has quite a few links to stories of progress on the drafting of the new Iraqi constitution - perhaps the most significant global news story of the next several weeks. American media has other issues right now, so thanks to Arthur for keeping an eye on the ball.
I can't help but notice the near complete lack of reports from American sources Arthur has in this roundup of good news. One of the very few examples is this press release from the International Visitor's Council of Philadelphia - about which no news agency saw fit to report.
The IVC of Philadelphia announced today that it is participating in the U.S. Department of State's "Partners for Peace" project with Mosul, Iraq.I'm not sure why the word hasn't gotten out about this approach (/sarcasm) - seems like something others could emulate to great advantage of all concerned.Through IVC, officials from Iraq's third largest city will visit Philadelphia to learn about democratic governance. Committees in both countries will work to improve humanitarian conditions in Mosul.
"The IVC of Philadelphia is eager to partner with Mosul's leaders and citizens to support their transition to a democratic society," said Nancy Gilboy, President of the IVC of Philadelphia. "We've spent 51 years administering democracy-building programs and the past eleven years working with the former Soviet Union. That experience means we can hit the ground running with Mosul. We have humanitarian aid waiting to be shipped and a committee of Iraqi-Americans and generous citizen diplomats ready to help. For years, citizens in the Philadelphia area have shared their professional expertise and opened their offices and homes to guests from emerging democracies. We now look forward to engaging them with this important Mosul partnership."
There are, in fact, a number of such press releases in Arthur's collection, virtually all of which are ignored by the press.
Posted by Greyhawk at 06:12 PMJuly 17, 2005
Open Post
London protest edition:
Link posts on topics of your choice here.
Posted by Greyhawk at 08:54 PM | Comments (1)Inside Dar al Harb
For those who wanted to see it: Muslim Association of Britain Rallies Against Terror - see the photos here.
Saturday's protests were organised by more than 50 Islamic organisations including Stop Political Terror and the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
Dr Adnan Siddiqui, an organiser of the London march, said: "This demonstration sends a clear message against the climate of fear that has been created."
A recent poll commissioned by The Guardian found that 84 percent of Muslims surveyed were against the use of violence for political means, but only 33 percent of Muslims said they wanted more integration into mainstream British culture. Almost half of those surveyed said their Muslim leadership did not represent their views.They're a non-violent group, of course. The San Francisco Chronicle profiles another non-violent group:The grievances of the boys of Cross Flats Parks have not propelled them toward political action. But Dr. Waheed, a practicing psychiatrist, and Mr. Khan, a documentary filmmaker, are acting on their alienation.
Both men, eloquent, better educated and better off than most in their community, are also among the more politically motivated. They have embraced one of the more conservative, if not militant, Islamic movements in Britain today - Hizb ut-Tahrir, or Party of Liberation.
The party's stated goal is to rebuild the Caliphate - the Muslim state dissolved with the fall of the Ottoman Empire - to displace corrupt dictators in the Muslim world, and to instill Islamic mores and Islamicize almost every aspect of daily life.
London -- "Everything changed with the 19 magnificent terrorists of 9/11," thunders Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed. A raucous rejoinder of "Allah Akbar," or God is great, rings out from the more than 60 men who fill the Collingwood Hall community center on a Saturday night in East London.The London Times offers insight into the mind of a bomber:The room is so crowded that some of the audience -- mainly young men under 25 -- must sit on the floor while others watch from the hallway.
Long before the deadly July 7 bombings in London, Bakri's detractors warned that behind the lurid sound bites and incendiary language was an extremist whose sermons might be interpreted by his followers as justification for terrorist attacks in Britain.
Bakri, the founder of al-Muhajiroun (the Emigrants), a radical group whose goal is the worldwide domination of Islam, held off his critics by saying that Muslims in Britain lived under a "covenant of security" that prevented them from bringing any harm to the nation that sheltered them. But in his Collingwood speech, he said the government had flouted the contract, and all bets were off.
"The British government is sitting on a box of dynamite, and they have the matches," he warned.
Though none of the suicide bombers has been linked to Bakri, his message of Islamic supremacy has reportedly inspired hundreds of young Britons to become holy warriors. In addition to London, he has preached in Leeds, where most of the London bombers lived, and in Luton, where police found a parked car carrying high explosives that they suspect was used by the bombmaker.
Under pressure from the government, Bakri dissolved al-Muhajiroun last October, but he continues to preach in community centers and parks. In the past year, his furor has been turned on the British government.
In an interview, Bakri listed three developments he said breached the "covenant of security" with Britain: First, new laws, such as the Terrorism, Crime and Security Act of 2001, allowed the government to arrest individuals suspected of terrorist activities without charging them.
The second was a communiqu頤istributed last year by the Muslim Council of Britain to more than 1,000 mosques that urged imams to help the government combat terrorism. "Mosques are no longer houses of sanctity because imams are obliged to report anyone who comes to speak about jihad and supporting (Osama) bin Laden," Bakri said.
?It?s as if a very high, impenetrable wall separated you from Paradise or Hell,? he said. ?Allah has promised one or the other to his creatures. So, by pressing the detonator, you can immediately open the door to Paradise ? it is the shortest path to Heaven.?Wow, who knew? Finally, for your reading pleasure we offer this charming tale:MUNICH, Germany -- North of this prosperous city of engineers and auto makers is an elegant mosque with a slender minaret and a turquoise dome. A stand of pines shields it from a busy street. In a country of more than three million Muslims, it looks unremarkable, another place of prayer for Europe's fastest-growing religion.The mosque's history, however, tells a more-tumultuous story. Buried in government and private archives are hundreds of documents that trace the battle to control the Islamic Center of Munich. Never before made public, the material shows how radical Islam established one of its first and most important beachheads in the West when a group of ex-Nazi soldiers decided to build a mosque.
The soldiers' presence in Munich was part of a nearly forgotten subplot to World War II: the decision by tens of thousands of Muslims in the Soviet Red Army to switch sides and fight for Hitler. After the war, thousands sought refuge in West Germany, building one of the largest Muslim communities in 1950s Europe.
Recall that fellow Muslims are often the victims of Islamic extremist groups.
Posted by Greyhawk at 07:50 PM | Comments (2)Left, Right, Post
The Washington Post profiles two bloggers from opposite sides of the political spectrum. The article includes a great section on the heritage of the modern political blog. It's a must read. It's a good read.
Likewise see the responses from the individual bloggers, Left and Right. To confess my own bias, I've enjoyed Betsy's Page for quite a while. Mahablog is another predictable "Chimpy McHitlerburton" site. Today's left subscribes to a rigid orthodoxy from which they can't veer. This may be the reason there is one big lefty blog and a few smaller ones scattered over the net. Read one and you've read them all.
You might notice I don't use the terms "liberal" or "progressive" when addressing the Left here. They have been neither for quite some time. (See "rigid orthodoxy" above.) They still refer to themselves in such terms, of course. I blame Rush Limbaugh for maintaining their delusion.
Individuals on the Right also often shut down opposing views, of course, but the spectrum of opinion on virtually every topic I can name seems broader across the Right. Perhaps that's because it's currently defined as anyone who doesn't adhere to the left's strict orthodoxy on every conceivable point.
There are liberals who are left of center, of course, but the signal to noise ratio is falling fast.
By all means, if someone can offer a legitimate example of a substantive issue on which the Left embraces a spectrum of opinions please do.
Update: Another illustration of Left/Right world view. Check out this video from CNN. Lou Dobbs introduces a segment on the "Plamegate" story - a report that Karl Rove learned of Plame's employment from a reporter, not vice versa. After the intro and before the video of the report a female voice on air says "that's bullshit".
At first listen you might think it's a rather obvious and unfortunate example of newsroom bias inadvertantly exposed. But on a few seconds reflection the thought that it's fake comes to mind, along with the even more likely idea that the individual could have been responding to something else entirely - maybe someone else ate all the pizza.
Likewise at first I was surprised that a left-leaning blog would carry the video. Then I read the comments:
THAT is great. It restores your faith...And the topper:and
WOW! Makes me wanna believe the media is waking up!
and
Perhaps the mic picked up the collective thoughts of everyone who was watching.
and
LMAO! When will the media start actually saying it? SOON, PLEASE! Somebody besides Jon Stewart.
and
I knew it wasn't Lou Dobbs that said that, because he's a racist GOP shill.
and [next two edited by your's truly]
F*** off and die, Republican filth.
and
Arrrrgh!!! F***** 'EH! This is what we need! Finally! Reporters and journalists so pissed off that they couldn't care less if their coprporate f***head controllers fire them for irrepressibly and unconsciously blurting out the truth! YESSS!
This is it! This is the energy you whiney liberal arts majors needed to at last tap into for the last decade! Gooood Gooooodddd it's about friggin' time! That's f***** journalism! When you don't f***** care if you're fired the next day! YOU are the last line of defense,..
It is bullshit, YOU KNOW IT, THEY KNOW IT AND WE KNOW IT TOO! How f***** long is it gonna take for us all to come to a consensus ont!
Look for some rightie blog to link to this and cite it as an example of liberal media bias. Screw them!Actually, it's an example of an extremely unliberal media bias. But only a liberal could see that.Update 2 Read the whole thing, but don't miss the bottom line at Lex's. I missed the gimme putt.
Posted by Greyhawk at 05:59 PM | Comments (5)The Story Behind the Video
(Update and bump from 2005-07-16 13:17:27)
I haven't really had time to blog my opinions as of late because I'm too busy with the Dawn Patrol, and besides Greyhawk speaks for me as well and is much better at it, but sometimes I see something that just can't wait for him to come home from work.
Yesterday in my Dawn Patrol, I linked Jack Army who had this video.
Here's a translation of the video (unverified):
"Let him walk more into the front so when you shoot him it will be a good shot (like in a good angle for the vid). Then after the shot he says: shall I put the stuff away? The other guy says no. Then the first guy asks: did he fall? Yes, yes he fell..."
From militaryphotos.net chat forum (Umm-Qasr)
Here is the story behind the video: An account of the incident from the 256th Brigade Combat Team.
Media Release
256th Brigade Combat Team
Camp Tigerland
Baghdad, Iraq
APO, AE 09326
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 5, 2005
RELEASE 20050705-01
256th BCT Soldier survives sniper attack
Spc. Chris Foster
256th Brigade Combat Team PAO
Stop right there. This was released July 5th. The day after Independence Day and only one news organization picked this (AP) story up, a day ahead of this press release even, just in time for the 4th of July. Who, you ask? Unfortunately it was the Guardian: U.S. Troops in Iraq Celebrate the Fourth.This story does not reflect Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer's professionalism or his heroism, no emphasis on the fact that as Tschiderer secured the terrorist with a pair of handcuffs, he gave medical aid to the wounded terroristthe same one whod tried to take his life.
Let's get back to this press release later and visit the Guardian for a minute.
President Bush vowed during a Fourth of July speech in West Virginia that U.S. forces will stay in Iraq ``until the fight is won.'' But one soldier, Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer, simply prays he'll get home safely after surviving a gunshot just above his heart.The operative word here is "but".
``I opened up my vest, made sure I wasn't bleeding, and continued with the mission,'' later bandaging wounds of one of the insurgents, he said. ``It didn't seem weird until afterward that I was treating the guy who tried to kill me...I'm very proud to serve my country, but I can't wait to get back to live in my country.''This is what every soldier thinks. They're proud to serve and yes they can't wait to get home to the best damn country there is, especially if one has had a near death experience. But there's that operative word again and they (the Guardian) like it.Then we're introduced to Cpl. Traben Pleasant.
At Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq, Marine Cpl. Traben Pleasant, 24, of Long Beach, Calif., quaffed a nonalcoholic beer and thought of home.Yes, everybody would rather be barbecuing than fighting in a war, especially this poor guy who's has spent 3 of them in a war zone.``This is my third July 4th in Iraq,'' Pleasant said. ``I miss my family and friends. At home, I'd be barbecuing on the beach with my girlfriend.''
It continues with how the soldiers celebrated, which would have been fine if they had stopped there. That's what the Guardian headline implies that the article is about. But then they want to introduce us to one more soldier, Army Spc. Carla McQueen.
The anniversary of America's own Declaration of Independence prompted some soldiers to ponder their role in bringing liberty to the Iraqi people. More than 1,700 service members have died since the Iraq war's start - including more than 1,340 died as a result of hostile action.Well, she's entitled to her opinion, and I'm sure she's a fine soldier, but she apparently doesn't understand what decades of oppression can do to people. Her opinion is not a representative of all the Army or of the Iraqi people but when you add it with all the other operative words, it gives that impression.``When you come over here, you've got a new respect for the holiday,'' said Army Spc. Carla McQueen of Tomball, Texas. ``We Americans fought for our freedom. It takes the Iraqis' power away from them that we are here. They are not standing up and fighting.''
Now the the Guardian throws in this jewel that has nothing to do with the 4th of July celebrations of our soldiers:
Thousands of Iraqis also have died in the conflict, many of them civilians. More than 1,400 people - mostly Iraqis - have died violently since Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari's government was announced April 28.Yes, there will be civilian casualties, that is the reality of war. However, we in no way purposely targeting civilians, but the terrorist on the other hand do. If the victims are children even better (to them).Now back to our News brief on Heroism:
BAGHDAD -- Being able to react to and maintain control of a situation in a combat environment can be a difficult task for Soldiers. They must be able to quickly react and assess a situation, in order to ensure their survival and the safety of those around them.Stay alert, stay alive is the reminder that is driven into the minds of Soldiers since the first day of basic training and echoes throughout their military careers.
This axiom was driven home for at least one Soldier on June 2. Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer, a native of Mendon, N.Y., and a medic with E Troop, 101st Saber Cavalry Division, attached to 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, was shot in the chest by an enemy sniper, during a routine patrol in west Baghdad.
While Tschiderer was relaying information to the truck commander of his M114 Humvee, an enemy sniper team prepared to engage him from inside of a cushioned silver van being used as a mobile snipers nest. This nest was lined with numerous bed mattresses to muffle the sound of a Dragonoff sniper rifle fired through a hole just big enough for the shooter to engage his target of choice.
Tschiderer was knocked to the ground from the sudden impact of the snipers bullet. The bullet only seemed to have fazed this Soldier as, adrenaline pumping, he sprang right back up in order to take cover and locate the enemys position.
The sniper was unsuccessful in his mission, due to the stopping force of the Tschiderers daily wardrobe, his protective body armor, which saved his life. I knew I was hit, but was uncertain of the damage or location from the hit, Tschiderer said. The only thing that was going through my mind was to take cover and locate the snipers position. The shot came from my 12 oclock position from a silver van parked across an intersection about 75 meters from my location. said Tschiderer.
He displayed the professionalism and quick thinking, as our soldiers have been trained to do. Unfortunately, a common view is that American soldiers are nervous and have itchy trigger fingers, a misconception.
After Tschiderer alerted his fellow Soldiers of the enemy location, they immediately began to pursue the terrorists. Due to his heroic actions and quick decisions, Tschiderer located the enemy while he took cover and alerted the rest of his team on patrol. As the Saber team engaged and disabled the snipers position, two terrorists fled on foot, leaving a blood trail that came from the wounds of the enemy sniper.Now I just don't think that if that terrorist had only wounded Tschiderer, that he would then stop and offer medical aid. No, I'm not seeing it. However, that is expected of every U.S. soldier when their enemy is down and rendered incapacitated. If they don't you surely will hear about how US Soldiers are killing defenseless terrorists in the MSM. But as this example shows, this story has been out 11 days and the U.S MSM haven't printed a word about it.A cordon and search was immediately set up and Tschiderer assisted his team in the search of the two terrorists. The driver of the silver vehicle was detained by a team from B Co. 3-156th Inf. Bn. while Tschiderer and a team from B Company, 4th Battalion, 1st Iraqi Army Brigade, continued to follow the blood trail which led them to the yard where the wounded sniper lay in pain. As Tschiderer secured the terrorist with a pair of handcuffs, he gave medical aid to the wounded terroristthe same one whod tried to take his life.
I googled Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer name and besides the Guardian, I only found two small local networks here and here that picked this story up but nothing mainstream in the US.
"If it bleeds it leads" only applies to our GI's and civilians. It doesn't apply to the many Terrorist our soldier kill, injure or capture.
But now let's see how many of the big U.S. MSM networks pick up the AP's latest story: 11 American Soldiers Charged With Abuse - even though there are no real details available. It's only been since Saturday that the U.S. command announced charges.
The BBC's version includes Abu Graib photos.
US coverage:
So far. Keep counting.
Update:
Update:
Sunday 17 July Update: 1,810
Well, that didn't take long.
Damn, now my Dawn Patrol is late.
UPDATE: A commenter has brought it to my attention that I stand Corrected. There were two other major MSM org. that picked up this (AP) story, Fox (no surprise) and, belive it or not, the Washington Post. I love to be proven wrong. One of the things that makes blogging so great. There is always someone out there that know more of the story and the truth is always told. However, unlike the Guardian, they printed the full (AP story), with quotes from other soldiers.These are the missing paragraghs from the Guardian article.
Soldiers on four-day rest passes watched belly dancers and a comedy show after roasting a hog at the former Iraqi Republican Guard officers' club in Baghdad. The facility was refurbished after the 2003 invasion and includes a pool with a two-story diving platform and big-screen TVs with video games."People need to understand that gaining independence is a long process," said Army Sgt. Andrew Chiu of Savannah, Ga., assigned to the 603rd Aviation Support Battalion.
Others said the holiday took on added meaning during their tour in Iraq.
"Before, you kind of took it for granted. Now we're seeing what our forefathers went through to gain (independence)," said Army Sgt. Kenneth Alfred of Fort Hood, Texas, of the 256th Brigade.
I'm not sure why the Guardian felt compelled to leave out these paragraghs. ooohh! I see, the operative word (...but) is missing.Now, that I've been corrected, and we have 3 major MSM networks cover this story, this still doesn't compare to the 2,170 stories that have covered the Soldiers abuse story. Now I'll be fair and say their not all MAJOR MSM networks, and thanks to the blogoshphere the story of PFC Stephen Tschiderer has now jumped to nine
I'm sure they'll be more on this later.
Posted by Mrs Greyhawk at 03:12 PM | Comments (11)Hall of Famers
That which endures:
Amazon.com celebrates it's 10th anniversary this month. To mark the event they've compiled a "Hall of Fame" for a few product categories, presenting the top 25 sellers in music, books, and DVDs for the past decade. Among the usual suspects in each category, some surprises.
The Beatles
are #1 in the top music
The Woodstock generation is well represented over all. Baby boomers replacing vinyl with CDs? A new generation discovering "roots music"?
But perhaps the most unexpected musician in the group is Frank Sinatra
Slightly off topic: John Prine
is the current #5 CD at Amazon. That's cool. Your opinion may vary.
Turning to top authors
Perhaps that's what the Amazon all-time top 25 really demonstrates. For all those who think we're in unique and exciting new times there's actually a strong link to the recent past, where issues we think of as today's are revealed as timeless.
Speaking of which, among the generally unsurprising list of top 25 DVDs
really shines. It certainly deserves it's place, but I'd have thought the price (which, by the way, is lower than ever) would have kept it on the shelves of only a few collectors. It's worth the cost.
Posted by Greyhawk at 02:29 PM | Comments (1)July 16, 2005
Every Day Hero
Story by Cpl. Athanasios L. Genos
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Vincent A. Hawkins was riding in the passenger seat when an explosion went off wounding Hawkins.
Lance Cpl. Hawkins stood in front of his peers as the 2nd Marine Division Commanding General presented him and seven other Marines with Purple Hearts for wounds they received while serving in Iraq.
Major Gen. Richard A. Huck presented the awards to Gunnery Sgt. Brendan Slattery, Staff Sgt. Ronald Jacobs, Lance Cpls. John MacNaughton, Andrew Hulkow, Stephen R. Thompson, Nicholas Siewert and Vincent A. Hawkins, and Private Derrell Odom, thanking them for the sacrifice they made.
"I was in the front passenger seat on the convoy when we got hit," Hawkins explained.
Two months ago Hawkins was on a re-supply convoy to his forward operating base when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device killing one and wounding himself and others. Hawkins was just one of many injured that day, sustaining shrapnel wounds to the face and hand along with a perforated eardrum.Hawkins was encircled by an all hands formation awaiting the arrival of the commanding general. Third Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment Battalion Commander, LtCol. Stephen M. Neary took a few moments explaining to Hawkins and the other Marines what the Purple Heart meant and where it came from.
"I was kind of worried about having a two star general coming up to me and I had butterflies in my stomach the entire time," Hawkins, a 2003 Armwood High School graduate explained.
Neary finished speaking about the medal as the general approached the formation. Huck approached the first Marine in line to receive their awards after the citation had been read. He also took time to speak to each Marine, asking them how they sustained their wounds and how they were recovering."It was a moment to remember, having a two star general and battalion commander present me with my Purple Heart," Hawkins said.
The Marines had all received their awards and then formed a circle around the CG as he took additional time to talk about what is happening around the country the Marines are fighting in."Third Battalion, 8th Marines really had to step up when they prepped to come to combat earlier than expected back in January," Huck said.
He spoke about how the battalion has seen their fair share of combat and lost comrades in battle."You are here to accomplish your mission and take care of each other," Hucksaid. "You know what it means to be in combat."
HT: Patriot Voices
Posted by Mrs Greyhawk at 08:19 PM
DawnNoon PatrolIRAQ
Another Prayer Request.... [Ma Deuce Gunner - in Iraq]
My company had another casualty yesterday. Again, I am not going to mention a name, but he lost both legs from an IED attack. Bastards. He was a young, motivated kid,...Angels Among Us [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
MosulSixty Stryker tires were strapped five-high into the belly of a C-130 cargo plane heading for Mosul. After weeks of riding in a Humvee with CSM Mellinger and crew, at times sharing a dusty but air-conditioned tent in Baghdad with bold mice, it was time to go "home."
Each day Stryker tires get blown off, sometimes sailing hundreds of feet before landing smoldering on a rooftop, or a car, or the ground. So the belly of the airplane was filled with replacement tires, and three passengers: an Australian Naval officer, a US Army officer, and me.
Operation Lightning Guides Iraqi Army [DVIDS] - Video
The Iraqi Army takes the lead with Coalition Forces guiding them in the right direction during Operation Lightning. Soundbites from Sergeant Christian Jones, 156th Basic Combat Team, Major Eric Wagner, Executive Officer for 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade of the Iraqi Intervention Force. Produced by Marine Corporal Mike Browning, American Forces Network Iraq.The Rebound [365 and a Wake Up - in Iraq]
The most valuable armor a soldier can own isn?t government issue. It isn?t crafted in a metallurgical lab, or spun out of some advanced composite. It isn?t a tangible quantity; it can?t be measured or gauged. And it certainly can?t be bought? regardless of how much money you have. The armor I am speaking of is the arcane psychological plating that shields your psyche from the condensed misery of a warzone. It is something that hovers far below consciousness, silently intervening when the murderous environment attempts to leave its loathsome imprint on your being. It doesn?t help keep you alive, but what it does protect is as dear as life itself.Rambling, Tired Observations [Hurl's Blog - in Iraq]
In the past week I have flown a dozen missions or so of various types. Casevac, raids, Cordon and knock, Convoy escort, etc. As mentioned before, the Iraqi army is really getting involved in their own security as well as hunting down terrorists in their own operations. Clearly terrorists are murdering, disrupting, destroying, maiming, and...... terrorizing.... people as much as possible in a desperate attempt to topple the Iraqi government, throw the country into civil war/anarchy, and ultimately establish an authoritative Islamic regime.
Unfortunately, terror seems to beRequiem... [Gun Line]
...The difference between Jarhead Dad and me are simple, in that, it's not watching my son depart from me, it is knowing what is waiting for that Marine when he reaches his destination...I have stood at the spade grips of a .50 caliber machine gun and provided security for a fireteam of Marines. I have held a rifle in my shoulder, ready to ventilate the first son of a bitch who comes out of that doorway while my Marines are checking out the situation on the street.
Greetings from Baghdad [Forth Rail - SSG Levi in Iraq]
Greetings all from Baghdad. First off let me say THANK YOU ALL for your gift of the phone cards. To a man, they are greatly appreciated. Even our families stateside were overwhelmed by the generosity of complete strangers, who may very well even be their neighbors, when told of the origin of the calling cards. Again, thanks to all the readers of The Fourth Rail for your support.Hearts [Tiger Hawk]
In this photo released Friday, July 15, 2005, by Jonathan Powers is U.S. Army Capt. Jonathan Powers with an unidentified orphan at a playground at the Adhamiya Public Orphanage in Baghdad, Iraq. Powers, 27, is director of the upstart Orphans and Street Kids Project, whose goal is to coordinate the country's ill-equipped orphanages and offer vocational training for children living on the streets and out of the facilities' reach.Operation Teddy Drop [Assumption in Command - in Iraq]
They can be seen parachuting into various areas around Baghdad -- specially trained individuals recruited during Operation Iraqi Freedom 3, whose primary mission is to bring smiles to the faces of Iraqi children.Good to Hook [Bayonet - in Iraq]
Today was quite an exciting one, we had mutliple suicide bombers attack a nearby checkpoint, just down the road from us. Everyone in Team Bayonet is OK, there were no US casualties.Iraqi Police rescue child, detain four, and seize large weapons cache [Stryker Brigade]
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 16, 2005) ? Iraqi Police and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom rescued an Iraqi child, detained 13 suspected terrorists, and seized a large weapons cache during operations in northern Iraq today and Friday.Rebels in Iraq kill people, then bobby-trap them [The 48th goes to War]
Mahmudiyah, Iraq ? The deadliest weapons of the Iraqi insurgency ? roadside bombs ? are growing in size and sophistication and are being hidden in a bewildering variety of places.Buried under
This is what empty slogans led us to... [Iraq the Model - Iraqi in Iraq]
Yesterday was the 14th of July; on the same day back in 1958 the nation that was moving towards becoming a modern and civilized nation was crushed under the tracks of a tank lead by a young officer.
Sadly, the Iraqi political spectrum is still divided over whether what happened in 1958 should be considered a good revolution or a bad coup.Truth in Iraq Tour [Andi's World]
I've been listening to radio talk show host Michael Graham (WMAL) broadcast from Iraq this week, he's had some amazing interviews. Michael has been a bit slow with the postings, but here's his blog, click hereWrite Ring Radio [Waynes World - son in Iraq
Radio talk show producer Robin Amer has requested family members of the 150th go to Radio Open Source web site to post comments and tell stories about their experiences for a program scheduled to air Monday, July 18.
Here are some things she's interested to know:...3rd Brigade Soldiers Reenlist in Iraq [Defense Link]
TAJI, Iraq, July 15, 2005 ? U.S. Army soldiers from 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division recently reenlisted for another term of service
MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ
Iraq bombs kill police, British troops (Reuters)
Suicide bombers killed seven Iraqi policemen on Saturday and three British soldiers died in a roadside blast, piling pressure on the government a day after militants blew themselves up across the capital.Suicide Blasts Kill 13 Across Baghdad (LA Times)
The eight attacks, which were aimed at security forces, fuel doubts about claims that a U.S.-Iraqi crackdown in the capital has been a success.
BAGHDAD ? Suicide car bombers launched eight attacks across Baghdad on Friday, killing at least 13 people and further calling into question U.S. military claims that insurgent suicide cells in the capital had been disrupted by more than a month of targeted operations undertaken with Iraqi forces.Marine had cousin shoot him to avoid Iraq (MSNBC)
19-year-old feared returning to Iraq; told police he was randomly shot
CHICAGO - A young Marine who feared returning to Iraq persuaded his cousin to shoot him in the leg, then told police he was hit by random gang gunfire, authorities said.The shooting early Saturday was meant to keep 19-year-old Moises Hernandez from going back to Iraq, prosecutors said.
Surely no one can approve turning an American soldier into a pseudo-lap-dancer or having another smear fake menstrual blood on an Arab man. These practices are as degrading to the women as they are to the prisoners. They violate American moral values - and they seem pointless.
The Women of Gitmo (NT Times)
Does anyone in the military believe that a coldblooded terrorist who has withstood months of physical and psychological abuse will crack because a woman runs her fingers through his hair suggestively or watches him disrobe? If devout Muslims become terrorists because they believe Western civilization is depraved, does it make sense to try to unnerve them by having Western women behave like trollops?AFGHANISTAN
Editor's Note: Most of these MilBloggers have rotated out. Hope to find some new ones soon.
Pace Thanks Troops During Afghan Visit [Defense Link]
WASHINGTON, July 15, 2005 ? When U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Afghanistan recently, the gratitude of the people was proof to him that progress is being made in the country.Army Captain Helps Deliver Afghan Baby [Defense Link]
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, July 15, 2005 ? During her first visit to a civilian hospital in Afghanistan, U.S. Army Capt. (Dr.) Jacqueline Naylor got the chance to do more than assess the needs of the hospital ? she helped bring a baby girl into the world.MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN
Oliver Stone vis-a-vis 9/11 (Washington Times)
It was with the greatest regret that we heard Paramount Pictures had chosen Oliver Stone, the conspiracy-addled director with a soft spot for dictators, to direct Hollywood's first major movie about September 11.MILITARY
The SEAL Ethos [Froggy Ruminations]
Recently, several of my teammates came together in an effort to compose a SEAL philosophy or ethos. This is something that the Teams had neglected to formally do for far too long. Nevertheless, I am very pleased and impressed with the result:...A Story Within a Story - Heroism Times 2
I'm glad to see Grey Eagle of A Female Soldier back again. I say back, because I was regularly reading the blog of this 35 YO mother who enlisted in the Army because she wanted to do something for her country. I really have to admire a peson that old, an especially someone with plenty of real world considerations to not volunteer, who just puts up their right hand and then makes sure she'll be carrying a serious responsibility along in the midst of the fighting. A few months back, my link quit working to her blog. I was afraid she had decided with the upper level scrutiny that she just packed it in rather than register her "place of business."
A Story Within a Story - Heroism Times 2 [Chaotic Synaptic Activity]
She's back at the link above. This morning, a picture with the caption "Charlie's Angels" (three female medics assigend to C Company) cuaght my eye. By clicking on each of their names below the picture, you get a one page story about them.Why I and Other Female Soldiers Do What We Do [Female Soldier 2 - training for deployment]
Do you wonder why I and so many other women would join the Army? Why would a 33 year old (at the time) wife and mother quit her job as a Director of Operation for a Pharmaceutical company and go to basic training in order to make a difference (hint: it certainly wasn't for the pay)? Why volunteer for a combat unit such as the 101st Airborne Division, knowing they are going to be deployed? I hope to answer these questions in my Blog (which I know I am behind on, but we are now entering the final phase for deployment and I am putting in 15-18 hour days every day and I'm exhusted when I get home).THE MEDIA
Media Blindness in the Military [Joe Katzman - Winds of Change]
A while back, I wrote Military Blindness in the Media - And Beyond. Here's another facet of the phenomenon, full of solid suggestions from a national journalist who is also in the Army Reserves, and whose understanding of what was really going on prevented TIME from looking as stupid as Newsweek did just before Baghdad fell. Writing in the U.S. Naval Institute's Proceedings magazine, he says:Anchoress quoted, but carefully?carefully [The Anchoress]
This is pretty funny - Ms Musings points to an article in the Chicago Tribune which quotes little ol? me, and my piece on the London attack.
...Why, exactly did they need to edit out ?so cowardly they will not wear a uniform??? Seems true enough, to me.
Even more interesting, I think, that the paper printed my thoughts on the 1970?s and 1980?s and omitted the whole part about the 1990?s. In case you don?t remember, it went like this:POLITICS
Liberal blogs hurting Democrats [Lance in Iraq]
Dean Barnett is right on the money with this piece. Libs on the Internet don't even seem interested in winning elections. Fine by me.
Yet only Democratic politicians have concluded that "their" blogs somehow represent a new norm. As left-wing blogs have become ascendant, the left's politicians have become increasingly strident and bilious.CONGRATS
30 in Iraq
While for most of us it is still Friday, July 15th 3:01PMCST, it is now Saturday, July 16th 12:01AM, for Shawn in Iraq. On this 16th day of July, my husband turns 30 years young! While I had imagined spending this day with him and throwing him a party to celebrate this birthday, I can only do what technology will allow me to do by putting a posting on his blog to ask everyone to help wish Shawn a Happy 30th Birthday!!!Posted by Mrs Greyhawk at 03:57 PM | Comments (1)July 15, 2005
Dar al Harb
Numerous stories are relating that Britains are "shocked" to discover that last week's bombers were "British citizens". "Home-grown terrorists." "Local lads."
In hopes of easing that "shock" - please note that as true believers of the most violent strain of Islam, the jihaddis who detonated themselves in the subways and on the bus considered themselves not English, but Muslims in the land of war.
Hope this helps.
Posted by Greyhawk at 10:52 PMTreading Water
The Weekly Standard takes a look into the toilets along the Left-wing information sewer, where among other things we find Dick Durbin, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, and Ted Kennedy treading water rather desperately.
Posted by Greyhawk at 10:01 PM | Comments (1)From LA Times
I'd have worked the word "terrorist" into it somewhere, but hey, baby steps.
Posted by Greyhawk at 09:30 PMDebatable
A topic I'll throw out for discussion:
If we weren't in Iraq we'd be confronted with the same total numbers of "insurgents" in Afghanistan alone as we now face in both countries - the jihaddis would have migrated there instead.
Maybe we'd even be up against more, since Saddam would also be funding, equiping, and otherwise aiding their cause.
Comments are open
Posted by Greyhawk at 09:13 PM | Comments (14)Open Post
The Dawn Patrol may be in danger for the next few days. Mrs G is a big fan of these books...
Posted by Greyhawk at 09:13 PM | Comments (2)Whatever Happened To...
Investigative reporting? Somewhere along the way someone decided that getting to the truth wasn't as important as scoring political points. One by one, "investigative reports" about the current administration have been revealed to be biased bits of fraud - from Dan Rather's memos to the latest speculation on Karl Rove.
Roger Simon does more useful investigative journalism than all this country's major newspapers combined. Given that he's a mystery novelist I suppose that's no surprise. There's lots of good stuff at Roger's blog today. Read it all.
This reminder of the conventional wisdom regarding Iraq circa 1999 is a don't miss.
It proves nothing, really, except that something certainly has changed between then and now.
Presidents, maybe.
Posted by Greyhawk at 08:54 PM | Comments (3)Don't Hate!
A must read:
Why they hate usThis is a belated Fourth of July column (superseded by the state shutdown). The headline isn't a prelude to a column justifying why the Islamists hate Westerners so much that they're pouring into Iraq to kill our soldiers (along with innocent fellow Arabs, including Egyptian diplomats). Or defending the sleeper cells planted to blow up Madrid, London and who knows where next. Rather, it's about why most Americans, particularly soldiers, hate the media.
I decided to become a journalist when I was a soldier. I was in the U.S. Navy in the early and mid-1980s ? "the glory years," as I like to say, a reference to President Ronald Reagan. As part of my duties, I went to some of the world's hot spots.
While sailing in the South China Sea, my ship picked up some refugee boat people on a rickety raft that I wouldn't take out on Como Lake, much less try to float across the Pacific Ocean. One of the survivors, shortly after coming up the accommodation ladder dripping wet, grabbed me (the nearest sailor), hugged me as tightly as his strength would allow, and could only murmur "thank you" through sobs of joy.
I'd then come back to the U.S. and read accounts of places I'd just been ? in papers like the New York Times and Washington Post ?that bore no resemblance to what I'd seen. There was one exception: the Wall Street Journal editorial page. I began reading a column called "Thinking Things Over" by Vermont Connecticut Royster, one of the legends of that august page. He would later become a mentor ? a God, really ? and I eventually worked there.
I'm reminded of why I became a journalist by the horribly slanted reporting coming out of Iraq. Not much has changed since the mid-1980s. Substitute "insurgent" for "Sandinista," "Iraq" for "Soviet Union," "Bush" for "Reagan" and "war on terror" for "Cold War," and the stories need little editing. The U.S. is "bad," our enemies "understandable" if not downright "good."
I know the reporting's bad because I know people in Iraq. A Marine colonel buddy just finished a stint overseeing the power grid. When's the last time you read a story about the progress being made on the power grid? Or the new desalination plant that just came on-line, or the school that just opened, or the Iraqi policeman who died doing something heroic? No, to judge by the dispatches, all the Iraqis do is stand outside markets and government buildings waiting to be blown up.
I also get unfiltered news from Iraq through an e-mail network of military friends who aren't so blinded by their own politics that they can't see the real good we're doing there. More important, they can see beyond their own navel and see the real good we're doing to promote peace and prosperity in the world. What makes this all the more ironic is the fact that the people who are fighting and dying want to stay and the people who are merely observers want to cut and run.
I feel for these soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan because I'm sure they're coming home and noticing the same disconnect that I did when I served. Moreover, stories about their families and others who are here and trying to make a difference largely go unreported.
Ever heard of Soldiers' Angels (http://soldiersangels.homestead.com/index.html) or Operation Minnesota Nice (www.operationminnesotanice.com)?
Probably not.
There have been just two mentions of Operation Minnesota Nice by the Twin Cities metro dailies, one a brief in the Pioneer Press and the other a front-page story in the paper across the river. Operation Minnesota Nice collects care packages ? of baby wipes, lip balm, baby powder and other items ? for soldiers serving overseas. Soldiers' Angels does the same thing, mating civilians who maybe don't have a loved one overseas with soldiers who don't have loved ones.
Where's the daily coverage of these groups and others like them?
Moreover, where are the stories on nearly every VFW and American Legion hall that's actively supporting the troops? What about their stories?
Instead, we get Monday's front-page story about a "secret" memo about "emerging U.S. plans" to withdraw troops next year. Why isn't the focus of the story the fact that 14 of 18 Iraqi provinces are stable and the four that aren't are primarily home to the genocidal gang of thugs who terrorized that country for 30 years?
And reporters wonder why they're despised.
Yost is associate editor of the Pioneer Press editorial page. Write him at myost@pioneerpress.com or at the Pioneer Press, 345 Cedar St., St. Paul, MN 55101.
As opinion polls and surveys tell us, public faith in the news media is low, and falling. Acknowledging the problem and asking why seems like a fine starting point for a serious discussion on the topic. But the above piece actually singles out a specific group, as the author clearly points out: it's about why most Americans, particularly soldiers, hate the media.
From my experience, that soldiers "hate" the media is true - though dislike or mistrust might be better words. If you were to poll American troops on the question you'd probably get about an 80% "yes" response to "do you hate the media?" Dislike or mistrust would likely raise the number to the upper 90s. But that's a semantic issue - the point is there's a problem. That a journalist who's also a military veteran sees it and writes about it is indeed a good first step.
Steve Lovelady, managing editor of the Columbia Journalism Review Daily, takes the discussion to another level:
Amazing. Mark Yost, an [editorial page] editor at Knight Ridder, the ONE news outlet which has consistently exposed the lies at the heart of the Iraq invasion and the grim reality of the current occupation, turns on his colleagues.That's his response in it's entirety - a point to remember as you read on.I can't wait to see how the KR Washington bureau and the KR Iraq contingent reponds to this one!
There he is, guys. Go get him. You owe your readers no less.
***** What is amazing about this is that Lovelady is the managing editor of the friggin' Columbia Journalism Review Daily. You'd think that he would welcome intelligent, reasoned, two-sided discussion about media's coverage of this controverial story. Instead, he acts like the fat kid on the playground egging on the bullies in a fight.But Jarvis also wants a real discussion, and in fact invites one:So how about a debate, sirs? I suggest an email debate. I'll be happy to post your responses on Buzzmachine.That would be a worthy debate, but note that even Jarvis doesn't mention the actual purpose of Yost's piece, which is about "...why most Americans, particularly soldiers, hate the media. That must be accepted truth. So then, are there valid reasons why? Good question - but we'll address it later.First question, if you are willing:
Is American media coverage of the Iraq war balanced? Or do American media harbor an agenda in its coverage -- and if so, what agenda? Do American news media succeed -- or even try -- to present the positive and the negative news coming out of Iraq? Is there an obligation to be balanced? Or do you believe that balance would present an inaccurate picture of the news there?
Jeff Jarvis' proposal unfortunately brings a negative response from Lovelady, part of which follows:
I'll have to decline, on several counts...Let's review that "entire letter" again:...if you think my "snipe" at Romenesko did not address the issues Mark raised -- when in fact I spent my entire letter pointing out that the very specific and detailed Iraq coverage of his OWN newspaper chain puts the lie to his careless accusations -- then you most assuredly would find my stance in any further debate "well, unsatisfying."
Amazing. Mark Yost, an [editorial page] editor at Knight Ridder, the ONE news outlet which has consistently exposed the lies at the heart of the Iraq invasion and the grim reality of the current occupation, turns on his colleagues.That's just the beginning - you can witness the complete melt down here. Come back when you're done.I can't wait to see how the KR Washington bureau and the KR Iraq contingent reponds to this one!
There he is, guys. Go get him. You owe your readers no less.
***** Lovelady again:
"My guess is that by Monday Mr. Yost will be too busy standing in line outside the St. Paul unemployment office to engage in leisurely Internet debates. Which, frankly, is as it should be. He's a right-wing shill who belittled and betrayed the hundreds of reporters who go into harm's way every day to tell us what the hell is really going on.I might be mis-reading that, but it seems to me he's calling for Yost to be fired for what he wrote. An interesting position for a "journalist" to take. He also invites us to "Take a fresh look at Romenesko. This poor bastard has become the pinata of the day."Fortunately, - and this is a crucial point - the responses at Romanesko are a bit more fair and balanced then that claim might imply. Though no doubt Lovelady would call them "right-wing shills", give credit to the journalists who offered these insights:
From MARTIN STEIN, A&E editor, Las Vegas Weekly: Dipping into Romenesko?s letters, it seems there?s quite a kerfuffle going on about reporting in Iraq. There is one person reporting on the good news going on there, and in Afghanistan and other parts of the world: Arthur Chrenkoff. I don?t know if he?s a reporter per se. Perhaps he?s just some retired gent who has the time to do things like research and read ? that sort of free time being a scarce commodity among many media professionals.These comments, along with Yost's original column, prove that the problem isn't with media as a whole - it's just certain individuals who bring the profession low.However clever and true "The Daily Show?s" comment about not reporting on cars that don?t explode may be, it?s equally true (but far less snide) that the media always makes time to report on brites and feel-good stories. Except, it seems, in the case of wars that some find messy and distasteful.
From GARY BERKLEY, former Belleville News-Democrat publisher: As a former KR publisher I can say Mark Yost knows what he's talking about. Sadly, he is probably toast. I used to marvel at the KR's Washington Bureau psyche of "Let's ruin 'W' and anything he stands for" while proudly proclaiming no bias whatsoever. They pat themselves on the back every time they can stir the negativity pot against Bush, Iraq, tax cuts, Christianity, diversity, etc.
Unfortunately for Mark, the worst sin you can commit against these biased liberals is to call them biased liberals. It infuriates them to no end.
Unfortunate -- but true.
***** Meanwhile, Lovelady, having relied solely on ad hominem attacks in response to Yost, also accuses others of doing the same to him at Romanesko. This prompts the following response:
From MIKE HENKINS: Steve Lovelady writes:In their ad hominem attacks on me, both Logan Anderson and Mike Henkins deftly avoid addressing the issue at hand:
Is Mark Yost, a Knight Ridder editorial writer in St Paul, correct in his assessment of the situation in Iraq, and his claim that it is being distorted by reporters on the ground?
This question would be easily solved and you and your colleagues are just the people who can solve it.
Ask a soldier and report all that they say. It's that simple, and it is something that it seems the media rarely does.
Many of these soldiers have personal blogs. Many of them are on leave or have rotated back. I spoken to a few directly and have read many of thier personal blogs and I have yet to hear one speak in favor of the reporting out of Iraq. None of them will say it's all went according to plan. No war ever has. None of them will say its a paradise. No country at war ever is. But to a man I have heard them say what they read in the papers and what they see on TV is not a factual representation of what they experienced in Iraq.
But hey, they do not have degrees in journalism, such as myself, so what do they or I know?
Instead of your own ad hominem attack on Mr. Yost, why did you not ask yourself the very same question you inquired of Mr. Anderson and myself?
Once again....
Bias? What bias?
Lovelady's response is brief, and welcome:
STEVE LOVELADY RESPONDS: Mike, I hate to tell you, but 99% of the news coming out of Iraq already comes from someone "asking a soldier." Who else are they going to ask? Insurgents? I don't think so.Terrified and often hostile Iraqi civilians? Occasionally, but not very damned often.
It's war.
If you want to cover it, you get your information from soldiers and their commanders.
Period.
That's my que. Since I'm a military guy, I know that an attack deserves a response, measured and appropriate in force to that attack:
Dear Steve,
re: why most Americans, particularly soldiers, hate the media
Why? Because of you.
Sincerely,
GreyhawkAs for that bias business, welcome to Mudville. Start here.
Oh, and be sure and visit my good friends at Soldiers?Angels.
Posted by Greyhawk at 07:09 PM | Comments (11)July 14, 2005
Open Post
As long as I'm directing people to great places around the internet, please visit Mudville's advertisers in the right sidebar. They are after all, the folks who make it possible.
Posted by Greyhawk at 08:45 PM | Comments (4)Songs of Warriors and War
(Re-posted from 2005-07-11 19:22:18. The contast between terrorists and those who fight them can't be more obvious. Too bad many don't see it.)
If you think about the music associated with Vietnam you likely think about the anti-war songs, or the stuff that made it's way onto soundtracks of Vietnam films. The Door's The End from Apocalypse Now, Creedence Run Through the Jungle or Hendrix Voodoo Child and All Along the Watchtower from just about every film of Vietnam ever made. The entire soundtrack to Good Morning Vietnam is another example. Great songs all.
But something different is happening in Iraq. Just like MilBloggers telling their own stories using the modern internet, now soldiers in Iraq can record their own music using low cost, portable gear. That high-tech stuff is helping the re-birth of an ancient tradition. This generation's great ballads are being written. Warrior poets are back, and they aren't dreaming about seeing bomber death planes riding shotgun in the sky turning in to butterflies above our nation.
This is the song of the year. No, it's better than that. It's one for the ages. I tear up when I hear this one. Maybe it's just because I was there, and this captures how I feel about the experience.
Local Guardsman is a real 'American Soldier'FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAMP JOSEPH T. ROBINSON, Ark. (6/30/2005) ? An Arkansas National Guard soldier who recently returned from a one-year tour of duty with the 39th Brigade Combat Team in Iraq is scheduled to appear on the Fox News Channel Monday, July 4 at 12:48 p.m. EDT to share a special story about his experience.
When Arkansas Army National Guard Spc. Luke Stricklin looked for a way to answer the repeatedly-asked question "What's it like over there [in Iraq]?" his response came in the form of a song titled "American by God's Amazing Grace," which has received nationwide acclaim.
With a guitar bought off the streets of Baghdad, a laptop, and a $10 microphone hung from the center of his rugged tent, Stricklin used his makeshift studio to record the song he'd written to express his experience and what he viewed through his own eyes while in Iraq.
Emailed home to family and friends, the rough-cut tune found its way to a local radio station where it proceeded to garner an overwhelming response from listeners. Soon, national media outlets across the country were inquiring about this soldier turned singer.
Stricklin, described by fellow soldiers as "a good soldier and a good guy," "the total package," and "an incredible singer," is also said to be as laid back as they come. Not looking for fame or fortune, he simply wanted to offer a reminder of the many privileges Americans often take for granted while others are fighting and dying for much less. This humble soldier originally of Arkadelphia, Ark., who joined the Guard when he was 17 and now lives near Van Buren, Ark., says he had no idea the song would take him this far.
Luke Stricklin is scheduled to release his debut self-titled album in August and is also slated to appear on KATV's ?Good Morning Arkansas? on Friday, July 1. To hear his music, visit www.lukestricklin.com.
There are some other examples of tunes from Iraq here.
***** Milbloggers have our own balladeer. We debutted Goldfalcon's My Pretty Ones here a couple days ago but we're putting it in "heavy rotation" because this is another song you don't want to miss.
Here are the lyrics:
My Pretty Ones
He slides out of the driveway,
points his headlights toward the highway
still tryin? hard not to make that sound.Got two in bed and one at the door,
pretty soon there?ll be one more.
They?re all cryin?, askin? him to stay.He says ?Oh, no, my pretty ones.
There?s a need for men and guns,
and it ain?t enough to sit and pray.
Sometimes even good men go away.?Yeah, Daddy?s gone a soldier,
got an Eagle on his shoulder,
flag on his arm and he?s gonna make ?em pay.Back home they?re scared of fightin?
sayin? ?You don?t have to die, son?.
The kids say ?Daddy, are you comin? home today??He says ?Oh, no, my pretty ones.
There?s a need for men and guns,
there?s just too much at stake.
There?s some things in life you gotta face.?Well there?s a letter in a locker,
when she gets it, it?ll drop her.
It?s sittin? underneath some baby boots she made.It says ?Oh, no, my pretty ones,
I guess this means my time is done.
Like gypsies who never stay,
Daddies only come to go away.?Just go listen. This is awesome.
***** Finally (for now) if you'd like to hear something in it's finished version don't forget On Leaving - a song inspired by a post I wrote the day I left for Iraq. I don't take any credit for the finished product, the band is responsible for that, but they captured the moment on this one.
Posted by Greyhawk at 07:54 PM | Comments (12)The "Iraqi" "Insurgency"
CENTCOM has nabbed a suspect in the murder of the Egyptian envoy to Iraq (and others):
KEY AL QAIDA LEADERS CAPTURED IN IRAQAt the time of the murder the group claiming responsibility made this claim: "The ambassador of the infidels has confessed to information that showed that his regime is an infidel and which proved his ties to the Jews and the Crusaders."BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Multi-National Forces conducted several raids here recently capturing more than 30 terrorists, including two reported high ranking Al-Qaida leaders with ties to its leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, according to a military spokesman.
Among those captured and close confidants to al-Zarqawi are Abdulla Ibrahim Muhammed Hassan al Shadad, or Abu Abdul Aziz and Khamis Farhan Khalaf Abd al Fahdawi, or Abu Seba. Aziz served Zarqawi as both a terrorist cell leader in Baghdad and as an operations officer for al-Qaida in Iraq and was captured here July 10.
According to authorities, Aziz is cooperating with Mutli-National Forces.
Coalition Operations in Ar Ramadi secured the capture of Abu Seba July 9 after intelligence provided information that led to his whereabouts. Seba served as a senior lieutenant of Al Qaida in Iraq, and is suspected in attacks against diplomats of Bahrain, Pakistan and the recent murder of Egyptian envoy, Ihab Salah al Din Ahmad al Sharif. Al Qaida ordered the attacks against Arab diplomats in an effort to reduce support for the government of Iraq according to a military spokesman.
During these raids vital information, evidence and equipment were recovered that implicate both Aziz and Seba as members of Zarqawi?s leadership cell.
Other information discovered included computer equipment, weapons, pornography, propaganda and documents.
Meanwhile, Turkey would appreciate the return of two current residents of Abu Ghraib:
ANKARA, Turkey ? The government of Turkey has asked Iraq to extradite two suspected Turkish Islamic militants held in Abu Ghraib prison so it can try them in connection with the 2003 Istanbul suicide bombings that killed more than 60 people, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.Turkey's Justice Ministry asked Iraqi authorities in June to extradite suspects Sadettin Akdas and Burhan Kus, and Iraqi authorities were evaluating documents about the suspects, the Foreign Ministry statement said.
Media reports Wednesday said the two had been captured this year during fighting near the northern Iraqi town of Tall Afar.
Kus, 32, has been indicted by Turkish prosecutors on suspicion that he helped build the Istanbul truck bombs. Akdas, 22, is accused of being a member of the terrorist cell that helped carry out the attacks.
The blasts in November 2003 targeted two synagogues and, five days later, the British Consulate and a London-based bank. Most of the victims were identified as Turkish Muslims.
For a look back at this week's series on terrorists and their motivation, enemies, and methods, see these posts:
Posted by Greyhawk at 07:53 PMRecruiting
The Army has failed to meet it's recruiting goals almost every month this year, partly due to the authorized 30,000-troop increase in strength from last year.
Now Hillary Clinton and other Senate Democrats have put forth an interesting proposal:
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and other Democrats proposed Wednesday to increase the size of the Army by 80,000 troops as a way to alleviate what she called a "crisis" in the military caused by lengthy deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.Fine with me - but I'd like to see the 80,000 names first. Oddly enough, the story neglected to mention the Army's recent recruiting shortfalls.The lawmakers said they would introduce an amendment to the annual Defense Department authorization bill to raise the Army's authorized strength by 20,000 troops annually in each of the next four years, raising the total force to 582,400. Joining Ms. Clinton at a news conference announcing the proposals were three other Democratic senators, Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and Ken Salazar of Colorado.
Of course, if I were a cynic I might think this was just a way to get "crisis" into the headlines while pretending to support the troops. Or a way to dare Republicans to oppose such a measure.
Posted by Greyhawk at 07:22 PM | Comments (8)July 13, 2005
Building Small Coffins
Last month the Washington Post reported on the efforts of foreigners to join the jihad in Iraq.
When the Americans led the invasion of Iraq, the men of Abu Ibrahim's family gathered in the courtyard of their shared home in the far north of Syria. Ten slips of paper were folded into a plastic bag, and they drew lots. The five who opened a paper marked with ink would go to Iraq and fight. The other five would stay behind.Today, as on so many others, we get an update on the effectiveness of that "shuttle":Abu Ibrahim drew a blank. But remaining in Syria did not mean staying clear of the war. For more than two years, by his own detailed account, the slightly built, shabbily dressed 32-year-old father of four has worked diligently to shuttle other young Arab men into Iraq, stocking the insurgency that has killed hundreds of U.S. troops and thousands of Iraqis.
BAGHDAD -- A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden SUV killed at least 27, including an American soldier, late this morning in the deadliest insurgent attack in more than two months.The website of the Muslim American Society provides a roundup of coverage. Note that a Reuters cameraman arrived almost immediately to document the horror. Judging from the numerous photos accompanying the reports of this story, many such journalists were on the scene just as quickly:<...>
Many, if not most of the dead were children loitering and playing near U.S. soldiers at an impromptu checkpoint in Baghdad al-Jadida, a lower-middle class residential district populated by Shiites, Sunnis and Christians.
Near the charred, shrapnel-scarred bombing scene women draped in black abayas wept as they walked by, and dazed children with tears in their eyes wandered amid bits of metal and bloody human remains. A pile of children's slippers lay on the street.
"My cousin Mustafa was killed," said 11-year-old Mohammed Nouredin, gesturing toward a blackened engine block in the middle of the street. "That is part of his bicycle. His coffin was sent to Najaf," the traditional burial ground for Iraqi Shiites.
A Reuters news agency television cameraman at the scene shortly after the bombing said the vehicle blew up in between houses, reducing parts of three houses to rubble. Women in the street screamed in anger and sorrow near pools of bloodA side note: The Guardian claims that the US military denied earlier police reports that troops had been handing out sweets.Witness Mohammed Ali Hamza said U.S. forces had gone to the southeastern district of Al-Jedidah to warn residents to stay indoors because of reports of a car bomb in the area.
At the nearby Kindi hospital, hundreds of distraught parents mingled in blood-soaked hallways shouting and screaming as they looked for their children, many of whom were badly mutilated.
"Most of them are children. The Americans were handing out sweets at the time of the attack," a duty policeman at the Kindi Hospital said.
"We have received the bodies of 24 children aged between 10 and 13," said an official in charge of the morgue.
Abu Hamed whose 12-year-old son Mohammed was killed, said: "I was at home. I heard the explosion. I rushed outside to find my son. I only found his bicycle."
He found his son in the hospital morgue.
"I recognized him from his head. The rest of the body was completely burnt."
Among the young bodies at the morgue, some headless or missing limbs, two children still clutched blue chocolate wrappers.
The attack stunned the impoverished east Baghdad neighborhood of mostly Shiite Muslims and Christians, reports the AP.
Hassan Mohammed, whose 13-year-old son Alaa also died, swore at insurgents for attacking civilians.
"Why do they attack our children? They just destroyed one U.S. Humvee, but they killed dozens of our children," he said as women screamed, slapped their faces and beat themselves over the head.
"What sort of a resistance is this? It's a crime," he added.
At Kindi hospital, one distraught woman swathed in black sat cross-legged outside the operating room. "May God curse the mujahedeen and their leader," she cried as she pounded her own head in grief, reports the AP.
I didn't need the reminders contained in most reports of this incident to recall a similar one from when I was in Baghdad, and terrorists struck at the opening of a sewage treatment plant:
For many Iraqi children, a car bombing or mortar strike isn't a tragedy. It's the biggest excitement of the week.But the first bomb was a setup; the terrorists knew it would draw a crowd of children for the real attack to come.They are drawn by billowing smoke, police sirens and the certainty that journalists will soon arrive to interview witnesses. The children flood to the scene, pick through debris, wave to television cameras and interact with the U.S. troops who show up to clear the wreckage.
So it was Thursday when scores of children rushed to the site of a suicide car bombing in the working-class Amal district of Baghdad. They marveled at the crater left by the bomb, practiced their English on troops and rode bicycles around the American tanks. They accepted candy from a soldier.
Then a second suicide bomber barreled down the street toward the U.S. and Iraqi forces ? and the children who surrounded them. And then a third. The children were no longer observers of the attack, but its victims.At the time I noted I was close enough to hear the blast, but too far away to hear the screams. That's not completely true - by just reading the stories I can hear the screams. They certainly echo today."I saw dead bodies scattered like sheep," said Rashid Salih, 67, describing the scene where his grandson was killed.
Children's shoes, clothing and crumpled red bicycles decorated with feathers littered the street.
Iraqi health officials said 35 of the 42 fatalities from Thursday's blasts were children.
"What really hurt me was that most of the killed or injured people were children," said Moyad Ismail, 25, who saw the U.S. soldier handing out candy minutes before the second explosion. "The children were making a ring around the soldiers."
The disaster sent panic through the neighborhood. By Thursday afternoon, nearby Yarmouk Hospital was overrun with parents roaming the hallways and makeshift emergency rooms, looking for their children.
At the morgue, stunned mothers and fathers left with only body parts to take home and bury.
And here's another event from my time in Baghdad - an election day story
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's interior minister said Monday that insurgents used a handicapped child as one of the suicide bombers who launched attacks on election day.Omar at Iraq the Model had more detailsFalah al-Naqib told reporters in Baghdad that 38 attacks were carried out on polling stations in Iraq on Sunday and that one of the suicide bombings was carried out by a disabled child.
"A handicapped child was used to carry out a suicide attack on a polling site," al-Naqib said. "This is an indication of what horrific actions they are carrying out."
He gave no other details about the attack, but police at the scene of one the Baghdad blasts said the bomber appeared to have Down's Syndrome.
Eye witnesses said (and I'm quoting one of my colleagues; a dentist who lives there) "the poor victim was so scared when ordered to walk to the searching point and began to walk back to the terrorists. In response the criminals pressed the button and blew up the poor victim almost half way between their position and the voting center's entrance".To balance this report, let's be fair and note that it's not always the children who are targeted:I couldn't believe the news until I met another guy from that neighborhood who knows the family of the victim. The guy was reported missing 5 days prior to elections' day and the family were distributing posters that specified his descriptions and asking anyone who finds him to contact them.
When a relative of mine (who has a mental handicap due to an Rh conflict at birth) told me a month ago that a group of men in a car tried to kidnap him as he was standing in front of the institution he periodically visits to get medicine and support waiting for his brother; I thought that he was imagining the whole story.
He said that they tried to force him into the car telling him not to be afraid and that they're from the "mujahideen and not going to hurt him". My relative, despite his handicap was moved by his survival instinct and managed to run away.After I heard the other story, I began to connect between the two stories and to consider my cousin's story as a true one that uncovered a new miserable war technique that can come only from the sickest minds.
A Shia Muslim from the Sadr City slums of Baghdad, Ahmed had joined the new Iraqi National Guard, only to be killed in his patrol car when a bomb planted by insurgents exploded.For months now Iraqi and US government officials have declared that most such attacks are being carried out by the foreign fighters who've crossed the borders. That seems more likely than claims that these attacks on Iraqis are being carried out by their fellow citizens - but the mainstream media seems reluctant to accept this coalition assessment without pointing out exceptions. Here's last week's example from the AP:The next day, as his family took his coffin for burial in the holy Shia city of Najaf, 100 miles south of Baghdad, they were stopped at what purported to be a police checkpoint near the town of Iskandaria and ordered out of their minibus.
Insurgents wearing fake police uniforms shot and beheaded six of the mourners, including Ahmed's mother. Then they ripped Ahmed's body out of the coffin and decapitated him too.
The bombers are recruited from Sunni communities, smuggled into Iraq from Syria after receiving religious indoctrination and then quickly bundled into cars or strapped with explosive vests and sent to their deaths, the officials told the AP. The young men are not so much fighters as human bombs - a relatively small but deadly component of the Iraqi insurgency.The exception the AP then notes is a stunner (emphasis added):"The foreign fighters are the ones that most often are behind the wheel of suicide car bombs or most often behind any suicide situation," said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Don Alston, spokesman for the multinational force in Iraq.
There have been a few exceptions.
On election day, Jan. 30, a mentally handicapped Iraqi boy wearing a suicide vest attacked a polling station.There are no additional details provided in the story.***** In the interest of complete fairness, we'll return to our first story and let the killers explain themselves in their own words:
His father was a Sufi Muslim, devoted to a tolerant, mystical tradition of Islam. But Abu Ibrahim said he was born a rebel, gravitating early in life to the other end of the spectrum of Islamic belief.Some day you may hear someone describing the virtues of the "resistance" or "freedom fighters" in Iraq , or claiming moral equivalence between these animals and coalition soldiers. You may even hear someone say we're on a "crusade" against Muslims. When you do, send them here.Salafism, or "following the pious forefathers," is a fundamentalist, sometimes militant strain of the faith grounded in turning back the clock to the time of the prophet Muhammad.
In the Syrian countryside north of Aleppo where Abu Ibrahim grew up and married, his fundamentalist impulses took their present shape when he met "a group of young men through my wife's family who spoke to me the true words of Islam. They told me Sufism was forbidden and the Shiites are infidels."
A year later, he went to Saudi Arabia, a kingdom founded on Wahhabism, a puritanical form of Islam in the Salafi wing.
<...>
Abu Ibrahim credited Zarqawi with revitalizing the insurgency, especially since October, when he pledged fealty to Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader. Abu Ibrahim said that union helped cement an alliance among several resistance groups in Iraq that formed a joint treasury.
"Six months ago, Zarqawi and Osama bin Laden were different," he said. "Osama did not consider the killing of Shiites as legitimate. Zarqawi did that. Anyone -- Christian, Jew, Sunni, Shiites -- whoever cooperates with the Americans can be killed. It's a holy war."
Posted by Greyhawk at 08:22 PM | Comments (32)July 12, 2005
Anita White Carson Middle School vs the US Marines
While in Iraq, Marine Sgt. Zach Richardson develped a pen-pal realationship with a middle school class in Greensboro, Georgia. After he returned Stateside he paid a visit to the school, but was kicked out by principal Ulrica Corbett.
Banter in Atlanter has a great update on the story.
Semper Fi!
Posted by Greyhawk at 07:20 PM | Comments (1)Drawing Fire
The 911 families explain in great detail why they oppose the International Freedom Center - with pictures.
The New York Times tells them to shut up and go away.
But in the past few weeks, we've watched a handful of vocal family members, who may not represent a majority of 9/11 families, change the dynamic at the World Trade Center site for the worse. They have begun a movement to "take back the memorial," which means, in essence, eventually purging ground zero of its cultural partners, including the International Freedom Center.And although they don't include any, they do talk about pictures:This protest resulted in a shocking response in late June from Gov. George Pataki. He openly joined the criticism of one of those institutions - the Drawing Center - for an exhibition that it sponsored, in another part of town, that contains controversial images of 9/11 and America's role in the world. And he has called on all the cultural partners at ground zero for reassurances that their programs will harmonize with the concerns of this small group of family members.Shocking, that the Governor of New York would think that just because an organization displays anti-American sentiment at any opportunity that they would do so at ground zero. You can read a more realistic assessment of the Drawing Center hereYou may not know it, but in the minds of the NY Time's editorial board it seems the greatest tragedy of 9/11 was the destruction of the artistic life of Lower Manhattan:
There must be no mistake about this. If the Drawing Center is forced to withdraw from ground zero rather than accept the censorship of exhibitions that are yet to be imagined, no other respectable arts institution will take its place.Since they didn't see fit to include examples of the "art" with their editorial, we'll do so here. What they're saying is, that unless we can display pictures like this one at ground zero, then the terorists will have won.What was offered as an open invitation to restore the artistic life of Lower Manhattan will have turned into an invitation to provide only the kind of cultural offerings that please a vocal group of people whose genuine grief has already taken on a sharply political edge. Those are unacceptable conditions that would undermine the very purpose of the arts.
...If ground zero is not a place of life and creativity, of true artistic and political freedom, then it will not be successful even as a place of grief.
Support the 911 families here.
Posted by Greyhawk at 06:25 PM | Comments (3)Funeral Fraud
From earlier this year, but still an interesting footnote to the Hurricane Dennis story. Also see this update.
This story deserves more attention than it's getting. (Update: fixed link, sorry!)
Posted by Greyhawk at 05:57 PM | Comments (1)WHY?
Originally posted on the 2nd anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, this review of the discussion surrounding the war on terror seems worth revisiting at this time. Simple facts and quotes follow, without additional editorial comment.
***** "If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being, and who is willing to destroy his own heart?"
-- Alexander SolzhenitsynSeptember 5, 1972: Eight Palestinian "Black September" terrorists seized 11 Israeli athletes in the Olympic Village in Munich, West Germany. In a bungled rescue attempt by West German authorities, nine of the hostages and five terrorists were killed.
March 2, 1973: U.S. Ambassador to Sudan Cleo A. Noel and other diplomats were assassinated at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Khartoum by members of the Black September organization.
"So long as there are men there will be wars."
-- Albert Einstein"Only the dead have seen the last of war"
-- George Santayana"It may be that at some time in the dim future of the race the need for war will vanish: but that time is yet ages distant. As yet no nation can hold its place in the world, or can do any work really worth doing, unless it stands ready to guard its right with an armed hand."
--Theodore RooseveltJune 27, 1976: Members of the Baader-Meinhof Group and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine seized an Air France airliner and its 258 passengers. They forced the plane to land in Uganda,where on July 3 Israeli commandos successfully rescued the passengers.
"It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it."
--General Douglas MacArthur"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum."
--"Epitoma Rei Militaris" by Vegetius.
(Therefore, whoever wishes for peace, let him prepare for war.)November 4, 1979: After President Carter agreed to admit the Shah of Iran into the U.S., Iranian radicals seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 66 American diplomats hostage. Thirteen hostages were soon released, but the remaining 53 were held until their release on January 20, 1981.
"States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world."
--George W. Bush on Iraq, Iran, and North Korea"I think it will take years before we can repair the damage done by that statement."
-- Jimmy Carter on George Bush's use of the phrase "Axis of Evil"
October 6, 1981: Soldiers who were secretly members of the Takfir Wal-Hajira sect attacked and killed Egyptian President Anwar Sadat during a troop review.
September 14, 1982: Lebanese Prime Minister Bashir Gemayel was assassinated by a car bomb parked outside his party's Beirut headquarters.
April 18, 1983: Sixty-three people, including the CIA's Middle East director, were killed, and 120 were injured in a 400-pound suicide truck-bomb attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.
October 23, 1983: Simultaneous suicide truck-bomb attacks were made on American and French compounds in Beirut, Lebanon. A 12,000-pound bomb destroyed the U.S. compound, killing 242 Americans, while 58 French troops were killed when a 400-pound device destroyed a French base. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.
"Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return."
-- Colin PowellMarch 16, 1984: The Islamic Jihad kidnapped and later murdered Political Officer William Buckley in Beirut, Lebanon. Other U.S. citizens not connected to the U.S. Government were seized over a succeeding 2-year period.
June 14, 1985: A Trans-World Airlines flight was hijacked en route to Rome from Athens by two Lebanese Hizballah terrorists and forced to fly to Beirut. The eight crew members and 145 passengers were held for 17 days, during which one American hostage, a U.S. Navy sailor, was murdered. After being flown twice to Algiers, the aircraft was returned to Beirut after Israel released 435 Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners.
October 7, 1985: Four Palestinian Liberation Front terrorists seized the Italian cruise liner Achille Lauro in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, taking more than 700 hostages. One U.S. passenger was murdered before the Egyptian Government offered the terrorists safe haven in return for the hostages' freedom. Years later the leader of the hijackers would be discovered in Baghdad following the liberation of Iraq.
November 23, 1985: An EgyptAir airplane bound from Athens to Malta and carrying several U.S. citizens was hijacked by the Abu Nidal Group.
March 30, 1986: A Palestinian splinter group detonated a bomb as TWA Flight 840 approached Athens Airport, killing four U.S. citizens.
"The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men."
-- Samuel AdamsApril 5, 1986: Two U.S. soldiers were killed, and 79 American servicemen were injured in a Libyan bomb attack on a nightclub in West Berlin, Germany. In retaliation, U.S. military jets bombed targets in and around Tripoli and Benghazi.
February 17, 1988: U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. W. Higgins was kidnapped and murdered by the Iranian-backed Hizballah group while serving with the United Nations Truce Supervisory Organization in southern Lebanon.
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature, and has no chance of being free unless made or kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
--John Stuart Mill"The Bush doctrine of preemptive war is wrong for America, and sets a dangerous precedent. So many who supported the war now say that they are opposed to the doctrine of preemption. Then why did they vote for this preemptive war? I opposed the President's war on Iraq, I continue to stand against his policy of preemption, and on my first day in office I will tear up the Bush doctrine and rebuild a foreign policy consistent with American values."
--Howard DeanDecember 21, 1988: Pan American Airlines Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland, by a bomb believed to have been placed on the aircraft in Frankfurt, West Germany, by Libyan terrorists. All 259 people on board were killed.
"It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
--Patrick Henry March 23,1775"Stop this war before it starts! Bring home our troops..." (said to chants of "Stop this war! Stop this war!")
--Rep Dennis Kucinich (D-Oh)January 18-19, 1991: Iraqi agents planted bombs at the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia's home residence and at the USIS library in Manila.
February 26, 1993: The World Trade Center in New York City was badly damaged when a car bomb planted by Islamic terrorists explodes in an underground garage. The bomb left six people dead and 1,000 injured. The men carrying out the attack were followers of Umar Abd al-Rahman, an Egyptian cleric who preached in the New York City area.
April 14, 1993: The Iraqi intelligence service attempted to assassinate former U.S. President George Bush during a visit to Kuwait. In retaliation, the U.S. launched a cruise missile attack 2 months later on the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
March 8, 1995: Two unidentified gunmen killed two U.S. diplomats and wounded a third in Karachi, Pakistan.
November 13, 1995: The Islamic Movement of Change planted a bomb in a Riyadh military compound that killed one U.S. citizen, several foreign national employees of the U.S. Government, and more than 40 others.
"My friends, this rush to war does not benefit the American people..."
--Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun"It's looking more and more like a case of mass deception... There was no imminent danger, and we should never have gone to war."
--Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA)June 25, 1996: A fuel truck carrying a bomb exploded outside the U.S. military's Khobar Towers housing facility in Dhahran, killing 19 U.S. military personnel and wounding 515 persons, including 240 U.S. personnel. Several groups claimed responsibility for the attack.
February 23, 1997: A Palestinian gunman opened fire on tourists at an observation deck atop the Empire State Building in New York City, killing a Danish national and wounding visitors from the United States, Argentina, Switzerland, and France before turning the gun on himself. A handwritten note carried by the gunman claimed this was a punishment attack against the "enemies of Palestine."
August 7, 1998: A bomb exploded at the rear entrance of the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, killing 12 U.S. citizens, 32 Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs), and 247 Kenyan citizens. About 5,000 Kenyans, six U.S. citizens, and 13 FSNs were injured. The U.S. embassy building sustained extensive structural damage. Almost simultaneously, a bomb detonated outside the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing seven FSNs and three Tanzanian citizens, and injuring one U.S. citizen and 76 Tanzanians. The explosion caused major structural damage to the U.S. embassy facility. The U.S. Government held Usama Bin Ladin responsible.
"Mr. bin Laden used to live in Sudan. He was expelled from Saudi Arabia in 1991, then he went to Sudan. And we'd been hearing that the Sudanese wanted America to start meeting with them again. They released him. At the time, 1996, he had committed no crime against America so I did not bring him here because we had no basis on which to hold him, though we knew he wanted to commit crimes against America."
-- Bill Clinton explains to a Long Island, N.Y., business group why he turned down Sudan's offer to extradite Osama Bin Laden to America in 1996."The only thing needed for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing."
-- Edmund BurkeOctober 12, 2000: In Aden, Yemen, a small dingy carrying explosives rammed the destroyer U.S.S. Cole, killing 17 sailors and injuring 39 others. Supporters of Usama Bin Ladin were suspected.
"The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends. It is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them."
-- George W. Bush"The architects of this wickedness will find no safe harbor in this world. We will chase our enemies to the furthest corners of this Earth. It must be war without quarter, pursuit without rest, victory without qualification."
-- Rep. Tom Delay (R-Tx)"I say to our enemies: We are coming. God may have mercy on you, but we won't."
-- Sen. John Mccain (R-Az)?I am saddened, saddened that this president failed so miserably at diplomacy that we?re now forced to war?
--Tom Daschle (D-SD)"I have absolutely no regret about my vote on this war. The cost in human lives. The cost to our budget, probably $100 billion. We could have probably brought down that statue for a lot less."
--Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca)"I think there has been an exaggeration. They are misleading all Americans in a profound way."
--Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)"Today's Western society has revealed the inequality between the freedom for good deeds and the freedom for evil deeds. A statesman who wants to achieve something highly constructive for his country has to move cautiously and even timidly; thousands of hasty (and irresponsible) critics cling to him at all times; he is constantly rebuffed by parliament and the press. He has to prove his every step is well founded and absolutely flawless. Indeed, an outstanding, truly great person who has unusual and unexpected initiatives in mind does not get any chance to assert himself; dozens of traps will be set for him from the beginning. Thus mediocrity triumphs under the guise of democratic restraints."
-- Alexander Solzhenitsyn"What we need now is not just regime change in Saddam Hussein and Iraq, but we need regime change in the United States...I don't think [world leaders] are going to trust this president, no matter what. I believe it deeply, that it will take a new president of the United States, declaring a new day for our relationship with the world, to clear the air and turn a new page on American history."
--Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)September 11, 2001: Two hijacked airliners crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Soon thereafter, the Pentagon was struck by a third hijacked plane. A fourth hijacked plane, suspected to be bound for a high-profile target in Washington, crashed into a field in southern Pennsylvania. More than 3,000 U.S. citizens and other nationals were killed as a result of these acts.
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty."
--John F. Kennedy"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."
--Thomas Paine"In war there is no prize for the runner-up."
-- General Omar Bradley"These terrorists...we have seen their kind before. They're the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they follow in the path of fascism, Nazism and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way to where it ends in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies."
-- George W. BushPosted by Greyhawk at 04:10 PM | Comments (13)July 11, 2005
Good Night, Dennis
If you missed them over the weekend, scroll down the main page here and you'll see several discussions on the landfall of Hurricane Dennis - reports from Cuba and the United States. Forecasted to slam the Florida coast as a category 3 or 4 storm, the post-landfall photos and video reveal damage consistent with a strong tropical storm with sporadic gusts to hurricane intensity. Coincidentally, this is exactly what wind sensors in the path of the storm detected - on shore and off.
Whether Dennis was a strong tropical storm or a weak hurricane is debatable. What's obvious now is that at and before landfall it wasn't a cat 3 hurricane - not even cat 2. A bad forecast? Not in all regards. Strong tropical storms do cause damage - As Dennis approached the Pensacola area flooding occurred in the rain bands over Apalachicola miles away from the center. Tornadoes likely formed inland. So arguably from the point of view of those in coastal communities the public interest was served - as far as people were made aware that something was going to happen, and they were prepared for the worst. And kudos to the National Hurricane Center, who nailed the expected path of the storm from a few days away.
But what about next time? Sensational type reporting - and exaggeration of minor storms into major stories - contributes to the lack of response on the part of many to a major storm when one does come along. People who erroneously believe they've survived a cat 3-4 storm will be in for a rude surprise when a real one moves in.
Because here's where things become dicey. As we noted before Dennis made landfall, no matter what would actually happen the media would report the Hurricane Center's landfall intensity forecast as if it had occurred - without regard to what was actually happening. (This is true only for forecasts of strong storms - they'd love to castigate the Hurricane Center for missing one - and that contributes to the problem too.)
Media hysteria is a small part of the feedback loop that accompanies one of these events. Consider this: the Hurricane Center makes a forecast. Media reports proclaim it as reality - although the NHC doesn't rely on those reports to evaluate it's performance it certainly makes it more difficult for them to stand up and say things were other than reported.
This is a good example of poor media coverage - an AP report from landfall at Guantanamo Cuba: Packing devastating 145 mph winds, Hurricane Dennis tore down a guard tower at the U.S. detention camp for terror suspects as it stalked Cuba's south coast and moved Friday toward the heart of the largest Caribbean island.
Sound impressive? The "guard tower" was actually a life guard platform knocked over by surf on the beach.
And here are some quotes from stories that appeared as the eye was moving on shore, before anyone knew what was going on.
Reuters: As it came ashore, Dennis was a Category 3 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, a hurricane with winds of up to 130 mph (208 kph) capable of causing serious damage.
This made it as strong as Hurricane Ivan, which killed 25 people, caused $14 billion in damages and destroyed or damaged 13 oil drilling platforms in the Gulf in September. Earlier Sunday, Dennis was a stronger Category 4 storm.
The AP: The storm crossed land near the same state-line spot where Ivan arrived, pounding beachfronts already painfully exposed by denuded dunes, flattened neighborhoods and piles of rubble that threatened to turn into deadly missiles.
This sort of reporting is pure sensationalism. And it creates an illusion that the storm was as predicted - even though real data shows otherwise.
And the real problem kicks in when those who are responsible for the forecast - and who know what really happened - decide to stick to their guns and declare themselves right. No one expects weather forecasters to be right all the time - when they're wrong it's hardly newsworthy. There was no crime committed here, not even negligence. And no doubt with state of the art (or science, if you prefer) techniques and tools forecasters did the best job humanly possible. But by not admitting to the reality of what happened they excuse themselves from the responsibility of determining what did go wrong - and how to do better next time. Instead we get explanations like "it moved faster" or "improved building codes" - claims that will set us up for a disaster of epic proportions some day.
And here's the type of question that will never be answered: Aircraft measurement of winds indicated a strong storm. If those measurements were accurate, why didn't those winds reach the surface? Will they next time?
Given time you could come up with enough such questions to keep a platoon of university researchers busy for years, but instead we'll get nothing. Everything went exactly right. Science suffers, and knowledge isn't expanded.
Now let's move to the global scale. Is global warming real? The number of strong hurricanes this year will be a data point cited as evidence for or against global warming claims. Unfortunately, it's a tainted data set. I'm not taking a position on that topic here either way - just pointing out that it's unfortunate that bad data will be part of the equation.
Anyway - as Hurricane Dennis fades from the news and lingers only as a data point in the global warming record books we'll bid farewell to weather reporting in Mudville.
Til next time...
Posted by Greyhawk at 10:34 PM | Comments (5)Arthur's Mail
Dear friends
Just to let you know that the new, giant edition of "Good news from
Afghanistan" is up - because the downing of the US helicopter was not the
only thing that has happened there over the past five weeks:Best regards
Arthur
Posted by Greyhawk at 01:24 PM | Comments (1)Storm Damage
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is the yardstick by which Hurricanes are measured. As you watch video and see photos, note which level of wind damage has occurred. Dennis is being touted as cat 3 - 4 with 120 mph winds. Hurricane Ivan, which struck the same general area in September 2004, was also reported to have 120 mph winds at landfall. (Note: wind speeds corrected from original - see comments.)
Categories:
One 74-95 mph No real damage to building structures. Damage primarly to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Also, some coastal road flooding and minor pier damage
Two 96-110 mph Some roofing material, door, and window damage to buildings. Considerable damage to vegetation, mobile homes, and piers. Coastal and low-lying escape routes flood 2-4 hours before arrival of center. Small craft in unprotected anchorages break moorings.
Three 111-130 mph Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings with a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Mobile homes are destroyed. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 5 feet ASL may be flooded inland 8 miles or more.
Four 131-155 mph More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof strucutre failure on small residences. Major erosion of beach. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Terrain continuously lower than 10 feet ASL may be flooded requiring massive evacuation of residential areas inland as far as 6 miles.
Five greater than 155 mph Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 feet ASL and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5 to 10 miles of the shoreline may be required.
Posted by Greyhawk at 12:25 AM | Comments (5)July 10, 2005
Dennis "Hammers" Florida
Minor flooding reported near McDonalds
If you tracked the progress of Dennis using links provided in previous entries you already know the peak sustained winds and gusts associated with landfall:
Eglin AFB: 48 knots sustained, gust 72 knots - estimated
Navy Pensacola: 39 knots sustained, gust 52 knots
Crestview Florida peak gust 50 knots
Panama City, Florida 30 knots sustained, gust 48 knots
Mobile Alabama peak gust 42 knots
Buoys:
Station 42039 - PENSACOLA - 115NM East Southeast of Pensacola, FL sustained: 47 knots, gust 58 knots
Station PCLF1 - 8729840 - Pensacola sustained 35 knots gust 51 knots at 3PM CDT (no further reports)
Weather channel video from:
(Update: Original footage in the linked stories showed various reporters discussing how weak the storm was, but have since been replaced.) We may yet see some damage photos from storm surge or wind, but thus far it looks like Dennis was Tropical Storm strength at landfall.
The Pensacola News/Journal: Dennis spares Pensacola Bay Area from Ivan-scale damage
While formidable, Hurricane Dennis did not pack the punch that was expected, and certainly did not deliver the damage dealt by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.Mudville earlier today:Reports from the field:
Downtown roads are passable for the most part, with scattered debris mostly from trees.
Aragon Court is flooded up to the curb but has not reached the houses.
Bayfront Parkway is clear of debris and water has not breeched the road.
Pensacola Bay Bridge is passable and has no damage; residents are crossing the bridge.
The fishing pier appears not to have sustained any additional damage. Water levels do not appear to be that high.
There is minimal damage entering Gulf Breeze from Pensacola. Some signs are down; trees are relatively intact. There is minor flooding near the McDonald's. Gulf Breeze residents already are out and driving around.
You'll rarely (as in never) hear accurate media reports on actual hurricane wind strength. Although local reporters in hurricane country often do fine work, at the national level reporters don't fact check actual reports from observing sites. Instead they typically report the National Hurricane Center forecast of maximum winds expected as if it were an actual occurrence. Thus you end up with bizarre and sensational stories...National coverage:CNN: Dennis hits coast with 120 mph winds
MOBILE, Alabama (CNN) -- Hurricane Dennis pushed ashore with 120 mph winds Sunday afternoon, triggering tornado warnings across the western Florida Panhandle as it moved northward.Reuters: UPDATE 5-Hurricane Dennis slams into storm-scarred US coastDespite a 15-mph dip in sustained wind speeds, Dennis remained a major Category 3 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center reported.
PENSACOLA, Fla., July 10 (Reuters) - Hurricane Dennis slammed into the Gulf Coast on Sunday with ferocious winds and waves that threatened huge destruction in an area still bearing scars from last year's storms.But the AP topped them all, and really had a go with those rubes in NY City, reporting this in the NY Times:The storm had weakened slightly since morning but still carried top winds of 120 mph (192 kph).
The hurricane's eyewall, the intense part of the storm around its center, swept ashore around mid-afternoon just east of Pensacola in northwest Florida, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
After killing 32 people in Cuba and Haiti, Dennis roared northward into the Gulf of Mexico with powerful winds and a 10- to 15-foot (3-metre to 4.6-metre) storm surge that could swamp towns.
As it came ashore, Dennis was a Category 3 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, a hurricane with winds of up to 130 mph (208 kph) capable of causing serious damage.
This made it as strong as Hurricane Ivan, which killed 25 people, caused $14 billion in damages and destroyed or damaged 13 oil drilling platforms in the Gulf in September. Earlier Sunday, Dennis was a stronger Category 4 storm.
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) -- Hurricane Dennis came ashore on the Florida Panhandle and Alabama coast Sunday with a 120-mph fury of blinding squalls and crashing waves that followed in the ruinous footprints of Ivan just 10 months ago.This in the wake of the utterly ridiculous reports from Guantanamo.The storm crossed land near the same state-line spot where Ivan arrived, pounding beachfronts already painfully exposed by denuded dunes, flattened neighborhoods and piles of rubble that threatened to turn into deadly missiles.
<...>
White-capped waves spewed four-story geysers over sea walls. Sideways, blinding rain blew in sheets, toppling roadside signs for hotels and gas stations. Sheriff's deputies were only responding to ''life and death'' 911 calls because it was too dangerous to be out on the streets.
Gov. Jeb Bush filled out the necessary paperwork on Sunday, July 10, asking the federal government to declare the state a major disaster area.According to that same report a portable weather observation station near Navarre measured a 121 mph gust at 3:11 p.m. Update: An updated CNN story includes a quote from a Navarre resident:Eugene Simmons, an amateur radio operator in the mainland town of Navarre, said the storm knocked out power about 10 minutes before making landfall and knocked down tree limbs as it passed. But he said little damage was visible, and his own home was undamaged.Most tragically, "Dennis" has caused two deaths in the Florida panhandle:"I was surprised how long power lasted," he said.
An elderly man seeking shelter from Hurricane Dennis was found dead at the Pensacola Civic Center about 1:45 a.m. today, Escambia County Sheriff Ron McNesby said.We hope wherever you are the weather is fine.The 77-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was found in a restroom, according to sheriff's reports.
Initial indications are that he died of a heart attack. Family members were at the shelter with him.
Also, Florida officials reported the first fatality tied to Hurricane Dennis was a 3-year-old boy who died Friday in Walton County.
The child fell out of a van during evacuation preparations. Florida Highway Patrol Col. Chris Knight said he had no further details.
Update: Previous and additional coverage on the main page. A key point should be stressed here: Sensational type reporting - and exaggeration of minor storms into major stories - contributes to the lack of response on the part of many to a major storm when one does come along. People who erroneously believe they've survived a cat 3-4 storm will be in for a rude surprise when a real one moves in.
Posted by Greyhawk at 10:58 PM | Comments (17)Mike Yon's Latest
Michael Yon's latest dispatch from Iraq: The Books of Salah al Din, A Dispatch for Medical Professionals and others wishing to help Iraqi People is here.
Posted by Greyhawk at 08:49 PMBlowing in Florida
The eye of Dennis is moving on shore near Pensacola now - you can watch landfall on radar here.
One for the geeks: from a couple hours ago, the eye of Hurricane Dennis in effective range of the Eglin radar for Doppler measurement of the eyewall:
Any idea what you're looking at? If so, you have knowledge shared by a truly small handfull of people on this planet - and no one cares. If not, don't fret - you are still fully qualified for a career as a television meteorologist.
Off-shore buoys are another useful source of pre-landfall information - you can access the weather reports from those near Florida here.
The station numbered 42039 was in the path of the storm, and experienced winds of 47 knots with gusts of 58 - strong tropical storm. Generally winds over the water are higher than those over land. But the strongest part of the eye might not have hit this particular station. (Data here.)
It's important to note that the storm surge is more dangerous than the winds. The waves hammering the shore cause the bulk of the damage in a hurricane landfall.
Posted by Greyhawk at 05:51 PM | Comments (3)Bird's Eye View
Hurricane Dennis, 10 July 2005:
Strongest winds with tropical storms/hurricanes occur in the eyewall, with dramatic increase in speed the closer you are to the actual eye, which itself is relatively calm. Most locations along the Florida panhandle are observing peak gusts of 20 - 30 knots at the time of this shot. Eglin Air Force Base estimates peak gusts of 40 knots (Air Force wind sensors are notoriously unreliable) the highest reported at this time.
Sustained surface winds of at least 34 knots are required to meet tropical storm criteria, and 64 knots is minimal hurricane speed. You'll rarely (as in never) hear accurate media reports on actual hurricane wind strength. Although local reporters in hurricane country often do fine work, at the national level reporters don't fact check actual reports from observing sites. Instead they typically report the National Hurricane Center forecast of maximum winds expected as if it were an actual occurrence. Thus you end up with bizarre and sensational stories like this one.
Not to downplay the intensity of this storm - it's strong, and it's going to punch the coast hard. But a lot of previous sensational type reporting - and exaggeration of minor storms into major stories - contributes to the lack of response on the part of many to a major storm when one does come along.
If you're interested in checking actual conditions, go here and enter these 4-letter identifiers in the window: KVPS KPFN KNPA KPNS KCEW KMOB
KVPS (Eglin)
KPFN (Panama City Fl)
KNPA (Navy Pensacola)
KPNS (Pensacola Fl)
KCEW (Crestview Fl)
KMOB (Mobile Al)"METARS" are surface observations; "TAFS" are forecasts. Select the "translated" option if you aren't familiar with the code format.
Posted by Greyhawk at 03:27 PM | Comments (2)Hurricane Hunters
Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi, is home to the AF Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, aka "The Hurricane Hunters".
Lately they've been flying into the eye of Dennis and acquiring crucial data - as they do most every storm that threatens the US. Given the path of this storm though they're likely staging from a different base for the duration.
You can "cyber-fly" with them into an eyewall here.
Posted by Greyhawk at 01:42 PMEye of the Storm
The eye of Hurricane Dennis is now visible on Eglin Air Force Base's Doppler radar.
That's the long range (@250 mile) view. You'll see it in the short range (125 mile, higher resolution) soon.
Some (admittedly simplified) things to note: What you see on a Doppler radar view is areas where rain is falling, and the color code roughly indicates intensity of fall - yellow/orange is normally the highest you'll see in a hurricane. The red areas in the eyewall are a good indicator that this is a strong storm. Likewise the full circle of radar returns around the eye (a closed eyewall) is another indicator of strength. Most weaker tropical storms don't have the full eyewall.
Those distinct, arc-shaped green and yellow areas further from the center (and currently passing over the coastal regions) are called spiral bands and are a likely place for tornado formation.Interesting day for the many gulf coast communities and military installations. Been there, done that, as they say. If you're in the gulf coast area you might want to visit the National Hurricane Center's web site frequently today.
In response to a comment below: Every base has a hurricane plan. Without getting too much into the weeds: Aircraft bug out early to inland locales. Generally non-essential personnel will be released to evac - or possibly ordered to do so. Some will be sheltered on base. Meanwhile, rideout and recovery teams are in motion. The rideout team stays on base, recovery teams move inland a ways to return after the worst of the storm - usually before roads are re-opened to civilian traffic. Yes - security is maintained throughout.
As storms threaten, the base commander will declare a hurricane condition (Hurcon) level, and aspects of the plan are executed depending on that.
I was part of the rideout team "back in the day" and got to experience several of these bad boys.
(Previous coverage of Dennis at Gitmo here)
Posted by Greyhawk at 12:38 PM | Comments (1)Dennis Goes to Gitmo
(re-posted from 2005-07-09 15:57:38)
Hurricane Dennis, that is. This image from the National Hurricane Center shows the areas where tropical storm (orange) and hurricane (red) force winds are estimated to have occurred along Dennis' track as of 0500 EDT Saturday 9 July 2005. The approximate location of Guantanamo Bay is marked by a white square on the southeast coast of Cuba.
Don't worry though, the
Jihaddiswrongfully imprisoned and frequently tortured cab drivers from Baghdad are okay:GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (NNS) -- Hurricane Dennis passed by U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay July 7, causing minimal damage.Of course, like everything else about Guantanamo the AP has a different version than the official Navy press release above:There were no injuries to any personnel.
"U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay has an excellent destructive weather plan," said Capt. Les McCoy, base commanding officer. "We take precautions as the storms approach, and all actions are predicated on ensuring the safety of all personnel. We had no damage from Hurricane Dennis other than a few broken tree limbs and debris washed up along the shoreline."
At the height of the storm as it passed the station, between 1 and 2 p.m., sustained winds were recorded at 35 knots, gusting to 47.
Packing devastating 145 mph winds, Hurricane Dennis tore down a guard tower at the U.S. detention camp for terror suspects as it stalked Cuba's south coast and moved Friday toward the heart of the largest Caribbean island.That's the first paragraph of their story, but if you read further you discover that "tore down a guard tower" actually means a life guard platform on the beach was knocked over by the high tide:The U.S. detention camp on Cuba's extreme southeast end that holds some 520 terror suspects was spared overnight.Just for fun, let's read the first paragraph from the same story again:Heaving surf tore away a lifeguard tower at Windmill Beach and storm force winds reaching 40 mph destroyed a bus shelter. A few power lines and tree branches were knocked down and there was minor flooding.
"Actually, everybody fared real well," said Navy Cmdr. Anne Reese.
Packing devastating 145 mph winds, Hurricane Dennis tore down a guard tower at the U.S. detention camp for terror suspects as it stalked Cuba's south coast and moved Friday toward the heart of the largest Caribbean island.Editorial addition? Of course, this is the headline: With 145 Mph Winds, Hurricane Dennis Touches Cuba, Topples Guard Tower at Guantanamo Base***** The LA Times reports that to avoid danger to the inmates and guards, some windows in the facility were closed:
In some places, the prison itself is just 150 yards from the sea. there, cells with wire mesh windows that normally are left open were barred with protective steel shutters. Loose objects such as wall clocks and fans were secured.Which of course, will prove to some people that President Chimpy McHitlerBurton just doesn't care for human rights the way uncle Fidel does, as the AP explains:As the storm neared, Brig. Gen. Jay Hood, the commander of the detention operations, said there were no plans to evacuate prisoners or military personnel.
The largest and most populous Caribbean island with 11.2 million people, Cuba suffers few hurricane casualties because the government cautiously evacuates people en masse, sometimes forcefully.Of course, cautious, forceful evacuations require a degree of subtle nuance that some people will never understand.Weather-related final observation: the AP reporter in Havana is named Anita Snow. I wonder if there's a Major Storm at Guantanamo?
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (July 8, 2005) - Waves crash against the southern coastline of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, just east of the base lighthouse. Hurricane Dennis passed the station, between 1 and 2 p.m. Thursday, July 7, sustained winds were recorded at 35 knots, gusting to 47. At that point, the eye of the storm was 87 nautical miles southwest of the station. Seas at the mouth of the bay were cresting at 10 feet, and were 12-14 feet offshore. The base suffered minimal damage and there were no injuries. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Terry Matlock (RELEASED)Posted by Greyhawk at 12:37 PM | Comments (4)July 09, 2005
"First Responders"
(Updated/bumped from 2005-07-08 19:26:23)
We noted yesterday that if the bombings in London were the work of al-Qaeda you would see theories spring up that the real perpetrators were someone else. That's already begun, and the culprits are (wait - this will surprise you) the Jooooooos.
There's another branch of the World Left that had a slightly different first response. The "what about me? This proves I'm not safe" response.
This from a Daily Kos post:
As a civilian right here in New York City, I'd like to be "defended" a little bit with some adequate port security, mass-transit security and first-responder resources. Is that too much to ask? And I'd also like it if the members of our military didn't have to serve as utterly useless and cynical bait as part of a worthless war in Iraq.That's the predictable first response of a self-absorbed coward, but what follows is worse. After changing into clean shorts and getting the hyperventilation under control, the folks at Kos realized they had something to celebrate:Today, dailykos has received over 700,000 visits, the most I can remember, though markos can tell us if it is the alltime record.Actually, that post itself speaks volumes about the "quality of the site and the community." But it's a message they won't receive.Of course, it was the atrocities in London that helped push the number so high. But it certainly speaks to the quality of the site and the community that so many came here for news, discussion and comfort on this day.
Update/bump: Charles Johnson notes that (oddly enough) Kos has begun to ban commenters who are speculating that Bush and Blair were behind the bombings. He says he doesn't want wackos on his site - but trying to clean a toilet on the left wing information sewer is a thankless (and hopeless) task.
He might be desperately trying to convince his political advertisers that his site is something other than a gathering place for the mom's basement with tinfoil curtains drawn crowd. But jeesh, even Howard Dean must know that's now the Democrat's base.
2005-07-08 19:26:23
Posted by Greyhawk at 07:21 PM | Comments (4)London: Survivors
Eyewitness accounts from survivors of the London attacks, via blogs. (Regular readers of the Dawn Patrol here will have already seen or heard some of these, but I don't think they've been everywhere yet.)
Travelling just past Edgware Road Station the train entered a tunnel. We shook like any usual tube train as it rattled down the tracks. It was then I heard a loud bang.What follows is a story of calm courage.The train left the tracks and started to rumble down the tunnel. It was incapable of stopping and just rolled on. A series of explosions followed as if tube electric motor after motor was exploding. Each explosion shook the train in the air and seems to make it land at a lower point.
I fell to the ground like most people, scrunched up in a ball in minimize injury. At this point I wondered if the train would ever stop, I thought "please make it stop", but it kept going. In the end I just wished that it didn't hit something and crush. It didn't.
When the train came to a standstill people were screaming, but mainly due to panic as the carriage was rapidly filling with smoke and the smell of burning motors was giving clear clues of fire.
As little as 5 seconds later we were unable to see and had all hit the ground for the precious air that remaining. We were all literally choking to death.
His next day's entry includes mention of the response of the British media to his story:
Even various news agencies have been trying to get me to talk, some being met with silence. I feel I need to clarify and tell you what happened next.Read it all.Before I do however, I have a basic and clear warning to all the journalists that are reading this: I know you need to verify your stories, and I will help you verify that I exist as much as I can, but if you?re unsure on my authenticity then simply don?t print and quote me.
Look, I?ve travelled in a train that was out of control and dealt with a situation. I?ve not contacted you, and when you did contact me I?ve not asked for money, I?ve been very clear that I only want to report facts and I?ve denied every TV and radio station access for this very reason. If you?re interested in over-inflating a situation then you might as well close your browser now and walk away; I view such journalism with contempt. That?s blunt, but I want to be clear.
A third post describes post-traumatic stress:
I was in a supermarket today and someone dropped a metal tray. I flinched as if expecting metal to break around me. I was then driving home and at dusk headlights were playing light tricks on the inside wheels of a truck. I thought (just for a moment) it was an electrical spark and the truck was about to explode.But he's also already thinking about how to improve the system.A USAF vet in England, Eban Crawford posted audio of an ITV interview with another survivor. He raises questions about response time of emergency services - but time does funny things in a crisis, as Justin notes here.
An EMT working for the London Ambulance Service (LAS):
Once more the blogsphere provided up to date news as well as reporting on what the mainstream media was saying.We have a highly unofficial messageboard, there have been a lot of messages of support. Here are a few excerpts (all unedited).
The Bus:
Patrick Roach is an American studying in London:
I don't even know where to begin. I just made it back to the dorm. The mile and half walk back from the law school ended with a glimpse of today's tragedy. The bus exploded less than 100 yards directly in front of the dormitory where Notre Dame law students are staying this summer. All that separates us from the scene is a small park. The scene was horrific: the double-decker bus with its roof ripped off; shrapnel littering the road; abandoned cars in the middle of the road; blood splattered on the buildings. It's too surreal to comprehend. The sadness and confusion I feel is altogether different than the detached sympathy one feels watching the news of these events from half a world away.The bus bombing occurred in Tavistock Square - coincidentally near the office of the British Medical Association. NPR's Robert Siegel interviewed Dr. Peter Holden, who took charge of the emergency medical response there. He credits the military training of several of his fellows for much of the effectiveness of the response. Audio here.Posted by Greyhawk at 07:20 PM | Comments (1)July 08, 2005
The Story that Must be Told
Found via the Corner:
450 Sheep Jump to Their Deaths in TurkeyISTANBUL, Turkey -- First one sheep jumped to its death. Then stunned Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the same cliff, Turkish media reported.
In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a billowy white pile, the Aksam newspaper said. Those who jumped later were saved as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned, Aksam reported.
"There's nothing we can do. They're all wasted," Nevzat Bayhan, a member of one of 26 families whose sheep were grazing together in the herd, was quoted as saying by Aksam.
The estimated loss to families in the town of Gevas, located in Van province in eastern Turkey, tops $100,000, a significant amount of money in a country where average GDP per head is around $2,700.
"Every family had an average of 20 sheep," Aksam quoted another villager, Abdullah Hazar as saying. "But now only a few families have sheep left. It's going to be hard for us."
Posted by Greyhawk at 10:02 PM | Comments (10)Open Post
"We shall show mercy, but we shall not ask for it."
--- Sir Winston Churchill, speech in the House of Commons, July 14, 1940Posted by Greyhawk at 09:46 PMOn Targets
...it is true that the choice of subway lines/targets is quite interesting - it did follow a path, roughly, from one center of Muslim London, the poor one, to the other center of Muslim London, the rich one.You know, I'm just sayin'... or maybe I'm not, that something's fishy here, or not, if you know what I mean - which you probably don't - or not (nudge nudge wink wink)....since it isn't clear, I'm not suggesting that the main point, the final sentence, provides evidence that Muslims were a primary target, or that this provides evidence that conventional wisdom about the perps is incorrect. It's just that, as Garance wrote, it's rather odd that they didn't target trains going around the circle line the other way - into Westminster - rather than those heading towards "little Lebanon," or some other line entirely. There are lots of potential explanations for this, including Garance's suggestion that it was to some degree designed to target Western Muslims. I don't have any opinion on that. I just think that this observation - "It certainly isn't the set of targets someone would choose if they were going out of their way to minimize the deaths of London's Muslim population" - is probably correct and somewhat interesting, though not necessarily ultimately significant.
Meanwhile, back in Iraq, claims are made that the newly arrived ambassador from Egypt has been killed by his terrorist kidnappers, who explained their motives on their web site:
?The ambassador of the infidels has confessed to information that showed that his regime is an infidel and which proved his ties to the Jews and the Crusaders,? the message read.More:The group said in a statement posted on the Internet that it had killed the envoy, Ihab al-Sherif, but it did not say when or how. The group said "that the verdict of God has been implemented against the ambassador of the infidels, the ambassador of Egypt, thank God."Regarding the missing execution scene the London Times notes:"Egypt is one of those at the forefront of the war on Islam and Muslims," the statement said. "Its jails are full of mujahedeen." It showed a video of the blindfolded diplomat identifying himself but, unlike in other kidnappings, it did not show the killing itself, according to the Associated Press.
It also said that Egypt was among the first to support the training of the Iraqi police and soldiers ? whom it referred to as "apostate" forces ? in service to the "crusaders."
An insurgent recently told The Times that such scenes were eroding support for the armed group among ordinary Iraqis.Implying that the acts themselves aren't really a big problem. That might be another terrorist miscalculation.Or not.
A comment relayed by Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit, regarding London:
If there isn't a Million Muslim March this weekend, if there aren't crowds of muslims chanting and holding signs, "not in our name", then doubt as to the existence of moderate muslims will grow, and grow quickly.Or not.
Of course, others will simply blame the jews.Update: Almost forgot this story from last week:
Security forces killed the Al Qaeda terrorist group's leader in Saudi Arabia during a fierce gun battle Sunday in the capital, Riyadh, an Interior Ministry official told this country's official news agency.It's almost like a global war. On terror. A global war on terror.Naaah, that'll never catch on.
Posted by Greyhawk at 09:12 PM | Comments (1)G8
Protests were the big news on opening day of the G8. But in the wake of the London bombings, coverage of the thrill seekers outside the fence at Gleneagles has vanished from the mainstream press.
If you want to see what's become of the crowds you have to visit websites like Indymedia - one of the many toilets along the lefty information sewer. If you'd rather not go there you can visit Michelle Malkin, who brings this report with photos so you don't have to.
You're going to see a rather small, despirited group. It seems even the vast majority of the traveling protest crowds realized just what a pathetic group they are when the real world crashed their party rather forcefully this week.
For further demoralization they can hear post-summit quotes like this one:
A mountain has been climbed only to reveal high peaks north of us. But for this moment, let's stop and look back at just how far we've come. The world around us has changed. What does $50 billion mean to the poorest of the poor, $25 billion of which is going to Africa? As examples, it means the financing is in place to halve deaths from malaria by 2010. Six hundred thousand people will be alive to remember this G8 in Gleneagles who would have lost their lives to a mosquito bite. Three thousand Africans -- mostly children -- die every day from malaria. Every country who delivers a credible plan to put their children in school will have the money to do so.That's from Bono, whose cause actually is poverty - as opposed to looking for a place to get wild and tear things up for fun.Bob Geldof adds:
This has been without equivocation the greatest G8 summit there has ever been for Africa. Today gives Africa the opportunity of beginning to end poverty over the next 10 years.Although he's a bit confused about the source:It's been a long walk from Live Aid's $200 million 20 years ago to Live 8's $25 billion today.Geldof and Bono respond here.Watch the protests fizzle here.
Posted by Greyhawk at 07:00 PMFrom Spirit of America
Jim Hake of Spirit of America sends an email that might interest North Carolina readers (and others):
Dear Friends and Donors,I'd like to invite you to join Spirit of America and the USMC at Camp Lejeune on July 14, 2005, as we prepare a special shipment of school supplies for the children of Iraq.
This special event is taking place on Thursday, July 14th, from 1PM to 4PM, at the USMC Exchange Parking Area, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. (Please RSVP via email to staff@spiritofamerica.net by July 12th.)
With almost half of Iraq's population under the age of 18, the most frequent project request that SoA receives is for school supplies. With your help, Spirit of America will supply over 15,000 school kits and 250 chalkboards for the new school year. Time spent in the classroom is time spent off the street and is an important step toward a better future for the children and for Iraq.
To donate please call 800-691-2209 or send a check to: 12021 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 558, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Please put "Project Friendship" and your email address on your check. Or follow this link to contribute online: www.spiritofamerica.net/site/give
Your continued support means that we can continue to respond to the needs of those fighting for peace, freedom and democracy. Pass along the Spirit of America message whenever you get the chance and thank you for all you've done. Ask friends, family and colleagues to donate a dollar. $10 would be even better.
Please contact us at staff@spiritofamerica.net if you have any questions.
All the best,
Jim Hake and the Spirit of America team
Posted by Greyhawk at 05:16 PMJuly 07, 2005
Shaharazad
Increasing numbers of Iraqis are becoming increasingly fed up with suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks against civilians there. That's no surprise. In fact, any sane person might even ask what it is that keeps even more from joining against the killers in their streets.
Iraqi blogger Riverbend offers one explanation:
One of the larger blasts was in an area called Ma'moun, which is a middle class area located in west Baghdad. It?s a relatively calm residential area with shops that provide the basics and a bit more. It happened in the morning, as the shops were opening up for their daily business and it occurred right in front of a butchers shop. Immediately after, we heard that a man living in a house in front of the blast site was hauled off by the Americans because it was said that after the bomb went off, he sniped an Iraqi National Guardsman.You can track the spread of that story here. There are many believers, and among the many sites that carried it is one from the UK that also relates these tales:I didn?t think much about the story- nothing about it stood out: an explosion and a sniper- hardly an anomaly. The interesting news started circulating a couple of days later. People from the area claim that the man was taken away not because he shot anyone, but because he knew too much about the bomb. Rumor has it that he saw an American patrol passing through the area and pausing at the bomb site minutes before the explosion. Soon after they drove away, the bomb went off and chaos ensued. He ran out of his house screaming to the neighbors and bystanders that the Americans had either planted the bomb or seen the bomb and done nothing about it. He was promptly taken away.
It happened quite by accident, as most revelations do. And it is seen by most of the world as the most revolting of the American/Israeli atrocities in the past few years, although it's hard to prioritize that claim because of the level and frequency of barbaric acts that are committed on a regular basis by those affluent automatons who call themselves the good guys.You can track the spread of that story here.<...>
I mean, when a mosque blows up and Americans blame Islamic terrorists, whether Sunni or Shiite, it makes no sense. Muslims never blow up their own houses of worship. Or when reporters sympathetic to either the Iraqi cause of freedom, or even just general principles of international justice, are suddenly assassinated and the blame is placed on often imaginary Islamic extremists whose perspective is supported by these writers, how can anyone believe that Muslims did it, even thought this is what the Zionist American press and government continue to insist.
So who?s doing all these demented deeds? As if we didn?t know ....
Khadduri?s report went like this:
?A few days ago, an American manned check point confiscated the driver license of a driver and told him to report to an American military camp near Baghdad airport for interrogation and in order to retrieve his license. The next day, the driver did visit the camp and he was allowed in the camp with his car. He was admitted to a room for an interrogation that lasted half an hour. At the end of the session, the American interrogator told him: ?OK, there is nothing against you, but you do know that Iraq is now sovereign and is in charge of its own affairs. Hence, we have forwarded your papers and license to al-Kadhimia police station for processing. Therefore, go there with this clearance to reclaim your license. At the police station, ask for Lt. Hussain Mohammed, who is waiting for you now. Go there now quickly, before he leaves his shift work?.
The driver did leave in a hurry, but was soon alarmed with a feeling that his car was driving as if carrying a heavy load, and he also became suspicious of a low flying helicopter that kept hovering overhead, as if trailing him. He stopped the car and inspected it carefully. He found nearly 100 kilograms of explosives hidden in the back seat and along the two back doors.
The only feasible explanation for this incident is that the car was indeed booby trapped by the Americans and intended for the al-Khadimiya Shiite district of Baghdad. The helicopter was monitoring his movement and witnessing the anticipated ?hideous attack by foreign elements?.
The same scenario was repeated in Mosul, in the north of Iraq. A car was confiscated along with the driver?s license. He did follow up on the matter and finally reclaimed his car but was told to go to a police station to reclaim his license. Fortunately for him, the car broke down on the way to the police station. The inspecting car mechanic discovered that the spare tire was fully laden with explosives."
These fables are brought to you by the same folks who brought you the story of the 4,000 Jews who failed to show up for work at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. They are as about as believable as the one about the guy with the flying carpet, but to true believers (of any faith or none) that doesn't much matter.
And if, as seems likely, the London bombings were carried out by al-Qaeda you can expect a similar story to develop there.
Posted by Greyhawk at 07:47 PM | Comments (1)Tony Blair Video
The Political Teen has the video of Tony Blair's response to terrorist attacks in London.
Posted by Greyhawk at 06:44 PMLondon
The ghost of Winston Churchill might be glimpsed in London Town this week.
Leaders of the world's major industrialized nations, meeting in Scotland at the G8 Summit today, said they would consider al-Qaeda's latest proposal to "end modern civilization and return to the glorious days of feudalism."An attack on a nation hosting the leaders of the civilized world certainly sends a message, after all. A carefully considered reply delivered soon would be appropriate.There's an undeniable conclusion that can be drawn from today's attacks: the modern world has its vulnerabilities - its obvious weaknesses. That's news to no one. That enemies of civilization would strike at those weaknesses should come as no surprise either. That they would symbolically aim that attack at civilization in its entirety might, however, shock a few slumbering souls into a slightly more wide awake attitude.
That the G8 had gathered to discuss reduction of third-world poverty, war, and greenhouse gasses was certainly no concern to those who spent the day drenching buses and trains with the blood of ordinary working people.
Ironic that Kyoto was on the agenda for the G8. Advanced and economically affluent nations can certainly do things to reduce global warming, after all. Among other steps, they can improve and expand mass transit systems, and encourage their use among their populations. Certainly there was bound to be some table talk on exactly that topic in Scotland this week. Now, however, there may be some careful re-writes on talking points underway.
Western Europe and Japan, by virtue of post-WWII rebuilding efforts, enjoy the finest, most advanced mass transit systems on the planet. Their vulnerability to terrorist attack has now been demonstrated repeatedly. From gas attacks in Japan to bombs in Spain and London, civilization's greatest enemies strike at symbols of it's strength that are demonstrably also it's weakness.
But that physical, tangible, and tactical weakness is not their true target. The weak point they aim for in such assaults is the perceived weakness in resolve of the people of the civilized world. In Spain the tactic appeared to get results; a government fell. Whether today's events would have occurred without that spectacular success from last year is a question for academics to debate.
And perhaps while they're at it they can tackle these topics too:
Is it time for London to fill it's cavernous subway tunnels with cement to ensure they are never attacked again? Is it time for the world to abandon mass transit as an unacceptably risky business altogether?
And what else should we surrender or abandon, to ensure we'll always be safe?
My answers are brief. "No" and "Nothing". The rest of the world will respond too, I'm sure.
But here's a final question for you to consider, depending on your answer to the previous two:
Who's next?
The ghost of Churchill might be glimpsed among those mourning and recovering in London Town this week. Certainly we'll see if his spirit lives on.
Posted by Greyhawk at 05:21 PM | Comments (22)July 06, 2005
Did Somebody Say...
Where have I heard that before?
Smash has an update here (with links to others).
Phil Carter has a New York Times op/ed here (with a very interesting editorial comment)
Also interesting is that Scott Ott made the call last month.
Problems recruiting? You bet. There are lot's of reasons to join the military, and most who do cite several. But a certain percentage of the population has always joined "for an education" or some other purpose related purely to their own self interest. In wartime that percentage melts away. It's easy to simplify that to "not joining because of the war" but the reality is as simple as stated above.
A good percentage of people, however, like to convince themselves that they would serve, if conditions were more to their liking - to fight a hypothetical war they supported, for instance. The reality of their situation is that they wouldn't serve under any circumstances - call it cowardice, call it what you will. But to maintain some shred of dignity they use whatever excuse they find convenient for not supporting their country in time of war. They didn't serve in the Cold War, Iraq the first time around, Kosovo, Bosnia, Haiti, Somalia, Afghanistan, or anywhere else for that matter - and there are no circumstances under which they would ever do so.
They in turn project their motives onto others who support the war but aren't in uniformed service. See, you support the war but don't serve, therefore you are a coward. I, on the other hand, am not a coward because I am not serving because I don't support the war. I am clearly morally superior to you.
If you are of that mindset you know that war is undeniably barbaric, after all, and it's quite easy to convince yourself that you are a superior specimen of humanity - like a few others you are above that sort of thing. Eventually the rest of the population of the world will evolve to your high level - certainly before the barbarians come knocking on your door.
I'd go one step further and propose that there are those who "oppose the war" purely out of fear that they would ever be expected to serve. And that those who shout "chickenhawk" the loudest and most often are most likely in this group.
You can find out how to join the Army right here, by the way. The benefits? How about making history, saving civilization, etc.
Then you can join MilBlogs here. What are the benefits of that? Glad you asked.
One is that lefty bloggers will never link you - you represent everything they can't comprehend about service. They don't much care about what military people really think, say, or care about after all. Which by itself, is further support for what I proposed about the whole motivation behind the chickenhawk thing anyway.
Need more convincing? Did I mention the babes? Do you think Atrios will ever have a post like this dedicated to him? or this
Posted by Greyhawk at 08:29 PM | Comments (1)The Numbers
A revealing fact makes it's way into the AP coverage of the President's trip to Denmark:
Just hours before Bush's arrival, hundreds of people demonstrated across Denmark, including in Copenhagen where about 200 protesters marched to the U.S. Embassy, chanting anti-American slogans and burning Danish and U.S. flags.That's 200 from a city of 1.7 million. That's slightly over .01% of the population of the city, and the AP felt it was important that their opinions should be known. Which is fine.Meanwhile in Mosul:
Hundreds of Iraqis gathered in Alqiar area south of Mosul in a demonstration showing opposition to terrorists and terrorism. About 1500 civilians & military Iraqis from cities and villages in southern Mosul joined the demonstration to denunciate terrorism in their areas. Religious leaders, imams and government employees initiated the demonstration after they realized the need to express their public opposition to terrorism.But you have to read blogs for stuff like that.Posted by Greyhawk at 07:07 PM | Comments (20)July 05, 2005
July 04, 2005
The Latest from Russ Vaughn
Fightin? Side of Me
It?s now clear there can be no ambivalence
About the Liberals? moral equivalence;
Where they now have lost all perspective,
Or any desire to be truly objective.
Their comparisons began to be troubling
When ?Fats? Moore got their fuzzy heads bubbling,
With his ?terrorists as Minutemen? inanity,
That unleashed all this Liberal insanity.Amnesty twits poured ?Moore? fuel on the fire;
Their calling Gitmo a gulag was sure to inspire
The loons on the Left to more treasonous tropes,
And ?Moore? metaphors from fifth columnist dopes,
With Bush-hating congressmen carping, complaining
About conditions no worse than my own basic training,
Where screaming mad sergeants deprive you of sleep,
Make you sleep on cold ground, and herd you like sheep.
Had they ever served, our deceitful Dick Durbins
They?d have more than hot air in their treasonous turbans;
Had they worn the uniform, endured deprivation
They might not so quickly condemn their own nation.
Founding fathers were terrorists Brian Williams indicts,
Another media effete who never fought for his rights.
With their traitorous comparisons, the Libs fail to see
They?re getting dangerously close to ?the fightin? side of me.?Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66Go here for Merle Haggard?s classic, Fightin? Side of Me:
Posted by Greyhawk at 11:50 PM4th of July Dawn Patrol
Chuck Update - A Quiet Day [From My Position]
Hello to all of you! As always, I thank you for keeping us in your prayers. The prayers are working, I promise!
I say today was quiet because Chuck finally slept most of the day. Yesterday was rough... he was in a lot of pain all day and Alice and I spent 8 hours straight at the hospital. It's not the fault of the nurses or doctors... they have tried numerous things to help manage Chuck's pain. Chuck just burns through pain meds so quickly and it is hard to find a balance. Fortuntaley, today he had a balance in pain meds and got some badly needed sleep. He still has his sense of humor and we joke around every now and then. I know he wants to blog so badly, and he will soon enough. In the mean time, he knows you all are out there praying for him and it really means a lot to all of us involved.Happy 4th of July!!! A Video Dedication [Soldiers' Angel - Holly Aho] Editor's Note: As always AWESOME!
My 4th of July video dedication to America, our troops, and those who support them. God bless and have a safe and happy 4th of July!!!4th of July Thank You to the Troops [Minivan Mom]
Filed under: Shout Outs! ? Epiphany at 2:34 pm on Monday, July 4, 2005
I know I already posted this for Memorial Day, but on this 4th of July, I felt that our soldiers need another ?Good Job? and ?You are loved!? So, without further ado, I give you the memorial day post?posted again for the 4th of July
For all of the men and women...Declaration of Independence [365 and a Wake Up - in Iraq]
Two hundred and twenty nine years ago a document was signed by fifty six men, and with the stroke of a pen the course of human history was fundamentally altered. That single document was the fontspring of all our rights and privileges, but have you ever looked into the fate of the founding fathers?Happy Independence Day [Maduece Gunner - in Iraq]
Happy Independence Day, All...
Today our nation celebrates it independence from tyranny. We celebrate our freedoms gained and maintained by the blood of men and women who stood to defend their countrymen, their republic, their liberty. We hoist our colors proudly, launch our fireworks powerfully, and sing our anthem vigorously. We remember our Founding Fathers, who risked their lives, families, homes and their entire way of life to create a new nation.I think not, Mr. Willams... [Maduece Gunner - in Iraq]
Brian Williams yesterday compared the Founding Fathers of The United States of America to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and said that the Founding Fathers could have been considered terrorists by the British Crown.
I beg to differ, sir.
Let us dissect this ludicrous assertation...Our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor... [Major K - in Iraq]
Happy Birthday America! It is July 4th here, and other than some decorations and a fancy cake in the chow hall, it is just another day in the sandbox. I plowed through piles of intelligence reports, drove around Baghdad with my security team, met with a new informant, and inspected the security layout for a major infrastructure facility. This is one of my favorite holidays. It is right up there with Thanksgiving, but not quite as important as Memorial Day.A productive morning [Lance in Iraq]
We took a few things to some folks that live around here earlier today. Time well spent.BAPTISM SERVICE AT DOGWOOD [Kevin Kelly - Dixie Sappers - in Iraq]
This morning we had our 4th of July church ceremony. We had it at Sapper Square right next to our MWR center. The outside was decorated with American Flag as well as battalion colors displayed behind the podium, a huge tub for the baptism service and Red, White and Blue plastic covering the back wall behind the podium. It was very nicely set up. We also had a sound system that was even hooked up to for our new Praise Band. The praise band consists of (at this point) SPC Grimes ? vocals/guitar, SPC Ewing ? keyboard/vocals and SPC Jones ? guitarPig roast [Phil and Becky - in Iraq]
This past Friday, we had an organized "draw down" day as part of our Fourth of July festivities. As a clever operational security ruse, we celebrated the 4th of July on July 1st. :)
It was a nice opportunity for the soldiers who go on patrol day in and day out to have a break. Obviously, we did not completely stand down. We sent patrols out in the morning and intermittently throughout the day, but we did our best to make sure that as many soldiers as possible could participate. We also closed the FOB to Iraqi civilians, freeing up the soldiers on escort duty.MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE [Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum - in Iraq]
Across America on this holiday weekend, millions of Americans will celebrate the birth of these United States. In New York City, there will be thunder in the skies above Manhattan and as children sit atop the shoulders of their Mothers and Fathers their eyes will witness the wonder and majesty of the rockets red glare as night turns to day one burst of brilliant color at a time. In Boston, the harbor will hold tall ships transformed into a million points of light resting on the waters under the electric sky. In St Louis, the VP fair will hold thousands under the Gateway Arch, as the masses surge for a better seat on the grasses and concrete on the bank of the mighty Mississippi.Independence Day [Dave's Not Here - in Iraq]
Last night I was outside enjoying the dusty (we had a dust storm yesterday) summer evening with a few of my friends here on Liberty when I noticed fireworks flares in the night sky over Victory. I'm not sure of the reason for the flares, since I didn't hear the usual patter of gunfire in the distance I just chalked it up to a substitute for fireworks on Independence Day.As a result of the dusty conditions the flare set the entire night sky aglow in a wash of brilliant red which faded gradually to orange, then to black.
Iraq Files Store [Steven Kiel - in Iraq]
Check out our latest offerings at the Iraq Files Store. Just in time for the 4th of July, we have more patriotic bands, sandals and hats. And as always, free shipping!Civil Affairs Mission, Musayyib [Iraq War News]
U.S. Army Spc. Mason Garner maintains convoy security while on a civil affairs mission to the city of Musayyib, Iraq, June 12, 2005. Garner is assigned to Scout Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, part of the 155th Brigade Combat Team. U.S. military personnel attached to the 155th Brigade Combat Team are deployed to Forward Operating Base Iskandariyah in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Edward G. Martens229 years later, here we are. [Blog City Machine - in Iraq]
...Call me a jingoistic American sheep-being, but the more I travel, the more I love the United States. I've traveled to England, Germany, Italy, Japan - and now, Kuwait and Iraq - and they've all been nice places to visit (ok, maybe not the last two) but I wouldn't want to live in any of those countries. There's just something about the vast diversity of America - the densely packed birthplace of our nation on the East Coast, the vast spaces of the West, the easygoing life in the Midwest, the West Coast home of Hollywood and Starbucks.Obscure Patriot [Hurl's Blog - in Iraq]
I am finally re-settled back at al Taqaddum air base. The journey was ? long, hot and miserable?. I felt like a piece of 3rd class mail. Oh well, it?s over. At least I wasn?t puking like many other poor souls?.
As some know, I am very much a history buff. For this Fourth of July, I would like to draw attention to an obscure patriot that was tremendously significant to the founding of our country. The following account, reprinted here in full, is the best of about half a dozen that I have read - drawing from various sources.Happy 4th of July! [The National Guard Experience - in Afghanistan]
I can't write poetry for shit. Yep, there, I went and said it. Surprised? Don't be. Most of you will find that I have a unique flair for milblogging, nay, a talent for garbage, but poetry, it's never worked for me. However, I can spot talent. Anyway, one of my contractor buddies down in Ghazni writes poetry. It's good stuff. He let me post this poem exclusively on The National Guard Experience.Fireworks for the Fourth [NEW MilBlog Ring Member - Tac Jammer - Editor's Note: About time]
The impact portion of NASA's Deep Impact cometary probe mission appears to be a complete success...How will you spend your Fourth of July? [ AJC]
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Members of the 48th Brigade and their families will be apart this holiday. If you are a family member, what will you be doing this weekend? What do you expect it to be like? If you are a soldier deployed in Iraq, what are your plans and what will the observance mean this year?The Declaration of Independence has room for your signature. GM's Corner]
Will this weekend be just another "Fourth of July" with a day off from work and maybe a cookout with the family...or, will you take a moment to remember why we celebrate this day and to honor our founders and this nation? I hope you do both. You know how to do the first. Let me suggest something to help you with the second.First, why do you think we celebrate Independence Day or the Fourth of July,
Have a good Independence Day weekend [Chrenkoff]
And why not celebrate it by letting the troops know that you support them and appreciate their dangerous but valuable work? You can do it through American Supports You - the website mentioned by President Bush is his recent speech. Its traffic had multiplied 100 times as a result, but you can never have too many messages of good will.The Cotillion July 4th Gala! [A Mom and Her Blog]
Finally, it's time for The Cotillion July 4th Gala. Yes, you heard me right. The Cotillion is throwing yet another party....and it's not even Tuesday yet!
We ladies have banded together and decided that it's time to spotlight some of the deserving menfolk out there. And where better to find deserving men than the men of Milblogs.Debutantes in Boots [Steal the Bandwagon]
Debutantes in Boots? What's that? It is every female who serves her country or every wife who lives the wild life of a military wife. They are tough and disciplined. They do their jobs well. They don't always take no for an answer and they are too stubborn to give up. But they are also women. Women who shine and love and care. They are elegant but they will kick your butt if they need to. Want to meet some of them? I thought so. Here on 4th of July, along with the July 4th Gala at Cotillion, we're honoring some of our female milbloggers. Here they are:July 4th Gala [Ladies of Cotillian]
July 4th is a special time of celebration for our country. Picnics, parades and boat rides occur as children's fingers become soaked with the juices of a ripe watermelon. Spend a few minutes watching the family gather on a blanket as the anticipate the fireworks and you'll be watching a view of everything that is so right with this country. This is a special time indeed, for such a special country.Happy Fourth Of July! [Villainous Company]
First of all, Happy Fourth of July! As part of my duties with the Cotillion, I am happy to be part of our July 4th Salute to the Milbloggers. Luckily for you, I scored an interview with one of my absolute favorite milbloggers, Grim of Grim's Hall. This was not as easy a task as it might appear: not only can the Male Milblogger be extremely wily, but he also is notoriously unfond of spotlights and can be difficult to corner.The Minutemen and April 19th [Eric's Grumbles Before the Grave]
230 years ago today, on April 19, 1775, the British forces occupying Boston moved towards Lexington and Concord with the intention of capturing Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Lexington and seizing arms and munitions stored in the area. The Massachussetts rebels were aware that General Gage, the military governor of the colony, was likely to order this operation and had plans to warn Adams and Hancock and safeguard their firearms. This is the source of Paul Revere's famous ride (a true story, not simply mythology of a romanticized revolution) and the equally famous "one if by land, two if by water" method of sending the warning. When the British Redcoats arrived in Lexington the American rebels were armed and standing their ground. Both sides tried4th of July Tribute [Euphoric Reality]
Filed in All Articles, Military, He!d! by HE!D! on Monday 4 July 2005 at 02:12
Tomorrow, most of us will be celebrating Independence Day. It is my favorite holiday of the year - a time for getting together with family and friends, and for remembering the history of our nation - in all its tragedy and great glory. I love the Fourth of July parade: I smile when the kids go by in their Girl and Boy Scouts uniforms and Little League uniforms, I grin when
Veterans Confront a Taste of Battle [Stryker Brigade]
GETTYSBURG, Pa. The petite young woman with the ponytail, hoop earrings and little red knapsack holds her fingers in her ears and shudders with each crash of the cannon.
One by one, the line of Civil War-era artillery pieces goes off -- shh-BOOM! --Liberty!! Part IV - "Cast off the Bonds of Tyranny" [Mr Minority]
"The citizen can bring our political and governmental institutions back to life, make them responsive and accountable, and keep them honest. No one else can" - John Gardner
"Now, not tomorrow, is the time to cast off the Bonds of Tyranny that the Gov't has shackled it's people with." - Mr Minority
Yes, I created that last quote, and yes, I feel that America is being bound by unjust laws, we are seeing the erosion of our God Given Rights, being shackled with Nanny Laws and the Morality of our Nation is being flushed down the toilet of secular humanism.Independence Days [No Pundit Intended]
Our independence was gained by people brave enough to fight and die for it. That fight didn't end with the conclusion of the revolutionary war - it has yet to end.
I know it's just another day off for some people - that's fine. I am not trying to change your thinking so that you finally "get it". You don't have to understand all of the reasons for your freedom to enjoy it. That's a beautiful thing, isn't it?51,000 Casualties in One Battle [Kerfuffles]
These were the words of President Abraham Lincoln commiserating with the nation's sorrow at the horrendous 51,000+ casualties, including the loss of more than 7,000 young American lives in just one battle to keep the states united. With his speech at the war cemetery, the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln re-dedicated the nation to the war effort and to the ideal that no soldier at Gettysburg, whether Union or Confederate, had died in vain.
Meet the Troops [National Review Online]
What I?m thankful for this Independence Day.
By Emily Cochran
On Saturday nights, Pat Troy pays tribute to U.S. military men and women with a toast, a prayer, and a song. The mood starts out upbeat and light: Pat, an Irish pub owner in Alexandria, Va., leaps onto the stage with a fuzzy unicorn head strapped to his own and leads patrons in a hilarious rendition of the Unicorn Song. The Guinness flows as people sway and sing along. Then Pat?s program turns patriotic.
? Emily Cochran is communications director for the Helping Our Heroes Foundation. The foundation launched a fundraising campaign this week to raise $40,000 to fulfill emergency grant requests that have been recently submitted.An e-mail from SoldiersAngels: [Hugh Hewitt]
"I wanted to let you know that our Adoptions Unit has been swamped over the last 3 days. We have processed over 900 adoptions in the last 72 hours... Additionally, Patti has indicated we have raised over $3,000 through on-line donations in this time period as well...It couldn't have come at a better time.
We are working really hard on a couple of projects right now and I just wanted to let you know should anyone ask:...Posted by Mrs Greyhawk at 02:12 PM | Comments (2)July 03, 2005
Blogging the Fourth
Donna Jean from Liberty and Lilly offers our first look at the Fourth of July weekend in America:
In the photo with the men marching for the VFW (the first photo), the men closest and furthest from the camera are brothers from our town - Rob and Mark Peer - and they are both back from serving in Iraq. The pictures are from the Independence Day Festival this weekend in Montville Township, New Jersey.She also offers a little known quote from a letter John Adams sent to his wife, mentioning the day the delegates voted to adopt the resolution for independence.The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. - I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.You can enjoy the July 2nd parade, shew, and illumination here, thanks to Donna Jean!(And share your July 4th photos, stories, essays, guns, bells, bonfires, et cetera worldwide by emailing greyhawk at mudvillegazette.com!)
Posted by Greyhawk at 09:04 PMThe Fourth
Last year for the 4th of July we collected links to photoblogs of fireworks and other events marking the anniversary of the signing of The Declaration of Independence to provide the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan a glimpse of home, and a reminder of America on the day that defines us.
We'll do the same this year - but we'll run it all weekend long. So if you're a blogger please post some photos of your Independence Day weekend - and send a link to greyhawk - at - mudvillegazette.com. If you're not a blogger send photos and we'll post them here for you.
Hope you'll join us!
Open Post
You fill the old ones, we'll make new ones...
Posted by Greyhawk at 03:51 PM | Comments (2)Spirit of '76
In the mail: 1776
historian David McCullough's look at the military campaigns of the early American Revolution. (Note to those my age: Not to be confused with the musical of the same name
.) I'm looking forward to a good read.
***** An interesting fact found at Dave Earmey's blog sheds light on the early days of the soon to be "United" States:
By 1779, there were more Americans fighting with the British than with Washington! There were no less than 21 regiments (estimated to total 6,500 to 8,000 men) of loyalists in the British army. Washington reported a field army of 3,468. About a third of Americans opposed the Revolution. http://www.americanrevolution.com/LittleKnownFacts.htmAnd we can see how that "spirit of '76" lives on today. Here's how some folks are marking the anniversary of independence in America:This July 4th is Flag Burning Day!
Every summer good Americans don their best red white and blue, and gorge themselves on beer and hotdogs to celebrate our independence from England, but from its very beginnings this country has been built on illegitimacies.
This July 4th is Flag Burning Day!IT'S A CODEPINK FOURTH OF JULY
This Fourth of July while President Bush and his cronies are out and about reveling at patriotic parades and White House festivities ignoring the global outcry against the treatment of prisoners at Abu Graib and Guantanamo Bay; we the people won?t be blinded by the dazzling lights of cheap firecrackers and white house photo-op flashes.Join in with parades happening in your community. Dressed as prisoners at Abu Graib and torture victims from Guantanamo Bay, this great to way to remind people that not everyone is enjoying freedom and justice today.
Join Freeway Blogger's Summer of Truth.
"Signpainting parties against the war are being organized across the country over the 4th of July weekend with posting scheduled to start on the 5th. So far we have over 400 confirmed freewaybloggers for this action and should have well over a thousand by week's end."***** For those seeking inspiration from the opposite end of the spectrum, we have this via LGF:
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance and honor for the majority of people. For a select few, those committed to a ?peace at any price? world-view, Memorial Day is a day to protest war, warriors and to hand out printed propaganda. This year in Columbia Missouri, at the Air Show and the Memorial Day Parade the ?Peace at any price? propaganda ended up in shreds ? literally.Read the whole thing. And remember, even though outnumbered by those of their countrymen who chose to stand shoulder to shoulder with the enemy, Washington's men were ultimately victorious.By an earlier federal court ruling, the Veterans group that hosts Missouri?s Air Show was forced to allow the peace groups to hand out their literature and carry protest signs onto the tarmac of the event. The court ruled that protesters had the right to free speech. So, we provided some free speech of our own, by the name of Operation Simply Shred.
A simple concept, legal, moral, and deliciously humorous ? Operation Simply Shred provided a polite, free and immediate shredding service for any unwanted political literature or flyer that an Air Show or parade attendee did not care to keep any longer. Small, powerful battery operated shredders in the hands of polite and helpful volunteers allowed any citizen to exercise their own First Amendment right to shred any flyer or propaganda piece handed to them by a ?peace at any price? protestor just seconds after they received it. And it was environmentally friendly to boot.
***** The British surrendered at Yorktown in October, 1781 - over five years after July 4th, 1776. But the final battle of the Revolutionary War occurred when Americans retaliated against Loyalist and Indian forces in the Ohio territory in November 1782.
In the months following the Revolution, 100,000 loyalists fled the new nation and returned to England.
But other interesting events were still to come:
February 4, 1783 - England officially declares an end to hostilities in America.
March 10, 1783 - An anonymous letter circulates among Washington's senior officers camped at Newburgh, New York. The letter calls for an unauthorized meeting and urges the officers to defy the authority of the new U.S. national government (Congress) for its failure to honor past promises to the Continental Army. The next day, Gen. Washington forbids the unauthorized meeting and instead suggests a regular meeting to be held on March 15. A second anonymous letter then appears and is circulated. This letter falsely claims Washington himself sympathizes with the rebellious officers.
March 15, 1783 - General Washington gathers his officers and talks them out of a rebellion against the authority of Congress, and in effect preserves the American democracy. Read more about this
April 11, 1783 - Congress officially declares an end to the Revolutionary War.
April 26, 1783 - 7000 Loyalists set sail from New York for Canada, bringing a total of 100,000 Loyalists who have now fled America.
June 13, 1783 - The main part of the Continental Army disbands.
June 24, 1783 - To avoid protests from angry and unpaid war veterans, Congress leaves Philadelphia and relocates to Princeton, New Jersey.
***** Wherever you are this Fourth of July, have a safe and happy holiday.
Posted by Greyhawk at 02:23 PMAnother One Bites the Dust
Security forces killed the Al Qaeda terrorist group's leader in Saudi Arabia during a fierce gun battle Sunday in the capital, Riyadh, an Interior Ministry official told this country's official news agency.Younis Mohammed Ibrahim al-Hayari was from Morocco, and was reported to have entered the country for the Hajj five years ago.Interesting that the Saudi branch of al Qaeda had a foreign leader, but according to authorities he had been "nominated by his peers, following the death of those preceding him, to be the head of sedition and corruption in the land." As a result,
Al-Hayari topped a list issued Tuesday of 36 most-wanted militants sought for participation in previous terror attacks in the kingdom dating back to 2003.Guess it's time for new elections.Posted by Greyhawk at 02:16 PM | Comments (2)Support the Troops
About the time you're celebrating the Fourth of July, Lena Haddix will be en route to Iraq. She's a 73-year-old great-grandmother who recently finished a six-month deployment to Kuwait and then signed up for a six-month deployment to Baghdad.Haddix is a store manager for the Army & Air Force Exchange Service and volunteered to work overseas because she wants to support the youngsters in the military.
"I'm doing it for our troops," Haddix said in a telephone interview from her home in Lawton, Okla.
Posted by Greyhawk at 12:54 PM | Comments (2)July 02, 2005
Open Post
Earlier than usual - because the last one is full.
Posted by Greyhawk at 04:26 PM | Comments (1)MSgt Randall Arnold, USMC
When he enlisted in the Marines in 1969, Randall Arnold had to fight his way past a friend to get to the recruiting office. Thirty-six years later, Master Sgt. Arnold had no regrets as he retired from the Corps as its last enlisted Vietnam War veteran.Read it all at the above link. He's now 55 years old, the mandatory retirement age. But he wants to continue serving.At a retirement ceremony Friday at Quantico Marine Corps Base, Arnold said his reasons for signing up were "purely selfish. It was just about travel and adventure. I was 18 years old, and I wanted to see the world."
His friends preferred he find a safer outlet for his wanderlust. Ray Sedgwick, who graduated with Arnold at Coolidge High School in Washington, grabbed his friend and physically restrained him when they walked past a Marine recruiting station on Pennsylvania Avenue.
"I told him, 'You gotta be crazy,'" recalled Sedgwick, who attended Friday's ceremony. Sedgwick relented when Arnold made it clear he'd made up his mind.
In an interview after the ceremony, Arnold said many factors influenced his decision. He had been successful in the Junior ROTC in high school and had enjoyed the marching, the uniforms and other trappings of military life. But he did not enlist immediately after graduation "because for a while I was being guided by public opinion," which was turning against the war.
Semper Fi.
Update: Coverage of the retirement ceremony (with photo) here.
"I thought he was going to break down there, but he did pretty good," said the best friend, Roy Sedgwick of Clinton, who back in 1969 had acted out of concern for Arnold's safety. "He still loves the Marine Corps."Posted by Greyhawk at 02:19 PMJuly 01, 2005
Open Post
And Kudos to Mrs. G for another fine Holiday logo. This might be her best yet.
Here's a collection of some of our previous banners.
Posted by Greyhawk at 08:02 PM | Comments (2)My Bad
I thought this was a blog story - turns out it's about tennis.
Posted by Greyhawk at 05:41 PMJudge decries prison deaths
This is not good:
A federal judge on Thursday said he will appoint an independent authority to oversee the health care system in California's prisons, so plagued with problems that inmates die of neglect or maltreatment at the rate of one a week.No wonder California juries don't like to render guilty verdicts.Posted by Greyhawk at 05:33 PM | Comments (2)10th Mountain at War
The AP offers a completely positive look at the 10th Mountain Division's role in the war:
FORT DRUM, New York (AP) -- They've hunted down terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan, opposed rebels in Bosnia and battled warlords in Somalia.Sorry if you were thinking of some other war - it's Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds that the story refers to. Other Army and Marine units also appear in the movie. The film was screened in a special sneak preview at Ft Drum's movie theater on Monday, two days before it's nationwide premier.Now, 10th Mountain Division troops are facing off against Martian invaders -- with no less than the fate of the Earth in the balance.
Kudos to Spielberg for going for the "real thing". More on the 10th:
It's not the first time the 10th Mountain Division has made it to the silver screen. The division's historic rescue of Army Rangers in Somalia in 1993 was chronicled in the book "Black Hawk Down," which was made into a 2001 movie by director Ridley Scott.Which makes this quote all the more ironic:Since its reactivation in 1985, the 10th Mountain Division has been the nation's most-deployed military force. Fort Drum troops also have served in the Persian Gulf War, in Florida providing relief to victims of Hurricane Andrew, and in Haiti, Kosovo and more than a dozen other countries.
"It feels awesome to help save the world," said Sgt. Christopher Lumpiesz, of Tampa, Florida, who gets to help shoot down a Martian ship in the movie.On a personal note, the middle daughter has seen the film and gives it two thumbs up. She warned me that mom will be jumping a lot through this one. (Mrs G tends to startle a little bit at certain points in movies - it's fun for the whole theater.) The rest of the family will see it this weekend.Mrs G says: Damned surround sound.
Posted by Greyhawk at 04:30 PM | Comments (1)
