Open Post

And be sure to take a break from blogging long enough to buy this book.

Threatcon Delta

Remember Desert Storm?

Ready for combat in the woods of Europe, the military scrambled to get desert camoflage pattern uniforms to all the troops, and green vehicles painted tan. In spite of best efforts, results were mixed.

And most of the available armor was too heavy to wear...

...and often painted wrong, too.

During the second invasion of Iraq, everyone had DCUs - though not all the armor matched...

One minor problem: after the thunder run, most combat was in urban areas.

And there were still all those other hot spots around the globe. Thus was born the latest innovation - the new, one-pattern-fits-all-environments Army Combat Uniform (ACU).

The other services have changed their uniforms too. We're ready for anything now...

(More to follow)

Fight On!

One of our favorite MilBloggers could use your thoughts, prayers, and well wishes.

We're with you, GM!

*****

AP/NY Times: Guard Recruiting Exceeds Goal

The guys toiling in our department of headlines we thought we'd never see are busy these days. Today's gem comes from the AP, in the NY Times:

Turnaround In Recruiting Puts Guard On Path For Expansion

The National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon office that administers the Guard, issued a statement outlining a turnaround in recruiting and predicting that it would continue to rise this year. In the last quarter of 2005, the Guard signed up 13,466 recruits, above its goal of 12,605. It was the first time since 1993 that the Guard exceeded its goal in that period.

First time since 1993 - wow. But some of the surprise wears off when the AP reveals why it can now publish stories like this. (Read closely - it gets tricky). The story points out that just when things are really turning around, President Bush wants to shrink the Guard!

National Guard officials said Monday that recruiting had accelerated so much in recent months that they expected to expand the Guard even as the Bush administration proposes to shrink it.

But wait - because here's where things get tricky:

In his 2007 budget, to be sent to Congress on Feb. 6, President Bush would pay for a Guard of 333,000 soldiers; its Congressionally authorized limit is 350,000. Administration officials say that is not a cut, because the Guard now has 333,000 soldiers.

So setting aside enough money to pay the actual people in the Guard, rather than the authorized number of people in the Guard - is a cut. (Some fiscally responsible people might call it a good one.)

But...

Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey had said that if the Guard was able to grow beyond 333,000, the Army would shift money from elsewhere in its budget to pay for the extra soldiers.

In other words, the number of troops authorized in the Guard won't be cut, there just won't be any money frozen to pay the salaries of Guard toops until they actually exist. (Or if you prefer, "if needed, your check will be in the mail". How you respond to this should be an indicator of your level of trust in "the system".)

Which brings us to how the AP/NY Times decide to frame the issue:

The administration's plan to pay for a smaller Guard has stirred opposition in Congress and among groups like the National Guard Association of the United States, which represents current and former Army Guard and Air Guard officers.

But the final word on this belongs to Congress, and you can bet they'll vote their home-State pocketbooks on this one.

Not on the Guard issue so much - that's just an opportunity to look like good guys who stood up to Bush - if the local papers run the story just so. My prediction: the money will be "found". After all, those dollars will represent a fairly small drop in a rather large bucket of taxpayer dollars.

Bucket? Perhaps trough is the better term. Last year's $82 billion supplemental spending bill for the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan included $20 million for a road project in Mississippi, $5 million for the Fort Peck Fish Hatchery in Montana, $2 million for an upgrade of chemistry laboratories at Drew University in New Jersey, and $1 million for the Woody Island and historic structures in Philadelphia. Don't be fooled by any outraged congressional table-thumping over this Guard funding issue - watch your congressman's other hand.

But that, good friends, is half the story. For whatever reason they actually ran it, that headline in the NY Times was too good to just use just once. So here:

Turnaround In Recruiting Puts Guard On Path For Expansion

The National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon office that administers the Guard, issued a statement outlining a turnaround in recruiting and predicting that it would continue to rise this year. In the last quarter of 2005, the Guard signed up 13,466 recruits, above its goal of 12,605. It was the first time since 1993 that the Guard exceeded its goal in that period.

Good stuff.

Pulitzer For Mike Yon?

Perhaps. He's past the first step, having been submitted for consideration for a Pulitzer Prize (or two - writing and photography).

Check out the slideshow at the link. For most it's a brief trip down memory lane, for others an introduction. For anyone honest, it's justification for his ultimately winning both honors.

Kevlar Blankets

Via Soldiers Angel Germany

In 2004 Soldiers' Angels created the Armor Up program providing Kevlar blankets to be used as extra protection on troop vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, Soldiers' Angels has purchased 62 of the blankets, which are DOD approved and cost $935 each.

Soldiers' Angel Robin, who heads the Armor Up program, sent this email last night:

We thought we would no longer need to send Kevlar blankets but recently got requests from 3 units...

Although the Army is now aggressively sending Armored Humvees into theater, these blankets are very versatile. For example, while steel floor plating stops most of an IED blast, the blanket can absorb additional shock and shrapnel to prevent leg injuries. Some non-combat vehicles have vulnerabilites that can be mitigated with a kevlar blanket. They can also be used as extra protection around gun turrets, or in buildings such as sleeping quarters.

Here's more information about the Armor Up program at the Soldiers' Angels site where you can donate via PayPal.

Please help us get blankets to these units as soon as possible!

Update:
Robin has just received a request from a fourth unit. At 10 - 12 blankets per unit, we need to raise well over $40,000. Please help us spread the word!

Dawn Patrol

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs, other blogs, and the mainstream media. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. (We have a daily "Open Post" too, if you have something on another topic you can link there.)

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IRAQ

"Juba" = "Baghdad Sniper" -- [Treasure of Baghdad - an Iraqi in Iraq]
On Saturday, I took the day off and spent it at home resting, studying for the TOEFL and the GRE and hanging out with my friends whose main subject at that day was the Baghdad Sniper.
Baghdad Sniper is a man who shoots US soldiers with his silent guns. He fires once and vanishes just like ghosts. There is never a follow-up shot, never a chance for US forces to identify him. It’s a matter of seconds. You’ll never hear it.

In my neighborhood, a new phenomenon is incredibly increasing. CDs with videos of this ghost shooting at the US soldiers in Baghdad are being sold and exchanged by young men and teenagers who are incredibly interested in that mysterious sniper. As people say, he uses silent guns in his shooting and he never missed a target.
...Now, whom to blame for this? I'll leave the answer to you. But my own point of view is this man and many others like him are leading the destruction of this country. They kill and only kill whether Iraqis or Americans. It doesn't matter for them now. They are powerful but someone should stop them. Iraq is no more a country. It is hard to do everything in it now. It is even hard to fight in it.

Operations and Negotiations in Iraq -- [ThreatsWatch - Bill Roggio]
The ‘maintenance’ phase of the Anbar Campaign proceeds as Iraqi Army units continue to take greater responsibility for security operations in Anbar province. Iraqi units are increasingly conducting independent operations in the region after joint Coalition and Iraqi operations over the fall placed a permanent presence in the towns and cities along the Western Euphrates River Valley. Operation Moonlight on the Syrian border was one such example. Operation Final Strike is the latest.

Where do they come from? -- [Ask the Soldiers - in Iraq]
In reading news releases from CentCom.mil (yea, I read it straight fromthe source - how right wing is THAT?) over and over there are stories aboutall these weapons caches found and destroyed (hooray for our guys!)Where do all the weapons come from?Are they left over from Sadaam's reign of terror?Smuggled over the border from a neighboring "friend?"Weapon-Mart?

High Tech Missions -- [Fraser From Iraq - in Iraq]
I wish I could tell you about all the gizmos and gadgets that make our mission easier, and The Bad Guy's life miserable. We do own the night, and we use it to our full advantage. It is our Magical Cloaking Device. What they cannot see they USUALLY cannot hit. The element of surprise and the tactics of stealth are employed like shields.

Breath Deep the Gathering Gloom.... -- [Fire and Ice - in Iraq]
Today I struggled with a nocturne. I have a very vivid memory of a trip out into Fallujah shortly after first arriving here. Under a blazing full moon we visited a gothic nightmare of a place called Observation Post Ethan. Getting into OP Ethan was like entering the decaying skeletal remains of a leviathan. The building's roof was flayed off of the rafters and hanging in fleshy tatters. To get to the main part of the OP you had to cross a courtyard thick with the dendrus of battle and, in the light of a full moon, combed by the exposed rafter's jagged shadows.

Deployment Items -- [Hajji-Net - in Iraq]
Stuff to bring to the desert. I am a company IMO and a geek. So, there is plenty of computing gear listed. There is also general deployment items.

"Chunky" -- [SandGram - in Iraq]
You know, call signs and acronyms are abundant in the Military and the Marines so I thought I would talk about that today for those of you new to my blog. This will help you non-military types understand the lingo that you may encounter out there in Cyberland when reading other MilBlogs.

The new chief judge in the trial of Saddam and his gang -- [Hammorabi]
The new chief judge Mr Raof Rashied Abdulrahman (61 years) opened the session in a much better way than the resigned judge (Mr R M Amien). He has much more concentration and using a much better judgment and interrogations of the witnesses and the accused to clarify the evidence in a more concentrated and better way.

Saddam’s Trial -- [IBN_ALRAFIDAIN - an Iraqi in Iraq]
To judge any matter one should have sufficient knowledge about it. For that, it is unfair to carp at Mr. Ameen for his conduct in running the courtroom. The man was very calm and understanding in listening to the whole sides. Such way of behavior is unfamiliar to the Iraqi society.

Pulitzer Prize -- [Michael Yon]
Michelle Malkin was the first serious blogger to suggest that my work deserved consideration for the Pulitzer Prize. Her sentiment was echoed by thousands of email messages and comments on the open forum site, asking me about a Pulitzer Prize, and whether my work might receive such a great honor. I was clueless. I knew that Pulitzer was synonymous with first-rate and prestigious, but that’s about it. A Pulitzer Prize was as far from my mind as the moon was from my feet.

Hey, GTL - where the hell have ya been??? GTL comes out of the proverbial "closet"... -- [Gun Toting Liberal]
Hey, I've been in the "sandbox", that's where. That's right, I am a non-commissioned officer in a component of the United States Air Force, and proudly so. Nobody shot at me and I didn't have to shoot anybody, thank God. I know some speculated that I was going to prison, and it turns out those people weren't THAT far off after all, but nope - I was eating, breathing, and drinking sand in defense of democracy in the sand, on the other side of the world.

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

IRAQ: TRIBAL MILITIAS SAY THEY'VE SEIZED 270 AL-QAEDA FIGHTERS -- (AKI)
Baghdad, 30 Jan - Some 270 Arab and foreign fighters have been detained in Iraq's restive al-Anbar province in a 'defensive campaign' launched by the local population towards the al-Qaeda network, tribal leaders say. A source close to tribal chiefs told Adnkronos International (AKI) that "the Iraqi security forces, with the help of the local population, have managed to arrest terrorists and Iraqis who provided them refuge." "Most of them were Syrian, Saudi...

CNN's Christiane Amanpour: Iraq war 'a disaster' -- (WND)
Personal opinion from chief international reporter: 'It just gets worse and worse'
Christiane Amanpour, the chief international correspondent for CNN, has injected her personal opinion about the Iraq war into the public domain, twice calling it "a disaster" on national television, saying the situation "just gets worse and worse."
"The war in Iraq has basically turned out to be a disaster and journalists have paid for it,

Abducted Reporter Asks That Prisoners Be Freed, Network Says -- (Washington Post)...Jonathan Finer
BAGHDAD, Jan. 30 -- The Arab satellite television network al-Jazeera aired a video Monday night of American reporter Jill Carroll, who was kidnapped in Baghdad more than three weeks ago and had not been seen since a previous video shown Jan. 17.

Identity of many kidnappers in Iraq remains vague -- (Christian Science Monitor)
Officials say it is difficult to determine who is being held by insurgents and who is being held by criminals.
In the past 10 days, four more foreigners have been kidnapped in Iraq, two Germans and two Kenyans. Agence France-Press reports that a video of the Germans pleading for their government to help them was broadcast Friday.

IRAQ: SUNNIS AND SHIITES CONDEMN CHURCH ATTACKS -- (AKI)
Baghdad, 30 Jan. - Political and religious leaders from Iraq's Shiite and Sunni communities have unanimously condemned Sunday's car-bomb attacks on churches in the Kurdish city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq and in the capital, Baghdad, which killed three people and wounded nine. A car-bomb also exploded outside the Vatican embassy on Sunday, although no casualties ...

In First Iraqi Case, Bird Flu Kills Girl in North -- (NY Times)
15-year-old Iraqi girl has died of bird flu, Iraqi and international health officials said yesterday, indicating the arrival of the disease in another country — one that, in its war-torn state, may be ill prepared to control its spread.

Iraqi Official Says Foreign Forces Could Fall Below 100,000 This Year -- (NY Times)...DEXTER FILKINS
The chairman of a group planning the transfer of security from American to Iraqi troops said an overwhelming majority of foreign soldiers could be out in two years.

“Fallujah - The Real Story” -- (Aljazeera)
The real story of Fallujah offensive is not what Washington gave out
The Real Story of Fallujah offensive that took place in November 2004 killing thousands of Iraqis, including civilians, isn't what the Bush administration gave out.

100th British military death in Iraq -- (Guardian Unlimited)
A British soldier was killed in southern Iraq today, taking the total death toll of UK military personnel in the country to 100 since the US-led invasion began in March 2003.

Report Says 2006 Critical Year for Iraq -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- It will take far more U.S. support before the Iraqi government can take control over billions of dollars in reconstruction projects, including problem-plagued oil and electricity improvements, according to a government report released Monday....

AFGHANISTAN

The Truth about John Walker Lindh -- [The Siegrist Blogs - in Afghanistan]
John Walker Lindh aka John Walker aka Suleiman Ferris aka Abdul Hamid aka The American Taliban is a person that I will mostly likely to be associated for some time to come. I am sure on my obituary there will be a bombastic note that I was “the journalist who “discovered” Lindh after the battle at Qali Jangi” (the afghans have that dubious honor) Many have told me that Lindh’s story was a big deal back in the States. I will never know, I was in Afghanistan covering combat operations with in the ongoing war against the Taliban for CNN so I will never have the chance to the get the full impact of finding an American professing his love for the Taliban.

Innocent but still not released -- [Cao's Blog]
The entire TASK FORCE SABER 7 Team was declared innocent of all charges by the Afghan Second Court, which had granted a trial de novo (a new trial) in November 2004. Closed hearings took place between December 2004 and March 2005. All men were originally ordered released by the Appeals Court based on new evidence and the decision was endorsed by the Supreme Court of Afghanistan.
...We should be asking some serious questions as to how and why Americans held for charges they were declared innocent of–could have been subjected to horrible torture like this after their arrest.

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Afghans thwart bomb attacks on eve of talks -- (Reuters)
KABUL, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Security forces in the Afghan capital defused two bombs on Monday that were found next to the main road to the city's airport while a car bomb was intercepted in the restive south, officials said.

Afghans to get promise of help for next five years -- (Reuters)
An international conference meets this week to endorse a five-year plan for Afghanistan's development.

Afghans Find Key Promises Unfulfilled -- (Washington Post)
PAGHMAN, Afghanistan -- When pledges of foreign aid began pouring into Afghanistan after the collapse of Taliban rule in late 2001, Mohammed Latif Kokan was sure he would soon be rid of the artillery shell fragments that had lodged in his shoulder during the Soviet military occupation of the 1980s.

Afghans arrest nine suspected bombers in raids -- (Reuters)
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Afghan security forces arrested nine people suspected of plotting attacks including two Pakistanis preparing to become suicide bombers, a provincial governor said on Sunday.

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

State of the Union and Iran -- [The Adventures of Chester]
...Iran fails all of these tests. The capabilities of a nuclear Iran WOULD introduce multipolarity into the system of states, its intentions ARE threatening to the legitimate constitutional sovereignty of Israel, and its political culture is NEITHER stable enough to ensure the endurance of benign intentions (which don't exist) NOR does it possess representative institutions coexisting with fundamental human rights.

Even so, Bush should not make some grand gesture that were Iran only a democracy, we would condone its nuclear goals.

Flood -- [A Mobilized Year - in Kuwait/Iraq]
A couple months ago, I wrote a light-hearted post on the rain in Kuwait. It was at a point when I hadn't seen rain for quite some time--the early August rains of Mississippi in fact. Well, we’ve had a lot more rain since then. So much so, we had what amounted to a flood. Yes, I said a flood. Here are some pictures:

Jimmy Carter: At Least Hamas Isn't Corrupt -- [The Daley Times-Post].. Jim Kouri
When asked by the media for his thoughts on the Hamas triumph in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, former President Jimmy Carter replied that while they have a terrorist past, at least they're not corrupt. One of the complaints by many in the Middle East was the corruption within the Palestinian Authority and Yasser Arafat's Fatah Party. Arafat himself squirreled away millions of dollars from aid packages that were intended to help the Palestinian people. However, Carter's comment appears to dismiss the years of death and destruction perpetrated by Hamas on the Jewish State."

MSM REPORTS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Hamas Leader: Israel Must Change Its Flag -- (The Jerusalem Post)
A senior Hamas leader indicated Sunday in an interview to CNN's "Late Edition" that his group's landslide victory in Palestinian legislative elections changed little in its stance toward Israel. Mahmoud Zahar reiterated that his movement would not ever recognize Israel's right to exist, nor did he reveal any willingness to negotiate. "Negotiation is not our aim; negotiation is a method," he said. If Israel would concede to Zahar's stipulations then, Zahar said, the Palestinians would be willing to allow a 10-15 year trial ceasefire "in order to see what the real intention of Israel [was] after that." The several conditions Zahar named included a demand that Israel change its flag.

World powers tell Hamas to change or lose aid -- (Reuter)
LONDON (Reuters) - World powers trying to broker Middle East peace said Islamic militant group Hamas must reject violence and recognize the state of Israel or risk losing vital aid when it forms a new Palestinian government

Both Fatah and Hamas Leaders Urge West to Continue Aid to Palestinians -- (NY Times)...GREG MYRE
GAZA, Jan. 30 — Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, and the Islamic faction Hamas urged Western countries on Monday not to cut aid to their government, saying it would impose further hardships on the impoverished Palestinians.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Mujahideen Army Calls Upon Fighters to Attack Denmark and Norway -- [The Counterterrorism Blog]
The Mujahideen Army in Iraq--a prominent Sunni insurgent group--has released a new communique threatening to attack Denmark and Norway over a series of recent cartoons ridiculing the Prophet Mohammed. According to the statement:..

Zawahiri's message: "your -US- assessment is wrong, we're winning" -- [The Counterterrorism Blog]
The new Zawahiri videotape released by al Jazeera today shows a sophistication in the propaganda war waged by the Jihadists worldwide against the US and its allies. Designed to "crumble" the morale of the American public and "boost" the commitments of the Jihadi forces, the tape is another attempt to score points in the War of ideas and media. The results were immediate in the West. T

ACLU Chief Calls on President to Shut Down “Illegal Spying on Americans” -- [Stop the ACLU]
The State of Our Union Cannot be Strong if the President Continues to Violate the Law,” Says Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU

MSM REPORTS ON WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Al-Zawahri Mocks Bush Over Terrorism War -- (AP)
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - In a new video aired Monday, al-Qaida's No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri mocked President Bush as a "failure" in the war on terror, called him a "butcher" for killing innocent Pakistanis in a miscarried airstrike and chastised the United States for rejecting Osama bin Laden's offer of a truce. Al-Zawahri, wearing white robes and a white turban and speaking in a forceful and angry voice, also threatened a new attack in the United States - "God willing, on your own land."

TERRORISM: WAR WILL SWITCH TO U.S. SOIL SAYS AL-QAEDA NO. 2 -- (AKI)
Doha, 30 Jan. - Qatar-based al-Jazeera Arabic satellite TV network has aired a new video featuring al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri. In it he confirms that he survived the US airstrike targeting him in Pakistan earlier this month, and calls US president George W. Bush "the butcher of Washington and a failure" with reference to the attack. "The war will be transferred to Bush's soil," al-Zawahiri warns.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

My Turn -- [Courage Without Fear - in Iraq]
Ok, so I was going to sit back and watch all the comments flow freely after Micah made his last entry...but it seems some people feel the need to attack my husband personally...which I won't stand for. You can say what you want about the war, the President and whether or not you believe my husband should be over there, but don't think you can attack his character. No, my husband isn't a wife beater...

A Hint of Honesty -- [Faces from the Front]
...Stein, a humor columnist whose writing I have enjoyed over the years is pointing out an uncomfortable truth for the left.

If the troops support the war, want to win, want to see it through to the end, how can calling for their immediate withdrawal be supporting them?

When I was in Iraq, about the time Cindy Sheehan hit her peak, I had a converstion with Rick Steele, a photographer for Zuma Press.

Warriors and Fools -- [Grey Eagle - in Iraq]
I would like to order a dozen window stickers of Calvin urinating on Joel Stein please. Seriously, anytime you read something like this and come away with more respect for the insurgents then Mr. Stein then you know you have punished your brain by forcing it to endure reading this. But give Mr. Stein credit,

Salute the True Super Stars -- [A Long Strange Trip]
...Yep, well, I hope no one at KFAN reads this, and I am very honored they had the idea in mind to honor the "True SuperStars", but they didn't put too much planning into the float we rode on yesterday! You can see by the pictures that we had fun at the Winter Carnival Parade and the crowd at the parade was just awesome with their support and thank you's and I have to say that I didn;t kow what to expect when starting as Minnesota is a pretty (very) liberal stae, and a lot of people will tell you if they don't agree with the war or whatever, but the crowd was just amazing, and with Lee Greenwood on the loudspeakers, and Toby Keith blaring, it was pretty cool, even though it was starting to rain, and windy! I am truly proud to be an American!

A Canadian Editorial Thanks American Troops -- [Andi's World]
America-bashing has become a past-time for many, both inside and outside of our borders. That's why it's particularly nice to read a Canadian editorial expressing appreciation for American troops who came to the assistance of Canadian troops in Kandahar after they were hit by a suicide bomber.

Honor After the Fall -- [Soldiers' Angel - Holly Aho]
This slideshow presentation requires few words of explanation. Beautifully put together it is worth the time to read and watch.

The Stand -- [BlackFive - Laughing_Wolf]
To say that things are hectic at work right now is an understatement, and the schedule (and deadlines) are tight. Yet, all my plans changed in the blink of an eye this morning when I found out that a certain unmentionable group was going to protest at the funeral of Army Specialist Matthew Franz in Lafayette, Indiana, today. For me, there was no choice or debate, and I knew what I had to do. I re-arranged things, and I drove to Lafayette on my lunch break.

MILITARY

Press Release: Anti-Military Discrimination at Columbia University -- [Columbia University MilVets Library]
The current discrimination policy of Columbia University, which limits codified protection to “Vietnam era and disabled” veterans, is outdated and inadequate for the present-day veteran and military-related population. Last semester, a student at a university event was verbally attacked for being a U.S. Marine. This combined with a recent poll among Columbia’s veterans and military-related persons further confirms the need for reform of the Discrimination and Harassment Policy.

This Seems Odd -- [Balloon Juice]
Something does not seem right with this at all. I was under the impression that hundreds if not thousands of troops were buying body armor, and my experiences with the military and watching people fill out travel pay and TDY forms, if they were due a refund,they would have filed for it. This leads me to several possibilities:

Military Transition or Lifestyle Adjustment - Part 1 -- [Veterans In Motion - V.I.M.]
Recently I ran across a civilian gentleman that asked,"How can military transitioning can be complicated for a person
leaving the military?" Basically, he wanted for me to define the term military transition to where he could relate and understand the process. "It's just changing jobs, right?", he asked.

MSM REPORTS ON MILITARY

A New Kind of Care in a New Era of Casualties -- (NY Times)...ERIK ECKHOLM
The surge in complex injuries sustained by soldiers in Iraq has challenged the doctors at four special rehabilitation centers.

POLITICS

Just When You Thought They Couldn't Stoop Any Lower... -- [Soldier's Angels Germany]
So a group working to block the Alito nomination is asking you to call your Senator and say what?
SECOND, call the "URGE ABSTENTION" Senators identified immediately below and do the same -- say that you hope they vote NO on cloture this afternoon but if they can't, urge them to ABSTAIN from the cloture vote by doing something good that most Republicans would never do, like visiting wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Hospital instead.

Will Democrat Senators Use the Wounded Troops as political Cover? -- [BlackFive]
You usually don't come here for commentary on the Supreme Court (right?). While this post is related to Justice Alito's confirmation, that's not what this post is about.

Senate Votes to End Debate on Alito Nomination -- [Stop the ACLU]
Today the ACLU urged Senate to vote no on Alito cloture vote, saying he was too far outside American mainstream. I’m sure they are broken hearted that the majority of Senators decided the ACLU’s idea of mainstream was outside of the mainstream, which makes me happy.

Proud of My Party -- [RedState]
...I have to confess that after years of betrayal and squishiness, the unpleasantness of October was pretty much what I had come to expect of the GOP, nationally. And, as a result, at that point in time, I was very much prepared to leave. But then, a funny thing happened: the President decided to actually listen to the people who elected him.

Ohio Dems Grill Rep. Rahm Emanuel on National Security Issue -- [The New Editor]
The Chicago Tribune's Jeff Zeleny has interesting and revealing article on some tense exchanges at a recent breakfast meeting that Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) had with Ohio Democrats over their party's position on national security.

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Problems for President -- (Times Online)
Kidnapped and injured journalists pose problems for President Bush before key speech tonight

'Don't Offend Muslims, Mr. President' -- (CNSNews.com)
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights group, says President Bush should avoid using "loaded and imprecise terminology" when he refers to Islam in his State of the Union address.

Senate Moves Alito Close to Confirmation -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate on Monday all but guaranteed Samuel Alito's confirmation as the nation's 110th Supreme Court justice, shutting down a last-minute attempt by liberals to block the conservative judge's nomination with a filibuster....

Bush Budget Calls for Renewal of Tax Cuts -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush will renew his call for personal accounts within Social Security and ask Congress to renew tax cuts and curb the growth in benefit programs like Medicare and Medicaid in his 2007 budget request next week, according to administration officials....

Sen. Clinton Has Strong Lead in N.Y. Poll -- (AP)
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton remains in a strong position in her bid for re-election this year with almost six in 10 New York voters saying they will vote for the former first lady, a statewide poll reported Monday....

THE MEDIA

Odds and Ends -- [Baghdad Guy - in Iraq]
...Here's a story from Gen. Casey talking about how 'thin' the troops in Iraq are stretched. Not at all related to the platoon, but the accompanying photo is of the platoon, taken of guys who were providing security for the release of prisoners from Abu Ghraib prison (as the caption states). There are two more photos here and here of the same group of guys. The final photo shows some of the guys trying to get the media the hell out of the way, but of course instead of worrying about the security on the ground there, the photographers were busy snapping photos. And they wonder why so many journalists get kidnapped and killed? I think I've probably got a pretty decent idea.

The President of ABC News "Gets It" -- [Fuzzilicious Thinking]
Here is the President of ABC News commenting on the serious injuries suffered by their news anchor and cameraman in an IED explosion in Iraq:

This passes for intelligent reasoning? -- [Media Lies]
Mark Tapscott highlights a court decision that will have journalists in an uproar.
"'Persons who have unauthorized possession, who come into unauthorized possession of classified information, must abide by the law,' said Judge T.S. Ellis III. 'That applies to academics, lawyers, journalists, professors, whatever.'

HUMOR / SATIRE

It's In the Koran (Karaoke) -- [Jawa Report]
Since Vinnie appears to be asleep at the wheel on that whole Blog Sabbath thing, enjoy this music video. It's even got words so you can sing along!

CONGRATS

Face Of The Earth!!! -- [devildoc8406]
... to let everyone know what I have done in my last three months of being home. There are only two things that I feel are of real importance. I am now a married man! On Jan 7th, 2006 I got married to my girlfriend of two years. I met her family over Christmas leave and asked her to marry me on christmas eve. I had to get the ok from her dad before I even thought about popping the question. I have some pics but will have to post them later when I get on my personal computer.

Promoted - finally! -- [A Soldier's Diary - in Iraq]
I was finally promoted officially today to the rank of Sergeant. I had my orders over two weeks ago, but we were waiting for a friend of mine to get his orders for his promotion before actually going through with the ceremony - that way we didn't have to do two. So today, I officially have the rank pinned on and I recited the NCO creed (I have to admit I stumbled through it a little since it was by memory) in front of my squad out at the Cross Sabers. Nerve racking...

WELCOME HOME

Home sweet home -- [Phil and Becky - Phil's home from Iraq]
I arrived home safe and sound and am currently preparing to take 30 days of well-earned block leave. Prior to signing out on block leave, there were a number of mandatory tasks to take care of. Some of them dealt with reunion with family members (i.e. briefings from the chaplain),

HOME! -- [So Far From Home - home from the Balkans]
I think the title says it all! I'm so happy to be home with my family and friends. It's truly a wonderful feeling. My family and I are getting ready to take a short trip to the Lake for a little R&R. Then it’s back to my civilian career. So with that said, forgive me but I'm going to take a break from writing and get back to being a husband and father. I'll see you in a couple weeks.

Minus 131 Days - HE'S HOME!!! -- [Wayn'e World - home from Iraq]
Wayne and Lauren just arrived!!!

Our Daddy is HOME!! 1/13/06 -- [My Daddy is a Soldier in IRAQ]
Yeah!! Our daddy is home.

IN MEMORY OF...

NBC News: Coretta Scott King has died. More details soon ...

Another Somber Day -- [Baghdad Guy - in Iraq]
...But it was having to tell one of the members of the platoon who was good friends with SGT Herrera that made me realize how much we are one extended family here. We're friends, neighbors, fellow soldiers, and much more. God willing, I will never have to tell another one of my soldiers that one of their friends have died, because that is one of the toughest things I have ever had to do. And I'm only experiencing about 1/100th of what he and SGT Herrara's loved ones are having to go through. It makes me wish that military decision makers were the ones to notify families, because whether their decisions are right or wrong, good or bad, they would realize up close and personally the effects of their decisions on Americans.

The Challenger and Changes -- [Those Wacky Iraqis - in Iraq]
...Yesterday was the 20 year anniversary of the crash. We still fly the Space Shuttle. I am still working in this God Forsaken hell hole part of the world. NASA still makes mistakes. The world has changed in many ways but in many ways it is still the same.

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

Open Post

And I Dreamed I saw the Bomber Death Planes Riding Shotgun in the Sky

It's September 10th in America, and birds are singing as butterflies and rainbows color the sky...

My first question: where does Sept. 11 rank in the grand sweep of American history as a threat to national security? By my calculations it does not make the top tier of the list, which requires the threat to pose a serious challenge to the survival of the American republic.

Here is my version of the top tier: the War for Independence, where defeat meant no United States of America; the War of 1812, when the national capital was burned to the ground; the Civil War, which threatened the survival of the Union; World War II, which represented a totalitarian threat to democracy and capitalism; the cold war, most specifically the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, which made nuclear annihilation a distinct possibility.

Sept. 11 does not rise to that level of threat because, while it places lives and lifestyles at risk, it does not threaten the survival of the American republic, even though the terrorists would like us to believe so.

Sure, it was awful, but face it - subsequent events have proven it wasn't that big a deal. Those silly wars in the Middle East don't get consideration in this discussion. Real men walk away from fights. There have been no other attacks on US soil, so our responses obviously were a result of hot headed over reaction. And that, by the way, is just what the terrorists want - fearful. over. reaction. We played right into their hands.

As we do by monitoring their terrorist communications - which is the real point of this column:

My second question is this: What does history tell us about our earlier responses to traumatic events?

My list of precedents for the Patriot Act and government wiretapping of American citizens would include the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798, which allowed the federal government to close newspapers and deport foreigners during the "quasi-war" with France; the denial of habeas corpus during the Civil War, which permitted the pre-emptive arrest of suspected Southern sympathizers; the Red Scare of 1919, which emboldened the attorney general to round up leftist critics in the wake of the Russian Revolution; the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, which was justified on the grounds that their ancestry made them potential threats to national security; the McCarthy scare of the early 1950's, which used cold war anxieties to pursue a witch hunt against putative Communists in government, universities and the film industry.

It's like that silly communist thing that collapsed under it's own weight. But not nearly as deadly as the Cuban missile crisis, which was an over reaction to that silly communist thing.

The argument boils down to this: All those draconian measures we've taken to prevent another 9/11 have been proven useless - because there haven't been any more 9/11s!

By fighting them, we are losing. By fighting, we reveal our weakness. We only fight them out of fear, and fear is what they want. By killing them we make more of them. If we fight them, they win.

BECAUSE OF BUSH!!!!

Fearless Lefty bloggers weigh in here here and about 50 more here. But as a military guy/Iraq vet still stationed overseas and thus likely to have my every phone call home heard by Karl Rove I have DOUBLE ABSOLUTE MORAL AUTHORITY.

Oh how they must wish they were me.

Update: While I'm on a roll, now that we have DNA technology that could prove guilt or innocence conclusively, we must abolish the death penalty! I demand you take these arguments seriously!

Stein vs Stein

Ben Stein responds to Joel Stein:

The most heroic, ethically courageous, morally resolute men and women in the world today are the Americans, British, and other forces fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are fighting the most evil men and women currently on the world scene. The American Army soldier, Marine, Navy sailor, Air Force warrior, and Coast Guardsman fighting in Ramadi or Mosul is fighting men and women who kill children and old people for sport. The men and women of the United States military are fighting the remnants of a regime so evil that it pioneered the use of torture against children -- just for the amusement of Saddam and his family. The men and women whom Joel despises rid the world of a dictator so twisted and murderous that he openly admired Stalin and Hitler and sought to match their level of atrocities. The men and women who wear the uniform fought, bled, and died to rid the world of the most dangerous man on the planet in the most flammable place on the planet. They died to save a slave people from the genocidal control of a mad killer who thought nothing of gassing his own people, of wiping out entire regions, of setting up special rape rooms to allow his henchmen and his sons to rape women at will, who amused himself by pouring gasoline down the throats of totally innocent people and setting them on fire.
<...>
The man from Iowa or South Carolina, the woman from Mississippi or Idaho or Oregon or New York or California or Washington, D.C. or anywhere in America who leaves the comfort of home to fight against an evil as monstrous as what did happen and what is happening in Iraq are great warriors. But they are something more. They are saints in body armor, men and women of staggering moral virtue in a time and place when those words mean very little in the modern world. Their lives have the most meaning of any lives being lived on this earth right this moment.

Joel's 15 minutes are up - the greatest thing he'll have done in his life was inspire this response.

Targeting Journalists

Our thoughts and prayers go out to ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff, cameraman Doug Vogt, and their families. Both men are now at Landstuhl Hospital in Germany, the best place they could be given the circumstances.

Details of the attack are beginning to emerge:

Woodruff, Vogt, and their four-man team were in the lead vehicle traveling in a convoy with Iraqi security forces. They were standing up in the back hatch of their vehicle taping a video log of the patrol at the time of the attack.
<...>
The ambush of the convoy was complex. The explosions was followed by small arms fire from three different directions. Iraqi security forces spread out looking for the triggermen while U.S. troops tended to Woodruff and Vogt.

Such an IED was likely detonated by an observer - and it's equally likely the visible news team was deliberately targeted by the attackers.

From web-based terrorist training on target selection:

Killing Doctors and Chaplains is suggested as a means of psychological warfare.

If you see a line of soldiers, kill the one you think is the officer. Then, shoot the communications officer - then the machine gunner - then the doctor - if he's there, you'll know by the red cross on his arm.

(Shoot)... the reporter carrying the camera. First because the camera can be used as binoculars; second, it is the most difficult thing to hide the death of a reporter in Iraq.

What a difference a year makes.

Whether by design or coincidence, the terrorists want a result beyond the death or injury of a journalist. Whether they get it or not is up to Woodruff and Vogt's colleagues. As with their healing, time will tell.

Dawn Patrol

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs, other blogs, and the mainstream media. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. (We have a daily "Open Post" too, if you have something on another topic you can link there.)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

IRAQ

Gallows humor -- [An independent look at Iraq - in Iraq]
I interviewed an Iraqi army battalion commander this afternoon. I've been following his battalion around for a couple of days now. All in all, they're light years beyond what I saw of Iraqi soldiers in early 2004. But, as many have correctly pointed out, they have some ways to go before they're able to independently operate without American soldiers around.

Keeping the Euphrates Valley quiet -- [Peace like a River]
MNF-Iraq reports that Operation Koa Canyon is wrapping up in Hit, a city along the Euphrates west of Ramadi. This cordon-and-knock operation began Jan. 15, and was a search for terrorists and their weapons caches. It takes courage to conduct these kinds of operations. Though it isn't all out free fire combat, you never know what's waiting behind the next door, in the next cave. The operation involved both Iraqi and US forces, and is yet another example of how the Iraqi security forces are performing well.

Weather and War -- [wordsmith at war - in Iraq]
...In Vietnam, we called the enemy Charlie. In Operation Iraqi freedom, he has earned the moniker of Haji. I don’t mean it disrespectfully, but it’s easier than saying terrorist or enemy or insurgent or “freedom fighter,” so I choose to use it. Haji doesn’t like this weather. Apparently he doesn’t want to get wet. Coalition forces still get killed and injured. Iraq can still be a dangerous place. But in my little chunk of this ancient country, fewer mortars and rockets get fired at the FOB when the wind is gusting across this massive desert and the rain clouds hover like a foreshadowing of evil.

Barbwire and HESCOs -- [Fire and Ice - in Iraq]
This is an image which is played out over and over both here and in Afghanistan; combat engineers putting out barbwire and setting up HESCO barriers. HESCOs are large light gray foursquare bags, fitted into wire mesh receptacles and then filled with dirt. Think of a paper grocery bag with its top edges folded over lining a trash can. Urban legend has it that each HESCO is incredibly expensive. Based on the rumors, which I won't repeat, anyone who invested in their namesake company prior to 9/11 is standing in high cotton. Inside the perimeter of these HESCO fortresses a thick blanket of gravel is laid down over the dirt. As a result inside the wire one develops a certain way of walking, much like the bowlegged gait used when strolling across soft deep sand at the beach.

You are reckless and wrong and you need to reconsider your worldview -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
So you are anti-war. You think we invaded Iraq “illegally.” You think we’re over here slaughtering innocents and trying to extend an American empire into the heart of the Middle East. You’ve protested. You want to impeach Bush. You believe America is headed down the wrong path. And you’re completely wrong about all of it. If you’re still willing to listen I’ll explain why…

Civilian casualties in Iraq soar to 250,000! Not. -- [TigerHawk]
Not content with the Lancet's extrapolated estimate (as of October 2004) that 100,000 Iraqi civilians in excess of the usual rate had died since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Attaturk (one of Atrios' co-bloggers) is now saying that the Lancet study underestimated civilian deaths by 60%. The supporting "analysis" is here.

Emails from the public -- [Courage without Fear - in Iraq]
...It seems that Theresa Thoma, in Elkader, Iowa thinks I should be home in the U.S. cleaning up after Hurricanes or doing some other civic duties. Well Theresa, I’ve got some news for you, I’m an Officer in the United States Army. I do what I’m told. And right now, I’ve been told to come to Iraq, fight a war against the insurgency and help the people of this once proud country to rebuild their government.

Here is one of the emails I have received from Theresa and my reply back to her.

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

MND-B SOLDIERS DETAIN KIDNAP CELL LEADER, 3 OTHERS -- {Centcom}
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Acting on a tip, MND-B Soldiers were moving to the house of a suspected kidnapping cell leader Jan. 28 west of Baghdad when they came across the decapitated bodies of three Iraqis on a soccer field.
The Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, detained the suspected criminal who lives just north of the soccer field. In the house, Soldiers found a pistol, a sniper rifle, improvised explosive device batteries, timers and circuit boards.

Is America Actually In A State Of War? -- (Boston Globe)...James Carroll
...Iraq is not a war, because, though we have savage assault, we have no enemy. The war on terrorism is not a war because, though we have an enemy, the muscle-bound Pentagon offers no authentic means of assault.

Iraq aims to boost oil exports -- (Gulf News /Reuters)
Davos: Iraq aims to boost crude oil exports by around 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1.5 million bpd within six weeks, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Chalabi said on Saturday.

Voices from Iraq: Stryker brigade 1st Lt. Mark Brogan -- (Ancorage Daily News) HT: [Stryker Brigade News]
... Many of the children I speak with know at least some English and are able to communicate with soldiers, always eager to converse and tell them their names. They bombard soldiers, asking questions about where we are from, what is our name, and many other small facts about soldiering.

Army Forces 50,000 Soldiers Into Extended Duty -- (New York Times on the Web)...Reuters
The U.S. Army has forced about 50,000 soldiers to continue serving after their voluntary stints ended under a policy called ``stop-loss,'' but while some dispute its fairness, court challenges have fallen flat.

Direct Talks—U.S. Officials And Iraqi Insurgents -- (Newsweek)...Scott Johnson, Rod Nordland and Ranya Kadri
American officials in Iraq are in face-to-face talks with high-level Iraqi Sunni insurgents, NEWSWEEK has learned. Americans are sitting down with "senior members of the leadership" of the Iraqi insurgency, according to Americans and Iraqis with knowledge of the talks

Millions In Iraq Aid Squandered -- (Houston Chronicle)...Jim Krane, Associated Press
Iraqi money gambled away in the Philippines. Thousands spent on a swimming pool that was never used. An elevator repaired so poorly that it crashed, killing people

Embedded With U.S. Marines -- (AP Correspondent Antonio Castaneda is embedded with U.S. Marines)
For all their armor and weaponry, the Humvees sharply turned away from each vehicle they passed, carefully steering away from both tiny, aging jalopies and large cargo trucks. The soldiers methodically scanned the vehicles and roadsides.

Shortly after we turned off onto a small paved road that led to a U.S. military base, a suspicious mound of trash lay beside the road. Our driver tried to stop, but he hit the brakes too late.

Wounded ABC Anchor Evacuated to Germany -- (AP)
NEW YORK (AP) - ABC's "World News Tonight" led its nightly broadcast with its own journalists in the news: Co-anchor Bob Woodruff and a cameraman had been seriously injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Woodruff and Doug Vogt both suffered head injuries, and Woodruff also suffered broken bones. They were in stable condition following surgery and were being evacuated to medical facilities in Germany, ABC News President David Westin said.

Body Armor Likely Saved ABC News Pair -- (New York Post/AP)
NEW YORK (AP) - Surgeons removed shrapnel from ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff's head and neck, a family friend said Monday, and a hospital official said body armor likely saved the journalist's life. Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt were seriously injured when a roadside bomb exploded Sunday while they standing in the open hatch of an Iraqi military vehicle. They underwent surgery in Iraq, then were flown to a U.S. military base in Germany for further treatment.

Bombs Strike Christian Targets in Iraq -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Car bombs exploded in quick succession Sunday near four Christian churches and the office of the Vatican envoy, killing three people and raising new concerns about sectarian tensions. At least 17 other people were killed in other violence around the country....

Saddam, Defense Leave Trial in Protest -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A new judge cracked down Sunday in a chaotic session of Saddam Hussein's trial, ordering a co-defendant and a lawyer expelled from the courtroom. The entire defense team left in protest and Saddam was escorted out after a shouting match in which he yelled, "Down with America!" Despite the turmoil, chief judge Raouf Rasheed Abdel-Rahman pushed ahead, replacing the defense lawyers with court-appointed attorneys and hearing three prosecution witnesses before adjourning the trial until later this week.

What Islamic Radicals and Iraqi Christians Have In Common -- [Strategy Page]
January 30, 2006: The major Sunni Arab resistance groups have formed a council for negotiating with the government and American forces. Such negotiations have been increasingly common over the past year, as more and more Sunni Arabs turned against the al Qaeda terror campaign.

AFGHANISTAN

An Open Letter to Arianna Huffington -- [Fire Power Forward - in Afghanistan]
Now I normally don't let the simpering drivel of the left wing bother me too much, but a column regarding the stability of Afghanistan by Arianna Huffington showed up in Stars and Stripes the other day and it is so far off the mark that it demands a response.

If -- [Fire Powere Forward - in Afghanistan]
I suppose that the reason you area reading more and more of the politics of the GWOT here than before is that it is a function of where we are in the deployment cycle. Our time remaining here is in the single digits now and I think it is normal that when you reach a juncture such as this, you cast a retrospective glance at the things you have both accomplished and endured.

Afghan Dining -- [Miserable Donuts]
One night at dinner, my son asked me if we could pretend we were at a restaurant. "Sure Kiddo, we can". I was scurrying back and forth to the kitchen, so he thought it would be fun to pretend he was ordering from the cook - me. Then he looked up and asked, "Daddy, do they have restaurants in Afghanistan?"

Base in the clouds!! -- [The Siegrist Blogs - in Afghanistan]
Bad weather and more bad weather! The bowl here has been dishing out some nasty WX the last few days. So not much flying going on at all. As I watched a Russian fixed wing land today I had to hlod my breath. I heard the IL-62 before I could see him.

OPERATION ENDURING BOREDOM - EPISODE VIII - [American Citizen Soldier - in Iraq]
...Suffice it to say, no one exactly “beat feet” to go comply with his ultimatum. The village elder eventually turned up and, seemingly eager to curry favor with the generous but gullible Americans, announced: “We don’t have any of your missing equipment--but our rival village over there does!” (Points to area roughly two klicks away). Wouldn’t you know, our leadership actually fell for that one.

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Afghan Province's Problems Underline Challenge For U.S. -- (Washington Post)...Griff Witte
...As one senior U.S. military official describes it, Uruzgan is "the last frontier" -- a place that exemplifies why the international mission to secure Afghanistan still has a long way to go, why well-intentioned foreign assistance often ends up in the wrong hands, and why -- more than four years since the defeat of Islamic Taliban rule -- the insurgency has proved so difficult to defeat.

New optimism in Afghanistan -- (Khaleej Times)
AS AFGHANISTAN changes for the better in many ways, that gets reflected in the people's responses. A survey conducted by BBC in Afghanistan shows an overwhelming majority of the people there are optim...

Afghan Suicide Attacks Foiled -- (London Times)...Associated Press
Seven Afghans and two Pakistanis allegedly plotting suicide attacks were arrested in southern Afghanistan yesterday, officials said.

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

The Hamas Gate.. -- Counterterrorism Blog]
Walid Phares
As soon as the Palestinian commission for elections declared Hamas as a winner of the legislative elections in Gaza and the West Bank, a hurricane of questions slammed international media, Governments, politicians, and analysts. Among officials of the Palestinian Authority: what's next? Will Hamas ruin the advances in international recognition? Within Israel: Is the Peace process dead? How can we deal with a Terrorist Government?

Hamas - past, present and future -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
My advice to Hamas leadership: less dressing up of the babies. More reading variety. Reading is good for your brain.

MSM REPORTS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Palestinian Gunmen Take Over EU Office -- (AP)
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Masked gunmen on Monday briefly took over a European Union office to protest a Danish newspaper's publication of cartoons deemed insulting to Islam's Prophet Muhammad, the latest in a wave of violent denunciations of the caricatures across the Islamic world. The gunmen demanded an apology from Denmark and Norway, and said citizens of the two countries would be prevented from entering the Gaza Strip.

Merkel, threatening aid cut-off, to meet Abbas -- (Reuters)
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has threatened to cut vital European Union aid to the Palestinians, said on Monday President Mahmoud Abbas should urge Hamas to recognize Israel and renounce violence.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Monday's Winds of War: 30 Jan 2006 -- [Winds of Change]
Members of the terrorist organization Hamas captured 76 out of 132 parliamentary seats in the Palestinian elections, while the ruling Fatah party won only 43 seats. In response, thousands of Fatah members rioted in Gaza and the West Bank, Israeli authorities gathered for a security meeting and expressed serious concerns, while the United States is expected to review their foreign aid to the Palestinians.

Let's Accept Osama's Olive Branch -- [Andi's World]
John Arquilla, a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School, is advocating taking bin Laden seriously and negotiating with al Qaeda.
Arquilla is concerned with the suffering of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.
...Apparently, little thought was given to this:

MSM REPORTS ON WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Fewer Terror Assets Frozen -- (USA Today)...Kevin Johnson
The amount of assets frozen by U.S. anti-terrorism units is declining dramatically each year, prompting a former Bush administration official who helped oversee the program to suggest that a “lack of urgency” is hurting efforts to block terrorist fundraising.

Pakistan 'delay' let Bin Laden escape US strike -- (Gulf News)
| Karachi: Prevarication by the Pakistani Government cost America the chance to kill Osama Bin Laden in an airstrike near the Afghan border two years ago, the Sunday Telegraph has said.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

HEARTS FOR HEROES PICTURES -- [Yikes]
This is a picture of me & Brie sorting and counting the V-day cards.. we are still counting....

Bad Timber -- [SandGram - in Iraq]
There is a fellow back home In California, who is doing his job. Writing. I would say that he is very successful and with his last little OpEd piece, will get a lot of attention for a long time. I give him credit because he did his job, right, wrong or indifferent on how you feel, emotions aside, he has you talking. Now I feel sorry for the S.O.B. because what he wrote might be the straw that broke the “Camels” back for some guy that has been over here in Iraq fighting and he might go pay this nameless person a visit one night. I believe that he wrote this to get people fired up and mad on purpose. Why?

Free to Rock at Walter Reed -- [Gunn Nutt]
There were no commie Pinkos blighting the entrance to Walter Reed again this week. In their place were happy, cheering supporters on All Four Corners delivering their thanks to the wounded warriors, caregivers, and families.

MSM REPORTS ON

5 States Consider Bans On Protests At Funerals -- (Washington Post)...Kari Lydersen
At least five Midwestern states are considering legislation to ban protests at funerals in response to demonstrations by the Rev. Fred Phelps and members of his Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church, who have been protesting at funerals of Iraq war casualties because they say the deaths are God's punishment for U.S. tolerance toward gays

MILITARY

Could We Stop Being So Dramatic Please? -- [Officer's Club]
Al-Reuters....
Army Forces 50,000 Soldiers into extended active duty.
For god's sake, knock it off Reuters. The army "forces" soldiers to do things all the time, the more appropriate term for it is "orders." That's what the military is, that's what they do. That's why service is a sacrifice, and that's why soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines are so special to the American people.

MSM REPORTS ON MILITARY

Corrections -- (Newport News Daily Press)...Newport News Daily Press
The Military Update column in Sunday's newspaper incorrectly stated, "Combat-zone tax exclusions, combined with changes to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and child tax credits, have reduced - even wiped out - the tax liability of thousands of military families." Combat-zone exclusions don't affect Social Security and Medicare taxes.

Army to Investigate Gay Porn Allegations-- (AP)
...Martha Rudd, an Army spokeswoman at the Pentagon, said soldiers accused of homosexual activity might be removed from their units, although she did not have specific information about the investigation of the 82nd. When asked if the soldiers involved had been moved out of barracks, Hannah declined to comment.
"We are concerned about the privacy and rights of each trooper involved and that they are treated with dignity and respect," Hannah said.

Clarification -- (European Stars and Stripes)...Stars and Stripes
In a Jan. 28 story that reported the U.S. could soon reach an agreement to establish shared military facilities in another country, Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, U.S. Army Europe’s deputy chief of staff for operations, was asked about bases in Bulgaria. In his response he did not mention the nation by name, instead saying “areas of the world, but I won’t say where.”

Army's Rising Promotion Rate Called Ominous -- (Los Angeles Times)...Mark Mazzetti
Struggling to retain enough officers to lead its forces, the Army has begun to dramatically increase the number of soldiers it promotes, raising fears within the service that wartime strains are diluting the quality of the officer corps

Military Family Relief Fund Goes Untapped. -- (LA Times)
The National Guard is blamed for a lack of awareness but says the rules are too restrictive SACRAMENTO — A year after it was launched to help activated National Guard families suffering financial hardships, the California Military Family Relief Fund has been a major disappointment to its sponsors.
In 2005, the fund paid out only $7,687 to just three families from among the 7,000 soldiers activated for federal duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and other postings that year.

Few Seeking Repayment For Gear, Military Says -- (New York Times)...John Files
Fewer than 70 service members have sought reimbursement for the cost of combat equipment they bought for use in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of a program that the Pentagon originally opposed.

DoD May Outsource Mail Delivery -- (Federal Times)...Karen Jowers, Stephen Losey and Dan Davidson -LINK UNAVAILABLE
The Defense Department is starting to move forward on a plan to outsource its billion-dollar-plus mail operation, which would be one of the government's biggest privatization projects in recent years.

POLITICS

Sheehan Considers Challenging Feinstein for Senate -- [Outside the Beltway - James Joyner]
Cindy Sheehan is considering a run for Dianne Feinstein's Senate seat, arguing that California needs someone "in touch" with the voters.

Kissing A Commie -- [Stop the ACLU]
Update: Kender says he will sponsor a prize to make this a caption contest. The prize will come from our store. So, caption away.

Cindy Sheehan on Military Training -- [Andi's World]
I would like to see the military training manual which teaches our troops that the Hajis of Iraq are "less than people."

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

Chavez Backs Sheehan Plan for Bush Protest -- (AP)
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Cindy Sheehan, who gained international fame when she camped outside President Bush's ranch in an anti-war protest, plans to pitch her tent again, Venezuela's president said Sunday as he urged activists worldwide to help bring down "the U.S. empire."...

Bush State of Union part of election-year strategy -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush's State of the Union speech will stress his optimistic vision for Iraq and the U.S. economy in a strategy aimed at giving Republicans a potential road map to victory in November and boosting his own weakened standing.

THE MEDIA

No Media Bias? -- [Outside the Beltway - Leopold Stotch]
For those of you who disbelieve the evidence that the mainstream media slants leftward, please explain to me what exactly is being "reported" here:

"It's turning into our Vietnam"

The Associated Press: Smothering the voice of the victim -- [Counter Column]
There's no other way to put it.

Saddam Hussein gets the dramatic photo. He gets top billing. His brother gets fellative press in the top few graphs for being dragged out of the courtroom after calling the court "the daughter of a whore."

WELCOME HOME

Welcome Home, James! -- [Soldier's Angel - Germany]
A very special welcome home, thank you, and well done from all of us at Soldiers' Angels!

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

Security Check

This is the first sentence of Roger Cohen's NY Times column today: "Are things getting better or worse in Iraq?"

This is the last: "Things are getting better in Iraq."

In between you'll find largely anecdotal (nonetheless valid, and first-hand) observations supporting the conclusion. It's behind the subscription wall, but here are the main points of Cohen's scorecard on Iraq.

*****

The Iraqi Army is "...starting to make its presence felt. ...now represents more than Pentagon wishful thinking."

"We have defeated 70 percent of the terrorists, and I hope to defeat them all by the end of 2006," said Lieutenant Colonel Abbas Mahnal of the IA 1st Brigade, 6th Division, which "owns the battlefield," as American officers put it, in much of western Baghdad.

But...

Security: "The checkpoints, and the concrete blast walls mushrooming by the day, reflect the fact nobody has violence under control."

And the potential for Sunni/Shiite civil war: "a big minus." - an understatement.

However,

The Sunni vote: "At Abu Ghraib, a name now synonymous with some of the worst of the many U.S. blunders in Iraq, there were no polling stations in the January 2005 legislative elections, 14 for the October vote on a constitution and 23 in the Dec. 15 election. Those numbers represent a breakthrough in swinging Sunnis behind the new Iraq."

For the Sunni shift he credits U.S. ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad - an Afghan-born Muslim: "If in the next couple of months a national unity government is formed, including the Sunnis, that achievement will be in large part his. The Khalilzad presence is a plus."

Baghdad: "...quieter than it was; quiet here is a measure of headway."

The Airport Road: "...it's safer than it was. Patrols by the embryonic Iraqi Army have slashed attacks. Score one for the upside."

But...

"Garbage abounds. Even at midnight in winter the stench of a market in western Baghdad where animals are slaughtered is overwhelming. Why? The guts are left in the road. Many Iraqis remain passive; they do not yet believe in the future. That's not good."

Economic stats - "a stable currency, growing reserves"

But...

Electricity: "intermittent - a reflection of sabotage and more American mistakes."

...and Oil production: "has not reached prewar levels"

As for the neighbors: "Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran will not help America in Iraq."

And as for the outcome: "Anyone who is certain about the outcome in Iraq is wrong."

Which brings us to the bottom line:

"Is insecurity prevailing, as the walls suggest, or freedom, as embodied in those posters? It's the latter, by a small margin. Things are getting better in Iraq."

Cohen's entire piece won't endear him to the Left, and within it he has another message they should take to heart:

The country is not the Bush administration: loving or hating what America is doing there cannot be a blind reflection of partisan politics.

You know what they say... "if you see it in the Times, it's so".

A Week at War

My recap of the past week's rather incredible (and overlooked) news from Iraq is at No End But Victory.

Open Post

Friday night Saturday night - time to swap stories.

James Hooker will provide the soundtrack. Nothing like a Piano Bar for swapping stories.

All we need now are the stories...

Meanwhile Back at the Front II

From our Department of Headlines from the Associated Press we thought we'd never see: Iraqi Army Getting Stronger.

Thermal data from Hell will be reported when possible. Meanwhile, here's the story:

With American help, the Iraqi army is emerging as a lightly armed counterinsurgency force that may control more of the country than the U.S.-led coalition by this spring, U.S. military officials say.
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''They're not going to be the 101st Airborne anytime soon,'' said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Fred Wellman, spokesman for the military transition command in Baghdad. ``But in 2006, this is the year that the majority of Iraq will be secured by Iraqis.''

But the AP was able to find a downside to that:

But the Pentagon is also grappling with designing a force that assuages the worries of countries victimized by Saddam Hussein's military.

''There is a concern in the region about giving them an offensive military capability,'' said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, deputy director of planning for the U.S. Central Command.

Meanwhile, USA Today reports on "insurgent infighting"

"Now you actually have a wedge, or a split, between the Sunni population and al-Qaeda in Iraq," said Maj. Gen. Richard Zahner, deputy chief of staff for intelligence for multinational forces in Iraq. "It poses a significant crossroads for these groups as they look at where they head."

The U.S. military cited incidents of insurgent infighting in a rare public description of a split:

• At least six ranking members of al-Qaeda in Iraq have been assassinated by Sunni insurgents or tribal gunmen in separate incidents since September, Zahner said. The killings are usually in retaliation for al-Qaeda's role in violence, such as the execution of local police officers, he said.

• In Ramadi, in western Iraq, he said, armed clashes have erupted between local Iraqi insurgents and al-Qaeda operatives in recent months. At least one high-ranking al-Qaeda member, Abu Khatab, was recently run out of Ramadi by insurgents loyal to the local tribe.

• Near the Syrian border, members of the Albu Mahal tribe, which attacked U.S. positions as recently as March, have lately been pointing U.S. troops to al-Qaeda hideouts, Zahner said.

Iraq's national security adviser, Mouwafak al-Rubaie, also said there is a rift in the insurgency, calling it a "a major step forward in our fight against terrorism."

A look at Iraq the Model reveals