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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.)
EDITOR'S NOTE: MSM reports will be temporarily eliminated from the Dawn Patrol until PCSing is complete.
"What's it really like over there?" -- [A Mobilized Year - in Iraq]
While I was away on leave, I was asked on a number of occasions, “what is it really like over there?” Because it’s difficult to answer that question in the implied 30 seconds that one has to reply, my responses often varied, depending on the person and his or her interest.
...I touched on a variety of topics that addressed that very issue—living conditions, language, equipment, “how the war is going,” interactions with Iraqis, culture, weather, religion, geography, etc. I included plenty of pictures. One topic I decided to cover was media reporting. ...
I can't recall the last time I posted an entry... -- [My Turn - in Iraq]
But... that's a good thing I guess. Nothing has been going on. There haven't been any mortar attacks lately... and supposedly the guy directly in charge of mortaring this base... has been arrested by the Iraqi Army.
So... what's that mean?
This place will be more like how it was before I arrived here... a rare thing for a mortar attack to occur. I spoke with an Iraqi civillian here about 1 month after getting to this base, he said that it had been a little over a year since this place had been mortared last.
Iraq and National Reconciliation -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Bill Roggio]
National Review Online invited me to participate in an online symposium about the Iraqi government's efforts to end the insurgency by offering a plan for national reconciliation. There has been much criticism of this plan as it is feared insurgents responsible for killing American soldiers will be given a pass for their crimes. But in a war, there is no option to allow for 100% punishment of enemy combatants; for example, hundreds of thousands of Nazis escaped judgment at the end of World War II Bringing warring parties to the table often calls for seemingly distasteful compromises, but the ultimate goal of the government in an insurgency is to affect a political settlement.
Did Iran help in locating Zarqawi? -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Olivier Guitta]
In fact, a credible Moroccan newspaper, La Gazette du Maroc, is affirming that Zarqawi was caught thanks to Iran and was the first gift to the US.
Sounds like a conspiracy theory? Maybe not.
Gunfire and Smoke -- [Just Another Thunderhorse Roughneck! - in Iraq]
Let’s see, drove by a gunfight but that’s not all. We also came close to a motor impact. This afternoon we were driving in Baghdad when I began to hear some gunshots. They were very distinctive. At first I heard one and thought it was nothing. We were still driving down the road when I heard more and more. Oh boy, those are real. There is gunfire. I didn’t know where it was coming from though. It hard to tell what direction the fire is coming from sometimes.We came on the scene pretty quick. It happens when we’re driving pretty fast. There it was on the right, the gunfire. There were not troops but like guys in civilian clothing and tactical gear. I wasn’t sure whether they were contracted security or not.
Why Russia? -- [Peace like a River]
On Sunday, the Mujahideen Shura Council in Iraq said it had executed the four Russian diplomats being held hostage. The diplomats were taken June 3 in Baghdad. A fifth Russian diplomat was killed in the attack.
The announcement included a grim reminder of barbaric nature of the terrorists in Iraq.
General ‘Black Jack’ Pershing -- [American Soldier - injured in Iraq]
...Let me remind you, the military is arresting its own members who go outside the wire and do the most unthinkable every single day. My only question is what is the difference between the Army when General Pershing was around and now? Have we really gotten a conscience about the brutalities of war?
General Pershing did something that if done in today’s war could possibly put an end to some things.
Send a Clear Message -- [Blue Star Chronicles]
I went out into the dinning area at work today to chit-chat for a few minutes with my employees. It was the usual conversation for a minute or two and then one lady asked me how my son is doing.
I started replying, but before I could say much she got to what she apparently was wondering. She asked, ‘How does it make you feel to hear about what happened to those soldiers?’.
This particular woman isn’t known for her tact and the question didn’t particularly bother me, but it obviously bothered the others sitting at the table.
Iraqi Insurgents Seeking Negotiated Peace? -- [Outside the Beltway - James Joyner]
Edward Wong reports that several insurgent factions are asking for negotiations with the Iraqi government.
...Bruce McQuain takes a look at the groups purported to be among the six or seven taking al-Maliki up on his offer and notes that many of them see the Iranians as a greater threat than any internal forces. That strikes me as plausible.
It's all about the kids! -- [Combat Medic In Iraq - in Iraq]
How's everybody doing? Hopefully as good as me:) I've spent the past few days doing a whole bunch of nothing due to an ankle injury, so I get to update again:) I am good to go now, and with any luck I'll be back in the city tonite! We recently visited a nice town near Mosul that is mainly made up of christians who we try to visit every now and then. The weather hasn't changed here at all, still really hot. I woke up this morning to a loud *whamp*...which turned out to be a mortar round...
Marines on the Roof -- [The Babylon Blog - in Iraq]
Although I constantly tell my wife that conditions are relatively safe here (and I do sincerely believe that… it’s not just part of my “information operations” campaign,) the fact remains that I live and work on a military base in the middle of a war-torn country. And like any base, we have guards...
CINC Jogs with Wounded Soldier -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
From a May 6 interview on CNN:
GUPTA: You know, it's really remarkable because I think for the average person who's never met someone who's had a limb amputated. They didn't realize you could get around as well as you can. I mean, it was really remarkable to see you doing those exercises and everything. I mean, could you go running with the president today if he asked?
And yesterday he did just that. After changing into his jogging prosthetics in the Oval Office, SSG Christian Bagge headed out for a run with President Bush on the track that circles the White House's South Lawn.
An Amazing Group of Volunteers -- [Broken Masterpieces]
The men come from all over the state, including San Diego County. They signed up for an especially dangerous mission in Iraq: providing security for U.S. military convoys, which are often targets of roadside bombs and other attacks. Roadside bombs are the single biggest killer of U.S. troops in Iraq.
I first heard about this story yesterday on the way home from work. I'm just amazed at these people and proud that they are Americans. Many of them are going back a second or third time for this extremely dangerous duty.
Sunny & Hot -- [Carpe Diem ~ The New Iraqi Army - in Iraq]
...My position here is enormous in terms of responsibility, more than I ever thought possible. I will have my hands full and it does not look like there will be hardly any free time. The hours so far have been staggered but needless to say I don’t leave my office until 11:00 PM most evenings and I arrive usually around 8:00 AM. I will have a month to cross train with my replacement; if anyone knows me that is way too long. I am ready to get it started but I have to wait patiently and “play the game.” I am ready to assume my duties right now!
A Caveat from the Future (or maybe the past) -- [The Foxhole Philosopher - in Iraq]
Once upon a time, Iraq was a prosperous nation, that spanned huge swaths of land, produced all it needed, and was the envy of all around it. Actually, three times upon a time. The first was the long period during which alternatively the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Babylonians (again), and Medes (which many Kurds believe that they are descendents of) ruled what is now Iraq, and they were arguably the most prosperous and advanced nation during this time.
...However, now, Iraq is a basket case, and it has nothing to do with George W. Bush’s policies, or military mistakes. Iraq has slowly been ruining itself over the last two hundred years!
OPERATION ENDURING BOREDOM - EPISODE XIII -- [American Citizen Soldier - in Iraq]
...The officers and senior NCOs here at Camp Blackhorse work closely with the Afghans and have much more personal contact with them than we do, so it was nice to hear that we aren’t perceived as just another group of meddling invaders by the average Joe Haji. It helps to know your sacrifice is appreciated on some level by someone somewhere, especially when so many of your own countrymen could perceivably care less.
Crossin' the Pech -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanistan]
Afghan soldiers were among the first I saw after jumping out of the engineer vehicle with my gear and crossing a field, getting curious looks from farmers, to link up with the convoy about to attempt a crossing.
Another view of the opposite bank, where it became clear that the carnival had truly come to town, and it was us. Villages on both sides were glued to the spectacle...
And a spectacle it turned out to be. Just as soon as the crossing began, it ground to a halt in a few feet of rushing river.
Into the Korengal -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanistan]
'Stand to' comes early in the field - it's the hour when all are to be up and on watch, guarding against a daybreak attack or other suspicious activity. It wasn't hard to be up that early when sleeping on a rock river bed anyway, so I didn't mind much.
...At long last, we were underway...and driving literally up a river for a stretch. As noted before on this journal, sometimes that IS the road.
When an epiphany is not an epiphany -- [Pyjama Samsara - aid Worker in Afghanistan]
So, I hadn't done the Official vasco_pyjama Commentary on the further escalation of violence in Afghanistan in the last month. You see. It's not that I'm not following it. It's just that I'm too overwhelmed and too saddened.
What can I say that I haven't already said? We need more troops. We need the troops to be better coordinated, rather than fragmented into their contributing country fiefdoms. We need the troops to stop mucking around with 'reconstruction' work, but instead, provide a secure environment for NGOs and aid contractors to do that.
New U2 Spy Plane Arrives in South Korea -- [GI Korea]
The US Air Force has a new toy to play with in Osan:
The U.S. Air Force has deployed an updated version of its U-2 spy plane in South Korea, but a military official said on Monday the move was previously planned and not related to a possible North Korean missile launch.
Billions For the Bully's Buddies -- [Strategy Page]
June 28, 2006: Increasingly, the leadership is telling foreigners concerned over Iran's nuclear weapons program, to butt out. Iranian negotiators seem intent on saying what is necessary to prevent European negotiators from actually imposing any sanctions, while not making any concessions regarding the Iran nuclear programs. Meanwhile, ...
Israel Begins Gaza Military Operations, With Possible End of Hamas Government (updated) -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Andrew Cochran]
Israel has started a military campaign in Gaza against the Hamas-run Palestinian Authority, after Hamas refused to release Cpl. Gilad Shalit. This follows numerous attempts at negotiation through various third parties, and Israeli officials sent public and private signals in the past three days, including in private sessions with including journalists and bloggers, that they meant business and would not wait long. This operation will be extensive and could mean the complete end of the Hamas government.
Threatening Phone Calls to Families -- [Strategy Page]
June 28, 2006: Iraqi terrorists have hacked into wireless phone systems in southern Iraq, obtained the number that British soldiers were calling back home in Britain, and then made threatening calls to those numbers.
The Multiple Challenges of Terrorist Financing -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Dennis Lormel]
Terrorist financing presents a multi-dimensional challenge. When assessing terrorist financing, the tendency is to do so in an all encompassing generic sense. In actuality, terrorist financing should be broken down to its myriad of component parts. Strategies and methodologies should be focused on specific considerations, not generalities.
An Angel’s Sigh -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
To all Angels,
You all have done so much for us and made our deployments so much easier through emails, letters and mail. So I wrote a poem to show my appreciation. I really do hope you can make sure it gets to everyone some way some how, because I am really grateful. It's called An Angel's Sigh. Please enjoy and smile because all of your hard work and efforts have been seen by God and he has carried your blessings to me and every Soldier in the world.
SPC Maurice in Iraq
An Outpouring of Community Support -- [Serving the People of Iraq and Iran - home from Iraq]
One of the most beneficial parts of military service is the involvement of community before, during, and after its soldiers deploy. Support for the Triple Deuce has been overwhelming in all these phases, but is especially noticeable now that we have arrived back in Utah.
Will You Answer The Call -- [Soldiers Angels Network]
home.
(PRWEB) June 19, 2006 -- Soldiers' Angels Needs Americans help. They have recently been flooded with requests from Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen deployed and serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. These military members range from Privates to Colonels, asking the organization for help with much needed comforts of home.
All Things Considered -- [From My Position]
Yesterday marked the 1st anniversary of me getting my ass splattered all over the lower al-Abarra province. Since then, Lieutenant Colonel (at the time Major) Kareem saw to it that the son of a whore who set off that IED was brought to justice. He took the attack very personally. He is one of the very few people I met in Iraq that I would loved to have hosted here in the US, or even taken my family to visit in a few years. Unfortunately, he was killed by another son of whore later that year.
But other things have happened in this year.
Six months later -- [MREater]
I've been home for about six months now, and a blurb I wrote for a local publication kind of sums things up. Here it is.
Slipping seamlessly back into civilian life does not exactly describe my experience since returning from Iraq. I remembered how to drive a car, operate a washer, look up a statute, turn right on red and ride a bicycle, but I’ve enjoyed odd little hiccups of reentry.
Quick, Hand Me the Ducktape! -- [Fire and Ice - combat artist]
Well, the Democratic slight of hand, as predicted, continues. The Washington Post, in an article today titled Democrats Site Report on Troop Cuts in Iraq, heavily quotes Dem spokesmodel Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif). She says (get ducktape out now and begin wrapping your head):...
...So, let me see if I understand her correctly. The Dems are the true force behind success in Iraq, and they and our military are reading off the same sheet of music. Man, I hope this ducktape holds. There is a reason why there are phrases like "flies in the ointment", "zits on the ass of progress", "sunshine patriots", "useful idiots" and "lambs to the slaughter".
Flag-burning and Freedom -- [Intel Dump - J.D. Henderson]
The Senate (again) almost passed an amendment banning the burning of our flag.
"Countless men and women have died defending that flag," said Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., closing two days of debate. "It is but a small humble act for us to defend it."
I never took an oath to a flag, or a geographical location, or to a government, and certainly not to any man or office. Many soldiers around the world have died to protect their flag, but Sen. Frist is wrong. America is different.
Georgia’s Little Jihadist Part II: The Cracker Story -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
So our favorite black supremacist Cynthia Mckinney is back in the headlines again. Apparently the spokeswoman for equal rights and civil liberties doesn’t have a problem with people using racial slurs on her campaign site. Oxymoron?
Idaho Democrats -- Against The Mexican War! -- [The Stupid Shall Be Punished]
...Ever since I got kicked out of the Republican Party for supporting Democrat Larry Grant for Congress, I've been worried about the Idaho Democratic Party convention that was held this weekend. Mostly, I was worried that my new party would come out of the convention with all sorts of weird ideas that I wouldn't be able to support, especially about the Global War on Terror.
It turns out I didn't need to worry.
Tagesspiegel Blames Haditha partly on a Military Dominated by "White Trash" and Minorities -- [Atlantic Review]
Berlin's leading paper Der Tagesspiegel always answers some "Questions of the Day" on page 2. On Saturday, Caroline Fetscher answered the question whether some individual Marines are responsible for the alleged massacres in Iraq or whether these instances indicate a problem of the entire US military. She considers the alleged massacres to be more of the latter:
My Little Letter -- [T.F. Boggs - in Iraq]
Concerning the letter I wrote to Mr. Keller of the New York Times I have received quite a few emails and have been the subject of several online forums. Mostly people agree with what I had to say but there are others who criticize me for numerous things including fanning the flames of hatred towards the media, being over the top, not thinking clearly, and my personal favorite not being a real person who is in the military. All of the discussion has gotten me thinking about what I had to say in my letter.
The Times And Citizenship -- [Winds of Change - Armed Liberal]
...I don't think that the newspapers are treasonous, or doing this solely in an effort to thwart President Bush (i.e. I don't think that a Democratic president would be getting a free ride right now). That doesn't mean that the impacts of what they are doing doesn't damage the country, put lives at risk, or negatively impact President Bush's effectiveness.
I think, in simple terms, that they have forgotten that they are citizens, and that they have an obligation to the polity that goes beyond writing the good story.
How More Media in Iraq Would Help -- [The Foxhole Philosopher - in Iraq]
I wish that we had more media and not less here in Iraq. While in the past I have said that the Mass Media is not our ally, and I stand by that, at least somewhat, I have come to believe it is the absence and not the presence thereof that is the problem.
Right now, journalists rely on stringers, or at best show up for a few days in a year and they don't really have a firm grasp on the situation. The solution would be to have embedded journalists over the long haul. We could easily protect them, and they would really know what is going on.
The Axis of Abuse -- [Strategy Page]
Call it the Washington Beltway's "Axis of Abuse": irresponsible reporters and editors collaborating with agenda-ed, unnamed "leakers."
The exposure of a legal and productive counter-terror intelligence operation on the front page of the June 23 edition of The New York Times is the latest abusive and dangerous example of this Beltway hustle.
New Arrival -- [Charlie Company - in Iraq]
Congratulations to Tanesha and Sgt Jose Alicea (2nd Plt) for the arrival of their son, Christian Luis. He was born on June 21st @ 11:04, weighing 9lbs 1oz.
I'M HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -- [Hoping the World Won't Pass Me By... - home from Iraq]
It's been a long time, but now I'm finally home to stay! No more two week leave periods in which I have to rush everything I want to do into a short time, now I can finally relax and enjoy the life I left behind (haha...). Overall, I'm so glad I went through this deployment, I met so many new friends, and it's really made me appreciate what I have back home. I kind of took that for granted. Not anymore!
Bush Consoles Russia, Ignores Barbaric US Soldier Slaughter -- [Gateway Pundit]
Being a die-hard Bush supporter, this is really hard to figure out...
Not since Al Qaeda dragged the bodies of US soldiers through the streets of Mogadishu has America witnessed such barbarism as the slaughter of Private Kristian Menchaca of Houston and Private Thomas Tucker of Oregon last week.
For A Hero -- [Blue Crab Boulevard] HT: Dadmanly
The first thing that hits you are the flags.
Midwestern towns don't have suburbs. You'll be driving past corn fields, sometimes beans or wheat, then *click* just like that you are in a town. Today, the second you enter the town, there are the flags. From tiny ones to a mammoth one flying from the extended boom of the fire company's ladder truck, they are everywhere. Some people have planted rows of small flags on the edge of the lots, others are on poles. Some have flags hanging from buildings. There are dozens of hand lettered signs,too.
Blogger extraordinaire from Gut Rumbles has lost his battle. May peace find Rob now.
His wit and charm will be missed.
Godspeed, Acidman
I've been away, so it's time to catch up on a few missed stories over the past couple weeks.
There's a scene in "Lawrence" where the Colonel has just made it across an impossibly large swath of deadly desert. He had been accompanied by two "wogs" (the "raghead" term of the British colonial era), one of whom died in the journey. Lawrence enters the officers' club with the other, and is told that the wog can't possibly be served alongside the Brits. Lawrence gets mad, and eventually gets his way out of respect for what he's achieving with indigenous forces.He did, and the resulting story is a must read, from page one of the Wall Street Journal. The following excerpt can't capture the essence of the entire article, but highlights some of the challenges involved in building an army in Iraq.When I was down in Maxwell speaking over the spring to the Joint Warfighters Officers Course of 3-stars, I got to spend a couple of beers talking to buddy Greg Jaffe of the Wall Street Journal, who was on the base to speak the next day to the same crowd. While we chatted, he told me of a similar divide in Iraq, right down to the colonel who couldn't bring his Iraqi counterpart to the US-only mess. I told Greg it reminded me off that scene in "Lawrence" and that he someday needed to write that sort of thing down in a piece.
Senior Iraqi officials in the Ministry of Defense were convinced Tarmiyah was a hotbed of insurgent activity. Col. Pasquarette says he was told by his commander in Baghdad to clear the city of insurgents.Both sides accept a carrot and stick approach - of note is which side favors emphasis on which option. Our Iraqi allies have repeatedly voiced the complaint that we're too soft - but such complaints get little attention from the American media. If the story is accurate, the American commander's view of his Iraqi allies approaches contempt, and that - rather than the appropriateness of any given solution to a problem - is the emphasis of the piece.Col. Pasquarette and his team spent several days building a plan before he invited Col. Payne, Col. Saad and Col. Saad's commander to the U.S. side to explain it.
The two Iraqi officers were led through a 208-slide PowerPoint briefing, in which all the slides were written in English. The six areas the Iraqi troops were supposed to occupy were named for New England cities, such as Cranston, Bangor and Concord. The Iraqi officers, who spoke only Arabic, were dumbfounded. "I could see from their body language that both of them were not following what was going on," says Maj. Bill Taylor, Col. Payne's deputy.
Once the plan was explained to them through an interpreter, the Iraqis strongly disagreed with it. Col. Pasquarette planned to surround the city with razor wire and set up checkpoints to search all cars moving in and out of the city. U.S. and Iraqi soldiers would then begin regular foot patrols through the city to gain intelligence on insurgents. The centerpiece of the plan was $5 million in reconstruction projects.
Col. Pasquarette argued that the projects would help the U.S. win support of the city's powerful mayor, Sheik Sayid Jassem, who had been detained by U.S. forces in the early days of the occupation for supporting the insurgency. He also thought the projects would turn the people to the side of the new Iraqi government.
The Iraqis favored a harder-nosed approach. They wanted to conduct house-to-house searches and find a way to put pressure on the mayor, who they insisted was still supporting insurgents. They suggested shutting Tarmiyah's business district down for a week. Once the mayor had been cowed with the stick, they favored dangling the $5 million in reconstruction funds.
The entire thing is highly informative and well worth a read. Unfortunately, it's also behind the subscription wall. Of course, this being the internet, if you look around you'll find someplace with the full text, even if you have to scroll down a bit after following the link.
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.)
EDITOR'S NOTE: MSM reports will be temporarily eliminated from the Dawn Patrol until PCSing is complete.
Pawns -- [Murphy Around The World - in Iraq]
Here's a picture of our last convoy heading out the door for a mission. The IA have purchased a lot of U.S. HMWWV's and definately a way for our economy to recoup some of the war costs. When they buy stuff, the mantra is 'Buy American'.
What I do Every Single Day! -- [The Foxhole Philosopher - in Iraq]
...Sometimes, I have to do something. If it is a simple problem I tell them to fix it on their own. Sometimes, I cannot trust them to do it though. For example, when Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi was killed, we closed several streets, because we believed there was a heightened threat of attack. That would be a simple task, requiring only some concertina wire and a couple of guards, but guaranteed, the Iraqi's will let people through.
This is not always malicious. Sometimes it is just naivete on their part. For example, if someone is dressed as a woman (you can't tell with Burkha's)
Who should recognize whom? -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
Prime Minister Maliki presented his reconciliation plan to the parliament today and in spite of some objections from some parties the heads of parliamentary blocs declared their support for this plan soon after the session of the parliament ended and requesting some further detailed descriptions and modifications in some cases to match their blocs' understanding of the reconciliation concept.
Al Qaeda in Iraq Died For Our Sins -- [Strategy Page]
Al Qaeda in Iraq has been virtually wiped out by the loss of an address book. The death of al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi was not as important as the capture of his address book and other planning documents in the wake of the June 7th bombing. U.S. troops are trained to quickly search for names and addresses when they stage a raid, pass that data on to a special intelligence cell, which then quickly sorts out which of the addresses should be raided immediately, before the enemy there can be warned that their identity has been compromised.
The Coalition’s 3 phase troop withdrawal plan for Iraq -- [QandO - McQ]
Gen. George W. Casey Jr, the US commander in Iraq, has put forward a conditional 3 phase plan for withdrawing the bulk of coalition troops over the next 3 years. In brief, the phases of the plan are as follows:
Tour of Abu Ghraib - preview [Basic Training - in Iraq]
I have a bunch of photos to put together a bit of a visual tour of Saddam Hussein's prison at Abu Ghraib. I was unable to get a tour myself, but my buddy there with me the past month had gotten one - the photos come from his camera so Im in the process of editing them down and getting the stories straight. Check back in a couple days for the full tour.
RETURN FLIGHT -- [Dan in the Desert - in Iraq]
...With the engines warm and safety checks complete, we lifted off. From the air, you get a great view of the rest of Balad. Pictures of the airfield are usually prohibited, but this photo has been "cleared" as releasable. I flew on a CH-53 helicopter when I was in Ramadi several weeks ago, but I never got any photos, so here ya go. CH-53s are the largest rotary aircraft in the world (not counting an old Soviet prototype).
Saddam lawyer: Saddam Hussein ready to call for peace in exchange for his life
...Well, that’s not what he SAID according to his lawyer, and according to the Washington Post:
The Fewer. The Prouder. The Female Marines -- [Soldiers' Angel Germany]
This past Friday marked the one year anniversary of the Iraq war's deadliest day for American military women.
On June 23, 2005 Lance Corporal Holly Charette, 21, of Rhode Island, Ramona Valdez, 20, of the Bronx via the Dominican Republic, and Navy Petty Officer First Class Regina Clark, 43, of Washington were killed by a suicide car bomber near Falluja.
Eleven other female Marines were wounded in the attack.
Afghan Army Sergeant Major graduates..USASMA -- [Miserable Donuts]
Congrats to SGM Roshan Safi and the Army National Guard CSM from TF Pheonix who pushed to get him into the academy. There where other foriegn students in the class with me when I went, but none with so much Combat time.
Taliban Terror Tactics Backfire -- [Strategy Page]
Battles with the Taliban have left 80 of the rebels dead in the last few days, and over 150 dead in the last two weeks. Afghan and Coalition dead have been much lower (a few dozen). While the Taliban claim to have over 10,000 armed men in action across southern Afghanistan, it is believed that there are only about 2,000 of them. Actually, there may now be less than that, since morale among the Taliban is getting shaky.
Taliban losses in Afghanistan, gains in Pakistan -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Bill Roggio]
The latest round of fighting in southeastern Afghanistan has claimed over 82 Taliban fighters in two separate engagements in Kandahar and Uruzgan provinces. Security Watchtower provides a breakdown of the estimated casualties of Taliban and Coalition forces in southeastern Afghanistan since the beginning of April. An estimated 600 Taliban have been killed and 22 captured, with 41 Afghan and Coalition security forces killed or wounded combined. The estimated Taliban casualties do not contain the number of wounded, which is often twice the number killed in combat.
Hitchin' the Pech -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanstan]
Once again in eastern Afghanistan, we mourn the loss of four soldiers who gave their lives a few days ago in ongoing operations just north of where these photos were taken. RIP.
...The Pech River Valley is a dicey place to be if you're an outsider, and it had provided sanctuary for the past few years to bands of enemy who regularly launch attacks on any representatives of Afghan government as well as Coalition forces and nongovernmental organizations. That's why the heart of the operation was establishing a presence in the middle of this fierce region.
Parallelin' the Pech -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanstan]
Your thoughts, prayers and comments have been warmly received, and I appreciate everyone who's taken the time to write and let me know what you think. I apologize for my inability to shed any light on the current operation in the south of the country, as I often learn its progress in mostly the same ways that you all can - through internet and TV coverage. Again, these photos pick up where I left off, on a convoy along the Pech River road with some engineers who let me hitch a ride.
New to Gmail.. -- [Army Girl - in Afghanistan]
...It's not about anything more than honoring the past I was born into.. and trying to do the best that I can. I am here ONLY because of THEM... and it is my dream that some day when I'm gone.. someone will carry it on. Someday a young Afghan girl can make choices for herself.. and be a part of rebuilding her country and her homeland. Someday an Afghan young man will not have to scrounge and suffer to feed his family and protect his daughers and wife from extremism. Those are only a couple of the reasons I'm here.
PALESTINIAN TERRORISTS ANNOUNCE THEY HAVE WMD AND WILL USE THEM ON ISRAEL
BREAKING: JPOST: -- [The Astute Blogger]
Aksa Martyrs Brigades group announced on Sunday that it its members have succeeded in manufacturing chemical and biological weapons to be used against Israel.
How will Russia react to the murder of its diplomats in Iraq? -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Olivier Guitta]
If confirmed, the murder of the four Russian diplomats taken hostage on June 3- three by beheading and the last one by shooting- by members of an Al Qaeda affiliate, may have important implications.
In fact, last week Russia had officially asked for the help of Palestinian terror group Hamas in this matter. The President of the Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee sent a letter to Hamas' political leader Khaled Mashal. Obviously this has not worked out.
Iran's Terrorism Ignored In Nuclear Bartering -- [ThreatsWatch]
For Iran, Language of 'Ambiguities' Buys Time Readily Sold As 'Oil Weapon' Displayed Again
Iran’s signals remain consistently mixed regarding the nuclear crisis steered by the regime. The weekend’s developments revealed nothing new, while one spokesman called calmly for more talks and the accompanying allotment of time while another threatened again with Iran’s oil weapon should the West impose sanctions.
Everyday Angel Speaks-Our Blankets Really Make a Difference -- [Soldiers Angels Network - Patti Patton-Bader]
Our Blankets Really Make a Difference......Oh Yes They Do!!!
...My sister told him about Soldiers Angels and a presentation she did at her church trying to get some sewers interested in helping with our project. She told him about her slide presentation showing a transport plane carrying the wounded soldiers out of Iraq.
You are not going to believe it!.........he said "I was on one of those planes" and this is what made the hair stand up on her arms and mine too when she told me about it.......he said ...
Notre Dame Helps Soldiers' Angels -- [Soldiers' Angels New York]
Notre Dame Cross Country teams are warming up for their 1st Annual 24 hour relay which will be this Saturday, June 24th. This year’s relay will benefit both the Cross Country team and Soldier’ Angels, a non-profit dedicated to supporting our troops.
Gratitude -- [Partamian Report]
I have tremendous respect for our servicepeople, and I like to tell people "thank you" when I learn that they have served in the military, because I do honestly and deeply appreciate their hard work and sacrifice. I know that I can sit here and type this, in large part, because of our military and the freedom that they have earned and maintained for this country.
My wife has been in Afghanistan for the past few weeks. She will be home in a few days, and I will post some pictures up on the blog once she gets back. Anyway, my point for writing this was to pass on some thoughts. My wife is a consultant, not a serviceperson, so I never really equated her service with that of the troops.
...She is actively helping the military to plan to meet the future demands of regional security, and given the region, that is certainly not insignificant.
VA to offer free credit monitoring -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
Filed by Trevor under Banality of Bureaucracy, Government, Military (Monday June 26, 2006 at 8:56 am)
Below is a VA press release regarding damage controls measures relating to the theft of veterans’ personal data that resulted from failure to enact and enforce appropriate security standards relating to the handling of electronic records.
Friday, June 16, 2006 -- [BOB on the FOB - in Iraq]
Some VERY big news here from the Litterbox: I got out of the Army! Woohoo! Yes, as of 11 June 2006 I was no longer SGT A.J. Merrifield, I was Mr. A.J. Merrifield, Honorable Discharge in hand. Of course, as of 12 June 2006 I was back in as SGT A.J. Merrifield, Oath of Enlistment in hand. Thanks to my old job and the fact that I was the Division NCO of the Year, I was able to get reenlisted by the CG, Major General Thomas R. Turner, so that was pretty sweet. I discovered something about being reenlisted by the CG, too: you get more swag.
50,000 Iraqis have died in Iraq fighting -- [Security Watchtower]
The Los Angeles Times reports on Sunday that an estimated 50,000 Iraqis have been killed in fighting since the U.S. toppled the Saddam Hussein government in March 2003. While alarming, the statistics alone lack the context of how those killings took place, the vast majority of which have come at the hands of terrorists, and the history of the previous regime, which has the blood of a million Iraqis on their hands. That said, it's still a heavy toll that Iraqis have paid and we shouldn't seek to dismiss this human cost.
One aspect to the story that I find interesting is how the death toll stands in stark contrast to the Lancet study, which in November 2004 found that 100,000 Iraqis perished in the fighting.
UPDATED: The Axis of Abuse: The NY Times and Washington, DC leakers -- [Austin Bay]
That’s what the Beltway game has become– irresponsible New York Times reporters and editors collaborating with agendaed “leakers.”
The exposure of the bank monitoring program on the front page of the June 23, 2006 NY Times is the latest abusive and dangerous example of this Beltway hustle. “Leakers” in this particular case is too weak a term– exposing the terrorist finance-monitoring operation information amounts to spying for terrorists. Bank records in Belgium recording international transactions are fair game for intelligence teams attempting to track terrorist finances and terrorist contacts.
All the Anti-Terror Disclosures That Fit: Specter Defends NY Times -- [NewsBusters]
As Brit Hume put it, "Senator Specter, who gets worked up over anything, doesn't seem bothered by the NY Times disclosure of [the anti-terror banking program]. He's going to 'look into it'."
The Plan -- [Fire and Ice - combat artist]
One of the misdirective rhetorical devices trotted out ad nauseum by pundits on the left which strikes me as particularly odd is the "there is no plan" talking point. Of late it either leads, or follows on the heals of some disengenious pity party about the heroic and well intentioned troops who, though entitled to great leadership, are subject to the evil and bumbling ruling triumvirate of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld.
Letter to NY Times -- [T.F. Boggs - in Iraq]
I recently wrote a letter to the NY Times in response to their decision to print information concerning a U.S. secret program designed to track financial transactions of suspected terrorists. I'll post the letter in full below. I urge everyone to write to the NY Times and their congressmen and let them know how you feel about the NY Times yet again sharing secret information with America's enemies.
The Times article can be found here.
The John Kerry of Reporters -- [4 Mile Creek - in Iraq]
MSNBC's Kieth Olbermann suggests that he's not afraid of some old mustard or nerve agent.
"We have found Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.
15-year old Weapons of Mass Destruction that could give you the equivalent of a serious rug burn.
The Reluctant MilBlogger -- [MilBlogs - Steve Schippert]
Bruce Kesler says that he doesn't want to be a Military Blogger and explains why in a column today at The Examiner.
Cyberterrorists Attack The Jawa Report -- [mypetjawa - back-up site]
Islamic cyberterrorists have attacked The Jawa Report.
A Distributed Denial of Service attack was directed at our site by Turkish Islamists irritated at a series of posts we ran making fun of the violence that erupted on the heels of a false story claiming that guards at Guantanamo Bay had flushed a Koran down a toilet. Those posts were later discovered by a Turkish Islamist who then posted links about them at an Islamic chat room.
Irene Pinsonneault, who manages Michael’s photograph files and correspondence, responds to the factual errors and distortions in Mr. Hammer’s form email. -- [Michael Yon]
(Hover over the highlighted elements below to view the response)
Dear XX:
I am the editor of Shock magazine. This e-mail was forwarded to me by the good folks at Woman's Day. I am terribly sorry that you have had this reaction to our recent use of Michael Yon's photo on our cover. Unfortunately, you have not been given all the facts.
Michael's reponse -- [Michael Yon]
...Even though we had purchased the rights to use the photograph through a reputable photo agency, we recognize that misunderstandings do occur. We acted quickly to address Mr. Yon's concerns, attempted to settle the matter, and when he agreed to a settlement, Mr. Yon himself stated on June 5th via his on-line magazine that he was "satisfied" that we were "acting in good faith." (The statement posted on my website was decidedly less rosy than the one they used in their press releases) A few days later, Mr. Yon reversed his position and walked away from our talks. (I did not walk away. I refused to sign an agreement the terms of which they had altered significantly from those proposed terms we had all agreed to.) We were disappointed, but not surprised. (They shouldn’t be surprised. My displeasure with their bad faith actions --in increasingly forceful articulations—was voiced days leading up to the collapse. They continued to commit separate and willful infringements even as they were announcing the tentative settlement. If HFM had kept their word, Kliger would not have to send desperate and transparent missives to distributors and journalists.)
It is my personal belief that Michael Yon has benefited from and continues to exploit the controversy to promote his political agenda.
The Soldier’s Medal -- [Chris Whong - in Iraq]
Today, Staff Sergeant George Brosenne of 1st Platoon, 243rd Engineer Company, was awarded the Soldier’s Medal. This is a pretty big deal, as the 2-star general who spoke at the ceremony could only recall 2 instances when he saw the award given during his 30 years in the Army.
FOR HEROISM: ...
Big News -- [Those Wacky Iraqis - in Iraq]
I just found out that I have been promoted and will be transferred to Kuwait. This is the equivelant of being promoted from Brigade S-3 to Brigade XO. I am excited and sad all at once. this place has been my life since February of 2004 and it is hard to leave especially since all my 1st Cavalry buddies are coming back next RIP-TOA.
C&F Wins AJPA Award -- [Cox & Forkum]
For various reasons, we've entered very few editorial cartoon awards contests over the years. So we're fortunate that Avi Frier of Florida Jewish News took the initiative to submit our work to the American Jewish Press Association's annual Rockower Awards.
Cox & Forkum has been awarded The Noah Bee Award for Excellence in Editorial Cartooning. Here's the FJN report: Florida Jewish News wins top Jewish media award.
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.)
UPDATED: TV report: Artillery shells with chemical munitions found in Iraq -- [Austin Bay]
I heard a report on Fox News about twenty minutes ago (5 PM Central) that Senator Rick Santorum claims coalition investigators in Iraq found chemical weapons — artillery shells filled with a chemical agent (perhaps sarin nerve agent). The Fox report said Santorum had fought with the Pentagon and White House to get the information declassified.
Why Iraq WMD Finds Were Kept Secret -- [Strategy Page]
The revelation that Coalition forces have discovered about 500 shells containing chemical weapons (mostly sarin nerve gas and mustard gas) since 2003, most of which are pre-1991 Gulf War vintage, leads to the question as to why the U.S. waited so long to reveal this. The U.S. government has taken a beating for supposed failures to find weapons of mass destruction in the press, and from political opponents. There have been some discoveries that have made the news, most notably an incident in May, 2004, when terrorists used a 155-millimeter shell loaded with sarin in an IED.
A deliberate deception?.... -- [Media Lies]
....A local man, who was involved in WMD searches in Iraq, in 2003, claims that four sites in southern Iraq that he identified with the help of local Iraqis have never been inspected, despite his repeated requests that they be inspected.
He has attempted to get the media's attention to this issue, and he has worked with two Congressmen to get the sites inspected, all for naught. Now he has started his own website to, in his words, "protect America, our Troops and most importantly, our Children".
BREAKING NEWS: ABC: Killers Have Been Captured -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany - MaryAnn in Germany]
Sources with ABC News tell KATU News that some of the people responsible for the deaths of Pfc. Thomas Tucker and Pfc. Kristian Menchaca have been captured by the U.S. military.
Video here.
My Truth -- [Fire and Ice - combat artist]
Two fellow American servicemembers have been kidnapped, horribly tortured and murdered by Islamofascists in Iraq. The outrage in the liberal press, media and blogosphere is at best silent and at worst bathing in an orgy of moral equivalency and transparent political opportunism glommed on to this intolerable act. These same folks revelled in words such as barbaric, horrific and torture to describe and politically charge events at Abu Ghraib Prison, and practices at the military detention facility at Gitmo. Now something truly in the full spirit of these words has happened to fellow Americans and the Libs, having spent these powerful adjectives like so much spare change on lesser evils supposedly perputrated on greater villians, reveal their moral bankruptcy.
Debated on the Al Franken Show today and . . . -- [Michael Fumento - ind. reporter just returned from Iraq]
. . . it was a bit like going to Ramadi. You had to be there to believe it. I liked the odds, three of them against me. Along with Franken, there was Paul Rieckhoff, the executive director and founder of the leftie Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Jane Arraf, a press fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the former Baghdad bureau chief for CNN. Asked if I thought Americans were getting the real story from Iraq, I said no and much of the blame lay with reporters who refuse to leave their Baghdad hotels. Instead they rely on wholly unreliable stringers. I said if they didn't have the guts to go out to get the stories, they had no place taking the slot of somebody else who might. Naturally Arraf leapt to the media's defense, talking about the dangers of being shot down by a missile while landing in Baghdad, the dangers of the airport road to the Green Zone . . . I cut her off. Nobody has ever been shot down landing at that airport and virtually nobody has been killed on that road this year. Reporters come in by armored bus or helicopter. She was spewing reporter bravado, I said, and I didn't want to hear it because their are brave reporters who truly do risk their lives. Here's where it gets unbelievable. She told me I had no idea how bad a Baghdad hotel could be! Holy cow! I just came back...
Ramadi, Iraq -- [Michael Fumento - ind. reporter just returned from Iraq]
Terrorist-infested Ramadi in the wild west of Iraq is for U.S. troops the meanest place in the country, "the graveyard of the Americans" as graffiti around town boast. There is no better place to observe American troops and the fledgling Iraqi army in combat. That's why I came. When military public affairs asked where I wanted to be embedded, I told them, "the redder, the better" (red means hostile). So they packed me off to Camp Corregidor in eastern Ramadi with the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The 506th's official motto is "Currahee," Cherokee for "stands alone." But they're better known as the "Band of Brothers" – so dubbed by author Stephen Ambrose and HBO (although the term originally applied to just one company in the regiment).
Iraqi Testimonies -- [24 Steps to Liberty - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...“I suddenly heard my children shouting,” Qadir, the 41-year-old mother said, “I thought I was dreaming.” Five hours later, the children came back and told the story. Soldiers took them to the backyard and forced them to sit under no roof when it was raining while the torturers enjoyed beating their young bodies. They were tortured like if they were matures, Qadir said. “What have the children done to deserve the torture,” she wondered 18 years later while telling the story.
Qayyarah -- [Michael Yon's Frontline forum -T.F.Boggs - in Iraq]
As I sit here seven months into my tour I have only begun to realize the magnitude with which the town I am based in has changed. I am stationed in northern Iraq in a town called Qayyarah. Qayyarah is an all-Sunni town and for the most part is controlled by the local Iraqi army and police. The U.S. army helps conduct patrols but for the most part the Iraqi soldiers are responsible for protecting their own town. As I have spoken with Iraqi soldiers and interpreters over the past month, I have come to learn more about Qayyarah and how it has changed in the three years since our initial invasion.
Monday, June 19, 2006 -- [Chairborne Stranger - in Iraq]
...I went on a local civil affairs patrol to meet the local Iraqi populace and see how things are going in some of the towns around here. The Iraqis are always happy to see us so that is positive progress.
Good News from Troops -- [Soldier'a Angel Forum]
KoalityKoala writes "Hi All!
Just got a wonderful email from one of my troops and I wanted to share part of it with you! In case you ever wonder what is happening in Iraq, this will give you a sense of what is happening as seen thru one soldier's eyes.
Overall, things are going very well here. Terrible isn't as terrible today, if you know what mean.
But the tide has turned. The people of Iraq are beginning to rise up over the insurgents and the insurgents know it.
We expect desperate acts from the anti-Iraqi forces as their power-base fades.
Forward Together update; Maliki sends a powerful message to the militias. -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
It is day eight of operation forward together now, the operation so far has met some relative success according to an official statement from the ministry of defense:
Baghdad has witnessed a decrease in number of attacks; terror attacks in the past week-first week of operation forward together-were 19% less than attacks in the week before the operation was launched.
Hammurabi’s Denials Raise More Questions -- [Sweetness & Light]
Iraq rights group on Haditha denies rebel links
...Well, then. I guess that settles it. Except for all of the questions they didn’t address and the new discrepancies that have now been introduced.
Mashhadani said Hadithi was taking courses in journalism and was not one of the group’s two founders. If this is so it sure makes Thaer Thabit al-Hadithi out to be a liar, as he has clearly told reporters he was the original founder of Hammurabi, as was reported in many articles.
Another day in the Neighborhood. -- [American Soldier - injured in Iraq]
..In the heat of battle you have to make decisions and have to do things that don’t always make sense. You all expect us to come home safe and all that happy horse shit right? We have a set of rules that we must obey but the very 1st fucking rule is: “If you suspect that you or any member of you unit is in danger you have the right to defend yourself!” That equates to killing people that you deem a threat! It’s not pretty is it? No sugar coating at all, just the result of someone most likely getting their head blown off.
You can take that rule and use it in many different aspects and scenarios. The bottom line is war is hell and any combat soldier who has stepped foot outside the wire even one time knows what I am talking about.
Tadji Run -- [Murphy Around The World - in Iraq]
We had a mission that left on Saturday and came back this morning (Tuesday) pulling into our gate safely around 6 am. They were driving all night to get here because of the distance and the necessity to stay off the roads during the day. We spent this morning unloading cargo which will then be further transported by our team to other units in our area. I’m working those follow-on missions now while this crew gets some needed shut eye.
Harsh Reality -- [Pass the Brass - in Iraq]
...People who know me know that I have a “Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde” kinda personality. But it’s not so much the same Dr. as you may remember him from the stories. The Dr. is a bit different now. But I can honsetly say I have never had such a sheer dive into depression as I did the first mission back here in Irak. All the cautions I had about returning with this “fresh” slate and being able to handle the “horrors” of Irak with a stronger psyche…sadly…were all for naught.
Electrons, Hand Sanitizer, and Sunflower Seeds -- [Midnight in Iraq - in Iraq]
...Another effect of the heat that I have already mentioned is that it is breaking things left and right. Generators are the biggest enemies of the heat. Generators power our A/C units. A/C units keep us cool in the heat that is so hot it kills mechanical equipment. It’s a self-deprecating cycle. We lost power in our trailers today just as I was about to go to sleep at 2 PM. I’m not new to the game anymore, so I executed my SOP of hastily throwing down my reading material, turning out the light, and falling asleep with the 20 minutes of sub 90 degree air I had left. I woke up a little more than an hour later, unable to sleep in the heat and humidity, but I slept at least one hour before it got me. Previous iterations had not turned out so well.
More Abu Ghraib photos -- [Basic Training - in Iraq]
Some photos of murals from the non-prison areas
"At your service, oh Jerusalem!" The "BOMB" was most likely one of us trying to make a not-so-subtle point. (pic)
The message here is about as subtle as the last. Dome of the rock and combination Iraqi/Palestinian flag being carried by the guy in a kaffiyah. That is Saddam's face smashed off in the upper left. He used to provide the equivalent of $25,000 US to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. (pic)
SUMMER TIME - [Dan in the Desert - contractor in Iraq]
...I am now roughly 50 miles north of Baghdad, at Balad Airbase (aka LSA Anaconda). This will be my home for the next week while I do some work. I lost count how many times I've been up here.
In the meantime, here's a few pictures from the flight... (pics)
Bureaucracy and double standards -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
The military can be a very dehumanizing place, from my perspective. One of the reasons I left the Marine Corps in 1996 centered on the level of weariness I had built up over anyone who outranked me being able to screw with me anytime they wanted. I don’t have a problem working as part of a team, but I do have a problem with petty bureaucrats. The military is infested with this particular type of vermin.
Anyhow to make a long story short - I get very irritated by people who make up rules that don’t make sense to me.
One of the petty bureaucratic rules here at MNF-I (Multi-National Force Iraq) is that our section must
News of Afghanistan XII -- [Miserable Donuts]
Everybody is after the independent press in Afghanistan [follow the link for extra bonus cattiness between Musharraf and Kazai - meow!] Here is some more reaction.
Restricting the Media Activities in Afghanistan -- [Afghan Warrior - Afghani in Afghanistan]
According to the news reports, Afghanistan's intelligence department has issued a two page document to the local media which restricts their activities. This decision sparked the anger of the Afghan journalists around the country because this two page document stops the local newspapers from doing their important and main activities. The free press has made magnificent progress since the fall of the Taliban.
Canadian Troops: Slideshow to Make You Proud -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
Graeme Smith of the Globe and Mail put together an audio/slide show that is a must-see for Canadians. When we talk of Canadian and Coalition troops being our heroes; and the best that our countries have to offer… this is the reason why: CLICK
Iraq Pictures - 22 June 2006 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
Army National Guard SGT Edward E. Mefford, a home builder and remodeler for A & B Construction in Santa Rosa, N.M., is currently deployed to Qatar in support of the Global War on Terror.
...Purdue college student, Anngela Strathmann takes time off from her studies to serve in Kuwait ...
...Air Force Reserve Capt. Rick Valdes, an emergency room family nurse practitioner for Tuba City Indian Medical Center in Tuba City, Ariz., is currently deployed to Southwest Asia ...
North Korean Missile Launch Reaching A Point of Ridiculousness -- [GI Korea]
I can't believe the Washington Post is advocating starting a war over the North Korean missile test?:
...It appears the same people that were against a pre-emptive strike in Iraq, now want the US to start a pre-emptive war with North Korea which would be a thousand times more bloodier than anything we have seen in Iraq over a missile test?
International Finance and the Global War on Terror -- [Intel Dump - Adam White]
Today's reports (in the New York Times, LA Times, and Wall Street Journal) about the federal government's program for tracking financial transactions of those suspected of ties to al Qaeda are quite interesting. Here's the NYT's intro:
Summer Solstice -- [Just Another Thunderhorse Roughneck! - in Iraq]
...I got some letters today. I don’t remember signing up for Soldiers Angels. I think someone else signed me up. I don’t mind. I am starting to get flooded with e-mails though. I try to answer all the e-mails but sometimes it takes time. I never get any letters though. I do from time to time get care packages from grateful people out there. I hardly ever get any letters though.
Well, today I got two letters and I think it was because of Soldiers Angels. I bet the other guys in the platoon were jealous. If they do I’ll send them right over to Soldiers Angels.
POW/MIA FLAG OUTDATED? -- [One Marine's View]
Robert Dorr’s recent Colum in the Marine Corps Times suggests that the POW/MIA flag is out of date and reflects out of date imagery that should be retired. His opinion of the imagery is that it is counter productive and has out lived its usefulness. Service members who become separated from their units or evading the enemy can’t survive without ht mere hope of being found. Their hope finds strength in that their country will come looking for them. That they are not forgotten and that won’t stop looking for them.
An Open letter to Congressmen John Murtha -- [SandGram]
Dear Sir,
I know you have been taking a lot of heat lately about your stance on the Marine Corps and the war on Iraq. Know a secret? I just compare you to Lord Darth Vader from “Star Wars.” He, too, was once part of a band of elite fighters, the Jedi Knights, who protected the universe from the dark powers of the “The Force.”
Much like Vader, you succumbed to the dark side of the Force, which blinds you as to the damage you truly cause. It’s no fault of your own; the swell of power that radiates from Washington D.C., can cause any normal person to morph into a dark, sinister person.
New York Times Secretly Sifting CIA Data -- [ScrappleFace]
Under a secret program launched in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, which killed 3,000 people on American soil, The New York Times gained access to private information from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and disseminated it periodically on paper and electronically to al Qaeda and other terror organizations.
'Classified' Makes It of Public Interest -- [Media Blog]
I arrived at work to find this. As if publishing classified information about the NSA terrorist-surveillance program weren't enough, the New York Times now blows the cover on yet another effective counterterrorism program — likely shutting it down.
And what's the difference? -- [Peace like a River]
Benedict Arnold's infamy was devising a plot to turn West Point, which he commanded, over to the British. In addition, he gave the British other information on troop locations, etc... Why? Because Arnold disagreed with the colonies' relationship with the French. So, Arnold took it upon himself to decide foreign policy, and in so doing he betrayed his country.
Today, there is news of more perfidy from the New York Times.
Snow to Thomas: Stop Heckling -- [Media Blog]
Allah has the video of today's Tony Snow v. Helen Thomas showdown. Includes the classic line: "Helen, will you stop heckling and let me conduct the press conference." Someone should have said that a long time ago.
Regarding the substance of Thomas's heckles (she was repeatedly shouting that the program is illegal), Andy McCarthy provides the facts, which do not support Helen's accusation:
Trolls in My Pocket -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
Troll: An individual who interjects into blog conversations simply to cause a stir or insult the regular patrons of the blog. Trolls can be motivated by evangelical zeal for a cause opposite to that of the blog owner(s). Trolls will generally dominate a thread and park themselves on a blog, even though they don’t share most of the expressed opinions of the blog.
...How to Talk to a Troll:
1. If you do not appreciate their presence, then ignore them. Responding to a troll is like feeding a bear… and they always tell you… don’t feed the bears. Ignoring trolls is always the best way to starve them.
2. If you want to debate a troll, be warned.
Milk and honey -- [Fun with hand Grenades - home from Iraq]
It’s here... it’s finally here! By the time you read this I’ll have dropped a large amount of combat pay on a down payment for my new car… I’ll be lazily floating around in my parents’ pool… drinking margaritas with my mom and beer with my old man… I’ll have blisters from rollerblading and running at the dam while staring at all the women… my man boob and back will be in pain from hours of tattoo work… my guitar will be screaming on a new amplifier... my belly will grow by leaps and bounds from a constant intake of Chinese…. and most likely I’ll be so smashed I won’t remember my own name. Hell, I’m even going to make it to my five year high school reunion. Ha! More important than anything, after a nine month absence I get to spend time with the people I love.
Home at last -- [Across the Pond - home from Iraq]
Finally..after a long, long time.....I am finally home. I officially got home on Sunday. I have some stories to tell about my last month or so in Iraq and the demobilization process but I will save those for another day. I can tell you though that it still doesnt seem real yet. It's like I am living in a dream. Being gone for so long and coming home, it hasn't sunk in yet that my tour is over. I know it will take some time, and some adjusting so I'm not going to rush anything.
Going back to Sunday, we all felt like celebrities, and for that moment, in the city of Scranton, we were celebrities. When the plane arrived at the airport with all of us, we had the State Police there to escort us back to the Armory. We unloaded the plane and got on the buses and away we went. Any vehicles that tried to cut in between the buses got pulled over. As we entered the city streets, citizens were lined up waving their hands and some had little flags they were waving.
Two More Farewells -- [The Marching Camp - in Iraq]
I mentioned recently that two of our own had been killed in action by an IED. Today was their memorial service.
SGT Reyes “Rey” Ramirez was born in Mexico and raised in Texas. He was on his second Iraq tour, and was a team leader in 3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon, C Company, 40th Engineer Battalion. He was married to another Soldier, SGT Sy Bulaong-Ramirez, who is in Germany because she is pregnant with his daughter. She will be born this summer. He was described as a true Non-Commissioned Officer, concerned for his Soldiers and who led by example.
Blogging will be intermittent. Lines are still down and PCS is in the works. Will blog from where ever wireless allows.
Barbarism -- [One Hand Clapping - Donald Sensing]
Al Qaeda says Zarqawi’s successor personally beheaded two American soldiers
According to Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Muhammed-Jassim, head of operations at the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, the two American soldiers found dead last night in Yusifiyah had been tortured and “killed in a barbaric way.” Pfc. Kristian Menchaca and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker had been tortured by their captors, according to Iraqi officials
International Outrage over US Trooper Deaths -- [Celetial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
As news reaches us that two US troopers were “slaughtered” by Islamo-fascist terrorists, we must brace ourselves for the inevitable Mainstream Media outrage, human rights organization fury, and overall international do-gooder annoyance. It’s going to be quite something as page after page of editorials from BBC to NYT scream headlines like, “US Troopers Denied Geneva Rights”, or, “Islamist Crime Evidence that Freedom Fighters are Just Terrorists”. Daily KOS will launch into days of angry profanity filled rage against the Islamist thugs who committed the crime, and even Al Jazeera will bemoan in giant headlines, “Islam Slandered Once Again by Islamist Extremists.”
My Opinion: When Our Soldiers Are Murdered -- [GreyEagle - Balding Eagle - husband of GreyEagle in Iraq]
I am outraged. I confess it. Politically correct or not, I have grown weary of throwing our soldiers to the political wolves in order to appease the Iraqi’s and world community. These are the same Iraqi’s who have barbarically slaughtered their own, as well as our soldiers. No, not everyone is an insurgent. But in 24 hours we had 8,000 soldiers, helicopters, aircraft, and unmanned drones searching for the soldiers, and not one Iraqi citizen seemed to know anything that could have possibly preventing their fate. In reading of the torture and brutal way our soldiers, who were taken captive, were treated, tortured and murdered, I am no longer deeply concerned about the incidents that make the headlines and making our soldiers scapegoats for very incident that occurs in Iraq.
Mr. Stokely Responds To Missing Soldiers Found -- [Thunder Run]
Thoughts by Mr. Stokely
Rueters reporting that the two abducted US Soldiers were found dead and that the head of Al Qada in Iraq is showing their throats being slit on the internet. The bodies were reportedly found near Yusufiyah – which is where Mike died. Such events are deplorable and depraved. We must hunt these dogs down and eradicate them from the face of this earth.
al Qaeda raids in Iraq continue -- [Security Watchtower]
On Monday, coalition forces launched a raid near the city of Baquba, killing 15 terrorists and detaining six others, including a high-ranking al Qaeda leader involved with the facilitation of foreign fighters into Iraq.
Iraq’s National Security Adviser: The Way Out of Iraq -- [Austin Bay]
A must-read essay by Mowaffak al-Rubaie in today’s Washington Post (another signal that the new Iraqi government will continue its post-Zarqawi political offensive).
The lede:...
Iraq: al-Rubaie lays out road map for US troop withdrawals -- [QandO Blog - McQ]
I love the fact that on page A17 of yesterday's Washington Post, this little gem lay buried:
...4 down and 9 more almost there. 13 out of 18 provinces ready or near ready for a transfer of power from coaltion to Iraqi security forces (ISF). Seems to coincide with the DoD report I cited the other day, doesn't it?
And what does that mean for US troops?
A Video of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s Wedding Celebration -- [sugiero]
A Video of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s "Wedding" Celebration in the City of Zara’a, in Jordan, on the Occasion of His Martyrdom is being distributed to password protected jihadi-sites. Apparently the video (no link available so far, only the picture below) was recorded with a cellular phone.
Haditha "Reporter" and Zarqawi Lieutenant, Related? -- [BlackFive - Froggy]
Maybe I'm wrong, but there is an interesting "coincidence" occurring that involves the Haditha "massacre" story and an Al Qaida in Iraq Lieutenant who was killed today near Youssifiyah. According to media reports, Ali al-Mashhadani is the name of the al Reuters "reporter" who broke the story to TIME Magazine that several Marines violated ROEs and killed 24 Iraqi civilians following an IED attack. Mansour Suleiman Mansour Khalifi al-Mashhadani is the name of a top terrorist leader killed today in a Coalition airstrike.
Haditha News -- [Hugh Hewitt]
Haditha Report to fault oversight, officials say
The general charged with investigating whether Marines tried to cover up the killing of 24 civilians in Haditha has completed his report, finding that Marine officers failed to ask the right questions, an official close to the investigation said Friday.
...See what I mean about the backtracking and corrections on Haditha getting lost in the mix?
The War -- [The Corner - Michael Ledeen]
Here's a story that probably won't make the evening news because of the bad news in the last graph:
...I mean, what's the point of reporting that women and children were treated well by our troops?
B36 News - 20 Jun 2006 -- [bandit.three.six - home on R&R from Iraq]
B36 News is going to be undergoing some changes while I'm on R&R. To compensate for the cool Google Earth function I'm going to be posting additional stories of success from Iraq.
Little-Known Facts of Victory...
Notes on Iraq from Retired Flag Officer Conference -- [ROFA Six]
Note: This is from a recent "Retired Flag Officer Conference " recently held at Ft. Carson. Some of the comments and observations will not be news, but some of them will be. All of it is very interesting and has been released by the author for posting. I think you will be glad you gave it a gander.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MGen Butcher has approved relaying this email. His quote "------is just too important not to pass on." Although many of us have had suspicions about the true situation this provides us with hard no spin evidence from officers who have "had their feet on the ground". Paul
The day I had to shoot the humvee… -- [Grey Eagle - in Iraq]
I think everyone will understand when I say the words, “Command Maintenance” or “Turn in” out here. Yes, I was tasked to do both….and let me tell you it was funny. First I had to go around and bribe, barter and steal to get doors put on for my two vehicles. That was fun. Luckily, I found some great guys in a shop that had no problems with helping me. As I am getting one set put on, I went back to get the second vehicle only to find out that it was dead. Yeah… dead. I just wanted to cry at that moment. I was so excited to have made all the right connections. I mean, You have to see the whole picture to know how much trouble I went to get this set up.
Insurgent attacks no match for Marines’ resolve -- [One Marine's View]
HAQLANIYAH, Iraq- In the afternoon of June 3, outside the Marines forwarding operating base located in the violent city of Haqlaniyah , three insurgents armed with automatic rifles and wearing face masks opened fire on Marines working in front of the barrier-laden base.
Satan’s Son vs. 1,000lbs of American Love -- [Justice Soldier - in Iraq]
Greetings from the far side of the world! As all of you should know by now, the Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab Al Zarqawi was killed a few days ago; after the Special Forces task force (cannot say their name) hunting him followed his “spiritual adviser” to a safe house just down the road from here.
Summer in Iraq -- [Dave's Not Here - mil. contractor in Iraq]
...To allow you to imagine what 130 feels like, imagine walking outside and having all of the moisture on your eyes dry out instantaneously. Imagine the surface of your eyes feeling like sandpaper, as you blink, because there is so little mo
