<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <title>Mudville Gazette

Greetings! You are reading a monthly archive page from The Mudville Gazette. To reach the front page, with all the latest news and views, click the logo above or "main" below. Thanks for stopping by!

« March 2007 | Main | May 2007 »

April 29, 2007

Meanwhile, Back in Iraq

So - with the Commanding General in the U.S. this week, did the troops of MNF-I slack off?

Doesn't look like it:

Meanwhile, back in America, hard working newspaper editors were diligently ensuring that virtually none of these stories would appear in their headlines.

Posted by Greyhawk at 01:28 PM | Comments (23)

April 28, 2007

Get ready for "failure day"

"News" from the New York Times:

The White House Scales Back Talk of Iraq Progress

WASHINGTON, April 27 — The Bush administration will not try to assess whether the troop increase in Iraq is producing signs of political progress or greater security until September, and many of Mr. Bush’s top advisers now anticipate that any gains by then will be limited, according to senior administration officials.

Now I looked, but I can't find any news there.

But then again, I was paying attention in the early days of the surge. (January, within days of the announcement.) Back then reporters wanted to know from (then-MNF-I commander) General Casey exactly when they could call the operation a failure. Short version:

"What's your thinking about how long these additional troops will need to stay here?"

"It will be late summer before we see some results to cause us to make decisions."

But the headlines the next day read: "General: Some Troops Heading To Iraq Could Be Home In Months"

In reality (if not in the "reality based community") in spite of the passage of time Casey's comments are consistent with General Petraeus' this week:

Q: ...And secondly, your recommendations in September, are you willing to countenance the idea that you may have to say to the president, this is not working, we should pull troops out, or are you more likely to say things are not going well, here are the adjustments and strategies we need to make?

GEN. PETRAEUS: Well, on the latter one, I mean, I have an obligation to some wonderful young men and women in uniform, and a lot of civilians, by the way, who are serving in Iraq and who deserve a forthright assessment from the folks at the top about the situation on the ground, and that's what I'm going to provide.

So there's no news in that "late summer bit". (And note there's been no promise by either man of victory by that date. That will change in the September news - just watch.)

2008?

Back in March, unnamed "military officials" leaked this story...

The day-to-day commander of U.S. forces in Iraq has recommended that the heightened U.S. troop levels in Iraq be extended through February 2008, military officials said.
<...>
Military officials said Wednesday that Odierno had provided his assessment to his superior, General David Petraeus, who took over as the top commander in Iraq earlier this year.

... to the New York Times.

Who in today's "news" claim:

In interviews over the past week, the officials made clear that the White House is gradually scaling back its expectations for the government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. The timelines they are now discussing suggest that the White House may maintain the increased numbers of American troops in Iraq well into next year.

But I guess New York Times reporters don't read the New York Times.

What we'll get in September will be another candid assessment from General Petraeus (it will be ignored or distorted - as this week's was) of progress of an ongoing process - along with recommendations on how to go forward from there. To predict more would be folly. But I do predict "some" will claim anything less than a declaration of "total victory" (and that declaration won't happen) is defeat.

As noted, reporters want a "date certain" they can declare failure, and will gleefully do so once that assessment date arrives. By pretending they are "news" (or an "extension") each time such dates are noted will ensure maximum attention, and ignoring what is really said will enable the media to pretend they said something completely different when the time comes. Amazing what you can accomplish by flat out lying about what people say and when they say it.

But it's not surprising that the Ignoratti believe what they're told. (More here.)

Posted by Greyhawk at 06:51 PM | Comments (7)

Appeal for More Hype

Chap asks, "Funnily enough I don't see anything about information war in the good LTCOL's article. Where's the IW/PA/PSYOPS love?"

Heh. I suspect that like me, Chap sees it between every line of the subsequent coverage. But perhaps I'm simply transferring my own suspicions...

*****

Wow - here's a huge surprise. NPR did a story this week on military members "speaking out".

Members of the U.S. armed forces are prohibited from speaking out against the war in Iraq. The Uniform Code of Military Justice limits what soldiers may say about political issues.

But as opposition to the Iraq war mounts, some service members are finding ways to air their opinions. Some are speaking anonymously while others sign a petition.

"You know this isn't really what we signed up to do. This isn't really what I believe America is about," an Army intelligence officer says, speaking from his base in Iraq.

Comments like this would land him in a military prison if he were identified.

Whoever wrote that line has never read the "letters to the editor" section of the Army Times. That last claim is a load of horseshit, and reveals more about the purpose of NPR's story than its (uninformed) author probably intended. But it's an effective appeal to the ignoratti - and it establishes the mindset they want listeners to bring to the remainder of the piece.

Later the guy confesses to war crimes - indiscriminately shooting civilians. This actually would land him in military prison, but the author of this one would prefer you to believe it's his courageous speech that would end his freedom.

Anyhow,

Several months later, he was back in the United States and signed a petition calling for a withdrawal from Iraq. It's known as the Appeal for Redress, and all of the signatories are active-duty servicemen and servicewomen.
<...>
The Appeal for Redress enables service members to appeal to their congressional representatives to end U.S. military occupation in Iraq.

Listen to the NPR audio and you can even hear Jonathan Hutto "rail against the imperialist war against the working class". Yup - it's yet another free advertisement for the Astroturf campaign. You have to admit that Fenton Communications really knows their business - the PR campaign for this "grass roots" movement has been highly effective in getting attention for the front group (and hiding those behind it).

And given the time and resources of those various groups behind it (and despite Hutto's exaggerations) a miserable failure at collecting signatures. (If signatures are their purpose, that is, the failure doesn't seem to have dampened the media enthusiasm thus far.) An actual un-hyped, grass roots counter-effort, Appeal for Courage, has drawn more in just two months without any organized publicity campaign. One wonders if that's sparked a sense of urgency among the faithful...

But lo and behold - at the same NPR link above:

Lt. Col. Paul Yingling is an active duty commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Friday, he published an article in Armed Forces Journal entitled "General Failure." It charges Army generals with incompetent leadership of the Iraq war.

Gannett is certainly doing a fine job of pimping this glorified letter to the editor, too.

At least the NPR piece does clarify a few of Yingling's more vague original points. Responding to comments that the military is adapting to a fluid battlefield, Lt Col Yingling demonstrates a vice-like grasp of the obvious:

The Armed forces are trying to get better at counterinsurgency. But the measure of effectiveness - we will know we're succeeding when Iraqi civilians become safer. Until that happens we can't describe our efforts as successful.

In short, it's only after a strategy has been executed and concluded that we can determine its worth.

When asked if there are any Generals who meet his personal approval as leaders for the future he named Shinseki.

Say what you will of Lt Col Yingling, he has the most amazingly crystal clear hindsight I've ever seen.

*****

I see three distinct points of discussion on Lt Col Yingling's article and the suspiciously large and simultaneous amount of subsequent coverage it's gotten beyond the Gannet publication in which it first appeared.

1. The points he makes in the body of the piece. Though much more valid prior to the change in strategy in Iraq they remain well worthy of discussion. Lex addressed them here. (Please read.)

2. Yingling's conclusion - congress must take more control over America's Generals. I find this disturbing, as congress is and has been very much involved in the process (recall the unanimous approval of General Petraeus as Commander, MNF-I for a recent example). Grim touched on that aspect here but I think that's just a start of a fine discussion. (Would more congressional control - exercised by Hillary Clinton and Trent Lott et al - over the past five years really have made a difference? Think about that...)

3. The subsequent coverage. I find the comments of my fellow MilBloggers (and hopefully my own input) quite worthwhile and exactly the sort of thoughtful, informed discussion one would hope would result from the original point.

But the media hype - full of claims that prison awaits those who speak out, and conflation of Yingling's piece with the Appeal for Redress astroturf campaign (not just NPR, the AP did it here) - is unhelpful, and seems a bit too well timed with the "anti-war" crowd in congress' desperate need for some immediate means to discredit one specific American General.

I don't believe that last aim is shared by Lt Col Yingling. And I believe he might be somewhat disturbed to find himself sharing the radio airwaves and newspaper text with the Appeal for Redress crowd. Beyond superficial similarities I think the only commonality between the two is an obviously well-oiled publicity campaign going on behind the scenes - in one case hiding the real story and in another hammering the square peg of truth into the pre-shaped round hole of current (and immediate) political expedience.

*****

One last trip back to NPR's advertisement for Appeal for Redress:

The campaign is not without critics, including military bloggers...

That's all you get by way of balance. But I have to suspect that if the author is actually aware of any milblogger critique of the group, they are fully aware of the nature of that complaint, and chose not to include it in the report. Since it would completely derail the point I suspect the Fenton folks would be a bit upset if they did.

Posted by Greyhawk at 02:58 PM | Comments (6)

April 27, 2007

What He Said

General Petraeus briefed House and Senate members this week. Perhaps surprisingly, the San Francisco Chronicle offers a fairly straightforward report

Top general in Iraq asks Congress for more time

Gen. David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, came to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to convince lawmakers that additional U.S. forces dispatched to Baghdad have helped reduce sectarian bloodshed, and that Congress must allow more time to bring security to Iraq.
<...>
Petraeus, who oversees Washington's latest effort to provide security in Baghdad, said Wednesday that the so-called Baghdad security plan has helped reduce sectarian killings by about one-third since the beginning of the year.

"That is an important development, because sectarian murders can be a cancer in a neighborhood," he told reporters hours before the legislators were scheduled to vote on a war funding package that includes a timetable for withdrawing most U.S. troops from Iraq.

Reducing sectarian killings in Baghdad "is an area where there has been progress," he said.

Petraeus called progress in the volatile western Anbar province "breathtaking" and said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is "doing his best" at leading the country.

Some Republicans had hoped to make political hay over the fact that Democrats originally planned to boycott the briefings before voting on their (choose one or more: "funding" "surrender" "massive pork") Bill

The vote came after a classified briefing by Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the multi-national forces in Iraq, turned into a public spectacle surrounded by political charges and followed by two press conferences.
<...>
Last week, Democrats initially declined an invitation to the briefing due to scheduling conflicts, but they reconsidered after Republicans chided them for skipping a briefing with a key commander while setting policies on the conflict.

Still, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) did not attend. It was not clear where she was Wednesday afternoon. Aides did not return calls Wednesday.
<...>
“I think the speaker’s got better things to do, frankly,” agreed Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.). “They didn’t say anything they haven’t said in public.”

Back then I pointed out that Republicans had nothing to gain from that.

Likewise, the Democrats have little to fear from attending hearings with General Petraeus. While they might not like what they hear, that will matter very little - because American voters aren't going to hear it anyway.

Because the briefing was classified, all attendees are forbidden from sharing the specific details of its content. While they can describe what was said, that leaves us with only their characterization of the content.

The St Petersburg Times points out the inevitable results here:

WASHINGTON - Hours before the House of Representatives narrowly passed a $124-billion bill to fund the war in Iraq, the commander of the multinational forces there delivered a classified briefing to Congress.
<...>
But at dueling Democratic and Republican news conferences after Petraeus' closed-door meeting with the House, it seemed as if the members had attended different briefings.

But while we can't know some specific details (future plans and operations) that were shared in that briefing, we can review the public briefing General Petraeus gave a few hours later:

GEN. PETRAEUS: Well good morning. It's good to be with you all, and nice to see some familiar faces here this morning. My purpose this morning is to provide a short update on the situation in Iraq, including a brief description of the operational environment, the challenges Iraq faces, and the status of our operations, and then to take your questions. This is similar to my briefings to the House and Senate yesterday afternoon, but without the classified information that I provided to them, obviously.

Full written transcript here.

And we can compare the statements of all parties (or Parties) involved. Statements attributed to "Republicans" and "Democrats" below are from the St Petersburg Times coverage linked above. Quotes from General Petraeus are from the briefing above.

*****

Let's dispense with this one right off. On how the debate in Congress might affect conditions in Iraq:

Democrats: It's helpful. Hoyer said he asked Petraeus about recent comments by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that the congressional debate warns the Iraqi government that American patience and resources aren't unlimited. "It seemed to me that Gen. Petraeus certainly did not disagree," Hoyer said.

Republicans: It's harmful. "One thing that he reminded us was, this is a test of wills and he admonished us, reminded us that what we say to the world, to our adversaries and our allies, is listened to by the other side," Hunter said.

GEN. PETRAEUS: I have, as you know, in fact tried to stay clear of the political minefields of various legislative proposals and so forth...

He did add this comment: "Moreover, it is not a government of national unity. Rather, it is one comprised of political leaders from different parties that often default to narrow agendas and a zero-sum approach to legislation." - but he was talking about the Iraqi government.

Now on to the issues.

*****

On the biggest threat to U.S. forces and stability in Iraq:

Republicans: Al-Qaida, the shadowy terrorist group responsible for the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and whose involvement with Iraq - later disproved - was cited by President Bush as a key reason to invade four years ago. Iran also is causing trouble.

"Al-Qaida, he made clear, continues to make this the central front in their war with us," Boehner said. "And I would remind everyone that we didn't start this war with al-Qaida, they started it. ... And they are the major foe that we face in Iraq today."

Democrats: Homegrown insurgents and the rampant violence between Sunnis and Shiites.

"Gen. Petraeus made it very clear that the sectarian violence was the most disruptive element," Hoyer said.

GEN. PETRAEUS: "Iraq is, in fact, the central front of al Qaeda's global campaign."

Q: You say that Iraq is now the central focus of al Qaeda's worldwide effort. Are you saying that al Qaeda in Iraq is now the sort of principal enemy of the U.S. forces stationed there?

A: I think it is probably public enemy number one.

*****

On how the bill's timetable for withdrawal and benchmarks for the Iraqi government may affect conditions in Iraq:

Democrats: Positively. "Our belief that we must hold the Iraqis accountable for achieving real progress and establish a timetable for a responsible deployment of American forces was also reinforced" by the briefing, Hoyer said.

Republicans: Negatively. "I believe generally what was said by the general and others is that that would not be helpful to his cause, and, quite frankly, went on to say that it would be - it would hurt the very cause that we seek to win there," Boehner said.

GEN. PETRAEUS:I have, as you know, in fact tried to stay clear of the political minefields of various legislative proposals and so forth...

My sense is that there would be an increase in sectarian violence, a resumption of sectarian violence, were the presence of our forces and Iraqi forces at that time to be reduced and not to be doing what it is that they are doing right now.

*****

On how the war is going, and whether the recent surge of U.S. troops to Baghdad is working:

Democrats: Badly. And it is clear peace will not be achieved militarily.

"This briefing reinforced our view that the solution in Iraq is a political solution," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. "Our troops are mired in a civil war with no clear enemy and no clear strategy for success."

Republicans: Tough, but not so bad. "Considering where we are, I think the general feels good about the progress thus far in the reinforcements that are there, in the performance of the Iraqi troops," said Minority Leader John Boehner, D-Ohio.

Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, added that the Iraqi military is making progress, and Iraqis soon may replace some Americans.

(And sorry - there's no way to reduce this further because there's a lot of equally important evidence presented) GEN. PETRAEUS: The situation is, in short, exceedingly challenging, though as I will briefly explain, there has been progress in several areas in recent months despite the sensational attacks by al Qaeda, which have, of course, been significant blows to our effort and which cause psychological damage that is typically even greater than their physical damage.
<...>
We have achieved some notable successes in the past two months, killing the security emir of eastern Anbar province, detaining a number of key network leaders, discovering how various elements of al Qaeda Iraq operate, taking apart a car bomb network that had killed 650 citizens of Baghdad, and destroying several significant car bomb factories. Nonetheless, al Qaeda Iraq remains a formidable foe with considerable resilience and a capability to produce horrific attacks, but a group whose ideology and methods have increasingly alienated many in Iraq.

This group's activities must be significantly disrupted, at the least, for the new Iraq to succeed, and it has been heartening to see Sunni Arabs in Anbar province and several other areas turning against al Qaeda and joining the Iraqi security forces to fight against it. That has been a very significant development.

The extremist militias in Iraq also are a substantial problem and must be significantly disrupted. There can be no sustainable outcome if militia death squads are allowed to lie low during the surge only to resurface later and resume killing and intimidation.

There have been some significant successes in this arena as well, including the detentions -- detention of the heads of the Sadr secret cell network, the Iraqi leader of an explosively formed projectile network from Iran, the former deputy minister of Health and his facility protection security force brigadier, who had effectively hijacked the Ministry of Health, and a national police officer accused of torture, with several of these detained by Iraqi forces.

Sunni insurgents and the so-called Sunni resistance are still forces that must be reckoned with, as well. However, while we continue to battle a number of such groups, we are seeing some others joining Sunni Arab tribes in turning against al Qaeda Iraq and helping transform Anbar province and other areas from being assessed as lost as little as six months ago to being relatively heartening. We will continue to engage with Sunni tribal sheikhs and former insurgent leaders to support the newfound opposition of some to al Qaeda, ensuring that their fighters join legitimate Iraqi security force elements to become part of the fight against extremists, just as we reach out to moderate members of all sects and ethnic groups to try to drive a wedge between the irreconcilables and the reconcilables, and help the latter become part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
<...>
There are also a number of challenges in the area of governance that the embassy and Multinational Force Iraq are helping the Iraqis to address. It is in fact important to recall that the government of Prime Minister Maliki is Iraq's fourth government in as many years. Moreover, it is not a government of national unity. Rather, it is one comprised of political leaders from different parties that often default to narrow agendas and a zero-sum approach to legislation.

That is one reason that progress on key laws has been slow, though there has been some progress. The budget law, the base hydrocarbon law approved by the Council of Ministers, the emergency powers law and so forth have all been noteworthy. And it is in fact just noteworthy to acknowledge, as Ambassador Negroponte did yesterday, just what Iraq has achieved since he served there as the ambassador in 2004, with respect to its elections, its constitution, its government and so forth. I believe Prime Minister Maliki and many other Iraqi leaders are committed to achieving more in this area in the months ahead.

Though its institutions are slowly developing, Iraq still suffers from a lack of the governmental capacity needed to put Iraq's oil revenues to work sufficiently for all its people. In view of this, we are working hard, together with the U.S. embassy again, to help strengthen institutions, doubling the number of Provincial Reconstruction Teams, establishing a law and order task force, developing an energy fusion cell, and increasing emphasis on ministerial mentorship.

The focus of Multinational Force Iraq is, of course, on working with our Iraqi counterparts to help improve security for the people of Iraq in order to give Iraqi leaders the time and space they need to come to grips with the tough political issues that must be resolved. Resolution of these issues is the key to the achievement of reconciliation among the various ethnic and sectarian groups, political parties and leaders in order to achieve a lasting solution to Iraq's problems.

We are still in the relatively early stages of our new effort, about two months into it, with three of five Army surge brigades and two additional Marine battalions on the ground, and the remainder of the additional combat forces scheduled to be operating in their areas by mid-June.
<...>
Baghdad is the main effort, and we continue to establish joint security stations and combat outposts in the city and in the belts around it. The presence of coalition and Iraqi forces and increased operational tempo, especially in areas where until recently we had no sustained presence, have begun to produce results. Most significantly, Iraqi and coalition forces have helped to bring about a substantial reduction in the rate of sectarian murders each month from January until now in Baghdad, a reduction of about two-thirds. There have also been increases in weapons caches seized and the number of actionable tips received.

In the Ramadi area, for example, U.S. and Iraqi forces have found nearly as many caches in the first four months of this year as they found in all of last year.

Beyond this, we are seeing a revival of markets, renewed commerce, the return of some displaced families and the slow resumption of services, though I want to be very clear that there is vastly more work to be done across the board and in many areas, and I again note that we are really just getting started with the new effort.
<...>
Our achievements have not come without sacrifice. Our increase in operational tempo, location of our forces in the populations they are securing and conduct of operations in areas where we previously had no presence, as well as the enemy's greater use of certain types of explosive devices, have led to an increase in our losses. Our Iraqi partners have sacrificed heavily as well, with losses generally two to three times ours or even more.

Indeed, while some Iraqi forces remain a work in progress, there should be no question that Iraq's soldiers and police are fighting and dying for their country, and a number of them have impressively shouldered their part of the burden of the fight against al Qaeda and the other enemies of the new Iraq. To help them progress, we have steadily been increasing the number of transition teams, the train and equip effort, and steadily strengthening the partnership programs between our forces and Iraqi elements.
<...>
As I mentioned, we generally in many areas -- not all, but in many areas -- have a sense of sort of incremental progress. Again, that is not transmitted at all. Of course it will never break through the noise and the understandable coverage given to it in the press of a sensational attack that kills many Iraqis.
<...>
Now, with respect to returnees, we're seeing small numbers, and that's, I think, what you heard me say in the statement. Again, I don't know that you would yet call it a trend. We have seen, again, some neighborhoods that were really depopulated, in which there have been the early signs of returns.

We have seen -- I mean, you look at a place, for example, like Dura, the Dura market down in East Rashid in Baghdad, a real difficult area, perhaps one of the toughest in all of Baghdad. I went on a couple of patrols the day after I took command back in February, and candidly, I was sort of shocked at what I saw in terms of what sectarian violence had done to Baghdad. And the Dura area in particular struck me because there was not a single shop open at all; and there now are -- I think it's over 200 and literally climbing every day.

The reason is because Iraqi and coalition soldiers hardened that market, located Iraqi and U.S. combat outposts right in the center of the market, and then on its periphery. And in fact, I walked through that area with a CNN reporter, in fact, a few weeks ago, and it has continued to expand over time down there despite attacks.

So there's a degree of resilience there as well.

But that's what we are seeing. And again, too soon, I think, to call that a trend, too soon to say that what we've done in just the first couple of months has -- with our Iraqi partners, again, enabled them to stitch together the fabric of society that was so torn.
<...>
Anbar province made the progress that it did because of the courageous action of some sheikhs who said, enough, to the killing by al Qaeda of their brothers, sons, sheikhs and so forth. It started with Sheikh Sattar near Ramadi, working with Colonel Sean MacFarland. He came to Colonel MacFarland and said, I'd like to join the coalition in fighting against al Qaeda, and they made a pretty courageous choice. He volunteered some of his young men to be part of the Iraqi police structure, and it literally just started to ripple on out from there, with each sort of contiguous tribe joining in the same fashion. And what you have now is a very, very significant movement.

By the way, that tribal movement is now turning into a political movement. And Sheikh Sattar had a meeting with a number of the tribal leaders just, I think it was, last week, where they came together to discuss when provincial elections are held, as the process moves forward in Anbar province, should this effort that has been focused largely on helping the security forces be moved forward also as somewhat of a political movement? And in fact, Prime Minister Maliki went out there, as I think you know, to Ramadi and met with not just the governor or the provincial council but also with the sheikhs and with the leaders of the Iraqi security forces.

Again, none of this would have been possible without these sheikhs, particularly the early ones, taking a very courageous stand at a time that was actually very, very dangerous, and has now enabled the Iraqi and coalition forces in partnership to largely clear Ramadi, which only two months or two-and-a-half months ago was largely al Qaeda central. And just to get to the governance center, you literally had to fight your way downtown.
<...>
By the way, I found the same enthusiasm in Western Nineveh province, an area that I knew from the first year there with the 101st Airborne Division, met with the sheikhs of the Shammar tribe up there.

And these are individuals who sadly in the period of the most intimidation by al Qaeda of Sunni Arabs in the fall of 2004 and well into 2005, the period when they boycotted the election and so forth, and really now know that they lost out -- we could not get volunteers from those particular tribes. Now they want to help form new battalions and so forth.

Now, this is not just because they want to fight against al Qaeda. It is also because of a very good and realistic appraisal of this situation, and that is that the Sunni Arabs lost out by not participating in the past. They lost influence in government. They lost influence, if you will, or participation, jobs in the Iraqi security forces, and I think they now recognize that they need to participate, they want to participate. And that is a very, very important development, again. And once again, this never could have -- the progress in Anbar would not have happened without that.
<...>
Q (Off mike) -- progress are less than obvious to a person in the United States, much less Iraq or Europe. Is it possible that these things could improve while spectacular bombing attacks still occur in parallel?

GEN. PETRAEUS: Well, I think first of all -- look, I think you have to be realistic and acknowledge there is going to be a continuation of some level of sensational attacks. In an environment where to prevent those, you know, the Iraqi and coalition forces have to protect everything and they only have to attack one thing, some of that is going to happen. I used the analogy the other day of Northern Ireland, which some of you are very familiar with and in which for some decades there was a level of violence that actually the Northern Ireland citizens learned to live with, really.

And actually, to be fair to the Iraqis, I mean they're an exceedingly resilient people. I actually the other night was talking to one of your colleagues from The Washington Post and talked about this idea that there is -- you know, we feel this incremental progress; it's very difficult to demonstrate. In fact, the progress is interesting, because it's a negative. It means nothing happened, in most cases. In other words, there were not sectarian murders. Whether that is newsworthy before it goes on for several weeks is obviously arguable.

But anyway, so what I asked was, "Hey, come on, it's about dusk, let's go -- we'll fly around the city a little bit." And we flew around. And so -- I mean, it was unbelievable.

This is a day in which I think there was a car bomb in Iraq, some of Iraq’s seven million citizens were affected by that, but you could not have told that from what we saw over the city. There were three big amusement parks operational. I'm talking about, you know, roller coaster kinds of -- these are not just a couple little merry-go-rounds in small neighborhood parks. Restaurants in some parts of the city were booming. Lots of markets were open. The people were on the street. There were -- there had to be a thousand soccer games ongoing. They're watering the grass in various professional soccer fields -- the soccer leagues.

You know, all of this is actually so foreign, I think, in the mind of most people who see the news and of course do see that day's explosion or something like that. And actually there is a city of seven million in which life goes on, and again, citizens are determined to carry on with their life.

*****

Those responses seem to favor the Republican's characterization of General Petraeus' remarks. So to be fair - the last word goes to Harry Reid:

General Petraeus is going to come to the Hill and make it clear to you that there is progress going on in Iraq, that the so-called surge is working. Will you believe him when he says that?

REID: No, I don't believe him, because it's not happening.

*****

UPDATE: The (predictable) search for talking points to use against him is certainly on.

Posted by Greyhawk at 11:52 AM | Comments (2)

Dawn Patrol

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and other sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list.

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

IRAQ

Victory - [Foreign and Domestic - in Iraq]
...Victory in Iraq will look like the same sort of violence we see today, minus the large number of Coalition forces. It will look like the same patrols through the streets of Baghdad, but they will be Iraqi Army rather than US Army. It will look like the same border patrols along the Jordanian and Syrian borders, but with Iraqi Border Police instead of US Marines. And it will look like the same naval activity in the Gulf waters, but done by the Iraqi Navy instead of the British.
Victory in Iraq will be when we have taken Saddam's Iraq apart, put it back together in the shape of a democracy, given it time to get on it's feet, and then withdrawn the bulk of our forces.

Replicating Success -- [Outside the Wire]
As the Marines of Weapons platoon fanned out under a starlit night to begin the census, they did not grumble about a census being a BS Op. They have seen how effective census data can be.

VBIEDs at the Gate -- [Acute Politics - in Iraq]
We rolled back to Ramadi early Sunday afternoon, after a long rotation out to Falluja. I took my personal gear and my 240B machine gun into the barracks, and stopped in to say hello to my medic buddy. I was headed back out to the 5-ton dump truck that we use to transport gear for another load of rucksacks and bags when the air split with a loud craaack-BOOM, and the ground shook underfoot. Everyone flinched towards the ground, and someone dryly cracked "That didn't sound like outgoing". A large black smoke plume shot into the air somewhere over towards the gate, turning grey as it mixed with the dusty sky. Black smoke, for a VBIED. I don't know why the VBIEDs always shoot black smoke into the sky, but they invariably do.
The next few minutes were filled with the confused rush that follows a big blast- phones ringing, squad leaders checking to make sure all their men are ok,...

Good News from Iraq -- [OP-FOR]
Here is what the Honorable Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and their fellow democrats are attempting to stop with their political maneuvering on the military spending bill.
I have decided to compile a handful of stories that you will never see in the mainstream media to give you all a very different picture of society in Iraq. Remember the hoorah when General Petraeus was quoted as saying, “There is no military solution in Iraq?” He meant that killing everyone was not the solution and below is a small sampling of the kinds of tasks our “Surge” troops are involved in on a daily basis.

A Bloody Day In The Life -- [Pat Dollard]
Despite what you are about to read, it’s author, Corporal Tyler Rock, USMC, has re-enlisted for four years and has very harsh words for Harry Reid ( See Stories Below ). Why is this war supposedly so hard on the Dems who are not even fighting it? What do they have to complain about compared to The Marines, who are not complaining?
“all the guys agree with me here. like i said. hit me up when you want some more stories of the shit we have done that the reporters dont tell. its funny. when they were here they wouldnt let them come out to where we are. they told them that it was too dangerous. isnt that the point? no one sees the things that the average joe marine sees.

Haditha Bombshell - Intel Evidence -- [Power and Control]
New evidence continues to surface in the Haditha case that shows the Marines didn't do it.
Convincing evidence that corroborates NewsMax.com's accounts of the Haditha insurgent ambush has compelled the prosecution to take extraordinary steps to bolster their crumbling case.
...It is looking more and more like there was no case to begin with. Just some allegations and a movie by our enemies. With Time Magazine taking the side of our enemies.

Let's Smear Some Marines for the Cause -- [Strategy Page]
April 27, 2007: There is now evidence that backs the Marines charged with killing civilians at Haditha in Iraq. If true, the new evidence would indicate that al Qaeda carried out another successful information operation that not only diverted resources into an investigation, but also provided some anti-war politicians ammunition to not only claim crimes had been committed, but that there had been a cover-up.

An Interview With The Haditha Defense Team -- [Redstate]
The Haditha investigation has taken a truly nasty turn.
It is becoming more obvious that the Marines currently charged in this incident have been abused, had their rights as American citizens as well as fighting men trammeled, and have been the subject of a malicious campaign from within Department of Defense and the House Armed Services Committee to ensure their conviction. Whether they are guilty or innocent, a matter still to be determined, the manner in which they have been treated is nothing short of shameful.

Petraeus: Progress In Anbar ‘Breathtaking’ -- [Defense News]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. commander of multinational forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus, said Wednesday that efforts to quell unrest in the western Sunni province of Anbar have made ...

JSS Thrasher secures southern Ghazaliyah -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD — Coalition leaders noticed security improvements in southern Ghazaliyah Monday since Joint Security Station Thrasher was erected March 14.

Seabees build outpost in Al Anbar -- [MNF-I]
AL ANBAR PROVINCE — The Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 28 finished construction of a combat outpost for Marine Regimental Combat Team 2 and Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, in Iraq’s Al Anbar province, April 24.

Army Colonel Aided Enemy, Slept With Detainee's (UPDATE: Smokin' Hot) Daughter -- [Jawa Report]
Lt. Col. William H. Steele, one-time commander of a prison in Iraq, has been charged with aiding the enemy. Steele is said to have passed an unmonitored cell phone to detainees.
What most media accounts of the charges filed against Steele leave out is that he is also charged with sleeping with a detainee's daughter. So, this appears to be a case of a soldier who is asked to do a "favor" for the father of the girl he's sleeping with.

The Phony "Civil War" in Iraq [The Corner - Michael Novak]
Two false assertions are being made these days about the Sunnis and the Shiites in Iraq. The first is that they have been fighting one another for ages. The second is that they are currently waging civil war upon one another.
Shiites and Sunnis have lived in rather remarkable proximity in many cities of Iraq, with not a few intermarriages, and for many generations. They have often boasted of being Iraqis first, before being Sunnis and Shiites

AFGHANISTAN

Macy is Home -- [Afghanistan Without a Clue - in Iraq]
Bear, Hamid, Mike, and Drew Ponder the Universe
Yes, as the title indicates, we had another of our justly famous conversations about universal truths, and this time Mike and Drew got to participate also. Poor Hamid, his brains hurts enough when I talk to him; imagine the migraine he must have had after talking to the three of us. I don’t remember how we got on the topic, but we ended up discussing freedom of religion.
“People in Afghanistan don’t need the freedom to switch religions; no one would leave Islam,” Hamid assured us.
“Well, how would you know? Right now it’s like having a gun held to your head. Remain Muslim or die. Your government forces everyone to remain Muslim. Leaving the faith is never a realistic possibility for anyone, unless they flee the country.” I countered.
“But no one would ever leave Islam. It is the perfect religion.” Hamid was very confident on this point.
“Hamid, you’ve never even read the Qur’an.

Legoland -- [A JAG in Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
Let's see where Bob lives, shall we? Oh yes, let's....
We call it Legoland. Maybe you can tell why. They are connexes stacked next to each other and on top of each other. Aren't you jealous that you don't get to live here?
I'm sure you are!!!

I'm Back Online -- 25 April -- [Air Force Afghanistan Mentor - in Afghanistan]
I took my first ride outside the wire and was able to see the local population drive for the first time this week. I saw a video on Utube about driving in Afghanistan and thought it was just an anomaly; boy was I wrong! They don't have traffic laws here, they use more of a fill in any open space on the road approach, even if its the wrong side of the road! We had cars going four wide in a two lane space, don't ask me how they do it, they just do. Also at intersections they will cut in on the wrong side of the intersection or try and turn right from the left lane at the traffic circles. You need good peripheral vision to drive here let alone to watch for dangers that may be looking for you. I have seen some incredible places and sights here and will post some pictures of the places and things I have seen.

ARTICLE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE ALUMNI MAGAZINE -- [Afghanistan JAG - in Iraq]
Good Samaritan Guardsman Will Leave Afghanistan a Better Place
Life doesn’t just happen to Scott Delius. He shapes it to a purpose, which is how he finds himself in Afghanistan.
...At the end of the white knuckle convoy though, the supplies finally reached the people—a gratifying experience for Delius and his colleagues.
“I helped one woman and a beautiful little girl carry their packages,” he said. “After I put them down, this sweet little girl turned to me and said ‘tashakur’ - which means ‘thank you.’ This was the highlight of my day, and maybe the greatest moment of this entire deployment.”

Spring In Shindand -- [McNeilly's Perspective - in Afghanistan]
...SGT White, who writes gwot.us, pointed out that we all seem to do these, now that I am leaving posts, and I guess that is natural. Here is a brief thought from me on that, and I don’t believe this will be my last post, but I will try and keep the sappy reflections to a minimum.
...The people of Afghanistan have benefited greatly from our presence here. That is what leaders of villages, soldiers, and interpreters tell me. Of course folks who do not agree may not ever talk with me. Even taking the fighting into account these last 5 years have been peaceful for the bulk of Afghans. The children entering elementary school now, both boys and girls have not seen a battle in their lifetime. Their parents are able to concentrate on building a better life for their kids and grandkids. I am proud to serve beside such good people.

That Reflection Post -- [GWOT dot US - in Afghanistan]
Yes, yes. It’s that time of year, time for the obligatory ‘Reflection Post’. You’ve seen them from other milblogs of soldiers soon leaving theater. They usually contain words such as, “Hope” and “Sustainment” and “Commitment”. They’ll reflect on the good things that they have accomplished and lament on the things that could have been. Well I thought I’d try something different for my ‘Reflection Post’. Instead of boring you with the non-complexity that has been my tour, I will instead write an open letter to the people of Afghanistan, who on all accounts, is what this fighting-for is really all about.
Dear Afghan Citizens,...

Bye from Afghanistan -- [Task Force Phoenix 5 - in Afghanistan]
Well my last Blog from Afghanistan, there were times I never thought this would happen and times I wanted it to happen that day. It’s been an experience and an adventure I will never forget and will always remember some of the things I’ve seen and done for the last year. I never thought it would be like this and never thought I would do and see the things I’ve done or seen.
...My Mom asked me if I could go back to the day I signed my contract with the Army and if I would do it again.

Step One in the Journey Home -- [Bouhammer's Afghan Blog]
Well I have left my FOB and am no longer in Sharana. We pulled out yesterday and our whole team is back together at or CORPS HQ here in Gardez. It is the first time our entire NY team has been together since the day we split apart at this exact location on May 17th, 2006. We are now back under our own chain of command and doing what we need to in order to take care of ourselves and not being directed by people that would not know a ANA soldier from a camel. We are back to making sure that our team is taken care of and gets out of here safely.

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Caught on Tape: Shocking Video of Iranian Regime Cracking Down on Women! -- [Gateway Pundit]
This is a SHOCKING video captured inside the regime!!

The regime began detaining women this week for violating strict new Islamic dress code rules.
The mullahs are not winning any new friends on this one.
Kamangir links to a sad and shocking video talked about by blogger Malakut of police arresting a screaming woman for breaking the dress code. This is just a sad and horrible violation of women's rights that is not getting much attention in the Western media.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Islamist Video: "Top Ten Operations [Carried Out] by the Knights of the Islamic State of Iraq" -- [MEMRI]
On April 26, 2007, two Islamist forums posted a 20-minute clip titled "Top Ten Operations [Carried Out] by the Knights of the Islamic State of Iraq." The clip shows footage of 10 terrorist operations, taken from videos produced by the ISI media company Al-Furqan. Included are excerpts from the film showing the February 6, 2007 downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter in the Al-Anbar district, and excerpts from a video showing a mujahid crawling under a U.S. tank to plant a bomb (originally posted on Islamist websites on March 18, 2007).

House bill introduced to require State & Treasury cooperation on Countering Terrorism Financing -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
Three members of the House Financial Services Committee, including Chairman Barney Frank, introduced a bill to improve coordination between the major players in counterterrorism financing, particularly Treasury and State. The bill (click here for the full-text) essentially requires the departments to play nicely together. The bill's aim can be summarized in one paragraph from Sec. 3 (a) starting on page 6:

OIC accuses West of anti-Muslim bias -- [Jihad Watch]
"Bias against Islam has increased since September 11, 2001 and a series of terrorist acts in Europe." No way, really? From AFP...

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

"The Noisy Offering" -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Sandy Shourds and the women of Holy Communion Lutheran Church have been sewing for our wounded soldiers in Germany for well over a year now. When I received the email above I never expected to see what I did when opening their boxes. It was a true miracle to have received this generous donation at a time when patient census is increasing and the need is so great.

New pictures from our medics -- [Soldier's Angels - Medical Support]
Just a few recent photos of some of the medics we support here at Soldier's Angels
Somtimes they look pretty serious, once in a while they have some fun.

MILITARY

The Art of the Military Love Letter -- [airforcewife - Spouse Buzz]
...It took some time, but I finally discovered our formula for the military love letter.
...Really, the military love letter is not an easy thing.
The military love letter is also not a form letter. It all depends on the people sending it and the people receiving it. For instance, if I sent my husband a letter on frilly pink stationary, he'd probably send someone to check on my mental state. And he'd hide the letter, just because - well, we don't do frilly and pink. But frilly and pink may be perfectly in character for someone else.
...So, with all that out of the way, here are a few suggestions for military love letters...

The UN and American Children In Combat -- [Strategy Page]
April 27, 2007: Fearing a media mauling, the Department of Defense has ordered that no troops younger than 18 can deploy to a combat zone. For a long time, it's been possible to enlist at age 17, and be through basic and advanced training quickly enough to hit combat before you turn 18. The UN, however, has declared teenage soldiers, or at least those under 18, to be a crime against humanity.

When a Soldier Comes Home -- [Strategy Page]
War may be hell... but home ain't exactly heaven, either.
When a soldier comes home from war, he finds it hard...

Podcast Interview with Colonel David Hunt -- [CWA-NJ Conservatives with Attitude!]
Colonel David Hunt, the military analyst for Fox News Channel, stopped by the Conservatives with Attitude! podcast studio and sat down with Richard Ross and I to discuss his new book, On the Hunt; How to Wake Up America and Win the War on Terror.
...Our podcast interview talks about winning the war on terror, Iraq, illegal immigration, Rumsfeld, Franks, Democrats, Nancy Pelosi and more.

POLITICS

Send 'em a white feather -- [Michelle Malkin]
Several readers note that legendary Marine Corps sniper Carlos Hathcock wore a white feather in his hat band. Reader M.A. says his feather will have a dual message--"symbolizing the cowardice of the surrendercrats and also serving as a reminder to Reid and company of what true grit was."

Audio: Ranger gets emotional about the war -- [Hot Air]

Well, alleged Ranger. There’s no way to prove he is who he says he is, but there’s no reason to doubt it, either.
The “traitor” rhetoric is over the top, but good stuff otherwise. Takeaway: “I will finish this job.”

Soldier Appeals For Support

Ware says: pullout would be "giving Iraq to Iran & al Qaeda"

Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware and anchor Kyra Phillips discuss their recent trip to Iraq. Towards the end, it was asked if America pulling out of Iraq would "help the situation." Neither Ware nor Phillips appear to think anything of that idea, with Ware saying pulling out would hand "Iraq to Iran and al Qaeda." (more)

THE MEDIA

A Letter to the Media -- [SgtStryker]
They days of an objective and impartial media reporting the news are long gone. Every news report we see has a slant to it. It could be right or left of the political spectrum, but our media has becoming increasingly biased. One of the most obvious examples of this slant has been the overwhelmingly negative bias towards the war in Iraq that has developed over the past few years. Stories on the war are repeatedly colored with an anti-war brush. The good work being done by our troops, the successes we have experienced, the victories won are not being reported. The media has truly gone from an objective bystander simply showing the events as they happen, to a much more editorial entity, reporting their views as truth.

When It Comes to Iraq Leadup, Media Left Flip-flops on Press Power -- [NewsBusters]
For a crowd that was very insistent that America "move on" from the issues surrounding the impeachment of Bill Clinton, you'd think the far left would give it a rest when it comes to the subject of the lead-up to the Iraq war. It doesn't take much digging to conclude that whatever false intelligence the Bushies believed, the Clintonites did as well--as did the rest of the western world.

March of the Morons -- [Jules Crittenden]
We live in a time of great moronitude. Morons, everywhere, rising from their morasses, massing and moving forward. In their multitudes, the morons march inexorably to the moronocy. The road is not easy. Some will fall by the way. Others, struggling moronically, will rise to blithering new heights of moronality.
Keith Olbermann:

HUMOR / SATIRE

Bush Suggests More Targets for Congressional Probes -- [ScrappleFace]
(2007-04-26) — White House sources say President George Bush has given Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi a list of administration officials who would make good targets for Congressional probes as part of Mr. Bush’s strategy to keep Democrats preoccupied with investigations and thus distracted from implementing their legislative agenda.

Day By Day

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

Iraq, Afghanistan, War, Terrorism, Military, Politics, Media, MilBlogs, dawn patrol

Posted by Mrs Greyhawk at 10:21 AM

Mike Yon on the Surge

In his press conference this morning, General Petraeus spotlighted one indicator of success with the new "surge" plan-- the increased presence of forces in new Combat Outposts throughout Baghdad, and the "increased operational tempo" are beginning to produce significant results, specifically, a 2/3rds reduction in sectarian murders in the city.
Desires of the Human Hearts is a two part photo essay that gives a detailed look at how Coalition soldiers are accomplishing these results.

In the face of daunting odds and clear obstacles, the soldiers from the I-4 Cavalry out of Ft Riley Kansas (some of whom are depicted in the attached photos) begin the process of transforming an abandoned but barely disturbed Christian College facility into COP Amanche, their home base for the foreseeable future. In a three day span, where they barely rest, the soldiers stay focused on their mission and do not miss any opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to returning some sense of security and normalcy to the neighborhood.

Posted by Greyhawk at 12:30 AM | Comments (1)

April 26, 2007

General Petraeus on Iraq

If you missed the live stream of General Petraeus' briefing on Iraq, there will be an encore at 1500 (3PM) eastern time.

Posted by Greyhawk at 02:29 PM | Comments (1)

20% military, 80% political

If that version of the 80/20 rule (there are others: 20% of the people do 80% of the work, 20% of the people cause 80% of the problems) it looks like the odds for getting things done favor the politicians.

It's certainly become one of Senator Harry Reid's favorite sound bites:

BASH: The phrase "the war is lost" really touched a nerve.

Do you stand by that -- that -- that comment?

REID: General Petraeus has said that only 20 percent of the war can be won militarily. He's the man on the ground there now. He said 80 percent of the war has to be won diplomatically, economically and politically. I agree with General Petraeus.
<...>
General -- General Petraeus has said the war cannot be won militarily. He said that.

That's different than saying it's lost (unless Senator Reid knows full well that the "80% political" component is going to devote it's efforts to destroying the "20% military").

But while I was already familiar with the Generals comment that you can't kill all the bad guys - some must be "reconciled"...:

GEN. PETRAEUS: With respect, again, to the -- you know, the idea of the reconcilables and the irreconcilables, this is something in which the Iraqi government obviously has the lead. It is something that they have sought to -- in some cases, to reach out. And I think, again, that any student of history recognizes that there is no military solution to a problem like that in Iraq, to the insurgency of Iraq. Military action is necessary to help improve security, for all the reasons that I stated in my remarks, but it is not sufficient.

...I wasn't certain on the origin of the specific 80-20 remark. Senator Reid seems to have used it more times in one interview than the General has in the past several months.

In fact, here's an obscure Fall, 2006 interview (Source here - hat tip: A Jacksonian) that might be the first. In discussing the (then) forthcoming Field Manual on Counterinsurgency, (Petraeus oversaw it's creation) the Interviewer prompts a discussion:

I: I wanted to get to the idea that counterinsurgency is 20-percent military, 80-percent political and sort of how that plays out.

And the General responded:

R: Well that’s a--a common feature of counter-insurgency literature and--and Doctrine and has--has been for years. But it--well it’s--it’s from David Galula’s classic book, which in fact is read by all of the students at the Command and General Staff College, where I might add we had gone from having about five-percent of the curriculum of the average Command and General Staff College student covering counter-insurgency to over 40-percent and even higher depending on the electives. But Galula’s book--a number of others all certainly and you can certainly debate whether the percentage is 20/80 or 30/70 or who knows what but--but clearly there has to be a primacy of the political aspects. At the end of the day that’s what this is about--it is about helping another nation in this case forge a sense of political community, of unity, of moving forward together and then improving in the economic realm, improving in the realm of basic services, improving in terms of--of security, of justice, and all of the other aspects that any society aspires to enjoy.

So now we have the General on record - and an earlier source. Since then the manual has been published and publicly released. Therein (page 1-22) we discover an even earlier source:

1-123. General Chang Ting-chen of Mao Zedong’s central committee once stated that revolutionary war was 80 percent political action and only 20 percent military. Such an assertion is arguable and certainly depends on the insurgency’s stage of development; it does, however, capture the fact that political factors have primacy in COIN. At the beginning of a COIN operation, military actions may appear predominant as security forces conduct operations to secure the populace and kill or capture insurgents; however, political objectives must guide the military’s approach. Commanders must, for example, consider how operations contribute to strengthening the HN government’s legitimacy and achieving U.S. political goals. This means that political and diplomatic leaders must actively participate throughout the conduct (planning, preparation, execution, and assessment) of COIN operations. The political and military aspects of insurgencies are so bound together as to be inseparable. Most insurgent approaches recognize that fact. Military actions executed without properly assessing their political effects at best result in reduced effectiveness and at worst are counterproductive. Resolving most insurgencies requires a political solution; it is thus imperative that counterinsurgent actions do not hinder achieving that political solution.

And in the notes:

para 1-123. …revolutionary war was 80 percent political action and only 20 percent military: cited in David Galula, Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice (1964; reprint New York: Praeger, 2005), 89 (hereafter cited as Galula); …he was involved with establishing special schools…: Walter Sullivan, “China’s Communists Train Political Corps to Aid Army,” The New York Times, 4 Jul 1949.

Anyhow, while that source in Communist Chinese revolutionary doctrine renders the concept no less valid (and there's nothing wrong with adopting conceptual elements of foundations of strategy that may be applicable regardless of source), it might explain both General Petraeus' reluctance to emphasize that specific point in public (I can find no other citations - perhaps others can), and Senator Reid's seizure of the concept and endless repetition thereof. And while Reid isn't citing the original author either, clearly he - or someone on his staff - is an expert to at least that level of detail on either Counterinsurgency or Revolution, or both.

But on which are they focused? Given that Reid appears to be using his part of the 80% against the General's 20, I'm afraid I know the answer.

*****

Related: If you're interested in what President Bush, General Petraeus, and Senator Reid actually have to say on military/political ops, start here.

Posted by Greyhawk at 01:20 PM | Comments (3)

April 25, 2007

Dawn Patrol

IRAQ

Not As It Appears
Redstate is currently running a post by "streiff" called AP is Popular with the Troops that claims to show an American soldier on patrol in Iraq "flipping off" the Associated Press photographer, Maya Alleruzzo.
Blackfive provides a link to the original caption that IDs the soldier as:
Staff Sgt Patrick Lockett 25, of Huntsville Alabama of Alpha Troop, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division patrols in Al Kargoulia, 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Baghdad, Iraq, Fri., April 20, 2007. The 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division is back in Iraq for the third time since rolling into Baghdad in 2003. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
On first blush, it appears to be exactly what RedState and Blackfive describe. But sometimes, even pictures can tell less than the whole story.
I got an email from Michael Yon this morning that including the following:
Bob,
You are the man for this. Maya Alleruzzo, currently a photographer for AP, is getting flack. I know Maya and she is very pro troop…

Meet the Iraqi Police in Kirkuk -- [Michael Totten - in Iraq]
KIRKUK, IRAQ – Kirkuk, like Baghdad, is one of the most dangerous places in the world. Car bombs, suicide attacks, shootings, and massacres erupt somewhere in the city every day. It is ethnically divided between Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmens, and is a lightning rod for foreign powers (namely Turkey at this time) that interfere in the city’s politics in the hopes of staving off an ethnic unraveling of their own.

Community Policing in Kirkuk -- [Moderate Risk - in Iraq]
When we got outside the truck was just pulling up and smack was about to be laid down. After a brief conversation with his officers to ascertain specifics, Iraqi Police Chief Sherzad directed that the suspect be brought out. The brief interview that followed with the young man was distinctly unsatisfactory, and Chief Sherzad slapped the young man. Michael Totten and I were stunned but not threatened. Of course we had not been running around on a motorcycle shooting up Kirkuk.

Iraqi police pay wagons -- [PJM]
How Do Iraq’s Finest Get Paid? Not exactly the way New York’s finest get paid, as Richard Miniter - on assignment for PJM in Iraq - discovered. Since so few have a bank account, Iraqi cops (and other public officials) are paid in cash - just as they were under Saddam. And they like it that way.

Car bombs, Chlorine and Al Qaeda: -- [JusticeSoldier - in Iraq]
...As a culture, the people of Iraq have never been into the whole homicide bomber thing in their history.
However, it is a part of the cause of Al Qaeda, which receives foreign terrorists flowing through Syria and into Iraq to join the “jihad” and many come willing to die as a “martyr” in this Jihad against the great satan (that’s you and me). So, the next time a network leads with another homicide car bombing in a market place in Iraq and some analyst or expert comes on the screen and goes on about a civil war - remember that a civil war would BY DEFINITION have to between Iraqi’s versus Iraqi’s only - which is not the case in Iraq.

US Troops Save A Girl In Baghdad

19, First Sergeant -- [A Soldier's Perspective]
This is from a Marine First Sergeant serving in Iraq and about to come home:
As I walk over, all I see are young Marines and a single Corporal. "Who is the convoy commander?" I asked, expecting to see a Senior Sergeant or Staff Sergeant appear from nowhere. "I am, First Sergeant", said Cpl Jansen. All of the Marines started to close in on me as if to see what they had done wrong that caused me to be looking for the convoy commander. So I asked Cpl Jansen how old he was and he replied "19, First Sergeant".

Iraq is Still Here -- [Far From Perfect - in Iraq]
Well what updates for this entry…
My truck got a new electric turret. Now my gunner doesn’t have to be a weight lifter to use it.
We are sweating pretty good, but its cold enough at night for a heater.
The internet still sucks, but if I want my own connection it’ll cost $75 a month for the same crappy connectivity.
I spent about an hour conversing with some IPs the other day. I am learning Arabic at a pretty good pace, but pronunciation and dialectic differences are a bitch. we could actually manage to speak to each other though.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq security emir killed -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces positively identified a terrorist killed in an operation April 20 northwest of Baghdad.
Muhammad Abdullah Abbas al-Issawi, also known as Abu Abd al-Sattar and Abu Akram, was a known al-Qaeda terrorist leader known to operate in Karmah and Ameriyah areas and was the al-Qaeda in Iraq Security Emir of the eastern Anbar Province.
Coalition Forces were conducting operations targeting associates of a known senior leader within al-Qaeda in Iraq. During the operation the terrorists engaged ground forces with small arms fire.

Coalition forces see progress in Diyala River Valley -- [MNF- I]
TIKRIT — Iraqi citizens informed Iraqi and Coalition forces of weapons caches and insurgents responsible for placing improvised explosive devices in Zaganiyah, Iraq, Saturday.
The 5th Iraqi Army Division and U.S. Soldiers from 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division used the information provided by Iraqi citizens that led to six

Marine Sees Improvement -- [Marine Corps News]
BAGHDADI, Iraq – (April 24, 2007) -- It was this time last year when a 24-vehicle convoy of Marines rolled into this Euphrates River town delivering logistical supplies. Marines began fortifying police stations, walking the streets to meet the more than 30,000 residents, continuing the transition process with the police in the area.

More Good News for Today -- [Butterfly Wife]
From the National Review Online, an outspoken critic seeing progress in Iraq:
. . . For the first time in over a year, [Connecticut Republican congressman Christopher] Shays saw promising signs, and he is anxious to confirm them when he returns to Iraq next month. He is encouraged by the improved security in Baghdad, the cooperation of Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar province, and the dramatically improved oil production in the north.

British forces hands over Shuaiba base to Iraqi forces -- [Iraq Updates]
Basra, 25 April 2007 (Voices of Iraq) - British forces handed over on Tuesday al-Shuaiba military base west of Basra, 550 south of Baghdad, to Iraqi forces, the media spokesman of the Iraqi army said.
"British forces handed over on Tuesday al-Shuaiba military base west of Basra, where British and Danish forces were stationing, to the 10th division of Iraqi forces," Colonel Abbas al-Tamemi told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

Attempt to smuggle weapons to armed groups foiled north of Kut -- [Iraq Updates]
An attempt to smuggle a large amount of weapons to armed groups was foiled by police forces in al-Aziziya town, north of Kut, a police source in Wassit province said on Tuesday.
"A large truck carrying amounts of weapons was seized at a checkpoint in northern Aziziya," the source, who asked not to be named, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

Iranian Units Enter Iraq -- [Iraq Slogger]
...Sawa learned of the event through “sources in the International Coalition.” Its journalists were told that an Iranian Army force asked the Iraqis to evacuate the station of Qutaiba, east of the city of Kut, and informed the Iraqi border guards that oil surveys are to begin on the site soon, “and that they should not interfere.”
Bitter border disputes have plagued the relationship between Iran and Iraq over the last decades. Iraq long maintained that areas east of Shatt al-'Arab are Iraqi territory occupied by Iran, while Iran claims territories in Iraq.

The Alternate Reality -- [Strategy Page]
...By restricting road access to one carefully monitored checkpoint, car bombers would be forced to find another base of operations, and be more likely to get caught. The wall would also keep out Shia death squads, who are expected to return once the security build up in Baghdad is over, later this year. But the way Arab politics works, the wall building got stopped when the Israeli security wall was invoked. Despite the fact that the Israeli security wall stopped terror attacks, that wall, and by association all similar walls, are considered evil.

Iraqi Report: Halting the Wall, a Sunni political party is born -- [The Fourth Rail]
The Iraq Report is back after a long hiatus. Today's Today's report includes: An update on the Adhamiya security barrier, the formation of the Iraq Awakening, Coalition ops, Iranian embassy attacked and a Diyala update

Uniting Idol -- [JusticeSoldier - in Iraq]
...While you might have seen a short story on this, I bet it didn’t lead the news nor did the stations bring in their usual band of “experts” for analysis even though this event has some significant importance. First, let’s break it all down. You have Iraq taking part in a popular westernized event (Saddam would not have allowed something he couldn’t control). A female was competing, singing on stage without a veil (Al Qaeda would have gone nuts to see this and see her showing her skin and speaking publicly). Then, the people of Iraq had the opportunity to selectively view the show on their own satellite TV (this would have carried a death penalty under Saddam). Also, people voted on the internet (death penalty under Saddam) or via cell phone text messaging (extremely hated by Saddam and would carry the death penalty). Until America freed the people of Iraq, this would not have even been possible.

AFGHANISTAN

ANA CONDUCT THEIR OWN HUMANITARIAN MISSION -- [Afghanistan JAG - in Afghanistan]
A few weeks ago I