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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.)
Breaker 1-9 This is Teddy Bear -- [Sisyphus Today... - in Iraq]
Ya, just got back from another convoy. Finally had something mildly exciting to do....if you consider driving a gun truck through Iraq mildly exciting. Driving is so much more fun than being on the radio.
#1,998: Final Extract -- [JD's Blog - Faces from the Front - in Iraq]
The Marines 'stacked up' outside the door of a brick and stucco building near Haqlaniyah, Iraq. The stack, a modern version of Greek phalanx where metal breastplates have been replaced with ceramic and Kevlar and rifles have replaced pikes and swords, is the formation of choice for Al Anbar streetfighters.
All Al-Tikriti's Men -- [The Adventures of Chester]
Social network analysis can be a powerful tool for discovering and mapping the web of relationships between a group of people. Journalists regularly perform such analysis, as do lawyers -- though they might not call it such -- noting the length of acquaintance between two people, their financial ties, how much time they spend together and so forth. Their targets are usually criminal defendants or public figures. An excerpt from this FoxNews article, of last week, U.N. Procurement Scandal: Ties to Saddam and Al Qaeda provides an example:
Ramadan -- [Medicine Soldier - in Iraq]
...It was my first time on a dismounted patrol where we walked for blocks away from the safety of our machine guns and seven-ton HMMWVs. It was not a big deal. I have complete confidence in the soldiers I work with. I was just thinking how far we are from the stereotypical Hollywood image of some kind of chiseled, rugged soldier. We are citizen soldiers, just average people doing the best we can. It is true that the insurgent cartography is a checkerboard mosaic spread out through and among the towns. We are trying to use the friendlier pockets as spheres of influence to sway public opinion on the less friendly areas.
stuff -- [LT Dave's Space - in Iraq]
The last couple of days we have been working on a safety test that shows that we know how to do our job safely atleast according to all the manuels we had to look up the questions in. 3 of my guys go over to the new FOB tomorrow and then we go later this week.
The last time we went out to the OP the IED that was placed for the military found some civilians. Its sad that it came to that for the people to want to help us stop the Insurgents that are placing IEDs on the roads.
Iraq Pictures - Sunday, October 30, 2005 -- Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
Iraqi students from the newly restored Al Aashreen Primary School, line up to receive their backpacks donated by the 6th Civil Affairs Group,2nd Battalion Attachment, 2nd Marines Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, in Kharma. Pic: Sgt. Paul S. Mancuso, USMC
Saturday, October 29th -- [Headlines and such here - in Iraq]
I don't think any Soldier's heart is filled with hate. Although, the Soldiers who lost friends and comrades to this war may be angry and hate the insurgents who refuse to engage us on the open field of battle, where they would most assuredly lose. More so I think Soldiers are filled with the desire to do their part and come home safely. Much like Soldiers from the dawn of time.
We don't measure time by the dead. We can't. -- [Peace Like A River]
This week past was a somber reminder of the cost of freedom, as the number of American deaths in Iraq has topped 2,000.
(Of that total, a little over 400 are non-combat related deaths. Also, something that isn't talked about nearly enough, over 15,000 have been wounded in Iraq, over 7,000 severely enough to require evacuation.)
As this article points out, though, it is an artifical milestone, ...
No Reason, but Hate -- [Dadmanly in Iraq]
...Every time somelike like Kevin makes this rebuttal argument, they underscore the point of "Why Iraq?"
In the geopolitical realities that faced the Bush Administration, the choices made have been entirely rational and logical. Attempts to derive ulterior motivations, while some may find them emotionally satisfying, reveal more about biases than actually realistically describe the likely points of decision since 9/11.
Friendly Fire -- [Basic Training - in Iraq]
I was outside the gym after PT this morning waiting for my buddies to come outside. About 30 feet in front of me a see a flash, which is followed by a loud bang - about what you would get from an M-80. Naturally, I flinch, and then I hear 3 bullets zip not too far over my head, so I duck and head back inside....
Loved one -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
Many enemy weapon caches have been found this week in mosques and homes. The enemy continues to attack with the usual IEDs. One of our convoys was attacked this afternoon with small arms by a small group of scumbags but we quickly overwhelmed them with firepower and made them pay for engaging us. The Marines did good and reacted accordingly to their training and made sure the scumbags knew they were attacking Marines. IDF (Indirect Fire) is ever present as both sides continue to
Passing the Torch -- [They Call Us, "Doc" - leaving Iraq]
It's a bittersweet ending, as I'm leaving a good group of Iraqi Army medics, but soon returning to my own home and family. These guys have continuously worked hard during our time together. The medics from the 101st Airborne are enthusiastic about their new found partnership and excited about continuing to build upon the foundation of medical knowledge and skills that we built, as the 278th.
October 30, 2005 -- [While Away - in Iraq]
TOOO FUNNY! We had a lockdown today due to a 'suspicious package' found outside the DFAC? What could it be? Only (Insert Name Here) 's backpack containing his running shoes and clothes! Fortunately for him he got out to the 'suspicious package' before it was blown up. ;) hahaha. It would've been funnier (for us anyway) if they had blown it up. Would've taught him to not leave his stuff lying around. I wonder if he has the same problem at home? ANYWAY..
The Scars of War -- [Training for Eternity]
Once in while I have the honor of meeting and speaking to a person who is in a different league. Today I met just such a person. I'll call him Sergeant K. He and I had a very interesting conversation. Actually I asked questions and he told stories. I say he is in a different league because he is what I wish I could be were I not a Chaplain. I would not change places with him for all the money in the world, but if life had pushed me in another direction, I would hope I had the kind of internal fortitude that I heard in his voice and saw in his eyes and felt in his hands.
Ramadan About to End, Eid About to Begin -- [An Average Iraqi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
When the fasting month, Ramadan, ends. Eid is to follow. Eid is a Muslim festival. It lasts for a few days. There are two Eids in the Hegri calendar. One is the incoming one, after Ramadhan, which lasts for three days. The other is after the pilgrimage to Mecca the holy city. Lasts for four days. First one is known as "Eid Al-Fetr", second one is known as "Eid Al-Adha". But we rarely call them those, better known as "The small Eid" and "The big Eid". Easier huh??c
some facts on iraq -- [Cat's Space - in Iraq]
Did you know that 47 countries have reestablished their embassies in
Iraq?
Did you know that the Iraqi government currently employs 1.2 million
Iraqi people?
Did you know that 3100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are
under rehabilitation, 263 schools are now under construction and 38 new
schools have been built in Iraq?
Did you know that Iraq's higher educational structure consists of 20
Universities, 46 Institutes or colleges and 4 research centers, all
currently operating?
Did you know that ...
Only in Iraq -- [jonjivan's Xanga Site - in Iraq]
The story goes: the donkey wandered straight through the entrance of the base. Since the guards are told to keep terrorists out, not donkeys, she apparently didn?t have much trouble accomplishing this
Iraqi Children -- [Our Soldier - Blue Star Mom - in Law]
David sent us this pic earlier this week. He talked about how good it makes him feel when they go through villages while on their missions and the treats he and his comrades give to the children, and how the kids look forward to our soldiers coming through their town. It helps him to know he is making a difference for them.
Kids Wish To Die Because They Don?t Want To Be Kidnapped! -- [24 Steps to Liberty -an Iraqi in Iraq]
I went to an elementary school to help in a story my friend is writing. We talked to kids about their lives and how they like school and why. After the bullshitting like ?I like to study and love my teachers? because the assistant principle in the room with us while interviewing them, I tried to drag them to say something they really feel and want to speak out. So I started to encourage them with certain questions and examples. Then, they spoke it out.
Tikrit Two-Step -- [MediaCitizen]
First Lieutenant Gregg Murphy writes from Iraq responding to my posting about his role in last Thursday?s press event with the president.
My response follows his. Others are welcome to chime in using the comment thread. But, please -- and this goes out especially to the shrill horde visiting from Michelle Malkin?s ?hyper-informed? blog -? keep the death threats to yourselves.
From First Lt Murphy: ...
A new liberal lobby emerges in Baghdad... -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
Today, Mohammed and I had the privilege to be invited to attend a conference organized by a group of civil society organizations to announce the launch of a new community under the name ?Ahd Al-Iraq? or (the oath of Iraq).
Saddam: where is the money? -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
The French press has been focusing in the past few weeks on Saddam Hussein?s villas on the French Riviera. Indeed Saddam owned two estates one in Cannes valued at over $14 million and the other one in Grasse valued at $8 million. These properties were purchased in 1982 by a Liechtenstein company, owned by a close associate of the Iraqi despot. Saddam must have liked the region that he visited along with then French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac in 1975:
Limited Security In Iraq Limits War Coverage, Journalists Say -- (Forbes)...Associated Press
Deteriorating security in Iraq has made it much more difficult to provide the news coverage Americans need to understand the war and reconstruction efforts, several journalists said Friday.
An Iraqi city becomes turnaround story -- (Christian Science Monitor)
BAQUBA, IRAQ ? Last January, Baquba was symbol of everything going wrong in Iraq - and its neighborhood of Buhritz was a symbol for everything going wrong in Baquba.
Assassins kill Iraqi vice president's brother --
(Bradenton Heral / Washington Post)...John Ward Anderson
When a white-haired man in a business suit interrupted an interview that the Iraqi vice president, Adel Abdul Mahdi, was giving to four reporters at his office in Baghdad on Sunday morning, it was clear something was wrong.
Funds Fade, Deaths Rise And Iraq Rebuilding Is Spotty -- (New York Times)...James Glanz
As the money runs out on the $30 billion American-financed reconstruction of Iraq, the officials in charge cannot say how many planned projects they will complete, and there is no clear source for hundreds of millions of dollars a year needed to operate the projects that have been finished, according to a report to Congress released yesterday
Unity Pulls Battalion Through Anxiety, Losses -- (San Francisco Chronicle)...Anna Badkhen
...Ten months of hunting down insurgents and high-stakes diplomacy -- every moment on hair-trigger alert -- has worn out the soldiers. They are weighed down by the pain of losing comrades, the constant anxiety of driving on roads rigged with explosives, and the frustration of fighting in a country where the landscape, language and culture are unlike any they have ever encountered.
Coalition Forces Disrupt Terrorist Ambush -- {DefenseLink}
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2005 ? Coalition forces foiled a terrorist ambush in an area northwest of Baghdad late Oct. 29, military officials reported today. The coordinated combat operation involved U.S. Army ground and aviation forces and close-air support from a U.S. Air Force F-15E.
At 2,000, Iraq's Military Deaths Got The Media's Full Attention -- (New York Times)...Katharine Q. Seelye
When the death toll of Americans in Iraq reached 1,000 back in September 2004, The Omaha World-Herald ran a respectful article in a single column down the right side of its front page. "A grisly milestone reached in Iraq," read the headline.
Operation Flintstone - Final Push -- [Fortunate Son - in Afghanistan]
We're hoping to raise as much as we can, as soon as we can for the purchase of medical and health supplies for the refugees currently flooding into Nangarhar province where I am stationed. We're calling it "Operation Flintstone" (because we're buying a lot of childrens nutritional supplements amongst many other things) and its got its own page. I wanted to make sure to post on the main site to remind everyone that we're trying to get a shipment out the door ASAP so that it gets here in time for winter. Please visit the link and please pledge.
HIV increasing in Afghanistan -- [Afghan Lord - an Afghani in Afghanistan]
Minister of Kabul public health minister Dr. sayed Mohammad Admin Fatemi has told to media that Health Ministry has joined the UN and the world mass mobilization on October 25th under the title of ?be united in the cause of children? and ? be united for campaign against AIDS?.
Gratuitous Afghan Photos Return XV -- [Miserable Donuts]
Winter is coming, so I thought this picture of Narjan Kala (Parwan province) would put everyone in the mood.
Back in the Stan -- [A Storm in Aghanistan - in Afghanistan]
Well, I made it back.
Apparently, from talking with the staff, they were quite determined to get the 120+ of us that were backed up waiting for Kandahar... out of there. The higher ups had started to get involved as we were holding the R&R for other Soldiers (10% rule - since it IS combat, units aren't allowed to have more than 10% of their strength on R&R). The Air Force, unable to provide C-17's due to other committments (the war, Pakistan, etc) provided two C-130s for the flight back.
The Lost AA Blogs: Special Reconnaissance -- [Where I Stand - back from Afghanistan]
The last time I was in Afghanistan the Americas Army game team asked for soldiers to submit blogs about life in the Army. I answered this call and submitted some articles. It appears that their blog project had a low priority since it took a couple of months for each article to get posted and my last three articles were never posted. So, now that they have had 18 months to post them, I will make them available here.
US units lure Taliban into losing battles -- (Christian Science Monitor)
It's mid- morning on June 21, and Lt. Timothy Jon O'Neal's platoon has just been dropped onto a dusty field north of a mud-walled village of Chalbar. Their mission: to check out reports that a local Afghan Army commander has defected to the Taliban and burned the district headquarters, and is prepared to fight.
Province's anti-poppy effort is an Afghan success story -- (The Boston Globe)
NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- Last year, this parched land grew more heroin-producing poppies than nearly any other place on earth. The windfall of profits reaped by local people -- estimated at ...
Tactical psyops stopped in Afghanistan, for now -- (Army Times)...Sean D. Naylor
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan ? The U.S. military has halted all tactical psychological operations in Afghanistan until commanders have received instruction on how to bridge what a senior general here called ?an emerging gap? between Afghanistan?s Islamic customs and what is permitted under the Geneva Conventions.
2 U.S. Soldiers Are Charged With Assaulting Afghan Prisoners -- (New York Times)...Carlotta Gall
Two American soldiers have been charged with assaulting two Afghan detainees and could face court-martial in Afghanistan, the chief United States military spokesman here, Col. Jim Yonts, said Sunday.
Arab Peace Process -- [Open Fire]
Peace loving citizens living in Iran took part in a demonstration calling for the genocide of Jews by demanding the death to the state of Israel.
North Korea Demanding More Aid -- [GI Korea Blog - in S Korea]
The aid that South Korea is giving to North Korea is now reaching the point of ridiculousness which is evident by this latest request: ..
US weighing sanctions against Uzbekistan -- (Christian Science Monitor)
Meanwhile, UN worries about uprising trial, party leader imprisoned, and BBC closes its offices.
Radical Wackos -- [Doc in the Box]
Has anyone noticed that there seems to be a worldwide movement of radical Muslims against any religion that isn?t theirs or against other Muslims that aren?t radical enough? 3 school girls beheaded? What?s image does that put out to the world.?
?Look, my religion says it?s alright to be serial killers and behead young girls
The project of the Muslim Brotherhood to conquer the world -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
According to Sylvain Besson, a Swiss investigative reporter, Swiss authorities found a fascinating document when they entered Yusuf Nada?s villa in November 2001. Nada is by the way viewed as one of the bankrollers of Al Qaeda; he is the head of the Al Taqwa Bank. The document seized entitled ?The Project? is a fourteen page leaflet dated December 1982 calling for the Muslim Brotherhood?s conquest of the world.
Something?s Rugged in Denmark -- [Neptunaus Lex]
If anyone thinks that Western Europe has not opened its eyes to the threat of militant Islam with the same degree of intensity that we ourselves have in America, they could chided and then forgiven - the question is less whether or not radical Islamists in Europe were recognized as problematical than what was to be done about them while still keeping true to foundational principals and western notions of justice.
Troops Can Eat Free of Charge on November 14 -- [Andi's World]
Kudos to Golden Corral for showing their appreciation for our troops. Nothing like a good steak. For a Golden Corral near you, click here.
CALLING ALL CITIZENS AND VETERANS OF YUCCA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA -- [Some Soldier's Mom]
SPC Timothy D. Watkins was one of the soldiers from Noah's unit killed in an IED attack in ar Ramadi on October 15, 2005. By all accounts Tim Watkins was a devoted Christian, a dedicated soldier and a good son.
...I am calling upon all available citizens, veterans and military in the area of the Calvary Baptist Church in Yucca Valley, California on Tuesday, November 1st (Phelps plans to be there from 9:00AM-10:00AM) to counter this demonstration by whatever method works for you...
She Came, She Saw, She Left -- [Andi's World]
I arrived at Walter Reed just after Cindy Sheehan had walked through the gates and entered the complex. We heard that Sheehan was going to deliver get-well cards to the troops. It must have been lonely inside of Walter Reed without cameras or reporters present, so rather than visit with the wounded and give of her time, I'm told by a source inside that Sheehan marched in, went to the ladies room and marched out. It would seem that Walter Reed was a mere potty break for the grieving mom.
What a Great Weekend -- [Gunn Nutt]
Another great FReep at Walter Reed, the end-of-season race banquet, a visit with some terrific soldiers at Malogne House, and a half a day with LCpl. Pete, USMC!
...I went with some friends to the Malogne House to deliver a few items we'd bought for the wounded warriors. We met SSG Luther Richardson who is in charge of lodging for the entire complex. He's been dealing with his own injuries and complications while looking after the housing requirements of on average 900 patients. "Rich" has a terrific "I can handle anything" attitude.
Sgt. 1st Class Smith -- [The world according to Michlos] HT: Jump Blog
Filed under: General, Military ? michlos @ 3:16 pm
The makers of America?s Army have made a video based on the incident for which Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.
?Stop Loss? -- [What is truth?
?Stop Loss? as many people know and as many don?t is a situation where if a unit is going to war, then at a certain point, in order to maintain the consistency of the training and quantity of personnel in that unit, no one is allowed to leave that unit except if they are found physically and mentally incapable of going to war. Goetz of ?All the King?s Horses? is a an example of someone who is ?Stop Lossed?. Many people who are ?Stop Lossed? are bitter about it.
DoD Lowers QDR Ambitions -- (Defense News)...Gopal Ratnam
Three months before the Pentagon presents the results of its Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), the top official responsible for the effort said the Defense Department must build a consensus within the military and among lawmakers about the future of U.S. strategy, force structure and threats.
Global Warming: A Challenge, & Scare Tactics/Bad Science From The Left! -- [GM's Corner]
Not long ago, one Mark A York infested this neighborhood, this spot on the web that I call my blog. I banned said York following some rather vulger comments, and I deleted the most offensive of his verbage. I'm amazed at how trolls feel they have the right to come into your home (so to speak) and crap on your couch. At any rate, this isn't about York as much as it is about the assertion by York that Global Warming (GW) is readily accepted by the "vast majority" of scientists, and so well documented as to be incontrovertable. York "challenged" thusly: ...
Bush Selects Alito for Supreme Court -- (Washington Post)
President Bush today named appeals court Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the U.S. Supreme Court. His record on abortion rights and church-state issues has been applauded by conservatives
When Men Will Talk About 'Feelings' -- [Holl Aho - a Soldier's Angel]
Ladies, if you are new to dating or marraige, hell....if you haven't been in a serious relationship for at least 5 years - men can be a little confusing. Some might even say contradictory at times. We've all heard that men don't like to talk about 'feelings', and yet sometimes they are happy to, and other times they run from you as if you are Typhoid Mary. So what gives? Perhaps these little guidelines will make it easier for you to know in advance which reaction you should expect.
IG May Investigate AFN Radio -- [GI Korea Blog - in S Korea]
Democrat Congressional Representatives are trying to force AFN radio to air liberal talk radio:
Democrats are demanding an investigation into defense officials?E decision to delay a liberal talk show debut on American Forces Radio last week.
"The New York Times" should be renamed "The New York Lies" -- [Warriors Voice - in Iraq]
The NewYork Times is at it again. It seems those masters of half truths and lies decided to take one or two sentences out of context from a young warriors last letter to his girlfriend . However, they did not expect to be exposed by the warriors uncle who emailed Michelle Malkin the whole letter. Here is what the New York Times wrote: ...
Now here is what Cpl Starr actually wrote:...
Friday, October 21, 2005 -- [Grassbullet's - in Iraq]
...Hmm, today I got my 4th Excellence coin since I deployed along with a certificate of achievement. Not much else happened besides the fact that I was at the PX last night until 7 O'clock. and it gets dark here at about 5. So I was scared that I'd have to walk home and miss curfew and get the life smoked outta me. But luckily the bus came and I didn't have to do all that walking...
Sunday, October 30, 2005 - Happy Birthday - [ So Far From My Home - in the Balkans]
The Fat Lady Sings -- [Making the NIA - home from Iraq]
...We boarded the plane and the flight attendant made a special announcement regarding my presence, though it would have been hard not to notice anyone boarding this small craft. The passengers erupted in applause and I was humbled.
Back from Iraq -- [Dave World - dispatched from Matt, home from Iraq]
I was walking through my local supermarket parking lot on my way to pick up some Pepsi the other day when I stopped mid-step.
Something felt odd.
The obvious answer might have been that I was in a parking lot a few blocks away from my apartment rather than a desert thousands of miles away. Another apparent answer would be that I wasn't wearing body armor, carrying an assault rifle, or getting shot at. But that couldn't explain what I was feeling.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
Sgt. D's IED Problem -- [JD's Blog - Faces from the Front]
By Sgt. Christi Prickett CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq(Sept. 28, 2005) -- Most Marines in Iraq consider themselves lucky when they walk away from one improvised explosive device attack, but two, or even three?
The Politics of Greatness -- [Training for Eternity - in Iraq]
Over the past few days there has been much in the news about the death toll in Iraq. Fox News, CNN, even AFN News are discussing and spinning the magic number 2000 to the point of nausea. Frankly, one is too many. But this is a war, after all. Blood will spill, lives will be lost, and families will mourn. It is the nature of what we do. The problem is that every news source that I have access to is focusing on our casualties. One of the results is that the American soldier is demoralized. Not because one or more of his buddies may have given their all, but because he feels like the American people do not really understand what he is doing and are therefore not truly behind them. There are two sides to every story, but the American people only seem to be getting half of it. A basic understanding of Operational Security (OPSEC) forbids me from divulging details of some of the things I've seen and heard. However, there are some things I can mention. ...
Iraqi children hold first pinewood derby -- [Peace like a River]
A co-ed International Scouting group formed this summer in Hasar held its first-ever pinewood derby Oct. 6 thanks to leaders? efforts and cars donated by families of 116th Brigade Combat Team Soldiers.
A Few New Pics -- [They Call Us, "Doc" - in Iraq]
Today, I met a very brave, young boy. He is the five year old son of an Iraqi Army soldier. His eye injury was caused by a horse and he had initially been treated by a local hospital. As of now,
Conclusion -- [Dadmanly - in Iraq]
I am no doubt down to the last few of any communiqu鳠I will generate as a soldier serving in a combat zone for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) III.
I try to craft a rhetorical conclusion, a packaging of themes that sums up my time here, our time here, military web logging (blogging), or the entire mobilization experience.
Shiites to Stay Together to Contest Ballot -- (NewsDay)
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The alliance of Shiite religious parties that swept Iraq's historic election in January has agreed to remain together to contest the Dec. 15 parliamentary ballot,
Marines take over civilian homes -- (Concord Monitor)...Antonio Castaneda, Associated Press
...The Marines call it a necessary evil -- taking over houses and buildings for military use. For the Iraqis who become unwilling hosts to the Americans, it can be anything from a mild inconvenience to a disruption that tears apart lives...
US One Step Behind 'Iraqi Phantom' -- (London Daily Telegraph)...Adrian Blomfield
Some senior Iraqi officers call him a phantom. In certain western coalition circles, he is known as Macavity, the mystery Ba'athist.
Iraqi Forces Thrust Into Major Role In Haditha -- (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)...Antonio Castaneda, Associated Press
Two months after a crash course on the basics of soldiering, hundreds of Iraqi troops have been thrown into a bitter fight here ? tasked with helping keep the peace and restore local security forces in this restive Sunni Arab city.
Americans Won't Let Democrats Lose Iraq -- (Los Angeles Times)...David Gelernter
A FEW DAYS AGO, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) made a speech urging the U.S., in effect, to get out of Iraq the way we got out of Vietnam.
US EMBASSY SPITS ON FIRST AMENDMENT IN AFGHANISTAN -- [Cao's Blog]
US State Department tried to shut down the Afghan Newspaper that called for Idema?s release. NDS and FBI agents Seize 10,000 Afghan papers from Kabul printing press before this weeks issue was released with another story about Idema and Team, including US and Afghan government documents reprinted proving Idema innocent. Karzai government issues arrest warrants for Newspaper Publisher!
Gratuitous Afghan Photos Return XIV -- [Miserable Donuts]
This is a translation of a leftover leaflet from the earliest days of the Coalition coming in to hammer the Taliban. Blunt and to the point - I rather liked it.
Osama used to hang here -- [OrlandoSentinel.com - Blog]
KANDAHAR ? It?s no wonder this is a less friendly city that most in Afghanistan. After all, it was the Taliban?s stronghold for years -- and the home of Taliban leader Mohammad Omar. And Osama bin Laden liked to hang out here, drink some chai and talk politics and religion with the guys.
UN report highlights Afghan human rights concerns -- (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Escalating violence, torture and forced child marriages are some of the rights abuses still blighting Afghanistan four years after the removal of the fundamentalist Taliban government, the United Na...
Wilma Pictures -- [Right-Wing of the Gods]
Taken outside my back window around 8:00 a.m. as the winds were at their peak. It Shows my back porch right after the ficus went down. Shortly before, the neighbor to the left of the pic had a tree land in her backyard. Unfortunately this was the only pic taken during the cane that came out decent.
Power Slowly Being Restored in Florida -- (AP)
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. - Four days after Hurricane Wilma hit, simple tasks like buying gas, cooking food and turning on the lights got a little easier Friday as power had been restored to nearly half the homes and businesses that lost it during the storm.
Cuba Accepts US Offer Of Storm Relief -- (Boston Globe)...Anne Gearan, Associated Press
Cuba has unexpectedly agreed to a quiet US offer of emergency aid following Hurricane Wilma, and three Americans will travel to Cuba to assess needs there, the State Department said yesterday.
Jenkins Appears On 60 Minutes; Provides More Evidence of North Korean Abductions -- [GI Korea Blog - in S Korea]
Former US Army deserter Charles Jenkins recently appeared on 60 Minutes and provided evidence and testimony that North Korea has abducted more than just Japanese nationals over the years: ...
Iran's "clarification" is not accepted -- [TigerHawk]
Even Russia, Iran's friend and ally, has rolled over on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's campaign to destroy Israel. The Iranian diplomatic corps is trying to repair the damage, but President Ahmadinejad will have nothing of it:
U.S. Asked To Set Deadline -- (Moscow times)...AP
A top official in a regional security group dominated by Russia and China said Thursday that it wants the United States to set a precise deadline for its withdrawal from bases in Central Asia.
New State Department Official on Bioterrorism, Threats from S.E. Asia & Latin America, and on Saudis (updated) -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
The new State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Henry Crumpton, testified today before the terrorism subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee, chaired by Rep. Ed Royce. Mr. Crumpton has a long career in counterterrorism at the CIA and recently assumed the position held by Cofer Black until late last year. Mr. Crumpton made some news in response to Congressmen's questions:
TERRORISM: INTERNET TERROR THREATS TO OMAR SHARIF -- (AKI)
Rome, 28 Oct. - Death threats to the Egyptian-born actor Omar Sharif have appeared in Islamist forums on the Internet, after Sharif's appearance as a Christian, Saint Peter, in an Italian biblical epic for television. A threatening message from user 'bachirma1' on one of the forums used by jihadi groups linked to al-Qaeda, reads:"In my view Omar Sharif is an infidel - enter here". Inside it continues; "He is a crusader who offends Islam and Muslims and is applauded by the Italian people. I give you some advice, my brothers, you should kill him."
The Valour-IT Fundraising Competition Is Coming! -- [Holly Aho - A Soldier's Angel]
Updated at the bottom...
A fundraising competition for Project Valour-IT is coming to the blogging world November 2! From Fuzzilicious Thinking - bloggers who would like to participate in this fundraising competition are encouraged to pick a team, teams divided along military branches, with civilians "up for grabs."
I will be joining the competition with my blog, and as a civilian I sat wondering which team I should add my voice to when I read this:...
Taking advantage of the hits -- [Courage without Fear]
...As aways I'm looking for stuff I can get my troops to help them do their jobs. Right now, I'm trying to come up with ideas for stuff for my Medics. If you have an idea, please post it. If you have a few bucks to donate, drop them in the Tip Jar on the right side of the page.
ABLE DANGER -- [Iraq Pictures]
NORRISTOWN - Senior Pentagon officials were warned not to let the USS Cole dock in Yemen two days before terrorists attacked the ship five years ago killing 17 sailors, according to Congressman Curt Weldon, who said the crucial intelligence was gleaned from the former secret defense operation, "Able Danger."
Fake Vigil -- [Red Hunter]
What these people claim to be doing is holding a vigil to "mark the death of the 2,000th reported U.S. military death in Iraq and to say that the country?s pro-peace majority wants Congress to stop the deaths by stopping the dollars that are funding the war."
Bush Stung As Miers Withdraws Nomination -- (My Way News)
WASHINGTON (AP) - In a striking defeat for President Bush, White House counsel Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination to the Supreme Court on Thursday after three weeks of brutal criticism from fellow conservatives. The Senate's top Republican predicted a replacement candidate within days.
Bush Appears Relaxed As Tension Mounts -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- After weeks of anxiety about possible indictments in the CIA leak investigation, President Bush showed no signs of strain Friday, smiling and joking with aides as he left to make a speech on terrorism in Norfolk, Va....
Newsview: Withdrawal Shows Bush's Weakness -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers' sudden withdrawal underscores the strength of the social conservatives who form President Bush's political base and the weakness of a president buffeted by one political misfortune after another....
Source: Rove Won't Be Indicted Today -- (AP)
WASHINGTON - Karl Rove won't be indicted Friday as prosecutors and his lawyers try to resolve questions in the CIA leak investigation, two people close to Rove told The Associated Press. The White House still braced for an indictment against another top aide. In discussions Thursday, Rove's lawyer was told by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald's office that investigators had not completed their investigation into Rove's conduct in the case and they would continue investigating, the people said, speaking only on condition of anonymity because of grand jury secrecy
Conference Report #2 -- [Adventures of Chester]
[I'm going to write a little at a time about the recent Media, Communications & Technology in the Age of the Blogger conference. So, a post here and there about it over the next few days -- with two caveats: first, I'm not a reporter and though I write a lot and interpret quite a bit, I don't report on actual events very often, so if something needs clarification or even correcting, please let me know. Second, I'm still in New York til Sunday and plan to see the City a bit with Mrs. Chester. So, I won't be doing any super long posts . . . but of course will pick up in full on Monday.]
How To Write A Military Blog -- [BlogCritics.org]
At Milblogging.com we claim to be the world's largest index of military blogs - searchable by a variety of attributes - providing an unprecedented depth of information necessary to find your favorite milblog. But we just don't allow any type of military blog to be added to our database - here's a list of rules we suggest all military bloggers live by...
Halloween Cavalcade of Horrors! -- [The Right Place]
I Know What You Did the Summer Before Last
Stars: Patrick Fitzgerald, Judith Miller, Robert Novak, Lewis Libby, Karl Rove, Joe Wilson, Valerie Plame
Spectres from the past come back to haunt those who couldn't keep a nonexistent secret and some seem sure to "get the hook."
Dems Urge Bush to Pick Reid's 2nd Court Choice -- [ScrappleFace]
In the wake of Harriet Miers' aborted Supreme Court nomination, Democrats have urged President George Bush to replace her with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's second choice for the high court.
MUC - Wednesday, October 26, 2005 -- [In Iraq for 365]
It is with great pleasure and honor that I announce that my unit ? the 139 MPAD ? received the military?s Meritorious Unit Citation award for our service in Iraq. This is the highest award given to a unit of our size. Congrats all 139 padsters. We worked our butts off and deserve the recognition!
One Year Blogiversary -- [Adventures of Chester]
This whole time, I had thought that the 27th was my blogiversary. But it looks like I was off by a few days: it was the 22nd . . . that's ok, I'll celebrate today:
Today marks one year of The Adventures of Chester.
This And A Quarter Will Buy You A Quarter -- [Camp Katrina]
Check this out: Build yourselves a cake or something, Katrina Campers; this blog celebrates hitting ten thousand page views today. That's a paltry amount for some sites, but we're proud of reaching it in such a relatively short time.
Oct. 24 -- [War, Beer, and Boots - home from Iraq]
Suppose i realized it was time to do something about what i had on this site. Just looking at this website and glancing at my previous entries while i was deleting them one by one was a reminder of alot of bad things. I am so glad to be home and completely terrified of getting called back up to "do my duty" or more of my duty I guess. Seeing video's and stories from Iraq keep a dark spot in my heart encased in glass with break in case of recall written on it.
Leave time -- [Phil and Becky - Phil coming home on R&R from Iraq]
Sorry for the light posting lately. I've been keeping busy making sure that everything was straight before I go on leave. But the time for preparing is over because tomorrow morning I will begin the hopefully quick but sometimes painful travel process home for my R&R leave break. I am one of three people on the very last group of soldiers in the battalion to go on leave. It was a long wait, but well worth it.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
WINDS OF CHANGE -- [THE MESOPOTAMIAN - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...Therefore the percentages really reflect the percentage of Sunnis in Iraq. It is interesting that in Baghdad, roughly the same proportions of Yes & No?s as the overall figures, which goes to show that Baghdad has a sectarian mix almost representative of the whole country.
Not all those who voted No are terrorist sympathizers. The terrorists would rather have people boycott the referendum.
Weekly Roll Up - Sunday, 23OCT05 -- [NEW MILBLOGGER! -Weekly Newsletters from SSG Paul Farr in Iraq]
...This has been a very busy week, which is the way we prefer it as it helps the time go by quicker. We visited the two water projects this week and I?m happy to report they are 100% complete as far as we are concerned. Now it?s up to the Mayor to hold up his end of the bargain and get the pipe netting to run to houses, as he promised. The completion of the two water projects marks an end to the bulk of our missions these past two months, overseeing every step of the projects. From the selection of the projects, to the selection of the contractors, to checking on the projects weekly to ensure the terms of the contracts were being met, we are proud of the work done.
On Tragedy and Round Numbers -- [Neptunus Lex]
Two thousand American soldiers, Sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen have now given their lives fighting in Iraq ? whether that number encompasses only combat deaths or deaths by mischance or accident is immaterial: They went there to fight for their country and as a result of that service they died. Now we mourn them.
Democratic Revolutions Slow, Painfully Incremental Miracles -- [Strategy Page]
The Iraqi constitution -- now ratified by the Iraqi people -- is another signal that the democratic revolts of 2004 and 2005 won't be defeated by murderous tyrants and autocrats.
Al Qaeda Losing Sunni Arab Support [Strategy Page]
October 26, 2005: The new constitution was approved by 78 percent of the ten million Iraqis who voted. It took nearly two weeks to count all the votes. Most of the 22 percent who rejected it were Sunni Arabs, who turned out in large numbers. The Sunni Arabs indicate that they will turn out in large numbers again in December for the parliamentary elections.
Press Release for recent Humanitarian Mission -- [Courage without Fear - in Iraq]
Helping Hands 1 (Humanitarian/Medical Civilian Assistance Program Mission)
On September 28, 2005, HHC 126 Armor went to a small Iraqi community to perform a Humanitarian and Medical Civilian Assistance Program mission. Upon arrival to the community, we established security and set out all the items we brought. Our two medics,...
Iraq Pictures - Thursday, October 27, 2005 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq](pic)
A Task Force Baghdad Soldier examines a crater caused by one of three car bombs near hotels in central Baghdad
What was it really like? -- [NEW MILBLOGGER! greenzone - just home from Iraq]
Surprising number of people are asking "What was it really like being in Iraq? Are we getting the right story in the news that we watch?"
Good question, because I asked myself the same thing while I was in Iraq. I would sit in the briefings in the mornings at the Strategic Operations Center and then listen to the Headline News later in the day. Not always the same story. What the coalition forces accomplish on a daily basis is not being reported. What the insurgents and criminals perpetuate seems to always be highlighted.
Backscatter -- [365 an a Wake Up - in Iraq]
...Despite the visual enhancement driving in blackout remains a pulse quickening ordeal. To get a flavor of just how difficult the process really is grab a toilet paper tube, and lash it to your eye. Then tape your other lid shut and get behind the wheel. You will quickly get a sense of just how challenging night driving can really be. And that isn?t even taking into account craters large enough to swallow a HMMWV, the specter of newly emplaced IEDs, and the throat clogging clouds of dust.
Following Saddam's... -- [Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Ahmadinejad warns Israel and the Muslim and Arab countries from the fire of the Islamic nation: ...
Cats can burn also -- [Kurdistan Bloggers Union - an Iraqi in Iraq]
?Since our village is a big village with 200 houses, a security station is established in it. It was the middle of June in 1993. Since it was very hot in the summer, my father and brothers were on the roof. Suddenly there was an explosion. At first we couldn?t understand what was happening. People were running forth and back. We were looking out from the window. Somebody on the street told us to go inside. The soldiers were shooting towards the village. We didn?t know where my father was. My mother heard that somebody yelling that my uncle was shot. I suppose my father must have gone to look for him. Till the morning we stayed under the bed. The shooting continued. In the morning the soldiers brought us all in the village yard. It was there that my mother saw my father?s corpse.
Getting ready to go -- [MREater - in Iraq]
The greeting in vogue right now is ?How long you got left?? Soldiers see others in the chow hall, or the restroom, and that question always gets asked, and the answer is always served with a smile. I heard one soldier reply, ?I?m a one-digit midget.?
The new guys, although they haven?t formally taken authority, are not shy about taking over. They?ve been painting over unit signs and vehicle numbers, rearranging offices, and generally taking charge.
'We don't need al-Qaeda' (Mail Guardian South Africa)...Ghaith Abdul-Ahad
Abu Theeb is a tall, handsome, well-built man with a thin beard and thick eyebrows. His name is a nom de guerre: it means Father of the Wolf. He is a farmer during daylight and a commander of a mujahedin cell, a group of holy warriors, at night. He and his men roam the farmland north of Baghdad in search of prey -- a United States armoured Humvee, perhaps, or an Iraqi army unit.
Shi'ite and Sunni lines drawn for Iraq vote -- (Reuters)
BAGHDAD - Members of Iraq's ruling Shi'ite-led coalition patched up their differences on Thursday, a day before a deadline to register for December 15 polls where they face a challenge from a new Sunni bloc as well as old rivals
U.N.: 2,000 Cos. Gave Iraq Illicit Funds -- (AP)
UNITED NATIONS -- More than 2,000 companies paid about $1.8 billion in illicit kickbacks and surcharges to Saddam Hussein's government through extensive manipulation of the U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq, according to key findings of a U.N.-backed investigation obtained by The Associated Press
Gratuitous Afghan Photos Return XIII -- [Miserable Donuts]
This fellow is moving toward downtown, along the main east-west road in the city of Charikar, Parwan Province. (pic)
Afghanistan welcomes extradition of rebels -- (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)-- Afghan officials Thursday welcomed the extradition of 14 suspected Taliban members from Pakistan, saying they hoped the move would hail a new era of cooperation between the neighbors.
Wet Behind the Ears -- [Camp Katrina]
PVT Andrew Standley, who serves with the 1-186th Inf. in the Oregon National Guard, writes Camp Katrina to tell us about a muddy experience he had in Opelousas, Louisiana while there for hurricane relief efforts:
New Katrina relief plan may involve no new funds -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON - The White House is considering a plan to fund the next phase of the hurricane recovery by dipping into existing disaster relief funds to pay for projects like road and bridge rebuilding, congressional sources said on Wednesday
Gov. Bush Takes Blame for Slow Wilma Aid -- (ap)
Gov. Jeb Bush took the blame Wednesday for frustrating delays at centers distributing supplies to victims of Hurricane Wilma, saying criticism of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was misdirected.
Wilma-ravaged Floridians scramble for ice, gasoline -- (Reuters)
Floridians took cold showers and lined up for gas, water, ice and money on Wednesday as power crews worked to restore electricity to 5 million people two days after Hurricane Wilma hit Florida's most populous region, killing 10 people.
With most traffic lights out and residents complaining of long lines for emergency water and ice, gasoline and groceries, life for many from Miami to West Palm Beach was a tedious wait for basics.
Behind the Scenes of the Relief Effort -- [FirePower Forward - from Afghanistan to Pakistan]
Well, I haven?t been forward in a few days. Sometimes I wonder how it is that I have found my way into the forefront so many high profile situations when it is the traditional lot of us logisticians to make camp in the rear echelons. For the past few days I have been working at the airfield where all the helicopters performing the relief missions are staged and it is taking on more and more of the flavor of what I imagined the Allied airfields in England to be during WWII.
U.N. Nearly Doubles Quake Donations Target -- (The Guardian)
GENEVA (AP) - The United Nations on Wednesday raised its appeal for donations for victims of the South Asia earthquake to $550 million ahead of a donors conference, the world body's top humanitarian...
In southern Sudan a woman's value is measured in cows, not education. -- [Kevin Sites in Africa]
She attends school every day. Her teacher says she has the best attendance of anyone in the class. It's a promising start for Rebecca Achol, who says she wants to be a medical doctor. The problem is, she is a 40-year-old widow, a mother of four and illiterate.
Israel Wants Iran Expelled From U.N. -- (AP)
JERUSALEM - Israel's vice prime minister said Iran should be expelled from the United Nations after its new president said Israel should be "wiped off the map," and Britain summoned an Iranian diplomat Thursday to protest the remarks. Italy on Thursday also condemned the words of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, telling the Iranian ambassador the comments were "unacceptable" and that they confirm worries over the political positions - and nuclear intentions - of Iran's new leadership.
Al Qaeda Takes Credit For Hotel Bombing - Ahmadinejad: "Wipe Israel Out!" - 278th RCT to Redeploy - -- [NEW MILBLOGGER! - Daily Intel Briefing]
From Laura Mansfield Stategic Translations:
The following is a translation of the statement of responsibility issued by Al Qaeda for the attack on the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad.
A copy of the video is on the website at...
Good Times for Terrorists -- [Strategy Page]
October 27, 2005: The government will try to increase it's militia of Islamic conservative gunmen (the Basij) to over a million men, with the formation of 2,000 battalions. They may not be able to get that many volunteers, but it certainly shows the government is willing to fight to maintain power. The Islamic conservatives believe they have the moderates and reformers (who comprise, according to opinion and election polls, some 80 percent of the population) on the run.
TERRORISM: MEMBER OF Al-QAEDA IN INDIA TO HIT AMERICAN INTERESTS -- (AKI)
Mumbai, 27 Oct. - Indian security forces are hunting down a terrorist linked to the al-Qaeda network, who may have succeeded in entering the country with the aim of targeting American interests in India. Behind the recent alarm issued to the US consolates and cultural centres in major Indian cities, is the figure of Mohammed Majoodi, according to national inteliigence sources cited in the national daily, 'Times of India'. Majoodi is an Islamist expert in car-bombs who until now has been based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Video That SHOULD Be On TV -- [Holly Aho - a Soldir's Angel]
As an update to this post of mine, I am taking it one step further than complaint over what is...I'm showing how it should be. I'm saddened to say that this is how some Americans think it is. And while that group may believe they speak for all - others have been saying it differently and more eloquently. These are the videos that should be played on t.v., for these are the voices that are relevant no matter the current events....
"We need to make it our jobs to defend them here as they defend us there" -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Email from a Soldier?s Spouse to Soldiers' Angel Cherise:
Morning!
Something happened today that I just had to share with you that really, how should I say, ripped me off, I'm being gentle. I saw some Anti-War protesters today along the street, they were quite peaceful, at least until I parked my truck. I soon felt like a target for their anti-war opinions; which I did listen to. I listen to anything whether I agree with it or not.
A 40th Anniversary for 1st Cav Vietnam Vets: We Shall Remember -- [The Patriette - a Blue Star Wife - Iraq]
[As a sidenote: The author of the article below, Joseph L. Galloway, is the co-author of "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young," which he co-wrote with Lt. Gen. (ret.) Hal Moore.]
Letter to my wife: -- [Iraq War News]
Dear Dawn,
A friend of mine went to visit you last week. I met this friend when I first arrived here in Iraq. I am a soldier, as you know, fighting to free this country from a horrible regime. I have seen many terrible things in my short time here. Many people are homeless and poor. They live in fear and poverty, struggling for a better way of life.
More Plame Speculation -- [Balloon Juice]
Via the comments in a previous post, this tidbit: Prosecutors investigating the leak of a CIA agents identity returned their attention to powerful White House advisor Karl Rove on Tuesday, questioning a former West Wing colleague about
Stop The ACLU Interviews Alan Sears, President of the Alliance Defense Fund -- [Stop The ACLU]
First of all, I want to thank you on behalf of Stop The ACLU, all of our contributors, and supporters. It is an honor to have this interview with you. We appreciate the Alliance Defense Fund does for America by fighting the ACLU, and protecting life, and liberty.
Miers Withdraws -- (FOX News)
Supreme Court nominee ends her bid for benchPresident Bush 'reluctantly' accepts Harriet Miers' resignation amid questions from both right and left.
Danforth Criticizes Christian Sway in GOP -- (AP)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Former Sen. John Danforth said Wednesday that the political influence of evangelical Christians is hurting the Republican Party and dividing the country....
Democrats Try to Protect Hurricane Voters -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- Concerned that political operatives may try to manipulate the battered Gulf region's voting process in upcoming elections, House Democrats on Wednesday asked the Justice Department to vigilantly defend the rights of people displaced by recent hurricanes....
Newsview: Bush Following Well-Worn Path -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- Amid White House anxiety over the CIA leak investigation, President Bush is heading down a path well worn by other modern second-term presidents embroiled in scandals. He's avoiding confronting the unpleasantness publicly, contending he's too busy doing "my job."...
Gee thanks for the compliment, I think ... -- [IraqPundit - an Iraqi in London]
The New York Times editorial today gives Iraqis a back-handed compliment. The newspaper's editorials have often fantasized about a civil war and what an unnatural country Iraq is, because the writer argued, we are people who have nothing in common but are forced to live together within arbitrary borders.
...The writer's admiration for us is quickly replaced by the writer's contempt for Iraqis.
Proof The Media Sucks -- [A Soldier's Perspective]
Are network reporters giving the public an inordinately gloomy portrait of the situation, as some critics charge? Are the positive accomplishments of U.S. soldiers and Iraq?s new democratic leaders being lost in a news agenda dominated by assassinations, car bombings and casualty reports?
MSM Makeover: Condi Rice -- [California Conservative]
This morning, Michelle Malkin points out the following circumstances regarding a recent photo in USA Today.
Blogs provide connection for military families -- (Northern Lights)
...After learning of Bohling?s death, Jennings spent several days searching the Internet for information about him. That?s how she came across the Web log of Some Soldier?s Mom. Soldier?s Mom had attended the memorial honoring Bohling at his home base in Georgia and had described the experience on her blog.
School Orders Students to Remove Blogs -- (AP)
NEWARK, N.J. - A Roman Catholic high school has ordered its students to remove personal blogs from the Internet in the name of protecting them from cyberpredators. Students at Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta appear to be heeding a directive from the principal, the Rev. Kieran McHugh, to remove personal postings about the school or themselves from Web sites like myspace.com or xanga.com, even if they were posted from the students' home computers.
Fitzgerald: Who Leaked Google Classified Ad Service? -- [ScrappleFace]
In an effort to produce "some kind of result" after two years of investigating who leaked the name of CIA operative Valerie Wilson, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald today announced formation of a new grand jury to probe who leaked Google's classified ad service.
Happy Birthday, My Dearest Husband -- [Some Soldier's Mom] Editor's note: We keeping you close to our hearts here in Germany
Happy Birthday, DH!!
Happy Birthday to the man who makes my life so good. I can not remember a day in my life that I didn't love him (time started the day I met him) and I can't imagine a day in my life that I won't. The best part of my day is falling asleep next to him and the best part of my day is waking next to him... and all the hours in between.
Free at Last!!! - [Lost in Iraq - home from Iraq]
I don't know what to say... I can't believe we're home! It was amazing pulling in to the armory Thursday night. Talk about a hero's welcome!
Fully home? -- [NEW MILBLOGGER! - greenzone - home from Iraq]
Before heading to Iraq, I was resonsible for providing briefings to returning soldiers at Ft. Drum, NY. As these soldiers returned from their deployment, I helped greet them at the airport, offer prayers, encouragement and presence. I have provided reunion briefings for returning soldiers for so many times, I have the briefing memorized.
Hot off the Sunday presses -- [Ryan and Christy's place - Ryan's home from Iraq]
Hey all,
I am back in the states in Camp Shelby, Miss., and it feels so great to be back in the United States. So many exciting things to come in the next week, and I just can't wait to get home to Tenn. to be with Christy and the rest of my family. I appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers so very much. I'll make another longer more detailed post later. Take care all!
.... here is my latest from the Chattanooga Times Free Press, which ran last Sunday. There should be two more stories about coming home and our overall mission coming out soon as well. :
Elections mark final mission for 278th unit
Hugs welcome Tennessee troops -- (Tennessean.com)
CAMP SHELBY, Miss. ? Star Smith of Ashland City heard the diesel growl of the sleek chartered buses before they rolled into view.
"Here they come," she said.
Sure enough, her ears did not deceive. In a moment, the dark-tinted windows of the first bus appeared at the crest of a hill leading onto this National Guard camp deep in the piney woods of southern Mississippi.
Voice of Jolly Green Giant dies -- (Washington Times)
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) -- Elmer "Len" Dresslar Jr., who extolled vegetables to generations of TV watchers as the booming voice of the Jolly Green Giant, has died. He was 80.
Mr. Dresslar died Oct. 16 of cancer, said daughter Teri Bennett.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE -- [AMERICAN CITIZEN SOLDIER]
Is Iraq the central front in the war on terror, or an unnecessary distraction? The answer would likely depend on who you ask, so let us start with the enemy himself.
Why did al Qaeda target media's hotel? -- [Winds of Change - Donald Sensing]
As the news media have almost endlessly repeated, yesterday there was a fairly sophisticated attack of three al Qaeda bombers in or near Firdos Square, Baghdad. This was the square where US Marines pulled down a statue of Saddam Hussein on April 9, 2003 (here and here and here).
Ducks in a row Pt.1 -- [Salemonz News Service - in Iraq]
...What was a little sketchy on the safety factor was the soft-top Humvee I had been assigned. Actually, I had volunteered to ride in it, since everyone was chicken. While our up-armored Humvees boast all-around armor plating, this poor thing had make-shift armored doors slapped on the sides. The roof was cloth and had a big, gaping hole cut in the middle for roof access. The guys looked at it with nervous eyes.
Warms the Heart -- [They Call Us, "Doc"]
This is Duniya (pronounced: doo-nee-yah). Duniya is the 10 year old daughter of an Iraqi Army officer and was injured in a car accident over 7 years ago in which she fractured her spine. She lost the use of her legs, but has more than made up for it with the huge amount of love in her heart.
TASK FORCE BAGHDAD SOLDIERS UNCOVER WEAPONS CACHE -- {CENTCOM}
TAJI, Iraq -- Task Force Baghdad Soldiers discovered a weapons cache while conducting combat operations north of Baghdad Oct. 24.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 13th Armored Regiment attached to 70th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division excavated more than 120 mortar rounds, 49 tank and artillery rounds, eight cases of small-arms ammunition, dozens of rockets, three boxes of mortar fuses, a rocket-propelled grenade warhead and two anti-aircraft gun barrels.
Accident Brings U.S. Toll in Iraq to 2,001 -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. soldier died in a vehicle accident in southern Iraq, the U.S. military announced Wednesday, bringing the number of American servicemembers killed in the war to 2,001. The soldier died Tuesday, the same day the U.S. death toll reached the somber milestone of 2,000. Some Iraqis sympathized with U.S. forces. But others noted that many more Iraqis had died in the conflict and said they hope the U.S. "occupiers" will soon go home.
Iraqis React Differently to Military Death Toll -- (FOX News)
BAGHDAD, Iraq ? Some Iraqis sympathized with U.S. forces on Wednesday after hearing the American death toll in the Iraq war had reached 2,000. But others noted that many more Iraqis had died in the conflict and said they hope the U.S. "occupiers" will soon go home.
Iraqi Sunni parties form coalition for polls -- (Reuters)
BAGHDAD - Three Sunni Arab parties announced on Wednesday they have formed a coalition to run in Iraq's parliamentary elections in December.
Analysts Warn of Effects of Iraq Civil War -- (AP)
AMMAN, Jordan -- Any all-out civil war in Iraq could shake the political foundations of places beyond that stricken land, sending streams of refugees across Iraqi borders, tempting neighbors to intervene, and renewing the half-buried old conflict of Sunni and Shiite in the Muslim world, Middle East analysts say....
Iraq war forces Western military rethink -- (NZ Herald)
LONDON - Western military powers are being forced to rethink strategy because conflict in Iraq has shown the limits of their conventional armies, said t...
Government performances report -- [Afghan Lord - an Afghani in Afghanistan]
Afghanistan Government is going to release a report on performance of the past one year. This report would cover the performances of all ministries and independent departments which launched over the past one year.
Gratuitous Afghan Photos Return XII -- [Miserable Donuts]
At the Charikar Orphanage. These gentlement were in charge of the instruction the children received - education both secular and religious. Note the...
Militants attack Kabul, killing eight -- (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Militants killed six civilians in a botched ambush on a U.S. troop convoy south of Kabul, officials said Tuesday, while to the east, attackers gunned down two senior police offic...
Afghan leader extends aid to Pakistan -- (Taipei Times)
NEIGHBORS: Hamid Karzai arrived in Islamabad, bringing medical officials and supplies with him, even as strong aftershocks struck the area, leaving five dead in Afghanistan
7,000 Koreans Protest Leftist Anti-American Hate Groups -- [GI Korea Blog - in S Korea]
7,000 people from Korean conservative groups showed up in force at City Hall to voice their opinions against the leftist hate groups in Korea that are slowly eroding the US-ROK alliance: ...
In The News: UN council endorses start of Kosovo status talks -- [....one missionary in Kosovo - in Kosovo]
Big stuff today from most of the major media outlets. The UN has endorsed moving ahead with final status talks for Kosovo. As you know, Kosova is still legally part of ?the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.? It may not be for much longer, however.
"SEASON'S GREETINGS" -- [So Far From Home - in Kosovo]
This morning everyone in our Task Force was given an opportunity to make a holiday greeting video that will be shown back home by our respective local television stations. Given that, SGT. Stubbs and I went up to the DFAC and created a video. The funny thing is that after doing it, I haven't the slightest idea what I said. I just hope it sounds good.
North vs. South -- [Kevin Sites in Africa]
Sudan's long, bloody civil war may be over, but "former" rebels in the south say they still don't trust Arabs in the north.
...Some have uniforms, a mix of camouflage from any number of world armies. Others are just wearing street clothes: sports jerseys or t-shirts with the images of American rap stars. Some tote battered AK-47 assault rifles while others carry sticks.
Iran Leader Calls for Israel's Destruction -- (AP)
TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's hard-line president called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" and said a new wave of Palestinian attacks will destroy the Jewish state, state-run media reported Wednesday. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also denounced attempts to recognize Israel or normalize relations with it.
U.S. Agrees to Move Okinawa Air Station -- (AP)
TOKYO -- The United States accepted a Japanese proposal for the relocation of a U.S. air station on Okinawa on Wednesday, resolving a dispute that had blocked progress on military realignment talks and caused friction between the two allies....
EXCLUSIVE: LTC Perry Interview from Lake Charles, LA -- [Hooah Wife - husband in LA]HT: Camp Katrina
Q. Chevy: Having been to Lake Charles' casinos on several Sunday trips, I'm wondering how they've fared? Are they open for business?
UN Still Struggling With Comprehensive Anti Terrorism Convention -- [The Counterterrorism Blog]
The behind the scenes negotiations at the United Nations on a new comprehensive anti-terrorism convention are coming to a close with little result. The working group set up by the General Assembly?s Sixth (Legal) Committee October 3rd to hammer out continuing differences submitted its report on October 21st. Unable to develop new recommendations it referred bracketed texts to the Sixth Committee for further last ditch consultations in the hope that some compromises might be reached.
Four Arabs Convicted in German Plot -- (AP)
DUESSELDORF, Germany -- A court Wednesday convicted four Arab men of plotting to attack Jewish targets in Germany and found three of them guilty of being members of a terrorist organization....
Supporting Your Troops -- [FrontPageMagazine.com - Allan Wall]
Do you support the troops?
Doesn't everybody?
Both supporters and opponents of the war are quick to inform us that ?I support the troops.?
Great. The next question is, ?How do you support the troops??
Pearl Harbor - Of Horror and Heroes -- [Iraq war news]
When I found out I was coming to Hawaii, the first thing I wanted to do - the only thing I saw as a must, really - was a visit to Pearl Harbor. It was a very solemn experience, and I shed more than a few tears. It's hard not to.
I wanted to make the trip to honor those who fell here. I'm glad that I did.
The Big 2K: The Coming Media Myth -- [Mind in the Qatar - in Qatar]
Get ready for the big news...that isn't necessarily true....
The MSM is starting to gear up (and the anti-war left has been ready for a while) to present us with the story of "the milestone of 2,000 U.S. military deaths in Iraq".
Unfortunately, this story is bogus for a few different reasons. Please keep in mind I am military, and none of that which follows is to make light of any of the deaths not matter what column they fall into, but rather to point out that those that make hay about this milestone, and actually celebrating it to further their own cause.
Light up the sky like a plame, Plame! -- (Peace like a River)
Stephen Hayes is a model of what a journalist should be. He has done tremendous work at the Weekly Standard documenting the relationships between Saddam Hussein's Iraq and Al Qaeda. (Yes, those who read only the MSM will be stunned to learn there were relationships between the two.)
CIA leak charges set to be handed out -- (Finacial Times)
Indictments in the CIA leak investigation case are expected to be handed down by a grand jury on Wednesday, bringing to a head a criminal inquiry that threatens to disrupt seriously President George W. Bush's second term.
Newsview: Cheney Again at Center of Drama -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- It should surprise nobody that Vice President Dick Cheney is at the center of another firestorm. He's got his hands in just about everything at the White House....
Miers Isolated From Social Turmoil As Teen -- (AP)
DALLAS -- Harriet Miers spent her teens in an all-white high school far removed from the racial and social upheaval of the early 1960s, consumed instead with academics, tennis and even a stint as the school newspaper's assistant sports editor....
Negotiators on Torture Bill Feeling Heat -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- Congressional negotiators are feeling heat from the White House and constituents as they consider whether to back a Senate-approved ban on torturing detainees in U.S. custody or weaken the prohibition, as the White House prefers....
Sheehan: Oppose Clinton if She Backs War -- (AP)
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Cindy Sheehan, who became the face of anti-war sentiment after her son died in Iraq, urged foes of the war to thwart Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's political aspirations unless the New York Democrat opposes the conflict....
In some ways, I'm a War Correspondent. -- [Dadmanly - in Iraq]
Not that that's what I set out to be, but that's in effect what role I've taken on, trying to communicate sense and sensibility from the middle of a combat zone.
Sablogs Forums - 24/7 Advice, Stories and Help! -- [Holly Aho - A Soldier's Angel]
Ok, if you didn't make it all the way to the bottom of my last post, then you missed out on the news that I installed a forum on sablogs.com. I did it for tutorial purposes, but then decided it might be fun to keep it and actually use it. So, it's staying. You can find the forum here: SAHA Forums.
Dean: Celebrate 2,000th Iraq Death with Dignity -- [ScrappleFace]
Democrat National Committee Chairman Howard Dean urged party members to "restrain their joy" during nationwide celebrations of the 2,000th American fatality of the Iraq war, "out of respect for the untold thousands who have been killed by our troops."
Almost home! -- [Ryan and Christy's Place - Ryan coming home from Iraq]
Ryan's safe at Camp Shelby, Miss.! After a looooonnngggg flight, he's there, safe, back on U.S. soil, on the next-to-last leg of this long journey. I'm beyond words at this point. More to come later!!!!!
278th lands in Gulfport from Iraq -- (The Daily News Journal)
The first wave of the 278th Regimental Combat Team ? the largest of Tennessee's Army National Guard units to serve in Iraq ? returned to Gulfport, Miss., Monday.
An estimated 150 soldiers landed at Gulfport's Air National Guard Field on a chartered commercial airliner shortly after noon Monday, ending more than a year's deployment in the Iraqi war theater.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
D鮯uement -- [RaMrOd's Blog - in Iraq]
How does one sum up a year of such a unique experience filled with such wide extremes of emotions and events? The friendships made, the bonds forged, unlike any other. The relationship formed on the battle field is unlike anything else in the world. From the camaraderie of the old and young, to the diverse races of the world coming together for a common cause, for the liberty and freedom for Americans and Iraqis both.
THE SPIRIT & THE SWORD -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
...The enemy knows he can?t beat the Coalition forces here in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, he will try to beat you back in the states; Scare tactics, threats and bad propaganda are just some of his tools. You have to respect the threats but squash the bad propaganda. Im tired of being nice, I don?t have to be nice, as a matter of fact Im getting to like being mean. Its about damn time you get a big ass belly full of anti American press and put your foot down.
Iraqi Pictures - Saturday, October 22, 2005 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
CPT Daniel Hall comforts an Iraqi boy after a suicide bomber attack that killed 33 and injured 50 Iraqis in Tal Afar. Iraqi army security forces with assistance from the Army 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and 82nd Airborne are providing security for the region of Tal Afar in order to disrupt insurgent safe havens and to clear weapons cache sights in the area of operation.
ahem?! -- [It's a living... sorta - in Iraq]
To all those out there (mostly liberals) who said that the Iraqis would never be able to handle democracy and that we were wasting our time and the lives of brave Americans in a pointless war, I have a question for you.
Tikrit, Iraq -- [They Call Us, "Doc" - in Iraq]
Here, I'm standing just across the Tigris river from one of Saddam's many palaces within his hometown of Tikrit. The palace compounds there are scheduled to be turned back over from Coalition Forces to the Iraqi people, where their government headquarters will be located.
Surprise, surprise -- [MREeater - in Iraq]
The crew was emptying our green plastic dumpsters into the garbage truck today, and one of the workers reached in, lifted out a clear bag of trash, and dumped out the contents. He reached down, picked up a CD jewel case, inspected it, and threw it back in.
A Tale of Two Miqdadiyahs --The Fourth Rail
Miqdadiyah, a city located northeast of Baghdad in Diyala province with a population of 100,000, has quietly made the news over the past month. Iraqi troops recently arrested Ayub Ali, “who is believed to be responsible for a two-year campaign...
Iraqi Sunsets -- [jonjivan - in Iraq]
... Are freakin' sweet (pics),(pics),(pics)
Well good morning to you too -- [Salemonz News Service - in Iraq]
After finally finding my pace, there was this boom that happened off beyond the fence. Then this sort of whine ? like a police siren spinning down. Just hearing that, I thought a police car outside the gate had just been hit with an IED. Strange that the police siren hadn?t been going off before it was hit.
Then there was a louder boom to my left.
Iraqis approve new constitution -- (BBC News)
Electoral commission officials insisted the vote was clear of fraud
Iraq's new constitution has been approved, according to official results from the nationwide referendum held earlier this month.
Opponents of the constitution needed two-thirds of voters in three provinces to reject the document, and seriously delay the political process in Iraq.
3 Bombers Strike At Baghdad Hotels -- (New York Times)...Kirk Semple
A suicide bomber on Monday drove a cement mixer packed with explosives into the front courtyard of two prominent Baghdad hotels popular with foreigners, but failed to destroy his apparent targets when the vehicle became snagged in barbed wire as it headed for the main entrances.
Trial, tribalism . . . and momentum -- (Washington Times)
A Sunni grandmother watched the first day of Saddam Hussein's trial on television and scoffed that he should be charged at all. "I felt sorry," she told The Washington Post, "I almost cried. Every country in the world has terrorism. All the presidents in this region torture their people. Why, of all the countries, do they come after us?"
Poll shows Iraqis back attacks on UK, US forces -- (Reuters)
LONDON - Forty-five percent of Iraqis believe attacks on U.S. and British troops are justified, according to a secret poll said to have been commissioned by British defense leaders and cited by The Sunday Telegraph.
Less than 1 percent of those polled believed that the forces were responsible for any improvement in security, according to poll figures.
Burning Taliban Corpses and the Customary Law of War -- [Intel Dump - Dave Glazier]
Jon?s ?defense counsel? view of the current Afghan cremation furor (immediately below) has generated tremendous commentary about our military?s values, but curiously misses some of the core legal issues. First, as Charles Gittings notes in one of the comments, it selectively quotes from the full language of the relevant Geneva provision, article 17 of Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field. The full text of that article includes requirements for honorable interment ?if possible? according to the deceased?s religion, and where cremation does take place, the ashes must be collected and preserved for turnover to the home authorities. Only the most hardened cynic or one totally ignorant of Islamic culture could argue that incompletely burning a Muslim?s corpse and then using it for PSYOPS purposes could comply with these requirements.
Two senior officials killed in Afghanistan -- [Afghan Lord - an Afghani in Afghanistan]
Two days before, bombs planted by suspected Taliban rebels killed a top policeman and a senior intelligence officer in Afghanistan.
The police director of southwestern Nimrooz province and a guard were killed later Thursday when a remotely denoted car bomb tore through their vehicle as they were going to evening prayers, as interior ministry spokesman said
Operation Pil Targets Taliban In Kunar Province -- (MIdeast Stars and Stripes)...Steve Mraz
...Two Marines were hit with shrapnel and a third suffered a gunshot wound to the arm. The incident was one of roughly 12 engagements during Operation Pil, a seven day, battalion-reinforced operation aimed at disrupting enemy activities and sanctuaries in Afghanistan?s volatile Kunar province. In recent weeks, U.S. troops have come under fire and been subject to roadside bombs in Kunar province.
Women Perform Unexpectedly Well In Afghan Polls -- (London Financial Times)...Jo Johnson
Women fared unexpectedly well in Afghanistan's first parliamentary elections since 1969, but will be heavily outnumbered in an assembly dominated by warlords, druglords and socially conservative religious leaders.
U.S. Extradites Accused Drug Dealer From Afghanistan -- (Washington Post)...Associated Press
A Taliban-linked man who allegedly sought to poison U.S. streets with millions of dollars of heroin in a deadly "American jihad" has become the first person extradited from Afghanistan to face federal charges, officials said Monday.
Violations raise ire against US soldiers -- (Taipei Times)
INCENSED: TV footage of US troops burning the bodies of Taliban militants has enraged Muslims and ordinary Afghanistanis alike, causing talk of a `jihad' to surface
On Break From the War -- [Firepower Forward - from Afghanistan to Pakistan] (pics)(pics)(pics)
As far as an emotional impact, yesterday has to stand as the most significant of the deployment to date.
Monday night Craig and I received a warning order to be prepared to move to Pakistan. We didn?t know exactly what the mission would be other than logistics support to the Task Force Griffin, the aviation unit flying the helicopter relief missions out of Islamabad. We didn?t know how long we were expected to be there, only that the relief effort would become more urgent as the weather deteriorated. So on Tuesday, we packed our bags and prepared for a Wednesday departure.
Carnival of Liberty XVII -- [Eric's Grumbles Before The Grave]
Welcome to the 17th edition of the Carnival of Liberty. We've had this going for just about 4 months now. The first edition was on July 4th, 2005, the 229th anniversary of the unanimous Declaration of Independence of the 13 united States of America. During this week, in 1774, the First Continental Congress was finishing up and would adjourn on October 26. Fittingly, Congress and politics figures into this Carnival of Liberty. We also have a discussion of the appropriate role of government and coercion during a deadly pandemic, as we may soon face if the Avian Flu mutates. And much, much more.
Friday Night at Walter Reed -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Here's the latest from GunnNutt on the Friday night show of support for our recovering Heroes at Walter Reed including a visit to Malogne House.
More photos and full report at FreeRepublic.
Thanks to all who make sure the troops see more supporters than protesters each Friday night at Walter Reed.
al Qaeda] Attack on the Palestine Hotel -- [The Fourth Rail]
After remaining silent during the referendum on Iraq's constitution and over one week afterwards, al Qaeda in Iraq launches a coordinated attack on the Palestine Hotel. The target choice was carefully chosen by al Qaeda for maximum media exposure...
ACLU Accuses Military of Murder -- [Stop the ACLU]
...The analysis, released Monday, looked at 44 deaths described in records obtained by the ACLU. Of those, the group characterized 21 as homicides, and said at least eight resulted from abusive techniques by military or intelligence officers, such as strangulation or ?blunt force injuries,? as noted in the autopsy reports.
Notice the leap to calling these deaths homicides. The ACLU bases these allegations on what? Their own word? They cherry picked 21 deaths from 44, and slapped them with the label of homicide. What I want to know is how this is any of the ACLU?s business anyway, and who is funding this attack on the military.
Humvees With Better Armor Slow In Coming -- (Salt Lake Tribune)...Matthew D. LaPlante
...The Army says it will have all of those vehicles armored to at least a Level 2 standard by Oct. 31. But even as it closes in on that goal, troops are finding systemic problems with Level 2 Humvees.
I oppose the Miers nomination -- [Dadmanly - in Iraq]
While I have strong confidence that Ms. Miers, based on what has been reported of her religious practice and faith, would cooperate in scaling back the dramatic and unconstitutional overreach that is Roe v. Wade, that is not a reason to support her nomination.
George Galloway on Food for Oil Scam: "Oh, you mean THAT $600,000." -- [GM's Corner]
Do you remember George Galloway testifying to a U.S. Senate committee on the U.N. / Saddam Hussein Food for Oil scheme and the huge hissy fit that he threw in the hearing when questioned about illegally profiting from it? Well, consider these...
Peace Mom's Grim Death-Toll Vow -- (New York Daily News)...News Wire Services
Peace mom Cindy Sheehan vows to tie herself to the White House gates when the U.S. death toll in Iraq hits 2,000.
Cheney Told Aide Of C.I.A. Officer, Lawyers Report -- (New York Times)...David Johnston, Richard W. Stevenson and Douglas Jehl
...The notes, taken by Mr. Libby during the conversation, for the first time place Mr. Cheney in the middle of an effort by the White House to learn about Ms. Wilson's husband, Joseph C. Wilson IV, who was questioning the administration's handling of intelligence about Iraq's nuclear program to justify the war.
CIA Leak Linked To Dispute Over Iraq Policy -- (Washington Post)...Glenn Kessler
...As the investigation into the leak reaches its expected climax this week with the expiration of the grand jury's term, the internal disputes have been further amplified by a recent string of speeches and interviews criticizing the administration's handling of Iraq, including by former national security adviser Brent Scowcroft, the former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and State Department diplomats, and other officials involved in the early efforts to stabilize Iraq.
Burning Americans Alive - Media Yawns -- [Open Fire]
There was some recent commotion about U.S. soldiers cremating two dead Taliban bodies in Afghanistan last week. The repeated story is hardly worth commenting on other than the fact the liberal media is attempting to find another club to bash the military by desperately promoting the false notion American soldiers do bad things to innocent people.
...Imagine if an American within Iraq was dragged from his vehicle, doused with gasoline and set ablaze. Do you think the media would provide much coverage for such a story?
...Well, according to this report, Four U.S. Contractors Killed in Iraq, an American contractor working in Iraq was burned alive just last month.
NPR Now Officially Advising Dems -- [Right in Raleigh]
For those still out there defending NPR as an unbiased source of news, here are NPR commentators cheering on the Democrats and offering advice in the upcoming elections (from the Media Research Center): ...
Ben Stein's Last Column... -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
For many years Ben Stein has written a biweekly column called "Monday Night At Morton's." (Morton's is a famous chain of Steakhouses known to be frequented by movie stars and famous people from around the globe.) Now, Ben is terminating the column to move on to other things in his life. Reading his final column is worth a few minutes of your time.
Ben Stein's Last Column...
It Wasn't Just Miller's Story -- (Washington Post)...Robert Kagan
...Many critics outside the Times suggest that Miller's eagerness to publish the Bush administration's line was the primary reason Americans went to war. The Times itself is edging closer to this version of events. There is a big problem with this simple narrative. It is that the Times, along with The Post and other news organizations, ran many alarming stories about Iraq's weapons programs before the election of George W. Bush.
Iraq Constitution Approval Another Setback for Bush -- [ScrappleFace]
In yet another setback for the Bush administration, Iraqi electoral officials announced today that voters have approved the new Iraqi Constitution by a margin of 78-to-21 percent.
Another Blogger Meeting -- [Ma Deuce Gunner - in Iraq]
On the afternoon of the 22nd, I went over and met with Caelestis. I enjoyed meeting him, and we had a great conversation.
Caelestis is a VERY well learned and intelligent guy. He spent time in the Army, and now works as a contractor for the Army. He and I talked for almost an hour, and I learned A LOT from him in that short amount of time. He has some very good posts about the referendum, here and here. Go read.
Programming Your Blog or Website - How To Stuff Part 5 -- [ Holly Aho - A Soldiers's Angel]
Ok, if you're new to this stuff and missed the first 4 parts of this article you can read them here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. Ok, in part 5 here we will go through the process of installing a PHP program that requires a database. If you have not yet done so, create a MySQL database with your webhost. You need to name the database, and choose a username and password for the database. Have that information handy for installing programs that need to use your database.
Rosa Parks dead -- (New York Daily News)
The mother of America's civil rights movement died last night. Rosa Lee Parks, who inspired an entire race to stand up for its rights by refusing in 1955 to give up her bus seat to a white man in Alabama, was 92.
Rosa Parks -- [baldilocks]
One day you're an unknown Negro seamstress in the segregated South. The next day, you're a legend whose very name evokes hope and change for the better in an America that lives up to her ideals.DETROIT - Rosa Lee Parks,...
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
Insurgents Died Last Night...Plain And Simple -- [Warrior's Voice - in Iraq]
Some of you might have read or heard about the recent airstrike on insurgents in the Ramadi area of Iraq. Of course the MSM is reporting that "civilians" died in the attack. They are not reporting that the cowards who place IEDs on the sides of roads died.
THE MOON -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
Hello America! Today in central Iraq we saw clouds for the first in several months. Fighting continued in the west with IEDs hitting coalition forces and small arms attacks. Again, both sides took casualties today. Its an every ending event that you hate to hear about but know we have the upper hand on all of it.
My son?s unit in combat -- [One hand Clapping - Donald Sensing - Blue Star Mom]
I just got the first satellite phone call from my Marine son, Stephen, in Iraq in almost two weeks. His unit spent that time running vehicle-mounted security patrols along two major highways ?in the south,? which was as specific as he could be over the phone.
Hunting for insurgents [AJC Blog - in Iraq]
Lutayfiyah, Iraq ? The mortar round was barely detectable as it sailed over the soldiers? heads this afternoon. It whistled slightly and made a low humming noise ? ?Vip!?
Killing Abu Jaafar [A Free Writer]
A bomb went off at a famous monument Abu Jaafar al-Mansour in Baghdad which was honouring the eighth-century founder of Baghdad . This explosion, destroyed and blown to bits the monument as you can see in the below photo.
The Baghdad Breeze.... -- [neurotic Iraqi wife - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...Constitution Day was on Saturday and I VOTED, YAAAAAAAAAY. I didnt think I would be allowed to vote since I havent registered but hey I aint complaining. We went as a group from work, at first we thought we could cast our votes in the convention center in the GZ, but as we got in line, a guy came up to us and asked whether we were members of the National Assembly. We shook our heads, and said no, so apparantely the place was just for VIP's but after 3pm regular people could go in.
On the Saddam Trial -- [Iraqi Bloggers Central]
Of course as you know, attorney Saadoun Sughaiyer Janabi, was abducted and has now been found dead.
...As Cole would do, after citing a few smarmy irrelevant references, I would conclude that "it hard to say with any certainty but my 'gut' tells me this murder has Saddam's fingerprints all over it."
But of course, I don't know who perpetrated this hideous and -- from the point of view of someone who wants Saddam to receive a fair trial as quickly as possible so he can be executed -- extremely disruptive murder.
Iraq: Terrorist Training Ground, Killing Field, or Both? -- [The Fourth Rail -Bill Roggio]
Is Iraq a training ground for terrorists, or the ?flypaper? that lures terrorists to Iraq where they are in the reach of the U.S. military? Jim Judd, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service calls Iraq a ?post-graduate faculty for terrorism? where foreign terrorists are receiving vital training. Mr. Judd?s statement acknowledges that Iraq is indeed flypaper as he admits foreign terrorists are entering the country; his concern is the ?bleedback? - the return of foreign terrorists to their homeland, where they can use their new-found skills.
Huh? Did I Miss the Surrender? -- [Winds of Change - Armed Liberal]
Matt Yglesias and Sam Rosenfeld have a big new article up in The American Prospect, which intends to eviscerate 'liberal hawks' on the basis that their only refuge is that - as they put it - "...the invasion and occupation could have been successful had they been planned and administered by different people."
TASK FORCE LIBERTY SOLDIERS FIND CACHE, DETAIN SUSPECTS IN BAYJI -- {Centcom}
TIKRIT, Iraq - Task Force Liberty Soldiers followed a civilian?s tip and found a cache of explosives and weapons buried in several locations at a house in Bayji.
The cache included more than 100 pounds of bulk explosives, several bags of TNT, one 155mm artillery round encased in concrete, weapons and rocket-propelled grenade rounds. One suspect was detained and taken to a Coalition Forces base for questioning.
Joseph Wilson, husband of outed CIA agent, speaks at SF State -- (Inside Bay Area)
``It is in the DNA of the people in (the Bush) administration to go after anyone who questions them,'' Wilson told the audience of about 200 people. During his speech Wilson outlined what he said were lies that the Bush administration fed to American citizens as a way to sell the idea of going to war with Iraq.
``(Neo-conservatives) wanted to turn this country into an empire,'' Wilson said of intentions by those who pushed for war on Iraq after the Sept. 11 attacks.
...He said he hoped that the Iraqi constitution vote had failed, not because he wanted to see the administration fail but because he believed a negative vote would cause America and others to rethink their strategy and ``go back to the drawing board.''
Not unless in our name -- (The Guardian)
Going to war is one of the most important decisions this country can take, leading to situations where young Britons will kill or be killed in our name, and it has far-reaching implications for the co...
U.S. General: Iraqi Army Needs More Time -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- It will take up to two years for the Iraqi army to have the military leadership and supplies it needs to operate on its own, the commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad said Friday....
Irish Reporter Tells of Baghdad Abduction -- (AP)
DUBLIN, Ireland -- An Irish reporter who was abducted by Shiite extremists in Baghdad and freed 36 hours later said Friday he had braced himself for the prospect of several months in captivity - or a beheading....
Referendum Turnout in Iraq's 18 Provinces -- (AP)
Turnout by province in Iraq's Oct. 15 referendum on a new constitution as reported by the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq. Countrywide, 9,775,000 Iraqis voted, about 63 percent of registered voters. the commission said.
Democrat Outlines Strategy to Unite Iraq -- (LA Times)
WASHINGTON ? Carl Levin, a leading congressional Democrat, said Friday that the United States' continued military presence in Iraq should be contingent upon greater unity among that country's deeply divided Shiite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish political factions.
Official Says U.S. Rushed to War in Iraq -- (La Times)
WASHINGTON ? A top U.S. official for aid to Iraq has accused the Bush administration of rushing unprepared into the 2003 invasion because of pressures from President Bush's approaching reelection campaign.
Burning Taliban Corpses -- [Intel Dump - in Iraq]
Here we go again ? another scandal. However, in this case, there seems to be no substance to the reported allegations. It also appears that senior military leadership is so weary of these types of detainee abuse allegations that they are shooting soldiers first and then asking questions later.
Taliban Terror Campaign to Avoid Cash Crises -- [Strategy Page]
October 22, 2005: The Taliban have apparently embarked on an assassination campaign, killing government officials (especially police commanders), school teachers and clerics. The intention is clear. If these groups can be intimidated, they might back off in their resistance to the Taliban. But at the same time, the Taliban is a dying organization.
New terminal to keep war-fighters mission capable -- {Centcom}
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan ? RED HORSE (rapid engineer deployable heavy operational repair squadron engineers) Airmen here are laying the foundation for a $932,000 passenger terminal designed to keep American and coalition forces mission capable as the Global War on Terrorism continues
8 police, 4 Taliban killed in Afghanistan -- (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- A Taliban ambush touched off fierce fighting in southern Afghan mountains that left eight police and four rebels dead, officials said.
Journalist among nine killed in fresh violence in Afghanistan -- (Kuwait News Agency)
KABUL, Oct 22 -- Taliban insurgents killed a police commander along with seven others following an overnight clash in southern Afghanistan, while an
Provocation in Afghanistan -- (Khaleej Times)
WHILE the role the US has played in introducing democracy and rule of law in Afghanistan is admitted and appreciated by all, an incident like the American ...
Rumsfeld Plans to Accelerate "Operational Control" Issue -- [GI Korea - in S Korea]
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Korean defensive officials have agreed to "appropriately accelerate" the operation control of the ROK Army issue:
...Notice he doesn't say when this acceleration is going to take place. He only says when appropriate. The whole issue of the Korean government taking operational control from the United States during war time is nothing but an empty slogan to play to Korean nationalism since President Roh Moo-hyun's approval ratings are in the twenty percentile range.
U.N. Report on Hariri Electrifies Middle East -- (Washington Post)
Findings escalate pressure on beleaguered government and ignite renewed demands that Lebanon's pro-Syrian president step down.
Bush Seeks Urgent U.N. Meeting on Syria Sanctions -- (Washington Post)
President Bush called on the United Nations yesterday to meet urgently to consider taking action against Syria after a U.N. investigation implicated top officials in the regime of President Bashar Assad in the assassination of Lebanon's leading reformer.
Local Taliban Enforce Islamic Rules -- [Strategy Page]
October 22, 2005: In the last nine months, there have been 21 attacks by pirates against ships moving along the Somali coast. There were very few such attacks before this year. The attacks do not always succeed, with most ships getting away after being shot at by assault rifles and RPG rockets. But the attacks have caused some shipping companies to turn down business carrying goods to Somali ports, and those that continue these runs have raised their rates.
Ukraine asks West for help to free ship seized by pirates -- [EagleSpeak]
Ukraine asks for help with the Somali pirate problem as reported here Ukraine's Foreign Ministry appealed to Britain, France, the United States and NATO to help free a ship and its crew seized by pirates.
Indian remote viewers see Al-Queda chief Osama Bin Laden devastated in Pakistan earthquake as NATO sends 1,000 soldiers to Pakistan -- (India Daily)
Indian remote viewers have reported that they sense massive devastation for Al-Queda in Pakistan earthquake. In the mean time NATO is sending 1,000 soldiers to Pakistan
Third Grade Student Honored By Deployed Servicemembers -- [GX Onlone]
10/20/05, Los Angeles, CA ? Elizabeth W., a third grade-student in a Los Angeles elementary school, was presented with a flag flown in Afghanistan in her honor and given to her class.
Operation Santa USMC 2005 update -- [Marine Corps Moms]
One month into Operation Santa USMC 2005, things are looking good! We have the following battalions covered: BattalionCoordinator 1st LARCarrie Costantini 2/7 MarinesConnie Riecke 3/7 MarinesConnie Riecke 2/6 MarinesAnita Achord and Lisa Gosselin 3/6 MarinesJennifer Alford 3rd Radio BattalionJanice...
The Red Cross Helps Guard Families -- [GX Online]
The Red Cross wants Guard members and their families to know they are there to help in emergency situations, beyond disaster relief.
Hatewatch Briefing 2005-10-21 -- [Winds of Change - Hatewatch]
Welcome! This briefing will be looking hard at the dark places the mainstream media sometimes seem determined to look away from, to better understand our declared enemies on their own terms and without illusions. Our goal is to bring you some of the top jihadi rants, idiotarian seething, and old-school Jew-hatred from around the world, leaving you more informed, more aware, and pretty disgusted every month. This Winds of Change.NET HateWatch briefing is brought to you by Omri Ceren of Mere Rhetoric. Past briefings and posts on related topics can be found here.
DeLay's Lawyers Press Judge to Step Aside -- (AP)
AUSTIN, Texas - Proceedings in the political-money case against Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, are on hold after the congressman's lawyer asked the presiding judge to step aside because he made campaign donations to Democrats and their liberal allies. After a hearing that lasted less than five minutes Friday, Judge Bob Perkins deferred further proceedings, including the entry of a plea, until a hearing can be held on DeLay's request for a new judge.
Happy Anniversary... -- [A Far Side Kinda Life II: In The City]
In about six minutes, it'll have been four years for Mike and me. For most of that time we've been apart, it seems. I was in training, or I was deployed, and now I'm home and he's deployed. It's really hard sometimes, thinking that we can be like this. But somehow, through it all, he is still my best friend and my darling. Every anniversary except one we've been apart.
HOME AGAIN!!! -- [devildoc8406 - home from Iraq]
We have made it back to Miramar!!! On Thursday the 6th of OCT at 0730 in the morning HMH-465 arrived at MCAS Miramar. They were greeted by a sea of anxious loved ones, significant others, friends, and family. Most everyone had someone there to welcome them home, and if they didn't then there was definitely enough love and admiration to go around. For somewhere around 40% this was their first deployment to Iraq and their first homecoming. This will be something that they will remember for the rest of their military careers.
Home Sweet Home: TNARNG 278th ACR Soldiers Come Home, 278th BCT On Their Way -- [GX Oline]
Ft. Bragg, NC ? Soldiers from Troops ?N? and ?T? of the Tennessee Army National Guard?s 4th Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment arrived today at Ft. Bragg, NC.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
Update: Iraq Constitutional Referendum Dispatch -- [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
My dispatch entitled ?Purple Fingers," covering the Iraqi Constitutional Referendum, is finished. An excerpted version will be published in ?The Weekly Standard? on Monday, 24 October 2005. The complete dispatch will be published here on the same day.
Sorry for... -- [Ma Deuce Gunner - in Iraq]
...I will try and do one more interview with my interpreters before I leave. I would like for the questions to come from you, my readers. Please leave your questions in the comments of this post. Deadline for submission of questions is: 0800 EST, 22 October, 2005. Thanks.
THE OATH -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
Today was a good day. We sat as the sun went down and ended this Thursday. Smoking a cigar we listened to the many different prayers being broadcasted through the area. Not much fighting had gone on around us for the day but yesterday a SBVIED and numerous IEDs took their toll.
May you find peace -- [Six more months - in Iraq]
Because the core of my job is controlling access to the camp, I have met thousands of Iraqis over the past 9 months. Many I speak to for a moment, just to determine what their business is and to make a quick decision about one time access, most for about 10 minutes to interview them prior to granting them longer term access. The Iraqis I know best are the interpreters, my own and those who work for other units here on the camp.
The trial, as some Iraqis see it... -- [Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in Iraq]
The hot topic in Baghdad today is Saddam?s trial and one can easily see opinions divided about it; some see that it is a true victory for justice while others think the trial was seriously weak and in my opinion this is not unexpected from a people living the transition from a totalitarian regime to a state of law and institutions thus why some (or actually many) still think that the trial has to be repressive so they didn?t like the calm behavior of the judge especially when he addressed Saddam using the word ?Mr?.
He's a hero? He's a villain? -- [Treasure of Baghdad - an Iraqi in Iraq]
These are the words I heard from the people whom I talked to when the trial of Iraq's former dictator was broadcasted on all of the Arab news channels live.
Before going out reporting, I was watching the TV footage of Saddam in Dujail in 1982. "One thing I want to ask Saddam if I see him face to face,"
Peace is not the answer -- [Hurl's Blog - in Iraq]
...IT SEEMS UNLIKELY that many of the so-called peace marchers who trooped through Washington and London two weekends back listened on Thursday ? at least not with an open mind or sympathy ? to George Bush's cogent explanation of why coalition troops are fighting and dying in Iraq
IN THE NAME OF GOD THE COMPASSIONATE THE MERCIFUL -- [THE MESOPOTAMIAN - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...Now I know that some of my friends may not be particularly fond of Islamic rituals nor especially well inclined towards the Islamic religion itself. You must know that personally, I don't blame them at all and find their attitude perfectly understandable in view of the great damage done to the reputation of our religion by the Takfiris and the terrorists and the like. We ourselves are extremely dismayed by the actions and attitudes of many of our fellow Muslims, so how can we blame others for quite rightful indignation in the face of the atrocities and abominations of the so-called "islamist" extremists and "fundamentalists". Yet I have a very difficult request which I would like to submit to my friends; and that is
Longest Absence Yet... Happy Ramadan -- [Sentinel 47: Keeping the Gate - in Iraq]
Such mixed emotions fill these days.
On one hand, this environment is so sheltered, so capable of providing a hiding place from reality. Then again, my deployment to Iraq has given such ample opportunity to realize that SO MANY people are busy doing that regardless of location anyway!
South Korean, Iraqi Aid Seized -- [GI Korea Blog - in S Korea]
Aid sent from South Korea to Iraq was recently seized according to the JoongAng Ilbo:
A total of 14 South Korean vehicles carrying aid shipments for the Iraqi people have been seized by armed Iraqi militants since last month, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.
Last minute training -- [Lance in Iraq - in Iraq]
The med platoon recently did a surgical airway lab. A friendly goat butcher helped out with the parts.(pics)
Everything is Wonderful Now -- [J Barne's Coffee Shop - in Iraq]
...Fall has done more than fallen, its hit like a texas tornado. The temperature went into a plunge from the 90's to the 60's about a week ago and as result we're freezing! And some people may ask "What does Fall feel like in Iraq?" Well, it's not very different from the eastern part of the states, except being a shade warmer on the thermometer. The trees gently tumble on themselves with the cool breeze that has traveled the desert in search of no real destination. Everybody is forced to do a quick hop from summer combat gear to winter battle wear.
Let's try this again -- [Dagger Jag]
Well, it's been ten months since I last posted and I'm assuming that most people who were reading this blog are really not following it much anymore. I returned from Iraq in February of 2005 and am now working in Heidelberg, Germany. So much has changed but today I got the urge to revisit my old blog and write a bit about Iraq and the changes that I've seen take place since I've returned to Germany.
The NYT locates al Qaeda in Iraq -- [TigerHawk]
The relative role of al Qaeda in the Iraq insurgency -- as opposed to Ba'athist rejectionists and Sunni nationalists -- has become an inherently partisan question. Supporters of immediate American withdrawal jump on any evidence that al Qaeda or "foreign" fighters are a small consideration, while stay-the-coursers tend to emphasize al Qaeda. The reason for this is obvious:
Speaking with President Bush -- [They Call Us, "Doc" - in Iraq]
Yesterday, I (bottom right corner in the picture) was chosen to be among a small group of soldiers assigned to the 42ID's Task Force Liberty that would speak to President Bush, our Commander-in-Chief. The interview went well, but I would like to respond to what most of the mass-media has dubbed as, "A Staged Event."
First of all, we were told that we would be speaking with the President of the United States, our Commander-in-Chief, President Bush, so I believe that it would have been totally irresponsible for us NOT to prepare some ideas, facts or comments that we wanted to share with the President.
Saddam Trial Defense Lawyer Found Dead -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A defense lawyer in Saddam Hussein's mass murder trial has been found dead, his body dumped near a Baghdad mosque with two gunshots to the head, police and a top lawyers union official said Friday. Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi was abducted from his office Thursday evening, a day after he attended the first session of the trial, acting as the lawyer of one Saddam's seven co-
Journalist freed after 36 hours of secret diplomacy -- (TIMES Online)
RORY CARROLL, the Guardian correspondent kidnapped in Baghdad this week, was released safe and well last night.
The Irish journalist was freed after 36 hours of intensive negotiations after his abduction by an armed gang in the capital?s Shia-dominated Sadr City district on Wednesday.
Stryker Brigade Finds Huge Weapons Caches -- (News Miner)
Huge. Significant. Crippling to anti-coalition forces. Like an early Christmas.
Soldiers with the 4th Squadron, 14 Cavalry of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team from Fort Wainwright are running out of words to describe the importance of the number of weapons caches they are finding in recent days throughout their area of operation in Iraq.
A Shot To the Heart In Baghdad -- (Washington Posr)
BAGHDAD, Oct. 20 -- Two hours after the explosion, the fifth grade classroom was silent and deserted, the air still lightly tinged with smoke. Abandoned grammar books lay open to Thursday's lesson, which was also printed on the blackboard. In a rear corner of the room, where a mortar round or rocket had pierced the roof and demolished a small desk, all that remained were a patch of dried blood, a shredded sneaker and some rubble.
Baghdad torn by guilt and betrayal -- (TIMES Online)
From James Hider in Baghdad and Mohanned al-Qubeisi in Tikrit
HEATED argument broke out yesterday amid the biscuits and tinned meat in Abu Ali?s shop near the bomb-scarred walls of Baghdad?s Green Zone.
Foreign Fighters Captured In Iraq Come From 27, Mostly Arab, Lands -- (New York Times)...Dexter Filkins
Some 312 foreign nationals, including one American, have been captured while taking part in the insurgency in Iraq since April of this year, a senior American military commander said Thursday.
French soldiers injured -- [Afghan Lord - Afghani in Afghanistan]
Yesterday afternoon,two French soldiers were wounded while their vehicle hit the explosive device in the Shamali plains, northwest of the capital of Kabul.
Gratuitous Afghan Photos Return IX -- [Miserable Donuts]
Construction worker helping build wooden huts to replace tents at Bagram Airfield. These jobs were highly prized, and the contracts hotly sought. We spent a fair amount of time trying to fight kickbacks and bid-rigging amongst the Afghans, as well
Aid worker among 4 killed in Afghan violence -- (Reuters)
KABUL - A local aid worker and two senior provincial officials were among four people killed in Afghanistan, officials said on Friday, in attacks blamed on Taliban militants
Afghan President Tries to Reduce Outrage -- (AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- President Hamid Karzai said Friday he was "very unhappy" to learn that U.S. soldiers had burned the bodies of two dead Taliban fighters, but he said mistakes happen in war and Afghans shouldn't let the incident mar their impression of the United States....
BW Update -- [The Siegrist Blogs - transferred from Afghanistan to Pakistan]
Hi all, I have a down day today so I will update the blog with some pics later today. Everyone is doing great things here in the Pak. Two of our birds just left out a half hour ago, so they will be gone all day. We have been landing at sun down most days. Typical day is: Wake up 0430, cold shower, cup of coffee dress then head over to ops for a flight brief.
Kashmir quake the world's toughest relief operation -- (Reuters)
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan - The aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Pakistan's northern mountains is turning into the toughest relief operation the world has ever known, international aid officials said on Thursday.
"We have never had this kind of logistical nightmare ever. We thought the tsunami was bad, this is worse," said United Nations emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland.
In 'Heartland Of Jihad,' An American Helping Hand -- (Christian Science Monitor)...Gretchen Peters
...In Pakistan, animosity toward America - and especially its military - runs deep. The latest Pew survey found only 23 percent of Pakistanis view the US favorably. Since Sept. 11, 2001, Pakistan has refused to permit US troops to hunt terrorists on its soil, saying the public would never accept it. But anecdotal evidence suggests that the US military's role in northern Pakistan, in one of the largest rescue efforts this country has ever seen, is changing attitudes here too.
Burdens of War -- [Kevin Sites - in Africa]
Newly freed children bear both babies of their captors and wounds that will never heal.
The story of Michael's captivity can be seen in his face -- and his leg. He pulls up his pants to show me a baseball-sized lump on his right shin.
HUMP DAY -- [So Far From Home - in Kosovo]
What a day!!!! Today started as just a normal routine day. Myself, squad, 1SG and commander headed out to a scheduled radio show that he was to participate in. While in route we received a radio call from "higher" directing a change of mission. We were to immediately proceed to an area and conduct an interdiction and possible search. Additionally other elements in sector were directed to change mission and converge on the location. Once we arrived we conducted the operation uneventfully.
Diplomacy and hand grenades -- [....one missionary in Kosovo - in Kosovo]
As I always say, it?s been an interesting week?or several weeks in this case. The news this week is popping with stories of final status talks while at a colleague?s house a hundred and fifty kilometers away, hand grenades announced a different message. This week the UN inspector issued a favorable report regarding the ?final status? talks for Kosova.
U.S. Denies Feeding Tube Misuse at Gitmo -- (AP)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The chief doctor at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay denied allegations by hunger striking prisoners that feeding tubes have been misused as a form of punishment, according to an affidavit released Thursday....
Indonesians challenge US envoy in lively exchange -- (Reuters)
JAKARTA - U.S. goodwill envoy Karen Hughes got a earful from a group of mostly female Indonesian Muslim students on Friday, who expressed anger at the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and attacked Washington's foreign policies.
U.N.: Syria, Lebanon Involved in Slaying -- (AP)
UNITED NATIONS - Top Syrian intelligence officials approved the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and their Lebanese counterparts helped organize it, according to a U.N. probe that officially linked Damascus to the slaying for the first time. The exhaustive report into the Feb. 14 car bomb that killed the popular opposition leader and 20 others stopped short of fingering Syrian President Bashar Assad or his inner circle. But it accused the regime of failing to cooperate in the probe and alleged Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa lied in a letter to the investigating commission.
The Lesser of Two Evils in Saudi Arabia -- [Strategy Page]
October 20, 2005: On October 13th, a new Islamic terrorist group announced its formation in Saudi Arabia. The ?Echo of Tuwayq Brigades in al-Zulfa" declared themselves part of the Organization of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia needs all the help it can get, as most of its known members have been arrested or killed.
State Department's Management of "J Visa" Program Enables Terrorist Infiltration -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
Today we will focus on a GAO report that delves into the "J Visa" Program. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the alphabet soup of visas, the J visa is one that is issued by the United States Department of State for exchange visitors. The concept of the J visa, at least in theory is actually a good one.
SAUDI ARABIA: AL-QAEDA FLYERS HANDED OUT IN MECCA -- (AKI)
The Saudi police in the holy Muslim city of Mecca arrested a group of Nigerian immigrants on Monday who were distributing leaflets carrying a big photo of Osama bin Laden. According to Arab newspaper al-Hayat, before they were detained by the security forces, the Nigerians had handed out many copies of the flyer in at least five areas of the city, which is the most important in the Islamic world.
BOSNIA: THREE TERROR SUSPECTS ARRESTED -- (AKI)
Sarajevo, 21 Oct. - Bosnian police has arrested three people suspected of preparing terrorist acts, local media reported today. The police said a Turkish, Swedish and Bosnian citizen were arrested in the last two days in Sarajevo, but gave no names. The police said that after searching two buildings in the Sarajevo...
A Request for Help From Soldiers Angels Founder -- [Holly Aho - A Soldier's Angel]
Patti Bader, the founder of the non-profit organization Soldiers Angels, is requesting help. Here is her email:
I am very sorry to report donations to Soldiers Angels is at an ALL TIME LOW.
We will not be able to effectively assist soldiers if this continues.
Please put call out to ALL Angels,
Support Soldiers' Angels While Shopping Online -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Soldiers' Angels has recently become a partner of Buy for Charity, which allows you to donate money to the charity of your choice without costing you a penny.
It works like this.
Buzz Robertson and Valour-IT -- [Fuzzilicious]
As we gear up to raise more money for Valour-IT, here's a reminder of why it matters so much.
Many of you may have already read about SFC Buzz Robertson, who received a laptop from Valour-IT. When Buzz's mother heard about the laptop's arrival, she wrote: ...
TO OUR SOLDIERS ~ THANK YOU -- [Yikes!]
If, by some small chance, any of my own dear adopted Heroes should happen to read this ~ this one's for you!!!!!!!!!!!!
There can be no way to describe the feeling I get when I see the news. I see so many of you fighting for something that so many of us take for granted.
So many people are depending on you for help. I think about all the dangers you face every minute of every day, for so many of us who are here at home. ...
A Letter to the Republic for Which We Stand -- [WORDSMITH AT WAR]
Americans, we remain your constant and faithful servants.
Satellites that hover 23,000 miles above the planet in geospatial orbit feed down into our little dish and we get to see sports and current events and news. We know what you?re up to. We might watch the news for 10 minutes after a long shift outside the wire, just enough to get the highlights, or read it on the internet, or have friends mail us copies of newspapers, or monitor CNN just as the insurgents do, for breaking news. Maybe you know one of us personally, or maybe we?re nothing more to you than nameless faceless soldiers on the news. Either way, we still know about the hurricanes down South, the newest movies, the earthquakes in Pakistan, and the latest football scores.
Not Alone in this Fight -- [Sgt Hook]
When we send our soldiers off to far away lands to fight for freedom and defend our way of life, we too often neglect their families asking them to ?suck it up.? The families of our soldiers make up a very special group in society that deserves better. In recent years we?ve learned to place more emphasis on the value of family readiness and have made concerted efforts to improve their well being and quality of life, especially during deployments. The special operations community has cracked this nut long ago and typically do an outstanding job of taking care of their families. It looks like more improvements to the rest of the Army?s Family Readiness Groups are on the way.
Paredes Receives Honorable Discharge -- [Soldiers for the Truth]
"Ten months to the day after he refused to board the war-bound USS Bonhomme Richard, and some 9 months before the scheduled expiration of his active duty obligation, Pablo Paredes is once again a civilian. Just last week the former Petty Officer was discharged from the U.S. Navy administratively "under honorable conditions."
Body Armor: Re-Inventing The Wheel PartI -- [The Middle Ground]
As I was reading an article from Euphoric Reality called Saving Ryan's Privates regarding new armored shorts, I was struck by their similarity to medieval armor from Europe and even Japan. As can be seen in this image of a knight circa 1066 and the Battle of Hastings, warriors had long determined the necessity of adding protection to their upper legs and groin area.
U.S. Troop Level To Fall Below 30,000 -- (Miami Herald)
By the end of this year the number of U.S. troops in South Korea will drop below 30,000, a milestone in a shift of responsibility for defending the country from communist North Korea, the top U.S. commander here said Thursday.
Coburn Loses Battle of Bridges -- [Ourside the Beltway]
The Senate voted overwhelmingly last night, 82-15, against Tom Coburn's proposal to kill the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" and divert the money to rebuilding the New Orleans-Slidell bridge. But not before some theatrics.
Remember, The Rich Don't Pay Taxes -- [Dude, Where's The Beach?]
In 2003 (the latest year available)
The top 1 percent paid 34.27 % of federal income tax revenues.
The top 10 percent paid 65.84 %
The top 50 percent paid 96.54 %
...
Possible cover-up a focus in CIA leak case: lawyers -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON - Prosecutors investigating the outing of a covert CIA operative are focusing on whether top White House aides tried to conceal their involvement from investigators, lawyers involved the case said on Thursday.
White House Defense Shaky in CIA Leak Case -- (AP)
WASHINGTON - Even if White House aides leaked a covert CIA officer's identity, they were simply passing along information they'd already heard from the news media, the administration's supporters maintain in a defense that looks increasing shaky as new evidence accumulates. Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald now knows that Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, met three times with a New York Times reporter before the leak of Valerie Plame's identity, that Libby initiated a call to NBC newsman Tim Russert and that Libby was a confirming source about the wife of Bush administration critic Joseph Wilson for a Time magazine reporter.
O?Reilly on Today: ?No Spine Zone? -- [The Political Teen]
Note the above graphic. The Today Show misspelled the name of O?Reilly?s book and his phrase, The No Spin Zone. I?m not a conspiracy theorist, however this was no mistake.
PBS FRONTLINE ON TORTURE -- [Froggy Ruminations]
I just finished watching the Frontline report on ?The Torture Question? and there really wasn?t much of a question about how the libs over at PBS feel about the issue. They were seemingly able to directly connect SecDef Rumsfeld to General Ricardo Sanchez to General Janet Karpinski to some Colonel named Pappas, to the military interrogators themselves
Not Over, Not Forgotten -- [TBone's WAR JOURNAL]
The following was borrowed from Spc. Jon H. Arguello of the Task Force Bayonet Public Affairs office. He is another fine Army journalist who writes about what is really going on there. He seems a little disappointed with the main stream media. We can't trust the MSM to let the world know what is going on, so we must rely on fine Americans like Jon.
Milblogging news -- [Doc in the Box]
New post from Eric of Dagger Jag, it's been 10 months since he's posted and will the wonders never cease? Sgt Hook posted too! Eric is from the same batch of OIF 2 milbloggers that sprung me out and Sgt Hook is one of the original crew, looks like they're both getting back in the game.
That's my boy! -- [It's a living... sorta]
Did you ever see those old Tom & Jerry cartoons where Spike (the bulldog) teaches his son how to chase cats and Tom is victimized for the rest of the skit? My point is this: Spike often laughs and says, "Ah-ha-ha... that's my boy!" That's the way I felt yesterday. My son turned 4 and I couldn't be more proud. I'd post pictures, but my wife already did, so I'd invite you to go there to see him.
Spotlight on Miers' 'Inadequate and Insulting' Answers -- [ScrappleFace]
Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers has ignited another firestorm on Capitol Hill with her 'inadequate and insulting' written answers to several questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to unnamed Senate sources.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
HOLIDAY -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
We were out and about out west and visited some Marines and Soldiers living large, NOT. Their morale was high and they walked with their chest out knowing everyone did good with the accomplished elections. However they had No running water, bad chow and pooping in a 55 gal drum that gets burnt once a day, Yea that?s right you commie cry hole bed wetters out their in lolly liberal land, these are the warriors stomping mud holes in terrorists butts!
Saddam Hussein... -- [Phil and Becky - Phil's in Iraq]
We watched briefly today as the former president of Iraq graciously educated us on the illegitimacy of his trial and then informed us that he is not guilty of the charges before him. Given this groundbreaking information, it is clear that we must recognize the error of our ways and release the former president immediately. My recommendation is that we move immediately to release Saddam Hussein into, say, a crowded Basra marketplace.
The Trial of the Century -- [Hammorabi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
The reason we chose this title for the trial of Saddam Hussein is not because of he is important person but because of the magnitude of his crimes. He and his regime committed the worst crimes in the recent history of mankind. He used countless and unprecedented means to perpetrate his crimes. On the extent these crimes were not limited against the Iraqis but it extended to involve other peoples in different countries, the environment, and more over it is continued until now.
Let justice be served. -- [Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in Iraq]
While Baghdad?s streets were nearly empty, most Iraqis were glued to the TV and I bet many Arabs were as well.
Our place was full of full of friends today as we decided we would watch the trial together just like we lived what led to this day together; the first thing we noticed was that electricity was much better today and I don?t know if that was an exceptions made to allow more people to watch the awaited show but anyway we already prepared for outages and stored enough fuel for the generator.
This steams me.... -- [Kurdistan Bloggers Union - an Iraqi in Iraq]
I am going to comment on someone else's blog today...
Truth Teller from A Family from Mosul has been posting recently some articles about the validity of Saddam ordering the bombing of Halapja. News stories blaming the Iranian government for the gassing of Kurds is nothing new, but they seem to resurface over and over. Truth Teller has posted two stories in the past few days, here and here, and of course my favorite entitled No Proof Saddam Gassed the Kurds. Rather than paraphrases each post, please read what he wrote (which is mostly articles written by other people) and let me know what you think.
Why Saddam might go free -- [Riding Sun]
Well, the first of Saddam Hussein's trials is under way. The case at hand currently concerns his execution of just 143 men, but subsequent charges may address his gassing of thousands of Kurds.
Iraq Pictures - Thursday, October 20, 2005 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
Iraqi voters head to a polling site in Haswah to cast their ballot in the Iraqi constitution referendum election. Note the spacing of people to prevent criminal bombers from killing them. Unknown to them - criminal bombers go to hell.
Thoughts from the Ground -- [They Call Us, "Doc" - in Iraq]
By now, you should know that the Iraqi voting went very well, as the people of Iraq voted on their proposed constitution. Voter turn-out was high in our Area of Operations as I believe the Iraqi security forces and local governments were successful not only with distributing copies of the constitution but also with securing polling sites and making the citizens of Iraq feel safe. I don?t have ?hard? numbers to post, but the Commander of the Iraqi Army battalion here told me that, ??at least 70 percent of the people voted.? It was cool to see the soldiers come back from voting day operations with their index fingers inked purple, from voting themselves. Again, the 278th RCT has humbly played a very small part in the history of the world.
Day 277 - Away from Home and Around the World -- [Waynes World - Wayne's in Iraq]
?Well, the night went by, voting day came, voting night came, but not a mortar, artillery, machine gun, or personal weapon was heard. It was surreal how quiet it was. Here we were, expecting it to be the liveliest day and night since we had been there. Instead, we got the extreme opposite. Totally quiet. No cars anywhere. No weapons being fired, even from the marines on the other side of the river. Just total peace.?
Good News -- [PARTAMIAN REPORT]
Here is an excerpt from an e-mail I received from one of my OCS buddies in Iraq. I have taken out some stuff for OPSEC.
Where Do I Plug it In? (Roger in Iraq) -- [ROFA Six]
Many enjoyed Roger's earlier missive from Iraq which I posted here, "A Fobbits Tale - Roger in Iraq," which provided a detailed and vivid image of what life on his FOB was like. This time he takes a more personal turn. Here he points out that despite all the benefits of technology which he and his family will use to communicate during his deployment, when it comes to staying close to ones you love, there is nothing more special than the going away gift his wife presented him ... a special surprise that doesn't need electrons to stay connected with each other. It is a softer side of the tough men who do hard things for our country in Iraq. Stay safe Roger!
Life -- [365 and a Wake Up - in Iraq]
Last night a grain of hot metal tumbled through the air, a swift manmade meteor crashing through the heavens. The statistical chances of this solitary round impacting one the scattered buildings was negligible, and the chances of it actually injuring someone were almost infinitesimal. But in stark defiance to all known laws of probability, this small sliver of dead steel plummeted downward, downward, downward? until its path intersected a house. And then it continued on, tunneling its way into a little girl sitting down for the celebration of Ishtar.
Striving to Fail -- [Hurl's Blog - just home from Iraq]
Once again, Democrat politicians reveal their stupidity and jaw-dropping ignorance. Or perhaps it's malicious partisan politics. - Or both?
Senator Joe Biden (D-Del) took the lead in voicing the desire of Democrats to have a "Plan" revealed for US withdrawal from Iraq. While questioning Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, he asked, "I'm not looking for a date to get out of Iraq, but at what point, assuming the strategy works, do you think we'll be able to see some sign of bringing some American forces home?" Referring in general to the Bush administration, he asked "What's the plan, Stan?"
U.S. SOLDIERS STOP BOMBS BEFORE THEY EXPLODE -- {CENTCOM}
BAGHDAD, Iraq ? Task Force Baghdad Soldiers found and destroyed terrorists? bombs and weapons caches during combat operations Oct. 19 in and around various Baghdad districts.
The U.S. Soldiers found at least eight improvised explosive devices before they could be detonated by terrorists.
Professor of Death -- [TIME Online]...APARISIM GHOSH
EXCLUSIVE: An Iraqi insurgent leader reveals how he trains and equips suicide bombers and sends them on their lethal missions
"Daddy, I want to be a martyr. Can you get me an explosive belt?"
When Abu Qaqa al-Tamimi's 9-year-old son asked for his help in becoming a suicide bomber, he was, to say the least, taken aback.
Reporter for British paper kidnapped -- (Houston Chronicle)
BAGHDAD, IRAQ - The Iraq reporter for the British newspaper the Guardian, Rory Carroll, 33, was kidnapped by gunmen in Baghdad on Wednesday after venturing out to talk to Iraqis about the trial of Saddam Hussein, family and colleagues said.
26 Iraqis And 5 G.I.'s Killed; Reporter Missing -- (New York Times)...Edward Wong
At least 26 Iraqis, 5 American soldiers and a British soldier were killed in attacks late Tuesday and Wednesday, officials reported Wednesday. Rory Carroll, a reporter working for The Guardian, was believed to have been abducted in Baghdad, the newspaper said.
Iraqis Nab Alleged Top Terror Financier -- (FOX News)
CAIRO, Egypt ? Iraqi police on Wednesday arrested Saddam Hussein's (search) nephew in Baghdad, charging that he served as the top financier of Iraq's (search) rampant insurgency, senior Iraqi security officials said.
IRAQ: WE ARE FIGHTING FOR AN ISLAMIC STATE, SAYS AL-QAEDA IN IRAQ -- (AKI)
Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the terror group led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has released a new statement in which it explains the reasons for its terror campaign and states that they are not fighting the US occupation of Iraq, but to create "an Islamic state which is part of the caliphate and the Muslim territory."
Saddam Pleads Innocent, Gets Into Scuffle -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A defiant Saddam Hussein quarreled with judges and scuffled with guards at the opening of his long-awaited trial Wednesday, rejecting the tribunal's right to judge him and insisting he is still the president of Iraq. Sitting inside a white pen with metal bars, Saddam appeared gaunt and frail and his salt-and-pepper beard was unkempt as he pleaded innocent to charges of murder, torture, forced expulsions and illegal detentions. He wore a suit with a white shirt and no tie.
Law Experts Divided Over Legitimacy Of Tribunal -- (Los Angeles Times)...Henry Weinstein
When Saddam Hussein declared Wednesday that the Iraqi war crimes tribunal had no right to put him on trial, he was not the first to raise questions about the panel's legitimacy.
Props and Puppets -- {Military .com}...Opinion -Wade Sanders
It remains to be seen just how far George Bush is willing to go in exploiting the members of our uniformed services to compensate for his own lack of substance. Pretending to be a pilot at the controls of an airplane he is not qualified to fly, then strutting about on aircraft carrier deck wearing the uniform of a service he did not serve in; gathering together the willing and unwilling to provide a tapestry for his speeches. However, I must say that his recently staged ?spontaneous and unrehearsed? live from Tikrit, with carefully screened soldiers already sworn to obey him under pain of courts-martial, may set a new benchmark. (By the way, hold the presses on the body armor, we need to get better Teleprompters for our troops, they had a tough time reading those cue cards and actually seemed coached.)
CENTCOM condemns desecration of bodies, says investigation is forthcoming -- [A Healthy Alternative to Work]
MacDill AFB, FL -- Recent media reports out of Afghanistan have alleged that U.S. forces were involved in an incident involving the desecration of the bodies of deceased enemy combatants.
New American GI Muslim Abuse Allegations - Watch the Arab Media Spin This One -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
There are allegations out of Afghanistan, made by a cameraman working for an Australian network and embedded with the 82nd Airborne, that U.S. soldiers burned the bodies of two killed Taliban fighters and then broadcast "an inflammatory message over loudspeakers to taunt and bait the enemy." Both the alleged burning and the alleged taunting would be severe violations of military rules and grounds for tough disciplinary action.
Comedy, Canadians, lamers, wantabe heros and kids. -- [Going Down Range - in Afghanistan]
We had a few comedians drop by to help us forget that we are here for a few minutes. They were both funny and one even made a diary online of his adventures here while [he] did his comedy tour. His comments about ?Burka boy Thursday? and the ramp ceremony are spot on, sick and funny. You [have] got to be here to understand.
Mass Shipping Information--Pledges Coming In! -- [Operation Flintstone - in Afghanistan]
As promised, I have further information on doing a mass shipping for "Operation Flintstone- Afghanistan" through Healing Hands, an organization specializing in international shipments of educational and medical supplies.
For the purposes of "Operation Flintstone," both educational and medical supplies will be welcomed.
Following the Afghan road? -- [Orlando Sentinel blog - in Afghanistan]
...the Afghans seemed like a pretty sharp unit. The Americans advising them noted they took up good positions around the checkpoint and seemed to know what they were doing. And their commander was very active -- continually walking their perimeter and shifting them where needed.
US soldiers said to burn dead Taliban in TV footage -- (The Boston Globe)
Australian television aired video yesterday showing US soldiers in Afghanistan allegedly burning two dead Taliban fighters and using the charred bodies in an attempt to taunt other enemy forces in the area.
...The broadcast prompted the US military to order an immediate criminal investigation. Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the region, issued a statement decrying any desecration of enemy combatants as contrary to US policy and the Geneva Conventions.
Joy, fury as Iraqis watch Saddam trial -- (Reuters)
DUJAIL, Iraq - Some Iraqis watched with relief as Saddam Hussein's trial began on Wednesday, bringing to account the man who brutalized them for three decades. Others, particularly among the Sunni minority, angrily dismissed the trial as a U.S.-manipulated kangaroo court, declaring they did not recognize the case against a man who still proudly styles himself "the president of Iraq."
And People Wonder Why Americans Dislike the UN -- [GI Korea - in S Korea]
Our buddies the French are at it again:
A French-led cultural diversity pact transparently designed to stem U.S. cultural hegemony is likely to be ratified by an overwhelming majority at UNESCO's 33rd plenary meeting opening this Friday. But in an echo of the Kyoto treaty on climate change, the U.S., which rejoined the UN cultural agency only two years ago, is miffed because it believes the pact would allow countries to erect trade barriers against lucrative American exports like Hollywood blockbusters.
Bush To Meet Palestinian Leader -- (CBS News)
(CBS/AP) Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas wants President Bush to pressure Israel to dismantle illegal outposts, allow free elections and reverse a newly imposed policy of keeping Palestinian motorists off main West Bank roads, officials say.
Iran 'punishes' Britain with a ban on imports -- (Telegraph)
Iran has imposed an undeclared embargo on British imports as it steps up accusations that Britain is behind a series of bombings near the southern border with Iraq.
Soldiers Angels on Snopes.com?? -- [Holly Aho - A Soldier's Angel]
For those of you who don't know, Snopes.com is a website dedicated to Urban Legends and their validity (or lack thereof). If you ever get an email that contains information you consider questionable (remember the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier email?) you can visit Snopes.com to find out if the email is bogus or not. Well anyways, this is a story that is tracked by Snopes.com as a true story, and not an urban legend. It seems that the email was just too amazing to be true, and therefore people questioned its truthfulness - hence the article at Snopes - referencing it's validity.
Cliches -- [Six More Months in Iraq - in Iraq]
I received this email last night:
Greetings!I've been follow troops morale and deployments and developments since the war began, and I've felt very upset about the ideas this country has about how best to "support the troops"...
...I followed the link and watched Kaz?s little clich頯f an anti veteran film. It purports to be a psychological evaluation of a combat vet charged with murder. I?m sure they think they are being clever with the not so subtle ways that they make the vet look ignorant and brainwashed, but the effort was laughable. In the first few moments of the film, the ?vet? refers to the president as ?George Bush Jr? (because vets are too stupid to know the presidents real name). It heads downhill from there. I checked out the ?learn? link on the page and was shocked, shocked I tell you, to find a page full of anti war links, running the gamut from MoveOn.org to Poets against the war.
Disgusting...But Not Suprising -- [ WarriorsVoice - in Iraq]
Someone sent me these pictures. I'll be the first to say that these type of people are not the majority of individuals who represent American citizens who are against the war on terror. However, one should ask themselves why would the anti-war movement allow these scumbags to be a part of their protests.
Bonus issues? -- [Steven Kiel - in Iraq]
I came across this article today and kind of laughed:
When a bonus isn?t a bonus, Murray fires
Basically it's saying that the bonuses that were given for reenlisting earlier this year are no longer valid. Here's a quote from the article, "A Pentagon spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, confirmed the bonuses had been canceled, saying they violated Pentagon policies because they duplicated other programs."
There's a First For Everything -- [Banter in Atlanter]
Looks like Jabba the Hut Ted Kennedy has conquered his fear of saving people who are drowning in a body of water.
"The Cape Cod Times reports the Massachusetts Democrat was walking his two Portuguese waterdogs on the shore at about 11:15 a.m. when he spotted the men cut off from the shore by rising waters.
Arrest warrant issued for DeLay -- (Seattle Times)
AUSTIN, Texas ? A state court issued an arrest warrant yesterday for US Rep. Tom DeLay, requiring him to appear in Texas for booking on conspiracy and money-laundering charges. The court set an initial $10,000 ...
Sheehan thrashing 'war hawk' Hillary
Cindy tears into Clinton for Iraq support, compares her to radio's Rush Limbaugh -- (World Net Daily)
Cindy Sheehan, the so-called "peace mom" on a crusade to end U.S. involvement in the Iraq war, is publicly blasting Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., for her continued support of the ongoing conflict.
Staged?? THIS Is Staged! -- [They Call Us, "Doc" - in Iraq]
On the Today show this morning, Katie Couric was promoting a segment that would talk about the apparent staged inteview with soldiers in Iraq. A few moments later the show went to correspondent Michelle Kosinski, reporting on location about the floods in New Jersey.
E-Mail Trail -- [Right in Raleigh]
I will include the whole e-mail trail of this remarkable exchange with the public editor of the regional paper here in Raleigh, the N&O. Remember, this guy is hired to represent the readers and root out problems at the paper like political bias.
Big Media Disappointed Over Success In Iraq -- [Open Fire]
I found a small nugget that, once again, points out liberal media bias.
At blogwidow, Mark Kilmer cites an AP story about the likely passage of the Iraqi constitution. In his post he accurately points out the glass-is-half-empty tone of the AP story. You can clearly read it in the excerpt he uses:
MSM Anti-war Bias - What Milbloggers Have Been Saying All Along! -- [Some Soldier's Mom]
The Media Research Center says the coverage by ABC, NBC and CBS is biased against the war and the soldiers and doesn't tell the good news! I think I mighta heard that somewhere before...
Another Iraqi Blogger joins the blogsphere -- [An Average Iraqi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
On other news, my efforts to convince some of my college friends to get a blog has finally paid off. Today my best friend Samy has finally started a blog. However his blog is going to be mostly in Arabic, since his English is not very good. I will translate some of his posts if I think they are worth it. Go say hello to him, even if you can't read the post.
Programming Your Blog or Website - Part 2 -- [Holly Aho - A Soldier's Angel]
Anything anyone is trying to charge you for you can install for free on your webhost. Want e-commerce? Forums? Traffic analyzers? Want to know which of your outgoing links are most popular? Want a blog? If a webhost is asking you for an extra charge to add a service you can almost guarantee that you can get it for free by installing the program yourself. Why would someone pay a MONTHLY fee for traffic stats? Your webhost simply installs a program for you on your website and gives you a link to view the analysis. They do this ONCE...and it works forever. You however, pay for it monthly. They aren't even doing anything! The programs run themselves (automated). The same goes for anything else.
Instant and intense, troops' online journals multiply -- (Sacremento Bee - Free Subcription required) HT:Who's your Baghdaddy?
Immediate and intimate, revealing and raw: For firsthand, unflinching accounts of life in a war zone, look no further than milblogs.
Short for military blogs, milblogs are personal online journals being kept by hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Going to California -- Major K - on leave from Iraq]
The day has finally arrived! I am in Kuwait, witing for my flight back to the US for my two week mid-tour leave. I get to finally see my lovely Wife and witness the birth of my Son. I cannot wait. I am restless with anticipation. I will probably not post for a while...
KC's Infantry Marines are Home -- [JD's Blog - Faces from the Front]
With lights flashing and sirens wailing, the Police escort sped down I-435 and two buses of Infantry Marines followed.
The Marines of Fallujah's Silver Platoon met up with their Kansas City brothers in Camp Lejeune, N.C. on a rain soaked morning, that turned into a beer soaked night of swapping war stories.
Help 4th Recon! -- [Help 4th Recon Site]
10/18/05 UPDATE: As of 7:00 PM CST, the 4th Recon are meeting with their families and friends who are greeting them at the airport. They are home safe now, but don't forget that Help 4th Recon will still be continued.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
Insurgents Died Last Night...Plain And Simple -- [warriorsvoice - in Iraq]
Some of you might have read or heard about the recent airstrike on insurgents in the Ramadi area of Iraq. Of course the MSM is reporting that "civilians" died in the attack. They are not reporting that the
Assumptions: Constitution seems like passing -- [An Average Iraqi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
On Saturday the voting ended at 5 PM, with almost no or very little accidents. No terror actions were reported. The voting went well in Baghdad, the night before it was generally calm, except for the terror attack on the power lines. So we didn't wake up on the sound of shots, or on electricity either. Al-Anbar wasn't that lucky, the people woke on sounds of heavy fire fights and bombing too. The number of voters at Al-Anbar wasn't more than 33% of the total eighteen plus population.
Can you guess who threw it here ? -- [A Free Writer - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Well , it is useless for me to talk about the poll on constitution and if it will pass over or not .!
But the important thing to say is that no one from the people I know have the chance to read the Draft before saying yes or no .. !
I don?t know if any one of the voters gave their positive or negative voices on satisfaction about it?s contents .
Assault on Camp Gannon Repelled; and River Gate Continues -- [The Fourth Rail - Bill Roggio]
Last spring, al Qaeda unwisely assaulted Camp Gannon, the U.S. Marine outpost located in Husaybah on the Syrian border. While the attack was championed in the press as proof of the strength and staying power of al Qaeda, the terrorists suffered an awful defeat when attempting to attack the Marines en masse. Estimates put the enemy casualties anywhere from 35 to 85%, depending on the size of the assault force, stunning losses no matter which figure is used.
Final Countdown Part II -- [JD's Blog - Faces from the Front - in Iraq]
A FRUSTRATING HUNT
?We?re gonna hit that house, that house, that ruble, those weeds?? Sgt. Nawrocki said to the hasty assembled fire-team of Lance Corporal Jarrod Birney, Lance Corporal Steven Schlau, Sgt. Joshua Haney and McClung.
Tribes Hired to Guard the Border -- [Strategy Page]
October 18, 2005: In Anbar Province, the large desert region in the western part of the country that borders Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, the government has apparently reached an agreement with several of the Sunni tribes to form a ?Desert Protection Force.? The DPF will be recruited from tribal militias, who have an intimate knowledge of the desert, and the traditional ? as in thousands of years ? smuggling routes into the adjacent regions. Although it can be viewed as a bribe to the tribal leaders to keep their people in line, the initiative may yield important benefits in the future, since it links local tribal fortunes to the success of the new government.
To know me is to not fear me ? [MREeater - in Iraq]
We drove the empty streets of Kirkuk the night before and the night after the referendum. Kirkuk is probably the most ethnically mixed city in Iraq. It has Sunni and Shia Arabs, Kurds, Assyrians, Turkmen, and some Christians. In this city, US soldiers are well received. People all over the city wave at us
Update on the Constitution #2 -- [The Makaha Surf Report]
Salahdin province voted down the Constitution 78% said no 20% said yes. So that means the 2 provinces of Iraq that had the most to lose with Hussein being overthrown have now decided they want to remain poor and downtrodden in the new Iraq. Both Salahdin and Al Anbar are where most of Saddam's terror soldiers came from, Fallujah was known as the place where Republican Guard officers came from, Tikrit was Saddam Hometown and the primary recruiting place where Special Republican guards came from.
Election Day - Part II of III -- [365 and a Wake Up - in Iraq]
As luck would have it our tidy little breakfast was the high point in the day. As the morning wore on the temperature started to creep ever higher. Although the temperature didn?t reach the crushing heights of summer it was hot enough to turn our armor into miniature saunas, complete with helmets that seemed to drip sweat like leaky faucets.
In country -- [Phillip Carter - in Iraq]
I arrived in Iraq about a week ago, after several days of baking in the Kuwaiti desert at the Army's staging area there. We flew up into Iraq in the back of a C-130 transport plane, and we're settled down now at one of the FOBs (forward operating bases) in the vicinity of Tikrit.
GIVE WAR A CHANCE: THE MOTION PICTURE -- [AMERICAN CITIZEN SOLDIER - in Iraq]
The surest way to end a war...
Is to lose it.
A BUCK SARGENT FILM
COMING 9/11/2006
The Brits -- [Updates from Your CWFour]
Yesterday I had a chance to spend some time with the British in Basrah. My passenger was a Brigadier (one star General) who I picked up in Kuwait. He showed up looking like a contractor in jeans and a t-shirt. He didn't have an entourage, carried his own bag and changed in the back of the airplane on the way to Basrah. Very nice guy.
Mosul is policing its own -- [Stryker Brigade News]
Link To Article By Polli Keller MOSUL,Iraq (Army News Service, Oct 17, 2005)?The Mosul city government and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or USACE, are working together to renovate eight Mosul police stations. This $1.9 million dollar project began...
Sometimes It Snows - Even in Iraq -- [Casper's Calamity - in Iraq]
As unlikely as it may seem for a place that spends its days at 120F+ for the majority of the year, sometimes it snows. For the first time I will spend an Iraqi winter in central Iraq. I don't think it snows here but it does in the North. Either way, just as it cools down, the weather turns from desert heat to wet, slushy, mud up to your knees. Most places in Iraq don't have sand as you would expect.
'Artificial' Iraq? (Washinton Post)
Abu Khaleel is probably the only farmer/blogger in Iraq. But his hybrid background gives him some authority to talk about "the land between the two rivers."
In the most recent post in his thoughtful blog, A Glimpse of Iraq, Khaleel gives the boot to a faddish favorite sound bite of Western pundits: that Iraq is nothing more than an "artificial" creation of 20th century European colonial powers.
Iraq plays down suggestions of fraud in referendum -- (Reuters)
BAGHDAD - Iraqi officials checking results from some regions in Saturday's constitutional referendum said on Tuesday the audit did not imply fraud in the voting.
Iraqis Probe 'Unusually High' Yes Tally -- (AP)
Iraq's election commission announced Monday that officials were investigating "unusually high" numbers of "yes" votes in about a dozen provinces during Iraq's landmark referendum on a new constitution, raising questions about irregularities in the balloting.
Loyalties Lie With Clerics, Not With Politicians, in Najaf -- (Washington Post)
NAJAF, Iraq, Oct. 16 -- No one in Najaf wore a bigger smile to the polls Saturday than Falah Hassan Sarraf.
The electrical engineer and his wife were so keen to vote in Iraq's constitutional referendum that they hardly slept the night before, he said. And they brought along their three young daughters to share in the moment.
Iraq Election Commission Checking Ballots -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A sandstorm that had closed Baghdad's airport cleared Tuesday, allowing officials to resume flying ballot boxes to the capital Tuesday so "unusually high" vote totals in 12 Shiite and Kurdish provinces can be checked by election officials. The investigation by Iraq's election commission has raised the possibility that the results of the referendum could be called into question. As many as 99 percent of the voters reportedly approved Iraq's draft constitution in some of the provinces being investigated.
Adviser to Top Iraqi Politician Killed -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Insurgents shot and killed an adviser to one of Iraq's top Sunni Arab officials on Tuesday as he drove to work in Baghdad, police said....
Iraqis Say Civilians Killed in U.S. Raids -- (Washington Post)
Military Asserts Fatalities in West Were Insurgents
BAGHDAD, Oct. 17 -- A U.S. fighter jet bombed a crowd gathered around a burned Humvee on the edge of a provincial capital in western Iraq, killing 25 people, including 18 children, hospital officials and family members said Monday. The military said the Sunday raid targeted insurgents planting a bomb for new attacks.
Scores Are Killed by American Airstrikes in Sunni Insurgent Stronghold West of Baghdad -- (New York Times)
RAMADI, Iraq, Oct. 17 - American aircraft launched airstrikes against insurgents in this embattled city on Sunday, killing as many as 70 people, the military said Monday. Also on Monday, gunmen attacked cars carrying the provincial governor, wounding two of his guards.
Anbar deputy governor shot dead in Iraq -- (Reuters)
A senior member of the provincial government in the western Iraqi province of Anbar, the focus of the Sunni Arab insurgency, was shot dead by gunmen in Ramadi on Tuesday, a local doctor said.
President Bush Takes Heart With Iraq Vote -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- Needing a lift, President Bush is finding reason to cheer over Iraq's apparent approval of a proposed Constitution, calling election day both hopeful and exciting....
Iraqi Court to Open Saddam Trial Wed. -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Saddam Hussein and seven senior members of his 23-year regime will go on trial Wednesday to face charges they ordered the 1982 killings of nearly 150 people from the mainly Shiite town of Dujail following a failed attempt on Saddam's life....
The Nature of Today's Soldier -- [Fire Power Forward - in Afghanistan]
They were wearing the woodland camouflage pattern BDU's instead of the desert DCUs, but otherwise, there didn?t seem to be anything overtly different about the troops that arrived at Bagram on Sunday than any other soldieryou might find in Afghanistan. Like every other soldier before them, they stepped off the C-17, shook off the stiffness of the long flight from Rota, Spain, and tried to familiarize themselves with their new surroundings. Like all their predecessors, they would face tedious welcoming briefings from the Personnel, Finance, and Base Operations, before being shown to their temporary housing.
Gratuitous Afghan Photos Return VI -- [Miserable Donuts]
A little chat with the people of the village of Daucoka, Kapisa Province. This was an instance of "jaw-jaw better than war-war". Certainly better reception than that other time. After dispelling some fears and clearing up some misinformation, we had nothing but good relations with these folks.
AFGHANISTAN A ?CATALYST? FOR MUSLIM-ISRAEL TIES -- (International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, Israel)
After a concerted campaign by Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom to begin establishing ties with Arab and Islamic countries, Afghanistan has responded by being the first Muslim country to formally explore diplomatic relations with Israel, as reported by the Pakistani newspaper the Daily Times on Saturday.
Coalition Forces Kill 4 Afghan Policemen -- (AP)
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- U.S.-led coalition forces killed four police officers after mistaking them for militants during an operation in southern Afghanistan, a provincial spokesman said Tuesday. The coalition said it could not confirm the incident and was investigating.
Items About Areas That Could Break Out Into War -- [Strategy Page]
October 18, 2005: On the morning October 7th a gang of 70-75 young men attacked a Shia mosque in Kuwait, shortly after morning services. Rocks were thrown, anti-Shia slogans daubed on the walls, cars were torched, and at least one man was badly beaten. Although the Kuwaiti police made several arrests, a high ranking government official attributed the whole business to ?a youthful prank.? But it was
Wilma set to become intense hurricane -- (Reuters)
LONDON - Tropical Storm Wilma is likely to become a full-blown hurricane soon as it gathers strength in the Caribbean and aims at Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba and south Florida, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Tuesday
Rumsfeld: China Sowing Suspicion Over Army -- (AP)
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Tuesday accused China of understating the scope of its defense spending, and he said this is sowing suspicion about how China intends to use its growing military might.
Global Violence Has Decreased, U.N. Says -- (AP)
UNITED NATIONS -- Armed conflicts have declined by 40 percent since the end of the Cold War primarily because the United Nations was finally able to launch peacekeeping and conflict-prevention operations around the world, according to a new study....
Off to Pakistan -- [Fire Pwer Forward - in Afghanistan]
No sooner than I praise the efforts of those providing relief to Pakistan, than I get selected to be one of those heroes. I should be headed over the border within a
Earthquakes, Terrorists and Politics -- [Strategy Page]
October 17, 2005: The devastating earthquake that struck northern Pakistan, and nearby regions of Afghanistan and India recently, may have an important effect on the Islamic underground in that country, and its tentacles into Afghanistan and the Indian area of Kashmir. Reportedly, some Islamic base camps in remote areas were heavily damaged, which might led to a lessening of radical support for the insurgencies in Afghanistan and Kashmir, particularly as large numbers of Pakistani troops ? two full divisions from Peshawar -- have flooded into the affected region. While these troops will
Pakistan quake relief accelerates, problems remain -- (Reuters)
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan - Streams of people clambered into the hills of northern Pakistan carrying aid back to quake-shattered villages on Tuesday as clear weather helped a huge relief operation accelerate
Military Copters Deliver Aid to Kashmir -- (AP)
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistani and U.S. military helicopters delivered aid at a brisk pace to the earthquake-stricken region of Kashmir on Tuesday amid warnings from the World Food Program that a half-million survivors have yet to receive desperately needed help....
Sea law amended to help stop ships being used in terror attacks -- [EagleSpeak]
Reported here, some changes to international law to get better control of possible maritime terrorist ships: A new treaty makes it illegal for ships to carry weapons of mass destruction and allows states to
Visit To Walter Reed -- [BlackFive]
Right now, I don't have enough time to do justice about what I witnessed and experienced with a few of the guys at WRAMC.
But what I can tell you, what I should confer, to all of you who sent me emails about being concerned that it would be difficult - emotionally - to visit the wounded, let me tell you that it was both difficult and easy (easy because the Soldiers are so great to talk to). By far, the easiest thing in the world.
Injured Soldiers and Pay Problems -- [Jack Army]
When the Army gets it wrong
Wounded soldiers often--too often--find themselves having to battle the Pentagon over pay mistakes.
Having nearly lost his life in Iraq, the 1st Infantry Division soldier became lost to the Army payroll system because of a paperwork snafu as he lay comatose in a veterans hospital near Chicago. As a result, an Army bureaucrat classified him as absent without leave and cut off his pay, as is sometimes done when the system loses track of a soldier.
Jefferson's Thoughts on Property -- [Eric's Grumbles Before The Grave]
This is important to the debate going on over whether the Kelo v. New London decision was correct from an originalist Constitutional perspective. Scott Scheule recently wrote on this, and I responded to him. A major crux of the debate on this point is this...
Miers says no one knows if she would ban abortion -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON - White House lawyer Harriet Miers told a Democratic senator on Monday no one knows how she would vote on abortion if confirmed to the Supreme Court after a published report suggested she favored outlawing it. Full Article
Key CIA leak detail disputed as announcement nears -- (Reuters)
Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff may have given New York Times reporter Judith Miller inaccurate information about where the wife of Bush administration critic Joseph Wilson worked at the CIA, a former intelligence official said on Monday.
Pro-War Votes May Haunt Democrats -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- Potential Democratic presidential candidates who voted to give President Bush the authority to use force in Iraq could face a political problem - they supported a war that their party's rank-and-file now strongly view as a mistake....
THE OU BOMBER & BIAS AGAINST BLOGS -- [Michelle Malkin]
File this under "How the MSM ignores facts, smears blogs, and publishes snit fits disguised as responsible journalism."
Last week, I received a media inquiry from Wall Street Journal media reporter Joe Hagan. He wanted to talk about blogs and the University of Oklahoma bomber story.
The Hinrichs Case: The WSJ's "Debunking" Debunks Nothing -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
Michelle Malkin notes a Wall Street Journal article by Ryan Chittum and Joe Hagan about the Hinrichs "suicide bombing" -- or, more precisely, about the blog coverage of Hinrichs's death. Malkin accurately describes the Wall Street Journal as advancing a "bloggers-are-reckless crackpots narrative." The most significant aspect of the Journal's article is its alleged "debunking" of some of the rumors that have surrounded Hinrichs's death:
Iraq Votes - Yawn...Next? -- [TigerHawk]
I am struck by the emphasis in the MSM these days away from Iraq reporting and towards other political matters - Tom Delay, Tom Frist, Karl Rove, Scooter Libby. It seems that perhaps, like Afghanistan, there is a realization that Iraq is on the path to successful completion - at least as complete as any democratic experiment can be in dicey parts of the world. The MSM, like today's NYT (no link) lead editorial, will carp about errors and failures while at some grudging level acknowledge that Iraq's constitutional process and vote is a good thing (though it's not a very good constitution and there were a multitude of errors in getting there and there are no WMD and on and on).
Media "Scrapes Bottom" - A Flood of Bias, Not Water -- [GM's Corner]
I would say that the media has sunk to a new low, but it's hard to sink when the reporter sits in a canoe in only inches of water--trying to hype a "deep" flood, caused by Bush and global warming no doubt. However, the illusion
Blogger's Posts Make it into the DOD Early Bird! -- [ROFA Six]
The Early Bird is a Department of Defense (DoD) news clipping service that has been going on for as long as I can remember. Each day it captures news stories that have a DoD linkage of some sort. It is how the senior leadership keeps tabs on what is going on in the press. For years it was a unwieldy multipage document that was faxed to commands around the world. The "little people" in DoD rarely got a look at it, until it was days old and passed down to their level. Now if you are DoD linked anyone can access it on-line each day. Some now criticize the Early Bird (see Intel Dump - Cooking the Early Bird) for "promoting group think," and narrowing the selection of articles to a select few.
Blogs flesh out hit CBS shows -- (Reuters)
Nancy Tellem, president of CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group, said the blogs are a bonus for the network's viewers that reward their loyalty and interest. "Blogs are a great way to bring the millions of viewers who enjoy our programming into the creative process," she said.
Citing Privacy Right, Miers Rejects Roe Questions -- [ScrappleFace]
Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, making the rounds among influential Senators yesterday, refused to answer questions about her views on the landmark abortion case, Roe v. Wade (1973), citing her right to privacy as found in the 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut Supreme Court ruling that served as the key precedent for the Roe decision.
Home Again ? [Hurl's Blog - home from Iraq]
I'm finally back home and settled in. The journey was long, but it didn't seem to matter how miserable and painful because I knew where I was headed.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
SUCCESS!! -- [Ma Deuce Gunner - in Iraq]
Yesterday, the Constitutional Referendum went off without a hitch here in Kirkuk. NO reports of attacks on voter or polling sites were made. People were able to vote without fear of reprisal, attack, or
After the referendum -- [IraqPundit]
It's of course a bit early to comment on the vote. I will only say that I hope all the supposed experts and TV talking heads will now understand that it's not about the mistakes of the Bush administration or the disagreements between the democrats and the republicans. It's about the Iraqi people.
On Democracy ?- [Major K. - in Iraq]
I was watching some of the Iraqi election coverage on CNN International yesterday when the polls here in Baghdad had only been open for a few hours. They had already started to talk down the referendum for, as usual, some petty reasons. The anchorman, Shihab Rattansi, was interviewing one of the correspondents, who was reporting from one of the thousands of polling stations we had set up...
Celebration - Iraq the Model - an Iraq in Iraq]
Iraqi men celebrate the success of the referendum in Mosul (Video: Iraqia TV).
This is the first time I try to publish a video so if it didn't work don't start complaining, okay?
Yes with a Capital (Y) -- [An Average Iraqi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
If you don't have the time or the heart to read the long story, you can simply skip now and go to the comments section
Is that a Democratic Republic I see in Iraq? -- [Sisyphean Musings]
I can't top this post by Glenn Reynolds on the Iraqi Referendum. At best, I can only try to add to it. The Multi-National Force - Iraq website has photos and press releases today from the vote.
The Iraqi People Have Won -- [Dadmanly]
The Iraqi People have won. Again. Listen to this. On January 30th this year, when Iraqis first voted for representatives for their National Assembly, former regime and other Baathist elements,
The Results indicate YES vote for the Iraqi constitution -- [Hammorabi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
The preliminary results from different sources indicate the following:
The nine southern provinces from Basra to Hila voted between 75-95% by yes.
Baghdad region voted by 65-75% yes.
WARRIORJASON'S RECENT OPERATIONS -- [warriorsvoice - in Iraq]
I've had the honor of working side by side with elements of the Long Range reconnaissance & surveillance (LRRS) platoon that is attached to the BDE I work with in Ramadi. My small four man team specializes in observing, finding and destroying
The constitution -- [Steven Kiel - in Iraq]
I've now been here for two votes: the election of members of parliament on January 31st and the constitutional referendum yesterday. According to published reports, it appears that the constitution is going
So I went IED hunting the other day.... -- [Courage Without Fear - in Iraq]
So I went hunting for IEDs the other day. Not because I?m insane or anything, but that?s one of the jobs my soldiers are doing now, so I went with them.
Back to the Syrian Border -- [The Fourth Rail]
Iraq has successfully conducted its referendum on the proposed constitution with a minimal amount of violence, an estimated thirteen security incidents nation wide. al Qaeda's Great Ramadan Offensive has failed.
Update on Operation Rhma -- [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
Witnessing the critical Iraqi referendum Saturday, I saw such a breadth of events that some time is required to compose a dispatch equal to those historic proceedings. Accurately capturing the experience is more important than quickly delivering a statistical summary. The newspapers can handle the summaries. A surplus of reporters has kept an ongoing tally of high voter turnout and low insurgent activity.
In the fight -- [Phil and Becky - Phil's in Iraq]
Earlier this week, our partnered Iraqi Army battalion held a press conference to display a munitions cache that they discovered the previous day. The press conference highlighted the find in order to show the good folks in our AO that their Iraqi Army soldiers are doing some great things in the counterinsurgency fight.
Administration's Tone Signals a Longer, Broader Iraq Conflict (NY Times)...DAVID E. SANGER
U.S. officials say intelligence indicates that even if democratic institutions take hold in Iraq, the insurgency may strengthen
U.S.: 70 Insurgents Killed in Airstrikes -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. warplanes and helicopters bombed two villages near the restive city of Ramadi, killing an estimated 70 militants, the military said Monday, though witnesses said at least 39 of the dead were civilians. The violence on Sunday occurred a day after Iraq voted on - and apparently passed - a landmark constitution that many Sunnis opposed. As officials continued to count the millions of paper ballots Monday, the constitution seemed assured of passage after initial results showed minority Sunnis had fallen short in an effort to veto it.
Iraq voters seen approving constitution -- (Reuters)
BAGHDAD - Iraqi voters have probably approved a new U.S.-backed constitution, overcoming fierce Sunni Arab opposition in a vote Washington hopes will boost its beleaguered strategy in Iraq, results showed on Sunday
Iraqi Constitutional Referendum Results -- (AP)
Initial results from Iraq's constitutional referendum, as reported by election officials in each province. The figures are from the first tallies done by each province's counting centers, which must be sent to Baghdad for another check and compilation. The final official figures, likely to be announced no sooner than Wednesday, may differ....
Arab Commentators Split Over Iraq's Future -- (AP)
CAIRO, Egypt -- Iraq's constitutional referendum may have put the troubled country on the road to recovery, some Arab commentators said Sunday, but others suggested bloody days lay ahead regardless of the vote outcome....
Saddam Case a Chance for Speedy Conviction -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraqi authorities have chosen a little-known case to launch the prosecution of Saddam Hussein because it affords the best chance for a speedy conviction - and because it gives the long-suppressed Shiite majority a first crack at the former Iraqi dictator....
Iraq Referendum Sparks Democracy Debate -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Some voters praised it as a godsend of freedom after decades of dictatorship in Iraq. Others called it the work of foreign occupiers....
Intensity -- [Dadmanly - in Iraq]
A close friend of ours has a family member in Afghanistan, and had a first person account of one of the recent suicide bombings there. (Apparently the Taliban are adopting some of the more media-attracting tactics from Al Qaeda in Iraq.)
Favor, NATO, virgins and store ? [Going Down Range- in Afghanistan]
I am going to do the media a favor. They can cut and paste the following for a headline: We are winning in Afghanistan. The BLUF or Bottom Line Up Front: Two successful elections and no real opposition to the election.
Russia expects US to pull out bases after Afghanistan stabilizes -- (Xinhua)
MOSCOW, Oct. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Russia sees no need for US military bases in central Asia when the threat of terrorism in Afghanistan wanes, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday.
"The threat of terrorism is still coming from Afghanistan, but there is almost no need for active combat operations. As the threat fades, it would be right to restore the previous state of affairs," Lavrov said on a television show on current events.
Afghan Election Staffers Fired for Fraud -- (AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Election authorities said Sunday that they have fired about 50 employees for suspected fraud in last month's legislative polls, while human rights advocates warned that about half of the winning candidates are believed to have links to armed groups....
Taliban kill another Islamic cleric in Afghanistan -- (Reuters)
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Taliban guerrillas shot dead a pro-government cleric in southern Afghanistan, a government official said on Monday, the second killing of a religious figure in three days.
Monday's Winds of War: 17 Oct 2005 -- [Winds of Change]
Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by Security Watchtower.
Bigger Missiles and Taliban Rules -- [Strategy Page]
October 17, 2005: Rumors of Russian support for Iranian development of ballistic missiles (by secretly selling them 30 year old technology) and nuclear weapons (by openly building nuclear power plants in Iran) have shifted European public opinion more against the Iranian government. Such missile technology would enable the Iranians to hit European targets (with a new, 3,500 kilometer range, missile), and Russian ones as well. But current Iranian ballistic missiles can hit Russian targets. Better ones could hit European targets.
Iran Issues Charges Against U.K., U.S. -- (AP)
TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran launched a double-barreled diplomatic assault on Britain and America on Sunday, accusing London of possible involvement in weekend bombings that killed five people and charging that Washington was bent on hauling Tehran before the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program....
Yemeni Al-Qaida Recruit Reportedly Killed in Iraq -- [CounterTerrorism Blog]
Supporters of Al-Qaida and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the Arabian Peninsula have released the biography, martyrdom will, and audio recordings of an Al-Qaida recruit from Yemen recently killed in a suicidal assault on U.S. military personnel in central Iraq. An avid supporter of Al-Qaida himself, Abu Zubair al-Yemeni explained on one recording, "When the towers were hit on September 11th, America stood up and has not sat down yet. Her people gave money and discussed what they wanted to do. They discussed what they wanted to do, until their discussions brought about their death." Abu Zubair also called Usama Bin Laden "courageous", "determined", and "one of Islam's most impressive."
"The Barber" has been captured. -- [Parrot Check ]
I am glad to see that the barber for senior Al-Qaeda members has been recently captured in Iraq. "The Barber
's" duties included altering senior al Qaeda in Iraq members appearances by dying hair color, altering ...
THE OU BOMBER'S SUICIDE NOTE ? [Michelle Malkn]
Two weeks after Joel Hinrichs blew himself up outside the packed University of Oklahoma football stadium, we finally learn there was a suicide note. Or rather, a suicide sentence reportedly discovered on Hinrichs' computer screen by investigators
Al Qaeda "barber" arrested in Iraq ? (Reuters)
U.S. forces in Iraq said on Saturday that they were holding a man suspected of acting as a barber to senior al Qaeda militants and helping them change their appearance to evade capture.
Is Christmas Canceled? Or Is It Just Me? -- [ Holly Aho - A Soldier's Angel]
This year literally thousands of requests are coming in to Soldiers Angels from deployed soldiers requesting Christmas stuff. It's a big need, and yet the items requested are small. These requests need to be filled - absolutely every single one of them. How would it be if 5,000 were sent but 6,000 had been requested. Want to be the one to tell the last 1,000 soldiers that Christmas for them was canceled? How about if 5,999 are sent. Want to be the one to tell the last soldier that for HIM Christmas was canceled?
A Memorable Counter-Demonstration -- [Andi's World]
I arrived at Walter Reed at about 6:40 last evening and was pleasantly surprised. Two empty corners - CodePink was nowhere to be seen.
Interview with Mary Jane McManus, Wife of Ex-POW -- [A Collection of Thoughts]
Danny "Greasy" Belcher of Task Force Omega of KY Inc. passes along the following message:
This is an interview of a Vietnam ex-POW's wife. It helps explain why they are suing Sen. John Kerry for lying. It is time to tell the truth and those telling lies to move to the communist countries that they support. Why live in a country that you believe is wrong? The United States is founded on God and freedom and many of us fought because of this fact.
Every D.C. Scandal Has Its Memory Lapses -- (AP)
WASHINGTON - Every Washington scandal has its moments of memory lapse, and the Valerie Plame affair is no exception. New York Times reporter Judith Miller says she told a federal grand jury she could not recall where she heard name of the covert CIA officer whose cover was blown, even though she jotted it down in her notebook. The identities of those who disclosed Plame's name are vital pieces of evidence for Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald as he tries to track down leakers in the Bush administration.
Rice: I Don't Want to Run for President -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- For Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, no means no - and no again - when it comes to whether she will run for president....
Judgment Call -- (Opinion Journal)
Did Christian conservatives receive assurances that Miers would oppose Roe v. Wade?
Two days after President Bush announced Harriet Miers's Supreme Court nomination, James Dobson of Focus on the Family raised some eyebrows by declaring on his radio program: "When you know some of the things that I know--that I probably shouldn't know--you will understand why I have said, with fear and trepidation, that I believe Harriet Miers will be a good justice."
Cheney will not run for president, wife says -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney will not run for the presidency in 2008, his wife, Lynne Cheney said in an interview published on Sunday.
The Embed -- [ Michael Yon - in Iraq]
Baghdad
I've returned to Iraq.
People ask how journalists get embedded. This seems a fair moment for synopsis of some firsthand experience.
Patriotism and Journalism Part II ? [Firepower Forward - in Afghanistan]
Probably the most ironic thing that I have seen since I started writing this blog is a journalist asking rhetorically if my 11 OCT post caused journalists to be targeted on the battlefield.
Discussion: Media, Communications and Technology in the Age of the Blogger -- [The Adventures of Chester]
Loyal Readers, as I've mentioned before, in a couple of weeks' time, I'll be participating in the conference, "Media, Communication and Technology in the Age of the Blogger," to be held in New York October 26th and 27th.
Blogging Tips For Inexperienced Bloggers -- [Holly Aho - A Soldiers Angel]
I host about 30 blogs for other Soldiers Angels who wanted to try out the blogosphere (you can find their blog links in my right sidebar). Since I first started offering to host blogs I've been keeping track of these new bloggers to see how they're doing and have learned a few things from the experience I think.
Probe Narrows: 'Who Blew Judi Miller's Cover?' -- [ScrappleFace]
(2005-10-16) -- Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, who has devoted two years to investigating who leaked the name of CIA operative Valerie Wilson, has reportedly narrowed his probe in the past week to focus on who unmasked a covert blogging operation at The New York Times.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
Just Had to Break the Rules -- [An Average Iraqi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...I went through side roads only, not through any main street where a checkpoint or a traffic police could find me. Already the streets are beginning to look emptier. Most government facilities are going off these days. Primary schools, high schools and universities are all postponing their study until after the seminars.
A Step forward for democracy in defiance of terrorism -- [Hammorabi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Today's agreement of the main political parties including the Iraqi Islamic Party on the draft of the constitution has been described by some as a historic day.
The Day of National Accord. -- Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in Iraq]
At this moment, the National Assembly is holding a ceremony celebrating the new breakthrough agreement on the constitution which President Talbani described as the ?Day of National Accord?.
The ceremony is attended by the ministers of the cabinet as well as the presidency council and the president of the Kurdistan region, Masoud Barzani.
Our role -- [Phil and Becky - Phil's in Iraq]
This morning, I poked around on the Internet to see if I could find any dispatches from our hosted reporters.
Here is the first one. ...
Green Kryptonite and Juan Cole -- [IraqPundint - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Here we go again, when any light is spotted at the end of the tunnel, the misinformed Juan Cole twists it into some ugly description. Today his blog calls the latest agreement reached among Iraq's politicians as a bad sign.
I guess it's so important for him to see everything regarding Iraq in a negative light. IraqPundit's position is that it would be best if the Iraqi people would reject the constitution. But I still think that any political agreement is good because it can help avert civil war.
Building up the Iraqi Forces -- [Peace Like A River]
Yesterday MNSTC-I ("min-sticky") announced that the Iraqi Forces had crossed a milestone. Iraqi security forces are now 200,000 strong.
Syria-Iraq Improving Relations -- [Dave's not Here - in Iraq]
Syrian Airlines has resumed flights to Iraq after 25 years without service. I suppose this is either a good thing, or a really good way to bring terrorists directly in to Baghdad without the burden of driving across hundreds of miles of desert.
Syria?s Bashir Assad, the Idiot -- [A Soldir's Perspective]
I seem to be making a habit out of calling idiots?well, idiots! It?s what I do: state the obvious. Anyway, read THIS and stay tuned for my perspective. No time right now.
Okay, now I will. During Assad?s interview with CNN, he is asked if the problem of Syrians slipping into Iraq to assist the insurgency is a bad thing and would he ?like to see the insurgency stopped.? Assad?s answer is pure political buck-passing, but listen to this part of his answer:...
Good versus Blind Faith -- [Dadmanly - in Iraq]
Josh Marshall, in a recent Talking Points Memo, reveals the revisionist history that underlies both \tilt and Nobel sensibilities.
Marshall exposes the base assumptions undergirding the new talking points for the war...
River Gate Update - Day Nine -- [The Fourth Rail]
While the news from the fighting along the Euphrates River has been sparse of late, the Coalition continues to conduct operations in western Anbar. At this point in time, Operation River Gate mainly consists of targeted raids and searches...
Man's best friend -- [J Barne's Coffee Shop - in Iraq]
Yep even in a sespool like Iraq you can still find a friend. Lady, as we call her, is the dog pictured above, she was here as a pup when we first arrived and the fella's quickly adopted her into the platoon. She is about 1 year old now and is nothing other than faithful to us. She serves as a good watch dog against "bad guys" and she is friendlier that most domestic dogs back home.
This is my Iraqi word of the day. -- [GI.John - in Iraq]
"Shaku Maku" is a colloquial term frequently used by Iraqis - it is not used anywhere else. It is roughly equivalent to the American "what's up?" Evidently, it is Babylonian in origin and about 3000 years old. I like it because its easy to remember... it sounds a lot like "Shaka Broder" which I use to hear in Hawaii back in the 70s! For the Iraqi's I meet, it?s an easy way to just say "Hi".
Security Stepped Up for Iraq Referendum -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi forces stepped up security across Iraq on Thursday in an effort to reduce insurgent attacks aimed at wrecking this weekend's constitutional referendum. One day after Iraqi lawmakers approved a set of last-minute amendments to the constitution, cities were unusually quiet as a four-day national holiday began. Wednesday's deal sealed a compromise designed to win minority Sunni Arab support for the charter
Iraq's Kurds Ambivalent On Charter -- (Washington Post)
IRBIL, Iraq, Oct. 12 -- In the days leading up to Iraq's historic national elections nearly nine months ago, the streets of this Kurdish provincial capital buzzed with excitement. Aging former pesh merga militia fighters sang revolutionary songs in an impromptu bus parade around the city. Political party workers sat in striped tents outside campaign headquarters and shouted through bullhorns, urging people to vote in the country's first democratic elections in nearly half a century.
Report Says White House Ignored C.I.A. on Iraq Chaos -- (New York Times)
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 - A review by former intelligence officers has concluded that the Bush administration "apparently paid little or no attention" to prewar assessments by the Central Intelligence Agency that warned of major cultural and political obstacles to stability in postwar Iraq.
Suicide Bombings Increase -- [Strategy Page]
When they get the chance, the Taliban seems to have been undertaking coordinated ambushes of late. The pattern apparently is that they set up a series of ambushes along the route they suspect an Afghan or Coalition patrol will pass ? or perhaps have intel about. They let the patrol through one or two of the ambushes, and hit it with the second or third trap. That way, they can
SOUTH ASIAN QUAKE: NATO NOT TO SEND TROOPS FROM AFGHANISTAN -- (AKI/DAWN)
Brussels, 13 Oct. - NATO has ruled out moving its troops or helicopters from Afghanistan to help in the rescue operations in Pakistan but has said its aircraft would continue to ferry relief supplies from Europe to Islamabad. Officials said the first NATO aircraft would reach Pakistan on Thursday as part of a strategic airlift operation to move urgently required humanitarian aid. The operation could be followed by further actions, the organisation said, adding that heavy-duty helicopters could be sent by sea from Europe if required.
US will stay in Afghanistan as long as needed: Rice -- (Daily Times)
KABUL: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday said US troops would stay in Afghanistan as long as needed, as Washington tries to bolster its influence in the region as an antidote to Islamic extremism
Future of the US-ROK Alliance -- [GI Korea Blog - in S Korea]
The Marmot's Hole is providing some great information about the future of the US-ROK alliance:
To set up a forward operational headquarters, the Army plans to move the I Corps headquarters from Fort Lewis to Camp Zama, a U.S. post southwest of Tokyo. Military officers said negotiations with Japan are progressing and an agreement may be reached in time for President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to announce it in November when the president visits Japan.
Rebels Launch Attacks in Southern Russia -- (AP)
NALCHIK, Russia - Militants launched simultaneous attacks on police and government buildings in this city in Russia's turbulent Caucasus region Thursday, sparking battles involving heavy-arms fire that forced schools to evacuate and left corpses in the streets. Chechen rebels claimed responsibility for the attacks in Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkariya, a republic near Chechnya. The republic has suffered a growing wave of violence that apparently is connected to Islamic extremists and that is seen as a spillover of the Chechen rebels' decade-long fight against Russian forces.
From The Rubble, A Tale Of Faith -- [Point Five]
Like many teenagers, sixteen year old Shaukat Shah wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary on Saturday. He was fighting with his older sister, Fadela, in their small stone house, when a deadly 7.6 earthquake struck in the Himalayan region of Kashmir. Shaukat was able to push past his sister, and run to safety before their home collapsed around them. Fadela was not so lucky.
...Miraculously, they found the seventeen year old girl in remarkably good shape, trapped in a cramped pocket of life within a broken jumble of destruction. Allah be praised! said father Amir, as he watched his daughter pulled from the mouth of the rescue tunnel. He has given back our family honor!
For as soon as rescuers were able to extricate Fadela from being buried alive, the family and town elders joyfully buried her up to the neck and stoned her to death.
Clouds Foretell Another Earthquake in Asia! -- [ROFA Six]
India?s National Paper, The Asian Age reports that another earthquake is coming to the region in a report titled, ?Cloud reader gets dire.? The source of that prediction is cloud reader, Shakeel Ahmad. He predicted another earthquake in India in the next week or so after a session of ?cloud reading.?
Aftershock Suspends Pakistan Rescue Effort -- (AP)
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan - A 22-year-old woman trapped in the rubble of a quake-hit building died Thursday after an overnight aftershock disrupted efforts to rescue her, rescuers and witnesses said. British, German and Turkish teams had worked until 2 a.m., trying to extract a woman who had been detected by a sniffer dog in the debris in Muzaffarabad, a city in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir that was devastated in the earthquake Saturday.
Earthquake Aid for Pakistan Might Help U.S. -- (Washington Post)
The influx of U.S. aid to earthquake-ravaged Pakistan -- signified by yesterday's unscheduled stop in Islamabad by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice -- could have an important side benefit: improving the battered U.S. image in a critical Muslim country.
A Bittersweet Ending - Beans the Dog Arrives in America -- [Andi's World]
In August, I brought you the story of one Marine mom who was working to bring Beans the Dog to the United States. Her son, Lance Cpl. Jeff Boskovitch, was killed in Iraq. She wanted to hug the last thing that her son had hugged before a sniper claimed his life. That last hug was given to Beans the Dog.
Autumn in a Box - Carepackage Ideas -- [Holly Aho - A Soldier's Angel]
Another Soldiers Angel mentioned Autumn, and how deployed soldiers (especially those from northern states) might miss the colorful leaves and everything else that is great about fall. She had a great idea, and I have a few to add to it. First, she had the idea to select a few colorful leaves, laminate them and write a message on the back. A few other angels added to this idea by suggesting using glue to attatch the leaves to fabric or paper before laminating them so there is room for a larger message on the back. This is something teachers can do with their class and children will enjoy as well.
The Lowest Form Of Protest -- [Elephant in my Coffee]
Some whackos from Kansas came down to protest the war in front of yet another soldier?s funeral. They were treated the Oklahoma way!
US Navy Birthday 13 October 1775 -- [EagleSpeak]
Only the Navy can make its own birthday dull. 230 years - sort of- ...
Better Ceramic Armor -- [Strategy Page]
The war in Iraq has been a bonanza for manufacturers of lightweight armor. This has led to new, and much improved, designs. One of the more successful is a new ceramic armor ( Light Improved Ballistic Armor, or LIBA) that eliminates the brittleness problems. Instead of layers of ceramics and metal, LIBA uses masses of tiny ceramic pellets held together by a fireproof glue.
Shillary's Been Snubbed -- [Flight Pundit]
Heh. Is this the beginning of the end for Hillary? Or is this the beginning of the end for John Kerry? You decide.
Poll: Bloomberg Extends Lead in NYC Race -- (AP)
NEW YORK -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg, elected in 2001 to succeed Rudolph Giuliani as fires still raged in the World Trade Center ruins, has taken a commanding lead over his Democratic challenger, at least in part because of his handling last week of an alleged terrorist plot to bomb the subways....
Kennedy: I'll Support Kerry in 2008 Race -- (AP)
BOSTON -- Sen. Edward Kennedy said Wednesday he would back fellow Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 - even if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton also pursues a White House bid....
Gore: I Don't Plan to Run for President -- (AP)
STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Former Vice President Al Gore said Wednesday he had no intention of ever running for president again, but he said the United States would be "a different country" if he had won the 2000 election, launching into a scathing attack of the Bush administration....
When asked how the United States would have been different if he had become president, though, he had harsh criticism for Bush's policies.
... "We would not be trying to control and intimidate the news media. We would not be routinely torturing people," Gore said. "We would be a different country."
Budget Cowardice in the Capitol -- (New York Times)
Congressional Republicans are trying to invoke the cost of reconstruction from Hurricane Katrina to justify cutting even more into programs that help the poorest Americans.
Bush approval rating dips to 39 percent - poll -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush's job approval rating has fallen to a new low of 39 percent in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Wednesday.
Democrats See Dream of '06 Victory Taking Form -- (New York Times)
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 - Suddenly, Democrats see a possibility in 2006 they have long dreamed of: a sweeping midterm election framed around what they describe as the simple choice of change with the Democrats or more of an unpopular status quo with the Republican majority.
Random thoughts -- [Courage without Fear - in Iraq]
...I can't really update you on his situation, since I'm usually out of the loop too. I can tell you that just last week we celebrated our 3rd anniversary. Its hard being away from him at times like this and I know it has to be even harder for HIM to be away from us.
Blogiversary -- (Hooah Wife)
Friday the 14th is my 1 year blogiversary. In honor of this special and most momentous occasion (and to help me gain strength in the blogosphere), I am holding an open trackback blogiversary party
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
Final Countdown Part I -- [Faces from the Front - in Iraq]
Ali was dying. Pinned down by a 250 pound armored door and with diesel fuel burning underneath him, he knew it was over.
Ali wasn?t a Marine, but as an Iraqi interpreter he went outside the wire and wore the brown digital cammies?and that made him one of theirs.
Losing some -- [Blood and Sand - in Iraq]
You win some and you lose some. We recently receive a tip from a local about a HVT (high value target) whose car broke down one morning. We flew over, located the target, and followed him back to his palace. Over the next few hours, plans were made and assets were positioned to capture this wanted criminal.
MONKEY STOMP AWAITS -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
Today was a good day. However, one of our convoys was hit by and IED, there were no injuries. That was just one of many IED attacks beginning last night along with a single rocket impact (no factor). A couple detonations went off through the night but ...
Supposed Iraq experts again -- [IraqPundit - an Iraqi]
In the Los Angeles Times, respected thinker Edward Luttwak argues for a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Luttwak says that it's wrong to pull the troops out in a hurry, giving the terrorists a victory. He says most Iraqis are not Sunnis and so he continues...
...First of all, please stop this absurd catogorization of the Iraqi population. Anyone who is new to the subject would get the impression that aside from the majority Shiites, there is this multicultural Kurdish community and little else. Kurds are nearly all Sunni, there is a tiny groups of Kurdish Shiites and Kurdish Christians (and there were some Kurdish Jews). But Luttwak ignores the rest of the Iraqis who don't fit into his tidy picture.
...Again, the misinformed professor makes it sound as though Saddam killed only Shiites and Kurds. If he really did know something about Iraq, he would know that Saddam killed plenty of Sunnis, Christians and members of all the communities.
Embedded media -- [Phil and Becky - Phil's in Iraq]
With Saturday's Constitutional Referendum fast approaching, our Brigade, like probably every other Brigade in country, is being flooded with journalists. Well, if not flooded, hosting more than usual. We got our slice this past week -- a TV journalist from a European TV station, a reporter/photographer team from Reuters and a scheduled-but-not-yet-arrived reporter from USA Today.
al Qaeda and Iraqi Security Forces -- [The Fourth Rail - Bill Roggio]
al Qaeda continues its ?Ramadan Offensive? of car bombings in an attempt to disrupt the upcoming election and sow defeatism in the heart of the American public. In an attack in Tal Afar, a suicide car bomber rams his vehicle into the center of an open market, killing thirty civilians and wounding forty-seven. Iraqi police and Army units are targets throughout the country as well.
IED Roll-UpBlogged -- [A Soldier's Perspective]
I wanted to inform everyone about the ?other? side of IEDs; the side that doesn?t explode or is found before it detonates. Many may feel like the only time we see or hear IEDs is when they go off and soldiers are wounded. As a matter of fact, many IEDs are found before they are able to be detonated against anyone. Some are found AS they?re being laid on the ground. And yet more are found in various stages of production. This is just a ONE WEEK sample.
Mosul, Iraq -Black Hawk Style! -- [Casper's Calamity - in Iraq]
This was one of many flights that I have taken over various cities in Iraq that wane form peaceful to hostile territories with every passing minute. I must admit, it has been quite an adventure and it hasn't ended yet.
Tagged... -- [Ma Deuce Gunner - in Iraq]
Jen, my blog-daughter, over at Jennifer's Musings tagged me yesterday...so here goes...
Seven things I want to do before I die:
1. Make it back to the US
2. Raise a family
3. Be the best husband I can
...
Still a Fugitive -- [Major K - in Iraq]
This scumbag, Fabian Urrea, murdered my friend and fellow Soldier, SPC Jorge Estrada in cold blood over four months ago. I wrote a post about it shortly after it happened. He is still out there somewhere,
A Room With A View... -- [There and Back Again - in Iraq]
This is the view from the balcony right outside of my room. Myself and my roommate live in the Victory Over Iran Palace. At first, I felt guilty about living in a palace, but how many times in life will I have the opportunity to say that I lived in a palace?
Lt. Gen. Petraeus is the man... -- [Quill News]
DC got a chance to see a real war hero in the flesh this week with the visit of Lt. Gen. David Petraeus from his tour leading the training of the new Iraqi forces. You wouldn't know it from the reports in Media-ville but the progress that Petraeus and his commanders have made is astounding. He was welcomed at the White House, and spoke at a Pentagon briefing, and later at Princeton.
Al-Qaida No. 2: Get Set to Fill Iraq Void -- (AP)
WASHINGTON - In a letter to his top deputy in Iraq, al-Qaida's No. 2 leader said the United States "ran and left their agents" in Vietnam and the jihadists must have a plan ready to fill the void if the Americans suddenly leave Iraq.
Fakhri Shehab: We must think the unthinkable: the break-up of Iraq -- (The Independent)
If the temporary Iraqi Government - and behind it, the US-led Coalition of the Willing - are pinning their hopes on the (national) referendum to restore peace, they are in for a bitter disappointment. The fundamental causes of dissension have been left unaddressed in the referendum on the draft constitution. They have been swept under the carpet for too long. No lasting peace is built on force and forlorn hope. Both are symptoms of a bankrupt strategy.
Iraqi Parliament to Discuss Constitution -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A special session of Iraq's parliament was called Wednesday to discuss a breakthrough on the constitution reached by Shiite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish powerbrokers, reviving hopes of winning Sunni support for the charter in this weekend's referendum. But the National Assembly could have trouble forming a quorum. A monthlong legislative recess began Monday, and many legislators have returned to their provinces for Saturday's referendum vote and to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan with their families.
Gratuitous Afghan Photos III - The Return of the Photos -- [Miserable Donuts - back from Afghanistan]
"I dunno Sergeant, they seem happy enough that we stopped in their village."
Fighting in Afghanistan Kills 21 -- (AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan - Fighting across Afghanistan killed 10 suspected rebels, six police and five medical workers, and President Hamid Karzai said Wednesday he believes the insurgents are receiving support from the nation's booming drug trade. The suspected Taliban guerrillas were killed Monday by U.S. warplanes that bombed their hideout in Uruzgan province, which has long been a hotbed of militant activity, local Gov. Jan Mohammed Khan said Wednesday.
AFGHANISTAN: RICE IN KABUL, ROCKETS FIRED AT EMBASSY -- (AKI)
Kabul, 12 Oct. - US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice arrived in the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday morning on the fourth leg of her scheduled tour of Central Asia. She is also due to visit Pakistan. Just a few hours before her arrival, rockets were fired in the city, one of which hit the wall surrounding the Canadian embassy, injuring one security guard and damaging the building. The other rocket landed in an office of the intelligence department, causing some minor damage, police say.
Uri Party Chairman Speaks Up On MacArthur Statue Debate -- [GI Korea - in S Korea]
This is what the ruling Uri Party Chairman had to say in today's Chosun Ilbo about the MacArthur statue controversy in Inchon...
California National Guard General drains morale -- [Another Day in Paradise - in Kosovo]
A few months ago, some people (whose names are being withheld to protect their identities) decided that we could really use a swimming pool here; it would be a huge morale boost to the soldiers.
American-Speak -- [Barbavarian Envoy - in S Korea]
Listening to an NPR program on ?Americans and Learning a Second Language?, I heard some disturbing speculations about Americans? desire to learn a second language. One multilingual caller offereed a joke about Americans as a stereotypically mono-lingual people.There were other examples, though, of callers with multilingual ability. Three reasons were offered for second language learning: vocational, heritage, and hobby.
Syria: Interior Minister Commits Suicide -- (AP)
DAMASCUS, Syria -- Syria's interior minister, who ran Lebanon as security chief until 2003, died Wednesday, and Syria's official news agency said he had committed suicide....
Bush, Palestinians Met in Prelude to Abbas Visit -- (LA Times)
President Bush met with Palestinian officials last week at the White House as a prelude to a visit from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, a White House official said.
Schroeder Won't Be Part of New Government -- (AP)
BERLIN -- Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder told a trade union conference in his hometown Wednesday he will "definitely" not participate in Germany's new coalition government....
Liberians Jam Polling Places to Cast Ballots for President -- (LA Times)
A runoff is expected as a popular former soccer player, an ex-World Bank official and 20 other candidates vie for the top position.
Some Ideas in Search of an Author -- (New York Times)
It's been a month since President Bush offered a bold plan to rebuild the devastated Gulf Coast and so far there's been no action.
U.S. Pledges to Boost Minority Contracts -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration said Tuesday it would boost the number of contracts given to small and minority-owned businesses for Hurricane Katrina cleanup work, calling the amount now awarded too low....
Losing Hope in Louisiana -- (Washington Post)...Jennifer Moses
Six weeks after Hurricane Katrina, most Americans seem poised for the next news cycle. But in Louisiana, jobs are as rare as snow in August and the hurricane just won't go away.
Oklahoma Suicide Bombing: Sorting Through the Evidence -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
I posted a couple of times last week (original post here; update here) about Joel Hinrichs III, who died on October 1 after detonating an explosive device while sitting on a bench about 100 yards from a stadium that was packed for an Oklahoma University-Kansas State football game. The fact that Hinrichs chose to kill himself using explosives is in itself noteworthy; this case is even more noteworthy for the fact that Hinrichs attempted to purchase ammonium nitrate just a few days before his death. There have been
Remember the Cole -- [Indepundit - Smash]
ALAN GRAY reminds us of a grim anniversary...
NYC Officials Question Subway Hoax Reports -- (My Way News -(AP))
NEW YORK - Mayor Michael Bloomberg and police officials questioned reports on Tuesday that an alleged subway bomb plot that spread fear through the city was a hoax.
Terror Suspect Confesses to Bush Plot -- (My Way News -(AP))
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A U.S. citizen accused of joining al-Qaida and plotting to assassinate President Bush said in a videotaped confession that he was motivated by hatred of American support for Israel. Ahmed Omar Abu Ali also said on the tape, played in court for the first time Tuesday, that a...
Tribute To The Troops -- {Defense Link} (Bold empahsis is Mrs G's)
Country music fans phoned WMZQ radio throughout the day Oct. 8 asking one question: would the heavy rains stop the Tribute to the Troops?
Not to worry, the disc jockeys said. The show would go on. People with tickets for lawn seats at the Nissan Pavilion in Manassas, Va., could now sit inside the open-air concert arena.
...A newcomer on the country music scene, Luke Stricklin, an Arkansas National Guard specialist and Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, opened the show. After singing songs off his debut album, Stricklin sang his hit single ?American, by God?s Amazing Grace.?
Miracle Workers and Heroes -- [Andi's World]
The advancements made in medical technology over the past decade is paying off in spades for many of our wounded troops. If the resources we have now were available to us during the Vietnam War, many of our heroes would have survived. Not only survived - but thrived.
Support from the Kids -- [They Call Us, "Doc" - in Iraq]
This banner was sent to us from my Aunt, who is a teacher at an elementary school in Lewisburg, Tennessee and we hung it up in our MWR building. It's signed by
"These Backpacks are Great!"
On the Soldiers' Angels message board today, from Rene鮮.
A Letter for Grandma and Grandpa -- [Camp Katrina]
...And even if the Army had no other virtues, that would be enough for me to continue as its unwavering advocate. It's good to know that our military, in a time when good manners are going the way of the two-parent family, is still taking the time to grab a pen.
Letters From Home -(video)
By John Michael Montgomery
Living Alone -- [A Seabee & His Angel]
Over the past 14 months I have adjusted to living alone...I have lived alone before so it wasn't so hard. Except this house is big! My bed is big! My couch is big! I began to think about the things I have done to make it seem less big. The downstairs has been turned into storage, a huge family room, bedroom and full bath resigned to holding old toys, clothes, paperwork and boxes of things that I refuse to throw out but still don't want cluttering up my life!
Army Has Plan to Boost Signups in 2006 -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- The Army has a master plan for recovering from this year's painful recruiting problems that includes new financial incentives for enlistees, greater use of computers, a new way for recruiters to make their pitch and a proposed finder's fee for soldiers who refer recruits....
For 2005, Only Army Missed Recruiting Goal -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- Alone among the military services, the Army fell short of its 2005 recruiting goals - not just the active-duty Army but also the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard....
U.S., Japan seek resolution to military base feud -- (Reuters)
tOKYO - Japan and the United States appear headed toward settling a feud over where to relocate a U.S. military base in Japan, clearing the way for a broader deal that would help tighten military cooperation between the two allies, Japanese media and diplomatic sources said on Wednesday.
U.S. to Remain at Kyrgyz Air Base -- LA Times)
The Central Asian nation's president signs an open-ended deal during a visit by Rice.
Screw the Senate -- [Frooggy Ruminations]
There has been a lot of squawking from Hugh, Powerline, Cap?n Ed, and others on the right side of the blogosphere about how Harriet Miers should just be confirmed anyway because if not, it will damage the Republican majority now in place.
Mehlman Defends GOP Appeal for Black Votes -- (AP)
WATERBURY, Conn. -- The national Republican Party chairman on Tuesday defended the GOP's outreach to black voters, days after his Democratic counterpart questioned how he could make such an appeal in view of the Bush administration's tepid response to Hurricane Katrina....
Specter Decries Bush 'Pummeling' on Miers -- (AP)
PHILADELPHIA -- Conservatives are giving President Bush an unfair "pummeling" over his selection of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court, Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter said Tuesday....
Bush Without Rove Is Hard to Imagine -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- Karl Rove's fingerprints are all over everything at the White House, from politics to policy to the shape of President Bush's entire career in government....
For President Under Duress, Body Language Speaks Volumes -- (Washington Post)
..."Does it worry you," NBC's Matt Lauer is asking him at a construction-site interview in Louisiana, that prosecutors "seem to have such an interest in Mr. Rove?"
Bush blinks twice. He touches his tongue to his lips. He blinks twice more. He starts to answer, but he stops himself.
Media Bias -- [Watch Your Six - in Iraq]
I've written about the media's bias before. Their bias is towards what will sell the most copies and therefore make them the most money. America is supposed to win wars (we're 7-1-1 depending on how you keep score), so if we win, that's just a "dog-bites-man" story. The media saw its rise to prominence during vietnam and another quagmire war in a foreign land would elevate it even higher, right?
Kill, Kill, Kill? or ?Lie Lie Lie?? -- [A Soldier's Perspective]
A new book titled ?Kill, Kill, Kill? has been published claiming that U.S. soldiers got their kicks killing innocent, unarmed Iraqis. SSG Jimmy Massey writes that the fault lies in an ?exaggerated sense of threat.? I?m sorry, that?s FORMER SSG Jimmy Massey. And yet another in the long line of Bush haters.
Two New Debates -- [Dadmanly - in Iraq]
Be careful what you wish for. "May you have what you wish for." (Ancient Chinese curse)
...Some highlights of the various discussions (don't ask me where these came from, I have lost track).
Kevin suggested that I am censored and reviewed for content based on some of the recent policy letters and focus on blogging and OPSEC, I responded:
Shield law won't protect bloggers -- [CounterCoulumn]
If that's the case, then it makes a sham out of the shield law.
And a government that can grant de facto licenses to journalists is also big enough to strip them of their licenses on the whim of a prosecutor. Maybe it will fly in court, maybe it won't. But it will be more than enough to cause a reporter to look over his or her shoulder.
Ralph, did you call me a whining coward? -- [CDR Salamander]
Looks like Ralph Peters is going to be a regular contributor to Navy Times, and probably the other service times as well.
...UPDATE: Still don't think blogging under your real name is a dangerous game? Totally outside the military (Civilian Best Practices there, natch) - read the blood train here, here, and here. Dan Drezner's story hurts the worst. He hoped against hope this wouldn't kill him. Perhaps it didn't, but reading between the lines, I think he wished he didn't use his real name.
Blogs Offer Cyber-Catharsis -- (Washington Post)
Logging intensely personal experiences on the Web has become a new form of therapy for millions.
CNNN - On the Streets of America
CNNN host asks average Americans which countries United States should invade next in order to curb terrorism.
Many Americans can't even find these so-called "terrorist" states on the map, and they proved their own ignorance by placing markers on the continent of Australia.
The Cruelty of Men -- (Newsweek)
If only the story about live dogs being used as shark bait on a remote French island could have been a hoax. Sadly, it isn't.
TERROR FASHION -- [Open Fire]
With the autumn season comes a wave of new fall fashions from Europe. This year we have "terror fashion" taking the western world by storm! Yes, it's so cool!
Specter: Senators Not Qualified to Question Miers -- [Scrappleface]
Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, R-PA, announced today he will delay confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers until he can locate some Senators who are intellectually qualified to question her on the finer points of Constitutional law.
Strange, but interesting... -- [Speed of Thought](EN: this has been around but still a good Laugh)
Here is the story:
This is a car advertisement from Great Britain. When they finished filming the ad, the film editor noticed something moving along the side of the car, like a ghostly white mist. They found out that a person had been killed a year earlier in that exact same spot.
The ad was never put on TV because of the unexplained ghostly phenomenon.
Anniversary -- [Dip into the mind of the Cupcake Queen!]
Well yesterday was my husbands and my anniversary!! Two years! I know that doesn't seem like a lot but I am so proud of the two of us! I am sad that we have to be apart, but it comes with the territory.
Happy Belated Blog B-Day -- [Neptunus Lex]
To me!
Dern, I?ve always been bad at anniversaries.
7 OCT 2003, I joined the burgeoning ranks of the pajama clad unwashed...
Out of Ghraib Danger -- [Ghraib Danger - home from Iraq]
Good morning, afternoon, or evening, depending on where you're located around the world. It's been some time since I've posted, and since most of you (my friends and family), who faithfully read this blog know that I am back in the U.S., I don't know how great the audience will be for this final blog entry. For those of you who are still reading, please say a prayer for Martha, Brian, Rob, Paul, Wayne, Mike, and Katie (my friends still in Iraq), and for all the other troops U.S. and Coalition who are still in country. May they all return home safely. I've been home now for almost a month. I've mostly settled back into the way things were before I left, but some things are still weird.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
We are Friends. We are Human Beings -- [24 Steps to Liberty - an Iraqi in Iraq]
I thought of an idea to post here. I have many American friends, with whom I chat always, and we regularly involve in very interesting subjects and arguments. I thought of posting some of these exchanges of thoughts, of course after getting the permission from my friends . I will not mention names. The idea is to show people how an Iraqi and an American cross all the borders, lines, and boundaries and be only ?Human Beings? without differences of religion, nationality. With no affect of governments? attitudes.
...Few days ago, I sent an email to one of my American friends. In the emails, I talked about the situation in Iraq, as well as in the US. then I included a sentence saying ?God bless Iraq and America.?
The next day, I got a reply from her. She was amazed that I said ?God bless America.? In her email, she attached some pictures from the famous Abu Ghraib prison scandal and asked me to take a look and see if I still say ?God bless America?
Shadow Run -- [Who's your Baghdaddy - in Iraq]
A soldier came in tonight needing to borrow some equipment so he could get ready for a mission. It was about 2100 hrs (about 9:00 pm) and I was curious what they were getting ready to do.
"Where ya'll going?", I asked.
"Shadow run.", he replied.
THE BBQ -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
It?s a nice sunny day today except for the black smoke off to the east as the Army & Marine team engages the enemy in Ramadi. Continuous IED and small arms fighting continues as Marine Gun ships circle in support with ?Fast movers? (Jets) above them in support. I smell a BBQ and think about green grass, fresh air, yellow corn on the cobb and just plain ol nice summer days. But its not BBQ, NO it?s a burning building blowing from the east.
A word from Major E. -- [Powere Line]
It's been too long since we heard from Major E., our man at Camp Victory in Baghdad. Major E. writes:
Winding down -- [MI VIDA LOCA - in Iraq]
...These soldiers are PROUD of what they are doing here. They don't care about the reasons/politics behind the decision to send them all they know is they were sent here to do a job and they intend on doing it well...and they are. Of course there are always a few soldiers who will tell you this is BS and we don't belong here but the majority of what I see is soldiers taking pride in thier mission even if it is outside thier MOS and doing the job. When it comes down to it, it doesn;t matter if it is BS this is what we get paid to do. As IRR call ups it is even more pronounced to me.
Against all enemies... -- [Major K - in Iraq]
I swore this oath in 1992, then a young Second Lieutenant. In the past few weeks as I watched and read about the latest round of war protests, I thought about Sun Tzu, the legendary Chinese Strategist, who made it very clear how important it is to "know your enemy" in order to be victorious.
Drama on 30 -- [stardotstar.org - in Iraq]
Had an interesting night last night. Some good aviation drama that i AM allowed to talk about on here. There is so much talk going around about ?Operational Security? with blogs, I hesitate to write much. I?m actually working on a kind of essay to post about secrecy and freedom of speech for the military and the public. Anyways, back to the story.
We were all set to go out for your average mission. We had started to taxi the aircraft when ...
I'm not sick but I'm not well, and it's so hard, because I'm in hell...
Ever had that feeling like you really don't want to do anything anymore? -- [Ryan and Christy's Place - Ryan's in Iraq]
Feel burnt out, stressed, you know that genuine "blah! to the world" feeling?
Well, I am now on lap 16 of this long deployment, and it feels as if all of that has caught up to me. We all see that checkered flag in the distance and we keep getting closer and closer to it every day. But the gas tank is about on empty and we are running on fumes just to finish the race.
Empowering Women in Iraq -- [The Cool Blue Blog]
United States Supports Women's Empowerment in Iraq
State Department fact sheet outlines U.S. programs for Iraqi women
Since Iraq's liberation, the United States has actively supported the needs and interests of Iraqi women, seeking to provide them with the necessary tools to permit their full participation in their country's political, social, and economic future. With support from Congress, the Administration has worked closely with the representatives of the Interim and Transitional governments of Iraq, as well as local Iraqi civic partners, to...
Me and the U.S.A. !! -- From Haneen With Love - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Hi all,
Maybe you are wondering about the post's title now. What is between me and the U.S. ! In fact, an anonyomus commenter had earged me to write this post indirectly. This commenter has been asking me a couple of times why do I want to study at the U.S.A. if I hate the American poeple and the American government ! Now I want to make somethings correct, so this post is dedicated to you, dear anonymous, and to all my friends and blog visitors who had mistaken me on this issue before.
Iraq Report, 10 Oct/05 -- [Winds of Change]
Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from Iraq that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. This briefing is brought to you by Joel Gaines of No Pundit Intended and Andrew Olmsted of Andrew Olmsted dot com.
278th mission - nears its end -- (The Daily News Journal)
These citizen soldiers have been deployed for almost two years. They've sacrificed two years of their lives to the mission. Their families have sacrificed two years that can't be replaced. Nine of their number have made the supreme sacrifice while on station in the Middle East.
...Holmes said it well back in June: "Anyone questioning this war would not do so if they would only experience what we have experienced, the mass graves, the fatherless families, the poverty. That's what I want the folks back home to remember."
Welcome to the Occupation -- (Washington Post)
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance: The psychiatrist Elisabeth K?Ross came up with her famous five stages of grief to describe how patients react to the discovery that they are terminally ill, but these phases apply to other traumas too. With regard to the debacle playing out in Iraq, for example, the White House and its die-hard supporters are still in denial, while most of their Democratic critics are stuck at anger.
U.S. pullout depends on how Iraq votes -- (Tuscon Citizen)
WASHINGTON - When Iraqis go to the polls Saturday to ratify or reject their constitution, they'll give the world and the 152,000 American troops there the most recent snapshot of their progress or peril.
As Talks Continue, Many Iraqis Lack Copy of Charter -- (Washington Post)
BAGHDAD, Oct. 10 -- As outraged would-be voters protested at still not being shown copies of Iraq's proposed constitution, U.S. and Arab diplomats bore down on Sunnis, Shiites and Kurdish leaders Monday in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone to make last-ditch changes to the charter that would overcome Sunni opposition.
UK makes small cut to Iraq troop numbers -- (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Britain says it will cut its military presence in Iraq by around 500 troops to 8,000 next month as it closes two small bases and hands over some training duties to the Iraqi security forces.
Iraq detainees to get vote - including Saddam -- (Independent Online, South Africa)
Baghdad - Thousands of detainees in Iraqi jails should be able to vote in the constitutional referendum this week - including former president Saddam Hussein
Ex-Iraqi Officials Sought in $1B Theft -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq has issued arrest warrants against the defense minister and 27 other officials from the U.S.-backed government of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi over the alleged disappearance or misappropriation of $1 billion in military procurement funds, officials said Monday.
Afghanistan's Progress and Unfinished Business Provide Gauges for Iraq's Future -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
Afghani political and private sector leaders are touring the U.S. to make the case that the country has turned the corner and welcomes foreign investment. The Afghan government says that more than 3,000 new investment projects have been registered in the country in the last 2 years, with almost half of the investment coming from outside the country.
Rebels Kill 19 Policemen in Afghanistan -- (ABC News)
KABUL, Afghanistan Oct 11, 2005 ? Suspected Taliban rebels ambushed a police convoy in southern Afghanistan and killed 19 officers, the deadliest attack on
How to Help Afghanistan -- (FrontPage magazine.com)
Afghanistan's September 18 parliamentary elections were an important milestone for building stability and democracy in a country that is critical to the war ...
Afghanistan teeters on stability and chaos -- (Detroit News)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- This is Afghanistan today: Luxury Hummers among horse carts. Great hospitality amid the ruins of civil war. And dust. Everything is the color of
Asian Earthquakes and Life Update -- [after_alex - in Afghanistan]
This morning I just started my engine at the office at the Civil Service Commission when the Earthquake hit - it must have been 8-something AM. I was like ?HOly shit, this shitty Afghan construction?s gonna give.? But good thing the earthquake wasn?t too strong for us. Just felt like the walls were caving in, but I just said ?F(&% it, I gotta do my work.? So I continued to waste my life away on MS Excel, when the damn Earthquake just wouldn?t stop.
Desperate Pakistanis Await Earthquake Aid -- (AP)
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan -- Desperate Pakistanis huddled against the cold and some looted food stores Monday because aid still had not reached remote areas of Kashmir, where a devastating earthquake flattened villages, cut off power and water, and killed tens of thousands....
India Air-Drops Burial Shrouds, Food -- (AP)
BUNIYAR, India -- Authorities air-dropped burial shrouds and food Monday to remote villages hit by the weekend's devastating earthquake and the death toll climbed past 1,000 in Indian Kashmir....
Canadians On the Run -- [GI Korea - in S Korea]
still remember the good old days when GI's would try to disguise their appearance as an English teacher in Itaewon to avoid curfew, well now the English teachers may need to start disguising their appearance as GIs:
Avoiding Armageddon -- [Barbarian Envoy - in S Korea]
Michael Turton and David Thailand both report on Paul Monk?s controversial suggestions on China-Taiwan relations. On the surface, Monk?s argument doesn?t seem worth noticing, until one gets past the safe rhetoric to the bottom of the transcripts and editorials. At first, Monk reads like a good realist, with his talk of calculating costs of war and maintaining balance. It?s when he talks about doing politics like economics, that I had to clear my throat. There?s no intuitively suspect notion, then the realist pipedream, that power is calculable. It doesn?t always work in economics, either, but politics is never tidy.
Rhein-Main Air Base Returned to Germany -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
After 60 years filled with historic events, the U.S. formally handed Rhein-Main Air Base over to the German government yesterday. The closure, which has been under discussion for about 10 years, was agreed in 1999 and also included upgrades to Ramstein and Spangdahlem Air Bases. From Stars & Stripes, who have lots more photos.
Rhein-Main Base Closing After Six Decades -- (AP)
FRANKFURT, Germany -- The United States formally handed Rhein-Main Air Base over to the German government Monday, ending a 60-year stay during which the sprawling field was a hub of activity for American forces facing Soviet bloc troops and Mideast tensions....
Russian Spacecraft Returns From 7-Day Trip -- (AP)
ARKALYK, Kazakhstan - The seven-day space sojourn of an American millionaire scientist came to a close as he and a Russian-American crew undocked from the international space station and sped back to Earth, landing early Tuesday on the windswept steppes of Kazakhstan.
Alhoor Alain" [Companions with beautiful, big, and lustrous eyes] -- Treasure of Baghdad - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Don't be surprised. This is a description of the beautiful women waiting for residents of Heaven. On the first day of Ramadhan, mbc1, the Saudi TV channel broadcasted a TV show with this title.
...This is the first kind of series TV shows to be broadcasted on an Arab channel. It shows the reality of how terrorism is destroying the lives of the innocent people.
TERRORISM: PROPOSED LAWS IN UK, US AND IRAQ VIOLATE RIGHTS, SAYS EXPERT -- (AKI)
New York, 11 Oct. - Proposed anti-terror laws in the United Kingdom could undermine human rights, United States military commissions on terror suspects violate the right to a fair trial, and Iraq's special tribunal breaks international standards and should be replaced by a United Nations-backed independent court, a new report by an independent UN legal expert says.
Official Links French Terror Cell, al-Qaida -- (Yahoo News-(AP))...JAMEY KEATEN
PARIS - A French terror cell suspected of plotting attacks on the subway and other targets in Paris had indirect contacts with Iraq's al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a leading French counterterrorism official said Monday
laaa la-la-la-la laaaaaa -- [Sondra K]
The people of Belgium have been left reeling by the first adult-only episode of the Smurfs, in which the blue-skinned cartoon characters? village is annihilated by warplanes.
The short but chilling film is the work of Unicef, the United Nations Children?s Fund, and is to be broadcast on national television next week as a campaign advertisement.
A Matter of Perspective: History, Political Science, Horror Movies, Recruiting, and the War on Terror -- [Bobby's World]
One of the great things about being a historian and not a political scientist is that you don't owe any allegiance to theoretical models or methodologies that purport to explain the entirey of human behavior, and instead you get to examine historical events in their own unique isolation. It's sort of like the difference between a John Carpenter horror movie, like "Halloween," which
McCain Considers '08 Presidential Run -- (AP)
NEW YORK -- Arizona Sen. John McCain is considering a 2008 run for president but says it's unlikely he'd take the No. 2 spot....
Group Asks Calif. Gov. to Return Donation -- (AP)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A watchdog group is calling on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign to return a $105,000 donation from the insurance industry that came the same day he vetoed a bill the group opposed. A spokesman for Schwarzenegger said the timing was a coincidence....
McCain chides Schwarzenegger over staged rallies -- (Reuter)
OAKLAND, California - Sen. John McCain joined Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday to promote the California governor's November ballot initiatives, but afterward chided his carefully staged campaign events.
Are Journalism and Patriotism Mutually Exclusive -- [Firepower Forward - in Afghanistan]
The PX was out of news magazines the other day so I bought a copy of Newsweek where I ran across an article titled "Unholy Allies", the gist of which (strategically dated 26 September, 9 days after the parlimentary elections in Afghanistan) is the increasing violence and effectiveness of the Taliban fighters along with their close links to Al Queda insurgents in Iraq.
Media & Military -- [Proud Infantry Wife]
The media and the military ... and unlikely couple in the eyes of some and mortal enemies in others. After the events of 9.11 my loyalties were tested.
As a journalism student I was often dragged into debates over the right to know about military movements or "the whole story". As a public relations/photographer for the ROTC I often listen to cadets cries of biased reporting of the War and the increasing negativity against it.
The Ethics In America Incident -- [Chapomatic]
I?ve accidentally wandered into some media criticism, so perhaps I should outline one source of why I feel differently about the storied Fourth Estate than others who do journalism for a living.
Responding to Andy Rooney -- [Daves not Here - in Iraq
I like Andy Rooney, but increasingly I find that the old fart is turning to the Left as he gets older. The other night on CBS he spoke out about Katrina, Rita, and Iraq. Here is what he had to say, and my response: ...
1,000,000 PEOPLE DEAD!-- [Ogre's Politics and Views]
Well, did that make you read this post? I'm just in training to be a member of the FMSM (Formerly Mainstream Media). I'm noticing more and more that to "report" in the media, you must do quite literally anything to get people to read the articles, even if it means being totally misleading or lying.
For example, take this headline from the Fox News website:...
And What It Really Thinks of Its Readers -- [Media Blog]
Executive editor Bill Keller made some particularly galling remarks at a conference in Phoenix on Friday. Read these three paragraphs of Business Week columnist Jon Fine?s account:
"Most of what you know, you know because of the mainstream media," Keller said. "Bloggers recycle and chew on the news. That's not bad. But it's not enough."
Lugar Luddite? -- [Roger Simon]
Richard Lugar's heart may be in the right place sponsoring the Free Flow of Information Act of 2005, but I doubt the Indiana senator knew what was he was saying when he told the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) today bloggers would "probably not" be considered journalists under the proposed federal shield law.
Today Is Our Wedding Anniversary -- Holly Aho - A Soldiers' Angel]
Today is me and my hubby's wedding anniversary - 7 years. I wanted to take a some time to post a little off the beaten track. My hubby's name is Chad. We met when we were teenagers (I think the first time we met Chad was riding his bike).
Iraq Files Anniversary -- [Steven Kiel - in Iraq]
It's hard to believe, but Caroline and I started Iraq Files one year ago today. If you've been a frequent visitor, thank you. If you haven't had the chance to check it out yet, now is a great time.
I'm Home -- [IRR Soldier - back from Iraq]
I'm home. It took a lot longer than I had anticipated but it's finally here. One war, one hurricane and a number of life threatening situations behind me and I'm finally here. I've got a pretty interesting story to tell about how I was stranded and abandoned by the Army during Hurricane Rita and spent a number of days sitting in a pitch dark room swatting mosquitoes eating MREs and wishing I was back in Iraq.
Al Qaeda Leads Relief Effort to Quake Victims -- [Scrappleface]
Usama bin Laden, the wealthy Islamic theologian, today dispatched hundreds of trained social workers to earthquake-stricken regions in Pakistan and Kashmir, and promised to match U.S. aid contributions "dollar for dollar."
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
Convoy to Ramadi -- [Hayden's Public Journal of Camp Fallujah -in Iraq ]
I went on a convoy and it wasn't like anyother convoy. I was a gunner, a 240 Golf Gunner. Our destination was different than CMOC this one was going to Ramadi. Ramadi is the most dangerous camp inside our AO. Camp Fallujah has recieved about 1-2 of each type of attack but Ramadi has recieved 20-30 of each type. So the threat level was very high. I was in truck 3 (Front of convoy) on top of a 7ton behind a 240 Gold Machine Gun. I had NVG's and linked up with radio to be able to talk and "shoot the shit" with other gunners and drivers. We were excorting TCN's (Civilian Trucks - Cemies (sp?) The gun range before we left the convoy was awsome. I locked and loaded 10 rounds and shot 1 burst of 10 rounds into the burm (Pile of dirt held together with Hescos) One 50 Cal Gunner shot over the burm and into the air.
Sunday, October 09, 2005 -- [THE MESOPOTAMIAN - an Iraqi in Iraq]
So here is my nasty thought of the day (So much for Ramadan bringing you tranquility and peace of mind; and may God forgive me for saying this): Here we have the U.S.A. and Great Britain and their smaller friends, an alliance that has defeated Nazi Germany and the mighty Reich, and have had the stomach to obliterate Japanese cities with atomic bombs. Here we have the Americans, the descendants of those who wrested a whole continent by shear obstinacy and fought for every inch of land with blood and sweat. Here we have nations that...
Monday, October 10, 2005 - [Iraq calling - in Iraq]
I know that my Iraqi friends will be eagerly awaiting Saddam Hussein's trial due to start soon. Most of the guys I knew were local Shia whose families had suffered under Saddam. The city of Balad apparently had some troubles around the beginning of the Iran/Iraq war. Some men refused to go off to fight and Saddam's goons came around and rounded up several hundred men, who were never seen again. They sometimes asked me if I knew where Saddam was,
The Arab League solving Iraq's problems? Yeah sure... -- [Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in Iraq]
The league of Arab tyrants, er I mean countries has sent delegates to Iraq to prepare for the expected visit of the secretary general of the league Amr Mousa.
The announced purpose of the Mousa?s visit is to arrange for a national ?reconciliation? conference supposedly in order to bridge the gap between different factions of Iraqi community.
One Iraqi's Story -- [They Call Us, "Doc" - in Iraq]
I continue to learn as much as I can about the culture and lives of the Iraqi people. When I have time to spare, I enjoy listening to the individual life-stories of some of the people that I come in contact with on a daily basis. I will remember many things about this deployment and these eighteen months away from home, but
Selfless Action -- [365 and a Wake Up - in Iraq]
We left the FOB in the cool light of morning, our string of vehicles shuttling between vacant lots like a sinewy sewing needle. The mere sight of our speeding phalanx cleared the roads of traffic, and in a few minutes we safely arrived at our destination? the small shantytown we named Goattown.
VOLUNTEER: CHAPTER I -- [AMERICAN CITIZEN SOLDIER - in Iraq]
Fighting Mad
He thought for a moment he had lost consciousness.
He couldn?t see, he couldn?t hear, he couldn?t think?actually, he thought he had died in that first incoming round of volley-fired RPGs. He could recall an IED exploding up ahead of the convoy, and he adjusted the focus on his NVGs to spy the green outline of a plume of smoke rising above the lead humvee.
A FEW ISSUES -- [WarriorsVoice - in Iraq]
One of the teams confiscated these weapons while on a raid west of Ramadi. There were plenty more but these are the ones that I thought were interesting. Both were maintained well and were hidden. One is a FLN and the other is a Berreta submachine gun. We now have them hanging up on our wall.
River Gate Continues in Haqlaniyah -- [The Fourth Rail - Bill Roggio ]
Haqlaniyah appears to be the focus of Coalition efforts at this stage of Operation River Gate. More weapons caches and improvised explosive devices are uncovered. A Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED or car bomb) is discovered at a school in Haqlaniyah and destroyed by Coalition air support. Coalition Forces uncovered a weapons cache outside of Haqlaniyah which "consisted of bomb-making materials, numerous weapons and ammunition, and several computer discs with Arabic writing."
Today's Article - The Quiet Consensus on Iraq -- [Steven Keil - in Iraq]
Some 30 months after the removal of Saddam Hussein, an unspoken consensus is emerging about Iraq. The Howard Dean/Michael Moore/Cindy Sheehan fringe of the Democratic party so far has made almost no inroads into mainstream party thinking.
Monday, October 10, 2005 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
U.S. Marines discovered two 155mm artillery shells, foreground, with red detonation wires on the heads near the Long Island bridge in Al Taqaddum. U.S. Marines of the 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, Military Police Company are ...
October 10, 2005 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
U.S. Marines from 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, inventory a weapons cache they discovered while on patrol in Hit.
A Not-so-Average Dinner for the Average Iraqi - [An Average Iraqi - in Iraq]
On Friday I went to the most unusual dinner in my life. I'm used to eating with my family, sometimes with friends, rarely with strangers, never with non-Iraqis. Above all, I was the GUEST. It was the most exciting dinner in my life so far. With English being the main used language, I failed to recognize some saying my name more than once. There was only 3 Iraqis at the dinner, including me. I knew the two other Iraqis already, and there was Jon Finer, the Washington Post reporter who had interviewed me earlier.
TALKING BUSINESS WITH THE SHEIK -- [2005 Tour of Duty - in Iraq]
I showed the sheik the kind of crops we grow in Texas and he could not believe his eyes. He was confused about the grain sorghum as he referred to it as corn. Later I learned
Sunni-Shiite Religious War in Iraq Feared -- (AP)
ZARQA, Jordan -- From hilly Zarqa and nearby Salt, from Cairo, Damascus and distant points, young Arab fighters have slipped across the desert and into Iraq. If that shattered land now plunges into a religious war of Sunni against Shiite, will these ranks of foreign volunteers swell further?...
90 insurgents killed in western Iraq sweeps: -- (The News International)
BAGHDAD: Ninety insurgents have been killed in a series of US-led sweeps in western Iraq since they kicked off on September 28, government spokesman Leith Kubba said on Sunday.
Ten arrested in raids against groups linked to al-Zarqawi -- (The Times Online)
ISLAMIC terrorist suspects arrested in a series of raids at the weekend are believed to be members of a group recruiting young Muslims in Britain to fight coalition troops in Iraq.
Glenn Milne: PM in need of an exit strategy -- (The Australian)
THERE is a growing view in senior Labor ranks that a potential wild card is emerging that will help shape John Howard's thinking on retirement: the Iraq war.
Using Our Leverage: The Troops -- Washington Post)...Carl Levin
If the Iraqis don't reach a political solution by the end of the year, we must introduce a dose of reality into the region by considering a timetable for troop withdrawal.
The Quake -- [The Fortunate Son - in Afghanistan]
YES! We felt it here...bigtime! I was in my room grabbing some last minute things for a multi-day mission when it hit. I thought it was a bomb at first but it kept going. It was rather confusing what with it being my first earthquake experience. I then thought it was some guys upstairs rough-housing on the balcony so I went outside to check it out.
The Return of the Gratuitous Afghanistan Photo of the Day -- [Miserable Donuts]
It's back! Now that I am home from Katrina Relief efforts - the parade o' Afghanistan photos resumes. First up, the Commander of Task Force Eagle shows his steely, cold-blooded warrior aspect.
What's the Worst That Could Happen? -- [Firepower Forward - in Afghanistan]
Mom always told me that you shouldn't leave the house in the morning without a good breakfast. I've ususally tried to adhere to that advice and, like most advice from mothers, it has rarely steered me wrong...
Earthquake -- [Adventures in Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
have you seen the news on the devastation caused by the earthquke in south asia?? we could feel it all the way over here in afghanistan? but then again it was less than 200 miles away?
Women In Afghanistan: The Hard Work Ahead -- [The Middle Ground]
I think back to the years of the Suffrage and Equality movements in the United States and other western nations and I am continually surprised at how, in comparison, calm it actually turned out. Yes, there were protests, preachers, reverends and other notable men of the period spoke out against women, tried to prove through bizarre scientific logic or scriptures or under the guise of protecting women from other men and themselves that women could not be equal.
Suicide Bombings Kill 3 in Afghan City -- (AP)
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Two suicide attackers exploded bombs in the main southern Afghan city Monday, killing at least three people and wounding eight, officials said....
PAKISTAN: AFGHANISTAN SENDS HELICOPTERS AND MEDICINE -- (AKI)
Kabul, 10 Oct. - Afghanistan is sending helicopters and humanitarian aid to its neighbour Pakistan, following the devastating earthquake on Saturday. A statement from the office of Afghan president Hamid Karzai says the defence ministry will send four helicopters, 20 doctors and two tonnes of medicines, while the health department will provide 31 doctors, five nurses and a ton of medicine.
Earthquake in South Asia - the U.S. Should Do All It Can to Help -- [NEW MILBLOGGER! - The Analyst Blog
The death toll resulting from the massive earthquake that hit south Asia this week has risen rapidly from initial estimates of 3,000 now to 20,000, and the number may continue to rise. Unlike the reporting during Hurricane Katrina, the press seems to be accurately assessing the damage that this natural disaster has caused. (No claims or racism have yet emerged.)
Earfkwakes -- [From My Position... On the way!]
I just heard about the bigass earthquake in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. It happened along their shared border, and apparently gozillions are dead, missing, homeless, etc.
Before anyone asks,
Not one damn dime.
Quake region flattened (Washington Times)...Sadaqat Jan
Rescuers struggled to reach remote, mountainous areas yesterday after Pakistan's worst earthquake wiped out entire villages, buried roads in rubble and knocked out electricity and water supplies. The death toll stood at 20,000 and was expected to rise.
Looting Breaks Out in Wake of Deadly Quake -- (AP)
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan - Shopkeepers clashed with looters Monday, and hungry families huddled under tents while waiting for relief supplies after Pakistan's worst earthquake razed entire villages and buried roads in rubble. Death toll estimates ranged from 20,000 to 30,000. British rescuers on Monday unearthed a man trapped in rubble for 54 hours.
Unusual quake activity increasing -- (WorldNet Daily)...Tom Ambrose
13 severe 'aftershocks' follow Friday's 7.6 temblor
The U.S. Geological Survey has reported 23 aftershocks following Friday's 7.6-magnitude earthquake in Pakistan. What has gone largely unnoticed in recent media reports, however, is the unusual number and severity of those aftershocks.
Operation Lollypop -- [Camp Katrina]
Most of the victims of Hurricane Katrina who drove through our National Guard aid station in Diamondhead, Mississippi for rations were smiling and appreciative, and the southern hospitality they offered us Yankee soldiers is something we?ll remember for the rest of our lives.
Freedom Ringing -- [Alenda Lux]
In a (rather successful) attempt to put off writing an essay on Orientalism and the ontology of the Orient, or some other such manifestation of the Cult of Victimhood that has somehow allowed Edward Said to actually be deemed "influential" and "relevant," I thought I would bring to your attention some good news for those who love freedom.
The Koizumi mystery -- [Riding Sun]
This seems odd. Japanese polled this weeked by the Mainichi Daily News were 77% opposed to Japan's role in Iraq (which consists purely of non-combat humanitarian efforts). And Prime Minister Koizumi, more than anyone, is responsible for sending Japanese troops to Iraq.
Germany Getting First Female Chancellor -- (AP)
BERLIN - Conservative leader Angela Merkel was set to become Germany's first female chancellor under a power-sharing agreement that would end Gerhard Schroeder's seven years in office, party officials said Monday. The deal was contingent on votes by party conferences and in parliament, a process that could take several weeks. It's already been approved by party leadership committees.
What Impacts Will South Asia Earthquake Have on War on Terrorism? -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
We grieve for the thousands of victims of the devastating earthquakes in South Asia. We invite you to contribute to The International Committee of the Red Cross and other good charities to help throughout the region. The wellbeing of the survivors and the rebuilding of the region should be a priority for the U.S. and the world. On this site, we unfortunately have to raise the potential impacts of the earthquake on the war against terrorists in the region.
Islamofacism = Pinky and the Brain -- [Six More Months - in Iraq]
The president gave a speech Thursday in which he (finally) eloquently stated the stakes in this war. He described the threat we face from Islamofacism, how militant Islam plans to take over the world, and what we must do to defeat them.
Could NOAH Have Stopped The Flood Of Terrorism Before 9/11? -- [Captain's Quaters]
One of the bloggers that has kept an eye on Able Danger updates, AJ Strata, notes an editorial in today's Washington Times written by F. Michael Maloof. Maloof reveals that Congress at one point wanted a national network of cross-functional centers doing work pioneered by the Able Danger team and its mother program, LIWA, but that the Pentagon wanted to pursue its own program instead. Maloof argues that the failure to push NOAH into existence lost us our best shot at stopping the 9/11 terrorists:
Looking for work? Consider Al Qaeda... --(Reuters)
DUBAI - Al Qaeda has put job advertisements on the Internet asking for supporters to help put together its Web statements and video montages, an Arabic newspaper reported.
New Journalism, for Real -- [Dadmanly - in Iraq]
An Example?
Terry Heaton, writing for the September issue of the Digital Journalist, explores the incredible challenges faced by traditional journalists in TV News in a Postmodern World: Chaos at the Door.
Debasing the Currency: Part 2 -- [The Daily Brief]
It?s not that the news media were ever that shining, impartial, unbiased city on a hill, in days of yore? in the 19th century, American newspapers were as partisan as they come, and open enough about it to put their political affiliation on the masthead. And the usual run of partisan political abuse was venomous enough to make the various Something-gate ruckuses of the late 20th century look like the local Lutheran church general membership meeting in comparison. Early in the decades of this last century, the term ?yellow journalism?? inflammatory, partisan, selective with facts? was practically a synonym for the Hearst chain.
The Bloggers Meeting -- [A Female Soldier 2 - in Iraq]
Grey Eagle called today to say she had arrived safely to FOB Warrior (I no longer consider this classified information as the 101st A/B location, and they are in more than one, has appearred in blogs and websites). She was excited becuase she had actually met another blogger whose blog we had been reading almost since it's creation. His blog first outlined the training of Iraqi soldiers which was intresting, and when Grey Eagle found out where she would be going, the interest grew because he was in the same location. But...
MilBloggers Meet... [Ma Deuce Gunner - in Iraq]
I went to the gym today to do some cardio. I was standing in line, waiting to sign in and get a towel behind a couple of 101st ABN soldiers. I noticed the female soldier in front of me had her name and unit written on the stock of her rifle. I recognized the unit name. I asked her if she knew of a person in her unit that blogged under the pseudonym of Grey Eagle.
An All-Volunteer Army? -- [Debate Space - Dadmanly in Iraq]
This one I have got thinking about as I've noticed a decidedly conservative lean to the milblogs from Iraq compared to say history books and reprints of letters I've read from WWI and II.
New Blog Showcase Carnival -- [dave's not here | David Earney - in Iraq]
Welcome to the October 10th, 2005 edition of the New Blog Showcase Carnival! The New Blog Showcase Showcase Carnival is intended to bring the blogs of the blogosphere's newest bloggers into the spotlight!
I'm barely fit to be her horseholder... -- [ARGGHHH!]
The Mid-day Ride of SWWBO
Listen my children and you shall know
Of the mid-day ride of our SWWBO,
On the ninth of October, in the year of ought-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
Now that it's over... -- [Faces from the Front - coming home from Iraq]
I have left Iraq and am laying over in Kuwait for a few days until our flight to North Carolina.
Silver and Gold Platoons, who I travelled across Iraq with for all these months are coming home--and they are coming home alive and with all their parts.
Knox-based Marines return -- [Lance in Iraq - in Iraq]
In the News-Sentinel (free subscription required):
Reda was one of 10 Knoxville-based Marine reservists who returned home Saturday afternoon to a throng of dozens of eagerly awaiting family members and friends at McGhee Tyson Airport.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
Zarqawi in defiance of his master?s warning? -- [Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Abu Musaab Al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq said in an audio tape dated October 7 that the militants under the principles of Islam have what justifies killing civilian infidels.
Advice from Al Qaeda -- [Austin Bay]
Filed under: General? site admin @ 10:26 am
For months StrategyPage and several commentators (including me) have been arguing that Zarqawi?s bloodbath in Iraq has damaged Al Qaeda politically. Middle Eastern media haven?t hidden the attacks on Iraqi civilians and the relentless murder of Shias. Zarqawi is at war with the Iraqi people.
Minutemen, Mosques and the Geneva Convention -- [Bill Roggio - Fourth Rail]
The jihadis continue to violate the laws of warfare. In Ramadi, insurgents used a school as an ammunitions depot. In Haditha, the "minutemen" used a mosque as a firing point and a shrine to store various weapons. CNN producer Arwa Damon, who is embedded with the 3rd Battalion 1st Marines, reports:
Downward spiral -- [Iraq Calling - in Iraq]
I've been following developments in Iraq closely. I'm confident that progess is happening. The current offensive along the Euphrates is a good sign. That so many Iraqi troops are involved in the fight is better. It means the center of insurgent operations is getting further and further from population centers and butting up against the Syrian border.
The Metaphor -- [Sisyphus Today... - in Iraq]
The IED that caused that crater would have taken out my side of the truck and me along with it. But strangely, I had no real reaction to that consideration; no fear, no shock, no feeling of fortune. Nothing except the idea that it signified something.
6th CAG improving lives in Fallujah -- [ Live in Iraq]
The Marines of the 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division, arrived in Iraq several weeks ago, launching humanitarian operations in Al Anbar province.
The purpose of the CAG is to connect with the local Iraqi community and government, and promote good relations.
Iraq Pictures - Saturday, October 08, 2005 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to USS Nimitz's (CVN 68) rescue and assistance team approach a dhow that was taking on water and later sank in the Persian Gulf. Nimitz rescued the seven fishermen before the dhow sank. Because no one died, the American media declined to run the story.
Choices -- [A Soldier's Thoughts - in Iraq]
Everyone has choices. I have made mine and must live with them. My choices have me thousands of miles from home for the second time, with weapon in hand. I find myself surprised at times, wondering how it came to be that I am where I am, but then I look behind me and I can see every turn that brought me here.
Sunni Arabs Urge 'No' Vote in Referendum -- (AP)
TIKRIT, Iraq - Politicians in Saddam Hussein's hometown urged Sunni Arabs to vote "no" in next week's constitutional referendum and insurgents killed one Iraqi and injured 10 with roadside bombs and drive-by shootings on Saturday. On Friday, six Marines were killed by bombs as the U.S. military announced it had completed a major sweep in western Iraq aimed at suppressing al-Qaida militants before the constitutional vote.
Bulgaria postpones Iraqi pullout -- (The News International)
SOFIA: Bulgaria said Friday it would postpone pulling its 380-strong troop contingent out of Iraq until after general elections there in December. "We will stay until December 15 and begin to w...
Al-Qaida tells terror chief to kill people less brutally -- (The Guardian)
Al-Qaida has urged its commander in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, to shoot rather than behead hostages because brutal executions alienate the Muslim world, according to American officials.
Zarqawi Justifies Killing Of Civilians -- (Washington Times)...Reuters News Agency
Iraq's al Qaeda leader Abu Musab Zarqawi said militants were justified under Islam in killing civilians as long as they are infidels, according to a new audiotape attributed to him yesterday.
Fears Of Death Squads Swirl -- (Houston Chronicle)...Sinan Salaheddin, Associated Press
The 22 bodies, lined up in coffins in a mosque courtyard Friday, are as shriveled as ancient mummies after lying a month in the desert where they were dumped, bound and bullet-ridden. They were Sunni Arabs, rounded up from their Baghdad homes one night by men in police uniforms.
British Army Strikes Back Against The Shia Renegades In Basra -- (London Daily Telegraph)...Adrian Blomfield
British troops wrested Basra from the control of Iranian-backed renegades yesterday, arresting 12 police officers and suspected militia commanders in a series of overnight raids.
Ministers In Dock Over Missing Billions -- (London Times)...James Hider
FIVE former Iraqi ministers who held posts in the interim Government installed by the United States last year are facing charges of corruption and abuse of power, a senior Iraqi judge said yesterday.
The Clock Is Ticking In Iraq -- (San Francisco Chronicle)...Douglas A. Borer
...To win the war in Iraq, Bush must start by firing some generals, not because they can serve as scapegoats for a failed policy, but because the United States has a military problem that it has not faced up to. Despite what critics say, the war is not lost, and a military-directed solution, rather than a purely political one, is still possible in Iraq. The overarching objective of democratizing Iraq need not change, but democracy will be stillborn if the insurgency remains vibrant. Wars are run by generals, and thus far, no U.S. general has been able to show progress in the counter-insurgency campaign in Iraq.
IRAQI ARMY TAKES CONTROL OF FOUR BAGHDAD DISTRICTS
BAGHDAD, Iraq ? The Iraqi Army reached another historic milestone when the 6th Iraqi Army Division took over authority of the Kharkh, Rusafa, Thawra and Adhamiyah districts of Baghdad from Task Force Baghdad during a ceremony at the Muthana Airfield Oct. 3.
Iraqi Forces 'Unbelievably Better,' General Says -- {Defense Link}
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2005 ? Iraq's security forces are better organized and more combat-ready than they were a year ago, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters here Oct. 6.
OPERATION IRON FIST CONCLUDES -- {Centcom}
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq ? Approximately 1,000 Marines, Soldiers and Sailors assigned to Regimental Combat Team ?2 concluded Operation Kabda Bil Hadid, or Iron Fist in English in the Al Qa?im region of Western Al Anbar late on Oct. 6.
IRAQI, U.S. FORCES NAB 34 TERROR SUSPECTS -- {Centcom}
BAGHDAD, Iraq ? Task Force Baghdad Soldiers teamed up with Iraqi Special Police Commandos to conduct a series of raids in south Baghdad Oct. 6 and netted 34 terror suspects.
Four potable water systems will benefit 31,000 people
Baghdad, Iraq? More than 31,000 Iraqi citizens in the Ninewa and Basrah Governorates are expected to benefit from the construction of four potable water projects. These compact potable water treatment plants and the installation of deep wells, pumps and distribution networks in Ninewa and Basrah were identified by Provincial Regional Development Committees and local authorities in conjunction with the Ministry of Municipality and Public Works.
HIgh HIgh High -- [Siegrist Blog - in Afghanistan]
Today BW was back up on the hill looking for effects of the Casa Plane crash from last winter. The sad part was that not much was left over. Seems most of it had been carried off by the hill people. But the good news was BW validated the Mtn. Tng. that was done a few months ago.
NATO Prepares for Expanded Afghan Mission -- (AP)
CHAGCHARAN, Afghanistan -- Wrecked Soviet warplanes line the dirt airstrip in this remote NATO outpost, a stark warning to the alliance as it plans a major expansion of its peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan....
Mass Grave Haunts The Afghan Election -- (London Daily Telegraph)...Tom Coghlan
Bleached human bones protruding from the sand of a drainage ditch in the southern Afghan province of Paktika have led government officials to what they believe is a war crime.
4 Afghan Police Officers Slain In Error By U.S. -- (Los Angeles Times)...Times Wire Services
U.S. troops engaged in combat with militants killed four Afghan policemen after mistaking them for the enemy, officials of both nations said Friday.
COALITION INVESTIGATING 4 AFGHAN POLICE DEATHS, 1 WOUNDED NEAR GERESHK -- {Centcom}
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan ? U.S. and Coalition forces are investigating an incident where four Afghan National Policemen were killed and another was wounded near Gereshk in the Helmand Province yesterday.
Joint U.S.-Afghan Patrol Combs Zormat Area -- {Defense Link}
ZORMAT, Afghanistan, Oct. 6, 2005 ? U.S. Army paratroopers from 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and Afghan National Army soldiers recently conducted security patrols and searched for criminals in the Zormat area.
Paratroopers Train Afghan Troops on Artillery -- {Defense Link}
SALERNO, Afghanistan, Oct. 7, 2005 ? For Afghan National Army soldiers, the opportunity to see American artillery at work came during a recent visit to Forward Operating Base Salerno.
GSPC: "Defeating Evil America" Will Bring Peace to Algeria -- [Counterterroism Blog]
In a new communique dated September 27, the top commander of the Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC) Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud has addressed an Algerian government amnesty proposal for Islamic militants willing to lay down their arms.
From my cold, dead hands... -- [CounterCoulumn]
The U.S. owes it to free and to oppressed peoples all over the globe to maintain control over the Internet, and keep it out of the hands of China, North Korea, and the Arab thugocracies.
Mouloud School Renovations (Doing Great Things X)
MOILED, Djibouti - Members of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa joined the Mouloud community in Djibouti, Africa, and area officials to celebrate the dedication of the Mouloud Primary School Sept. 26.
In The Wake Of Michael Moore -- [Barbarian Envoy - in S Korea]
J H and I just returned from the Haeundae Megabox where JH and I saw the PIFF premiere of Korean-American novice director/writer/camera-holder Mora Stephens? Conventioneers. All I need to say is, that it exceeded my expectations. If you know me, you would know I intentionally pad my own skepticism to keep from becoming disappointed. For a movie with cameos from Al Franken, Michael Moore, and the Rev.Jesse Jackson, I?m willing to allow that a better film could be made with another screenplay, another cast, and any other political topic.
Hundreds Dead in Powerful Asian Earthquake -- (AP)
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake reduced villages to rubble in Pakistan and India on Saturday, killing hundreds of people. Pakistan's army described the damage as widespread and said it included villages buried in quake-induced landslides.
Guantanamo Hunger Strike Labeled 'Serious' -- (Globe and Mail)...Reuters
The International Committee of the Red Cross said yesterday the situation was serious inside the US Guantanamo Bay prison camp, where a number of prisoners are on hunger strike.
Merkel To Be Chancellor After Deal With SPD -- (London Financial Times)...Hugh Williamson and Bertrand Benoit
The Christian Democrat leader Angela Merkel is set to replace Gerhard Schr? as Germany's next chancellor, in a political deal that will see the departure of Mr Schr? from the political stage, senior members of the ruling Social Democrats have told the Financial Times.
150 More Buses Went Unused in New Orleans Evacuation -- [Wizbang]
If you were the Mayor of New Orleans and you needed busses fast to evacuate the city, would you:
Those Doggone Marines Are Lucky We Were There -- [Camp Katrina]
In spite of a stalemate following a heroic battle to set up a massive mutant tent in the soggy Mississippi gloom on our first night at Stennis International Airport, we Army National Guard soldiers of Ohio?s 73rd Troop Command were confident that, when daylight came, the rest of our shelters would be conquered lickety-split.
The Guard and Katrina Relief -- [Miserable Donuts - back from New Orleans]
First, a note on timing. The National Guard Bureau had sent out it's version of "calling all cars" on August 31, 2005. The National Guard of every State, Territory, Commonwealth and the District of Columbia was put into motion. I, myself, was at my armory and ready on September 2nd - and I was part of the second wave of troops heading into LA or MS. Anyone saying that the decision to put troops into the situation was too slow is simply wrong.
No help for Katrina victims from Leahy -- [Cool Blue Blog]
Back on September 19, I proposed some "earmarks" destined for Vermont that might be cut from the budget to help pay for Katrina relief.
One such program I figured the state could do without was the construction and rehabilitation of the
Nagin Hopes Casinos Will Attract Tourists -- (AP)
NEW ORLEANS - Mayor C. Ray Nagin hopes to attract tourists and their cash back to his ravaged city with an "out-of-the-box" plan to install Las Vegas-style gambling in the city's biggest hotels. Nagin put forth the casino proposal Friday as a way to jump-start New Orleans' economy and help its people get back to work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
La. Senators Fight Over Aid for Katrina -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- Louisiana's bipartisan front in seeking federal help to recover from Hurricane Katrina crumbled Friday as the state's senators - a Democrat and a Republican - fought over whether their local governments should have to repay federal loans to keep essential services operating....
Labor Crunch Hits New Orleans -- (Washington Post)...Ben White
A lack of skilled contractors promises to make post-hurricane reconstruction slow and painful.
N.Y. Threat Tip Came From Source In Iraq -- (Washington Post)...Bradley Graham and Spencer S. Hsu
The information that led Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to raise a public alert about a "specific threat" against New York City's subway system originated in Baghdad from an Iraqi informant who approached U.S. authorities in the past two weeks, U.S. officials said yesterday.
NYC Attack Was Scheduled for Sunday -- (AP)
NEW YORK - Details emerged about an alleged plot to attack the city's subways with bombs hidden in bags and possibly baby strollers as local and federal officials jostled over the credibility of the threat. A Department of Homeland Security memo obtained by The Associated Press said the attack was reportedly scheduled to take place on or around Sunday, with terrorists using timed or remote-controlled explosives hidden in briefcases, suitcases or in or under strollers.
Evil Snitch Boasted: 'Too Late' To Halt Killers -- (New York Post)...Niles Lathem and Andy Soltis
The al Qaeda member who triggered New York's subway alert told the anti-terror squad that arrested him they were "too late," it was reported yesterday.
Halloween Ideas For Our Troops -- [Holly Aho - A Soldier's Angel]
Here are a few ideas for supporting our troops during the holidays (specifically Halloween since it's the next one coming up) that are fun to do for adults as well as kids. The first idea is one for kids to do with the help of their parents. Kids love to trick or treat, dress up and get all that candy, and with this idea they can do that with an additional purpose.
A Voice For Military Families -- [Andi's World]
Two weeks ago outside of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, I was fortunate enough to meet a wonderful woman, Becky Davis.
Even in the Rain, A Good Night at Walter Reed -- [The Gunn Nutt]
Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night, will keep the FReepers from their fight - against the tyranny of commie-Pinkos that haunt the gates of Walter Reed. Not surprisingly, there was a pretty sparse crowd tonight, but the faithful showed up in sufficient numbers to again out-do the hippies.
Last few pictures -- [Steven Keil - in Iraq]
Below are the last pictures of the stuffed animals and soccer balls. Hopefully, in the next week or two, I'll get some more pictures of us delivering them from the helicopter.
Thanks again to all of you who donated the things, and for all of you who supported us through the year.
Published Milblogs -- [Doc in the Box]
There?s a flood of War Memoirs coming out of Iraq over the next few weeks and NPR?s Talk of the Nation did an audio story with guests, Colby Buzzell of the blog, My War and book My War: Killing Time in Iraq (rank # 2703 at Amazon) and Nate Fick, Author of One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer (rank #364 at Amazon).
Another blogger whom I know personally is also coming out with a book.
Veteran Wants Wiccan Symbol on Headstone -- [Andi's World]
Well, this is certainly unusual. Or is it?
SEATTLE Christians get a cross. Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist veterans are allowed to have their religious symbols engraved on military headstones.
So a Seattle-area Navy veteran thinks he should be allowed to have the symbol of his Wiccan faith on his marker when he goes.
Did you know that the Department of Defense doesn't allow such a symbol, although they've recognized the Pagan tradition?
Criteria On Test Scores Relaxed For Army -- (Baltimore Sun)...Tom Bowman
Faced with the toughest recruiting climate in nearly a decade, Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey told reporters this week that he would begin accepting more people who score in the bottom third on the military's aptitude test. What Harvey didn't say was that the Army has already done that.
Enlistment Day -- [Desultory Butterfly]
I'll never forget this day...ever. It began first on Sunday evening. I hadn't heard from my recruiter all day and I was bit freaked out because I knew I was enlisting Monday morning and had to be at MEPS at 5:30am. Finally, recruiter calls at 10:30pm. Let's just say that he partied so damn hard that he didn't call me until then. He tells me to call him at 3:30am to make sure he's up so he can pick me up. If not then I'll just drive over there and he'll take me from there. I was thinking, watch my ass get pulled over on the way there, too.
President Bush - Calling It Like It Is -- [Holly Aho - A Soldier's Angel]
Did you miss the speech given by President Bush yesterday? Not surprisingly, it wasn't covered in the MSM. He got all the big words right and said them faster than a tongue twister - not how they'd like him to be portrayed I guess....smart and on top of things. Atlas Shrugs has the entire speech transcript, along with a link to watch the video.
Cruciphobia, Revisited -- [Smash - Indepundit]
A CALIFORNIA JUDGE has ruled that San Diego's Proposition A, a voter initiative to preserve the Mt. Soledad War Memorial by transferring the property to the National Parks Service, is unconstitutional. The proposition, which was approved in July by over 75 percent of San Diego voters, has now been invalidated by the opinion of one judge.
Poll: Groups Unhappy With Bush Performance -- (AP)
WASHINGTON - Critical elements in President Bush's political coalition have grown less enthusiastic about the job he is doing, an AP-Ipsos poll found. That's a troubling development for a president trying to firm up his base of support. Evangelical voters, Republican men, Southerners and Protestants have lost some intensity in their support for the president since the beginning of this year.
The Right, on Fire Over Miers -- (Washington Post)...Colbert I. King
If Harriet Miers is capable of causing the right to weep, wail and gnash its teeth, she can't be all bad.
CNN and the Iraqi Army -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
On the topic of CNN here is a news flash, the footage they use isn?t even the right places they talk about. Their reporters hang out in Baghdad and report stuff about a good 24hrs late.
Bush Rips Ungodly Tale About Wars -- (New York Post)...Ian Bishop
The White House yesterday blasted an upcoming BBC documentary that claims President Bush told Palestinian leaders that God instructed him to invade Afghanistan and Iraq.
LEGENDARY UK JOURNALIST DAVID FROST JOINS AL-JAZEERA... (BBC News) - via Drudge
Sir David is to appear on al-Jazeera International, the pan-Arab news network's new English-language channel, due to be launched next spring.
President Hints at Greenspan Replacement -- [Scrappleface]
In the midst of a Republican firestorm over his so-called 'stealth' appointment of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, President George Bush today would only hint at who he has in mind to replace Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who will retire January 31, after 18 years steering the nation's monetary policy.
TTLB's Wild Ride -- Daves not Here - in Iraq]
As a metric for measuring my performance in the blogosphere I have been using the TTLB Ecosystem, and watching my blog evolution very closely. It has taken several weeks, and a lot of effort to bring attention to dave's not here without feeling as though I'm trying to game the system. My climb has been rewarding as I've seen the blog go from Flippery Fish to Large Mammal status in about a three month period of steady work.
Home... Finally. -- [A Storm In Afghanistan - home from Afghanistan]
I am home.
Finally.
It was quite the journey. Originally, we'd been booked out on a Lufthansa flight direct to Frankfurt.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
The Battle For Mosul IV - Soldiers, Spies, and Sheep - [Michael Yon]
They fled. It was all over the news. When the bullets flew, they fled. Leaving stations, abandoning posts, forgetting duties, hundreds of police fled. When the police response to gunfire was to simply run away, the city fell into lawlessness. Pundits rushed to the airwaves, proclaiming the city?s future hopeless.
My Friend, 2LT Homer J. Wright III
Second Lt. Homer J. Wright III bit off a chunk of his tongue when he rocketed out of his seat and smashed his head on the roof. Blood oozed from his mouth and chin.
10 Days to the Referendum -- [An Average Iraqi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
10 Days are left to the referendum of the constitution. The Iraqi street is in tense because of it. There are checkpoints at every main street in Baghdad now. In some areas, there are fortified checkpoints, and even tanks sometimes. These are the areas that are so violent they switch sides between the Americans and the insurgents overnight.
A Day for Smiles -- [MREater - in Iraq]
We went on a knock and search today, accompanied by some Iraqi Police, and it struck me that many of the families whose homes we searched were happy to see us. Smiling, some laughing, didn?t appear to be irritated at all.
Iraqi police academy in Tal Afar -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
(pic) Local volunteers line up to enroll in the Iraqi police academy in Tal Afar. Iraqi army security forces, with assistance from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and 82nd Airborne unit, provide security in the Tal Afar region in order to...
Al-Qaeda #2 to Zarqawi: Not Good News -- WarriorsVoice - in Iraq]
Al-Qaeda's number 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, wrote a letter to Zarqawi detailing the disappointments in Afghanistan and complaining about Zarqawi's tactics in Iraq. This news is actually coming from one of the MSM outlets.
Last Trip Through -- [JD's Blog - Faces from the Front - in Iraq]
The city so alive with commotion, traffic, horns honking and smells and
voices is silent at night.
Flourescent lights hum...and small fires burn, but only Marines are on the streets.
The Marines of Silver and Gold have turned over their Humvees and are making one last trip through downtown Fallujah in the back of 7-Ton Trucks.
Email From Iraq. October 6 Edition -- [Southern by Blog]
Here's the latest email I got from the Specialist in 2/299 (Hawaii National Guard). Check out the hours they are working now. They should form a union or call OSHA...
Good Thoughts Needed -- [Gunn Nutt]
Sorry for light posting. I haven't heard from my adopted Marine, LCpl Pete, in two weeks and yesterday I saw that he was deactivated from AnySoldier.com. Naturally, I freaked out!
Fortunately, the kind people at AnySoldier are used to this, and they gave me someone to contact. It seems Pete has a serious illness (I don't know any details) and has been transfered to Landstuhl. Not being family, I must compose myself and be patient. News will come eventually. (*bouncing off the walls!*)
US says letter shows al Qaeda dispute over Iraq -- (Reuters)...Will Dunham
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon said on Thursday the United States had obtained a letter written by al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahri, to the network's leader in Iraq saying tactics being used such as bombing mosques and killing hostages might alienate the Muslim masses.
U.S. Obtains Treatise By Bin Laden Deputy -- (Washington Post )... Ron Wright
The United States has obtained a letter from Osama bin Laden's deputy to the leader of Iraq's insurgency that outlines a long-term strategic vision for a global jihad, with the next phase of the war to be taken into Egypt, Syria and Lebanon, according to U.S. officials.
Iraq Slips Away
IRAQ STANDS less than 10 days away from a momentous vote on a new constitution, the first of a series of events that in the next several months will make or break the U.S.-backed attempt to unite the country under a new political system. A successful exit for U.S. troops, or a deepening military quagmire, hangs in the balance. Yet serious discussion of the Iraqi political process in Washington seems to have faded to a whisper.
Police find 22 bodies in southeast Iraq -- (Reuters)
BAGHDAD - Iraqi police have found the bodies of 22 men handcuffed and shot dead in an area near the Iran border, officials said on Friday.
U.S. Offensive in Iraq Kills 29 Insurgents -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. offensive aimed at uprooting al-Qaida in Iraq insurgents in western Iraq before next week's constitutional referendum killed 29 militants, including 20 who died when warplanes bombed an abandoned hotel they had commandeered, the military said Friday. The fighting occurred Thursday during one of two offensives being conducted by thousands of U.S. troops and hundreds of Iraqi soldiers in several Euphrates River towns that insurgents were virtually controlling after the withdrawal of most Iraqi police and soldiers.
Interesting development -- [Martin in Afghanistan - back from Afghanistan]
For anyone interested, the "Break Fast for Afghan Orphans" at which I am speaking is being held Sunday, October 16th at Carmen's Banquet Hall, 1520 Stonechurch Road East, Hamilton, ON from 3:30 to 8:00 p.m. Remember that is "break fast," meaning to eat after a period of not eating, as opposed to "breakfast," a morning meal.
Photos from Afghanistan -- [OrlandoSentinel - reporter in Afghanistan]
Here's a new photo from Afghanistan (click to enlarge): This one shows Sgt. Andrew Dishman, left, of Winter Springs, and Spc. Benjamin House, of Tallahassee, looking down on a busy market street in Herat from the top of the city?s ancient citadel.
U.S. troops kill four Aghan police with "friendly fire" -- (Reuters)
KABUL - U.S. troops killed four Afghan policemen and wounded another after mistaking them for militants during an operation in southern Afghanistan in which two Afghan soldiers died, officials said on Friday.
?Shelter Commander? -- [Mostly Cajun, All American and Opinionated]
This post at Wasted Electrons details what the commander of the storm shelter at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi was faced with before, during, and after Katrina. It?s quite a story. As I sit here trying to keep a lid on my own company?s operations here in Southwest Louisiana, I can identify with SOME SMALL AMOUNT of his travails, but mine is AFTER the storm.
My Louisiana Tour [Where I Satand](pics)
Since we were already there, the Utah National Guard selected my team to travel south to Louisiana on a search and rescue mission. We were notified Saturday night that we needed to be on a noon flight on Sunday. None of us had the opportunity for much if any sleep that night as we packed personal and team gear for an extremely short notice deployment. I was very surprised when we packed, palletized, performed a readiness review (frequently a three day process itself), and traveled to Alexandria, Louisiana in less than 24 hours
Families may find hurricane dead in New Orleans -- (Reuters)
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Since federal and state search missions have been called off, it is families returning home who may discover the dead bodies that Hurricane Katrina left behind in New Orleans.
Terrorism and Data Protection: Balancing Privacy and Security -- [CounterTerrorism Blog]
The threat of terrorism has given rise over the past four years to an expanding array of new security measures in Europe and here at home that intrude into areas previously considered by many as protected by rights of privacy.
Subway security boosted in response to threat -- (NewsDay)
Police flooded the city's subways Thursday night amid disputed intelligence reports that terrorists with links to Iraq had planned to possibly bomb the system with baby strollers fitted with explosives -- a threat the mayor called the most specific yet against the nation's largest mass transit network.
Bush: U.S. Foiled at Least 10 Terror Plots -- (AP)
WASHINGTON - President Bush said Thursday the United States and its allies had foiled at least 10 serious plots by the al-Qaida terror network in the last four years, including plans for Sept. 11-like attacks on both U.S. coasts. In a speech designed to revive flagging public support for the war in Iraq, the president also said the U.S. and its partners have stopped at least five more efforts by al-Qaida to case targets or infiltrate operatives in the United States.
Bomb threat disrupts Rolling Stones concert -- (MSNBC)...Reuters
WASHINGTON - A bomb threat halted a Rolling Stones concert in Charlottesville, Virginia overnight, but police found nothing and the band returned to the stage about 45 minutes later, officials said on Friday.
I've Said It Before...This Soldier Confirms It -- [Holly Aho - a Soldier's Angel]
My blog posts on this subject have been clear on what I think real support for our troops means - actually doing something to support our troops. Support as a verb. I came across this article in Front Page magazine, 'Supporting Your Troops', written by Allan Wall, who is currently serving in Iraq.
For Friends and Family of Military in Iraq -- [Holly Aho - a Soldier's Angel]
I read a message a mom had posted at Soldiers Angels that I thought might be a good one to answer here. Perhaps she is not the only one with the question. Her son is leaving for Iraq in December, and she wanted to know more about the camp he would be staying at so she could send better care packages based on his needs.
Letter Writing Team Sends 30,122 Letters to Deployed Soldiers in Q3 -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
From Linda D. of the LWT (Letter Writing Team) at Soldiers' Angels.
The Soldiers' Angels LWT sends letters to soldiers and units needing extra support.
Day 276 - This is Good! -- [Big Al's Army Life - Blue Star wife]
Thursday Inspiration!
For today?s entry, I wanted us to examine for a moment the things that happen to us in our life ? and the way that even a negative experience can be used to benefit us . . .
I received this story in my inbox last week, and I thought that it was very applicable to what our theme was going to be for this week ...
Very emotional times --[Nuts at Home - Blue Star Wife]
Last Saturday I got that dreaded call from my husband. He started off with his truck had been hit while out on a mission. Well, then he said now I have good news, better news and bad news, what do you want? I thought a moment on what could be the bad news heck his truck had already been hit. So I said give me the bad! He said that he had been hurt.
Thinking about home -- [Another Day in Paradise - in Kosovo]
Of course, I haven't stopped thinking about home since I left, but now in particular, as we begin our descent past the midpoint of our sojourn, thoughts of home are a mixed bag.
San Antonio Proudly Lines Up Behind the Military Recruiter (New York Times)...DAMIEN CAVE
The Army, which has struggled to sign up new soldiers, has found the San Antonio area to be a reliable source of recruits.
Criticizing Tolerance: Karen Hughes, Women Drivers, and Eliminating Islamist Sanctuaries for Jihadism -- [Bobby's World]
Sometimes I just can't figure out the "No Right Answer Game." The President's reputed double-treatment of the Saudis has been a flashpoint for liberal America's criticism of the Bush Administration's foreign policy, and certainly for his decision to initiate Operation Iraqi Freedom. The argument goes that President Bush ignored the Saudi oil barons' support for terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda because of their oil industry, while instead invading Saddam Hussein's Iragi regime that did not support terrorists.
The president?s speech - an analysis, part 1 -- [One Hand Clapping - Blue Star Dad]
As I posted earlier today, I think this morning?s speech by President Bush was one of the finest (probably the finest) he has given on this subject, and really on any subject. It was lucid, well organized and detailed. Herewith my commentary on the first half or so. Second half to follow.
Top Democrats Complain About President's Speech -- [Open Fire]
Yesterday morning I heard a good portion of President Bush's speech about why we must maintain our resolve in Iraq. I find it pathetic that We The People must be reminded of why we have to keep on trying to kill those who want to kill all of us before they actually manage to kill all of us - or many of us.
No! -- [All the Kings Horses - in Iraq]
The vote - scheduled to take place no later than one week from today - will forge the foundation for Iraq's new democratic government. A "yes" on the fifteenth will mean the country will move ahead with general elections in December. Conversely, a "no" will dissolve the current parliament, and the whole process would restart from the beginning.
Can We Remember Who Our Friends Are? -- [Captain's Quarters]
I disagree with Hugh Hewitt to a large degree on the Harriet Miers nomination to the Supreme Court. I base my support for Miers on a wish to avoid a destructive party schism that will threaten our hold on one or both houses of Congress next year, a loss which we cannot afford during the war on terror.
Bad omens: -- [Southern Appeal]
From the WashPost (via Professor Kerr):
In an initial chat with Miers, according to several people with knowledge of the exchange, Leahy asked her to name her favorite Supreme Court justices. Miers responded with "Warren" -- which led Leahy to ask her whether she meant former Chief Justice Earl Warren, a liberal icon, or former Chief Justice Warren Burger, a conservative who voted for Roe v. Wade . Miers said she meant Warren Burger, the sources said.
That's a disaster. An utter disaster.
FBI FREEH UNLOADS ON CLINTON: 'CLOSETS WERE FULL OF SKELETONS' -- [Drudge]
Louis Freeh Speaks for the First Time About his Terrible Relationship with the President
Former FBI Director Louis Freeh says publicly for the first time that his relationship with President Bill Clinton ? the man who appointed him ? was a terrible one because Clinton?s scandals made him a constant target of FBI investigations.
Legal Experts: Rove Testimony a Risky Move -- (AP)
WASHINGTON - Presidential aide Karl Rove's upcoming fourth appearance before a federal grand jury investigating the leak of a CIA officer's identity is a risky legal move because it opens him up to making statements that are inconsistent with what he previously has said, legal experts say. Rove offered in July to return to the grand jury and Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald accepted last Friday, lawyers familiar with the investigation said Thursday, speaking only on condition of anonymity.
President Bush's Major Speech: Sounding Old Themes on Iraq -- (New York Times)
If President Bush still cannot acknowledge the flaws in his policy on Iraq, how can he fix them?
When Journalists are the Enemy -- [The Jawa Report]
I've written extensively about Bilal Hussein and the traitors at the Associated Press who employ him. Since I know a number of soldiers from Centcom's Iraq offices read this blog, here's a hint on how to catch some more terrorists: put a bug on Bilal Hussein.
BBC uses propaganda video to claim rebels have taken control of several western Iraqi towns
The BBC is now running video from Ramadi containing the same locations, props and actors as described in our previous post on AP/Reuters photographer Bilal Hussein. To view the Windows Media or Real Video clip go here and click on the link in the right sidepanel called "See areas where insurgents have imposed their rule" (yes that's right - some things are beyond parody).
Headline Distortion -- [Right in Raleigh]
I sent this note to the paper in the morning, and was glad to see Mike Williams pick up on the same problem this afternoon:
If I remember correctly from my week on the Front Page meetings, your staff is often constrained by the standard fare of biased wire service stories, but you do choose the headlines.
OPSEC and Blogs -- [Watch Your Six - in Iraq]
I just got handed a bunch of printed powerpoint slides (that's how the Army communicates with itself these days) and was told to read them and sign a sheet acknoledging that I had read them. This is another one of those 100% compliance things the Army throws at me every other day or so.
CNN Doesn't Look Inside the Blogs Closely Enough -- [Media Blog]
CNN's "Inside the Blogs" segment did not look inside the blogs closely enough when they did a segment on MoveOn.org's dirt-digging e-mail campaign.
My Seabee Is Home -- [A Seabee & His Angel - coming home from Iraq]
I'm leaving for the airport in 30 minutes to go pick up my honey who is coming home tonight! WOOHOO! I wanted to buy him something like a cake or something...but of course he doesn't like cake. So I bought a peach pie (his favorite) and the lady at the Bakery decorated it with "Welcome Home" !
Husband is on his flight back!! -- [The Hooker and his Girlfriend - coming home from Afghanistan]
YAY !! Finally.....
Iam going to pick him up in a few hours!
I can't wait and can't get sleep at all, right now,...eventhough I have to get up in the morning to pick him up.
As it Should Be... -- [Sondra K]
Welcome home and thank you:
BROOK PARK, Ohio (AP) ? A Marine Corps battalion that lost 48 members in Iraq arrived home Thursday to cheers and a parade attended by thousands of people.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
School kids pay tribute... -- [Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in Iraq]
to Iraqi soldiers and policemen, a nice gesture organized and sponsored by friends of democracy...
Insurgents use school as explosives factory -- [Live in Iraq]
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq ? Iraqi Security Forces and 2nd Brigade Combat Team Soldiers, Airmen and Marines completed their cordon and search operation today in and around Ar Ramadi?s southern district of Tammin.
Who's in Charge? -- [Cool Blue Blog]
Back in August, just before he was murdered, free-lance reporter Steven Vincent wrote about how the Iraqi town of Basra was being infiltrated by the extremist forces of Moktada al-Sadr.
Dillemas -- [An Iraqi's Thoughts - an Iraqi in Iraq]
I was asked a question the other day by a person interested in Iraqi politics. He asked me what benefits are there for the Sunni Arabs of Iraq in the new constitution. I couldn?t really answer. It made me think, unlike others I try to look at things from all sides and I am using my mindset as an Arab Sunni writing this article.
Literacy -- [Major K - in Iraq]
Iraq is a third world country. While this is not a surprising fact to most people, it seems as if this little fact is lost on too many people with access to microphones. It was a third world country before the 1991 Gulf War. It was a third world country before Saddam was removed from power. It will likely remain
Ramadan Karim -- [Treasure of Baghdad - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Like every year, Ramadan comes with memories flash back into my mind. The holy month is the most wonderful time I spend with my family, friends and relatives every year.
Today is the first day of Ramadan. -- [Sisyphus Today... - in Iraq]
We began or convoy back to home in the morning as Ramadan began. We had been given the obligatory propaganda briefings about Ramadan the week prior. Repeating to us that Ramadan is a period of peace for the muslim; through fasting and prayer they become closer to Allah. We should respect them because Ramadan is a period of peace for the muslim. Repeated ad nauseum. That is why the Apaches were on patrol as we left the gate.
More hatred From the Mouths of Terrorists -- [Warriorsvoice - in Iraq]
US CentCom has a very interesting article that was translated from some Islamo-Fascist website. It has the usual hate and promises of death that comes from these extremists.
City of Ur -- [Updates from Your CWFour - in Iraq]
I had some ground time on a recent trip to one of our bases in Iraq. On the base are the ruins of the city of Ur and the Ziggurat.(pics)
The Ziggurat is a huge pyramid structure that was built 2000 B.C. to worship the moon. Right behind it are the ruins of the city of Ur.(pics)
Ansar al-Sunnah Beheads 2 Iraqis: Gruesome Evidence Intel is Increasingly Effective -- [The Word Unheard]
In a gruesome yet telling indication that intelligence on the ground in Iraq has improved dramatically, Ansar al-Sunnah has released video of the beheading of two Iraqis accused of spying for the Coalition forces.
This is a move of desperation by the Sunni terrorists. The beheadings stopped after the tactic of inhuman beheadings with dull Gerber knives to instill fear backfired and, instead,
Bubba: Iraq War's 'A Quagmire' -- (New York Daily News)...Kenneth R. Bazinet
Former President Bill Clinton says Iraq "looks like a quagmire," and estimates "the odds are not great of our prevailing there." But, speaking for an interview that appears in the November issue of Ladies Home Journal, Clinton qualified his quagmire remark by saying, "It's not Vietnam."
Switzerland Freezes Armored Vehicle Deal With Iraq -- (Defense News)...AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BERN
Swiss authorities said Oct. 5 they had halted the delivery of armored personnel carriers (APCs) to Iraq, ending a national spat over whether the deal breached the Alpine country?s neutrality.
Senate Supports Interrogation Limits -- (Washington Post)...Charles Babington and Shailagh Murray
The Senate defied the White House yesterday and voted to set new limits on interrogating detainees in Iraq and elsewhere, underscoring Congress's growing concerns about reports of abuse of suspected terrorists and others in military custody.
Bush Hails Progress Of Iraqi Troops -- (Washington Times)...Bill Sammon and Rowan Scarborough
President Bush yesterday said Iraqi troops are playing a significant role in a U.S.-led offensive against insurgents in western Iraq, and the U.S. general in charge of creating the Iraqi Security Forces said Sunnis have started to join the force after months of boycotts.
Soldiers Retrained For Iraq -- (Detroit Free Press)...Michael A. Lindenberger, Gannett News Service
New tactics. New uniforms. Better body armor, Internet-based phones and more drones for aerial surveillance. As 101st Airborne Division soldiers return to Iraq, they are bringing those new tools and others to fight what they say is a radically changing war.
Talabani Rejects Call For Al-Jaafari To Step Down -- (Washington Times)...Bruce I. Konviser
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani distanced himself yesterday from a call for the resignation of Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, saying the last thing his country needs at this time is more political instability.
Bombing At Shiite Mosque Kills 36 -- (Los Angeles Times)...Louise Roug
A suicide bomber attacked a mosque packed with Shiite Muslim worshipers marking the first day of Ramadan on Wednesday evening, killing at least 36 people and wounding 95, Iraqi hospital officials and police said.
Iraq Alters Rule For Vote On Charter -- (Washington Post)...Jonathan Finer and Saad Sarhan
...Also Wednesday, U.S. Marines and Iraqi soldiers continued their sweep through western towns along the Euphrates River that are believed to be insurgent havens. Six fighters alleged to be members of the insurgent group al Qaeda in Iraq have been killed and 110 suspected insurgents detained in the operation that began Tuesday, according to a military statement.
Iraqis Get Copies of Draft Constitution -- BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqis on Thursday began picking up copies of the draft constitution that they will vote on next week, after the country's Shiite-led parliament ended a bitter dispute with Sunni legislators about how the referendum will be conducted. Like other Iraqis, Lamia Dhyab picked up her copy at the small shop where she presents her ration card in south Baghdad each month to get government-subsidized food for her family.
Iraq Health Care So Bad That Doctors Want Out -- (NewsDay)...Aamer Madhani
...Before the war, even most critics of a U.S.-led invasion agreed that if dictator Saddam Hussein were toppled, Iraq's long-struggling health-care system would improve. But 2 1/2 years after the invasion, health care in Iraq is foundering.
Americans Should Be Proud Of U.S. Achievements In Iraq -- (Baltimore Sun)...Jeffrey Scott Shapiro
...America is not losing the war in Iraq. The freedom of an entire nation is not a loss, even when there is a loss of precious life. Our continued military presence in Iraq to shield democracy is essential to both Iraq and the United States as well as to the future of the Middle East.
Saddam Hussein?s defence team is broke: trial begins on October 19 -- (The News International)...Kaleem Omar
Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein?s family has no money to pay for his defence in his upcoming trial, and his legal team is demanding that either ...
Can Afghanistan Sustain Democracy? -- [Alexander the Average]
I have been meaning to post about the recent parliamentary elections in Afghanistan for a while, but I got busy with Hurricanes.
The good news is that the elections went off with a minimum of violence, and the votes are still being counted with the final tally expected in mid-October. The Taliban and its ilk proved unable to disrupt the elections as they had threatened.
First Winners of Afghan Election Announced -- (AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A 27-year-old women's rights worker who dared to denounce powerful warlords is among the first winners in the election for Afghanistan's National Assembly, according to unofficial results announced Thursday....
Afghanistan: Blast Hits Canadian Convoy; Boy Killed -- (New York Times)...Carlotta Gall
A suicide bomber rammed his car into a Canadian peacekeepers' vehicle in southern Afghanistan, killing himself and a bystander, a 13-year-old Afghan boy, local officials said.
Taliban Detainee Says Group's Top Leader Is In Afghanistan -- (Philadelphia Inquirer)...Naseer Kakar, Associated Press
A detained Taliban spokesman has told his interrogators that the militia's fugitive chief, Mullah Mohammed Omar, is hiding in Afghanistan and is in contact with top commanders, an intelligence official said yesterday.
Karzai demands Taliban extradition -- (The Australian)
AFGHAN President Hamid Karzai has asked Pakistan to extradite the captured chief spokesman of his country's ousted Taliban regime, Abdul Latif Hakimi.
Who Hasn't Been Doing Their PMCS? -- [GI Korea - in S Korea]
The majority of U.S. military hardware in South Korea fell into such a state of disrepair that it would have caused serious delays had any hostilities erupted, the Washington Post said Tuesday quoting classified internal audit reports.
The important thing to remember is that this report covers the war stocks here in Korea. If the ...
Senate Votes to Stop Payment to Uzbekistan -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- In a move meant to send a message to Uzbekistan, the Senate voted Wednesday to block the payment of $23 million for past use of an air base that the Uzbek government recently said will no longer host U.S. aircraft and troops....
Russia Wont' Join Iran Nuclear Talks -- (AP)
MOSCOW -- Russia's foreign minister on Thursday dismissed speculation that Moscow might join talks between Iran and European negotiators on Tehran's disputed nuclear program....
LEBANON: 12 MILLION DOLLARS OF U.S. AID FOR IMPOVERISHED SOUTH -- (AKI)
Beirut - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has earmarked 12 million dollars in aid for Lebanon's impoverished southern regions of Hasbaya and Marjuyun. Since 2002, USAID has financed agriculture and tourism sectors through the the non-governmental organisation MercyCorps.
Milblogging Katrina
If you, like me, have been wondering where all the Milblogs are in the aftermath of Katrina, look no further. Camp Katrina has been put together by Specialist Phil Van Treuren, of the Ohio National Guard. There is some compelling reading over there, as well as ...
Feds Seeking Homes for Katrina Victims -- (AP)...LARA JAKES JORDAN
The government is grappling with finding homes for evacuated Hurricane Katrina victims, even as it moves refugees out of shelters and considers ending a program to pay for hotel rooms arranged by the Red Cross. Housing assistance is a top priority for a bevy of Bush administration officials who were to update Congress on Thursday about the government's long- and short-term concerns in Katrina's aftermath.
Katrina Evacuee Wins $1.6 Million -- (AP)
OPELOUSAS, La. - After more than a month of living with dozens of displaced relatives in Opelousas, Jacquelyn Sherman, an evacuee from New Orleans, told her niece she was depressed. That all changed when she won $1.6 million - before taxes - playing a slot machine at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino.
A Tale Of Two Razors -- [The Stupid Shall Be Punished]
Longtime readers of this blog (Hi, Mom!) might have picked up that I really don't hold much with conspiracy theories in general. From my vast years of experience being isolated from the world in a 360 foot long steel tube, I've come to believe that two philosophical axioms, or "razors", can be used to explain much of what goes on in the world: Occam's Razor (the simplest explanation is usually the best) and Hanlon's Razor (never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity/incompetence).
That's why I'm uncertain of how to evaluate the various reports coming out about the suicide in Norman during the Oklahoma-Kansas State game (the one about which I made a snarky comment immediately after I heard about it)....
TURKEY: AL-QAEDA FEMALE TERROR RECRUITING UNCOVERED -- (AKI)
Ankara - The Turkish authorities are reported to have thwarted a series of terrorist attacks planned for the month of Ramadan, according to Saudi daily al-Watan. The paper quotes a security source in Ankara as saying that they had uncovered training operations by groups linked to al-Qaeda, who were recruiting 50 women for bombing missions.
Selling anti-terrorism laws 'not up to Muslims'
A youth delegate to the Prime Minister's Muslim Reference Group says it is not up to her community to sell the Government's new measures to combat terrorism.
Military recruiting numbers spun -- [Uncle Jimbo - Madison.com]
Uncle Jimbo- Madison's Favorite Hawk - Recently much hay has been made by the media that the military missed it's recruiting goals this year and that, obviously, this is caused by anti-war feelings spreading among the populace. They have spent considerable time and effort attempting to achieve that result and they seized on the apparent shortfall in numbers to claim victory....
Military To Fund Prosthetics Research -- (USA Today)...Dave Moniz
The Defense Department is embarking on a multimillion-dollar research program to revolutionize upper-body prosthetics after a surge in troops who have lost hands and arms in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Former Marine May Have Spied From White House -- (Washington Post)......Dan Eggen and Alan Sipress
The Justice Department is investigating whether a naturalized US citizen from the Philippines stole classified documents while he worked in the office of Vice
A legal colleague writes on Harriet Miers -- [Austin Bay]
Ken Rainey is an attorney in Dallas, Texas. My wife has worked with Ken on several legal matters. Ken knows Harriet Miers well and thinks highly of her qualifications. This morning Ken sent an email to two-dozen of his friends (including my wife).
Giuliani: I Plan to Return to Politics -- (AP)
WASHINGTON -- Rudolph Giuliani said Wednesday that he plans to return to politics but that it is too early to say if that will be for the 2008 presidential campaign....
AP and Reuters photographer Bilal Hussein colludes with insurgents -- [Sir Humphrey's] - HT: Instapundit
This is both disgusting and absurd. I was flicking through a Yahoo Photos thread called "US Military" when I came across six photos of the same small group of 'insurgents' posing for the photographer. The photos originate from both Reuters and Associated Press and are dated October 3rd, 2005. Reuters attributes the photos to 'Stringer', while AP attributes them to 'Bilal Hussein'.
CBS - The castro Broadcasting System (video) - Babalu Blog
It's no secret that CBS News and 60 Minutes especially have had their share of controvercies regarding their journalistic responsiblilities and integrity.
...I must warn you though, viewing the following will take COURAGE!(Please be patient, long download.)
Missing in Action: Main Stream Media -- [MREater - in Iraq]
This post is a bit long, and doesn?t talk about soldier life. I offer my view about how reporting of the war could be improved.
Much ado over the recent announcement that only one Iraqi battalion is up to snuff, when Congress thought it was three. I just don?t get this. Why is Congress so uninformed?
How ya' been? -- [It's a living... sorta - home from Iraq]
Okay, so I didn't post last week because my parents were in town to verify that I had safely made it home from the desert and was not just pulling their leg when I called to say "I'm home!" a couple weeks ago. So, what's been going on in my little world? Good question and I'm glad you asked.
Trying to be me again -- [Asuumption of command - home from Iraq]
This is kind of a odd thing to talk about for me. But it is something that is important. I am in my transition to being home.
One thing I am that is new is clean air. The Army Medics warned us that when we get home we could find ourselves coughing for a couple weeks as our lung adjust to having air without dirt and dust in it.
Home Sweet Home -- [Miserable Donuts - back from New Orleans]
Home Sweet Home.(pic) Well, that really isn't my home - but I am glad to be back anyway. We left New Orleans around 1pm, by 9:30pm we tried to leave Memphis, only to have our bus driver experience a cardio-pulmonary "issue" - he had not taken his blood pressure medication. Let us just say we got back a bit later than we expected. I won't mention the overheating tires, loss of air pressure, locked brakes or anything else...
Port-a-Potty Etiquette -- [Lost in Iraq - in Iraq]
Signs like this one have been posted in all the IA compound port-a-potties. Initially there were no signs, but over a short period of time, it was determined something had to be done.(pic)
Osama bin Laden - advice columnist! - [One Hand Clapping - Blue Star Dad]
It was a prior career.
The Difference Between Airplanes And Women -- [I Love Jet Noise]
1. Airplanes usually kill you quickly - a woman takes her time.
2. Airplanes can be turned on by a flick of a switch.
3. ...
The Story of Uncle Bob -- [God Bless America]
The teacher gave her fifth grade class an assignment: get their parents to tell them a story with a moral at the end of it. The next day the kids came back and one by one began to tell their stories.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
I'm Back! I'll do a post later on my travels but wanted to pass on to Holly Aho a big THANK YOU for doing an excellent job on the Dawn Patrol.
The 6th Division Assumes Authority -- [My Days at Division - in Iraq]
Yesterday the Iraqi Army Sixth Division assumed authority over two of its subordinate brigades (You should know all about brigades and divisions from yesterday's entry). This is significant because it shows the progress the Iraqi Army is making to improve their ability to secure their country.
Americans And Iraqis Fight Through "Dark Day" -- [Blackfive]
Remember this picture of an Iraqi medic consoling an American Soldier after losing many Iraqi soldiers to an IED - Fighting And Dying Together?
Happiness is... [Salemonz News Service - just landed in Iraq]
...sitting in the belly of a C-130 with 54 other soldiers, side by side, idling at the end of a runway in Kuwait at three in the afternoon.
...The ramp opened and I noticed that it was dark -- well, I noticed after a construction vehicle had pulled up to the aircraft and unloaded the pallet, giving us our first glance at Iraq.
The New Guys -- [Faces from the Front - JD's Blog - in Iraq]
Their Platoons go by 'Renegade' 'Thunder' and 'Striker', but they are made up the same mettle as Silver and Gold.
Our time in Iraq is drawing to a close and soon we will be back in the states.
Mail Stinks When there is none for you!!! / Elections / Military Discounts (?) -- [NEW MILBLOGGER - [Hayden's Public Journal of Camp Fallujah, in Iraq ]
Everyday Is the same but now we are doign mail so the past couple weeks we been helping the Camp Fallujah Post Office with the mail for the entire base and today was mail call. So we went up there around 0645 to sort out 2 ISSO (Size of cargo containers they use on trains) packed top to bottum front to back. It's a 30mans job and no one showed up but
Too close -- [Six More Months - in Iraq]
I mentioned in an earlier post that I usually get the jitters before I go out on a patrol. A few days ago, I didn?t and should have. It was an ill conceived mission to begin with, we were supposed to drive into downtown Baghdad, locate 4 civilian trucks, driven by Iraqis, which had been having trouble getting to our camp. They claimed they were getting turned around at a checkpoint, but it was unclear whether it was an Iraqi Army, Iraqi police, or US checkpoint. Based on the location they gave us, it was actually most likely
It?s been a good week -- [Blood and Sand - in Iraq]
We?ll it?s been an exciting first week of flight for me and a great start to the deployment. For those of you who don?t know what I do in the Army, I fly the Shadow TUAV. It?s a small unmanned airplane that we control from a station on the ground. There is a camera mounted on the underside of the airframe that we use to perform reconnaissance missions,...
Operation Hunter -- [Cool Blue Blog]
It appears a major push is underway with a well-planned series of operations coexisting under the umbrella of an Operation called Hunter. And it seems to me the plan is to clear and fix a position close to the Syrian border and block the smuggling routes first. Then sweep up from the south driving the bad guys into the anvil. Hunter is the Anvil. Iron Fist, River Gate, and Mountineer are the hammer.
Two Great Videos -- [Open Fire]
With the month of October comes two great videos. We are constantly highlighting our courageous men and woman who are combating Islamic extremists in the ongoing war against militant Islam. This appreciation often comes in the form of raw footage from Iraq and/or Afghanistan. This month is no different. We have two great videos.
Fobbits and Their Bras -- [MREeater in Iraq]
Some of the soldiers on our FOB (Forward Operating Base) rarely or never leave it. These soldiers are called Fobbits. Fobbits use the term freely, perhaps a bit sheepishly, because there is a certain amount of machismo in going outside the wire. Soldiers who do go out regularly also use the term Fobbit, but a bit more pejoratively.
Of course, whether you leave the FOB or not is usually not a matter a choice.
Dispatches from Iraq 8 -- [Dave's World - dispatch from Iraq]
The second part of a two-part post by Matt. Click here to read part 1.
There are official Army terms we use -- like cordon and search and traffic control point -- and then there are several unofficial terms.
One of these unofficial terms that we have been using frequently was one that we can't use in polite company. So, for now, we'll call it a cluster, which...
The last leg of this deployment -- [True Blue Lines - Blue star wife]
A woman I work with has a son in my husband's unit. He is barely 21 and is her only son. She has been a basket case since they left for Iraq. I know the emotions of being a parent and being a spouse of a soldier are completely different. I am not sure one is worse or harder than the other.... just very different. Your fears are processed and channeled according to varying sets of emotions.
Corrections -- (New York Times)...The New York Times
A front-page article yesterday about new election rules in Iraq that seem intended to ensure voter approval of the constitution in the Oct. 15 referendum misstated the size of the majority needed in the National Assembly to amend the transitional law.
Iraqi Charter Gains Wide Backing -- (Washington Times)...Andrew Quinn, Reuters News Agency
Recent polling shows widespread support for a new Iraqi constitution to be voted on Oct. 15, even in strongholds of Sunni Arab groups that are fighting to derail the charter.
U.S. Troops Begin New Offensive In W. Iraq -- (Washington Post)...Associated Press
U.S. troops pushed through streets sown with bombs Tuesday in their biggest operation this year in western Iraq. The Americans are seeking to retake three Euphrates River towns from al Qaeda insurgents, and at least five U.S. service members have been killed in recent fighting in the area.
GIs still driving poorly armored vehicles in Iraq -- (The Salt Lake Tribune)...Matthew D. LaPlante
TAQADDUM, Iraq - Two years into a war against insurgent fighters who use roadside bombs as a favored tactic, U.S. Army soldiers still are being ordered to roll off forward operating bases with inferior truck armor.
The Utah-based 146th Transportation Company has logged more than 200,000 miles on M915 tractors armored with what soldiers unkindly refer to as "hillbilly armor" - a half-inch of scrap steel hastily cut in the shape of the door and welded or riveted on.
Army To Return Saddam Palace Complex To Iraq -- (USA Today)...Steven Komarow
The U.S. Army is returning Saddam Hussein's most elaborate presidential complex, a sprawling network of 136 buildings overlooking the Tigris River here, to Iraq's government.
US Strives To Resurrect Iraq's Broken Air Force -- (Flight International)...Stephen Trimble
Standing up a rebuilt Iraqi air force with the capability to fight insurgents and support ground forces in action has emerged as a new focus for US Air Force planners, says a US operational commander.
Marine Mourns 11 Friends Killed in Bombing -- (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)...Antonio Castaneda, Associated Press
...Now, all of the Marines assigned to the 1st Squad, 3rd Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, based in Columbus, Ohio, are gone -- except Williams.
Warning to forieng people -- [Afghan Lord - an Afghani in Afghanistan]
Today unconfirmed reports from a reliable source that the group affiliated with the abduction of Clementina Cantoni are planning to kidnap International people in Afghanistan to ensure the immediate release of Ms. Cantoni kidnappers (most prominent: Timor Shah) who were recently re-arrested by the Afghan law enforcement authorities in Kabul city.
mines, rain, experience, why, saluting
mines
like i said before this area is one of, if not the most heavily mined areas in the world? and that fact was proven yet again today? one of the contractors lost one of his legs and part of another today (sunday)?
War is Heck (Part 2)-- [NEW MILBLOGGER! Soldierfoto - The Blog - in Afghanistan]
When I first got off the plane in Afghanistan, the first thing I was reminded of was the army bases you see in some of the Vietnam movies or in Black Hawk Down. Planes and helicopters were flying overhead, everyone was carrying loaded weapons, and everything just seemed to have an air of unreality about it. ?How the hell did I end up here?? I kept thinking to myself. Even though I?d been in the army both full time and as a reservist for about 13 years it just didn?t sink in.
?I?m in a freaking war zone! What the hell is going on?!"
Vote Count Complete in Afghan Election -- (Daily Democrat)...(AP)MATTHEW PENNINGTON
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Election authorities investigated reports of vote fraud and audited results Wednesday after ballot-counting ended in Afghanistan's landmark parliamentary poll, officials said.
Pakistan Arrests Chief Spokesman For Taliban -- (New York Times)...Carlotta Gall
Pakistan said Tuesday that it had arrested the chief spokesman of the Taliban, Abdul Latif Hakimi, in a rare move against a Taliban leader living in Pakistan.
Warlords Faring Well In Elections -- Miami Herald)...Matthew Pennington, Associated Press
Powerful warlords, a former Taliban commander and women's activists were among the front-runners as vote counting drew to a close Tuesday in Afghanistan's first parliamentary elections in more than 30 years.
The Afghanistan Miracle -- (Seattle Times)...Diane Tebelius
Having just returned from Kabul, where I served as an election observer from the United States to Afghanistan's parliamentary elections, I am convinced, now more than ever, that spreading democracy is the only long-term strategy to defeat global terrorism.
Former Taliban Fighters Brave A New Battlefield -- (Los Angeles Times)...Paul Watson
Mullah Abdul Salam used to fire a grenade launcher with such lethal skill that his guerrilla comrades renamed him Rocketi, or the Rocketman. Today, after giving up guns for politics, the former Taliban commander is leading his province's race for a seat in parliament, where he hopes his debating skills will prove as sharp as his aim.
Magazine Stories Called Un-Islamic; Editor Jailed -- (Los Angeles Times)...Times Wire Reports
The editor of an Afghan women's rights magazine was jailed after a presidential advisor accused him of publishing un-Islamic material, including an article critical of punishing adultery with 100 lashes, officials said.
Google's "One China" policy -- [Riding Sun]
I've blogged before about Western companies' shameless attempts to ingratiate themselves with China's vicious, repressive, amoral, puppy-beating regime. Now, via Dartblog, comes another example: Google's Google Maps service lists Taiwan as a "Province of China". Here's a screen shot:...
Disrepair Cited In U.S. Arms -- (Washington Post)...Ann Scott Tyson
Critical U.S. military war stocks in South Korea -- including M1A1 tanks, howitzers and Bradley Fighting Vehicles -- fell into such significant disrepair in the past year that it could have slowed a U.S. ground response to North Korean hostilities or another Pacific conflict, unreleased classified and unclassified U.S. government reports show.
Army Takes Control Of Iran Nukes -- (Washington Times)...David R. Sands
Iran's new president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has placed the military firmly in control of his nation's nuclear program, undercutting his government's claim that the program is intended for civilian use, according to a leading opposition group.
Kim Expected To Name Successor -- (Mercury News)...AP
SEOUL, South Korea - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il could soon name his successor to head the hard-line communist nation, a Russian news agency reported Tuesday.
Few Patients Seek Comfort -- (Baltimore Sun)...Douglas Birch
When the crew of the USNS Comfort pulled out of Baltimore harbor a month ago to help the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, the highly trained doctors and nurses aboard the Navy hospital ship never imagined they'd have to hunt for patients. Yet it has been a month of relative inaction for the 1,000-bed ship, at a cost of about $700,000 a day to taxpayers.
Islamist Parties and Terrorism: Hidayat Nur Wahid?s Inanity and Why He Deserves a Second Look -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
In April 2004, Indonesia held parliamentary elections, deemed as the freest and fairest in the country?s history. The surprise in that election was how well the Islamist parties did. In the 1999 elections held in the immediate aftermath of the fall of the strongman Soeharto, Islamist parties only carried 14 percent of the popular vote and 16 percent of the seats, and most analysts assumed that they would fair no better in 2004.
Report Due In Able Danger Probe -- (Washington Times)...Rowan Scarborough
The Senate Intelligence Committee has taken closed-door statements in an inquiry that could clear up whether the intelligence program Able Danger identified September 11 hijacker Mohamed Atta a year before the attack.
Cookie Grandma -- [Pepple Pie - Blue Star Mom]
Since Feb. 5, Merry Debbrecht, nicknamed the Rose Hill Cookie Lady, has baked more than 30,000 cookies for deployed troops all over the world. Mrs. Debbrecht?s baking project began after her grandson, Army Private 1st Class Andrew Webb, deployed overseas. ?As soon as I knew my grandson was going, I started baking,? she said. But supporting just her grandson wasn?t enough.
Militancy in Seattle -- [Andi's World]
It looks as if the peace-loving, anti-war crowd has struck again, this time in Washington state at the home of a Veteran who served three tours of duty in Vietnam.
From OpEdNews.Com -- [Athiest Soldier - in Iraq]
Saying ?Support Our Troops? and actually doing it are two entirely different things in Congress, it seems. Too few veterans in the right positions, I suppose. When we are no longer of use to them?well, you can see what happens. ?Support Our Troops?until we don?t need them anymore.?
Been Better. --[From My Position... On the way!]
I tried to do something this week as a matter of strength, a matter of will. I failed, miserably. I went completely off my narcotics. No more Fentnyl patches, no more actiq, no more Dilaudid, nada. Cold Turkey.
It has been one of the worst experiences of my life, including getting my ass shot off.
New Chairman of the Joint Chiefs -- [The Gunn Nutt]
I was doing some research for a post about Marine General Peter Pace, who assumed the role of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Sept. 30th from General Myers. He gave a Guidance speech that has been quoted, but I've not found the entire text.
Secretary Rice at Princeton -- [Dadmanly - in Iraq]
...Secretary Rice gave a stirring speech, and revisited the great US Foreign Policy achievements of these last 75 years, and drew ready parallels between earlier perils and achievements, and today?s Global War on Terror (although Secretary Rice never used those words).
6 Iraq War Veterans Running For Congress -- (Boston Globe)...Kimberly Hefling, Associated Press
...Murphy and five other veterans of the war are asking questions about President Bush's policies in Iraq as part of their broader Democratic campaigns to win congressional seats in next year's elections.
Fox and O'Reilly: 82nd like Nazis -- [Daily Kos]
From Crooks and Liars. There was an exchange on Fox News last night between Bill O'Reilly and Wes Clark. The issue was the release of further Abu Ghraib pictures and video.
O'Reilly was incensed that it "puts our troops at risk". Clark responded that what's putting the troops at risk is the chain of command letting, or even making, this happen in the first place.
Military's Role in a Flu Pandemic -- (Washington Post)...David Brown
Troops Might Be Used to 'Effect a Quarantine,' Bush Says
President Bush said yesterday that he would consider using the military to "effect a quarantine" in the event of an outbreak of pandemic influenza in the United States.
Our friends the Saudis are blocking the blogs -- [TigerHawk]
Reporters without Borders reports that Saudi Arabia's national ISP is blocking the blogger.com domain:
Howdy and Hurl: EXPOSED AS LIARS! (Ha Ha) -- [Howdy's Blog - just home from Iraq]
I didn't realize that Hurl and I were fakes.
A guy who is "One of the Most Prolific Writer's in the World" (according to his web site) thinks we are a fake. I like the insinuation that we are "professional writers" or hacks writing from the States. Nope sorry, we would never consider such a thing.
On blogging -- [Phil and Becky - Phil's in Iraq]
In this war, the democratization of information dissemination has produced an unprecedented degree of information flow from the front lines to the home front. Military leaders know this and, understandably, some are quite apprehensive. Anxiety about the unknown is a common and forgivable component of human nature.
SORRY TO SAY THIS IS MY LAST JOURNAL ENTRY -- [Kevin Kelly - Dixie Sappers - in Iraq]
This morning CPT Cager woke me up early to tell me that he and I needed to go see the battalion commander. I got up there to find out that I had alarmed some people by writing about us getting the rocket fired at us. I guess some of the families didn't want to know about that and I apologize if I alarmed you. That is why I said it didn't get close to anyone. There were also some concerns about operations security and what insurgents could gather to use against us.
... No one told me I had to stop writing the journal, but I just can't take that chance of anything being taken out of context or cause someone to be killed or injured.
Return of The Fly -- [Pass the Brass]
With Vincent Price?.*help meeeeee help meeeeeee*
*Wheeeeww* What a long and treacherous journey that was!
First and foremost I would just like to put out a huge thank you to all of you great Americans out there who supported me, even when you did not even know me! I can?t even begin to tell you how much inspiration that gives me as a soldier, that we still have true blooded Americans who will bond together and support the rights we as a nation fight so hard to maintain! I love you all for that!
Hurray -- [Salemonz News Service - just landed in Iraq]
Happy birthday me! 25 and still ticking.
ZEN AND THE ART OF MARITAL MAINTENANCE -- [AMERICAN CITIZEN SOLDIER - in Iraq]
My wife and I met one year ago today on a Friday night blind date. Blind, perhaps, but certainly not deaf, dumb or mute -- by Sunday we had already fallen in love. Exactly three months later I slipped an engagement ring on her finger; in seven more weeks she slid a wedding band onto mine.
New Song Welcomes Home Our Soldiers -- [Broken Masterpieces]
Bill Stewart, a friend of mine at ShareTruth.com launched a project to express our deep appreciation for the military men and women who have served our country in Iraq and honor them as they return home from abroad. (Of course, we hold in the same esteem those who continue to serve overseas and those who have served our nation so faithfully in the past.)
A New Reader
Okay forgot to tell you all that while I was gone my hubby got back to the USA and is now currently at the Seabee Base in California awaiting completion of his Demob stuff. Hope to have him back here Thursday or Friday at the latest.
He's Here! -- [The Story of Us - husband just returned home]
After my threats of dont call me from the airport with a "come get me" call......thats exactly what I got, the shithead, lol. He said he got to DFW and immediatley went to see when his next flight left for home only to be told that the flight that was currently boarding was headed this way!! So with no time for a phone call, he hopped on board.
When he touched down here, he calls the house...as soon as I saw the area code I knew it was him.
Back in the USA -- [NEW MILBLOGGER! - [greenzone - just home from Iraq]
Got stateside into Dover, MD.
Nine of us grabbed a taxi/van to haul us to Philadelphia airport.
The ride was the most dangerous event in my life in the last 8 months!
Underinflated tires on the rear of the van, 27 full dufflebags, 9 soldiers.
For his birthday, ...[Argghhh!]
little Patrick asked for a bicycle . His dad said, "Son, we'd be happy to buy you one, but the mortgage on this house is $80,000 and your mother just lost her job. There's no way we can afford it."
The next day, his dad saw little Patrick heading out the front door with a suitcase. He stopped him and asked, "Son, where are you going?"
After Miers, Bush Promises Big Fight with Dems -- [Scrappleface]
President George Bush, in an effort to calm the Republican party's conservative base after his appointment of the relatively-unknown Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, today promised that...
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.)
Today is sadly my last day to do the Dawn Patrol for Mrs. Greyhawk. She should be back tomorrow. I want to let everyone know what a pleasure it was to read your blogs each day for the past 2 1/2 weeks, and what a privilage it was to do the Dawn Patrol. I've gained an all new respect for the milbloggers (which was high to begin with!) and become more informed about just about everything than I ever have been in the past...lol.
Thanks to The Stupid Shall Be Punished, I now know more about Naval Warfare than I ever thought possible. Thanks to ScrappleFace and Point Five I've had a good laugh every morning. In short, every single milblogger has had wonderful posts on just about everything, and I enjoyed every minute of reading them.
Thanks everyone and if you start to miss me you can always come over to my blog to visit!
Metal rain --[MREater - in Iraq]
I woke up around 0200 this morning and couldn?t return to sleep. Insomnia and I are old friends, so I just relaxed bed, waiting for morning, listening to the air conditioner. I moved into my CHU last December and turned on the unit and haven?t shut it off since.
Ghost of a Father --[A Soldier's Thoughts - in Iraq]
I get so scared sometimes that my kids will think I have left them. That maybe their daddy doesn't care about them or that they will forget me. I know you will tell me that these are hollow fears but to me they aren't.
God curse your moustache you Bedouin on a camel!! --[Iraq the Model - an Iraqi in Iraq]
The Iraqi government right now is facing so many hardships in the last few months of its age until the elections come. And while the officials are trying hard to prove their administrative and functional control over government institutions, challenges are escalating which render the government almost paralyzed between old and new problems and upcoming challenges represented mainly by the success of the constitution in the October referendum.
Record --[Ma Deuce Gunner - in Iraq]
My brigade, the 116th Brigade Combat Team, made up of units from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, New Jersey, and California, currently owns the record for re-enlisting soldiers, out of any unit, Active Duty, Reserve or National Guard, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"Fully Capable" --[Major K - in Iraq]
General George Casey, the MNF-I Commander, caught a lot of flak this past week in the news for testifying the the number of "fully capable" Iraqi Battalions has dropped from 3 to 1.
Inside the War Zone --[Inside Iraq]
My name is Hassan Kharrufa. I am an Iraqi, a Muslim, and a 20-year-old civil engineering student. I am the oldest son in a family of five, including two parents, two boys and one girl. I have lived my whole life in Iraq, never been abroad, never seen another country aside from pictures, never seen a foreigner aside from U.S. soldiers, and never seen a government aside from dictatorship.
Enter Operation River Gate --[The Fourth Rail]
The Anbar Campaign intensifies and Zarqawi's "Islamic Republic of Haditha" is in jeopardy. The Coalition ? including Iraqi Army units ? have launched Operation Bawwabatu Annaher (River Gate) and are taking the fight to Haditha, Haqlaniyah and Barwana.
U.S. Military Launches New Iraq Offensive --[AP]
Some 2,500 U.S. troops along with Iraqi forces launched their second major offensive in western Iraq in a week Tuesday, sweeping into three towns to take them back from insurgents who had killed Marines there last month.
Wrangling Not Yet Over on Iraqi Charter --[Washington Post]
Two weeks before Iraqis vote on a new constitution, with millions of copies already circulating for voters to study, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad is leading a drive for major changes in the charter to try to win crucial Sunni Arab support, according to Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds involved in the last-ditch negotiations.
The Missing Pak-Afghan Link --[Afghan Reality]
The emerging debate over Durrand Line, the growing cross-border security tensions and most recently the vanishing of Afghani coins suggest one thing: the serious lack of Pak-Afghan cooperation.
Afghan Forces Claim 31 Militants Killed --[AP]
Government forces battled suspected Taliban rebels in heavy fighting near the Pakistan border, leaving 31 militants dead, the Defense Ministry said Monday.
Bomb Explodes Near Afghan-Pakistan Border --[AP]
A bomb exploded Tuesday near a key crossing point on the Afghan-Pakistan border, killing three people and wounding 20, the latest in a series of recent attacks that authorities blamed on Taliban insurgents.
The Arab Mind & the Denial Phenomenon. --[Winds of Change]
Until recently, I believed the first step in the Arab Mind journey to progress and modernity was the ?acceptance of criticism? and the diffusion of a general cultural/intellectual climate which does not adopt a defensive posture towards criticism but welcomes it as a tool of positive feedback, a climate in which self-criticism is practiced without any reservations, constraints or taboos.
US Debating to Cut Troops as Well --[GI Korea]
We have heard this before but the US military is once again entertaining the idea of more troop cuts in Korea...
German Unity Day --[Soldiers Angels Germany]
On October 3, 1990, the reunification of Germany became official. For over 45 years, West and East Germany existed side-by-side but in two different worlds. In a matter of months, the umimaginable became reality.
S. Korea City Grieves After Fatal Stampede --[AP]
Kim Byung-sul was badly injured but all he could think of was his wife. She too had fallen under the crush of 20,000 people scrambling for seats at a free pop music concert - and now she was no longer breathing.
Al Qaeda Is At It Again --[A Soldier's Perspective]
Al Qaeda is quickly losing the their luster and resolve. It was first obvious back when they tried to claim having a kidnapped soldier a few months ago.
Now that they are losing the battle of influence, they?ve again decided to kidnap ?Ken.? Al Qaeda now claims to have kidnapped two Marines in Western Iraq.
Checking in on the NYPD's Anti-Terror Policing --[The Counterterrorism Blog]
An interesting article in yesterday's New York Daily News entitled "New York's Secret War on Terror" examines the steps the NYPD has taken to try to improve its anti-terror policing.
