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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.)
We Are All Misinformed! -- [24 Steps to Liberty - an Iraqi in Iraq]
You guys always said you don’t get all the news from Iraq. And I always agreed with you!
...I told my friends yesterday that the terrorists played it wrong. if they want to provoke a civil war, they should attack shrines of Sunni Imams, because that would upset more Sunnis than Shiites, not like yesterday. Yesterday, the attack upset and angered Sunnis and Shiites equally.]
Here are some information,which, for whatever reason, you don’t get in your news about the bombing:
...I was amazed how only the provocative and civil-war-style quotes were published today in the newspapers. Almost no newspaper showed how great, it appeared to us, the solidarity among Iraqis was yesterday. It is true that Sunni mosques were attacked by unknown men yesterday, and some Sunnis were killed. But that wasn’t the only thing happened as a reaction. Newspapers should have been neutral, as we were taught, and show both sides. Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds, Arabs, Christians, Sabians, Turkumans, and others publicly condemned the attack, but no one wanted to show the truth.
Sadr's peace. -- [Free Iraqi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...I'm not aware of any Iraqi outside those gangs and militias who keep mortars in their homes. This happened while clowns from both the Sadr trend and the Association of Sunni Scholars were signing an honor agreement that prohibits Iraqis from fighting each other. But why am I surprised! They are actually prohibiting Iraqis, average people, from killing each other but they are not prohibiting their own militias from killing Iraqis!
Why are they faking this and what do they want from it? I'm not sure, but one thought is that this behavior is typical of all ME dictators. They start the killing and the chaos and then they blame it on the people. They show themselves in public as the peacemakers and then continue to pursue their crimes in the dark. These are not ideological fighters. They're opportunists and hypocrites who seek the help of criminals and thugs and still present themselves as religious and patriotic people, mimicking dictators to a great extent.
The wicked warmongers -- [IraqPundit - an Iraqi in exile]
...The New York Times also has a story speculating on what a civil war might lead to in the region. This guy's ideal dream of a spreading civil war is so detailed that it includes ethnic cleansing:
...Why do these reporters want to see a civil war so badly in Iraq? It looks to me that they hate Bush so much that they will stop at nothing to prove that he's wrong about Iraq and they are right. The reporters have sunk so low as to take this cheap angle of insisting that an all out civil war has been underway for three years. When will they wake up and realize that this is not a White House scandal. This is about Iraq and its people.
Is Iraq on a civil war? -- [Hammorabi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...Civil war is going on now but on a scale less than that which was planned by the known and unknown groups and forces.
The responsibility for what is going on now is not only on Al-Qaeda and its supporters among some of the political parties but all the other parties bear responsibility because of their failure to form the government. The recent unprecedented and biased statements of the US ambassador in Baghdad (Z. K. Zada) were of great push for the terrorists to commit their acts. These statements were condemned by many Iraqi writers and Intelligent as they are based on a sectarian attitude. We feel that ZKZ is a better Ambassador in Kabul. Iraq needs a healer not a high commissioner.
A rare interview with Abo-Hafsa Alansari -- [Hammorabi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Alwatan alarabi magazine (London) published an interview with Abohafsa claimed to be one of Zarqawi deputies.
He stated that their Qaeda group in Iraq has the ability to recruit into Iraq one million fighters. He explained that this number can be introduced from everywhere along the borders which are all open for them!
He told that they are very well funded financially from the oil Gulf States and their Arab big companies and investors which is another reason keeping their operation inside Iraq.
The shrine crisis…words that need to be said. -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
... it seems there are also some positive outcomes from this incident and its aftermath; the first one in my opinion was the performance of the Iraqi army which had a good role in restoring order in many places. Actually the past few days showed that our new army is more competent than we were thinking.
But the latest events have also showed the brittle structure of the interior ministry and its forces that retreated before the march of the angry mobs (if not joined them in some cases) and I think the statements that came from the meetings of our politicians pointed this out so clearly when Sunni politicians said they wanted the army to replace the police and police commandos in their regions and this indicates growing trust between the people and the army.
The Event in Pictures\Curfew in Iraq after Mosques Attacks -- [Photos From Iraq - an Iraqi in Iraq]
(pics)
William F. Buckley says we have lost -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
Columnist William F. Buckley says the war in Iraq is lost:
If the war is indeed lost, then I’d like to know what he proposes we do. Should we abandon the country like we did in Vietnam? Leave everyone who cooperated with the coalition to their fate? Let the country devolve and destabilize further? Let the evil men run the show?
Marine doesn't just protect Iraqis; he becomes their friend -- [MilTracker]
Since arriving in western Al Anbar Province in July, Cpl. Michael C. Kissiah, Jr. has delivered medical supplies and food and catalogues the needs of the people here. Who says Marines ain't got hearts?
To war! -- [Talking Salmons - in Iraq]
...Luckily, the media seems to be hyping things a bit too much. I spent a good two hours flying over the capital the day after the Golden Mosque was destroyed.
Everything seemed normal from the air, but the way the news read, the whole city was erupting in mass riots like some New Orleans repeat.
A new force in Iraq news coverage is coming of age – the Iraqi blogosphere -- (Aljazeera.net)
Inside and outside Iraq, bloggers report on events from their own perspective and give a voice to the community that they say often goes unheard in Western media
Salam Adil, 38, an Iraqi blogger who lives in the United Kingdom, says: "I compared reporting from the BBC and the British newspapers to the [Iraqi] blogs and there is a world of difference.
"It is as if the Western media are on a different planet," he told Aljazeera.net.
The Soldiers Speak. Will President Bush Listen? -- (NY Times)... Nicholas D. Kristof -Subscription Required
When President Bush held a public meeting with troops by satellite last fall, they were miraculously upbeat. And all along, unrepentant hawks (most of whom have never been to Iraq) have insisted that journalists are misreporting Iraq and that most soldiers are gung-ho about their mission.
Hogwash! A new poll to be released today shows that U.S. soldiers overwhelmingly want out of Iraq — and soon.
The poll is the first of U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq, according to John Zogby, the pollster. Conducted by Zogby International and LeMoyne College, it asked 944 service members, "How long should U.S. troops stay in Iraq?"
Only 23 percent backed Mr. Bush's position that they should stay as long as necessary. In contrast, 72 percent said that U.S. troops should be pulled out within one year. Of those, 29 percent said they should withdraw "immediately."
That's one more bit of evidence that our grim stay-the-course policy in Iraq has failed. Even the American troops on the ground don't buy into it — and having administration officials pontificate from the safety of Washington about the need for ordinary soldiers to stay the course further erodes military morale.
...So what would it take to win in Iraq? Maybe that was the single most depressing finding in this poll.
By a two-to-one ratio, the troops said that "to control the insurgency we need to double the level of ground troops and bombing missions." And since there is zero chance of that happening, a majority of troops seemed to be saying that they believe this war to be unwinnable.
This first systematic look at the views of the U.S. troops on the ground suggests that our present strategy in Iraq is failing badly. The troops overwhelmingly don't want to "stay the course," and they don't seem to think the American strategy can succeed.
...Will a timetable work? I don't know, but it's a better bet than our present policy of whistling in the dark. And it's what the troops favor — and they're the ones who have Iraq combat experience. It's time our commander in chief stopped stage-managing his troops and listened to them.
Iraq Invasion: A Study in Unintended Consequences -- (Arab News)
“We must cooperate and work together against this danger...of civil war,” said Iraq’s President Jalal Talabani, but others think that the civil war has already arrived. At least 130 people, almost all of them Sunnis, were murdered in reprisal killings, and over a hundred Sunni mosques attacked, in the 24 hours after the destruction of the Al-Askariya shrine in Samarra, sacred to the Shiites, on Feb. 22. But it is not yet time to say that Iraq has slid irrevocably into civil war.
Soldiers Caught Between 2 Sides -- (Los Angeles Times)
...For the American soldiers it was an unfamiliar role. They found themselves in the middle of a fight they could only partially comprehend, stuck between two sides on the edge of civil war. This was an Iraqi problem, their commanders told them. The solution would have to be Iraqi as well.
For U.S. Troops: Tough Choices -- (Washington Post)...Jonathan Finer
Army Lt. Michael Mattingly was leading late-night raids in a city south of Baghdad last week when a new assignment came in via a 2 a.m. radio message.
Iraq makes terror 'more likely' -- (BBC News)
The US has ruled out any hasty withdrawal
People across the world overwhelmingly believe the war in Iraq has increased the likelihood of terrorist attacks worldwide, a poll for the BBC reveals.
Some 60% of people in 35 countries surveyed believe this is the case, against just 12% who think terrorist attacks have become less likely.
In most countries, more people think removing Saddam Hussein was a mistake than think it was the right decision.
Sectarian Slaughter Sets Iraq On Road To Schism -- (London Times)...James Hider and Ali Hamdani
Sunni and Shia extremists are dividing their land by murdering fellow Muslims
Iraq symbolizes failure of U.S. Middle East policy: Leader -- (Tehran Times)
TEHRAN – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Monday that the Iraqi government symbolizes the failure of U.S. policies in the Mi...
No Peace for the Middle East -- (Spiegel Online)
As Iraq's religious and political leaders try to calm internecine violence and the West sizes up the Russian-Iranian uranium enrichment deal, German commentators on Monday look at the broader prospects for peace and stability in the Middle East.
Surge in Violence Kills More Than 1,300 in Iraq -- (Washington Post)
Toll from week of attacks is more than three times higher than once reported, making recent days the deadliest outside major U.S. offensives.
FACTBOX-Developments in Iraq, Feb. 28
Feb 28 (Reuters) - The following are security incidents and political developments in Iraq reported on Monday, as of 0600 GMT.
U.S. and Iraqi forces are battling a largely Sunni Arab insurgency against the Shi'ite- and Kurdish-led government in
Baghdad.
U.S., Iraq Looking For A Few Good Firms Willing To Do Business In A War Zone -- (Los Angeles Times)...Evelyn Iritani and Borzou Daragahi
The seminar was billed as "Doing Business in Iraq." A better title might have been "Think Twice About Doing Business in Iraq."
Major al-Qaida in Iraq Figure Jailed -- (The Guardian/ AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi security forces announced the capture of a senior al-Qaida in Iraq figure as they sought to deflect criticism of their handling of a surge of sectarian violence. The U.S. ambassador said the risk of civil war from last week's crisis was over.
AL-ZARQAWI SAID TO HAVE NEW COMMAND STRUCTURE -- (AKI)
Baghdad, 27 Feb. (AKI) - The organisation of al-Qaeda in Iraq, led by Jordanian miltiant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has adopted a new command structure, according to Salafite sources quoted by the Arabic news portal Wifaq. The new line-up is said to include a sort of shadow government at the head of the organisation mandated to direct all the activities of the group. Al-Zarqawi has been flanked by six 'ministers' and by a chief of staff who will coordinate all the operational brigades, the sources said.
Germany Denies Giving U.S. Iraq's Plan To Defend Baghdad -- (New York Times)...Richard Bernstein and Judy Dempsey
The German government on Monday labeled as "false" a report in The New York Times that two agents of the BND, the German intelligence agency, obtained Saddam Hussein's plan for the defense of Baghdad before the American invasion of Iraq and that the information was passed along to the United States Defense Intelligence Agency ahead of the war in early 2003.
I Suspect He is Not Bluffing -- [Miserable Donuts]
Pol-i-Charki Prison has had a wing taken over by prisoners. "We can take all these prisoners in one hour," Mohammed Qasim Hashimzai, the deputy justice minister, told The Associated Press as he traveled to the prison Monday. "But to prevent bloodshed we are trying to negotiate."
I rather think he isn't bluffing.
Terrorist Porn -- [Strategy Page]
February 26, 2006: In Afghanistan, a recent Taliban radio broadcast asserted that some 6,500 American and Coalition troops had been killed by Taliban fighters so far, and that not a single civilian had suffered in the process. Now, to any Afghans in the areas where fighting is taking place, this is absurd. But to some pro-Taliban Afghans, outside of the combat zone, this will be believed,
Afghan prison siege enters 4th day; some optimism -- (Khaleeji times/ Reuters)
PUL-I-CHARKHI, Afghanistan - A siege at the Afghan capital’s main jail entered a fourth day on Tuesday but the government expressed hope for a peaceful resolution to a bloody revolt by hundreds of inmates.
Taliban attacks on schools create 'lost generation' -- (The Independent)
...The attack at Kartilaya High School in Lashkar Gar was just one in a series which is crippling Afghanistan's education system. At least 165 schools and colleges have been burnt down or forced to close so far by a resurgent Taliban and their Islamist allies.
Five years after the end of the Afghan war and Tony Blair's famous pledge that "this time we will not walk away", it seems the Taliban and al-Qa'ida are back with a vengeance, and one of their main targets is the country's education system.
AFGHANISTAN : MONEY SHORTFALL THREATENS EFFORT TO FEED 3.5 MILLION -- (AKI)
New York, 27 Feb. (AKI) - With a break in food supplies looming in Afghanistan in March, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Monday urged donors to immediately make up an 11-million US dollar shortfall in critical funds to feed 3.5 million vulnerable people. "Basically we don’t have enough food for vulnerable communities as they come out of winter and head into the lean season prior to the summer harvest," WFP country director Charles Vincent said.
Kidnapped Nepali dies in Afghanistan, another safe -- (Reuters)
KABUL (Reuters) - One of two Nepali security men kidnapped in Afghanistan has died of illness during more two weeks in captivity but the other has been found safe, a government official said on Tuesday.
US Ports Fiasco Effects on Korean Business -- [GI Korea - in S Korea]
Many of you have probably heard about the US port management controversy involving a Dubai based Arab owned company. I find it interesting that the same people like Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer who are complaining about this business deal are the same people that complain about police using racial profiling yet are willing to use racial profiling when it comes to business deals, but that is whole different rant. This fiasco has now wisely been referred to a 45 day security review where I expect it will get approved anyway.
Not just another “U.A.E. ports” post: a GOP blogger speaks out brilliantly -- [Gun Toting Liberal]
My good Republican friend, Mark, of Liberty Just In Case has some sharp words for our President:
...Now before you go assuming this is just a “lovefest” going on between the two of us today, allow me to point out the fact that Mark is completely for the U.A.E. ports deal and I am, as you know, completely opposed to it. But that is obviously not what Mark’s concern is.
Coast Guard Warned of Port Deal Intel Gaps -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican congressional leaders had hoped to curtail bipartisan outcries over a United Arab Emirates-based company's pending takeover of some U.S. port operations by brokering an agreement for a new investigation of the deal's potential security risks. Then came the disclosure that the U.S. Coast Guard had raised concerns weeks ago that, because of U.S. intelligence gaps, it could not determine whether the UAE company, DP World, might support terrorist operations.
Bush, Speaking Up Against Bigotry -- (Washington Post)
There are times when George Bush sorely disappoints. Just when you might expect him to issue a malapropian explanation, pander to his base or simply not have a clue about what he is talking about, he does something so right, so honest and, yes, so commendable, that -- as Arthur Miller put it in "Death of a Salesman" -- "attention must be paid." Pay attention to how he has refused to indulge anti-Arab sentiment over the Dubai ports deal.
The Long War Strategy: Varian's War, My Heroes, and Rear Admiral Bill Sullivan's Strategy Brief -- [Bobby's World]
...have heard the critics proclaim that we are doomed to lose, and yet still found themselves raising their right hand and swearing to obey the orders of the officers appointed over them in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. They are an awesome collection of young men and women-- America's finest, perhaps not in socioeconomic status or academic inclination, but absolutely in character and spirit. If I thank them every day for their service (and I try to), it is still not enough. They are my heroes, each and every one of them.
And so it was that I realized one of the ironies of contemporary politics. The Bush Administration's critics are convinced that America is losing the War on Terror, a point that I believe they make not because they believe it to be quantitatively or qualitatively true, but because they think they need to beat that drum to win their elections. Similarly, perhaps their favorite argument is to claim that we have no "strategy for victory" in Iraq; in their minds, they think they're scoring political points against the Bush Administration when they posit this claim. What they don't realize is that, as a rather senior mentor of mine at the Pentagon recently pointed out to me in an email, the argument doesn't really hit the White House-- it strikes ...
Money, Media and the Moslem World -- [Strategy Page]
February 27, 2006: The war on terror has led to some subtle tactics that are not much noticed. For example, in the Islamic world, media is seen as a tool, not an independent institution dedicated to finding and reporting the truth. Most news media (print and electronic) in the Islamic world cannot survive on advertising revenue.
Taliban ‘renews Bin Laden offer’ -- (Business Day)
ISLAMABAD — Afghanistan’s former ruling Taliban militia had on Sunday renewed an offer for dialogue with the US on al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, according to a report.
“We have imposed restrictions on Osama, and there are several ways to solve this issue,” said Taliban spokesman Abdul Mutmaen. “We are ready for talks with the US to resolve the problem, but it should solve the problem amicably and not through the use of power.”
America outwitted on world stage -- (The Cincinnati Post)
Can America win a sustained war in this media age? The U.S. military doesn't seem to be too sure.
According to a Pentagon report released earlier this month, "Victory in the long war ultimately depends on strategic communication."
...For his part, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld doesn't offer a whole lot of hope. "Our enemies have skillfully adapted to fighting wars in today's media age," he declared in a speech last week, "but for the most part, we - our country, our government - has not adapted."
Those words are worth pausing over. Can it really be true that al-Qaida is beating Uncle Sam at the communications/propaganda game? Are Arabs really better at getting their message out?
New Project -- [The German Princess]
There is a new Project I am working on. It's actually a new video for Dales son, but wow.. never thought it could take so long. It must be perfect, Dale's son only deserve the best and I hope it'll be great.
He stepped on IED and lost his leg up to the knee. I was so shocked when I heard the news and thank God he's still alive. It could have killed him.
I thought I could call him in Walter Reed but they didn't put me through, they didn't want to give the information to me. Instead ...
Patriot Guard Riders Pass 10,000 Membership Mark -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Congratulations and THANK YOU to the Patriot Guard Riders.
Bikers Guard US Military Funerals Against Protesters
(CNSNews.com) - A group of motorcycle riders who attend U.S. soldiers' funerals to protect them from anti-homosexual protestors on Saturday surpassed the 10,000-member mark.
A Sense of Where You Are -- [Strategy Page]
February 27, 2006: The use of the new Stryker wheeled armored vehicle in Iraq has accelerated the development of the new "Land Warrior" equipment for the infantry. The Strykers were using a partial set of the "Mounted Warrior" equipment. Put simply, the Land Warrior gear is a wearable computer/GPS/radio combination, plus improvements in body armor and uniform design.
Bitches, gripes, complaints -- [Fun with Hand Grenades - in Iraq]
Sometimes we’ll have meetings with everyone in the platoon to dish out news in the company and tell us about any upcoming missions or any plans for the next few days. Whenever it’s over the guy who’s doing the talking always ends with “Anybody got anything? Bitches, gripes, complaints?”
Yes, actually…
#1: We have new pieces to go with our body armor. Two pieces go on either side of you and attach to the inside your main vest, essentially shielding your kidneys. The other pieces look like huge ass shoulder pads, which we call “water wings.” All of them have Kevlar inserts. Besides being unbearably hot (the air conditioning in our Humvees is now negated, as I found out today) I’m now totally immobile. I seriously hope I never have to get out of my Humvee and run for cover because if I do I’m totally fucked and will be cut down in a hail of machine gun fire.
Mission #3 -- [Basic Training in Iraq]
Had my trip outside the wire on the 23rd. I was the driver:
As you can see, not a lot of room in those things with all that armor on. I still think before any more armor is added to what we wear, technology needs to advance so we can get the same protection with less weight. I feel that for me, more armor would be detrimental. Please don't let the media or your politicians trick you into thinking we are not being protected as much as possible. People that need the armor are getting it and as for those occurances like the soldier who had to pay for his destroyed insert plates, the army is a massive bureaucracy and although it sometimes takes a while to get through the red tape, this type of thing usually gets sorted out in the end.
Saving The Fish, Not Troops -- (New York Daily News)...Douglas Feiden
Body armor that can mean the difference between life and death has been shamefully tough to find for battalions of U.S. troops on the bloodiest battlefields of Iraq. But that hasn't stopped Congress from squandering Pentagon funds on thousands of wacky and wasteful projects that do more to protect pols' jobs than save soldiers' lives.
Following Orders From Administration, Army Trimmed Supplemental Request -- (National Journal's CongressDailyAM) (Subscription required)
Army leaders sliced nearly $3 billion from their latest wartime supplemental spending request under last-minute orders from the White House, forgoing money needed to upgrade a hard-worn fleet of heavy tanks and armored vehicles, defense sources disclosed Monday.
...Late Monday, company officials met with staff in the office of Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio. And last week, just days after the Bush administration released the supplemental, the firm called on Ohio Republican Sen. Mike DeWine, an appropriator in the middle of a challenging re-election campaign.
"Obviously, Sen. DeWine is working to supply the military with the equipment they need, and evidence shows that the Bradley and Abrams are critical to the warfighter," a spokesman said.
The Army, according to a General Dynamics spokesman, is aware of possible breaks in production schedules and is "aggressively working this issue."
United Defense Industries, a BAE Systems subsidiary that makes the Bradley, also is tracking the issue, a company spokesman said.
"There's a lot that both the Army and DOD are trying to do with a limited number of dollars," he said. "It is something that we obviously are going to be paying close attention to."
Veterans May Face Health Care Cuts in 2008 -- (Yahoo News/ AP)
WASHINGTON - At least tens of thousands of veterans with non-critical medical issues could suffer delayed or even denied care in coming years to enable President Bush to meet his promise of cutting the deficit in half — if the White House is serious about its proposed budget.
Bush’s Strategy/Bush’s political failures -- [Austin Bay]
...The “Bush political failure” I worry about hasn’t happened yet– but signs of failure abound. What preparation is the administration is the administration making to hand over strategic control of The War on Terror to a subsequent administration? How is the administration preparing to fight a multi-generational, multi-administration war?
Senator Arlen Specter: friend of liberty or wolf in sheep’s clothing? -- [Gun Toting Liberal]
It seems to me that an increasingly alarming number of Democrats and so-called “liberals” have begun to praise our Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Arlen Specter (R-PA) for his opposition to President Bush’s domestic wiretapping of U.S. Citizens lately.
Poll: Bush Ratings At All-Time Low -- (CBS News)
CBS) The latest CBS News poll finds President Bush's approval rating has fallen to an all-time low of 34 percent, while pessimism about the Iraq war has risen to a new high.
Americans are also overwhelmingly opposed to the Bush-backed deal giving a Dubai-owned company operational control over six major U.S. ports.
GOP Governors Say Bush Missteps Hurt Them -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican governors are openly worrying that the Bush administration's latest stumbles - from the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina to those of its own making on prescription drugs and ports security - are taking an election-year toll on the party back home....
Analysis: Bush Beset by Political Miscues -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush has been buffeted by one calamity after another. Try what he may, he just can't seem to find traction for his second-term agenda....
BUSH NOW ADMITS BIN LADEN HELPED HIM BEAT JOHN KERRY -- (Drudge Report) **Exclusive**
President Bush now says his 2004 victory over Sen. John Kerry, who is mulling a comeback in 2008, was inadvertently aided by al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
Sen. Clinton: Rove Spends Time Obsessing About Me -- (FOX News)
Noting that Rove and his White House aides have met regularly with her possible opponents in the 2006 Senate race, Clinton said, "He spends more time thinking about my political future than I do."
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.)
Let's blame it on the Sunnis. -- [A Free Iraqi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...The main problem is us, Iraqis whether we're She'at, Sunni or Kurds. And the problem is also the American administration's ignorance on many of the facts on the ground with the exception of the American embassy and namely Khalil Zada who I think is doing a great job, but unfortunately it seems like most of the influence is still in the hands of the military and some people in the white house who seem to still think that Sunnis are the enemy.
But I don't want Iraqis and Americans to blame each other, as that's not productive at all. Americans have been doing us a HUGE favor and we need each other and we need to trust each other and part of our cooperation is to tell each other when we're wrong, and I believe some Americans are not seeing what's happening in Iraq very clearly and many decisions were made based on this blurred vision.
Curfew Extended, Situation Still Tense -- [Healing Iraq- an Iraqi in Iraq]
The daytime curfew in the capital, and surrounding governorates of Salah Al-Din, Diyala and Babel has been extended to Monday morning, as was announced during a live press conference for the ministers of Defense and Interior today
Night time boom boom -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
Today was very quiet again in the International Zone. I normally hear more sounds of Baghdad flowing in from across the river. Not today. The curfew has quieted things down a lot. Very little gunfire punctuated the day, which is very unusual.
Civil War? -- [Baghdad Guy - in Iraq]
Standing out on the precipice tonight, what do you see? Is it a hiccup, a momentary lapse along the long and difficult route to democracy (or theocracy, or whatever form of stable and/or secure government Iraq can potentially come up with that allows Americans to return U.S. soil)? Or do we stand on the brink of Civil War here in the cradle of civilization, a rising tide of more than one thousand years of intra-Muslim hatred and conflict ready to come crashing down on a nation at a crossroads, reeling from three years of war?
The Iraqi Shi'a: A "United" House Divided -- [CompleteTheMission - in Iraq]
Western observers often consider Iraq's Twelver Shi'ites a cohesive community. American policymakers believe that a common sense of persecution, shared rich religious heritage, and unprecedented opportunity for self determination will unite Iraqi Shi'ites. I will argue, however, that this community is fractured among competing schools of religious thought, social demographics, and Arab-Persian animosity centered in two main camps, with only the preeminent influence of Ali al Sistani bridging the divide and keeping the Iraqi Shi'ite community from splintering entirely.
Iraq in Flames? Not so much so -- [Sapper Sgt - in Iraq]
...I don't know what is happening in Baghdad, there have been some interesting visuals coming out on the news that I watch briefly in the chow hall on those occasions when I get a hot meal.
But Tal Afar? We had what was referred to as a "peaceful demonstration" the other day. I drove past, and it looked to me like maybe 150-200 adult males standing around in a line. Plus groups of them sitting down. Don't know what they were doing, but there was no dancing around, waving arms, burning anything, they didn't even appear to be chanting or anything. One guy was reading something off a paper, possibly out loud since there was a group of people that seemed to be paying attention to him. But it really didn't impress me as impending civil war.
Please don't hurt me Mr. Buckley -- [Uncle Jimbo - BlackFive]
I hesitated and actually quivered a bit as I contemplated writing this, but honesty means taking on your icons too. William F. Buckley Jr. is one of the most brilliant and entertaining thinkers in American history. When he recently wrote a column saying we need to admit defeat in Iraq, I was disheartened.
A False Postulate -- [Dadmanly]
I am gravely disappointed in William F. Buckley. Among the most literate and well educated men in America, an archetype of American Conservatism, Buckley taught several generations of thoughtful analysts how to, well, analyze. I would never hope to achieve his stature, prominence, or achievement. Still, he disappoints.
Celebrating with Iraqi Policemen -- [Grandma in Iraq - in Iraq]
This is a picture of a police station in Diwaniyah Province that I saw last week. About a hundred or so Iraqi policemen, Army soldiers, Iraqi contractors, our security team members and the US Army Corps of Engineer representatives were present to celebrate a ribbon cutting at this station. This is the 32nd and final police facility to be built within the province of Diwaniyah.
Taking it Personally -- [Wordsmith at War - in Iraq]
...As many of you know, my Battalion is intimately involved in recruiting local Iraqis into the Al Anbar Police Force. We have been doing so for months, and even kept working with the local residents after a suicide bomber detonated his vest and created death and destruction that many of us will never forget for the rest of our lives. LTC M was recently down at the Glass Factory checking on his soldiers who were getting the recruits ready to load up and travel to their nation’s capital for training. We had soldiers working in different capacities - from security to overall management of the logistics involved in moving the Iraqis from their home town to their training site. They were checking the men outside the gate again, not far from where the suicide attack had occurred just weeks ago. Soldiers were searching the men’s baggage, not only for weapons, but to ensure they had everything that was on the packing list, that they were ready for the training.
Bitches, gripes, complaints -- [Fun With Hand Grenades -- in Iraq]
...Whenever it’s over the guy who’s doing the talking always ends with “Anybody got anything? Bitches, gripes, complaints?”
Yes, actually…
#1: We have new pieces to go with our body armor. Two pieces go on either side of you and attach to the inside your main vest, essentially shielding your kidneys. The other pieces look like huge ass shoulder pads, which we call “water wings.” All of them have Kevlar inserts. Besides being unbearably hot (the air conditioning in our Humvees is now negated, as I found out today) I’m now totally immobile. I seriously hope I never have to get out of my Humvee and run for cover because if I do I’m totally fucked and will be cut down in a hail of machine gun fire.
Home Sweet Bunk -- [Chris Whong - in Iraq]
...Good soldiers turn situations like the one I just described into success stories that I can write about on my blog. Without a hell of a maintenance team and very responsive and coopertive escorts, a 30 minute tire change could have taken a lot longer and put us in a lot more danger.
After 6 months over here, I can safely say that the Mechanics out on the road have the toughest job, and in some cases may be the most influential to the success of the mission.
Provincial governments moving forward -- [Grandma in Iraq - in Iraq]
...The men are reviewing 29 contract proposals and rating them for technical content. This is part of the contracting process to evaluate the merit and competency of the bids put forth by contractors on a scope of work for construction projects. This is a totally new concept for the Iraqis. Meetings like this are being held at each of the nine Southern provinces with local Iraqi officials and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
TOMATO SEMINAR -- [2006 Tour of Duty - in Iraq]
This was taken in southern Iraq during a recent agriculture seminar about growing tomatoes. These are all fresh picked out of the fields. This country has a lot of potential for vegetable crops as they have a longer growing season...
Female Pilots Get Their Shot In The Iraqi Skies -- (Washington Post)...Ann Scott Tyson
Buzzing over this northern Iraqi city in her Kiowa scout helicopter, a .50-caliber machine gun and rockets at the ready, Capt. Sarah Piro has proved so skillful in combat missions to support U.S. ground troops that she's earned the nickname "Saint."
Desk Jobs In A War Zone -- (Los Angeles Times)...Doug Smith
Among the U.S. personnel in Iraq are civilians such as Ruby Pierce, a Virginia grandmother with a taste for adventure.
Iraq lifts curfew after week of violence -- (Reuters)
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Authorities lifted an extended curfew in Baghdad on Monday as the Iraqi capital returned to relative normality after a week of sectarian violence that claimed more than 200 lives.
Moqtada Sadr urges Iraqis to unite -- (The News International)
BASRA, Iraq: Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr on Sunday urged Iraqis to unite with a call for US forces to withdraw, after four days of sectarian violence that raised the spectre of civil war. "I call on all Iraqis, Sunnis and Shias, Muslims and non-Muslims, to take part in a demonstration of unity in Baghdad to call for the withdrawal of the forces of occupation, even if this has to take place over time," he told supporters in the southern port city of Basra after arriving there from Iran.
German Intelligence Gave U.S. Iraqi Defense Plan, Report Says -- (NY Times)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 — Two German intelligence agents in Baghdad obtained a copy of Saddam Hussein's plan to defend the Iraqi capital, which a German official passed on to American commanders a month before the invasion, according to a classified study by the United States military...
GERMANY: IRAQ SPYING AFFAIR PROMPTS GROWING CALLS FOR FULL INQUIRY -- (AKI)
Berlin, 24 Feb. (AKI) - Calls among Germany's opposition are growing for a full parliamentary inquiry into the role of German intelligence during the US-led and occupation of Iraq. A government-commissioned report released late on Thursday said two German spies provided the US with intelligence on Iraq but rejected allegations it aided the US bombing campaign in 2003. The issue is sensitive because Germany's former Social Democrat chancellor Gerhard Schroeder strongly criticised the war and insisted Germany had no direct part in it. Incumbent chancellor Angela Merkel has also ruled out sending troops to Iraq.
29 Killed in Iraq; Blasts Rattle Baghdad -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Violence killed at least 29 people Sunday, including three American soldiers, and mortar fire rumbled through the heart of Baghdad after sundown despite stringent security measures imposed after an explosion of sectarian violence.
No Word on Kidnapped Writer After Deadline -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi police conducted raids in search of kidnapped American journalist Jill Carroll on Sunday, the deadline set by her captors for the United States to meet their demands, but the day passed without word on whether her captors carried out their threat to kill her.
OPERATION ENDURING BOREDOM - EPISODE IX -- [American Citizen Soldier - in Iraq]
Saturday 27December2003
Kabul, Afghanistan
The Afghan National Council is in the final stages of their Loya Jirga, the process by which delegates from across the country have met in Kabul to hammer out a new constitution. This is their historic equivalent of Philadelphia circa 1789. The role of women in Afghanistan’s future has been hotly debated throughout the process, and understandably so considering the country’s ancient Islamic culture and recent fundamentalist track record.
Canadian Invovement -- [Afghan Reality]
...At the heart of the problem lies a serious lack of awareness about and appreciation of the complexities of the obstacles confronting Afghanistan’s post-conflict recovery. No matter how much we might tend to distance ourselves from Afghanistan, the reality is that it is in Canada's interest to stay the course in Afghanistan. There are several significant reasons why Canadians should support Canada's long-term commitment in rebuilding Afghanistan.
Rioting Inmates Seize Afghan Prison -- (NY Times/ AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Hundreds of Afghan soldiers with tanks and grenade-launchers surrounded Kabul's main prison after rioting inmates seized control of much of the facility in an uprising that officials blamed on al-Qaida and Taliban militants.
AFGHANISTAN: TROOPS CALLED IN AS JAIL RIOTERS RESIST -- (AKI)
Kabul, 27 Feb. (AKI) - Afghan security forces have surrounded a high security prison which is the scene of a riot involving some 2,000 prisoners. The prison houses ordinary criminals as well as members of the ousted Taliban regime and al-Qaeda members. The riot erupted on Saturday night and negotiations with the rioters have so far failed, although talks were expected to continue on Monday. There are reports that the rioters have taken over the women's wing of...
Afghanistan: UN on attack on schools and teachers -- (Scoop)
Friday, 24 February 2006, 3:23 pm Press Release: United Nations Afghanistan: new UN envoy calls for halt to attack on schools and teachers The new top United Nations envoy in Afghanistan
U.A.E. -- [Sgt Hook]
All week I’ve been hearing about the controversial decision allowing a United Arab Emirates company to take over management of several of our seaports. Some of what’s been said makes sense, some doesn’t, and some sounded more like political grandstaning than genuine concern. Still, it’s an important issue worthy of discussion, IMHO.
A JIHAD WINDOW AT THE EMIRATES GATE? -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
Walid Phares
The controversy about the UAE-based company projected to take over operations in a number of US seaports, quickly –and unfortunately- dove into domestic politics. The issue was turned into trusting or not the will and the capacity of the Government, particularly the executive branch to “secure the nation against Terrorists.” And once the debate mutates into investigating the intentions of the policy makers –particularly the President and his assistants – regarding the prosecution of the War on Terror, most of the exchange diverts to “politics” instead of “policies.”
Analysis: DP World's Offer a Gift to Bush -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House got a gift in the ports security debate, a chance for the president to sidestep a battle with members of his own party and to tone down bipartisan criticism of the deal.
The offer by Dubai-owned DP World to submit to a broader review of security issues in its deal to take over major operations at six U.S. ports also could salvage a business deal critically important to its economic future.
Yet another big lie Bush won't admit -- (Times Union)
...No amount of international embarrassment, no pleas from the United Nations or from European governments -- not even a ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court -- changes the way the United States conducts itself there. We must assume that the shame of Guantanamo is with us for as long as the shameless George W. Bush is president.
Al Qaeda Fact and Fiction -- [Strategy Page]
February 26, 2006: The latest taped message from Osama bin Laden is coming after a bad year for al Qaeda. His call for a boycott of Iraqi elections was ignored not once, but three times. A recent missile attack in Pakistan has killed some key al Qaeda staff. Now, Osama bin Laden is in the position of ...
Hit Osama (And Maybe Saddam, Too) -- (Washington Post)...Dan Eggen(Link not yet available)
Thad Anderson, a New York City law student who runs the Web site OutragedModerates.org, recently received a copy of the following notes through a Freedom of Information Act request. The notes by senior Pentagon aide Stephen A. Cambone, taken at 2:40 p.m. on Sept. 22, 2001, indicate that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was considering whether to "hit S.H. [Saddam Hussein] @ same time" as Osama bin Laden (UBL).
The notes, which were summarized but not quoted directly by the Sept. 11 commission, also indicate it would be "hard to get a good case" and that they needed to rapidly compile all information "related¬."
Support the Troops' Families -- [Fuzzilicious Thinking]
Soldiers' Angels has come up with another wonderful way to Support the Troops--the Deployed Family Support Group:
...Soldiers' Angels has long done things to support the familes of the deployed, such as Operation Topknot and periodic financial assistance in purchasing housing, groceries, etc. for young military families in need while their soldiers are deployed. However, this program will focus largely on offering "moral support" and encouragement to those suffering the challenges and worries of the homefront during a wartime deployment.
Our Canadian Friends Stand With Us Again -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
From our friend Candace at the Canadian blog Waking Up On Planet X:
Soldiers Angels Germany
Many of you will remember the American-based organization Soldier's Angels stepping up to the plate to support our Canadian heroes as they were treated in Germany.
Thank you Angels -- [Soldiers Angels Forums]
We want to thank Soldiers’ Angels, the Red Cross, the USO and the VFW for their wonderful help to our soldiers overseas. In December, our son Blake was injured in Iraq while dismounting his armored vehicle while preparing for a mission, resulting in the amputation of a finger. As you can imagine, getting the phone call about an injured loved one is alarming, but to hear about the wonderful support that has been made available put our hearts to rest when we couldn’t be there.
Army to Pay Halliburton Unit Most Costs Disputed by Audit -- (NY Times)
The Pentagon's own auditors had identified more than $250 million in charges as potentially excessive or unjustified.
Pray For Baby Charlotte -- [Stop The ACLU]
Hat Tip: Pro-Life Blogs Is this the direction America is headed? Is this where the ACLU, and the right to die folks will take us? In England, a judge has ruled for doctors to withold life support from a two-year old, brain damaged
The Essence of being Pro-Victory -- [Officer's Club]
...Today I could care less about stem cell research and gay marriage, abortion and taxes. I don't give a damn about the petty squables of the pre-9/11 world. All I care about is winning this war.
Thus my new ideology is that of victory. I'm not conservative or liberal or liberatarian or Green or Republican or Democrat. I'm pro-victory. Once upon a time my vote would have gone to a Republican 99.999% of the time. Today my votes will go to the candidates who prove themselves as committed to fighting this fight to the end, even if it takes years, decades, or centuries.
BUSH, ROVE SAY HILLARY WILL WIN DEM PRIMARY -- BUT LOSE GENERAL ELECTION -- (Drudge Report)
**World Exclusive**
President Bush and his top strategist, Karl Rove, say Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will be tough to beat in the Democratic presidential primaries of 2008 -- but not in the general election!
Another White House Briefing, Another Day of Mutual Mistrust -- (NY Times)
Mike McCurry, who was President Bill Clinton's press secretary a decade ago, is kicking himself to this day for ever allowing the White House briefings to be televised live.
It was a huge error on my part," Mr. McCurry recalled the other day after watching a relentless White House press corps badger Scott McClellan, the current White House press secretary,..
The Clooney left -- (The Guardian)
If only George Clooney would run for president. John Patterson sizes up the star's political prospects
'Just another loopy Hollywood liberal?' ... Clooney at the Baftas. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty
Ever since Arnold Schwarzenegger became Der Kali-Führer in 2003, I've been wondering if the Democrats could ever find an equivalent figure to run for office. And suddenly it seemed so obvious: If Mr Freeze can run on his celebrity-recognition quotient alone, with a campaign platform containing no discernible political ideas whatsoever, then surely Batman himself can run for the White House.
Clooney relishes 'traitor' attacks -- ( Agence France-Press)
US actor and director George Clooney said this morning he was proud to be denounced as unpatriotic for questioning US policy because he wanted to be on "the right side of history."
Interviewed on BBC television's Newsnight about his latest films Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck Clooney said that not only did he accept the right to be attacked for his views but he even relished them.
What Were They Thinking? -- [RantingProfs]
The New York Times has an article about a group that for all intents and purposes is engaged in terrorist operations in Nigeria that are threatening the oil industry there. As part of the reporting for the article, the journalist, along with several others, apparently went out into rural Nigeria, met with members of the group.
Fine, good, terrific. Intrepid reporting, slap the gal on the back for her courage and determination.
But here's where I have very serious problems:
Freespeech Fascists -- [Austin Bay]
A must-read essay in the LA Times by Catherine Seipp.
A trip to San Francisco’s famous “City Lights” book store reveals lots of Ward Churchill screed, but no copies of Oriana Fallaci’s “The Force of Reason.” Why?
Seipp says her friend asked a clerk if the new Fallaci book was in yet.
“No,” snapped the clerk. “We don’t carry books by fascists.”
Considering The Paperless Newspaper -- [Dougpetch]
Reading this Jeff Jarvis post made me wonder - Which mainstream newspaper will be first to abandon ink and newsprint in favor of totally digital delivery? And when will...
AP War Blogs -- [Fred Schoeneman]
AP correspondent Antonio Castaneda has some blog entries about his time with Marines in Iraq, "far away from the flagpole." It's way better than most of the 'it bleeds, it leads stuff' we're used to seeing from them. Check it out:...
The Debut of MilTracker -- [Camp Katrina]
Visit our new site at MilTracker.Com!
Check it out, Katrina Campers: it's been fun here, but our efforts to tell the good news about the U.S. military have started to outgrow this blog's name and design. In an effort to focus more attention on providing bloggers with daily links to good news about our armed forces, we've set up shop at MilTracker.
Finally Home -- [Lag in Iraq - home from Iraq]
I recall looking at the flag and reflecting. I had been waiting for this moment for months, but I'm somewhat sad to be leaving. Was it all for the flag? Or for each other...me...the future? So much of it was scary, but so much of it was fun too. Most of it really was boring. So boring that I was able to blog now and then. I really didn't do anything brave. I just did my job. It was still all for that flag though, no matter what the current debate is.
Home sweet home! (well... New Jersey...) -- [A Soldier's Diary - home from Iraq]
Wow, I cannot believe we are finally in the US. It is unbelievable, very hard to describe how wonderful it is to be back in the states. There are so many things I am enjoying that were not available to me for the last year, it is really incredible. I am currently drinking a real Mountain Dew, eating Chinese food, and using internet that is like lightning, and about to call Susan from my new cell phone. Crazy, huh? Oh, and I am nursing a hangover. :) Yep, I had beer!
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.)
Holy Shia shrine bombed in Samarra. -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
As if we didn't have enough problems already!
The quality of the target and the timing of the attack were chosen in a way that can possibly bring very serious consequences over the country.
The situation in Baghdad is so tense now, it wasn't like this in the early hours of the morning as it took a few hours for the news to spread but on my way back from clinic I saw pickup vehicles with loudspeakers roaming the streets calling on people to shut their stores in the name of the Hawza and join the protests after the noon prayer to condemn the attack on the holy shrine.
Civil war, is it close, and is it really a disaster? -- [Free Iraq - an Iraqi in Iraq]
Today's attack on the holy shrine of two She'at Imams in Samarra has created so far a huge wave of protest and anger accompanied with sporadic reprisals here and there by zealous She'at led and urged mainly by the Sadirists and the SCIRI while Sistani is calling for peaceful protests and is forbidding any revenge against Sunnis and their warship places.
Civil War, Sectarian Strife, and "Liberation"! -- [Treasure of Baghdad - an Iraqi in Iraq]
It was a sunny, cool, and beautiful day till the bad news was spread in allover the country. "One of the most revered shrines in Shiite Islam was bombed early this morning, causing the collapse of its dome," I heard the anchor saying on radio saw while I was going back to the office after a short assignment. Here is news again. I did not expect that this time it is not a mere explosion. It was worse than that. When I returned back to the office, I started working on gathering the information and then my bureau chief assigned me to write the story to the web.
YES, IM STILL HERE -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
IED’s , mortar attacks and the ever so crappy SVBIEDs are continuous throughout the area. I say that not to say things aren’t getting better because they are but I say it because the American public needs to be aware that although our trusty news service doesn’t report it we still are fighting our asses off here and Marines are still dieing.
Stirring up trouble in Iraq -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
...More importantly, voices of reason were heard in Iraq today. While idiots fired mortars at the U.S. Embassy and tried to spread more seeds of hate, other leaders called for restraint and peaceful protest:
If You Don’t Agree, You Are Against Us! -- [24 Steps to Liberty - an Iraqi in Iraq]
“Why have you become anti-American. You used to be pro-American,” he accused me with anger in his voice. He was like someone who was waiting for the right moment to say this sentence.
I stretched my back in the chair and said “I am not anti-American. And they’ve become anti-Iraqi too.”
The Beginning of the Universe -- [Michael Totten]
LALISH, IRAQ – In Northern Iraq there is a place called Lalish where the Yezidis say the universe was born. I drove south from Dohok on snowy roads through an empty land, seemingly to the ends of the earth, and found it nestled among cold hills.
Iraq's Sunnis: A possible Partner for Peace? -- [Complete The Mission - in Iraq]
The exact structure and composition of the insurgency has been and remains opaque. It seems, however, that the Sunni-led insurgency is made up of two general groups. The first of these can be described as nationalist in character; for the purposes of this paper, these insurgents will henceforth be referred to as "nationalists". The nationalists have varying goals. Some are loyal to the former Baathist regime and hope that a similar government will reemerge in Iraq upon the departure of Multinational Forces. Others fight because of the loss of privilege and position they experienced after the fall of the Baathist government.
Where are my updates?! -- [Marketing in Iraq? - in Iraq]
...Today was a crazy day in Iraq. Mosques getting blown up and riots in the streets. Of course, that doesn't really affect the area I'm in...but we did get the "duck and cover" order on the loudspeakers today. So, of course I went into one of the bunkers...but I didn't even hear any mortars. They changed the Uniform Posture too so that we are always wearing our protective gear...which isn't a bad idea anyway.
The U.S. Army Owns the Night...but I'd be Happy to Sell -- [Baghdad Guy - in Iraq]
We’ve been out on a lot of nighttime missions lately (more of those it seems, than daytime missions) and we’ve been all over the place, and it is remarkable to see the city at night versus daytime. Seems much cleaner (at least from a distance, when you can’t see all the trash) and nicer, and when the power is working it appears like any other non-war-torn city you might find. Although having the power working is a sporadic event—the only indicator that the power is out during the day is when you pass blacked-out traffic lights, so it's not as obvious. But at night
From south to north -- [Fast Bunnies - in Iraq]
Out of Kuwait. A respectable one day visit, but it was raining and time to leave. Now I am enjoying the sights and sounds of Mosul.
Flying in a C-130 is an uncomfortable experience, for anyone. About half the seats have metal bars underneath, the "seats" are cloth netting, the plane is alternately too hot or two cold, you are usually packed way too tight. And
Iraqi High School Girls Speak Engish -- [Grandma in Iraq - in Iraq] HT: Wizbang]
I visited an all-girls high school last week with engineers and construction representatives from the US Army Corps of Engineers who recently finished building two new classrooms and a new bathroom at the school. It is very obvious that we could have done a lot more for this school, but unfortunately we don’t have the funds to refurbish every school in Iraq. Never-the-less, the school is very grateful for what we’ve done. We were at the school to bring 25 boxes of school supplies collected by one of our engineer’s daughters.
Iraq's main Sunni bloc pulls out of govt talks -- (Reuters)
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's main Sunni Muslim bloc pulled out on Thursday of negotiations for the formation of a new government, blaming the ruling Shi'ite alliance for sectarian violence that has killed dozens of Sunnis in the past 24 hours.
Iran: U.S., Israel Destroyed Iraqi Shrine -- (AP)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blamed the United States and Israel on Thursday for the destruction of a Shiite shrine's golden dome in Iraq, saying it was the work of "defeated Zionists and occupiers."...
Iraqi cleric Sadr vows revenge over shrine blast -- (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
| Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has blamed the bombing of a Shiite shrine in the Iraqi town of Samarra on Sunni Arab militants and vowed to take revenge, a spokesm...
Police: 23 Bodies Found Dumped in Baghdad -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- The bodies of 23 men were found dumped at six sites in Baghdad, most of them in predominantly Shiite parts of the city, police said Thursday....
Three Iraqi Journalists Found Killed -- (AP)
SAMARRA, Iraq (AP) -- The bodies of three Iraqi journalists, including a well-known correspondent for Al Arabiya television, were found Thursday near Samarra, police and the Arabic network said....
IRAQ: CABINET DENIES CLAIMS THAT ITALIANS WERE AMONG ABU GHRAIB TORTURERS -- (AKI)
Rome, 23 Feb. (AKI) - The Italian government denied late on Wednesday that Italian citizens were among the torturers of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. In an interview to Italian state broadcaster RaiNews24, recorded in Amman, Ali Shalal el Kaisi, whose picture as the hooded prisoner with electrodes attached to his hands has travelled the globe, said he was acquainted with an Iraqi diplomat who had told him that two Italian men were present while he was being tortured in Abu Ghraib. The diplomat, whom el Kaisi identified as Haitham Abu Ghaith, "knows your language well."
Rumsfeld declares war on 'bad' press -- (Asia Times)
By Emad Mekay | WASHINGTON - Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld has signaled that he plans to intensify a campaign to influence global media coverage of the United States, a ...
Bulgarian Parliament OKs Iraq Troops -- (New York Times/ AP)
Bulgaria's parliament on Wednesday endorsed a government decision to send a 120-member non-combat unit to Iraq.
The Taliban Spring Offensive -- [Strategy Page]
February 23, 2006: With the end of Winter approaching, it is believed that the Taliban are preparing for a major "Spring offensive." Taliban information operations have been cranked up of late. In some areas of Afghanistan where economic conditions are still very hard, covert Taliban agents have
How Recently Were Abu Musab al-Zarqawi & Family in Afghanistan? -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
A highly respected terrorism analyst in Washington sent me information on the possible presence of the al-Zarqawi clan in Afghanistan since the 2003 American invasion of Iraq, and I asked Evan Kohlmann to comment on it. I invite other comments. First, the information from the terrorism analyst:
Tuesday, February 21, 2006 -- [goose0370 - in Afghanistan]
Price of the head of an American Soldier in Afghanistan : $15,000
Bounty for a Special Forces' soldiers beard : $25,000
Bounty a PSYOP Soldier's head (prefferably with a beard) : $35,000
Is The Speech Over Yet -- [Miserable Donut]
The students at the Aibatkhil Girl's School grand opening were pretty well behaved for a bunch of kids being forced to sit through a series of local politicians making speeches...
AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN: NEW BUS SERVICE TO KICK OFF IN MARCH -- (AKI)
Islamabad, 23 Feb. (AKI) - Afghanistan and Pakistan will launch a new bus service that will run from the Afghan city of Jalalabad in the province of Nangarhar to Peshawar in north-western Pakistan. The first bus will travel from Jalalabad on 15th March and the one from Peshawar will run on 17 March. After a one-month long trial period, the service will be operational, according to an agreement between the transport authorities of the neighbouring countries.
Troops Walking Into More Trouble In Afghanistan, Says US General -- (Sydney Morning Herald)
A senior US officer has predicted increased violence in Afghanistan, where more Australians are to be deployed. The officer in command of US forces in the Middle East, General John Abizaid, said he told the Prime Minister, John Howard, he was "optimistic but realistic" on military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Reservist Goes to Trial in Afghanistan -- (AP)
FORT BLISS, Texas (AP) -- Army prosecutors in the final case involving an Army reserve unit from Ohio linked to prisoner abuses in Afghanistan say a sergeant abused two prisoners while they were shackled and helpless.
The obvious response -- [TigerHawk]
Pakistani Shiite Muslims burn United States and Israeli flags to condemn the bombing on the Golden Mosque, one of Shi'ite Islam's holiest sites in the Iraqi city of Samarra, at a rally in Karachi, Pakistan on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2006.
Hysteria and politics… -- [Neptunus Lex]
But we’re selling our ports! To Arabs!
ARABS!
Well, we’re selling loading docks, anyway. The “port facilities” being sold by British-owned P&O to Dubai-based Dubai Ports World are little more than marine baggage handling terminals. I will grant our disaffected politicians the favor of not believing that they are really quaking in their Guccis over the fear of immigrant waves of southwest Asian longshoremen swarming our beaches the better to offload suitcase nukes. Because they know, they have to know (don’t they?) that security will continue to be performed by the US Coast Guard and container clearance performed by US Customs.
Port Ahoy -- [Villianous Company]
These two items certainly add an interesting bit of perspective to the ports kerfuffle:
Arab Company, Administration had "Super Secret" Agreement -- [Wizbang]
And this year's award for the most misleading headline goes to... the Associated Press.
Check out this headline: Arab Co., White House Had Secret Agreement
That damned secretive White House at it again. First Cheney, now this... Tonight we learn the administration had a "Secret Agreement" with the Arab company they sold the ports to. Or then again, maybe not....
The DP World Port Sale: Overblown Fears -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
In an election year, it certainly makes for a powerful rallying cry: "They want to turn our port security over to Arab states!" Indeed, politicians on both sides of the aisle have already been leaping to skewer the administration for approving the Dubai Ports of the United Arab Emirates (DP World) taking over the operation of six U.S. seaports. But moving beyond the politics of the situation, the fears surrounding DP World's purchase appear overblown.
Kicking Arabs In The Teeth -- (New York Times)...David Brooks -Subscription needed
...All Arabs may look alike to certain blowhard senators, but the United Arab Emirates is a modernizing, globalizing place. It was the first country in the region to sign the U.S. Container Security Initiative. It's signed agreements to bar the passage of nuclear material and to suppress terror financing. U.A.E. ports service U.S. military ships, and U.A.E. firms have made major investments in Chrysler and Time Warner, somehow without turning them into fundamentalist bastions. In short, there is no evidence this deal will do any harm.
Considered An Ally Now, UAE Backed Bin Laden -- (Washington Times)...Rowan Scarborough
The United Arab Emirates has become what the Bush administration calls a reliable partner in the war against Islamic terrorists, but its rulers maintained close ties to Osama bin Laden before September 11, and the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai have since served as operations and financial bases for al Qaeda terrorists.
Arab Company, White House Had Secret Deal -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Under a secretive agreement with the Bush administration, a company in the United Arab Emirates promised to cooperate with U.S. investigations as a condition of its takeover of operations at six major American ports, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press....
Terror fears, stoked by Bush, now bite him -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For almost five years President George W. Bush has warned Americans to fear terrorism, but now those words may come back to bite him.
Bush Port Defiance Fuels Bipartisan Anger -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush's marquee issue, the war on terror, is being turned against him by Democrats and rebelling members of his own party in an election-year dustup over a deal that allows an Arab company to manage major U.S. ports....
DeLay Says Bush Making Mistake on Port -- (AP)
HOUSTON (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay said Wednesday that President Bush is making a big mistake backing a sale of shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports to a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates....
Spc. Shauna Rohbock Takes Home Silver in Women’s Bobsled -- [Camp Katina]
Spc. Shauna Rohbock, a member of the Utah Army National Guard, won Silver in the Women’s Bobsled competition as the pilot of USA-1 at the XX Winter Olympics on Tuesday
Army WCAP Program Churns Out Olympians -- (Washingtonpost/ AP)
...WCAP provides support for soldiers capable of competing at sport's highest levels. It's not an easy way out of duty. Once the Olympics are over, most will catch up with military responsibilities and other training. There's five WCAP members at the Turin Games, all active in some branch of the military while they pursue their Olympic goals.
Soldier Serves Up Silver -- (Los Angeles Times)
... CESANA PARIOL, Italy — Whether she were to end up in Iraq or Italy, in a war ... do whatever it took to represent her country in a manner befitting a soldier
Disputes Among Islamic Terrorist Groups -- [Strategy Page]
February 21, 2006: Around the end of January, Mohammed Rabih Abu Zar, one of al Qaeda's top operatives in Iraq, was arrested in Baghdad. Possibly the top al Qaeda figure in the Baghdad area, Abu Zar was a key player in the development of the tactics of suicide and IED (roadside bomb) attacks. Reportedly, he has been spilling the beans on al Qaeda operations.
The Al Qaeda Documents: Al Qaeda Operations in Somalia, thoughts about Chechnya, plus a view of Bill Clinton -- [Austin Bay]
This is the fourth post in this series. Follow this link to the previous post on the document analyzing the failed jihad in Syria.
Net closing on bin Laden: UK security expert -- (Reuters)
LONDON (Reuters) - There will be at least one terrorist attack on a European target this year and either Osama bin Laden or his right hand man will be killed or captured in 2006, B...
Bin Laden 'largely a spent force' -- (The Guardian)
Press Association | Osama bin Laden is "largely a spent force" whose capture would not affect global Islamic terrorism, a British security consultancy has said. | The company headed by forme...
Muslims and LA County sheriff launch anti-terrorism initiative -- (Mercury News / AP)
Muslim leaders from Southern California and Sheriff Lee Baca launched an initiative Wednesday to increase cooperation in the fight against terrorism and expand the role of American Muslims in denouncing extremist groups like al-Qaida.
Wings of Hope -- [Pam, a Soldiers' Angel - Iraq War News]
One of the hardest things to do with your adopted Hero sometimes is to get them to tell you what they'd like you to send. Specific requests are rare - and amazingly enough, they usually spend a whole lot of time thanking YOU for thanking them...
And when you do finally get a specific request, sometimes it's completely humbling.
This is a message from my adopted Airman:
"OPERATION QUIET COMFORT" -- [Yikes]
Hello there, everyone! I figured it was about time I posted about one of the awesome organizaztions I'm lucky to be involved with. I've mentioned Adopt-a-Platoon, Angels 'n Camouflage and Web of Support lots of times, but I don't believe I've specifically spoken about Operation Quiet Comfort.
Anti-Armor Piercing Medieval Knights -- [Baghdad Guy - in Iraq]
“We don’t want a medieval knight.”
Major General Stephen Speakes, explaining the drawbacks of providing too much body armor to soldiers in Iraq.
Oops, too late. I’ve read articles talking about how what level of body armor worn will be determined by small-unit commanders on the ground in order to maximize soldier protection versus maneuverability and ability to accomplish missions. So much for that, as the ‘nut protector’ as it is called (a Kevlar flap that dangles down from the front of the Body Armor) and throat protector (a strip of Kevlar that goes across the front of your neck, connected to the neck guard, another add-on kind of similar to a cowboy collar worn by football players) have become mandatory wear for what seems like all of 4th ID, who I have the luxury of being attached to.
Purple Heart Returns to Its Owner -- [Fuzzilicious Thinking]
...A thrift-shop browser and watch collector by hobby, Dobos looked closer and saw the words "PURPLE HEART" embossed in gold on the case's leatherette cover. Inside, on the stained yellow velvet lining, lay a worn, heart-shaped medal adorned with a purple ribbon. Etched on its reverse was the name "Frank N. Smith" and "For Military Merit."
Banning Bald Headed Bomber Pilots -- [Strategy Page]
February 22, 2006: The U.S. Air Force has decided that its female personnel cannot be bald headed. Yes this is allowed for infantry, or male pilots. What is wrong here?
First Navy Admiral Takes The Helm At Guantanamo -- (Miami Herald)
The Pentagon has chosen an admiral as the next commander of the controversial prison for suspected terrorists at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, continuing a year-long shift from the Army toward the Navy.
Ack! She's Coming Here! -- (Soldiers' Angels Germany)
Household6 at Patiently Waiting has just pointed me to this Stripes article about a planned Cindy Sheehan protest at Landstuhl on 11 March.
The Malaise That Is Jimmy Carter -- [4 Mile Creek - in Iraq]
If your political awareness started any time after January 20th, 1981, it might be near impossible to understand just how bad a president Jimmy Carter was. And you need to know just how bad he was in order to understand why he is so hated today.
WHY ELECTIONS MATTER - TAKE II -- [American Citizen Soldier- in Iraq]
It is a postwar fact of life that U.S. foreign policy is now funneled through hundreds of bureaucratic channels, from the State Department to the National Security Council to the West Wing. Yet on a grand scale, its fundamental nature remains a direct extension of the top executive’s personality. And in order to best understand and interpret the decisions of such men, one must develop a basic comprehension of what makes them tick.
S.D. Bill to Ban Nearly All Abortions -- (AP)
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- South Dakota moved closer to imposing some of the strictest limits on abortion in the nation, as the state Senate approved legislation that would ban it except when a woman's life is in danger....
Poll: Most Think Clinton Will Run in '08 -- (AP)
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Two-thirds of Americans believe Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will run for president, but only one-third believe she can win, according to a national poll released Wednesday....
Patriot Guard Riders Welcome Home TN Hero, Cpl. Rusty Washam -- [Gateway Pundit]
Corporal Rusty Washam, an American Hero, is welcomed home to Tennessee,
MUST SEE VIDEO HERE
Here is a moving story that was posted as a comment by Deborah "Debbi Dodah" McKay, the Tennessee Ride Captain for the Patriot Guard Riders, on another successful Patriot Ride:
Back on American Soil! -- [Courage without Fear - home from Iraq]
Just wanted to update you all in case Micah can't get to a computer right now...he's in the US now! I was called out of a conference at work to hear that my husband was on the phone. I got on the line, and sure enough, Micah let me know he's actually in New Jersey now!
