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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.)
What’s black and white and red all over? -- [American Citizen Soldier - in Iraq]
The blood-soaked headlines, the negative news reports, and the pessimistic press coverage sprints ahead at full gallop. Live from Iraq: it’s the Meme of the Month. Didn’t you hear? The country is in the midst of a calamitous downward spiral into Civil War. (All things considered, it’s really not much of a war and it’s sure far from civil.) But Al Jazeera said so. Or was that CNN? Is there really even a difference anymore?
...The lack of security is the story, they say. Frankly, I'd be feeling pretty insecure too if I was so lousy at my job. Do these Green Zone FOBgoblins ever emerge from their Baghdad belfries long or often enough to properly collate the Big Picture they lay such exclusive claim to? Or are they merely hunkering down and ordering in, passively relying on the local Iraqi stringers who are bylining around the block to feed them information and in the process dispensing freelancing blows to the other half of the truth that rarely bleeds and certainly never leads.
Hello, room service? Yes, I’ll have the sectarian special, medium rare -- terrorist toast with insurgent jam -- a mosque bombing with a side of corruption, and a chilled can of diet hope. Oh, and hold the progress, please.
Electricity in Iraq -- [Grandma in Iraq]
Today, I’d like to tell you a little about electricity in Iraq. This is a picture of the Khor Az Zubayr Power Plant which is now officially operating under the Ministry of Electricity and the Basrah Province Director General for Electricity. The plant is providing 250 additional megawatts of power generation to the Iraqi national power grid.
I’ve been to this plant South of Basrah at least a dozen times in the last seven and half months.
Small Business - the back bone of any thriving democracy - is growing in Iraq. -- [No End but Victory]
Ambassador Daniel Speckhard, U.S. Director of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office, recently highlighted the tremendous economic progress in Iraq in his recent report on the 27th of March.
Gang Wars -- [Strategy Page]
March 30, 2006: The March 26 raid, on a kidnapping gang hideout, turned into an embarrassing media circus for the radical Shia Arab militia led by pro-Iran cleric Moqtada al Sadr. The Sadr people promptly came up with photos and interviews asserting that the raid (by Kurdish police commandoes) actually hit a mosque and killed sixteen innocent worshipers. About fifty Iraqi police were involved in the operation, accompanied by 25 American troops (some of them advisors to the police unit.)
Impossible dreams of Arabs -- [Iraqi Pundit]
I must admit that I nearly fell out of my chair when I read this in the New York Times report about the Arab summit in Khartoum:
"Analysts in the region feel that Iran is being rewarded for adopting a confrontational approach. Even though Iran has supported terrorist groups and defied the West's admonition to abandon its nuclear program, Arab countries fear that the United States may cut a deal with Iran that further weakens Arab influence in Iraq."
Arab influence in Iraq? What influence are these supposed analysts operating under? Arab countries traditionally sided with Saddam against the Iraqi people.
Iraqi, American Soldiers live together, fight together -- [Operation.Iraqi.Freedom]
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Patrol Base Warrior, located in the Sadr Yusufiyah area, at one time was the lavish home of a sheik, who is now detained on charges of terrorism. Now, it is not much different than most patrol bases in Iraq: missions are planned and executed from the outpost just like any other base.
What is unique about Warrior is the atmosphere that exists there. American and Iraqi Soldiers have gone from having mutual respect for each other to developing genuine friendships.
Counter insurgency platoon follows Iraqi army patrol -- [Operation.Iraqi.Freedom]
BALAD, Iraq - Trailing behind like a protective shadow, members of Bulldog Battery’s Counter Insurgency Platoon followed an Iraqi army patrol in an area south of Logistical Support Area Anaconda.
The Soldiers were there to ensure their IA counterparts properly conducted each phase of the operation and offered constructive criticism when the group rallied at Forward Operating Base O’Ryan after the patrol.
I have poster board, can I come too? -- [T.F. Boggs - in Iraq]
On the third anniversary of the Iraq invasion a lot of people chose to voice their opinion about the ongoing “war” in Iraq. People took to the streets in different cities across the world to gain media attention to their cause while at the same time chanting catchy anti-war slogans. They held up signs pleading for the war to end, Bush to be impeached, Mumia to be freed, and Palestinians to finally be allowed to return to their “rightful” home. The day turned out to be an all-encompassing rally cry for all causes extreme left.
What I noticed about these protests continues to disturb me as it always has before.
Iraqi Perspectives Project - Part IV -- [The RedHunter]
The Iraqi Perspectives project is "an unclassified historical report in book form on the Iraqi view of coalition military operations conducted in Iraq." Published in book form by the U.S. Joint Forces Command’s Joint Center for Operational Analysis, the project "the perspectives of the Iraqi civilian and military leadership involved in major combat operations gathered through interviews conducted during the fall and winter of 2003/2004, and an extensive review of Iraqi historical documents done in the months since then."
You can download the report here. It is 230 pages and about 7.5Mb.
MO Guard Soldier Helps Children in Mosul -- [GX: The Guard Experience]
Mosul, Iraq—Missouri National Guard Soldier MAJ Dan Crouch serves with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mosul, Iraq.
When MAJ Crouch arrived in Mosul, his University of Missouri Health Care co-workers from Columbia, MO, asked, “What do you need? What can we send to you?” MAJ Crouch responded that he personally needed nothing; however, he saw the Iraqi children had a need. School supplies were scarce and he knew the positive affect school supplies would have on Iraqi students.
Terrorist Cell Leader Captured; Soldiers Destroy Weapons Caches -- [Defense Link]
Iraqi and U.S. soldiers captured a terrorist cell leader, and more weapons caches have been found and destroyed, military officials reported.
Officials at Forward Operation Base Kalsu said soldiers from 4th Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division, conducted the main assault effort to capture the terrorist March 26 in the town of Haswa, about 60 miles south of Baghdad. U.S. soldiers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, provided outer cordon security, officials said.
The terrorists of 'The Revenge Brigades' have released a video shot just prior to Jill Carroll's release. -- [The Jawa Report]
The Jawa Report has obtained a copy of the video.
...In it Jill Carroll seems more than eager to give the 'correct' answers asked by her captors. It's quite sickening some of the answers she gives, but understandable under the circumstances. But, before you accuse Jill of being a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, keep in mind that she was under duress.
For instance, Jill Carroll can be heard saying that the CIA and Americans were not as smart as the mujahidin given the fact that they were unable to rescue her. That her ordeal made it clear that the mujahidin would win the war in the end. She wants the American people to understand the mujahidin as they really are, and not the lies they hear in the media about them being terrorists, etc. The mujahidin are only trying to defend their country, etc. President bush needs to stop this war, etc.
Very scripted, ...
Iraq Soldier Backs U.S. On Deadly Raid -- (CBS)
The Iraqi commander during a controversial raid by American and Iraq forces is backing the U.S. version of a battle that left 16 Iraqis dead, CBS News correspondent Lara Logan reports.
<...>
The commander insisted his Iraqi Special Operations troops had to fight their way into the target building where they killed gunmen guarding a hostage and found various weapons including rocket launchers and heavy machine guns.
"We know this, the building, is used for to capture the civilians, the civilian people, by bad guys and they need money," the commander tells Logan.
A man who claims he was held hostage in the building, says of his captors, "They beat me, they kicked me and they used an electric drill on me. I thought I was going to die."
Exclusive: Iraqi Commander Says, "We Didn't Find a Mosque" -- (Time)
After a bloody raid against anti-U.S. militias in Baghdad, the war of words rages on.
When is a mosque not a mosque? Under U.S. military rules of engagement it's when it's used to house weapons, hostages and gunmen firing on American-backed Iraqi special forces. So it was in Sunday's explosive raid in a Baghdad quarter controlled by a Shi'ite, anti-American militia. Primed to bust up a vicious kidnapping cell linked to an insurgent group, Iraqi commandos and elite counterterrorism force members, with their U.S.
American Death Toll In Iraq Hits 2-Yr. Low -- (New York Daily News)...Richard Sisk
U.S. casualties fell to their lowest totals in two years this month as Iraqis increasingly aimed attacks at each other rather than coalition forces, the U.S. military said yesterday.
The US propaganda machine: Oh, what a lovely war -- (The Independent)
The Lincoln Group was tasked with presenting the US version of events in Iraq to counter adverse media coverage. Here we present examples of its work, and the reality behind its headlines.
IRAQ: RADICAL SHIITE CLERIC ACCUSES U.S. OF COLLABORATING WITH AL-QAEDA -- (AKI)
Baghdad, 30 March. (AKI) - Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Iraq's radical Shiites, has accused the United States army of knowledge of al-Qaeda's activities in Iraq and of doing nothing to stop attacks being carried out by groups headed by the terror network's number-one in Iraq, Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi. In an interview with a local TV network that was also re-transmitted by Iranian televison, Saheb Ameri, one of al-Sadr's right-hand men, said he is "in possession of vital documents that disclose the close cooperation between al-Qaeda and the US occupation forces."
"These documents prove without a shadow of doubt that groups linked to al-Qaeda and to al-Zarqawi are coordinating their attacks with the tacit consent of the US military command in Iraq," said Ameri.
Shiite Ayatollah Ignores Letter From Bush -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A letter from President Bush to Iraq's supreme Shiite spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, was hand-delivered earlier this week but sits unread and untranslated in the top religious figure's office, a key al-Sistani aide told The Associated Press on Thursday....
Would-be refugee tells of Iraq horrors -- (Globe and Mail, Canada)
Joshua Key, the first US deserter with combat experience in Iraq to apply for refugee status in Canada, told the board he witnessed numerous atrocities ...
Iraq at the 11th Hour -- (New York Times)
The fate of the entire US enterprise in Iraq now hangs in the balance, as the war has entered a dangerous new phase. It is the phase ...
Iraq accuses US of damaging ancient city -- (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- American forces are damaging the ancient city of Kish and must withdraw from the 5,000-year-old archaeological site, an Iraqi ministry said ...
U.S. Reporter Released by Captors in Iraq -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - American reporter Jill Carroll's three-month hostage ordeal ended Thursday when she was left on a Baghdad street in front of a Sunni political party office. She appeared composed and eager to talk about her 82 days held captive in a tiny room. "It's important people know that I was not harmed," she said.
Man Arrested in Carroll Extortion Attempt -- (Breitbart.com/ AP)
German authorities have arrested a man who is accused of trying to extort $2 million from the Christian Science Monitor by promising to win the release of American reporter Jill Carroll, who was freed from captivity in Baghdad Thursday.
How the Sunnis Will Use Jill Carroll's Release -- (Time)
The hostage's release has already become a political tool in Iraq's ongoing sectarian strife
Freed Iraq hostage says he believes ransom was paid to secure ... -- (Khaleej Times)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Former Iraq hostage Harmeet Sooden said on Friday he suspects a ransom was paid to secure his release and the freedom of two other ...
Family Kept Gay Hostage's Secret -- (CBS/ AP)
(AP) Fears that Iraqi captors might harm a Canadian hostage if they knew he was gay forced his partner to remain silent as loved ones called for an end to the ordeal, a director from the freed hostage's aid group said Monday.
Afghan Rapper.......is all lost? -- [Miserable Donuts](Video)
It really is pretty good. I'm digging the footage of the Afghan Army. I don't want to know where the Hummer2 came from. Respect!!!! Alot of good stuff at this site. Much footage from FOB Salerno.
Jbad to Agam, Part II -- [Afghani Dan - in Afghanistan]
The continuation of my jaunt into southern Nangahar province...
While our interpreter Rocky (they all have great nicknames, like callsigns) greets a friend of his, and local boys run up to the scene.
Kill Zone - [Kevin Sites - journalist embed in Afghanistan]
As the weather heats up in Afghanistan, so do attacks on American and Afghan forces.
He had made the speech almost every day, every time 1st Platoon went outside the wire. Lt. William Mariani could do it in his sleep.
"If you're not in the kill zone, don't go in the kill zone. If you're in the kill zone, drive through the kill zone. If the vehicle in front of you is disabled in the kill zone, push that vehicle out of the kill zone. If there are injured in that vehicle, drive to opposite side of where they're taking contact, evacuate the injured from the vehicle and move out of the kill zone."
Converting from Islam to Christianity -- [Afghan Lord - an Afghani in Afghanistan]
As the news of Abdul Rahman vastly spread out in the world of Christianity, many countries called for sympathetic and supporting him. In the first days President Karzai received a phone call from the U.S foreign ministry Condelasa Rice doubled tension among those Muslims toughed believers in the country. Converting to another religion from Islam is not easily driving to death but cogitating and more analyzing the condition and the situation.
Years in a Kabul prison -- [Misadventures of a Not-So-Intrepid Development Practitioner - contractor in Afghanistan]
I have an Afghan counterpart who does a parallel job to me. This week, I discovered that he had been in Afghanistan for almost all the wars -- Russian, Mujahideen, Taliban and Coalition. I had wrongly assumed that he was one of those posh emigres or refugees who only returned post-2001. And then he added -- oh yes, I was even imprisoned for four years.
What You Didn't Know About Afghanistan -- [Afghan Reality - an Afghani in Canada]
"My spirit will remain in Afghanistan, even though my soul will go to Allah. My last words to you, my son and successor, are: Never trust the Russians." "The first and most important advice that I can give to my successors and people to make Afghanistan into a great kingdom is to impress upon their minds the value of unity; unity, and unity alone, can make it into a great power."
Abdur Rahman Khan Amir of Afghanistan (1880-1901)Considered by western scholars as the "founder of modern Afghanistan".
Afghan Police Chief Accused of Killing 16 -- (AP)
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) -- Afghan authorities have detained a border police commander accused in the killings of 16 Pakistanis, a provincial governor said Friday....
AFGHANISTAN: RELEASE OF CONVERT TRIGGERS NEW POWER STRUGGLE -- (AKI)
Karachi, 29 March (AKI) - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - The release of Abdul Rahman, an Afghan citizen who has been freed after facing the death penalty for converting to Christianity, has mobilised the former mujahadeen and other influential figures in the newly formed Afghan parliament, giving them an opportunity to express their dissatisfaction with the US-backed administration of president Hamid Karzai. Abdul Rahman, a Christian for 16 years, was charged with rejecting...
Indo-Afghan nexus - II -- (The News International)
Asif Haroon With the end of the cold war, the USA lost interest in Afghanistan as well as in Pakistan. The latter's nuclear programme that had been ignored throughout the war became an eye-sore once...
The Iran Crisis: A "roundtable" discussion at Princeton University -- [TigerHawk]
Last night I attended "roundtable" discussion of the Iranian nuclear crisis at Princeton University. I originally wrote my report up as a "live-blogging" session, but it was sometimes tough to hear through the accents and some of it turned out to be a bit basic for our readers, so I have rendered it into an after-action report
Terrorizing Room Service -- [Strategy Page]
March 30, 2006: The war on terror is making life uncomfortable for American troops stationed in European bases. That's because the need for background checks on civilian workers has caused a shortage of workers. The security checks can take up to six months, because of a shortage of security personnel to do the work. The civilian jobs on U.S. bases don't pay much to begin with, and many applicants aren't going to wait around for months so that their background check can be completed. As a result,...
RUMORS OF CASTRO’S DEATH CIRCULATE IN LATIN AMERICAN PRESS -- [Publius Pundit]
I just came through reports, in Spanish, about the likely death of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. The news, strangely, has been given by several news sites, among which the far-leftist Indymedia in Argentina, which quoted some Latin American media as having reported the news. The Cuban regime has immediately dismissed the claims.
Blackburn mosque cancels Rice invitation -- (The Guardian)
Muslim leaders yesterday withdrew an invitation to the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, to visit a mosque in the Blackburn constituency of the home secretary, Jack Straw.
Defiant Sabre-Rattling -- (London Times)...Richard Beeston
IRAN is planning to send a blunt message to its enemies today, when thousands of troops are due to take part in a week-long military excercise stretching the length of the Gulf.
Strong Quakes Kill at Least 50 in Iran -- (AP)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Three strong earthquakes and their aftershocks reduced entire villages to rubble in western Iran early Friday, killing at least 50 people and injuring hundreds, state media reported. At least 13 tremors jolted the mountainous region throughout the night, state television reported, saying the first one had a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 and struck around 1 a.m. local time.
Bahrain Boat Capsizes; 48 Bodies Found -- (AP)
MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) - A cruise boat carrying up to 150 people capsized Thursday night in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Bahrain, and at least 48 bodies were recovered, the country's coast guard chief said. American divers and a U.S. helicopter aided the rescue effort. Coast guard chief Youssef al-Katem said at least 63 people survived. A passenger on board the boat calling from his cell phone was the first to alert officials that the ship was listing, he said.
Cries for help go unheard on edited tapes -- (New York Daily)
The city today will publicly release parts of some 130 emergency calls placed by victims of the World Trade Center attacks - but the recordings won't include the words of anyone who died.
60 MINUTES: OSAMA BIN LADEN'S FORMER PERSONAL BODYGUARD IS CERTAIN THE AL-QAEDA LEADER IS PLANNING A NEW ATTACK AGAINST THE U.S. -- [ Drudge Report]
In the First Television Interview of an Al-Qaeda Member Close to Osama Since 9/11, Abu Jandal Offers First-Hand Details About the Most-Wanted Man in the World.
Islamic Internet Resources -- [Strategy Page]
March 30, 2006: There are more signs of increased Internet vulnerability to Islamic terrorists. First, there was the revelation that a British man, a Moslem immigrant, had been arrested for providing expert Internet services to al Qaeda and other Islamic terrorists. He called himself "Terrorist 007." His real name is Younis Tsouli, and he was arrested last October, as the result of capture of a suicide bomber in Bosnia..
Al Qaeda's Zarqawi shifts tactics - U.S. military -- (Reuters)
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has shifted tactics, focusing his suicide bombers on Iraqi forces and civilians instead of American troops, the chief U.S. military spokesman said on Thursday.
INTERVIEW - Al Qaeda bioterror threat remains real -Interpol -- (Reuters)
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - using biochemicals and the threat of a strike remains real, a top Interpol official warned on Wednesday.
John Abbott, chairman of Interpol's bioterrorism sub-committee, said national police forces and health services lacked preparation for an attack using dangerous toxins and had insufficient knowledge and powers to handle such an event.
At Sept. 11 Trial, Tale of Missteps and Management -- (NY Times)
Documents released in the sentencing of Zacarias Moussaoui have offered an eerie parallel view of Al Qaeda and the F.B.I.
'Cell Phones For Soldiers' Wins Grant -- (America Supports You)
Robbie Bergquist, 13, who started "Cell Phones for Soldiers" two years ago with his sister Brittany, is among nine "BRICK Award" winners competing for a second $5,000 grant from "Do Something," a national organization that encourages young people to become involved in community service.
Letters Of Appreciation -- [Patriot Guard Riders]
Dear Marty,
I came across your name and email address on the Patriot Guard website so I hope you don't mind me
contacting you. My brother is Robert Kells who you rode for on March 16th from Ballwin to Jefferson
Barracks. When my family received the phone call from the funeral home to contact Lee Lesh (I believe he was the organizer), we all felt so damn proud and honored that you would do this for Bob. When I heard the bikes rumble into Schrader's parking lot, I walked outside to just an awesome sight. The love and support we felt from people we'll never get to know was amazing. The way you and Rough Rider described the scene was perfect. What a sight it was to look out the window and see all the bikes and the American flag flying in my brother's honor. I too noticed the cars pulling off the road and heard the horn honking for your mission.
He loved his Country and he loved his bike and I know ...
How Low Can the Anti-War Crowd Get? -- [Iraq War News]
There is a War Protest with a cemetery display at my son's college here in St Louis. They have tomb stones with the names of those that were killed in the war. Alex went through and removed the names of those he know who would not want to be associated with this type of protest. As he told the student who organized this you do not have the permission of those killed or of their families to use their name to represent your cause, I am needing this out so that any family who has a loved in who was killed in Iraq if you want to call or write the Dean of Students and let them know how upsetting this is to you please do so or email me and I will with your premission remove the name for you please email me privately...
Mudville... -- [Jack Army]
...is where I live. Tomorrow, my platoon will run through the obstacle course half-mile mud pit for PT (physical training) then a cross-country run mud slog for about another mile. Should be fun nasty.
Ranger Chuck (Reconstructed) -- (Sgt Hook)
I had an oppurtinity to serve as a recruiter for the Army a few years back in central Maine and know all too well the resistance and sometimes rude attitudes our recruiters face when telling the Army story and trying to fill boots. Recruiting duty wasn’t something I sought out, but when a Soldier is told to do something, he/she does it. So I did the duffel bag drag up to Maine and started filling boots.
...So I smiled at Chuck, and looking at Uncle Jack said, “I’m sorry Chuck, I won’t put you in the Army with a GED. You need to stay in school and get your diploma.” Uncle Jack smiled and nodded holding back an “I told you so.”
I explained to Chuck that although it was possible for a GED to enlist, he wouldn’t be able to become a Ranger without a diploma and that there would be a lot of obstacles in his way.
Broken Thinking & the Defense Budget -- [ROFA Six]
Broken Thinking and the Defense Budget is written by a guy who is a friend of the military. He doesn't worry about the "toys" the military is developing or producing. His focus is instead on our taking care of our troops by providing for adequate force structure.
His message is simple. Before 9/11 the JCS told Congress that troops and their families were being worn down by high OPTEMPOs.
Time, Gentlemen! -- [Chapomatic]
I just learned of the FLAPEX going on involving a submariner milblogger.
My two cents:
Penny the first: It sure seems to me that conflicts in a military social environment must be resolved at the lowest competent level. Someone with the training to know how conflicts should be resolved is not necessarily doing a proper job by going high order early afer a single email exchange, or going public publishing an accusation rather than making an issue known in a less blatantly public manner. IGs are for important things. People could get their lives and careers squashed with an investigation; it causes the leadership on the ship to scramble, and the over-reaction that can occur correcting one error can result in much larger errors
Soldiers Can't Wear Own Armor -- (Houston Chronicle)...Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press
Soldiers will no longer be allowed to wear body armor other than that issued by the military, Army officials said Thursday, the latest twist in a running battle over the equipment the Pentagon gives troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
One in six reservists plans to quit forces -- (Scotsman)
GETHIN CHAMBERLAIN CHIEF NEWS CORRESPONDENT | ONE in six members of the army's reserve forces plans to quit in the next year, with nearly half saying they no longer find serving their country "enjoyable...
Army Hopes To Cut Combat Tours -- (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)...Jeremy Redmon
Army officials want to slash combat tours for soldiers by as much as six months, the service's top general said Thursday during a vist to north Georgia.
Pentagon To Test A Huge Conventional Bomb -- (Washington Post)...Ann Scott Tyson
A huge mushroom cloud of dust is expected to rise over Nevada's desert in June when the Pentagon plans to detonate a gigantic 700-ton explosive -- the biggest open-air chemical blast ever at the Nevada Test Site -- as part of the research into developing weapons that can destroy deeply buried military targets, officials said yesterday.
Mistrust Grows In Secret World -- (Tampa Tribune)...Richard Lardner
...Although the mission performed by the more than 1,000 employees assigned to Centcom's intelligence directorate is crucial to supporting deployed U.S. forces, the organization suffers from the same dysfunctions as any in the private sector.
Sudden Spokespersons of Patriotism -- [Dadmanly]
Wednesday’s issue of the Online Journal’s Best of the Web had an item linking to an interesting article by Columbia University journalism and sociology professor Todd Gitlin in The Yale Daily News.
The Journal quotes Gitlin in describing the problem the left has with Patriotism:
Is Congressman Tom Tancredo (R) the only man in Washington pushing for a liberal solution to illegal immigration? -- [The Gun Toting Liberal]
can’t believe so many “liberals” are in favor of the “guest worker” ideas being currently debated on Capitol Hill right now. Well, actually I can. I admit, I once (not so long ago; last week even) thought that the President’s proposals for a guest worker program sounded like a pretty damned good idea. It’s natural, after all, because… we Liberals CARE about people. People first, then prosperity will always follow… it’s inevitable.
Hugh Hewitt and Bob Beckel Discuss ‘06 Elections, ‘Painting The Map Red’ (VIDEO) -- [Expose the Left]
Radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt and Democratic strategist Bob Beckel appeared on Hannity & Colmes tonight to discuss the ‘06 elections and Hugh’s new book, “Painting the Map Red“. Hewitt says that the key for Republicans winning in ‘06 is identifying with President Bush as his approval ratings improve.
Later in the interview, Beckel tries to shed the right-wing in bad light by saying he gets death threats all time. Hannity countered that he and Hewitt get them too,
Kingston, Dems Spar In Closed Hearing Over Iraq War Critics -- (National Journal's CongressDailyAM)...Susan Davis
A closed hearing of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee turned contentious Thursday as Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., Subcommittee ranking member Jack Murtha, D-Pa., and others sparred over the meaning of anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, heroes and military service.
Gallup: In Shift, More Americans Now Call Themselves Democrats -- [Editor & Publisher]
By E&P Staff. NEW YORK In a (perhaps) historic shift, more Americans now consider themselves Democrats than Republicans, the Gallup organization revealed today. ...
Al-Jazeera Cares -- [Andi's World]
Al-Jazeera is concerned about the mental health of our troops.
Facing wartime recruitment shortfalls, the U.S. army is desperately seeking to recruit and keep soldiers in Iraq. The Stop-Loss option in soldiers’ contracts keeps them in uniform for months or years after the expiration of their service term. The National Guard is being sent overseas to a previously unprecedented extent. And military standards have been lowered to meet recruitment goals, that criminal misconduct or alcohol and drug abuse no longer disqualify new recruits.
Erasing American History, One Hero At A Time -- [Villianous Company]
It often strikes me, listening to insincere media mea culpas about how they cannot find any positive stories from Iraq and Afghanistan, that they are missing the most obvious source of all: the inspiring tales of kindness, leadership, bravery, and self-sacrifice to be found on any military web site. Sites like these contain a virtual microcosm of everything fine and decent about America, but this good news about the war, placed on the Internet for easy access, is apparently invisible to professional journalists who manage to ferret out the tiniest needle of scandal no matter how large the haystack. Perhaps good news is hard to find because it is so cleverly hidden -- right in plain sight.
Fair Reporting and The Tipping Point -- [Winds of Change]
...So I'm having an exchange in the "Open Letter to Reformist Muslims" thread, and there's a point I want to make more prominently.
"...just as we wish to media to report both the good news and the bad news from Iraq in a fair way, fairness demands that we cover the people like Ali Eteraz in addition to alerting our readers to the genuine jihadi threat."
Scalia's Message To The Media -- [Stop The ACLU]
The Boston Herald are bragging they were right about Scalia's sign language to them the other day, and come out with the photo. Ronald A. Cass at Real Clear Politics sums up my feelings on the topic better than I word them. Scalia's gesture said, "I've got strong views and strong religious beliefs, but as...
Journalistic Irresponsibility -- [Just a Woman - Blog]
Michael Ware is chief for Time Magazine in Australia. He is based in Baghdad, covering the war in Iraq. He was interviewed by Hugh Hewitt yesterday. I highly recommend you listen to it.
...As I listened to the interview, I could not help but think that his tone and his careful consideration of the language he used in reference to the insurgents (much more than the ease and quickness by which he criticized the West) was reminiscent of Stockholm Syndrome. Granted that Ware is not a captive; he chooses to engage the enemy. However, he sounds as though he has come to "understand" them to the point of sympathy. That is not good reporting at least and it borders on being a hindrance to the war effort at worst.
What David Ignatius Doesn’t Seem to Understand -- [The Ugly American]
I already mentioned this in my blogrolls best post but I thought it deserved a post of its own.
This morning David Ignatius has an article titled Courage in Coverage praising two men I am very proud to call friends. 24 Steps to Liberty and Treasure of Baghdad. In fact they are two of my three Blogs of the Month for March.
After reading his article I wrote an email to Mr. Ignatius and I thought I would share it with you all. ...
Courage In Coverage -- (Washington Post)...David Ignatius
...Supporters of the Bush administration sometimes argue that journalists should report more good news. Certainly we need to tell the stories of the thousands of brave and decent Americans and Iraqis who are trying every day to make the country better. And if an Iraqi unity government can take hold and restore stability, there will be a stampede of reporters to cover this success. But a reporter's job is to tell the truth, even when it hurts.
Noah's Finally Getting His Purple Heart! -- [Some Soldier's Mom]
Tomorrow morning 0900. Ft. Benning, GA
Of course, he only found out late this afternoon so there is no time for me, his Dad or anyone else to get there to witness it. Ggggggrrrrrr. Is it of so little consequence to the Army that this could not be planned and announced in advance? Could it really be that someone just decided today that they should do this tomorrow? I would hate to think that Purple Hearts are so commonplace that the Army can't be bothered to honor their wounded appropriately...
Good news and sad news -- [Homefront six]
First, the good news:
BIL(K) is home from Afghanistan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He had QUITE the busy/adventurous year. IED encounters, raids on Taliban strongholds, etc. kept him on the go (and most of us worried) for most of his time over there. But he's home, safe and sound. THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!!!
