Dawn Patrol

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.)

IRAQ

Signs of independence -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
There have been obvious signs over the last few days that the Iraqi government intends to do more of its own heavy lifting from now on. Assets appear to have begun being shuffled already.
I’m doubtful that my unit or I will be affected, but it’s fairly clear that the Iraqi government is quite interested in Iraqis taking care of their own problems. This is as it should be.

Island Style -- [The Babylon Blog - in Iraq]
Part of my job includes walks through the town to visit projects we are working on. These trips can be the best part of being here because it allows me the chance to get out and see the town and its people. Yesterday we walked out to an island that sits in the middle of the Euphrates River. We needed to inspect some repairs we had done to a primary school there.

A Good Day -- [a mobilized year]
I sat there with one of my men’s blood-soaked IBA (body armor) in my hands. It was the end of a long day and I was exhausted. Although, I had a very strange feeling come over me. It was the feeling of having a good day. A damn good day.
Earlier that day, I received a dreaded message. I was summoned to the TOC because of an emergency situation involving one of my crews. The three minute trip ...

Electronic Blackouts and Fearing the Worst -- [Reporting for Duty - in Iraq]
A blackout occured after our aircraft crashed -- and it probably saved many family members unnecessary grief. If one or two soldiers had been able to call home after the crash, their own families would have been reassured. But the families would have called other families in the unit and told them about the crash -- and those families might have begun to fear the worst.
Since all of the crew members were okay, families would have been alarmed for no reason.

Iraq Pictures - 28 April 2006 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
Locals from Al Harza Village, near Numaniyah, stand in line just to meet U.S. troops during an operation conducted by the 48th Brigade Combat Team. People don't stand in line to meet the criminals such as Al Queda who violate Islam and Muslim brotherhood and law.
...Local contractors work to restore an water pumping station in the southern Baghdad area. Restoring water, electricity and repairing sewage lines has become an essential part of rebuilding Iraq.

Cordons -- [Just Another Thunderhorse Roughneck - in Iraq]
I can’t stand them. I guess I should like them because it means that we’ve found an IED. The reason I hate them is because we have to ensure the safety of everyone else. That means that we have to secure the area and make sure that Iraqi civilians and other coalition forces doesn’t enter the danger area. Well, we ran into one today. It wasn’t our cordon but we still had to wait. It’s worse than waiting for a train to cross an intersection.
We stood by for just over an hour. It sucks because we can’t do anything else but wait.

Detrius of War -- [Those Wacky Iraqis - in Iraq]
...These are two Soviet made BMP armored personnel carriers and a Soviet made T-55 tank. It is early 60's technology and was trying to fight 21st Century warfighters. These Iraqis were smart. They saw what was coming and DD'd outta there!
The detrius of war was all over in 2003 and up until last year. It is all being cleaned up and everyone who comes now does not get to see the sights we saw. It is not sad but it is a change in the way we look at the place and does change the historical perspective.

MSM REPORTS ON IRAQ

Local al-Qaida Leader in Iraq Killed -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Iraqi forces killed a local al-Qaida in Iraq leader and two other insurgents in a raid north of Baghdad on Friday, and roadside bombs killed an American soldier and an Iraqi policeman, officials said....

Cleric Calls For End To Militias -- (Los Angeles Times)...Borzou Daragahi and Bruce Wallace
Iraq's senior Shiite Muslim religious figure Thursday called on the country's controversial militias to disarm, marking one of the most overt forays into matters of politics and policy by the influential cleric.

US military sees Iraq edging away from civil war -- (Yahoo News/ Reuters)
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Thursday Iraq was moving away from the risk of civil war and insurgent and sectarian bloodshed would fall dramatically when a new government of national unity is formed.

Iraqi Official Expects Start Of U.S. Exit, With A Big Pullout This Year -- (Wall Street Journal)...Yochi J. Dreazen
A senior Iraqi official said there would be a substantial withdrawal of U.S. troops this year, with the rest leaving within the next two years.

Iraqi Oil Gangs Syphon Off Billions -- (London Daily Telegraph)...Jim Muir
A new class of grand mafiosi sucking billions of pounds out of Iraq's vital oil sector is crippling efforts to rebuild the nation, according to an official report published in Baghdad.

The Iraq pipeline fiasco -- (International Herald Tribune)
The Bush administration's promise that Iraq's reconstruction could be paid for with the country's own oil revenues was one of the many false assertions and assurances that ushered in the invasion. But...

Rebuilding of Iraqi Oil Pipeline as Disaster Waiting to Happen -- (The New York Times)
When Robert Sanders was sent by the Army to inspect the construction work an American company was doing on the banks of the Tigris River, 130 miles north of Baghdad, he e...

Iraq war set to be more expensive than Vietnam -- (The Independent)
The Iraq war has already cost the United States $320bn (£180bn), according to an authoritative new report, and even if a troop withdrawal begins this year, the conflict is set to be more expensiv...

AFGHANISTAN

Air Force Rescue Teams Go Mainstream -- [Strategy Page]
More reliable, and effective warplanes, has resulted in very low losses. That has left the U.S. Air Force combat rescue teams without work. No problem. The greater use of Special Forces and commandoes, especially in Afghanistan, gave the rescue teams plenty to do.

Coalition talks security, reconstruction with village leaders -- [Centcom]
FORWARD OPERATING BASE ASADABAD, Afghanistan – Coalition, Afghan National Army and village leaders discussed regional anti-terror efforts, security and reconstruction at a meeting in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar Province on April 14.
About 50 village elders and townsmen from Ali Abad, Korangal, Arawara Bandeh and Babiel met with Afghan National Army Brig. Gen. Zamari, commander of the 3rd Brigade, 201st ANA Corps, Army Col. John Nicholson, Task Force Spartan commander, Army Lt. Col. Chip Bierman, Task Force Lava commander, and other Coalition leaders as part of Operation Mountain Lion.

Afghan resident turns in terrorists -- [Centcom]
JALALABAD AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Coalition forces used an anonymous tip from a local villager to ambush two enemy fighters in the Pech District of the Kunar Province on April 19.
Coalition forces were notified that enemy fighters were threatening the local villagers and their families if they provided Coalition forces with their location.

Back from the field... -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanistan]
My thanks to those who asked where I've been, and my sincere apologies to all who actually want to hear my ramblings! I'll have much more up soon, but wanted to drop a quick note to say I'm back online, at JAF. The last couple of weeks required me to take hundreds of photos, so I've begun the painful process of sorting/editing, and have actual work to do besides. But never fear, I'll tell my tales of Operation Mountain Lion...

MSM REPORTS ON AFGHANISTAN

Suspected U.S. Spies Targeted -- (Los Angeles Times)...Paul Watson and Zulfiqar Ali
Taliban militants and their allies are waging a dirty war in Pakistan's unruly tribal areas, kidnapping and executing people suspected of spying for U.S. forces across the border in Afghanistan.

Corruption Eroding Afghan Security -- (Christian Science Monitor)...David Montero
Nearly five years after the fall of the Taliban, Afghanistan's security situation continues to be dragged down by endemic corruption, roving militias, and a growing nexus between narco-warlords and remnants of the Taliban, officials and analysts say.

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Rolling Along -- [SGT Hook]
Your Army continues to go rolling along:
1,700 Soldiers in Kosovo
1,700 Soldiers in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
200 Soldiers in Saudi Arabia/Bahrain
680 Soldiers in the Sinai
18,000 Soldiers in Afghanistan
180,000 Soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait
1,700 Soldiers in the Horn of Africa
And they are busy, serving you well and making you proud…

Korea Feeling the Pain of High Oil Prices as Well -- [GI Korea - in S Korea]
Americans aren't the only ones feeling the effects of high oil prices. Korea is feeling the pain too:
...High fuel prices are a big issue in America right now, but I can't help but think how much more expensive oil is in other countries like Korea where they are paying approximately $2 more a gallon than people in the US

The Iran Plan: Lather, Rinse, Repeat -- [ThreatsWatch]
No News on the Iranian Nuclear Crisis, But Plenty of Recycled Rhetoric as the UNSC Deadline Looms
With the Security Council’s deadline for Iran’s compliance expiring Friday, the sense of urgency can be felt all the way from the UN building at Turtle Bay in New York to the deli across the street. Its range of influence extends nowhere near Tehran, as the regime remains defiant with little difference from any other point in the last three years of heightened international attention on the Iranian Nuclear Crisis.

Thanks for the laughs -- [Counter Column]
Not sure where they came over from, but I'd like to thank everyone who came over to this thread and called me a Chickenhawk.
To wit: You, sir, are a true chickenhawk. The living breathing embodiment of privilege without principles, logic without sincerity, rhetoric without wisdom.
You have no sense of what it means to fight and, therefore, your very claims of needing a war are base out of dangerous ignorance.
...Best laugh I've had in a long time.
...I suggested also targeting Iranian industry as well.
Iran has a parliament. They have local rulers with local interests and local constituencies. They have a lot of practical people, even if their current president is a nutcase (though the nuclear program seems to predate him.)
These people do not want to see industry in their provinces destroyed. They ...

MSM REPORTS ON OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

War Clouds -- (Los Angeles Times)...Rosa Brooks
LET ME TELL YOU about the next war. It will start sooner than you think — sometime between now and September. And it will be precipitated by the $700-million Russian deal this week to sell Tor air defense missile systems to Iran.

U.N. Agency Finds Iran Noncompliant -- (Washington Post)...Dafna Linzer and Molly Moore
Despite a formal request from the U.N. Security Council, Iran has not provided international inspectors with new information about the country's nuclear program and has accelerated, rather than curbed, uranium-enrichment activities, according to sources familiar with a report the inspectors plan to issue today.

Pakistan Official: No Force Against Iran -- (Guardian Unlimited)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Pakistan notified the Bush administration on Thursday it would not support the use of force to halt Iran's nuclear programs.
"We are against any resort to force,"...

Musharraf insists: I'm not George Bush's poodle -- (The Guardian)
· General says US air strikes infringe sovereignty
· President denies running military dictatorship
General Pervez Musharraf, facing a surge of anti-American sentiment, yesterday warned that covert US air strikes against al-Qaida inside Pakistan were an infringement of national sovereignty

US Considering Nuclear Accord With Russia -- (Boston Globe)...Carol Giacomo, Reuters
The United States is discussing the possibility of a civilian nuclear energy agreement with Russia that could help wean Moscow away from cooperation with Iran, according to US officials.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Al Qaeda Admits Defeat -- [Strategy Page]
April 27, 2006: Some interesting trends in the war on terrorism. Trends are often difficult to make out in this murky conflict, but the recent release of an audio message from Osama bin Laden on April 23rd, and a few days later, a rare video from Abu Musab al Zarqawi delivered the same message. Both sent out signals that failed to connect.

Nuclear Deterrence in the Age of Terrorism -- [Yankee Sailor]
The end of the Cold War brought about an initial euphoria that the threat of nuclear annihilation had dissipated and dramatic changes in the deterrence postures of the major powers could be enacted. Time, though, has shown that prevailing doctrines of nuclear deterrence are essentially unchanged between the major powers. The change that has created a need for further development of nuclear deterrence doctrine in the last fifteen years, however, is the appearance of nations with small nuclear forces (SNF) and non-state actors pursuing nuclear capability.

MSM REPORTS ON WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Al Qaeda Wields Press As Terror Weapon, Report Finds -- (Washington Times)...Jennifer Harper
Terrorists use the press and public relations as weapons, said a study released Wednesday by Arizona State University.

Attacks Signal Stepped-Up Qaeda Effort -- (Boston Globe)...Bryan Bender
A pair of terror attacks in Egypt this week are the latest sign that Al Qaeda is successfully exploiting the war in Iraq to win new adherents and is outsourcing its wider struggle against the West to home-grown militant groups in other Arab countries, according to US intelligence officials and terrorism specialists.

Questions by the Dozen for Moussaoui Jury -- (AP)
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - Only one question matters in the end for Zacarias Moussaoui: the life-or-death one. But to get to a death sentence, the jury now determining the fate of the al-Qaida operative must consider dozens of questions. Each question is a piece of the puzzle about who this man is, what he did and whether he deserves execution or the only other choice, life in prison, for his part in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

A Tribute To Our Fallen Warriors -- [2/28 BCT Iron Soldiers]
Nature’s reverential silence inspired the hearts of comrades gathered for the dedication of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (2BCT) Fallen Warriors Memorial on April 16th at Camp Ramadi. 57 names grace the new plaque, and 57 dogtags hang within the obelisk, above the 21st century “Bloody Bucket” of the 28th Infantry Division.

Colorado State Frat Hosts Benefit for Naval Special Warfare Foundation -- [Froggy Ruminations]
If you're in Colorado on April 29th, CSU's chapter of Gamma Beta Phi is hosting a fundraiser to benefit the Naval Special Warfare Foundation at 1900 at the Colorado Springs Marriot.

Morons attack UNC, N.C. State ROTC Buildings -- [Eagle Speak]
Vandals sprayed anti-war messages early Wednesday on ROTC buildings on the campuses of North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, authorities said.
An Army ROTC building near Reynolds Coliseum at N.C. State bore the message "ROTC trains murderers" and asked people to resist "the racist war." The vandalism was reported to campus police at about 7:30 a.m.

MILITARY

Marines -- [SandGram]
I have found that some people look at you in a different light when they find out that you are in the Military. It's some foreign concept that you would WANT to be doing this as a job occupation. But I am here to tell you that coming from a long line of Military service, and growing up a Navy Brat were some of the best times in my life. I look back at those days in Little Creek Virginia on the Amphibious base there as the standard that all kids should have. The following are stories of joining the Marines and life as a pilot.

Staffer's Hard Sayings Log -- [The Stupid Shall be Punished]
Excerpts from this quote log have been popping up all over the blogosphere, but I haven't seen the whole thing (at least the whole thing as of when I retired in late 2004) posted. A little background -- this "virtual green book" was kept by a Navy pilot at EUCOM J-5, who was working with all the staff pukes in D.C. and Tampa (CENTCOM, where I was) during the run-up to the Iraq War and the aftermath; it mostly has to do with the thoughts and frustrations of staff officers involved in putting together a Coalition in the brave new One Superpower world. Some of them you've heard before, others you won't understand at all unless you've been a staff puke. One of them is even my very own invention. Sit back and enjoy

MSM REPORTS ON MILITARY

Bush Set To Approve Takeover Of 9 Military Plants By Dubai -- (New York Times)...Jim Rutenberg and David E. Sanger
President Bush is expected on Friday to announce his approval of a deal under which a Dubai-owned company would take control of nine plants in the United States that manufacture parts for American military vehicles and aircraft, say two administration officials familiar with the terms of the deal.

Soldier A Casualty Of Life As A Civilian -- (Chicago Tribune)...Colleen Mastony
Army didn't prepare Michael Torok for homefront stresses; he killed himself a year after discharge.

Pentagon Bills Injured Soldiers $1.2 Million -- (Los Angeles Times)...Associated Press
After suffering paralysis, brain damage, lost limbs and other wounds in war, nearly 900 soldiers have been saddled with $1.2 million in government debt because of the military's "complex, cumbersome" pay system, congressional investigators said Thursday

Students Suspended For Marine Recruiter Protest -- (Seattle Post Intelligencer )
Five high school students in Frederick were suspended after staging a "die-in" in front of a Marine Corps recruiting booth during an on-campus job fair, a school official said.

POLITICS

Your new national anthem -- [Hot Air - Michelle]
I’ve been blogging over at mm.com about the upcoming Spanglish-ization of the Star-Spangled Banner by a group of activist Latino musicians. They’re rewriting the national anthem in a show of solidarity for illegal aliens and pushing for Bush White House-endorsed amnesty.

A Washington Shuffle -- [Dadmanly]
A short reflection on why busting pork in terms of earmarks -- member items, pork barrel spending, supplemental appropriations, etc. – is only one battle in a bigger war. (The occasion of this reflection is the Senate Proposal to reorganize the FEMA Portion of Homeland Security.)

MSM REPORTS ON POLITICS

An Anthem's Discordant Notes -- (Washington Post)
Spanish Version of 'Star-Spangled Banner' Draws Strong Reactions
Oh say can you see -- a la luz de la aurora?
The national anthem that once endured the radical transformation administered by Jimi Hendrix's fuzzed and frantic Stratocaster now faces an artistic dare at least as extreme: translation into Spanish.

Spanish 'Star-Spangled Banner' Draws Ire -- (AP)
MIAMI (AP) - British music producer Adam Kidron says that when he came up with the idea of a Spanish-language version of the U.S. national anthem, he saw it as an ode to the millions of immigrants seeking a better life. But in the week since Kidron announced the song - which features artists such as Wyclef Jean, hip-hop star Pitbull and Puerto Rican singers Carlos Ponce and Olga Tanon - it has been the target of a fierce backlash

Running for Senate, and Against the War -- (Washington Post)
Area's Democratic Candidates Find Support in Calling for U.S. to Leave Iraq
From a cocktail party of liberal contributors in Baltimore to the ball-cap-wearing crowd in a conservative town in southwest Virginia, wherever Democratic loyalists gather, there are five words sure to prompt applause for a Senate candidate:

Schoomaker Calls Retired Generals' Comments 'Inappropriate' -- (Mideast Stars and Stripes)...Lisa Burgess
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker on Wednesday criticized retired generals who have come out against Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other defense leaders, calling their comments “unfortunate” and “inappropriate.”

War Game Exposed Rumsfeld's Incompetence -- (Salt Lake Tribune)...Joe Galloway
...The general made it clear he is no antiwar crusader. 'We have to stay,' he said of Iraq this week. 'We have to finish it, but let's do it right.' Van Riper told Knight Ridder that in looking at Rumsfeld's leadership he found three particular areas of inability and incompetence.

Katrina Report Rips the White House Anew -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - A Senate inquiry into the government's Hurricane Katrina failures ripped the Bush administration anew Thursday and urged the scrapping of the nation's disaster response agency. But with a new hurricane season just weeks away, senators conceded that few if any of their proposals could become reality in time. The bipartisan investigation into one of the worst natural disasters in the nation's history singled out President Bush and the White House as appearing indifferent to the devastation until two days after the storm hit.

THE MEDIA

Even MSNBC Contributor Doesn't Want to Watch MSNBC -- [Media Blog]
Washington Post reporter Jim VandeHei provoked quite a discussion yesterday by "officially complaining" that the White House TVs are always tuned to Fox News:

THE HIJACKING OF UNITED 93...AGAIN? -- [Michelle Malkin]
... there is a side of the marketing of United 93 that hasn't been exposed yet or confronted. Watch the latest episode of Vent to find out how jihadist rhetoric is being echoed by the official United 93 discussion site run by Universal Studios.

MSM REPORTS ON MEDIA

When Hollywood Makes History -- (Washington Post)
Invented Details in 'United 93' Raise Real Questions
"United 93," Hollywood's first big-budget film about the events of Sept. 11, 2001, is faithful to the major aspects of the tragic morning it depicts. The movie tracks the key events detailed in the 9/11 Commission Report, the most definitive source on the subject: the commandeering of the United jet by four terrorists, the panic of the passengers and the heroic rebellion that ended with the plane crashing in a field near Shanksville, Pa.

WELCOME HOME

At the Station -- [Sgt Hook]
As a follow up to my No Tears In Heaven post, I offer this…

The dozen or so Soldiers were all smiles as they walked through the colorful and patriotically decorated station, having just arrived on the overnight. Stepping from the train, dressed in the standard issue desert camouflage uniform, a light layer of dust still on them, they were all caught by surprise at the welcoming that awaited them. Throngs of people lined the terminal, clapping, cheering, waving, and shouting their thanks and praise. The hand shakes and pats on the back raised the hair on the necks of some, brought tears to the eyes of others, and swelled the hearts with pride of all.