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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.)
EDITOR'S NOTE: MSM reports will be temporarily eliminated from the Dawn Patrol until PCSing is complete.
"What's it really like over there?" -- [A Mobilized Year - in Iraq]
While I was away on leave, I was asked on a number of occasions, “what is it really like over there?” Because it’s difficult to answer that question in the implied 30 seconds that one has to reply, my responses often varied, depending on the person and his or her interest.
...I touched on a variety of topics that addressed that very issue—living conditions, language, equipment, “how the war is going,” interactions with Iraqis, culture, weather, religion, geography, etc. I included plenty of pictures. One topic I decided to cover was media reporting. ...
I can't recall the last time I posted an entry... -- [My Turn - in Iraq]
But... that's a good thing I guess. Nothing has been going on. There haven't been any mortar attacks lately... and supposedly the guy directly in charge of mortaring this base... has been arrested by the Iraqi Army.
So... what's that mean?
This place will be more like how it was before I arrived here... a rare thing for a mortar attack to occur. I spoke with an Iraqi civillian here about 1 month after getting to this base, he said that it had been a little over a year since this place had been mortared last.
Iraq and National Reconciliation -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Bill Roggio]
National Review Online invited me to participate in an online symposium about the Iraqi government's efforts to end the insurgency by offering a plan for national reconciliation. There has been much criticism of this plan as it is feared insurgents responsible for killing American soldiers will be given a pass for their crimes. But in a war, there is no option to allow for 100% punishment of enemy combatants; for example, hundreds of thousands of Nazis escaped judgment at the end of World War II Bringing warring parties to the table often calls for seemingly distasteful compromises, but the ultimate goal of the government in an insurgency is to affect a political settlement.
Did Iran help in locating Zarqawi? -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Olivier Guitta]
In fact, a credible Moroccan newspaper, La Gazette du Maroc, is affirming that Zarqawi was caught thanks to Iran and was the first gift to the US.
Sounds like a conspiracy theory? Maybe not.
Gunfire and Smoke -- [Just Another Thunderhorse Roughneck! - in Iraq]
Let’s see, drove by a gunfight but that’s not all. We also came close to a motor impact. This afternoon we were driving in Baghdad when I began to hear some gunshots. They were very distinctive. At first I heard one and thought it was nothing. We were still driving down the road when I heard more and more. Oh boy, those are real. There is gunfire. I didn’t know where it was coming from though. It hard to tell what direction the fire is coming from sometimes.We came on the scene pretty quick. It happens when we’re driving pretty fast. There it was on the right, the gunfire. There were not troops but like guys in civilian clothing and tactical gear. I wasn’t sure whether they were contracted security or not.
Why Russia? -- [Peace like a River]
On Sunday, the Mujahideen Shura Council in Iraq said it had executed the four Russian diplomats being held hostage. The diplomats were taken June 3 in Baghdad. A fifth Russian diplomat was killed in the attack.
The announcement included a grim reminder of barbaric nature of the terrorists in Iraq.
General ‘Black Jack’ Pershing -- [American Soldier - injured in Iraq]
...Let me remind you, the military is arresting its own members who go outside the wire and do the most unthinkable every single day. My only question is what is the difference between the Army when General Pershing was around and now? Have we really gotten a conscience about the brutalities of war?
General Pershing did something that if done in today’s war could possibly put an end to some things.
Send a Clear Message -- [Blue Star Chronicles]
I went out into the dinning area at work today to chit-chat for a few minutes with my employees. It was the usual conversation for a minute or two and then one lady asked me how my son is doing.
I started replying, but before I could say much she got to what she apparently was wondering. She asked, ‘How does it make you feel to hear about what happened to those soldiers?’.
This particular woman isn’t known for her tact and the question didn’t particularly bother me, but it obviously bothered the others sitting at the table.
Iraqi Insurgents Seeking Negotiated Peace? -- [Outside the Beltway - James Joyner]
Edward Wong reports that several insurgent factions are asking for negotiations with the Iraqi government.
...Bruce McQuain takes a look at the groups purported to be among the six or seven taking al-Maliki up on his offer and notes that many of them see the Iranians as a greater threat than any internal forces. That strikes me as plausible.
It's all about the kids! -- [Combat Medic In Iraq - in Iraq]
How's everybody doing? Hopefully as good as me:) I've spent the past few days doing a whole bunch of nothing due to an ankle injury, so I get to update again:) I am good to go now, and with any luck I'll be back in the city tonite! We recently visited a nice town near Mosul that is mainly made up of christians who we try to visit every now and then. The weather hasn't changed here at all, still really hot. I woke up this morning to a loud *whamp*...which turned out to be a mortar round...
Marines on the Roof -- [The Babylon Blog - in Iraq]
Although I constantly tell my wife that conditions are relatively safe here (and I do sincerely believe that… it’s not just part of my “information operations” campaign,) the fact remains that I live and work on a military base in the middle of a war-torn country. And like any base, we have guards...
CINC Jogs with Wounded Soldier -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
From a May 6 interview on CNN:
GUPTA: You know, it's really remarkable because I think for the average person who's never met someone who's had a limb amputated. They didn't realize you could get around as well as you can. I mean, it was really remarkable to see you doing those exercises and everything. I mean, could you go running with the president today if he asked?
And yesterday he did just that. After changing into his jogging prosthetics in the Oval Office, SSG Christian Bagge headed out for a run with President Bush on the track that circles the White House's South Lawn.
An Amazing Group of Volunteers -- [Broken Masterpieces]
The men come from all over the state, including San Diego County. They signed up for an especially dangerous mission in Iraq: providing security for U.S. military convoys, which are often targets of roadside bombs and other attacks. Roadside bombs are the single biggest killer of U.S. troops in Iraq.
I first heard about this story yesterday on the way home from work. I'm just amazed at these people and proud that they are Americans. Many of them are going back a second or third time for this extremely dangerous duty.
Sunny & Hot -- [Carpe Diem ~ The New Iraqi Army - in Iraq]
...My position here is enormous in terms of responsibility, more than I ever thought possible. I will have my hands full and it does not look like there will be hardly any free time. The hours so far have been staggered but needless to say I don’t leave my office until 11:00 PM most evenings and I arrive usually around 8:00 AM. I will have a month to cross train with my replacement; if anyone knows me that is way too long. I am ready to get it started but I have to wait patiently and “play the game.” I am ready to assume my duties right now!
A Caveat from the Future (or maybe the past) -- [The Foxhole Philosopher - in Iraq]
Once upon a time, Iraq was a prosperous nation, that spanned huge swaths of land, produced all it needed, and was the envy of all around it. Actually, three times upon a time. The first was the long period during which alternatively the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Babylonians (again), and Medes (which many Kurds believe that they are descendents of) ruled what is now Iraq, and they were arguably the most prosperous and advanced nation during this time.
...However, now, Iraq is a basket case, and it has nothing to do with George W. Bush’s policies, or military mistakes. Iraq has slowly been ruining itself over the last two hundred years!
OPERATION ENDURING BOREDOM - EPISODE XIII -- [American Citizen Soldier - in Iraq]
...The officers and senior NCOs here at Camp Blackhorse work closely with the Afghans and have much more personal contact with them than we do, so it was nice to hear that we aren’t perceived as just another group of meddling invaders by the average Joe Haji. It helps to know your sacrifice is appreciated on some level by someone somewhere, especially when so many of your own countrymen could perceivably care less.
Crossin' the Pech -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanistan]
Afghan soldiers were among the first I saw after jumping out of the engineer vehicle with my gear and crossing a field, getting curious looks from farmers, to link up with the convoy about to attempt a crossing.
Another view of the opposite bank, where it became clear that the carnival had truly come to town, and it was us. Villages on both sides were glued to the spectacle...
And a spectacle it turned out to be. Just as soon as the crossing began, it ground to a halt in a few feet of rushing river.
Into the Korengal -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanistan]
'Stand to' comes early in the field - it's the hour when all are to be up and on watch, guarding against a daybreak attack or other suspicious activity. It wasn't hard to be up that early when sleeping on a rock river bed anyway, so I didn't mind much.
...At long last, we were underway...and driving literally up a river for a stretch. As noted before on this journal, sometimes that IS the road.
When an epiphany is not an epiphany -- [Pyjama Samsara - aid Worker in Afghanistan]
So, I hadn't done the Official vasco_pyjama Commentary on the further escalation of violence in Afghanistan in the last month. You see. It's not that I'm not following it. It's just that I'm too overwhelmed and too saddened.
What can I say that I haven't already said? We need more troops. We need the troops to be better coordinated, rather than fragmented into their contributing country fiefdoms. We need the troops to stop mucking around with 'reconstruction' work, but instead, provide a secure environment for NGOs and aid contractors to do that.
New U2 Spy Plane Arrives in South Korea -- [GI Korea]
The US Air Force has a new toy to play with in Osan:
The U.S. Air Force has deployed an updated version of its U-2 spy plane in South Korea, but a military official said on Monday the move was previously planned and not related to a possible North Korean missile launch.
Billions For the Bully's Buddies -- [Strategy Page]
June 28, 2006: Increasingly, the leadership is telling foreigners concerned over Iran's nuclear weapons program, to butt out. Iranian negotiators seem intent on saying what is necessary to prevent European negotiators from actually imposing any sanctions, while not making any concessions regarding the Iran nuclear programs. Meanwhile, ...
Israel Begins Gaza Military Operations, With Possible End of Hamas Government (updated) -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Andrew Cochran]
Israel has started a military campaign in Gaza against the Hamas-run Palestinian Authority, after Hamas refused to release Cpl. Gilad Shalit. This follows numerous attempts at negotiation through various third parties, and Israeli officials sent public and private signals in the past three days, including in private sessions with including journalists and bloggers, that they meant business and would not wait long. This operation will be extensive and could mean the complete end of the Hamas government.
Threatening Phone Calls to Families -- [Strategy Page]
June 28, 2006: Iraqi terrorists have hacked into wireless phone systems in southern Iraq, obtained the number that British soldiers were calling back home in Britain, and then made threatening calls to those numbers.
The Multiple Challenges of Terrorist Financing -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Dennis Lormel]
Terrorist financing presents a multi-dimensional challenge. When assessing terrorist financing, the tendency is to do so in an all encompassing generic sense. In actuality, terrorist financing should be broken down to its myriad of component parts. Strategies and methodologies should be focused on specific considerations, not generalities.
An Angel’s Sigh -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
To all Angels,
You all have done so much for us and made our deployments so much easier through emails, letters and mail. So I wrote a poem to show my appreciation. I really do hope you can make sure it gets to everyone some way some how, because I am really grateful. It's called An Angel's Sigh. Please enjoy and smile because all of your hard work and efforts have been seen by God and he has carried your blessings to me and every Soldier in the world.
SPC Maurice in Iraq
An Outpouring of Community Support -- [Serving the People of Iraq and Iran - home from Iraq]
One of the most beneficial parts of military service is the involvement of community before, during, and after its soldiers deploy. Support for the Triple Deuce has been overwhelming in all these phases, but is especially noticeable now that we have arrived back in Utah.
Will You Answer The Call -- [Soldiers Angels Network]
home.
(PRWEB) June 19, 2006 -- Soldiers' Angels Needs Americans help. They have recently been flooded with requests from Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen deployed and serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. These military members range from Privates to Colonels, asking the organization for help with much needed comforts of home.
All Things Considered -- [From My Position]
Yesterday marked the 1st anniversary of me getting my ass splattered all over the lower al-Abarra province. Since then, Lieutenant Colonel (at the time Major) Kareem saw to it that the son of a whore who set off that IED was brought to justice. He took the attack very personally. He is one of the very few people I met in Iraq that I would loved to have hosted here in the US, or even taken my family to visit in a few years. Unfortunately, he was killed by another son of whore later that year.
But other things have happened in this year.
Six months later -- [MREater]
I've been home for about six months now, and a blurb I wrote for a local publication kind of sums things up. Here it is.
Slipping seamlessly back into civilian life does not exactly describe my experience since returning from Iraq. I remembered how to drive a car, operate a washer, look up a statute, turn right on red and ride a bicycle, but I’ve enjoyed odd little hiccups of reentry.
Quick, Hand Me the Ducktape! -- [Fire and Ice - combat artist]
Well, the Democratic slight of hand, as predicted, continues. The Washington Post, in an article today titled Democrats Site Report on Troop Cuts in Iraq, heavily quotes Dem spokesmodel Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif). She says (get ducktape out now and begin wrapping your head):...
...So, let me see if I understand her correctly. The Dems are the true force behind success in Iraq, and they and our military are reading off the same sheet of music. Man, I hope this ducktape holds. There is a reason why there are phrases like "flies in the ointment", "zits on the ass of progress", "sunshine patriots", "useful idiots" and "lambs to the slaughter".
Flag-burning and Freedom -- [Intel Dump - J.D. Henderson]
The Senate (again) almost passed an amendment banning the burning of our flag.
"Countless men and women have died defending that flag," said Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., closing two days of debate. "It is but a small humble act for us to defend it."
I never took an oath to a flag, or a geographical location, or to a government, and certainly not to any man or office. Many soldiers around the world have died to protect their flag, but Sen. Frist is wrong. America is different.
Georgia’s Little Jihadist Part II: The Cracker Story -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
So our favorite black supremacist Cynthia Mckinney is back in the headlines again. Apparently the spokeswoman for equal rights and civil liberties doesn’t have a problem with people using racial slurs on her campaign site. Oxymoron?
Idaho Democrats -- Against The Mexican War! -- [The Stupid Shall Be Punished]
...Ever since I got kicked out of the Republican Party for supporting Democrat Larry Grant for Congress, I've been worried about the Idaho Democratic Party convention that was held this weekend. Mostly, I was worried that my new party would come out of the convention with all sorts of weird ideas that I wouldn't be able to support, especially about the Global War on Terror.
It turns out I didn't need to worry.
Tagesspiegel Blames Haditha partly on a Military Dominated by "White Trash" and Minorities -- [Atlantic Review]
Berlin's leading paper Der Tagesspiegel always answers some "Questions of the Day" on page 2. On Saturday, Caroline Fetscher answered the question whether some individual Marines are responsible for the alleged massacres in Iraq or whether these instances indicate a problem of the entire US military. She considers the alleged massacres to be more of the latter:
My Little Letter -- [T.F. Boggs - in Iraq]
Concerning the letter I wrote to Mr. Keller of the New York Times I have received quite a few emails and have been the subject of several online forums. Mostly people agree with what I had to say but there are others who criticize me for numerous things including fanning the flames of hatred towards the media, being over the top, not thinking clearly, and my personal favorite not being a real person who is in the military. All of the discussion has gotten me thinking about what I had to say in my letter.
The Times And Citizenship -- [Winds of Change - Armed Liberal]
...I don't think that the newspapers are treasonous, or doing this solely in an effort to thwart President Bush (i.e. I don't think that a Democratic president would be getting a free ride right now). That doesn't mean that the impacts of what they are doing doesn't damage the country, put lives at risk, or negatively impact President Bush's effectiveness.
I think, in simple terms, that they have forgotten that they are citizens, and that they have an obligation to the polity that goes beyond writing the good story.
How More Media in Iraq Would Help -- [The Foxhole Philosopher - in Iraq]
I wish that we had more media and not less here in Iraq. While in the past I have said that the Mass Media is not our ally, and I stand by that, at least somewhat, I have come to believe it is the absence and not the presence thereof that is the problem.
Right now, journalists rely on stringers, or at best show up for a few days in a year and they don't really have a firm grasp on the situation. The solution would be to have embedded journalists over the long haul. We could easily protect them, and they would really know what is going on.
The Axis of Abuse -- [Strategy Page]
Call it the Washington Beltway's "Axis of Abuse": irresponsible reporters and editors collaborating with agenda-ed, unnamed "leakers."
The exposure of a legal and productive counter-terror intelligence operation on the front page of the June 23 edition of The New York Times is the latest abusive and dangerous example of this Beltway hustle.
New Arrival -- [Charlie Company - in Iraq]
Congratulations to Tanesha and Sgt Jose Alicea (2nd Plt) for the arrival of their son, Christian Luis. He was born on June 21st @ 11:04, weighing 9lbs 1oz.
I'M HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -- [Hoping the World Won't Pass Me By... - home from Iraq]
It's been a long time, but now I'm finally home to stay! No more two week leave periods in which I have to rush everything I want to do into a short time, now I can finally relax and enjoy the life I left behind (haha...). Overall, I'm so glad I went through this deployment, I met so many new friends, and it's really made me appreciate what I have back home. I kind of took that for granted. Not anymore!
Bush Consoles Russia, Ignores Barbaric US Soldier Slaughter -- [Gateway Pundit]
Being a die-hard Bush supporter, this is really hard to figure out...
Not since Al Qaeda dragged the bodies of US soldiers through the streets of Mogadishu has America witnessed such barbarism as the slaughter of Private Kristian Menchaca of Houston and Private Thomas Tucker of Oregon last week.
For A Hero -- [Blue Crab Boulevard] HT: Dadmanly
The first thing that hits you are the flags.
Midwestern towns don't have suburbs. You'll be driving past corn fields, sometimes beans or wheat, then *click* just like that you are in a town. Today, the second you enter the town, there are the flags. From tiny ones to a mammoth one flying from the extended boom of the fire company's ladder truck, they are everywhere. Some people have planted rows of small flags on the edge of the lots, others are on poles. Some have flags hanging from buildings. There are dozens of hand lettered signs,too.
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.)
EDITOR'S NOTE: MSM reports will be temporarily eliminated from the Dawn Patrol until PCSing is complete.
Pawns -- [Murphy Around The World - in Iraq]
Here's a picture of our last convoy heading out the door for a mission. The IA have purchased a lot of U.S. HMWWV's and definately a way for our economy to recoup some of the war costs. When they buy stuff, the mantra is 'Buy American'.
What I do Every Single Day! -- [The Foxhole Philosopher - in Iraq]
...Sometimes, I have to do something. If it is a simple problem I tell them to fix it on their own. Sometimes, I cannot trust them to do it though. For example, when Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi was killed, we closed several streets, because we believed there was a heightened threat of attack. That would be a simple task, requiring only some concertina wire and a couple of guards, but guaranteed, the Iraqi's will let people through.
This is not always malicious. Sometimes it is just naivete on their part. For example, if someone is dressed as a woman (you can't tell with Burkha's)
Who should recognize whom? -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
Prime Minister Maliki presented his reconciliation plan to the parliament today and in spite of some objections from some parties the heads of parliamentary blocs declared their support for this plan soon after the session of the parliament ended and requesting some further detailed descriptions and modifications in some cases to match their blocs' understanding of the reconciliation concept.
Al Qaeda in Iraq Died For Our Sins -- [Strategy Page]
Al Qaeda in Iraq has been virtually wiped out by the loss of an address book. The death of al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi was not as important as the capture of his address book and other planning documents in the wake of the June 7th bombing. U.S. troops are trained to quickly search for names and addresses when they stage a raid, pass that data on to a special intelligence cell, which then quickly sorts out which of the addresses should be raided immediately, before the enemy there can be warned that their identity has been compromised.
The Coalition’s 3 phase troop withdrawal plan for Iraq -- [QandO - McQ]
Gen. George W. Casey Jr, the US commander in Iraq, has put forward a conditional 3 phase plan for withdrawing the bulk of coalition troops over the next 3 years. In brief, the phases of the plan are as follows:
Tour of Abu Ghraib - preview [Basic Training - in Iraq]
I have a bunch of photos to put together a bit of a visual tour of Saddam Hussein's prison at Abu Ghraib. I was unable to get a tour myself, but my buddy there with me the past month had gotten one - the photos come from his camera so Im in the process of editing them down and getting the stories straight. Check back in a couple days for the full tour.
RETURN FLIGHT -- [Dan in the Desert - in Iraq]
...With the engines warm and safety checks complete, we lifted off. From the air, you get a great view of the rest of Balad. Pictures of the airfield are usually prohibited, but this photo has been "cleared" as releasable. I flew on a CH-53 helicopter when I was in Ramadi several weeks ago, but I never got any photos, so here ya go. CH-53s are the largest rotary aircraft in the world (not counting an old Soviet prototype).
Saddam lawyer: Saddam Hussein ready to call for peace in exchange for his life
...Well, that’s not what he SAID according to his lawyer, and according to the Washington Post:
The Fewer. The Prouder. The Female Marines -- [Soldiers' Angel Germany]
This past Friday marked the one year anniversary of the Iraq war's deadliest day for American military women.
On June 23, 2005 Lance Corporal Holly Charette, 21, of Rhode Island, Ramona Valdez, 20, of the Bronx via the Dominican Republic, and Navy Petty Officer First Class Regina Clark, 43, of Washington were killed by a suicide car bomber near Falluja.
Eleven other female Marines were wounded in the attack.
Afghan Army Sergeant Major graduates..USASMA -- [Miserable Donuts]
Congrats to SGM Roshan Safi and the Army National Guard CSM from TF Pheonix who pushed to get him into the academy. There where other foriegn students in the class with me when I went, but none with so much Combat time.
Taliban Terror Tactics Backfire -- [Strategy Page]
Battles with the Taliban have left 80 of the rebels dead in the last few days, and over 150 dead in the last two weeks. Afghan and Coalition dead have been much lower (a few dozen). While the Taliban claim to have over 10,000 armed men in action across southern Afghanistan, it is believed that there are only about 2,000 of them. Actually, there may now be less than that, since morale among the Taliban is getting shaky.
Taliban losses in Afghanistan, gains in Pakistan -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Bill Roggio]
The latest round of fighting in southeastern Afghanistan has claimed over 82 Taliban fighters in two separate engagements in Kandahar and Uruzgan provinces. Security Watchtower provides a breakdown of the estimated casualties of Taliban and Coalition forces in southeastern Afghanistan since the beginning of April. An estimated 600 Taliban have been killed and 22 captured, with 41 Afghan and Coalition security forces killed or wounded combined. The estimated Taliban casualties do not contain the number of wounded, which is often twice the number killed in combat.
Hitchin' the Pech -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanstan]
Once again in eastern Afghanistan, we mourn the loss of four soldiers who gave their lives a few days ago in ongoing operations just north of where these photos were taken. RIP.
...The Pech River Valley is a dicey place to be if you're an outsider, and it had provided sanctuary for the past few years to bands of enemy who regularly launch attacks on any representatives of Afghan government as well as Coalition forces and nongovernmental organizations. That's why the heart of the operation was establishing a presence in the middle of this fierce region.
Parallelin' the Pech -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanstan]
Your thoughts, prayers and comments have been warmly received, and I appreciate everyone who's taken the time to write and let me know what you think. I apologize for my inability to shed any light on the current operation in the south of the country, as I often learn its progress in mostly the same ways that you all can - through internet and TV coverage. Again, these photos pick up where I left off, on a convoy along the Pech River road with some engineers who let me hitch a ride.
New to Gmail.. -- [Army Girl - in Afghanistan]
...It's not about anything more than honoring the past I was born into.. and trying to do the best that I can. I am here ONLY because of THEM... and it is my dream that some day when I'm gone.. someone will carry it on. Someday a young Afghan girl can make choices for herself.. and be a part of rebuilding her country and her homeland. Someday an Afghan young man will not have to scrounge and suffer to feed his family and protect his daughers and wife from extremism. Those are only a couple of the reasons I'm here.
PALESTINIAN TERRORISTS ANNOUNCE THEY HAVE WMD AND WILL USE THEM ON ISRAEL
BREAKING: JPOST: -- [The Astute Blogger]
Aksa Martyrs Brigades group announced on Sunday that it its members have succeeded in manufacturing chemical and biological weapons to be used against Israel.
How will Russia react to the murder of its diplomats in Iraq? -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Olivier Guitta]
If confirmed, the murder of the four Russian diplomats taken hostage on June 3- three by beheading and the last one by shooting- by members of an Al Qaeda affiliate, may have important implications.
In fact, last week Russia had officially asked for the help of Palestinian terror group Hamas in this matter. The President of the Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee sent a letter to Hamas' political leader Khaled Mashal. Obviously this has not worked out.
Iran's Terrorism Ignored In Nuclear Bartering -- [ThreatsWatch]
For Iran, Language of 'Ambiguities' Buys Time Readily Sold As 'Oil Weapon' Displayed Again
Iran’s signals remain consistently mixed regarding the nuclear crisis steered by the regime. The weekend’s developments revealed nothing new, while one spokesman called calmly for more talks and the accompanying allotment of time while another threatened again with Iran’s oil weapon should the West impose sanctions.
Everyday Angel Speaks-Our Blankets Really Make a Difference -- [Soldiers Angels Network - Patti Patton-Bader]
Our Blankets Really Make a Difference......Oh Yes They Do!!!
...My sister told him about Soldiers Angels and a presentation she did at her church trying to get some sewers interested in helping with our project. She told him about her slide presentation showing a transport plane carrying the wounded soldiers out of Iraq.
You are not going to believe it!.........he said "I was on one of those planes" and this is what made the hair stand up on her arms and mine too when she told me about it.......he said ...
Notre Dame Helps Soldiers' Angels -- [Soldiers' Angels New York]
Notre Dame Cross Country teams are warming up for their 1st Annual 24 hour relay which will be this Saturday, June 24th. This year’s relay will benefit both the Cross Country team and Soldier’ Angels, a non-profit dedicated to supporting our troops.
Gratitude -- [Partamian Report]
I have tremendous respect for our servicepeople, and I like to tell people "thank you" when I learn that they have served in the military, because I do honestly and deeply appreciate their hard work and sacrifice. I know that I can sit here and type this, in large part, because of our military and the freedom that they have earned and maintained for this country.
My wife has been in Afghanistan for the past few weeks. She will be home in a few days, and I will post some pictures up on the blog once she gets back. Anyway, my point for writing this was to pass on some thoughts. My wife is a consultant, not a serviceperson, so I never really equated her service with that of the troops.
...She is actively helping the military to plan to meet the future demands of regional security, and given the region, that is certainly not insignificant.
VA to offer free credit monitoring -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
Filed by Trevor under Banality of Bureaucracy, Government, Military (Monday June 26, 2006 at 8:56 am)
Below is a VA press release regarding damage controls measures relating to the theft of veterans’ personal data that resulted from failure to enact and enforce appropriate security standards relating to the handling of electronic records.
Friday, June 16, 2006 -- [BOB on the FOB - in Iraq]
Some VERY big news here from the Litterbox: I got out of the Army! Woohoo! Yes, as of 11 June 2006 I was no longer SGT A.J. Merrifield, I was Mr. A.J. Merrifield, Honorable Discharge in hand. Of course, as of 12 June 2006 I was back in as SGT A.J. Merrifield, Oath of Enlistment in hand. Thanks to my old job and the fact that I was the Division NCO of the Year, I was able to get reenlisted by the CG, Major General Thomas R. Turner, so that was pretty sweet. I discovered something about being reenlisted by the CG, too: you get more swag.
50,000 Iraqis have died in Iraq fighting -- [Security Watchtower]
The Los Angeles Times reports on Sunday that an estimated 50,000 Iraqis have been killed in fighting since the U.S. toppled the Saddam Hussein government in March 2003. While alarming, the statistics alone lack the context of how those killings took place, the vast majority of which have come at the hands of terrorists, and the history of the previous regime, which has the blood of a million Iraqis on their hands. That said, it's still a heavy toll that Iraqis have paid and we shouldn't seek to dismiss this human cost.
One aspect to the story that I find interesting is how the death toll stands in stark contrast to the Lancet study, which in November 2004 found that 100,000 Iraqis perished in the fighting.
UPDATED: The Axis of Abuse: The NY Times and Washington, DC leakers -- [Austin Bay]
That’s what the Beltway game has become– irresponsible New York Times reporters and editors collaborating with agendaed “leakers.”
The exposure of the bank monitoring program on the front page of the June 23, 2006 NY Times is the latest abusive and dangerous example of this Beltway hustle. “Leakers” in this particular case is too weak a term– exposing the terrorist finance-monitoring operation information amounts to spying for terrorists. Bank records in Belgium recording international transactions are fair game for intelligence teams attempting to track terrorist finances and terrorist contacts.
All the Anti-Terror Disclosures That Fit: Specter Defends NY Times -- [NewsBusters]
As Brit Hume put it, "Senator Specter, who gets worked up over anything, doesn't seem bothered by the NY Times disclosure of [the anti-terror banking program]. He's going to 'look into it'."
The Plan -- [Fire and Ice - combat artist]
One of the misdirective rhetorical devices trotted out ad nauseum by pundits on the left which strikes me as particularly odd is the "there is no plan" talking point. Of late it either leads, or follows on the heals of some disengenious pity party about the heroic and well intentioned troops who, though entitled to great leadership, are subject to the evil and bumbling ruling triumvirate of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld.
Letter to NY Times -- [T.F. Boggs - in Iraq]
I recently wrote a letter to the NY Times in response to their decision to print information concerning a U.S. secret program designed to track financial transactions of suspected terrorists. I'll post the letter in full below. I urge everyone to write to the NY Times and their congressmen and let them know how you feel about the NY Times yet again sharing secret information with America's enemies.
The Times article can be found here.
The John Kerry of Reporters -- [4 Mile Creek - in Iraq]
MSNBC's Kieth Olbermann suggests that he's not afraid of some old mustard or nerve agent.
"We have found Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.
15-year old Weapons of Mass Destruction that could give you the equivalent of a serious rug burn.
The Reluctant MilBlogger -- [MilBlogs - Steve Schippert]
Bruce Kesler says that he doesn't want to be a Military Blogger and explains why in a column today at The Examiner.
Cyberterrorists Attack The Jawa Report -- [mypetjawa - back-up site]
Islamic cyberterrorists have attacked The Jawa Report.
A Distributed Denial of Service attack was directed at our site by Turkish Islamists irritated at a series of posts we ran making fun of the violence that erupted on the heels of a false story claiming that guards at Guantanamo Bay had flushed a Koran down a toilet. Those posts were later discovered by a Turkish Islamist who then posted links about them at an Islamic chat room.
Irene Pinsonneault, who manages Michael’s photograph files and correspondence, responds to the factual errors and distortions in Mr. Hammer’s form email. -- [Michael Yon]
(Hover over the highlighted elements below to view the response)
Dear XX:
I am the editor of Shock magazine. This e-mail was forwarded to me by the good folks at Woman's Day. I am terribly sorry that you have had this reaction to our recent use of Michael Yon's photo on our cover. Unfortunately, you have not been given all the facts.
Michael's reponse -- [Michael Yon]
...Even though we had purchased the rights to use the photograph through a reputable photo agency, we recognize that misunderstandings do occur. We acted quickly to address Mr. Yon's concerns, attempted to settle the matter, and when he agreed to a settlement, Mr. Yon himself stated on June 5th via his on-line magazine that he was "satisfied" that we were "acting in good faith." (The statement posted on my website was decidedly less rosy than the one they used in their press releases) A few days later, Mr. Yon reversed his position and walked away from our talks. (I did not walk away. I refused to sign an agreement the terms of which they had altered significantly from those proposed terms we had all agreed to.) We were disappointed, but not surprised. (They shouldn’t be surprised. My displeasure with their bad faith actions --in increasingly forceful articulations—was voiced days leading up to the collapse. They continued to commit separate and willful infringements even as they were announcing the tentative settlement. If HFM had kept their word, Kliger would not have to send desperate and transparent missives to distributors and journalists.)
It is my personal belief that Michael Yon has benefited from and continues to exploit the controversy to promote his political agenda.
The Soldier’s Medal -- [Chris Whong - in Iraq]
Today, Staff Sergeant George Brosenne of 1st Platoon, 243rd Engineer Company, was awarded the Soldier’s Medal. This is a pretty big deal, as the 2-star general who spoke at the ceremony could only recall 2 instances when he saw the award given during his 30 years in the Army.
FOR HEROISM: ...
Big News -- [Those Wacky Iraqis - in Iraq]
I just found out that I have been promoted and will be transferred to Kuwait. This is the equivelant of being promoted from Brigade S-3 to Brigade XO. I am excited and sad all at once. this place has been my life since February of 2004 and it is hard to leave especially since all my 1st Cavalry buddies are coming back next RIP-TOA.
C&F Wins AJPA Award -- [Cox & Forkum]
For various reasons, we've entered very few editorial cartoon awards contests over the years. So we're fortunate that Avi Frier of Florida Jewish News took the initiative to submit our work to the American Jewish Press Association's annual Rockower Awards.
Cox & Forkum has been awarded The Noah Bee Award for Excellence in Editorial Cartooning. Here's the FJN report: Florida Jewish News wins top Jewish media award.
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.)
UPDATED: TV report: Artillery shells with chemical munitions found in Iraq -- [Austin Bay]
I heard a report on Fox News about twenty minutes ago (5 PM Central) that Senator Rick Santorum claims coalition investigators in Iraq found chemical weapons — artillery shells filled with a chemical agent (perhaps sarin nerve agent). The Fox report said Santorum had fought with the Pentagon and White House to get the information declassified.
Why Iraq WMD Finds Were Kept Secret -- [Strategy Page]
The revelation that Coalition forces have discovered about 500 shells containing chemical weapons (mostly sarin nerve gas and mustard gas) since 2003, most of which are pre-1991 Gulf War vintage, leads to the question as to why the U.S. waited so long to reveal this. The U.S. government has taken a beating for supposed failures to find weapons of mass destruction in the press, and from political opponents. There have been some discoveries that have made the news, most notably an incident in May, 2004, when terrorists used a 155-millimeter shell loaded with sarin in an IED.
A deliberate deception?.... -- [Media Lies]
....A local man, who was involved in WMD searches in Iraq, in 2003, claims that four sites in southern Iraq that he identified with the help of local Iraqis have never been inspected, despite his repeated requests that they be inspected.
He has attempted to get the media's attention to this issue, and he has worked with two Congressmen to get the sites inspected, all for naught. Now he has started his own website to, in his words, "protect America, our Troops and most importantly, our Children".
BREAKING NEWS: ABC: Killers Have Been Captured -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany - MaryAnn in Germany]
Sources with ABC News tell KATU News that some of the people responsible for the deaths of Pfc. Thomas Tucker and Pfc. Kristian Menchaca have been captured by the U.S. military.
Video here.
My Truth -- [Fire and Ice - combat artist]
Two fellow American servicemembers have been kidnapped, horribly tortured and murdered by Islamofascists in Iraq. The outrage in the liberal press, media and blogosphere is at best silent and at worst bathing in an orgy of moral equivalency and transparent political opportunism glommed on to this intolerable act. These same folks revelled in words such as barbaric, horrific and torture to describe and politically charge events at Abu Ghraib Prison, and practices at the military detention facility at Gitmo. Now something truly in the full spirit of these words has happened to fellow Americans and the Libs, having spent these powerful adjectives like so much spare change on lesser evils supposedly perputrated on greater villians, reveal their moral bankruptcy.
Debated on the Al Franken Show today and . . . -- [Michael Fumento - ind. reporter just returned from Iraq]
. . . it was a bit like going to Ramadi. You had to be there to believe it. I liked the odds, three of them against me. Along with Franken, there was Paul Rieckhoff, the executive director and founder of the leftie Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Jane Arraf, a press fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the former Baghdad bureau chief for CNN. Asked if I thought Americans were getting the real story from Iraq, I said no and much of the blame lay with reporters who refuse to leave their Baghdad hotels. Instead they rely on wholly unreliable stringers. I said if they didn't have the guts to go out to get the stories, they had no place taking the slot of somebody else who might. Naturally Arraf leapt to the media's defense, talking about the dangers of being shot down by a missile while landing in Baghdad, the dangers of the airport road to the Green Zone . . . I cut her off. Nobody has ever been shot down landing at that airport and virtually nobody has been killed on that road this year. Reporters come in by armored bus or helicopter. She was spewing reporter bravado, I said, and I didn't want to hear it because their are brave reporters who truly do risk their lives. Here's where it gets unbelievable. She told me I had no idea how bad a Baghdad hotel could be! Holy cow! I just came back...
Ramadi, Iraq -- [Michael Fumento - ind. reporter just returned from Iraq]
Terrorist-infested Ramadi in the wild west of Iraq is for U.S. troops the meanest place in the country, "the graveyard of the Americans" as graffiti around town boast. There is no better place to observe American troops and the fledgling Iraqi army in combat. That's why I came. When military public affairs asked where I wanted to be embedded, I told them, "the redder, the better" (red means hostile). So they packed me off to Camp Corregidor in eastern Ramadi with the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The 506th's official motto is "Currahee," Cherokee for "stands alone." But they're better known as the "Band of Brothers" – so dubbed by author Stephen Ambrose and HBO (although the term originally applied to just one company in the regiment).
Iraqi Testimonies -- [24 Steps to Liberty - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...“I suddenly heard my children shouting,” Qadir, the 41-year-old mother said, “I thought I was dreaming.” Five hours later, the children came back and told the story. Soldiers took them to the backyard and forced them to sit under no roof when it was raining while the torturers enjoyed beating their young bodies. They were tortured like if they were matures, Qadir said. “What have the children done to deserve the torture,” she wondered 18 years later while telling the story.
Qayyarah -- [Michael Yon's Frontline forum -T.F.Boggs - in Iraq]
As I sit here seven months into my tour I have only begun to realize the magnitude with which the town I am based in has changed. I am stationed in northern Iraq in a town called Qayyarah. Qayyarah is an all-Sunni town and for the most part is controlled by the local Iraqi army and police. The U.S. army helps conduct patrols but for the most part the Iraqi soldiers are responsible for protecting their own town. As I have spoken with Iraqi soldiers and interpreters over the past month, I have come to learn more about Qayyarah and how it has changed in the three years since our initial invasion.
Monday, June 19, 2006 -- [Chairborne Stranger - in Iraq]
...I went on a local civil affairs patrol to meet the local Iraqi populace and see how things are going in some of the towns around here. The Iraqis are always happy to see us so that is positive progress.
Good News from Troops -- [Soldier'a Angel Forum]
KoalityKoala writes "Hi All!
Just got a wonderful email from one of my troops and I wanted to share part of it with you! In case you ever wonder what is happening in Iraq, this will give you a sense of what is happening as seen thru one soldier's eyes.
Overall, things are going very well here. Terrible isn't as terrible today, if you know what mean.
But the tide has turned. The people of Iraq are beginning to rise up over the insurgents and the insurgents know it.
We expect desperate acts from the anti-Iraqi forces as their power-base fades.
Forward Together update; Maliki sends a powerful message to the militias. -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
It is day eight of operation forward together now, the operation so far has met some relative success according to an official statement from the ministry of defense:
Baghdad has witnessed a decrease in number of attacks; terror attacks in the past week-first week of operation forward together-were 19% less than attacks in the week before the operation was launched.
Hammurabi’s Denials Raise More Questions -- [Sweetness & Light]
Iraq rights group on Haditha denies rebel links
...Well, then. I guess that settles it. Except for all of the questions they didn’t address and the new discrepancies that have now been introduced.
Mashhadani said Hadithi was taking courses in journalism and was not one of the group’s two founders. If this is so it sure makes Thaer Thabit al-Hadithi out to be a liar, as he has clearly told reporters he was the original founder of Hammurabi, as was reported in many articles.
Another day in the Neighborhood. -- [American Soldier - injured in Iraq]
..In the heat of battle you have to make decisions and have to do things that don’t always make sense. You all expect us to come home safe and all that happy horse shit right? We have a set of rules that we must obey but the very 1st fucking rule is: “If you suspect that you or any member of you unit is in danger you have the right to defend yourself!” That equates to killing people that you deem a threat! It’s not pretty is it? No sugar coating at all, just the result of someone most likely getting their head blown off.
You can take that rule and use it in many different aspects and scenarios. The bottom line is war is hell and any combat soldier who has stepped foot outside the wire even one time knows what I am talking about.
Tadji Run -- [Murphy Around The World - in Iraq]
We had a mission that left on Saturday and came back this morning (Tuesday) pulling into our gate safely around 6 am. They were driving all night to get here because of the distance and the necessity to stay off the roads during the day. We spent this morning unloading cargo which will then be further transported by our team to other units in our area. I’m working those follow-on missions now while this crew gets some needed shut eye.
Harsh Reality -- [Pass the Brass - in Iraq]
...People who know me know that I have a “Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde” kinda personality. But it’s not so much the same Dr. as you may remember him from the stories. The Dr. is a bit different now. But I can honsetly say I have never had such a sheer dive into depression as I did the first mission back here in Irak. All the cautions I had about returning with this “fresh” slate and being able to handle the “horrors” of Irak with a stronger psyche…sadly…were all for naught.
Electrons, Hand Sanitizer, and Sunflower Seeds -- [Midnight in Iraq - in Iraq]
...Another effect of the heat that I have already mentioned is that it is breaking things left and right. Generators are the biggest enemies of the heat. Generators power our A/C units. A/C units keep us cool in the heat that is so hot it kills mechanical equipment. It’s a self-deprecating cycle. We lost power in our trailers today just as I was about to go to sleep at 2 PM. I’m not new to the game anymore, so I executed my SOP of hastily throwing down my reading material, turning out the light, and falling asleep with the 20 minutes of sub 90 degree air I had left. I woke up a little more than an hour later, unable to sleep in the heat and humidity, but I slept at least one hour before it got me. Previous iterations had not turned out so well.
More Abu Ghraib photos -- [Basic Training - in Iraq]
Some photos of murals from the non-prison areas
"At your service, oh Jerusalem!" The "BOMB" was most likely one of us trying to make a not-so-subtle point. (pic)
The message here is about as subtle as the last. Dome of the rock and combination Iraqi/Palestinian flag being carried by the guy in a kaffiyah. That is Saddam's face smashed off in the upper left. He used to provide the equivalent of $25,000 US to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. (pic)
SUMMER TIME - [Dan in the Desert - contractor in Iraq]
...I am now roughly 50 miles north of Baghdad, at Balad Airbase (aka LSA Anaconda). This will be my home for the next week while I do some work. I lost count how many times I've been up here.
In the meantime, here's a few pictures from the flight... (pics)
Bureaucracy and double standards -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
The military can be a very dehumanizing place, from my perspective. One of the reasons I left the Marine Corps in 1996 centered on the level of weariness I had built up over anyone who outranked me being able to screw with me anytime they wanted. I don’t have a problem working as part of a team, but I do have a problem with petty bureaucrats. The military is infested with this particular type of vermin.
Anyhow to make a long story short - I get very irritated by people who make up rules that don’t make sense to me.
One of the petty bureaucratic rules here at MNF-I (Multi-National Force Iraq) is that our section must
News of Afghanistan XII -- [Miserable Donuts]
Everybody is after the independent press in Afghanistan [follow the link for extra bonus cattiness between Musharraf and Kazai - meow!] Here is some more reaction.
Restricting the Media Activities in Afghanistan -- [Afghan Warrior - Afghani in Afghanistan]
According to the news reports, Afghanistan's intelligence department has issued a two page document to the local media which restricts their activities. This decision sparked the anger of the Afghan journalists around the country because this two page document stops the local newspapers from doing their important and main activities. The free press has made magnificent progress since the fall of the Taliban.
Canadian Troops: Slideshow to Make You Proud -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
Graeme Smith of the Globe and Mail put together an audio/slide show that is a must-see for Canadians. When we talk of Canadian and Coalition troops being our heroes; and the best that our countries have to offer… this is the reason why: CLICK
Iraq Pictures - 22 June 2006 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
Army National Guard SGT Edward E. Mefford, a home builder and remodeler for A & B Construction in Santa Rosa, N.M., is currently deployed to Qatar in support of the Global War on Terror.
...Purdue college student, Anngela Strathmann takes time off from her studies to serve in Kuwait ...
...Air Force Reserve Capt. Rick Valdes, an emergency room family nurse practitioner for Tuba City Indian Medical Center in Tuba City, Ariz., is currently deployed to Southwest Asia ...
North Korean Missile Launch Reaching A Point of Ridiculousness -- [GI Korea]
I can't believe the Washington Post is advocating starting a war over the North Korean missile test?:
...It appears the same people that were against a pre-emptive strike in Iraq, now want the US to start a pre-emptive war with North Korea which would be a thousand times more bloodier than anything we have seen in Iraq over a missile test?
International Finance and the Global War on Terror -- [Intel Dump - Adam White]
Today's reports (in the New York Times, LA Times, and Wall Street Journal) about the federal government's program for tracking financial transactions of those suspected of ties to al Qaeda are quite interesting. Here's the NYT's intro:
Summer Solstice -- [Just Another Thunderhorse Roughneck! - in Iraq]
...I got some letters today. I don’t remember signing up for Soldiers Angels. I think someone else signed me up. I don’t mind. I am starting to get flooded with e-mails though. I try to answer all the e-mails but sometimes it takes time. I never get any letters though. I do from time to time get care packages from grateful people out there. I hardly ever get any letters though.
Well, today I got two letters and I think it was because of Soldiers Angels. I bet the other guys in the platoon were jealous. If they do I’ll send them right over to Soldiers Angels.
POW/MIA FLAG OUTDATED? -- [One Marine's View]
Robert Dorr’s recent Colum in the Marine Corps Times suggests that the POW/MIA flag is out of date and reflects out of date imagery that should be retired. His opinion of the imagery is that it is counter productive and has out lived its usefulness. Service members who become separated from their units or evading the enemy can’t survive without ht mere hope of being found. Their hope finds strength in that their country will come looking for them. That they are not forgotten and that won’t stop looking for them.
An Open letter to Congressmen John Murtha -- [SandGram]
Dear Sir,
I know you have been taking a lot of heat lately about your stance on the Marine Corps and the war on Iraq. Know a secret? I just compare you to Lord Darth Vader from “Star Wars.” He, too, was once part of a band of elite fighters, the Jedi Knights, who protected the universe from the dark powers of the “The Force.”
Much like Vader, you succumbed to the dark side of the Force, which blinds you as to the damage you truly cause. It’s no fault of your own; the swell of power that radiates from Washington D.C., can cause any normal person to morph into a dark, sinister person.
New York Times Secretly Sifting CIA Data -- [ScrappleFace]
Under a secret program launched in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, which killed 3,000 people on American soil, The New York Times gained access to private information from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and disseminated it periodically on paper and electronically to al Qaeda and other terror organizations.
'Classified' Makes It of Public Interest -- [Media Blog]
I arrived at work to find this. As if publishing classified information about the NSA terrorist-surveillance program weren't enough, the New York Times now blows the cover on yet another effective counterterrorism program — likely shutting it down.
And what's the difference? -- [Peace like a River]
Benedict Arnold's infamy was devising a plot to turn West Point, which he commanded, over to the British. In addition, he gave the British other information on troop locations, etc... Why? Because Arnold disagreed with the colonies' relationship with the French. So, Arnold took it upon himself to decide foreign policy, and in so doing he betrayed his country.
Today, there is news of more perfidy from the New York Times.
Snow to Thomas: Stop Heckling -- [Media Blog]
Allah has the video of today's Tony Snow v. Helen Thomas showdown. Includes the classic line: "Helen, will you stop heckling and let me conduct the press conference." Someone should have said that a long time ago.
Regarding the substance of Thomas's heckles (she was repeatedly shouting that the program is illegal), Andy McCarthy provides the facts, which do not support Helen's accusation:
Trolls in My Pocket -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
Troll: An individual who interjects into blog conversations simply to cause a stir or insult the regular patrons of the blog. Trolls can be motivated by evangelical zeal for a cause opposite to that of the blog owner(s). Trolls will generally dominate a thread and park themselves on a blog, even though they don’t share most of the expressed opinions of the blog.
...How to Talk to a Troll:
1. If you do not appreciate their presence, then ignore them. Responding to a troll is like feeding a bear… and they always tell you… don’t feed the bears. Ignoring trolls is always the best way to starve them.
2. If you want to debate a troll, be warned.
Milk and honey -- [Fun with hand Grenades - home from Iraq]
It’s here... it’s finally here! By the time you read this I’ll have dropped a large amount of combat pay on a down payment for my new car… I’ll be lazily floating around in my parents’ pool… drinking margaritas with my mom and beer with my old man… I’ll have blisters from rollerblading and running at the dam while staring at all the women… my man boob and back will be in pain from hours of tattoo work… my guitar will be screaming on a new amplifier... my belly will grow by leaps and bounds from a constant intake of Chinese…. and most likely I’ll be so smashed I won’t remember my own name. Hell, I’m even going to make it to my five year high school reunion. Ha! More important than anything, after a nine month absence I get to spend time with the people I love.
Home at last -- [Across the Pond - home from Iraq]
Finally..after a long, long time.....I am finally home. I officially got home on Sunday. I have some stories to tell about my last month or so in Iraq and the demobilization process but I will save those for another day. I can tell you though that it still doesnt seem real yet. It's like I am living in a dream. Being gone for so long and coming home, it hasn't sunk in yet that my tour is over. I know it will take some time, and some adjusting so I'm not going to rush anything.
Going back to Sunday, we all felt like celebrities, and for that moment, in the city of Scranton, we were celebrities. When the plane arrived at the airport with all of us, we had the State Police there to escort us back to the Armory. We unloaded the plane and got on the buses and away we went. Any vehicles that tried to cut in between the buses got pulled over. As we entered the city streets, citizens were lined up waving their hands and some had little flags they were waving.
Two More Farewells -- [The Marching Camp - in Iraq]
I mentioned recently that two of our own had been killed in action by an IED. Today was their memorial service.
SGT Reyes “Rey” Ramirez was born in Mexico and raised in Texas. He was on his second Iraq tour, and was a team leader in 3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon, C Company, 40th Engineer Battalion. He was married to another Soldier, SGT Sy Bulaong-Ramirez, who is in Germany because she is pregnant with his daughter. She will be born this summer. He was described as a true Non-Commissioned Officer, concerned for his Soldiers and who led by example.
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.)
UPDATED: TV report: Artillery shells with chemical munitions found in Iraq -- [Austin Bay]
I heard a report on Fox News about twenty minutes ago (5 PM Central) that Senator Rick Santorum claims coalition investigators in Iraq found chemical weapons — artillery shells filled with a chemical agent (perhaps sarin nerve agent). The Fox report said Santorum had fought with the Pentagon and White House to get the information declassified.
Why Iraq WMD Finds Were Kept Secret -- [Strategy Page]
The revelation that Coalition forces have discovered about 500 shells containing chemical weapons (mostly sarin nerve gas and mustard gas) since 2003, most of which are pre-1991 Gulf War vintage, leads to the question as to why the U.S. waited so long to reveal this. The U.S. government has taken a beating for supposed failures to find weapons of mass destruction in the press, and from political opponents. There have been some discoveries that have made the news, most notably an incident in May, 2004, when terrorists used a 155-millimeter shell loaded with sarin in an IED.
A deliberate deception?.... -- [Media Lies]
....A local man, who was involved in WMD searches in Iraq, in 2003, claims that four sites in southern Iraq that he identified with the help of local Iraqis have never been inspected, despite his repeated requests that they be inspected.
He has attempted to get the media's attention to this issue, and he has worked with two Congressmen to get the sites inspected, all for naught. Now he has started his own website to, in his words, "protect America, our Troops and most importantly, our Children".
BREAKING NEWS: ABC: Killers Have Been Captured -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany - MaryAnn in Germany]
Sources with ABC News tell KATU News that some of the people responsible for the deaths of Pfc. Thomas Tucker and Pfc. Kristian Menchaca have been captured by the U.S. military.
Video here.
My Truth -- [Fire and Ice - combat artist]
Two fellow American servicemembers have been kidnapped, horribly tortured and murdered by Islamofascists in Iraq. The outrage in the liberal press, media and blogosphere is at best silent and at worst bathing in an orgy of moral equivalency and transparent political opportunism glommed on to this intolerable act. These same folks revelled in words such as barbaric, horrific and torture to describe and politically charge events at Abu Ghraib Prison, and practices at the military detention facility at Gitmo. Now something truly in the full spirit of these words has happened to fellow Americans and the Libs, having spent these powerful adjectives like so much spare change on lesser evils supposedly perputrated on greater villians, reveal their moral bankruptcy.
Debated on the Al Franken Show today and . . . -- [Michael Fumento - ind. reporter just returned from Iraq]
. . . it was a bit like going to Ramadi. You had to be there to believe it. I liked the odds, three of them against me. Along with Franken, there was Paul Rieckhoff, the executive director and founder of the leftie Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Jane Arraf, a press fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the former Baghdad bureau chief for CNN. Asked if I thought Americans were getting the real story from Iraq, I said no and much of the blame lay with reporters who refuse to leave their Baghdad hotels. Instead they rely on wholly unreliable stringers. I said if they didn't have the guts to go out to get the stories, they had no place taking the slot of somebody else who might. Naturally Arraf leapt to the media's defense, talking about the dangers of being shot down by a missile while landing in Baghdad, the dangers of the airport road to the Green Zone . . . I cut her off. Nobody has ever been shot down landing at that airport and virtually nobody has been killed on that road this year. Reporters come in by armored bus or helicopter. She was spewing reporter bravado, I said, and I didn't want to hear it because their are brave reporters who truly do risk their lives. Here's where it gets unbelievable. She told me I had no idea how bad a Baghdad hotel could be! Holy cow! I just came back...
Ramadi, Iraq -- [Michael Fumento - ind. reporter just returned from Iraq]
Terrorist-infested Ramadi in the wild west of Iraq is for U.S. troops the meanest place in the country, "the graveyard of the Americans" as graffiti around town boast. There is no better place to observe American troops and the fledgling Iraqi army in combat. That's why I came. When military public affairs asked where I wanted to be embedded, I told them, "the redder, the better" (red means hostile). So they packed me off to Camp Corregidor in eastern Ramadi with the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The 506th's official motto is "Currahee," Cherokee for "stands alone." But they're better known as the "Band of Brothers" – so dubbed by author Stephen Ambrose and HBO (although the term originally applied to just one company in the regiment).
Iraqi Testimonies -- [24 Steps to Liberty - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...“I suddenly heard my children shouting,” Qadir, the 41-year-old mother said, “I thought I was dreaming.” Five hours later, the children came back and told the story. Soldiers took them to the backyard and forced them to sit under no roof when it was raining while the torturers enjoyed beating their young bodies. They were tortured like if they were matures, Qadir said. “What have the children done to deserve the torture,” she wondered 18 years later while telling the story.
Qayyarah -- [Michael Yon's Frontline forum -T.F.Boggs - in Iraq]
As I sit here seven months into my tour I have only begun to realize the magnitude with which the town I am based in has changed. I am stationed in northern Iraq in a town called Qayyarah. Qayyarah is an all-Sunni town and for the most part is controlled by the local Iraqi army and police. The U.S. army helps conduct patrols but for the most part the Iraqi soldiers are responsible for protecting their own town. As I have spoken with Iraqi soldiers and interpreters over the past month, I have come to learn more about Qayyarah and how it has changed in the three years since our initial invasion.
Monday, June 19, 2006 -- [Chairborne Stranger - in Iraq]
...I went on a local civil affairs patrol to meet the local Iraqi populace and see how things are going in some of the towns around here. The Iraqis are always happy to see us so that is positive progress.
Good News from Troops -- [Soldier'a Angel Forum]
KoalityKoala writes "Hi All!
Just got a wonderful email from one of my troops and I wanted to share part of it with you! In case you ever wonder what is happening in Iraq, this will give you a sense of what is happening as seen thru one soldier's eyes.
Overall, things are going very well here. Terrible isn't as terrible today, if you know what mean.
But the tide has turned. The people of Iraq are beginning to rise up over the insurgents and the insurgents know it.
We expect desperate acts from the anti-Iraqi forces as their power-base fades.
Forward Together update; Maliki sends a powerful message to the militias. -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
It is day eight of operation forward together now, the operation so far has met some relative success according to an official statement from the ministry of defense:
Baghdad has witnessed a decrease in number of attacks; terror attacks in the past week-first week of operation forward together-were 19% less than attacks in the week before the operation was launched.
Hammurabi’s Denials Raise More Questions -- [Sweetness & Light]
Iraq rights group on Haditha denies rebel links
...Well, then. I guess that settles it. Except for all of the questions they didn’t address and the new discrepancies that have now been introduced.
Mashhadani said Hadithi was taking courses in journalism and was not one of the group’s two founders. If this is so it sure makes Thaer Thabit al-Hadithi out to be a liar, as he has clearly told reporters he was the original founder of Hammurabi, as was reported in many articles.
Another day in the Neighborhood. -- [American Soldier - injured in Iraq]
..In the heat of battle you have to make decisions and have to do things that don’t always make sense. You all expect us to come home safe and all that happy horse shit right? We have a set of rules that we must obey but the very 1st fucking rule is: “If you suspect that you or any member of you unit is in danger you have the right to defend yourself!” That equates to killing people that you deem a threat! It’s not pretty is it? No sugar coating at all, just the result of someone most likely getting their head blown off.
You can take that rule and use it in many different aspects and scenarios. The bottom line is war is hell and any combat soldier who has stepped foot outside the wire even one time knows what I am talking about.
Tadji Run -- [Murphy Around The World - in Iraq]
We had a mission that left on Saturday and came back this morning (Tuesday) pulling into our gate safely around 6 am. They were driving all night to get here because of the distance and the necessity to stay off the roads during the day. We spent this morning unloading cargo which will then be further transported by our team to other units in our area. I’m working those follow-on missions now while this crew gets some needed shut eye.
Harsh Reality -- [Pass the Brass - in Iraq]
...People who know me know that I have a “Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde” kinda personality. But it’s not so much the same Dr. as you may remember him from the stories. The Dr. is a bit different now. But I can honsetly say I have never had such a sheer dive into depression as I did the first mission back here in Irak. All the cautions I had about returning with this “fresh” slate and being able to handle the “horrors” of Irak with a stronger psyche…sadly…were all for naught.
Electrons, Hand Sanitizer, and Sunflower Seeds -- [Midnight in Iraq - in Iraq]
...Another effect of the heat that I have already mentioned is that it is breaking things left and right. Generators are the biggest enemies of the heat. Generators power our A/C units. A/C units keep us cool in the heat that is so hot it kills mechanical equipment. It’s a self-deprecating cycle. We lost power in our trailers today just as I was about to go to sleep at 2 PM. I’m not new to the game anymore, so I executed my SOP of hastily throwing down my reading material, turning out the light, and falling asleep with the 20 minutes of sub 90 degree air I had left. I woke up a little more than an hour later, unable to sleep in the heat and humidity, but I slept at least one hour before it got me. Previous iterations had not turned out so well.
More Abu Ghraib photos -- [Basic Training - in Iraq]
Some photos of murals from the non-prison areas
"At your service, oh Jerusalem!" The "BOMB" was most likely one of us trying to make a not-so-subtle point. (pic)
The message here is about as subtle as the last. Dome of the rock and combination Iraqi/Palestinian flag being carried by the guy in a kaffiyah. That is Saddam's face smashed off in the upper left. He used to provide the equivalent of $25,000 US to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. (pic)
SUMMER TIME - [Dan in the Desert - contractor in Iraq]
...I am now roughly 50 miles north of Baghdad, at Balad Airbase (aka LSA Anaconda). This will be my home for the next week while I do some work. I lost count how many times I've been up here.
In the meantime, here's a few pictures from the flight... (pics)
Bureaucracy and double standards -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
The military can be a very dehumanizing place, from my perspective. One of the reasons I left the Marine Corps in 1996 centered on the level of weariness I had built up over anyone who outranked me being able to screw with me anytime they wanted. I don’t have a problem working as part of a team, but I do have a problem with petty bureaucrats. The military is infested with this particular type of vermin.
Anyhow to make a long story short - I get very irritated by people who make up rules that don’t make sense to me.
One of the petty bureaucratic rules here at MNF-I (Multi-National Force Iraq) is that our section must
News of Afghanistan XII -- [Miserable Donuts]
Everybody is after the independent press in Afghanistan [follow the link for extra bonus cattiness between Musharraf and Kazai - meow!] Here is some more reaction.
Restricting the Media Activities in Afghanistan -- [Afghan Warrior - Afghani in Afghanistan]
According to the news reports, Afghanistan's intelligence department has issued a two page document to the local media which restricts their activities. This decision sparked the anger of the Afghan journalists around the country because this two page document stops the local newspapers from doing their important and main activities. The free press has made magnificent progress since the fall of the Taliban.
Canadian Troops: Slideshow to Make You Proud -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
Graeme Smith of the Globe and Mail put together an audio/slide show that is a must-see for Canadians. When we talk of Canadian and Coalition troops being our heroes; and the best that our countries have to offer… this is the reason why: CLICK
Iraq Pictures - 22 June 2006 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
Army National Guard SGT Edward E. Mefford, a home builder and remodeler for A & B Construction in Santa Rosa, N.M., is currently deployed to Qatar in support of the Global War on Terror.
...Purdue college student, Anngela Strathmann takes time off from her studies to serve in Kuwait ...
...Air Force Reserve Capt. Rick Valdes, an emergency room family nurse practitioner for Tuba City Indian Medical Center in Tuba City, Ariz., is currently deployed to Southwest Asia ...
North Korean Missile Launch Reaching A Point of Ridiculousness -- [GI Korea]
I can't believe the Washington Post is advocating starting a war over the North Korean missile test?:
...It appears the same people that were against a pre-emptive strike in Iraq, now want the US to start a pre-emptive war with North Korea which would be a thousand times more bloodier than anything we have seen in Iraq over a missile test?
International Finance and the Global War on Terror -- [Intel Dump - Adam White]
Today's reports (in the New York Times, LA Times, and Wall Street Journal) about the federal government's program for tracking financial transactions of those suspected of ties to al Qaeda are quite interesting. Here's the NYT's intro:
Summer Solstice -- [Just Another Thunderhorse Roughneck! - in Iraq]
...I got some letters today. I don’t remember signing up for Soldiers Angels. I think someone else signed me up. I don’t mind. I am starting to get flooded with e-mails though. I try to answer all the e-mails but sometimes it takes time. I never get any letters though. I do from time to time get care packages from grateful people out there. I hardly ever get any letters though.
Well, today I got two letters and I think it was because of Soldiers Angels. I bet the other guys in the platoon were jealous. If they do I’ll send them right over to Soldiers Angels.
POW/MIA FLAG OUTDATED? -- [One Marine's View]
Robert Dorr’s recent Colum in the Marine Corps Times suggests that the POW/MIA flag is out of date and reflects out of date imagery that should be retired. His opinion of the imagery is that it is counter productive and has out lived its usefulness. Service members who become separated from their units or evading the enemy can’t survive without ht mere hope of being found. Their hope finds strength in that their country will come looking for them. That they are not forgotten and that won’t stop looking for them.
An Open letter to Congressmen John Murtha -- [SandGram]
Dear Sir,
I know you have been taking a lot of heat lately about your stance on the Marine Corps and the war on Iraq. Know a secret? I just compare you to Lord Darth Vader from “Star Wars.” He, too, was once part of a band of elite fighters, the Jedi Knights, who protected the universe from the dark powers of the “The Force.”
Much like Vader, you succumbed to the dark side of the Force, which blinds you as to the damage you truly cause. It’s no fault of your own; the swell of power that radiates from Washington D.C., can cause any normal person to morph into a dark, sinister person.
New York Times Secretly Sifting CIA Data -- [ScrappleFace]
Under a secret program launched in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, which killed 3,000 people on American soil, The New York Times gained access to private information from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and disseminated it periodically on paper and electronically to al Qaeda and other terror organizations.
'Classified' Makes It of Public Interest -- [Media Blog]
I arrived at work to find this. As if publishing classified information about the NSA terrorist-surveillance program weren't enough, the New York Times now blows the cover on yet another effective counterterrorism program — likely shutting it down.
And what's the difference? -- [Peace like a River]
Benedict Arnold's infamy was devising a plot to turn West Point, which he commanded, over to the British. In addition, he gave the British other information on troop locations, etc... Why? Because Arnold disagreed with the colonies' relationship with the French. So, Arnold took it upon himself to decide foreign policy, and in so doing he betrayed his country.
Today, there is news of more perfidy from the New York Times.
Snow to Thomas: Stop Heckling -- [Media Blog]
Allah has the video of today's Tony Snow v. Helen Thomas showdown. Includes the classic line: "Helen, will you stop heckling and let me conduct the press conference." Someone should have said that a long time ago.
Regarding the substance of Thomas's heckles (she was repeatedly shouting that the program is illegal), Andy McCarthy provides the facts, which do not support Helen's accusation:
Trolls in My Pocket -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
Troll: An individual who interjects into blog conversations simply to cause a stir or insult the regular patrons of the blog. Trolls can be motivated by evangelical zeal for a cause opposite to that of the blog owner(s). Trolls will generally dominate a thread and park themselves on a blog, even though they don’t share most of the expressed opinions of the blog.
...How to Talk to a Troll:
1. If you do not appreciate their presence, then ignore them. Responding to a troll is like feeding a bear… and they always tell you… don’t feed the bears. Ignoring trolls is always the best way to starve them.
2. If you want to debate a troll, be warned.
Milk and honey -- [Fun with hand Grenades - home from Iraq]
It’s here... it’s finally here! By the time you read this I’ll have dropped a large amount of combat pay on a down payment for my new car… I’ll be lazily floating around in my parents’ pool… drinking margaritas with my mom and beer with my old man… I’ll have blisters from rollerblading and running at the dam while staring at all the women… my man boob and back will be in pain from hours of tattoo work… my guitar will be screaming on a new amplifier... my belly will grow by leaps and bounds from a constant intake of Chinese…. and most likely I’ll be so smashed I won’t remember my own name. Hell, I’m even going to make it to my five year high school reunion. Ha! More important than anything, after a nine month absence I get to spend time with the people I love.
Home at last -- [Across the Pond - home from Iraq]
Finally..after a long, long time.....I am finally home. I officially got home on Sunday. I have some stories to tell about my last month or so in Iraq and the demobilization process but I will save those for another day. I can tell you though that it still doesnt seem real yet. It's like I am living in a dream. Being gone for so long and coming home, it hasn't sunk in yet that my tour is over. I know it will take some time, and some adjusting so I'm not going to rush anything.
Going back to Sunday, we all felt like celebrities, and for that moment, in the city of Scranton, we were celebrities. When the plane arrived at the airport with all of us, we had the State Police there to escort us back to the Armory. We unloaded the plane and got on the buses and away we went. Any vehicles that tried to cut in between the buses got pulled over. As we entered the city streets, citizens were lined up waving their hands and some had little flags they were waving.
Two More Farewells -- [The Marching Camp - in Iraq]
I mentioned recently that two of our own had been killed in action by an IED. Today was their memorial service.
SGT Reyes “Rey” Ramirez was born in Mexico and raised in Texas. He was on his second Iraq tour, and was a team leader in 3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon, C Company, 40th Engineer Battalion. He was married to another Soldier, SGT Sy Bulaong-Ramirez, who is in Germany because she is pregnant with his daughter. She will be born this summer. He was described as a true Non-Commissioned Officer, concerned for his Soldiers and who led by example.
Blogging will be intermittent. Lines are still down and PCS is in the works. Will blog from where ever wireless allows.
Barbarism -- [One Hand Clapping - Donald Sensing]
Al Qaeda says Zarqawi’s successor personally beheaded two American soldiers
According to Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Muhammed-Jassim, head of operations at the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, the two American soldiers found dead last night in Yusifiyah had been tortured and “killed in a barbaric way.” Pfc. Kristian Menchaca and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker had been tortured by their captors, according to Iraqi officials
International Outrage over US Trooper Deaths -- [Celetial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
As news reaches us that two US troopers were “slaughtered” by Islamo-fascist terrorists, we must brace ourselves for the inevitable Mainstream Media outrage, human rights organization fury, and overall international do-gooder annoyance. It’s going to be quite something as page after page of editorials from BBC to NYT scream headlines like, “US Troopers Denied Geneva Rights”, or, “Islamist Crime Evidence that Freedom Fighters are Just Terrorists”. Daily KOS will launch into days of angry profanity filled rage against the Islamist thugs who committed the crime, and even Al Jazeera will bemoan in giant headlines, “Islam Slandered Once Again by Islamist Extremists.”
My Opinion: When Our Soldiers Are Murdered -- [GreyEagle - Balding Eagle - husband of GreyEagle in Iraq]
I am outraged. I confess it. Politically correct or not, I have grown weary of throwing our soldiers to the political wolves in order to appease the Iraqi’s and world community. These are the same Iraqi’s who have barbarically slaughtered their own, as well as our soldiers. No, not everyone is an insurgent. But in 24 hours we had 8,000 soldiers, helicopters, aircraft, and unmanned drones searching for the soldiers, and not one Iraqi citizen seemed to know anything that could have possibly preventing their fate. In reading of the torture and brutal way our soldiers, who were taken captive, were treated, tortured and murdered, I am no longer deeply concerned about the incidents that make the headlines and making our soldiers scapegoats for very incident that occurs in Iraq.
Mr. Stokely Responds To Missing Soldiers Found -- [Thunder Run]
Thoughts by Mr. Stokely
Rueters reporting that the two abducted US Soldiers were found dead and that the head of Al Qada in Iraq is showing their throats being slit on the internet. The bodies were reportedly found near Yusufiyah – which is where Mike died. Such events are deplorable and depraved. We must hunt these dogs down and eradicate them from the face of this earth.
al Qaeda raids in Iraq continue -- [Security Watchtower]
On Monday, coalition forces launched a raid near the city of Baquba, killing 15 terrorists and detaining six others, including a high-ranking al Qaeda leader involved with the facilitation of foreign fighters into Iraq.
Iraq’s National Security Adviser: The Way Out of Iraq -- [Austin Bay]
A must-read essay by Mowaffak al-Rubaie in today’s Washington Post (another signal that the new Iraqi government will continue its post-Zarqawi political offensive).
The lede:...
Iraq: al-Rubaie lays out road map for US troop withdrawals -- [QandO Blog - McQ]
I love the fact that on page A17 of yesterday's Washington Post, this little gem lay buried:
...4 down and 9 more almost there. 13 out of 18 provinces ready or near ready for a transfer of power from coaltion to Iraqi security forces (ISF). Seems to coincide with the DoD report I cited the other day, doesn't it?
And what does that mean for US troops?
A Video of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s Wedding Celebration -- [sugiero]
A Video of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s "Wedding" Celebration in the City of Zara’a, in Jordan, on the Occasion of His Martyrdom is being distributed to password protected jihadi-sites. Apparently the video (no link available so far, only the picture below) was recorded with a cellular phone.
Haditha "Reporter" and Zarqawi Lieutenant, Related? -- [BlackFive - Froggy]
Maybe I'm wrong, but there is an interesting "coincidence" occurring that involves the Haditha "massacre" story and an Al Qaida in Iraq Lieutenant who was killed today near Youssifiyah. According to media reports, Ali al-Mashhadani is the name of the al Reuters "reporter" who broke the story to TIME Magazine that several Marines violated ROEs and killed 24 Iraqi civilians following an IED attack. Mansour Suleiman Mansour Khalifi al-Mashhadani is the name of a top terrorist leader killed today in a Coalition airstrike.
Haditha News -- [Hugh Hewitt]
Haditha Report to fault oversight, officials say
The general charged with investigating whether Marines tried to cover up the killing of 24 civilians in Haditha has completed his report, finding that Marine officers failed to ask the right questions, an official close to the investigation said Friday.
...See what I mean about the backtracking and corrections on Haditha getting lost in the mix?
The War -- [The Corner - Michael Ledeen]
Here's a story that probably won't make the evening news because of the bad news in the last graph:
...I mean, what's the point of reporting that women and children were treated well by our troops?
B36 News - 20 Jun 2006 -- [bandit.three.six - home on R&R from Iraq]
B36 News is going to be undergoing some changes while I'm on R&R. To compensate for the cool Google Earth function I'm going to be posting additional stories of success from Iraq.
Little-Known Facts of Victory...
Notes on Iraq from Retired Flag Officer Conference -- [ROFA Six]
Note: This is from a recent "Retired Flag Officer Conference " recently held at Ft. Carson. Some of the comments and observations will not be news, but some of them will be. All of it is very interesting and has been released by the author for posting. I think you will be glad you gave it a gander.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MGen Butcher has approved relaying this email. His quote "------is just too important not to pass on." Although many of us have had suspicions about the true situation this provides us with hard no spin evidence from officers who have "had their feet on the ground". Paul
The day I had to shoot the humvee… -- [Grey Eagle - in Iraq]
I think everyone will understand when I say the words, “Command Maintenance” or “Turn in” out here. Yes, I was tasked to do both….and let me tell you it was funny. First I had to go around and bribe, barter and steal to get doors put on for my two vehicles. That was fun. Luckily, I found some great guys in a shop that had no problems with helping me. As I am getting one set put on, I went back to get the second vehicle only to find out that it was dead. Yeah… dead. I just wanted to cry at that moment. I was so excited to have made all the right connections. I mean, You have to see the whole picture to know how much trouble I went to get this set up.
Insurgent attacks no match for Marines’ resolve -- [One Marine's View]
HAQLANIYAH, Iraq- In the afternoon of June 3, outside the Marines forwarding operating base located in the violent city of Haqlaniyah , three insurgents armed with automatic rifles and wearing face masks opened fire on Marines working in front of the barrier-laden base.
Satan’s Son vs. 1,000lbs of American Love -- [Justice Soldier - in Iraq]
Greetings from the far side of the world! As all of you should know by now, the Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab Al Zarqawi was killed a few days ago; after the Special Forces task force (cannot say their name) hunting him followed his “spiritual adviser” to a safe house just down the road from here.
Summer in Iraq -- [Dave's Not Here - mil. contractor in Iraq]
...To allow you to imagine what 130 feels like, imagine walking outside and having all of the moisture on your eyes dry out instantaneously. Imagine the surface of your eyes feeling like sandpaper, as you blink, because there is so little moisture that your eyelids can't move smoothly.
Shocker: Good News Makes a Difference -- [Andi's World]
The results of a new Pew Research Center survey are both heartening and depressing.
Americans are now more positive about the way things are going in Iraq than in the past few months, following the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and President Bush's brief visit to the country. Optimism about the U.S. achieving its goals in Iraq, which sagged in the spring, has rebounded. But this has resulted in only a slight boost in President Bush's overall approval ratings, and last week's congressional debate failed to engage the public or improve the GOP's standing on the issue.
Taliban Use Children as Shields -- [Media Blog]
Ed Morrissey makes an absolutely critical point after reading news reports that the Taliban "used women and children as human shields as they tried to escape into the mountains of Afghanistan." Morrissey writes:
Kabul to Qalat -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Bill Roggio in Afghanistan]
Haji, our Afghan driver and guide. Click to view.
After arriving back in Kabul on a U.S. Air Force military C-130 transport from Kandahar, I met up with my friend Tim Lynch, the Afghanistan country manager for World Security Initiatives, a private contracting firm. WSI is located off of Jalalabad road, the main artery between Kabul and the eastern city of Jalalabad. The road is a rough ride and heavily populated with construction companies. Like most places in Afghanistan, the ride is always adventurous
The Recruit of Militia Forces in Afghanistan -- [Afghan Lord - Afghani in Afghanistan]
The Afghan Government has announced that it will recruit tribal militias to boost security in their areas. This decision has not been welcomed by most Afghans. On one hand the government carried out the disarmament program to disarm the militias, but on the other hand the government arms irresponsible people. We know that without security and peace it is impossible to make progress. In every country the security forces are organized under the formation of ministry of defense, ministry of interior, and intelligence forces and our government also has these three organizations and we don't need militia forces to ensure security for us.
Brown Sand Sailor Sees the Sights -- [Miserable Donuts]
The Miserable Donuts Naval Attache in Basra sends:
"Saladins' Fort"
Driving through southern Iraq, one comes across some odd things, like picked clean T-72s or BTs (all that's left will be the frame, the rest has been stripped off for scrap). But I thought this picturesque building (Fort? Gangster compound? Militia HQ?) pretty cool. In the picture it looks like something out of French Foreign Legion days, or Suleiman's march toward Jerusalem. As we drove by we saw men with AKs at the front gates, and they flew a green flag, so they ...
12:47 pm - Back to normal -- [Pyjama Samsara - Aid worker in Afghanistan]
As I drove from the airport to my office, I searched for evidence of the recent Kabul riots on 29 May 2006. But there were none. The streets were no quieter. People seemed no different. Kabul was its normal busy bustling self! Amputees and women with children were still begging. Fruit-sellers were still selling their bruised and blackened bananas in wooden carts.
But as I pulled into our street, there was a difference. Our organisation is no longer signposted. No longer does a proud banner say who we are and what we do. A legacy of having been attacked and looted.
NEW ORLEANS, "POLICE STATE" -- [Michelle Malkin]
I'm fascinated by the goings-on in Mayor Ray Nagin's Chocolate City. The National Guard has descended on the violence-plagued city at Nagin's request and with Gov. Kathleen Blanco's blessing. Humvee convoys rolled into the Convention Center area today
Headline: U.S. weighs shootdown of N. Korea missile -- [EagleSpeak]
The Bush administration is weighing responses to a possible North Korean missile test that include attempting to shoot it down in flight over the Pacific, defense officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Denials in the Horn of Africa -- [ThreatsWatch - Marvin Hutchens]
Islamist Deny Terror Ties and Ethiopia Denies Incursion
After taking control of portions of Somalia in early June, the Islamic Courts Union has continued its efforts to solidify support in the nation while inciting increased tensions between Somalia and its neighbors. The ICU has instituted its variant of Islamic courts in Mogadishu, continued to spread its span of control, denied claims of ties to international terror organizations, rejected proposed peace-keeping forces and claimed foreign incursions into Somalia.
Central Asian gas -- [Peace like a River]
At the SCO summit last week, Iran proposed a joint gas venture with Russia, but today the Russian Foreign Minister denied there was any plan to create a "gas OPEC."
THE SAUDI 9/11 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM -- [Michelle Malkin]
This is not a joke: Saudis Offered Scholarships for Aviation Courses in US.
The Irritating, Intrusive Irregulars -- [Strategy Page]
On the Internet, the battle against terrorists is often a private affair. There are several loosely organized, unofficial, anti-terrorist groups out there, as well as individuals. These irregulars stalk pro-terrorist Internet users, often feeding useful information to police and intelligence agencies, but also taking action themselves. Some of the action is of questionable legality, or definitely over the line.
Amazing Re-Enlistment -- [Blackfive]
Two stories of committment in a row. First, Major Walsh (previous post) and now SSG Caldwell.
...This is pretty damn amazing - file under "Where Do We Find Such Men?" I'll post the whole the story of SSG Caldwell in the Extended Section.
Iraq War May Add Stress for Past Vets -- [Outside the Beltway - James Joyner]
WaPo fronts a report that Vietnam vets have been really stressed out since the Iraq War started.
More than 30 years after their war ended, thousands of Vietnam veterans are seeking help for post-traumatic stress disorder, and experts say one reason appears to be harrowing images of combat in Iraq. Figures from the Department of Veterans Affairs show that PTSD disability-compensation cases have nearly doubled since 2000, to an all-time high of more than 260,000. The biggest bulge has come since 2003, when war started in Iraq.
...Cori Dauber notes that it’s not the war, it’s press coverage of it, that’s increasing the vets’ exposure to war stress. Blue Crab Boulevard agrees, adding, “Maybe the veterans are watching the media trying to do the same thing that was done to them 30 years ago. Maybe they are sickened by watching the media and the left trying their best to lose this war like they lost Vietnam.”
Proposed Military Pay Chart Change -- [The Stupid Shall Be Punished]
Back in March, I said that I didn't like the proposal being floated by the Defense Advisory Committee on Military Compensation to defer retirement payments until age 60 for future military retirees. (Soldier's Mom also mentioned it over at the MilBlog Ring HQ.) The committee's complete report came out earlier this month (you can download all 182 pages of the report here) and they've got a new bombshell -- changing the military pay chart from one that pays you based on "time in service" to one that uses "time in grade". It doesn't seem like that big a deal for officers (who will normally get promoted within 1 year, plus or minus, of the "standard" promotion flow point) but it could be a really big change for enlisted men and women. Overall, the proposal is revenue-neutral for all the services, but each service's total payroll would change, ranging from +0.78% for the Army, to -0.96% for the Air Force.
1LT Watada -- [Homefront Six]
1LT Watada,
I read your letter in the Honolulu Advertiser and, as a military spouse whose husband is set to deploy in the next few weeks to do the job you so conveniently have chosen not to do, I feel it is my duty to point out a few discrepancies in your arguments. I would not want you to go to trial with such a lacking defense. You might find yourself with a one way ticket to uptown Fort Leavenworth and that would be unfortunate.
The Miracle Marine -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany - MaryAnn]
"Would you like to come meet my patient?", one of the ICU nurses asked us.
Mrs. G and I were in the Landstuhl ICU restocking the hand/foot warmer shelf and bringing some thank you cards for the staff.
"Sure", we said. "What's the deal with him?"
"He was shot in the eye by a sniper. But aside from losing the eye, he's basically fine."
Results for Valour-IT -- [Soldiers' Angels New York]
Results of the Valour-IT blogburst last week, from Fuzzilicious Thinking:
Total raised: $18,265 - That's 2.5 times more than the goal!
Even better, that total does not include at least one new sponsor and six additional laptops that have been donated.
Laptops distributed since August 2005: 500.
Eidolons Out, Guidons Forward -- [Fire and Ice - combat artist]
I've set up another blog. It's called Eidolons! Since returning from Iraq postings here at Fire and Ice have been increasingly political and confrontational in nature. Someone recently emailed me with a good-natured play on my last name-they addressed me as Warrant Officer F(r)ay. I don't imagine, in light of the current political situation and approaching mid-term elections, that I will avoid passionate comments confronting what, in my humble opinion, are fifth columnists amongst us here at home. I do not suffer fools gladly, so expect further fire for effects and rounds continuing to go down range.
Media Falls for Apparent Al-Qaida Hoax Message -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Evan Kohlmann]
This morning, various media outlets began reporting that Al-Qaida had issued a statement claiming that newly designated Al-Qaida commander in Iraq Abu Hamza al-Muhajir had personally executed two U.S. soldiers kidnapped from a traffic checkpoint in Al-Yousifiya several days ago. That statement gained credibility when the U.S. military found the bodies of the two men, apparently mutilated as described in the online claim. There are two key points that must be made regarding this would-be Al-Qaida document...
They Have It All Figured Out -- [NewsBusters]
The Vice President of the Washington Post, Ben Bradlee, has the solution to the problem of MASSIVE declining newspaper circulation all figured out:
PBS’s ‘Frontline’ Airs Cheney Documentary Tonight Called ‘The Dark Side’ -- [NewsBusters]
A new documentary about Vice President Dick Cheney is set to air this evening on PBS. It’s called “The Dark Side,” and based upon a review published in today’s New York Daily News, it doesn’t appear to be very flattering.
Kos - Armstrong Blogola Scandal -- [Outside the Beltway - James Joyner]
Dan Riehl has done some digging and found that myDD’s Jerome Armstrong received rather significant payments from his work as a political consultant on Jon Corzine’s successful campaign for NJ governor. While Tim Worstall has a point when he observes that, “with the amount of cash that swills through American politics, they actually look like very small sums,” they’re pretty hefty for amateur consulting services. (A recent MSNBC story has Armstrong describing his role in the Mark Warner campaign as handling “anything that deals with the Internet or technology, especially with the strategic decisions that are made early on in terms of the vendor relationships, the people we bring on.”)
A quick note on amnesty for insurgents and national reconciliation in Iraq -- [TigerHawk]
Via Glenn, Mickey Kaus points to a "stunningly cynical" move by Senate Democrats to discredit discussions of amnesty for insurgents in Iraq. What have the Democrats done now? They have proposed the adoption of the following resolution:
L over Dmax...or How The Dems Lost Their Lift -- [My Sandmen - Major Mike]
Open Figure 4.12...keep it handy.
Figure 4.12: Coefficients versus Angle of Attack
During my Aviation Indoctrination (AI) in Pensacola, FL, in the late fall of 1978, I was exposed to the first of the weeding out process that all potential aviators and Naval Flight Officers must get through to go on to fly Naval aircraft. This six to seven week course (as I recall) included classroom instruction centered around the topics of aerodynamics, propulsion, and air navigation. AI also included a hefty dose of PT (physical training), aviation physiology, water survival…the Navy version of water torture…and land survival.
Remembering the 2,996 -- [Soldiers' Angels New York]
2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11.
On September 11, 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers will join together for a tribute to the victims of 9/11. Each person will pay tribute to a single victim. We will honor them by remembering their lives, and not by remembering their murderers.
Barbarism -- [One Hand Clapping - Donald Sensing]
Al Qaeda says Zarqawi’s successor personally beheaded two American soldiers
According to Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Muhammed-Jassim, head of operations at the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, the two American soldiers found dead last night in Yusifiyah had been tortured and “killed in a barbaric way.” Pfc. Kristian Menchaca and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker had been tortured by their captors, according to Iraqi officials
International Outrage over US Trooper Deaths -- [Celetial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
As news reaches us that two US troopers were “slaughtered” by Islamo-fascist terrorists, we must brace ourselves for the inevitable Mainstream Media outrage, human rights organization fury, and overall international do-gooder annoyance. It’s going to be quite something as page after page of editorials from BBC to NYT scream headlines like, “US Troopers Denied Geneva Rights”, or, “Islamist Crime Evidence that Freedom Fighters are Just Terrorists”. Daily KOS will launch into days of angry profanity filled rage against the Islamist thugs who committed the crime, and even Al Jazeera will bemoan in giant headlines, “Islam Slandered Once Again by Islamist Extremists.”
My Opinion: When Our Soldiers Are Murdered -- [GreyEagle - Balding Eagle - husband of GreyEagle in Iraq]
I am outraged. I confess it. Politically correct or not, I have grown weary of throwing our soldiers to the political wolves in order to appease the Iraqi’s and world community. These are the same Iraqi’s who have barbarically slaughtered their own, as well as our soldiers. No, not everyone is an insurgent. But in 24 hours we had 8,000 soldiers, helicopters, aircraft, and unmanned drones searching for the soldiers, and not one Iraqi citizen seemed to know anything that could have possibly preventing their fate. In reading of the torture and brutal way our soldiers, who were taken captive, were treated, tortured and murdered, I am no longer deeply concerned about the incidents that make the headlines and making our soldiers scapegoats for very incident that occurs in Iraq.
Mr. Stokely Responds To Missing Soldiers Found -- [Thunder Run]
Thoughts by Mr. Stokely
Rueters reporting that the two abducted US Soldiers were found dead and that the head of Al Qada in Iraq is showing their throats being slit on the internet. The bodies were reportedly found near Yusufiyah – which is where Mike died. Such events are deplorable and depraved. We must hunt these dogs down and eradicate them from the face of this earth.
al Qaeda raids in Iraq continue -- [Security Watchtower]
On Monday, coalition forces launched a raid near the city of Baquba, killing 15 terrorists and detaining six others, including a high-ranking al Qaeda leader involved with the facilitation of foreign fighters into Iraq.
Iraq’s National Security Adviser: The Way Out of Iraq -- [Austin Bay]
A must-read essay by Mowaffak al-Rubaie in today’s Washington Post (another signal that the new Iraqi government will continue its post-Zarqawi political offensive).
The lede:...
Iraq: al-Rubaie lays out road map for US troop withdrawals -- [QandO Blog - McQ]
I love the fact that on page A17 of yesterday's Washington Post, this little gem lay buried:
...4 down and 9 more almost there. 13 out of 18 provinces ready or near ready for a transfer of power from coaltion to Iraqi security forces (ISF). Seems to coincide with the DoD report I cited the other day, doesn't it?
And what does that mean for US troops?
A Video of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s Wedding Celebration -- [sugiero]
A Video of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s "Wedding" Celebration in the City of Zara’a, in Jordan, on the Occasion of His Martyrdom is being distributed to password protected jihadi-sites. Apparently the video (no link available so far, only the picture below) was recorded with a cellular phone.
Haditha "Reporter" and Zarqawi Lieutenant, Related? -- [BlackFive - Froggy]
Maybe I'm wrong, but there is an interesting "coincidence" occurring that involves the Haditha "massacre" story and an Al Qaida in Iraq Lieutenant who was killed today near Youssifiyah. According to media reports, Ali al-Mashhadani is the name of the al Reuters "reporter" who broke the story to TIME Magazine that several Marines violated ROEs and killed 24 Iraqi civilians following an IED attack. Mansour Suleiman Mansour Khalifi al-Mashhadani is the name of a top terrorist leader killed today in a Coalition airstrike.
Haditha News -- [Hugh Hewitt]
Haditha Report to fault oversight, officials say
The general charged with investigating whether Marines tried to cover up the killing of 24 civilians in Haditha has completed his report, finding that Marine officers failed to ask the right questions, an official close to the investigation said Friday.
...See what I mean about the backtracking and corrections on Haditha getting lost in the mix?
The War -- [The Corner - Michael Ledeen]
Here's a story that probably won't make the evening news because of the bad news in the last graph:
...I mean, what's the point of reporting that women and children were treated well by our troops?
B36 News - 20 Jun 2006 -- [bandit.three.six - home on R&R from Iraq]
B36 News is going to be undergoing some changes while I'm on R&R. To compensate for the cool Google Earth function I'm going to be posting additional stories of success from Iraq.
Little-Known Facts of Victory...
Notes on Iraq from Retired Flag Officer Conference -- [ROFA Six]
Note: This is from a recent "Retired Flag Officer Conference " recently held at Ft. Carson. Some of the comments and observations will not be news, but some of them will be. All of it is very interesting and has been released by the author for posting. I think you will be glad you gave it a gander.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MGen Butcher has approved relaying this email. His quote "------is just too important not to pass on." Although many of us have had suspicions about the true situation this provides us with hard no spin evidence from officers who have "had their feet on the ground". Paul
The day I had to shoot the humvee… -- [Grey Eagle - in Iraq]
I think everyone will understand when I say the words, “Command Maintenance” or “Turn in” out here. Yes, I was tasked to do both….and let me tell you it was funny. First I had to go around and bribe, barter and steal to get doors put on for my two vehicles. That was fun. Luckily, I found some great guys in a shop that had no problems with helping me. As I am getting one set put on, I went back to get the second vehicle only to find out that it was dead. Yeah… dead. I just wanted to cry at that moment. I was so excited to have made all the right connections. I mean, You have to see the whole picture to know how much trouble I went to get this set up.
Insurgent attacks no match for Marines’ resolve -- [One Marine's View]
HAQLANIYAH, Iraq- In the afternoon of June 3, outside the Marines forwarding operating base located in the violent city of Haqlaniyah , three insurgents armed with automatic rifles and wearing face masks opened fire on Marines working in front of the barrier-laden base.
Satan’s Son vs. 1,000lbs of American Love -- [Justice Soldier - in Iraq]
Greetings from the far side of the world! As all of you should know by now, the Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab Al Zarqawi was killed a few days ago; after the Special Forces task force (cannot say their name) hunting him followed his “spiritual adviser” to a safe house just down the road from here.
Summer in Iraq -- [Dave's Not Here - mil. contractor in Iraq]
...To allow you to imagine what 130 feels like, imagine walking outside and having all of the moisture on your eyes dry out instantaneously. Imagine the surface of your eyes feeling like sandpaper, as you blink, because there is so little moisture that your eyelids can't move smoothly.
Shocker: Good News Makes a Difference -- [Andi's World]
The results of a new Pew Research Center survey are both heartening and depressing.
Americans are now more positive about the way things are going in Iraq than in the past few months, following the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and President Bush's brief visit to the country. Optimism about the U.S. achieving its goals in Iraq, which sagged in the spring, has rebounded. But this has resulted in only a slight boost in President Bush's overall approval ratings, and last week's congressional debate failed to engage the public or improve the GOP's standing on the issue.
Taliban Use Children as Shields -- [Media Blog]
Ed Morrissey makes an absolutely critical point after reading news reports that the Taliban "used women and children as human shields as they tried to escape into the mountains of Afghanistan." Morrissey writes:
Kabul to Qalat -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Bill Roggio in Afghanistan]
Haji, our Afghan driver and guide. Click to view.
After arriving back in Kabul on a U.S. Air Force military C-130 transport from Kandahar, I met up with my friend Tim Lynch, the Afghanistan country manager for World Security Initiatives, a private contracting firm. WSI is located off of Jalalabad road, the main artery between Kabul and the eastern city of Jalalabad. The road is a rough ride and heavily populated with construction companies. Like most places in Afghanistan, the ride is always adventurous
The Recruit of Militia Forces in Afghanistan -- [Afghan Lord - Afghani in Afghanistan]
The Afghan Government has announced that it will recruit tribal militias to boost security in their areas. This decision has not been welcomed by most Afghans. On one hand the government carried out the disarmament program to disarm the militias, but on the other hand the government arms irresponsible people. We know that without security and peace it is impossible to make progress. In every country the security forces are organized under the formation of ministry of defense, ministry of interior, and intelligence forces and our government also has these three organizations and we don't need militia forces to ensure security for us.
Brown Sand Sailor Sees the Sights -- [Miserable Donuts]
The Miserable Donuts Naval Attache in Basra sends:
"Saladins' Fort"
Driving through southern Iraq, one comes across some odd things, like picked clean T-72s or BTs (all that's left will be the frame, the rest has been stripped off for scrap). But I thought this picturesque building (Fort? Gangster compound? Militia HQ?) pretty cool. In the picture it looks like something out of French Foreign Legion days, or Suleiman's march toward Jerusalem. As we drove by we saw men with AKs at the front gates, and they flew a green flag, so they ...
12:47 pm - Back to normal -- [Pyjama Samsara - Aid worker in Afghanistan]
As I drove from the airport to my office, I searched for evidence of the recent Kabul riots on 29 May 2006. But there were none. The streets were no quieter. People seemed no different. Kabul was its normal busy bustling self! Amputees and women with children were still begging. Fruit-sellers were still selling their bruised and blackened bananas in wooden carts.
But as I pulled into our street, there was a difference. Our organisation is no longer signposted. No longer does a proud banner say who we are and what we do. A legacy of having been attacked and looted.
NEW ORLEANS, "POLICE STATE" -- [Michelle Malkin]
I'm fascinated by the goings-on in Mayor Ray Nagin's Chocolate City. The National Guard has descended on the violence-plagued city at Nagin's request and with Gov. Kathleen Blanco's blessing. Humvee convoys rolled into the Convention Center area today
Headline: U.S. weighs shootdown of N. Korea missile -- [EagleSpeak]
The Bush administration is weighing responses to a possible North Korean missile test that include attempting to shoot it down in flight over the Pacific, defense officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Denials in the Horn of Africa -- [ThreatsWatch - Marvin Hutchens]
Islamist Deny Terror Ties and Ethiopia Denies Incursion
After taking control of portions of Somalia in early June, the Islamic Courts Union has continued its efforts to solidify support in the nation while inciting increased tensions between Somalia and its neighbors. The ICU has instituted its variant of Islamic courts in Mogadishu, continued to spread its span of control, denied claims of ties to international terror organizations, rejected proposed peace-keeping forces and claimed foreign incursions into Somalia.
Central Asian gas -- [Peace like a River]
At the SCO summit last week, Iran proposed a joint gas venture with Russia, but today the Russian Foreign Minister denied there was any plan to create a "gas OPEC."
THE SAUDI 9/11 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM -- [Michelle Malkin]
This is not a joke: Saudis Offered Scholarships for Aviation Courses in US.
The Irritating, Intrusive Irregulars -- [Strategy Page]
On the Internet, the battle against terrorists is often a private affair. There are several loosely organized, unofficial, anti-terrorist groups out there, as well as individuals. These irregulars stalk pro-terrorist Internet users, often feeding useful information to police and intelligence agencies, but also taking action themselves. Some of the action is of questionable legality, or definitely over the line.
Amazing Re-Enlistment -- [Blackfive]
Two stories of committment in a row. First, Major Walsh (previous post) and now SSG Caldwell.
...This is pretty damn amazing - file under "Where Do We Find Such Men?" I'll post the whole the story of SSG Caldwell in the Extended Section.
Iraq War May Add Stress for Past Vets -- [Outside the Beltway - James Joyner]
WaPo fronts a report that Vietnam vets have been really stressed out since the Iraq War started.
More than 30 years after their war ended, thousands of Vietnam veterans are seeking help for post-traumatic stress disorder, and experts say one reason appears to be harrowing images of combat in Iraq. Figures from the Department of Veterans Affairs show that PTSD disability-compensation cases have nearly doubled since 2000, to an all-time high of more than 260,000. The biggest bulge has come since 2003, when war started in Iraq.
...Cori Dauber notes that it’s not the war, it’s press coverage of it, that’s increasing the vets’ exposure to war stress. Blue Crab Boulevard agrees, adding, “Maybe the veterans are watching the media trying to do the same thing that was done to them 30 years ago. Maybe they are sickened by watching the media and the left trying their best to lose this war like they lost Vietnam.”
Proposed Military Pay Chart Change -- [The Stupid Shall Be Punished]
Back in March, I said that I didn't like the proposal being floated by the Defense Advisory Committee on Military Compensation to defer retirement payments until age 60 for future military retirees. (Soldier's Mom also mentioned it over at the MilBlog Ring HQ.) The committee's complete report came out earlier this month (you can download all 182 pages of the report here) and they've got a new bombshell -- changing the military pay chart from one that pays you based on "time in service" to one that uses "time in grade". It doesn't seem like that big a deal for officers (who will normally get promoted within 1 year, plus or minus, of the "standard" promotion flow point) but it could be a really big change for enlisted men and women. Overall, the proposal is revenue-neutral for all the services, but each service's total payroll would change, ranging from +0.78% for the Army, to -0.96% for the Air Force.
1LT Watada -- [Homefront Six]
1LT Watada,
I read your letter in the Honolulu Advertiser and, as a military spouse whose husband is set to deploy in the next few weeks to do the job you so conveniently have chosen not to do, I feel it is my duty to point out a few discrepancies in your arguments. I would not want you to go to trial with such a lacking defense. You might find yourself with a one way ticket to uptown Fort Leavenworth and that would be unfortunate.
The Miracle Marine -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany - MaryAnn]
"Would you like to come meet my patient?", one of the ICU nurses asked us.
Mrs. G and I were in the Landstuhl ICU restocking the hand/foot warmer shelf and bringing some thank you cards for the staff.
"Sure", we said. "What's the deal with him?"
"He was shot in the eye by a sniper. But aside from losing the eye, he's basically fine."
Results for Valour-IT -- [Soldiers' Angels New York]
Results of the Valour-IT blogburst last week, from Fuzzilicious Thinking:
Total raised: $18,265 - That's 2.5 times more than the goal!
Even better, that total does not include at least one new sponsor and six additional laptops that have been donated.
Laptops distributed since August 2005: 500.
Eidolons Out, Guidons Forward -- [Fire and Ice - combat artist]
I've set up another blog. It's called Eidolons! Since returning from Iraq postings here at Fire and Ice have been increasingly political and confrontational in nature. Someone recently emailed me with a good-natured play on my last name-they addressed me as Warrant Officer F(r)ay. I don't imagine, in light of the current political situation and approaching mid-term elections, that I will avoid passionate comments confronting what, in my humble opinion, are fifth columnists amongst us here at home. I do not suffer fools gladly, so expect further fire for effects and rounds continuing to go down range.
Media Falls for Apparent Al-Qaida Hoax Message -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Evan Kohlmann]
This morning, various media outlets began reporting that Al-Qaida had issued a statement claiming that newly designated Al-Qaida commander in Iraq Abu Hamza al-Muhajir had personally executed two U.S. soldiers kidnapped from a traffic checkpoint in Al-Yousifiya several days ago. That statement gained credibility when the U.S. military found the bodies of the two men, apparently mutilated as described in the online claim. There are two key points that must be made regarding this would-be Al-Qaida document...
They Have It All Figured Out -- [NewsBusters]
The Vice President of the Washington Post, Ben Bradlee, has the solution to the problem of MASSIVE declining newspaper circulation all figured out:
PBS’s ‘Frontline’ Airs Cheney Documentary Tonight Called ‘The Dark Side’ -- [NewsBusters]
A new documentary about Vice President Dick Cheney is set to air this evening on PBS. It’s called “The Dark Side,” and based upon a review published in today’s New York Daily News, it doesn’t appear to be very flattering.
Kos - Armstrong Blogola Scandal -- [Outside the Beltway - James Joyner]
Dan Riehl has done some digging and found that myDD’s Jerome Armstrong received rather significant payments from his work as a political consultant on Jon Corzine’s successful campaign for NJ governor. While Tim Worstall has a point when he observes that, “with the amount of cash that swills through American politics, they actually look like very small sums,” they’re pretty hefty for amateur consulting services. (A recent MSNBC story has Armstrong describing his role in the Mark Warner campaign as handling “anything that deals with the Internet or technology, especially with the strategic decisions that are made early on in terms of the vendor relationships, the people we bring on.”)
A quick note on amnesty for insurgents and national reconciliation in Iraq -- [TigerHawk]
Via Glenn, Mickey Kaus points to a "stunningly cynical" move by Senate Democrats to discredit discussions of amnesty for insurgents in Iraq. What have the Democrats done now? They have proposed the adoption of the following resolution:
L over Dmax...or How The Dems Lost Their Lift -- [My Sandmen - Major Mike]
Open Figure 4.12...keep it handy.
Figure 4.12: Coefficients versus Angle of Attack
During my Aviation Indoctrination (AI) in Pensacola, FL, in the late fall of 1978, I was exposed to the first of the weeding out process that all potential aviators and Naval Flight Officers must get through to go on to fly Naval aircraft. This six to seven week course (as I recall) included classroom instruction centered around the topics of aerodynamics, propulsion, and air navigation. AI also included a hefty dose of PT (physical training), aviation physiology, water survival…the Navy version of water torture…and land survival.
Remembering the 2,996 -- [Soldiers' Angels New York]
2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11.
On September 11, 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers will join together for a tribute to the victims of 9/11. Each person will pay tribute to a single victim. We will honor them by remembering their lives, and not by remembering their murderers.
Get Rich or Die Trying -- [Strategy Page]
June 19, 2006: Iraqi and American troops have surrounded and moved into Ramadi, a town that has long been a stronghold for Sunni Arab nationalists. Ramadi has become a magnet for terrorists, because of the many pro-terrorist neighborhoods there that will shelter them. Suicide car bombs, and terrorists in general, have been traced back to these Ramadi neighborhoods, and the new operation appears to be directed at shutting down some terrorist cells.
Hope and heat -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
Hope glimmers. I was talking to my Iraqi friend today and asking about how Baghdadis feel now that Zarqawi is dead and Bush came to visit.
This man comments all the time that he has never seen anything in Iraq but war. He’s jaded about hopes for peace. Today he was more hopeful than I’ve ever seen him. With Zarqawi’s death and talks about U.S. troop withdrawals, he feels that Baghdadis see forward momentum for their country.
For the missing -- [Talking Salmons - in Iraq]
Two soldiers are missing after an incident Friday night.
Learning of a death or series of deaths of soldiers is hard enough, but at least the matter of their end state is known. Missing troops is another matter entirely.
The notion that they could be in a house just miles away, tucked in some basement with masked men holding knives to their throats, it's just debilitating.
So close, we can taste it! -- [Combat Medic In Iraq]
Greetings again from sunny and maybe a little too warm Mosul, Iraq! The days are going by so fast here, and some of us are suffering from *short-timers* disease. Things have been particulary hairy the last few weeks, the insurgents seem to know we are getting out of here and decided to pour on the *fire*. Nothing we can't handle though.
The Dying Tribes -- [Strategy Page]
June 19, 2006: Over a hundred Taliban were killed in the last week, mostly by smart bombs, directed by Coalition troops on the ground who had located groups of Taliban. In one case, a large meeting of local Taliban activists was hit, killing over 40 of them, and leaving behind many valuable documents, and survivors who could be interrogated. While the Taliban have been conducting ambushes and attacks on remote villages, they have also been taking most of the casualties.
A-bad revisited -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanistan]
...A-bad is one of those bases tucked in the mountains, seeming like it would be a cool retreat if not getting rocketed on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, just before we flew from there to start the op, a rocket intended for the base struck a school in town - tragically, during their recess. The despicable attack killed 11 children and wounded over a dozen others, who were rushed to the base for immediate medical attention, saving some who were in really bad shape. The medics and docs on hand were incredible that day.
The Afghan Quagmire Deepens -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
Somewhere on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan there are villagers who wait for their sons and fathers to return. Steeped in archaic Islamist doctrine, the tribes of the border have armed and swelled the ranks of the Afghan Taliban. Now the villagers await the return of their victorious jihadists who’ve gone off to the Afghan holy war to oust the infidel invaders.
For many, if not most of these folks, the wait for returning family and friends will be a permanent one. Afghanistan has become the place where zealous and ignorant believers of Islamo-fascist doctrine go to die. While the European MSM, and the occasional North American outlet, try to stir images of a NATO quagmire, the true nature of the situation in Afghanistan continues to seep through MSM news reports.
Honoring the Fallen......Lacking? -- [Daves Not Here - contractor in Iraq]
This morning I received an email from a reader asking about a convoy incident that occured on the evening of June 13th.
As a military brat, I'd like to extend Thanks for the "Honor the Fallen" portion of each day. Our troops who gave all truly deserve that honor and recognition.
However, as a family member of a civilian worker (supply truck driver) in theater, I'd like to know why we never see or hear of all those lives lost trying to earn a living and support our troops.
The Mubtakkar: Al-Qaeda’s Planned Poison Gas Attack on the N.Y. Subway -- [Blogs of War]
...So if Suskind’s information is accurate (and it appears to be at least partially accurate) the plans for this device are out there? I just can’t imagine why the attack would be aborted. Even stranger is that the plans for this device have existed since at least 2003. If execution is that easy why haven’t we seen one of these deployed? I can see an operation getting delayed for a few weeks or months but years? It’s difficult to image the “holy grail of terror R&D” sitting on the shelf that long.
Myths and the US Military -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
Combat Jump Star has a synopsis of common myths about the US military. For those who don’t know CJS, he’s a duel citizen of Canada and the United States and has served 2 tours in Afghanistan and 1 in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne…. ( I dare you to tell him that the 82nd is the “little sister” of the 101st). Check out his debunking of some common myths; myths by the way, that are MSM or Leftist boilerplate:
Colin Powell... An Interview -- [Soldier's Mom]
AARP's cover story in their magazine this month is an extraordinary interview with Colin Powell, former Secretary of State, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, former National Security Advisor, former military officer...
While the early questions are clearly "light" (about being almost 70, about not running for elected office, etc.), the reporter Nancy Perry Graham, who formerly covered policy and politics for Fortune and Money magazines, starts to promote an anti-Bush / anti-war taint to the interview... General Powell is too quick and too good to get dragged into it and does a superb job of telling it like it is/was. Here's a sample: ...
Media and the Military -- [T.F. Boggs - in Iraq]
Some people chastise me for being too hard on the media when it comes to their reporting on military matters. They say that I am unwarranted in my criticisms and that I should be more careful because I influence hatred of the media in others.
Next Time, Just Call It In to CNN -- [4mile creek - in Iraq]
This morning, on CNN, the anchorman was asking the NYTs Baghdad bureau chief questions about the two missing US soldiers. The NYTs chief noted that if the soldiers were in fact taken, the terrorists who took them had not gotten out a video message, something they normally do quite quickly (with the help of, say, CNN).
So the CNN anchorman, not able to get it from the horse's ass mouth, figures he'll stand in for the terrorists, and make their announcement for them. He asks the NYTs guy if ...
Back on United States Soil ... at last -- [Wordsmith at War - home from Iraq]
Grass, trees, Wal- Mart, Waffle House, beer, traffic jams, a rental car, air conditioning, civilians everywhere...
It has been a long, long 17 months since I left this great land, but I am happy to announce that the 2nd Battalion, 222nd Field Artillery, Utah Army National Guard is back on U.S. soil. We find ourselves back in the flux of American life.
For those of you who don't already know, I am 1st Lieutenant Lee Kelley, and I am the unit Signal Officer.
We are not back in Utah just yet, but we are completing our demobilization processing and will be home very soon.
We did not lose one soldier who left Utah in January 2005. A few were injured, but we all came home alive.
Home Again -- [bandit.three.six - home for R&R from Iraq]
Sorry for the absence for the past couple days. I was busy making my way back to see my sweetie for R and R. In a grand total of 2.5 days of travel, I had roughly 8 hours of sleep total. Guys my size don't fit nicely into the seats on airplanes so sleep is infrequent and painful when you wake up.
Honoring the Fallen -- [Justice Soldier - in Iraq]
SPC Brent W. Koch, 22, of Morton, Minn. died Friday, June 16th, in Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle about 9:30 p.m. Iraq time.
Koch was a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard’s Company E, 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry Combined Arms Battalion, 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry Division, based out of Redwood Falls, Minn. Read More…
Get Rich or Die Trying -- [Strategy Page]
June 19, 2006: Iraqi and American troops have surrounded and moved into Ramadi, a town that has long been a stronghold for Sunni Arab nationalists. Ramadi has become a magnet for terrorists, because of the many pro-terrorist neighborhoods there that will shelter them. Suicide car bombs, and terrorists in general, have been traced back to these Ramadi neighborhoods, and the new operation appears to be directed at shutting down some terrorist cells.
Hope and heat -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
Hope glimmers. I was talking to my Iraqi friend today and asking about how Baghdadis feel now that Zarqawi is dead and Bush came to visit.
This man comments all the time that he has never seen anything in Iraq but war. He’s jaded about hopes for peace. Today he was more hopeful than I’ve ever seen him. With Zarqawi’s death and talks about U.S. troop withdrawals, he feels that Baghdadis see forward momentum for their country.
For the missing -- [Talking Salmons - in Iraq]
Two soldiers are missing after an incident Friday night.
Learning of a death or series of deaths of soldiers is hard enough, but at least the matter of their end state is known. Missing troops is another matter entirely.
The notion that they could be in a house just miles away, tucked in some basement with masked men holding knives to their throats, it's just debilitating.
So close, we can taste it! -- [Combat Medic In Iraq]
Greetings again from sunny and maybe a little too warm Mosul, Iraq! The days are going by so fast here, and some of us are suffering from *short-timers* disease. Things have been particulary hairy the last few weeks, the insurgents seem to know we are getting out of here and decided to pour on the *fire*. Nothing we can't handle though.
The Dying Tribes -- [Strategy Page]
June 19, 2006: Over a hundred Taliban were killed in the last week, mostly by smart bombs, directed by Coalition troops on the ground who had located groups of Taliban. In one case, a large meeting of local Taliban activists was hit, killing over 40 of them, and leaving behind many valuable documents, and survivors who could be interrogated. While the Taliban have been conducting ambushes and attacks on remote villages, they have also been taking most of the casualties.
A-bad revisited -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanistan]
...A-bad is one of those bases tucked in the mountains, seeming like it would be a cool retreat if not getting rocketed on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, just before we flew from there to start the op, a rocket intended for the base struck a school in town - tragically, during their recess. The despicable attack killed 11 children and wounded over a dozen others, who were rushed to the base for immediate medical attention, saving some who were in really bad shape. The medics and docs on hand were incredible that day.
The Afghan Quagmire Deepens -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
Somewhere on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan there are villagers who wait for their sons and fathers to return. Steeped in archaic Islamist doctrine, the tribes of the border have armed and swelled the ranks of the Afghan Taliban. Now the villagers await the return of their victorious jihadists who’ve gone off to the Afghan holy war to oust the infidel invaders.
For many, if not most of these folks, the wait for returning family and friends will be a permanent one. Afghanistan has become the place where zealous and ignorant believers of Islamo-fascist doctrine go to die. While the European MSM, and the occasional North American outlet, try to stir images of a NATO quagmire, the true nature of the situation in Afghanistan continues to seep through MSM news reports.
Honoring the Fallen......Lacking? -- [Daves Not Here - contractor in Iraq]
This morning I received an email from a reader asking about a convoy incident that occured on the evening of June 13th.
As a military brat, I'd like to extend Thanks for the "Honor the Fallen" portion of each day. Our troops who gave all truly deserve that honor and recognition.
However, as a family member of a civilian worker (supply truck driver) in theater, I'd like to know why we never see or hear of all those lives lost trying to earn a living and support our troops.
The Mubtakkar: Al-Qaeda’s Planned Poison Gas Attack on the N.Y. Subway -- [Blogs of War]
...So if Suskind’s information is accurate (and it appears to be at least partially accurate) the plans for this device are out there? I just can’t imagine why the attack would be aborted. Even stranger is that the plans for this device have existed since at least 2003. If execution is that easy why haven’t we seen one of these deployed? I can see an operation getting delayed for a few weeks or months but years? It’s difficult to image the “holy grail of terror R&D” sitting on the shelf that long.
Myths and the US Military -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troops]
Combat Jump Star has a synopsis of common myths about the US military. For those who don’t know CJS, he’s a duel citizen of Canada and the United States and has served 2 tours in Afghanistan and 1 in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne…. ( I dare you to tell him that the 82nd is the “little sister” of the 101st). Check out his debunking of some common myths; myths by the way, that are MSM or Leftist boilerplate:
Colin Powell... An Interview -- [Soldier's Mom]
AARP's cover story in their magazine this month is an extraordinary interview with Colin Powell, former Secretary of State, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, former National Security Advisor, former military officer...
While the early questions are clearly "light" (about being almost 70, about not running for elected office, etc.), the reporter Nancy Perry Graham, who formerly covered policy and politics for Fortune and Money magazines, starts to promote an anti-Bush / anti-war taint to the interview... General Powell is too quick and too good to get dragged into it and does a superb job of telling it like it is/was. Here's a sample: ...
Media and the Military -- [T.F. Boggs - in Iraq]
Some people chastise me for being too hard on the media when it comes to their reporting on military matters. They say that I am unwarranted in my criticisms and that I should be more careful because I influence hatred of the media in others.
Next Time, Just Call It In to CNN -- [4mile creek - in Iraq]
This morning, on CNN, the anchorman was asking the NYTs Baghdad bureau chief questions about the two missing US soldiers. The NYTs chief noted that if the soldiers were in fact taken, the terrorists who took them had not gotten out a video message, something they normally do quite quickly (with the help of, say, CNN).
So the CNN anchorman, not able to get it from the horse's ass mouth, figures he'll stand in for the terrorists, and make their announcement for them. He asks the NYTs guy if ...
Back on United States Soil ... at last -- [Wordsmith at War - home from Iraq]
Grass, trees, Wal- Mart, Waffle House, beer, traffic jams, a rental car, air conditioning, civilians everywhere...
It has been a long, long 17 months since I left this great land, but I am happy to announce that the 2nd Battalion, 222nd Field Artillery, Utah Army National Guard is back on U.S. soil. We find ourselves back in the flux of American life.
For those of you who don't already know, I am 1st Lieutenant Lee Kelley, and I am the unit Signal Officer.
We are not back in Utah just yet, but we are completing our demobilization processing and will be home very soon.
We did not lose one soldier who left Utah in January 2005. A few were injured, but we all came home alive.
Home Again -- [bandit.three.six - home for R&R from Iraq]
Sorry for the absence for the past couple days. I was busy making my way back to see my sweetie for R and R. In a grand total of 2.5 days of travel, I had roughly 8 hours of sleep total. Guys my size don't fit nicely into the seats on airplanes so sleep is infrequent and painful when you wake up.
Honoring the Fallen -- [Justice Soldier - in Iraq]
SPC Brent W. Koch, 22, of Morton, Minn. died Friday, June 16th, in Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle about 9:30 p.m. Iraq time.
Koch was a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard’s Company E, 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry Combined Arms Battalion, 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry Division, based out of Redwood Falls, Minn. Read More…
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.)
Life During Wartime -- [The Babylon Blog - in Iraq]
I’ve been told by some of you that you are tired of hearing about Hadithah on the news. I can’t say that I blame you, but this is what I hear from Hadithah…
At 8 o’clock in the evening, as the sun slowly sets and the blistering desert heat begins to give way to a cooler evening breeze, I sit outside our building and hear children playing in the distance.
Hadithah is in a war zone but the fighting is sporadic and infrequent
First experience of war -- [Dispatches from Iraq - journalist embed in Iraq]
RAMADI, Iraq –- Marines are nothing if not direct.
“I don’t trust anyone who’s not a Marine,” Lt. Brian Wilson said to me with a big smile on one of my first nights at the Provincial Government Center in downtown Ramadi.
“I don’t trust you.”
And just like that, Wilson put it all right out there. The outspoken 24-year-old officer from Columbia, S.C., with the friendly grin of someone who would open a door for another or carry groceries for the elderly had, in his way, put me in my place. His words only underscored that brotherhood I’ve witnessed forged in combat here, in this city constantly under siege.
Wilson’s opinion of me -– and my profession -– didn’t come as a surprise. His unit, Kilo Company of 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, has been the subject of a small media frenzy.
...Kilo's commander, Capt. Andrew Del Gaudio, was there that day as well. Earlier, he had described for me the scene, and how the insurgents shooting at him had children standing in front of them with at least two men videotaping the scene. He waited for the children to move, so he could have a clear shot at the men firing, he told me.
Zarqawi Video Roundup -- [bandit.three.six - in Iraq]
I decided to include links to the Zarqawi videos that I put out there.
Smart Dust Stalked Zarqawi -- [Strategy Page]
For the last ten years, development of "smart dust" has moved right along. "Smart Dust" is basically very miniaturized electronic devices. This is similar to stuff like RFID, smart cards, EZ Pass and those rice grain size tracking devices you can have injected into your pets. But Smart Dust takes this all to a new level by being small enough to be disguised as dirt, the kind you can pick up in your shoes or clothing.
Which Side Is Winning? Two Opposing Views -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Andrew Cochran]
With Zarqawi's death, experts and observers are starting to re-assess whether Islamist terrorists, led by Osama bin Laden, or the Western CT community are "winning" or "losing". Personally, I think such exercises are still premature - it seems analogous to what "experts" might have written in early 1944 about World War II, over two years affter Pearl Harbor but before the D-Day invasion (I haven't researched it). I prefer a dynamic assessment of success or failure against a strategic threat, the nature of which has changed since the 9/11 attacks, and I don't trust more conclusive judgments at this point. But it's worth reading both views.
Life goes on inside the Green Zone. -- [The Will to Exist]
In the few days since Abu Musab al-Zarqawi went to meet Satan (it’s my preference to believe that is what happened), things have been relatively hectic. Since I work in public affairs, we have been busy. The web site I maintain on behalf of the coalition experienced a spike in traffic to five times the norm. This caused some headaches for the tech staff back in D.C., I’m quite sure.
It also caused those of us here in Baghdad to run around like chickens with our heads cut off. If you have never worked in what I call media misadventures, the modus operandi is multiple bosses for every tech worker. When anything truly significant (like Zarqawi’s timely demise) happens there is a chain reaction.
Hamas and Aljazeera, granted Terrorists for Ever -- [Treasure of Baghdad - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...The Palestinian people did a terrible mistake by choosing this group to be their leaders. I don’t even know whether this is going to be an official statement in the name of the people. If so, I would be so sad and angry. I hope this man was not talking on their behalf.
Now I know why this group was branded as terrorist by the U.S. and the European Union. They deserve it and they are really worthy of it. Let them dance on the blood of the innocent children, women, and elderly who had no guilt but being helpful to the homeless.
“Not What I Expected” -- [Serving the People of Iraq and Iran - in Iraq]
Their experience with the Americans has been nothing like what Saddam had taught them all those years. Instead, Iraqis found out that most Americans are very courteous, kind, and respectful.
I Actually Do Have My Druthers -- [4 Mile Creek - in Iraq]
I was talking with two of our cultural advisors, one a native Iraqi, the other a native Tunisian, both now US citizens. Here in Iraq, their job is to advise, translate, and do other things to help out the US soldiers who interact daily with the Iraqi civilians and government officials.
They were telling me about sitting around with the Jundi, the Iraqi soldiers, the correct translation would be "private" I guess, as their ranks don't exactly translate. While the officers were out of the room, they said the jundi asked them all sorts of questions about America.
Power loss -- [Murphy Around The World - in Iraq]
...There are two coalition groups here. The other CF group is responsible for standing up the base defense, life support, medical clinics, etc while we concentrate on their largest tenant, the MTR. This base is Kurd dominated while our group is Arab. That’s important to understand in a minute. After I found out it was just us, I went over to our partnered forces and asked them, what the hey? Some of them are Air Force, but at least we speak the same language and are on the same team, or so I thought.
Iraq Pictures - June 11, 2006 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
MG James D. Thurman, commander, Multi-Natioanl Division-Baghdad, talks to sheiks and Iraqi security force leaders during a meeting at the Babylon Iraqi police academy in Hillah. The leaders discussed the current state of the security sitaution in the Babil province, one of four provinces
Tired -- [Just Another Thunderhorse Roughneck! - in Iraq]
...As for the field, I don’t know, I’m feeling either braver or complacent. I’m not worried about going out as much. Maybe that’s because we haven’t been hit in a while. It just takes one hit for us to get defensive again. We haven’t let down our guard and didn’t stop doing what we’re doing. I think our attitudes are changing just like our mission. We seem to be changing modes. I guess anyone would have to adapt to the situation at hand.
It was another semi-relaxed Sunday here at Camp Falluja. -- [Midnight in Iraq - in Iraq]
A couple weeks ago the Marine Expeditionary Force Commanding General passed that all non-essential personnel shouldn’t come into work until 11 a.m. on Sunday, or should generally get a few hours off. The 11 a.m. thing is kind of a farce because almost everyone is essential, but my team and I try to take the afternoon off if we don’t have any operations going on. Such was the case a few Sundays back. It was the first one in a while I had spent totally inside the wire.
A Final Note from the Al Anbar Province -- [Wordsmith at War - in Iraq]
Well, I won’t be able to post for a week or so. Let's just say that at long last I will be doing some extensive traveling. When I can, I’ll check in and keep you all updated on the incredible voyage I am about to embark on. The next post will not be written here in the Al Anbar Province, within sight of the city of Ramadi, this city I have come to know, and to fear. It will be written from a safer place, though now unfamiliar.
Deadly Anbar Harbors 'Rat Lines' -- (Washington Times)...Rowan Scarborough
It is the deadliest province in Iraq per capita, an expanse of desert, small towns and the rich Euphrates River that combine to attract some of the worst of America's enemies, the kind that 2nd Marine Division troops were hunting Nov. 19 when things went terribly wrong in Haditha.
Emphasizing Ethics Even As Bullets Fly -- (U.S. News & World Report)...Anna Mulrine
...Now, as the U.S. military here implements a remedial program of ethics and values training in the aftermath of Haditha, there is also an effort to turn this into a teachable moment for the Iraqi Army. At the Iraqi Center for Military Values, Principles, and Leadership in the town of Rustamiyah north of Baghdad, American trainers are preparing to launch a new academy to instruct Iraqi officers in leadership
In Arab World, Zarqawi Tactics Bred Disgust -- (Boston Globe)...Thanassis Cambanis
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's unyielding, lethal anti-Americanism initially won him accolades across the Arab world. But his terror campaign ultimately killed far more Islamic civilians than Americans, turning the wave of early support into a tide of revulsion among many Arab Muslims.
Castro: Al-Zarqawi Killing a 'Barbarity' -- (ABC news)
HAVANA Jun 10, 2006 (AP)— President Fidel Castro called the U.S. airstrike that killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi a "barbarity," saying he should have been put on trial.
The United States acted as "judge and jury" against the leader of the al-Qaida in Iraq, Castro said late Friday.
Zarqawi Autopsy Finished -- (Miami Herald)...Patrick Quinn, Associated Press
A U.S. military autopsy was finished on Abu Musab al Zarqawi on Sunday, but the findings were not immediately released by American officials.
Terrorists target civilians in Iraq -- (Khaleej Times Online)
ABU DHABI — The US troops in Iraq do not carry out target killing of civilians in the war-torn country, Hoshyar Zebari, Iraqi Foreign Minister, has asserted.
‘The US forces do not kill civilians. Yes, civilians got killed in Haditha and other places but it is the terrorists who target civilians in Iraq,” said Zebari, to a question posed by Khaleej Times on measures adopted by his government to protect civilians.
U.S.-Led Forces in Iraq Kill 9 in Raid -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- U.S.-led forces raided a house near a volatile city northeast of Baghdad on Monday, killing nine people, including two children, the military said....
U.S., Iraq Free 230 Detainees -- (Miami Herald)...Kim Gamel, Associated Press
U.S. and Iraqi authorities released more than 200 prisoners Sunday in an ongoing bid to promote national unity, but that effort faltered as Sunni Arabs demanded more releases.
Marines Living 'Outside The Wire' On Syrian Border See Progress -- (Mideast Stars and Stripes)...Andrew Tilghman
One month ago, out in the far western corner of Iraq, the Marines set up a new forward operating base. Navy Seabees wired it for electricity. Air conditioners were installed. And a platoon of Marines moved into the desert encampment.
U.S. General Sees Gradual Cut In Troops -- (Washington Times)...Eric Pfeiffer
The top U.S. military commander in Iraq yesterday predicted a gradual drop in American troops deployed there through next year, while Iraq's new national security adviser said all multinational forces could be out of his country by 2008.
Deadly Price Paid For Humvee Armor Used To Protect Soldiers -- (Dayton Daily News)...Russell Carollo and Mike Wagner
...Since the start of the war, Congress and the Army have spent tens of millions of dollars on armor for the Humvee fleet in Iraq. That armor — much of it installed on the M1114 Humvee built at the Armor Holdings plant in West Chester Twp. in Butler County — has shielded soldiers from harm. But a six-month Dayton Daily News examination found that the protection has come at a deadly price.
Bagram (and Gomorrah) -- [AfghaniDan - in Afghanstan]
Welcome to Bagram, the big ol' base that brings Hotel California to life: you can check out anytime you like, but it sometimes feels like you'll never leave. It's an odd, sprawling place, with amenities you won't find anywhere else, like numerous dining facilities, fast food joints and a bunch of shops. Arriving there after a long stretch at a small FOB is like being a country bumpkin visiting the big city...hence the reputation. I like what one of my brethren did on this wall of unit stickers - why get lost in the pack when you can plant the Marine Corps emblem on top of them all, where it belongs!
Drug Dealing Religious Fanatics Are Fighting For Freedom -- [Strategy Page]
June 12, 2006: Over 400 people were killed in May because of the Taliban attacks. Most of the dead were Taliban, and civilians killed by Taliban terrorism. The Taliban are basically taking a beating, but hoping that publicity from roadside and suicide bombs, raids on towns and the like will make it look like they are winning some kind of victory.
Afghan Officers Speak -- [Celestial Junk Blog]
Often the MSM uses only snippets from interviews to support a theme. It’s a typical dirty trick, where journalists gain seeming credibility from their “source”, but in reality they end up spinning their own view. A recent piece in the WashingtonPost.com presents us with an example of how sources are supposed to be used. The article, although done as a narrative and not interview, relies almost exclusively on the words of General Rahmatullah Raufi and his officers to get across the theme, which is that Afghan military personnel are concerned about the decrease in American military forces in Southern Afghanistan but very motivated and keen on creating a peaceful Muslim state.
Afghanistan: Progress -- [NEW MILBLOG RING MEMBER! - Combat Jump Star]
...The ANA has truly come a long way since their first faltering steps(some of you who have been deployed there may disagree. This is only from my personal experience, and I know some have a far different opinion on the effectiveness of the ANA). They are still are still a long way from being truly able to manage and defend the country, but they have made great strides. They have come to trust the US military, and are understandably concerned with the planned handover of the South to NATO control. However, I believe that they will come to trust the Canadian troops in the same way.
Islamabad Versus Kabul Once Again -- [Rahilla Live From a Free Kabul - Afghan in Afghanistan]
...A friend of mine has worked in many developing countries and told me that Afghanistan was the first country where she never became good friends with any of the local people. I don't want to analyze the reasoning for this, Afghanistan is a much more restrictive place. It's still not the safest place or easiest place to move around. The most educated and well to do were able to leave the country during all the years of war, even the capital of Kabul has a lot of rebuilding to do. Some say the intellectual capital is Herat, I did notice it was a bit more free there. I saw women in restaurants without their burqas on running into men they knew and socializing. It's certainly has better infrastructure than Kabul but there's Ismail Khan behind that who's not exactly the best figure.
Making a home in Kabul -- [Afghan-American - in US]
...It was a fun day. But it was also really sad and a reminder of what I’ll miss. No matter how hard I try, my family is in the U.S. and is not going back to Afghanistan. I don’t expect them to and personally get quite frustrated by those who expect all refugees to return. It’s been 26 years since we’ve left and my parents have worked hard to build stable lives for us all here. This is home. So, why do I want to go back?
Extremists mourn al-Zarqawi‘s death -- (Ottawa Recorder)
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The Taliban‘s fugitive supreme leader mourned the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and vowed Friday to keep fighting in Afghanistan , according to a statement.
Mullah Omar, who has been hiding since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, said he was "deeply sad over the martyrdom" of al-Zarqawi but believed his death from a U.S. airstrike Wednesday would not weaken the resistance in Iraq .
The Taliban resurgent -- (The Economist)
Anxious times for the under-manned Western forces
ACROSS a wide swathe of southern and south-eastern Afghanistan, the Taliban have never looked stronger since they were driven from power by an American-backed alliance in November 2001. And the government of President Hamid Karzai has never looked weaker, controlling only the towns and, during daylight hours, the main roads. The Taliban are not in a position to unseat the government and win the war; not while Western troops remain. Last February, however, General Michael Maples, director of America's Defence Intelligence Agency, told Congress that the Taliban insurgency is growing and presents a greater threat to the Afghan central government's authority than at any point since America's victory.
'Scores of Afghan Taleban killed' -- (BBC News)
More than 40 suspected Taleban militants have been killed in clashes since Monday, the US-led coalition in Afghanistan says.
The clashes between militants and Afghan and coalition soldiers took place in Zabul and Uruzgan provinces, a coalition statement said.
Karzai: Tribesmen will help fight Taliban -- (Yahoo News/ AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Sunday his government will give weapons to local tribesmen so they can help fight the biggest increase in Taliban violence in years.
WORLD INVOCATION DAY -- [Pearls of Iraq - an Iraqi in US]
Today is World Invocation Day, a day of global prayers and meditation for all people and religions for love and light to generate inward and pushing outward. This has been conducted each year since 1952 and the movement is growing each year. Some say, and I agree, based on science (physics) if we reach a certain percentage of unified people including religions, the momentum of energy generated from the meditations and prayers will catapult the world onto a new path of peaceful co-existence.
Spain Rallies Against Planned ETA Talks -- [Gatewau Pundit]
200,000 to 1 million Spaniards rallied in Madrid on Saturday demanding the government call off planned peace talks with the terrorist group ETA.
Persistence Pays Off For Iran -- [Threats Watch]
Friday Prayers Call for Resistance in Tehran and Enrichment is Accelerated as The West Seems to Cave
Leading Friday prayers in Tehran, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati declared that Iran should never compromise its nuclear right but, nonetheless, is ready for talks. Jannati said to worshippers, “The Iranian nation and officials and Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Khamenei) and all those who have hands in administration of the country’s affairs, will not accept Iran’s withdrawal from its inalienable rights.” He then added,
Bounty Hunting: -- [Grim's Hall]
Thailand has an interesting new counterinsurgency strategy it is considering: pay civilians to shoot insurgents.
As you read the article, it will help to know that Pattani is one of four Muslim-majority provinces in the south of Thailand, which are experiencing a bloody insurgency.
Smoke Of Iraq War 'Drifting Over Lebanon' -- (Washington Post)...Anthony Shadid
In political and social life, returned fighters inspire climate of militancy.
U.S. Still Strangers in the Land of Soccer -- (AP)
GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) -- They're surrounded by the tightest security, quizzed about lukewarm support back home and constantly questioned over whether they can reprise a surprisingly successful run in the last World Cup. Must be the Americans, still strangers in the land of soccer and hoping to prove that Yanks can hang in the world's No. 1 sport....
Iran Accused Of Hiding Secret Nuclear Weapons Site -- (London Daily Telegraph)...Con Coughlin
Fresh evidence has emerged that Iran is working on a secret military project to develop nuclear weapons that has not been declared to United Nations inspectors responsible for monitoring Iran’s nuclear programme.
Palestinian gunmen didn’t want to end up like Zarqawi -- [QandO Blog]
Tell me the death of Zarqawi didn't have an impact among the terrorist community in the Middle East:
Still A Serious Threat From Al Qaeda: Its Ideas -- (Christian Science Monitor)...Peter Grier and Faye Bowers
Nearly 10 years after Osama bin Laden declared war on the United States, America may be fighting not just one Al Qaeda, but many Al Qaedas, spread all over the globe.
Support for the Troops -- [The Foxhole Philosopher - in Iraq]
I am heartened today for two reasons. The first is actually a comment by Elizabeth, which should be allowed right now on the previous post. I was sincerely touched by her interest in my personal well being. In answer, I am not depressed, and a post on my day to day activities will be forthcoming soon, but I wanted to comment, and thank her for her concern.
The second is the article on support of the troops in America.
Fox News Host Tells Westboro Baptist Church Hatemonger: ‘You’re going to hell!’ -- [Stop the ACLU]
Julie went on to say that if Phelps believed in the words of the Bible, that she was going to hell.
What can anyone say to this? Heh, even my most liberal trolls agree with us that this cult is one of the most sickening manifestations of hate we have in America. Way to go Julie! Free speech back and forth at its best.
Dear Dad -- [One Marine's View]
If I ever hear airmen griping and complaining, I jump into them pretty quickly, now. Most people over here have nothing to gripe about compared to Marines. Marines are different. They have a different outlook on
life.
In awe -- [CaliValleyGirl - in Germany]
...I heard that an old friend of mine had lost her husband in Iraq, on my birthday. It made very clear to me what it meant to be dating a soldier.
And as fate would have it, she happened to be visiting Germany, and we had plans when I heard the news about the Big Windy 25 crash. She and another friend stayed at my place until late in the night, keeping me company during those hours of uncertainty. I couldn't believe she was so strong, to be sitting there with me, comforting me, when she had lost her husband 9 months before in similar circumstances. I am sure it was a little too close to home for her, but nevertheless she stayed.
Blogger Exclusive: First Interview With Ilario Pantano -- [Euphoric Reality]
One year after all charges being dropped against him, Ilario Pantano has released his book entitled Warlord : No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy. It’s been a long time coming, but Pantano’s book has the potential to become one of the definitive memoirs about the Iraq War. One would think that with the large amount of publicity and even fame that Pantano has seen over the last year, that you’d see his face on CNN or FOX—and you will, starting Monday morning. However, Ilario is a man of his word, and so he has made good on a long-standing promise: to give Euphoric Reality the first in-depth interview about his story
A Cover-up at TIME Magazine -- [Daily Dispatch]
TIME, which first broke the Haditha allegations, is now going back and retracting parts of its story.
New York Times Claims Blogosphere is Mostly for Democrats -- [NewsBusters]
Sometimes I think that if you really want to know what’s going on in the world, you should read The New York Times…and assume the exact opposite is true. Take Saturday’s article “Gathering Highlights Power of the Blog” for example. Author Adam Nagourney visited Las Vegas to attend the meeting of mostly liberal bloggers discussing how they’re going to change the world in an event called “Yearly Kos” not so inconspicuously named after the blogosphere’s liberal mainstay, Daily Kos. Unfortunately, after listing and quoting some Democrat dignitaries in attendance – quotes to follow for your amusement! – Nagourney actually wrote (emphasis mine), “Blogging is nowhere near the force among Republicans as it is among Democrats.”
The NY Times gets it wrong, again -- [Atlas Shrugs]
The Times is intoxicated with the Democrats appearing before the moonbats in Vegas, ushering in the age of the blog. The power. The fury, The future. The agent for change. The New York waste of Times did a glowing, kiss ass piece on the Kos Konvention here;...
...Wait a minute fellas. Far be it from me to rain on anyone's parade but you've assigned all of the qualities of the Right side of the sphere to the wrong side of the sphere. The right blogs broke Rathergate, the Swift Boat veterans, CNN's Eason Jordan resignation, Kerry's impossible lies, the Danish cartoons, yads yada yada. It was the right side of the blogosphere that changed the course of history in the last Presidential election
SFC Lawson -- [Ray's Life - in Iraq]
SFC Lawson was the greatest NCO that I have ever had the honor of working with. He was an inspiration to us all, a dedicated and honorable soldier, and a true hero. I give my most sincere condolences to his family and loved ones. His life was prematurely ended on June 5, 2006 by a roadside EFP employed by a cowardly enemy filled with blind hatred and ignorance. However, SFC Lawson will forever live on in the memories of those that loved him and those, such as myself, who had the privilege of getting to know him. He ...
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs, other blogs, and the mainstream media. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. (We have a daily "Open Post" too, if you have something on another topic you can link there.)
The Thousand-Miles Road Starts with One Step -- [Treasure of Baghdad - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...I know that attacks will increase. I know more people are going to die. I know mistakes are going to be continued. I know everything will not be fixed soon like in the fairy tales. But I am happy that this man is killed. I believe his death is the real first step: the thousand-miles road starts with one step.
Although everybody knows that I am against the U.S. occupation to Iraq, I believe what they did in helping the Iraqis kill Zarqawi was a good real step for a better Iraq after three years of destruction and struggle. It’s only now that I feel the US forces are really serious and want to get rid of the terrorists who came as a reaction to their occupation to the country in a way or another. It’s only now I felt that they really want to accomplish their mission and go back home soon. I really hope that what I am feeling is right.
I am happy, very happy indeed.
An Eye for an Eye... -- [Neurotic Iraqi Wife - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...For a few minutes I was really over the moon....but then a few seconds later....I realised this is just like Saddam...I thought by capturing him, things will get better, but then tens of thousands of other Saddams appeared...The same with this low life scum...Many others will come out...And believe it or not, some tv channels have already made him a martyr.....
...there is this little time to be happy, slightly happy that the death of Zarqawi may be a good start...A Good start for the new Iraq...Now Its the time for dismantling the militia's and killing all the terrorists, be it Iraqi or not, anyone who is a member of any organisation that is responsible for murdering Iraqis has to get killed...This is it...Its either a hard fist or nothing.
Al-Zarqawi Killed -- [Hammorabi - an Iraqi in Iraq]
...Zarqawi without doubts went into the bottom of the Hell with blood of many innocent children, women and men in his dirty hands.
There were celebrations going on now in the holly city of Najaf and Kerbala. On the other hands there are sadness and shock among his allies in the region and abroad like Al-Jazeera Qatari TV and other Arab pro-terrorists thugs.
Zarqawi's End -- [IraqPundit -an Iraqi exile]
...Although certain Western poseurs have been announcing some imaginary surge in "grass-roots" support for Zarqawi among Iraqi Sunnis, the fact is that the Anbar
tribes were disgusted by the murder of countless Iraqi civilians, and united against him.
Iraq improved today, though true peace is obviously still far off. There are already reports of more deaths at the hands of terrorists who are now killing only for the sake of murder. Zarqawi's death is another setback for a campaign that is only about death. The Zarqawi movement has failed to achieve any of its goals.
Zarqawi's Last Moments -- [MilBlogs - Andi]
The Australian has a great summary of events leading up to the strike that killed Zarqawi. The article also touches upon the aftermath of the bombing. I find this passage particularly satisfying:
The house, and all inside it, was wiped out. However, Jordanian sources last night said Zarqawi did not die instantly. Though mortally wounded, he was alive when Iraqi and US troops arrived on the scene. His brutal reign ended 10 minutes after the bombs fell.
When death equals birth -- [Marketing in Iraq? - in Iraq]
Yesterday marked a turning point in the war in Iraq. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death equals birth of legitimacy for this new Iraqi government. I think that it will also be the rebirth of hope for the Iraqi people. The US military and it's Coalition partners stand proud today and proclaim that, you can run and you can hide...but you can do neither forever.
Zarqawi's Death: An Important Opportunity for New Iraq -- [Austin Bay]
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death is, like Branch Rickey's definition of luck, the residue of design.
A U.S. Air Force strike on a farmhouse near the Iraqi town of Baqubah killed Zarqawi, known as Z-Man to his pursuers. His deeds mark him as a savage mass murderer and a religious zealot with a mile-wide streak of megalomania. He was also a gambler, an operational terrorist "commander" who sought to incite a sectarian civil war, theorizing a Shia-Sunni conflict in Iraq would (in his words) "rally Sunni Arabs" to al-Qaida.
Michael Berg Defends al-Zarqawi, Hangs Up On Gibby (AUDIO) -- [Expose the Left]
Michael Berg, the father of Nick Berg, who was beheaded by al-Zarqawi, was on The John Gibson Show earlier this afternoon to defend the dead terrorist and blast President Bush. Berg, who is not new to the Bush bashing scene, claimed the President has killed over 150,000 people, while al-Zarqawi has only a “couple hundred” “attributed” to him. He says President Bush is “almost as bad as” al-Zarqawi and called the terrorist’s death a “tragedy.”
Great News in Iraq -- [Dadmanly]
UPDATE: In a more nuanced version of defeatism, the New York Times delivered what strikes me as likely a pre-prepared Obituary on Zarqawi, reported by the ever-reliably defeatist Dexter Filkins.
Here’s how Filkins starts his assessment of what the death of Zarqawi will mean:
Why was Zarqawi killed rather than captured? -- [Huffington Post]
According to the Times, reports from Iraqi villagers suggest that American forces on the ground may have exchanged fire with people in the house where Zarqawi was holed up prior to the bombings that ultimately killed him. Thus, the answer to the question of why Zarqawi wasn't captured may turn out to be very straightforward -- there was simply too high of a risk that large numbers of US troops would be killed, or that Zarqawi would yet again elude American forces -- but it is important nonetheless, for reasons that should be obvious.
I wrote above that Zarqawi's death was "unquestionably good news"; it was not, however, unquestionably the best news.
Quick bullets on the new Iraqi ministers -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
Iraq’s new government will be more important to the overall story of Iraq than yesterday’s news of Zarqawi termination.
The government announced the new Minister of Defense, Minister of Interior and Minister of State for National Security.
Iraqi Testimonies -- [24 Steps to Liberty - an Iraqi in Iraq]
The Iraq memory Foundation is a non-governmental group that was established by a number of Iraqi former exiles to document the 25 years of miseries Iraq and the Iraqis had lived under the rule of the Baath party and Saddam Hussein. One of the projects this foundation is working on is to document testimonies of Iraqis who have suffered torture or lost relatives to the brutal regime of Hussein. I have got a pack of five DVDs telling stories of about 40 Iraqis. Here, I will tell some of these stories to participate in telling the world our dark history of more than three decades....
Double Standards -- [T.F. Boggs - in Iraq]
Over the last few months I have slowly been changing my outlook on Iraqis. Sure there are plenty of great Iraqis who are just like you and I. They have the same wants, needs and cares as Americans do. Then there are Iraqis who have no idea what the world is really like and I cannot rest the blame solely on them. They have only had three years of relative freedom with which to get in touch with the 21st century. They were oppressed most of their lives and had little access to schools, libraries, outside television and Internet. What they did have access to was for the most part controlled propaganda and the knowledge they have as a result of that propaganda is the cause of considerable disagreements between them and I on issues that seem relatively clear to me i.e. what actually happened during the Iran-Iraq war. “Umm I think you guys have it wrong, Saddam didn’t kick the Iranians butts like he told you he did.”
Sunni Arabs Seek Mercy and Peace -- [Strategy Page]
June 9, 2006: The war in Iraq is becoming more of a police operation. Although there are six times as many armed men fighting in Iraq, versus Afghanistan, there have been more air strikes in Afghanistan over the last few months, than in Iraq. Each month, more of the combat operations are all, or mostly, carried out by Iraqi troops and police.
That warm, fuzzy feeling when a murderous thug is blown to hell -- (Boston Herald - Jules Crittenden)
...So what is the significance of Zarqawi’s death?
Sometimes, you just have to stop and smell the roses. We’re in the middle of a very long war. Savor the moment: In this case, it’s that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you learn that a cold-hearted, murderous thug has been blown to hell.
Iraq hails killing of Zarqawi as start of new era -- (Reuters)
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is a "new beginning" for Iraq, the interior minister said on Friday, but authorities imposed a traffic ban in an apparent effort to prevent al Qaeda reprisal attacks.
"Heavenly justice" done, says Zarqawi victim -- (Reuters)
KUWAIT (Reuters) - A Jordanian whose wedding turned into a bloodbath in a bombing claimed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said on Thursday the killing of the al Qaeda leader in Iraq was "heavenly justice".
Father of beheaded man blames Bush, not Zarqawi -- (Reuters)
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Michael Berg, whose son Nick was beheaded in Iraq in 2004, said on Thursday he felt no sense of relief at the killing of the al Qaeda leader in Iraq and blamed President Bush for his son's death.
Asked what would give him satisfaction, Berg, an anti-war activist and candidate for U.S. Congress, said, "The end of the war and getting rid of George Bush."
Democrats call Zarqawi killing a stunt -- (Washington Times)]
Some Democrats, breaking ranks from their leadership, today said the death of terrorist leader Abu Musab Zarqawi in Iraq was a stunt to divert attention from an unpopular and hopeless war. — "This is just to cover Bush's [rear] so he doesn't have to answer" …
Bush Cautiously Notes Chance to 'Turn the Tide'-- (NY Times)
...Representative John P. Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat and former marine who has become a fierce critic of the Iraq war, said now that a "real thorn" in the side of the Americans has been removed, Iraqi forces were trained and a government was in place, the Bush administration should compose a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops.
"We cannot win this," he said in an interview on CNN. "It is a civil war they are involved in. Al Qaeda is a small part of this."
He added, "We have Sunnis fighting Shiites and the Americans are caught in between."
Greenfield: A cautionary note -- (CNN)
Al-Zarqawi's death is good news, but Iraq's problems will persist
NEW YORK - The death of a man who celebrated indiscriminate killing, and who claimed to have personally beheaded American captive Nicholas Berg, can certainly be seen as unalloyed good news.
Zarqawi's Life After Death -- (NY Times)
WITH the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi outside Baghdad, the United States has struck its most important blow in the war on terrorism since driving Al Qaeda out of Afghanistan. Easily the deadliest terrorist at work over the last three years, Mr. Zarqawi was probably responsible for more deaths than Osama bin Laden and leaves behind a jihadist movement that has been drastically changed in no small part by his actions.
The Short, Violent Life of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi -- (The Atlantic Online)
How a video-store clerk and small-time crook reinvented himself as America’s nemesis in Iraq
On a cold and blustery evening in December 1989, Huthaifa Azzam, the teenage son of the legendary Jordanian-Palestinian mujahideen leader Sheikh Abdullah Azzam, went to the airport in Peshawar, Pakistan, to welcome a group of young men. All were new recruits, largely from Jordan, and they had come to fight in a fratricidal civil war in neighboring Afghanistan—an outgrowth of the CIA-financed jihad of the 1980s against the Soviet occupation there.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi -- [Times Online Obituaries]
1966 - June 7, 2006
Murderous leader of Islamist terrorists in Iraq who dreamt of surpassing in brutal influence even Osama bin Laden
FROM his beginning as a hyperactive child and school bully in a rough and dusty Jordanian town to the height of his infamy as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi knew little apart from violence. He seems to have felt whole only when locked in conflict with others. He was seen by most of his associates as a dim-witted brute, yet he was able to inspire his followers to sacrifice their lives for his murderous cause.
Hatred He Bred Is Sure to Survive Terrorist's Death -- (NY Times)
While Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death could erode his group's ability to carry out attacks, the insurgency he helped ignite will go on without him, according to officials.
Surveillance and Betrayal Ended Hunt -- (NY Times)
An informant inside Al Qaeda provided the critical piece of intelligence that led them to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, according to a Pentagon official.
Al-Zarqawi deputy unwittingly aided airstrike -- (MSNBC/ AP)
U.S. military seized on rendezvous between terrorist, spiritual adviser
Al-Qaida Likely to Alter Marketing Efforts -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- With the demise of charismatic terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaida will be looking for a new sales approach in its worldwide fundraising campaigns....
After Zarqawi, No Clear Path for a Weary Iraq -- (Washington Post)
Death of Jordanian-born insurgent leader eliminates lead advocate of extreme violence, but will not entirely extinguish Iraq's deadly sectarian conflict.
Martyr or villain - the jury is still out -- (The Sunday Morning Herald)
...Sometimes there seem to be two realities at work in the Middle East: an American version of US policy towards Iraq, the Palestinian territories and elsewhere, and another version heard in the streets of tradition-bound cities like Tripoli, where distrust of the US - its alliance with Israel, its aims in Iraq and the region - runs so deep that almost anything it pronounces lacks credibility.
Many speculated that Zarqawi was either an American creation or, at the very least, a convenient foil whose reputation and role the US military encouraged and exaggerated in Iraq.
Gunmen kidnap senior Iraq oil official in Baghdad -- (Reuters)
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Gunmen kidnapped a senior official of Iraq's oil ministry after he left work in Baghdad on Thursday, police and ministry sources said on Friday, highlighting the lawlessness still afflicting the vital sector
Deathwatch in Action, Real Action -- [Counterterrorism Blog- Bill Rogiio - in Afghanistan]
...Tonight I had the displeasure of witnessing the Death Watch in action. An Al Jazeera report, based on an unsubstantiated claim from an unnamed Taliban source, indicated a Canadian soldier was kidnapped in Afghanistan. Reuters repeated the unsubstantiated claim, which later morphed into an unspecified number of Coalition troops....
Afghanistan: Three Articulate Articles -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troop]
“Col. Patrick Donahue is optimistic that eastern Afghanistan is on the road to stability.”
That’s the way an article in the Fayetteville Online begins, and from there its feature with Col. Donahue goes to explain the American troopers faith in Canadian and British troops, not to mention his faith that the Afghan mission is going well:
Canada Rushes More Armor to Afghanistan -- [Strategy Page]
June 7, 2006: Canada put in a rush order for 25 more Nyala armored vehicles for its 2,300 troops in Afghanistan. The Nyala is a South African vehicles, costing about $1.1 million each, that was designed to resist landmines and roadside bombs. It was developed from the earlier Mamba armored personnel carrier, and has an excellent track record.
News of Afghanistan X -- [Miserable Donuts]
Here is a quick whip 'round by Radio Free Afghanistan
Canada probes report troops seized in Afghanistan -- (Reuters)
OTTAWA, June 7 (Reuters) - The NATO-led coalition of forces in Afghanistan is investigating a report that some Canadian soldiers have been abducted in the war-torn country, Canada's Defence Department said on Wednesday.
US frees Taliban suspects in Afghanistan -- (Reuters)
KABUL, June 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. military freed 33 Taliban suspects from Bagram airbase on Thursday as part of an Afghan reconciliation programme, while the militants' insurgency raged on with assassinations, ambushes and roadside bombs.
AFGHANISTAN: TALIBAN COMMANDER OUTLINES STRATEGY -- (AKI)
Qalat, Afghanistan, 9 June (AKI) - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - A senior Taliban commander has told Adnkronos International (AKI) the insurgency against the foreign troop presence in Afghanistan has widened into a revolt where tribal rivalries are being buried in favour of a united front and warned that suicide attacks will intensify. At an unidentified mountain location near Qalat, capital of Zabul province, two men on a motorcycle approach this AKI reporter. One of them, a short man in his mid-30s with a white turban and a long beard introduces himself as commander Mullah Gul Mohammed Jangvi.
Poll: U.S. Backing for Troops Steadfast -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that many Americans perceive the alleged atrocities against Iraqi civilians by U.S. forces as isolated incidents while saying the U.S.-led invasion was a mistake, an unusual disconnect that sets this conflict apart from Vietnam. The survey of 1,003 adults was completed Wednesday, shortly before the announcement that U.S. airstrikes had killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida leader in Iraq, and the Iraqi parliament's approval of candidates for ministers in charge of the army and police.
Poll: Majority support troops, not Iraq war -- (MSNBC)
... where the American people wholeheartedly support the troops and support for the ... of the Armed Services Committee, described the current troops as the ...
Iran Forging Forward with Nuclear Activities -- [Security Watchtower]
A new report from the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) has noted that Iran resumed feeding UF6 gas into a pilot cascade of 164 centrifuge enrichment after a five-week pause. The report also revealed that Iran also installed two more 164-centrifuge networks, in direct defiance of a United Nations resolution
The UN is in Serious Trouble -- [Tigerhawk - Cardinalpark]
The Deputy Secretary General took some shots at the US yesterday. He complained about US support of the UN budget and an inability to secure financial sponsorship for a renovation of the UN facilities here in NY. He complained that the current administration is unwilling to defend the UN from Congressional assault. He complained that the American people are duped by Fox News and Rush Limbaugh's incessant tirades against the UN. Altogether it was a pretty aggressive, public criticism of the US. Which is fine I suppose, if you don't rely on the US Congress approving something like 20+% of your funding and the generosity of the US for your home base.
Rockets fly after Palestinian militant faction leader killed in Israeli airstrike -- (USA Today)
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian militants vowed Friday to avenge Israel's assassination of the Hamas government's top security chief in an attack that threatened to ignite large-scale violence between the two sides.
MIDDLE EAST: TOP PALESTINIAN MILITANT KILLED IN GAZA RAID -- (AKI)
Gaza, 9 June (AKI) - A former head of Israel's Shin Bet domestic security service said on Friday that the Israeli army (IDF) had to take out senior Palestinian militant, Jamal Abu Samhadana, who died in an air strike in the border town of Rafah late on Thursday. "Samhadana had to go. He was involved in terror attacks, one of the few who never tried to hide it," Ami Ayalon told Israeli Army Radio.
Saudi Arabia Declares al Qaeda Defeated -- [Strategy Page]
June 9, 2006: On May 7th King Abdallah declared that al Qaeda had been "defeated" in Saudi Arabia. Saudi security authorities reported that clashes since May of 2003 had resulted in the deaths of about 150 Saudi and foreign personnel, as well as at least 120 confirmed al Qaeda operatives.
Iraqi man chosen to lead Qaeda’s global operations -- (Azzaman, English)
The al-Qaeda organization has selected Abdulhadi al-Iraqi, an Iraqi national from northern Iraq, as the new commander of its global operations.
The appointment comes following the seizure of Abu Faraj al-Libi by Pakistani forces in May.
Al-Qaeda has a large following in Iraq particularly among Sunni Muslims. It operates through different organizations under various nomenclatures.
Report: CIA used Syria for 'outsourcing of torture' -- (World Tribune)
LONDON — The CIA employed Syria as a contractor for detention and torture of Al Qaida suspects, a report said.
The Council of Europe released a report that outlined CIA cooperation with Syria from 2001 through 2004. The report, which focused on secret CIA flights of Al Qaida suspects, asserted that the U.S. intelligence agency sent abducted Syrian natives from Europe to Damascus, where they were imprisoned and tortured by Syrian intelligence.
Osama Bin Laden Keeping a Low Profile -- (AP)
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Tracking down Osama bin Laden has proven tougher than getting to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi because the top al-Qaida leader keeps a lower profile, surrounds himself with far more faithful followers and has more places to hide, intelligence experts say....
How God Made A Soldiers' Angel -- [Soldiers' Angels New York]
The following writing is by angel Bessie. She has given me permission to share it with you. I needed a kleenex when reading it. Please leave her a comment here and let her know what you think of it.
Ethics Training -- [Just Another Thunderhorse Roughneck! - in Iraq ]
...I think we already have. Won that is. It’s just a matter of time before the mission is accomplished and we all get to come home. These are just a few quotes I took from some thank you cards. The class of 1st graders at Horizon Christian School made the cards. I’m going to hand them out to the platoon but I couldn’t stop reading through all of them first. I’m sure they’ll make all of the guys feel proud about what they’re doing. As I’m sure everyone has heard before, it’s the thought that counts.
The May Backpack Delivery to Landstuhl -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Another month - another delivery of backpacks for the patients at Landstuhl hospital!
Everyone hates those drafty hospital gowns - especially soldiers! - so the backpacks contain a t-shirt and a pair of boxers. Just as important, each backpack contains a letter from home and a hand-made Blanket of Hope.
Operation THANK YOU returns to Miramar -- [Smash]
COME JOIN US in saying "Thank You" to our military tomorrow at MCAS Miramar!
...If you’re not in San Diego, you can organize your own Operation Thank You at a military base or recruiting station near you. All it takes is some blank cardboard, a marker, and an hour or two of your time.
An embarassment only a father could love -- [Fast Bunnies - in Iraq]
...Somewhere in Washington there is a company commander who is wondering why God is punishing him with such an irresponsible subordinate, there is a platoon wondering why their commissioned leader is such an embarassment, and there is a 28 year old LT who's understanding of UCMJ, the United States Constitution, and the general concept of international law is obviously lacking.
Perhaps Not a Good Idea -- [Strategy Page]
June 9, 2006: Military procurement is often a nightmare, what with all the people and organizations involved, and all the opportunities for people to change their minds. Here's a real nightmare example of how badly things can go. Back in 1989, Pakistan decided to manufacture its own 23mm cannon ammunition for its jet fighters. It ordered raw materials and manufacturing equipment from China. Then as now, China is a major source for military materials.
Soldiers quit army in protest after acquittal on boy's death -- (The Guardian)
Two soldiers cleared this week of the manslaughter of a 15-year-old Iraqi in Basra in May 2003 are to leave the army in protest at their treatment.
E&P: Papers Show Dead Zarqawi but not Dead Americans -- [Media Blog]
Editor and Publisher faults the media for showing "graphic Zarqawi images" but not dead Americans in an article called "Dead and Loving It":
CBS Terrorism Analyst: Zarqawi's Death Good For Al Qaeda -- [NewsBusters]
On a day when many in America are rejoicing at the death of the most wanted man in Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi, a man who is responsible for countless deaths in Iraq and who made it his mission to spark civil war, CBS brought in a long time Bush administration critic to discuss its implications on this morning's "Early Show." Co-host Harry Smith, utilizing spin that would make "Baghdad Bob" jealous, attempted to portray Zarqawi’s death as being bad news for America, and his guest, CBS News Terrorism Analyst Michael Scheuer, was happy to back his assertions even going so far as ...
Zarqawi’s ‘Troubled Childhood’ Leads to Terror? -- [NewsBusters]
The MRC has been following the media’s reaction to the death of terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al Zarqawi all day. Much of the coverage has been focused on downplaying the significance of the event. Now we have a new angle. MSNBC anchor Milissa Rehberger hosted First Look, the early morning coverage of Zarqawi’s death. At 5:45AM EDT, in an attempt to give her audience a full picture, this is how she described the life of a brutal murderer:
Pentagon; NSA to to establish Blog Mining Division -- [The Gun Toting Liberal]
Yep, that’s right: this Republican-led Government has decided that our tax money should finance a data mining program which will scour our blogs and the Internet for as much personal information as it can possibly piece together about each and every one of us. As they are doing this, they will be combining all of THIS personal information with our credit reports, criminal records (if applicable), and anything else (medical records?) these jackass TRAITORS in bow ties and checkered golf pants can come up with on us to merge into a single personnel file for every American Citizen.
Ultrasound today-The baby is a.... -- [Soldiers' Angel - Holly Aho]
GIRL!!
Yep, the ultrasound this morning showed that we're having a girl I had the ultrasound lady check at least 5 times during the ultrasound just to be sure there was no mistake. So....it's time to go buy some pink baby stuff!! Yay! After 4 boys I can't even imagine going to buy baby girl clothing
Happy Birthday -- [Iraqi Pictures - in Iraq]
Charlie Company would like to wish LCpl Christopher Jackson a Happy Birthday. Right now, he's enjoying it with some fun in the sun.
Happy Birthday to Me -- [Miserable Donuts]
A 40 year metamorphasis:
Welcome home, 155 BCT! (My MS Trip) -- [Yikes]
PICTURES CAN BE SEEN HERE. THERE ARE SEVERAL IN THE POST BELOW.
Wow, where do I even BEGIN to tell y'all about this weekend?! To begin at the very beginning for those who don't know the story, I have friends in Meridian, Mississippi, who I met through www.WebofSupport.com. My friend, Janis, is the wife of MS National Guardsman, Norris Galatas, and is a major driving force behind Web Of Support. Janis's husband, Norris, was severely wounded in Iraq on April 19, 2005. It was only by a series of miracles that he survived the IED explosion (and I've seen pics of his wounds and what was left of his truck…not pretty!!!). To this day, poor Norris is still in awful lots of pain and still undergoing major surgeries to fix stuff. Well, anyway, the final, official homecoming ceremony of the 155 BCT was scheduled
Democrats Vow to Fight On After Zarqawi Loss -- [SrappleFace]
(2006-06-09) — As Blackberry devices and cell phones on Capitol Hill hummed with news of the death of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi yesterday, Congressional Democrats vowed that despite the loss they would fight on in “the war on the war on terror.”
Satan and Zarqawi: An Initial Interview! -- [GM's Corner]
By now, almost anyone with access to the news has heard that Zarqawi has been killed by two 500 lb Mk-82 bombs. No doubt, there are many who welcome this news, just as there are some who are quite angry. But none, I suspect are as angry as Zarqawi after his death when he met someone he did not expect to meet.
Zarqawi's Probate -- [Stolen Thunder]
In the name of Allah the Most Compassionate – except to infidels and apostates – we are gathered here to read the last will of our brother Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was brutally cornered and killed by the Crusader Fajarah. I read from the will, written in Abu’s own hand – this is strange ink?
MilBlogger quits:
Via email:
The response on the part of MilBloggers to the alleged Haditha incident has in my opinion been deplorable, and I no longer want to be associated with this group. Furthermore, I've picked up an increasing resistance to debate among ringmembers, and I'm unwilling in many cases to toe the "company line." Chalk it up to increasingly divergent opinions, I guess.
However, the volume of damning evidence is hard to ignore. A videotape of the bodies, death certificates issued by the hospital, and photographs that contradict the first official statement do not paint a pretty picture of what the Marines did in Haditha on Nov. 19.I say, if the Marines are guilty, punish them accordingly, but until this goes to trial, I'm telling the media and anyone else who have some preconceived notion to STFU.
Haditha, it seems, was known for its high volume of Improvised Explosive Devices. Some also say that insurgents in the area notoriously used women and children as human shields. But the ferocity that the two squads are reported to have used against the three households is unfathomable -- particularly if reports that there was only a single AK-47 between the three are accurate.
Michael Yon makes my point perfectly:
In the absence of clear facts, most people know that a rush to judgment serves no one. What word, then, properly characterizes the recent media coverage of Haditha, when analysis stretches beyond shotgun conclusions to actually attributing motive and assigning blame? No rational process supports a statement like: “We don’t know what happened, but we know why it happened and whose fault it is.”
...It is hard to define the context in a place where the enemy regularly tortures and beheads people, and murders children on a daily basis, and this seems to raise scant ire. They can kill a dozen kids, or come to a classroom and murder a teacher in front of young students, and still be called “rebels,” or “freedom fighters.”
Roger Simon also wonders why the Rush to Judgment?
I don't know what happened in Haditha. How in the world could I?... And how in the world could the hundreds or thousands of columnists who have already written about the supposed killings of Iraqi civilians by Marines? But I do remember the rush to judgment about the supposed massacre in Jenin (for which almost no apologies appeared) and I wonder.
The Daily Dispatch shows examples of irresponsible journalism and responsible journalism.
An Officer Cites Moral Compass of US Unit in Haditha
``I can honestly say that throughout my time with the Marines I knew, they serv ed themselves and their country with honor and courage, and were guided by a strong moral compass,'' he said in his first interview since the news of Haditha incident caused new outrage about the U.S. war in Iraq.
``I can think of a number of incidents where it could have been easy for them to lose that moral compass, and they never did.''
...What is unusual about the current accusations is that such events are rare. While there are a lot of civilians killed by combat actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, most are clearly just people caught in the cross fire. The enemy knowingly takes cover among civilians, to take advantage of American "Rules of Engagement" (ROE). But at the same time, the American ROE these days puts the safely of American troops above all else. Thus if the enemy hides among civilians and opens fire, U.S. troops will return fire, and the civilians either get out of the way, or get hit. Brutal, but the alternative is dead Americans. The enemy makes the most of the civilians they have caused, through their actions, to get killed. The current atrocity accusations are about "cold blood" killings. The investigation will have to decide when the "heat of battle" turns into "cold blood."
And reports how the military is doing it's best to reduce civilian casualties
American troops in Iraq are being issued another "non-lethal" weapon. This one is an 11 inch attachment to their assault rifles, that projects laser light that can "dazzle," or temporarily blind and disorient, whoever it is aimed at. The device has an effective range of over a hundred meters and is intended mainly for use by troops manning checkpoints. There, it will sometimes be used, instead of gunfire,
CNN's source says Marines may have committed "premeditated" murder in the April shooting death of an unarmed Iraqi man in Hamdaniya
The incident is unrelated to a criminal investigation into the alleged massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha in November.
In the Hamdaniya incident, some of the Marines in pretrial confinement have admitted the circumstances of the man's death were staged, said the officer.
...The attorney for one of the accused denounced what he called cowardly, anonymous leakers at the Pentagon.
"One needs to remember the several cases in which they [the NCIS] have solemnly pronounced the guilt of a Marine that turned out upon a full and unbiased investigation to be without merit," said criminal defense attorney David Brahms.
An attorney representing the Navy medical corpsman, expressed concern that the media frenzy surrounding the case "has contributed to the current conditions my client is enduring at the Camp Pendleton Brig."
Some very interesting commentary on The Real Iraq:
...But will the U.S. stay the course? Many are betting against it. The Baathists and jihadists, their prior efforts to derail Iraqi democracy having come to naught, have now pinned their hopes on creating enough chaos and death to persuade Washington of the futility of its endeavors. In this, they have the tacit support not only of local Arab and Muslim despots rightly fearful of the democratic genie but of all those in the West whose own incessant theme has been the certainty of American failure. Among Bush-haters in the U.S., just as among anti-Americans around the world, predictions of civil war in Iraq, of spreading regional hostilities, and of a revived global terrorism are not about to cease any time soon.
But more sober observers should understand the real balance sheet in Iraq. Democracy is succeeding. Moreover, thanks to its success in Iraq, there are stirrings elsewhere in the region.
Fort Lewis Officer Says He’ll Refuse To Deploy
Lt. Ehren Watada of the Stryker Brigade writes, “I refuse to be silent any longer. I refuse to watch families torn apart, while the President tells us to ‘stay the course.’ I refuse to be party to an illegal and immoral war against people who did nothing to deserve our aggression.
...His name had been kept a secret until now
From the Iraq front...
Iraq the Model reports on the Rumor of the day.
There's one rumor in Baghdad these days that has become so big and spread beyond the normal limits of rumors…
The Babylon Blog talks about Hadithah Heat
It’s getting hot in Hadithah. And when I say hot, I mean oven hot. They say it’s over a 100. “They” being the weather experts at the airbase southwest of here, but there aren’t any thermometers around so we’ll have to take their word for it. The lack of local thermometers is probably for the best since looking at the rising temperature would just depress us all.
The bad thing is that we have no air conditioning in our building.
The Will to exist has A story for anti-war environmentalists
I realize most of you are not going to change your minds about Iraq. You already know better than I do, even though you’ve never been here. But I have to try.
My friend and immediate boss, SSG James Sherrill, recently wrote an article that may interest environmentalists. Read the tale of Iraq’s marshlands, which were drained by Saddam to punish Iraq’s Marsh Arabs, and which are now being restored by the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources, with help from the coalition.
...Of course, everyone knows the coalition is only here for the oil, and the imperialism. As soon as the marshes are restored, we’re going to seize them and build subdivisions
And Doc in the Box reports on the changes he's seen over several deployments
Slowly but surely, you can see the changes taking place around here, specially if you've been here as many times as I have.
...Deploying to Iraq has become routine as far as being on base goes. But it's still a jungle outside of the gates; IED's are getting bigger to offset the new armored vehicles. With that the amount of explosives that is required to make it through our armor, the fragile humans inside aren't usually in good shape after getting caught in a blast. We're getting better though and we're far from being easy meat for the bad guys.
On the Afghanistan front...
Rahilla Live From a Free Kabul reports Looted Homes in Kabul
Among the places that got looted in Kabul was my guest house. My housemates and I lost all of our belongings. Above are pictures of a looted home. A few hundred people took advantage of the incident involving coalition forces and Afgahn civilians, and used it as an opportunity to loot and destroy as many places as possible.
My friend's aunt that is Afghan-American and visiting told her this is not the country your parents grew up in. A good friend of mine from the States called me yesterday. She told me that it took two decades to destory the country and it will take the same amount of time to rebuild it.
And apparently The Taliban Have a Plan
The one region where the offensive has made some serious gains is in Helmand Province. This is largely due to the leadership of Mullah Osmani, who commanded a corps during the Taliban regime. More than any other Taliban regional commander, Osmani has stressed organization and training. In addition, he has shifted the focus of Taliban operations in Helmand away from attacks on Coalition and Afghan National Army forces, which are usually both costly and relatively ineffective
The BBC reports that the US rules out crash trial in Kabul
At least seven people died in rioting that followed the incident
The US ambassador in Kabul has said that the driver of a military truck that crashed and killed several people will not be prosecuted in Afghanistan.
And in Wars past...
John of Argghhh! has an awesome photo essay of outstanding bravery where Nearly 4,500 Allied and American troops lost their lives. That day that turned the course of World War II and that day that shall always be remembered as... “D-DAY.”
Thunder Run has a milblog roundup to D-Day
A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, focusing on D-Day posts
Where Honors rendered and left to give
Political debate about ‘just war’ raged during Vietnam and reverberates today. “Never forget,” its’ veterans cry. Thirty-one years ago, the last of them came home yet where is their museum? “The Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Wall that Heals,” some reply. Those walls mark the passing of 58, 283 men and women who served and died. In 1981, the debate flared anew, the warriors and antagonists engaged.
And in military news Drudge reports that apparently the personal data of military members stolen was not just 50,000 as initially believed but 2.2 million.
In fact, names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of as many as 1.1 million active-duty personnel from all the armed forces - or 80 percent of all active-duty members - are believed to have been included, along with 430,000 members of the National Guard, and 645,000 members of the Reserves.
And Veterans Groups Sue Over Data Theft
A coalition of veterans' groups charged in a lawsuit Tuesday that their privacy rights were violated after thieves stole personal data on 26.5 million military personnel from a Veterans Affairs employee.
The class-action lawsuit against the federal government, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, is the second suit since the VA disclosed the May 3 burglary two weeks ago.
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.)
Task Force 145 kills al Qaeda military Emir -- [Security Watchtower]
On Friday, Task Force 145 recieved intelligence on a high level target and conducted a raid near the city of Balad. Upon arriving at the scene a firefight took place, leaving wanted al-Qaida terrorist Hasayn Ali Muzabir dead. A former intelligence officer under Saddam Hussein's regime, Mizabir recently operated as an al Qaeda military Emir in the area around Samarra, and was responsible for facilitating Iraqi and foreign terrorists and provided funding for kidnapping, assassinations and bombings against Iraqi citizens and Iraqi and Coalition forces.
Haditha: If Bush isn’t responsible then the terrorists have already won -- [Hot Air - Allah Pundit]
I wrote about this a few days ago so I won’t rehash the argument, but there is something in the Times’s editorial today that bears mentioning:
This affair cannot simply be dismissed as the spontaneous cruelty of a few bad men…
So far, nothing in President Bush’s repeated statements on the issue offers any real assurance that the White House and the Pentagon will not once again try to protect the most senior military and political ranks from proper accountability. This is the pattern that this administration has repeatedly followed in the past — in the torture scandal at Abu Ghraib, in the beating deaths of prisoners at Bagram air base in Afghanistan and in the serial abuses of justice and constitutional principle at Guantánamo Bay....
Neat trick, that. If the investigation doesn’t implicate anyone at the top of the food chain then it’s not a “serious inquiry.” So far most of the pre-judging has been limited to assuming the suspects did what they’re accused of doing; the Times takes it a step further and ...
Mad Max in Baghdad -- [Strategy Page]
June 5, 2006: The thousands of civilian security personnel in Iraq have equipped themselves with hundreds of armored SUVs and light trucks. These security contractors are frequently used as bodyguards for American and NGO officials, as well as Iraqi big-shots. In addition to armor kits (which some firms now specialize in) for the vehicles, improvised gun turrets are often added as well (mounting one or two 7.62mm machine-guns). All this isn't overkill.
Iraq Pictures - 02 June 2006 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
An Iraqi boy takes a drink of water after a grand opening ceremony for a Reverse Osmosis Water Plant May 31 near Al Batha.
This is Iraq -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
I’m sick of the bad news about Iraq. As often as possible, I’ll now be posting images that show the side of Iraq you don’t see or hear about from the pundits of failure. Without further ado here’s the image for today:...
CPX -- [Murphy Around the World - in Iraq]
VERY interesting day, they’ve been waiting for us…
This CPX was the culmination of months of training and was designed to show off the unit and staff for the incoming crew.
...The Iraqi’s do not want to be embarrassed in front of the Americans, so they put their strongest players into the key leadership positions: radioman, convoy commanders, operations officer are all used over and over, nobody else had gotten the chance to learn (or fail). This put soldiers who’ve never had the chance to be in charge…in charge.
Iraq Pictures - 02 June 2006 -- [Iraq Pictures - in Iraq]
Mohammed Al Thighe, Al Batha city council member, and Hardel Sabber, Al Batha water engineer oversee the offical opening of Al Fawaazi Reverse Osmosis Water Plant near An Nasariyah.
04 June 2006 -- [The Marching Camp - in Iraq]
...The AIF around here (IIRC, mostly native Sunni insurgents) use some more sophisticated stuff than we saw up in Tal Afar. Not the stuff that gets major attention, because the really fancy crap is in Baghdad. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Baghdad is where the reporters are, and the best of the Al-Qaeda in Iraq foreign fighters go there to try and get some headline time. Ramadi, however gets the second string varsity players. Up in Tal Afar we were up against the freshman team and it showed.
Power Outage -- [Just Another Thunderhorse Roughneck - in Iraq]
I do not know what is up with the power here. I heard that there’s a broken transformer but they have yet to replace it. Again, like yesterday, it’s been going out. But today, unlike yesterday, it’s been off for most of the day. It didn’t affect me too much since I took this morning at the gym and was out on missions this afternoon.
It’s really starting to cook here. The highs have been in the lower 110’s. The only thing now is that I’m not going from my A/C crib to my A/C Hummer since the power is out.
It’s HOT -- [Chris Whong - in Iraq]
It’s getting hot these days… well into the triple digits, especially in southern Kuwait. It’s so hot, 3 gatorades an hour isn’t enough. It’s so hot that you can’t put your bare hand on the handrails of a truck without getting 1st degree burns. It’s so hot you can heat spaghetti-o’s by setting the can in the sand for a few minutes. It’s so hot that at midday, the outer layer of rubber on our tires has begun to melt. My soldiers have said “it’s a few degrees cooler than hell,” and “god’s up there with a big magnifying glass, watching us squirm,” and “I saw the devil walking around with a slurpee the other day.”
Least It's Not 117 Today -- [Dave's Not Here - in Iraq]
Just 111 for the high today.
Over the past few days I've actually been feeling physically ill from the heat. That hasn't heppened in previous years and I think it is in large part due to the dramatic change in temperature. Summer began with a heat wave, a big one. Temperatures jumped from the high 90s to the low 100s straight up into the high teens, and I don't mean two digit teens either.
Corrections -- (Washington Post)...The Washington Post
A June 4 article misattributed a quotation about the reaction to a March briefing in the Office of the Secretary of Defense on the findings of a military inquiry into the killings of civilians in Haditha, Iraq. The person who said it was "really, really bad -- as bad or worse than Abu Ghraib" was not Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld but one of his aides, according to a Pentagon official.
Gunmen Seize at Least 50 at Iraq Bus Stop -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Gunmen wearing police uniforms raided bus stations in central Baghdad, abducting at least 50 people, including drivers and passengers preparing to travel outside Iraq, an interior ministry official said. The attackers also seized people working in the area, where several travel agencies are based and buses pick up passengers traveling mostly to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, Lt. Colonel Falah al-Mohamedawi said.
Wartime Adds Dimensions To Dilemmas Doctors Face -- (USA Today)...Gregg Zoroya
Ethical questions evolve at a military hospital in Iraq as staff attends to wounded — including the enemy.
Uncovering Iraq's Horrors In Desert Graves -- (New York Times)...John F. Burns
Among experts on the American-led team investigating Iraq's mass graves, the skeletal remains lying face-up at the rear of the tangled grave here have been given a name — the Blue Man — that speaks for a sorrowful familiarity developed by some of those who work with victims of mass murder.
Student Visiting Hometown Videotaped Haditha Horror -- (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)...Larry Kaplow
Seeing smoke coming from a neighbor's house, Tha'er Thabet al-Hadithi says he refused to answer when U.S. Marines came pounding on the gate of his family's home. Had they entered and arrested or killed him, as they are accused of doing to others that November day, the world might not have heard of the suspected massacre of men, women and children in the small town of Haditha.
Mother: Stress Drove Marine Son To Commit Crime -- (Boston Globe)...Associated Press
A Marine who followed orders to photograph corpses of Iraqis allegedly slain by members of his unit last fall claims post-traumatic stress drove him to commit felonies while on leave, his mother said.
Iraqis Accuse Marines In April Killing Of Civilian -- (Washington Post)...Ellen Knickmeyer
All parties to the case of Hashim Ibrahim Awad al-Zobaie agree that he was shot dead by Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment on April 26 in the small central Iraqi village of Hamdaniyah. But there are differing accounts of his death, and they are at the heart of another investigation into the conduct of American forces in Iraq.
Haditha Lawyer Criticizes U.S. Payments -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A lawyer who had several relatives among 24 Iraqis allegedly slain by U.S. Marines last fall and is representing kin of other victims complained in a videotape Saturday that American compensation paid to the families was inadequate.
Daily Attacks And Abuse--The New Reality For British Troops -- (London Times)...Ned Parker
IN A dirt alley strewn with trash and puddles of black sewage an Iraqi teenager smiled at me, slicing his throat with his fingers, as a gang of more than 30 sulky adolescents chanted “Down with Britain” and “Long live the Mehdi Army”.
Eskimo Troops Brace For Iraq -- (Los Angeles Times)...Sam Howe Verhovek
...But now, for the first time since World War II, Guard reserve troops in tiny Yupik Eskimo villages such as Kongiganak are being called up, and this time they are being sent halfway around the world — to Iraq.
The Taliban Have a Plan -- [Strategy Page]
June 5, 2006: Beginning in late March, the Taliban's "Spring Offensive" has seen an increase of 50-to 100-percent in the number of attacks in Afghanistan, depending upon the province. One reason for the increase is that weather conditions make operations in the mountainous regions of the country easier, and permit more effective movement of men, money, and munitions across the very mountainous frontier with Pakistan. Another is
Chora Police Station Retaken; Kabul Police Chief Sacked -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Bill Roggio - in Afghanistan]
Coalition and Afghan National Army (ANA) forces retook the Chora district police station in Uruzgan province which was attacked and seized Taliban earlier in the week. This was a joint air assault operation, and Chora received a reinforcement of Afghan National Army troops to bolster security in the region. “Insurgents may have attacked the police headquarters, but they never had the capability to control Chora, as evident of their immediate retreat in the face of Afghan and Coalition forces,” said Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, the spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force – 76.
Kabul accident changes ISAF driving rules; Suicide attacks in Kandahar -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Bill Roggio - in Afghanistan]
The fallout from last week's traffic accident and subsequent riots has reached the international troops. On last week's radio interview with Rob Breakenridge, I predicted Coalition forces would soon be forced to moderate their driving habits. Today, Lt. Gen. David Richards, the commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), indicated his troops' behavior on the roads is now an issue. "There are too many in the (U.S.-led) coalition, ISAF, international community who drive too quickly and in an inconsiderate way and we are all determined to improve that so the people here don't look on us as people who don't care about the Afghans," said Lt. Gen. Richards, who commands the 9,000 troops in ISAF, which is expected to increase to 15,000 by the end of the month. The 22,000 troops under U.S. command are likely to receive similar instructions in the near future
Foreign Troops In South Afghanistan Will Double -- (Boston Globe)...Kim Barker, Chicago Tribune
The number of foreign troops in troubled southern Afghanistan will double this summer, and these troops will focus more on rebuilding the country instead of just fighting insurgents, the head of the NATO mission here said yesterday.
Suicide Bomber Kills 4 In Afghanistan's South -- (New York Times)...Carlotta Gall
A suicide bomber exploded his car on the main street of this southern city on Sunday, narrowly missing the governor of Kandahar Province and a Canadian military convoy, but killing 4 civilians and wounding at least 12 others, officials said. The explosion was heard across town and stirred anger and fear once more in a city that has been shaken by violence for months.
Iran's oil -- [Peace like a River]
Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei made some not so veiled threats today:
The Death of an Alliance, Part 41-- [The Korea Liberator - in S Korea]
...Clearly, these plans have been well underway for some time, and probably with some consultation with the Pentagon. And while I’ve long believed in euthenizing the U.S.-Korean alliance rather than letting it go on in prolonged agony, you have to wonder how the 60-odd percent of the Korean population that will likely oppose this is going to deal with such a profound change imposed by such an unpopular government.
Ukraine Eyes Foreign Troops -- (Moscow Times)...Associated Press
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has asked the parliament to urgently endorse the presence of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory for a multinational military exercise, a request that came amid a week-long protest sparked by the arrival of a group of U.S. Marine reservists.
Canadian Border Proves Difficult to Secure -- (NY Times)
Tighter border controls between the United States and Canada are likely to be less useful than better domestic intelligence and information-sharing in detecting homegrown terrorist plots in North America, terrorism experts said yesterday.
'USFK Command To Be Dismantled' -- (Korea Times)...Jung Sung-ki
South Korea is considering dismantling the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) by 2012 in tandem with the planned takeover of operational control of its military during wartime from the United States, the Defense Ministry said Monday.
Russian Official Vows Arms Sale -- (Miami Herald)...Unattributed
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says his country will sell arms to Venezuela, despite a U.S. arms embargo against the oil-rich South American nation.
House Likely to Stumble into Cutting Counterterrorism Programs -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
This Thursday, if the tentative House schedule holds up and there are no unexpected amendments, members will vote to cut the Administration’s funding request for programs to counter terrorism overseas, despite all the speeches that it is better to fight the terrorists abroad than at home.
Were Canadian Jihadists Targeting Pickering Nuclear Plant? -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
"A terror attack potentially three times more devastating than the Oklahoma City bombing has been averted," according to the latest report from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Seventeen people have been arrested to date, and you can see a picture (below) of some of the items seized, as displayed in a news conference today.
Multinational Inquiry Led to Canada Terror Arrests -- (LA Times)
Authorities are looking for connections between those jailed in raids over the weekend and suspects held in at least six other countries.
WASHINGTON — The arrest of 17 terrorism suspects in Canada is part of a continuing, multinational inquiry into suspected terrorist cells in at least seven countries, a U.S. counter-terrorism official confirmed Sunday.
A Function of Loyalty -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Marine Lt. Gen. James F. Amos:
"When we send them off to do the nation's bidding in a place like Afghanistan or Iraq and they're wounded, we're not returning the same individual," Amos said. "When we send them back wounded there is a piece of me that says I haven't kept my bargain. What's left for me to do is to continue taking care of them."
It starts with a visit - to as many as he can.
"It's a function of loyalty,"
Unlike the General, we are often asked by the soldiers at Kleber outpatient barracks who we are and why we are there. We normally reply that we're just volunteers. During a recent visit there with Mrs. G, one Soldier kept pressing us for a more complete answer.
I always find that question difficult to answer, because ...
Army Manual To Skip Geneva Detainee Rule -- (Los Angeles Times)...Julian E. Barnes
The Pentagon has decided to omit from new detainee policies a key tenet of the Geneva Convention that explicitly bans "humiliating and degrading treatment," according to knowledgeable military officials, a step that would mark a further, potentially permanent, shift away from strict adherence to international human rights standards.
Who Wants To Join The Army? They Do. -- (Chicago Tribune)...Jason George
Karen Dandridge, Richard Forrest Jr. and Rolando Medina all graduated from high school last week and live only a couple of miles apart, but they never ran with the same crowd until now.
Army Changes Tack In Treating Combat Stress -- (San Diego Union-Tribune)...Ryan Lenz, Associated Press
Doctors call the treatment “three hots and a cot.” Soldiers and commanders see it as a much-needed lifeline in the middle of a relentless and bloody war.
What happened to the aliens legalized in 1986? -- [TigerHawk]
The Los Angeles Times has an interesting article that touches on something I have been wondering: what actually happened to the illegal aliens who received amnesty in 1986? It seems to me that the answer to this question is extremely relevant to the current political argument, at least insofar as it would confirm or refute the consequential claims made for and against the pending amnesty proposal.
Senate to Tackle Gay Marriage Ban -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush and congressional Republicans are aiming the political spotlight this week on efforts to ban gay marriage, with events at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue - all for a constitutional amendment with scant chance of passage but wide appeal among social conservatives. "Ages of experience have taught us that the commitment of a husband and wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children and the stability of society," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "Government, by recognizing and protecting marriage, serves the interests of all."
Gore Says Don't Count on a 2008 Run -- (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Al Gore, the Democrats' nominee for the White House in 2000, says he has all but ruled out running for president in 2008, saying the best use of his time is to educate people about global warming....
A Brief Comparison of Haditha and St. Lo -- [Newsbuster]
Everyone has heard of the "killings at Haditha," even though the military investigation of what happened there is still underway. Has anyone heard of the "killings at St. Lo" in July, 1944? A comparison of the New York Times coverage of those two events is instructive.
A Google News search of Haditha + killings + New York Times yields 891 hits as of Sunday noon. The articles on this subject in the Times are driving the national and international news in all media on this subject. The Times and its reporters are cited in most of these articles.
Sunni Murder of Shia Not a Massacre? -- [Strategic Outlook Institute - Weblog] HT: HH
We’ll see if the legacy media holds true to form, giving a pass to terrorists in Iraq - maybe killing unarmed Shia by the Sunni is so normal, that it does not rate comment. But 26 men were pulled from three mini-buses and executed.
The Marines were accused of killing 24 after an IED exploded (undisputed) and small arms fire (disputed in accounts). Of the 24, five were in a taxi and refused to stop when confronted by the Marines - they ran and were killed. So we’re down to 19 questionable deaths. 26 is more than 19 and they were truly executed - the accounts do not seem to dispute this and by the way, they were executed to calls that it was being done in Allah’s name. So the religion of peace only recognizes Sunni? Ask Iran’s Ahmadinejad about that one, I think you may get a dissenting opinion.
Demonizing those who defend your freedoms -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
Ted Rall is at it again. His latest tripe, The 10,000th Haditha, is a misanthropic collection of rambling smears against the U.S. military.
I’m Responsible for Haditha -- [Daily Dispatch]
Let me be the first to say that I am responsible for Haditha and it is likely you are too.
The New York Times in its lead editorial makes the case to which I plead guilty:...
The Truth, John Kerry, and The New York Times -- [Real Clear Politics]
Kate Zernike's story on the front page of the Memorial Day Sunday New York Times, "Kerry Pressing Swift Boat Case Long After Loss," is an unfortunate reminder of the Times's embarrassingly poor coverage of Kerry in the face of the Swift Boat Veterans' for Truth charges in the 2004 election. Now as then, the Times acts as if the issues involved were between Kerry's latest representations of his record and the "unsubstantiated" charges of the Swift Boat group. The Times used the term "unsubstantiated" more than twenty times during its election coverage and continues to make no discernable effort to examine any of the charges in detail.
Random Thoughts 4-June-2006 -- [Midnight in Iraq - in Iraq]
I am unsubscribing from my RSS feed from Yahoo News: Iraq. The stories it posts are so incredibly anti-war slanted that I just can’t take it anymore. I would expect this from CNN, but I thought Yahoo might be different. I suppose not. On a related note…
I have also discovered a large leftward slant to Time magazine. After reading a multitude of semi-biased articles the coffin was nailed shut when they proclaimed Ted Kennedy one of America’s ten best senators. It is also sad that in their recent article profiling 100 of the world’s most influential people they subtitled GWB’s entry as “Salvaging an Administration.” I also thought it snide that they treated Condoleezza Rice objectively until the last couple lines where they threw in their jabs.
Dishonor - [Michael Yon]
They are certainly filling voids with a lot of something, but there is little dazzling about how SHOCK used one of my most important photographs, without my knowledge or consent, as the centerpiece of the first course of that “visual feast with attitude.” The most prominent image on the cover is my photograph of Major Mark Bieger cradling a young Iraqi girl Farah, who was mortally wounded in an insurgent car bomb attack that brutally targeted a group of children who had run out to greet the soldiers on patrol. But smeared across the photograph was the sensational headline claiming:
Matt from Blackfive and Bill Roggio Live from Kabul Afghanistan discuss the global war on terrorism -- [Pundit Review]
We had the pleasure of interviewing two of the leading milbloggers about the global war on terrorism last evening. Matt from Blackfive and Bill Roggio from Counterrorism Blog who joined us live from Kabul Afghanistan.
Here's Amy -- [The Pattriette]
Thus ends my pregnancy and Baby Watch 2006:
Dad is in Iraq, but he was able to be on the phone with us within 5 minutes of her birth. He'll be meeting her when he comes home on leave this fall.
GOODBYE AFGHANISTAN. HELLO AMERICA. -- [Andi's World]
HE'S HOME!
Heroes Call - [One Marine's View]
...A Marine who was a freshman at Columbine High School when two students killed 13 people there was killed in action in Iraq, his family said. Lance Cpl. Greg Rund, 21, was on his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed Saturday, his family said in a statement released Monday. He had talked about joining the Marines throughout high school and enlisted shortly after graduating in 2002. The Marines confirmed Rund's death Wednesday, saying he died in combat in Al Anbar Province.
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.)
Soldier Gives His Purple Heart to CBS’s Kimberly Dozier -- [NewsBusters]
In a Thursday night update on the CBS Evening News on the condition of Kimberly Dozier, the CBS News correspondent seriously injured Monday in Baghdad, Sheila MacVicar reported that a soldier at the U.S. military hospital in Germany, where Dozier is recovering, gave her his Purple Heart. From Landstuhl, MacVicar related:
Haditha Doctor Was Arrested, Hates US -- [Sweetness & Light]
You have probably heard by now that the doctor who examined the bodies of the civilians in Haditha after the alleged Marine rampage said they were shot in the chest and head and from close range.
You have probably also heard it reported that the death certificates of the deceased record that all the victims were shot.
MEETING IRAQ -- [Tribune Blog - Dispatches: by Matthew D. LaPlante - in Iraq]
We first met Bart Rindlisbacher in Mosul last fall. At the time, the reserve soldier from Utah told us he'd been vastly impressed by the work and dedication of his motley collection of Iraqi coworkers -- most of whom would suffer violent reprisals were it learned that they come to work each day at the American military base.
About halfway into his deployment with the 872nd Maintenance Company, Rindlisbacher -- a Utah Highway Patrol trooper in his civilian life -- remained impressed and inspired by the Iraqi crew.
Courage and commitment -- and most of all, compassion -- [Tribune Blog - Dispatches: by Matthew D. LaPlante - in Iraq]
...Coe was one of the first to meet the convoy when it arrived at the clinic.
"We met the convoy commander as he dismounted his vehicle. I saw pain in his eyes and sadness in the eyes of his team, but they were still Soldiers. They still moved and acted with a sense of order," Coe observed.
...As the 144th completed its work of preparing the fallen Soldier for transport, a heavy rain pelted the camp. An uncommon occurrence in this part of the world, it "seemed as if the heavens themselves wept with the convoy team," said Coe, "but the weather did not deter those who wanted to pay their last respects."
Ignoring the good stuff -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
Pain, death, suffering, failure and misery get the limelight in the mainstream press. And stories like U.S. Army instructors teach leadership skills to Iraqis get completely ignored. I guess teaching loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor and personal courage aren’t worth reporting.
The Haditha Killings -- [Midnight in Iraq - Michael Yon's Frontline Forum]
...Regardless of what happened at Haditha, I think we should recognize the Marines who make these decisions every day, most notably the infantry. Nineteen-year-old men fresh out of high school are put into impossible situations, and somehow they almost invariably do the right thing. Unfortunately, it’s those rare instances of a broken moral compass that make the news. The life and death games that young men in our fighting forces play all over the world make the responsibilities of corporate CEOs pale in comparison.
IRAQI REPUBLIC RAILROAD -- [Dan in the Desert - contractor in Iraq]
...Leaving the Green Zone, you really get to see more of Iraq. I know folks who work here in the IZ. They've never left their compound. They just hunker down in their offices, never going outside...never experiencing Iraq. Granted, Iraq is pretty dangerous, and driving around in an armored vehicle isn't exactly the same experience an Iraqi would have, but you do get to see more than you would watching TV.
Hatchery -- [Tribune Blog - Dispatches: by Matthew D. LaPlante - in Iraq]
Sen. Orrin Hatch, who a short time ago derided congressional visits to Iraq as not helpful and wasteful of military resources, has posted a photo gallery of himself with U.S. troops during his recent trip to Baghdad.
Hatch's representatives insisted the senior senator's visit to the war zone had nothing to do with the fact that this is an election year and Hatch,
Memorial Day -- [A mobilized year - in Iraq]
...On this trip, I had an added bonus. This truck crew had been asked to field test a new cooling vest. The way it works is that while the crew is in the vehicle, they can wear a vest under their armor that plugs into the vehicle’s cooling system. A cool liquid substance is then circulated under the armor through the vest. I tell what, it worked like a charm. I had a smile on my face for at least half of the mission just in wonderment on how well the system worked.
V is for Victory (part 1) -- [Talking Salmons]
It was sunset. The summer had abated to a tolerable mild searing and we drank in the breeze. Racing down side streets, two Nissan trucks shot toward a site along the lakes and canals of Camp Victory, in search of an evening concert.
Toby Keith was here! It was the greeting I got from most of the troops I’d met so far on this visit south.
...It took me back to the states, years ago, free on Friday nights, racing to a theater or some damn restaurant some guy’s girl insisted on. Never leaving on time, we’d finally pile in and sprint between stop signs and traffic lights. Revving up, revving down, fumbling for some tunes, the sun in our faces as the evening started.
It was strangely relaxing, just the trip to the concert. I guess it was the sun that sent me back.
Parting Shots -- [Skull Nation in the Sandbox - in Iraq]
...We are almost gone. There are alot of troops here and things have quieted down as the enemy thinks about their current situation. It will be interesting to track events from home instead of living it.
New 'Iraq massacre' tape emerges -- (BBC News)
The BBC has uncovered new video evidence that US forces may have been responsible for the deliberate killing of 11 innocent Iraqi civilians.
Ivestigators of Haditha Shootings Look to Exhume Bodies -- (Washington Post)
Criminal investigators are hoping to exhume the bodies of several Iraqi civilians allegedly gunned down by a group of U.S. Marines last year in the city of Haditha, aiming to recover potentially important forensic evidence, according to defense officials familiar with the investigation.
Marines to Face Charges in Iraqi's Death -- (AP)
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Military prosecutors plan to file murder, kidnapping and conspiracy charges against seven Marines and a Navy corpsman in the shooting death of an Iraqi man in April, a defense lawyer said Thursday. The eight men are being held in the brig at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base north of San Diego, said Jeremiah Sullivan III, who represents one of the men.
Marine Irked at Inclusion in Haditha Case -- (AP)
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A Marine captain who was relieved of command after members of his battalion were accused of killing civilians in Haditha, Iraq, denied any role in the slayings and complained that he had become a "political casualty."
"It makes my blood boil to see my name lumped in with this massacre, when I was in a different city not playing any role in this incident,"
Bush Didn't Know About Probe -- (Boston Globe)...Associated Press
It took nearly a month for President Bush to be told that the military was investigating reports that Marines killed unarmed civilians in Iraq, the White House said yesterday.
U.S. Troops in Iraq to Get Ethics Training -- (AP)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- The U.S. military ordered coalition troops in Iraq on Thursday to undergo special training in ethics and "the values that separate us from our enemies" in the wake of allegations that Marines killed two dozen unarmed civilians in Haditha....
Marines to Face Charges in Iraqi's Death -- (My Way News)
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Military prosecutors plan to file murder, kidnapping and conspiracy charges against seven Marines and a Navy corpsman in the shooting death of an Iraqi man in April, a defense lawyer said Thursday.
Dog Handler Convicted of Abu Ghraib Abuse -- (AP)
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) - A military jury on Thursday convicted an Army dog handler of using his animal to torment a prisoner at Abu Ghraib. Sgt. Santos A. Cardona is the 11th soldier convicted of crimes stemming from the abuse of inmates at the prison in late 2003 and early 2004.
War Atrocities: Awareness Grows, Tolerance Drops -- (Christian Science Monitor)...Brad Knickerbocker
Revelations that US troops may have targeted and killed civilians in Iraq last year are focusing a bright light on America's rising awareness of and intolerance for war atrocities.
Vying For Power, Militias Roil Basra -- (Christian Science Monitor)...Dan Murphy
...Now, Basra is the only city in Iraq under emergency rule, evidence of how far the city has careened off course. Locals say death squads openly patrol the streets and a police official reached by phone reports that at least 400 assassinations in the past two months. Residents describe a political climate that is a cross between Al Capone's Chicago and Medici Florence
Taliban Offensive Shot to Pieces -- [Strategy Page]
The last two weeks have seen an ambitious Taliban offensive shot to pieces. As many as a thousand Taliban gunmen, in half a dozen different groups, have passed over the Pakistani border, or been gathered within Afghanistan, and sent off to try and take control of remote villages and districts. The offensive was a major failure, with nearly half the Taliban getting killed, wounded or captured. Afghan and Coalition casualties were much less, although you wouldn't know that from the mass media reports (which made it all look like a Taliban victory).
A day in Kabul; Police remain a target in Southeast -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Bill Roggio - in Afghansitan]
Kabul, Afghanistan: The city of Kabul remains quiet as evidence emerges that U.S. Army troops fired on demonstrators while leaving the scene of Monday's accident. According to General Amanullah Gozar, Kabul's chief of highway police who was present at the accident, the U.S. convoy started to leave the accident site after the Afghan mob turned violent. Soldiers in one or more lead vehicles fired warning shots into the air, but a soldier in the trailing vehicle apparently fired into the crowd after hearing gunshots from the crowd. General Gozar confirmed the traffic accident was indeed unintentional, and the U.S. troops immediately began to administer medical assistance to those injured. President Hamid Karzai was critical of the soldier's use of weapons, and the Afghan Parliament called for punishment of the American soldiers.
News of Afghanistan IX - Early Edition -- [Miserable Donuts]
I sure hope this Chinese cement is better quality than the Pakistani junk used at Bagram in 2005. I mean, the second the stuff dried, it started to crumble. Had to all be replaced. I think the contracting officer's comment was something to the effect of $#%@*& those *&^%$!.
Soldier in Afghan abuse case acquitted -- (AP)
FORT BLISS, Texas - Pfc. Damien M. Corsetti, the last soldier charged in the Army's investigations of prisoner abuse in Afghanistan, could only weep when he learned he was acquitted of abuse charges.
Corsetti, 26, was cleared by a court-martial panel Thursday of charges of assault, maltreatment, dereliction of duty, using hashish and drinking on duty. The panel deliberated for just 30 minutes.
US Soldiers Creating Road Rage In Afghanistan -- (Boston Globe)...Jim A. Chiavelli
...The irony is that there are no more polite Westerners in Kabul than US soldiers. Every civilian is a ``sir" or a ``ma'am," and, from top officers to private soldiers, they're uniformly eager to help. But behind the wheel, they're all 18 years old and 20 minutes late for the prom.
22nd Century Arabia -- [Michael Totten]
I did not meet a single person, foreign or expat, in Beirut who has been to Dubai and had much nice to say about it. Most described it as a culture- and history-free shopping mall on the Gulf, an Arab Las Vegas which can't hold up to Beirut's authenticity. Maybe they're right. I don't know. I haven't been there. But check out what the skyline will look like after the Burj Dubai skyscraper, the soon-to-be tallest building in the entire world, is finished.
UN prepares to leave Kosovo after status talks -- [Kosovo Report]
The United Nations mission administering Kosovo (UNMIK) said Thursday it had begun preparations to leave the southern Serbian province after the final settlement on its status is reached.
It's All America's Fault -- [Strategy Page]
islamic Courts militia continue to push back warlord gunmen in Mogadishu.
In three months of fighting, there have been over 2,000 casualties, including over 400 dead. Over half of those losses occurred in the last three weeks because of the Mogadishu fighting. A coalition of warlords, calling themselves the Alliance for Restoration of Peace and Counter Terrorism (ARPCT) are losing their war with the Islamic Courts.
Corps Takes Blame for New Orleans Flooding -- (AP)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A contrite U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took responsibility Thursday for the flooding of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina and said the levees failed because they were built in a disjointed fashion using outdated data. "This is the first time that the Corps has had to stand up and say, `We've had a catastrophic failure,'" Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, the Corps chief, said as the agency issued a 6,000-page-plus report on the disaster on Day 1 of the new hurricane season.
Army Builders Accept Blame Over Flooding -- (NY Times)
A report has concluded that New Orleans's levees were not built for a storm anywhere near the strength of Hurricane Katrina.
Schwarzenegger to Order Troops to Border -- (AP)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed Thursday to send the California National Guard to the Mexican border, ending a 17-day standoff with the Bush administration. The two sides had been at odds over whether California Guardsmen would join the effort to bolster the Border Patrol and who would pay for it.
"We Are Determined" -- (SPIEGEL)
In an interview with SPIEGEL, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad discusses the Holocaust, the future of the state of Israel, mistakes made by the United States in Iraq and Tehran's nuclear dispute with the West.
WORLD CUP: 75 EURO MPs SEEK TO BAN AHMADINEJAD FROM TOURNAMENT -- (AKI)
Brussels, 1 June (AKI) - Seventy-five members of the European parliament on Thursday signed a petition demanding that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad be banned from European soil and not allowed to attend matches played by the Iranian national football team at the World Cup which kicks off in Germany on 9 June. The 75 parliamentarians, who are members of the main political groups in the European parliament, sent their appeal to the EU's Austrian rotating presidency and to the international football federation (FIFA).
Six Powers Reach Accord On Iran Plan -- (Washington Post)...Glenn Kessler
The United States and five other major world powers agreed Thursday to offer Iran a broad new collection of rewards if it halts its drive to master nuclear technology, but they threatened "further steps in the Security Council" if Iran refuses.
An Astonishing Decision, Inconsistent with Common Sense, Which Should Be Repudiated by the President Immediately -- [Hugh Hewitt]
The Department of Homeland Security has made funding decisions that are simply absurd, and recognized as such immediately by Americans of every political stripe. These allocations should immediately be withdrawn by order of the president for re-evaluation in light of the obvious threats which face population centers and the great cities of the United States.
Bank Secrecy Act Compliance Not Getting Easier, But Not Broadening Either -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Andrew Cochran]
Developments on the regulatory and legislative front signal at least a temporary halt to efforts to ease Bank Secrecy Act compliance burdens within the U.S. and to broaden its scope to include international wire transfers.
N.Y. Steamed Over Terror Fund Cutbacks -- (Washington Post)
NEW YORK -- From Times Square and the Empire State Building to the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty, New York is a city of spectacular landmarks. Ask any of the 41 million tourists who visited last year.
SPAIN'S SUPREME COURT QUASHES SYRIAN'S 9/11 CONVICTION -- (AKI)
Madrid, 1 June (AKI) - Spain's Supreme court on Thursday overturned the conviction of a Syrian-born al-Qaeda suspect for helping plan the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States. The court threw out a 15-year jail term handed down to Imad Yarkas, but upheld his 12-year sentence for leading an al-Qaeda cell in Spain. It also acquitted three other men who were convicted with Yarkas last September along with 17 others in what was Europe's biggest-ever al-Qaeda trial. The reasons behind Thursday's verdict are due to be published at a later date, the court said.
The court however turned down al-Jazeera journalist Taysir Alouni's appeal against his six-year prison term - which he is now serving for having helped al-Qaeda transfer funds to Afghanistan.
Study Wants Nuclear Weapons Outlawed -- (AP)
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- A study led by former U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix called Thursday for outlawing nuclear weapons and reviving global cooperation on disarmament including security guarantees to curb the nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea....
Letters Of Appreciation -- [Patriot Riders]
I met you both yesterday, Memorial Day, at the funeral of Captain Robert Seidel III, in Emmitsburg Maryland. My godson was his best friend of most all his 23 years. I am a former United States Marine and was totally torn inside at the presence and commitment of all your support. You came in with such kindness and respect and stood in the hot sun as such great troopers.
My Godson was having a hard time with his friends lose. Although he was always pro military and played (Army) all his childhood with Robert he had ill thoughts since his death of the Military. He was not too responsive to his friends and family and had wondered why the cowardly act of a roadside bomb could have taken his friends life. He was always a face to face fighter and just could not comprehend how this could have happened. I had great concerns about his own mental thoughts and that he might injure himself in anger.
I must say that yesterday was a great turning point for him and his attitude and I have to attribute it to yourselves Mr. Bell and Mr. Bright, and all of the others that took your time that day to Honor a fallen Soldier that you did not even know.
Living Legends: Soldiers' Angels has Honored America's Fallen War Heroes by Donating 100 Trees and Wreaths to their Families -- [Soldiers' Angel Germany]
Thank you for the beautiful Pygmy Date Palm its really nice. I got it yesterday.
Please thank everyone that made this possible. It will always remind us of Joe. I will be place it at his favorite placed in my parents house, a back room where he would love to play his drums.
So you think you rate a Bronze Star? HERO'S CALL -- [One Marine's View]
...Warriors are earning Bronze Stars at the cyclic rate through Operation Iraqi Freedom & Operation Enduring Freedom. If you think you shoulda, would of, could of earned one read below for what these warriors from in the past and now are doing to earn them. Then ask yourself, do I rate a Bronze Star?
Underrated Movies on Military Matters -- [Strategy Page]
When war movies are discussed, some films automatically come to mind, like Saving Private Ryan or Pearl Harbor. These films get a lot of the press, and a lot of the attention, but some of the best war movies are ones you may not have heard much of, and they can only be acquired by checking the second-hand sales at Amazon. Here are, arguably, the best ten war movies that fall into this "underrated" category.
In Las Vegas A Pilot Pulls The Trigger. In Iraq A Predator Fires Its Missile -- (London Daily Telegraph)...Francis Harris
An RAF unit based in the Nevada desert is conducting highly secret operations against Iraqi insurgents and Afghan guerrillas using unmanned, powerfully armed American Predator aircraft.
U.S. Sailor Convicted In Robbery, Slaying -- (Los Angeles Times)...Times Wire Reports
A Japanese court convicted a U.S. sailor of killing a woman during a robbery near Tokyo and sentenced him to life in prison, a court official said.
US marines appear before Makati court -- (Philippine News)
A PLEA of not guilty was entered for four US marines who appeared before a Makati court yesterday to answer charges of raping a 22-year-old Filipina.
Code Pink Runs "Illegal Occupation" Ads in Iraqi Newspapers -- [Gateway Pundit]
To CodePink, it doesn't matter if it puts American soldiers and marines in danger or not... It's all about the cause!
This is just gross and immoral..
DEM: PUT BULLET BETWEEN BUSH'S EYES -- [Michelle Malkin]
State Comptroller Alan Hevesi publicly apologized Thursday for a "beyond dumb" remark about "putting a bullet between the president's eyes."
Hevesi hastily called a mea culpa press conference hours after putting his foot in his mouth at the Queens College commencement.
Goodbye, Republicans. Or Democrats. Or Both. Whatever - [Q and O Blog]
...The party system, as it's developed at the national level since 1968, has left liberty-loving Americans at a bit of a loss. One of the parties seems to have a laissez-faire attitude towards economic questions, but has become increasingly totalitarian on moral issues, while the other party has become laissaez-faire on moral issues, while becoming increasingly totalitarian on economic issues. Within a generation—indeed, half a generation—we have turned out one party in Congress for their arrogance and wild spending, only to see their successors from the opposing party quickly growing to ape their predecessors ways. And ...
ACLU Demands Perverts Get Sporting Chance at Kids -- [Jawa Report]
Stop the ACLU reports on the latest ACLU pro-pedophile lawsuit, this one aimed at an Indianapolis city ordinance that requires convicted sex offenders to stay at least 1,000 feet from facilities like playgrounds and swimming pools when children are present.
Bush to Back Gay Marriage Ban Amendment -- (AP)
President Bush will promote a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage on Monday, the eve of a scheduled Senate vote on the cause that is dear to his conservative backers.
Media Drives By Haditha -- [Daily Dispatch]
The media has decided that Hiditha is the story that could get what they have always wanted–a withdrawal from Iraq.
Here is just a sample of the reporting from the major networks.
Olbermann Smears O’Reilly On Malmedy, Pretends To Care About Troops (VIDEO) -- [Expose the Left]
Keith Olbermann ran yet another hit piece of Bill O’Reilly, this time trying to paint him as anti-Military. Laughable, truly laughable. Olbermann, the television personality who is obsessed with the unproven allegations about what happened in Haditha and is defaming the troops, calls O’Reilly anti-Military. Holy Batman, has hell frozen over?
Is Google Purging Conservative News Sites? -- [NewsBusters]
Something frighteningly ominous has been happening on the Internet lately: Google, without any prior explanation or notice, has been terminating its News relationship with conservative e-zines and web journals.
Missed Opportunities -- [CSM Jeffrey J. Mellinger - Michael Yon's Frontline Forum]
I say just send us reporters. I have heard it said that there were more embedded reporters in some battalions during OIF than there are in the whole country now. What are the stories they chase? Let’s see what’s on the top ten stories for ABC and the AP news today…..
About 170 Washington Post staff take buyouts -- (SignOnSanDiego)
WASHINGTON – About 70 reporters, editors, photographers and newsroom administrators have taken early retirement offers from The Washington Post Co. amid declining circulation at its flagship newspaper.
Ultimate Sacrifice -- [Miss Ladybug]
It was about 2 o'clock when my tour was complete. I told J I would see him at the ballgame later that night, and went to my car. As I was getting in the car, I noticed a funeral procession going down the street. When I saw all the motorcycles with American flags, I just knew it was a military funeral. This thought was further reinforced when I saw one of the riders wearing the new Army camoflauge. Once all the motorcycles had passed, I also noticed some passengers in the cars were also in military uniforms. When I got home, I checked the Patriot Guard Riders website,
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.)
A No Comment Commentary -- [Fire and Ice]
I was with the Marine rifle company named in the Haditha incident. During the month of October 2005, up to the Iraqi constitutional referendum vote, I patrolled the streets of Haditha with them. Due to blog entries here at Fire and Ice back in October several news organizations have contacted me for comments. I had intended to make a statement here with my personal reflections, but will not do so at this time.
Clark Agrees with Murtha’ Assessment Of Haditha (VIDEO) -- [Expose the Left]
O’Reilly speaks to General Clark about Murtha and the alleged Marine incident.
O’Reilly quoting Murtha: “Don’t stick up for the military Charlie (Gibson).”
Clark: “… you know what he’s saying Bill…”
O’Reilly: “This is about Murtha saying I told ya so, it’s a bad war. It’s about him!’
Later on…
Al Anbar Province, Iraq -- [Michael Fumento - journalist embed in Iraq]
I arrived at Camp Fallujah in Iraq's Anbar Province by Blackhawk at 4 a.m. on the morning of April 13. No sooner had I lain down in my bunk than I heard the "thump, thump, thump" of outgoing artillery, five rounds in all. I later learned they were illumination rounds, probably called in to light up the area around the Iraqi Army's Observation Post 3 (OP3) in Karma, just northeast of Fallujah. It was, I was told, the largest enemy action in the area in the last eight months.
Checkpoint shooting -- [Counter Column]
Some of the leftie blogs are all aflutter over the incompetence of the troops who fired on a vehicle that ran a checkpoint - killing the occupants, one of whom was pregnant.Granted, the soldiers on the ground, and Rumsfeld personally should have been able to discern, from hundreds of meters away, that the modestly clad woman in the floor-length robes in the back seat was obviously pregnant.
Now some of them are criticizing soldiers for "not shooting out the engine block," or "not shooting out the tires."
The detritus of lives extinguished -- [The Will to Exist - in Iraq]
As I was making my rounds today carrying out the mundane but highly technical tasks of a REMF, I chanced upon the camera gear that represents a physical connection to the last few moments of the lives of Paul Douglas and James Brolan. Their shattered equipment, which they used to record and report events in Iraq, lay broken and twisted on the floor, covered in specks of blood and pierced in various places by the shrapnel that always accompanies an IED’s concussive force in the milliseconds after the triggerman sets it off.
Wonderful Days -- [Talking Salmons - in Iraq]
This place gets to you, man. I mean it can get under your skin. It can do something to you.
Every once in a while someone pops.
"You hear about Sgt. H?" someone asked me yesterday.
"From S6?" I asked back.
"Yeah, he's gone."
"Gone?! I just saw him the other day."
"Yup, went nuts.
Coalition, Iraqi forces hinder terrorist activities -- [MNFI]
BAGHDAD, Iraq (May 31, 2006) – In separate operations this week, Coalition forces and Iraqi security forces thwarted terrorist operations aimed at derailing progress in Iraq.
Iraqis and American Soldiers: A Conversation Part 2 -- [The Real Ugly American]
part two of a series of posts featuring questions and answers from American Soldiers and Iraqis.
Sgt. Boggs: Do you have any relationships with Americans, whether soldiers
or civilians in Iraq right now?
24 Steps: Yes. I work with them daily. Civilians I mean.
Sgt. Boggs: Do Iraqis have any misconceptions about Americans that you know
about?
24 Steps: Yes. I know many Iraqis who think the Americans came to Iraq to
fight "Islam" and steal the country's wealth and also to make it easier for
Israel to grow safe in the region! You know, the traditional conspiracy
theory.
Sgt. Boggs: Would you rather America never came into Iraq in the first
place?
24 Steps: No. without that, I wouldn't be freely expressing myself and
thoughts with you now.
The incomplete cabinet. -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
In the latest development regarding the shape of the cabinet, sources close to the PM Maliki told New Sabah newspaper that PM Maliki might make a decision to do a wide ministerial change in his cabinet to make space for including the Dialogue Front of Salih al-Mutlaq which formerly boycotted the government.
Low for the day: 80 degrees -- [The Desert Excursion - in Iraq]
...The only saving grace about my job is the personal interaction that I have had with the local people here. It is my fortune that I can stop and talk and even share tea with the people that have called this area home for generations (yes they drink chai here even when it's 113 degrees!) Of course I must talk through an interpreter but the rapport that I now have with the interpreters allow me hold a conversation that doesn't lay idle.
Probe finds Haditha killings unprovoked -- (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A preliminary military inquiry found evidence that U.S. Marines killed two dozen Iraqi civilians in an unprovoked attack in November, contradicting the troops' account, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
Haditha inquiry finds false reports: -- (Washington Post)
WASHINGTON - A U.S. military inquiry into whether Marines tried to cover up the killings of Iraqi civilians in Haditha will conclude that some officers gave false reports to their superiors, who then failed to scrutinize the information, according to a newspaper report on Thursday.
Can The Military Effectively Investigate Itself? -- (Christian Science Monitor)...Mark Sappenfield
...The concerns are longstanding, but with citizens getting a fuller picture of the mechanics of warfare - both on the battlefield and off - there is pressure to ensure that Americans have confidence in their military's means of justice.
Father of Marine Backs Son's Iraq Comrades -- (AP)
EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas' bedroom is nothing short of a shrine to the Marine whose death in an Iraqi roadside explosion preceded a firefight that now is the focus of a criminal investigation....
A Town Awoke To Slaughter -- (Los Angeles Times)...Megan K. Stack and Raheem Salman
Iraqis say Marines went house to house killing Haditha residents. 'I wish I had died with them,' says a child who saw her family slain.
Premier Pledges Iron Fist To Crush The Death Squads -- (London Times)...Ned Parker
...Last night the 4th division of the Iraqi Army was ordered to Iraq’s second city, along with hundreds of police with sweeping powers to set up checkpoints, stop cars, make arrests without warrants and conduct searches of houses. General George Casey, the top US commander in Iraq, told The Times that Shia insurgent groups have escalated their violence against US and British forces and said he detected an Iranian hand at play.
State of Emergency Declared in Basra, Iraq -- (AP)
BASRA, Iraq (AP) - Iraq's prime minister declared a state of emergency Wednesday in once peaceful and oil-rich Basra, as the sectarian and militia violence engulfing the country's capital spread to its southern economic heartland. In his first major policy speech since his government was sworn in May 20, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki vowed to restore security in Iraq as attacks around the country claimed 25 lives and wounded dozens.
Early Pullout Called 'Flippin' Nightmare' -- (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)...Ken Herman
As car bombings and other attacks killed at least 54 people Tuesday across Iraq, retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, who has criticized the conduct of the war, said Tuesday the country would deteriorate into a "flippin' nightmare" if U.S. troops are withdrawn too quickly. The comment came after McCaffrey and five other Iraq experts met with President Bush in the White House.
Two days after the Kabul riot -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Bll Roggio - in Afghanistan]
Kabul, Afghanistan: The city of Kabul has settled down after Monday's violent outbreak that followed a traffic accident involving a runaway U.S. military vehicle and Afghan civilians. The riots were suppressed in eight hours, and the Karzai government instituted an overnight curfew, which has been extended for Wednesday night. While many businesses were closed on Tuesday (I ventured out to pick up a cell phone on Tuesday but the business was closed), there was plenty of traffic and Afghan police and army on the streets. Several long-time residents of Kabul stated today it was business as usual, and the level of security on the streets was not out of the ordinary. Today I saw the streets filled with taxis, civilian cars and bicycles, businesses and markets were open, and the entrepreneurial street vendors selling phone cards, newspapers and other items were everywhere.
Afghanistan and Canada's Repugnant Frauds -- [Celestial Junk Blog - Canadian Troop]
...After 911 our then Prime Minister Jean Chretien offered up Canadian troops for the mission in Afghanistan. He did so with bluster and hardly a second thought. And, off our men and women went, in their cammo green to the desert of brown. But, while there, they were ferried primarily in American aircraft, they were watched over by American airplanes of every description, and when injured, they were cared for and removed to safety by American pilots and crews. Some, like our famous sniper teams and JTF2 worked side by side with our American friends, and gained the respect and admiration of our allies.
They're not POW's -- [The Torch - Canadian Troop]
It seems some folks have gotten their knickers in a knot over the CF position that captured Taliban fighters aren't POW's (ht:ST).
I'm no legal beagle, but Article 4 of the Geneva Convention seems pretty clear to me. This is the relevant passage:
US troops shot 3 Afghans in crowd: police -- (Reuters)
KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. troops fired into a crowd of stone-throwing rioters, killing at least three Afghans, as their convoy left the scene of an accident that triggered anti-American riots, Kabul's chief of highway police said on Thursday.
Arrogance of US troops fed Afghan riot -- (Dawn)
KABUL: Social frustration, anger at the arrogance of US troops and sheer criminality were fuel for the violent demonstrations that engulfed the Afghan capital, analysts said on...
More Stories of Fallen Al-Qaida Fighters in Iraq -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
A new video recording is now available for download from the NEFA Foundation website documenting the phenomenon of foreign fighters in Iraq and their precise role within the ongoing insurgency.
U.S. Forces Find Model for Beating Terror -- (Guardian)
HONOLULU (AP) - When the commander of U.S. Special Forces in the Philippines talks about battles won in the war on terror, he does not list enemies killed and targets destroyed.
Instead, U.S. Army Col. James Linder recounts jobs created and schools built.
Al-Qaeda's long march to war -- (Asia Times)
In recent weeks, media reports from both Iraq and Afghanistan have suggested the appearance of a slow evolution of the Islamist insurgents' tactics in the direction of the battlefield deployment of larger mujahideen units that attack "harder" facilities.
Soldiers Angels founder Patti Patton-Bader on Pundit Review Radio -- [Pundit Review]
Soldiers Angels founder Patti Patton-Bader joined us on Memorial Day weekend to tell us about her incredible organization and what we can do to support the troops both here and abroad. We also got the perspective of Matt from Blackfive on what groups like Soldiers Angels mean to the troops.
This segment is also available for download at iTunes, simply search Pundit Review Radio Podcasts.
Toby Keith. -- [Just Another Thunderhorse Roughneck - in Iraq]
Toby Keith came by our camp yesterday to perform a concert. I’m not really a county music fan but I figured I’d go ahead and check it out. I appreciate it anytime a celebrity takes time to come to the other side of the world to see us. I mainly went to listen to some music. I love listening to music, especially live music. I knew it was country but I didn’t care. He’s like one of the most popular country music artists out there and I wasn’t going to pass up the chance for a free concert.
Why outing Jesse Macbeth was important -- [The QandO Blog]
Jesse Macbeth is one of those fake veterans who allegedly tried to defraud the VA system. His story is told by Steve Oatney, State Service Director for AMVETS since Nov. 2005 in the Tacoma area. Steve relates the following in an email:
Marine Corps History Getting A Higher Profile -- (Washington Post)...Stephanie McCrummen
The $140 million National Museum of the Marine Corps, a massive pyramid-like structure rising near Quantico along Interstate 95, is scheduled to open Nov. 10, a date already chiseled into its cornerstone.
Return of the magic hat -- [Powerline]
Preparing for another grab at the brass ring, John Kerry seeks to engage the claims of the Swift Boat veterans. In today's New York Times, the "magic hat" -- the hat that Kerry claims was tossed to him by the "special forces" (apparently Navy SEALS) he dropped off on his journey to Cambodia (formerly dated to Christmas Eve 1968, now to February 1969) -- magically reappears.
A historic election? -- [Wizbang]
It occurred to me earlier tonight that in our next presidential election, something remarkable will happen. For the first time since 1952, every single election has featured either the sitting president or sitting vice-president on the ballot.
But not this time. Bush can't run, and while technically he could, let's be honest -- Dick Cheney won't be running, either.
It will truly be an open election, on both sides.
Iraq Vet Sues Michael Moore for Misleading Interview in 'Fahrenheit 9/11' -- (Fox News)
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — A double-amputee Iraq-war vet is suing Michael Moore for $85 million, claiming he recycled an old interview and used it out of context to make him appear anti-war in "Fahrenheit 9/11."
Sgt. Peter Damon, 33, who strongly supports America's invasion of Iraq, said he never agreed to be in the 2004 movie, which trashes President Bush.
Daily DimWit: We'll Not Be Having Any Erections Around Here.... -- [Villianous Company]
Headline of the Day. We're not worthy.
Helen Thomas is finding those White House press conferences tough going these days:
The New York Times urges unilateralism -- [TigerHawk]
Could the New York Times be any more silly than in its editorializing about Iran?
Wednesday morning, the Times urged the United States to abandon the quaint idea that it should work through either the United Nations or our "European allies." In an editorial titled "Iran wants to talk," the Grey Lady said that Iran wanted to negotiated with the United States, but "Washington, perversely, seems uninterested," owing to the Bush administration's "stubborn resistance." The Times does not, apparently, think that the mechanisms of international law or cooperative negotiations with our allies are going to work, so we should deal with Iran on our own, and then hope that they all sign up for a deal they had no hand in negotiating. It is extremely peculiar reasoning.
Military blog study -- [In Iraq for 365]
Just in case you didn't know that military blogs were influential, read this: Don’t tread on my blog: A study of military web logs. It's a study from the University of Oklahoma about milblogs. They used information from several of my posts and other bloggers I know. It basically examines how blogs affect strategic decisions and whether readers like blogs more than newspapers.
Welcome Home LCpl Ben Lunak! -- [Soldier's Angel Germany]
On Friday, June 2 LCpl Ben Lunak will be awarded the Purple Heart in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He returned home two weeks ago for the first time since last October.
The 22-year-old Marine was injured by an IED in Iraq in late February and has been recuperating at Walter Reed since then.
