Dawn Patrol

Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and other sources around the world. 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. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.

IRAQ

The “Surge” Can Not Yet Have Failed -- [Michael J. Totten - in Iraq]
You can be forgiven if you thought the United States military’s “surge” in Iraq has failed. At least you’ll be forgiven by me. I quietly assumed some time ago, before I had ever even heard of the surge, that the U.S. is going to lose this war in Iraq because the American public doesn’t have the will to stick out a grinding insurgency that might not ever be winnable. I’m not saying it isn’t winnable. I really don’t know. How could I possibly know? But we live in a democracy with civilian control of the military. If Americans want to give up – it’s over.
But the surge is only just now beginning.
Two weeks ago Dave Kilcullen, Senior Counterinsurgency Advisor to General Petraeus, said the following to Austin Bay...

Another installment from Matt Green -- [FOB Tacoma - in Iraq]
It's been a few weeks since we last heard from Lt. Col. Matt Green, the former Fort Lewis officer who for several months now has been leading a team of advisers to an Iraqi National Police commander in Baghdad. This piece was written June 21 but was held up due to a communications blackout.
...About two weeks ago I had an interesting conversation with a few Iraqi men down in one of our market places. A few middle-aged men had approached me and were skeptical about the work we were doing and said he wished that he could trust the Americans, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do so. I asked if things had gotten better since February when we had arrived. He admitted that they had, but reminded me that that was only four months out of four years. I agreed, and talked about some of the positive civic improvements that were going on around him. He said he would try and be hopeful, and maybe he could meet me there in a few more months and tell me if his mind had changed.
His friend, who had remained silent broke in and asked, “why is it that when you invaded Kuwait, the country was fixed in just a few months, and is now once again very rich and prosperous?”
I choked up on my bat, ready to knock this one right out of the park.
“Well sir, that is pretty easy. None of the Kuwaitis ever shot at us when we tried to help them. More importantly they didn’t waste time attacking each other. Four years later, you all can’t seem to put your weapons down long enough to build anything!”

The Iraq Offensive -- [The Fourth Rail]
A status update on Operation Phantom Thunder
Iraqi and Coalition forces maintain the pressure against al Qaeda, Sunni insurgents, and the "rogue," Iranian backed "secret cells" of the Mahdi Army and the Qazali network. Operation Phantom Thunder is underway inside Baghdad and the Belts, as well as against al Qaeda's network nationwide. Also, the northwestern region of Iraq has been a focus of U.S. and Iraqi operations.

Lt. General Ray Odierno Multinational Corps Iraq Commander

Unreported Tragedies -- [Strategy Page]
June 27, 2007: One of the great tragedies of the Iraq war was how much it was politicized. A simple matter of ousting a tyrannical minority (the Sunni Arabs, who were 20 percent of the population) and allowing the entire population to form a democratic government, was twisted into a number of unfamiliar shapes to fit the political and media needs of many groups, foreign and domestic. But for those who were paying attention, you could follow the progress of the war, despite the misleading reporting and partisan rhetoric.

MySpace, courage, and an amazing young Marine
My buddy RJ is a Navy doc in Iraq. He's been volunteering at the base CSH ER to help out. He wrote this incredible story the other day.
Working in the hospital has been an amazing experience for me. I get to help Iraqi and American Marines and Soldiers and keep my clinical and emergency skills sharp, but sometimes the best lessons I learn through the stories that come out of that place - stories of strength and hope.

Iraq B1 Engages Targets

New Monitoring Networks Control Electricity in Iraq -- [US Army Corps of Engineers - in Iraq]
AN NASSIRIYAH, Iraq — In an ongoing effort to improve electricity supply in Iraq, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has established new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) networks to monitor and control electrical transmission and generation systems throughout the country.
The main function of SCADA is to serve and check power loads for each province through a digital connection and control loads easily by connecting them to the central power distribution points, according to electricity sector project manager Lewis Tyler, USACE Gulf Region South district.
“Turnover packages are being prepared for transition to the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity (MoE),” he said. “The MoE will be able to continue with this project at their convenience.”

Iraqis recieve Clean Pottable Water -- [US Army Corps of Engineers - in Iraq]
Today in Iraq -Approximately 4,000 local residents will receive clean potable water from the completed Rural Water (10) Albo Mkheebr project, in Al Anbar, Al Anbar Province. .... - Up to 24,000 residents of Abo Fillis will receive clean potable water from the completed Rural Water Supply Abo Fillis (G5) project, in Ramadi, Al Anbar Province ....View ArchivesToday in Iraq -Approximately 4,000 local residents will receive clean potable water from the completed Rural Water (10) Albo Mkheebr project, in Al Anbar, Al Anbar Province. .... - Up to 24,000 residents of Abo Fillis will receive clean potable water from the completed Rural Water Supply Abo Fillis (G5) project, in Ramadi, Al Anbar Province ..

OP Arrowhead Ripper Update: Troops continue to clear Baqouba, deliver food to locals -- [MNF-I]
BAQOUBA, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces and Task Force Lightning Soldiers continued clearing and securing Baqouba, while providing humanitarian aid to citizens there June 27 as Operation Arrowhead Ripper entered its ninth day.
Since the beginning of the operation, ISF and Coalition Forces have provided approximately 265,000 pounds of rice and flour to residents of Baqouba and handed out over 10,000 vegetarian humanitarian rations, and thousands of bottles of water.

U.S. officials highlight progress in Iraq -- [MNF-I]
...Bergner highlighted several recent accomplishments, including an operation on Saturday south of Hawija in the al-Tamin province where Coalition forces killed two senior al-Qaeda leaders. One helped smuggle insurgents into Iraq for al-Qaeda operations. The other leader was a courier for the same al-Qaeda cell and was a close associate to other senior leaders within al-Qaeda.
Bergner also praised the work of Iraqi security forces and Coalition forces in Baqubah.

Second Published Claim In As Many Days That Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Troops Have Entered, And Are Operating In, Iraq -- [Pat Dollard]
The article totally and specifically vouches for the Sun’s claim yesterday, and gives some very intense, and very astounding elaboration. A brief and highly recommended read.

Candy -- [Jack Army - in Iraq]
It is supposed to be for the kids.
Sometimes, jundi can't help but take a piece or two for himself. So, ...

Eye of the Shitstorm -- [The Unlikely Soldier - in Iraq]
Each of these days are starting to slide and meld together into blurry mush and its hard to seperate what happened when, and even the events of today are a minor struggle to pull together.
Some of these houses are REALLY nice, you'd be surprised. I'm still not sure exactly how to articulate the way these people live their lives, so I guess I'll leave that one for another day. The people in the neighborhood were really awesome, and I saw some of the cutest little kids. I entertained them, and by them I mean me, by making duck noises at them. I didn't even make ONE kid cry today! Not saying that none of us made any kids cry, just that it wasn't me...
Now you know the drill, I have to spare plenty of details. So here's the big blur, and hopefully it makes a little sense.
"Hey, how long has that guy been there?"
"Uh...just a little after we got here I think."
"Lemme see the binos."
"Got anything?"
"I dunno. Here, keep watching him with these, tell me if he pulls out a cell phone."

Soldiers Dancing With Kids in Iraq

Pictures From the Z -- [Jake's Life - in Iraq]
On the roof with snipers.(pic)
Taking over carrying the radio for one of our heat casualties.(pic)
Me and Colbert, with our "damn we made it" faces after the 400 meter machine gun dash. (pic)

Enroute Care -- [TQ Surgical - in Iraq]
Photo montage of medical facilities and equipment use to care for our soldiers

Muslim redneck -- [Calvery in Iraq - in Iraq]
Greetings from Baghdad!
A quick funny note is all I have time for. Some of the unsung heroes of this war are our Arabic linguists, also called interpreters or terps for short.
A few of them were born in America and learned Arabic at an Army language school or in college.
But most of them are native Arabic speakers from a multitude of countries. Many, of course, are from Iraq originally. Many have lived in America for years and became American citizens long ago, but never forgot how to speak in their native language.
There is one guy that I work with sometimes that jokingly calls himself "the Muslim redneck." He is a

More Truth Than Fiction -- [Far from Perfect - in Iraq]
I saw this sticker on the back of a Fobbit Humvee. Unfortunately, it is more true than most service people would like. Nothing like wearing your reflective belt in a combat zone!!

Deciphering the Code -- [Badgers Forward - in Iraq]
to any US Army post and you will see various signs of unit pride and espirt d'corps. At the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, a mound of rocks is covered in paint, done by different units to remind future visitors of the victories those Soldiers had there.
...This phenomena though is not uniquely American, rather it seems to me to be quite universal at least among service members.

Anbar Waffle House opens for business -- [Desert Flier - in Iraq]
A dear friend whipped up a fantastic idea: surgical team waffles! She send out a waffle iron, pancack mix, maple syrup, buttermilk powder, and a can of pumpkin.
All I had to do was "procure" some milk and eggs. Grocery stores, or "Souks" are off-limits. Haven't found any Wa-Wa's or 7-11's yet. No easy task; this took a coalition of the willing and ...

The Hour Approaches -- [Major Olmstead - From the Front Lines]
Once we're on the ground, we'll spend about two weeks conducting what is known as RIP/TOA: relief in place/transfer of authority. Since we want to minimize the disruption to our Iraqi unit, it's important that we learn as much as we can about how the team we're replacing operates so we can continue in that vein. That way, the Iraqis may be dealing with different faces, but they're not having to learn a whole new means of operating.

AFGHANISTAN

RAF AFGHAN DIARIES: 30th May 2007

Entry 60 -- Mines left over from the Russian occupation of Afghanistan present a constant threat to the coalition troops. Most minefields are marked, but not all.

Week 22--Progress Continues -- [Richard's Deployment - in Afghanistan]
..I can't speak for everywhere, but I know what we do here at FOB Salerno. We have a mandate to treat any patient if their injury is caused by Coalition Forces, and we provide the same level of care to everyone; US or Afghan, men, women and children, young or old, enemy or friendly. But, above and beyond this care, I can personally name many children we have treated; with burns, gunshot wounds, amputations, sharpnel wounds, falls and vehicle accidents. And these injuries were not caused by Coalition Forces. They are just everyday tragedies that occur in a violent, dangerous country. Still, we treat those we can, and we train the Afghan doctors and nurses to care for their own better, so that when we leave they will do well on their own. We are building independence, not dependence on US Forces.

RAF AFGHAN DIARIES: SPECIAL FEATURE: Apaches in action

SPECIAL FEATURE: The Gunners start their day test firing weapons out on the range where hotshot Cpl Hardy show them how it's done. Later they team up with the US troops who are working with an Apache helicopter in the air to destroy mock targets.

The Rain Dance Worked -- [ETT PA-C - in Afghanistan]
Hi everyone. Hope you all are well. We finally made it to Lash. It’s been a tough few days getting our tent in order settling in our new home. The Brits have been a very welcoming bunch thus far. We’ve tried not to John Wayne ourselves in the place being that this is a British FOB. So, in normal fashion we’ve traded and charmed our way as far as we can. You know, “Here’s this, thanks for all your help and having us around….”
Building relationships is what many call it. We like to refer to it as

Playing To The Media -- [Strategy Page]
June 28, 2007: The province where the Taliban has been most active, Helmand, is also the source of most of the poppy crops, and heroin production. Over half the national poppy crop is in Helmand, and the Taliban was going to get paid big time by the drug gangs if the police and army could be driven out of the province. That didn't happen, and now the government is planning to shut down the drug industry in Helmand. While the production will go elsewhere, this will take time and money, and the government will just chase the new production.

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

The Unreported War -- [Strategy Page]
June 27, 2007: France continues to pursue latest "pressure on Khartoum" policy. France's new government are making Darfur a big deal. France just hosted a meeting in Paris of several major international aid organizations, political representatives from the G-8 nations, and China. The subject was "reconstructing Darfur." That's an objective, but the meetings are designed to embarrass the Sudanese government. French and Chinese diplomatic contacts do worry the Sudanese government. Sudan has relied on China to cast a veto in the UN to avoid truly biting sanctions. The French diplomatic offensive includes the pitch that France and the international community need to guarantee Chad's stability and Chad's borders. Sudan and Chad have a border war that flares up occasionally.

MSM All But Ignores Dedication of Memorial to Victims of Communism -- [News Busters]
...Did you know that a monument to the many millions of victims who died during the Cold War as a result of communist oppression was dedicated in Washington DC on June 12th? You would be excused if you didn't know anything about it if the coverage of the event by the MSM is any measure because they all but ignored the unveiling of this moving monument.
The dedication was attended by many notables with President Bush saying a few appropriate words during the ceremony and the monument seems an appropriate design for a change, unlike so many of our other so-called monuments of late.
Shocking that a communist nation would complain about a memorial to their victims, isn't it?
In fact, there are more Google hits from Chinese sources than any other.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

Middle East Quarterly: Jihad's New Leaders -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Daveed Gartenstein-Ross]
Over the past year, a number of prominent terrorists -- including Shamil Basayev and Abu Hafs al-Urdani -- were killed on the battlefield, and there have also been a host of less publicized kills and captures. But although the death of any prominent terrorist is a victory for the United States and its allies, our terrorist enemies possess what CIA director General Michael Hayden has described as a "'deep bench' of lower-ranking personnel capable of stepping up to assume leadership responsibilities." As new terrorist leaders emerge, terrorist strategy is shifting discernibly.

New from the NEFA "Target America" Series: "The PATH Tunnel Plot" -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Evan Kohlmann]
On the heels of the foiled plots targeting Fort Dix and JFK Airport, the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation announces the release of the fifth in a series of reports examining the multitude of terrorist plots directed at the United States since 9/11. This week's report details the plot to bomb the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (PATH) tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey. Describing the plot, which allegedly was directed by "a self-initiating foreign cell that had access to al-Qaeda's connections," FBI New York Director Mark Mershon asserted that the planned attack involved "martyrdom" and "explosives."

U.S. Efforts against Terrorism Financing: A View from the Private Sector -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Matthew Levitt]
On June 15, 2007, Robert Werner addressed The Washington Institute's Policy Forum seminar series. Managing director of Merrill Lynch's Monetary and Financial Control Group since December 2006, he previously served as director of the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and, before that, as director of the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Mr. Werner is therefore uniquely positioned to comment on the private sector perspective on the kinds of programs he oversaw at OFAC and FinCEN.

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

One Week - Not Impossible! -- [Soldiers' Angel - Holly Aho]
Soldiers Angels has so MANY great projects and programs going on for our soldiers this summer, some new projects, as well as the regular programs that run all year. This time of year, everyone has time to dedicate to helping our troops, and plenty of time to think of new ways to support them, but the giving is usually below average as we are all out having summer fun. I want to encourage all of you to take a minute or two before you head out for the park, the golf course or the pool to click the donation button above and donate a dollar or two or ten to Soldiers Angels. It's fast and easy, and you don't need an account at Paypal to do so if you use a debit or credit card.

MILITARY

A Legacy of Honor -- [Sgt Stryker]
For those of you who haven’t been through boot camp, Family Day is held the Thursday before graduation. The men who have managed to survive the late nights and early mornings, the relentless screams and constant demands for perfection from their drill instructors, the back breaking humps and arm killing push ups and the test of endurance and strength that is The Crucible, are only a day away from graduation….and from freedom from the al seeing eyes of their drill sergeants. Family Day is the first time they have been allowed to see their families since they boarded those buses all those weeks ago. It is also the first time they have been allowed to wear their service uniform. Instead of the familiar cammies, they meet their families in the green service uniform of a Marine, complete with the prized Eagle, Globe and Anchor.
On this day, I was able to sit and watch these reunions. Mothers who had waved goodbye to boys, were suddenly faced with men. Fathers who berated their sons for staying out past curfew or failing a class were shaking hands with changed men. Gone were last year’s high school graduates, and in their place stood our newest Marines.

POLITICS

Et Tu, Brute? -- [Tanker Brothers - in Iraq]
It's no secret that, generally speaking, Republicans are more supportive of the military, and of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Very rarely do you read or hear of a Republican "flip flopping" and deciding he or she no longer supports the efforts of US and Coalition Forces to fight and defeat our enemies abroad.
Notice I said "rarely".
It happens. And sometimes, the staunchest of allies will commit rhetorical fratricide on our efforts.

A Study in Contrasts -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Someone concerned about national security and familiar with military operations:
It is clear from recent major offensive operations in Diyala and the other provinces surrounding Baghdad that Gen. David A. Petraeus now has the wherewithal not only to clear areas in Baghdad but to seal off those parts of the provinces where al Qaeda and the insurgents have fled to corner and kill them. ...
Someone concerned about their political career:
After four years of combat and more than 3,560 U.S. deaths, two Republican senators previously reluctant to challenge President Bush on the war announced they could no longer support the deployment of 157,000 troops and asked the president to begin bringing them home.

Surging to Defeat -- [The Corner - J .D. Johannes]
Is it possible to win a war on the ground, and lose it in Congress?
...The Indiana Republican endorses a downsizing and redeployment of the U.S. military mission in Iraq as an essential precondition to reasserting these vital national-security interests, which he defines thus:...

THE MEDIA

The Media and Congress -- [Jason's Iraq - in Iraq]
..."The bottom line is that after three months of studying the U.S. effort . .. we cannot assess the operational capability of these forces," the report said. "We are actually left with more questions than answers." Of course you are - I still don't even know what the hell I'm doing and I've been here over 2 months! I can assure you that 3 months would not be close to the amount of time required to write a congressional report. "And we've seen over the last few days and weeks that they are not even operating in the lead." Wow, you've seen that over the last few days! Great job - so statistically speaking, those few days with one or two small size units are representative of the entire Iraqi Security Force (ISF) and Army (IA)?
...What I get from this article is that the congressional "subcommittee" and the Department of Defense are having a little power struggle and so to emphasize this a report is published criticizing the DoD. I am by no means saying that I believe the ISF or IA are ready to take full control. However, that doesn't seem to be the focal point of this article and that's what pisses me off. Instead of highlighting all the negative opinions that we are so tired of hearing repeated by congress over and over, why not list some factual stats that illustrate where the forces are and where they need to go? Instead, this media article, like so many others, seems to be written to further fuel anti-war sentiment and public opinion.

Week 22--Progress Continues -- [Richard's Deployment - in Afghanistan]
We got some good press last week. BBC news was here in Afghanistan reporting on the progress of the war.
...Now, the funny thing is, they could do these stories every day. Every day the news media could do stories on the good things we are doing here in Afghanistan or Iraq or in any country where US Forces are currently serving. I can see the headlines now: hospitals opened, schools opened, roads built, lives changed and hope restored. Instead, they choose to focus on our mistakes or failures. It can be frustrating, knowing the truth and seeing the reports. But I guess that's the price of a free press.

HUMOR / SATIRE

Day By Day

(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)

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