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

More Schisms Among Jihadists and Muslim Brothers in Iraq -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
The NEFA Foundation has translated a fascinating document from the main spokesperson for al Qaeda's Islamic State of Iraq (ISI).
The message of Abu Omar al -Baghdadi is striking because it consists almost entirely of attacks on other Muslim groups, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood. These are not merely passing shots or polite disagreements, fighting words and calls to executions.

Errors have been made. Others will be blamed. -- [Jason's Iraq Vacation - in Iraq]
The title of this blog comes from a list of quotes I have hanging near my desk.
...Well, I've officially started taking steps to reduce the amount of chaos and disorder I leave this place in. Construction is starting on a massive project on the eastern edge of the depot, and will soon start on the refurbishment and rebuilding of about 25 warehouses. Money has been allocated to bring in power lines, reducing our reliance on generators that only work about 60% of the time. Next month, a brand new life support area, to include living quarters and dining facility, will be complete for our Iraqi Army members.

Roll-on Roll-off Basrah berth turned over to the Iraqi Port Authority (PDF) -- [Army Corps of Engineers]
BASRAH, Iraq - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region South district has completed and turned over the Roll-on / Roll-off berth of Umm Qasr Port in Basrah Province on Sept. 25 to the Iraqi Port Authority.

Brig. Gen. Dorko to Team: ‘Doing Great, Great Work’ (PDF) -- [Army Corps of Engineers]
Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Dorko, standing, answers questions from military, government civilian, and contractor personnel
of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region South district in a dining facility at Tallil, Iraq. [USACE Photo]
...The general’s message while addressing USACE personnel during a visit to the GRS headquarters here was upbeat as he praised the entire team, including Iraqi associates, the private contractors who provide security and other services for USACE in Iraq, and the third country nationals who guard the GRS compound. “I’m overwhelmed by what you guys have done,” he said, referring to the whole team as family.

Coalition operations lead to death of al Qaeda terrorist

On September 25, 2007, a coordinated air strike by a USAF F-16 killed Abu Usama al Tunisi. Al Tunisi was one of the most important leaders within al Qaeda in Iraq and part of the inner circle of advisors to Abu Ayyub al Masri.
Al Tunisi was known as the Emir of Foreign Terrorists in Iraq, responsible for oversight of Foreign Terrorists moving into Iraq and their coupling with terrorist cells to conduct operations.
Like all members of Abu Ayyub al-Masri's inner circle, al Tunisia (from Tunisia), was a foreigner, not an Iraqi. (more)

Joint Statement by Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker and General David H. Petraeus on U.S. Embassy and Mult -- [MNF-I]
The full Iraqi-U.S. Joint Commission on U.S. Government Protective Security Detail (PSD) operations in Iraq is preparing for its first meeting in Baghdad.
The Commission Co-Chairs have already met.
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) affirm their mutual solidarity and cooperation in these important discussions.

Maleki Rejects Senate proposal -- [ON Point]
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Friday rejected a U.S. Senate proposal calling for the decentralization of Iraq's government and giving more control to the country's ethnically divided regions, calling it a ''catastrophe.''
The measure, whose primary sponsors included presidential hopeful Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., calls for Iraq to be divided into federal regions for the country's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish communities in a power-sharing agreement similar to Bosnia in the 1990s.
In his first comments since the measure passed Wednesday, al-Maliki strongly rejected the idea, echoing the earlier sentiments of his country's vice president.
''It is an Iraqi affair dealing with Iraqis,'' ...

Pushing the bad guys out -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD — A year ago the area to the east of Ramadi was a haven for insurgents who attacked the city. These days much has changed in the surrounding rural lands of the east.
The once violent lands of the east are patrolled and guarded by the Abu-Bali Iraqi Police (IP) and Soldiers from Company A, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment. Their latest mission was a joint operation, which gathered intelligence and pushed insurgents further from the city of Ramadi and its outlying towns.

Dronetek- From the Source: A US 1/6 Marine fires a SMAW in to enemy booby trapped building in Ramadi

A Us 1/6 Marine fires a SMAW in to enemy booby trapped building in Ramadi, Iraq.

The Horror!! 19,000 Dead Terrorists in Iraq -- [Gateway Pundit]
To the Horror of Democrats & Terrorist Regimes- The US Is Winning in Iraq
For the first time sine the war began the US military has released data on militants killed in Iraq.
Oh... And, the US military had their lowest number of fatalities this month than they have had any month all year.

Faces of Iraq--An Iraqi Policeman -- [Assad Baghdad - in Iraq]
If I can do anything while I am here, I hope it is to put a human face on Iraq for people at home--to make Iraq more than news clips of bombings and body counts. To that end, I'm starting to write a series called "Faces of Iraq". I hope that Faces of Iraq will bring more context to the war, and to the lives of Iraqis, than the American media or our policiticians seem able to. Ironically, in many cases, including today's post, for their own safety, I can't actually show you the face of the person I'm writing about.
To start, me tell you about Ali, an Iraqi policeman we met at a police station in the Rusafa district of eastern Baghdad during a normal security assessment visit.

Citizens Receive Honors for Volunteer Work -- [Defend America]
FALLUJAH, Iraq, Sept. 27, 2007 — Iraqi citizens who have volunteered time and effort to keeping their neighborhoods safe were honored during a ceremony at a schoolhouse here. Most of the volunteers had attempted to join the local police force, but were turned away because of the overwhelming number of applicants.

Putting Iraqis out front: U.S. Soldiers aid Iraqi Police with missions -- [MNF-I]
QAYYARAH — A joint Iraqi Police (IP) and Coalition forces operation recently netted a counterfeit document production facility in Qayyarah.

I Do Not Have Smallpox… I Swear! -- [Far From Perfect - in Iraq]
We went out on patrol the other night down in the South of our AO. We went out on a more or less “feel good” mission. The kind of mission where you interact a lot with the people, get to hand out toys to kids, eat Iraqi Chow (which I am eating more of than Army chow these days) and try to show everyone what great fellows the Coalition forces are. The officers spend most of their time shaking hands, kissing cheeks (and other body parts), drinking chai and politicking. Its not a bad thing to do as it tends to bring in leads and helps the people realize we are there to help them. The bad guys spend an awful lot of time in this area terrorizing families, intimidating Sheiks, and putting out anti-coalition propaganda.

Tuesday Thoughts -- [Dude, where's the beach? - in Iraq]
...Well, it was clear once we got into the shelter that the blast wasn't a rocket or mortar, but a VBIED exploding across town. Once you realize what it was, you're aware that countless innocent lives were just taken away when that blast went off, and you begin worrying and doubting your ability to help the Iraqis. If you think about it too long, and I'm guilty of this, things really start to get to you.
This morning was no different. Standing outside a security office to retrieve passes for some Iraqi Officers, another VBIED went off. This time I didn't run to a shelter because I knew exactly what it was. I knew what it was, and I knew that once again lives were taken because of some assholes who think killing innocent people will scare and terrorize the population, bending the country to their will.

An Experience in Baghdad -- [A Battlefield Tourist - embed in Iraq]
...I am not passing judgment on these soldiers because this is just one small slice of their daily fight for survival on these mean streets that have claimed their youth and their friends. There’s no way for me, or you, to judge a group of soldiers based on an eight hour day with them. To be fair, the soldiers only kicked down doors that weren’t answered in a quick fashion. They also always asked for the keys. In fact, the majority of kicked in doors were in abandoned houses that were locked up tight in the owner’s absence. However, the experience did make me wonder how you can convince a population to help if you cannot communicate with them, if you cannot cultivate a relationship with them, leaving the soldiers only an option of kicking in a door, clearing a home and then moving on.
This was clear to me when we encountered a family where a woman spoke descent, but broken English.

Backbone Of Iraqi Air Force Forms In Taji

In Taji -- [Iraq Partii - in Iraq]
I’m now settled into my new home-away-from-home, Taji. It’s another huge American base about 10 miles north of the Green Zone in Baghdad. Getting here on a nighttime helicopter mission was a little nerve racking though. I’m pretty sure that we came under small arms attack. I saw four or five intermittent flashes of light suddenly appear from this city we were flying over. The helicopter crew let out flares and got ready use their weapons but we were soon out of the danger area and really high up before anything could happen. That’s probably the only excitement I’m going to have during the nine or so months I’m here.

AFGHANISTAN

News from Afghanistan -- [John of Argghhh! - dispatch from Afghanistan]
Coda to Joe's tale of this trip to the Sandbox:
Well folks its been a fun couple of months but I will be on the plane home in two days. In fact I probably won’t be on this email again.
It’s been a fascinating, frustrating and fun time working in a NATO command. My roommate came up with a fitting description: “It’s just like an isosceles triangle, but it has four sides.”
...I still feel that’s the mission here and it’s a noble one. I don’t think anyone can “fix” Afghanistan but the Afghans themselves, but they can’t do that until the really evil people here who do like killing innocents either die or have a change of heart. We might not always do the right thing over here, or do it very well, but NATO’s heart is in the right place.

Freedom Watch Afghanistan - 28 September 2007

What can YOU do to help? -- [Those Wacky Iraqis]
One of my friends is the commander of a unit in Afghanistan and they are winning hearts and minds of the locals by being compassionate and caring. They have identified a group of Afghan children who are in dire need of winter clothing. I am including his info in the hope that some of you might understand that this is how we win. When we help a child they remember and maybe, just maybe, one of these children can make a difference in the future. Please help and while these children are Muslim the clothing is a fine, fine Christmas gift. There are 43 kids lsited here. You may not be able to help them all but i am sure you can help 1.

DIGGERS DEFEAT TALIBAN ATTACK IN HEAVY FIGHTING -- [Tanker Brothers]
In their heaviest fighting to date, Australian soldiers with the Reconstruction Task Force (RTF) in Afghanistan have successfully repelled a prolonged attack by approximately 50 Taliban extremists.

Contact With Taliban - Afghanistan

"Australian Soldiers from RTF-2 and American Soldiers worked side by side to prolong a attack from over 80 Taliban Extremists"

Red Cross workers kidnapped in Afghanistan -- [Herald Tribune]
KABUL: Four employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who had traveled outside of the capital to help negotiate the release of hostages held by the Taliban, were themselves kidnapped, the authorities said Thursday.
...But a Taliban spokesman said in a telephone interview that the militant group was not responsible for the workers' disappearance. "We don't know who arrested them," the spokesman, Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, said.

Four Red Cross staff abducted in Afghanistan (raw vid)

Four Red Cross staff, two of them foreigners, were kidnapped in the Afghan province of Wardak province on Wednesday.

U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Marines Help Djiboutian Villagers -- [Defend America]
NAGAD, Djibouti, Sept. 26, 2007 — The primary mission of the more than 250 Marines assigned to 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion and Heavy Marine Helicopter 464 is to provide security for Camp Lemonier and to help stabilize the area.
...“Americans are very good,” said Daoud Omar Gousieh, a Nagad native. “They have been here for seven years, and they always give.”

Reports: Military junta cuts Internet access in Burma; Sniper reportedly killed Japanese journalist Kenji Nagai -- [Michelle Malkin]
As I noted the other day, Burmese bloggers have been crucial whistleblowers and eyewitnesses to history–supplying the world with round-the-clock coverage and photos of their oppressive regime’s crackdown. Now, just as the Western press is lauding their role, the military junta has reportedly cut off Internet access:

More on Burma -- [Weekly Standard]
Again, Andrew Sullivan, has the best coverage of developments in Burma. The Bush administration has imposed sanctions on the leadership in Burma...I'm sure that'll do a lot of good, especially given the fact that "China and Russia signaled last night that they would block any UN sanctions against Burma." Meanwhile, a friend of Reason blogger Kerry Howley wrote yesterday with this disturbing message:

Battles in the War With Iran -- [Strategy Page]
While there's been no invasion of Iran, there has been a lot of Information War type operations against them. For example, all the leaks and punditry over imagined plans to invade Iran have had an impact on the Iranians. Not just the published remarks by Iranian leaders and journalists, but the private, often coded (and decrypted), messages by Iranian officials that get captured by the NSA or CIA. This kind of "information operation" is an ancient tactic, and it's getting more blatant, and interesting with regard to Iran. The best example of that are the recent interviews of U.S. Air Force planners about work being done on, well, how best to attack Iran.

Iranian Soldiers in Lebanon -- [The Tank]
Here are some facts:
Between 2,000 and 3,000 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (Pasdaran) are currently in Lebanon. Here, these Iranian soldiers are supporting Lebanese Hezbollah fighters — actual numbers are unknown — with weapons, military equipment, and cash. They are also training them in camps (at least five such camps in the Bekaa Valley and two or three in southern Lebanon) in a variety of infantry/commando operations and terror-bombing techniques.

The Faslane Peace Camp -- [In Training]
The Faslane peace camp (and, more recently the Faslane 365 crowd) has been a blight on the landscape of Helensburgh, Scotland comparable to the San Francisco parks from the 1960s - and just about as clean - since 1982. More importantly than that though, is what a horrible effect it has on the surrounding community and how they frankly just don't give a damn about anybody but themselves.

WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM

GWOT: Developing Effective Strategic Communications -- [The Middle Ground]
...That theory reflects our current and future adversaries: the use of global communications and media, the concepts of distributed networks, dissemination of information and recruitment of "actors" and sympathizers disregarding global borders. In fact, adversaries over the ages have sought to accomplish their goals using all of these methods. More so since the development of global communications and media. Our strategy must take this into consideration and develop around this core idea.

10 Ways Online Terrorism Affects the Market -- [Jawa Report]
Pretty informative column from Jessica Hupp. Not only does she identify major threats coming from cyber terror attacks directed at businesses, she also identifies companies which may profit from the upsurge in attacks by providing added security.

The Short (but Notable) Career of Fatah al Islam -- [Strategy Page]
September 28, 2007: At the beginning of September, the Lebanese military announced it had cleared the Nahr al Bared refugee camp of the Islamic terrorist organization, Fatah al Islam ("The Victory of Islam"). In the four month long fight, the top leadership of the group was killed except for the emir (leader). This fellow, Shaker al Absi, was a personal friend of Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the late Al Qaeda in Iraq emir. Together they trained in Afghanistan where they formed a group of Islamic terrorists from Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria

Similar Threats, Similar Approaches: Improving Transatlantic Counterterrorism Ties -- [Countererrorism Blog]
A piece I wrote on how to improve transatlantic counterterrorism ties, which have been seriously tested over these past several years.
With U.S. government assistance, three "homegrown" terrorist suspects were arrested in Germany several weeks ago. Despite this success story, transatlantic counterterrorism ties have been seriously tested over the past three months:

SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT

Why She Carries This Flag"... -- [Jim Spiri - embed in Iraq]
...In my travels here in Iraq, the one comment all the troops have told me is that the only thing they need from those at home is their support while they are deployed. Nothing else is as valuable. NOTHING.
So I wondered about how to bridge that one request that I know would do more than anything I've written or photographed in the last five months. For my burden is to give to the troops whatever it is they ask. It came to me upon seeing this photo of Gracie Blackwell carrying the US flag with such dignity.
Yes, it is true, the entire nation seems to be embroiled in a perplexing situation called "The War in Iraq". However, I have witnessed and seen with my own eyes on a daily basis those we've sent here to do a job and what it is they do exactly. I've been there when times are very precarious and I've been there when times are melancholy as well. Time and time and time again, the troops long for only the support of what they are doing. As I have said in many previous posts, there will be plenty of time in the future to discuss the "details and the whys" of what is going on over here. But for now, it is important to take heed to support the troops, especially now, as the intensity of the mission increases. So what can those at home do in the meantime?

Limbaugh: Service members who support U.S. withdrawal are "phony soldiers" -- [Media Matters]
— During the September 26 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh called service members who advocate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq "phony soldiers." He made the comment while discussing …

MILITARY

Brookings: On Private Military Companies and Contractors -- [Grim - BlackFive]
Peter Singer of the Brookings' Foreign Policy institute wrote to ask us at BlackFive for a review of his new paper, "Can't Win With 'Em, Can't Go To War Without 'Em: Private Military Contractors." We're happy to oblige.
...I have a few minor complaints with it, but they fade away beside the overarching one. Every single complaint directed at Blackwater and company takes this form

Defense Department Examines Armor -- [PBS]
The NewsHour reports on Defense Department priorities for combatant body armor.

Sailors, Airmen and Iraq -- [Strategy Page]
September 27, 2007: The U.S. Navy and Air Force have become resigned to having over 5,000 of their personnel stationed in Iraq, providing support for army troops. The "in lieu of" sailors and airmen are given several weeks of ground combat training and sent off to, in theory, do combat support jobs the army doesn't have enough people for. But often, these non-army troops end up doing more dangerous security work, at bases, check points or, most dangerous of all, on convoy escort.
Complaints from sailors and airmen have worked their way up the chain of command, and now their generals and admirals are asking for a written agreement with the army, covering what these sailors and airmen would do (ideally, the technical jobs they were trained for) once they got to the combat zone.

Gay protection tacked onto defense bill -- [Washington Times]
The Democrat-led Senate yesterday adopted legislation giving homosexuals additional protections under federal hate-crime laws, attaching the measure to the defense authorization bill and daring President Bush to veto it as promised.
"The president of the United States has never vetoed, in the history of the United States, a defense authorization bill," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat and chief sponsor of the amendment. "For this reason and for many others ... the defense authorization deserves to be passed [into law]."

POLITICS

How Petraeus Moved The Debate, Literally -- [Captain's Quarters]
How far has General David Petraeus moved the debate on Iraq? His testimony on the surge, and the effects of the surge itself, has made it much more difficult for Democrats to argue for withdrawal and defeat. In fact, at last night's debate, the leading contenders for the Democratic nomination couldn't even commit to a withdrawal -- by 2013:

Seriously? THIS is "a very big deal"? -- [Jeff Emanual - embed in Iraq]
According to the Associated Press, Josh Gaines is giving back his "Iraq War medals." This, says some "Students for a Democratic Society activist" in Madison, who helped organize some protest at which Gaines will formally "mail [his] Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and National Defense Service Medal to former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld," "will be a very big deal" to "many Americans."
Really?
First of all, when I read this story to the group of people I'm sitting with right now -- a Lieutenant, a Sergeant First Class, a Staff Sergeant, a Sergeant, and a Specialist in the active duty US Army -- and in the place I'm sitting right now -- in Samarra, Iraq, with a unit (which these gentlemen are members of) that has served 14 months of its 15-month tour here (and has lost twelve men during that time) -- the result was not horror, but laughter. Genuine, serious laughter that somebody would be such a publicity-seeking idiot as to do something like this at an orchestrated protest.
...Here's a minor detail for your consumption (and one which the AP writer, in his utter ignorance of all things military -- typical -- does not have the knowledge to point out): both of those medals are automatically given to every single person who goes to Iraq.

Unreal!... Democrats Redeploy Veteran's Benefits to Philippines -- [Gateway Pundit]
The democrats talked about helping veterans...
They just didn't say which country's veterans they were going to help.

America needs a "revolution in diplomatic affairs." -- [Strategy Page - Austin Bay]
Even the State Department's chardonnay and brie brigade suspects we have entered a new era of grimy, street-level foreign policy. It's an era where effective diplomacy starts with long days in bad neighborhoods, as culturally-savvy diplomats identify the hopes, fears and trends that seed future crises, and -- preferably -- create American-influenced opportunities to positively shape events.

THE MEDIA

Col. Gibbs: Beauchamp Recanted, No He Didn't??? -- [Weekly Standard]
The Pentagon's Blogger's Roundtable series featured Col. Ricky Gibbs this morning. Gibbs is the commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad, and one of the 5,000 soldiers under his command is Scott Thomas Beauchamp. I asked Col. Gibbs whether the stories told by Scott Thomas Beauchamp in the New Republic were true, and whether his command was "stonewalling" and preventing Beauchamp from speaking to the media, as the New Republic claimed in its last statement on the case on August 10.
In response to the first question, Gibbs said that he had directed an investigation into Beauchamp's allegations and determined them to be false. "The incidents did not take place," Gibbs said. And Beauchamp "admitted that himself" to the investigating officer. For clarity, I asked Gibbs again, did Beauchamp admit the stories were false? "He did admit to the investigating officer that the incidents did not take place."
At the end of the call, Gibbs returned to the subject of Beauchamp's confession to say that "Beauchamp did not recant," but that "he does not stand by the story." This caused some puzzlement among the folks on the line.

Rathergate Twoofers -- [Flopping Aces]
These people are just insane. Here is Sidney Blumenthal (yes, shouldn't be surprised that this man is insane) on the Rathergate story:
Within minutes of the conclusion of the broadcast, conservative bloggers launched a counterattack. The chief of these critics was a Republican Party activist in Georgia. Almost certainly, these bloggers, who had been part of meetings or conference calls organized by Karl Rove’s political operation, coordinated their actions with Rove’s office.
Almost certainly? Man, you have us now Sidney. You finally figured out that the timing of the posts to FR could not be because someone saw something fishy in Dan's report.

We are the world -- [The Corner - Mark Steyn]
Before Katie Couric's confession that "saying 'we' when referring to the United States" makes her uncomfortable fades from the news cycle, two observations:

HUMOR / SATIRE

Edwards Takes Public Cash to Identify with Poor - [ScrappleFace]
(2007-09-27) — In a reversal of a previous decision, Democrat presidential candidate John Edwards announced Thursday that his campaign would accept public funding “as a matter of principle to demonstrate that I identify with the poor and downtrodden who live in the second America.”

Day By Day

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