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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 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.
An Act of Kindness from Iraq -- [Michael Totten - in Iraq]
Sending a thousand dollars to California will be about as helpful as throwing a glass of water into the firestorm. It’s the thought that counts here. And what surprising thought it is. How many Americans expect charity from Iraq?
As Lowry points out, “most Americans do not consider Iraqis as people.” He’s right. Most of us only know them from sensational media reports about masked insurgents, wailing widows, and death squads. Most of us may instinctively understand that the majority of Iraqis are just regular people, but it’s hard to keep that in mind when the only thing we get Stateside is war coverage. I’ve met hundreds of Iraqis myself during trips to their country as a reporter, so it’s a bit easier for me to see them as just people. I’m still surprised that anyone in that broken impoverished land would even consider donating hard-earned money to Californians.
Baghdad's Doura Neighborhood
Street and trash improvement
Ramadi parade celebrates unity, security -- [MNF-I]
RAMADI — The last parade held in downtown Ramadi was by insurgent forces in the fall of 2006 when the city was gripped in daily violence.
Times have changed now as government officials and city locals recently held a parade down Route Michigan here. Capt. Aaron Southard, Information Operations officer for 1st Brigade Combat Team, said the parade speaks volumes when considering the former violence that plagued Ramadi.
Iraqi citizens take stand against insurgents; aid National Police to discover cache -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD – Iraqi National Police, with the 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st National Police Division discovered a weapons cache based off a resident’s tip in the southeast district of New Baghdad in the Iraqi capital Oct. 28.
The tip led the policemen to discover eight 80mm mortar rockets, seven 60mm mortar rockets, nine rocket propelled grenade rounds with three launchers, one explosively formed projectile, three grenades, one mortar tube with base plate and tripod, 300 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, two sets of body armor and copper wire.
IED Emplacement Insurgents Team get caught by US soldiers in Iraq
Watch what the US soldiers found in insurgent's car.
Coalition Forces Free Hostage from al Qaeda -- [Jawa Report]
BAQUBAH, Iraq – A 19 year-old man was rescued from an al Qaeda-in-Iraq prison in the village of al Hammadi, 10 miles southwest of Baqubah, by 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, during an air assault Oct. 28.
Airing Now: Mike Moseley’s “Our Enemy” -- [Pat Dollard]
...The enemy has attack our soldiers with words that are met to wound his pride, damage his honor, and question his integrity. Our men of honor have volunteered to cross the world to fight an enemy that is viscous and hides behind women and children. Al-Qaeda doesn’t have a uniform and never will. Al-Qaeda knows in a fair fight they do not stand a chance. The most dangerous enemy to the American soldier doesn’t where a uniform, fire a AK-47, plant IED, live in Iraq or Afghanistan. The most dangerous enemies are the one’s that ambush their own. America’s finest have taken wounds not from the front, the known enemy Al-Qaeda, but from the ones that have sent them to fight half a world away. The enemies have said that “the war is lost”calling for defeat. They have called our soldiers “Soviet gulag guards”, the butcher “Pol Pot’s finest.” A great cheer is raised from the camp of Al-Qaeda, and their brothers in terror as America’s men of honor have been betrayed by a fellow marine, that fool called our soldiers “cold blooded murders”. America’s enemies have called Gen David Petreous dishonorable, and Gen. Peter Pace ” incompetent”. To call these men dishonorable and incompetent is without reason and thought. For it is the liberal’s attack on the battlefield soldiers that bring Al-Qaeda and the left together as allies in the war on terror.
Iraq is looking better month by month. But at the current rate, surely we shall fail in Afghanistan:-- [Michael Yon]
A great deal of flak came in for my 2006 reporting from Afghanistan. Unfortunately, that on-the-ground reporting is proving correct nearly to the letter. The following three-part report summarizing my observations and experiences in Afghanistan more than a year ago, warned of the growing threat of a narco-fueled Taliban increasingly able to challenge a national government overgrown with incompetency and choked with corruption.
12 Mechanized Brigade:They Beat The Taliban And They Beat Them Well.
Six months ago the town of Sangin was controlled by the Taliban and the small ISAF unit there was under siege. But as 12 Mechanized Brigade’s six month deployment to Afghanistan came to an end yesterday, the town is thriving once again with a Governor and Chief of Police, and throughout Helmand the Taliban have been put on the back foot.
BOOM! -- [Yellowhammering Afghanistan - in Afghansitan]
We don't get to see many of them in the nation-building missions we're doing today. So when one of our district teams made arrangements to destroy some mortar and rocket rounds taken from the Taliban and the Afghan National Police, I exercised my rank and made sure I was along for the ride.
We attended our first shura today -- [Yellowhammering Afghanistan - in Afghansitan]
Actually, it was the second one for me, but the last time I was working with the police on perimeter security and never got to go into the actual shura itself, so this was the first one I attended.
Many schoolboys brought Afghan flags to the shura.The shura is like a town hall meeting in which everyone - every male anyway - in a given area attends. This shura was in Dih Yak, one of our districts in Ghazni province.
173D brave Taliban, rugged terrain in Afghanistan -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
...Last week, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment descended a mountain peak well over 7,000 feet tall after spending six days encamped along a ridgeline.
They had been on the offensive against Taliban militants holed up in the Pech River Valley, which meanders and winds throughout the volatile Kunar province.
They had all of their gear, guns and ammo — and water. Each man’s backpack was between 60 to 100 pounds.
Suicide bomber kills seven outside military headquarters in Rawalpindi -- [LWJ]
...The attack was confirmed as a suicide bombing, as his head of the bomber was recovered at the scene. Two senior Pakistani government officials are downplaying the attack as an attempt on Musharraf and other Pakistani political and military leaders.
"It was a suicide attack. The area is sensitive -- we don't know what the exact target was," said Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid. "It appears to be an attack targeting police," said Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Cheema.
The chief of police for Rawalpindi said otherwise. "He wanted to get past our security cordon but we were successful in stopping him," said Saud Aziz.
Somalia: Captured ship crew "overpowers" pirates, sailing to safety -- [EagleSpeak]
The crew of a captured ship fights back and gains their freedom, it is reported here:A group of pirates that hijacked a cargo ship in the waters off Somalia have been overpowered by the ship's crew, according to one official. ...
Did Syria Have Visible WMD Program Prior to US Invasion of Iraq?-- [Counterterrorism Blog]
The New York Times has published a remarkable piece on October 27 suggesting that satellite imagery which is now available commercially showed the construction of a nuclear facility in Syria that was well-developed as early as the summer of 2003, and which had been initiated as early as 2001.
A Disturbing Pattern that Benefits Terrorists -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
There is a disturbing story in today's Washington Post on the role the U.S. weapons market plays in arming Mexican drug cartels.
"You're looking at the same firepower here on the border that our soldiers are facing in Iraq and Afghanistan," Thomas Mangan, a spokesman in Phoenix for the ATF.
The army of "ants" described in the story, carrying weapons south through the same routes they use to bring drugs north, is not new. What appears to be new is ...
Target: Jamal al-Badawi -- [The Captain’s Journal]
The mastermind behind the USS Cole bombing has either been released by authorities in Yemen, or is soon to be released.
...It is a truism that the best developed plans will come to naught at times when the predicate for the plans is the honor of other men and nations. The U.S. must negotiate and purchase and obtain agreement and all of the things that the State Department works at, but in the end, we must be prepared to be alone in the pursuit of our own national security interests.
Pissing Contest -- [Exile in Portales]
I find the following exchange hard to believe, Gentle Reader. Just as background, Lori (my Good Friend of 30 years) asked in comments yesterday if I would send my VALOUR-IT post to the USAF Radar Sites Veterans and the Fortuna Air Force Station Vets groups on Yahoo! (I’m a member of both). A great idea, that, so I did as she suggested. Well, the Fortuna AFS group put the post up with no questions asked. The USAFRSV group was an entirely different story. And it isn’t a good story either. Here, for your amusement bemusement and amazement, is the sum total of my correspondence with one of the group's moderators:
Talking With Heroes In Baghdad, Iraq - Clip 1
Combat Paratrooper, Physician Tapped to Head VA -- [The Tank - W. Thomas Smith Jr.]
President Bush will today announce his nomination of Lt. Gen. James B. Peake, former Surgeon General of the U.S. Army, to become the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Lastovicas Welcome Home Troops
Career Army man to challenge Murtha -- [The Tribune-Democrat]
After nearly three decades in the military, William T. Russell’s latest mission has brought him to Johnstown.
The career Army man, just two years short of retirement, has left the service and moved to the Flood City in order to mount a political campaign against veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha.
As a Republican and first-time candidate facing a powerful congressman in the sprawling, Democrat-dominated 12th Congressional District, Russell faces a tough challenge.
Both CNN and the WaPo Play Up ‘Bitter’ Soldier’s Words on Iraq -- [NewsBusters]
The mainstream media’s long march against the Iraq War continues unabated. On October 27, the Washington Post ran a front-page story with an attention-grabbing headline taken from a quote by an American soldier serving in Iraq: "I don’t think this place is worth another soldier’s life." Two days later on October 29, CNN’s Jack Cafferty on "The Situation Room" used the same quote in his "Question of the Hour:" "What does it say about the conflict in Iraq when troops there are saying things like, 'I don't think this place is worth another soldier's life.' Our soldiers are saying that stuff."
'60 Minutes:' U.S. Military as Bad as Taliban -- [NewsBusters]
In a segment on Sunday’s "60 Minutes," anchor Scott Pelley described how "The enemy has killed hundreds of civilians this year, but surprisingly, almost the same number of civilians have been killed by American and allied forces." Pelley focused on U.S. air strikes citing a statistic from the liberal group Human Rights Watch: "So far this year, 17 air strikes have killed more than 270 civilians, according to the humanitarian organization Human Rights Watch."
Whereforartthou Bruce Willis?? -- [Charlie Foxtrot]
It has been two years since I read with great anticipation, Michael Yon's ongoing saga of embededment (Hey, new word!) with the "Deuce Four" in Mosul, Iraq. Better vivid depictions of men and battle cannot be found in any other media source, IMHO.
...Alas, two years have passed and doing a brief search I can find no evidence that any "Deuce Four" movie project is on Willis' radar scope.
Instead, I read today that one thing that Willis will be doing is starring in an Oliver Stone picture called 'Pinkville', a 'drama' about My Lai.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.
Provincial Reconstruction Teams: The ‘Civilian Surge’ -- [MNF-I]
The recent surge of troops and embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams (EPRT) to Iraq is providing unprecedented opportunity for Iraqi citizens, a Coalition commander said today.
“It really wasn’t until the EPRT, the ‘civilian surge’ … and the surge forces arrived that we began to make what I will call measurable progress along our lines of operations,” Army Col. Mike Garret told online journalists and “bloggers” during a conference call from Forward Operating Base Kalsu, south of Baghdad, shortly after he provided a televised operational update via satellite.
Civillian Tip Leads To Cache Discovery - Concerned Iraqi Citizen
Coalition forces degrade al-Qaeda in Iraq network; 3 terrorists killed, 11 detained -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces killed three terrorists and detained 11 suspects Wednesday and Thursday during operations to disrupt terrorist networks in central Iraq.
Coalition forces conducted an operation west of Tarmiyah Thursday, targeting an alleged al-Qaeda in Iraq leader operating in the Fallujah area. During the course of operations, Coalition forces observed four individuals emplacing objects believed to be improvised explosive devices into the ground near the target area. When the ground force approached, they were engaged by small-arms fire.
An Iraqi Parade Against al-Qaeda -- [Live Leak]
Osama bin Laden's latest call for Iraqi insurgents to unite against Americans fell on deaf ears this week in Ramadi, the city that al-Qaeda leaders once declared the seat of a new Islamic caliphate and capital of the Iraqi insurgency.
Rather than rise up against them, the people of Ramadi Tuesday invited U.S. forces to watch a massive parade — albeit one so tightly secured that no pedestrian traffic got close to it.
The almost surreal, two-hour martial procession was led by the city's children to commemorate the martyred leader of a tribal revolt that has virtually silenced al-Qaeda in Anbar Province.
"The darkness has become pitch black" - Osama bin Laden on Iraq situation -- [LWJ]
Bin Laden addresses a tactical failure of al Qaeda in Iraq's IED cells. He clearly is unhappy with their performance, and indicated the failure to employ IEDs efficiently against U.S. forces is due to "negligence." He is also concerned about the infiltration of Iraqi and American spies.
Usama Bin Laden... Message To The People Of Iraq
Waiting For A Miracle To Show Up -- [Strategy Page]
October 24, 2007: The sharp drop in violence (about 70 percent nationwide versus a year ago) is being seen as the result of the Sunni Arab terrorist organizations collapsing in defeat. Most of the Sunni Arab tribes have turned against the terrorists, and the al Qaeda organization, which is responsible for most of the suicide bomb attacks, has been torn apart. Most al Qaeda leaders are dead, captured or spending most of their time trying to avoid that fate. The system of safe houses and skilled technicians (bomb makers, trainers, supervisors) has been disrupted or destroyed. At the same time some U.S. commanders want to declare al Qaeda defeated in Iraq,
25 Oct 07: Rocket Attack [Update 0930 Baghdad time] -- [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
...There is very little al Qaeda left in this area. One known al Qaeda operative was found dead last week, shot in the head. Despite these attacks, violence continues to decrease.
Sounds -- [Those Wacky Iraqis - in Iraq]
No movie can make incoming fire sound right. It does not matter if it is artillery, mortars, rockets, or small arms, it just never sounds right. It may be because the film crews who conduct the Foley effects have never been under fire, then again live music always sounds different from recorded so maybe you just can't get it right, you get it close.
There is a marked "Crump" sound when a mortar lands. Sometimes you hear the tubes when they launch. That is a far away "POP" and you know it's coming.
Hunting al-Qaida in Iraq -- [Matt Sanchez - in Iraq]
Terror and anonymity go hand in hand. It's hard to be a terrorist when everyone knows who you are. An attack takes a certain detachment, stealth and a craven willingness to kill people you've probably never met. Ramadi, Fallujah, Baghdad – one by one, as neighbors learn who lives next to them and repel those who mean harm, terrorists have moved out of the cities and into the outskirts, the areas that have had little or no authority.
Operation Snake was slated to begin at 0200, 2 a.m.
Commandant Downplays A Shift Of Marine Mission From Iraq To Afghanistan -- [On Point]
Some widely reported speculation about the motivation behind a proposal to shift Marine Corps responsibility to Afghanistan is blatantly wrong, the Marine Corps commandant told local service members and retirees Wednesday.
...But, he said, the idea that the Corps is looking to take over a four-star general billet in Afghanistan is "absolutely untrue."
"It has been said that we want to leave the Al Anbar province (in Iraq) while the leaving is good," he said, but that is also wrong.
"In many ways, this is not about Afghanistan," he said, but rather about Iraq.
Cav Country 49 - Newscast 1st Air Cavalry
The New Iraqi Air Force -- [Dude, where's the beach? - in Iraq]
Putting the 'Kinetic Hurt' in Counter-Insurgency Operations (COIN)
Mi-17 - All new aircraft, but it's the 'Old Faithful' helicopter the Iraqis have used for decades. They're good at flying it, fixing it, and it'll be bringing some pain to the bad guys very soon thanks to some outstanding IqAF-Coalition team work. (Patting self on back)
Inshallah -- [Sergeant Grumpy - in Iraq]
...Anyhow, during our first meeting, the Major was discussing some issue the Iraqis want our help with, and he was saying we would do what we can to look into it, being careful not to make any promises. Major M thought he would show a little cultural sensitivity and threw in “Inshallah”, which means God willing, and is used to avoid taking any accountability for your commitments, since if you fail to deliver it was God’s will. And who are you to question God.
Of course, this is not the Iraqi’s first rotation – he has been here dealing with Americans since we arrived. His response:
Is that an American Inshallah or an Iraqi Inshallah?
Operation Rock Avalanche In Afghanistan -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
The 173rd Airborne Brigade, along with Afghan forces, are conducting offensive operations in the Korengal Valley of northeastern Afghanistan bordering Pakistan. An unknown number of Taliban fighters - by some reports up to 20 - were killed in the battle.
Jihad Commander in Afghanistan Sheikh Al-Ustadh Yasser in New Al-Sahab Video: -- [MEMRI]
'The American is an Infidel Fighting the Muslims – Hence, the Muslims Must Fight Him Everywhere'
On October 21, 2007, the Islamist website Al-Ekhlaas, hosted by Layered Technologies, Inc. in Texas, USA, posted a 90-minute video, produced by Al-Sahab, featuring an interview with Afghani jihad commander Sheikh Muhammad Yasser (known as Sheikh Al-Ustadh Yasser). The sheikh was released from an Afghan prison in March 2007 in exchange for an Italian journalist abducted by the Taliban. According to the video, he served as a minister in the three governments that preceded the rise of the Taliban, and later resigned from politics to become a lecturer at the Da'wa and Jihad University in Peshawar. The video further states that he supported the Taliban when it came to power. The following are the main points of the video:
Shoes!!! -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
These photos were sent along by my friend Bob Connolly, whose wife Cynthia knitted and sent about 40 caps to our Soldiers for the children in Afghanistan. Photos of the kids with their new caps to follow in another post.
But first, the shoes...
NATO in Afghanistan - part. 1/2
Canadian and British soldiers in Afghanistan. Canadian forces in Shah Wali Kot district are seen firing artillery at distant Afghans ... all » 'suspected' of spying; firing warning shots at motorcyclists and vehicles, which causes a bus to crash. British troops mentoring Afghan National Army call in close air support against insurgents; captured Taliban suspect will be 'abused' by ANA, says British officer.
NATO drums up more troops for Afghanistan -- [Murdoc Online]
...I can see why several NATO nations are unwilling to do much to assist with the campaign in Iraq. I don't agree, but I can understand. The general lack of interest in doing anything in Afghanistan continues to baffle me, however.
NATO commanders are hoping to double the number of training units in Afghanistan, but it's slow going.
NATO in Afghanistan - part. 2/2
Canadian and British soldiers in Afghanistan. Canadian forces in Shah Wali Kot district are seen firing artillery at distant Afghans ... all » 'suspected' of spying; firing warning shots at motorcyclists and vehicles, which causes a bus to crash. British troops mentoring Afghan National Army call in close air support against insurgents; captured Taliban suspect will be 'abused' by ANA, says British officer
Army Helping Attack Wildfires -- [
Army National Guard helicopters were attacking southern California's ferocious wildfires Tuesday as Soldiers on the ground were manning traffic control points and were prepared to provide people who had lost their homes with ...
National Guard helicopters carrying big Bambi water buckets were trying to bring under control the firestorm that has forced some 500,000 residents to flee the devastated, seven-county region since last weekend.
"This is true and pure homeland defense. This is my home. I live here. This is what I joined to do," said California Army Guard 1st Lt. Robi Yucas, who was coordinating the Guard's aviation assets even as his wife and daughter and dog were preparing to evacuate their fire-threatened home in Oceanside, Calif.
Bill Richardson: Outrageous And Absolutely Incorrect -- [Riehl World View]
You'd think politicians would be mindful of living in the new media age. This from Gov. Bill Richardson at the Huffington Post, calling the Iraq War lost and blaming California's shrinking National Guard on the war. He should have called ABC first - see below.
Thank you Gubernator!!!
Additional nuclear sites in Syria? -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
While proof of a Syrian nuclear site is trickling down, including in this Washington Post article, the question now remains: what exactly do we know about the Syrian nuclear program?
Morality in counterinsurgency: Coercing the desperate -- [TigerHawk]
Humans rights NGOs have their panties in knots over the Israelis pressuring sick Palestinians to rat on the militants in their midst:
Exclusive: Bin Laden’s Frustration with His Lieutenants -- [The Family Security Foundation]
Yes, Bin Laden’s latest audiotape aired on al Jazeera is unique. Not in its ideological party line or in the Salafi doctrinal roots; they haven’t changed nor are they expected to. Surely, in a previous speech he inserted some neo-Marxist and Trotskyite rhetoric but that was part of his “American” discourse, and possibly at the request of his Gringo advisers.
...Incredibly, the leader of al Qaeda said the “Mujahidins” in Iraq committed “mistakes.” This was the first time the man used these words in this context: self criticism. In fact he criticized the emirs for the recklessness of their Jihad in the land of the two rivers. If one reviews the public statements of Bin Laden, at least since 1996, this is the first time he has mentioned the Jihadists’ mistakes, not the errors by Muslim rulers in general. Now, these are his own fighters who are at fault.
Usama Bin Laden... Message To The People Of Iraq
Al-Qaida Distributors Accuse Al-Jazeera of Distorting Bin Laden's Message on Iraq
Al-Qaida's official online distribution network responsible for disseminating messages from Usama Bin Laden--known as the "Al-Fajr Media Center"--has issued a new statement strongly criticizing the Arabic-language Al-Jazeera satellite television network, which it has accused of "deceitfully manipulating" the latest audio recording from Bin Laden regarding the growing infighting within the Sunni insurgency in Iraq. According to the Al-Fajr Center, "Aljazeera editors in chief have counterfeited the facts by making the speech appear as exclusively targeting the brothers and sons inside Al-Qaeda organization. It looked as if it was an acknowledgment of their mistakes, a renunciation of their jihad and their loyalty to it." The letter went on to condemn the directors of Al-Jazeera for "shamefully choosing to back the crusaders’ side, and the defenders of hypocrites and the thugs and traitors of Iraq.”
U.S. Announces New Sanctions Against Iranian Military, Banks, Leaders -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
Today, the State Department designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) for their proliferation activities. The Treasury Department also designated numerous Iranian parties for proliferation concerns: nine IRGC-affiliated entities and five IRGC-affiliated individuals; two state-owned banks, Bank Melli (its biggest) and Bank Mellat; and three individuals affiliated with Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO). The Treasury Department also designated the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) under for providing material support to the Taliban in Afghanistan and other terrorist organizations, and also designated Iran's state-owned Bank Saderat as a terrorist financier.
Collateral Damage -- [Castle Argghhh!]
In prior wars, children of soldiers and Marines killed in action would have medals, stacks of letters, perhaps a few photographs or, if they were very lucky, a faded clipping from the local newspaper to help keep the memory of a lost loved one alive. To such meager artifacts would be added endless quiet recountings of birthdays, vacations, holidays and the thousand shared moments - trivial, poignant, or hilarious - that make each family happy in its own unique way.
But the children of today's fallen warriors are growing up in a digital age, surrounded by often disturbing images and multimedia Is it too much to ask that when these smallest Americans look for traces of their missing fathers or mothers, the first image to spring to their minds should comfort, and not horrify?
Knock, knock... who are you??? -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Here's a good one. Several Soldiers' Angels have been receiving lovely thank you emails from soldiers to whom they never sent anything directly. One of the Angels finally fessed up and told the Soldier she didn't know who he was...??
Marine’s Father Sues Church for Cheering Son’s Death -- [New York Times]
...The Westboro protesters, whose church is in Topeka, Kan., frequently picket the funerals of military officials and soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan because church leaders assert that God is killing soldiers to punish America for condoning homosexuality. The lawsuit, which is being tried in Baltimore, is believed to be the first against the church by the family of a fallen serviceman.
Code Blue for Code Pink? [The Tank - Steve Schippert]
Many will enjoy reading Eli Lake's latest at the New York Sun, End of a Movement.
The Freepers who stand regular watch outside Walter Reed surely will take particular pleasure in Ms. Benjamin's lamentations and exasperations. The way they see it, she and her crews are owed some anguish for what they do to the troops on a regular basis. And they are, of course, absolutely right.
Welcome home, Dan! -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
About 15,000 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers are beginning to come home to Ft. Bragg, and here's the first 267 at Pope Air Force Base last Friday.
This group is mostly from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team’s support and special troops battalions.
Dagger Brigade Soldiers start coming home -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — After spending most of the last 15 months in one of Baghdad’s most dangerous neighborhoods, 126 members of Task Force 1-26 got to go home Sunday night.
The task force is among the first wave of Schweinfurt, Germany-based troops expected back from Iraq this week and throughout October and November.
Axe: Disband the Air Force!
Fed up with unnecessary gold-plated fighter jet programs, the service’s impatience with counter-insurgency and its anti-China rhetoric, back in August I proposed the disbanding of the U.S. Air Force. The air service’s missions could be folded into the Army, Navy and Marine Corps without any loss in national power -- and we’d benefit from cuts to Pentagon overhead.
Now Robert Farley over at The American Prospect has taken up the cause in a new piece, “Abolish the Air Force.” To complement the piece, Farley has solicited input from a number of bloggers, including yours truly.
Chairman Asks Straight Questions, Gets Hard Answers -- [Defense Link]
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen yesterday heard some hard truths when he asked hundreds of soldiers about their service.
“We need something better. That’s just not good enough,” another captain said of the 12-month home-station time between deployments.
Still another young officer said he was planning to end his military service, not because he was ready to be finished, but because his family was.
...“I think we’re going to change everything about the military,” he said, including how the force trains, recruits, educates and develops its troops.
Bill Richardson: Outrageous And Absolutely Incorrect -- [Riehl World View]
You'd think politicians would be mindful of living in the new media age. This from Gov. Bill Richardson at the Huffington Post, calling the Iraq War lost and blaming California's shrinking National Guard on the war. He should have called ABC first - see below.
Stark apologizes for saying troops die for Bush's 'amusement' -- [Jake's Life]
It's not the blatant stupidity and insensitivity of this remark that is getting my blood boiling, its Starks' blanket assumption that everyone fighting in Iraq A)is a political pawn of President Bush B) doesn't know what they are fighting for C) somehow didn't volunteer for the ALL VOLUNTEER MILITARY and D) doesn't want to be over there.
Code Pinkos run wild on Capitol Hill again -- [Michelle Malkin]
Update: The White House smacks the Dems over Code Pink.
The Democrats refuse to rein in the Code Pinko thugs and vandals who continue to disrupt hearings on Capitol Hill. Earlier today, it was an unhinged protester who attempted to smear red paint on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
I Do it so can you! -- [Northern Disclosure]
For those of you that didn't know, I was invited to speak at Brown University for a Watson Institute forum involving frontline media, writers and filmakers. I was honored by the invitation but it was hard to attend since I am over here. I did participate via webcast and found that in itself very entertaining.
I was able to watch the panel before the one I spoke on which had Colby Buzzell, a kid that was a specialist in the same unit I was in the first time over, and also Matt from "Blackfive". They spoke of military blogs and how they have changed.
Crunch Time -- [Outside the Wire - JD Johannes - in Iraq]
We are hearing that the violence in Iraq is decreasing.
And we all hear the phrase 'The Surge.' But what is the surge? How has it worked to decrease the violence?
In my upcoming movie, the viewer will get to see the surge from the inside, riding along with an Army infantry company in Baghdad's West Rashid district. An infantry company that is a true 'Surge Unit.'
But this may movie may never be completed. I am tapped out.
I need $3,000 more dollars to complete this DVD.
Ted Rall: Death of 'Idiot' Soldiers Raises U.S. IQ -- [NewsBusters]
I don't normally follow Ted Rall's work. But when J.M., a member of our military serving in Iraq, wrote NB about Rall's recent column and cartoon, I had a look. I'd say our soldier was being restrained in describing Rall's work as "particularly offensive."
Beauchamp and the Rule of Second Chances: Pass it Along -- [Michael Yon- in Iraq]
...I was at a reconciliation meeting between Sunni and Shia in the West Rashid district of Baghdad on 24 October, and it happened by complete coincidence that I was with Beauchamp’s battalion. In fact, I was with his old company commander for much of the day, although I had no idea for most of it that I was with Beauchamp’s old company commander.
At the reconciliation meeting, Beauchamp’s battalion commander, LTC George Glaze, politely introduced himself and asked who I wrote for. When I replied that I just have a little blog, the word caught his ears and he mentioned Beauchamp, who I acknowledged having heard something about. LTC Glaze seemed protective of Beauchamp, despite how the young soldier had maligned his fellow soldiers. In fact, the commander said Beauchamp, having learned his lesson, was given the chance to leave or stay.
That Took Foerever: Beauchamp Story Collapses -- [Weekly Srandard]
The Drudge Report has posted a a series of documents that reveal the lengths to which the New Republic’s editors, specifically Frank Foer and Peter Scoblic, went to cover up the truth about the Scott Beauchamp stories. This is the end of the road, and a long road it's been.
When we started looking into Beauchamp's stories back in July, we believed that the New Republic had simply been taken in by a huckster--that despite being over-eager to publish a story that cast our troops in a negative light, TNR's editors had done so good faith, believing the stories to be true. So we emailed Frank Foer, who agreed to provide us with some of the corroborating details in order to demonstrate his author's credibility.
Foer, TNR accuse the *military* of "selective leaks" of information they tried their best to suppress -- [Jeff Emanuel]
Said TNR's Franklin Foer, "It's maddening to see the Army selectively leak to the Drudge Report things that we've been trying to obtain from them through Freedom of Information Act requests," Mr. Foer said. "This fits a pattern in this case where the army has leaked a lot of stuff to right wing blogs."
Knight Ridder, Night Rider you got some ID Chump? -- [Uncle Jimbo - BlackFive]
...The Americans, however, are the absolute worst. I had a testy exchange Tuesday with an American soldier at an entry checkpoint into the Green Zone.....
Remember Iraq? Who can forget? -- [Badgers Forward - in Iraq]
Remember when Paul Krugman worked for Enron, Maureen Dowd was a pouty little girl, and Thomas Friedman was a respected writer? Me too. Then the New York Times created Times Select and those of us unwilling to fork over money were then deprived of their musings. Sadly Times Select was apparently a colossal failure and they are back and available to us, the unwashed masses.
During that two year public hiatus Mr. Friedman must have started channeling Ms. Dowd as his column today demonstrates.
New Tape: Bin Laden Calls Insurgents ‘Pack of Sissies’ -- [ScrappleFace]
In a newly-released audiotape, al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden spoke directly to Muslim insurgents in Iraq, calling them “a pack of sniveling sissies for collapsing in the face of the recent U.S. military surge.”
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.
Anecdotal Evidence -- [Guidons, Guidons, Guidons! - in Iraq]
...One of the many slides they show us is a slide called "SIG ACTS", that is significant activity in the area of operations in the last 24 hours. Lately that side has been pretty barren. Just how barren becomes apparent when the slide from today is compared against the slide depicting SIG ACTS from a year ago today...it is easily a 50% or more reduction in enemy action. This is not just today, but for several weeks now.
Is US On The Verge Of Defeating Al-Qeada?
US commanders in Iraq say a recent raid produced an intelligence bonanza that could lead to future successes in the battle against Al-Qeada.
Resistance is futile: You will be (mis)informed. -- [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
...Anyone who has been in Iraq for longer than a few months, visited a handful of provinces, and spoken with a good number of Iraqis, likely would acknowledge that the reality here is complex and dynamic. But in the last six months it also has been increasingly hopeful, despite what the pessimistic dogma dome allows Americans and British to believe.
...Several upcoming dispatches will focus on how the situation in Southern Iraq has dramatically improved over past months. Ironically, the character of this improvement is distinguished by the lack of violence, as well as the increasing order and normality as Iraqi Security Forces step up to greater responsibility for security in the region.
The situation in Iraq is incredibly complex -- and the products of the ‘Surge’ are far too fragile to survive a Coalition drawdown (Part 1 of 2) -- [Jeff Emanuel]
...As any conscious American is well aware, within weeks of unanimously approving both the new commander and the new direction, many in Congress were out in front of microphones and television cameras, declaring that “The Surge has failed” and “The war is lost,” and announcing the appallingly-named (to say the least) “slow bleed” strategy to drain the soldiers in Iraq of the funding and supplies necessary to fight the war, while also sponsoring and appearing in television advertisements designed to drain what little public support remained for the securing and rebuilding effort there. While lip service was paid (at the beginning) to granting Petraeus the time and resources necessary to fully implement his plan, politics quickly trumped patriotism and honest dealings, and attempt after attempt was made to cut him off at the knees and to declare failure before his strategy had ever even been implemented. This lack of unity at home greatly damaged the credibility of America and of her forces in the Middle East, who were (and are) dependent on the Iraqi people's ability to trust that the Coalition will not abandon them, whatever the cost, in order to be able to make any real, long-term gains on the ground there.
It was not until June -- weeks after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) had declared that the strategy had “failed” -- that the entire cast ‘Surge’ troops had arrived in Iraq and been positioned to carry out their mission, leaving only two months for fully-manned counterinsurgency operations before Petraeus’s testimony to Congress on progress in Iraq was due.
Enemy mortar team tracked, engaged
Good Morning America in Fallujah -- [BlackFive - Uncle Jimbo]
...Attached is a clip of ABC out with RCT-6. They're almost breathless in reporting the truth: how smoothly things are going in Fallujah. Other media outlets who shall be left unnamed have had the same opportunity to report this, walking through the market district of the city just like ABC did, and didn't report this adequately.
Air Cavalry crews see higher-tech attacks, weapons from Iran -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD — Air cavalry helicopter pilots have had to change their tactics to adapt to newer and higher-tech surface-to-air missile systems that officials believe are coming in from Iran, a senior official in Iraq said Friday.
Raid in Baghdad's Sadr City kills 49 Special Groups operatives -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio - in Iraq]
...Coalition forces, often the cover name given to the special operations forces hunter-killer teams of Task Force 88, met heavy resistance in Sadr City as they cleared buildings in search of the Special Groups leader. The clearing teams "received sustained heavy fire from adjacent structures, to include automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades, or RPGs," and killed 33 terrorists. Six more terrorists were killed as air support was called in on a team attempting to maneuver and hit the Task Force with RPGs, and another ten were killed as the raiding party was leaving the site.
Iraq inquiry into US Sadr raid - BBC News
Sadrists Call For U.S. Pullout From Residential Areas In Southern Iraq -- [Pat Dollard]
Baghdad, Oct 22, (VOI) – The Sadrist bloc, or Iraqis loyal to Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, call on Monday for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from residential areas in the province of al-Diwaniya, southern Iraq, and to hand over security responsibilities to Iraqi forces.
“The Sadrists also demanded the rehabilitation of security agencies in the province and filtering them of any militias affiliated to parties in power,” Ali al-Mayyali, a bloc member in Diwaniya, said in a statement he read out during a press conference in Baghdad.
Evacuated to the CSH -- [Far From Perfect - in Iraq]
So I’ve been in the hospital for the last few days with what is called a Non-Battle Injury. In other words, I was not wounded in battle, I had an urgent healthcare matter that required surgery. I got a whirlwind tour of the medical evacuation system for Iraq and Kuwait in the process. I have to say it works pretty well, especially if you are litter bound. I was medevac’d from my FOB to the Combat Surgical Hospital, CSH, in Mosul. They did an evaluation and decided I needed surgery. An hour or so later I was in surgery. Can’t really say too much about how that went as they gave me some really good sedatives and a spinal block. I woke up shortly after the surgery in the recovery room numb from the belly button down.
The World Sport -- [Those Wacky Iraqis - in Iraq]
...I have stated before that if we really want to win we have to win the heads of these people. The soldier playing here today is doing a much more valuable service by simply playing soccer than by going on patrol or sitting in a guard tower. He is reaching across the ocean, in a literal and figurative sense as no matter what the language, religion, education, or name, this simple game of pick up football is a bridge across it all.
Ain't no party like an Iraqi Party -- [Jason's Iraq Vacation - in Iraq]
Well Ramadan is finally over, which means the end of hiding our drinking habits from the Iraqi's and also the end of their fast. Instead of having a Mardi Gras-type celebration before their fasting period, Muslim's have a big 4 day feast after the big fast.
...they began cooking the traditional meal of lamb and assorted veggies with and kobez, which is basically just a flat bread. I think the unfortunate among us were those who enjoyed a little too much lamb, but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?
In Country -- [Sergeant Grumpy - in Iraq]
After the long months of training, we are finally here in Iraq. It took almost 4 days altogether to get to our Firebase, transiting thru Ireland, then Kuwait, and Baghdad. We rested in Baghdad for a little over a day before hopping on Blackhawks for a night time flight. Just as last time, it was the coolest part of the trip, the moon was partially obscured by clouds and was a mean red color.
Afghanistan, a country that is truly in need of our help . . . -- [Richard's Deployment to Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
Dear All,
I am writing to you all from FOB Salerno, Afghanistan with a small story of my experiences in a country that truly is in need of our help.
I am Sergeant First Class Michael Fields from Spokane Valley, Washington.
First and foremost I would like to tell all of the American people thank you, for all of your help and support.
I think that the best way that I could describe Afghanistan is the wild wild west, or life on the great frontier. The Afghan people are a very friendly and affectionate people who really want our help and our free way of life.
Picture and Movie Time -- [Bill and Bob's Excellent Afghan Adventure - in Afghanistan]
...Oh, looky what we found! Oddly enough, Mr. Taliban guy had an antitank mine (Italian, plastic, very nasty,) and four RPG rounds (Russian, metallic, very nasty,) buried within feet of the house in which his children lived. "What? Those aren't mine. My neighbor is angry with me and trying to get me in trouble!"
Another JDAM airstrike on taliban hiding in a camp in Afhganistan
Beggars and choosers -- [Yellowhammering Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
...The poverty in Afghanistan forces begging in many places. The problem is most of the poverty is out in the countryside where there are no highly-traveled paved road to provide a good begging location like the families have discovered here. (I realize how odd that sounds - to have good versus bad "begging locations" but such is the case in this country.)
As bad as I hate to see the suffering associated with begging - there is no worse sight than a dirty child frantically motioning for something to eat - I realize that these same people are choosers.
Targeting Taliban commander Siraj Haqqani. -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
As the Taliban's insurgency in Pakistan escalates, the US and Afghan National Army have identified Pakistani-based Siraj Haqqani as the primary threat to security in eastern Afghanistan. Siraj Haqqani, the son of the influential Taliban leader and former defense minister Jalaluddin Haqqani, was described as "one of the most influential insurgent commanders in eastern Afghanistan" who has "vied for the lead role as the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s prime antagonist."
Stressed Out -- [6 Months In Kabul -- in Afghanistan]
Today I visited the Pol E Charki prison. I discussed the prison in an earlier posting. I am trying to see if I can get involved with mentoring the Afghan physician that works there because they are in need of some help. I figure if I get busy enough with the Police Academy clinic, the new National Police Clinic, CMAs, and now the prison then I won't have to go downrange and do nonmedical stuff.
The prison was an interesting experience. It has...
Hye Times... -- [PARTAMIAN REPORT - in Afghanistan]
The Romanians have moved out from the KAF MWR Internet room and out into the fight. One the FOB's I went to recently had a platoon of Romanian Soldiers. Their PL happened to be Armenian too. I keep running into Armenians over here. There was a KBR guy at another FOB from the Republic of Georgia. He stopped me when he saw my name tape. He was also Armenian.
Back to the Basics -- [ETT PA-C - in Afghanistan]
...At Riley, pay attention to soldier skills. The rest is fairly useless. Reality is here and as long as you have common sense, the ability to use your weapon and a decent capacity to adapt to environments, you'll be fine. That is unless you are at a flag pole. Then all you need to know is.....Is your unit patch correct or are you wearing your reflective PT belt in the day time. Another is the wearing a helmet in the Humvee while driving a max of 10mph on KAF. You get my drift. We call them FOBbits. They still get to worry about nothing while the rest of us go outside the wire and do the job that needs to be done.
San Diego Wildfires: How You Can Help -- [DiscoveredSD]
"We have more houses burning than we have people and engine companies to fight them," San Diego Fire Capt. Lisa Blake said. "A lot of people are going to lose their homes today."
The conclusion: San Diego needs your help – and here’s how you can provide it.
The fires this time -- [Neptunus Lex]
Neighbors are packing up.
...This sorta sux.
Update: Ashes and dust everywhere, the sky is pewter colored and the wind is howling. The girls ask if we’re evacuating - I tell them the mandatory evacuation area is across the 56. They look out the back window and point to the highway. Friends call in by cell phone to say they are evacuating.
As Anger Grows, Thousands of Turks Demonstrate To Condemn Terrorism -- [MEMRI Blog]
Grieving and angry, Turks poured out to the streets all over Turkey to condemn PKK terrorism that claimed about 50 lives in less than a month - mounting the pressure on the government to fight back.
Deadly Turkey-Iraq border clashes
To raise them up. Part 3: Investing in people -- [LWJ]
B.A. Patty was recently embedded with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. In part three of the series, Patty discusses the role investments – in the NCO corps of the AFP, in the local economy – play in counterinsurgency.
A Larger Threat Than Nukes -- [Strategy Page]
October 22, 2007: Many of Iran's neighbors are not as worried about Iranian nukes as they are concerned about a more aggressive Iran attempting to seize bits of disputed terrain throughout the region (as it has already been doing with small islands in the Persian Gulf), and asserting its traditional role as the regional superpower. Iran already has weapons of mass destruction (chemical weapons developed during the 1980s war with Iraq), but has never put them in play. Iran has never let terrorist groups have any of their chemical weapons, nor has it openly threatened to use this stuff against its neighbors.
The Losers Lament -- [Strategy Page]
The September 6 Israeli air raid in Syria has been a major setback for Russian arms sales. The Syrians had invested heavily in new Russian air defense systems, and the Israelis apparently brushed right by them. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russians have been trying to rehabilitate the reputation of their weapons. Throughout the Cold War, whenever Russian and Western (especially American) weapons met on the battlefield, the Russians lost.
Worried Bin Laden Urges Iraq Insurgents to 'Unite' -- [The Blotter]
Showing apparent signs of concern over events in Iraq, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden urged insurgents to "unite your lines into one" in an audiotape played on al Jazeera Monday.
"Don't be arrogant," bin Laden warned. "Your enemies are trying to break up the jihadi groups. It's critical that we work in one united group."
Remember the Name of This U.S. Enemy: Haqqani -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
It's a sure bet that you'll hear a lot this election season about Al Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden still being on the loose and thumbing his nose at America from his hideout in Pakistan's tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. But I think eventually you'll also hear about a couple of other evildoers, to use President Bush's term, who are responsible for killing hundreds of American troops in Afghanistan since 2001.
The Book Tour: Bookstore, the VA, and the Milkshake Man -- [Bouhammer Afghan Blog]
...I leaned over to ask David Stanford what the deal was with him, and he told me that the Milkshake Man had lost both legs in Vietnam. While working at the VA, he started going over to Walter Reed visiting the wounded troops. He takes them trays of McDonald’s milkshakes. He befriends them over several weeks and visits and jokes around and gets to know them. Once they get comfortable with him and open up to him, he then pulls up his pants and shows them that he is a double-amputee himself. He does this as an inspiration to them so they can see that despite their injuries, they can lead normal lives. After the signings were done, I pulled out my copy of The Long Road Home and asked the Milkshake Man to autograph the comic strip in the book that Garry wrote where he mentions The Milkshake Man. It was a true honor to meet someone who does what he does out of the true caring and compassion that he possesses for these wounded warriors.
Foot Patrol 4-4
OPERATION: LOVE FROM HOME 2007 -- [Yikes]
OK, here we go again..... time to collect cards for our Heroes overseas!! Last year, thanks to all of you working together, over 20,000 (yes, that's TWENTY THOUSAND) Christmas/holiday cards were shipped to our troops in harm's way. Let's do it again this year! I know we can!!! Our heroes need us now more than ever -- let's show them our love & appreciation!
Lakeway Patriot Committee Supports Our Troops -- [Miss LadyBug]
I was watching the Red Sox beat the crap out of the Indians (unfortunately...) tonight in Game 6 of the ALCS. When the game was over, I didn't get around to changing the channel. The local news came on after all the post-game hoo-ha. A story about the Lakeway Patriot Committee and their Patriot Fest held this weekend caught my attention
FOOTPATROL CHAPTER NINE
Soldiers' pictures banished from hometown post office -- [WND]
Spokesman: 'It's not a place to post things or make displays'
Members of the U.S. military have been vilified for their service and have faced criminal charges for battlefield decisions and congressional accusations of rampant "hate crimes." Now a California post office also has banned photographs of local soldiers who are defending their country.
On the brotherhood of war -- [Soldiers' Angel Germany]
" ...and I was really glad about that. Because I always thought if something happened to us, I wanted to be the one who was hurt the worst."
- A Soldier at Landstuhl recounting how he had switched positions with another Soldier just moments before their vehicle was hit. Because of that he was, in fact, the only occupant to sustain serious injury.
What Happened at Haditha -- [Opinion Journal]
The massacre that wasn't, and its political exploitation.
Here is what we know. On November 17, 2005, Kilo Company of the First Marine Regiment's Third Battalion was returning from a routine logistics mission in Haditha, a town 140 miles northwest of Baghdad. Haditha is in Anbar province, a heart of the Sunni insurgency with one of the highest U.S. casualty rates in Iraq. The security situation at the time was treacherous.
Charting a New Course – Marines – Navy – Coast Guard in the 21st Century -- [ON Point - Andrew Lubin]
70 % of the world is covered by water • 80% of the world lives at or near a coastline• 90% of the world’s commerce travels by ship Any maritime disruption to global security or commerce has an immediate and usually negative impact on the United States, and this week our sea services presented a unified and thoughtful strategy that is designed to protect our vital interests in today’s globalized and interconnected world. “A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower” was...
The best thing about Iraq -- [Desert Flier - home from Iraq]
In all honesty, when I really have to pin it down, the hardest thing about coming back are the questions. Not a lot of questions. A lot of the same questions.
"So, how was Iraq?" Can I answer this one in two sentences or less?
"Well, should we be there?" Dunno, ask Rumsfeld.
"When are you due to go back?" I just left, people. Do I really have to ponder when I have to go back? Dunno, ask Cheney.
Every time, without fail, I know I'm giving this pained look as I attempt to answer yet another thoroughly complex question that I know will take hours to actually answer. How do I streamline the responses into a politician's soundbite? Dunno. . .
So I've resorted to this: "I can tell you the best thing about Iraq." ...
Making Choices -- [From My Position... On the way! ]
If your future success depended on selecting a corporation to manage your affairs and best interests, would you choose a company that has a little more than 500 employees and has the following statistics:
29 have been accused of spousal abuse
7 have been arrested for fraud
19 have been accused of writing bad checks
117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
3 have done time for assault
71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
8 have been arrested for shoplifting
21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year
If you said “Hell no!” than I suggest you get your voter registration card in. That corporation is reflective of the 535 members of the United States Congress.
Anti-War Veteran Quits Anti-War Organization -- [Weekly Standard]
Frustrated by the lack of progress toward surrender in Iraq, veteran John Bruhns has quit the anti-war group AAEI
...'An early sign of trouble?' You mean, like the departure of Rumsfeld was an early sign of trouble for the Bush administration--or the way Saddam's capture in a hole was an early sign of trouble for his brutal regime? It would be premature to say that the anti-war campaign has run its course; it clearly has not. But unless Iraq gets dramatically worse, it's all over but the shouting. Even in Berkeley, antiwar activist now find themselves outnumbered--what does that mean for the antiwar movement?
Plausibly Deniable Cat Herders -- [Cannoneer4]
...Pretty much everybody who is reading this knows that Morale Operations are being conducted in cyber space. Judging from the commenters, I reckon most acknowledge the political and ideological impediments to victory in the Iraq Campaign and the wider struggles of which it is but a subset. It gives me no pleasure to contemplate the bitter fact that millions of my countrymen want us to lose. I really do not want a politicized military, but, the military knows who wishes them well and who wishes them ill.
Disrespecting America (photo) -- [A Soldier's Perspective]
This is just despicable. Anyone see something wrong with this picture? Hint: he is the one who thinks his heart is in his crotch.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
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.
The Shia Awakening -- [Michael J. Totten]
After returning to the U.S. from my summer trip to Baghdad and Ramadi, I wrote a piece for the New York Daily News that warned against bingeing on optimism in the wake of the surge. I wrote this despite the dramatic turnaround in Iraq’s Anbar Province. The abject defeat of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s al Qaeda in Iraq in and around Anbar’s capital of Ramadi is stunning, but local. The fight still rages on elsewhere, and in each place it is different. In early 2007, Ramadi was the most violent city in all of Iraq. It was also, counterintuitively, the easiest city to win.
Al Qaeda had seized it and declared it the capital of their so-called “Islamic State in Iraq.” Local tribal leaders and civilians initially welcomed al Qaeda as liberators against the hated American occupiers, but later rejected them after al Qaeda behaved like…al Qaeda, and launched a horrific murder and intimidation campaign against everyone who opposed them. “It was basically a hostile fascist takeover of the city,” Army Captain Jay McGee told me.
Locals Target Insurgent Assassins, keeping the towns safer
Fallujah: Security payoff in former insurgent stronghold -- [Chicago Tribune]
The Marines' presence is shrinking as the former insurgent bastion transforms
FALLUJAH, Iraq - The last car bomb in Fallujah exploded in May.
..."It stopped," said Lt. Col. William Mullen, commander of a shrinking force of U.S. Marines in the city who have watched the insurgency melt into the encircling countryside. "The 'significant events' in the city stopped. I think a lot of [the insurgents] left."
The Americans are not far behind: After surrounding the city with walls and improving security on its streets, the Marines are pulling back from the one-time insurgent bastion of Fallujah. They are redeploying to surrounding areas as the U.S. troop "surge" allows them to consolidate progress made largely by tribal leaders and local officials in security and civil works.
Reconciliation key to defeating al Qaeda in Iraq -- [MNF-I]
WASHINGTON — The United States has dealt al Qaeda many significant blows in Iraq and elsewhere, President Bush said here Wednesday. Military gains against al Qaeda are encouraging, but the situation cannot be won militarily, and that is why the U.S. continues to work with the Iraqi government on reconciliation and political development, Bush said at a White House news conference.
“We’re making progress, but I fully understand those that say we can’t win this thing militarily,” Bush said. “That’s exactly what the United States military says. That’s why it’s very important that we continue to work with the Iraqis on economic progress as well as political progress.”
No One Knows For Sure -- [Strategy Page]
October 17, 2007: The 2004 alliance between Sunni Arab nationalist groups and al Qaeda, is officially dead. All but one of the major Sunni Arab terror groups have publicly denounced al Qaeda, specifically mentioning the widespread use of terrorist attacks against civilians. Al Qaeda is definitely hurting, with their terror attacks down by more than half, and more al Qaeda leaders and technicians being killed or captured each week. Al Qaeda in Iraq is not destroyed, but it has been marginalized. Now the battle turns to the militias. The most dangerous ones are the Sunni Arab groups that want Sunni Arabs to be running the country again. While many of these outfits are rethinking their strategy, in the face of superior firepower wielded by the Americans and the Shia led government, some are willing to fight on.
Returning Home -- [A Battlefield Tourist - in Iraq]
While on a visit to the local Iraqi Patrol Base just inside Mahmudiyah, the Americans were given some information concerning the return of Sunni refugees that had fled sectarian violence earlier in the year.The reports indicated that at least six families had decided to return home to a small Sunni enclave on the city’s northern side. By September 2007 most Sunnis had been chased from the predominately Shia city, part of “South Baghdad”, which lies just 18 miles south of Baghdad itself. Above is an Iraqi boy who has just returned to a destroyed home. His family’s burned out van is in the background.
Building Relationships in Ninewa -- [manrymission.com - in Iraq]
In the comments for a post, Janice asks “What is it like when you go to a job site with your security?” To answer her question, I’d like to describe USACE’s approach to construction management in Iraq. As I’ve mentioned previously, I never leave the wire without my personal security detachment (PSD). I have two types of teams that work for me. The team that takes me to site visits is a security escort team (SET). As the name suggests, the SET’s mission is to escort USACE personnel on missions outside the wire.
Freedom Journal Iraq
CAFTT Getting the Iraqi Air Force in the Air - Fox News Edition -- [Dude Where's the Beach - in Iraq]
Fox News did a little story on CAFTT training the Iraqi Air Force. It's actually not that great of a story, but it's sufficient in showing some video of the people working to 'Get 'em in the Air.'
When you hear Fox's bleak picture about students with no shoes and desks, ignore it. Those guys were all new recruits in basic training. They all come in like that.
What they didn't show you were the polished and well-trained graduates, or the new Lieutenants just commissioned, or the new flight students at Kirkuk.
Im sh'Allah -- [Northern Disclosure - in Iraq]
There are plenty of political opinions of Iraqi Forces and of the state of security within the borders of Iraq. Being a participant and not a sideline player or arm chair general I sometimes develop my own opinions. I have spent the equivilant of half a tour (6 months) training the Iraqi's the last time I was here so I have seen what they get taught being instrumental in the delelopment of that training. This experience has me always paying attention to their actions so I can see the advancement or regression from what I know.
Iraqi Special Operations Forces, USSF detain extremist brigade commander -- [MNF-I]
BALAD, Iraq – Iraqi Special Operations Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, detained an extremist brigade commander in an early morning raid Oct. 16 in the al Hurriyah area.
The targeted commander is allegedly the main financier and weapons supplier in the al Shula area, near Baghdad. His 300-member cell is responsible for improvised explosive device attacks against Coalition Forces and the Iraqi Army.
Chopper crew in Action
Back From Another Base -- [From an Anthropological Perspective - in Iraq]
I am not ashamed to say I am honored to have been mentored in the weight room, at the range, and in the field here in Iraq by highly professional soldiers. Cutting my hair and taking their instruction seriously by trying my best to shoot well was my way of giving them respect in return. These are rituals of social acceptance and make possible good ethnography. The next blog entry to get latched onto by detractors will probably be an upcoming post regarding the honor of bestowing on me further unit acceptance and recognition for living with them in a combat environment: awarding me the 1st Infantry Division Combat Patch and Coin. As my commander told me on Saturday after I briefed him and the staff on my team's progress: "Duty First! Continue Mission!"
The BC dismissed everyone who was not a Soldier in the Battalion and had the doors closed. I know I won't do it justice, but here are the things he said that stuck with me:
We have a real mission, a good mission, a mission we will all be proud of. Do your jobs and take care of each other. If you are thinking about doing something and you're not sure if it is right, then you are probably wrong and don't do it. ... Most of all do not bring shame on this unit. Do not bring shame on these men serving with you. Do not bring shame on yourself.
For you leaders - while Serving is an Honor, Leading ... is ... a Privilege -- [Sgt Grumpy - heading to Iraq]
Leaders, your job is to take care of your men, that means they ... come ... first - they eat first, they sleep first, and their safety comes first.
Pak Military Offers AQ Safe Passage to Afghanistan? -- [The Tank - Steve Schippert]
Syed Saleem Shahzad is reporting that a "top Pakistani security official" has told him on condition of anonymity that the Pakistani military will soon begin commencing operations "to pacify Waziristan once and for all." Serious questions remain about the Pakistani military's ability to do so where, unlike Iraq, al-Qaeda enjoys broad popular support throughout much of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Pak-Afghan border, including North and South Waziristan.
Smuggling Explosives
From Iran to Taliban
The Bravery of our Navy Seals -- [Flopping Aces]
NBC has put together a great video of the heroism displayed by the Navy Seals in Afghanistan and whose bravery will be rewarded Monday by President Bush when he gives the Medal of Honor to Lt. Michael P. Murphy.
Coalition of American Muslims Set to Protest Saudi Support for Terror -- [Weekly Standard]
Next Monday, Al-Baqee--a new coalition of American Muslims--will take an initiative that other citizens and leaders of our country should have begun immediately after 9/11: The group has called a protest against Saudi Arabia's support--by preaching, money and recruitment--of terrorism.
The demonstration is set for 1 p.m. outside the Royal Saudi Embassy in Washington.
To raise them up. Part 2: The role of the Philippines in the Long War -- [LWJ - Grim - in Iraq]
What must first be understood is that the situation in the Philippines is different from either Iraq or Afghanistan. In many ways, JSOTF-P is in an enviable position: It has a stable partner in the Filipino government and works with security forces that are both reliable and structurally similar to US forces. The general orders of Naval Forces, Western Mindanao Command are precisely the same as those of the US Navy. In the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Marines and Navy Special Operations Group, the units are readily understood by US Marines and Navy Special Warfare. The Filipino noncommissioned officer corps is strong, as is the case in Western military forces. Their military academy is very much like West Point.
FISA Fight: Democrats Scramble To Figure Out How To Oppose Amendment Giving Wiretappers Right To Surveil Osama bin Ladin and Other Terrorists Whenver They Like -- [Ace of Spades]
They're in danger of losing many of those freshmen "moderates" who won in swing districts and have to pretend they give a shit about national security.
The Majority’s bill says that if a foreign target operating overseas – like Osama Bin Laden – has either had contact with a U. S. person or called a U.S. number, our intelligence officials would be required to obtain a FISA court order to listen into their communications. This is unacceptable, and it jeopardizes the safety and security of the American people. Boehner issued the following statement
Terrorists in training head to Pakistan -- [Daily Times]
LAHORE: An increasing number of militants from Europe are travelling to Pakistan to train and plot attacks on the West, European and US anti-terrorism officials say, according to a report in the LA Times.
Playing with Fire: South Africa's Dangerous Terrorist Liaisons
...Despite these signs of progress in counterterrorism, it needs to be borne in mind today's South Africa is a democracy and thus policy direction comes not from the security professionals, but the political echelons of the ANC among whom the "anti-Western" and "revolutionary" rhetoric of the bin Ladens and Ahmadinejads of the world still resonates. In fact, Mr. Gilder's restrained remarks elicited a strong negative reaction in the South African political and media circles. The Star newspaper, for example, ran a prominent commentary by a leading Muslim cleric, Moulana E.I. Bham, who, representing Johannesburg's council of Muslim theologians, the Jamiatul Ulama, decried the fact that "the global anti-terror industry, chaired by the U.S.A., has led to many unfortunate assumptions made by governments and the public alike." Moulana Bham trump argument was that "history has shown that today's illegitimate organization and suspected terrorist (the example of the ANC and Mr. Mandela would suffice) may just become tomorrow's hero."
While one should be careful not to over exaggerate the imminence of the threat, the overall risk is very real. Between the ideologically-motivated ignorance of the country's rulers to the dangers posed by transnational Islamist terrorism as well as the attractiveness of South Africa's highly-developed infrastructure to terrorist networks seeking a base for and/or a theater of operations, terrorists understandably find in South Africa an enabling environment at the very least.
The SpouseBUZZ Smooch: Smooching Military-Friendly Businesses -- [SpouseBUZZ - Andi]
Military spouses are incredibly loyal to individuals and businesses which are military-friendly. And let's face it, more often than not, we're the ones making the purchasing decisions for the household. We're usually the Chief Financial Officer.
Yesterday, someone forwarded an email to me. A credit union has asked their members to do something wonderful for deployed service members.
The Worthiest of Causes -- [Blackfive]
One mighty Blackfive pal and Someone You Should definitely Know is Big John in Washington, DC. Big John has done more for our wounded vets than I have and is the one responsible for many initiatives including taking our wounded vets out on Friday nights to experience life away from the hospital.
Code Pink Radicals & Pro-Military Supporters Collide in Berkeley -- [Gateway Pundit]
Protests in Berkeley... Pro-Military supporters rallied today for the US Marines...
So did Code Pink.
Anti-war protestor Giovanni Jackson, center, is pulled away from a confrontation with war supporters by Sgt.Randolph Files of the Berkeley Police Department in front of a Marine recruitment center in Berkeley, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007. The Marine office near the University of California opened some months ago but was only recently discovered by the anti-war group Code Pink. They have been holding regular protest rallies there, which led to the counter-protest.
Welcome Home!!! -- [Eighty Deuce On The Loose - home from Iraq
