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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.
SGT Matt Maupin’s Remains Found in Iraq -- [Gathering of Eagles]
I have worn a bracelet with Matt’s name on it for almost four years, and was dreading the upcoming anniversary of his capture.
...Today, I take it off and place it on my desk, where I can look at it and remember him. The tan line on my wrist will fade eventually, but the memory of Matt’s sacrifice, and the horrors he endured for the sake of our nation will live forever in the hearts and minds of those who know the price of freedom. Godspeed, little brother. Your name will never be forgotten. Never.
Married Troops Can Live Together in Iraq -- [AP]
BAGHDAD (AP) -- When American soldiers get off duty in Iraq, the men usually return to their quarters, the women to theirs. But Staff Sgt. Marvin Frazier gets to go back to a small trailer with two pushed-together single beds that he shares with his wife....
Baghdad College Students Study U.S. Politics
3/24/08 Political science majors in Baghdad inteviewed by Kira Phillips of CNN.
Color of War -- [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
Desert Battles are unfolding in hidden and faraway places. Bullets snapp through air, then splap through flesh and men fall. Bodies crumple onto the desert, a fly lands on the lip of an open mouth, fingers twitch as the flesh dies and the winds kick up and dust settles on unblinking eyes. The dry earth drinks their sticky blood and they are forgotten. Their families do not know they are dead. They came to kill Americans and innocent Iraqis. Instead, they were killed themselves. In a desert landscape, sometimes the color of a war can bleed out into black and white.
Interestingly, the people who accuse Yezidis of being devil-worshippers are responsible for the deaths of perhaps a million people in the last few decades. They are the ones who put Yezidis on “reservations,” poured chemical gases on Kurds, set oil wells ablaze, poisoned the water with oil, and encouraged suicide attacks. What do Yezidis want from us? Not much. They want to thank Americans for beating back Saddam. They want Americans to know they appreciate the sacrifice.
Iraqi Forces Show Strength Through Unilateral Exercise -- [MNF-I]
“This exercise is very important to make the people confident in the IP and PSF,” said Iraqi Col. Muhammad Shafur, the PSF battalion commander, through an interpreter. “It showed the people that the police are strong and serious about taking actions against the insurgents.”
“We have to be prepared and ready in case insurgents attack here,” said Iraqi police Col. Faruq Hardan, the Haditha Triad IP chief.
...The IP and PSF planned and executed key training events for their men as coalition forces observed.
The Iraqi forces are working hard to gain the trust of the people through these exercises and with their continual security presence in the community.
Mojo's World -- [Kaboom - in Iraq]
The day before Muqtada al-Sadr lifted the Mahdi Army's freeze of attacks on Coalition Forces, things were obnoxiously normal in Anu al-Verona. Kids playing in the dirt, women shopping in the market, old men casting geriatric judgements from front porches, teenagers leering for the sake of leering - you know, the works. It all seems so distant now. Multiple 24-hour plus missions tend to have that effect on the memory.
As usual, Mojo was found near the combat outpost, on the front steps of the governance center. As the mayor’s son, he has the unofficial responsibility of hawking as much crap obtained by less than legal means as possible our way. Phone cards, cell phones, movies, iPods, and various forms of porn far more creative than necessary are always readily available through him – and that’s what he’s willing to try and sell in front of the LT.
Deja Vu All Over Again -- [All Quiet on the Southwest Asian Front -- in Iraq]
Mar. 28th, 2008 - Woken up 3 times yesterday by rocket attacks. The first one not 5 minutes after I laid down to sleep. Then they started coming in every few hours. It made us laugh a bit to hear that the second attack had overshot, landed on the Iraqi Military Academy, and set a mosque on fire.
But the constant interruption of my sleep did me no favors. It hurt to get up for work.
Al-Sadr's Jaysh al-Mahdi still going crazy. It's like all the madness of last summer all over again.
Sadr orders followers to end fighting -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio - in Iraq]
Muqtada al Sadr has called for his Mahdi Army to end fighting with the government. This comes as his forces have taken significant losses over the past six days.
In Pictures: Iranian munitions seized in Iraq -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio - in Iraq]
Multinational Forces Iraq has released new images of Iranian-made weapons that have been seized inside Iraq.
As the US and Iraqi Army battle the Iranian-backed Mahdi Army and the Special Groups terror cells in central and southern Iraq, the US military in Baghdad has released further information on Iranian-made weapons seized in Iraq. The US has seized numerous weapons caches in the past, with lot numbers and markings clearly linking them back to Iran. Iran has denied any involvement with sending weapons to Iraq, yet it has not explained how these Iranian-manufactured weapons are appearing inside Iraq.
Curfew Ends, Fightng Continues -- [Zen Traveler - in Iraq]
The curfew ended early this morning, so life is returning to relative normalcy here in the city. Our household staff came in this morning and told me that the fighting still continues in Sadr City despite al-Sadr's call for his followers to withdraw from the streets, CNN is reporting the same thing. It's an indicator that al-Sadr's grip on the Mahdi Army may not be as strong as once thought. Also, to be fair, not all of the insurgents belong to the Mahdi Army, as there has been a lot of fracturing of insurgent groups lately, especially around Sadr City.
This week in Basra – 2 Major Lessons -- [OPFOR]
The infestation of Basra with Mahdi madmen shows what could happen throughout Iraq if American forces would draw down too quickly. It has not been long since British forces prematurely turned over Basra's city streets to local police. Now, the Mahdi Army roams the streets with RPGs and RPK machine guns. Basra has become one of the last Iraqi havens for extremists. If we stop our chemotherapy early because it makes us sick, the cancer will return.
Fuck the Militia -- [TheAngryAmerican - in Iraq]
...The main route we had been working on recently was empty and it was the middle of the day. Smoke from tire fires was in the air. Lately Sadr's militia went buckwhile coming out to fight. Fighting from Sadr City spilled east into Bravo Company's sector. Alpha, and Bravo and some elements from an Armored unit were in the midst of a heated battle in Bravo's sector uprooting militia men from the check points. We drove by a check point tower we had built and the side of it had been hit by an RPG. We drove past numerous check points that were abandoned. Reports of a certain checkpoint that had been taken over by JAM came across the net.
Another Interesting Day -- [Brad's Excellent Adventure - in Iraq]
...I had two projects going in the same area at the same time, and we were doing a pretty good job of managing to our plan. One contractor was adjusting the air conditioning, and another was putting down new tile on a stairway. It was all being done in a secure area that requires extensive coordination and pre-planning for me to get workers in to do anything. I had done the required coordination, and we were where we were supposed to be, and when.
One thing about working with these local contractors is that you can never tell what they are going to do next – they just don’t approach a job the way you’d expect
Escalation Of Force -- [Iraq: The Purgatorium - in Iraq]
The kids in the school crowd in the doorways and peek out the windows at the foreigners clearing the area. Once we finish and take up positions inside the courtyard, the kids become more curious.
"Hello Mista!"
"Mista! Football!"
"Mista! Pen!"
"Mista! I love you!"
"Mista! Give me!"
The teachers were obviously annoyed by the distraction and the kids' unruly behavior. There was really only one way that I could ever respond to something like this.
I gave the kids the thumbs up, which they returned, moderate cheering.
As we walked back, I took point, with my good friend, the travel partner, Solid Steak, on the other side of the road next to me. I went about the usual scanning paranoia routine, looking for the supposed bad guy before the supposed bad guy could supposedly get it on.
Down the road in front of us, an old dude pedaled towards us on a bike. I gave him the closed fist hand signal to stop. He didn't.
I gave him the Iraqi hand signal for Stop. He didn't.
I yelled at him, something polite like, "Hey! Keef! Stop! STOP MOTHERFUCKER!!!" He didn't.
I raised my M4 and put my sights on his face. "HEY! STOP AND GET THE FUCK OFF THE ROAD!!!" He didn't.
Iraq News (31 March) -- [LT Nixon Rants - in Iraq]
The Good: Sadr throws in the towel (that didn't take long). Also, check out my post entitled "Shi'ite Happens" at VetVoice for my take on this whole mess. The fact that many in the media think the Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces are tactically losing to a bunch of thugs is preposterous. Apparently, Iran was involved in the ceasefire too, very interesting.
Dealing With Corruption -- [False Motivation - in Iraq]
Before I post the pictures from the kids I want to touch on a subject that is at the very heart of this conflict here in the Middle East, Corruption. No, not American corruption, Iraqi. The last thing left to do to complete our mission here is to help the IA and IP establish themselves as a legitimate, capable, and competent force; but sometimes they seem so dead set against it.
Hero For A Day - U.S. Troops and Iraqi Children
A Triumph of Spirit -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
The soldiers had told M many times to be careful. They worried about him. He smiled and dismissed the warnings, they said, and asked just one thing: "If something happens to me, take care of my family."
After he was killed, Beckert and Wilz went to console Mrs. M and the children. She was terribly frightened, they said, certain that her children were in danger. She looked at the soldiers and asked: "We go America?"
"We looked at each other," Wilz said. "Then, we looked at her and said, 'Yes.' "
Read this inspiring story about the North Dakota National Guard soldiers of the 141st Engineer Combat Battalion and the Iraqi family who became their own. And bring a tissue.
VIDEO: From the Frontline - Episode 2 -- [Fearless 1st Marines’ blog - in Iraq]
This edition features stories on Operation Spider Web and it's mission in Aramayah, Iraq as well as Joint Security Patrols in Subayhat, where they patrol the streets and meet with locals.
Part 2 - Continues to feature stories of Marines patrolling through the Andaloos district in Fallujah, Iraq where they are searching for cars that may house vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED) and interview shop keepers along the way.
on call at AFTH -- [the alley - in Iraq]
Posted March 19th, 2008 by JoshI'm the SOD (Surgeon Of the Day) on call tonight here at the Air Force Theater Hospital, and it's just after 1:15 AM. We've just "tucked in" two injured US troops who came from Baghdad, which is sort of a nightly occurrence. One of them had to go back to the OR on arrival here. I can't believe it's been two weeks since I last posted...sorry. It's been a little busier here lately, with lots of Iraqi thoracoabdominal injuries and our fair share of postoperative complications.
"KBR runs this country" -- [IN-iraq - in Iraq]
(KBR employee Brian Bodway, of Gulf Shores AL, trains new Indiana soldiers on how to extract a truck driver in case of an emergency. Bodway has driven trucks in Iraq for almost three years.)
“You’re gonna learn real fast that KBR runs this country,” said Sgt. Robert Bishop, 29, of the Alaskan 297th combat support battalion, as he spoke to several Indiana platoons on their mission for the next nine months- convoy security to and from Iraq's U.S. bases.
KBR, Kellogg Brown and Root, is the omnipresent corporation that seems to supply and maintain everything from Port-a-potties to busing on U.S. bases in Iraq.*
Biggest Mistake -- [One Marine's View]
I heard on the radio the other day that morons are claiming that the Iraqi War was the biggest blunder of President Bush's presidency. Wow, are these guys the most ungrateful, unfocused, un-American people or what? It was a mistake, they say, to invade Iraq. Hell, let's wrap Afghanistan in that too then.
Why 4,000 Wasn't 13,747 -- [Strategy Page]
March 31, 2008: Five years of fighting in Iraq has killed 4,000 American troops. The first five years of fighting in Vietnam (1965-69) killed 40,258. There were about three times as many U.S. troops involved in the Vietnam fighting. But even then, the number of Americans killer per thousand troops in Vietnam was three times higher (19, versus 6 in Iraq). If the casualty rates were the same in Iraq, there should have been 13,747 dead so far. However, there were proportionately more wounded in Iraq. While there were 3.4 times more dead in Vietnam (in killed per thousand troops), there were only 3.2 times more wounded. Overall, there were 133 casualties per thousand troops in Vietnam, versus 47 in Iraq.
Downgrading Iraq? -- [Matt Sanchez]
Five years after the initial invasion of Iraq, Americans wonder where we are.
Iraq is like no other conflict in American history. It is arguably no longer a war, but a low-level insurgency. We are not fighting a country, but a transnational conspiracy that operates more like an international fast-food franchise than a military force. In this conflict, there will be no "D" Day or signing of a peace treaty.
What is victory? It is ...
Mass grave uncovered in Iraq -- [Wa Times]
ZAHAMM, Iraq — The graves of more than 50 people thought killed by al Qaeda in Iraq during their two-year reign of terror in Diyala province's "bread basket" region have been found in a pomegranate orchard in a village near the town of Himbus.
Excavations at the site began last week and were expected to continue after troops of the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment were tipped to the location by a man who claimed to have escaped from al Qaeda's "jail" there last summer.
The Case for Conditional Engagement in Iraq -- [SWJ]
Five years into the war in Iraq with no end in sight, a new strategy is needed. The current strategy of unconditional support to Iraq’s central government has not produced nearly enough political progress. President Bush and those wishing to succeed him should embrace a new political strategy in Iraq that makes our military presence conditional on political accommodation.
Under the leadership of General David Petraeus, U.S. forces in Iraq have designed and implemented the best military strategy possible under the circumstances. But security progress appears to have leveled off, and violence has started to tick back up. Further gains can only come through the political process. General Petraeus recently told reporters that “no one feels that there has been sufficient progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation.” Similar candor will likely be on display when Petraeus testifies before Congress in the coming days.
Al Qaeda Trying to Change the Look of Terror -- [ABC News]
The nation's spymaster said the United States faces an imminent threat of attack from al Qaeda fighters training today along Pakistan's mountainous frontier with Afghanistan.
And the attackers, he says, will look like many of us.
"It's very clear to us that al Qaeda has been able, over the past 18 months or so, to establish a safe haven along the Afghan/Pakistan border area that they have not enjoyed before," CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program.
"That they are bringing operatives into that region for training, operatives that ... wouldn't attract your attention if they were going through the customs line at Dulles with you when you're coming back from overseas," he said.
Front of the line -- [Yellowhammering Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
Girls get the goods in Andar.
I recently made what may end up being my last visit to Ghazni's much-talked-about Andar District.
Moving to the head of the line.Andar has quite a reputation. Historically it has been the most active area for Taliban. It is the most populous district outside of the central Ghazni District and most are Pashtun, the tribe that dominates Afghanistan and Taliban membership.
Though Andar has improved over the last year, it always perks the ears and makes the hair on you neck stand up when you are told you're going there.
Last Look At Afghanistan Up Close -- [Bill and Bob's Excellent Afghan Adventure - in Afghanistan]
...Over the course of the year, I would spend hundreds of hours on the worst roads imaginable, out in the middle of nowhere, humvee working hard, and here would come the ubiquitous (and I am not using that term lightly; I mean ubiquitous) Toyota Corolla headed in the opposite direction, often crammed to the gills with Afghans. Sometimes it would be just one guy. I have never seen a woman operate ANY piece of equipment in Afghanistan.
Unless you count goats as equipment. I was thinking motorized transport or farm equipment.
Today we moved by armored bus, which is a step up from an up-armored humvee comfort-wise. We had armed exscort... in UAH's... but we were just like tourists on our way to a tour of the local cheese factory.
French Soldiers Engaging Talibans [Part2]
What you'll see: French soldiers looking for talibans in a village, getting engaged (Buzzing bullets above heads), engaging them with 20mm cannons and assault rifles(FAMAS).
At the end of the video, there is a big battle between French/Afghan soldiers and talibans.
The Longest War -- [WaPo - Richard Holbrooke - in Afghanistan]
...Success in Khost required some of America's best troops. Today elements of the legendary 101st Airborne Division -- the Screaming Eagles of the Battle of the Bulge -- are replacing troops from another storied unit, the 82nd Airborne, who, over 15 tough months, took Khost back. That success resulted from tactics developed locally by a stellar team: a courageous and honest provincial governor, Arsala Jamal, who has survived four assassination attempts; a creative American troop commander, Lt. Col. Scott Custer (yes, he is a direct descendant), who devised a more aggressive system of joint patrols with local Afghan army units; and a remarkable young Foreign Service officer, Kael Weston, who has established a direct dialogue with tribal leaders, university students, mullahs, madrassa students and even Taliban defectors.
As I saw in hours of meetings with these groups, Weston's intense hands-on process identifies problems and misunderstandings that might otherwise spiral out of control.
Taliban Deputy Announces "Al-Ibra" ("Lesson") Campaign -- [MEMRI]
On March 27, 2008, the Islamist forum www.alhesbah.bz (hosted by ThePlanet.com Internet Services, Inc. in Houston, TX and NewMedia Express Pte Ltd in Singapore) posted a communiqué by Mulla Beradar, the second in command of the Taliban, announcing a new campaign named "Ibra" ("Lesson") against U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan with the onset of spring
Afghan lament -- [Wa Times - Arnaud de Borchgrave]
Most of the European members of NATO, while professing solidarity with the U.S. and NATO over Afghanistan, and conceding that it's a make-or-break issue for the trans-Atlantic alliance, are not prepared to stay more than another two years, maximum three. Supplying their, at best, weak troop commitments stationed in the quieter parts of Afghanistan (where there is little Taliban guerrilla activity) is more costly than anticipated. Countries like Belgium, Spain and Italy have limited airlift capacity and their military transport aircraft are stretched to the breaking point. European Union countries that are also members of NATO allowed their defenses to run down since 1989 when the Berlin Wall collapsed and money saved went into the gargantuan appetites of welfare states.
Most European "statesmen/-women" concede the need for becoming more engaged in Afghanistan, but the man-/woman-in-the-street questions the need to expend resources in a country that is still hovering between the 15th and 16th century. Taliban was there before we came, argue most Europeans, and will be back even before we leave. With luck, they add, what will follow our withdrawal will accept the education of girls that the Taliban had rejected and ruthlessly stamped out when it ruled the roost between 1996 and 2001.
...In any event, this could not be achieved in time to influence events in Afghanistan where the clock is running out. The Taliban cannot win militarily. Nor can NATO. But could NATO, EU and the U.N. build a viable state with modern infrastructure? Certainly not over the next three years. Hence, Frank Carlucci's admonition to stick it out for 10 to 20 years if necessary. Chances of this happening? Slim to none.
Questionable peace if Taliban are part of it -- [Sydney Morning Herald]
After six years of fighting in Afghanistan, sharing power with the Taliban has been suggested as the way to end the war. Negotiating with the "moderate" and "good" Taliban is an idea the Afghan Government and the coalition forces have employed since the removal of the Taliban at the end of 2001.
All parties, including the Afghan Government, the United States and those Western countries that have considerable numbers of troops in Afghanistan, have been, at different levels, in secret negotiations with the Taliban. So why have all parties suddenly come to a more overt consensus that a political settlement with the Taliban is a solution?
Pakistan's Taliban Militants Welcome Talks With New Government -- [VOA]
The Pakistani Taliban says it is open to holding talks with the country's newly elected government.
Yousaf Raza Gilani talks to media upon his arrival at Parliament House in Islamabad, Pakistan, 24 Mar 2008
A spokesman for the militant group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Maulvi Omar, says the group is ready to cooperate with the government and bring peace to tribal areas.
However, he urged Pakistani officials to end their cooperation with U.S.-led forces that are fighting an insurgency in neighboring Afghanistan.
North Korea Vows “Great Lesson” for South -- [GI Korea]
The lack of reaction from South Korea over the North’s rhetoric this week is causing them to increase the threats:
In addition North Korea has increased military maneuvers and aircraft flights along the DMZ in an attempt to increase tensions on the peninsula. However, none of this is working, for example look at the South Korean government’s response to a North Korean threat to turn the country into ashes:
Bush Begins a Long Farewell on the World Stage -- [Moscow Times]
Winding down his presidency, George W. Bush is beginning his farewell tour on the world stage trailed by questions about how much clout he still wields. Air Force One will roar out of Andrews Air Force Base on Monday to whisk Bush to the first in a long-planned series of global goodbye events. After a brief stop in Ukraine, Bush stops in Romania to attend his last summit with NATO leaders.
Part VI: CAIR Portrays "War on Terrorism" as Malicious "War on Islam" -- [Counterterrorism Blog- IPT]
The new perception is that the United States has entered a war with Islam itself," CAIR Chairman Parvez Ahmed declared at Washington's National Press Club in July 2007.
But, in fact, CAIR officials and spokesmen have been peddling that same "new perception" ever since the 9/11 attacks in 2001. They have portrayed virtually every intervening prosecution of an alleged terrorist who is Muslim and every investigation of an alleged terrorist front group as an insidious attack on their religion.
My life in al-Qa'eda, by bin Laden's bodyguard -- [The Telegraph]
He served loyally at the terrorist leader's side in the build up to the attacks on America and is wanted by the FBI and CIA. Nasser al Bahri speaks to Tim Butcher
Nasser al Bahri, a former al-Qa'eda fighter, who was Osama bin Laden's bodyguard
Osama bin Laden is a workaholic who will always be one step ahead of Western intelligence, his former bodyguard has told The Daily Telegraph.
Many have claimed intimate knowledge of bin Laden over the years. But in the case of Nasser al Bahri, a bearded and slightly portly 35-year-old taxi driver who lives in Yemen, the claim is not tainted by exaggeration.
The Bin Ladens -- [Patterico’s Pontifications]
According to a new book about the Bin Ladens, eldest brother Salem wanted to buy America:
“The Arab millionaire is charming but determined. He has made a bet to persuade four young Christian women from four different Western countries to become his wives simultaneously in accordance with the Islamic law that allows polygamy. The girls are American, British, French and German.
Younger brother Osama also has a goal: He wants to bankrupt America.
4,000....DO YOU KNOW ANY OF THEM? -- [THE CI-ROLLER DUDE]
I had to take a break from my vacation. The toll in Iraq reached 4,000 dead the other day. That bothers me alot. It's funny, but so many people I know in California don't know anyone who's in or has been to Iraq (other than me). So, I think for many it doesn't seem real. What makes it real for me, besides having been there, is the soldiers I know who died there. I say the word "know" not "knew" because I will always think of them.
Red White and Blue, Lynyrd Skynyrd: Military Tribute
He knows something's up. -- [Non-Essential Equipment - Military Spouse]
We are trying to get Munchkin ready for the deployment.
We've bought our Daddy doll. We've put photos of CPT Dick everywhere we possibly can. We've been doing a lot of videotaping of CPT Dick reading perennial favorites like "Red Fish, Blue Fish" and "Whopper Cake."
And we've started telling him that Daddy is going away. We've read the advice in books (translation: I have and told my husband what to say) and we've been mentioning it casually over the past few months. A bit more now that D-day is coming right up on us.
... But this week, I think we crossed a line. We were wrapping a present for a birthday party and I started to talk about how Daddy wouldn't be back until after his next birthday. Munchkin looked up at me, somewhat alarmed, and said, "No. No bye-bye. Daddy stay. No bye-bye. Daddy stay here."
Part of him is still here -- [Oh! That's gonna leave a mark]
Stuntman left home at the end of R&R more than 2 weeks ago.
The morning he left, he changed his ACU shirt when he realized that the one he was wearing was faded more than his pants. He removed the velcro patches and the pins and put them onto his new shirt. The old one was hung on the back of a kitchen chair.
It's still there.
Do Valor Awards Mean Anything? -- [Badgers Forward - in Iraq]
In January I wrote this post about Xavier Alvarez, a member of a California water board who falsely claimed to have been awarded the Medal of Honor in 1987. Mr. Alvarez was charged with a federal crime for falsely making the aforementioned claim and I took Mr. Alvarez's defense counsel, Briana J. Fuller to task for her assertion the Federal government did not have " a compelling enough reason" to regulate claims to military awards and such false claims should be protected as freedom of speech.
The story is one again in the news ...
Fixin' America's Military -- [Intel Dump]
In Slate today, Fred Kaplan and I have a column on several things we think the next president (regardless of who he/she is) should do to fix America's ailing military. The list looks beyond Iraq and Afghanistan to the deeper, structural issues facing the force, and hopefully proposes (or endorses) a few good ideas, including:
There's no place like . . .Kansas? -- [Jason's Iraq Vacation - home from Iraq]
I am back in the US. Not quite home, but I am in the US and happier then I can describe. We arrived at Fort Riley early in the morning a couple days ago, and haven't even really slept since then. A combination of de-mobilization, equipment turn-in and jet-lag has prevented most of us from getting any sleep, but we really don't care. Tomorrow I will be back in Philly and while it it will be sad to say goodbye to everyone, the sense of relief I feel about being home is overshadowing everything.
What Costs More Per Year Than The Iraq War? -- [Western Front America]
Illegals are taking the lives of 23 American citizens each and every day - thats 8,395 Americans a year. In the 5 years of the war in Iraq we have lost 4,000 soldiers. In those same 5 years we have lost 41,975 of our brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers to the invaders from Mexico and South America. These illegals are also costing American taxpayers 340 Billion dollas a year, and the numbers keep climbing.
1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare support given to illegal aliens each year. See Immigration and Welfare.
2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens.
3...
Progress is measured in steps, not moonshots -- [Peace Like A River]
Both Clinton and Obama have expressed their desire to reach waaaay down the gullet of victory and pull out defeat by pulling our troops out of Iraq. With lip service to the changes the surge has brought, they say the surge was really intended to give the Iraqi government room to meet the “benchmarks”, and since that’s not happening, they say, the surge has failed so let’s call it a day.
Coming Soon: A Crisis in Civil-Military Relations by Richard Kohn at World Affairs Journal. -- [SWJ Blog]
When a new president takes office in early 2009, military leaders and politicians will approach one another with considerable suspicion. Dislike of the Democrats in general and Bill Clinton in particular, and disgust for Donald Rumsfeld, has rendered all politicians suspect in the imaginations of generals and admirals. The indictments make for a long list: a beleaguered military at war while the American public shops at the mall; the absence of elites in military ranks; the bungling of the Iraq occupation; the politicization of General David Petraeus by the White House and Congress; an army and Marine Corps exhausted and overstretched, their people dying, their commitments never-ending. Nearly six years of Donald Rumsfeld’s intimidation and abuse have encouraged in the officer corps a conviction that military leaders ought to—are obliged to—push back against their civilian masters.
Student Mob Shuts Down MN Military Recruitment Center -- [Gateway Pundit]
Student leftists from MacAlester College wearing plastic arm tubes shut down an army and navy recruitment center in Minnesota on Thursday.
The Macalester SDS action was undertaken alongside a protest at the U by the Anti War Committee, UofM SDS, and Youth Against War & Racism. The slightly larger anti war march started at noon and met up in front of the Navy and Army recruitment center.
What A U.S. Surrender Looks Like -- [The Corner - Lisa Schiffren]
The current campaign has gone on long enough so that actual policies and pronouncements made more than a year ago by candidates would already be bearing fruit, were they our president. Take a look at this brilliant illustration of what the history books (websites) would look like if Barack Obama were really our Commander-in-Chief, and we were bound by his convictions on military and political strategy in Iraq, God forbid. As Meigs points out, there aren't a lot of pictures of American surrender. Those that exist are ugly. Increasing the number is not a good platform for a rational nation to embrace.
Washington Post embeds with the enemy -- [BlackFive - Uncle Jimbo]
Well color me shocked, but the Washington Post has a reporter embedded with the Mahdi Army. They are receiving first hand reports on how the Iranian-backed militias there are trying to kill our troops. I am just curious about how it would have gone over if they had embedded a reporter with the SS in France as we invaded Normandy, or in the caves on Okinawa to report on how well the Japanese were doing slaughtering Marines.
Fortunately for us our media has no qualms about engaging with (not in the proper way), reporting on, and essentially becoming terrorist press agents.
Hersh Says US Media Spreading Fake News and the US is "in real trouble" in Iraq -- [PressTV]
Prominent journalist Seymour Hersh says the US is 'in real trouble' because news coverage on Iraq is anything but balanced and unbiased.
When the American government says the US is winning in Iraq and is not torturing prisoners, they are just words, Hersh told his audience of journalism students in Regina, Canada. "We are in real trouble [in Iraq]."
Remind me again — who’s losing in Basra? -- [Hot Air - Ed Morrissey]
Anyone who follows the news closely in Iraq knew this day would come. The British left a power vacuum behind in the south that the Baghdad government could not fill at the time, and Sadr and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council’s Badr Brigades filled it instead. They have fought each other and some smaller Shi’ite groups for control of the streets ever since 2005, as Steven Vincent tried to warn people just before they murdered him in Basra. The Iraqi government had no choice but to challenge the militias for control of Basra and the surrounding areas, but they waited until the Iraqi Army had enough strength to succeed.
Did our media give anyone this context? No. They reported it as some kind of spontaneous eruption of rebellion without noting at all that a nation can hardly be considered sovereign while its own security forces cannot enter a large swath of its own territory. And in the usual defeatist tone, they reported that our mission in Iraq had failed without waiting to see what the outcome of the battle would be.
Thank God for Stop Loss -- [MilBlogs - Greyhawk]
...because soldiers aren't capable of living in the cold cruel world outside the hellish military cocoon.
At least that's what the LA Times wants you to believe. Vets Face Grim Job Prospects - and if you think I'm exaggerating above, here are a few key quotes from the first few paragraphs explaining why.
My thoughts on the upcoming release of Bad Voodoo's War -- [J.P. Borda - milblogging.com]
The film Bad Voodoo's War airs on April 1st. Deborah Scranton and my Platoon Sergeant SFC Toby Nunn, have done an outstanding job telling the story of the Bad Voodoo soldiers. I know for a fact, my family, friends, and several of my readers are excited to see what I finally do over here.
It's always tough to explain my job. Even after my last deployment to Afghanistan from 2004-2005, I had some short video clips, photos, and my blog to help illustrate my job as an Infantryman. But man, having this film is way neater.
Prebirth Anticipation -- [Toby Nunn's Briefing Room - in Iraq]
Sand Storm yet. Its amazing to how accustomed we have become to getting sand in and around everything and now what was a catastrophic annoyance is now just another part of our functioning lifestyle. The good news, going to be another Sand Day!
I am very excited for the guys and I to watch "Bad Voodoo's War", I hope the men like it and that their families will enjoy and appreciate this legacy that they have created for themselves. Of course I am a little apprehensive about the public reaction and that of my family. I very rarely share my life outside the house with them. This in part not to create undo worry but to me there are just some things about me and what I do that are mine plain and simple. It's not that I don't trust them with this but Toby and Dad is a much nicer guy than SFC Nunn. Toby and Dad don't swear or cuss around the kids and house but here I have found that my vocabulary has suffered greatly and I am almost embarrassed by my mouth. This is one of the things I am sure Pops will relay to me upon seeing the show. I also hope that the other Families of the guys see how well their loved ones perform so that it takes some of their fears away.
Beating Hollywood -- [cannoneerno4]
People often complain about Hollywood’s leftward tilt when it comes to Iraq, but few do anything pro-active about it.
JD Johannes is trying to do something about it.
He has nearly died a few times trying to do something about it.
Hollywood and the entertainment industry is a business focused on the bottom line. If people want Hollywood to produce a pro-victory film, or a pro-troop television series, they will have to demonstrate that it is economically viable.
Most of the anti-war films have taken a beating at the box office.
To demonstrate to Hollywood and the cable TV networks that a pro-victory documentary is viable, he needs to sell 2,900 in 6 weeks.
Are you willing to prove to Hollywood that a pro-victory documentary is viable?
Are you willing to take on Hollywood and do something about the ongoing flood of anti-war propaganda films?
If you are, here is what you can do:
Don't Panic -- [A Soldier's Perspective]
I want to thank everyone for their support as we negotiate our issues with Big Brother. However, I want to ask that people be level headed for now. We're still in the preliminary stages trying to figure out what's going on. I'm communicating personally with the office and trying to get them to be specific about what rules I've specifically violated on which specific posts.
I would also ask that no one cast stones yet.
Milblog Hate -- [Steward Family Website]
First it was the Army tightening up on soldier’s abilities to post blogs, then they created a special unit out of the Virginia National Guard which is funded and resourced solely to read milblogs and make sure that nobody is saying anything that they shouldn’t. Then the Airforce started banning its people reading milblogs. After that the Coast Guard stopped its senior people from writing blogs.
Well it looks like this is a popular trend, and according to this report (not sure of its validity), even our enemies are catching on.
Blogging the Long War -- [CJR - Paul McLeary]
...As with any other niche in the blogosphere, some heavy hitters soon began to separate themselves from the milblog pack. Sites like Blackfive, The Mudville Gazette, MichaelYon.com, and BillRoggio.com became favorites for war geeks and anyone else looking for insiderish news and critiques from a decidedly pro-military perspective. Each fills a certain role—Blackfive is the irreverent, often partisan, group blog; Yon is the roving, embedded reporter; and Mudville is more an aggregation of other milblogs. Bill Roggio, though, a former Army signalman and infantryman who runs The Long War Journal (which replaced BillRoggio.com) and writes most of its posts, has his sights on something grander.
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.
Fact Sheet: Achieving Political and Economic Progress in Iraq -- [White House.gov]
Iraq Has Great Economic Potential
The improvements in security resulting from the surge are enabling Iraqis to make progress on their economy. Since the surge began:
Business registrations have increased by more than nine percent;
Total inflation has fallen by more than 60 percentage points;
Investment in energy and telecom industries has increased;
Oil production is up, particularly north of Baghdad;
Iraq's Government Has Stepped Forward To Meet More Of Its Own Expenses
Early in the war, the U.S. funded most of the large-scale reconstruction projects in Iraq. Now the U.S. is focusing on encouraging entrepreneurship. The Iraqi government is stepping up on reconstruction projects. They have outspent the U.S. in recent budget 11 to one, and soon we expect the Iraqis will cover 100 percent of these expenses.
Combat Outpost Program Solidifies Trust, Garners Intelligence in Mosul -- [MNF-I]
MOSUL — Based on information gained from presence patrols out of Combat Outpost (COP) Rock, Coalition forces recently conducted an intelligence gathering mission here. The COPs allow Soldiers to live in the city and allows constant contact with Iraqi citizens, building trust
Bush meets military chiefs on Iraq -- [Iraq Updates]
President George W. Bush met with the US military chiefs Wednesday to hear their recommendations on Iraq amid a growing consensus in favor of a pause in drawing down in US forces, officials said.
A Cold Spring -- [Kaboom - in Iraq]
...Telling them we know what is best and that they need to start relying on their own government and police so we can leave and everyone wins and that any help we can and do provide at least offers a new spring in a land of endless, destitute winters doesn’t often have the effect you think it would. Or should. Or could.
Whether I think we’re here for something other than oil doesn’t matter when they think that we are. Open up your freedom and treasure it! That’s a bow of independence … pretty, isn’t it?
Old but Relevant Quote -- [LT Nixon - in Iraq]
I recall reading Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" on my first deployment and the quote on the first page provided some insight into why we do things that doesn't necessarily benefit ourselves. The rationale being service to others is what makes humanity different than the rest of the animal kingdom. I thought of it last night before drifting off to sleep and thought I should share. Make of it what you want. It's from John Donne from long long ago:
Last Night's Bottle Rocket -- [Catle Argghhh! - Last Night's Bottle Rocket - in Iraq]
*looong sparktrail* - *white flash -- wuhBOOM!*
After about an hour of map-snooping and flash-to-bang comparing (we're not allowed to meander until they sound the All Clear, which they forget to do sometimes), we figured it hit a (vacant) vehicle storage lot a couple-hundred meters away. An on-scene meander after brekkies confirmed it.
Behind the Bloodshed in Basra -- [PJM - Mohammed Fadhil - Iraqi]
...Another important dimension in this confrontation, largely ignored, regards Sadr’s rhetoric about security situation in Basra. The anti-Multinational Force powers always blamed British troops for insecurity in the province prior to their withdrawal.
Now it must be asked in a loud clear voice - who’s responsible for insecurity now that British troops are gone?
Maliki Sets New Cash-For-Arms Deadline.
US-led coalition warplanes dropped bombs on Shia militia positions in Basra overnight, directly entering the fray for the first time since the Iraqi army launched a crackdown in the city, a British mi...
Iraqi police in Basra shed their uniforms, kept their rifles and switched sides -- [Times Online]
Abu Iman barely flinched when the Iraqi Government ordered his unit of special police to move against al-Mahdi Army fighters in Basra.
His response, while swift, was not what British and US military trainers who have spent the past five years schooling the Iraqi security forces would have hoped for. He and 15 of his comrades took off their uniforms, kept their government-issued rifles and went over to the other side without a second thought.
...The reason for his apparent switch of sides was simple: the 36-year-old was already a member of the al-Mahdi Army which, like other militias, has massively infiltrated the British-trained police force in the southern oil city. He claimed that hundreds of others from the 16,000-strong force have also defected to the rebels’ ranks.Abu Iman joined the new Iraqi police force after the invasion, joining the Mugawil, a special police unit infamous for brutality, kidnapping and sectarian murders.
Iraqi PM Vows to Continue Basra Offensive Despite Protests -- [VOA]
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says he will continue the Iraqi military offensive in Basra "to the end" with no negotiations or retreat, despite angry protests in Shi'ite districts calling for his resignation. VOA Correspondent Challiss McDonough has been monitoring events from our Middle East Bureau in Cairo and reports intense fighting in Basra continued for a third day.
Iraqi security forces battle the Mahdi Army -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio - in Iraq]
The Iraqi security forces have launched Operation Knights' Assault against the Mahdi Army and other Iranian-backed Shia militias in Basrah. Muqtada al Sadr’s unilateral cease-fire may fall apart as fighting breaks out in Bagdad and southern Iraq.
AFP Reporter Embedded With Terrorists -- [Jawa Report]
To think members of the Mahdi Army are anything other than terrorists is to not have a firm grip on reality. And yes, I know the al-Maliki government has been dealing with these terrorists for some time, and that al-Sadre's party is part of the ruling coalition (or was). Welcome to the mess that is the entire Middle East.
Sadr Tidings -- [Jules Crittenden]
The good news is, Iraqi forces are heavily engaged with the Mahdi Army with U.S. troops in a supporting role, all over the place. The weird part is, al-Maliki has supposedly taken a lead role in directing operations against his erstwhile bedfellow al-Sadr. The key question, in all matters requiring an element of trust in either al-Maliki or al-Sadr, is which one can you throw farther? The Sadrists are claiming it’s all political, to cut them out of provinicial elections, and if al-Maliki’s that interested, there’s got to be a sleazy political angle to it.* On the other hand,
Iraqis for McCain -- [San Francisco Chronicle - Kathleen Parker]
If Iraqis could elect America’s next president, chances are good that the next occupant of the Oval Office would be Gen. David Petraeus.
Barring that unlikely development, John McCain will do. Or so I hear from an Iraqi journalist with whom I’ve corresponded the past couple of years, a woman whose family was once courted by Saddam Hussein but who later became a victim of his torturers.
Who’s the cougar now?! -- [Military Times -Sheila Vemmer - embed in Iraq]
The troops we’ve been rolling with stopped by a farmhouse out in the desert a few days ago. An extended family lives there in a dark, multi-room dwelling made of crumbly blocks, without furniture.
The father said he’d just taken a third wife, a girl of 17. He had to be in his late 50s. The judge told him she was too young. He said, “She wanted me! What am I going to do?”
Goodbye, Iraq: -- [Grims Hall - in Iraq]
Sir, said she, leave your horse here, and I shall leave mine; and took their saddles and their bridles with them, and made a cross on them, and so entered into the ship.... and so the wind arose, and drove them through the sea in a marvellous pace. And within a while it dawned.
School books -- [Yellowhammering Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
The nearly 7 million children enrolled in Afghanistan schools this year is an all-time high, according toe Khanif Atmar, Afghanistan's education minister.
The new school years is just getting underway in most of the country. Children get the months of the harsh Afghan winters off because the snows and temperatures make it difficult to attend schools.
Construction and equipment for many new schools has been made possible through international aid, including military-assisted projects. Here in Ghazni, the military-lead Provincial Reconstruction Team has built and opened a number of schools for this year alone.
Much sexes -- [Yellowhammering Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
I have a terrific terp.
When he's not translating for me or other members of our team, he is constantly learning new English words and even slang in a desire to master the nuances of our language.
He not only translates the words to match their appropriate meaning, but he uses the proper inflection, mimicking my emotions if I am happy, angry, appreciative.
So when he makes a mistake, it is not only rare, but sometimes funny.
Kabul, Afghanistan. Not quite as commonly portrayed.
Kabul is portrayed as many things. This is a locals point of view from his perspective.
UK to send judges for Sharia training to the Taliban -- [Sanjar]
Recently the Anglican Church [Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams] expressed that there was nothing wrong with the British legal system adopting some laws from Islamic shari'a and implementing them for British citizens of the Islamic faith.
This is the first time a high ranking religious figure in Europe expresses support for Sharia inside Europe. An Islamic legal system in Europe as suggest by Anglican Church would mean:
"1) Permit polygamy for European Muslim citizens, and not punish them for it – even though this is considered criminal under European law;
"2) Permit European Muslim citizens to beat their wives to discipline them, as the Koran urges;
Coalition forces disrupt weapons facilitation in Helmand -- [Combined Joint Task Force -82 - in Afghanistan]
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Coalition forces were attacked while conducting an operation, March 26, to capture a Taliban leader and disrupt facilitation networks in Helmand Province resulting in insurgents’ deaths and the wounding of a civilian not involved in hostilities.
Coalition forces searched of compounds in the Kajaki district targeting a Taliban insurgent linked to weapons facilitation operations in the area. “Coalition forces received small-arms fire from several insurgents armed with AK-47s, machine guns, hand grenades and rocket propelled grenades during their search,” said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, Coalition forces spokesman. “Coalition forces firing in self-defense during multiple engagements killed several insurgents.”
Coalition forces discovered a wounded civilian not involved in hostilities after the engagement.
PSD Soldiers make a difference at FOB Sharana -- [Combined Joint Task Force -82 - in Afghanistan]
FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan -- “We are the best section in this company. My Soldiers think we are, I think we are,” said Staff Sgt. Ian Roberts, the noncommissioned officer in charge of Task Force Rugged’s commander and command sergeant major’s Personal Security Detachment.
The 10-Soldier element in Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 36th Engineer Brigade out of Fort Hood, Texas, does far more than escort the senior leadership around the battlefield.
“They are my go-to guys,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Frank C. Busch, of TF Rugged.
The Soldiers of the “Rugged” PSD are on the road quite a bit. They have conducted more than 40 convoy patrols throughout Regional-Command East, from Jaji, Northern Afghanistan, to Forward Operating Base Warrior in the southern Ghanzni Province, Afghanistan, in the one year that they have been here.
Taliban uses kid as a fighter! - Child launching a rocket
Defining Stunning: The United Nations Unabridged Dictionary -- [Threats Watch - Steve Shippert]
In the enduring spirit of Spy vs Spy, it’s the real-life UN version: “Surprising” vs. “Stunning.” Surprising: (adj.) 1. The United Nations hands out military service medals to Pakistani soldiers. Stunning: (adj.) 1. The United Nations appoints a new human-rights...
Tech. sgt. rescues carjacked toddler in D.C. -- [AF Times]
“I pulled over to let this speeding car pass me, saw the handle of the gas cap sticking out and saw a Marine Corps sticker,” Elliot was quoted as saying in an MSNBC report. “A Marine would never do that.”
Elliot followed the car, suspecting it was stolen. The carjackers eventually parked the car in a Maryland suburban neighborhood and jumped out, speeding off in a blue Dodge Charger, reports said.
That’s when Elliot went to get the keys from the still-running car and noticed a frightened toddler in back.
Cables, dispatches and memoranda -- [Peace Like a River]
A brief world news roundup for 28 March 2008.
... Iran has strongly protested the recent arbitrary act of the US forces on fingerprinting Iranian pilgrims and imposing restrictions on them. The Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini on Thursday stressed that restrictions imposed on Iranian pilgrims at Iran’s border crossings with Iraq should stop immediately.
...South Korea said Thursday that it was “deeply regrettable” that North Korea had ordered South Korean officials to leave its territory, but that the South was undaunted. The predawn expulsion on Thursday followed an announcement on Wednesday by the new South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak, that his government would not expand economic cooperation with North Korea unless it cooperated in dismantling its nuclear weapons programs.
PART V: Quick To Defend Alleged Terrorists, CAIR Even Questioned Al Qaeda 9/11 Role -- [Counterterrorism Blog - (IPT)]
CAIR's soft spot for terrorists extends well beyond the Hamas connections documented in yesterday's installment in this comprehensive series on the group. Today we focus on its portrayal of virtually any law enforcement action against radical elements as an
Fitna the Movie: Geert Wilders' film about the Quran (English)
Soldiers' Angels Needs Your Help - Our Founders Request -- [Soldiers' Angels Texas]
This month our flights for wounded and families of fallen bill just for March is at $60,000.
Shipments for deployed, vet packs, and backpacks and suplies to CSH
this month $200,000.
We haven't even talked family assistance which averages $30,000 a month.
Talking to your newspapers and local media helps immensly as well.
Please if you are tight on funds just help by emailing and putting on your blog, do not stress on donating if you are financially comfortable please help by donating.
The Troops need to know that............"America has NOT moved on!" -- [Soldiers Angels Network]
March 26, 2008, Pasadena, CA- Often when deployed service members are asked "What do you need from home?" they answer simply "Your prayers and your support!" Mike Cox from Kirkwood, Missouri has set his sights on raising awareness about America remembering to support our troops and raising funds for much needed supplies at Fort Leonard Wood USO Club and the Fisher House that is slotted for a groundbreaking at the St. Louis VA Medical Center.
While his mission is clear, the steps to get there will take him approximately 850 Miles worth to complete his mission.
Soldiers' Angels Recognizes the Sacrifices of Children in Military Families -- [Soldiers Angels]
...These children make sacrifices and serve their country as much as anyone in uniform does, quietly shouldering part of the burden, making their mom or dad understand that what they are doing is important. Military parents often have to miss holidays and special occasions, and children are left home to worry while parents go on difficult missions. Active duty military families also have to move every two or three years, making the children uproot, change schools and say goodbye to friends. Because military children have to transition and adapt a lot, they gain great life experience and maturity at a young age. April serves as a reminder for military families that there is support available to them with resources to help.
Could You Be A Mentor? -- [SpouseBuzz]
Are you willing to give of yourself in order to help a child? Are you willing to mentor children of our fallen heroes?
Mentors can play a critical role in helping children grieving the loss of a loved one in the Armed Forces, and TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, is recruiting 300+ mentors to help at its 14th annual Good Grief Camp being held Memorial Day Weekend near Washington, DC
Minimus.biz: Paul Schrader Ships Travel Size Goods With Maximus Heart -- [News Blaze]
Since then, Minimus has shipped hundreds of thousands of packages for Soldiers' Angels. Minimus was instrumental in working with Soldiers' Angels to make sure that every soldier serving in Iraq and Afghanistan received a care package from home this last Christmas.
Letters From Our Founder -- [Soldiers' Angels Veterans Support]
I come to you personally asking all of my Soldiers Angels to help me help our Veterans in all of our VA Hospitals and VA Nursing Homes. It has long been a dream of mine to also help our Veterans from every war.
Soldiers Angels has been helping our deployed troops where ever they are, whether it is Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea,etc. We have helped them for 5 years now and we will continue to do so.
In March, 2007 Soldiers Angels started helping the Vets in the various VA\'s around our Country as most of you know from the Wish Lists we have posted on the Forum or send via Emails to you. We have a number of States that we have not been able to get Soldiers Angels to help in yet.
Every Picture Tells a Story (Prologue) -- [Greyhawk]
...I've experienced the internet version of this treatment too many times to count. I write a post about Iraq, and an early comment will accuse me of being a Republican! (Often some other term for "Republican" is applied - "wingnut" being common.) If I bother to respond that I'm not writing as a political party member but as a guy who has been (twice now, and could return sometime in the future) to Iraq I am then accused of claiming that only people who've been to Iraq have the right to talk about it. That accusation is absurd - but the implications of the fact that I have the power to delete comments at will but let theirs stand seems never to cross their minds.
Anyhow, when did victory become a distinct and identifiable Republican characteristic? I'm not saying it is - but there are certainly a lot of non-Republicans out there who believe it without question or hesitation.
Should Arlington honors go beyond rank? -- [Military Times]
...An enlisted service member killed in battle and posthumously awarded the Silver Star for heroism is rendered lesser honors at Arlington National Cemetery than an officer who dies in a car crash the day after being commissioned.
That statement took officials at several veterans’ organizations by surprise. But it is true: Burial honors at Arlington, the nation’s most storied military cemetery and home of the Tomb of the Unknowns, are accorded strictly by rank, not by the circumstances of death.
“That is the custom that has been prescribed,” said Jack Metzler, the superintendent at Arlington for the past 17 years.
1000 Words -- [Longest Drill Weekend EVER]
Will has officially arrived back in North Carolina after a long journey!!!! The official "deployment" is now over - now it enters the 'reintegration phase'.
Welcome back to America Will.
Madeleine Albright: "We Created More Terrorists... Our Soldiers Are the Problem" -- [Gateway Pundit]
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT CONTINUES ATTACKS ON MILITARY AND PRESIDENT!
Albright says that the War in Iraq is the biggest disaster ever.
Of course... This is the same person who said that 500,000 dead Iraqi children was worth it:
"It's a hard choice but we think the price is worth it." -- [CBS News]
Exclusive Photos Show Al-Hanooti's Political Clout -- [IPT]
Before he was alleged to have become a spy for Saddam Hussein's regime, Muthanna Al-Hanooti's charity work and political activism provided him with access to the highest echelons of government.
Newsletters collected by the Investigative Project on Terrorism, some published now for the first time, show Al-Hanooti photographed with dignitaries ranging from First Lady Hillary Clinton in 1996 and Vice President Al Gore along with significant members of Congress.
Feds: Saddam Financed Lawmakers' Trip -- [SF Gate /AP]
(03-26) 22:15 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Saddam Hussein's intelligence agency secretly financed a trip to Iraq for three U.S. lawmakers during the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The three anti-war Democrats made the trip...
Baghdad Boys "Didn't Know" But "Don't Mind Being Used" -- [The Tank - Steve Schippert]
The Baghdad Boys are busy informing us that they didn't know Saddam Hussein's intelligence service (IIS) was behind their 2002 trip to Baghdad. Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), and former Rep. David E. Bonior (D-MI) were such masters of nuance that they took it upon themselves to lend aid and comfort to an enemy and usurped the policies of the elected administration in the run-up to conflict. But now they say they had no idea that Hussein might have had a hand in facilitating their dissent. So which is it? Masters of nuance or victimized dupes? They can't have it both ways. And as I wrote earlier this morning, there are no excuses for their actions. There are none now and there were none then.
42 Democrats Vow a Drawdown in Iraq If They Win Seats -- [WaPo]
More than three dozen Democratic congressional candidates banded together yesterday to promise that, if elected, they will push for legislation calling for an immediate drawdown of troops in Iraq that would leave only a security force in place to guard the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
"A Significant Increase In The Army and Marine Corps" -- [Hugh Hewitt]
...At the Jacksonville stop, the GOP nominee will call for a significant increase in the size of the Army and Marine Corps. I asked if the Navy would be part of the call for an expanded military, and Schmidt demurred until the senator speaks next week. It seems to me that a naval power needs more than the 280 ship Navy we are headed for.
Expansion of the military is a crucial issue for the fall campaign. The Jacksonville speech will thus be a very significant milestone in Campaign 2008.
Freedom Fighter Called “Terrorist” by INS -- [Michael Totten]
Karen DeYoung published a story in the Washington Post that ought to embarrass anyone making decisions about who deserves permanent residence in the U.S.
Friend or foe? -- [Belmont Club]
CNN's analysis of events in Iraq are wonderful example of how to patch up a theory that is rapidly falling to pieces. The theory of course, is that Iran is a poor, misunderstood victim of US aggression in a third country. The facts however, are that Iran is supporting the Madhi Army in Iraq. How to square the circle? Easy. Just read Michael Ware. "Al-Sadr is involved in a very complicated relationship with the Iranians," said CNN Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware. "The Iranians do provide funding and support for his militia, yet at the same time they're trying to rein him in and get him to adopt a certain political agenda, which from time to time he resists."
A Change of Heart -- [CBN News - Boots on the Ground]
"Despite the differences in religion, race.and so on, I have learned that all human beings are brothers, and that all can live together."
I guess that makes two hearts changed for the better.
Now, consider the incredible leverage of the U.S. Media. Imagine, for a moment, if CNN, MSNBC, FoxNews and the rest ran stories like this every day. How many Arabs in the Middle East watch these news programs? Millions, to be sure. Ask yourself how much more quickly the war on terror could be won if the American press made a point of showing the generosity of the American people.
Somehow the media elite have come to believe that reporting positive news about America is a compromise of journalistic integrity.
Coming soon: NATO TV -- [The D-Ring]
NATO plans to start an online TV channel to improve the image of the Western military alliance.
NATO TV will be launched at a summit next week in Bucharest, Romania, alliance spokesman James Appathurai said Wednesday.
Much of its coverage will focus on the mission of the alliance’s 47,000 troops in Afghanistan. NATO plans to have five TV crews sending regular reports from the country.
The better question is: will people watch it?
NYT Reporter Accuses Bush Administration of Lying About Anti-Terror Program -- [NewsBusters]
Eric Lichtblau, who covers the Justice Department for the New York Times, has an article up on Slate's front page , adapted from his upcoming book "Bush's Law: The Remaking of American Justice," accusing the Bush administration of lying to him about its anti-terrorist surveillance programs.
On Popularity, Readership, Publishing, and Big Brother -- [Far from Perfect]
...The Military has taken a dim view of bloggers, and milbloggers specifically. They are attempting to censor, close down, and control what we put on our sites for one reason or another. They claim OPSEC concerns, which I understand, but I also believe there are more politically motivated reasons as well. I know the Army hates it when they see soldiers engaged in PR where the soldiers views differ from the “company line” as it were. They don’t want the negative feelings of soldiers regarding the war, government, and politics in general to feed to fires of anti-war people, ultra-liberals, the terrorists (think Tokoyo Rose-esque), etc. I understand the need for that, but I also think that our right to voice our opinions, feelings, and thoughts on the war and the life we lead are important to the future and understanding this point in our grand history. I personally think the right to tell our story, in our own voice, outweighs any negative impact on such a naturally flexible thing as politics.
Bring your Daughter to war day
Obama to Disown Pastor If Hillary Dumps Bill -- [ScrappleFace]
(2008-03-27) — Sen. Barack Obama, the Democrat presidential front runner, today reiterated his intention to stand by his controversial pastor despite his presidential rival’s remarks that she would have left the church where the Rev. Jeremiah Wright preached racially-charged, anti-American messages.
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.
Iraqi oil exports via Turkey surge to 400,000 bpd -- [Azzaman in English] HT: Haider Ajina
Iraq says it has boosted its oil exports via Turkey to 400,000 barrels per day, the highest volume through the twin-pipeline since the 2003 U.S. invasion.
But an Oil Ministry source said pumping at this ‘high rate’ was only made possible due to a substantial drop in attacks of sabotage in past weeks.
Road linking Falluja to northern provinces re-opened -- [Iraq Updates] HT: Haider Ajina
Local authorities in the predominantly Sunni province of al-Anbar re-opened a road linking Falluja city to northern provinces after it was closed for security reaons, an official security source said.
"The road linking Falluja to Samarra, which passes through the al-Tharthar desert north of the city, is open as of Monday. Travelers using this road do not have to fear any risks anymore
Citizens Line Up at Tameem Recruiting Drive -- [MNF-I]
COMBAT OUTPOST CASHE — One hundred and seventy-five Iraqi men waited for their opportunity to join the police force during a recruiting drive at the 3rd Battalion, 1st National Police Brigade headquarters in Tameem, a town southeast of Baghdad, March 22.
Prospective policemen went through a rigid screening process to find the best possible applicants, said 1st Lt. Kurt Cheeseman, from Greenwood, S.C., the targeting officer for 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment. Men between the ages of 18 and 35 had to bring a national identification card, proof of intermediate education and pass a reading and writing exam, medical screening and physical fitness test. Additionally, the men were registered in the biometrics enrollment system and the Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment System and interviewed by the Mada’in Qada chief of police. “It is a very thorough process. It is a four-day event, but we have a lot of men that want to be policemen,” Cheeseman said.
Sadrists order disobedience campaign -- [Iraq Updates]
Followers of Al-Sadr have called for a nationwide civil disobedience campaign.
Followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have called for a nationwide civil disobedience campaign to protest raids and detentions.
The head of the Sadrist parliamentary bloc says the move comes because of the continued U.S. and Iraqi actions against the movement's Mahdi Army militia despite a cease-fire.
Iran, Not al-Sadr, Leading Shi'a Attacks In Iraq -- [Threats Watch - Steve Schippert]
As Shi’a militias and armed groups strike out at US and Iraqi targets from Baghdad to Basra, it is curious to note how many news reports attribute the attacks to Muqtada al-Sadr, either directly or indirectly.
...But Muqtada al-Sadr was sidelined from any command by Iran weeks ago. There are no attributions of direct quotes, commands or comment from Muqtada since the Shi’a militia uprising began in earnest. And there is a very simple explanation for this: The puppet has had his strings cut. Iran is calling the shots.
The fact that his note exists is far more important than its specific wording.
Iraqi security forces battle the Mahdi Army -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio - in Iraq]
The Iraqi security forces have launched Operation Knights' Assault against the Mahdi Army and other Iranian-backed Shia militias in Basrah. Muqtada al Sadr’s unilateral ceasefire may fall apart as fighting breaks out in Bagdad and southern Iraq.
Stake Through Their Hearts: Killing al Qaeda -- [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
The sun was setting over Nineveh as four terrorists driving tons of explosives closed on their targets. On August 14, 2007, the Yezidi villages of Qahtaniya and Jazeera were under attack, but only the terrorists knew it as they drove their trucks straight into the hearts of the communities.
The shockwave from detonation far outpaced the speed of sound. Buildings and humans were ripped apart and hurled asunder.
...Al Qaeda is still trying to spin Iraq into civil war, but whereas in 2005-2006 al Qaeda was succeeding, today al Qaeda is being shredded.
The Dungeon of Fallujah -- Upgraded -- [Michael Totten - in Iraq]
Last month I published a piece here called The Dungeon of Fallujah about my visit to the wretched jail in the city. As it turns out, the place was worse than I thought. Prisoners had to supply their own food or starve. I didn't report that detail because I didn't know it. But Marine Major General John Kelly (whom I don't think I met) read my report, investigated the jail, and fixed it. No one in the military talked to me about this. I learned about it from Mary Madigan in my comments section, she learned about it from Ace, and he learned about it from UPI
Museum of horrors exhibits forms of torture practiced by Saddam -- [Iraq Updates]
Gruesome instruments of torture and the personal effects of victims killed by henchmen of dictator Saddam Hussein haunt Iraqis five years after the fall of his brutal regime. The display, on show in Baghdad, is due to travel across the country in "tribute to the thousands of martyrs" murdered when Saddam was in power, former political prisoner Amed Naji al-Badawi said.
...Nooses hang from the ceiling, and a wooden coffin-like box containing a medieval-looking torture rack on which prisoners were pinned and stretched takes center stage.
Pictures of hangings and bodies are plastered on the walls. "These are the horrors of the Saddam regime," said Badawi, a stout man in his 50s who spent five years in the jails of Saddam's feared "mukhabarat" secret service
Easter at Balad -- [IN-Iraq - in Iraq]
...Balad is the logistics hub for the military in Iraq. It supplies the "bullets and the beans," as any staff sergeant will tell you. But Balad supplies them for the entire theater. This is why so many of Indiana's 76th soldiers will be doing convoy security.
There are about 30,000 people working and living behind the wire here. Almost half of them are said to be civilian contractors who do any work and maintainence the Army and Air Force don't do.
...The base was nicknamed "mortaritaville" for obvious reasons. Since we've only been here several days, it will take time to know if it still lives up to its bombastic reputation.
The soldiers of Indiana's Echo 113th, who've been here almost a week, say they hear mortars daily. But because the base is so large and the mortars the enemy uses so inaccurate, everyone walks around base without any protection or seeming concern
Iraq News (26 March) -- [LT Nixon - in Iraq]
The Good: Route Irish, which connects the Green Zone to the Baghdad Airport and Victory Base Complex, used to be known as the most dangerous 6-mile stretch on the planet. Now, not so much according to this AFP article. I've been on Route Irish a few times and I can confirm this. Tough-guy contractor types who wear the "I survived Route Irish" after 2005 should probably get kicked in the sack.
The Geometry Was All Wrong! - - [Miserable Donuts - in Iraq]
Intersecting Parallels? What non-Euclidian geometry informed the shape of this ancient structure? What mad glyphs are these that remain inscribed in the bricks? What Elder rites had been performed under the Moon that shone those centuries ago upon the great city along the life giving Euphrates River... Ha. My apologies, but I happen to be a big fan of H.P. Lovecraft and the Running Dog had sent me a most well done e-mail in that idiom. I wasn't going to blog anything about the Ziggurat at Ur (and so I told a fellow milblogger), as it has been done by other, earlier Milbloggers. And it is kind of like writing about the Eiffel Tower when you go to Paris - none too unique.
The Big List -- [Strategy Page]
March 26, 2008: For the past year, American forces in Iraq have been on the offensive. The troops are not just going after an anonymous enemy. They have a large list (thousands of names) of key people in the various Iraqi and al Qaeda terrorist organizations.
Vets for Freedom: David Bellavia -- [Hot Air - Ed Morrissey ]
As I promised, I saved this clip for last. David Bellavia is best known for his book House to House, which is his personal account of the war in Anbar. I could not include Pete Hegseth’s introduction of Bellavia, but the Bellavia contributed much, much more than just a memoir to the war effort. The Army awarded him the Bronze Star and Silver Star, and Hegseth warned us that these were just temporary; he’s under consideration for the Medal of Honor for his bravery, which would make him the first living MoH recipient from this war. He went into a house alone where at least six insurgents had his unit pinned down, and the only one to come out alive was Bellavia.
Bellavia continues his efforts to defeat the enemy in Iraq with a stirring presentation, one that at turns was funny, heartwrenching, inspirational, and defiant:
5 more... -- [ARIES2K1 GONE TO IRAQ - in Iraq]
where I work, like many other places in the world, consists of people who have to work together as a team to get shit done...imagine how hard it is working with people for only 8 hours a day, 5 days a week...now imagine working with those people for 12-13 hours a day, 7 days a week....
...we got our new LES today, with the extra $1000 since today is my official 366th day...one year and one day...so for the next 2 months, ill get an extra $2000, one for april and another for may...there goes my vacation money for the rest of the year. i want to buy something something nice also...something to let her know that i love her all too much. i think i might have to wait until i'm sure i'll have a job come september but i dont think we'll be hurting anytime soon.
DUMB IRAQI INSURGENT
THIS DUMB INSURGENT DECIDES TO FIRE AT ONE OF OUR TANKS WITH A RIFLE!!!
Urban combat -- [Yellowhammering Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
Semper Gumby -- [Bill and Bob's Excellent Afghan Adventure - in Afghanistan]
...Working with Afghans also requires a great deal of flexibility. Afghans will drive the mentally rigid to distraction with their sometimes unpredictable, seemingly whimsical behavior. Gumby was heavily involved in all of our mentoring and advising operations with the ANP.
Dealing with Afghan civilians requires a gumbylike flexibility, too. Nothing will screw up your timeline like an Afghan who suddenly decides that his 50 goats need to be on the other side of the road. Gumby is vigilant, yet flexible to deal with capricious Afghan conditions while on combat patrols.
Freedom Watch Afghanistan - 26 March 2008
Chavez: Anyone but McCain -- [Hot Air - Ed Morrissey ]
Hugo Chavez has made sure Americans understand his preferences for the upcoming presidential election. He says he could work with the US — but only if we do not elect John McCain as President:
...Thank goodness Chavez shared his thoughts with us on McCain. At least now we know how Sean Penn will vote in November. That open question had bothered me of late.
Terrorism Disconnect? -- [Threats Watch - Jay Fraser]
It happened last Friday. In what is characterized as an informal meeting with reporters, U.S. Attorney General Mike Mukasey commented that he has been ‘surprised’ by scope of terrorist threats facing this country. The apparent disconnect with the true threat of terrorism by Mr.Mukasey is quite concerning. Frankly, this doesn’t engender a lot of confidence in the lead lawyer of this country.
...At the same time that he expresses concern over the expiration of FISA, and says that he’s not hopeful for a com
