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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.
Insurgents Turn Themselves In to U.S., Iraqi Troops -- [NPR]
Iraq's Salahuddin province has been known for years as a violent stronghold of Sunni insurgents, including al-Qaida. But lately it has been relatively quiet. U.S. military units there say that's because former rebel fighters are turning themselves in by the hundreds — including some who had been the most virulently anti-American leaders.
News from Iraq -- [Greyhawk]
Haider Ajina, via email:
Largest Public Works Substation Opens in Baghdad
BAGHDAD — Iraqi Security Forces, civic leaders, local townspeople and Coalition forces gathered in the Ameriyah community in Baghdad's Mansour district June 25 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to acknowledge the opening of the biggest public works substation in the Iraqi capital.
Trust -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
In Sadr City. - There are no words to express everything conveyed by this photo. To me, it represents the highest ideals of our country and our guys, and the hopes and aspirations of the Iraqi people.
This is why we fight.
General David H Petraeus: The general's knowledge -- [Times Online]
Since the ‘warrior scholar’ David Petraeus led the American military surge in Iraq last year, the body count has plummeted. Will he go down in history as the man who won the war, or is it all too little too late?
General David H Petraeus, the commander of US forces in Iraq, looked exhausted. A competitive miler who loves to challenge young field commanders to five-mile running races and push-up contests (which he usually wins), he appears fit as ever. But there are dark circles under his eyes. Leading this war has begun to exact a visible toll.
Operation Look South
U.S. and coalition forces providing humanitarian aid to Iraqis and searching for insurgent activities.
On the Menu In Baghdad, Fresh Hopes -- [Wapo - Saad al-Izzi - an iraqi]
Restaurant Shattered by Bombing Reemerges as Symbol of Normalcy
...Hashim was back at work because the blast walls and body searches made him feel safer, although, he said, still "not 100 percent" safe. He also felt he could help Baghdad revive.
"If I quit and the others quit, then there will be no life," explained Hashim as he deftly assembled one makhlamah after another.
The restaurant's name is the nickname of its owner, Abdul Qadir Ahmed Hussein, a cheerful man with close-cropped gray hair, a mustache and unshaven cheeks who inherited his savory recipes from his grandmother. She sold bagila bil dihin, a traditional breakfast dish made of flat bread soaked in oil and beans topped with an omelet, in the narrow alleyways of old Baghdad.
Ramadi rebuilds as region recovers from violence -- [Fearless 1st Marines’ blog]
Ramadi was regarded by many to be one of the most violent cities in Iraq for much of the last five years. The thought of rebuilding the troubled city during that time was improbable, the risks were too high. Now, Ramadi is much safer and rebuilding the city is no longer just an impossible idea but an everyday reality in the recovering region. The country is now transitioning from violence and fighting, to healing and freedom. The focus in Ramadi, and all of al-Anbar Province, is no longer on warfare but on reconstructing the region’s damaged infrastructure.
Iraqi Security Forces Five Year Plan: An updated projection -- [LWJ - DJ Elliott]
In August 2007, the Projected Iraqi Security Forces Five Year Plan (end-2012), a rough estimate of the end-state for Iraqi forces, was published. Additional information and details have since become available to clarify Iraqi Security Force (ISF) development and probable plans, however, the same rule applies: What follows is heavy on speculation, estimation, and extrapolations. If sixty percent proves accurate, the estimate will be considered good. Many of the decisions that affect what is being projected here have not been made yet.
Anbar Reconstruction
Relative peace in Baghdad remains fragile as troops carry out counterinsurgency plan -- [LWJ - Bill Murray - in Iraq]
It’s near noon on a Friday in Northeast Baghdad and the neighborhoods the U.S. military calls Muhallahs 535 and 734 are quiet. It’s the weekend, and many adults are at the local mosques for worship, leaving the streets filled with dozens of adolescent boys, yelling, kicking and raising minor havoc on bicycles, soccer balls and the unlucky stray dog.
As U.S. Army Specialist Luis Garza and 2nd Lieutenant Jonathon Logan patrol the neighborhoods, they remember these streets during a less docile time. Both men nearly died near here in the past two months, and the possibility of violence erupting in these environs remains in the front of their minds.
If this restive peace remains through the year, military and political developments that have caused attacks against Coalition troops to fall by 80 percent year-on-year will be viewed with success.
Soccer -- [Matel - Reconstruction Team Leader in Iraq]
The soccer field is in back of the kids. In Iraq, you don’t even get to watch the grass grow on the soccer fields. All they do is smooth out that dirt and put in a kind of a sub base. We are going to fix this soccer field up. The local kids are excited about it. When we got out of our cars, they all came running over.
Hazardous Work Sometimes -- [Matel - Reconstruction Team Leader in Iraq]
Recent deadly bombings around Iraq, one involving State colleagues, reminded us that this is still a dangerous place, despite the astonishing progress Iraq has made over recent months. I was reminded on a local level during a foot patrol.
...It is very important to go among the Iraqi people to show them we know they are not the enemy, that we are not afraid and that we want to hear what they have to say, sweet and bitter. I bet they will be talking about this particular engagement for a long time to come. The Iraqis present were also surprised and concerned over this man's anger. I believe our interpreter Sam and I did our duty representing our country in a favorable light and the Marines calmly addressed the situation. Nevertheless, this was a wake-up call about how fast a situation can deteriorate. We have reviewed our security procedures and our team members and I will be much more circumspect in the future.
AeroScout
Marines in Iraq as a special operation force.
Water, Water Everywhere but Not a Pipe to Link -- [Matel - Reconstruction Team Leader in Iraq]
The Regional Engineer of Rutbah is a modern man with little patience for religious extremists or excessive tribalism. He hates what Saddam Hussein did to his country. He told me that in some towns essentially no new schools were built between the end of the 1970s and the liberation, despite big population growth. As an engineer, he decries the general lack of maintenance. Instead of building infrastructure, Saddam bought expensive weapons systems from the Soviets, French & Chinese (the U.S. supplied only 0.47% of Saddam's stuff). The fruits of big buying spree litter the deserts around here, MiGs that never fired a shot in anger, tanks that never went anywhere. They decided it was better to abandon them than to fight a real enemy.
It was worst during the sanctions. When Saddam had less money, he spent what he had on palaces, but enough of the past.
Band of brothers in Samarra -- [IN Iraq - embed in Iraq]
...Brett Slaughter, 20, of Sullivan IN, shrugs when I ask him why he joined the infantry. He figured it would be the best way to be right up there in person. “It sounds cheesy,” he said, “but I always knew I wanted to come here (to the 101st Airborne) after watching Band of Brothers.”
But even in his most bad-a-- fantasies, it would have been difficult to imagine that he’d be fighting street to street in Samarra, a city that had been periodically cleared throughout the war, but never really taken from insurgents before Charlie Company of the 2nd/327th was able to stand up Sons of Iraq forces and erect T-Walls through out the city. Earlier this year Gen. David Petraeus called Samarra the most dangerous city in Iraq.
Makhmur Police Headquarters Visit -- [manrymission.com - in Iraq]
Today I visited one of our current projects rebuilding the police headquarters near the town of Makhmur. The original site was devasted by an SVBIED (car bomb) in May 2007.
...The quality of the construction and the professionalism of the contractors are very high in Erbil and Dahuk. I always appreciate the opportunity to visit their projects. Earlier this week, I went to a new project in the Sommer neighborhood of Mosul. We went early in the morning before the contractor had arrived to get a look at the foundation work. After we returned to FOB Marez, the contractor called Nazar, the project engineer, to tell him that the Iraqi Army wouldn’t let him work on the site that day. We had to make numerous calls to get things cleared up for the contractor to get back to work.
That’s why it’s so nice to visit Erbil and Dahuk. We generally don’t encounter the security problems there. But on the other hand, we do have to worry about picking out paint colors.
'Excalibur' owns the night -- [Regimental Combat Team 5 - in Iraq]
RUTBAH, Iraq - The Marines with Mike Battery, 3rd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, 2nd Light Armored reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5, own the night.
The battery, known as "Excalibur," entered the town at night and searched a house here for a weapons cache to ensure the safety of the people and to defeat the insurgency.
Iraq News (30 June) -- [LT Nixon]
The Good: The security responsibility of Diwaniyah province is set to be turned over today from Coalition Forces to the Iraqis, which will make it the tenth. The security has been mostly provided by the Poles and other members of the coalition, and has seen some level of Shi'ite extremist activity from the Mahdi Army. Interesting story about a chaplain at FOB Falcon in Baghdad at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ambassador Crocker is saying that more talks are possible with Iran, now that much of the illicit militia activity has subsided.
Iraq set for major oil deal
The world's oil giants Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP are set to return to Iraq more than 35 years after Saddam Hussein nationalised production in the country's biggest oil deal since the invasion.
Sand is an equalizer. -- [Courage Without Fear - in Iraq]
Sand is an equalizer. When there are storms, none of us can see. Good guys, bad guys and other guys.
The local peoples are used to the sand. It's part of them. Their clothing, their homes, their animals, their possessions are all "sand-proofed" in a way that makes it easier to deal with the sand storms. I hesitate to say "easier." But compared to us and all our technology, machinery and moisture-wicking-flame-resistant-high-speed-low-drag-clothing, the Kuwaitis and Iraqis have it easier when dealing with the weather.
We always worry that when we're not moving, troops aren't getting the supplies they need and the bad guys are getting time to plot against us. But no, not so much. Every FOB and Camp "Up North" has several days worth of supplies on hand. Everyone knows that, its how we do business. And the insurgents, they don't like going out in the storms any better than we do.
Running on Fumes -- [Doc in the Box - in Iraq]
One thing that is good about being out at war is that I don't have to fork over a large pile of money to fill up my gas tank. That's all going to change before too long and I'll be back in the land of pumping gold into that tank. In fact, I'll be paying more then most because I drive a diesel.
Stonehenge -- [Miserable Donuts - in Iraq]
When living at Basrah COB (Contingency Operating Base) one sleeps in a "Stonehenge". The Brits took so much rocket fire at this base, even the beds are surrounded by brick and steel and sandbags... And yeah, it can be disconcerting to sit up in the middle of the night and whack your head against a steel plate...
Crisis grows in Iraq over U.S. raid that killed Maliki relative -- [McClatchy Newspapers]
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Senior Iraqi government officials said Saturday that a U.S. Special Forces counterterrorism unit conducted the raid that reportedly killed a relative of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, touching off a high-stakes diplomatic crisis between the United States and Iraq.
"I'm leaving...And I'm taking the rat with me!" -- [James Aalan Bernsen - in Iraq]
Finally, at long last, the end came.
It took a while though. My last few days seemed to slow to a crawl. My work had been parcelled out to my colleagues and I was shifted from the night shift to days. My boss told me he only needed to see me once a day to prove I was alive, and outside of that, I was free.
Free? What does that word mean? At least in Iraq, it really means little. There are precious few things you can do to enjoy your freedom, and since all your friends are still tied to work, you're not really free to do anything but wander around the base alone and think. And with the weather topping off around 120 degrees, wandering around just isn't a good idea.
Pakistan and its Anti-Taliban Actions -- -- [A Major's Perspective - in Afghanistan]
For the past few weeks I have been writing about insurgencies and what they need to be successful and to grow and prosper. Within the Taliban and Al-Qaeda movement in Afghanistan the absolute decisive point of their operation is to be able to move back and forth across the border regions with Pakistan and enjoy a safe haven there within Pakistan. This safe haven within Pakistan gives them the opportunity to rest, to train more fighters, to recruit, to receive weapons and equipment and to broadcast their message of hate and intolerance to the world. President Karzai and numerous other leaders have made this a point in the past about this issue with the ill-managed Federally Administered Tribal Areas and North West Province of Pakistan. It seems that Pakistan may finally be taking steps in the right direction to dealing with this issue though.
In Pictures: Extremist leaders in Pakistan’s Khyber agency -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
A look at the senior leaders of Lashkar-e-Islam, Ansar-ul-Islam, and other groups operating in the tribal agency of Khyber, where the military is conducting an offensive.
No Afghan peace while Taliban have sanctuary: NATO -- [Reuters - Hamid Shalizi
]
KABUL - Afghanistan will not be secure as long as insurgents are allowed to operate freely in sanctuaries on the Pakistan side of the border, a NATO spokesman said on Sunday.
With international forces in Afghanistan struggling against what the U.S. Pentagon describes as a "resilient insurgency", Pakistan is coming under increasing pressure to stop militants operating out of remote enclaves in ethnic Pashtun border lands.
"We know that as long as the insurgents operate safely on the Pakistan side of the border, then there can not be security in Afghanistan,"
Islamabad blinks at Taliban threat -- [La Times - Syed Saleem Shahzad]
KARACHI - With grudging surprise, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has acknowledged the strength of the Taliban, illustrated by its repeated calls for more troops to be sent to Afghanistan, notably for the two important provinces of Kandahar and Khost.
There has even been speculation that these provinces might fall, significantly increasing the pressure on the US-backed government of President Hamid Karzai.
The NATO command reasoned the only response was joint operations with the Pakistani military along the Durand Line that separates Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Islamabad, under
Washington's pressure, this year began preparations to cooperate.
But the Taliban's regional command was quick to show its muscle in the Pakistani tribal areas
Taliban Pushes, Gets Shoved Back -- [Strategy Page]
In Pakistan, banned Islamic radical groups are reforming, often under new names, in the cities, especially Karachi. This is a challenge to the new government, which hasn't yet decided how to respond. Meanwhile, up in the tribal territories, the army continues to push the Taliban out of the Peshawar suburbs. Officers mentioned that an advance against the Taliban in the Swat Valley would be next. Meanwhile, the Taliban has suspended peace talks with the government, if only because the Taliban never had any intention of honoring any agreements they negotiated.
Heroes Of Helmand 1/3
CA projects helps rebuild Kohe Safi -- [Combined Joint Task Force - 101- in Afghanistan]
The Kapisa and Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team civil affairs leader visited a few local villages in the Kohe Safi District and met with Community Development Council representatives, June 24.
The CDC, a body of elected villagers, is given special training to learn how to allocate funds and pick projects that are needed in each village.
Projects are funded through the National Solidarity Program, which works through the Ministry of Rural Reconstruction and Development. “The outreach that was involved in this mission was to get to meet some of the CDCs from nine of the targeted villages in the Kohe Safi District,” said Army Capt. Steve H. Kaiser, Kapisa’s and Parwan’s PRT CA leader. “With the information gathered we will start a Quick Impact Project.”
Diggers demand shoot-to-kill policy -- [Perth Now]
AUSTRALIA'S frontline troops are urging a new shoot-to-kill policy as they confront an increasingly hostile enemy in the war on terror.
Diggers in Afghanistan are facing a rising risk of casualties as they advance into enemy territory.
Defence chiefs have been urged to change the rules of engagement and allow frontline troops to take on the enemy instead of "waiting to be shot".
Heroes Of Helmand 2/3
Grim U.S. report sees Taliban getting stronger -- [SF Gate]
The Taliban have regrouped after their initial fall from power in Afghanistan, and the pace of their attacks is likely to increase this year, according to a Pentagon report that offers a dim view of progress in the nearly 7-year-old war.
Noting that insurgent violence has climbed, the report said that despite U.S. and coalition efforts to capture and kill key leaders, the Taliban are likely to "maintain or even increase the scope and pace of ... terrorist attacks and bombings in 2008."
The Taliban, it said, have "coalesced into a resilient insurgency." Meanwhile, the Afghan army and national police are progressing slowly and still lack the trainers they need.
Heroes Of Helmand 3/3
Taliban Set to Expand Violence -- [Captains Journal]
Army intelligence said that there would be no Afghanistan spring offensive by the Taliban not more than half a year ago. The Captain’s Journal said that there would be, and also claimed that it would be mostly asymmetric. In a stark admission and direct contradiction of the position of Army intelligence, the Department of Defense is saying that the insurgency will grow and expand the violence.
Taliban Aims to Control Rural Phones - [Washington Times - Sara Carter]
Taliban forces have discovered a novel tactic to move undetected through strongholds at night - blow up cellular telephone towers unless local officials turn off the networks from dusk to dawn. The strategy has been used widely in rural areas of Kandahar and Helmand provinces in southern Afghanistan midwinter, said US officials, who estimate that at least 50 towers have been attacked in Helmand province alone.
3 Ways to Lower Gas Prices
Iran to ready thousands of graves for enemy soldiers -- [AFP]
TEHRAN — Iran is to dig 320,000 graves in border districts to allow for the burial of enemy soldiers in the event of any attack on its territory, a top commander said on Sunday.
"In implementation of the Geneva Conventions... the necessary measures are being taken to provide for the burial of enemy soldiers," the Mehr news agency quoted General Mir-Faisal Bagherzadeh as saying.
"We have plans to dig 15,000 to 20,000 graves in each of the border provinces or a total of 320,000," the general said, some of them mass graves if necessary.
Bagherzadeh said Iran was keen to "reduce the suffering of the families of the fallen in any attack against our country... and prevent any repetition of the long and bitter experience of the Vietnam War."
When It Comes to Nukes, Iran Is No North Korea -- [PJM]
In a surprise move, the North Koreans gave the US president what some believe is his second major achievement in his administration’s campaign against the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
After having convinced Libya to dismantle its nuclear weapons program in 2003, North Korea, after many years of negotiations, has now also decided to come clean about its nuclear program. Under a new deal, Pyongyang will now declare its plutonium based materials and facilities, something which it has hidden for many years.
To demonstrate their goodwill, the North Korean authorities, publicly and dramatically blew up the cooling tower of their nuclear facility in Yungbyon. This was to show that the site which many have suspected of producing weapons grade plutonium, will no longer be active, as per Pyongyang’s promise. In return,...
Korean Nukes: Don't Get Giddy -- [Family Security Matters]
We should not be overly jubilant about the apparent progress in disassembling North Korea's nuclear program and facilities, because the regime still operates many threatening, clandestine programs that the U.S. must uncover and deal with.
Amid policy disputes, Qaeda grows in Pakistan -- [Herald Tribune]
Plan Allows Up to $400 Million for Activities Aimed at Destabilizing Government
Late last year, top Bush administration officials decided to take a step they had long resisted. They drafted a secret plan to authorize the Pentagon's Special Operations forces to launch missions into the snow-capped mountains of Pakistan to capture or kill top leaders of Al Qaeda.
Intelligence reports for more than a year had been streaming in about Osama bin Laden's terror network rebuilding in the Pakistani tribal areas, a problem that had been exacerbated by years of missteps in Washington and the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, sharp policy disagreements, and turf battles between American counterterrorism agencies.
The new plan, outlined in a highly classified Pentagon order, was designed to eliminate some of those battles. And it was meant to pave an easier path into the tribal areas for American commandos, who for years have bristled at what they see as Washington's risk-averse attitude toward Special Operations missions inside Pakistan. They also argue that catching Bin Laden will come only by capturing some of his senior lieutenants alive.
Diploma Mills Could Enable Terrorist Infiltration -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Michael Cutler]
Today’s edition of the New York Times reports on the nefarious activities of a “diploma mill” that has been successfully operating for some time, amassing huge profits while conspiring with its customers to provide anyone with the money, a worthless diploma that provides the illusion of academic achievement. These diplomas undermine the integrity of our workforce and may even undermine national security. As the article notes, visas can be issued to aliens who are able to document that they have degrees that would qualify them for employment in the United States, when in fact they have no such education and may have no intention of securing the job they apply for but simply desire to enter our country for other purposes.
British Warn of Ambulance Bombs -- [Jawa Report]
Britain's FBI equivalent, MI5, has issued a warning that al-Qaeda terrorists are suspected of planning to buy used ambulances, fire trucks and police cars to launch suicide bomb attacks in Britain.
Marines need our help -- [Tanker Brothers]
Everybody knows that our Marines are very capable of handling anything they encounter in the frontlines of the current war efforts. Late last week though, a unit of Marines lost everything they own. Lima company camp was totally burned and the Marines now have only the clothes on their backs. A call has gone out, and yes, Soldiers' Angels is involved, to get the most basic supplies to the Marines in a hurry. The list of things these heroes need includes:
Pillows, running Shoes (Sizes 9-12) with the most common size being 10 1/2, socks, green pt short, green t-shirts (military) disposable razors, hygiene items, snacks, hydration of any sort....really just ANYTHING YOU CAN SPARE FOR THESE HEROES!!!
Bismarck Tribune - Bismarck News - Army wife stranded in Bismarck -- [Soldiers Angels Network]
Lisa Lappi just wants to take her kids home. For now, she's stuck in Bismarck.
On May 5, she was on her way to meet her husband, Army Staff Sgt. Ronnie Lappi, at their home in Vilseck, Germany. She said her purse was stolen at Denver International Airport, effectively stranding her. Denver police are able to confirm that at approximately 8:30 a.m. MDT, Lappi was the victim of a stolen property incident there, although they are unable to determine any other details.
United Airlines is unable to confirm or deny the details of the incident.
"We're looking into the incident," said Jeff Kovick, United spokesperson.
Lappi's husband is stationed in Baghdad, and after nine months apart, he finally got some leave. With the two kids, Lisa Lappi had been in Bismarck for her grandfather's funeral and to support her family, she said.
Elucidating the Obvious -- [Villainous Company]
One of the things I have tried to do, over the many years I've been writing, is not to post in anger.
There are times when that is not easy, especially when I feel as strongly as I do about what I have to say today. Pent up emotions tend to increase rather than decrease in intensity, and each time an opportunity to respond is declined only makes the next time more difficult. Over the years there have been quite a few times when I have reluctantly decided not to weigh in at all on stories that interested me. I have done so primarily when I didn't think I could distance myself sufficiently from the subject to give it what (according to my own standards, if not in always in the judgment of others) amounted to fair treatment.
Let me begin by noting that in an era where so many time-honored traditions have fallen by the wayside, the military has consistently remained the most respected institution in American life. But why is this so?
On DoD blogging policy... and rash subordinates bloggers. -- [John of Argghhh!]
Last week I brought up KaboomwarJournal and its... tactical pause. In hindsight, I'd have taken a different approach to how I said what I said, as the conversation didn't quite take the tack I expected.
It was a good conversation, though. And one that has spread a bit, over to Cassandra's place, where she elucidates the obvious (her title, not my snark).
...Because the way I wrote my post allowed the conflation of my points that Cassie refers to in her post. I stand by my assessment of the leader's action in this singular event in question - as an example of how not to do things. As far as I know he's a fine combat leader otherwise. Don't continually mis-read your subordinates, bully them into a corner where they may react badly (and ill-advisedly) and then get petty in response.
The first deployment is the toughest -- [Jacksonville Daily News - Molly Dewitt - military spouse]
Although I’ve been a Marine wife for almost four years I am lucky enough to have only been subjected to one deployment thus far — albeit a 13-month one.
I learned a lot during those 13 months and I’ve narrowed it down to a top 10 list:
10. The trash does not take itself out. No matter how long I let it sit there and pile up, it never got up and walked its happy self out to the trash can. And the trash can doesn’t roll itself to and from the curb either, just in case you were wondering.
...3. Never be more than five feet from your phone or you WILL miss his call. Anyone who has experienced a military deployment knows that contact from the deployee is precious, no matter what form it comes in, but phone calls are the most treasured. Missing a call is the worst feeling because you never know when you’ll get another chance to hear their voice. Sleeping with a phone on the pillow is normal.
...1. I can do this and I’m stronger than I thought I was. I gained a sense of self and independence that I didn’t even know I had when I lived on my own for the first time and survived this deployment. And that’ s what every deployment is and will be — a survival. But now I know I can survive, and I will next time.
CJCS Podcast - Stop Loss policy
An update from Admiral Michael Mullen on his recent visit to troops at Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Slow road home -- [Sergeant Grumpy]
Not sure if anyone is still following this, but....
I am still in the process of trying to get off active duty and back home to real life. The Army is sure taking it's time making sure we are healthy and sane enough to go home, but at least I am in my own State now. I have a few minor injuries I am waiting on Big Army to decide what they are going to do about, then I have to decide what I want to do when I grow up. Hah hah.
POV - Leaving the Wire -- [Tanker Brohers]
A professional soldier doing what he is called to do
Is hard to comprehend unless you are one of the few.
Some draftees felt the momentary flash of that desire
To save the world, help people, set an enemy on fire.
There is a young soldier, an old timer in that world,
Who is in the middle of a rush, fighting, all a-whirl,
Doing things he trained for, despite danger and all.
He lives a motto, to be all that he can, to stand tall.
Sacramento Host Breakfast -- [365 and a Wake Up]
...on October 27, 2005 Mike’s vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb and he was killed. In the face of such a stunning loss it is natural for your soul to grow weary, and for your mind to scream for what has been so violently ripped away. It would have been the easiest of things to let my heart turn as cold as death and pump my veins with venom. But Mike left me with parting gift, the realization that leadership is about being able to see beyond yourself and your own needs. So Mike’s legacy did not end there on that dusty ribbon of asphalt. Instead I took command of Alpha Company and spent the ensuing weeks and months leading my soldiers through those fire bright days. We started to adapt, leaving our armored HMMWVs behind and trudging through floodplains that were ancient when Abraham walked the earth. We paid visits to locals far removed from the road network and built on the foundation of trust Mike had crafted with the local tribes. By time we left the land of the two rivers we had slashed insurgent activity and laid the groundwork for local self government. Within a year of our departure the tribes we partnered with had formed the Hor Joeb Awakening Council, created their own police force, and forced Ansar Al Suna out of the region. What Mike started the council had finished.
I am proud of what my soldier’s accomplished in that small corner of Southern Baghdad, but when I think back to those sun bleached days my strongest memory was our first patrol after Mike’s death. As we pulled into the sandy village of Hor Joeb the local children rushed out of their school, surrounded the HMMWVs and asked "Where is Capt. Mike?". When they learned what happened they cried and wailed in that dusty street. It’s been more then two years now and sometimes I almost cry myself.
They Have Names - SSG Jason R. Arnette -- [A Soldier's Perspective - CJ]
I've got my mojo back. I'd like to introduce everyone to SSG Jason R. Arnette. Jason was killed on 1 April 2007 in Iraq and is the Hero of the Week on They Have Names. Please take the time to honor this young man's life and sacrifice by checking out his profile on They Have Names.
Welcome Home 680th -- [Soldiers Angels New York]
The 680th Engineer Co, Army Reserves returned home to flags, cheers, applause, the roar of motorcycles, and best of all, to the arms of their families today. This is absolutely the best part of troop support, and this one picture says it all for me:
Ouch!... Major Eric Egland Blasts Al-Qaeda Supporter Bill Delahunt -- [Gateway Pundit]
Major Eric Egland, the founder of Troops Need You, responded to the outrageous remarks by Representative Bill Delahunt (D-Mass), who said on CSPAN that he was "glad (Al Qaeda) can finally see" a certain White House official. Egland says, "Our troops are risking their lives around the world to fight Al Qaeda, so our government should support them by taking the threat seriously."
Remind Congress that Al Qaeda is our enemy
Some on left target McCain's war record -- [Politico]
The highest voltage third rail of this presidential campaign may not be race, sex, or age, but Senator John McCain's military service. McCain's campaign Sunday issued a pair of outraged statements after retired general and Barack Obama supporter Wesley Clark said he didn't think that McCain’s service as a fighter pilot and prisoner of war was relevant to running the country. Obama has consistently praised McCain's service, and called him "a genuine American hero." But farther to the left—and among some of McCain's conservative enemies as well—harsher attacks are circulating. Critics have accused McCain of war crimes for bombing targets in Hanoi in the 1960s. Sunday, a widely read liberal blog accused McCain of "disloyalty" during his captivity in Vietnam for his coerced participation in propaganda films and interviews after he’d been tortured.
Yet Another Obama Flip-Flop Flagged, This Time on Iraq -- [NewsBusters]
Given how fundamental Barack Obama's former position was to his credibility as a candidate during the Democratic primaries, I'd say it's yet another a full-fledged, full-throated flip-flop, accompanied by a fundamentally flawed reading of the Bush Administration's current policy -- both of which we can be confident Old Media will try to ignore.
Hegseth explains (link to transcript added by me; other links are in original; bolds are mine):
Recent reports and rumors have indicated that Senator Obama plans to aggressively move to the middle on Iraq in the coming months.
Sen. Lieberman:
Band of Mothers Founder Takes on Congress, Again -- [Gathering of Eagles]
Our very own Blue Star mother, and Band of Mothers Founder Beverly Perlson, is heading back to the nation’s capital to turn up the heat on Speaker Pelosi and the rest of Congress. For several months now, she has stood on the corner in front of the Canon Office Building during high profile votes.
On 8, 9, and 10 July she will be back with patriotic music and signs telling Congress to do the right thing concerning our brave warriors in the desert. We are asking any of you in the D.C. area to consider giving up a few hours one of those days. We recognize that it is a Tuesday through Thursday, work days for those of us who pay for the machinery of the country. Bev will be out there from 0900 to 1700 hrs though come rain or come shine.
What will they do after Bush? -- [Stop The ACLU]
Update: Jonn Lilyea attended the event in Washington DC today…he has video and moonbat interviews. The event was scarce.
...The “GITMO = TORTURE!!!” meme is old and tired. I think I’ve stayed in motels crappier than Gitmo. What I really wondered about this story, though, had not a whole lot to do with yet another dumb protest of Guantanamo Bay. Yeah, yeah, we get it. We’re not treating the terrorist murderers nicely enough for you liberals. We should be welcoming them into the United States with open arms and absolve them of their crimes, no matter how horrible. Understood.
I saw the picture Van Helsing posted though, and the text gave me a thought. In case it’s tough for anyone to read, here’s what it says on the signs in the picture:
THE WORLD CAN’T WAIT! DRIVE OUT THE BUSH REGIME!
I couldn’t help but read that and wonder… what are these people going to do after Bush?
PURPLE HEART SOLDIERS QUESTION WAR COVERAGE -- [MSNBC] - HT: A Soldiers Perspective
A few days after the New York Times published a story detailing network reporters’ concerns about war coverage, three soldiers wounded in Iraq expressed a dim view of how they see the war depicted on television.
"You always hear about the explosions or people being killed, but you never really hear about how the people are being helped, or how much they appreciate it," Spc. Hein Tran, 28, of Milpitas, Calif., said after receiving a Purple Heart today at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for wounds suffered May 10 in an explosion northeast of Baghdad.
Seymour Hersh: Getting People Killed, One Article At A Time -- [Castle Argghhh! - Kat]
CNN calls Seymour Hersh an "investigative journalist". I can't believe this guy actually gets printed in the New Yorker or interviewed by any legitimate news organization, much less called an "investigative journalist". This guy is nothing more than a gossip columnist. Worse than that, he may be the modern equivalent of Lord Haw-Haw. Today he repeats his idiotic and dangerous claims that the US is infiltrating Iran with special ops forces that are handing out money and support to anti-regime forces. Iran has used such excuses to crack down on dissidents, throw them in prison and issue death sentences for...
Media and the War -- [A Major's Perspective - in Afghanistan]
About a month ago I wrote a post, Wheres the News, discussing the serious decline in news coverage of the war. A couple days ago this same sentiment was echoed by reporters in an article from the NY Times. (Link to NY Times Article) Within the article there was some very fascinating quantitative facts about the coverage amounts:
A interesting little nuggget from Fort Riley Public Affairs... -- [Castle Argghhh! - Kat]
Study on military spouses’ relationship with media reveals likes and dislikes
About 83 percent of the spouses in the study reported they thought there should be more positive stories and fewer negative stories. “There are some reporting the good going on. I mean it’s frustrating as a military spouse to see all the negativity with the war.” Another spouse said, “We don’t get the whole picture. I hear failures more often than I hear success. That’s not what I hear from the military guys.”
More than half of the respondents said there was too much focus on casualties, both Soldier and civilian casualties. “All you hear about is death tolls, attacks and suicide bombers,” one spouse said. Another spouse said, “They always capitalize on casualties, always.” Two more spouses said, “There’s more to Iraq than a body count,” and, “It’s like they just want to cover the death toll.”
About a third of the respondents said consuming news coverage caused them to feel angry, frustrated, scared, worried or stressed. “It’s filled with depressing news and it’s hard for me to be encouraging for my husband,” a female spouse said.
NY TIMES HIGH TREASON: LEAKING CLASSIFIED INFO AGAIN -- [Atlas Shrugged]
It is increasingly clear the left would throw their mother in front of an oncoming train if it meant our defeat in the war on the jihad. The left feverishly works for our defeat in Iraq, in Iran, in Afghanistan, at home ....
Bush may be angry at the latest NY Times act of treason but he has only himself to blame. Bush and his Justice department never pursued the obvious leaker (s)at the Pentagon and/or CIA. They dropped the ball on Sandy Berger.On the FISA leak and the wiretapping leak. This is but the latest outrageous leak in a long list of classified info dumped in the lap of the willing whore of our enemies, The Times. Bush never went after the lawbreakers Why? We are at war. These leaks jeopardize American lives. They should have been persecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Drudge is reporting:
SOURCES: BUSH ANGER AT COMING NEW YORK TIMES STORY DETAILING HUNT FOR BIN LADEN...
Patriotism in Time: -- [Grims Hall]
I have written more about patriotism in these pages than is easy even to link to; all of you know how to use Google if you are curious about what has been said. Still, I note with some pleasure this piece by Peter Beinart in Time Magazine. It attempts to compare what he calls liberal and conservative ideas about patriotism,
Neuharth: Raise Income Tax So Iraq War Hawks Will Become Doves -- -[Newsbuster]
Regretting that “few grownups are concerned about the $526 billion cost so far for the Iraq war without end” because “President Bush and his rich buddies have made sure most of the monetary burden will be borne by our children and grandchildren,” USA Today founder Al Neuharth, in his weekly column on Friday, recommended “a stiff income tax surcharge” to pay for the war. But Neuharth made clear his real motive is to turn those for the war against it: The surest way to jar us into realizing the unconscionable cost of the Iraq debacle is to
Google Shuts Down Anti-Obama Sites on its Blogger Platform -- [Stop the ACLU]
Perhaps it isn’t google, but Obamaniacs taking advantage of google’s faulty sytem. A commenter explains:
The problem with blogger is that a group of people with an ax to grind can report any blog as spam and after enough complaints, it’s automatically suspended until a real live human being can get around to examining it. If enough complaints are registered with blogger, you might get a response within 5 days but it takes a concerted effort. This is a huge problem with blogger and something google needs to get a handle on.
Regardless who is at fault, this shutting down of free speech is disturbing.
-Edit by WTH: If I can find a link to prove that it was a concerted effort by Obama supporters, I’ll post it.
L'Affaire Enderlin -- [Weekly Standard]
Being a French journalist means never having to say you're sorry.
So, in the case of Muhammad al-Dura-a 12-year-old Palestinian boy allegedly killed by Israeli fire during a skirmish in the Gaza strip on September 30, 2000-it was not really to be expected that the journalist who released the 59-second news report, Charles Enderlin, longtime Jerusalem correspondent for France 2 TV, would immediately admit having hastily slapped together sensational footage supplied by the channel's regular Palestinian stringer, and not checked whose bullets had, in fact, killed, or perhaps even not killed, the boy.
In the ensuing eight years, the small figure of Muhammad al-Dura cowering beside his crouching father became the defining image of the second Intifada. The "child martyr's" picture cropped up on posters, websites, postage stamps, and street names throughout the Muslim world from Mali to Indonesia, fueling lynchings and suicide bombings. The Israeli authorities at first took the French report more or less at face value and blandly deplored the child's death in a hasty release
The A Team Iraq - British Army - Basra
Soldiers in Iraq, Showing The A Team still live on!
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are 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.
Al-Qaeda networks keep decaying -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD – Coalition forces killed two terrorists, including an al-Qaeda in Iraq cell leader, during operations that netted 15 suspected terrorists in central and northern Iraq Thursday.
Coalition forces killed an al-Qaeda in Iraq cell leader near Sharqat, about 90 kilometers south of Mosul. Upon their arrival, Coalition forces observed two suspected terrorists from one targeted building move into another building. The force surrounded the building and called for them to come out, but the terrorists refused to comply with Coalition forces’ instructions. Perceiving them as a hostile threat, Coalition forces engaged and killed the two terrorists, who they discovered were armed with guns and grenades. One of them was identified as the targeted cell leader. Three additional suspects were detained for their alleged association with the cell, which conducts bombing operations targeting Iraqi and Coalition forces.
Released Guantanamo detainee behind March suicide truck bombing at Combat Outpost Inman in Mosul -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
Al Qaeda in Iraq, through its puppet organization the Islamic State of Iraq, released its latest propaganda video on June 23. The video contains a montage of attacks throughout Iraq, and features two Kuwaiti al Qaeda operatives who conducted strikes in Mosul. One of the operatives was released from the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Islamic State of Iraq used footage taken at Combat Outpost Inman by this reporter in Mosul in March of this year.
The 38-minute-long video, titled "The Islamic State is Meant to Stay," was produced by Al Furqan, al Qaeda's media arm in Iraq. Al Furqan has released few videos over the past six weeks said Nibras Kazimi, a Visiting Scholar at the Hudson Institute, at his website, Talisman Gate.
...Al Furqan's output "has been reduced to a trickle," said Kazimi, noting that al Qaeda has not refuted reports on the death of senior leaders, including reports of the death of Abu Omar al Baghdadi, the purported leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, and Abu Ayyub al Masri, al Qaeda in Iraq's leader and the Islamic State's defense minister. Al Masri and Baghdadi, who the US military says is a fictitious character played by an actor, have not been confirmed killed. The US military said it killed al Qaeda's emir, or leader, in Mosul on June 23. Multiple senior al Qaeda leaders in Mosul have been killed or captured this year.
US names al Qaeda emir of Mosul killed during raid -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
Abu Khalaf had close links with foreign terrorists. Al Qaeda conducts two successful attacks in Anbar and Mosul. Anbar is set to transfer to Iraqi control this weekend.
Multinational Forces Iraq named Abu Khalaf as al Qaeda's emir, or leader, of Mosul who was killed during a raid by Task Force 88, the hunter-killer teams assigned to disrupt terrorist command networks in Iraq and elsewhere. Khalaf was killed by US forces as he reached for a gun and his associate attempted to detonate his vest.
Sadr’s army dissolving? -- [Hot Air - Ed Morrissey]
Send to a Friend | printer-friendly According to the Middle East Times, Moqtada al-Sadr’s militia has begun to disintegrate after a series of confrontations with the Iraqi Army throughout the south of Iraq. The remnants of the Mahdi Army have gone underground, forming an armed network on a much smaller scale. How small? Think of the Spartans at Thermopylae, and cut that in half while removing the courage and the military skill:
National project to eliminate unemployment in Iraq – VP -- [Voices of Iraq - Baghdad]
Baghdad, Jun 27, (VOI) – Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashimi revealed on Friday a "big national project" to eliminate unemployment of youths, particularly in university graduates' circles, in association with academic economists.
"The current orientation by the government is to back citizens through providing services and jobs for all categories in different areas of the country," Hashimi told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).
He pointed out that the project, to be bolstered by the Multi-National Force (MNF) for a period of three months, will be waiting for government financial appropriations.
Iraqi villagers ‘very happy’ as water project takes shape (pdf) -- [Army Corps of Engineers - in Iraq]
About 1500 residents live in Al Haboosh, located near Tallil Air Base and Sheik Razak says they had been pumping their water out of a canal. “It was very bad water. This project is important for the health of everyone who lives here. It’s a great sign of progress.” Al Haboosh, Iraq – For the first time ever, a small village in Dhi Qar province will soon have access to clean drinking water. Sheik Abdul Razak says his community is “very happy” about the ongoing work.
Apache Gunship Takes Out Insurgent Truck With 30mm In Iraq
Qudas electricity means life to Iraqis (pdf) -- [Army Corps of Engineers - in Iraq]
Baghdad, Iraq - “The impact of this project for the Iraqi people is that electricity means life, new life. This electricity brings more homes, more water, more laborers, more farming, more markets. It is life for Iraq,” says an Iraqi engineer at the Qudas electric power station.
Iraq sues UN over Oil-for-Food programme fraud-Justice Ministry -- [Voices of Iraq - Baghdad]
Iraqi judicial source said his country would lodge a lawsuit against the United Nations at a U.S court over corruption charges in the Oil-for-Food programme overseen by the International organisation for seven years.
“A Texas-based legal firm would lodge an Iraqi government lawsuit at state court in NewYork”, Iraqi Justice Ministry source, who requested anonmity, told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq(VOI).
The source noted “Iraq file the case to catch up with its deadline expiring by the end of June”.
The Oil-for-Food Programme, established by the United Nations in 1995, which started working on April16th 1996 and terminated in late 2003, was intended to allow Iraq to sell oil on the world market in exchange for food, medicine, and other humanitarian needs for ordinary Iraqi citizens without allowing Iraq to rebuild its military.
A Tactical Pause -- [Kaboom - in Iraq]
Due to a rash posting on my part, and decisions made above my pay-grade, I have been ordered to stop posting on Kaboom, effective immediately. Though I committed no OPSEC violations, due to a series of extenuating circumstances – the least of which was me being on leave – my “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage” post on May 28 did not go through the normal vetting channels. It’s totally on me, as it was too much unfiltered truth. I’m a soldier first, and orders are orders. So it is.
If you think, please think of us. If you pray, please pray for us. The second half of our deployment will be just as challenging and dangerous as the first half.
Do you expect them to learn forgiveness? -Tribal reconciliation in Balad -- [IN- Iraq - in Iraq]
Balad, Iraq- In a city that has become known across the province for more than 500 reconciliations of local men with U.S. and Iraqi Security Forces, a broader reconciliation has been ongoing between Shia tribes who dominate the city and Sunni tribes who ring the outlying towns.
...Lt. Scott Marler, 29, Baton Rouge, LA, of 1st Squad 32nd Cavarly Regiment which operates in the Balad area, said the city is now so safe it would be the one place Americans could walk around in the province without their body armor. Agricultural markets on the outskirts are teaming and city merchants said that they have overcome the losses incured during the 2006 violence.
Two weeks ago the mayor started taking down many concrete security barriers and selling them for capital to repave the city roads, according to a U.S. interpreter.
It's Not Just Sandwiches -- [Zen Traveler - in Iraq]
...The “take away” here is that two 40+ year old men have to play this little kindergarten game about telling the truth while at the same time saving face. My friend, who’s been kicking around the Arab world for years, is telling me that this happens on all levels, not just with sandwiches. Iran’s Ahmadinejad is doing it right now with the IAEA, Saddam Hussein did it with the United Nations, Hamas did it with Jimmy Carter. Lying to save face is endemic within the Arab culture. I realize that sounds terribly racist, but it's true and Arabs will be the first to tell you so. For my part, sadly I have to question everything that I’m being told by the guys whose hands I often have to put my life into. It makes for some very frustrating moments.
VBIED Factory Destroyed By EOD In Iraq "Huge Explosion"
We got called out with EOD to take care of an "IED". Turns out this IED wasnt an IED, but a VBIED (Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device) factory. With 1000lbs of explosives in the shed, and roughly half that amount in the truck parked in front of the shed, EOD decided to blow them both sky-high. the best explosion ive see yet while here. when the smoke clears, both the shed and the truck are gone, with one of the trucks axles sticking out of the ground.
We're Gonna do What They Said Can't Be Done -- [Matel - in Iraq]
...Success brings less soul searching than failure. We point to good results and are unenthusiastic about checking to see if they were deserved. But just as it is possible to fail for reasons beyond our control or factors unlikely to recur, we can succeed for the same bad reasons, so success should be as closely scrutinized as failure. There is no shortage of talk about failures in Iraq, although much of it is designed to fix the blame not the problem. As it becomes clearer that we are succeeding, we should learn from what went right and how it might be transferred elsewhere. I have a couple ideas from my own point of view. Keep in mind that I have personal knowledge only of events in Western Anbar and so I emphasize factors and people acting here. My list is not comprehensive.
...Today we have come out of the darkness into a new morning. It is still a little too dark to see clearly all the features and it is still full of challenge and fraught with dangers but also full of opportunities. For the last generation and arguably since the end of World War I or the Sykes-Picot accord, this region has been unstable and dangerous. Maybe we can help make the future better than the past.
Our Iraqi friends deserve it.
Hamman Al Alil Site Visit -- [manrymission - in Iraq]
Earlier this week, I visited a new project near the town of Hamman Al Alil with Mike Fellenz, the Project Engineer. Hamman Al Alil is a small town about 15 miles south of Mosul. The drive there was relatively pleasant and took a little less than 30 minutes. At Hamman Al Alil is an Iraqi Army Training Center. New Iraqi Privates, Jondis, attend a 5-week basic training course in Hamman Al Alil. The Iraqi Army also conducts advanced MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) training in Hamman Al Alil. When we arrived on site, a group of trainees was working on camouflage. Can you find the Jondis in the picture below?
Iraq News (27 June) -- [LT Nixon]
The Good: Major General Hertling has said that Al-Qaeda is defeated in northern Iraq, and U.S. forces are pursuing remaining elements into small towns and villages. This comes after news that the emir of the Islamic State of Iraq in Mosul has been killed in a U.S. airstrike. Long War Journal reports that the Mahdi Army has been decimated, while many young men in Sadr City (known to be the home base of JAM) are employed in the neighborhood guard to provide security. These employment opportunities are seen as crucial to provide alternatives to joining the militia, much like the Sons of Iraq program has kept many young Sunni men from joining the insurgency.
Water As A Weapon -- [Castle Argghhh! - BillT - in Iraq]
There isn’t much mention in Sun Tzu about the tactical and strategic use of water, other than its passive uses as a barrier. Which doesn’t mean it can’t be used as a weapon – or, more accurately, its denial can be used as a weapon.
Iran’s figured out that shelling Kurdish villages is expensive, and, when those villages are on the *Iraqi* side of the border, it raises the annoying question of violating international law. Note that it doesn’t raise that question in the Lib community – the ones who claim a naval blockade of Iran would be a war crime.
So Iran’s taking the cheap way out. They’re damming the rivers that flow out of Iran into the Kurdish part of Iraq. No water, no Kurds.
Sacrifice. Hardship. Heroes. -- [Tragically Famous - in Iraq]
A young soldier inadvertently steps through the crowd into the pavement, and rapidly corrects himself. As I peered through him I saw it. Nearly tangible, the discomfort writhed in my stomach.
50 stars.
13 stripes.
1 wooden coffin.
The vehicle was carrying the remains of a United States service member - a soldier, a husband, a father. The streets of the base were lined up for a final farewell, a memorial, a testament to the honor for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
And the sun continued to beat upon my brow. The line between sweat and tears is now completely indistinguishable. Many cultures believe that there is no greater honor than giving your life for an ideal, a belief, a creed. Embodied with this feeling, thousands of years of principle and history swirled through my body.
As the helicopters flew in much like angels to take our brother home, we dispersed deplorably.
I let out a great sigh, and realized what this meant. Back to work… and we have much work to do.
Some Say Tent, I Say Box -- [Fraser from ? - in Iraq]
Lets talk about living in a Tent versus a Box.
A Box is small, about 120 square feet. It has its own air conditioner, room for two bunk beds, and two stand up lockers. It has a door. It is elevated above the ground, so not a lot of bugs crawling in your room, such as scorpions, camel spiders and ants. There are three Boxes made out of one trailer, so you share walls.
Mad Dogs & Englishmen -- [Matel - in Iraq]
The picture below is a fort built by the British in sometime around 1927. The British ran Iraq as a League of Nations Mandate until 1932, when Iraq became an independent monarchy under King Faisal, of Lawrence of Arabia fame. Even after independence, the British maintained bases here. I don't know if this was among them. In fact, most people don't think much re this fort, but it is still in use as a police HQ. The British built to last.
Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt Donate $1 Million to Kids Affected by War
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's foundation has donated $1 million to children affected by the Iraq war.
The Jolie-Pitt Foundation will provide $500,000 for school supplies and education programs for refugee children in Iraq and $500,000 for American children who either lost a parent deployed in Iraq or have a parent serving in that country.
The donations for American children will go to a tutoring initiative at the Armed Services YMCA Operation Hero Program.
Pakistani Taliban publicly execute two 'spies' -- [AFP]
KHAR, Pakistan- Pakistani Taliban rebels executed two Afghans in front of thousands of people Friday after accusing them of spying, while two other people died in clashes afterwards, officials said.
Militants beheaded one man and shot the other after telling the crowd in Pakistan's Bajaur tribal district that the pair had passed information to US forces in Afghanistan that led to a deadly missile strike in May.
An AFP correspondent who witnessed the executions said more than 5,000 people had gathered at a patch of open ground 10 kilometres (six miles) west of Khar, the main town in Bajaur, to watch.
From Whence Cometh Pakistan? -- [Captain's Journal]
The Captain’s Journal admires Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and he can consider us to be in his corner. But we would be willing to bet that his position on Pakistan is “swing and a miss - full count now.” So where are we? Gates said Thursday that he has “real concern” about a sharp rise in attacks by insurgent forces in eastern Afghanistan and says it reflects infiltration of fighters from Pakistan.
VFF Guest Authors- Women to the front -- [Uncle Jimbo - BlackFive]
Ms. Norley is someone who has impressed me, and she will grab you as well.
Women to the front - Kate Norley
...In order for this meeting to happen a willing, experienced female translator was essential, as well as perimeter security surrounding the University, the classroom, and also personal security providing safety for my presence once inside. I arrived in a classroom of 8 women (originally 20 had been in attendance, some left in fear of their own safety for purposely meeting with me) and felt like the Pope of Rome with the private security detail assigned me. Acting alone with solely my translator Layla (as she chose to be called while working alongside coalition forces), I stood before these women feeling blank.
...So I un-slung my M-16 from my shoulder, removed my Kevlar, OTV, and without hesitation let down my hair from a fixed bun and smiled. Instantly, I was encompassed by smiles all around as...
Another Anniversary -- [Afghanistan Without a Clue]
...Finally, this week marks my two-year anniversary of my arrival in Afghanistan. It is not a time I remember fondly, and I really don’t miss it. I’ve been pondering the future of AWAC. It seems like I’m getting close to a time to shut it down. I’ve not had much to add that is related to Afghanistan. Wali and Han have made it to America, and Hamid’s application is in the works. Drew got married, but Mother Nature kept me from the big reunion. I’ve lost touch with most everyone from Camp Phoenix, and the AWAC staff are all off living their lives, and posting here is the last thing on their mind (not that I blame them). I have at least one more Afghanime to post, and one more talk that I’ll be giving at the Unitarian Universalist Church. After that, I may just keep it on idle, posting only if significant news happens.
Several militants killed in Zabul province -- [Combined Joint Task Force - 101 - in Afghanistan]
KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition forces killed several militants June 22 while on patrol in the Shinkay District, Zabul...
Several militants killed in Kandahar province -- [Combined Joint Task Force - 101 - in Afghanistan]
KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Afghan National Security and Coalition forces killed several insurgents June 25 while on patrol in Maywand District, Kandahar...
SOF forces train new Afghan Commandos -- [Combined Joint Task Force - 101 - in Afghanistan]
...The Afghan warriors graduated from the elite Commando school in Kabul on May 8. By the end of May, they had tasted battle in western Afghanistan’s Farah province, with Americans assisting and advising.
Excelling during the battle, the Commandos showed the enemy a glimpse of the toughness and resiliency that they are increasingly known for. The advisors have since spent countless hours in Shindand, building upon the skills the Commandos already have, as well as exposing them to new soldiering skills.
“We’re assisting them with the basics, which is allowing us to create a foundation that we can continue to build upon,” said a U.S. Special Forces advisor. “We’re facilitating their ability to excel in small-unit tactics, and we’re familiarizing them with different weapons systems and honing their marksmanship skills. We’re building their communication skills, teaching them how to clear a room, how to react to an improvised explosive device. We’re also enhancing their night vision capabilities and getting them used to running limited-visibility operations.”
In addition to perfecting their battlefield skills, the Commando’s are operating under their own chain of command which resembles a U.S. Army Infantry battalion. A key element is distinguishing the roles of officers and non-commissioned officers. This is a relatively new concept to the Afghans.
Marines in Afghanistan Weigh In on a Life at War -- [NPR]
When compared to Iraq, the conflict in Afghanistan is often described as the forgotten war.
The U.S. military has 33,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan, and has lost 448 service members there since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001.
..."I do what I have to do," he says. "Signed the contract. … I'm fighting for these people's rights. And I can do that because these people deserve the same rights that we have in our country."
But many of the Marines worry that Americans back home don't know what they're doing in Afghanistan.
"People should know kinda what we're doing over here probably a little more than they are," says Mason Bennet, a Navy medic. "It seems like they're focusing a lot more on Iraq right now than they are on Afghanistan. People call this the forgotten war. They need to know what's going on here, I guess."
After Long Exile, Afghan Returns to Aid U.S. Marines -- [NPR]
At 53, Abdul Torabi is a soft-spoken man with gray hair, a short gray beard and a quiet chuckle. He was born in Afghanistan, but has lived most of his life in exile in America.
He is now in Afghanistan again, working as a Marine interpreter, or "terp."
"My regular job is truck driver. And right now I'm a terp for ... American soldiers. I'm here to help them," Torabi says. "That's my job right now."
This is his first time back to his home country since 1979, when he fled the Soviet invasion.
...For Torabi, this mission is also an intense personal experience. This is his first time back to Afghanistan in almost 30 years. "I'm surprised what I'm seeing. And this is sad, too," Torabi says, because of all the problems facing Afghans, and "the way the country been destroyed" by wars.
It was the presence of another foreign force that compelled Torabi to leave in 1979. But he says the American soldiers are much different from the Soviet soldiers he fled.
In the Province of Poppies and R.P.G.s -- [East Hampton Star Eric Rousell - in Afghanistan]
Every marine prepares for battle in his own way. These were the Marines of Alpha Company, Third Platoon, First Battalion of the Sixth Marines. They were preparing for a fight.
The Third Platoon is part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a 2,400-person-strong force sent to Afghanistan earlier this year to neutralize the Taliban’s influence in Helmand Province, where more opium poppies are grown than anyplace else in the world.
Word had just reached the platoon that United States reconnaissance aircraft had been observing Taliban militants bringing weapons into the local bazaar all day long. It was suspected that...
North Korea destroys nuclear reactor tower -- [AP]
YONGBYON, North Korea (AP) -- North Korea destroyed the most visible symbol of its nuclear weapons program Friday, blasting apart the cooling tower at its main atomic reactor in a sign of its commitment to stop making plutonium for atomic bombs.
An explosion at the base of the cylindrical structure sent the tower collapsing into debris and dust that billowed into blue skies at 5:10 p.m. local time as journalists and diplomats looked on,
North Korea destroys nuclear reactor tower
George W. Bush: A Uniter at Last! -- [One Free Korea]
For all the failings of his accord with Kim Jong Il, Bush has made remarkable progress in unwittingly brokering an accord between a liberal Democratic presidential nominee, the House’s most conservative Republicans, and the Republican presidential nominee. To various degrees, all have noted the inadequacy of Kim’s declaration and declared their opposition to de-listing North Korea as a state sponsor of terror unless it permits verfication.
Remembering the Korean War in Pictures - Part 3 -- [GI Korea]
Korean Service Corps members transport supplies for allied forces with A-frames on their backs:
Allied soldiers adopted and cared for many orphans during the Korean War to include these two adopted by the French Battalion...
How Kosovo Created its Own Liberal Islam -- [Michael Totten]
On February 17, 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. Some are concerned about what NATO, the United Nations, and the European Union have nurtured there since the military and humanitarian intervention in 1999. James Jatras, a U.S.-based advocate for the Serbian Orthodox Community, put it bluntly last year when he said Kosovo was a “a beachhead into the rest of Europe” for “radical Muslims” and “terrorist elements.” It’s an assertion without evidence. “We’ve been here for so long,” said United States Army Sergeant Zachary Gore in Eastern Kosovo, “and not seen any evidence of it, that we’ve reached the assumption that it is not a viable threat.”
Nine in 10 of Kosovo’s citizens are ethnic Albanians, and more than 90 per cent of them are at least nominal Muslims.
Russia launches military satellite -- [The Press Association]
Russia has successfully launched a new military satellite into orbit, officials said. The Kosmos-series satellite was launched by a heavy Proton-K booster ...
Cheer up. We're winning this War on Terror -- [London Times]
Al-Qaeda and the Taleban are in retreat, the surge has worked in Iraq and Islamism is discredited. Not a bad haul
If only our political leaders and opinion-formers displayed even a hint of the defiant resilience that carried Marshal Foch to victory at the Battle of the Marne. But these days timorous defeatism is on the march. In Britain setbacks in the Afghan war are greeted as harbingers of inevitable defeat. In America, large swaths of the political class continues to insist Iraq is a lost cause. The consensus in much of the West is that the War on Terror is unwinnable.
And yet the evidence is now overwhelming that on all fronts, despite inevitable losses from time to time, it is we who are advancing and the enemy who is in retreat. The current mood on both sides of the Atlantic, in fact, represents a kind of curious inversion of the great French soldier's dictum: “Success against the Taleban. Enemy giving way in Iraq. Al-Qaeda on the run. Situation dire. Let's retreat!”
Al Qaeda Seeks A Miracle -- [Strategy Page]
June 27, 2008: What shape is al Qaeda in? Both U.S. intelligence officials, and al Qaeda message board traffic seem to agree that the terror group was defeated in Iraq, and is now gathering for a last stand in Pakistan. But there have been no numbers released to back this up. There are numbers, but most of them are classified. The U.S. collects data on terrorist related message traffic on the Internet, via cell phones and so on. The military keeps track of all the known and suspected terrorists they capture in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
More Evidence of the Criminal-Terrorist Nexus -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
Those who are skeptical of the growing ties between drug trafficking organizations and terrorist groups-which I think will be the real war we will be fighting for many years, given the resources obtainable by drug trafficking organizations-should read the latest UN Office of Drugs and Crime report.
Among the many interesting findings is that the two areas of greatest increase in illicit production of drugs in the world are in the hands of designated terrorist groups: the Taliban in Afghanistan and the FARC in Colombia.
A third party involved ...
President Bush Removes North Korea from State Sponsors of Terrorism List -- [GI Korea]
I can’t say I’m not surprised by this announcement, but I still find it to be utterly unbelievable
...If dropping North Korea from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List according to President Bush is “largely symbolic” then so is North Korea’s nuclear declaration that is months late and totally incomplete because here is what is not in the declaration...
Removing North Korea from the Terrorism List Stirs Opposition -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
President Bush’s announcement of plans to remove North Korea from the terrorism list is the result of long negotiations that illustrate that the process is complicated and it is turning controversial.
Talks with North Korea about removal from the terrorism list have been going on for at least eight years. North Korean officials have been seeking removal as part of the price for being more forthcoming in the nuclear disarmament negotiations over dismantling that nation’s nuclear weapons program.
Get Ready for Kim Jong Il’s Incomplete, Incorrect, and Expensive Nuclear Declaration (Updated and Bumped) -- [One Free Korea]
...In a speech at the Heritage Foundation last week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reported that North Korea’s nuclear declaration is imminent again.
Or not. North Korea was supposed to begin “discussing” the full disclosure of its nuclear programs and weapons by mid-April of 2007. The full written disclosure was due during a subsequent ”implementation phase,” though there was no deadline. In November, the North Koreans handed chief U.S. negotiator appeaser Chris Hill their idea of a declaration, but it was apparently so deficient that Hill told a little white lie and denied having received it. A deadline was set for the end of 2007, when the declaration was imminent until it wasn’t. It was briefly imminent again in January and in April.
This week, as Rice heads for Seoul and Tokyo, the declaration is rumored to be imminent again.
Abu Sayyaf Terrorists Reduced to "Plain Bandits" -- [Jawa Report]
Good news!
(Manila, Philippines) Due to persistent pressure from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) has been reduced to "plain bandits" experiencing a leadership vacuum, says AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Alexander B. Yano.
Put Gitmo detainees where? -- [Hot Air]
Not Fort Leavenworth, as both Kansas Senators made plain yesterday in a letter to their colleagues. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts push back against the oft-repeated suggestion that the US can relocate the detainees at Guantanamo Bay to the detention barracks of Leavenworth, declaring the facility unfit for such a mission on several levels. The only place that meets security conditions won’t work because of its civilian mission:
An Internet first: From the Frontlines airs today! LIVE at 4pm Eastern/1pm Pacific; Update: Midnight $1,055,719!!!!!! -- [Michelle Malkin]
2 midnight. We heard from the White House and the office of Gen. David Petraeus and troops from Ft. Leavenworth.
Final tally: $1,055,719!!!!!!!!!
Thank you all!!!!!!
Iraq Vet Gets New Home
What Does Support Look Like? -- [SpouseBuzz - SemperFi Wife]
We hear a lot about "supporting the troops". It's easy to say but what exactly does it mean?
What does it look like?
...There are many, many, MANY different ways that one can support the troops. It can be as simple as writing a letter, knitting a cap, or mailing a care package to deployed servicemember who doesn't get mail. It can be as grand as running an organization of over 200,000 volunteers. It's about doing something for someone you may never meet. It's about thinking and caring about someone else. Troops support is focusing on others.
breitbart frontlines
by dollarsandsense123
Andrew Breitbart Rails Against Hollywood For Dissing Troops -- [LT Nixon]
This is a video of Andrew Breitbart, a libertarian, West LA resident, Hollyweird insider, and all around-good guy taking about the media infrastructure seeking to portray the military in a negative light. He's chatting with the From The Front Lines drive, which is raising money to send care packages to our troops. Usually, I take these attacks against the left with a grain of salt, since it is politically convenient to drop the "Support The Troops" meme to bolster your partisan political position if you're conservative. But...
Cat’s out of the bag -- [Blog-ah - David Hardt]
...On the line below the provisional diagnosis, which is basically an interim statement of what he thinks I have, it read in uppercase letters as if it was slapping me in the face: ADJUSTMENT DISORDER WITH DISTURBANCE OF EMOTIONS AND CONDUCT.
In my mind, this is where the meeting ended and where the nice, gentle, and compassionate Dave needed to start flexing his disapproval of this lame, loose diagnosis. But before I could get into my business mode, Doctor E. quickly gave me insight. He completely disagreed with this diagnosis. Granted, he did admit that he didn’t have all of my information, but he knew this loose diagnosis was off.
...What this doctor didn’t realize is that all of these years I have fought this thing tooth and nail and while fighting this monster I have slightly lost who I am. When that explosion occurred on that hot, humid April in Iraq, I knew immediately something had changed. I wasn’t the only causality of that night. Many miles away in the good United States this issue would be affecting everyone around me. To this day, my rock is my wife and the fort I have made at home, where I find safety. I know who I am and who I was, and only God knows what is in store for me and who I will be on this road. I believe God has brought me to this point for something, and if it is just to raise hell and get health professionals to wake up and start treating every single warrior like he deserves, then I accept this mission. The next few weeks should be a good ride. Again, thanks to everyone for your support and another thank-you to my paralegal friend.
Toby Keith Recognized By Congress For His Dedication To Military -- [Newstalk 1010]
Toby Keith is being honored by Congress for his commitment to the U.S. troops. Congressman Tom Cole introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives on June 10th recognizing Keith for his six USO trips, among his other efforts on behalf of soldiers.
Cole said, "I believe Toby deserves to be acknowledged for his work. He's shown a unique understanding of the dedication and difficult work the members of the Armed Forces do and he has made it his priority to bring joy and entertainment back to them. I am proud to bring forth this resolution commending Toby Keith for all that he has done to boost the morale of the military. He has made Oklahoma very proud."
Keith said, "I appreciate Congressman Cole's recognition in introducing this resolution, and I have to say that the real glory belongs to those men and women I've met who leave their families and put it on the line for the rest of us. Getting to visit with them once a year is the biggest honor for me, and I will continue to encourage other artists and performers to make that USO trip."
Military children may get easier school transfers -- [Montgomery Advertiser]
Federal defense and education officials signed a formal memorandum Wednesday, agreeing to collaborate to make school transfers easier for military families, specifically in preparation of major force reorganizations coming up.
Department of Defense and Department of Education officials have been working on the agreement for several years, according to a DoD release. The agreement is aimed at preparing for the significant moves coming up as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process.
In Alabama, 4,000 military, civilian and government personnel are expected throughout the state -- that doesn't include spouses or children.
Registration for the MilBlog Community Track -- [Andi - milblogging.com]
The MilBlog Registration Package includes admittance into the full MilBlog Conference Track (all panels) and the exhibit hall. This package will be free of charge for milblog attendees. The BWE staff is extending the MilBlog Registration Package to milbloggers, milblog supporters, members of the military community or those who work in the troop support, non-profit community, but you must plan to attend the MilBlog Community Track in order to take advantage of this offering. We'd like to thank BWE for putting this package together for our attendees. If you want to register for additional events at Blog World Expo, you'll need to pay the associated costs.
We Miss You, Nicole -- [LT Nixon]
A bit of sad news. Our friend, Nicole Suveges, was killed in action in Sadr City on Tuesday while working with the Human Terrain Systems attempting to bring order into one of Baghdad's poorest and most lawless districts. She worked with me my first few months in Baghdad and I always remember that she was incredibly intelligent, very outgoing, and had a good sense of humor. Her accomplishments in life are lengthy as she was an Army veteran of the Balkans conflict in the field of PsyOps, was working on her PhD at the prestigous Johns Hopkins School in political science, and was serving her second tour in Iraq. We miss you, Nicole!
New GI Bill Passes Senate (Again) -- [Greyhawk]
