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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.
Iraq’s Interior Minister Thanks U.S. Troops for Liberating Iraq -- [CNS News]
A top Iraqi official visited wounded American troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Tuesday to thank them for their part in ending Saddam Hussein’s rule in his country.
“We have come … to express our gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices made by these great warriors, soldiers, in freeing the Iraqi people and in helping us in Iraq recover from tyranny and dictatorship,”
Iraq can go to Olympics. -- [FOX News]
A last minute decision by the Internal Olympics Committee (IOC) allows Iraq to participate in the Beijing Olympic games after a previous ban of Iraqi athletes due to the suspension of Iraq’s new National Olympic Committee.
The IOC had insisted the old committee be reinstated even though four members were kidnapped two years ago. Their fates remain unknown.
Petraeus: Conditions on the Ground Should Drive Troop Reductions
From Counterinsurgents to Peacekeepers -- [Michael Totten]
“It's not the end of fighting,” they wrote. “It looks like the beginning of a perilous peace.” This is exactly right, but millions of Americans still have no idea. Coverage from Iraq has diminished as much as the casualty rates since General David Petraeus implemented an effective counterinsurgency strategy in early 2007. At least we’re finally seeing a media consensus emerge after a year and a half of looking at the data as though it were inkblots on a Rorschach. It’s nearly impossible to work in Iraq anymore and deny what has happened.
Even so...
In The Fight: Episode 17 Promo -- [DVIDS]
We now return you to our regularly scheduled blog -- [From the Halls to the Shores]
Tell you what though, Baghdad is a pretty quiet place all things considered. I only heard those couple thumps that I wrote about early on, and the only fire I saw was directly related to - get this - victories by the Iraqi National Soccer Team.
Suffering for their sins -- [Armed and Curious - in Iraq]
...They had tried to be the Hezbollah of Iraq trying to take care of the people instead of the government and the media gleefully reported on their efforts while ignoring that the money to do these things came from extortion, blackmarketing, kidnapping and sponsorship from Iran.
...It has been an honor to watch the emergence of a new direction and its just good to see the world starting to hear the truth of what is happening on these ancient streets, the fertile marshes, the mountains, the beautiful fields of wheat and the hot desert wadis.
`Martyrs' List' tallies Mahdi Army's troubles
Iraqis' hunt for insurgents in Diyala unearths only ghost towns and drought -- [Times Online]
A wild dog was the first sign of life as Iraqi soldiers, supported by US troops, ventured into a village northeast of Baghdad.
...the buildings stand empty, all inhabitants and their belongings gone. Further searches throughout the rest of Fatamia reveal that only three or four families remained. Six months ago there were 30 to 40 families.
This eerie scene has...
Operation Omens of Prosperity begins in Diyala -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
The rural northern and eastern districts are the likely target of the operation. Iraqi troops redeploy in Kirkuk, police detain three Ansar al Islam operatives.
Glad Tidings? -- [Collabman's Thoughts]
Well, you don't have to look very hard to see the news related to the Diyala province. It has been swirling around the net over night and today.
...Also in Diyala, read how Fires Squadron, 2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment is responsible for squadron level targets related to economics, essential services, and governorates in Diyala...and the challenges they have - Humanitarian crisis: Displaced in Diyala
Series of suicide bombings mark Shia pilgrimage to Baghdad -- [IN-Iraq - embed in Iraq]
At 8 a.m. this morning I was awoken by one of the largest-sounding explosions I've heard. Followed by gunshots. I looked out the hotel window of where I was staying and saw the security detail looking up, probably at the rooftop guards, but no one appeared too concerned. They knew we weren't the ones being attacked.
The neighborhood was being rocked by suicide attacks targeting Shias while they marched toward the Kadhimya shrine where one of their important Imans is buried.
But you said we lost? -- [Dude, where's the beach?]
...Now that we've come so close to Victory why hasn't anyone brought up the surrender proclamation these guys made last year? Why hasn't anyone made them account for their actions... for emboldening the enemies of the West, and for prolonging the battle?
I will never forget their attempt to initiate a cut and run policy that would have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. They tried to abandon the Iraqi people, and they tried to surrender to the enemy.
Following -- [Playing in the Sandbox - in Iraq]
Of the many surprises I’ve had since arriving here, seeing how children react to our presence has been one of the more interesting. Driving through any of the nearby villages almost always yields small groups of kids standing on the sides of the roads, waving as we pass by. Waving back is one of the small pleasures I take from daily life here. I wish I knew exactly what was going on in their minds at that moment.
But driving by them is nothing compared to
New sheik takes stand against AQI -- [Fearless 1st Marines’ blog]
Amar Abdullah Husain al-Jumaili received his official appointment as a sheik, replacing his uncle, Sheik Ahmed Sarham, who was killed along with 20 other sheiks and three Marines after a suicide bombing at a meeting in Karma.
Auditor: Rebuilding Funding Should Cease -- [Los Angeles Times]
Rising production and skyrocketing prices could more than double the Iraqi government's expected bonanza in oil revenue this year, leading a top US government auditor to call for an end to American funding of Iraqi reconstruction projects. The Iraqi government had projected 2008 oil revenue of about $35 billion. But a
Is Victory in Iraq Worth the Damage? - [Los Angeles Times]
Today's question: Would victory in Iraq be worth the war's cost? Previously, Cirincione and Rivkin debated whether declining violence in Iraq signals a major turnaround for US forces.
Getting shot at.... Part II -- [THE CI-ROLLER DUDE - in Iraq]
...When we got back into the camp, the Marine sniper dude who was our over watch said: "Sorry, that dude shot at you, but I couldn't fire on him because there were woman and kids around him."
I was pissed...not at the Marines, but at the assholeIraqi who had shot at us. I wanted to go look for him. He missed, but he was trying to kill me. That really pissed me off...but I'm still alive.
This was the first and hopefully last time I was shot at... and I'm still pissed off that I couldn't go after the little terrorist who did it.
MilBlogs TV: Anbar Rising (part two) -- [Greyhawk]
Iraqi Army Scouts -- [Strategy Page]
...Iraqi commanders used their scouts they way they often rely on American troops.
...Each Iraqi division has at least one company of scouts. These troops have been available for several years now, and the terrorists and militias have tried to destroy them by attacking them or their families at home. Some scouts quit the army over this, and some were murdered (along with wives and children). Most scouts remained at their jobs, and the number of volunteers for scout training has increased.
Oh no, I am "Them" -- [Miserable Donuts]
I have had the most terrible realization in the whole time I have been here in Iraq. Since I moved up to Baghdad and began working for MNSTC-I, I have become one of the people at the "Puzzle Palace". I'm one of the guys at the Head Shed. I'm part of the "they" as in "they @#$%ed things up, back there in Baghdad" as spoken by people in the field (I know, I was one of 'em).
A Place For My Stuff -- [Brad's Excellent Adventure - in Iraq]
It’s kind of amazing how much stuff I accumulated in two years here. Even more amazing when you consider that my room is only about 7 ½ x 11 feet. But I’m sort of a packrat, I tend to overpack when traveling, and I like books and movies. So it’s no wonder I could barely turn around in here!
US Had Warning of Attack in Nuristan -- [A Battlefield Tourist]
...As an interpreter for US forces, Qourbon is seen as both a patriot and a traitor. In the mirror, Qourbon sees a man who helps those that are helping his country during some very dark times. Now that war was on the doorstep of his small mountain village, he knew he had to return home. His first thought is to help protect his family. A second thought is to warn the soldiers he’s committed to that a large scale militant attack on their base is imminent.
Marines Reach Out To Afghans
Taliban capture 25 Pakistani security personnel in Swat -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
A large Taliban force surrounded and overran a police and Frontier Constabulary post in northern Swat. This comes just days after Mullah Fazlullah held a high-level planning session with Taliban leaders and threatened to resume suicide attacks.
The Real Enemy Stays In The Shadows -- [Strategy Page]
The thing you have to understand about the violence in Afghanistan is that it isn't all, or even mostly, about the Taliban. The religious zealots of the Taliban grab all the headlines abroad, but the real causes are a long list of tribal feuds, plus
Earthquake shakes buildings in Southern California -- [AP]
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The strongest earthquake to strike a populated area of Southern California in more than a decade rattled windows and chandeliers, made buildings sway and sent people running into the streets on Tuesday. But there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or major damage.
Canadians aren't ready to welcome Khadr home -- [Calgary Herald]
CALGARY -- What to do with Omar Khadr?
Is he a child soldier who must be saved from the clutches of a U.S. military tribunal? Or is he a terrorist who is committed to fighting against western values and our very way of life?
I suspect it's the latter, but the recent release of a videotape showing Khadr being interrogated by CSIS agents has apparently sparked a fierce debate amongst Canadians, prompting many to call on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to intervene and bring Khadr home.
Bush Blasted by Pakistan PM - [The Australian]
Pakistan's Prime Minister lashed out at George W. Bush during talks in Washington yesterday, "reproaching" the US President over a US Hellfire drone missile strike inside Pakistani territory only hours before the leaders met.
Pakistani Intelligence Aiding Taliban and al-Qaeda -- [Jawa Report]
Not really too surprising since the Taliban are basically a creation of Pakistan's ISI service.
Intelligence, Pakistani Whispers and 'Fighting The War For Ourselves' -- [Threats Watch - Steve Shippert]
Pakistani Prime Minister Gilani’s demands that the United States hand Pakistan intelligence and allow the Pakistanis to exclusively “do the job” themselves has been irking me all day and into this morning. Again, here’s what he said right after meeting...
Strike on Iran Still Possible - [Los Angeles Times]
Bush administration officials reassured Israel's defense minister this week that the United States has not abandoned all possibility of a military attack on Iran, despite widespread Israeli concern that Washington has begun softening its position toward Tehran.
Chavez to U.S. Navy Humanitarians: Back Off! -- [Danger Room]
Two weeks ago the U.S. Navy reactivated the long-defunct 4th Fleet to oversea American warships in South American waters. It was part of the Navy's new emphasis on the world's former backwaters, Africa included. The idea? To use a little gunboat diplomacy, plus humanitarian missions and international exercises, to shore up security in developing countries and prevent simmering conflicts from becoming crises.
But Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez doesn't see it that way.
How Terrorist Groups End -- [Rand - Seth G. Jones, Martin C. Libicki ]
All terrorist groups eventually end. But how do they end? The evidence since 1968 indicates that most groups have ended because (1) they joined the political process (43 percent) or (2) local police and intelligence agencies arrested or killed key members (40 percent). Military force has rarely been the primary reason for the end of terrorist groups, and few groups within this time frame have achieved victory.
Iraq’s Interior Minister Thanks U.S. Troops for Liberating Iraq -- [CNS News]
A top Iraqi official visited wounded American troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Tuesday to thank them for their part in ending Saddam Hussein’s rule in his country.
“We have come … to express our gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices made by these great warriors, soldiers, in freeing the Iraqi people and in helping us in Iraq recover from tyranny and dictatorship,”
Former Landstuhl CSM releases statement on Barack Obama’s canceled visit to Ramstein and Landstuhl -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Today, Command Sergeant Major Craig Layton, USA (Ret.)—who served as the Command Sergeant Major at Landstuhl—issued the following statement on Barack Obama’s canceled visit to Ramstein and Landstuhl:
Blackhawk Down Pilot Slams Obama For Ignoring Wounded At Ramstein - With Video -- [Pat Dollard]
I’ve spent time at Ramstein recovering from wounds received in the service of my country, and I’m sure that Senator Obama could have made no better use of his time than to meet with our men and women in uniform there. That Barack Obama believes otherwise casts serious doubt on his judgment and calls into question his priorities.”
Jerral's new ride (Video) -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Jerral Hancock, former tank driver with the 1st Cavalry Division (and one of "my" favorite former patients), with his awesome new ride thanks to Phil Rush of Relaxed Customs and other great Americans of the Ventura County, CA community.
When Phil says that "people do actually give a damn about our guys and gals over there who get hurt", he means it.
Flag-raising Marine recognized as an American citizen -- [Stars & Stripes]
The flag raising at Iwo Jima has become an iconic American image, so federal officials were surprised to learn recently that one of the men was never fully recognized as an American citizen.
World Can't Wait and Their Quest for Relevance -- [C.H.U.D. Busters]
Description of Attack: World Can't Wait is struggling for relevance in the post-communist era. They have tried slapping more exclamation points on their website, and they penned a CHUDeriffic Op-Ed in the Berkeley Daily Planet on "Why I Don't Support the Troops". Now, they've jumped on the Code Pink bandwagon to protest the Marine Recruiting Station in Berkeley. Zomblog has captured the above CHUD propaganda with Abu Ghraib imagery, which has become a modern Neverending Story, fueling CHUD attacks for 5 years now.
Iraq War Vet “Spitter” Identified - Updated: MySpace Link - With Video -- [Pat Dollard]
The video of the “Peace Protester” spitting on an American Iraq War Veteran which we initially put up right here at PatDollard.com a little over a week ago, thanks to our friend Katie O’Malley from Human Events, from Matt Wolking at Wolking‘s World, and from the videographer himself, Iraq War Vet, and now good friend of mine Ross Nolan, has really made the Internet rounds and even landed Ross and Ryan McNicholas, of the UCSB College Republicans, a spot on Hannity & Colmes, click on the pic below to see that interview.
Demo -- [Acute Politics]
Tomorrow is the first day of “real training”- today and yesterday have been administrative-heavy with settling in to living quarters and sorting out the rush of confusion that accompanies shipping hundreds of men and tons of equipment to a base hundreds of miles away from home.
Dismissed Haditha Charges Appealed -- [AP]
SAN DIEGO - Prosecutors have appealed the dismissal of charges against a Marine officer accused of not investigating the killings of 24 Iraqis, a defense attorney said July 29.
Military prosecutors filed the appeal July 28 seeking to reinstate charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, civilian defense attorney Brian Rooney told The Associated Press.
Lt.Col Jeffrey Chessani -- [Matel - in Iraq]
Please see below. I have no personal knowledge of this, but I do know Haditah and the Marines. The Marines I know are honorable. It was a difficult and confusing situation. I have never come close to experiencing what they did, but I saw some of what was left. I side with the Marines on the ground, which is why I am posting what I got in email today.
...We now have 20 days to file a response brief. Your donation now (click here) sends a message to all our combat troops that you will stand with them when they need your help.
DV EmbarkVII: The Other Side -- [FBL]
Breakfast was an interesting experience. The petty officer warned us that we would be cutting in line "because we're on a tight schedule." But the looks we got from the long line of sailors waiting their turn almost made me defy the PO for the second time that morning. As he instructed a sailor to make room for us, the small tightening of the sailor's expression made his opinion clear despite the quick accommodation. I turned to look at all the sailors who would be behind us and they all had similar expressions.
Air Force Officer Dead; Likely a Suicide -- [Danger Room]
The Air Force's bad year just got a whole lot worse. A general who spent nearly two years as the executive officer to the recently ousted Air force chief of staff has died in an apparent suicide at his home in Alaska, AP reports:
National Guard unit returns from Iraq to heroes welcome -- [Quartzsite Times]
"It is occasions like this when we can welcome home our troops and show them our support that makes all the work worthwhile, especially knowing how much it
The Obama Doctrine: Bringing Us Into Submission -- [Scott Ott]
Every time you hear Sen. Barack Obama say that Afghanistan is the central front in the war against terror, you should cringe, and then stock up on imperishable food, gold coin, jerry cans of diesel, and ammo…lots of ammo.
Obama is trying to adopt Afghanistan as his war -- [GulfNews]
"As far as he is concerned, this is Bush's war and must end in lack of success, if not actual defeat." Nevertheless, Obama knows that most Americans believe ...
Obama's Devastating 2006 Antiwar Performance-- Now on YouTube -- [Gateway Pundit]
Here is the devastating performance he gave in Chicago on how best to declare defeat and surrender Iraq to Al-Qaeda:
Obama. Hope and change doesnt work in Iraq
From the Fact Check Desk: Did Obama Say During the Debate Over the Surge That "There's No Doubt that Additional U.S. Troops Could Temporarily Quell the Violence?" -- [ABC Blogs]
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, on January 10 2007 predicted (watch HERE) that the surge of troops in Iraq would fail.
...Four days later he told CBS's Face the Nation, that "we cannot impose a military solution on what has effectively become a civil war.
... "I know that there's that little snippet that you ran," referring to the MSNBC clip, "but there were also statements made during the course of this debate in which I said there's no doubt that additional U.S. troops could temporarily quell the violence.
Barack Obama will NOT end war. Troops must stay and fight.
Obama's War Party -- [Town Hall]
Barack Obama has joined the party of war.
Since it became clear that he would be the Democratic presidential nominee, Obama has left behind his peacenik rhetoric and seems eager to inform anyone who will listen that as president he would escalate U.S. military intervention -- in Afghanistan.
Click for larger image
(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.
REALITY SETS IN-- PETRAEUS WILL NOT BACK OBAMA'S HASTY RETREAT PLANS -- [Gateway Pundit]
Here's a major blow to the mainstream media and their non-surge supporting darling, Barack Obama...
General Petraeus is sticking with Bush and McCain and has decided to win the War in Iraq rather than withdraw US troops based on the latest popularity polls back at home.
AP Analysis: U.S. Winning Iraq War
Northern Iraq Burns -- [Strategy Page]
July 28, 2008: Turkish police believe that Kurdish separatists, not Islamic terrorists, were responsible for two bombs that went off in the capital yesterday, killing 16 and wounding over 150. No one took responsibility, which is a typical PKK tactic. Islamic terrorists are quick to claim responsibility, although of late al Qaeda has been calling for bomb attacks that kill fewer civilians. The attack in Turkey was directed against civilians.
Car bomb wounds Sunni Iraqi politician -- [Wa Times]
A car bomb on Sunday wounded a Sunni political leader and his son and killed two of his bodyguards, police said.
In a coordinated attack moments after the explosion, unknown gunmen opened fire on the house of Zaki Obaid Fayadh, head of the local branch of the Iraqi Islamic party in Fallujah, about 40 miles west of Baghdad.
The bomb went off as the driver started the engine and Fayadh and his son were approaching the car, police said.
Gunmen in Iraq kill 7 Shiites en route to shrine -- [AP]
Gunmen hiding in reeds in a Sunni town south of Baghdad killed seven Shiite pilgrims Sunday as they were marching to a shrine in the capital for a major holiday, officials said.
Military spokesman denies Shiite pilgrims killing en route to Baghdad Shrine -- [Aswat Al-Iraq - ]
Iraqi military spokesman on Sunday denied reports of Shiite pilgrims killing in a town south of Baghdad.
A Fish Story -- [Matel - in Iraq]
Fishermen near Hadithah are pulling bigger fish out of the Euphrates than anybody can remember. The fish got a chance to be so big because locals had been unable to fish during the late insurgency. Coalition forces had limited or banned river traffic to prevent terrorists from using the river as transportation and a way to get away. With the more stable situation, the ban was been lifted, but fishing did not return to its previous levels, despite the size of the fish population. Why not?
just a short one -- [THIS WE'LL DEFEND - in Iraq]
I have a few hours downtime here so a short post seems in order. Working with the Iraqi security forces certainly is a challenge. I am working on a longer post that will detail more, you all will just have to wait. Suffice to say, policeman are not allowed to charge "tolls" at checkpoints, especially when they charge only those who are a different sect of Islam. Anyway.......
What Do High Oil Prices Mean for Iraq's Future? -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
There are very few silver linings to the current record oil prices, but increased stability in Iraq is likely one of them. Today I have an article in the Middle East Times analyzing the effect that oil prices will have on Iraq:
Dust in the Wind -- [Miserable Donuts - in Iraq]
The picture doesn't quite convey how the very fine dust was everywhere. I woke up thinking I had caught a cold, when Iwalked outside it looked like a misty/rainy type day. A pity it wasn't.
Unfuck Yourself -- [The War on Big Tobacco - in Iraq]
...I never really had a reason for entering the military, of course, I always gave some bullshit response to an inquisitive sergeant, but in reality I kind of woke up one day and went to the recruiter’s office. Fast forward a year and there I stood with my head up my ass and a sergeant who looked as though he wished to replace it with the Humvee I couldn’t park. Durrr.
Hesitation will kill you in battle, he always says. Maybe it’s better to make decisions when you have no time to think them through, when you have zero room for error.
Applesauce Update -- [The War on Big Tobacco - in Iraq]
This morning my company did a four mile release run. Private Applesauce was the second female in the company and the first in my platoon to cross the finish line. She also beat about 20 % of the males.
You should have seen her smile in formation this morning.
Day 35 -- [Rocinante's Burdens - in Iraq]
More Pictures.
Just another typical downtown street. Notice the wires criss-crossing the street. Apparently, everyone here gets electricity, cable tv, satellite, internet, and telephone service by stealing it from their neighbors. They also have not figured out how to get it from their NEXT_DOOR neighbors and can only get it from across the street. Our tall vehicles tear these down all the time.
Peace or Quiet -- [Playing in the Sandbox - in Iraq]
The deep drone of a vehicle's engine just outside the door. Midnight artillery. Radio traffic. A thousand voices. Generators. Air conditioners. Islamic prayers through broken loudspeakers. Sometimes music. Always something. Ceaseless sounds strip silence from the surroundings.
The Tragedy of Ignorance -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
In the mountains of Afghanistan perhaps two or three of the elders of a village may be literate. Even that mundane capability contributes to the unlimited power they hold.
Who knows what they tell their people about us and why we are there? How much can even the "elders" know?
The answers to those questions are likely to vary widely. Some use their knowledge and power for good, such as those who harbored Marcus Luttrell. Others take a different path.
But the fact is, without knowledge, truth becomes a relative thing. Such is the tragedy of ignorance.
And the danger.
Obama's Sober Mood -- [Newsweek]
Wolffe: Based on what you've seen and heard on this trip, is there anything that has led you to review any policy, tweak things, rethink anything?
Obama: Our success in Afghanistan is going to be deeply dependent not just on getting more troops there, which we need, but also some sustained high-level engagement with Pakistan—something that I discussed before but I think is significantly more urgent than even I had imagined. Basically there doesn't appear to be any pressure at all being placed on Al Qaeda, on these training camps, these safe havens, in the FATA
AH-64 Viporize Taliban Fighters With Rockets And 30mm In Afghanistan.
US, Afghan forces beat back Taliban attack in Khost province -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
Between 50 and 70 Taliban fighters were killed after a force of 100 fighters assaulted a district center in Spera.
Baitullah Mehsud: The Making of a Terror State -- [The Captain’s Journal]
We have already covered the evolution of the Taliban from locally-, or perhaps nationally-oriented fighters, interested only in Afghanistan and the tribal and frontier regions to one of more global focus, a danger to Afghanistan, Pakistan and beyond (Nicholas Schmidle calls this new breed of Taliban the Next-Gen Taliban. Schmidle hit his target so hard and directly with his work that the Pakistani government kicked him out of the country after publishing on the Next-Gen Taliban).
Marine Expeditionary Unit MEU
...aaaaannnnd we're back. - in Afghansitan]
I never thought that I'd be even the least bit happy to be back at Phoenix. Don't get me wrong...the feeling is fading fast...but someone has developed the genius plan to leave returning soldiers in the POS “transient tents” at Bagram just long enough actually miss Phoenix. I feel so ashamed that it worked on me!
Families tied by war: Brothers in arms cross paths in Afghanistan -- [Combined Joint Task Force - 101]
“Of all places to run into your family -- on the other side of the world in Afghanistan -- how often does that happen?” said the Airman. “I felt a little closer to home when my brother came.”
Senior Airman Delgado is deployed to the 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here. Even though he is scheduled to deploy to Iraq in 2009, he volunteered for this deployment.
“I wanted to do my part in the war against terror. I deployed here to [provide] force protection,” said Airman Delgado, who performs F-16 maintenance inspections at his home station, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas. “I feel my mission is very important over here. We are the first line of defense for this base.”
Bush Meets Pakistani P.M., After U.S. Strike in Tribal Area -- [NY Times]
Mr. Bush, meeting with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani at the White House, sought to minimize the administration’s concerns about Pakistan’s willingness to fight extremists along its border with Afghanistan.
Senior American officials, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice just three days ago, have publicly urged Pakistan to do more to deny safe havens to extremists and terrorists, like the one bombed on Monday.
The Bin Ladens of the Balkans, Part II -- [Michael Totten]
I met Shpetim Mahmudi at a covered outdoor cafe on a cold day in late spring in the ethnic Albanian region of Macedonia. Black clouds hung low over the city of Tetovo. Fat rain drops pelted the sidewalk and the awning over my head as I shivered in my light black leather jacket. “Let's go inside,” he said, “where it's warmer and drier.” We found a table and ordered coffee. He leaned in close to whisper when the waiter stepped out of earshot. “We are really in trouble here,” he said. “We are really in trouble with the Wahhabis.”
Egyptian Islamic Preacher 'Amr Khaled: Within 20 Years, Muslims Will Be Majority in Europe; Muslims in Europe Should Be "Ambassadors for Islam" -- [MEMRI]
"The Muslims Keep Having Children, While the Europeans Do Not – This Means That Within 20 Years, the Muslims Will Be a Majority"
Interviewer: "How do you view the Islamic scene in Europe?"
Amr Khaled: "The most important thing is that there are 25-30 million Muslims in Europe. This figure has many implications."
Interviewer: "There are 25-30 million Muslims in Europe."
"Iran Says These Are Their Latest Weapons..." -- [Jawa Report]
"...American F-14s?"
Disgraceful Cindy Sheehan Does Inteview With Iranian Tv -- [Markedmanner Blog] HT: Jawa
She sickens me... This from Irans Press Tv
Somalia: Except for the al Qaeda connection and the pirates - no one much cares -- [EagleSpeak]
How to win friends and influence people: Somalia Islamist warns U.N.,
The man who claims to be Somalia's new opposition leader promised Friday to pacify his shattered country through Islamic law, warning U.N. peacekeepers they will face attack if they deploy and support the government.
Injured vets tell pull Dick Cheney invitation over security demands -- [Daily News]
WASHINGTON - Vice President Cheney's invitation to address wounded combat veterans next month has been yanked because the group felt his security demands were Draconian and unreasonable.
...His staff insisted the sick vets be sequestered for two hours before Cheney's arrival and couldn't leave until he'd finished talking, officials confirmed.
"Word got back to us ... that this would be a prerequisite," said the veterans executive director, David Gorman, who noted the meeting hall doesn't have any rest rooms. "We told them it just wasn't acceptable."
Al-Qaeda weapons expert believed killed in Pakistan -- [AFP]
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) — A top Al-Qaeda expert on chemical and biological weapons is believed to have been killed Monday in a suspected US missile strike in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas, security officials said.
Egyptian militant Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, had a five-million-US-dollar bounty on his head and allegedly ran terrorist training camps in Afghanistan.
Officials earlier said that three Arab militants and three Pakistani boys were killed when missiles fired by a suspected US drone hit a house attached to a mosque in the South Waziristan tribal district bordering Afghanistan.
"We believe he was killed in this strike," a senior intelligence official based in the northwestern city of Peshawar told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Driver told FBI agents U.S. could have killed bin Laden -- [McClatchy News]
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVY BASE, Cuba — In his seventh of month of U.S. captivity, Osama bin Laden's driver told a pair of FBI agents that it was America's fault that the al Qaida leader was alive.
The message was, ''You had these opportunities, America. You didn't do anything,'' FBI agent George Crouch Jr. testified Friday at Salim Hamdan's war crimes trial.
The United States could have killed bin Laden in Khartoum, Sudan, before he moved to Afghanistan in 1996, Hamdan told his interrogators. They could have killed him after al Qaida's 1998 twin bombings at the U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. Or after the October 2000 suicide bombing of the USS Cole, at the port of Aden in Yemen, which left 17 U.S. sailors dead.
Instead, ''Bin Laden was emboldened.'' So he struck with the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, leaving nearly 3,000 dead.
U.S. Headed for 'Heightened Alert' Stage -- [ABC News]
Government officials have been quietly stepping up counterterror efforts out of a growing concern that al Qaeda or similar organizations might try to capitalize on the spate of extremely high-profile events in the coming months, sources tell ABC News.
My Country, 'Tis of Thee -- [Threats Watch - Steve Schippert]
Sweet Land of Liberty, Of Thee I Weep... And Plead
“This, we will defend.” It is a common refrain among brothers in arms. Yet, more pressing than the visible threat from terrorists and the states which sponsor them, we are at serious risk of losing sight of what “this” is while we call on those few dedicated men and women who defend it honorably and without hesitation. We appear at grave risk of losing our way. Right now.
Victories For Sale -- [Strategy Page]
July 28, 2008: The war on terror has cost nearly $900 billion so far. World War II cost, at the time (in current dollars) over four trillion dollars. At the time, the costs amounted to over a third of U.S. GDP. The war on terror is costing about one percent of GDP. So while war may appear to be getting more expensive, relative to the amount of money available, it's actually getting cheaper.
Flashback 1993 -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
For President Bill Clinton, the results of his policy decisions in Somalia came into sharp focus during a Sunday-morning visit to soldiers wounded in Mogadishu.
Reporters were barred from Walter Reed Army Medical Center during the Oct. 24 session when an uneasy Clinton met with some of the 77 Americans wounded during an Oct. 3 battle that marked the end of a covert operation to seize Gen. Mohamed Farrah Aidid.
...But the president's visit to the hospital was prompted by a call from an angry Walter Reed physician. According to hospital sources, the doctor called the White House. "He said these men have been here for three weeks, and no one had paid any attention to them," said a source informed of the exchange. "The White House called back and said, 'The president will be there tomorrow morning.' "
Not Fit To Lead -- [Castle Argghhh! - Kat]
...But, what are they getting from some of our politicians? "Thanks, but no thanks." You saw your buddies die or lose an arm or leg? You were wounded three times? You spent days eating crappy food out of a box accompanied by gritty dirt and swarming flies? You slept on a concrete slab with your body armor as a pillow in hellacious heat or frigid night air? You flew in to a hail storm of bullets and RPGs to protect troops on the ground surrounded by enemies or to rescue the wounded who had minutes to live? Crash landed in enemy territory? Had to hide in a ditch with a broken arm, an M-4 and four magazines to defend yourself for 45 minutes until rescue came?
Forsook your own safety to pull your fellow soldiers out of harms way? Or, grabbed wounded men, women and children, blown apart by a terrorists bomb, threw them in your Hum Vee and drove without consideration for your own safety just to save their lives? Went back to base, washed the blood out of your truck, ate some more crappy food, caught four hours of sleep, brushed your teeth with a bottle of water, washed your face with the same and then went out and did it again for another 16 or 18 hours?
Apparently, for some folks, these men and women were "suckers" for fighting in "the wrong war."
The Volunteers -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
...If you are unable to thank a vet, say thanks to either the parents or the spouse of a vet, because they are the ones, who worry the most, while the service member is away, protecting your freedoms.
Overheard at the USO -- [FBL]
A young Marine has returned from MCT (post-bootcamp training) and, seeing the spread laid out in the kitchen, asks with honest surprise in his voice, "Is this for us?"
When told that it is, he has another question. "How much? How much does it cost?"
Assured that it's free, his eyes widen and face breaks into a grin. "Wow," he exclaims with earnest enthusiasm, "you get out of training and everybody starts being nice to you!"
Suicide hot line got calls from 22,000 veterans -- [AP]
More than 22,000 veterans have sought help from a special suicide hot line in its first year, and 1,221 suicides have been averted, the government says.
According to a recent RAND Corp. study, roughly one in five soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan displays symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, putting them at a higher risk for suicide.
The Tanker Brothers 100 Most Inspirational People List 2008 -- [Tanker Brothers]
I recently read a list of the 100 Most Inspiring People of all time while desperately hunting for some inspiration for myself.
So as usual I headed to the Milblogs for a solid dose of inspiration...and then it hit me. What we need is a down to earth, real people only list of inspirational people. So I propose to all of you that we make this list and present it to the world for New Years.
The Tanker Brothers 100 Most Inspirational People List for 2008.
Marine thanks the Corps with service - [The Fighting Fifth Marines Blog]
...“The country was in such a horrible condition, but after the Marines came, she no longer heard or saw violence and death,” said Shin.
After the Korean War, his grandmother knew she had to become a United States citizen to be safe and raise a family. She saved up money, moved to America to live with her sister-in-law and applied for her green card.
When Shin was born, his parents abandoned him, so his grandmother took him in to her care. Since his grandmother raised him and told him her story, he established a love for the Marine Corps because of what happened to her and South Korea.
“I was motivated to join the Corps because South Korea was such a small nation that was invaded by its neighbors,” said Shin. “The Marines saved millions of lives and now the country is one of the most technologically advanced and richest countries in the world.”
Warriors...In Their Own Words
Warriors...In Their Own Words
Blue Star Moms Welcome Home a Son -- [First Coast News]
A First Coast Woman saw the need for an organization to support soldiers and their families when her own son went to fight in Iraq.
Now Judy Edwards son is back, and the organization she founded, the Florida Blue Star Moms is going strong.
Gov. O'Malley Welcomes Home National Guard Troops -- [WBAL TV, MD]
The soldiers have represented their state and their nation honorably, and now we are so proud welcome them home.” The soldiers honored in this ceremony
Elisa Preston: Waiting for my soldier -- [Savannah Morning News]
Greg Preston embrace at the Welcome Home Ceremony on July 3 for 130-plus soldiers who returned from a 14-month tour in Iraq.
...There were about 130 soldiers in six or seven buses, and they were accompanied by moving trucks and Military Police escort vehicles. The buses parked, and soldiers got off and stood in formation behind a very long row of very tall evergreen trees.
The Army Times and AP Use False Photo to Denounce "Obama Blew off the troops" email -- [Blackfive]
RE: Obama's visit to Bagram
At that Army Times post, part of their evidence is a photo of Senator Obama talking to troops at Bagram - the caption states "Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama speaks to troops at Bagram Air Field on July 19.".
Here's the AP photo on the Army Times site:
Just one minor problem here - that's not Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. THAT'S CAMP ARIFJAN, KUWAIT.
The main problem here is that Snopes and the Army Times are claiming that the email was either a hoax or completely false. When I stated that I was reasonably certain it was legit, that was from a non-hoax point of view. I knew it was from a real soldier in Afghanistan. And my responses were based on the claims that it was not a real soldier in Afghanistan who sent the email.
So, here we have a patently FALSE photo in the Army Times from the Associated Press.
The Recruiter
ANOTHER Bogus Iraqi Slaughter Reported & Repeated By MSM -- [Gateway Pundit]
7 Shia pilgrims were supposedly ambushed and slaughtered on Sunday near Madain by gunmen hiding in reeds on their way toward a shrine in northern Baghdad for an annual event marking the death of an eighth-century saint.
USA Today reported:
The story was repeated no less than 490 times by the mainstream media.
...However, once again we find out later that this was just a bogus report and that authorities found nothing to back up the story.
Today the Iraqi military denied the reports of the ambush on the Shiite pilgrims.
"W." Bush Trailer Directed by Oliver Stone
Politics and the Military -- [A Soldier's Perspective - CJ]
With a highly politicized election year upon us, it's important for military members to understand and abide by the rules and regulations that govern our involvement in the political process. If we aren't aware of our boundaries, we can't exercise our rights as citizens of this great country. Military service does not equate to surrendering our rights to pass along our opinion of the topics or candidates.
Obama In Iraq's Quicksand -- [Commentary Magazine - Peter Wehner]
To listen to Barack Obama attempt to explain his views on Iraq and the so-called surge is becoming, for those of us who have followed his responses over the last 18 months, something of a spectacle. With every effort, it seems, he is compounding his mistakes in judgment with intellectually dishonest answers, ones which melt away under even minimal scrutiny.
The latest example is Obama's appearance yesterday on Meet the Press. During the interview, host Tom Brokaw played portions of an interview with Obama on January 10, 2007 – the day President Bush's so-called surge strategy was announced – when Obama said this
Be Afraid. Please. -- [NY Times - WILLIAM KRISTOL]
You really should be alarmed about a President Obama rubber-stamping the deeds of a Democratic Congress next year.
Senator John Thune Skewers Far Left Hee-Haw McCaskill -- [Gateway Pundit]
...Claire McCaskill proved that she is nothing more than a walking-talking Far Left nut.
McCaskill tried to pass out her loony Far Left talking points in a grown up discussion on FOX News Sunday... It was embarrassing. You almost felt sorry for her if she wasn't such a Far Left war loser who voted against the Bush Surge. ...Sadly, McCaskill, like Obama, still cannot admit that the surge was a great success despite the overwhelming amount of facts that are mounting against these antiwar libs.
Video: Trailer for Oliver Stone’s Bush movie debuts -- [Hot Air]
Via JWF, the soundtrack alone promises a film every bit as subtle, realistic, and restrained as “Natural Born Killers.” Given that part of the humor derives from the actors’ resemblance (or lack thereof) to the people they’re playing, this is shaping up to be the movie equivalent of one of those nutroots Bush/chimp photo comparisons.
Military Ghost Ride
Stupid husband tricks -- [Castle Argghhh!]
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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.
From Searching to Soccer -- [Up Country Iraq - in Iraq]
...Also from Iraq, which I assume you probably know about, the last of 550 metric tons of yellowcake was safely shipped out of Iraq to a firm in Canada. Yellowcake is the raw material from which nuclear bombs are made. A professor from Sussex University in England (Norman Dombey), estimates that the yellowcake shipped from Iraq was in large enough quantities to make 142 nuclear bombs. The presence of the material was kept very secret and it was shipped very quietly out of country to avoid any possibility of any of the insurgent groups getting their hands on it.
Key suspected terrorists surrender -- [MNF-I]
Since the beginning of July, three highly sought after suspected terrorists have surrendered to Iraqi Security and Coalition forces.
An emir of the Sinjar area Islamic State of Iraq, a front organization for al-Qaeda in Iraq, surrendered to the Iraqi Army for reconciliation in Kisik July 5, about 43 km west of Mosul. The suspect is reportedly involved in terrorist and foreign fighter facilitation and a leader of rocket and improvised explosive device cells.
Rusafa leaders give power to residents (Baghdad) -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD – Rusafa district area leaders gave power to Rusafa citizens when they conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony, turning on micro-power generators in Muhalla 125 of eastern Baghdad July 24.
...“We defeated all the criminals around us, and now we are progressing,” Mohammed said. “Criminals are behind us, and we have to do something in favor of our neighborhoods.”
The Anbar Rising - Part 1 - narrated by Greyhawk
Victory in Iraq Creates Options -- [Matel - in Iraq]
I have lived in Anbar for awhile now and met people involved in the Awakening. They hate Al Qaeda with considerable passion and we certainly could not have defeated the bad guys w/o their help. But w/o our help, THEY could not have defeated the bad guys either. Our friends would have been isolated and killed individually or in small groups, along with their families, and others would have been intimidated into silence. I don’t have to speculate about this. We saw that such things happened in 2005 and we still could see them happening on a smaller scale even in the time I have been in Iraq.
Let me be as blunt as I can. ...
The Kurds Show The Way -- [Strategy Page]
July 24, 2008: The sudden collapse of al Qaeda operations in western Iraq was largely due to tribal politics. There are only a few tribes, or major clans, in western Iraq (Anbar province), and once U.S. commanders had finally convinced the tribes to switch sides, it was like hitting a light switch.
"Team ISF" -- [Newsweek - David Botti - embed in Iraq]
...“We really had to take a deep breath,” First Sergeant Brian Disque said of the time when the violence died down. “It was like turning off a switch. It stopped, it just stopped.”
Today things are relatively quiet in Team ISF’s area of operations. They’ve got the Internet, a few phones, bunk beds, and air conditioning but otherwise live a spartan existence packed in close enough that the option for privacy is totally absent.
THE BATTLE FOR BASRA - (pdf) -- [Institute for the Study of War]
Over the last year, operations by Coalition and Iraqi forces have made signifi cant gains against al-Qaeda in Iraq and other Sunni insurgents. As the threat from these groups has decreased, Coalition Forces and the Iraqi government have focused their attention on the problem of Shi’a militias in central and southern Iraq. Nowhere was this threat more evident than in the southern city of Basra. In the wake of the premature British withdrawal from the city center and transition to an overwatch capacity in late 2007, Basra became a haven for militia and criminal activity. Rival Shi’a militias were engaged in a violent and protracted power struggle as drugs, weapons, and oil smuggling rings thrived. In late March 2008, the Iraqi government launched an offensive to reclaim the city from the militias. Iraq Report 9 offers a comprehensive look at the battle for Basra, Operation Knight’s Charge.
Vancouver soldier returning to combat zone as an amputee
Anna Song has been tracking the progress of Sgt. Matt Braddock for three years now and catches up with him to talk about his plan to return to Iraq, where he lost a leg to a roadside bomb.
Fun With Factions -- [Strategy Page]
Seems like most Iraqis either want someone to tell them what to do, or want to be the guy issuing the orders and death sentences. A really rough neighborhood. And it's getting worse partly because of all the training American instructors have been giving to the new Iraqi army and police force. There are still plenty of incompetent commanders and troops, but about a third of the units are pretty good, The trouble is that most army or police units are led by officers who are loyal to one faction or another. The troops tend to share the loyalties of their officers. Iraq, like most of the Middle East, is a culture of Factions.
My Continuing HP Lovecraft Tour of Iraq -- [Miserable Donuts - in Iraq]
I felt safe here, even after my earlier encounter. I was in Baghdad, large and cosmopolitan. A city looking to the future, despite a long past... how was I to know what waited for me?
Getting out the 81st Bde vote -- [Blog -AH - embed in Iraq]
WA Sec of State Release – The Secretary of State’s Elections Division is coordinating a three-week project to help ensure that Iraq-bound National Guard soldiers are properly registered and designated as military voters before they leave Washington in August.
Iraq banned from Olympics CNN Report
CNN's Hugh Riminton speaks with Olympic historian David Wallechinsky about the Iraqi ban.
Crocker Says Insurgency is Pretty Much Done in Iraq -- [LT Nixon Rants]
Ambassador Crocker doesn't strike me as a guy prone to bullshit about Mission Accomplished, and last year he famously told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that one word summed up Iraq...fear. So when he recently talked with reporters about how the insurgency was just about done, there is reason for optimism
Mosul conflict ebbs after five-year battle between Coalition, insurgents for control -- [LWJ - Bill Murray - in Iraq]
Iraqi and US troops have gained the upper hand against al Qaeda and the insurgency in Iraq's second largest city
Chad Hunt photo makes the cover of TIME -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Chad emailed last night to say one of his Afghanistan images has been selected for the cover of this week's TIME magazine. The photo was taken at a small outpost in the Korengal Valley during his embed with the 1oth Mountain Division in December 2006. The Soldier in the photo is 1SG David Combs, and you can see the full image here.
We both thought it was a bit ironic that it's taken almost 2 years for a magazine like TIME to need a good photo of Afghanistan, but whatever...
Video: al Qaeda Ally Using Children in Afghanistan -- [Jawa Report]
Here is the much discussed video from the Islamic Jihad Union showing children being trained for battle. The Uzbek jihad group trains in Pakistan and, like its allies in al Qaeda and the Taliban, raids NATO and Afghan forces across the Afghan border.
Islamic Jihad Union: Badr al-Tawheed (2nd half)
WARNING: The video, while not that graphic, does show the dead body of the child. Consider yourselves warned.
Pakistan cedes Hangu to the Taliban -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
Hangu is the latest settled district in the Northwest Frontier Province to fall under Taliban control.
Get Some Cheese -- [Dadmanly]
One of the great things about encouraging young soldiers to try out blogging, is when they take the plunge.
I'm been eager to read first hand reports from Afghanistan from one such soldier, blogging at Cheese's MILBLOG.
He got a scare this week
More U.S. troops may help but not solve Afghanistan -- [Reuters]
Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain and President George W. Bush all agree on one thing -- more U.S. troops should go to Afghanistan. But would they make much difference?
Many experts believe a boost in combat troops would help check worsening insurgent violence. Some are not convinced more troops are the answer and all believe that the problems facing Afghanistan require much more than military solutions.
Taliban Propaganda: Winning the War of Words? -- [International Crisis Group] Sabotage Detonates Explosives in Military Convoy, Killing 15 in Three ROK Marines Die in Pohang -- [GI Korea] Brotherhood Against Democracy [Counterterrorism Blog] Online Discussion on "The Challenges of International Terrorism -- [Counterterrorism Blog] Avoiding ‘CSI Kandahar’ - Will Democrats support our troops and fix Boumediene? -- [The Corner] Obama scraps visit to wounded troops -- [Breitbart / AP] Did Obama Snub Troops Becuase He Couldn't Bring Reporters Along? -- [Ace of Spades] Obama's "Inappropriate" Visit with the Troops -- [Weekly Standard] Lessons Of The Iraq War -- [Strategy Page] Are Homosexuals Superhuman? -- [Jawa Report] Free Welcome Home Banners -- [A Soldier's Perspective - CJ] Reno Army captain told to shut down blog from Iraq -- [Reno Gazette-Journal] HT: Castle Argghhh! Silent Posting -- [WaPo] HT: BlackFive Mitchell: 'Scuttlebutt' Says McCain Sabotaged Obama Military Hospital Visit -- [NewsBusters] Obama Whines that Troops Watch FOX News...VAST RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY! -- [Atlas Shrugs] CNN’s Amanpour ‘Surprised’ by Lack of ‘Euphoria’ After Obama Speech -- [NewsBusters] Bias By The Numbers -- [Texas Rainmaker] AP's Weird Way With Numbers: Hate Crimes Edition [Media Nlog - Kevin D. Williamson] Spot reports from the Politikal Frontkämpfern. -- [Castle Argghhh!] Baghdad, Berlin, Barack -- [WSJ] Shocker?... OK, Not Really... Obama Lies About His Opposition to Surge -- [Gateway Pundit] Obama Said The Surge Would Actually Worsen Sectarian Violence Hagel: Stop talking about surge, focus on 'New Order in the World' -- [AP]
The Taliban has created a sophisticated communications apparatus that projects an increasingly confident movement. Using the full range of media, it is successfully tapping into strains of Afghan nationalism and exploiting policy failures by the Kabul government and its international backers. The result is weakening public support for nation-building, even though few actively support the Taliban. The Karzai government and its allies must make greater efforts, through word and deed, to address sources of alienation exploited in Taliban propaganda, particularly by ending arbitrary detentions and curtailing civilian casualties from aerial bombing.
U.S. AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD
Iraq Iran -- [Ace of Spades]
Lovely base you 'ave 'ere, Guv'ner. Would be a shame if something were t' 'appen to it.
Details are only now starting to reach the outside world, and it looks increasingly like sabotage was responsible for devastating a military convoy as it travelled through Khavarshahar. The company responsible for moving the equipment, LTK, is owned by the Revolutionary Guards and is suspected of being involved in shipping arms to Lebanon’s Hizbollah Shia Muslim militia, which is trained and funded by Tehran.
...But what really concerns Iran’s leadership is that the incident is the latest in a long line of unexplained explosions.
Tensions have been running high in Tehran since Seymour Hersh, the respected American investigative journalist, revealed in the New Yorker magazine last month that President George W Bush had authorised up to $400 million to fund a major escalation in covert operations to destabilise the regime.
Having contended with Iran’s attempts to undermine the Iraqi government over the past five years, British and American military commanders are more than happy to undertake covert operations in Iran, and there have been unconfirmed reports that special forces "militants" are operating undercover in the country.
Here is something I think Koreans should show a bit of outrage about:
Three enlisted marines were killed Wednesday while standing guard at their base in the southeastern city of Pohang from what officials believe was the accidental collapse of a 38-year-old guard post.
WAR ON TERROR /TERRORISM
Seven years after 9/11 the ongoing confrontation between the free world and the forces of Jihadism seems to be revealing another broader more dangerous dimension: the emergence of an undeclared solidarity between regimes and organizations which --despite their enmity for each other -- come together to destroy freedom and obstruct its spread.
As several studies have demonstrated, organized radicalization and recruitment (let alone training and the provision of funds and weapons) has long been central to the formation of a terrorist--that is, someone who is not only angry but willing to act on that anger in a violent manner. Today, that organizational function is in some cases carried out more passively via exposure to ideas and, perhaps more critically, a sense of belonging to a group of like-minded followers, on the Internet. But even among the increasing number of "homegrown" terrorists, European officials stress the importance of pre-existing personal vulnerabilities that serve as "push factors"as well as exposure to "radicalizers" - in person or online - over a period of time.
SUPPORTING THE TROOPS...OR NOT
‘We don’t have to pass anything,” smirked Jerrold Nadler to Newsweek. “Let the courts deal with it.”
The key House Democrat seems ever ready to lend a terrorist a helping hand. Just ask Susan Rosenberg, the Weather Underground bomber he helped convince Bill Clinton to commute her 60-year sentence. But now it’s our troops — who Democrats are forever saying they “support” — who need a helping hand. So here was Nadler, giving his usual thumbs-down to a Justice Department plea that Congress provide them, and the nation, with something other than the usual empty words.
BERLIN (AP) - Sen. Barack Obama scrapped plans to visit wounded members of the armed forces in Germany as part of his overseas trip, a decision his spokesman said was made because the Democratic presidential candidate thought it would be inappropriate on a campaign-funded journey.
The spokesman, Robert Gibbs, said Thursday that Obama made his decision out of respect for the servicemen and women, but Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign immediately criticized the move.
"Barack Obama is wrong. It is never inappropriate to visit our men and women in the military," said Brian Rogers, a spokesman for the Republican contender.
Earlier I blogged about Obama canceling a scheduled trip to meet troops stationed in Germany. The reason given was his campaign was paying for this part of his trip so it was somehow inappropriate to visit the troops. As I noted, he could have avoided turning it into a political event by ditching the press.
Obama canceled a planned visit with U.S. troops in Germany because, his spokesman said, it would be "inappropriate to make a stop to visit troops at a U.S. military facility as part of a trip funded by the campaign."
But after a July 2 campaign event in Colorado, "Obama later paid a private visit to the U.S. Air Force Academy and Peterson Air Force Base and raised money for his campaign at a $1,000-per-person event at a luxury hotel."
That trip to Colorado was certainly "funded by the campaign". So how was that visit okay if visiting troops in Germany is "inappropriate"?
MILITARY
July 25, 2008: As the U.S. armed forces have done so many times before, they entered the uncertainty of a new war in 2001, and are now trying to figure out what they gained from it. Most of what went on during this war was unreported or misreported. This is nothing new. The important details, and lessons, of all past American wars were poorly reported, and what the military is trying to avoid is taking away the wrong lessons.
The problem with the whole debate over whether or not homosexuals should be allowed to openly serve in the U.S. military is that no one is willing to admit what we all know: men want sex. A lot of it. And with multiple partners
WELCOME HOME
[UPDATE] The program was tremendously successful. Buildasign gave away all 10,000 banners in just three weeks, helping families of the armed forces using the resources they had. Now that they hit the 10,000 free banner mark, Buildasign still wants to help out all the families going to their website looking for a banner for their "Welcome Home" celebration. They are offering 10,000 free customizable license plates now and 50% off the banners. The link is the same, www.buildasign.com/Troops
MILBLOGGING
Gallagher, a Reno native, announced June 27 that he had been ordered to stop posting to "Kaboom" because of his May 28 post: "The Only Difference Between Suicide and Martyrdom is Press Coverage."
...Boisselle said she knows Gallagher, who has eight months left in his deployment, still feels honored to be serving.
"He wants people to know that this is the choice he's made," said Boisselle, 22. "I hear it in his voice. Despite what he's said about the Army, he's proud of his men and his decision to join."
His family remembers what led him to do what he said "someone else's sons and daughters" do.
"But don't tell me 'I'm sorry,' or gasp an 'oh dear!' when you see me home on leave visiting my family, and you hear that I'm now in the Army," Gallagher wrote in his first entry. "Save your condescending prattle for yourselves. I chose not to indulge. I escaped for a reason.
With His Blog Kaboom, a Young Soldier Told of His War. Last Month, the Army Made Him Shut It Down.
...Word got around, and more and more readers closely followed the postings of 25-year-old Lt. Matthew Gallagher, with the site drawing tens of thousands of page views. By the time Kaboom went kaput last month -- Lt. G was ordered to take down his blog -- it had a following that would be the envy of many a small-town paper.
THE MEDIA
Are reporters in the business of reporting fact or rumor?
...Barack Obama's cancellation of plans to visit injured military members at bases in Germany has drawn considerable attention and criticism. On today's Morning Joe, Mitchell passed along an Obama-campaign inspired rumor that McCain used his Pentagon connections to sabotage the Obama visit.
This thumbsucker is unbelievable. Click below to watch the video of Obama complaining that the troops only watch FOX." Why is FOX always on? " Obambi whined. Major Garrett said, "they make the choice" " Obama replied "Is that the commander in chief's choice?" huh? What a frickin crybaby.
He implies its a Bush conspiracy. Just for knowing, American Forces Radio and Television Service offers all cable channels and mainstream media channels, the troops choose FOX.
It aint a conspiracy its called "remote control"! The troops can change the channel.
CNN’s chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour, reporting on Barack Obama’s speech in Berlin on Thursday’s “The Situation Room,” expressed her shock that the European crowd didn’t seem to have the same mania for the Democrat that the media has: “I did ask some people as they were leaving what they thought. Everybody said good, good. But I was surprised that there wasn't this sort of euphoria afterwards,
Face it, there’s a liberal bias in mainstream media. The actions of the New York Times this week in publishing an editorial for their darling, Barack Obama, while initially refusing to do so for John McCain is just the latest evidence. In addition, McCain is getting the standard election-cycle treatment by the media, enjoying 1 minute of coverage for every 3 minutes for Obama… to say nothing of the fact that much of that single minute is negative coverage to boot.
The Associated Press is reporting an increase in the number of hate crimes in Los Angeles:
So 125 hate crimes against Latinos and 310 against blacks: that's 435 of the 763 hate crimes reported, meaning that 328 hate crimes — the largest group — were suffered by people who weren't black or Latino. So, AP, who were they? Whites, Asians, Jews, Native Americans, homosexuals, what? Aren't they worth reporting
POLITICS
And while these are single-straw views of a much larger whole, and anecdotal, they deserve a hearing, too. We'll happily accept inputs from deployed personnel who were happy and impressed by Senator Obama, too.
...When his plane arrived (also containing Senators Reed and Hagel, but the news has hardly mentioned them), there was a "ramp freeze." This means if you are on the flight line, and not directly involved with the event in question, you stay where you are and don't move. For a combat flight arriving or departing, this takes about ten minutes, and involves the active runway and crossing taxiways only. For Obama's flight, this took 90 minutes, during which time a variety of military missions came grinding to a halt. Obviously, this visit was important, right?
Obama might have given Baghdad the same support he gave Berlin.
"But in the darkest hour," said Sen. Obama, "the people of Berlin kept the flame of hope burning. The people of Berlin refused to give up. And on one fall day, hundreds of thousands of Berliners came here, to the Tiergarten, and heard the city's mayor implore the world not to give up on freedom. 'There is only one possibility,' he said. 'For us to stand together united until this battle is won…. The people of Berlin have spoken. We have done our duty, and we will keep on doing our duty'." This, from a U.S. Senator whose consistent message to the people of Baghdad, a similarly besieged city, also dependent on America's protection, has been, in effect, to give up.
Today's Obama lie is brought to you from his interview with Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News
Power Line discovered this Obama lie.
Brian Williams asks Obama about the surge, and whether it has been a success. Obama answers that "even at the time of the debate of the surge, was if you put 30,000 troops in, of course it's going to have an impact."
Obama tells Brian Williams that he always said more troops would have an impact
"I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence there in fact I think it will do the reverse.
OMAHA, Neb. — Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, fresh from an Iraq trip with Democrat Barack Obama, said the presidential candidates should focus on the war's future and stop arguing over the success of last year's troop surge. Hagel mentioned both candidates, but his comments seemed directed at Republican John McCain. McCain, while Obama traveled the Middle East, attacked Obama for opposing the military escalation last year that increased security in Iraq.
"Quit talking about, 'Did the surge work or not work,' or, 'Did you vote for this or support this,'" Hagel said Thursday on a conference call with reporters.
HUMOR / SATIRE
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Iraq, Afghanistan, War, Terrorism, Military, Politics, Media, MilBlogs, dawn patrolMudville
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.
