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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.
Reservists' Duty Costs City $65M -- [New York Post]
More than 2,000 city workers have been called up to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan since 9/11, costing the city $65 million, Rep. Anthony Weiner said yesterday. "It's time that the military reimburse New York for its sacrifice," Weiner said
Iraqi teenagers answer questions from readers. -- [NY Times]
Iraqi teenagers answer questions from readers.
“If you could see one man put on trial for his crimes, who would it be: George W. Bush or Osama bin Laden?”
What Iraqi Expats Are Saying Now -- [WSJ - NUMAN AL FADDAGH]
"I am from Fallujah" says one man – an art agent – with a cigar ever between his fingers. "We should make the most benefit from the Americans while we can. It is a moment of history. We either get a state now, or we will always be like this."
The New Baghdad
Baquba -- [Up Country Iraq - in Iraq]
...Although Diyala province is one of the more active northern provinces, I need to put that in perspective by pointing out that the enemy activity is down to a few of contacts per day between them and IP or US forces in that province. The situation is similar to Mosul in that the heavy presence of police and army checkpoints has severely limited the ability of the insurgents to plant IEDs or to move freely around the cities,
Nominal Degrees and Rising -- [Notes In The Eye of The Storm - in Iraq]
Most nights are uneventful. There have been very few mortar attacks on the base except for last night. Since one of my supervisors is on vacation I’ve been asked to fill in and provide tech support for a couple hours a night at a trailer compound that we provide internet service to...
New Guys -- [Fraser From Iraq - in Iraq]
Ok, New Guys have come to town, which means a few things. First it means that some old guys have rotated back to the normal world in the U.S. It also means that some more people are closer to rotating back to the normal world in the U.S. And it means there are now people here that don’t smell as bad as the rest of us. Their uniforms are new, their underwear are fresh, and they still smell like back home.
From The Frontline - July 1, Part 1
This edition features stories on Police Transition Team 8 performing security patrols, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment Golf Company performing personal security, and 937th Engineer Company 5th Platoon performing a route clearance. Part 1 of 3. Provided by Regimental Combat Team 1.
Cluebat, Meet Hezbollah in Iraq -- [Jawa Report]
The first clue that Hezbollah is operating in Iraq? A Shia insurgent group calling itself Hezbollah in Iraq.
The second clue? Here is a frame from a "Hezbollah in Iraq" video showing what the group claims is the firing rockets at the Green Zone. Note the symbol in the upper right.
Power
Building of new power plants in Iraq
COPS -- [Matel - in Iraq]
Meeting with Rutbah Police Chief
The Rutbah region that is his area of responsibly is vast and thinly populated. It includes the Syrian and Jordanian border areas and the POEs at Waleed and Trabil, the village of Akashat, Nukhayb as well as the Saudi border region and POE Ar-Ar. It takes a lot of police officers, vehicles and fuel to patrol a place like this. Unfortunately, Iraqi government resource allocation decisions are based on population w/o sufficient concern for area.
RAND Monograph: Prewar Planning and Occupation of Iraq -- [The Captain’s Journal]
...There were two failures here. The first was with Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz and their group think mentality in which they bullied generals to agree (or at least stay silent). What is indeed difficult to imagine is that men would have reached the age Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld and Cheney were and still have been unable to think critically. The second failure is with generals who are equally unable to think critically.
Pressing ahead with the mission -- [Staying in Touch - in Afghanistan]
...The question I have been getting recently from reporters is why is there an increase in violence? A little while ago a National Guard colonel from Texas completed a phone interview from my office, and I think his answer was on the mark -- desperation and the fact that there are upcoming elections in the U.S. and in Afghanistan.
He went on to explain that as we continue to penetrate deeper into the countryside and continue to build schools and wells and deliver support to the people, the Taliban loses influence. So they are fighting back, and they believe that through violence, terror and aggression, they can weaken the resolve of the people.
Helmand Province and the wider “War on Terror”. -- [Michael Yon]
T...o the Afghan population, the most visible sign of the Afghan Government is the Afghan national police. We must do more to get the police under control, because at the moment we are not doing anywhere near enough. The roads and security infrastructure that we have built are often used to make it easier for the police to rob people. The other day, I spoke to an interpreter I used 18 months ago in Lashkar Gah: he told me that a teenager ...
A Marine's letter from Afghanistan -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
USMC Lance Cpl. Andrew Whitacre sent this letter home to Portland in late April 2008.
...Just remember that all the men and women who are here — are here because at one point they took an oath to protect and serve YOU. The support of the citizens of the country we fight and die for is all that we ask. We don’t need, nor want to be treated like heroes, although I have seen many young men who are worthy of the title. All we need is to know that we have not been forgotten.
Italians Moving 500 Troops to Farah -- [A Battlefield Tourist]
Italian Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa says 500 Italian troops, presently stationed in Herat, will move to the turbulent southwestern Afghan Province of Farah. The move will coincide with the French take over of command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from Italy in July.
RTF3 contact in afghanistan
Afghanistan Deadlier Than Iraq -- [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Militants killed more U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan than in Iraq last month, as they did in May.
Iran ‘seriously considering’ new international nuclear offer --[McClatchy]
Iran's senior diplomat said Tuesday that Tehran was seriously considering a new offer from six world powers to resolve the dispute over its nuclear program, and he praised the package as “constructive.”
On Canada Day we celebrate... -- [The Torch]
Bravo Zulu to all in uniform, and have a happy and safe Canada Day!
Ex-Guantanamo detainee suicide bomber fought at Tora Bora -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
Abdullah Salih al Ajmi, the former Guantanamo detainee behind the March 23 suicide bombing at Combat Outpost Inman in Mosul, Iraq, was a member of the Taliban who fought at the battle of Tora Bora
Terrorism: Al-Qaeda draws new recruits via Internet -- [AKI - Hamza Boccolini]
Al-Qaeda is using the Internet to recruit vulnerable young people to its terrorist network, according to a programme aired on Saudi Arabian TV late on Tuesday
Two Worrisome Trends -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
There are two stories today that point to ongoing problems and the future contours of the conflicts in which we will be emerged in coming years.
The first is the extensive New York Times piece on who lack of resources, bureaucratic infighting and lack of unified vision (coupled with a high tolerance for Pakistan's game-playing) has helped allow al Qaeda to regroup in the tribal regions.
Perhaps the most disturbing item in the piece, which chronicles numerous disturbing elements that show how much the inter-agency process is returning to its pre-9/11 mindset the further the memories recede, is the following:
Al Qaeda made movie of Mosul murder of Muslims by ex-Guantanamo detainee (no lawyers were harmed) -- [9/11 Families]
...Currently streaming across the Internet is the video of al Ajmi blowing himself up. As it is long and just another blah, blah, blah, two booms and some bodies al Qaeda B-movie, I’ll intersperse a non-graphic sequence of his departure (with 13 innocent Muslims in tow)
Honor Our Military -- [Washington Times]
As has been infrequently reported, as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan progressed, a number of members of our military became somewhat dismayed and disturbed by the almost complete lack of positive coverage printed
Soldiers' Angels, Patriot Guard Riders -- [NewsBlaze]
Soldiers' Angels and Patriot Guard Riders are two amazing volunteer organizations that support the troops. As of March 2008, Soldiers' Angels has 180,000 members and Patriot Guard Riders has 130,000. Both organizations work well together although they have different goals. NewsBlaze supports what both organizations do. In many of the stories listed below, NewsBlaze took video footage of Both organizations being interviewed by TalkingWithHeroes.com radio show host, Bob Calvert.
Blinded In War, But Still Serving -- [Philadelphia Inquirer]
...Not content with just staying in the Army, he is the only blind officer serving in the Special Forces - the small, elite units famed for dropping behind enemy lines on combat missions.
Bosses Delete Outspoken Army Blog -- [Danger Room]
...But in a posting on May 28, LT G later acknowledged, he went too far. His superior officers asked him to become the company XO, or executive officer. LT G demurred. The response: "an illogical backlash from higher, acting like a spurned teenage blonde whose dreamboat crush tells her point-blank that he prefers brunettes."
Finito -- [Fun With Hand Grenades]
After three and a half years of updating this blog I simply don’t know how to put my thoughts into words anymore. While on leave I learned that over the course of two deployments my ability for self expression has been shattered; apparently it applies to my writing as well.
Family Prepares For Triad Soldier's Homecoming -- [digtriad.com]
A Triad family is preparing to welcome home a soldier.
Army Spc. Lee Howerton will arrive in Greensboro Wednesday afternoon after his first 15 month deployment to Iraq.
Law -- [Greyhawk]
The New GI Bill becomes law: (video)
...along with some other items.
Details of the veterans education benefit here.
Comments from the White House:
Honestly, besides being tortured, what did McCain do to excel in the military? -- [America Blog]
It's not "nice" to ask the question, but it's actually a pretty good question. Yes, we all know that John McCain was captured and tortured in Vietnam (McCain won't let you forget). A lot of people don't know, however, that McCain made a propaganda tape for the enemy while he was in captivity. Putting that bit of disloyalty aside, what exactly is McCain's military experience that prepares him for being commander in chief?
"Dig it!": A short video about Barack Obama's friends -- [TigerHawk]
Paul Budline, a Princeton-based writer and producer of documentaries, got to thinking this afternoon about Barack Obama's friendship with Chicago radicals Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn. Out came this crisp little video, "Dig it!".
Barack Obama's friends
New York Times Asks Iraqis if Bush OR bin Laden Should be Tried for War Crimes -- [Amy Proctor]
In a New York Times series with Baghdad teenagers, the question from the NYTimes was:
“If you could see one man put on trial for his crimes, who would it be: George W. Bush or Osama bin Laden?”
Too bad for the NYT, but the Iraqi teens didn’t hesitate to answer “Osama bin Laden”.
Philly Inquirer Says No 4th For You, America is Evil, WOT is a ‘Scam’ -- [Stop the ACLU]
You know, I was wondering when this was going to happen, when someone in the MSM would say Bush has ruined July Fourth? The Philadelphia Inquirer didn’t disappoint by wallowing in the worst example of blame-America-above-all as well as the most extreme case of BDS that I’ve seen
The success in Iraq is real and the gains have been phenomenal. -- [Gateway Pundit]
Associated Press had to put their nasty spin on this wonderful news today...
Because, 5 years is just way to long to build a functioning democracy in the Middle East from a dangerous terror-coddling regime. ... It's no wonder Americans do not understand thay we are winning in Iraq.
Hume Correctly Predicts Only FNC Would Report Progress in Iraq -- [
...Tuesday, the administration determined “there has been satisfactory progress on 15 of the 18,” FNC's Brit Hume doubted “word of this progress is going to get through” to the public as he predicted:
Court to Mull Individual Right to Drill for Oil -- [ScrappleFace]
When the U.S. Supreme Court reconvenes on the first Monday in October, the nine Justices may consider whether the Constitutional preamble clause “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity” guarantees an individual right to drill for oil.
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
