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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.
Another update from Joe Honan. -- [Castle Argghhh! - Joe Honan - in Iraq]
...The move to democracy has been interesting here as well. The people of Al Anbar (mostly Sunni) have learned a hard lesson about not voting. Whenever they complain about Baghdad I remind them that if they want the government to be responsive they need to vote. Unless they are involved in the process you can’t really expect to benefit from it. That’s something that I really think they’ve learned, and I look forward to seeing the turnout here this next election.
Soccer Tournament Celebrates Sunni and Shia Unity in Yethrib -- [MNF-I]
Shouket Ahmed Rahman, Mayor of Yethrib, Iraq, shakes the hand of a soccer player from Albu Faras during the opening ceremonies of the Yethrib nahi'a soccer tournament. For the first time since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, the Yethrib District is holding a multi-village soccer tournament to commemorate the substantial progress that has been made in regards to security and stability in the Salah ad Din province. For over half a decade, the Balad and Yethrib areas have been plagued with sectarian violence that has pitted rival Shiite Muslims and Sunni Arabs against one another.
Iraqi – U.S. memorandum of understanding for troops' withdrawal -- [Voices of Iraq]
BAGHDAD, July 7 (VOI) – The Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki on Monday said that negotiations with the U.S. side are still underway, aiming at reaching a memorandum for U.S. troops' withdrawal from Iraq, or to draft a timetable for the withdrawal.
Iraqis lead final purge of Al-Qaeda -- [Times Online - Marie Colvin - embed in Iraq]
Last Friday I joined the 2nd Iraqi Division as it supported local police in a house-to-house search for one such bomb after intelligence pointed to a large explosion today.
Even in the district of Zanjali, previously a hotbed of the insurgency, it was possible to accompany an Iraqi colonel
Intermezzo -- [Belmont Club]
...Taken together these developments provide a rough, but fairly probable picture of what the situation will look like when the Bush Administration leaves office. Domestically, Al-Qaeda will probably have been reduced to insignificance, but remain dangerous within its dormancy.
Iraqi forces pursue Mahdi Army in Baghdad -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
...The move in Sadr comes one day after Iraqi soldiers closed the Sadrist office in the neighborhood of Shula, where the Sadrist maintain a strong presence. This is the second Sadrist office to be closed in Shula since May.
Roadwork -- [Greyhawk]
I suppose this is good news from Iraq:
...All from the same article, in which we also learn that "yellowcake alone is not considered potent enough for a so-called "dirty bomb"".
But that begs the question: if you had 500+ tons of nuculer material in storage in Iraq, would you tell the world?
AP Exclusive: US removes uranium from Iraq -- [AP - Seatle Times]
The last major remnant of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program - a huge stockpile of concentrated natural uranium - reached a Canadian port Saturday to complete a secret U.S. operation that included a two-week airlift from Baghdad and a ship voyage crossing two oceans.
The removal of 550 metric tons of "yellowcake" ...
Another Huge Blow to Democrats-- Iraqi PM Maliki Announces "We Have Defeated the Terrorists!" -- [Gateway Pundit]
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki announced on Saturday--
"WE HAVE DEFEATED TERRORISM!"
State Rep. USMC Staff Sergeant Jim Watson in Iraq: Interview Part 1 of 4
Iraq gains may allow pullouts -- [Jackson Sun]
"I believe the momentum we have is not reversible," said Jack Keane, a retired Army vice chief of staff who helped develop the Iraq strategy adopted by President Bush in January 2007.
There will be "significant reductions in 2009 whoever becomes president," said Keane, who regularly consults with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.
More Arabs recognize Iraqi govt as legit -- [Iraqi Mojo - Iraqi blogger]
More good news. Arab nations are finally beginning to recognize the legitimacy of the Iraqi government and are officially normalizing relations with Iraq.
Iraq, Humanitarian Assistance
One Tick Closer -- [Zen Traveller - in Iraq]
...Some came to this country out of a sense of duty, others for the money, most simply because this is where the military sent them. Nonetheless, there we were, in a makeshift coffee trailer celebrating the 4th of July all together; everyone with a sense of it was yet another day in Iraq, just one more tick closer to being home.
Looking for bombs -- [Up Country Iraq - in Iraq]
...While I was eating dinner last week, I was approached by a couple of lieutenants who informed me that they have used the Lessons Learned handbook on route clearance, but that this handbook, being two years old now, was outdated due to the rapidly changing enemy tactics and procedures.
Shabbat in the Sand -- [Big Tobacco - in Iraq]
...I look at my watch. It isn't Groundhog Day after all; it's Friday and almost 1830. If I were home I would be pulling on my dress pants and getting the kids ready to go to services. Instead, I'm pulling my body armor over my head and putting some last-minute information out to my squad leaders about the mission. I have no candles, but I can light two cigars. I have no wine, but I have purple Gatorade.
"And then we'll go to Temple...."
It's HOT!! -- [Brad's Excellent Adventure - in Iraq]
Well, yesterday was a record, at least for me. It’s been consistently hot here (115 -117 degrees F) since I came back from R&R, with only rare brief periods of respite (anything below 110 F feels relatively mild). But yesterday’s weather ...
"Part of me is going to stay here"- Indiana soldier reflects on his time in Iraq -- [IN-Iraq - embed in Iraq]
(Sgt. McCue pointing to Samarra where he's been deployed with 2nd/327th Infantry for nine months.)
Pakistan and the Taliban -- [A Major's Perspective - in Afghanistan]
Last week I wrote an article that discussed some of the new actions that Pakistan was taking against the Taliban and Militia elements within the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and the North West Frontier Province. A gentlemen by the name of Jerjes Talpur from that area of Pakistan wrote in the comments
The Last Patrol -- [WSJ]
NARAY, Afghanistan -- It's 4 a.m., and a slender crescent moon casts a pale light over Spc. Sean Geer. He has nine bottles of water and 10 loaded rifle magazines strapped to his body armor. He has a bandana tied under his helmet to soak up the sweat. He has removed the pointer and middle fingers from his glove to give him a better feel for the trigger.
Marines in Helmand Transition from Combat Ops to Rebuilding -- [bravo61]
Escalation in Afghanistan -- [Captain's Journal]
Both the size of the ISAF and the insurgency are growing in Afghanistan, but the the rates of growth are disparate.
An Afghan Retreat - [bravo31]
Situated to the west of Kabul lies a site most people would not expect to see in Afghanistan, the Qargha resort.
AFGHANISTAN: The Civil War That Time Remembered -- [Strategy Page]
...The Taliban and al Qaeda are fighting a two front war, which is never a good thing. In Pakistan, which is supplying up to half the fighters for Afghanistan operations,...
National 9/11 Flight Crew Memorial dedicated July 4th -- [911 Families - Tim Sumner]
On Friday, just outside of Dallas/Ft Worth International Airport, the first national memorial to 9/11 heroes was dedicated. Shirley Hall, who is a Flight Attendant and the Vice President of the 9/11 Flight Crew Memorial Foundation, explained the memorial sculpture’s symbolism during the memorial’s July 4, 2008, dedication ceremony:
How the NutRoots celebrate the Fourth…The “Me Generation” strikes again…. -- [Amused Cynic]
What an embarrassing way to welcome 70 new citizens to our country. President Bush, addressing the new citizens just prior to their taking of the oath of allegiance, was interrupted by three or four Code-Pinko types, who come up with such original epithets as “war criminal” and “facist” to hurl at our soon-to-be former president. I’ve become immune to such a lack of classiness on their part, but ...
BUSH HECKLED AT 4TH OF JULY CEREMONY
The Syria Card by David Haimsky -- [Small Wars Journal]
The ongoing, peace talks between Israel and Syria have been relatively underreported in the news media, and are surprisingly seldom discussed in policy circles in Washington, despite the fact that their potential success will drastically change the political landscape in the Middle East in Washington's favor.
The River - Part II -- [Michael Yon]
There were informers everywhere. In the hotels, in the restaurants, near the docks and on the river. And so, in addition to the natural dangers of the journey, there were the dangers of the military junta.
The team would consist of eight people: seven Burmese and one American. I was supposed to be part of the team, but was stuck in Thailand after having been refused a visa.
Boyz To 'Men': Al-Qaeda's Youth Recruiting -- [Threats Watch]
CBS News is reporting an up-tick in al-Qaeda’s recruitment of young boys into its terrorist ranks. While not questioning the core point of the report (youth recruitment), it may be worth pausing to re-consider the context provided.
Europe's most dangerous terrorist released to house arrest -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
It isn’t every morning that you wake up and read in the newspaper that one of the worlds most dangerous terrorists has been released on bail but that is exactly what happened...
Definition of a C.H.U.D. -- [CHUD - Lt Nixon]
...a CHUD can be defined as an irrational citizen making threats or allegations against our fellow servicemembers on either the internet, at anti-war protests, in the media, or even in Washington D.C. It's best to keep your eyes open when you are hunting CHUDs,
To Heck With The Nuances, "Fuck The Troops!" -- [CHUD -- LT Nixon]
What better way to rail against "the establishment" than denigrating our beloved troops. Despite the fact that many soldiers currently in Iraq hadn't gone through puberty when the decision to invade was made, our troops remain targeted as symbolic of everything wrong with "imperiali$t AmeriKKKa". From the RAIM Denver, there are no semantics, no hidden agendas, just a simple "Why we Say...Fuck The Troops!":
Gold Stars -- [Greyhawk]
Here in the MilBlog community we're well aware that families deal with the loss of a soldier in many ways. Most, while never forgetting the fallen, go on with their lives.
...And today the AP introduces us to another Gold Star dad - with a different response to tragedy:
Operation Ward 57 -- [Gathering Eagles! ]
This is another way to support those young men and women who have sacrificed so much to defend our country. Take a look and buy a tee-shirt, or, better yet, send ‘em a few bucks!
Our warriors have taken care of us; now let’s take care of them!
Realistic PT For Combat -- [Strategy Page]
July 1, 2008: The U.S. Army is changing its physical training (PT) to more closely reflect the needs of combat. Instead of long distance running, sit-ups and push-ups, the new training emphasizes sprinting, agility and the kind of strength needed to carry weapons and equipment in combat.
Support Freedom of Speech -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqi blogger]
Our friends and readers remember the Arabic blogging tool that we helped develop nearly 4 years ago. It was a pioneer project in making blogging easy for Arabic speakers in the Middle East. It’s been a story of exceptional success in dangerous times. Only with the strong will of good Iraqis and Americans the idea became solid reality.
Important Name Change -- [Kaboom - in Iraq]
I had hoped to break this news sooner, but it seems certain readers have spoiled the surprise in their comments. LT G is no longer a lieutenant. On July 1, he was promoted to the rank of captain. Yes, despite the drama with the blog and his turning down the XO position, LT G is now CPT G. I suppose his pseudonym is sort of useless now, huh?
Free Welcome Home Signs -- [SpouseBuzz - Erin Rages]
Army Blogger Wife just alerted me to the free 3' x 6' Welcome Home signs. The one I just ordered is normally sold for $57.21, and all I paid was $7.31 for shipping and tax.
"That’s right — six exclamation points" -- [The Voice in My Head]
While on vacation, we are keeping one eye on the news back home.
So, what could be more exciting than news from the local airport?
...Robert “Pop” Mitchell , an 81-year-old former Navy man, cried just a little as he embraced his 21-year-old grandson.
Happy Birthday Mr. President -- [Flopping Aces]
President Bush celebrates 62nd Birthday enroute to Japan.
While flying to Japan to attend the G-8 Summit of Industrial Nations, President Bush was surprised aboard Air Force One with a coconut cake with a single candle.
For Him Before He Was Against Him -- [Bill Hobbs]
John Kerry says that John McCain lacks the good judgment necessary to be president. Four years ago, Kerry wanted McCain to be his vice president. Oh, and McCain was right on the war, as it is becoming blindingly obvious to all
A word from Robert Coram -- [Power Line]
Robert Coram is the author of American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day. He has forwarded a message related to our post "Setting the record straight on Bud Day, and CNN." Mr. Coram writes
Aljazeera: 'Obama's Muslim Identity Can End the Iraq War' -- [Amy Proctor]
In a fascinating AlJazeera article called Osama’s ‘Muslim Identity’: An asset for Iraq exit strategy, Naseem Jamali theorizes that a President Barack Obama’s Muslim background may give him an opportunity to successfully pull troops from Iraq without leaving behind the problems of instability which Republicans say will occur.
DEM SHOCKER!!... Speaker Pelosi Was Sending Messages to FARC Terrorists While Undermining Colombian Government! -- [Gateway Pundit]
New information reveals that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was indirectly sending messages to the FARC. The Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is designated as a terrorist group by the US government.
Michelle Obama's War Room? -- [Weekly Standard]
Prospective first ladies generally have a small staff on the campaign, including their own schedulers and hair stylists. Michelle Obama is no doubt the first to have her very own war room. I guess the campaign anticipates plenty more zingers from Obama's gaffe-prone wife, who has previously said she never felt proud of the country her husband longs to lead.
Photojournalist Banned by Marines in Iraq -- [BlackFive]
Zoriah Miller was an embedded blogger. He's a photojournalist who has posted a photo of Marine KIA and has earned the ire of the Marines in Iraq.
Why You Won't See Petraeus Lauded in the American Press -- [Castle Argghhh! - Kat]
...you will not see those in the American press, on American TV or anywhere near where an American might actually read that and think "victory". The main reason is...
Larry Elder on Media Bias On The Iraq War
What KDKA and CNN Kept Out of Their Murtha 'Surge Has Worked' Coverage -- [Newsbusters]
...What KDKA decided to keep from TV viewers is arguably at least as important as what the station showed.
In interview footage left on the cutting room floor, Murtha falsely claimed...
John Murtha Lies About Iraq, Praises Obama
Down Memory Lane With John McCain -- [Greyhawk]
The Left wing watchdog of the "right wing media" went on to note that The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Reuters all mentioned Bud Day without pointing out that he was a Swiftboater!!!!
And They Wonder in meetings Why Their Newspaper is Circling the Bowl.... -- [BlackFive - Deebow]
So, it came as no real shock to me that this ass-clown would write an editorial about the 4th of July and, in the process, impugn the character of our Founders (who were great men, but still human); as well as the character of most every American who believes the the 4th of July is not just another day for drinking beer and barbecuing.
Because July 4th is a Great Time To Hate America -- [CHUD - Lt Nixon]
Madison's Progressive Magazine is like most run-of-the-mill socialist rags. ... The editor, Matthew Rothschild, talks about how horrible it is to live in our neo-colonialist empire on the 4th of July:
10 Questions for Arianna Huffington
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