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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.
US forces to hand over Anbar control to Iraqis -- [Middle East Online]
US forces will hand over control of Anbar province to Iraqi troops in the coming days, military officials said Wednesday, touting improved security in the region.
Eat ‘em and Smile -- [The War on Big Tobacco - in Iraq]
So are you sure, are you damn sure, that you want her on the gun?"
"I believe she can do the job," Specialist Fishbowl says.
"I do too," Applesauce's team leader says.
I’m reluctant to concede to this. The last truck in the convoy has the important job of warning off oncoming vehicles and acting as the liaison truck with other convoys at the halt. A reliable, experienced person has to be on that gun. But my platoon is fresh out of experienced people and we have to settle for just reliable, or even unreliable and only marginally motivated.
"All right,” I say. “I respect your decision. I don’t want to do this, but I’m fresh out of options. I guess we're done."
Later that day, I see Private Applesauce as I walk back from the dining facility. I stop her.
"You know you got the gun on Vic Six for the next convoy, roger?"
"I know, sarn't."
I want to give her some encouraging words, something that she would remember years from now as words that changed her life.
"Well, don't fuck it up," I say.
"I'll do my best sarn't."
"No, don't do your best. I'm not going to write your husband and tell him you did your best. Just watch your lane and don't fuck it up. Your squad leader must really believe in you."
"Roger sergeant, I won’t fuck it up."
The Littlest Indicator -- [Zen Traveler - in Iraq]
I was answering a question for a friend last night on identifiable progress in Iraq, and I began thinking about the definition of "progress". In graduate school thirteen years ago the political science buzzword for progress was "development", and of course that meant various things to various people depending on what their viewpoint was. Some, including myself, approached development from an economic standpoint, others looked at social or political conditions, still more were concerned with infrastructure. All of these are good indicators to consider when determining the development or progress that is taking place in Iraq.
While there is not a catch-all indicator of development, there is one that is pretty close,
Suicide attack foiled in Talafar -- [Voices of Iraq]
NINEWA, Aug. 29 – Policemen in Talafar on Friday thwarted a suicide attack with an explosive belt that targeted a mosque in the district, the Talafar mayor said.
Iraqi forces take control of Diala’s disputed town-military -- [Voices of Iraq]
DIALA, Aug. 28 (VOI) –Iraqi army commander on Thursday said central government troops are wrestling control of most of Diala’s disputed town of Khanaqin from Kurdish peshmerga forces.
"Iraqi soldiers are totally controlling the areas of Qara-Tapa, Jalawlaa, and al-Saadiya of Khanaqin suburb (155 km northeastern Diala province)," Brigadier Muneim Ali, commander of the Iraqi army 5th division 4th brigade, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).
"Senior figures of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK – President Jalal Talabani's party) in those areas received the Iraqi army troops with flowers," he said.
Kurdish forces refused Iraqi defence ministry orders to pull out of Kurdish-populated areas of ethnically divided Diala province where they have been deployed for the past two years.But then conceded Iraqi army deployment in some areas of the disputed town of Khanaqeen.
The deployment of Iraqi troops in Khanaqeen unleashed strong protest of Kurdish official, considering the measures as provocative and a political tool to influence Kurd’s stances in conroversial provincial polls law
Sting of Emeralds -- [Matel - in Iraq]
Plans to set up a string of oases were put on hold by the many conflicts Iraq suffered and provoked over the last generation. The old man I talked to got his agricultural education in Belgium a long time ago. He lamented the lost time and the encroaching desert, but what he felt most acutely was the isolation. Iraqi scientists lost contact with the rest of the world, during the Saddam tyranny and sanctions. They were unable to properly contribute to and benefit from the advance of knowledge in preserving arid lands, so their level of expertise is more than twenty years old. A lot has happened since then.
Contact -- [...feeling of absurdity... - in Iraq]
The vehicle in front of you is now replaced with a 100 meter dust cloud and your ears feel like they were just slapped all at the same time. What do you do?
Again with Anah -- [Matel - in Iraq]
Several members of the ePRT and representative of the RCT made a follow up visit to Anah, since I promised the mayor that I would come back with some experts to address particular things we had discussed. It is a follow up. Some of this entry will be similar to my entry re a couple weeks ago. Bear with me.
...After Al Qaim, Anah is the best run city in our AO. Some of the reasons are clear. Anah's mayor is someone who is competent, honest and who loves his city. The people of Anah mostly have come from someplace else, if for no other reason than that Anah physically moved around twenty years ago when the waters of Lake Qadisiya inundated the old city site. They are less tied to tribal loyalties and tradition than the inhabitants of most other areas in Anbar.
Grumpy Recommends: Hatch Gloves -- [Sgt Grumpy]
Before I deployed to Iraq, I looked at every tactical glove out on the market, but couldn't find what I was looking for. I needed a durable, functional glove, that would provide protection and comfort. We were often scrambling in and out of vehicles, and buildings, and even back in training my hands were getting hammered. But breathablity and comfort was as much of an issue - most gloves I tried made my hands sweat too much.
...If you have a Soldier or Marine going downrange who will be outside the wire, these make an excellent gift.
Hurricane Afghanistan -- [Michael Yon - in Afghanistan]
...Arriving at the Serena Hotel, my driver stopped at the front gate just as two armored vehicles with Turkish markings rolled up behind us. A hotel security guard came out excitedly, asking why we stopped. Meanwhile, heavily armed Turkish soldiers were piling out of their vehicles, guarding the armored car of a hotel visitor. The Turkish soldiers wore patches that say “ISAF,” or International Security Assistance Force. The soldiers were on high alert, and I wanted to be away from them in case of any drama, and so I unloaded the gear and headed to the front gate of the Serena Hotel. Earlier this year, according to an eyewitness who works as a waiter at a restaurant inside the hotel, two suicide bombers detonated themselves at the gate, killing four guards. The restaurant was a nearly perfect vantage point from which to see the attack unfold. The waiter told me that after the suicide bombers detonated at the gate, two men wearing police uniforms shot their way into the hotel, killing two people in the lobby, and then over to the health club where they killed two more before disappearing without a trace.
A Soldiers Story - Argylls in Afghanistan part 3
NEFA Foundation: Interview with Sirajuddin Haqqani, Latest Zawahiri Audio Transcript, Written Responses from KSM/Khallad, Taliban Biography of the Late Mullah Dadullah -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
The NEFA Foundation has published several new items on its website which will be of interest to counterterrorism researchers. First, the NEFA Foundation has obtained video of a conversation with Taliban Deputy Commander Sirajuddin Haqqani, the son of the infamous Afghan mujahideen leader Jalaluddin Haqqani. Though only in his early thirties, Haqqani is considered one of the most powerful Taliban military commanders in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and has been rumored as a possible internal political rival to the current Taliban administration of Mullah Mohammed Omar. Haqqani has freely acknowledged his role in organizing recent terrorist attacks in the Afghan capital Kabul, and his partnership with foreign fighters arriving from elsewhere in the Muslim world.
Too close for comfort.... -- [Two Brothers, Two Countries, One Army]
First and most important: please say a special prayer for the Soldiers and their families of those over here. I can't say why, but there are people in special need tonight. Thank you.
We are about to enter a "bad" time of the year. Forgive me if I spell this wrong....but Ramidad is about to start. It's a month long religious fasting period that means a lot to them...Forgive me, I'm a Southern Baptist/Contemporary Christian so I'm not too up on that particular religion. All I know is that it raises issues with the safety of our Soldiers over here. It's pretty dangerous time of the year from what I understand. So please keep us in your prayers.
Report From a Forgotten War (4th in a Series) -- [TownHall - Oliver North]
HERAT, Afghanistan -- A Taliban sentry fired the first shots shortly after 2:30 a.m. as Afghan commandos and U.S. Special Operations Command troops surrounded the compound at Aziz Abad. Though the Marine Special Operations Team had employed a daring deception to achieve surprise, they were engaged heavily by gunfire from AK-47s and machine guns almost immediately after deploying at the objective.
Another Mission -- [The Left Captain - in Afghanistan]
I rode in the relatively bombproof confines of an RG31 MRAP, second truck in a four vehicle convoy.
...On the way back I had a perspective shifting conversation with an interpreter who was riding in the MRAP with me. I asked him about himself and he shared that he had a wife and two small sons in another city. He had worked for NATO forces for seven years and before that lived in Pakistan, having fled the country during the Soviet occupation. He talked about growing up during the Soviet-Afghan war and how he wants his sons to grow up in peace. “I don’t care about my life, I do everything for my sons.”
Maybe I’ll post more on that later, but it put a human face on the war for me. Sometimes I feel myself slipping into an uncaring place, just wanting to get the hell out of here and leave this place behind. Listening to people’s stories gives color and meaning to the mission again.
Special visit -- [Staying in Touch - in Afghanistan]
The chief of the National Guard Bureau came to see his troops serving in Afghanistan during a very special visit on 26 and 27 August.
Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum was accompanied by National Guard Bureau Command Sgt. Major David Ray Hudson to see members of the New York National Guard’s 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and soldiers from other states serving in Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix VII.
Fighting intensifies in Pakistan's Northwest -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
Nine killed in IED strike in Bannu; 50 Taliban reported killed in Bajaur; Taliban and military take additional casualties in South Waziristan.
Pentagon Reports US Airstrike Killed 5 Afghan Civilians, Not 90 -- [WaPo]
"We did not kill up to 90 civilians as has been alleged," one US military official said. The review "comports with our operational understanding" of the ...
Walking the walk in Georgia, part II -- [Castle Argghhh!]
Castle Argghhh! has a correspondent (literally, someone who emails, vice someone I sent over for the purpose) on the ground in Georgia providing humanitarian assistance and a little eye on the ground.
The second report from Dr. Trish Blair, who is providing on-the-ground humanitarian assistance in the Republic of Georgia
Joint Task Force - East prepares for continual presence in Romania, Bulgaria -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Some of you know my fellow SA Germany volunteer Jessica (seen, for example, in the top photo here). That's her husband Mike towards the back of this photo on the right. He's the only one awake and reading ;-)
Joint training exercises have been carried out in Romania and Bulgaria since the fall of the Soviet Union. But ten-year agreements signed in 2005 and 2006 allow for larger-scale deployments and a continual presence in both countries.
The agreements also permit ...
Russia 'could destroy NATO ships in Black Sea within 20 minutes' -- [RIA Novosti]
Russia's Black Sea Fleet is capable of destroying NATO's naval strike group currently deployed in the sea within 20 minutes, a former fleet commander said on Friday.
Russia's General Staff said on Tuesday there were 10 NATO ships in the Black Sea - three U.S. warships, the Polish frigate General Pulaski, the German frigate FGS Lubeck, and the Spanish guided missile frigate Admiral Juan de Borbon, as well as four Turkish vessels. Eight more warships are expected to join the group.
"Despite the apparent strength, the NATO naval group in the Black Sea is not battle-worthy," Admiral Eduard Baltin said. "If necessary, a single missile salvo from the Moskva missile cruiser and two or three missile boats would be enough to annihilate the entire group."
Russia, Iran to discuss Bushehr NPP completion on Sept. 1 -- [RIA Novosti]
A delegation from a Russian nuclear power construction company Atomstroyexport will discuss the completion of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran on September 1, a company spokesman said on Friday.
Putin Accuses U.S. Pushing Georgia Conflict to Influence Elections Back Home -- [FOX News]
The White House is rejecting Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's claim that the United States pushed Georgia to war, calling the allegation "patently false."
Putin had suggested that U.S. involvement was intended to affect its own domestic politics.
...Putin Accuses US Pushing Georgia Conflict to Influence Elections Back Home
The Reason To Delay Air Force One... -- [BlackFive]
True story, via Seamus, about President Bush on his way to "Asia" (read Olympics):
I learned a big lesson on service Aug. 4, 2008, when Eielson had the rare honor of hosting President Bush on a refueling stop as he traveled to Asia .
An incredible amount of effort goes into presidential travel because of all of the logistics, security, protocol, etc ... so it was remarkable to see Air Force One land at Eielson on time at precisely 4:30 p.m.--however, when he left less than two hours later, the President was 15 minutes behind schedule.
That's a big slip for something so tightly choreographed, but very few people know why it happened. Here's why....
We need your help to continue supporting the medics and patients -- [Soldier's Angels - Medical Support]
It's night time, this injured soldier just arrived at the E/R after an medevac flight on a helicopter, where the dedicated medics will do their best for him. After that, he'll be transferred to a larger hospital, then probably evac'd to Germany and eventually back home. His recovery may be quick, or might take a life-time. And at every step, Soldiers Angels will be there to assist.
We support front-line medics, Combat Support Hospitals in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar and Krzygstan. Soldiers Angels members volunteer at all the major US military hospitals, and we have extended our assistance to VA hospitals and Fisher Houses all over the US.
We need your help to continue our mission:
SA and Bikin on the Block -- [Soldiers’ Angels Louisiana]
I wanted to let everyone know what Acadiana SA’s have been doing. Every month we have a table setup at Cajun Harley Davidson in Scott. We do this to have cards made and signed for the troops. This month it is the 105th Birthday of Harley Davidson.
Road 2 Recovery -- [Thunder Run]
Road 2 Recovery is a program designed to help make a difference in the lives of vets by assisting with their mental and physical rehabilitation programs.
Longtime frined of this Blog Danjel Bout award winning author of the blog 365 Days and a Wake that cronicled his time in Iraq send this personal message about the validity of this program along with a plea for help.
28 August 2008 - David Hardt -- [Blog-ah]
...I often receive e-mails from soldiers struggling with PTSD. Many of the stories they share with me are similar to the one above. One young man, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is still in his unit and is scared his chain of command will see him as weak, said, “I just got back from deployment, and I feel like I don’t belong here. People don’t understand me, and when I act out they think I am being disrespectful. That’s not the case. I just can’t get these emotions under control. I hate how I am; I just can’t turn off that switch.”
The Switch
Some of you may be wondering what that switch is while others, namely combat troopers, know that terminology rather well. For some,...
My PTSD Catharsis Channel -- [A Soldier's Perspective - Roman General]
My writing here triggers me on a continuous basis with the issues of combat and war. I have had therapy for years to move beyond all of my core issues except my war experiences. It took me "growing" up through the cognitive-behavioral restructuring of my childhood to adulthood within the safe place of therapy. When I started writing within this blog I began the "therapy" and reintegration of my combat and wartime issues.
Order your Holiday Freedom Cake -- [Soldiers Angels Network]
Modeled on their successful and ongoing Freedom Calk effort that has sent 5,000 cakes to deployed troops, Bake Me a Wish and Soldiers' Angels are now offering the Holiday Freedom Cake. This is an opportunity to send a gourmet cake to family members, friends or clients while showing a service member that he or she is in also in our thoughts during the Holiday Season.
You Served - Military Blog and Podcast -- [Blogtalk Radio]
You Served is a popular military blog brought to you by VA MortgageCenter.com. Visit us for great posts from CJ Grisham, updates on your VA Benefits, and more! BTR is where we host our brand new podcast, hosted by CJ himself.
Federal jury acquits ex-Marine in Iraqis' deaths -- [MNBC]
Verdict is the first time a civilian jury has weighed in on the law of war
A former Marine accused of killing unarmed Iraqi detainees was acquitted of voluntary manslaughter Thursday in a first-of-its-kind federal trial.
The jury took six hours to find Jose Luis Nazario Jr. not guilty of charges that he killed or caused others to kill four unarmed detainees on Nov. 9, 2004, in Fallujah, Iraq, during some of the fiercest fighting of the war.
Fort Lewis love fest: 4-6 Air Cav regiment comes home -- [The News Tribune]
Almost the entire Stilwell family showed up to welcome home Capt. Jacqueline Stilwell. A 2004 West Point graduate, she was the fourth consecutive generation ...
City hosts its biggest 'welcome home' yet -- [Naperville Sun]
The troops were primarily from the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines Reserve Unit made up of servicemen from Milwaukee and Chicago
CNN: How Can Sarah Palin Care for Her Chidren if She's Vice President? (Media Reax Thread) -- [Ace of Spades]
Women can do anything. Except if they're Republican women. In which case, how can they be so selfish as to put themselves in front of their children?
Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC... is decidedly funereal. Not feeling the excitement of this particular first.
NYT Buries Stadium-Filling Soccer Match in Iraq Inside Unrelated Bombing Story -- [NewsBusters]
What do you do if you're the New York Times and you're faced with having to report on an incident-free soccer match in Iraq that had 40,000 in attendance?
Why, you bury it in a totally unrelated story about a bombing, omit any mention of it in the headline, and hope against hope that only a few readers bother to reach the seventh paragraph.
Old Media Misses Rising Support for War in Iraq -- [NewsBusters]
Some how, the Old Media has missed the good news on Iraq. On August 27, the Rasmussen polling organization published a poll that showed American confidence is at its highest level ever in support of the War on Terror since they've begun tracking in January of 2004. This poll got little notice by the Old Media, of course
Matthews Insults Rice & Powell as 'Showcase Appointments' -- [NewsBusters]
Contrasting how Barack Obama won the nomination of the Democratic Party to how Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell achieved their successes, Chris Matthews insulted the aforementioned as "showcase appointments."
Happy Birthday Senator McCain -- [Redstate]
Happy Birthday to Senator McCain! Consider this your place to speculate wildly on VPs. Most recent updates: 1) Pawlenty is not going to be in Dayton; 2) Romney and Palin are; 3) No word on Cantor, Lieberman and other possibilities. ...
McCain-Palin ‘08: CNBC Reports McCain Has Picked Sarah Palin for Vice President -- [Blogs of War]
And now Fox News has confirmed Palin as well. It looks pretty certain now.
Charlie Wilson's Peace -- [WaPo - Charles Wilson]
...In a scene near the end of the movie "Charlie Wilson's War," after the mujaheddin victory over the invading Soviet military, congressional appropriators turn down my request for funds to rebuild Afghanistan's schools, roads and economy. If we had done the right thing in Afghanistan then -- following up our military support with the necessary investments in diplomacy and development assistance -- we would have better secured our own country's future, as well as peace and stability in the region.
In reality, this decision played out over several years and involved many people, but the scene makes clear what a mistake we made. Sure, the problems facing Afghanistan and the region were tough -- feuding warlords, the opium crop and the shift in our attention to the Persian Gulf War. But the Afghans, with our weapons, had done nothing less than help precipitate the collapse of the Soviet Union. And instead of intensifying our diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to help the Afghans meet their postwar challenges, we simply walked away -- leaving a destroyed country that lacked roads, schools, and any plan or hope for rebuilding.
Into this void marched the Taliban and al-Qaeda, and we all know what happened after that. Today, fledgling democracies -- be it Afghanistan or Georgia -- face similar danger. We simply cannot make the same mistake.
The lesson here is about more than the good manners of reciprocating a favor. It takes much more to make America safe than winning on the battlefield. Had we remained engaged in Afghanistan, investing in education, health and economic development, the world would be a very different place today.
Obama's Night -- [Real Clear Politics]
It was a remarkable scene last night. The mood of the crowd, the stagecraft, the pageantry and the sheer enormity of the stadium made the evening feel like a cross between Lollapalooza, The Oscars, and the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.
Obama's speech was brilliant: ...He made one mistake, though
McCain Responds
King Georgia -- [Weekly Standard]
"You can't truly stand up for Georgia," Obama said tonight, "when you've strained our oldest alliances."
It's worth unpacking this statement. First, it's a clear indication that, despite what some bloggers say, Russia's invasion of Georgia truly is, yes, a world-historical event that has wormed its way into the presidential campaign and seriously troubles foreign-policy thinkers on both sides of the aisle.
Second, Obama makes no sense. The implication is twofold: that McCain, who speaks with Mikheil Saakashvili daily, has not "truly" stood "up for Georgia." Please. McCain has so stolidly backed our democratic ally during this crisis that some of Obama's cohorts accuse him of warmongering. How has Obama stood up for Georgia?
Their Brass Band -- [NRO - Jay Nordlinger]
At the Democratic convention in 2004 — Boston — the party stuffed the stage with every senior military person who supported Kerry. They no doubt rounded up every last one of them. And they all stood on the stage, saluting. Remember Adm. Stansfield Turner and that bunch? I think they were all there, except maybe Gene LaRoque.
Anyway, I said that if the Republicans pulled the same act — paraded all the military people who supported them — they would need a bigger room than Madison Square Garden.
Well, the same thing happened this year.
Do You know Enough to Elect Barrak Obama?
Virtual Patriotism -- [Vets for Freedom]
Denver — Having the opportunity to sit courtside at the Democratic National Convention the past few days has afforded me many opportunities to examine what is wrong with our national dialogue over the war.
...The complete disconnect to why we serve and why we volunteer to do what we do devastates me. I see the anger over the war in these delegates. I have tried desperately — and in vain, thus far — to connect with these angry protesters who, in the guise of passion for American greatness, violate the sanctity of those who have fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If it were not for this political season, 80 days from a presidential election, would any of this be on display? This is a party whose leadership, for the first time in American history, is unified to stop a war in the midst of the fight. They have tried to defund, derail, and dissuade the American military from the strategy of the surge that has undeniably won the war in Iraq.
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