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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 to outline oil contracts to foreign companies -- [Reuters]
Iraq will next week provide foreign oil and gas companies with details of the contracts under which it hopes the companies will help boost the country's oil output by 1.5 million barrels per day.
The Wall...Comes Tumbling Down -- [Castle Argghhh! - Kat]
Nope, not Wall Street. The walls in Iraq. While we are all angst ridden about the markets on Wall Street, the walls surrounding once volatile neighborhoods in Baghdad are slowly, but surely coming down. Both the physical and metaphorical walls.
Iraqi Based Industrial Zone aims to employ Sons of Iraq -- [IN - Iraq - in Iraq]
Abdul Rabman Amhomed shakes his head. He is mayor of Yethrib, a town that was once controlled by insurgents near Joint Base Balad. “The terrorists prevented work with the coalition,” he said. “Now we have defeated the terrorists, but we have many unemployed…Most of the terrorists used the uneducated and young.”
2nd SCR - Soldiers in Diyala Governor Center
Iraq: After the Dust Washes Off -- [World-Wide Matel]
I never expected people to pay attention to all my stories. I understand that I can talk longer than most people can listen. But I am surprised at the general lack of interest in Iraq, which used to be and still is a big deal. At first most people approach me sympathetically. They thank me for my service and commiserate about the hardship of my ordeal. They are a little disappointed when I explain that it was less exciting and not as bad as they heard. And some seem almost offended when I tell them about the transformation that has taken place and the success we have achieved. They really don’t want to hear about it. I don’t think they believe me.
Pixilated -- [World-Wide Matel]
I recently was asked about how I adjusted to life in Iraq. State Department even has a course we have to take when we get back re adjustment. They worry about our mental health in a high stress environment and they want to figure out how our experience can help the next group. I don’t know how much my experience can help others. Each experience is unique and I was lucky in my timing and my place. I arrived in Anbar just as the violence was ebbing. Given the extreme pessimism and scary stories in the media, I was ready for a horrible experience. Instead there was steady improvement and strengthening peace. It is much easier to adjust to better than expected conditions than the opposite.
IS IT OVER? -- [One Marine's View - in Iraq]
S o we finish another week in the “normal” life without IEDs and Hummers and eating goats. Between dealing with idiots who drive 30 in a 45mph, snot nosed morons who don’t know the meaning of “customer service” that work at the customer service counter, I forge on dealing with people who lack the principle of sense of urgency and I tend to have one way conversations with them.
Early Morning Baghdad -- [Zen Traveler - in Iraq]
Baghdad is having a bad morning today. As I sit here watching the sun rise in the eastern sky working on my first cup of coffee there have been several near-by explosions, punctuating the post-dawn stillness. Smoke rises in the distance somewhere between the buildings, marking the location of the carnage.
Fightin’ Fox Marines familiarize themselves with new battle space -- [3MAW - in Iraq]
...In addition to security patrols, the Marines of the company will serve as a quick reaction force and support relationship-building activities with Iraqis in local villages. Cpl. Joseph J. Schiller, a 23-year-old squad leader with 3rd Platoon, Company F, recognizes the security mission as integral to relationship-building.
It Can Be Done -- [Strategy Page]
October 10, 2008: NATO and U.S. commanders are urging their governments to allow them to go after the drug gangs. The reason is simple; the billions of dollars in cash the heroin trade generates sustains the Taliban violence, and the widespread tribal resistance to government control in southern Afghanistan ...
Air Assault Mission in Parwan Province
Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division Alpha Company, Division Special Troops Battalion (DSTB) conducting an air assault mission in the mountains of Parwan province, Afghanistan.
Negotiating (or not) with the Taliban (whoever they are) -- [Abu Muqawama]
A minor kerfuffle of sorts occurred earlier this week when the Financial Times reported that the Karzai government was engaged in Saudi-brokered peace negotiations with representatives of the Taliban (ed: Which Taliban? More on that later). CNN took the story one further by alleging that “Taliban leaders are holding Saudi-brokered talks with the Afghan government to end the country’s bloody conflict — and are severing their ties with al Qaeda.”
The Afghan government has denied that such negotiations have taken place,
back in the groove -- [Cheese's Milblog]
After all the shakeups and everything else, I think we've finally caught a rhythm again. Our 3-day tower rotation at one of the local bases initially sucked pretty hard, but we've figured out how to manage it much better. Another guy and I pull the two tower shifts all night long so everyone else gets to sleep for at least 8 hours and they don't have to change up their schedule so much.
Afghanistan redux, Part 2 -- [Bouhammer - Scott Kesterson in Afghanistan]
I carry a lot of gear. Traveling internationally on commercial flights through both Delhi and Kabul makes you think carefully about what you will check and what you will carry on board. My checked baggage included by backpack with all of my clothes, my tripod and by body armor
German Commandos Withdrawn From Afghanistan -- [Strategy Page]
October 9, 2008: Germany is pulling its commandos out of Afghanistan. The KSK commandos have been there for most of the last seven years. Many Germans, especially leftist politicians and journalists, have not been happy with that. This has resulted in several unflattering, and largely inaccurate, articles about the KSK in the German media.
US strike kills 9 al Qaeda and Taliban in North Waziristan -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
Two homes belonging to a local Taliban leader near Miramshah are targeted in the attack; six al Qaeda reported killed.
Diplomats: North Korea bans United Nations staff from Yongbyon nuclear complex -- [AP/Daily News]
Diplomats say that North Korea has made all of its Yongbyon nuclear facilities off limits to international inspectors
North Korea reported to fire short-range missiles into sea -- [Reuters/ Boston Globe]
SEOUL - North Korea has fired two short-range missiles into the Yellow Sea, a South Korean news report said yesterday, raising tensions as global powers try to make Pyongyang uphold a nuclear disarmament deal.
Understanding the al-Qaeda Enemy in Three Volumes (Full PDF Article) -- [SWJ - Dr. Donald J. Hanle]
Sun Tzu’s admonition to the general that in order to defeat his enemy, he must know his enemy as well as he knows himself was never more true than in the current struggle between the West and the Salafi jihadist organization known as al-Qaida and its allies – hereafter referred to as the al-Qaida Associated Movements (AQAM). Although the war had most certainly begun not later than Osama bin Laden’s 23 February 1998 declaration of war on the United States, and probably much sooner, it took the events of 9/11 to ensure the American population and their government were fully aware of their status as a co-belligerent in an armed struggle between the last remaining superpower and a small, fringe element of the Islamic faith.
Treasury Reports on Assets in U.S. of Terrorist Countries and Designees-- [Counterterrorism Blog]
As of December 31, 2007, the amount of assets of international terrorist organizations and individuals which were blocked totaled over $20.7 million. Of that, over $11.3 million constituted assets of Al Qaeda, and that level was an increase of almost 46 percent over the level blocked as of the end of 2006. The report states, "The increase in blocked terrorist organization assets in 2007 is due to new or additional blockings, interest paid on blocked funds, and increased share price on certain blocked securities."
Holiday campaign -- [Soldiers’ Angels Louisiana - Greta]
HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN FLIER
Start printing them out and handing them out and hanging them everywhere. Pre-cut the website at the bottom for easy tear-off. Here is a copy of the flier.
Talking With Heroes interviews from Kuwait, Iraq and more! -- [Newsblaze]
Talking with Heroes continues with more interviews October 12, 2008 with a call in from Kuwait and Iraq. Listeners will hear from a WWII Veteran, plus a singer with her song 'Letters from War'.
Geronimo, Colonel Murphy -- [Blackfive]
Awesome article about Colonel Bob Murphy being laid to rest (probably in the front leaning rest position)...
Advance Party - 2nd SCR Warriors Are Home... -- [Collabman's Thoughts]
Families wait for the first 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment soldiers to arrive home to Vilseck from a 15-month Iraq mission on Thursday
Stone says no malice intended in Bush film "W." -- [Reuters]
So Stone decided to open "W." in U.S. theatres less than three weeks before Americans select their next president -- a calculated move aimed at prodding voters to think about the past eight years and the future.
The movie is part drama, part satire, yet the director of "JFK" and "Nixon" argues it is no hatchet job on Bush -- and so far, critics agree. The final verdict awaits the October 17 debut for one of this fall's most widely anticipated films.
The Plot to Bomb Fort Dix -- [The Tank - Gregory S. McNeal]
As Andy McCarthy and Peter Kirsanow point out, it's imperative to make clear to the American people what exactly Bill Ayers and his comrades plotted to do. Jim Geraghty's idea was to host an event near Fort Dix.
Obama, Ayers, and the Economy-- [The Conner - Peter Kirsanow]
Whether the McCain campaign should stress Obama's judgment/radical associations or the economy isn't an either-or proposition. McCain should do both. And as Stanley Kurtz demonstrates, McCain can do both at the same time.
Stanley distills the connection between the Obama/Ayers relationship and the economy as follows:
Obama and Ayers serve together on the Chicago Annenberg Challenge where they funnel tons of cash to finance ACORN —>
ACORN pressures banks ...
Ayers, Revolution and Community Organizing -- [ThreatsWatch - Steve Schippert]
A PBS documentary on William Ayers, the Students for a Democratic Society, the Weathermen and then the Weather Underground is a fairly thorough history, and one told in large part by the revolutionary members themselves.
Terrorists Ayers & Dohrn Admit They Wish They Would Have Done More... Obama Says He Didn't Know -- [Gateway Pundit]
Barack Obama said yesterday that he thought friend and terrorist Bill Ayers was rehabilitated.
Yeah right.
Connie Chung Interviews Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn - "We'd do it Again"
IAVA ranks the Senate on "troop support" -- [Greyhawk]
The non partisan veterans group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) has ranked members of the House and Senate based on their votes on troop support issues. Like several other milbloggers, I was notified of this via email from Phil Carter, a founding member of the non partisan group who is now serving as the Obama campaign's Veterans Director.
Obama Operatives or Straight Shooters? [IAVA and the Obama Campaign] -- - [Blackfive]
Operation Truth was up and running 2004. They had a lot of support from the left and from people like Joe Galloway. At the time, I thought it was mostly a Winter Soldier II effort on behalf of John Forbes Kerry who was up for election in a four or five months. I believe that Paul Rieckhoff, one of the two founders of Operation Truth, supported the Kerry Campaign.
Some of you may wonder why I give people a chance to respond on Blackfive, why I gave Paul Rieckhoff the opportunity. For one,
Obama tried to sway Iraqis on Bush deal -- [Wa Times]
In private conversations on troop presence, candidate pitched delay
At the same time the Bush administration was negotiating a still elusive agreement to keep the U.S. military in Iraq, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama tried to convince Iraqi leaders in private conversations that the president shouldn't be allowed to enact the deal without congressional approval.
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
