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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.
Top Ten Reasons The War Is Over In Iraq -- [Fraser in **** - in **** ]
Monday, January 5, 2009
1. Because CNN says it is.
2. KBR employees (subcontractor of TCNs for Haliburton) are looking for new jobs.
3. We have stopped pouring cement for sidewalks.
4. We spend more time in staff meetings than actually flying.
5. We classify insurgents shooting at aircraft as “Celebratory Fire” instead of “Hostile Fire”.
This Time, Iraqis Hear and See Candidates -- [NY Times]
...The nation’s provincial elections on Jan. 31 are the first in which the government has deemed it safe enough for the names, instead of simply the political affiliations, of officeseekers to appear on the ballot.
It is also the first time that large numbers of candidates like Mr. Kareem have decided for themselves that Iraq is sufficiently safe to campaign publicly and put their oversize pictures on posters and banners around the city.
Marines Raise Flag on New U.S. Embassy in Baghdad -- [Defense Link]
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2009 – U.S. Marines raised the American flag yesterday during the dedication ceremony for the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker declared “a new era” for Iraq and the Iraqi-U.S. relationship.
One Answer, And A Request... -- [Embrace the Suck - in Afghanistan]
...I would like to ask all of you to send me your questions. Ask me about the Army, Afghanistan, deployment, or whatever you want. The more the better. I WILL answer them all.
Two Balls Following A COCK... -- [Embrace the Suck - in Afghanistan]
I love this because now I figured out a way to bitch and be funny at the same time, so come along with me won't you. Like I told you we are the platoon that has to guard this joint now. So we only have to really work like 8 hours a day. Which is pretty much heavenly. I mean after the shit we have been through, only working 8 hours is paramount to being off.
Taliban Learns All the Right Lessons from Iraq: Now Demanding Tribes Hand Over Young Women to Be Their "Fighters'" Wives/Rape-Slaves -- [Ace]
The Taliban are their own worst enemy. Despite the pressure from the Pakistani army along the Afghan border, some Taliban leaders are demanding that tribes hand over young women to be wives for Taliban fighters. This is very unpopular with the tribes, and was one of the major complaints that led to tribes going to war with al Qaeda groups. In addition to burning down schools for girls and killing those who teach girls, the Taliban are also ordering women to stay away from markets, or working outside the home, unless they have a male escort from their family.
Pakistani, Afghan Leaders Vow Joint Terrorism Fight - [Washington Post]
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, whose government has been accused by India of supporting a major terrorist attack there, vowed Tuesday to work closely with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to combat terrorism, saying it had become a menace to all countries in the region.
Playing for keeps -- [USA Today]
Collapse especially burdens those who serve
...As I witnessed during a trip last month to Afghanistan with the Canadian military, basic concepts of counterinsurgency are being applied well in Afghanistan, at least in parts of the country. Afghan army and police forces are receiving basic training as well as ongoing mentoring by embedded advisers. NATO and Afghan commanders are avoiding the temptation to clear key cities and towns of insurgents until they have enough forces to hold onto them afterward. High-level players in the Afghan government, including the ministers of defense and the interior, are reforming their institutions. And while living conditions in much of Afghanistan remain poor, there are a few hopeful signs: The economy is growing 10% a year, half of all school-age children are attending class, 5 million cellphones are in the hands of Afghan citizens and about 70% of the children are receiving vaccinations (with corresponding reductions in still sky-high child mortality rates).
NATO and Afghan leaders are also learning how to cooperate with tribal structures more effectively, and even to reconcile with some former insurgents when possible.
Counterinsurgency Field Manual: Afghanistan Edition -- [Foreign Policy Blog]
For the past five years, the fight in Afghanistan has been hobbled by strategic drift, conflicting tactics, and too few troops. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael Mullen, got it right when he bluntly told the U.S. Congress in 2007, “In Iraq, we do what we must.” Of America’s other war, he said, “In Afghanistan, we do what we can.”
It is time this neglect is replaced with a more creative and aggressive strategy.
The FP Interview with Gen. David H. Petraeus -- [Foreign Policy Blog]
FP: Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that U.S. efforts in Afghanistan were really on the verge of failure. What’s your incoming assessment?
DP: I told [then] Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in September 2005 that Afghanistan would be the longest campaign in the so-called ‘long war.’ That judgment was based on an assessment I conducted in Afghanistan on my way home from my second tour in Iraq. And having been back to Afghanistan twice in recent months, I still see it that way. Progress there will require a sustained, substantial commitment. That commitment needs to be extended to Pakistan as well, though Pakistan does have large, well-developed security institutions and its leaders are determined to employ their own forces in dealing with the significant extremist challenges that threaten their country.
Culture -- [Bill and Bob's Excellent Afghan Adventure]
As I stumbled through the internet, uncomfortable with not one but two postings which sat still steaming in my "POSTS" archive with the red-lettered Draft next to them, I was led by my Irish nose to this gem in Baltic Security and Defense Review by LTC (Dr) Robert Cassidy entitled "Counterinsurgency and Military Culture: State Regulars versus Non-State Irregulars." While this scholarly paper addresses the military command culture of the Army, it is this culture that permeates down to the soldier level and which I found to be unsupportive of our objectives in Afghanistan (and by extension Iraq, which I am unqualified to address specifically.)
Afghans Rediscover The Lee-Enfield -- [Strategy Page]
Afghan traditionalists are changing the way the Taliban fight. This can be seen by the increase in the use of sniping by the Taliban. In the last year, NATO units in southern Afghanistan estimate there has been a 25 percent increase in sniping incidents. This is not seen as a major danger.
The Merchants of Misery -- [Strategy Page]
The Taliban are a lot of things, but the one thing that annoys most Afghans is the Taliban hostility to education. Since the Taliban were drive out of power eight years ago, the number of children in schools has gone from 900,000 to over six million.
It’s Ashura Time Again - Joy! Photos -- [Sweetness & Light]
The joyous event as celebrated around the Muslim world, via the wire services
Afghan Shiites flagellate themselves with knives during the Ashura procession in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. Ashura marks the Shiite Muslims commemoration of the 7th century killing of their most revered Saint Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, a symbol of martyrdom for Shiites
...A Shi’ite Muslim taps the head of a baby with a razor to draw blood during a ceremony marking Ashura in Nabatieh, south Lebanon, January 7, 2009.
Joe the Plumber heads to Israel -- [Michelle Malkin]
Joe The Plumber will cover the Gaza conflict for PJTV. He’ll be there for 10 days. Stay safe, Joe!
Joe the Plumber is taking on a new job.
The Ohio man, who became famous during the U.S. presidential campaign after asking Barack Obama about his tax plan, is heading to Israel as a war correspondent for a conservative Web site called pjtv.com.
Would Israel attack Gaza if Saddam ruled? -- [Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network]
Iraqi Former Vice President Izzat Ibrahim Al Douri announced that Israel wouldn’t have dared to attack Gaza if former President Saddam Hussein was ruling. Al Douri evoked the internal situation in Iraq addressing US-elect President Barack Obama. He affirmed his willingness to enter into talks with the coming US Administration and establish strategic relations with the US if it withdraws fully from Iraq.
In Ukraine dispute, Russia cuts gas supplies to Europe -- [CS Monitor]
Europeans suddenly saw gas supplies shrink Tuesday as Russia raised the stakes in its gas war with Ukraine by slashing deliveries through the main export pipeline.
Several European countries, including Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, and Macedonia reported a complete cutoff of Russian gas as a result of the escalating row, while others, such as Austria and the Czech Republic, said their deliveries have slowed significantly.
Top US Islamic Cleric Threatens Destruction of America On Egyptian TV -- [Gateway Pundit]
"America, which gave [Israel] everything it needed in these battles, will suffer economic stagnation, ruin, destruction, and crime, which will surpass what is happening in Gaza. One of these days, the U.S. will suffer more deaths than all those killed in this third Gaza holocaust. This will happen soon."
Osama bin Laden is dead -- [Wizbang - Baron Von Ottomatic]
Yes indeedy, OBL is taking the long dirt nap. We'll never find his remains so it can be verified beyond a shadow of a doubt, but nonetheless he's a corpse. How can I be so sure? He never taunts the US anymore. All high level communications from Al Qaeda are now issued by al-Zawahiri. We can stop the charade of calling him Al Qaeda's No. 2, he has now inherited the No. 1 spot.
MI5's spymaster Jonathan Evans comes out of the shadows -- [Times Online]
In the first interview given by a serving head of MI5 Jonathan Evans claims terrorists are being forced 'to keep their heads down'
Targeting Terrorists' Financial Networks: A Moving Target -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
As Michael Jacobson and I wrote in The Jerusalem Post, despite being under geographic siege and financial sanction, Hamas was still able to smuggle some 80 tons of explosives, roadside bombs and longer-range rockets into Gaza over the course of the past cease-fire.
It is ironic, then, that ...
Gates, Mullen Thank Bush for Commitment to Troops -- [Defense Link]
The top Defense Department leaders honored President George W. Bush today at a farewell ceremony for his deep commitment to the men and women in uniform and their families and the trust he instilled as he led them through challenging times.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in praising Bush during the armed forces farewell ceremony at Fort Myer, Va.
“In my 44 years of wearing this uniform, I have never seen the American public and our military as bonded in understanding, purpose and spirit as I do right now,” Mullen told Bush. “For this, Mr. President, we owe you our greatest gratitude.”
Gates said Bush fostered that close relationship throughout his presidency.
Omitted: Soldier Tells Bush 'Next Time, Pick Up the Shoe and Throw It Back' -- [NewsBusters]
The armed forces held their traditional ceremony honoring the departing Commander-in-Chief Tuesday morning at Fort Myer in Arlington. President Bush received a standing ovation of gratitude. A big laugh came when Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
An End for the F-22? -- [WaPo]
It may not be a happy start to the new year for Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor, according to a story this week in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Japan has said it won't buy Lockheed's fighter jet because it believes the factory lines in Texas and Georgia could eventually be shut down.
Lockheed could see an end to its F-22 production, as the U.S. Air Force has cut back the number of planes it wants. The expensive fighter jet could also come under more budgetary scrutiny in the Obama administration.
PTSD and the Purple Heart: Troops, Vets, Families Weigh In -- [Susan Katz Keating]
Yesterday, I wrote about the Pentagon's announcement that it will not award the Purple Heart for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. At the end of the post, I wrote:
I don't pretend to know what's best in terms of a PTSD award. I never have served in combat, and I never have been faced with the question of whether to announce my injuries to the world at large. The PTSD-award decision is best left to the troops themselves. I'd very much like to see their thoughts on this matter.
I am gratified to report that many responded. I also was honored to have my thoughts discussed at two highly prestigious milblogs
Obama era expected to end taboo on gays in US military -- [Yahoo! News]
Sixteen years after Bill Clinton tried to end restrictions on gays in the military, the US armed forces under Barack Obama may be forced to give homosexuals
'Thankful to be home': Fort Polk soldiers return from duty in Iraq -- [Alexandria Town Talk, LA]
The soldiers were taken to Fort Polk for a welcome-home ceremony with their families Monday afternoon. "Soldiers will have two weeks of processing,
Airmen return to PAFB from Afghanistan -- [Florida Today, FL]
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE — Nine-year-old Jimmy Turman unfurled his “Welcome Home Daddy” sign from high up
The Images they Show... -- [A Soldier's Mother]
There are images that break your heart. The news is filled with them today and they can easily sway you to think that all of the situation in the Middle East comes down to a picture. How horrible, truly tragic, unacceptable and wrong it is to have a child die.
...So, beyond the tragic pictures from yesterday, I offer a deeper image of what life is like in the Middle East. There are the tragic pictures - but please take a moment to look beyond...and below.
These are the images they show: .. These are the images they DON'T show:
End Times -- [The Atlantiic] HT: The Corner
Virtually all the predictions about the death of old media have assumed a comfortingly long time frame for the end of print—the moment when, amid a panoply of flashing lights, press conferences, and elegiac reminiscences, the newspaper presses stop rolling and news goes entirely digital. Most of these scenarios assume a gradual crossing-over, almost like the migration of dunes, as behaviors change, paradigms shift, and the digital future heaves fully into view. The thinking goes that the existing brands—The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal—will be the ones making that transition, challenged but still dominant as sources of original reporting.
But what if the old media dies much more quickly? What if a hurricane comes along and obliterates the dunes entirely? Specifically, what if TheNew York Times goes out of business—like, this May?
Reuters: In the Service of Hamas -- [PJM - Bob Owens]
The news giant is once again blatantly mislabeling defensive measures from Israeli aircraft as offensive weapons.
A series of captioned photos from Reuters over the past few days in the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip proves that the news organization employs editors that are either as politically biased or as technically incompetent as those they fired after Reuters photographer Adnan Hajj was exposed for Photoshopping images during the 2006 Israeli conflict with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
At least four Reuters photos released over the weekend purported to show Israeli aircraft deploying weapons against Hamas targets, when the photos clearly show that the helicopters and fighter aircraft were actually dropping flares to thwart possible surface-to-air missile attacks.
Journalistic Malpractice -- [Michael Totten]
My friend and colleague Noah Pollak on the journalistic malpractice of some of our other colleagues:
A responsible journalist might also add that what Hamas did is a war crime under international law, and that Hamas is responsible for every civilian killed at that school. Rigging a school with explosives and using it as a base in a war zone is a crime precisely because it endangers the lives of civilians, and in this case of children.
Taking Chance - HBO Movie To Air in February -- [Blackfive]
Four and a half years ago, I was asked to post "Taking Chance" by LtCol Michael Strobl. It evoked one of the strongest reactions on BlackFive that I have seen since starting the blog in mid-2003. The story also gave me the honor to get to know some of the friends and family and Marine brothers of Chance.
I included Taking Chance in the Blog of War (Chance is one of the men that the book is dedicated to) and ...
Taking Chance -- [Charlie Foxtrot]
On Feb 21, HBO will premier its new film "Taking Chance", starring Kevin Bacon as LtCol Strobl.
It is also an "Official Selection" for the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Given this, and the record of Hollywood films on portraying anything to do with the war in Iraq, I was at first wary. However, a viewing of the trailer for this film would seem to show a production that is true to the intent of Strobl's original writing. In the words of the Sundance Festival programmer, "...its potency comes not from melodramatic or political statements but simply from its reality and execution." Let us hope this is true.
CIA Man: Spies' Reaction to Panetta 'Overwhelmingly Negative' -- [CQ Politics]
A retired senior CIA operations officer who quit last summer after 20 years tracking terrorists says the rank-and-file reaction to President-elect Obama's choice of Leon E.Panetta to run the spy agency has been "overwhelmingly negative."
Talking Joe: Biden makes news -- [Politico]
In fewer than five minutes on Tuesday, Biden criticized his own incoming Obama administration and disclosed information his aides have kept secret for security reasons.
And on Monday, Biden declared, “We’re at war!” and compared the economic turmoil to 9/11.
Team Obama kept Biden under wraps immediately after the election, but with his Senate swearing-in and upcoming Iraq trip, he’s back in front of the microphones.
A Rare Gathering: Bush, Obama and 3 Ex-Presidents -- [FOX News]
An entire generation has gone by since the nation last saw this tableau of American history: every living U.S. president together at the White House.
Consider it time for a reunion among the members of one of the world's most elite clubs, plus the one man about to join it -- Barack Obama.
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
