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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.
Sadr: Attack US forces, avenge Gaza -- [alJazeera]
Moqtada al-Sadr has called for attacks on US troops in Iraq as a response to Washington's support for the Israeli offensive on Gaza.
"I call on the honest Iraqi resistance to carry out revenge operations against the great accomplice of the Zionist enemy,'' the influential leader of the Sadrist movement said in a Wednesday statement issued by his office in the city of Najaf.
US General: Anbar lacks support of Iraq government -- [Salon/ AP]
The top American commander in the former insurgent stronghold of Anbar said Wednesday the Shiite-led government should have poured reconstruction money into the Sunni region after Sunni fighters joined forces with U.S. troops to chase al-Qaida out of the western province.
Marine Maj. Gen. John F. Kelly told The Associated Press that his greatest "mission failure" was his inability to bring together the government in Baghdad and the Sunnis in Anbar to take advantage of the steep decline in violence.
"What the Iraqi government in Baghdad should have done is said Anbar is getting peaceful, let's commit," Kelly told the AP in a telephone interview from his headquarters southwest of Baghdad, as he begins to make preparations to hand over command of 23,000 Marines next month to Maj. Gen. Richard T. Tyron.
"It drives me to distraction," he said. "I would count it as a mission failure."
New Iraq Emerges from Tyranny and War -- [IRaq the Model - Iraqi bloggers]
Iraq has started to reap the benefits of the status of forces agreement with the United States. The United Nations Security Council voted to set the ground for relieving Iraq from the restrictions of Chapter Seven of the UN Charter.
In fact...
Colors… The Bleg… -- [The Gun Line - in Iraq]
There are many folks who ask “Is there anything I can do for you?” when they find out that I’m in Iraq…
Up until a few hours ago, my honest answer was, “No, not really, other than send prayers and good feelings to The Big Guy on our behalf…” because, truth be told, they take very good care of us here. We have all the food we could ever want, we have a well-stocked PX, some fast food places, gym and fitness centers, even a theater that runs first run movies…
Now, however, I am learning about a need that (you’d think) our supply system could stay on the top of, but ...
Life Imitates Art -- [Wings of Iraq - in Iraq]
While reading up on Martin van Crewald's paradox, I came across a statement on the Iraqi insurgency which reminded me of something amusing.
While we often refer to "an insurgency" in Iraq, there have actually been multiple insurgent groups, criminal organizations and militias which made up "the insurgency". Each of these groups had its own political goals, organization, and sometimes even fought against one another.
Yes, much like ...
The Deepest Battlefield -- [Outside the Wire]
"How do you defeat an idea? How do you defeat a dream?" Colonel Bob Chase asked rhetorically.
It was the Summer of 2005, a period of stasis in Iraq before the wheels came off in 2006.
I was interviewing him on the side porch of the Saddam era palace in Ramadi that was now the headquarters of the 2nd Marine Division.
Egyptian field hospital re-opens -- [Combined Joint Task Force - 101 - in Afghanistan]
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (January 7, 2009) – The El Salam Egyptian Field Hospital, which sees more than 7,200 Afghan patients a month, reopened here Jan. 5, after almost a month of closure due to a staff transition. During the closure, the hospital staff added a gastroenterology clinic, day-care unit and a...
Afghan Security Guards receive specialized training -- [Combined Joint Task Force - 101 - in Afghanistan]
Members of the Afghan Security Guard recently underwent specialized training from U.S. Army Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Fenty in northeastern Afghanistan.
Soldiers from Alpha Company, 201st Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division taught the ASG tactics, techniques and procedures for working traffic control points and conducting body searches.
Not ready to run -- [Bouhammer]
I said this in 2006 when I first got to Afghanistan. Too many Generals and State Dept. yukkity yucks were in Kabul whispering into the ears of the leaders in the Afghanistan government. They were telling them things like habeas corpus and illegal search and seizure, and other protections that we as a matured country have. They are influencing these Afghan leaders to implement the same concepts in a country that is maybe 2 weeks out of the stone age. What third-world country do you know that has a completely separate police and army? Not many, if any. They have a paramilitary, which is a force that protects the borders and the country from outsides and protects the people on the inside from themselves. A budding country that is just learning how to stand up and take its first steps as a free democratic society is not capable of running the 100yd dash a day later.
Yet this is what is happening in Afghanistan as the “great minds” of US civilian and military leadership try to shove 200+ years of government and democratic progression down the throats of these leaders who are eager to mimic our country as it makes them feel and look better.
Major Push Is Needed to Save Afghanistan, General Says - [Elisabeth Bumiller, New York Times]
The top American commander responsible for Afghanistan, Gen. David H. Petraeus, said Thursday that the country would require a “sustained, substantial” commitment from the United States and other nations to stop a downward spiral of violence and a resurgence of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
Soldier back from Afghanistan duty -- [Daily Gazette]
...During his deployment, Fanning wrote a blog for The Daily Gazette. In 30 entries, he shared his impressions of daily life in Afghanistan and told stories about the soldiers. He said it’s difficult for people in the Capital Region to understand what’s going on in Afghanistan or how the U.S. military and National Guard are trying to rebuild the country, which is about the size of Texas.
Warning orders: prepare to move... -- [The Torch - Canadian Military]
This has been in the works for awhile. Years, in fact. Memos went up the chain of command, and back down again. Never any luck. And then, just recently, approval.
I'm going to Afghanistan.
Pakistanis Cheer Bin Laden At Anti-Israel Rally -- [Morning Star]
Thousands of people rallied Friday in southwest Pakistan, near the Afghan border, against Israel's strikes on the Gaza Strip, cheering support for Al-Qaeda's Osama bin Laden, police said.
EXCLUSIVE MEMRI VIRAL VIDEO RELEASE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD: "HAMAS IN THEIR OWN VOICES" -- [MEMRI Blog]
MEMRI is today releasing a new and exclusive viral video, titled "Hamas: In Their Own Voices." The video, a compilation of MEMRI TV clips that aired prior to the current Gaza crisis, includes statements by Hamas leaders calling for the annihilation of Israel and of all Jews, for death to America, and for the Islamic conquest of the world.
Mumbai handlers in Pakistan cheer after ordering murders over phone -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
The Pakistan-based handlers of the Mumbai terrorists ordered the murders of civilians over the phone and cheered after hearing the gunfire, according to the dossier of evidence India provided to the Pakistani government.
The documents, obtained by the Indian newspaper The Hindu, provides a cold, calculating, and chilling look at the masterminds behind the late November military-style assault on the Indian financial capital of Mumbai. More than 170 people were killed and hundreds wounded during the 60 hour terror spree that shut down the city. The Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terror group allied with al Qaeda and supported by powerful elements within Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence agency and the military, carried out the attack.
Multinational Task Force Targets Pirates - American Forces Press Service -- [Defense Link]
A new multinational task force is focusing solely on counter-piracy operations in and around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, the commander of the combined maritime forces in the region said. The force created the Maritime Security Patrol Area in the Gulf of Aden in August to support international efforts to combat piracy. Coalition efforts included Combined Task Force 150, which conducted maritime security operations - such as the deterrence of drug smuggling and weapons trafficking.
NEFA Foundation: Zawahiri Issues Orders to “Strike Everywhere” in Revenge For Gaza -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new audio recording from Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri released on January 6 and titled, “The Massacre of Gaza and the Siege of the Traitors.” During his address, Dr. al-Zawahiri condemned the ongoing Israeli raids in Gaza and blamed the actions of Israel on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and incoming U.S. President Barack Obama: “These attacks are the gift of Obama to you,...
Al Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan killed in New Year's strike -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
Veteran al Qaeda leaders Osama al Kini and Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan were killed in the attack. The operatives were behind several major suicide attacks in Pakistan over the past two years.
Obama Camp to Legitimize Terrorist Group -- [Jawa Report]
Hug a terrorist time!
The incoming Obama administration is prepared to abandon George Bush's doctrine of isolating Hamas by establishing a channel to the Islamist (designated terrorist) organization, sources close to the transition team say.
The Most Dangerous Thought This Week -- [ThreatsWatch]
In a Thursday testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly revealed that his department is seeking technology that can disrupt cell phone and other wireless communications in the event...
Disney Parks Celebrate U.S. Military With Free, Multi-day Admission to Theme Parks in 2009 -- [Disneyland Resort Public Affairs]
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. / ANAHEIM, Calif. (Jan. 5, 2009) /PRNewswire/ — As Disney Parks ask "What Will You Celebrate?" and invite guests to turn their personal milestones into magical family vacations in 2009, America's military personnel will have one more reason to celebrate: Free multi-day admission to Disney's U.S. theme parks.
Soldier Receives 400,000th Care Package on Christmas Day -- [OP Gratitude]
Surrounded by cheering comrades on Christmas Day, Specialist Harry Colon of the the 133rd Transportation Battalion out of Brooklyn, New York was surprised to learn that he was the recipient of Operation Gratitude's 400,000th Care Package.
Preventing Combat Fatigue -- [Strategy Page]
While the U.S. Army has done much to detect, and treat PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), it has also made a determined effort to prevent it in the first place. From the beginning of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the army took many measures to ease the impact of combat stress. That's why combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan often sleep in air conditioned quarters, have Internet access, lots of amenities, and a two week vacation (anywhere) in the middle of their combat tour. But now there's now a more ...
B-Tshirts -- [Big Tobacco - in Iraq]
For those of you who are new to this blog, Ranger Up graciously designed a t-shirt to help support Fisher House through Big Tobacco. Fisher House is a nonprofit that provides housing for wounded vets that are in outpatient treatment. More on that if you read my Ward 69 post. All of the profits from the sales of these t-shirts will go to Fisher House.
The Soft Side of Airpower -- [SWJ - Major John W. Bellflower]
We are quite good at killing, we Americans. We have melded technology and the taking of life to such an extent that the process can be, for us, a quite antiseptic experience. This is especially true in the realm of airpower. However, the next, i.e. post-Iraq, phase in the war on terror will more closely resemble humanitarian-style interventions in fragile, failing, and failed (F3) states than Iraq-style invasions. Consequently, operations are likely to call less for the elimination of life than for the preservation and facilitation of life. As we begin to contemplate this next phase in the war on terror, which will likely call for heavy involvement in Africa, we should heed the words of Lieutenant General Stephen Lorenz, who counsels airmen to "challenge accepted paradigms to propose new ways of fighting from air, space, and cyberspace." To that end, we should be mindful of the fact that kinetic effects are not always the most desired effects when intervening in F3 states. Indeed, if the Air Force seeks to play a more meaningful role in any post-Iraq engagement, it must look for novel ways of contributing to the global counterinsurgency fight. It must, as former Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne indicated, "offer the nation a flexible mix of capabilities that allow it to act in a world of growing strategic uncertainty."
Army Launching 'Future Combat' P.R. Blitz -- [Danger Room]
Future Combat Systems, the Army's vision of a networked, robot-heavy force, is facing an uncertain future. The new administration has promised to review lavishly funded military modernization projects, and the $200-billion-plus program presents a tempting target for cuts.
Godspeed to Paula Lloyd -- [Michael Yon]
Word just came to me that Paula Lloyd died. The word came from a close mutual friend who currently is in Afghanistan. Godspeed to Paula. Those who knew Paula said many great things. I was told she was engaged to be married. Now Paula is with God.
Ed Freeman... A True Hero -- [One Marine's View]
Ed Freeman is coming for you. He's not Medi-Vac, so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come.
He's coming anyway. And he drops it in, and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 2 or 3 of you on board.
Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire, to the Doctors and Nurses. And, he kept coming back...... 13 more times..... and took about 30 of you and your buddies out, who would never have gotten out.
Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman died last Wednesday at the age of 80
Happy Birthday Elvis -- [Wiki]
Elvis Aaron Presley[1][3] (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977; middle name sometimes written Aron)a was an American singer, actor, and musician. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as "Elvis", and is also sometimes referred to as "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" or "The King".
...Fellow soldiers have attested to Presley's wish to be seen as an able, ordinary soldier, despite his fame, and to his generosity while in the service. To supplement meager under-clothing supplies, Presley bought an extra set of fatigues for everyone in his outfit. He also donated his Army pay to charity, and purchased all the TV sets for personnel on the base at that time
Home sweet home -- [Leesville Daily Leader, LA]
"Chloe planned to pack her bags two weeks ago," said Sean's stepmother, Regina, of Sean's little sister, who is four years old. "She was going to Iraq to get her brother."
But the wait continued at the gym and kept some on the edge of their seats as they watched a video of the 270 soldiers disembarking from their plane in Alexandria.
Then, the double doors opened and there they were in the flesh; upright, strong and unharmed, soldiers of the 4th Brigade 10th Mountain Division filed into the gym and lined up opposite their family members.
Public Invited to Welcome Home Soldiers -- [KCEN-TV, TX]
McDonald also said Fort Hood is inviting the community to take part in welcome home ceremonies for soldiers on post. The first welcome home ceremony for the ...
For Fighting 69th, coming home alive a victory -- [Newsday, NY]
He said he had no desire for a welcome-home dinner, nor a night on the town, nor a visit with the in-laws. He just wanted to take her home.
She's At It Again! -- [Bill and Bob's Excellent Afghan Adventure]
Right on time. It's January, folks; time for Lizette Alvarez to get back on her horse and back to demonizing combat veterans. In her latest public disservice announcement, Lizette has now focused on the narrow population of Fort Carson, Colorado. No doubt still smarting from the general lambasting that she took last year at the hands of numerous bloggers and journalists after her multiple installment series that sought to depict returning combat veterans as a pitiable yet oh-so-dangerous contingent, our heroine takes a remarkably similar tack in this scary little piece in the New York Times. It took me days to catch it because I consider the NYT to be a less than adequate source of any information, and so I do not generally seek my news or opinion reporting there.
Seattle P-I May Fold -- [Ace]
Quoting an unnamed source, KING TV reported Thursday night that the newspaper's owner, The Hearst Corp., planned to put the P-I up for sale soon, setting the stage for its closure in the next few months.
...Read on. The Times is in trouble, too. And the extinction of its chief rival may not even be enough to save the Seattle Times
Shark Jumping? And why I'm Rooting for Joe -- [Outside the Wire]
Joe has a Publicity agent, endorsement deals, book deal and who knows what else--truly a storyline that could only happen in the USA. Now Joe is headed to Israel as a correspondent for PJTV and I find myself asking, why not wall-to-wall Michael Totten instead? Why not Michael Yon, who, if he could sneak into sector for a few hours, would be able to give a thorough prognosis of the battle. Because, even after years of grinding work in the middle-east, churning out brilliant essays and original reporting, Michael Totten is not a media celebrity. Same with Michael Yon, who, despite being one of, if not the most prolific chronicler of war in this young century, lacks the celebrity status of Joe The Plumber.
Announcing that Totten will be the point man and Yon will be providing battle-field updates does not warrant a splash of media coverage. By opting for celebrity over substance, PJTV is following the well-worn path of other news media--and we know how that has turned out.
As one who left a normal career to become a war correspondent, I'm all for Joe and anyone else getting in the trenches. And I'm all for anyone making a few bucks and travelling to Israel on someone else's dime--that is the American dream.
But ...
Who’s afraid of Joe the Journalist? -- [Michelle Malkin]
My syndicated column today looks at the MSM sneering over Joe Wurzelbacher’s trip to Israel sponsored by PJTV, recounts how The Fraternal Order of the Professional Journalist has squandered its own credibility, and exposes how liberal media elites have attempted to shut out conservatives from membership in the journalism club by redefining their craft based on ideological content.
In Search of the Afghan Maliki - Amir Taheri, National Review opinion -- [NRO]
Early in 2007, as the American presidential campaign started to gather momentum, critics of Pres. George W. Bush’s War on Terror invented a scheme that allowed them to oppose the administration’s strategy while dodging charges of appeasement. Under that scheme, Iraq was presented as “the bad war” or, according to Sen. Barack Obama, “the wrong war, at the wrong time, and in the wrong place.” In contrast, Afghanistan was presented as “the good war,” the “just war,” or even “the necessary war.”
The argument was that the war in Iraq was wrong because it had not been explicitly approved by the United Nations, while the invasion of Afghanistan had been. That argument ignored the fact that the UN Security Council had passed 14 resolutions about Iraq, all of them implicitly allowing the use of force against the Baathist regime. The fact that
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