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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.
Mending Fences -- [Bullet Wisdom - in Iraq]
Over the last week, we had two objectives. First, we had to get out into our battle space and find where we fit in the grand scheme of things. Just tackling the weekly rhythm alone was a daunting task. There were meetings scattered all over the calendar and the map.
We quickly realized ...
Semper Gumby -- [The Stone Report - in Iraq]
This is the life of a fobbit. Wake-up, eat, work in the office, eat, work, bitch about working, work-out, eat, sleep.
It doesn’t really feel like I’m in Iraq. The only major inconveniences I have are walking everywhere and the nine hour time difference from Fort Worth. When my wife and mother ask me if they need me to send them anything, I’m stuck because I can’t think of anything I can’t get here at the Victory Base Complex.
Female Muslim Kills 32 Iraqi Pilgrims -- [Sweetness & Light]
From those defenders of the faith at Reuters:
...So was this murderer one of those women recruited by “The Mother Of Believers” to become a terrorist after she had been raped by Al Qaeda – to set her on their path?
Funny how Reuters doesn’t mention that.
Lest we forget, it was a Muslim attack on the Golden Mosque that begat the so-called “insurgency” in Iraq, and the death of so many of our brave soldiers.
But of course our media ignored that angle, too.
Instead, we were to believe that it was all about how much the Iraqis wanted the US to leave their country.
Iraq: Good News Is No News -- [WaPo - Charles Krauthammer]
...One leading conservative thinker had concluded as early as 2004 that democracy in Iraq was "a childish fantasy." Another sneered that the 2005 election that brought Maliki to power was "not an election but a census" -- meaning people voted robotically according to their ethnicity and religious identity. The implication being that these primitives have no conception of democracy, and that trying to build one there is a fool's errand.
What was lacking in all this condescension is what the critics so pride themselves in having -- namely, context. What did they expect in the first elections after 30 years of totalitarian rule that destroyed civil society and systematically annihilated any independent or indigenous leadership? The only communal or social ties remaining after Saddam Hussein were those of ethnicity and sect.
France Working For U.S.-Iran Dialogue -- [MEMRI Blog]
Senior Iraqi sources have said that in a meeting, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki discussed Iraq's help in advancing the U.S.-Iran dialogue.
Night of the COINdinistas -- [Abu Muqawama]
*"The successes of Iraq have given rise to some very prominent and powerful officers in the U.S. Army. Has one of the side effects of the development of counter-insurgency theory been a new crisis in political-military relations?" (This is the question as I remember it and was probably not what Thomas said. But I think the "soldier and the state" question post-Iraq is a really good one.)
Feinstein Leaks Classified Info-- US Drones Flown From Paki Base -- [Gateway Pundit]
Brilliant.
Senator Dianne Feinstein (Dem-CA) leaked classified information to the press yesterday damaging US and Pakistani operations against Taliban radicals.
A Walk in the Desert -- [A Battlefield Tourist - in Afghanistan]
Getting to Know the Neighbors
These presence patrols are designed o gather information on the surrounding villages that will help the Americans understand what and who they’re dealing with in regards to the locals that live in relative close proximity to the COP. In all, 20 of us, including myself, an interpreter and a combat correspondent left COP Barrow around 1400 straight out of the base toward the first of three objectives, which were small settlements no more than three miles out.
NATO and Poppy: The War Over Revenue Part 2 -- [Captain's Journal]
In NATO and Poppy: The War Over Revenue, we discussed the U.S. and NATO program (then in the planning stages) to eradicate poppy since it provides a revenue stream to the Taliban. The Taliban also create income from marble quarries in Pakistan, extortion of cell phone providers in Afghanistan, ransom from kidnapping, and “protection” of small businesses.
Dispatches from FOBistan: Fixing Afghanistan Starts With Fixing Ourselves -- [Registan.net - in Afghanistan]
BAGRAM AIR BASE, AFGHANISTAN — I had dinner tonight with a Lieutenant Colonel, and we were chit chatting about the various institutional barriers the Army faces in fighting this war. He brought up the idea that, indeed, the Army remains what he calls a “Peace Time Army,” that is one still geared toward long deployments home, an obsession with low casualties to the detriment of all else, and an obsessive garrison-like preoccupation with
British To Play Smaller Role As US Troops Fight 'Losing Battle' -- [London Times]
Britain's military is to be handed a significantly diminished role on the front line in southern Afghanistan when President Obama completes a strategic review of a war that US officials say is in danger of being lost.
Holbrooke In Kabul To Revise Strategy -- [Philadelphia Inquirer]
The new U.S. regional envoy landed in Afghanistan yesterday to help chart President Obama's strategy for peace in this volatile country, a day after a bold Taliban assault demonstrated the insurgency's ability to wreak havoc even in the tightly guarded capital.
The Dance Of Death -- [Strategy Page]
NATO and U.S. forces have developed a playbook for how new replacement and reinforcing units can best fight the pro-Taliban militias in southern Afghanistan.
Kabul attacks--the good news -- [The Torch - in Afghanistan]
The Afghan security forces conducted the response themselves:
A bloody day in Kabul
Amid a terrifying Taliban attack, I got a first-hand view of the progress made by Afghan security forces
Deadly attacks in Afghan capital - by Al Jazeera - 2nd UPDATE: Death Toll From Kabul Attacks Reach 26
Let’s Think About Kabul -- [Registan.net - in Afghanistan]
“Well, maybe you can get us through, ’cause they’re saying the gate’s locked down.”
“What do you mean?” As I said that, we came along a humvee parked diagonally across Disney Road, with a few soldiers and a few ANP providing slung machine guns. “Let me see what’s going on, I’ll call you back.” We pulled around to a side lot, and my colleague and I walked up to the U.S. soldier standing watch. As we got close, he waved to us.
“Sirs, you’ll have to step back. The base is on lockdown and no one is getting on or off today.”
Does this mean Karzai is no longer even the mayor of Kabul? -- [Abu Muqawama]
President Obama told his strategic review team to get busy on Afghanistan yesterday and has given them 60 days. I'm not sure we have that much time.
... the Taliban pulled a Mumbai on Kabul, only instead of shooting up hotels they went directly after the government.
More Thoughts on Kabul -- [Abu Muqawama]
Kip (remember Kip?) wrote in to offer comment on yesterday's post:
I understand the emotional underpinning of your reaction to today's attack in Kabul and the need for urgency in doing something, anything and quickly. On the other hand I disagree with your assessment that an attack of this magnitude (essentially a few suicide bombers and a squad of insurgents) demonstrates on its own the strength of the insurgency. Terrorism, which is what this is, is not necessarily an indicator of strength of the Taliban in Kabul but more likely an indication of continued weakness within the capital.
Live Blogging a Volcano -- [Dude, where's the beach?]
Yep, we're heading up north to Alaska on Friday to pay homage to my adopted home state. To maintain our residency status we need to travel there a certain amount of time every two years. If flying out on Friday the 13th wasn't bad enough, we're heading to Anchorage, which is right in the path of the soon to be erupting Mt Redoubt.
Financial Crisis Called Top Security Threat To U.S. -- [Washington Post]
...In fact, during the nearly two-hour hearing, Blair took lawmakers on a virtual tour of every other major and minor security threat, from terrorism and cyber-attacks to the country's evolving relations with Russia and China.
Missile Extortion Goes On, Gates Hints at Taepodong Shootdown, Worthlessness of U.N. Again on Display -- [OneFreeKorea]
Chinese fishing vessels have vanished from the region of the Yellow Sea near the Northern Limit Line, which means that the North may be preparing to test a few short-range missiles. The North’s preparations to test a long-range Taepodong II also continue. The likely launch site now looks to be Musudan-ri on the East coast, not the new West coast site I published images of here. According to the Chosun Ilbo, the missile has now arrived at the launch site.
Secretary of State Clinton, in Asia this week, delivered this iron writ of deterrence against an act that would be a flagrant violation of two (ho hum) U.N. Security Council Resolutions:
Korea Warns US of Protectionism -- [ROK Drop]
It seems a bit ironic to me that South Korea is a country calling for an end to protectionism considering their past protectionist history:
Poland wants enhanced military commitment from US -- [AP]
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland expects the United States to carry through with its promises of deeper military cooperation even if President Barack Obama
U.S. offers Moscow concession on missile shield -- [Reuters]
The United States is ready to look at re-modeling its missile defense plans to include Moscow, a senior U.S. diplomat said on Friday in a concession to Russian opposition.
The Kremlin has been pressing Washington to give ground on the proposed missile shield in exchange for Russia helping supply the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan -- a priority for new President Barack Obama.
Spy Agencies Say China Is Expanding Its Military Forces and Ambitions -- [US News]
China is upgrading and expanding its conventional military forces as well as its antisatellite missiles and its nuclear forces, the new Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told Congress. The hearing, before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, was an annual briefing about the current and future threats to the nation.
Bin Laden Burned in Effigy by Muslims -- [Jawa Report]
(Ghazipur, India) Indian Muslims are becoming prominently vocal in their opposition to al-Qaeda.
When Shooting An RPG Goes Bad
NEFA Report - "'The Eleven': Saudi Guantanamo Veterans Returning to the Fight" -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
The NEFA Foundation has released a new report I have written titled, “The Eleven: Saudi Guantanamo Veterans Returning to the Fight.” The report includes in-depth profiles of eleven former Saudi detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who are now listed on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s roster of its 85 “most wanted” terrorist suspects
Why worry? They're probably just hitting on girls at the mall. -- [Abu Muqawama]
If you haven't been scared to death recently, by all means click on this link (.pdf). 11 of these dudes were in Gitmo. The Saudis are asking for help finding these guys. For those of you who already have trouble sleeping, there is probably no need to read any of this.
VALENTINES FOR TROOPS 2009 -- [VALENTINES FOR TROOPS]
JOIN US FOR VALENTINES DAY 2009 . IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND SOME VALENTINES TO THE TROOPS, GO TO www.AnySoldier.com . THERE YOU CAN GET ADDRESSES
OF SOLDIERS WHO WOULD LOVE TO GET SOME VALENTINES THIS YEAR
More, Please Sir -- [Strategy Page]
The U.S. Air Force has decided, by popular demand from air force personnel, to bring back the Good Conduct Medal for enlisted troops. Three years ago, it was decided to eliminate the award, mainly because there were too few air force personnel who didn't qualify for it.
Is Your Military Man a Fake? -- [CinCHouse.com]
The story of Eric Cooper, the Houston man who claimed to be a Navy pilot and duped nine women into marrying him, must terrify the thousands of women who date men claiming to be in the military. To make matters worse, many of these relationships develop over the Internet when the service member is on deployment, leaving girlfriends feeling helpless to check the backgrounds of their sweethearts.
Is NPR Treasonous - An Essay -- [A Soldier's Perspective - CJ]
...We need to break that down a bit first. The first question would have to be: Does NPR "owe allegience to the United States"? According to its mission statement, NPR only owes allegiance to its "members in matter of their mutural interest". It's not a government agency, but it is a non-profit United States incorporated organization. I guess the better question would be to ask NPR if they owe allegience to the United States. If they do not, then we revoke their non-profit status and send them somewhere (Iraq?) where they DO owe allegiance. If they owe allegiance to the United States, then I guess they would be legally guilty of treason.
With that said, let's push all this aside for a moment and get more personal. What if this Abu Abdul Aziz character was responsible for the death of Jonathan Roberge earlier this week? He was just 22 years old and no
The Media’s Actions On A Daily Basis Is Why We Have the Policy To Begin With -- [Thunder Run]
Robert’s post on Tuesday has been getting quite a bit of airplay at several other blogs and has generated quite a response at a few others. Andi at SpouseBuzz writes in reference to the possibility of removing the policy, and its possible effect
When Military Caskets Come Home -- (Letter) -- [Washington Post]
...Giving military members a say, here and now, in matters concerning the hereafter is, perhaps, one of the greatest honors of all.
British TV’s Nasty Spin on the U.S. -- [PJM]
Stephen Fry, who loves Americans, nevertheless irritated me in his BBC America series, for which he traveled across the U.S.
...Fry goes to Washington, D.C., and refers to the points of interest as “nationalistic symbols.” I know my British friends of many years’ standing think Americans are “nationalistic,” but I challenge any nation on earth to boast as inspiring a spot as the Lincoln Memorial. James Wales, the head of Wikipedia, tells Fry, “America has a very bad reputation all around the world for various reasons.”
Stimulus Bill Would Aid Military Homeowners, Wounded -- [Washington Post]
To help military personnel forced to sell their homes amid the current real estate crisis, the compromise stimulus bill contains $555 million for the secretary of defense to acquire title to a military person's property or reimburse the individual for losses after a private sale or foreclosure. The bill also includes nearly $3 billion in construction funds to repair and modernize military facilities.
Cut the Military Budget (Make Levees, Not War) -- [Huffington Post]
...there is one budget topic that is rarely discussed inside the D.C. Beltway--our massive, unstable, and unsustainable war economy. This seems like a huge oversight, since this is one of the few places remaining where real money can be found to fund the programs that President Obama and the Democratic Congressional leadership promised during the 2008 campaign, including a new "green jobs" economy, health care for everyone, and union jobs with good wages and benefits.
We know the military budget--plus the war spending--skyrocketed during the Bush/Cheney years.
So why don't we look across the Potomac River to the Department of Defense, which has enjoyed those massive Bush/Cheney funding increases? After all, it's been two decades since the Berlin Wall and the Cold War collapsed, and six years since everyone but Dick Cheney admitted that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq--so do we really still need all the entire, expensive DOD wish list?
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
