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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 various 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.
Kurdistan starts export of crude oil -- [AMENAFN - Aswat Al-Iraq]
Iraqi official: Crude oil export in Kurdish area to officially ... Preparations were finalized to officially export crude oil from the Iraqi Kurdistan region's oilfields to the Turkish port of Ceyhan as of Monday...
Maliki vows to execute Halabja perpetrators -- [Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network]
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki pledged the relatives of the victims of the 1988 chemical attack in the Kurdish town of Halabja, in which about 5,000 Kurds were killed, that ...
391st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion Hands Over Reins -- [DVIDS]
The 391st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion transferred authority to the 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion during a ceremony...
Walls Come Tumbling Down -- [DVIDS]
Just as American teenagers hang out with friends on a hot summer night, Iraqi teenagers were doing the same, May 28, except their entertainment was watching Soldiers from the 46th Engineer Combat Battalion, (Heavy), 225th Engineer Brigade tear down barriers blocking a popular street in central Baghdad.
The Asset - Another Iraqi Hero In Need -- [BlackFive]
Below is a story that took four months of investigative work. It's about an Iraqi that is American at heart...
According to a source, "Recently, The Asset learned that he is losing his teaching contract at Camp Pendleton in August, leaving him faced with no income, with his Iraqi wife and kids back in Sweden, and him without a country..."
Iraq's celebrity traffic cop -- [CNN]
CNN's Phil Black meets the Baghdad traffic cop who has become a local hero and television celebrity.
The horror -- [Bad Dogs and Such - in Iraq]
Look what was in my CHU.
Of course, it was alive when it first zoomed by my head. Now I'm afraid of my CHU, since insects that large make my soul shudder.
Ah, Diplomacy -- [Grim - in Iraq]
...Change has certainly come to Baghdad. And it appears that includes the U.S. Embassy, where they are holding what the invitation says is the first-ever U.S. Embassy Gay Pride Theme Party next Friday at Baghdaddy's, which is the embassy employee association's pub.
VIDEO: RAF Regiment leaves Iraq -- [Minister of Defense]
After six years of protecting the Contingency Operating Base (COB) at Basra International Airport and after completing their final patrol, the RAF Regiment came home from Iraq
It's Getting Harder For Americans To Die In Combat -- [Strategy Page]
...So far this year, there have been 83 deaths in Iraq, compared to 314 in 2008 and 904 in 2007 (the peak year for these deaths). In the last eight months, U.S. troops in Iraq have had more to fear from accidents, disease and stress, than enemy action.
Officials: Mass abduction by Taliban in Pakistan -- [AP]
Taliban militants ambushed a convoy of vehicles carrying at least 400 students, staff and relatives from a boys' school Monday, taking dozens -- possibly hundreds -- captive in northwestern Pakistan, officials said.
Police were negotiating for the captives' release following the brazen abduction -- part of a string of militant actions in Pakistan's tribal belt that the army believes is partly aimed at distracting the military from its offensive against the Taliban in the Swat Valley.
Chapter 3: Culture (Lesson 3A: Chai and the Pashtunwali -- [A.L.L. = Afghan Lessons Learned for Soldiers]
Here is a description, in detail, the uniquely Afghan experience of having chai.
A leadership recently in Afghanistan was telling its Soldiers not to drink chai. Don't listen to stuff like that; it will have you insulting people left and right.
Upon acceptance of an invitation, there is a bustle of activity as you are ushered to the place where the chai will be shared...
The Bad News Bears -- [Embedded in Afghanistan... - in Afghanistan]
Today's firefight lasted 2.5 hours. Which I know sounds crazy until I explain how it goes sometimes. We're driving down the road in an 8 vehicle convoy when we take a few shots from the ridgeline maybe 800 meters away. So we stop and start returning fire in the vicinity of where it was coming from. An Army convoy happened to be right in front of us, so they coordinated artillery and mortars on the enemy positions. But
Marines vs Taliban -- [Defense Tech]
One of my Marine buddies from 2-5 sent this to me. I thought I'd share it.
A large group of Taliban fighters is moving down a ravine in the Korengal Valley, in southern Afghanistan, when they hear a hoarse voice call from behind a sand-dune in a mocking tone, "Yo, muj, did you know that one Marine Marine is better than ten of you smelly Talib?"
Insulted to the quick (though he did indeed smell), the Taliban commander sent ten of his best men over the rocky hill, whereupon a gunbattle broke out immediately. ...
JI proposes four-nation bloc -- [Daily News]
KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Chief Munawar Hassan has proposed that a bloc comprising Pakistan, Iran, China and Afghanistan is needed against the United States of America (USA) and NATO.
Afghanistan: the Good and the Bad -- [Abu Muqawama]
...As far as I am concerned, Chris Cavoli has it right and the well-meaning gang in Afghanistan now is misguided. In the context of a counterinsurgency campaign -- which we can all agree we're engaged in -- enemy body count is a poor metric. Civilian body counts are a better metric -- the fewer civilians dying, the better. In our soon-to-be-released paper from CNAS on Afghanistan and Pakistan, we will have an entire chapter dedicated to metrics you can use ...
Army fury at refusal to bolster Afghan campaign -- [The Independent]
Britain's most senior military commanders have warned Gordon Brown that unless he sends more troops to Afghanistan Britain will lose credibility with its American allies, The Independent has learnt.
Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Afghanistan: Bridge to Marine Corps' Future in Afghanistan -- [DVIDS]
Called to action with only a couple months of notice, a unit was needed to fill an important and time-critical role.
Just to tide you over -- [Afghani Kush - in Afghanistan]
Larger post coming soon folks. Just too tired to write anything up.
But here you go, we did make the news...
Reclaiming the Ring Road -- [Captain's Journal]
...We have long recommended the securing of that bad stretch of what is otherwise called Highway 1, especially from Kandahar to Kabul. Logistics is a nightmare on this road, and many hired Afghanistan drivers have perished at the hands of the Taliban.
Have a Manas kind of day -- [Desert bound - in Afghanistan]
...Manas Air Base is nice. It serves as a crucial hub for troops and supplies heading in and out of Afghanistan. Unfortunately, Manas AB is closing soon. I've linked an article talking about the closure at the bottom of this post.
Framing the Threat -- [Registan]
So Philip Smucker just conducted a "three-month investigation of al-Qaeda's activities, from Nuristan in the north to Paktika in the southeast," and based on this investigation concludes, "bin Laden's terror network - working through Afghan and Pakistani partners - is present in almost every Afghan and Pakistani province along the fluid border areas between the two countries."
Well, yes. But how is this new information? It's not really, except at the margins.
Military recruiter killed in Ark shooting -- [AP]
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- One Army recruiter was killed Monday and a second was wounded in a shooting at a recruiting office, and a suspect was arrested, police said.
Police Lt. Terry Hastings said the recruiter was shot when a man in a black SUV opened fire on the office in west Little Rock at about 10:30 a.m.
The vehicle was stopped on Interstate 630 a short time later and a suspect was taken into custody.
Koreans Flock to U.S. Army -- [One Free Korea]
It's certainly an improvement on how the Army was received in Korea when I was there. For everyone who says "Yankee Go Home," someone else says, "and take me with you:"
Missing Air France jet 'hit by electric fault' -- [CNN]
An Air France plane missing over the Atlantic with 228 people aboard reported electrical problems in stormy weather before it lost contact, the airline said Monday, describing the incident as a "catastrophe."
North Korea May Test Another Missile -- [New York Times]
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Monday that North Korea may be preparing to launch another long-range missile that ...
Iranian Defense Minister: Not All Our Military Capabilities Are Known -- [MEMRI Blog]
In describing Iran's military power, and in particular the Sejil 2 surface-to-surface missile, Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar stated that Iran was not revealing all its capabilities, but only some of them.
Israel warns Iran could have nuclear bomb by year-end -- [Xinhua]
JERUSALEM, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Iran could have enough fissile material for its first nuclear bomb by the end of this year, an Israeli intelligence official
Secretary Gates in Singapore -- [Michael Yon - in Singapore ]
One matter that you will see in the press is that North Korea is the elephant in the room. Secretary Gates has made it clear that we have no intention of rewarding bad behavior, as we have done in the past with North Korea. Many readers seem to hold a special disdain for President Obama, and I actively campaigned for McCain, but I get the feeling that Obama is tougher and proving wiser than many people seem to think. I do not detect that we are slinking away from North Korea. It seems as though we are going to have some sort of showdown, which hopefully will all be through diplomacy. I heard Secretary Gates say that a nuclear armed North Korea is not in the cards.
A Closer Look at the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces -- [Renew America]
Protecting America against terrorist attack are the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces, or JTTFs, our nation's front line fighting terrorism: JTTF (much like their prey the terrorist) they consists of small cells of highly trained, locally based, passionately committed volunteers. However, in the case of JTTF they also have professional investigators, analysts, linguists, SWAT experts, and other specialists from dozens of U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies from all over the U.S.
According to the FBI when it comes to investigating terrorism, they do it all: ...
AIG, Sharia and Uncle Sam -- [WaPo]
A federal judge in Michigan has declined to dismiss an ex-Marine's lawsuit that insurance giant AIG is using tax dollars to promote Islamic Sharia law and charities that may be funneling money to terrorist organizations.
Just when you thought the government's massive bailout of AIG couldn't get more complicated or controversial.
Guantánamo terrorism trial moved to New York -- [MiamiHerald]
... the Pentagon has dropped war-crimes charges against a Tanzanian captive here who will instead face a civilian terrorism trial in New York City.
Charity drive, mentoring and new dog -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Thanks to everyone for their interest in supporting the troops. I personally don't need anything, but know of others who would appreciate a care package. So as I travel to these outposts, I will record the name/address/needs of these individuals. These guys need the items the most. But in the future, I want to start a charity drive for poor village children who lack the most basic necessities, i.e., soap, toothbrushes, pens, paper, crayons, etc. This is the mission that is near and dear to my heart.
Update on OPERATION: VAMPIRE PINK -- [Afghanistan Shrugged - in Afghanistan]
An update to the status of OPERATION: VAMPIRE PINK. We now have a pink ladies version of the T-shirt, along with ACU Sand and black. So, go out to the Ranger Up site and pick one up showing your pride for those that supported you or those that you proudly support. You deserve it and it supports a great cause!
Forgotten Soldiers receive burial with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Follow up to this story: Buffalo Soldier, Vietnam Medic, and WWII Sailor will finally come home to Arlington
If you're on Twitter, please join us every Monday for #MilitaryMon, created by Carson ( @carsonjdaly) and SA's own Greta Perry (@kissmygumbo)!
General Rick Sanchez Calls for War Crimes Truth Commission -- [Huffington Post]
In front of a packed audience tonight at the Times Center in New York City, General Ricardo Sanchez, the former commander of all coalition forces in Iraq, called for a truth commission to investigate the abuses and torture which occurred there.
...I interviewed General Sanchez after the event and asked him to elaborate on why he felt the US needed such a commission. "For the American people to really know what happened, " he replied, "...this was an institutional failure, a personal failure on the part of many...."
"If we do not find out what happened," continued the General, "then we are doomed to repeat it."
The event tonight was moderated by Rachel Maddow and featured General Sanchez, Vince Warren, exec director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and Ron Suskind, the author and reporter.
Come out to welcome home our troops in Woodbury -- [NJ.com]
If you'd like to help welcome home the GIs, be outside the armory by 6 pm Bring a flag. wave it and make some noise to let them know you're proud of them ...
Troop Greeters Welcome Public To BIA -- [WABI]
During that time, they've greeted more than 800-thousand troops as they've come home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Sunday, the troop greeters welcomed members
The Violence Declines While The Headlines Persist -- [Strategy Page]
You'd never know it from reading the headlines, but wars continue to decline worldwide. However, the conflicts that kill the most people (like Congo) get the least media coverage. Reporting tends to be distorted by the need to attract eyeballs, and revenue. For years, Iraq was portrayed as a disaster until, suddenly, the enemy was crushed. Even that was not considered exciting enough to warrant much attention, and that story is still poorly covered by the mass media. Same pattern is playing out in Afghanistan,...
Lisa Ling Begins Media Blitz to Win Release of Her Sister Laura and friend Euna Lee -- [GI Korea]
It appears that Lisa Ling who has been keeping a low profile in regards to the hostage taking of her sister Laura Ling and fellow journalist Euna Lee, has finally decided to use her celebrity to advocate for the release of both women:
Carl Webb; the IVAW deserter who didn't desert -- [This Ain't Hell]
As most of my regular readers know, there's turmoil churning around the ranks in the Iraq Veterans Against the War. Although it's a result of many things, the most contentious point of the turmoil is between the regular patriotic members who merely oppose the war and the members who want the IVAW to become a tool of the International Socialist Organization - just a facade of veterans to lend some legitimacy to the entire socialist movement. The most vile and despicable member of IVAW, Carl Webb, belongs to that second group.
The Obama flip-flops you don't know -- [Politico]
Since winning the election, President Barack Obama has famously flip-flopped on many of the major issues that he championed on the campaign trail. But did you know he's also flip-flopped on a myriad of less publicized issues?
Ted Rall: Obama should resign -- [The State Journal-Register]
...Obama is useless. Worse than that, he's dangerous. ...I refer here to Obama's plan for "preventive detentions." If a cop or other government official thinks you might want to commit a crime someday, you could be held in "prolonged detention." Reports in U.S. state-controlled media imply that Obama's shocking new policy would only apply to Islamic terrorists (or, in this case, wannabe Islamic terrorists, and also kinda-sorta-maybe-thinking-about-terrorism dudes). As if that made it OK. In practice, Obama wants to let government goons snatch you, me and anyone else they deem annoying off the street.
Preventive detention is the classic defining characteristic of a military dictatorship.
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