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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.
Former U.N. Weapons Inspector Duelfer Talks to Iraqi Daily 'Al-Zaman' -- [MEMRI Blog]
Charles Duelfer, a former deputy chief of U.N. inspectors of WMD in Iraq (1993-2000), has said that ministers in the Saddam Hussein government had told him that the country's chemical and biological weapons may have saved Baghdad from invasion by U.S. forces after the defeat of the Iraqi forces in Kuwait in 1991.
Stick A Fork In My Soup...It's Done -- [Mongo's Montreaux - in Iraq]
External Transition Teams are a case study in a good idea poorly (or at least, not comprehensively) executed. All of SFC Sheeran's criticisms of the use and abuse of Transition Teams are accurate, and anyone who has spent a little time on a TT could probably add to the litany. External Transition Teams are (or were) a good idea, but they are going away. This is because the building and employment of Transition Teams contained flaws in the original concept that ultimately proved fatal, both to the mission and to the TT entity itself. The two primary flaws were a failure to factor in military culture and an incomplete mission analysis.
First,
Highlanders protect mental health -- [The 34th Red Bull Infantry Division : Highlander]
Soldiers in the U.S. Army do not suffer only physical injuries while deployed. Since 2003, leaders have increased mental health concern care for their troops.
Soldiers don't have to go it alone when dealing with any mental health issues that arise.
..."Currently the CSC sends a psychologist and tech out to (area operating bases) once or twice a month, working closely with command and medical assets out there to help Soldiers utilize that availability," said Ackman.
Contractors experiencing some of same mental health problems as soldiers in Iraq -- [IN - Iraq]
Baghdad- The ratio of soldiers to contractors in Iraq is one-to-one. Since the beginning of Iraq war it's been widely reported that the Defense and State Departments have hired contractors, deployed and billed by contracting companies, to do everything from wash soldiers clothes to advising senior level Iraqi ministry officials.
And Now Back to Introduction to Pre-COIN 101-- [Greyhawk]
Okay, here's the complete quote that appears only in part here. To clarify what I'm about to relate: although I was in Iraq in 2007, when I use "we" in the following, I mean United States forces.
*****
I may be wrong - but there seems to be some fundamental misunderstanding of COIN in general and "protecting the population" at play here.
The idea that those are somehow efforts that don't involve killing bad guys and blowing things up is wrong. I know this is obvious to 90% of the people who comment here, but there's also a growing number of people seeking understanding of this newfangled "COIN" business who may be under the impression that it's some sort of bloodless warfare - and some may scan these comments for illumination. If you aren't among that number skip this rest of this.
Robbing Peter to Pay Paul... -- [Wings Over Iraq - in Iraq]
Martin van Creveld's "Culture of War" discusses, among other things, the education of a warrior in ancient and modern times. He brings up an interesting point about the advanced service schools of various militaries throughout the world.
...Despite great high-profile leadership at the Combined Arms Center, many feel that positions at military education courses still have a stigma.
Doctrine...a clarification -- [S4 at War - in Iraq]
My liberal use of the word "doctrine" has been called to my attention. Perhaps a re-deployment order isn't doctrine the same way Battle Drill #4 is but what is the definition of doctrine?? Seriously, I've tried to find a good definition and have found:
Beeeesssssss -- [The Stone Report - in Iraq]
In my last post, I talked about the Diwaniya Agricultural High School. The US State Department gave them a grant to purchase bee hives so students can learn how to manage hives. The State Department also helped this school start its fish hatchery. They are involved in helping this school because Diwaniya Province is largely agriculture
Piracy Thrives In Iraq -- [Sour Winger - in Iraq]
...The movie shops even have collections that make you wonder why the entertainment industry doesn't follow suit. ...You may ask, as do I, how is this possible? Of course your how is probably how they can achieve such low prices and get movies out while they are still in theater. That's easy. My how, is how the Army allows this and why the MPAA, RIAA, Gaming Industry, etc haven't raised a law suit! Granted its a different country who is concerned about more important things then international copyright laws, but its blatant piracy found on...(this is the key point) American installations. American installations that not only provide a building to use but power to run said shops.
Minor Construction -- [Ramblings from a painter - in Iraq]
...I finished up a briefing today on a major new initiative that might be coming our way. "Might be" is the operative word. Since I work in the "Development & Plans" branch, I get to do planning for a lot of different projects that may or may not happen. This one involves a lot of construction projects all around the country, and I've been addressing how we're going to issue contracts and then manage them.
A Meeting of Governors -- [MNF-I]
Two governors of neighboring regions both working for the continued improvement of the nation of Iraq, met for the first time with the goal of improving relations between their provinces.
The Journey Home Begins -- [In Iraq Now (at 56) - in Iraq]
It's getting close to 9pm so the temperature here in Kuwait is just dipping below 100 degrees. It was only 113 today when we arrived at 1pm, but the body armor and helmet we are required to wear for the flight from Iraq to Kuwait make it feel even warmer. An hour after we arrived we were allowed to turn the body armor in at a storage warehouse so we don't have to wear it here.
Do Not Send a Spy Where a Civilian Can Go. -- [The 34th Red Bull Infantry Division : For Your Eyes Only]
...The 34th ID OSINT team is comprised of two intelligence analysts and four Arabic linguists. Local media outlets are monitored in order to provide a comprehensive open source report to the Commanding General. It is emerging as a critical part of the intelligence shop as U.S. forces drawdown in Iraq.
Bahrain Base Building Boom -- [Strategy Page]
June 11, 2009: The U.S. is expanding its naval base in the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain. The navy has taken over the Mina Salman port, which transferred all commercial operations to the new Khalifa bin Salman port two months ago. The navy is leasing 70 acres of waterfront space at Mina Salman. At the capital, the navy has an acre at the port there, and 42 acres at a nearby base.
US Marines out of Iraq by spring 2010 -- [One Marine's View]
Conway said there are currently 16,000 marines in Iraq and that the reduction of the force would accelerate after legislative elections scheduled for January 2010.
He played down a resurgence of violence in Iraq in recent weeks, but acknowledged a residual Al-Qaeda presence in some areas.
Inside the Surge -- [Outside the Wire]
LTC Jim Crider has published a report on his experience as a battalion commander in 2007-08 in Baghdad. I was with Crider's 1/4 Cav. in early May 2007.
When I was with them they were just begining to understand counter insurgency and from what I saw in the fall of 2009, Crider and the follow-on unit got it right.
Download the full report here . I'll be reading it on the plane tomorrow.
For a little visual flavor of what Crider is talking about, watch this.
Seabees Embark on "Bread and Benches" Mission in Iraq -- [Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 24]
Sailors of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 24 (NMCB 24), while on a recent project in Baghdadi, Iraq, were able to take a break from their task at hand to experience some of the local culture and promote goodwill between the Iraqi people and Coalition Forces.
Aided by an interpreter, the Seabees visited a local flat bread bakery. The bakery operated by local citizens. What made the bakery unique was that it had been built into the side of a Hesco barrier wall.
Insurgent tactics: Population intimidation -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
From one of the medics SA supports in Afghanistan. Many of the patients our medics treat are local children.
"Please, thank [the members of Soldiers' Angels], but I would not like to start collecting toys, in fear that someone will try to "sneak" one to a child... "
Why is this medic worried about giving Afghan children toys?
Hey folks -- [Afghani Kush - in Afghanistan]
We had another mission yesterday. An overnighter that ended up lasting... oh about 18 hours, pretty awesome if you ask me. I think in totality I ended up with almost 36 hours of no sleep.
Petraeus: Afghanistan attacks at high -- [CNN]
The top U.S. general, David Petraeus, painted a bleak picture of Afghanistan's immediate future, saying insurgent attacks have risen to record levels not seen since 2001.
U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Is Given More Leeway -- [NY Times]
The new American commander in Afghanistan has been given carte blanche to handpick a dream team of subordinates, including many Special Operations veterans, as he moves to carry out an ambitious new strategy that envisions stepped-up attacks on Taliban fighters and narcotics networks.
The extraordinary leeway granted the commander, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, underscores a view within the administration that the war in Afghanistan has for too long been given low priority and needs to be the focus of a sustained, high-level effort.
The General's War -- [Neptunus Lex]
As the violence in Iraq diminishes and something like a civil society emerges, the main effort shifts to Afghanistan, which is all to the good. The fact that the effort there is being labeled as General Stanley McChrystal's War may not be:...
New US general heads to Kabull -- [AP]
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates introduced McChrystal, whose Army fatigues stood out in a room full of business suits and dress uniforms. The general will ...
Bomb kills senior Pakistan cleric -- [BBC]
A leading anti-Taliban cleric has been killed in a suspected suicide bomb attack at his Islamic religious school in the Pakistani city of Lahore.
The explosion struck the Jaamia Naeemia madrassa around the time of Friday prayers, killing Sarfraz Naeemi, who often spoke out against militants.
Do Or Die Time For The Taliban -- [Strategy Page]
The influx of American troops is showing up throughout southern Afghanistan. Areas that had long been dominated by the Taliban, or pro-Taliban tribes, are now being raided by American troops. U.S. intelligence forces arrived before the combat troops, and the increased reconnaissance and electronic monitoring effort produced a more detailed picture of who the Taliban were, where they lived and what they were up to.
US Marines fan out across dangerous Afghan south -- [AP]
Teams of builders worked through dust storms Monday to expand a base for a brigade of U.S. Marines now fanning out across southern Afghanistan to change the course of a war claiming American lives faster than ever before.
US Plans To Invest More In Afghanistan's "Information War" -- [Nasdaq]
The U.S. plans to devote more money and manpower to the " information war" in Afghanistan as North Atlantic Treaty Organization-led forces try to counter an aggressive media campaign by Taliban insurgents, officials said Friday.
U.S. and NATO officials increasingly see public relations, or "strategic communications," as crucial to turning the tide against the insurgents, who have proven adept at spreading their message through radio, the Internet and mobile phones.
Strategic Importance of a Peshawar Hotel -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
The attack on the Pearl Intercontinental Hotel in Peshawar was a major attack that will have important implications for the counter-insurgency in Pakistan. This is an issue that could have a ripple effect felt worldwide.
Russians Outfox U.S. in Latest Great Game -- [WSJ]
..."Basically Russia sees the crisis as an opportunity to increase its influence in the post-Soviet space," said Nikolai Zlobin, analyst for the Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, D.C., who meets regularly with Russian officials. "They think this is the right time to act."
Moscow has already delivered more than $300 million of a $2.1 billion aid package to Kyrgyzstan it promised Mr. Bakiyev when he announced he was evicting U.S. troops from the base.
Heavy turnout predicted as Iranians vote -- [Breitbart/AP]
Iranians packed polling stations from boutique-lined streets in north Tehran to conservative bastions in the countryside Friday with a choice that's left the nation divided and on edge: keeping hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power or electing a reformist who favors greater freedoms and improved ties with the United States.
304 Polling Stations Ready for Iranian Expats -- [Press TV]
Iranian expatriates go to 304 polling stations worldwide to elect the next president as polls already opened nationwide on Friday morning.
Iranians can vote in more than 45,000 polling stations nationwide, while 304 polls will receive Iranian expatriates in almost 130 countries including Britain, the UAE, Russia, China, Japan, and Syria.
The Iranian Circus (cont.) -- [Michael Leeden]
Only a fool, or the ultimate insider, would try to predict the outcome of the elaborate passion play-aka "elections"-now being staged in Iran. But clearly the hatred an awful lot of Iranians harbor for the regime is now being played out in the streets of Tehran and, most likely, many other cities across the country. Reporters in Tehran are using very strong language to describe the anti-regime demonstrations:
UN to Vote on New North Korea Resolution Friday -- [Voice of America]
The UN Security Council has scheduled a meeting for Friday morning to vote on a draft resolution that would expand sanctions against North Korea for conducting an underground nuclear test and a series of short-range missile tests. The draft condemns North Korea's tests as a violation of previous UN resolutions and imposes additional sanctions, including cargo inspections, a total arms embargo, and stronger financial sanctions.
Gates Urges Orderly Reduction in NATO's Kosovo Force -- [Defense Link]
With NATO defense ministers having agreed to reduce the alliance's military presence in Kosovo from 14,000 to 10,000 troops by the year's end, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today urged that the reduction take place as an organized process. On the first day of an alliance defense ministers conference here, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer announced the force reduction today
CIA: Pakistan Assault May Help Nab bin Laden - [Washington Times/AP]
The CIA believes Osama bin Laden is still in Pakistan, and the spy agency is hoping to close in on him as that country's military cracks down on the northwestern tribal area where he is thought to be hiding. CIA Director Leon E. Panetta told reporters after a speech on Capitol Hill on Thursday that finding bin Laden remains one of the CIA's top priorities. "I guess one of our hopes is that as Pakistani military moves in, combined with our operations, we may have a better chance to get at him," Mr. Panetta said. The CIA has increased the number of officers and has recruited agents, or locals who provide information, in Pakistan, Mr. Panetta said.
Qaida says out of food & arms in Afghanistan -- [Reuters]
ISTANBUL: The leader of al-Qaida in Afghanistan has said the militant group was short of food, weapons and other supplies needed to fight against foreign forces in his country, a website linked to the terrorist organization said. "In Afghanistan, we have a severe supply deficit.
Al Qaeda Moving from Pakistan to Somalia and Yemen -- [Jawa Report]
Well we knew that was coming. Al Qaeda in Somalia and Yemen, on both sides of the Bab al Mendab an international shipping choke point, is a bad prospect. Numerous ships from the NATO anti-piracy fleet are patrolling the waters. Maritime attacks are the hallmark of Yemeni al Qaeda.
Obama Gives Up on Resettling Cleared Guantanamo Detainees in U.S., Officials Say -- [Washington Post]
Administration Gives Up on Bringing Cleared Inmates to U.S., Officials Say -- The Obama administration has all but abandoned plans to allow Guantanamo Bay detainees who have been cleared for release to live...
Escaping Torture: A Man's Journey to U.S. Soil -- [Family Security Matters]
The Iranian regime's drive for nuclear weapons and support for terrorism are cornerstones of its foreign policy. But for Iran's political dissidents - many of whom are currently languishing in Iranian prisons - the regime's domestic agenda is just as dangerous. Ahmad Batebi managed to escape the beatings and torture and make his way to America. He sat down with CBN News recently to share his story.
Stop Mirandizing Terrorists -- [Washington Times]
Osama bin Laden, you have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney, and if you cannot afford one, an attorney will be provided. Do you understand these rights? Well, we don't. During a visit to Afghanistan, Rep. Mike Rogers, Michigan Republican, witnessed captured foreign fighters being read Miranda warnings. The Justice Department says this is done "to preserve the quality of evidence obtained." The practice began during the Bush years when congressional challenges to the administration's detainee policy required building criminal cases using "clean" evidence that could stand up in US courts. This looks like a creeping return to 1990s counterterrorism practices that failed to prevent the Sept. 11 attacks.
"Nothing Replaces a Daddy" - Lt. Col. Oliver North -- [One Marine's View]
The following story is an excerpt from Lt. Col. Oliver North's new release, American Heroes: In the Fight Against Radical Islam
PTSD Radio show this Saturday -- [Hooah Wife - Greta]
UPDATE: Scroll down for my video promo
Update: My show sponsor is Reed Medical Education and they are hosting a PTSD/TBI conference @PTSDconference on Twitter
Name of conference: Complexities and Challenges of PTSD and TBI:
Beware the Secret Flaming Space Balls -- [Greyhawk]
...and incoming bolides:
A recent U.S. military policy decision now explicitly states that observations by hush-hush government spacecraft of incoming bolides and fireballs are classified secret and are not to be released, SPACE.com has learned.
Squad-sized 'Super Units' May Best Confront Hybrid Warfare -- [Defense Link]
The US military is studying how to improve smaller-unit capabilities to better confront enemies who practice irregular or conventional warfare, or both, a senior US military officer said here today. The studies are part of US Joint Forces Command's National Program for Small Unit Excellence initiative, Army Maj. Gen. Jason K. Kamiya, chief of the Norfolk, Va.,-based command's joint training directorate, and the commander of its Joint Warfighting Center, told reporters at a Pentagon roundtable meeting. Senior US military leaders believe that highly trained, smaller units would be better able to battle future foes that practice irregular warfare, Kamiya said, as well as enemies that wage hybrid warfare, a combination of irregular and conventional warfare.
Pentagon Orders Massive Bunker-Busters for Underground WMD -- [Danger Room]
North Korea may be readying another nuclear test -- one of many reasons why the Pentagon is stepping up efforts to blast open hardened bunkers, packed with weapons of mass destruction. It's a tricky problem; to do it, you need something out of the ordinary. Which is why the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency has an ambitious goal of developing a bunker buster five times as strong as the current models by the end of the year, and ten times more powerful by 2013. They're doing it with a combination of improved guidance, "novel payloads"... and much bigger bombs.
Despite Army Order, Some Bases Still Ban Facebook, Twitter (Updated) -- [Danger Room]
Just because the Army gives an order doesn't mean everyone follows along. In mid-May, the Army told its network managers to stop blocking Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and other social media sites, after years of preventing them from being accessed on military posts. But so far, compliance has been uneven, troops and Army civilians tell Danger Room.
Unique camaraderie forged by troops downrange lasts far beyond deployment -- [Stars and Stripes]
"These guys grabbed me and we hauled ass into a building," he said. "These guys are high speed as hell. They'll protect me in any situation. I was confused during my first deployment and these guys were on it.
"I felt completely confident that I would get through that night," he said. "No issues."
Welcome home -- [The Times of Trenton]
Easier to visualize, by far, are the gestures of respect and appreciation, the warm welcome home, each one of these soldiers deserve. ...
A Hero's Welcome: Romans line streets to honor and welcome home ... -- [Rome News Tribune]
An honor guard saluted their fallen comrade, and Jordan's family stepped forward to tearfully welcome their loved one home. Jordan, who served with the ...
Why Doesn't the Media Show these Pictures? -- [Soldiering On - in Iraq]
In recent weeks we've heard the Media lament President Obama's wise decision NOT to release any more photographs of Abu Ghraib and other possible cases of detainee abuse. ...President Obama made an excellent decision. The Media (mainly MSNBC, that bastion of insanity) however decries this lack of transparency and calls for the pictures to be released. This is the same Media that can hardly find a good thing to say about the men and women of the US Military.
Boumediene vs Rather -- [Greyhawk]
If you're like me you thought Dan Rather had faded into the sunset once he was booted from CBS after featuring forged documents in a story questioning President Bush's Air National Guard service.
But it turns out Dan got himself a cable Tee Vee gig - and he just scored a scoop: an interview with recently freed Guantanamo inmate Lakhdar Boumediene.
"Told Ya So" - 89 year-old shooter "confirms DHS report" -- [Greyhawk]
Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge just announced that the shooting at the Holocaust Museum - allegedly by an 89-year old WWII veteran - confirms a recent DHS report regarding the threat posed by extremist veterans.
Shepard Smith adds "They [DHS] saw the signs, now it has begun". Smith keeps hammering on that angle...
The Big Hate -- [NY Times]
...There is, however, one important thing that the D.H.S. report didn't say: Today, as in the early years of the Clinton administration but to an even greater extent, right-wing extremism is being systematically fed by the conservative media and political establishment.
Media Liberals Don't Talk Murder? Think Again -- [NewsBusters]
If your liberal friends are brazen enough to declare that not only do Fox News and Limbaugh and Hannity and Ingraham and Levin encourage "domestic terrorism" with their "militia-style" rants, but they also claim "media liberals don't traffic in irresponsible talk of murder and violence and terrorism," here's just a fraction from our Notable Quotables archives that ought to put a stop to it:
Abuse Photos Part of Agreement on Military Spending -- [NY Times]
Congressional negotiators reached tentative agreement on Thursday on a $105.9 billion spending measure that would provide money for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through September but would drop a ban ...
U.S. occupies GM, establishes secure 'Green Zone' -- [ScrappleFace]
The U.S. occupation of General Motors, following a 'shock and awe' lightning-speed takeover, began this week with the appointment of a new provisional administrator, and establishment of a secure 'Green Zone' in the heart of Detroit.
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
