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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.
RCT-6 engineers demilitarize former Coalition outposts in Ramadi -- [Fightin 6th Marines-VOX - in Iraq]
Combat engineers from 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6, gathered their vehicles to take part in an ongoing mission to remove barriers from the city streets and outlying areas of Ramadi, Iraq, June 09, 2009.
June 15, 2009 -- [S4 at War - in Iraq]
I've made an effort to delegate as much of my job down to the Company XOs in my BN. Because of our reliance on Patrol Bases we are spread out which makes it difficult for me to effectively coordinate their individual logistical requirements.
Post R&R Rut -- [The Writings of a Man's Man - in Iraq]
...It started a few days ago while out on patrol on the streets of Baghdad with one of my Iraqi National Police counterparts, a fellow Lieutenant. He said that it was his birthday that day and that, "he wanted to stop and get some felafels to celebrate." I've had plenty of food with Iraqis so far in this deployment and none of it has hurt me so far so I don't know if it was the felafel (which was in fact quite delicious) or
Donation Overload -- [Sour Swinger - in Iraq]
I want to talk about all the donations received so far that are going to the kids and thank everyone for their support. I've received more then I ever thought.
...If anyone would still like to send supplies for the children of Iraq, post a comment saying so and I'll shoot you an email with my mailing address. Once again, thank you to all back at home ...
Iraqi farmers' market opens for business -- [BlackHawk - 172nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team - in Iraq]
After two years of planning and building, the Central Euphrates Farmers' Market is now open for business after a grand opening ceremony here
U.S. Soldiers Train Iraqi Female Security Volunteers for Police Assistance Work -- [MNF-I]
Loud chatter filled the room as ten women from the Daughters of Iraq (DoI) gathered...
War in Afghanistan -- [Soldier's Angels - Medical Support]
One of our medics in Afghanistan works in a hospital, and mentioned the patients they see who are children. I offered to have our "Operation Outreach" team send toys, games, clothing and shoes for them. The answer will stay with me...
-Rog
The toy issue.....got time for a story?.....the nurses used to load up kids in the hospital with toys, the family and child said their goodbye's and left the facility. A week later, the whole family was killed.....there was an informant in their community that knew the child was treated by the American's by the toys the child brought home
Kidnapped children being used for suicide bombing in Pakistan -- [KUNA]
A Pakistani Federal Minister Monday said that militants were using kidnapped children as suicide bombers across the country.
Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik talking to newsmen here said that the militants were buying innocent children for few hundred thousand rupees and using them to carry out suicide attacks.
Militants burn down school -- [China View]
Anti-government militants set on fire a primary school in the relatively peaceful Baghlan province, north of Afghanistan, a local official said on Monday. "The armed rebels attacked and burned down the primary school of Abdul Wadoud Shahid in Khost-o-Faring district Sunday night," police chief of the district Abdul Ahad told Xinhua. The militias moreover pasted night letters on the walls of the school, threatening parents not to send their girls to school
Risk -- [Embedded in Afghanistan...]
...The risk of death in this conflict is much lower than in conflicts from the past, but all the same everyone expects everyone else to be doing their part. And the knowledge of this expectation is what makes it hard for me when I can't get my ANA to do more than 4 or 5 patrols in a week. When I see the US Army here going out everyday, and often more than once a day, while my Afghans play volleyball, it makes it a little hard to feel proud of the job I'm doing with them. At times I'm almost ashamed at the scheduling meetings when I tell the Army guys that the ANA are taking another day off for "religious classes". We do what we can here to get them to work more, but overcoming the attitude of the culture in general towards work is tough...
Propaganda -- [Embedded in Afghanistan...]
Since the recent grenade attack in the not-too-distant city of Asadabad, we've been making the effort to get out into all the local villages to put out our own version of the events. It seemed pretty clear from the start that the attack was done by someone not an American. However
2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Afghanistan -- [Deployed Troops]
U.S. Marines from the 2nd MEB, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines watch as a helicopter takes
of from the landing zone at forward operating base Golestan in Afghanistan's
Farah province Thursday, June 11
My vacation back to Afghanistan part one -- [SandGram]
...When I called him up, mind you this was around May 12th, the small chat turned to his next tasker; put together a trip to Afghanistan for an assessment of their prison systems. Well, as the boss calls it, "Cops, Courts and Corrections" which is a huge task considering ...
Afghan presidential campaign opens -- [Afghan News]
...Fahim was a commander in the Northern Alliance -- of which rival candidate Abdullah was also a key leader -- that helped oust the Taliban in 2001. Fahim is expected to help deliver ethnic Tajik votes from Afghanistan's north, but he has already drawn heavy criticism from rights groups and a top U.N. official.
The Afghan government, the U.N. and the U.S. and NATO militaries are working to provide enough security so Afghans from the snowcapped mountains in the north to the unending deserts in the south may cast votes.
Presidential Election Campaigning Begins in Afghanistan -- [Voice of America] Afghanistan has begun its two-month campaign season for a presidential election to decide who will lead the country for the next five years.
Al Qaeda commanders reported killed, wounded in Pakistan -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
Qari Zia Rahman may have been killed in Bajaur, and Tahir Yuldashev is thought to have been wounded in South Waziristan
Congress Orders New Uniforms for Afghanistan -- [Bouhammer]
"Congress is about to order new combat uniforms for troops in Afghanistan after hearing complaints that camouflage that was fine in Iraq doesn't work so well in a mountainous and often muddy environment."
Aussie Yellowcake for China and Russia -- [Jawa Report]
The Australian government is finalizing negotiations with both China and Russia to sell billions of dollars-worth of yellowcake uranium for use, ostensibly, in electric power generation only.
Rallying for Iranian democracy -- [Glenn Reynolds]
THEY'RE rallying for Iranian democracy in San Francisco tonight.
UPDATE: Video: Iranian-Americans protest in Chicago.
What Just Happened? -- [Michael J. Totten]
Nearly lost in all the media coverage of protests and people power in Iran is what one faction of the divided Iranian regime establishment just did to the others....
Tehran Threatens Bloggers, 'Deviant News Sites' -- [Danger Room]
Iran's fearsome Revolutionary Guard is warning bloggers and local websites to remove any materials that "create tension" -- or else. It part of a larger crackdown on media of all types, as the Tehran regime attempts to control the information battle surrounding the pro-democracy "Green Revolution" there.
Attempted Iran media clampdown meets Internet age. -- [AP]
"Iran clamped down Tuesday on independent media in an attempt to control images of election protests, but pictures and videos leaked out anyway -- showing how difficult it is to shut off the flow of information in the Internet age." You could write a book about this stuff. . . . But nation-states are still tough opponents.
Obama refuses to 'meddle' in Iran -- [BBC]
...Mr Obama said he believed Iranian voices should be heard, although he added that he did not want to be seen to be "meddling". "It is not productive,
U.S. State Department speaks to Twitter over Iran -- [Reuters]
The U.S. State Department contacted the social networking service Twitter over the weekend to urge it to delay a planned upgrade that could have cut daytime service to Iranians, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.
Iran Isn't the Only Country Rioting -- [Registan]
While all the focus is on Iran's street riots over a possibly-rigged election, let us turn our attention to U.S. ally The Republic of Georgia. Georgia, if you recall, was embroiled in a nasty little border war with Russia this past August, and was pretty successful in pinning much of the blame on Russia's "aggression."
Korean War II: North Korea warns US of 'thousand-fold' military action. -- [AP/FOX News]
North Korea warned Wednesday of a "thousand-fold" military retaliation against the U.S. and its allies if provoked, the latest threat in a drumbeat of rhetoric in defense of its rogue nuclear program.
US May be Within N. Korea Missile Range in 3 Years, Official Warns -- [Los Angeles Times]
North Korea may be able to overcome technical difficulties and assemble a missile capable of hitting West Coast cities within three years, a top Defense Department official said Tuesday, but it is unlikely to be able to deliver a nuclear warhead in that time frame.
US Urges 'Robust' Push on North Korea -- [Wall Street Journal]
President Barack Obama on Tuesday called on the international community to crack down on North Korea's weapons-proliferation efforts, highlighting the administration's challenge in getting key countries such as China and Russia to implement the tough United Nations sanctions agreed to last week.
Disjointed Security Threats are New Normal, Commander Says -- [Defense Link]
The threats that face the United States are more amorphous today than at any time in history, and the commands responsible for defending North America must maintain vigilance, Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart said here today. "People believe we are getting back to something like normal after Sept. 11," .... "I will tell you that that normal will never return."
GOP: no trust for Barack Obama on torture photos -- [Politico]
Heading into a critical vote, House Republicans are unified against the $106 billion war supplemental bill, saying because they don't trust ...
E-Mail Surveillance Renews Concerns in Congress -- [New York Times]
The National Security Agency is facing renewed scrutiny over the extent of its domestic surveillance program, with critics in Congress saying its recent intercepts of the private telephone calls and e-mail messages of Americans ...
Military Lawyers Can Still Defend Detainee - [AP/Washington Post]
Military lawyers can defend a Guantanamo Bay detainee in federal court against charges that he participated in the bombing of two US embassies in Africa, a federal judge said Tuesday, as long as the lawyers' superior officers approve. US District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan urged the government to try to determine within a week whether Marine Col. Jeffrey Colwell and Air Force Maj. Richard Reiter would be permitted to defend Ahmed Ghailani. Both were in the courtroom. "I don't see any reason I would not grant their permission to appear,"
Thanks from Afghanistan -- [Soldier's Angels - Medical Support]
Today I received your letter of good will; thank you for your kind words of support. Before I go any further, I would like to tell you about our facility here. We are a NATO facility, the hospital is managed by the UK and US jointly, staffed by the US, UK, Estonian, Danes, and civilian volunteers. The total staff is 200, and we treat everyone, to include local nationals and ANA (the Afghan National Army) in their quest for freedom. Our job here is simple; treat, care, and honor the wounded warrior. But after the bandages have been applied, pain stopped, and the chaplain gone; most of the troops look kinda lost...not sure of what or how to...
Soldiers Angels Web Surfing -- [Hooah Wife - Kathi]
Sadly, part of the reason for the recent lack of blogging on my part has been because the Soldiers Angels Living Legends Team (of which I'm the Co-Leader)
has been far more busy than we would wish to be, supporting the families of our Fallen Heroes. The Living Legends Team supported the families of 36 Fallen Heroes in the month of May, 25 Fallen in Iraq and 11 Fallen in Afghanistan.
Thus far...
Then and now: Army Captain continues career 20 years after retirement -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Then and now: Army Captain continues career 20 years after retirement
This guy was serving on active duty before almost everyone over here was even born and he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the 1990s!!! He retired from the National Guard and when he came back on active duty his rank was Captain. It feels very odd to have this 60 year old Grandpa calling me Sir and saluting. He's very sweet and everyone teases him about his nickname of "OCIA" which means, "Oldest Captain in the Army."
Army's 'suicide watch' report is spineless -- [SWJ - Robert Haddick]
The Pentagon's public affairs office has a new monthly report: a tally of the Army's suicides.
This new report, issued on June 11, listed Army suicides (confirmed and potential) by soldiers on active duty and reservists not on active duty for May, April, and for 2008 and 2009 year-to-date. By implication, the Army intends to release monthly updates of its suicide statistics, joining other regular statistical releases such recruiting and retention and mobilized reservists.
Episode #43 - LTG Chiarelli -- [You Served]
Lieutenant General Peter W. Chiarelli, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, will talk about Army mental health and suicide prevention efforts.
Has the U.S. solved the urban combat problem? -- [SWJ - Robert Haddick]
Near the end of his presentation last Thursday at the annual CNAS conference, General David Petraeus contrasted the 2008 battle for Sadr City with the 2004 battles for Fallujah. General Petraeus left the impression that if a U.S. commander is given a sufficient quantity of "enablers," especially in the form of overhead surveillance assets, the U.S. will dominate urban terrain nearly as easily as it dominates open terrain.
...But is General Petraeus's implied assertion correct?
Good Times, Bad Times -- [In Iraq Now (at 56) - home from Iraq]
...I also got some bad news from Iraq. Another soldier from our unit went home a few days before I did. His daughter was just born and he got to be there. But the happy occasion turned to mourning when his new daughter died suddenly. It happened Saturday while I was traveling. The wake is tomorrow afternoon in Altoona PA about 3 hours away, so I should be able to attend. It's good that he could be home for his family, but so sad that his leave from Iraq would be marked with tragedy.
DFW Airport marks anniversary of its "Welcome Home a Hero" program -- [Bizjournals]
According to D/FW, 10000 volunteers have greeted 1700 flights since the start of the program in 2004, welcoming home 300000 troops. "The Welcome Home A Hero
REHOBOTH BEACH: Museum lecture titled "Welcome Home" for Vets -- [Bethany Beach Wave]
The presentation highlighted the letters received by Ms. Lynch when, as a reporter for the News Journal, she asked troops from Delaware who were fighting...
False AP report: Obama did NOT say that Iran must respect voters' choice -- [Flopping Aces]
Obama's comments were mushy, yes, but at least he said the most important thing, according to AP: He said it's up to Iran to determine its own leaders but that the country must respect voters' choice. Why then have reputable people continued to pass harsh judgment? And why would AP paraphrase what would have been Obama's key statement? Turns out Obama said no such thing...
Collusion -- [Confederate Yankee]
Many of us on the center-right, however, find the increasingly incestuous relationship between the media and a President very alarming. Some are going so far to suggest that such a relationship a significant threat to our Republic. The reason for such concern is simple: a media so enthralled with a politician (or group of politicians) has cannot perform the watchdog role that is required of it in a free nation.
$106 Billion Bill Passes in House -- [Washington Post]
The House passed yesterday a $106 billion bill that funds the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through September, as Democrats backed President Obama despite their misgivings about his strategy in Afghanistan.
On that war funding bill vote -- [This Ain't Hell...]
One of our commenters, Another Disgrunted IVAW "member" wrote last night;
Looks like 170 Republicans voted against the troops today. Why do they hate us? They send us to war and don't want us to have the necessary equipment to win the wars.
A quick look through the news turned up the reason why so many Republicans voted against the bill like this...
Obama seeks to 'give government new powers to seize key companies'... -- [LA Times]
The plan would give the government new powers to seize key companies whose failure jeopardizes the financial system, as well as creation of a watchdog agency to look out for consumers' interests.
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
