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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. Refresh for Updates.
Iraqis back Iranian protesters' call for change -- [AFP]
..."Religious leaders should not intervene in politics and in people's day-to-day lives," the 27-year-old said.
"I support the protesters. If the regime fell, that would be a good thing for Iran, and for Iraq." ..."I think if Ahmadinejad wins this struggle, it would have a negative effect on Iraq, because Iranian intervention would continue," the 24-year-old said.
FM Iraq confident about security after U.S. troops leave towns -- [Aswat al-Iraq]
BAGHDAD / Iraq is confident its security forces can manage alone after U.S. soldiers pull out of towns and cities this month, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said on Friday.
Concerns have arisen about Iraqi security forces' ability to combat increasing violence ahead of parliamentary elections due next January.
"The Iraqi government, about the security forces, are confident (they) are capable of taking over its full responsibility after the withdrawal of American forces" from cities, Washington Post quoted Zebari as saying at a news conference in Tokyo.
Drawdown -- [Ramblings from a painter - in Iraq]
I mentioned our ongoing drawdown a couple of times. I thought I'd go a little more in depth into that topic, particularly after reading an article in the Stars and Stripes today.
...as recently as a few months ago, many of us were still pretty sure that there would be an American presence across the country for the foreseeable future.
Not now. The change in direction is clear, and if you don't get it, General Odierno will personally come and educate you with a two-by-four.
How's the Weather? -- [Wings Over Iraq - in Iraq]
The other day, I had gotten back from a beautiful, albeit short night flight. I went inside a building and sat down at my desk, once again, relegating myself to the grind of the daily job. I had just sat down when I heard someone next to me ask, "Hey, how's the weather?"
"Gorgeous", I replied, referring to the "clear-blue-and-twenty-two" weather I had just flown in, not an hour prior.
"Are you joking?"
Dust Storm Dominates Central Iraq -- [My Point of View - in Iraq]
You know that feeling you get when it's cold outside and the much anticipated weather report had said that it's supposed to snow? You wait and hope. And then, the next morning, there is a blanket of white covering everything. You'd venture outside and marvel at the snow-covered silence and see your breath coming out in plumes...
But here, of course, ...
[hack!] frickin' lovely -- [Bad Dogs and Such - in Iraq]
Dust storms by themselves are pretty awesome, let me tell you. Fine powder, oozing under the door and around windows. But tonight, we're extra lucky, because we're having dust and pretty impressive wind.
Now, keep in mind this entire FOB is covered in camo nets, tarps and cobbled together cheap-nail-and-plywood construction projects. So
Vehicle Shuffle -- [Sorority Soldier - in Iraq]
The beauty of Iraq is our section of 20+ people has one vehicle to share while each contractor is given his very own road-hogging SUV. Although COB Basra isn't a very big compound, we covet the luxury of driving in a semi-A/C'd Tahoe to get from point A to point B.
US envoy to Iraq calls for talks -- [United Press International]
BAGHDAD, June 19 (UPI) -- There are political solutions to the outstanding issues in Iraq despite a modest rise in the level of sectarian violence,
Iraq going ''all out'' to reach Confed Cup semis -- [ESPN]
Bora Milutinovic believes his Iraq side still have a good chance of progressing to the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup despite failing to win either ...
Taliban In Secret Talks With U.S., Afghanistan -- [CBS News]
Some Taliban leaders are initiating third-party talks that could lay the groundwork for progress between the U.S. and Afghan governments and the Taliban insurgents. In the video below, Charles Sennott of international news site GlobalPost.com reports on how moderate Taliban leaders are engaged in shuttle negotiations, and have been in contact with Mullah Mohammad Omar, the spiritual leader of the Taliban.
Jazeera staff held for "promoting terrorism": Karzai -- [Reuters]
Two Al Jazeera journalists who were freed Wednesday after three nights' detention were held because the Afghan authorities believed their work promoted terrorism, President Hamid Karzai said.
Day 1 - Medical Mission to Uzbin Valley -- [Afghanistan my Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
I was once told never to volunteer for anything. This is one piece of advice I've always ignored. Instead I look for unique opportunities because they can become rewarding. So when the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) offered me a chance to embark on a 6 day Village Medical Operation (VMO) mission as the PA representative, I immediately seized the offer.
Day 2 Village Medical mission -- [Afghanistan my Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Our doctors along with several Afghan NGO doctors set up their supplies in a crude and rustic concrete building divided by several rooms. The outlying villages were informed of our presence. The biggest problem ...
Sonic Must Die: Death To The Hedgehog!-- [Bill and Bob's Excellent Afghan Adventure]
GEN McChrystal has taken command in Afghanistan, and one of the first things he began to do is look at the way that troops are currently disposed and the planned dispositions of incoming "surge" troops around the country. Under the former commander, existing FOBs were being expanded to make room for the influx of new troops. This often had unintended but not completely unforeseen consequences.
Tired Narratives on Afghanistan: Holy Warriors, Militias and SOF -- [Captain's Journal]
Jonathan Kay has been to a conference of "experts" on the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Here is the narrative...
Who has taught them this narrative? Where did they get it? As for Pakistan, Baitullah Mehsud's fighters have proven resilient despite repeated operations against them. No turning to the right or to the left. As for Afghanistan, the indigenous insurgency in the South has proven resilient enough that the U.S. Marines in Garmser had to kill some 400 of them before relative peace came to the city in what at times was described
No, No, A Thousand Times No -- [Mongo's Montreaux - in Iraq]
Over at The Captain's Journal, Mr. Smith* analyzes a paper by Jonathan Kay summarizing the findings of a conference of experts on how to handle the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan
...Let's talk basics. Conventional Forces, represented here by the Infantry, are regimented, hierarchical, and inflexible. SOF operations and culture--where merit, competence and aptitude often win out over rank--is anathema to CF. As for "no special privileges" like greater authoritiy than CF to call in indirect and air support: those "special privileges" are generated because ...
Pentagon Admits Some Responsibility in Afghan Incident, But No Disciplinary Action Planned -- [VOA]
..."There certainly is responsibility," said Admiral Mullen.
But Admiral Mullen said it was a long and difficult battle against a Taliban unit, in which U.S. forces did many things right, and whatever mistakes were made do not rise to the level that would require disciplinary action.
Taliban Tactics: Massing of Troops -- [Captain's Journal]
There remains an uproar over this incident because of noncombatant casualties, and some of it even over military analysis web sites. The focus of much of the discussion is on how counterinsurgency cannot succeed with noncombatant casualties, and that successful counterinsurgency must be population centric. True enough within context, this point misses the mark by a wide margin and succeeds only in parroting doctrinal talking points without a true understanding of what this incident can tell us about the campaign.
US Pursues a New Way To Rebuild in Afghanistan -- [Washington Post]
.. Members of his (President Obama) national security team have concluded that the country requires not just more money and personnel for reconstruction but also a fundamental overhaul of the US approach to development. They want to implement broad-based initiatives aimed at improving the lives of as many Afghans as possible, shifting away from an approach employed during the Bush presidency that focused on generating discrete "success stories" and creating long-term economic sustainability through free-market reform.
Foreigners Fighting Foreigners -- [Strategy Page]
While the Taliban have been successful with their human shield tactics, they have done so at great cost to the popularity of the Islamic radical group. ...the Taliban increasingly find themselves operating in a hostile environment as they move through Afghanistan. This is made worse by the fact that many Taliban units are often half, or more, composed of foreigners. Many of these are Pakistanis, who at least look like Afghans (and only betray themselves when they speak, and reveal a foreign accent). But a growing number of foreigners are Arabs,...
New header -- [MoStFab]
Pakistani Taliban. A band of men wielding machine guns, mounted on a pickup truck. Business as usual; an image observers of developments in the region are all used to. But even in such a picture, interesting details can be highlighted. One of the most misplaced perceptions regarding Afghanistan is how supposedly it is tribal in the sense that tribal fault-lines would mostly be driving the insurgency, and that they would be the key to engineer a social context conducive to COIN success there. Ironically, it is the Pakistani Taliban who are arguably more tribal then their Afghan counterparts. But even the Pakistani Taliban are made up of all sorts of elements. See illustration below:
So why is that guy in the frame wearing a mask, while the others are not?
Pakistan -- [Embedded in Afghanistan... - in Afghanistan]
Nearly every Afghan I've met blames the insurgency on the Pakistanis, holds a huge amount of hostility toward Pakistan in general, and resents Pakistan's involvement in Afghanistan's internal affairs. According to many Afghans, there's not a single Afghan involved in the insurgency.
Pakistani military facing tougher fight in northwest than reported -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
An Indian intelligence briefing obtained by The Long War Journal claimed that 370 Pakistani troops have been killed and 900 have deserted since the operation to root out the Taliban in the Swat Valley began in April.
Iran's Supreme Leader says "Definitive Victory" in Election -- [VOA]
In his first address to the nation since the June 12 vote, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Iran's enemies of targeting the legitimacy of the Islamic establishment by disputing the election outcome....
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
'Al-Sharq Al-Awsat': Arab Militias In Iran Suppressing Demonstrations -- [MEMRI Blog]
The London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat is reporting from two different sources that special Arab militias are operating, in the framework of Iranian security forces, against protestors in the streets of Iran.
An Iranian source said that it received a report that Arab forces are involved in killing Iranian civilians at demonstrations.
US Deploys Defenses for Possible N. Korean Missile Launch Audio Clip Available -- [VOA]
Defense Secretary Robert Gates orders deployment of a new missile defense system and a sophisticated tracking radar to respond to any North Korean missile launch that threatens Hawaii
In Other News, North Korea Plots Attack on Hawaii -- [One Free Korea]
Satellite imagery of the Dongchang site here. This is a new site, whose construction apparently continued in flagrant violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions 1695 and 1718, and throughout the duration of Agreed Framework II, while George W. Bush and Chris Hill looked the other way. According to some reports, launch day will be the Fourth of July.
Officials: US tracking suspicious ship from NKorea -- [Knox News /AP]
The U.S. military is tracking a ship from North Korea that may be carrying illicit weapons, the first vessel monitored under tougher new United Nations rules meant to rein in and punish the communist government following a nuclear test, officials said Thursday.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he has ordered additional protections for Hawaii just in case North Korea launches a long-range missile over the Pacific Ocean.
Congress: Not so fast on closing Gitmo -- [Hot Air]
The enthusiasm for closing the detention center at Guantanamo Bay has waned on Capitol Hill ever since it became clear that our allies want nothing to do with the terrorists imprisoned there -- and that the administration is considering releasing some in the US as a confidence-builder. Congress passed the war-funding bill that Obama wanted, but stripped out all money for closing Gitmo. Instead, they included a number of restrictions intended on tying Obama's hands and slowing down the process ... perhaps to a halt:
ACLU Says Terrorism Finance Laws Violate Muslim Rights -- [Security Management]
A new report from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) criticizes federal terrorism financing laws for undermining the ability of Muslims to practice their constitutional rights of worship and association. The civil liberties organization says that post-9-11 terrorism finance laws' vagueness combined with government intimidation have scared away Muslims from giving alms, a central pillar of the Islamic faith,
Pentagon Pulls Question That Called Protests a Form of Terrorism -- [FOX News]
The Pentagon has removed a controversial question from its anti-terrorism training exam that labeled "protests" a form of "low-level terrorism," calling the question "poorly worded."
Wounded commander takes over Warrior Transition Battalion -- [Soldier's Angels Germany]
"Taking an artillery battalion into Iraq would be easier than doing what I'm going to have to do with the Warrior Transition Battalion. That's how complex, how important it is. But that's where my passion lies.
Calif. cities' military recruiting laws tossed -- [Washington Post]
A federal judge on Thursday struck down two Northern California city ordinances banning military recruitment of minors, finding the laws violated the U.S. Constitution.
Voters in the cities of Arcata and Eureka passed identical Youth Protection Acts in November with 73 percent and 56 percent approval, respectively. They ordered Armed Forces recruiters to refrain from contacting people under 18 or face a fine.
But the Justice Department promptly sued, arguing that they interfered with the government's ability to raise an army and protect the country.
Counterinsurgency: Is "Air Control" the Answer? -- [SWJ - Major Angelina M. Maguinness]
Within the last few years, many airpower theorists advocated for the creation of a more air-centric approach to counterinsurgency (COIN) warfare. They point to modern airpower successes as the central component in military strategies, such as
Troops met with warm welcome at CFB Comox -- [Comox Valley Record]
On Thursday, outside of 7 Hangar, home of the 407 Demons, families counted the minutes till their loved ones stepped off the plane, which had flown from ...
AP Slips Bush Derangement Syndrome Into Farrow Death Notice? -- [Stop the ACLU]
Mia Farrow's brother, artist Patrick Farrow, committed suicide Tuesday, June 16. As expected, on the following day the Associated Press released a wire story about the incident. But, the odd thing about the short recount of the Farrows's lives and the account of the discovery of Patrick's lifeless body is that that the AP found some reason to slip in an attack on George W. Bush into the story. Worse, the AP used the fact of a U.S. soldier's death in Iraq as a vehicle to slam the past president. What did BDS have to do with the Farrows, Patrick's death, and a report on the same?
It's started -- [Defence of the Realm - British]
Already, the media is second-guessing the Iraq inquiry, with The Times leading the fray.
Of four questions posed by defence editor Michael Evans, however, only one relates to the occupation, confirming that the media is going to be obsessed with the run-up to the war, rather than the occupation.
Legendary CBS journalist Walter Cronkite reportedly gravely ill -- [Chicago Times]
FROM STAFF REPORTS -- Legendary CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite, 92, long known as the "Most Trusted Man in America," is gravely ill, according to multiple CBS News sources and published reports.
The Washington Post fires its best columnist. Why? -- [Salon]
One of the rarest commodities in the establishment media is someone who was a vehement critic of George Bush and who now, applying their principles consistently, has become a regular critic of Barack Obama -- i.e., someone who criticizes Obama from what is perceived as "the Left" rather than for being a Terrorist-Loving Socialist Muslim. It just got a lot rarer, as The Washington Post -- at least according to Politico's Patrick Gavin -- just fired WashingtonPost.com columnist, long-time Bush critic and Obama watchdog (i.e., a real journalist) Dan Froomkin.
Google translates Persian -- [The Official Google Blog]
Today, we added Persian (Farsi) to Google Translate. This means you can now translate any text from Persian into English and from English into Persian -- whether it's a news story, a website, a blog, an email, a tweet or a Facebook message.
Senate Approves War Funding Bill After Obama Presses Democrats -- [Washington Post]
The final version of the $105.9 billion bill, which provides funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through Sept. 30, largely backs Obama's strategy ...
F-22 back in Defense Bill -- [BlackFive - Uncle Jimbo]
...This is good news for anyone who thinks owning the skies is a good thing. We may not have any real competition up there right now, but both the Russians and the Chinese are developing new birds and I don't think ignoring that would have been wise.
Boxer scolds Army General for not calling her "Senator" -- [Christian Science Monitor]
Ever wonder what Eric Cartman might sound like if he was in Congress? Wonder no more... California Senator Barbara Boxer is a Senator. And if you don't acknowledge it, she'll demand you acknowledge it. Even if you're a General in the United States Army.
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