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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.
Afghan Review Says Hunting Taliban Is Only 5% of Troops' Job -- [ABC News]
... presence since the beginning of the war and is the cornerstone of the new strategy from recently arrived US embassy and international forces staff
Feared Taliban grab of Kandahar would be significant blow to U.S. -- [TwinCities.com/AP]
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Southern Afghanistan's largest city, Kandahar, is slipping back under Taliban control as overstretched U.S. troops focus on clearing insurgents from the countryside -- a potentially alarming setback for President Barack Obama's war strategy.
Face to face with the Taliban: 'The people are fed up with the government' -- [The Guardian]
In a cafe in the centre of Kunduz, two tribal elders sat discussing life under the Taliban. The men live in a relatively peaceful area of Afghanistan, less than six miles from a German base, in a region where the roads are tarmacked and where there are many signs proclaiming this school or well or road was funded by the Germans or the Americans.
- Interview - My Last Tour: $10 a day Taliban -- [WUSF 89.7]
Temple says the Taliban promised the Afghans security and they delivered. However, they found the Taliban to be equally corrupt. Yet, many are dependent on the Taliban for their living.
"It's sad to say, but we call them $10 a day Talibans because that's what the Taliban pay them to plant an IED or to launch a rocket or to fight for them," Temple says.
Afghan Taliban Commander Is Captured in Raid -- [New York Times]
Afghan security forces raided a medical clinic in eastern Afghanistan late Wednesday, capturing a Taliban commander who had been wounded in attacks during last week's presidential election, Afghan officials said Thursday.
Afghan civilian deaths decline under new U.S. tactics -- [NY Times]
NATO figures show a decrease in fatalities since U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal ordered troops to avoid taking on Taliban in ways that put civilians at risk.
A Close Fight, and a Couple of Miracles -- [Danger Room - Noah Shachtman in Afghanistan]
For seven hours, the Marine sniper team waited, crouching behind a concrete block in a dusty courtyard, at the edge of an adobe compound. They were pretty sure that a group of local Taliban militants was on the other side of the compound wall. But the snipers couldn't strike until they had some proof. So they stayed there, in silence. They downed energy drinks to stay awake. They urinated in bottles and defecated in bags, so they wouldn't leave evidence of their presence behind. Team leader Sgt. Erik Rue kept himself sharp by running scenarios in his head of what could happen next: What if the Taliban burst in, guns blazing? What if they enter unarmed? What if there are children in the way? What if the courtyard is overrun by the militants? Where do we go then? U.S. Marines and Taliban guerrillas have battled in the villages and compounds of this farming community nearly every day for eight weeks.
27 Aug 09 -- [Dude in the Desert - in Afghanistan]
Today was our second day of CLS (Combat Life Saver) course--it's a 4 day thing ... yesterday we learned all about opening airways, tourniquets, suppressing enemy fire, care under fire, tactical field care, and all that good stuff - lots of gory pictures, videos of explosions, stories about the medics teaching the class....a couple of these guys have some serious combat experience and battle scars to show...one guy was blown up in an IED attack and has metal rods and pins everywhere, another guy got stabbed in the back and side 4-5 times while doing a "meet n greet" in Iraq--that means kickin the door down and going in to look for bad guys, the 2 female instructors have field experience caring for many battle wounded while taking fire--and returning fire...these guys are all hard core, badass, hero medics...and every single one of them says they don't give a shit if they hurt you or break a bone, but no matter what, they WILL get you out of the kill zone and you will live if there is any way possible...
Not A Good Time To Be A Pushy Pushtun -- [The Strategy Page]
The Western media reported numerous problems and much violence associated with the Afghan vote. But for those in touch with people in Afghanistan (email and blogs makes this pretty easy), the reports were far different. The Taliban huffed and puffed (mainly for the benefit of the foreign media) and generally did not deliver the violence and terror they promised. A lot of the reported "Taliban violence" in the south was the usual Pushtun tribal politics (which tends to be murderous even in the best of times). In most of the country, the only violence is the normal banditry and tribal type long typical of the region. The "vote fraud" was more common than in the West, but was mostly carried out by major politicians, not the Taliban.
E-Day -- [Rejuvenation of an Afghan Soul - Afghan in Afghanistan]
The BBC's Harun Nazafijada in Kabul says: I can see a number of girls with make-up wearing jeans and mini-skirts voting in a school. There are women in burkas too. Many of the women voters seems to be students.
Mini skirts in Kabul???? HA! What a liar!!! Men and women polling centres are segregated, he can't even see women. Why is he reporting falsely?!
Election Returns Still Trickling In -- [Outside the Wire - JD Johannes - in Afghanistan]
With 17.2% of polling stations tallied, President Karzai is leading his challengers with 44.8% of the votes cast.
Dr. Abdullah Abdullah is in second with 35.1% and Bashardost is a distant third with 11.4%.
The Afghanistan Independent Elections Commission has an interactive province-by-province tally.
US envoy 'in angry Karzai talks' -- [BBC]
The US special envoy to Afghanistan has held an "explosive" meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai over the country's election, the BBC has learnt.
After his death, who succeeds Hakim as ISCI, NIA leader? -- [Iraq the Model]
There is uncertainty about who is going to succeed the late Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim as the news leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) and the new National Iraqi Alliance (NIA). Sources in ISCI told Azzaman that Humam Hammoudi, a senior ISCI member would be the new leader of the NIA. This claim is contested by Ali al-Adeeb of the Da'awa Party. Although the Da'awa is not yet part of the NIA, Adeeb is no. 2 in the hierarchy of the UIA (the predecessor of the NIA) and had served as Hakim's deputy in leading the parliamentary bloc. However, ISCI's senior members argue that the leadership of the UIA (and now the NIA) belongs to ISCI. It is worth mentioning here that the Da'awa Party has not totally ruled out the possibility of joining the NIA, according to MP Hassan al-Sinaid, of the Da'awa Party.
Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss -- [Registan]
So everyone seems to have thought--from Gates and Adm. Mullen on down--that General McChrystal would bring something fundamentally new to the Afghan conflict--new ideas, new policies, the ability to secure funds and troops. The reality, of course, is far less utopian. McChrystal's new counterinsurgency directives are remarkably similar to his predecessor's, General McKiernan
McChrystal - ISAF. COMISAF COIN GUIDANCE (pdf) -- [ISAF]
Protecting the people is the mission. The conflict will be won by persuading the people, not by destroying the enemy
Firefights can happen in Medical Clinics too -- [Bouhammer]
A US Soldier was killed in the last day during a TIC (firefight) in the southeastern Paktika town of Sar Hawza clinic. There were 12 Taliban killed also during the fight. "One US soldier and 12 Taliban militants were killed in a firefight in eastern Afghanistan after Afghan and US forces attacked a clinic where a wounded Taliban commander was seeking medical treatment, officials said Thursday. Afghan security forces got information that the militants had taken one of their wounded commanders to a clinic in Sar Hawza, a district in the south-eastern province of Paktika Wednesday, Hamidullah Zewak, spokesman for the provincial governor, said." It was interesting for me to hear that this TIC happened in a medical clinic because that is exactly what happened once with me in 2007. In fact it was one of the last missions I was ever on.
Civilians Flee - PUL-E-ALAM, Afghanistan -- [NY Times]
Afghan civilians flee as an American helicopter fires on a building where Taliban fighters have taken refuge. The Taliban fighters had earlier stormed a building in Pul-e-Alam, the capital of Logar Province, killing a guard who tried to stop them. The Afghan National Army and American military intervened, and the Taliban used the high vantage point to attack the Afghan National Police headquarters and the provincial governor's office.
Away for a while -- [Afghani Kush - in Afghanistan]
Well, I'm sorry that I haven't been updating this thing lately. As many of you know I'm going to be staying down here for another deployment. But as I've been moved around I've had less and less time to write/take pictures and less and less to write and take pictures of. So I'm going to try and update this thing when I do, but I don't think I'm going to be able to do much more of it.
Many of my readers were friends and family of the guys in my unit. They should all be home in a few weeks and it's been a great deployment because of them. We've been lucky and have had a lot of close calls.
Leaving -- [Embedded in Afghanistan... - in Afghanistan]
...We turned things over to the new team, and they'll begin going through all the things we went through. With the ANA you have to wonder if they purposely hit the rewind button when a new team arrives. By that I mean, the suspicion exists that the ANA play down their abilities for new ETTs in the hopes that the new guys will coddle them and not demand as much of them as they are capable of giving; let the new guys think you're incapable and maybe they won't ask much of you; show how pathetic and helpless you are and maybe they'll buy and give you more stuff. I won't personally say I saw much of that type of behavior, but I did hear of it from others and it would fit right in with what I know about the ANA.
Works In Process Update -- [Sketchpad Warrior]
Here is the oil sketch in process I mentioned in my last post:
The subject is the long wait we had one day on a convoy, when one of the vehicles got stuck on a bridge, half hanging over the edge, which delayed our movement for nine hours. We sat in the vehicle, stuck in with our gear, trying not to be bored out of our skulls, and sometimes trying to sleep. Here is pictured HM2 Amesquita, Cpl Rogers, and Sgt Miller of CLB8, trying to sleep. The jumble of Marine and gear lends itself to a sketchy process, with the paint and strokes as jumbled as the gear..!
Keeping the Peace -- [Short Timers - in Iraq]
"This kind of cooperation doesn't exist anywhere else in Iraq," he told the assembled Iraqi forces at a joint security meeting. "There can be peace and understanding, or it can turn into a fight."
On the border between Iraq and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, Kasales and the troops of his 5-1 Cavalry Regiment have their work cut out for them, trying to massage egos and build relationships between Arabs and Kurds. It's a daunting task even under the best of circumstances,
US general: In a year, only 50000 troops in Iraq -- [AP]
SHUAIBA PORT, Kuwait -- The US Army chief of staff says he expects the number of American troops in Iraq to go down to around 50000 by this time next year.
Iraq Says Syria Must Give Up Terror Suspects -- [AFP]
Iraq said on Thursday relations with Syria will not improve until its neighbour gives up terrorists it says plotted a devastating bombing in Baghdad and are being harboured by Damascus. "Our relations with Syria have reached a crossroads of whether they choose to have good relations with Iraq, or whether they choose to protect persons who attack Iraq," spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told AFP. Bilateral relations effectively collapsed on Tuesday when the countries withdrew their envoys in the wake of massive twin truck bombings in Baghdad, which Iraq says were orchestrated in Syria.
Stolen Picasso painting found in Iraq -- [Press TV]
The renowned Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso's stolen 10-million-dollar painting has been found in the southern Iraqi province of Babel.
La Mujer Desnuda was found after the intelligence service reported that the painting was in the possession of an Iraqi man living in Yebla, an area in Babel, Al Sabah newspaper cited unnamed sources as saying.
The painting, which bears the seal of Kuwait's National Museum, is believed to have been stolen during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
Doubts cast on authenticity of Picasso in Iraq -- [AP]
Authorities in the art world cast doubt Thursday on the authenticity of an alleged Picasso painting that was seized by Iraqi police south of Baghdad.
A painting called "The Naked Woman" that police claimed was painted by Picasso was seized near the southern city of Hillah on Tuesday after the man allegedly tried to sell it for $450,000.
Iraqi police said the painting appeared to have been stolen from Kuwait following Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion.
But evidence seemed to mount Thursday that it was not a genuine Picasso.
Somali Pirates Fire on U.S. Navy Helicopter From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command -- [DVIDS]
Yesterday, at approximately 8:00 a.m. local time, Somali pirates aboard Motor Vessel Win Far, fired what appeared to be a large caliber weapon at a U.S. Navy SH-60B Helicopter from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 49, embarked aboard USS Chancellorsville.
No rounds of ammunition struck the SH-60B. The SH-60 crew did not return fire. No personnel injuries resulted from the incident.
Message to Muslim World Gets a Critique -- [New York Times]
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has written a searing critique of government efforts at "strategic communication" with the Muslim world, saying that no amount of public relations will establish credibility if American behavior overseas is perceived as arrogant, uncaring or insulting. The critique by the chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen, comes as the United States is widely believed to be losing ground in the war of ideas against extremist Islamist ideology.
End military surveillance missions, China tells US -- [AP]
BEIJING -- China demanded Thursday that the US military cease its surveillance missions off the Chinese coast, reviving a dispute that continues to upset
Ghosts of Germany's communist past return for election -- [Reuters]
Will the party that traces its roots to the Communist East German party that built the Berlin Wall soon be in power in a west German state? Or is the rise of the far-left in western Germany to the brink of its first role as a coalition partner in a state government with the centre-left Social Democrats simply a political fact-of-life now so many years after the Wall fell and the two Germanys were reunited?
Aw, Crap, He Missed -- [Jawa Report]
What is it they say? You reap what you sow?
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- A suicide bomber lightly wounded a senior prince largely credited for Saudi Arabia's anti-terrorism campaign when he blew himself up just before going into a gathering of well-wishers for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the state news agency said Friday.
Communicating a threat in Supermax; al Qaeda and their lawyers wage jailhouse jihad -- [911 Families]
President Barack Obama said, "Nobody has ever escaped from one of our federal, supermax prisons, which hold hundreds of convicted terrorists," during his May 21, 2009 speech at the National Archives.
In this morning's Washington Post, they report a 2006 Department of Justice memo states that convicted al Qaeda prisoners in Supermax at Florence, Colorado "coordinated the beginning of a hunger strike" and developed "a sophisticated method to resist compulsory feeding" by communicated via "tapping on the pipes." (Has no one at the Bureau of Prisons ever heard of the Hanoi Hilton and how John McCain et al communicated by tapping on the walls?)
The WaPo stopped short of quoting from footnote 11 on page 13 that, "Ultimately, due to this coordination, the al Qaeda terrorists succeeded in gaining transfer from high security detention." The DOJ's memo does not go on to explain if the transfer was temporary or permanent yet there are no reports that al Qaeda detainees were transferred away from Florence.
Abuse Issue Puts the Justice Dept. and CIA at Odds -- [New York Times]
With the appointment of a prosecutor to investigate detainee abuses, long-simmering conflicts between the Central Intelligence Agency and the Justice Department burst into plain view this week, threatening relations between two critical players on President Obama's national security team. The tension between the agencies complicates how the administration handles delicate national security issues, particularly the tracking and capturing of suspected terrorists overseas. It also may distract Mr. Obama, who is trying to move beyond the battles of the Bush years to focus on an ambitious domestic agenda, most notably health care legislation.
Holder's Decision To Probe CIA Hints At a New Dynamic -- [Washington Post]
About five weeks ago, faced with a crucial decision on how to react to brutal CIA interrogation practices, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. concluded that it would be all but impossible to follow President Obama's mandate to move forward, rather than investigate divisive episodes from the Bush "war on terror." Holder notified the White House that he was reluctantly leaning toward naming a prosecutor to review whether laws had been broken during interrogations - the very thing Obama had said he wanted to avoid. And the word Holder got back, according to people familiar with the conversations, was that the decision was up to him.
Nigeria: Afghanistan Terrorists Captured -- [Strategy Page]
...In western Nigeria, police have arrested and questioned 3,900 members of another Islamic conservative group; Darul Salam. After than 300 members of Daryl Salam were deported to neighboring Niger. Meanwhile, police continue to round up members of Boko Haram, and at least 30 of those arrested have confessed to having received terrorist training abroad (in places like Afghanistan.)
Walking In -- [BlackFive - Laughing Wolf]
The other day, in this post, I told you of the ceremony that happens to the wounded arriving at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. There is something else that happens on arrival, that I can only tell you about, for it was not meet that I should photograph it.
Some who arrive at Landstuhl are ambulatory, some are in a category that falls between ambulatory and critical. There are those from both groups who refuse (or try to refuse) a stretcher. Then there is a special group
Chairman Cites Urgent Need for Brain Injury Treatments -- [DVIDS]
Time is of the essence when it comes to finding better treatments for traumatic brain injuries, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Aug. 26 at the 6th Annual World Congress for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy.
A Gift To Our Heroes At Walter Reed -- [American Infidel]
Many of us are going to Walter Reed to visit our Wounded Warriors during our trip to DC in September. "Uncle George" came up with the idea to donate laptops to our Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed because that is the one thing they ask for more than anything else. Debbie from Oklahoma got a hold of a "Best Buy" in Oklahoma and the Operations Mgr, Jeff Liles, offered to ship them all to Walter Reed by September 11th and at a very good price!!!
Ricky Lee concert to benefit Homeless Vets -- [Soldiers Angels Network]
Ricky has teamed up with True Country 94.3 the areas best new country radio station to put on an event to benefit Homeless Veterans.
SCAM Alert -- [Soldiers Angels]
Soldiers' Angels is not involved with anyone selling magazines door-to-door, nor have we been in contact with a door-to-door magazine seller who has said they are donating a percentage of their sales to Soldiers' Angels. Individual companies may plan to donate to Soldiers' Angels, but unless they have made formal arrangements with us to do so, we cannot endorse their fundraising activities.
In general, if a company is working with Soldiers' Angels, information on their project will be found on this site.
Just click "Search" on the left side of this page here and enter the name of the company or project to see if they are legit. If you ever have questions about a company, you can ask them for the name of their Soldiers' Angels contact or email angels@http://www.facebook.com/l/;soldiersangels.org (sometimes local or small companies will make arrangements that don't appear on the website).
The statement above is posted in response to the following email Soldiers' Angels recently received...
Military greeters worth meeting -- [Boston Globe]
They're part of the Maine Troop Greeters, and, yes, a few of them are either veterans or have relatives serving in the military. But what we discover about
Military examines battle policy of moving wounded within 1 hour -- [CNN]
The US military in Afghanistan may be rethinking its so-called "golden hour" policy of evacuating wounded troops off
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Military bases set for merger -- [phillyBurbs]
On a much larger scale, the military has been working to do the same thing. On Oct. 1, McGuire Air Force Base, Fort Dix and the Naval Air Engineering
300 more members of Stryker Brigade come home -- [Chambersburg Public Opinion]
They need to get home and be with their families," he said. "It would be nice to welcome them at the armory, but we don't know when they will arrive.
At Ft. Dix, troops get heartfelt homecoming -- [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Some held "Welcome Home!" banners, and at least three wives, including 25-year-old Brandi Deguia of Brownsville, Pa., cradled babies who were meeting their ...
Red, White & Brave: Parade welcomes home the troops -- [Colorado Springs Gazette]
The last parade of this magnitude to welcome home troops fighting in Iraq in 2004 drew a crowd of more than 50000. Organizers expect at least as many this
Files prove Pentagon is profiling reporters -- [Stars & Stripes]
Contrary to the insistence of Pentagon officials this week that they are not rating the work of reporters covering U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Stars and Stripes has obtained documents that prove that reporters' coverage is being graded as "positive," "neutral" or "negative."
More bad press -- [Greyhawk]
No one wants bad publicity, but when do efforts to minimize that go "too far"? Did I mention before how bad this idea was? "Contrary to the insistence of Pentagon officials this week that they are not rating the work of reporters covering U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Stars and Stripes has obtained documents that prove that reporters' coverage is being graded as 'positive,' 'neutral' or 'negative.' Moreover, the documents -- recent confidential profiles of the work of individual reporters prepared by a Pentagon contractor -- indicate that the ratings are intended to help Pentagon image-makers manipulate the types of stories that reporters produce while they are embedded with U.S. troops in Afghanistan." Yes, I did
US Military Investigates Afghan Desk -- [PJ Tobia - Afghan Desk - in Afghanistan]
This article from Stars and Stripes has a lot of journalists talking. It is about The Rendon Group, a company that puts together background briefs on reporters who apply for embeds with the US military in Afghanistan.
Most reporters in Afghanistan know about these reports. I obtained a copy of my Rendon report about three months ago from a friend in the military and I've posted excerpts below.
Pentagon Probes War-Reporter Screening -- [Danger Room]
The Pentagon is looking into reports that the military's public affairs apparatus in Afghanistan has been rating reporters according to their degree of sympathy to U.S. war aims. The informal investigation comes three days after Stars & Stripes first uncovered the rating practice. "I'm learning about aspects of this as I question our folks in Afghanistan," Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
...Meanwhile, reporters began calling up Whitman's office, demanding to see their profiles. And a wide range of advocacy groups came out against the ratings practice. "Bringing democracy to Afghanistan is a massive challenge," the International Federation of Journalists said. "But it will not be made easier by trying to manipulate media or encouraging journalists to show bias in favor of the military."
U.S. Military In Afghanistan Denies Rating Reporters -- [Reuters]
The U.S. military in Afghanistan defended itself Thursday against accusations that a company it employs was rating the work of reporters and suggesting ways to make their war coverage more positive.
I'm Shocked, Shocked... -- [Quatto Zone - in Afghanistan]
...to find that public affairs officers consider the likely outcome of engaging with reporters before engaging with them. The suggestion that there is widespread blacklisting of journalists for embeds and other media opportunities in Afghanistan proves that Hell hath no fury like reporters spurned, or the interest group ready to rush to their defense. Today's Military Times includes some of my thoughts on the subject.
Military Prepares Profiles on Reporters Visiting War Zones -- [Washington Post]
The US military in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere regularly assesses the content and tone of the work of individual reporters to prepare for trips and interviews by those reporters, according to defense and military officials. But the officials denied that the analysis has been used to exclude journalists from embedding with US military units in combat zones or to bar them from interviewing military personnel.
Ted Kennedy - CBS Needs to do some Fact Checking -- [Blackfive]
Senator Ted Kennedy was a veteran of the US Army. After getting kicked out of Harvard for cheating, he was drafted he enlisted. After serving his three two years, he went back to Harvard and you probably know the rest of the story.
CBS News interviewed staffers and family and did not investigate this claim
..."He's gone to the funeral of every soldier who's come home from Iraq in a casket, whether it's up in Massachusetts or at Arlington Cemetery.
How did Senator Kennedy earn burial rights in Arlington? -- [Castle Argghhh!!!]
A question that has been chapping some people, both in comments here and in email.Simple. He is eligible under the existing rules.Senators who spend 2 years in the Army and 40 years in the Senate qualify for Arlington. It isn't PFC Kennedy that is being buried there, in a sense.Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Thurgood Marshall, who never served in uniform, is buried in Arlington. Arlington is considered a national treasure and is managed a bit differently from the other cemeteries in the system.Specifically, the guidance that qualifies Senator Kennedy is this
Cindy Sheehan Brings Anti-War, Anti-Obama Message to Martha's Vineyard -- [ABC News]
Sheehan, perhaps the most outspoken and most visible anti-Iraq war protestor, came to Martha's Vineyard to push President Obama to end the wars in Iraq and
War: What War? -- [Mercury News]
The anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan headed to Martha's Vineyard this week, where President Barack Obama is vacationing. Once again she is protesting our two wars abroad. But Sheehan is a media has-been.
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
