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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.
US-German Rift Emerges over Afghan Deaths Case -- [Associated Press]
An airstrike by US fighter jets that appears to have killed Afghan civilians could turn into a major dispute for NATO allies Germany and the United States, with tensions rising over Germany's role in ordering the attack. Violence continued in Afghanistan's war with Taliban insurgents, with a rocket attack on the capital killing three civilians overnight, police said Monday. Afghan officials say up to 70 people were killed in the early morning airstrike Friday in the northern province of Kunduz after Taliban militants stole two tanker trucks of fuel and villagers gathered to siphon off gas.
Decision on Airstrike in Afghanistan Was Based Largely on Sole Informant's Assessment -- [Washington Post]
To the German commander, it seemed to be a fortuitous target: More than 100 Taliban insurgents were gathering around two hijacked fuel tankers that had become stuck in the mud near this small farming village.
Echoes from the blast -- [Greyhawk]
...How long was it? According to the Washington Post, "Instead of sending troops to the scene for an assessment of casualties -- as McChrystal's directive requires -- the Germans waited until morning to send an unmanned aircraft over the site to take photographs. The first German troops did not arrive at the scene until noon Friday. By then, all the bodies had been removed. "
Germany Is ISAF's Weakest Link -- [Registan]
The subtext to Rajiv Chandrasekaran's dispatch from Kunduz (partially discussed already here) is the stupefying negligence of the German Army.
As Péter Marton puts it, "So German KSK SFs cannot shoot a known Taliban commander, responsible for a veritable carnage in New Baghlan back in 2007, when they have a clear shot at him, but it is alright for German troops to call in an F-15 to bomb stolen fuel tankers with lots of people around? This doesn't make sense." Indeed, it doesn't. As Chandrasekaran reports:
Yes, you did! You invaded Poland! -- [Abu Muqawama]
A rift has opened up between the Germans and the United States over what happened in Kunduz. Given how smug the Germans were about the job they had been doing in the north, this is perhaps not surprising. Josh Foust has been sounding the alarm on Germany's contingent for literally two years, but the German scholar Thomas Rid thinks General McChrystal has made a political error in the way he has handled Kunduz. I would write more on this, but Thomas and I are having breakfast in 45 minutes
Achtung, Gen McChrystal -- [Kings of War]
...But McChrystal is playing a dangerous game here. He might be handing a huge political present to the far-left Die Linke. But more than that. The new German government will have to reauthorize the ISAF mandate on 15 December in Berlin's parliament.
A Fat Chicken Does Not Lay Eggs -- [Free Range International - in Afghanistan]
The place I've been calling Mudville, vaguely in the eastern part of Jalalabad, is known as Base Eckmunblahblah. It means "military logistics area" and is owned by the Department of Defense. I've forgotten the word exactly - today's new vocabulary includes reshwat (bribe), tofa (gift), bakshish (tip, alms, gift-for-something-you-did-or-'cause-you're-poor) - but just like the name implies, the residential population are considered squatters and not welcome to rebuild.
Animal House: The Real Story (Updated) -- [Free Range International - in Afghanistan]
You have to admit that the current guard force at the U.S. Embassy Kabul know how to get attention. The rash of stories which broke last Wednesday were amusing to say the least. The story broke with a news release from a group called "Project on Government Oversight" (POGO) who had received pictures and written complaints from a group of contractors at the embassy and given the nature of the pictures it went viral.
I was the project manager for the first group of civilian contractors who relieved the Marines (weapons company 2/6) at that embassy in 2005. At the time ...
New Afghan war: Frontline correspondent says fight has morphed - but we still can't afford to lose -- [Michael Yon]
The West is losing this war. This has been obvious for more than three years. Less obvious is that in 2009, we are down to the wire. Gen. Stanley McChrystal and others will soon recommend to President Obama the latest treatment for a dying patient.
Meanwhile, allies and Americans are asking themselves why we are here. Some are saying that Al Qaeda is still here or is waiting in the wings to return to its home. Yet Afghanistan was never Al Qaeda's permanent home to begin with. Al Qaeda was just renting a little space here, just as it was renting space in places like Germany and Florida.
We must face reality: Our reasons for continuing are not the reasons we came for. We are fighting a different war now than the one that began in 2001.
Ends, Ways, and Means... -- [A Major's Perspective]
...What is our end-state? That is an answer that needs to be examined. People like to throw out words like stabile, secure, and prosperous. Well, tell me what those mean for the Afghans. In other words, "Tell Me How This Ends." We must be much more specific in our discussions of the end-state. We must firmly say what is our desired and tolerated end-states, and we must be very precise. We must also understand that any end-state that we desire must be in accordance with what the Afghans themselves want and is within the propensity of their system to achieve.
Non-reasons for failure -- [Kings of War]
For what its worth, I think on balance that the war in Afghanistan is a misconceived, wildly over-ambitious project and that there are good reasons to believe it cannot work and is unnecessary. Equally, there are sophisticated counter-arguments that are not easily dismissed. Sample Rory Stewart's case against, and Stephen Biddle's case in favour, to see the arguments at their most refined. But that's for a different post.
hile as there are good reasons to doubt the war, there are also facile and glib arguments that need to be pricked. Here's just three:
Fake Afghan Poll Sites Favored Karzai, Officials Assert -- [NY Times]
Afghans loyal to President Hamid Karzai set up hundreds of fictitious polling sites where no one voted but where hundreds of thousands of ballots were still recorded toward the president's re-election, according to senior Western and Afghan officials here.
The fake sites, as many as 800, existed only on paper, said a senior Western diplomat in Afghanistan, who spoke on the condition of anonymity...
Afghan Officials Disqualify Votes from 450 Polling Places -- [Los Angeles Times]
Afghan election officials on Sunday announced their first mass disqualification of votes because of possible fraud in the bitterly contested presidential race, even as President Hamid Karzai edged closer to the majority he needs for a first-round victory.
Karzai to talk with Taliban within 100 days: media -- [AFP]
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai hopes to hold peace talks with the Taliban within 100 days if he is re-elected, he told the French daily Le Figaro in an interview published on Monday.
But Karzai insisted he would not sit down with any faction that refuses to cut its links with Al-Qaeda or fails to respect the Afghan constitution.
Afghan-International Security Force Detains Militants in Kandahar -- [ISAF]
A joint Afghan and international security force searched a compound in Kandahar Province on Aug. 6 in pursuit of a Taliban sub-commander responsible for attacks in the area and linked to several senior Taliban leaders.
Wounded RAF corporal vows to return to Afghanistan -- [Ministry of Defence]
"I was winded by the impact and thought the round had struck my body armour. Then I put my hand on my stomach and there was a lot of blood.
"The 'man down' call went out and the medics were with me pretty fast. I was down on the ground as they stopped the bleeding, while all hell was being let loose around me."
"I like America," says thrice-deployed soldier -- [A World of Troubles - in Afghanistan]
...There's something ironic about a group of soliders who want nothing better than to go home and stay home, but would never volunteer to leave early if it meant ditching their buddies or their mission, and a U.S. population that now wakes from its recession stupor and remembers them, a flicker across the screen that more are dying in Afghanistan than ever before, and decides it wants to bring them home, regardless of what their mission was.
The Bird of Peace -- [Doc H's International Adventure]
...I like the symbolism of the dove as the bird of peace. In this land that has seen so many years of conflict and strive, a little peace could go a long way. So let us hope that the flock of doves that is thriving in our military camp with all the trappings and machinery of war is a sign of things to come.
I do hope that all of you back in the States had a fun and safe Labor Day weekend. We all wish we could be there with you.
A dramatic video. Do you believe it? If so, you've been had.
In Iraq, US Troops Learn to Cope with Rejection -- [Los Angeles Times] For most US soldiers in Iraq, the war as they knew it came to an abrupt halt June 30, the date by which US forces had to be out of Iraq's cities under the terms of the US-Iraqi security agreement. Bases in the urban areas that had witnessed most of the combat action for the last six years closed down and troops were relocated either to the edges of the city or deep in the countryside, where they are still permitted to operate relatively freely. But within the cities, the Iraqi government has rigidly enforced rules keeping American forces out, surprising many US commanders who were expecting that combat troops would continue to commute into urban areas to help out their Iraqi counterparts. The new reality has required considerable adjustments on the part of American forces accustomed to roaming where they pleased since the US-led invasion of Iraq more than six years ago.
Delicacy is French for Something Weird -- [Iron Camel - in Iraq] Another meal is upon us. Our General invites us to a surprise Iraqi diner. They say it's a delicacy but won't tell us what it is. Just a tip: Delicacy = something weird that you would never dream of eating in a million years. After the fasting period of the day is over (It's still Ramadan), we pile into the General's dining area and sit down to another feast.
Body of Iraq hostage arrives home -- [BBC News]
Alec MacLachlan was seized at Baghdad's Ministry of Finance
The body of a British security guard killed after being taken hostage in Iraq has been flown back to the UK. The Foreign Office said the body of Alec MacLachlan, 30, of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, had arrived on a flight from Baghdad.
Members of his family were present at RAF Lyneham, in Wiltshire, to meet the flight, a spokesman said.
Mr MacLachlan was one of five men kidnapped in 2007. The bodies of two others were returned to the UK in June.
Reporter reflects on Iraq: Fixing what we broke -- [The Modesto Bee - Adam Ashton]
Cutting out at the war's lowest point would have been shameful and brutal to the Iraqi people. I can only imagine how that would've played out, with Iraq's neighbors using the country as a battlefield for their own disputes.
That doesn't mean it was wise to come in the first place.
It's an understatement to say that the progress on security is remarkable, so much so that the Iraqi government got a little ahead of itself this summer in tearing down blast walls and checkpoints that had protected Baghdad.
And that's exhibit A to demonstrate how the security gains can vanish in a moment.
No Freedom for Mr. Khan -- [New York Times]
Abdul Qadeer Khan has a special place in the pantheon of international outlaws. In 2004, he confessed that over a 15-year period he provided some of the world's most nefarious and dangerous governments - Iran, North Korea and Libya - with the designs and technology to produce the fuel for nuclear weapons. The Pakistani metallurgist deserved to be imprisoned for life. But he caught a scandalous break. As the father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, he is a national hero. And despite the tearful, televised confession in which Mr. Khan insisted that he alone was guilty, it is widely believed that Pakistan's powerful military, including Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who was then president and is a former army chief of staff, was complicit in this exceedingly vile trade.
What Am I Bid For This National Hero? -- [Strategy Page]
But such a high profile kidnapping is the kind of grandstanding stunt the Taliban favors. If they managed to grab Khan, and get him back to the tribal territories, they could offer him to either Pakistan, or the United States, depending on who offered the most money. For the Pakistani government, we are talking national hero here. For the United States, Khan is a criminal, who did more for nuclear proliferation than anyone single individual, ever. Even if the Taliban did not manage to pull off this sort of super auction, they would have scored a tremendous propaganda victory.
But grabbing Khan, and getting away with it, even when he was not under house arrest, would have been extremely difficult. One thing...
Top Terror Suspect is Freed over Secrets Fear -- [The Times]
The Home Secretary has released a man regarded as one of Britain's most dangerous terror suspects from virtual house arrest to avoid disclosing secret evidence against him, The Times has learnt. The man, known only as AF, has been subject to a controversial "control order" since 2006 because of his alleged links with Islamic terrorists. He has never been charged, however, and the evidence for the allegations has never been heard in a public court. The control order was revoked last week and the suspect's electronic tag removed, setting him free in spite of the Government's claim that he remains a threat. AF, who has dual Libyan and British nationality, was one of three terror suspects who won a landmark ruling from nine law lords in July that their detention under the control order regime was illegal.
A Labor Day tribute to the troops
Guest Blogger: Scott Kesterson-Donations needed for COIN Reference Library -- [Bouhammer]
The contributions the Academy is making to Gen. McChrystal's strategy can not be understated, nor can the challenges of implementing an expanded doctrine of population centric operations.
In an attempt to support the operations of the Academy, as well as the many soldiers that attend and instruct here, I have developed a "wish list" on Amazon.com of books in hopes of creating an Honorary Counterinsurgency Learning Library made up entirely of donations from our communities back home. The intent is to further expand the awareness of culture, methods and operations that promote the end goal of national unity, governance and security for the people of Afghanistan.
Guest column in The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) newspaper -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Rex is out on a mission for a few days but he was honored to be able to reach readers beyond his blog today with a guest column about the importance of education in Afghanistan and his school supplies drive for Afghan children; the column was published in The Plain Dealer, a Cleveland, OH based newspaper.
More than 160 Schofield soldiers returning from Iraq -- [Honolulu Advertiser]
More than 160 soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division will return from a year-long Iraq deployment tomorrow.
Welcome home, soldiers -- [Pottstown Mercury]
Having a crowd there to welcome the troops home is important, Murphy said, explaining how the local American Legion and VFW posts were a part of the
Another round of Strykers returns to Fort Wainwright -- [Fairbanks Daily News]
Children position their handmade "Welcome Home" signs. Moms prop babies on their hips, ready to greet husbands with a free arm. Within minutes the electric ...
Revisiting Ethics in America (and elsewhere) -- [Greyhawk]
In light of News and no news I'm reminded that no matter how dramatic the story, it's nearly true that nothing's new.
The following discussion was televised back in 1987. Video is available here, part of a series on Ethics in America you can find here.
...In the excerpt below, "Jennings" is Peter Jennings, "Wallace" is Mike Wallace.
Moderator: Enemy soldiers shooting and killing American soldiers? Could you imagine how you would report that to the American people?
Wallace: Yes, I can. (Talking down to Jennings) Frankly, I'm astonished to hear Peter say that. You are a reporter. Granted you are an American. But you are a reporter covering combat. And I'm at a loss to understand why, because you are an American; you would not cover that story.
Moderator: Don't you have a higher duty as an American citizen to do all you can to save the lives of American soldiers rather than this journalistic ethic of reporting the fact?
Wallace: No.
Thoughts on the rating of journalists -- [Armed and Curious - in Iraq]
If you follow military news you probably heard the dust up last week when Stars and Stripes revealed that US Forces Afghanistan had contracted the Rendon Group, a Washington based P.R. firm, to perform media analysis functions that included reviewing journalists past work and measuring it as positive, negative or neutral. These reports were then used by the military commands to prepare for an embed or interview and, it seems in some rare cases, to actually deny an embed for some journalists.
Needless to say these "shocking" revelations caused a stir in certain circles including among those of us in the military public affairs world. Personally, I found two troubling aspects surrounding the whole affair.
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