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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.
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Obama: decision soon on troops for Afghanistan -- [AP]
President Barack Obama said Friday that his decision about how many troops to send to Afghanistan will come soon and he is bent on "getting this
Landstuhl staff busy as Afghan fight intensifies -- [Stars&Stripes]
LANDSTUHL, Germany -- On a drizzly, frigid morning, about 20 injured servicemembers were unloaded from buses at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
Some walked off. Others lay on gurneys covered in green blankets that had kept them warm on the long flight from Afghanistan. As the hospital staff eased the wounded off the buses, the mood grew solemn, as it often has lately.
...The number of combat-wounded troops from Afghanistan treated at the hospital has spiked during the past three months. Doctors from Landstuhl -- the first stop for the wounded from the war zone -- saw 163 troops with battle injuries during August, 152 in September and 109 in October.
Obama: Key for Afghans to provide for own security -- [Reuters]
President Barack Obama said on Friday he would make a decision soon on his Afghanistan strategy and the plan would make clear the goal is for Afghans to provide for their own security. He added that the U.S. commitment in Afghanistan could not be open-ended.
Asked at a news conference in Japan what information he still needed to enable him to make a decision, Obama said it was not matter of awaiting a piece of data.
Instead, he said, "It's a matter of making certain that when I send young men and women into war and devote billions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer money, that it's making us safer and that the strategies that are in place, not just on the military side but also on the civilian side, are coordinated and effective in our primary goal."
Army says morale down among troops in Afghanistan -- [AP]
WASHINGTON -- The army says morale has fallen among its forces in Afghanistan, where troops are seeing record violence in the 8-year-old war.
"ER" Nursed back to Health -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Today's mission was to travel to Camp Phoenix and retrieve "ER," one of our MRAPs. Despite being the ambulance model, we do not use it as such, so the boss doesn't want me to refer to it as ER anymore. Instead, it has been relabeled 5K-1 (5th Kandak, vehicle 1). It was another cool morning and my ETT team readied the vehicles for the mission. Our MRAPs are undergoing maintenance, so we used our fleet of armored HMMVWs for this mission. Meanwhile, I was busy loading lumber on a contractor's truck so it can be pushed out to another FOB down south. The lumber will be used to build a tent floor for our ANA brothers. Recently an insurgent rocket destroyed one of our sister Kandak b-huts (tragically killed 2 ANA soldiers) and another one accidentally burned down resulting in the death of another ANA comrade.
Rift in US War Cabinet as Obama Throws Out All Options in Debate Over Troop Surge -- [The Times]
Two leaked classified cables from the US Ambassador in Kabul voicing grave concern about sending more American troops to Afghanistan have exposed open conflict inside President Obama's national security team over his war strategy.
Gates Lashes Out at Leakers -- [Defense Link]
...Gates said he has little doubt that some of those leaks have come from within the Defense Department. "If I found out who" was involved, he said, "it would probably be a career ender." Leaking information as Obama is weighing critical factors serves neither the interest of the country nor the military, the secretary said.
Envoy Questioning More Troops in Afghanistan Was Military Hawk Under Bush -- [FOXNews]
"Ambassador Eikenberry expressed his reservations about troop increases to the president while Afghanistan's political situation remains unclear,"...
The Cable Guy -- [Quatto Zone - in Afghanistan]
In an Afghan version of the chicken-or-egg question, cables by U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry leaked today urged President Obama to continue to delay a decision to deploy more troops until Hamid Karzai's government takes a stronger stand against corruption. There are political speculations about the ambassador's motives (Spencer Ackerman, for example, suggests the cables are designed to expand the Embassy's influence in Afghanistan) and a double standard already at work in press coverage (don't expect Eikenberry to suffer the same outrage that greeted General McChrystal regarding the propriety of influencing policy deliberations). But the most interesting aspect of the episode is ...
White House Talks Up Need for Exit Strategy in Afghanistan -- [Los Angeles Times]
The White House sent its strongest signal yet Thursday that it is searching for an eventual way out of Afghanistan even as it considers sending thousands of additional troops to join the war there. Emphasizing the importance of timetables for US involvement, administration officials stressed that President Obama is concerned about how long American troops will remain in the country and wants to avoid an "open-ended" commitment. "We have been there for eight years, and we're not going to be there forever," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.
Japan aid pledge for Afghanistan - return to checkbook diplomacy? -- [Christian Science Monitor]
Japan has offered $5 billion in nonmilitary aid to Afghanistan as it ends refueling mission for US forces.
Germany Sends More Troops to Northern Afghanistan -- [Bloomberg]
13 (Bloomberg) -- Germany will send a company of 120 extra soldiers to northern Afghanistan as the Taliban-led insurgency in the once relatively peaceful
Bomber Strikes Near US Military Base in Afghan Capital -- [Voice of America]
By VOA News Afghan officials say a suicide bomber struck a convoy of vehicles Friday near a US-run NATO military base in Kabul, wounding six people.
Down Time in Afghanistan -- [NY Times - At War - in Afghanistan]
On a recent reporting trip to Afghanistan's Helmand Province with Dexter Filkins, the photographer Peter van Agtmael captured images of American and Afghan soldiers during some down time.
Digger dog found after Afghan adventure [ABC News]
An Australian Special Forces explosives detection dog has been found alive and well almost 14 months after going missing in action (MIA) in Afghanistan.
Iraq Lesson Still Unlearned: We Won -- [Investors.com]
You wouldn't know it from most news coverage, but the Iraq story continues and -- get this -- it's a story of emerging victory. What else can you call it when a stable democracy, the ultimate goal in America's military intervention, is in sight?
...These are all signs that the U.S. nation-building effort in Iraq, once widely seen as hopeless, is working. The liberal view of the Iraq War -- that of a debacle from which we cannot escape fast enough -- can't stand up for long against such good news. That may be why certain news gatekeepers stressed the theme of U.S. withdrawal when they reported the passage of the election law.
Rebuilding Its Economy, Iraq Shuns US Businesses -- [New York Times]
BAGHDAD -- Iraq's Baghdad Trade Fair ended Tuesday, six years and a trillion dollars after the American invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein,
Oops: Biden Never Supported the Partition of Iraq? -- [Times Watch]
Thursday's off-lead story by James Glanz and Walter Gibbs is on recent revelations that Peter Galbraith, an "unpaid adviser to the Kurds" who has influenced Democratic policymakers like former senator/VP Joe Biden and Sen. John Kerry, stands to make millions from his closeness to the Kurds and a Norwegian oil company.
Given the Times sympathies for anti-war and leftish "blood for oil" arguments, the Times couldn't ignore the story, and indeed provides a lot of new damning details -- but also has one enormous gaffe that lets Vice President Biden off the hook.
Marines welcome Iraqi Airmen to Camp -- [MNF-I]
The Iraqi Ministry of Defense has based one Iraqi Air Force (IqAF) helicopter detachment here to support the Iraqi Security Forces in Anbar province.
Iraqi court rules Guardian defamed Nouri al-Maliki -- [Guardian]
An Iraqi court has ordered the Guardian to pay Nouri al-Maliki damages of 100m dinar (£52,000) after supporting a complaint by the Iraqi prime minister's intelligence service that he had been defamed by a Guardian story in April describing him as increasingly autocratic.
Iraq in the rear view mirror -- [Blogs Over Baghdad - leaving Iraq]
After nearly 330 days, all of the 314th PAOC Soldiers are now out of Iraq and on our way home. The last 8 of us, including LTC Perez and me, left Baghdad International Airport right at the end of Veterans Day. Four of our Soldiers are already at Fort Dix doing the work of the advanced party...and the rest of us will join them in a few days. We all slept in yesterday morning, and then started the work day with an awards ceremony. SGTs Autumn Hope, Mary Lee and Kellena Leech all received an Army Achievement Medal for work they did toward the end of our year in Iraq. SSG Jeremy Fowler received a Certificate of Achievement for an incredible end-of-tour magazine he created that spotlighted all our Soldiers. Family members might want to look at the magazine to get some insight into the experiences of their loved ones
Lawyer: Accused Fort Hood gunman may be paralyzed -- [AP]
FORT HOOD, Texas -- The Army psychiatrist accused in the fatal shootings at Fort Hood may be paralyzed from the waist down after being shot multiple times
Second Officer Gives an Account of the Shooting at Ft. Hood -- [New York Times]
Sgt. Kimberly D. Munley has been applauded as a hero across the nation for shooting down Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan during the bloody rampage at Fort Hood last week. The account of heroism, given by the authorities, attracted the attention of newspapers, the networks and television talk shows. But the initial story of how she and the accused gunman went down in an exchange of gunfire now appears to be inaccurate. Another officer, Senior Sgt. Mark Todd, 42, said in an interview Thursday that he fired the shots that brought down the gunman after Sergeant Munley was seriously wounded.
Feds Move Against Iranian Mosques; 1st Amendment Rears Its Head -- [PJM - Michael Ledeen]
It's undoubtedly sheer coincidence as Michael Rubin told the AP, but just as the debate over Hasan-Son-of-Allah takes on greater intensity, the Justice Department has moved to seize what is says are Iranian assets in America. They have tagged four mosques and the Piaget Building at 650 Fifth Avenue in New York, New York.
This is stage two of an ongoing action against the Alavi Foundation, and what the government alleges to be a front company, the Assa Corporation.
Breaking: Hasan wired money to Pakistan? -- [Hot Air]
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly This would appear to indicate that Nidal Hasan was something other than a loner who cracked under the strain of vicarious PTSD. The man who made a $90,000 annual salary but lived like a pauper may have sent money to Pakistan, according to Rep. Pete Hoekstra
Bureaucracy, Culture & Ft. Hood Attacks -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
The Fort Hood attack was an intelligence failure, just like 9/11 and so many others before. In retrospect, it all seems obvious - these kinds of failures always do. It is easy to blame bureaucratic inertia, but it is also unfair. Large organizations need procedures to function. Priorities must be set and decisions have to be made and implemented.
Examining the system failure is revealing, both about the challenges in preventing these kinds of tragedies but also in how they reveal some of our society's core values.
'I agreed to become a suicide bomber' -- [BBC]
A 14-year-old boy in the tribal region of Bajaur, in north-west Pakistan, says he was detained by Taliban forces who tried to turn him into a suicide bomber. The boy is now in army hands. He provided a detailed account to BBC correspondent Orla Guerin. His story cannot be independently verified.
Gitmo 9/11 suspects heading to NY trial -- [AP]
Self-proclaimed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees will be sent to New York to face trial in a civilian federal court, and five other suspects will be sent to military commissions, an Obama administration official said Friday. The official said Attorney General Eric Holder plans to announce the decision later in the morning. The official is not authorized to discuss the decision before the announcement, so spoke on condition of anonymity.
US to seize mosques linked to Iran -- [UKPA]
US Federal prosecutors are seeking to take over four mosques and a New York City skyscraper owned by a Muslim organisation suspected of being controlled by the Iranian government. Prosecutors have filed a civil complaint in federal court against the Alavi Foundation, seeking the forfeiture of more than 500 million dollars (£302 million) in assets.
The assets include bank accounts; Islamic centres consisting of schools and mosques in New York, Maryland, California and Houston; more than 100 acres in Virginia; and a 36-story Manhattan office tower.
Lawyer: FBI asked terror suspect to be informant -- [AP]
A Massachusetts man accused of plotting to kill Americans was portrayed by federal prosecutors Thursday as a jihadist who is too dangerous to be released on bail, but the man's lawyer said he was charged only after he refused to become an FBI informant against Muslims.
US Post Office offering deals on military mail -- [13abc]
Today is the recommended mailing date if you want to send a parcel post package to a member of the military serving overseas. For members of our military
CACI Named to GI Jobs Top 100 Military-Friendly Employers -- [CNNMoney]
12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CACI International Inc (NYSE: CACI) announced today that it has placed 31st in GI Jobs magazine's Top 100 military-friendly
SBA, Six Universities to Offer Business Training for Iraq/Afghanistan Disabled Vets -- [Business Wire]
The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced a three-year agreement to expand and deliver entrepreneurship training for service-disabled veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hal Muskat: don't thank me -- [This ain't Hell,...]
Yes, there are 363 days every year to express your personal disrespect for soldiers. Just like a black person thinks he has a right to call other black people the "n" word, some veterans think they can use Veterans' Day to call other veterans vile names. Hal Muskat, one of the original zombies of the VVAW, is just like that. He begins his Veterans Day rant by trying to undo all of the work veterans and their service organizations have accomplished over the last thirty years;
The American Valor Project -- [BlackFive - Uncle Jimbo]
Stephens Media has an initiative underway to spotlight our new generation of heroes on the pages of their newspapers and their websites call the American Valor Project. It salutes those who have gone above and beyond the call in the war on terror. You will recognize some of the names from our Someone you should know series.
Medals Of Dishonor -- [Smoking Gun]
FBI: Prodigiously decorated California man never served in military
Just in time for Veteran's Day, a California bank employee is facing federal charges for allegedly masquerading as a decorated Marine and wearing a host of bogus medals, including the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Navy Cross. Steven Burton, 39, is scheduled to surrender tomorrow in U.S. District Court in Riverside, California (Burton, who has never served in the armed forces, was named last week in a misdemeanor criminal information charging him with the unauthorized wearing of military medals). According to a search warrant affidavit, Burton's charade was discovered after an actual Navy commander, Colleen Salonga, ran into Burton at their high school reunion.
Martinez native accused of dressing up as hero -- [San Francisco Chronicle]
So were military officials, who said Burton had never served in the military - nor had he spent a day fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan, as he claimed.
US Troops are Not Getting The Heroic Welcome Home They So Richly Deserve -- [NewsBlaze]
I had the honor of meeting some of these troops and watched more than two thousand freshly returned from Iraq and Afghanistan preparing to march.
A red, white and blue crowd greets soldiers at D/FW Airport -- [Dallas Morning News]
A soldier knelt to high-five a young child who was waving and smiling as he and others in uniform came down a crowded aisle at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
The soldier paused for a moment to grasp the child's hand, tears in his eyes.
It was apparent that he didn't know the child - or any of the others in the crowd who turned out to welcome him.
But it didn't matter. He was home.
Families and friends welcome home airmen from the 115th Fighter Wing -- [Daily Cardinal]
Jim Doyle welcomed the troops as they exited an aircraft at Truax Field in Madison. Afterwards, friends and family met their loved ones at the Wisconsin
The New Media: The Dark Side -- [Wings Over Iraq]
Additional links: Adam Elkus--Ft. Hood: A Social Media Failure, ABC News "Fort Hood Soldier Causes Stir on Twitter"
In September of 2009, the Associated Press came under intense criticism for publishing pictures of Lance Corporal Joshua Bernard, as he lay dying in Afghanistan. The picture was published soon after his death, against the wishes of the family. Although the Associated Press' actions were protected under the First Amendment, their actions were, as Tom Ricks puts it, "morally indefensible". Indeed, the pictures were decried by many throughout the defense community, including Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Charles Krauthammer on the media coverage of the Fort Hood shooting -- [Washington Post]
What a surprise -- that someone who shouts "Allahu Akbar" (the "God is great" jihadist battle cry) as he is shooting up a room of American soldiers might have Islamist motives. It certainly was a surprise to the mainstream media
Top Republican says White House hiding info on Fort Hood -- [The Hill]
The ranking Republican on the House intelligence committee on Tuesday night accused the White House of withholding information on the Fort Hood attack.
Rep. Pete Hoekstra (Mich.) said administration officials delayed briefing members of Congress about the alleged gunman, raising "red flags" about what the White House was hiding.
The Politics of Fort Hood -- [NRO - Jonah Goldberg]
...That effort stems from what Obama believes to be a sweeping mandate to be Not George Bush. In pursuit of that mandate, the White House has already purged the phrase "war on terror" from its lexicon, preferring "overseas contingency operations." Obama is hell-bent on closing Guantanamo Bay, is making progress on the White House project to treat terrorists as mere criminals, and has kowtowed to the United Nations as no president has. Meanwhile, his secretary of homeland security, Janet Napolitano, says that Islamic terrorism of the type we saw on 9/11 should now be referred to as "man-caused disasters." But she adds that American right-wingers must be scrutinized as potential terrorists.
Suckers of the Week -- [Slate- Kaus Files]
"Am I the only one who smells Kabuki in the reports that President Obama has dramatically rejected all the Afghan war options with which he was presented, demanding to know where the 'off ramps' are? If you were about to recommend a troop increase that was unpopular, especially with your Democratic base, wouldn't you precede it with some drama like this to demonstrate that you are a) in charge, b) not being conned, and c) insistent on a withdrawal as quickly as possible? Just asking."
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
