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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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US Marines launch large offensive in Afghanistan -- [AP]
U.S. Marines and Afghan troops on Friday launched the first offensive since President Barack Obama announced an American troop surge, striking against Taliban communications and supply lines in a southern insurgent stronghold, a military spokesman said. Hundreds of troops from the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines and the Marine reconnaissance unit Task Force Raider were dropped by helicopter and MV-22 Osprey aircraft behind Taliban lines in the northern end of the Now Zad Valley of Helmand province, scene of heavy fighting last summer, according to Marine spokesman Maj. William Pelletier.
A U.S. military official in Washington said it was the first use of Ospreys, aircrafts that combine features of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, in an offensive involving units larger than platoons.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to detail the operation, said that Ospreys have previously been used for intelligence and patrol operations.
NATO to send more troops to Afghanistan
Non-U.S. nations operating under the NATO command in Afghanistan have promised about 7,000 more troops to battle Taliban and al Qaeda extremists and train Afghan forces, NATO's secretary-general said Friday.
"At least 25 countries will send more forces to the mission in 2010," Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters after holding talks with NATO foreign ministers. "They have offered around 7,000 forces with more to come."
20 NATO Countries to Send More Troops to Afghanistan -- [VOA]
NATO says more than 20 countries plan to increase troop levels in Afghanistan, following US President Obama's increased commitment to the war.
..."I can confirm we have now well over 20 countries that are indicating or have already indicated they intend to increase the amounts of forces they have in the country - in Afghanistan. This is on top of the 38,000 (troops from other NATO members and allies) that are already there, taking into account a doubling over the past two years," he said.
Apparthurai said that based on discussions over the past two days, non-U.S. troop contributions to Afghanistan would easily surpass the 5,000 soldiers NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen had predicted.
The reinforcements could bring total troop numbers to 140,00 or more.
NATO Promises Troops, Some Members Stall -- [Der Spiegel]
NATO has promised to send at least 5,000 more soldiers to Afghanistan. The question is: Where will they come from? Some nations, including Germany, say they will not make any decisions until next year, while other nations are saying that their soldiers can go -- but not fight.
Gates: 'No Deadlines' on Troop Withdrawal -- [Washington Post]
The withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, scheduled to begin in July 2011, will "probably" take two or three years, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Thursday, although he added that "there are no deadlines in terms of when our troops will all be out." The Pentagon, meanwhile, quietly acknowledged slippage on the front end of the 30,000-troop deployment that President Obama authorized for the first half of 2010. "They are not all going to be there in six months," a senior military official said. The current thinking, the official said, is that the Pentagon will be able to push about 20,000 to 25,000 troops into the country by late summer, but that the final brigade - about 5,000 troops - will probably not arrive until early fall. New details fleshed out the revamped strategy Obama outlined Tuesday night as Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified before Congress on the plan for a second day.
Surge Strategy Borrows From Bush Argument -- [Wall Street Journal]
The Obama administration, faced with mounting Congressional criticism, is trying to build support for its new Afghan strategy by explicitly linking the planned escalation to the Bush administration's 2007 Iraq surge. The argument has been pressed most vocally by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who told skeptical lawmakers Thursday that the surge troops were able to leave Iraq just over a year after they had deployed there, a timeline roughly akin to the one the White House now envisions in Afghanistan. "It will be similar to the gradual but steady, conditions-based drawdown that began to take place in Iraq about 14 months after the surge began," Mr. Gates, a Bush administration holdover who presided over the Iraq surge, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Afghans See Sharp Shift in US Tone -- [New York Times]
For Afghans, the change in tone was unmistakable. Unlike Bush-era speeches pledging unending support, President Obama suddenly introduced a timeline and a period of 18 months before the start of a drawdown of troops. The timetable set off alarm here. It was the subject of television discussions and journalists' questions to the American ambassador, Karl W. Eikenberry, a retired lieutenant general, as well as to Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the commander of American forces here.
The Taliban Reaction: "Regarding Obama's New Strategy" -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new communique released by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) responding to President Obama's remarks, titled, "Regarding Obama's New Strategy". The statement noted, "The American President Obama has announced his strategy after months of dithering. The essence of the strategy shows that the needs and wants of the American people have been overlooked during the framing of this strategy and it has been formulated under the pressure of (Army) Generals in the Pentagon, the American Neo-conservatives and the wealthiest few in America and for the protection of their interests. Hence it is a strategy of colonialism aimed at securing interests of the American capitalists and it seems America has vast and protracted but wicked and hostile plans not only for Afghanistan but for the whole region." The Taliban warned that "the reinforcements will provide better opportunities for the Mujahideen to launch offensives. On the other hand, it will deepen the crisis of the American economy which is already in shambles."
Kim Sengupta: Marines give their verdict on Obama's troop surge -- [The Independent]
...The Marines, who have been at the cutting edge of the fighting since their arrival in southern Afghanistan, are about to embark on a number of operations that were put on hold as the president mulled over his decision. Colonel Martin Wetterauer, a battalion commander, said he was content with an approach that aims to help forces hold on to territory after it is won. He said: "The extra troops will mean that we can carry out our operations quicker, make more areas under Afghan government control, and also speed up the training of Afghan security forces, which would also mean that we can leave this country earlier having finished our mission.
Sending the Wrong Message -- [Boots on the Ground - Chuck Holton]
This is obviously an attempt by Mr. Obama to make sure the war is wrapped up with a tidy bow on top before the 2012 elections. But it is a large gamble, and one I will predict that he'll lose. Here's why.
What Obama said: We are sending 30,000 more troops, but they will begin to come home less than 18 months after they all arrive in country.
What the Taliban heard: We no longer need to defeat the Americans and drive them out of our country. We have only to survive for another 18 months and then we can declare victory when the infidels run for (political) safety.
What the Taliban will now tell the Afghans: Assisting the Americans is a fools errand, because they have now made it official - their support will evaporate in less than two years. But we will still be here, and will then be free to punish anyone who did not support our cause.
What the West Pointers heard: "Most of you likely joined the military to make a difference and defend our country from those who would destroy us. Well, too bad. The war will be over before most of you graduate. Better luck next time."
What Obama said: "I do not make this decision lightly."
What America heard: ...
AP Interview: Karzai praises Obama's deadline -- [AP]
KABUL -- President Hamid Karzai put a brave face Thursday on President Barack Obama's decision to start pulling out troops in mid-2011, telling The Associated Press in his first public response that it will push Afghans to take control of their own destiny.
Afghans United Against Each Other -- [Strategy Page]
The Afghan Army is becoming another battleground in the war against the Taliban. That's because the Pushtuns, the largest minority, are not joining the army in large numbers. That's because nearly all the fighting is in the Pushtun south, and soldiers are more loyal to their tribe than to their nation. In Afghanistan, all you have is tribes, and the national government is an ongoing anarchy of deal making and attempts to keep the peace between the tribes. President Karzai is a tribal leader from one of the larger Pushtun tribes.
You heard what? -- [One Marines View - in Afghanistan]
...Your warriors are hooking and jabbing with bad guys that believe they can scare off your fighting Marines. ....well, they have another thing coming! Patrols are relentless, the weather is getting colder and morale is high. If I have to hear another news article about how your warriors morale is bad I'm gonna puke. Apparently they aren't talking to warriors here in country because your Marines work their butts off daily and then go out for more. Thousands of miles away from home, equipped with the best gear possible on the planet, they march directly into the bad guys and make them have a very bad day. So if you happen to read some tree-hugging report about this and that and boo hoo they don't have this or that, its BS....and most importantly, the ones doing the fighting, are feeding off of it.
Marines eat, sleep, operate out of Afghan National Police compound -- [Lejeune Deployed]
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- Almost like clockwork, as soon as the Marines with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment's Police Mentoring Team rise from their cots, shave any overnight facial stubble and brush their teeth, Lali, an 8-year-old Afghan boy from Hazar Geft, enters the Afghan National Police compound and waits.
The PMT Marines eat, sleep and operate out of the ANP compound in Garmsir, Afghanistan. Lali stands by, greeting the groggy Marines with a "good morning," and waits for any tasks the Marines have for him.
Engineer Marines overcome adversity in Afghan deployment -- [MEB-Afghanistan / TF Leatherneck - Sgt. Aaron Rooks]
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan -The 8th Engineer Support Battalion, a subordinate command of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, was scheduled to deploy to Iraq's Al Anbar province in early 2009.
The engineer unit from Camp Lejeune, N.C., steadily trained for more than three months in preparation for its return to Al Anbar. That changed in early February when Lt. Col. William Truax, the battalion's commanding officer, received word that his Marines were headed to Afghanistan. He learned of the official decision while the majority of his Marines were on their predeployment leave.
Welcome to Helmand -- [Frontline Bloggers - Tim, Economic Adviser - in Afghanistan]
I work in a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand province, Afghanistan - part of the international mission to support the Government of Afghanistan and help Afghans govern their country for themselves.
We're a multinational team, made up of staff from the UK, Afghanistan, Estonia, Denmark and the US, and working closely with the UK and US military, known as Taskforce Helmand and Taskforce Leatherneck respectively. I'm the new kid. I flew in from Kabul last week - so I'm still getting used to the way things work and learning all the military terminology. (To me, M&E means monitoring and evaluation. To the military it means mines and explosives. It's important to be clear exactly what we're talking about).
Life here is very different from the picture of Afghanistan you see on the news.
Embassy Kabul -- [Charlie Simpson's War - in Afghanistan]
I've been back in Kabul proper this week, and yesterday we walked over to the Embassy (it's more or less across the street from the main ISAF compound). Talk about a tale of two cities!
At the Embassy, people wear suits, skirts, and heels. At ISAF it's utility uniforms, contractor casual, and a no-salute zone.
The Embassy is a big, well designed, stucco + glass building. ISAF is a collection of cargo containers.*
The Embassy has a lawn. ISAF has mud pits.
The Embassy also has a swimming pool and tennis court. ISAF has...mud pits.
Raised voices behind burqas -- [Captain Cat's Diary - in Afghanistan]
Who am I to give false hope to these women. I told them I had worked with some of the most extraordinary people here over the past few years, committed to improving women's lives, and that things can change. But it's a fact that over the past few years, of the many women who have bravely taken seats in parliament or who are working as doctors or journalists or for national and international organizations seeking to promote women's rights, many have received death threats, have been beaten or even killed - not by the Taliban, but by their own families and community members.
This country will be doomed until women realize that they can and must demand equal rights. And they won't until they can trust that there are institutions working to help them achieve this, that there are safety nets and that the government is on their side and will hold accountable anyone who feels it's their right to mistreat them.
'Don't tell me there isn't a God' -- [Stars and Stripes]
Maybe the Afghan kids shouting in the distance were telling the soldiers to get out of their neighborhood. Perhaps they were trying to warn the troops not to make that right turn.
Or maybe they were signaling the triggerman around the corner to blow up some Americans on Nov. 24, a cold and damp Tuesday afternoon.
But just as the men of 1st Platoon turned onto yet another muddy path, a bomb buried near an orchard gate detonated next to Spc. Burch Swigert.
In Afghan town cited as a success, still a long road ahead -- [Stars and Stripes]
LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- Within hours of President Barack Obama's announcement of a new surge of 30,000 troops into Afghanistan, the man charged with winning the war stood before reporters in Kabul and offered what he said was a shining example of how the new counterinsurgency strategy can succeed: the Baraki Barak district of embattled Logar province.
Change to the change to the change -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Our mission was two-fold. First we would drive to FOB Airborne and drop off a 5-ton loaded with supplies. Then we would pick up a brigade member along with some vital communication equipment and transport it to Bagram Air Field. At BAF, we would pick up one of our team members who is returning from R&R leave and drop me off at the terminal so I can start my R&R leave in a few days.
What happened to my doughnut? -- [Flit]
The Globe and Mail's Patrick White, who is evidently still getting his chops as a war correspondent, amused me this week by putting forward the headline, "Canadian troops to form doughnut of stability," referring to efforts around Kandahar City. At some point later, sober individuals prevailed, and "doughnut" was changed to "ring."
To be fair, since there's no real approaches to Kandahar City from the Northeast, it really was more like a croissant of stability, anyway...
All the indications are that the effort is being placed where it should be, that being in the semi-rural districts around Kandahar City, rather than in Kandahar City proper. Joe Klein's fever dreams aside, it's hard to see how more Western forces inside the city proper would help.
Workin' on a Building... -- [HERMANEUTICS - in Afghanistan]
So what is my purpose thus far? On the surface my duty title is the Deputy Brigade S4. In short, Logistics: Supply & Services, Transportation, Property, Accountability, Food Service, Budget, Ground Maintenance. I oversee 15 Soldiers to ensure that our units have the beans and bullets they need to fight this war. Believe it or not, every dollar is vetted through multiple levels of authority and every single piece of Army property that is lost or damaged demands a full investigation (which can result in losing a month's paycheck!) To give you an idea of what I deal with on a daily basis here are a couple quotes/comments recently overheard in our section.
Winter weather -- [Doc H's International Adventure - in Afghanistan]
We are really into winter weather here at Camp Spann. Long gone are the sweltering days of summer. Today is the first day in about a week where we could even see a hint of blue sky. The weather has really been more like Washington State in winter for the past week. It was a drizzly, misty rain steadily for several days. The temperatures ranged from 30 to 50 degrees and puddles formed all over camp.
Suicide Bomber Kills Senior Iraqi Plice Official, 4 Others in Tikrit -- [Washington Post]
A suicide bomber killed a senior Iraqi police official in the northern city of Tikrit on Thursday in an attack that authorities blamed on al-Qaeda in Iraq. The bomber ran toward Lt. Col. Ahmad al-Fahal, who headed the city's anti-terrorism and anti-riot force, as he was walking in a crowded market, according to Lt. Ibrahim al-Duri, a police spokesman in Tikrit. Duri said the bomber yelled the colonel's name before detonating the explosives, which also killed two guards and two civilians. Nine people, including two policemen, were wounded. Tikrit was the home town of deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Violence in Iraq has ebbed in recent months, but ...
'People Woke Up, and They Were Gone' -- [Washington Post]
The US military called it shock and awe, and it began on March 21, 2003 - 8:09 p.m., to be exact. It concluded here with a sigh. No one quite remembers when the Americans withdrew from Forward Operating Base Summers. "One morning they left, and they never came back," said Osama Majid, a vendor on the road to the base, as he hovered over his shelves of Iranian and Turkish packaged sweets. "People woke up, and they were gone." Occupations probably never really end. Even after the last of the 115,000 US soldiers leave, this one will live on in the national psyche, in the bearing of Iraq's military, in cowboy boots, tattoos and, of course, language. "Badjat," demand Iraqi sentries at Summers' gates, waiting for a visitor's identity card. Sometimes occupations leave behind the banal. Summers is like an archaeological dig.
Iraqi Women's Organizations Campaign to Prevent Violence Against Women -- [MEMRI Blog]
Four Iraqi women's organizations have launched a campaign to prevent violence against women at the social level. They called for establishing a government-sponsored agency specializing in this issue; training the judiciary system, and passing legislature to fight violence against women.
'Defining moment' as US revealed Iraq plans -- [BBC]
Maj Gen David Wilson, who was UK adviser to US Central Army Command, disclosed the UK was made "privy" to US plans in Florida in June 2002.
The UK later said it could not offer "even basic support" if political and legal hurdles were not cleared. The Chilcot inquiry is examining UK policy on Iraq between 2001 and 2009.
Who Fights This War? -- All Female MEDEVAC Crew -- [In Iraq Now (at 56) - in Iraq]
"Charlie's Angels" Fly First Mission as All-Female Crew
For the three days before Thanksgiving, one of the on-alert crews for Charlie Company, 3-238th MEDEVAC, is the first all-female MEDEVAC crew to fly in this company's history. "This is the first time an all-female crew has come up in the rotation for us," said Maj. David Mattimore, 38, of Hampton, N. H., the Charlie Company Commander. "And it would not have been possible until one of our avionics sergeants became a crew chief."
The four women that comprise this crew have a total of nine deployments and each has between eight and twelve years of service. "This is the first all-female crew any of us have flown with," said Capt. Trish "Cocaine" Barker, operations officer.
Yousuf Raza Gilani: We are Fighting the Taleban and Reviving Democracy -- [The Times]
"It is our war that we are fighting, not a proxy war for the US," Pakistan's Prime Minister said yesterday, arguing that his country was an ally among equals in the battle against terrorism, not an American or British stooge. Rejecting Gordon Brown's charge that Osama bin Laden was probably in Pakistan's wild tribal territories and that the Government should have done more to catch him, Yousuf Raza Gilani said: "Certainly, he's not there." The al-Qaeda leader had not been in Pakistan during his tenure - since March 2008 - he said, in an exclusive interview with The Times, nor had he any intelligence that bin Laden had been on Pakistani soil at any point since the attacks of September 11, 2001. If the US wanted Pakistan to pursue him it would have to furnish evidence that he was there, he said.
CIA Authorized to Expand Use of Drones in Pakistan -- [New York Times]
Two weeks ago in Pakistan, Central Intelligence Agency sharpshooters killed eight people suspected of being militants of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and wounded two others in a compound that was said to be used for terrorist training. Then, the job in North Waziristan done, the CIA officers could head home from the agency's Langley, Va., headquarters, facing only the hazards of the area's famously snarled suburban traffic. It was only the latest strike by the agency's covert program to kill operatives of Al Qaeda, the Taliban and their allies using Hellfire missiles fired from Predator aircraft controlled from half a world away.
Rally to the Captain!!! -- [USNI]
In case you missed it, John Curran at AP reported on the latest chapter of the Maersk Alabama's first pirate incident. JAGs .... perk up your ears.
Richard Phillips, the ship captain toasted as a hero after he was taken captive by Somali pirates, ignored repeated warnings last spring to keep his freighter at least 600 miles off the African coast because of the heightened risk of attack, some members of his crew now allege.
Mexico Still Waiting for US Aid, Report Says -- [New York Times]
The United States government has spent only 2 percent of the more than $1 billion it has pledged to help Mexico win its battle against drug traffickers, according to a government study released Thursday. Despite vows by the Bush administration, and now the Obama administration, to help President Felipe Calderón of Mexico in his three-year-long assault against drug cartels, actual spending totaled only about $24 million by the end of September, the Government Accountability Office said.
US presses Japan to resolve base dispute -- [Washington Post]
The threat squeezed Hatoyama between the imperatives of politics and the expectations of the United States. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates threatened in ...
Putin tells Russians: I am not leaving politics -- [Reuters]
MOSCOW, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday ruled out leaving Russian politics, telling a questioner asking about his departure
Surprising Study On Terrorism -- [Der Spiegel]
Al-Qaida Kills Eight Times More Muslims Than Non-Muslims
Few would deny that Muslims too are victims of Islamist terror. But a new study by the Combating Terrorism Center in the US has shown that an overwhelming majority of al-Qaida victims are, in fact, co-religionists.
Resumed Military Panels Face New Challenges -- [Washington Post]
Military commissions at Guantanamo Bay, which President Obama suspended amid much fanfare immediately after taking office, quietly resumed this week with new signs of the legal complexities of the cases and the challenges for prosecutors. The military court had to grapple with determining where a defendant, Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi - and by extension other detainees - stand under the new military commissions law enacted in October to provide more due process for detainees. Under the old system, Qosi and other detainees were called "unlawful enemy combatants," but the new law refers to them as "alien unprivileged enemy belligerents," a moniker that military prosecutors said is more in line with the Geneva Conventions.
New Charges Planned for Suspect in Terror Plot Case -- [New York Times]
Federal prosecutors expect to file additional charges against the Denver airport shuttle bus driver who was indicted in September on a single count that he plotted to set off bombs in the United States, the lead prosecutor in the case said on Thursday. The prosecutor, Jeffrey H. Knox, an assistant United States attorney, made the disclosure in United States District Court in Brooklyn in response to a question from the judge hearing the case of the driver, Najibullah Zazi, 24. "We're still evaluating the evidence and the investigation continues, but our expectation at this point is, is that we will be seeking a superseding indictment," Mr. Knox told the judge,
140,000 Holiday Care Packages -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Boxes of Love and Support
Right now, about 140,000 service members are spending yet another holiday in a war zone, and now more will be on the way before Christmas. We want them to know that they are remembered, that we are thinking of them during this Holiday Season, and that we are grateful for their service.
"Impact on Our Lives" -- [Soldiers Angels]
Rock (yes, that's his name) travels around Afghanistan as he works hard to take care of Soldiers who are in the thick of the fighting. Recently he sent a note about how much the support of Soldiers' Angels means to him and his men...
I wanted to write and thank you for your continued support of my team. Also, I wanted to share a quick story with you about the impact your organization makes in our lives.
A couple of weeks ago, I was at Combat Outpost [redacted] in the province of [redacted]. Those Soldiers have been there for seven months and live in the most dire conditions. They do not have running water, fresh vegetables are rare, their gym is home-made and triples up as a sleeping area and dining hall. An old roommate of mine had not showered for 2.5 months when I saw him. The only bit of luxury at that COP has the Soldiers' Angels logo on it. The care packages you send are the only deviation from the Meals-Ready-to-Eat and one hot meal a day they get... and everyone there was so appreciative of it.
Thanks for the blankets! -- [Soldiers' Angel LA - Greta]
Hello my name is MSG C and am with a Special Forces Group. I recently received some boxes for my team and they all loved each one. The item that was really needed was the blankets that were put in each one. We enjoyed how each one was different. You are wonderful Americans and we appreciate all of your support from the bottom of our hearts. You make it easier to serve over here in Afghanistan, knowing we are thought of and that true Americans are there for us.
Panel Criticizes Military's Use of Embedded Anthropologists -- [NY Times]
A two-year-old Pentagon program that assigns social scientists to work with military units in Iraq and Afghanistan has come under sharp criticism from a panel of anthropologists who argue that the undertaking is dangerous, unethical and unscholarly.
Overdue Bill: Integrating Counterinsurgency into Army Professional Education -- [Small Wars Journal - Major Niel Smith]
In the eight years since the invasion of Afghanistan, the U.S. Army has failed to integrate counterinsurgency (COIN) into Professional Military Education (PME). Counterinsurgency instruction remains uneven in quantity and quality throughout Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) institutions, which have failed to define standards, competencies and outcomes for COIN education. This lack of consistency contributes to ongoing operational confusion and poor execution of operations in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom due to lack of common concept of what counterinsurgency is and what it entails, despite great advances in COIN application and execution by troops in the field.
Integrating COIN into PME is crucial for improving the ability of the Army to wage our current wars.
Web Site Aims to Uncover Fakers in Fatigues -- [FOX News]
Military impostors, beware: A Web site has been launched to root out fraudulent veterans and fakers in fatigues.
ReportStolenValor.org aims to expose people who fabricate or embellish military accomplishments by making it easier to report suspected Stolen Valor Act offenders to federal authorities and local media outlets.
AMVETS, an organization representing more than 250,000 veterans, will unveil the site Friday.
Making Better Spouses in Combat -- [DVIDS]
Soldiers from the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division are doing everything they can to become better spouses and combat the high divorce rate among service members.
Old technology impeding some GI Bill payments -- [Stars and Stripes]
Amanda Collier started college last August armed with a certificate of eligibility to use Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits that her dad, a Coast Guardsman of 22 years, had earned and transferred to her. Next week Amanda will take final exams for her first semester at the University of Central Oklahoma. But neither she nor the university has received any GI Bill money yet to cover her tuition, housing or other costs.
...
Bush Can't Swim - The AP outdoes itself in Obama puffery. -- [Wall Street Journal]
This is a magnificent bit of puffery. When the AP refers to "an unpopular and faltering war," it means two different wars: Iraq in Bush's case and Afghanistan in Obama's. Afghanistan became "an unpopular and faltering war" only after Obama took office -- which is to say that whereas Bush maintained popular and bipartisan support for the Afghan effort throughout his term, Obama managed to lose much of it in less than a year. Thus the AP describes Obama has having succeeded where Bush failed, when in fact it is Obama who has so far failed where Bush succeeded.
CNN's Sanchez Retracts His Claim of a 400 Percent Increase in Presidential Death Threats -- [NewsBusters]
On August 28, CNN Newsroom anchor Rick Sanchez shared disturbing information with his viewers:
A CNN source with very close to the U.S. Secret Service confirmed to me today that threats on the life of the president of the United States have now risen by as much as 400 percent since his inauguration, 400 percent death threats against Barack Obama
In poll, majority of young adults disapproves of US troop buildup in Afghanistan -- [Boston Globe]
Two-thirds of young adults oppose sending more US troops to Afghanistan, according to a national poll released yesterday by the Harvard University Institute of Politics that suggests fissures in a key demographic that helped President Obama capture the White House.
Early Returns: Obama gets a bump -- [Greyhawk]
...The best he could have as far as public support goes - again, how that plays out in the combat zone is to be determined.
But this should surprise no one - less than a quarter of Americans want a new "war tax":
The poll finds little appetite for the "war surtax" proposed by House Appropriations Chairman Dave Obey, D-Wis., and others to pay for the war. By 68%-24%, those surveyed oppose the idea.
The most important number in politics today -- [Washington Post]
That's the percentage of Americans who said the country should "mind its own business internationally" in a new Pew poll, a potentially troubling isolationist sentiment for President Barack Obama in the wake of his commitment of 30,000 more American troops to Afghanistan earlier this week.
The trend line on the question in the Pew poll, which is conducted every four years and is aimed at testing the American public's sentiment about its place in the world community, is somewhat remarkable.
I Am Proud to Lead You Men to the Nearest Off-Ramp -- [IowaHawk]
At ease, men.
As your battalion commanders and General Axelrod have already briefed you, you embark today on an important mission to the Af-Pak Theater. The success of this mission will not only insure the future of democracy and human civilization, but also my Gallup net favorable index. I have every confidence that you will succeed in this great educational field trip, because you represent the finest right-sized, nonviolent time killing force ever assembled.
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
