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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.
Amateur Hour -- [Free Range International]
The attack on Kabul yesterday was yet another demonstration of how inept the Taliban are at the planning and execution of a simple raid. The attack has been described in the press as "audacious" and "brazen" which is true. All their attacks in downtown Kabul are conceptually bold military moves; but they accomplish nothing. A better description of their performance would be incompetent. Seven heavily armed attackers - one in a bomb-rigged ambulance killed three policemen and two civilians, one of them a child. They failed to make it onto their objective retreating instead into the most popular market in downtown Kabul which they then destroyed.
A Letter from the "Eagers of Martydom" -- [Captain Cat's Diaries - in Afghanistan]
Oh, that's nice. I just received an e-mail from the Taliban. Slightly disconcerting is the fact that it was sent to my personal e-mail address, I have no idea how they got hold of that.
I wasn't the only recipient, copied on the e-mail were a number of Kabul-based banks and various embassies.
For your reading pleasure (this was the English translation of the Pashtun sent alongside it): ...
Outrage over kids used as shields by Taliban -- [The Sun]
TALIBAN fighters were branded cowards last night for using kids as human shields during an assault by British forces.
Insurgents also forced locals into the line of fire in a "disgraceful" attempt to save their own necks, said military chiefs.
Details of the Taliban's tactics emerged after a four-day mission by members of the 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh and local Afghan soldiers.
Interesting Times -- [Riding Shotgun with Team Zombiekiller - in Afghanistan]
Well, it got pretty sporty in downtown Kabul yesterday with some rather rather bold attacks aimed against the government. There were several targets hit and a good bit of fighting just before midday. Sadly for Johnny Taliban, very few friendlies got hit, and the bad guys got their asses handed to them.
Even worse for our frustrated foes was the fact that the media outlets in the west barely even noticed. The mainstream media is still focused on Haiti and could not be distracted by a poorly executed strike against the Karzai government.
An update from Afg. -- [One Marines View - in Afghanistan]
It's been a very busy couple of weeks around our neck of the woods. Bad guys getting froggy, temperatures dropping, and ill tempered mice massing in large groups! ...It's all good, no worries.
Your Marines are doing great things around the area. With continued operations that pin the enemy back into unmaneuverable positions we continue our progress forward. Many people ask me, "Are we really making a difference here?" Being the second go around for me here, I can tell you it's 100% better than the first time I was here.
Panel sets goal of 400,000 Afghan forces in 5 yrs -- [Examiner]
A joint panel agreed Wednesday to boost the number of Afghan security forces from the current level of about 191,000 to 400,000 within five years, bringing it in line with similar goals announced by the United States.
Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal also sharply denounced a U.N. report released Tuesday that claimed Afghans paid nearly $2.5 billion in bribes -
Building Outposts in Helmand Province for Security -- [Sgt Stryker]
In response to insurgent tactics to place IEDs, the mission of 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion recently was to convoy to three designated positions, and build observation posts along the route known as Cowboys. These are just a few more of many OPs that have been built along the notorious route, developing a chain of security leading south along the road. Each post has sight to the next post, and with each new OP comes increased road security.
Farewell Afghanistan -- [Doc H's International Adventure - in Afghanistan]
This should be my last post from Afghanistan. I am relieved to be departing from Bagram. In a few hours I will be on my way to the next stop on my long journey home. Once I arrive at my next stop I will spend several days returning all my issued gear and preparing for the next leg of the journey.
U.S. Aid Workers Find Few Trained Afghan Partners -- [Washington Post]
Alongside the thousands of additional U.S. troops, civilian aid workers are surging into Afghanistan to help refurbish schools, open rural health clinics, build irrigation systems, vaccinate livestock and provide fertilizer to farmers. But like their military counterparts, the civilian technicians are finding the lack of trained Afghan partners their most difficult challenge.
Military Outsources Rescue Ops, Secret Tagging Tech (Updated) -- [Danger Room]
In the American military, few missions are considered more important than rescuing missing or kidnapped troops. So it's more than a little odd that U.S. forces in Iraq have decided to outsource that operation to a private company. The military's Joint Contracting Command-Iraq/Afghanistan on Sunday handed out a one year, $11.3 million, no-bid contract to Blackbird Technologies Inc., declaring that the firm was "the only contractor that can currently provide the subject matter expertise needed" for personnel rescue operations.
Suicide car bomb wounds 30 in northern Iraq -- [AFP]
MOSUL, Iraq -- A suicide car bomber targeted an Iraqi army base in the northern city of Mosul on Wednesday, wounding at least 30 people, including 20 members
Security Through Stability: Soldiers Give Poor Iraqis Economic Alternatives -- [DVIDS]
...Life in Khidr, Iraq, a small village in an area once dubbed "the Triangle of Death" by the American media at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, can be hard. The area still doesn't have a local police force, although a police station is under construction.
The 8th Iraqi Army Division maintains security as best they can, but a local shaykh says that financial help from the Iraqi government is slow in making its way to the area.
"All farmers in Iraq have a right to go to the government and ask for help," he said, "but it is never enough for the farmers here, if they get anything at all."
So far, the Americans have been key to taking up the slack, he said.
Obama Administration Must Intervene in Iraqi Election Crisis -- [Washington Post]
Iraq's march toward a crucial national election has had the feel of a cheap carnival ride, with sickening plunges and barely averted derailments at every turn. Now a new twist poses the most serious threat yet to the prospect of a free and fair election - and a successful wind-down of the U.S. mission. Seemingly out of nowhere last week an obscure and opaque commission ruled that more than 500 candidates would be disqualified from the parliamentary vote -- in most cases on the grounds that they once supported the Baath party of Saddam Hussein. Among those proscribed are top Sunni leaders, including
Rarely used flying bomb strikes new targets in Iraq -- [McClatchy Newspapers]
BAGHDAD -- U.S. troops stationed at an outpost in southern Iraq heard a chilling whistle, and then a 60-pound airborne bomb punched through a concrete blast wall and sent shrapnel flying, wounding three Americans.
Explosions are commonplace in Iraq, but this was no ordinary attack.
Iran's Power Play in Iraq -- [The Nation]
For years, I've written about Iran's untoward influence in Iraq. Now, it appears as if Iran is making a power play, using its Iraqi allies
Obama urged to free Iraq's Aziz -- [AFP]
AMMAN -- A lawyer for Iraq's jailed ex-deputy prime minister Tareq Aziz, hospitalised after suffering a stroke, on Wednesday urged US President Barack Obama
New 6.1-quake hits Haiti -- [Kasa]
People flee into streets Wednesday morning
A powerful new earthquake struck Haiti on Wednesday, shaking rubble from damaged buildings and sending screaming people running into the streets only eight days after the country's capital was devastated by an apocalyptic quake.
The magnitude-6.1 temblor was the largest aftershock yet to the Jan. 12 quake.
On U.S. bases, word of loved ones in Haiti trickles in slowly -- [Stars and Stripes]
Marine Sgt. Patrick Fleurestand, Army Community Service Relocation Program director Marie Laurise Workman and Lance Cpl. Franz Rosemond are working with the Haiti Disaster Outreach Support Group of Okinawa, helping Haitians on Okinawa get word about their family and friends back home. GINOWAN, Okinawa -- All Marine Lance Cpl. Franz Rosemond knows is that his pregnant wife is alive and wandering the streets of Port-au-Prince.
U.S. Troops Move into Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to Help Keep Order, Distribute Aid -- [Washington Post]
Hundreds of U.S. troops surged into the epicenter of Haiti's earthquake-ravaged capital Tuesday to guard convoys and food distribution sites, while thousands more stationed themselves on ships and helicopters offshore to bolster relief and recovery efforts. One week after a 7.0-magnitude quake crippled this city, many Haitians living on the streets have still not received any food or medical assistance from their government or the international community, but there were increasing signs that the aid effort is gaining momentum.
No Reprieve following latest quake -- [TEAM RUBICON - in Haiti]
General Hospital has been evacuated due to a 6.1 earthquake. Team Rubicon member Brother Jim Boynton prays while surveying the wounded. "For the first time in my life I am speechless. These people were all inside yesterday and now they're not." says Boynton. Patients have no reprieve from the hot sun.
"It's a disaster. There is no drinking water" Dr. "Griz" -- -- [TEAM RUBICON - in Haiti]
Team Rubicon member Dr David Griswell, like yesterday, becomes the lead physician in the outdoor General Hospital. "It's a disaster. There is no drinking water. We're trying to write down names but there is no way to track people right now" says Griswell.
Haiti through the eyes of a SF combat medic, Mark Hayward -- [TEAM RUBICON - in Haiti]
A day of extraordinary circumstances, and opportunities to be of service.
We rolled out this morning in our first "dedicated" vehicle: a tap-tap that we had hired for the day, to serve as our transportation and evacuation asset. We had been directed to the chapter house of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (and I hope I am getting the name right), better known as the Little Sisters of Calcutta (Mother Theresa's organization). Our medical supplies were critically low, particularly in the antibiotics that are essential to treating these nasty festering wounds.
More Noise -- [Greyhawk]
...of the not good variety:
Unlike America, most UN member nations don't have multi-lingual military members. (Though a billy club in the face is an "international language" all its own.) More importantly (also unlike America) most armies are composed of members of one "tribe" with little experience dealing with people who look different than they do. Those armies exist first and foremost because members of those different looking, funny talking other tribes are viewed as a threat. In peace keeping/humanitarian operations that's inevitably a problem - and one not solved by distributing identical blue headgear
More milblogging:...
22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit -- [Gazing at the Flag]
The flight deck of the USS Bataan is buzzing with activity as marines prepare to put boots on the ground in Haiti.
It's not war, but perhaps the worst humanitarian crisis young members of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit will ever see.
"It'll go far beyond anything I saw in Iraq or anything you have seen in Iraq or Afghanistan," US Marine Capt. Edmund Clayton told a group of platoon and squad leaders.
Clayton urged leaders to prepare their marines for the emotional impact, so they can stay alert during the mission and hopefully return home without having nightmares or other lingering psychological effects.
So Much for NGO Engagement -- [Captain's Journal]
A Texas search and rescue team and other similar units mobilized to help earthquake victims in Haiti have been told they are not needed.
...when we are so concentrated on the use of NGOs to aid in counterinsurgency in Afghanistan (and other trouble spots across the globe), isn't it telling that NGOs cannot even get a pass into Haiti to assist when it isn't technically a war zone or counterinsurgency effort? Quite obviously, the assertion that teams are no longer needed is a lie, and we simply cannot support or deploy the teams.
Haitians denounce occupation after US troops arrived at the National Palace -- [AFP]
Port au Prince (AFP) .- Hundreds of Haitians attended on Tuesday, between resignation and anger, the impressive helicopters landing of U.S. troops in the presidential palace, in an act considered by many a loss of sovereignty.
"It's an occupation. The palace is the country, represents our power, our face, our pride," Feodor Desanges criticism.
Sacre' Bleu! Where is my fainting couch and cheese? -- [Castle Argghhh!!!]
Um, France is mad that the US is "occupying" Haiti.
What this really means is - "Haiti was ours! We get first dibs on rescuing them, even if it will take weeks longer and we could never mount an operation from scratch like you guys are doing in-stride, in the middle of fighting two campaigns across the globe and that hurts our feelings.
Palestinians want US to negotiate in its place -- [AP]
RAMALLAH, West Bank-- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has proposed that the Obama administration negotiate the final borders of a Palestinian state with Israel, a Palestinian official said Wednesday, as a U.S. envoy headed to the region for another attempt to restart Mideast peace talks....
Protecting the farce -- [Greyhawk]
We ran the live video feed of the DOD briefing with former Army Secretary Togo West and Adm. Vern Clark (Ret.) on the release of their Ft Hood shooting review last week. Since then, some early reviews are in.
Bill Bennett calls it a "whitewash."
The Fort Hood Report: Why No Mention of Islam? -- [Time]
The U.S. military's just-released report into the Fort Hood shootings spends 86 pages detailing various slipups by Army officers but not once mentions Major Nidal Hasan by name or even discusses whether the killings may have had anything to do with the suspect's view of his Muslim faith. And as Congress opens two days of hearings on Wednesday into the Pentagon probe of the Nov. 5 attack that left 13 dead, lawmakers want explanations for that omission.
U.S. officials admit to intelligence failures in connection with bomb plot -- [Washington Post]
Facing heat from lawmakers, the Obama administration's top intelligence and counterterrorism officials acknowledged to Congress on Wednesday morning that there were breakdowns in the failure to prevent a Christmas Day terrorist bombing attempt aboard a U.S. jetliner.
U.S. Increases Efforts to Boost Security in Yemen Amid Increasing Terror Threat -- [Washington Post]
Experienced fighters returning to Yemen from the Iraq war and radicalized U.S. citizens who have taken up residence in that country have broadened assessments of the threat posed by the al-Qaeda affiliate there, according to administration and congressional officials. In addition to flooding Yemen with intelligence resources, the United States has stepped up military strikes from the air against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and pressed the Yemeni government, which has offered to negotiate with the group, to toughen its approach. As Yemen's foreign minister arrived in Washington this week for consultations, the State Department announced
Ex-Convicts From U.S. Said to Join Yemen Radicals -- [New York Times]
Some American former convicts who converted to Islam in prison have moved to Yemen and a few may have joined extremist groups there, according to a new Senate report. The report, from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says that as many as 36 American Muslims who were prisoners have moved to Yemen in recent months, ostensibly to study Arabic, and that several of them have "dropped off the radar" and may have connected to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The report warns that Americans recruited in Yemen or Somalia may pose a particular threat, since they can operate freely inside the United States.
Gates Meets with Indian Leaders on Combating Terrorism -- [Washington Post]
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates praised India for showing "statesmanlike" behavior by not retaliating against Pakistan after the 2008 Mumbai hotel attacks but said the United States was not directly involved in trying to broker peace between the two nuclear-armed rivals. On a two-day trip to New Delhi, Gates on Tuesday met with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other officials to bolster U.S.-Indian military ties and discuss a joint approach to combating al-Qaeda and regional terrorist groups. Last month, Gates warned U.S. lawmakers that al-Qaeda was providing "targeting information" to Lashkar-i-Taiba, a Kashmir-based terrorist group, in hopes of triggering a war between India and Pakistan.
Guest Blogger; Life in the Military as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer -- [Bouhammer]
Bouhammer Note- The posting below was written by my very good friend "Moose". I have known Moose for 20 years and we have always maintained contact with each other, even though we were both being stationed all over the world at different times. He has opened up his heart and his life in this posting. As he told me, "If one person's life is saved or changed because of reading this, then it is all worth it". The reality is that many senior leaders are intimidated to never seek help or are just plain scared too. We hear stories all the time of both NCOs and Officers taking their own lives when they think there is no other option. This is why Moose wrote this posting.
Brain scans pinpoint stress disorder in war veterans -- [Minneapolis Star Tribune]
PTSD is thought to afflict tens of thousands of combat veterans, but it can be hard to diagnose. It's a collection of psychological symptoms that can,...
VA Reaching Out to Students and Schools to Speed Benefit Payments -- [DoVA]
In a coordinated effort to speed up the processing of Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits this spring, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that it has been reaching out to student Veterans, servicemembers, university officials and other partners to meet its commitment to an aggressive processing goal by Feb. 1, 2010. Feb. 1 is the first date spring payments are due and presently VA has processed over 72,000 of the approximately 103,000 spring enrollments received. Since inception of the historic new program last year, VA has paid over $1.3 billion in benefits to more than 170,000 students.
"Only by VA and all of our partners working together will students be better served," said VA's Acting Under Secretary for Benefits Mike Walcoff. "We are making a concerted effort to reach out to everyone to provide the timely benefits that those who served our nation deserve."
Free Flowers For A Year Help Send Care Packages To Deployed Troops -- [PRLog.Org]
Since the LMHS Military Support Program began in 2003, more than 29000 pounds of care packages have been sent to deployed troops overseas.
MVG20100118JN11:35 -- [Greyhawk]
A manufacturer putting "Secret 'Jesus' Bible Codes" on military rifle sights is among the most stupid things I ever heard of.
Update: This story first appeared on the gun blog Accurate Shooter. Did ABC News rip them off? If so, have they never heard (EX20:15) thou shalt not steal?
ABC Raids Message Boards to 'Break' a Decades-Old Story -- [Bob Owens]
The manufacturer of gun sights used by the U.S. military inscribes references to New Testament passages on them, a fact known to the public for 23 years.
U.S. Firm Probed for Stamping Bible Verses on Rifle Sights -- [Democracy Now]
The Pentagon says it will investigate a Michigan-based military contractor found to have stamped Bible-verse references on combat rifle sights used by US
Homecoming -- Troops return merits heroes' welcome -- [Bluefield Daily Telegraph]
... and the 230th Forward Support Squadron, are finally on their way home to Bluefield. In fact, the local troops should be on American soil by now.
How Not to Write a Headline -- [Ghosts of Alexander]
Alissa Rubin wrote an article in the New York Times on locals' perceptions of this week's insurgent attack in Kabul. The article is fine. Locals are interviewed and express a variety of opinions. It's hardly a large "scientific" survey, but fine as far as journalism "the day after" goes. But, as usual, you will find the "OMG massive conspiracy viewpoint." A fellow, his name made me smile, had this to say
The Times to Charge for Frequent Access to Its Web Site -- [New York Times]
The New York Times announced Wednesday that it intended to charge frequent readers for access to its Web site, a step being debated across the industry that nearly every major newspaper has so far feared to take.
Anniversary Celebrations All Around -- [Jawa Report]
Happy 1-Year Anniversary Mr President. Please take to heart that you are still more popular than Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
George W. Bush Revisited -- [Breitbart-Big Government]
He left office a year ago today. He has maintained a dignified silence in the last twelve months -- even though his successor denounces him in almost every speech and acts as if he is still running against the man. I reviewed President Obama's disastrous first year on Saturday. Today, I ask, "What, in retrospect, should we think of George W. Bush?"
America Betrayed President Bush -- [FOX News - Jeffrey Scott Shapiro ]
Jeffrey Scott Shapiro is a journalist and lawyer who served on Senator John F. Kerry's legal team during the 2004 election. He is currently organizing a nationwide effort called "Honor Freedom" to correct the historical record about President Bush and the Bush foreign policy doctrine, which can be reached at www.honorfreedom.com and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=41317929699&ref=ts or Twitter at http://twitter.com/honorfreedom
It's almost hard to believe but Wednesday, January 20 marks exactly one year since President Bush left the White House.
During his last public ceremony as commander in chief, he was booed by thousands of Americans who simutaneously cheered for Barack Obama as he was sworn into office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.
....America quickly forgot about how President Bush charismatically lifted our spirits during some of the darkest moments of our nation's history when the Twin Towers collapsed. After all, even Senator Kerry admitted Bush's handling of the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks was "terrific," during the 2004 presidential debates.
GW Bush: Rock Solid Under Fire -- [Breitbart-Big Government]
...In a historic moment, President Bush met with influential military bloggers, acknowledging the important work they do in communicating troop concerns, experiences, events, and the role they play in bolstering troop morale. Among the bloggers meeting with the President in the Roosevelt Room was Master Sergeant CJ Grisham, seated to President Bush's left, whose blogsite "They Have Names" is a tribute to those who have died in the service of our country. Also seated at the table was "Mrs. Greyhawk" of Mudville Gazette, whose husband was deployed to Iraq at the time.
A Very American Kind of Coup -- [CBS News]
A public conditioned to act like sheep, to "support our troops" no matter what, to cower before the idea of terrorism, is a public ready to be herded. A military that's being used to fight unwinnable wars is a military prone to return home disaffected and with scores to settle.
Angry and desperate veterans and mercenaries already conditioned to violence, merging with "tea baggers" and other alienated groups, could one day form our own Freikorps units, rioting for violent solutions to national decline. Recall that the Nazi movement ultimately succeeded in the early 1930s because so many middle-class Germans were scared as they saw their wealth, standard of living, and status all threatened by the Great Depression.
GOP's Brown wins Mass. Senate seat in epic upset -- [AP]
BOSTON - In an epic upset in liberal Massachusetts, Republican Scott Brown rode a wave of voter anger to defeat Democrat Martha Coakley in a U.S. Senate election Tuesday that left President Barack Obama's health care overhaul
Veterans group goes on tour to discuss climate change and oil dependence -- [FOX/AP]
A U.S. military veterans group planned stops in Missouri this week to discuss its belief that the nation's dependence on foreign oil affects climate change and hurts national security.
Veterans for American Power was in St. Louis and Cape Girardeau on Tuesday, and was to visit Springfield, Columbia, Warrensburg and Independence through Friday.
Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate, met with the group. She says the U.S. must take control of its energy future through homegrown energy resources.
Time to get to work, says Sen.-elect Brown -- [AP]
BOSTON -- Republican Scott Brown says his Senate victory in Massachusetts sends a powerful message and he hopes to get to work right away
Scott Brown -- [FOXNews]
As a legislator, he has served on the Veterans and Federal Affairs Committee, the Hidden Wounds of War Commission, and the Governor's Task Force on Returning Veterans
...He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 2006. Despite his long career, Brown, as a judge advocate, has never been in a unit sent to a combat zone such as Iraq or Afghanistan.
Brown did brief assignments in Paraguay in 2005 and in Kazakhstan in 2007. In Paraguay, he was part of an effort with US diplomats to raise awareness of American principles of justice, including cases involving military personnel, according to the Boston Globe. In Kazakhstan, he said he spent a week on a disaster, terrorism, and emergency preparedness exercise with military and civilian personnel from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and three former Soviet republics, the newspaper reported.
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