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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.
AP Exclusive: US to tighten rules on Afghan raids -- [AP]
NATO forces in Afghanistan are preparing to limit night raids on private homes, even if it means losing some tactical advantage, to curb rising public anger.
NATO spokesman Rear Adm. Gregory Smith told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview that a directive would be issued soon to set down the new rules.
Nighttime raids on private homes have emerged as the Afghans' No. 1 complaint after Gen. Stanley McChrystal limited the use of airstrikes and other weaponry last year. The U.S. and allied nations have made protecting the population a priority over the use of massive firepower as they seek to undermine support for the Taliban.
Bahrain military bringing security to Afghan bases -- [Stars&Stripes]
..."The Bahrainis are the first line of defense to get into Camp Bastion and Camp Leatherneck. They are on the front line, making that happen," said Marine Lt. Col. Chris Naler, commander of brigade headquarters at Camp Leatherneck.
Under Bahrain's deployment agreement, reached last year following a visit to the country by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the special security troops are in Afghanistan for two six-month deployments.
U.S. ambassador puts brakes on plan to utilize Afghan militias against Taliban -- [Washington Post]
The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and senior Afghan officials have resisted moving forward with a bold and potentially risky initiative to support local militias in Afghanistan that are willing to defend their villages against insurgents, according to U.S. officials.
Their concerns have slowed the implementation of a key effort to provide security in places where there are relatively few NATO forces or Afghan police and Army units. U.S. military officials had wanted to get the initiative -- developed under the leadership of Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan -- off to a quick start this year.
Watchmen: The Buzkashi Blues -- [The Quatto Zone - in Afghanistan]
No lover of freedom can fail to acknowledge the value of a skeptical press. In Afghanistan today, though, we're seeing too much of a good thing: chasing conflict for the sake of writing breathless accounts of conflict, or enshrining skepticism above any constructive virtue to prove to the world that you are nobody's fool. Like buzkashi, the rewards for these current modes of journalistic sport are money, the acclaim of your peers and, well, something about as valuable to the future of Afghanistan as a headless carcass.
...This is how many of us spend our days here, fighting for the honor of dragging the body of truth around in the dust of Afghanistan. But ...
Lt Col Nick Kitson: This is no time to waver: progress in Helmand is slow but steady -- [The Independent]
In recent weeks here in Helmand, the theme has been one of continued progress on all fronts. The temperature, the reduced winter vegetation and the pressure the insurgents face - from us and others - have all acted in our favour.
Back to work -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
...I'm still settling in with my new responsibilities of mentoring the Property Book Officer. At times, he is elusive and confuses my interpreter with his answers and responses. The supply system being used is archaic and based off the US Army's antiquated system. However, since the literacy rate and education levels are so low, this basic system is appropriate for the ANA military. At least now
Visit from 82nd Airborne CC -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Today we had a special visit from Major General Curtis Scaparrotti. He is the 82nd Airborne Commander and Commander of US Forces in Eastern Afghanistan. He is one of General McChrystal's key strategists and tacticians. The General and his staff came way of Blackhawk helicopter and landed in ANA land. This was an opportunity for him to meet our ANA General, staff, and our Brigade ETT team. After he landed, he was whisked into a private session with the ANA General. A few minutes later ...
Helicopters pound Pakistan militant hideout: officials (old refugee camp in N. Waziristan) -- [AFP]
Pakistan - Pakistani gunship helicopters on Friday pounded a suspected militant hideout in a northwestern tribal area known for sheltering Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters, officials said.
The assault in North Waziristan comes a day after US Defence Secretary Robert Gates asked Islamabad about their plans to expand an existing anti-Taliban offensive into the district bordering Afghanistan.
"Two gunship helicopters attacked a suspected militant centre," a security official in North Waziristan's main town Miranshah said.
173rd Airborne in Wardak Afghanistan -- [Blackfive - Uncle Jimbo]
Brian from Charlie Company 1st/503rd sent along some pics from Wardak Province. He mentioned that they weren't very exciting and you now what, that's a good thing. He says morale is good, and with the cushy conditions they are living in, I can see why. Heh. Godspeed to all the troops and Airborne, all the way.
U.S. Supports Afghanistan Outreach to Taliban -- [Wall Street Journal]
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday the Taliban were part of Afghanistan's "political fabric," one of the clearest indications to date of the Obama administration's willingness to accept the Islamist group playing a potentially central role in Afghanistan's future. Mr. Gates, wrapping up a two-day visit to Pakistan's capital, told reporters here that the U.S. supported the Afghan government's continuing outreach efforts to the Afghan Taliban. Afghan President Hamid Karzai plans to unveil a major new reconciliation initiative that will use hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign donations to offer fighters jobs, educations and security guarantees if they will lay down their weapons. The American defense chief said that he expected significant numbers of lower-level Taliban fighters to accept the Karzai government's offer, and...
Jim Gant, the Green Beret who could win the war in Afghanistan -- [Washington Post]
...Malik Noorafzhal, an 80-year-old tribal leader, told Gant that he had never spoken to an American before and asked why U.S. troops were in his country. Gant, whose only orders upon arriving in Afghanistan days earlier had been to "kill and capture anti-coalition members," responded by pulling out his laptop and showing Noorafzhal a video of the World Trade Center towers crumbling.
That sparked hours of conversation between the intense 35-year-old Green Beret and the elder in a tribe of 10,000.
Meanwhile, back in Afghanistan -- [Flit]
Maj. Jim Gant is, well, going Gant.
Christian and the Security Crank both let fly with both barrels.
Maj. Gant, for those just joining us, is the leading proponent of the "arm the tribes" solution to Afghanistan at the moment, who has grown popular for his advocacy for small Special Forces type teams disappearing into the mountains and essentially going native.
One Tribe at a Time - but which one first? -- [Greyhawk]
...This is not a my way or the highway solution - Major Gant is confident in proposing a theory developed in it's own execution, but is no crusader convinced he's completely right or completely righteous.
The struggle in Afghanistan is against more than one foe; in addition to the Taliban we're confronted with a bureaucracy that's potentially the one enemy that can't be defeated. But I opened this discussion with sometimes I think we can win the war, and gave one of the best examples I've seen lately of why: it's less because of what Major Gant wrote (hardly new, it's how we defeated the Taliban in the first place) and more that others in that same bureaucracy encountered an unconventional idea that an unconventional man proposed in an unconventional forum, plucked him from the relentless tide that would have sent him elsewhere, and dropped him instead where he was needed most.
But "can win" isn't the same as "will." News from elsewhere:...
The Horror, the Horror: Afghanistan Edition -- [SWJ]
A paper by Maj. Jim Gant, titled, "One Tribe at a Time" (.pdf), has been getting all sorts of attention since it ran on Steven Pressman's site a few weeks back. I finally got down to reading it last night after Andrew Exum flagged it as an alternative to COIN in Afghanistan.
Civilization of the War Zone -- [Fraser From ...helicopter pilot on his seventh tour]
Well, it's the same as it ever was in appearance and activity outside the wire. Inside, we've gone from living in a bombed-out hangar, to living in a ten-man tent with 15 pilots, to living in "pods". We've gone from digging our own bathroom, to Porta-Johns, to shower tents, to Cadillac showers with running-water, sinks, and porcelain.
A report from the Heartless Libertarian in the 'Stan. -- [Castle Argghhh!!!]
I'll be getting on some sort of flying thing - UH-60, STOL, C-130 - sometime in the next 8 hours, heading to Bagram en route home for R&R.
Some of the things I'm looking forward to on R&R (besides playing with the kids, playing with the Mrs., and drinking beer):
A new word for Webster's -- [Doc H's International Adventure - heading home from Afghanistan]
...I continue to reflect on my experiences in Afghanistan, and after talking to many others who worked primarily in Kabul I have decided a new word needs to be added to the lexicon:
Kabulcentric- Policy or instructions that eminate from the capital city with primary regard for how these policies work in the capital or the 10 miles outside of Kabul, but apply to all of Afghanistan.
We have in our own country from time to time, a similiar situation with our Capital of Washington, D.C. Thankfully in our democratic republic the voice of the people is heard regularly. This is not the case in Afghanistan.
US Marines end role in Iraq -- [Daily Times]
RAMADI: The US Marine Corps wrapped up nearly seven years in Iraq on Saturday, handing over duties to the army and signalling the beginning of an accelerated withdrawal of American troops as the US turns its focus away from the waning Iraqi war to a growing one in Afghanistan.
Biden Going to Iraq Due to Concerns About Candidates Barred from Elections -- [Washington Post]
Alarmed that the disqualification of hundreds of candidates from upcoming parliamentary elections threatens to derail Iraq's fledgling democracy, the Obama administration is dispatching Vice President Biden in hopes of defusing the looming political crisis. The expected visit showcases U.S. concerns that the decision to bar 511 candidates - the most prominent of whom are Sunni Arabs - could stoke sectarian violence and undermine elections as the U.S. military prepares to significantly reduce its presence here. The removal of candidates purportedly adhering to the ideals of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party could reverse efforts to bring disenfranchised Sunni communities into the fold and inflame old divisions, wiping out the security gains of the U.S. surge. If the Americans "fail in guaranteeing democracy, they should leave right away from Iraq, because their presence means nothing," said Saleh al-Mutlak, a prominent Sunni lawmaker now barred from running. "If they can't protect democracy, then what are they here for?"
Sunnis and Iraq's Election -- [New York Times]
We had hoped that the March 7 parliamentary elections would prove the growing maturity of Iraq's fragile democracy and set the country on a stable path as American combat troops get ready for this summer's planned withdrawal. Instead, the process unfolding is disgracefully unfair and roiling dangerous sectarian tensions. Iraq's Accountability and Justice Commission unleashed an electoral hand grenade this month when it disqualified some 500 (out of 6,500) candidates - many of them prominent Sunni Muslims - because of alleged ties to the Baath Party of Saddam Hussein. Among those ordered off the ballot: Defense Minister Abdul-Kader Jassem al-Obeidi and Saleh al-Mutlaq, one of Iraq's most influential Sunni politicians. The decision was ratified last week by Iraq's electoral commission. Sunnis are understandably furious.
Iraq urges barred candidates to denounce Saddam -- [AFP]
Iraq's government said Friday that more than 500 candidates disqualified from a March general election for alleged links to Saddam Hussein must denounce his ousted regime and its crimes.
Disavowal of the executed dictator and his now outlawed Baath party would enable the candidates' reintegration into Iraqi society, government spokesman Ali Dabbagh said without specifically offering reinstatement on ballot papers.
US Embassy in Baghdad looking for Facebook friends -- [San Francisco Examiner]
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is looking for Iraqi friends on Facebook . The embassy launched the page Thursday with the aim of reaching out to Iraqis who want to learn more about American culture and society, the latest step by the State Department to boost interest in Iraq 's burgeoning online culture and promote Web entrepreneurship.
Ky. Air National Guard Headed To Haiti (video) -- [WLKY]
Members of the Kentucky Air National Guard are scheduled to head for Haiti to help open airfields so aid can flow to affected areas.
URGENT: More Help Needed -- [Team Rubicon - in Haiti]
Thanks for the overwhelming support on our last call for help. All needs were taken care of by state side members of Team Rubicon.
This one is a bit tougher.
I got my first call from Jake today. He said "..Where is Bravo?!!" in a Marine sort of way. Bravo is a relief and resupply team rallying in Fayetteville, NC near Ft Bragg. I told him the arrangements we had just fallen through, the original flight is not able to depart until next Wednesday! Jake: "We need them now!!" Please help!!
Anyone who has any connections with airlines please see if they can arrange some sort of deal for 12-15 doctors, medics and other rapid deploying personnel.
US Congress sends Haiti aid bill to Obama -- [Asia One]
The US Congress on Thursday sent President Barack Obama legislation aimed at boosting charitable donations to victims of the Haiti earthquake, including a vastly popular Red Cross text-message appeal.
Team Rubicon supplies needed at EMBASSY??!! -- [Team Rubicon - in Haiti]
From Will McNulty
"Yesterday at the airport I asked the Army to help transport medical supplies and a female US Army Major threatened to take them away because she needed them at the embassy. Then she told me that she had a problem with me wearing the uniform and being no longer in the Marines. She claimed that we are an NGO so therefore we fall under the command of the United Nations, and thus she can take our supplies. I put her in her place and she didn't take our supplies but this is indicative of the bureaucracy/mentality we are dealing with."
Pass this on to your congressman! This is outrageous!
US Navy Weapon Caused Haitian Earthquake!! -- [Rofa Six]
When Hugo Chavez charged the Haitian earthquake was caused by a US Navy tectonic weapon I about fell outta my chair when the world did not start laughing.
Is Chavez planning to try and take Keith Olbermann's job? Or maybe he has been watching Obama continue to blame Bush for everything ... and we know how that has been working out for Barry Obama, don't we?
Clinton: US, Allies Will Not Back Down on Iran Nuclear Issue -- [Voice of America]
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday the United States and allies will not back down in pressing Iran on concerns that its nuclear program is weapons related. Clinton discussed Iran, and next week's London conference on Afghanistan, with the new European Union chief diplomat Catherine Ashton and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband. The fact that China did not send a high-ranking diplomat to a big-power meeting on Iran late last week in New York has spurred suggestions that international resolve on the nuclear issue is fading.
Alert: Female Suicide Bombers May Be Heading Here From Yemen -- [ABC News]
U.S. Agents Told Women Believed Connected to Al Qaeda May Have Western Appearance and Passports -- American law enforcement officials have been told to be on the lookout for female suicide bombers who may attempt to enter the United States ...
UK terror threat level 'severe' -- [BBC]
The UK terror threat level is being raised from "substantial" to "severe", the Home Office has said. -- The new alert level means a terrorist attack is considered "highly likely". It had stood at substantial since July.
India issues terrorism alert over hijack plot -- [AP]
Airline passengers across India went through extra security screenings Friday and sky marshals were placed on flights as the government put its airports on high alert amid reports that al-Qaida-linked militants planned to hijack a plane.
A hijacking, especially one launched by Pakistan-based militants, would send tensions soaring between the two nuclear-armed rivals and be a huge distraction for U.S. efforts to crush the Taliban and al-Qaida along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
Detainees Will Still Be Held, but Not Tried, Official Says -- [New York Times]
The Obama administration has decided to continue to imprison without trials nearly 50 detainees at the Guantánamo Bay military prison in Cuba because a high-level task force has concluded that they are too difficult to prosecute but too dangerous to release, an administration official said on Thursday.
Obama plans executive order to close Guantanamo Bay -- [CNN]
President Barack Obama is planning to issue three executive orders Thursday, including one demanding the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay be closed within a year, according to a senior administration official and a congressional aide.
A guard keeps watch from a tower at the military facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
A second executive order will formally ban torture by requiring the Army field manual be used as the guide for terror interrogations, essentially ending the Bush administration's CIA program of enhanced interrogation methods.
A third executive order, according to the officials, will ...
Obama signs order to close Guantanamo Bay facility -- [CNN]
Promising to return America to the "moral high ground" in the war on terrorism, President Obama issued three executive orders Thursday to demonstrate a clean break from the Bush administration, including one requiring that the Guantanamo Bay detention facility be closed within a year.
President Obama signs the order requiring that the Guantanamo Bay facility be closed within a year. 1 of 2 During a signing ceremony at the White House, Obama reaffirmed his inauguration pledge that the United States does not have "to continue with a false choice between our safety and our ideals."
OK, that's enough, Matthew Alexander -- [This Ain't Hell...]
...I ran across this video at Vote Vets in which some other cheesy hippie tries to tell us that Alexander has been there and has all of this life threatening experience;
His name isn't Matthew Alexander, it's Anthony Matthew Camerino, he's an Air Force OSI Major scheduled for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in June. ...Camerino has never been to Guantanamo - so what does he know?
CAIR and media's "star witnesses" in Rifqa Bary case (Brian Smith, Tom Sanchez and Jeff Parker) facing embezzlement, mail tampering and illegal wiretapping charges -- [Jawa Report]
Anyone who sent checks to the Global Revolution Church or transferred money through the church's PayPal account since August for Rifqa's defense is encouraged to contact the Orlando Police Department at 321-235-5300 (complaint desk) to report the funds missing.
The "Judas Three" are also facing federal mail tampering charges. After the trio engineered a church leadership coup and fired the Lorenzs back in September, they intercepted personal mail intended for the Lorenzs sent to the church post office box. Instead of forwarding the mail to the Lorenz's in accordance with federal law, they sent the mail to CAIR attorney Omar Tarazi, who is representing Rifqa's parents in Ohio.
Bledsoe admits al Qaeda links -- [This Ain't Hell...]
Carlos Bledsoe who murdered PVT William Long outside of a Little Rock recruiting station last spring has admitted that he is a jihadist for al Qaeda and asked that his not guilty plea be vacated...
Combat Wounds not top Cause of Evacs -- [Military.com]
American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan were more likely to be medically evacuated for health problems such as a bad back than for combat injuries, a new study says.
Talks continue on possible Landstuhl hospital move -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Following on from an evaluation process announced last summer: KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany -- U.S. military commanders met with German officials this week to discuss the possibility of moving Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to the site of an old Army depot east of Ramstein Air Base.
What A Difference A Year Makes... -- [Little Drops..... Into the pool of life]
Y'all remember this time last year when I requested prayers for one of our local Marine's, don't ya? If not, go here and here to read the original story.
Brandon has spent these last 12 months recuperating from his injuries. He's endured numerous operations as well as a grueling physical rehabilitation regimen. Last Memorial Day, I wrote how Florence, Ky. had honored him with a Brandon Bailey Day. I was honored and tickled pink to be there in attendance to meet Brandon and his wife, Kristie.
Reducing Suicide in the Military -- [Army Live]
From the National Institute of Mental Health's Director's Blog.
The U.S. Army recently released new suicide data for December 2009. Last month, there were 10 potential suicides among active duty soldiers, nine of which are pending confirmation. When added to the data for the rest of the year, the total number of reported suicides for 2009 among active duty soldiers is 160, 114 of which have been confirmed. By comparison, in 2008 there were 140 suicides among active duty soldiers.
Medal of Honor Sergeant becomes Captain -- [Greyhawk]
...of the Indianapolis Colts. Medal of Honor recipient Sammy Davis will be an honorary co-captain for the Indianapolis Colts in this Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the New York Jets.
Thriving Military Recruitment Program Blocked -- [New York Times]
A highly successful program by the armed forces to recruit skilled immigrants who live in this country temporarily has run into a roadblock, leaving thousands of potential recruits in limbo. The Army stopped accepting applications for the program last week, officials said Thursday, because the Pentagon had not completed a review required to keep the recruitment going. The program, which started as a pilot in February, allowed recruiters to enlist immigrants, most of them in the Army, with special language or medical skills who are in this country on temporary visas. Successful recruits are offered the chance to become United States citizens within a few months.
Company To Stop Putting Biblical References On Military Scopes -- [NPR]
...Now, the company that has been putting the references on some of its products for nearly 30 years, says it will no longer do that on scopes made for the American military.
Petraeus' view isn't shared by everyone with ties to the military, of course. At the widely read "milblog" Mudville Gazette, some commenters have weighed in to say that the news media is making way too much of this.
Firm will remove Bible references from gun sights -- [Washington Post]
A Michigan defense contractor will voluntarily stop stamping references to Bible verses on combat rifle sights made for the U.S. military, a major buyer of the company's gear.
...Army Gen. David Petraeus, Central Command's top officer, called the practice "disturbing."
"This is a serious concern to me and the other commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan," Petraeus told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. In a statement issued later by the command, Petraeus said that "cultural and religious sensitivities are important considerations in the conduct of military operations."
Army Reduces Soldier's Sentence to 15 Years -- [Bob McCarty]
The Army Clemency and Parole Board today reduced the sentence of Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna from 20 to 15 years, according to a news release from Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Okla.).
Lieutenant Behenna, who is currently serving his sentence at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., was convicted of unpremeditated murder in the shooting death of Ali Mansur, a known Al-Qaeda operative, while serving in Iraq.
Previous cases of similar or more aggravating circumstances, where the defendants were found guilty of premeditated murder, have resulted in less severe sentences, which prompted the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation to appeal to the board for a careful review of this case and relevant precedent.
Home Again -- [Ramblings from a painter - home from Iraq]
It sure is good to be back at home again. (Something about that line brings back the sappy John Denver song ... normally I'm not a fan of his, but that song is very apropos right now). Had a long trip home and have been going pretty hard since arriving here.
Beyond the Fort Dix Gate -- [In Iraq Now (at 56) - home from Iraq]
I am writing this post in mid-afternoon in Philadelphia train station. I just got off the train from Trenton and am on the way to Lancaster. During the 90-minute wait between trains I am sitting in Cosi using free wireless internet that actually works--for several minutes on end. ...We picked up Nigel at school. I helped him with his homework. After he takes a bath we will be going to out to dinner.
It is GREAT to be home!!!!
Twitter users vulnerable to security flaw -- [Reuters]
A flaw in Twitter's website has left the login credentials of its users vulnerable to hackers, according to a security researcher who has asked the social media company to fix the problem.
Watchmen: The Buzkashi Blues -- [The Quatto Zone - in Afghanistan]
No lover of freedom can fail to acknowledge the value of a skeptical press. In Afghanistan today, though, we're seeing too much of a good thing: chasing conflict for the sake of writing breathless accounts of conflict, or enshrining skepticism above any constructive virtue to prove to the world that you are nobody's fool. Like buzkashi, the rewards for these current modes of journalistic sport are money, the acclaim of your peers and, well, something about as valuable to the future of Afghanistan as a headless carcass.
...This is how many of us spend our days here, fighting for the honor of dragging the body of truth around in the dust of Afghanistan. But ...
For anyone under the mistaken impression that IVAW and VoteVets are Veterans Organizations -- [This Ain't Hell...]
...Just want to first thank the Chairman for having the organizations in to discuss the issues facing veterans. More importantly, I wanted to show you the list of 40 Veterans Service Organizations that were in attendance. You know how IVAW and VoteVets claim to represent veterans on Capitol Hill? Well, I would love for one of them to explain why these organizations were invited and they were not. If you think VoteVets and IVAW are representing you on the Hill, you should ask them when and where they are doing so. VoteVets is up there right now advocating closing Gitmo and bringing those terrorists into the states, but they were apparently too busy to go to a meeting to discuss issues facing our returning brothers and sisters.
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
