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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.
Marjah - soon -- [Military Observer]
Marines Readying to attack Marjah. U.S. Marines came under attack from insurgents armed with sniper guns and rocket-propelled grenades as they geared up Wednesday to overwhelm a Taliban bastion in Afghanistan.
Thousands of Marines along with foreign and Afghan soldiers are taking up position around the town of Marjah in Helmand, which officials say is one of the last areas of the southern province under Taliban control.
A little unconventional war -- [Greyhawk]
The plan has indeed been advertised. Admiral Mullen mentioned Marja during a pre-Christmas visit to Afghanistan,
... and multiple news articles on the pending offensive have appeared since.
Some may question the wisdom of the approach, but certainly announcing our intent is not a radical new concept. The November 2004 attack on Fallujah was undoubtedly the most widely telegraphed punch ever thrown in the history of warfare - at least since the first battle for Fallujah - even though no one expected the enemy would choose peace there.
But as for the wish that a potential enemy will "see the inevitability" rather than
Eve of battle: Marjah -- [Greyhawk]
...few civilians have managed to escape the town at the center of the operation, ...Other reports describe thousands of civilians fleeing ...Other reports indicate NATO is telling civilians to stay put.
If you're confused by all these contradictory reports, don't worry. McClatchy also adds that "a large media contingent from around the world will accompany the troops, recording their progress."
Fallujah In Afghanistan -- [Strategy Page]
For several weeks now, U.S. and NATO commanders have been talking to the media about Operation Moshtarak. This is basically a battle for control of the town of Marjah.
...in the case of Marjah, NATO doesn't want to surprise the civilian inhabitants of the city, but to warn them, and encourage them to get out. The more faint hearted among the Taliban will also flee. That will leave the hard core fighters, who can be more easily killed or captured without a lot of civilians around. This is not a new tactic, but based on the success of an earlier battle six years ago in Iraq.
Marines Plan Joint Mission to Eject Insurgents -- [Washington Post]
In the coming days, thousands of U.S. Marines will seek to transform Marja once again. Working in partnership with Afghan soldiers, the Marines are planning a major operation to flush out insurgents and allow the Afghan government to reassert control.
"We intend to go in big, strong and fast," said Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, commander of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
Taliban plan to use ROE against US in A'stan -- [This Ain't Hell...]
McClatchy and Stars & Stripes reports that civilians caught in the noose the US Army has looped around Marjah in Afghanistan aren't leaving the area;
...Well, that's because the cowardly Taliban plan to hide behind skirts and let the media break up the US attack for them. They should let the Afghan Army lead the attack with a column of photographers right behind them. Let the Afghans live with our new ROE. Or die with the new ROE.
Pakistan says 'credible information' that Taliban leader dead -- [Canada.com]
Pakistan said on Wednesday it had information suggesting that Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud had died of wounds inflicted in a U.S. drone aircraft attack in January.
"I have credible information that he's dead but I don't have any confirmation," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters, as speculation swirled over the Taliban leader's fate.
Tide turning towards NATO in Afghanistan, defence chief Angus Houston says -- [The Australian]
In Senate Estimates hearings this morning, Air Chief Marshal Houston has given his most upbeat assessment yet of the security situation in the stricken country.
The additional deployment of 37,000 NATO troops and a more focused strategy and leadership were the main reasons, Air Chief Marshal Houston said in his opening statement.
The ADF chief's optimism stands in contrast to many media reports disparaging a deteriorating security situation where well-armed Taliban insurgents are able to strike at will, including inside the capital, Kabul.
"I'm of the opinion the tide is turning in Afghanistan," he told Estimates.
Gaining the momentum -- [Your experience may vary - in Afghanistan]
Afghanistan: Not deteriorating!
it increasingly seems the insurgency is loosing momentum. And in a counter-insurgency fight, momentum is a Big Deal.
A friend of mine talks about the country as if it was a bowling ball, with the insurgents as a bunch of ants trying to move the ball backward and us - Afghans and Coalition members alike - as ants trying to move it forward. For a while, the momentum was with the insurgents. But the bowling ball is slowing, and soon we may even be able to turn it around. Which is making many insurgents think VERY seriously about reconciliation.
I'll Have What He's Smoking -- [Registan]
In McChrystal's universe, this is evidence not of continued backsliding, but of mere seriousness with hopeful progress. Where is this progress happening?
Dozens of schools reopen in Helmand -- [IRIN]
Over the past year dozens of schools have reopened in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan, in part due to an accommodation with Taliban insurgents, Education Ministry officials say.
Security Force Assistance Nirvanna -- [Riding Shotgun with Team Zombiekiller - in Afghanistan]
We've out doing what we do best over the last few days--which is training our companies and giving them tactical problems to deal with. Old Man Winter made his appearance here with a vengeance recently and we had the joy of taking the boys out in the snow. It made things interesting to say the least. Humping up and down the wadis was reminiscent of slipping and sliding around the red Georgia clay back at Ft Benning after a recent rain storm. Only here the precipitation was a bit on the cool side. That all being said the Afghans complained not one bit and shrugged off the cold.
Tea and Coffee -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Today was a real treat. My ANA SGT Major sipping a cup of tea.and I had an opportunity to see my ANA Sgt Major. ...The Sgt Major and I had a good conversation about various topics including corruption, history and future.
A Tale of a Printer and an Ink Cartridge -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Being an ETT mentor is a challenge, but working with antiquated computers, printers, and software poses a test in itself. But before I get into equipment issues, I need to set the stage properly. Last night at our 5 o'clock meeting we received an administrative tasking concerning accountability of equipment, weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and communication equipment for our ANA forces. The deadline was set for noon tomorrow. Sounds simple enough, surely in eight years the ANA have developed some sort of accountability list or database to track the items being given to them.
Written 4 Feb 10 -- [My View; Our Mission - in Afghanistan]
...Our team is working hard with our Afghan counterparts on some longer-range projects. Projects include planning on what to put in a 50% complete renovated inpatient building behind the current hospital (BTW, the funding for this renovation is coming from a 3rd party country). We have the blueprints and expect that next week we will sit down with our team/Afghan hospital senior leadership to begin to solidify were departments, etc will go. The next step after that will be to ensure the right equipment is ordered as the country that donated the building...only donated the renovation costs and not the outfitting costs.
Interpreters On Facebook -- [Afghan Quest - in Afghanistan]
Some of the interpreters here at the schoolhouse have started a Facebook page. The interpreters are very important to our mission, adding the ability to communicate with and teach Afghans of all types. The Afghan National Security Forces are obviously key partners, and they need to be able to apply the principles of COIN in their own country. It is, after all, their fight as well. ...Our interpreters are patriots....
What Has Changed....And For The Better! -- [A Major's Perspective - in Afghanistan]
So here we are. I have written a number of times about why Afghanistan matters. But tonight I wanted to take a quick trip down a peudo memory lane and tell you what has changed and why its a very good thing it has.
First off, when I left last time, we (ISAF) were firmly in the lead conducting operations. I am quite happy to see that the Afghans are now the ones in the lead completely partnered with ISAF.
CSM: Zhari fight just beginning -- [Flit]
Four years after Canadians first deployed to Zhari district, here is one writer's synopsis of all that we achieved:
"In many places, as in Zhari, the battle is just beginning."
Interesting that current American forces are currently held up 4 miles (7 km) east of "Mullah Omar's mosque", aka the village of Sangisar. In 2007 there was an ANA patrol base in Sangisar, which shows how much of a fighting retrograde our time there really was.
Culture Clash in Helmand -- [Abu Muqawama]
I got the heads up on a battle brewing in southern Afghanistan a few months ago. Not a battle between Marines and insurgents, mind, but one over the appropriate tactics to fight the Taliban. Specifically, I heard the staff of Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson's MEB was getting frustrated by being forced to essentially camp out on the population and, Marines being Marines, wanted to go chase the bad guys. Now this from today's Washington Post:
"I'm not a big fan of the population-centric approach. We can't sit still. We have to pursue and chase these guys," said Col. George Amland, deputy commander of the Marine expeditionary brigade in Helmand province. "I haven't seen any evidence it's working. The only thing that's working is chasing them."
I've heard Col. Amland is a thoughtful officer, but I wonder if he's thoughtful enough to recognize that a) his decades-long education as a Marine officer might have prejudiced him toward a preference for violent offensive operations and b) many counterinsurgents through the years have been in exactly the same spot where Col.
AFGHANISTAN: Avalanches, floods wreak havoc -- [IRIN News]
Avalanches on a highway north of Kabul killed at least 15 and injured 55 on 8-9 February, according to the Ministry of Public Health .
Iraq oil pipeline sabotaged -- [AFP]
A pipeline carrying crude oil to a refinery in Baghdad has been sabotaged only days after going back online following years of being the target of attack, the oil minister said on Wednesday.
"Yesterday (Tuesday) evening, criminals sabotaged the pipeline with a bomb at Rashidiya, north of the capital," Hussein al-Shahristani said.
Executive Director of Iraq's Justice and Accountability Commission Denies Acting on Iran's Agenda -- [MEMRI Blog]
Ali Al-Lami, executive director of Iraq's Justice and Accountability Commission, has denied that he has acted according to an Iranian agenda.
He claims that the Appeals Panel took its decision to abrogate the order banning elections candidates issued by his Commission a day after a meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Iraq.
Former Iraq PM: poll ban risks civil war -- [Reuters]
A ban on election candidates accused of links with Saddam Hussein's Baath party threatens to drag Iraq into civil war, a former prime...
Reuters: US military releases Iraqi photographer -- [AP]
An Iraqi freelance photographer who worked for Reuters has been released by the U.S. military after 17 months in detention in Iraq, the news agency reported Wednesday.
Mild earthquake rattles Chicago area -- [Chicago Breaking News]
... Felt like the same type of shaking that woke me during the last earthquake in Illinois, though didn't last as long. Lincoln Square, Chicago. ...
Guard Transports Emergency Workers During Blizzard -- [National Guard]
... With more than 30 inches of snow falling on the city Saturday, even the District's top cop was affected. A Humvee driven by DC Guard ...
Video: Nigerian Massacre Caught on Tape -- [Jawa Report]
A brief deviation from the usual video of Islamists murdering apostates, hostages, non-Muslims, or other Muslims who just weren't Muslim enough for them. This video shows what appears to be the Nigerian military killing unarmed prisoners alleged to be part of an Islamist movement which rebelled against the central government.
Haiti Relief Efforts Continue, but Some Come Home Changed -- [Sgt Styker]
The tragedy on January 12, 2010 was far away, but it's the biggest tragedy on this hemisphere in a long, long time. As usually happens when world disaster strikes, the United States (and some other nations) sprung into action, making sure the people of Haiti (though they may be poor) have what they need to survive. Survivors were pulled out of the rubble for many days after.
..."It was an experience I'll never forget," said Capt. Justin Pautler, a 107th C-130 pilot. "Whenever you can utilize your training for the benefit of others, it's a good thing."
Rafsanjani: NATO Forces On Iran's Border Endanger Iran -- [MEMRI Blog]
Iranian Expediency Council chairman Hashemi Rafsanjani has said that the deployment of NATO forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Azerbaijan will constitute a serious threat to Iran, and that the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Gulf countries will harm those countries
Obama Accuses Iran of Attempt to Build Bomb -- [The Times]
President Obama accused Iran yesterday of trying to build a bomb after Tehran's nuclear scientists began enriching uranium closer to weapons grade in defiance of the United Nations.
China Unlikely to Veto Iran Sanctions -- [The Times]
Now that Russia is exhibiting mounting disenchantment with Iran, a longtime ally, attention will be focused even more closely on China -- the country which, of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, is the most opposed to sanctions.
Chinese see U.S. Debt as Weapon in Taiwan Dispute -- [Washington Times]
China's military stepped up pressure on the United States on Monday by calling for a government sell-off of U.S. debt securities in retaliation for recent arms sales to Taiwan.
A group of senior Chinese military officers also said in state-controlled media interviews that Beijing's leaders should boost defense spending and expand force deployments in the wake of the Pentagon's announcement last month of a new $6.4 million arms package for the island state claimed by Beijing.
Brennan: Our critics are helping al-Qaeda -- [Hot Air]
...isn't that remarkably similar to the type of thing the Left accused the Bush administration of saying? In fact, that's exactly what Clinton's remarks were intended to address. The motivation of dissent matters less than its relevance and truth -- and the truth is that our nation's counterterrorist professionals were not consulted in the handling of Abdulmutallab until after the Department of Justice forced a delay of weeks in getting information from the EunuchBomber. DNI Dennis Blair and FBI Director Robert Mueller didn't get a call until afterwards, and the High-Value Interrogation Groups (HIGs) hadn't yet been commissioned almost a year after Obama shut down their predecessor interrogation groups.
So who conducted the interviews?
Military cancels detainee interview in Navy SEAL case -- [BlackFive]
The military has canceled the deposition of an alleged terrorist mastermind who claimed that he was assaulted by the military following his capture last year. The law firm Puckett and Faraj, representing Navy SEAL Matthew McCabe, made the announcement on Sunday.
Former boy soldier, youngest Guantanamo detainee, heads toward military tribunal -- [Washington Post]
Omar Khadr, the youngest detainee at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was 15 when he allegedly threw a grenade that killed a U.S. Special Forces medic in Afghanistan. Now, more than seven years later, Khadr is drawing the Obama administration into a fierce debate over the propriety of putting a child soldier on trial.
Would This Canadian Boy Kill Your GI With A Hand Grenade For Allah? - The Washington Post Wants Your Sympathy For Him -- [NewsReel]
Before I made Detective, I worked for six years, two months and thirteen days in uniform within the cell blocks of a major Denver-Metro Sheriff's Office Jail. We had an entire unit filled with fifteen juvenile males, all of whom stood accused of First Degree Murder. The youngest was fourteen. Each had been transferred to our adult facility because they were too violent for the local juvenile detention center to handle. Charged as adults, each was convicted and sent to prison for life. Several of the murders were unimaginable in their cruelty.
Wounded Warrior Continues To Serve - Burned Man Re-Enlists For Four More Years -- [KSAT 12 News]
SAN ANTONIO -- Tech Sergeant Israel Del Toro said he has reenlisted in the Air Force for four more years. "It was about me staying in my career field, continuing my service," he said. "Maybe it will help motivate other airman that will follow behind me."
Need your help -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Things have been busy here. And if you've been watching the news, you know they're likely to get busier. Please help if you can.
State Farm(R) Donates $50,000 to Fisher House Foundation to Say Thank You to Members of the Military and Their Families -- [PR Newswire]
State Farm, a committed supporter of the military, presented Fisher House Foundation with a $50,000 donation as a way of saying "thanks for being there" to our nation's service men and women. The donation was reflective of personal "thank you" notes America sent to ThanksForBeingThere.com where they expressed gratitude to those who have made an impact in their lives. For every "thank you" message sent State Farm donated $1 to Fisher House Foundation.
Heroes on the Home Front -- [Soldiers Angels LA]
My heart is really heavy tonight for the families of the thousands of heroes we have deployed from Louisiana.
The pictures below are of service members and their families, whom are currently deployed from Louisiana. I ask you to look at these families in the pictures. Really look at them. Soak in the atmosphere.
Still on duty -- [This Ain't Hell...]
Remember this while you're shoveling out today.
Commanders' Under Scrutiny -- [Combined Arms Center Blog] HT BlackFive
All, this article was recently published in the Washington Post, written by Greg Jaffe.
I think this has the potential of engendering tremendous discussion across the Army. I ask that you take the time to read it and am very interested in hearing your thoughts on its implications. Reflecting back on your time as former company grade leaders, both as commanders and staff officers, and looking forward as you assume positions as field grade officers including battalion command, this article articulates several topics that are important to discuss as part of our profession.
Who was that man with the purple heart on? -- [Greyhawk]
Megyn Kelly: "They lied about being war heroes, and now they might get away with it scott free."
Video here.
Another Strandlof appearance included. Strandlof was an easy take-down. I know because I did it. It took about an hour of my time, but none of the dots I connected here had been connected previously. And he's just one example - in this case, one example who showed up in political ads for Democrat candidates in Colorado. But lefties get fooled by these guys time after time after time - because they want to be fooled. They are what's called an easy mark. Con artists know this.
Megyn Kelly and Stolen Valor -- [This Ain't Hell...]
Megyn Kelly discusses the Stolen Valor Act in regards to the First Amendment with two other lawyers.
No place like home for area soldiers -- [Enterprise News]
The 169 members of the Massachusetts National Guard 772nd Military Police Company received a warm welcome home ceremony Sunday afternoon at Taunton High
Army 'grunt' gets hero's welcome home -- [The Courier News]
Like many area service personnel, he was treated with a welcome home by Warriors' Watch. The group of motorcycle riders began offering honor guard escorts a
How To Leave A Soldier -- [Salon - Courtney Cook]
You'd be surprised how easy it is to leave a soldier on deployment. You can do it with a letter. (He can't argue with you. He doesn't have a phone.) If you lay the groundwork early, saying to the soldier before he leaves, "This will be the end of us, we might as well admit it," it's that much easier. The letter won't even come as a shock.
And if you have children with that soldier? You can handle all that with a letter, too.
Interesting piece at Salon -- [The Armorer]
First, go read How To Leave A Soldier by Courtney Cook.
...implicit in her wistful acceptance of and reluctant admiration for soldiering and soldiers. Yet she left the man who fathered her children, and couldn't be there for the child of that union, when he, in a sense, left her.
I'm sure she's a nice woman. But that's about it.
The funny part, I suspect, is that she thinks she's written something deep. The irony is that it just makes the shallow stand out more.
Blogging, 10th Mountain Division Style... -- [Wings Over Iraq]
There are few jobs where your boss will actually send you an e-mail in the middle of the day, asking you to reply to his blog entry, but I do, in fact have such a job. That's because the commander of the 10th Mountain Division runs a great blog at TaskForceMountain.com, and requests that Soldiers "sound off" on a variety of different issues, from preventing drinking and driving, to offering better opportunities for single Soldiers, or finding ways to boost morale.
Conservative Activists Rebel Against Fox News: Saudi Ownership Is 'Really Dangerous For America' -- [Think Progress]
Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal owns a 7 percent stake in News Corp -- the parent company of Fox News -- making him the largest shareholder outside the family of News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch.
Rep Charlie Wilson has passed -- [Star Telegram]
Charlie Wilson, the former congressman from Texas whose funding of Afghanistan's resistance to the Soviet Union was chronicled in the movie and book Charlie Wilson's War, died Wednesday. He was 76.
Wilson, a Democrat, represented Lufkin in the U.S. House from 1972 to 1996. He gained notoriety for his efforts in the 1980s to support the mujahedeen in Afghanistan against the Soviet occupation during the 1980s.
Substantive & Political Refutation On Terrorism For The GOP -- [Spencer Ackerman]
Holy God. Look at Obama's poll numbers on terrorism and the GOP's, a month after Abdulmutallab. I'll make it easy. Obama's registering a 56 percent approval on terrorism, up from 53 percent in November, in the latest WaPo-ABC poll, and he beats the GOP 47-42 on the issue. Meaning:...
Bush Was Right, Says Obama -- [Wall Street Journal]
"I think that the most important thing for the public to understand," he told Ms. Couric, "is we're not handling any of these cases any different than the Bush administration handled them all through 9/11." Mr. Obama went on to add that "190 folks"--folks presumably just like the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks--had been tried and convicted in civilian court during Mr. Bush's tenure.
Leave aside, for just a moment, the substance. Far more arresting is that Mr. Obama now defends himself by invoking a man he has spent the past year blaming for al Qaeda's growth. You know--all those Niebuhrian speeches about how America had gone "off course," "shown arrogance and been dismissive," and "made decisions based on fear rather than foresight," thus handing al Qaeda a valuable recruiting tool.
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- [Task Force Mountain]
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has been recieving a lot of attention recently. Now that DADT is back in the news I am interested in not only what you think, but how should any potential change be implemented? What are the potential Soldier concerns/issues senior military leadership will need to address?
More tolerance for gay troops as end of 'don't ask, don't tell' is debated -- [Washington Post]
Days before a deployment to Iraq last year, the 26-year-old soldier's sergeant told his troops that they would get to know one another pretty well over the next few months.
"I'm in trouble," the specialist remembered thinking. He feared comrades would find out he is gay. Worse, he said, they could figure out that he has been dating another soldier in the combat arms battalion for more than five years. Their careers were on the line.
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