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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.
Assault on Taliban Stronghold Yields Early Progress -- [American Forces Press Service]
Overall the multinational force has reached the "end of the beginning" of the operation in central Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, said British Maj. Gen. Nick Patrick Carter, commander of NATO forces in International Security Assistance Force's Regional Command-South, during a briefing today.
"I guess it will take us another 25 to 30 days to be entirely sure that we have secured that which needs to be secured," Carter told Pentagon reporters. "And we probably won't know for about 120 days whether or not the population is entirely convinced by the degree of commitment that their government is showing to them."
U.S. Marine Walks Away From Shot to Helmet -- [FOX News]
It is hard to know whether Monday was a very bad day or a very good day for Lance Cpl. Andrew Koenig.
On the one hand, he was shot in the head. On the other, the bullet bounced off him.
In one of those rare battlefield miracles, an insurgent sniper hit Lance Cpl. Koenig dead on in the front of his helmet, and ....
Rufus the Dog: Hero of Bravo 2-121 -- [Soldiers Angels Germany]
Soldiers with the Georgia National Guard's 48th Infantry Brigade say the outcome of the suicide bombing which took place in their camp last Thursday could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for two stray dogs they'd adopted.
Five Soldiers from Newnan, Georgia-based Bravo 2-121 were wounded in the attack. But no one was killed, and the Soldiers say that's because their dogs Sasha and Rufus attacked the intruder when he tried to enter their barracks.
Sgt. Devin Shaner sent this account of Rufus and his heroic act to the Times-Herald.com.
What Hasn't Changed.... -- [A Major's Perspective - in Afghanistan]
...The vision of the young Medic holding the Iraqi child in his arms after an explosion. Children hiding behind US Soldiers after an explosion in a crowded market place because they know where they are safe. Photos from Operation Marjah of young Marines under fire, and at the same time protecting Afghan civilians caught in the cross fire.
NATO Holds Marjah Roads; Troops Dropped Into Key Area -- [Philadelphia Inquirer/AP]
Two U.S. helicopters dropped elite Marine recon teams behind Taliban lines before dawn today as the U.S.-led force stepped up operations to break resistance on the seventh day of fighting in the extremist stronghold of Marjah.
About two dozen Marines were inserted into an area where skilled Taliban marksmen are known to operate, an officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
MOSHTARAK DAY FOUR - THE EXPLODING PYTHON -- [The Mirror]
This was one hell of a day.
Almost as soon as we moved off in the morning we encountered a suspected IED belt: the strong ground signs a clear indication that the Taliban had scattered devices in front of us.
The decision was taken to fire the Python explosive hose to clear the immediate path. What an explosion it was too!
Site of Marjah Government Offices Seized -- [WSJ]
In a full day of skirmishing, the troops took a former police station in central Marjah, as well as the ruined foundations of the former government center.
"The government will return to Marjah, and in short order," predicted Lt. Col. Calvin Worth, commander of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.
Progress continued to be deliberate--at times slow--in the fourth day of what the U.S.-led coalition bills as its biggest offensive since the Taliban's fall in 2001, and a grand effort to oust insurgent fighters while restoring the credibility of the Afghan government.
Four NATO troops killed on sixth day of Marja offensive in Afghanistan -- [Washington Post]
The sixth day of the military offensive in southern Afghanistan proved the deadliest so far as four NATO troops were killed in bombings and gun battles during the painstaking push to take back a Taliban stronghold. From the beginning of the operation in Marja -- the biggest joint military operation of the war -- coalition troops have encountered sporadic gunfire and a host of roadside bombs, many detected before they could cause damage or injury. But the Taliban resistance has appeared to intensify rather than diminish as U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers have taken control of key roads, bridges and the defunct government center.
NATO Says 30 Days Needed to Secure Marjah -- [Voice of America]
A top NATO commander in southern Afghanistan said Thursday that allied troops will need another 25 to 30 days to overcome tough resistance from Taliban fighters to secure the town of Marjah, six days after international forces launched a major offensive there. At least five NATO soldiers, 15 civilians and 40 Taliban militants have been killed since the start of the operation on Saturday.
In Pakistan Raid, Taliban Chief Was an Extra Prize -- [New York Times]
When Pakistani security officers raided a house outside Karachi in late January, they had no idea that they had just made their most important capture in years. American intelligence agencies had intercepted communications saying militants with a possible link to the Afghan Taliban's top military commander, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, were meeting. Tipped off by the Americans, Pakistani counterterrorist officers took several men into custody, meeting no resistance. Only after a careful process of identification did Pakistani and American officials realize they had captured Mullah Baradar himself, the man who had long overseen the Taliban insurgency against American, NATO and Afghan troops in Afghanistan.
Reactions to Baradar's Arrest -- [NY Times]
As Carlotta Gall and Souad Mekhenet report in today's Times, Pakistan's arrest of the top Taliban military commander, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, may be a tactical victory for the United States, but analysts also see it as a potential strategic coup for Pakistan, which has been signaling its interest in participating in any mediation efforts between the West and the Taliban.
Adam Ray -- [Michael Yon]
In the war zone that is Afghanistan, life and limb depend on noticing normally mundane things like culverts. They are a favorite hiding spot for the Taliban to plant bombs intended to kill Americans driving the roads. Hundreds, even thousands of pounds of explosives can be stuffed inside, launching our vehicles into the sky, flipping them over and over, sometimes killing all. And so, in some areas, soldiers on missions must stop dozens of times to check culverts for explosives. Since we do this every day in front of thousands of Afghans, they know our patterns. In addition to planting bombs in culverts, they plant mines and other bombs near culverts, to get men who stop to check.
Major Richard Gregory, Officer Commanding Fire Support Company, 1 Royal Welsh -- [Frontline Bloggers]
I have never felt the burden of responsibility the way I did when we came in on this Operation. Not in Northern Ireland nor in Iraq. Things went smoothly at Camp Bastion getting the guys loaded up and onto the helicopters. It was very tense flying into the landing zones but we were pleased to get out on the ground with very little drama.
Heavy mud in the fields made the going tough but when we had made it safely in to our compound after being up to our knees in the mud in the dark I thought - we have got it right. The Patrol Base is now established, however the hard work is still to be done. We now have to prove ourselves to the local population and show them that we can provide them with the security they need.
In the Land of the Stoner Cops -- [Mother Jones] HT: OPFOR
MAJOR JIM CONTRERAS was awaiting his marching orders. Literally. Stuck in Lashkar Gah, the capital of the Afghan province of Helmand, he was supposed to take his troops, along with a unit of an elite Afghan police force known as ANCOP, to secure the area around Nawa, so the people there could vote.
....A Marine captain named Andrew Schoenmaker arrived and told Contreras that when his men had first asked people in Aynak about the Taliban, they got only complaints about the police. He estimated that there were about 150 cops. "It was uncomfortable when we met them," he said. "They were all high."
We wouldn't be leaving for Aynak until 4:30 in the afternoon. That concerned Sergeant Verdoorn: "It seems like the Marines want to get in a firefight--5:30 p.m. is the beginning of fighting time." I asked Contreras about the delay and he said, "Because it is fucking hot." The Marines had to walk, and in the past few days dozens of them had collapsed from heat exhaustion.
We finally began to plod along once more, the Marines in front of us. Kids stood motionless in front of homes and glared at the Americans.
Leopards in Afghanistan -- [30 Days in Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
DAY 10 - We finally made it out of Kandahar yesterday and took a 20-minute Canadian Chinook flight here to Camp Hasum Ghar. This camp is nestled into the side of a mountain in the middle of the desert. I can tell security here is a lot different than in Kabul. This is a black out camp, meaning no lights are used at night. You can only use red lights to walk around because it's too risky to use white light. Ken and I are starting to get closer to the bad guys, and you can really feel the difference. Good bye civilian clothes, it's now time to armor up.
The reality here is, while it may be scary outside of the perimeter, I feel safe inside,
A Lively ANA Discussion Part One -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Last night I couldn't sleep well and stayed up late preparing for my discussion with the ANA soldiers. I was invited to speak with a group of ANA soldiers attending literacy training. Part of their curriculum is religious studies and one segment of the class covers infidel misperceptions. Although I am not an infidel, but considered by some Muslim extremists as one, I agreed to open myself up for questioning. I was hoping not to get into a theological debate, but just in case, I spent several hours researching the Internet and even read the English translation of the first 2 chapters of the Quran (Koran). To say the least, it was very interesting reading. My interpreter Omid and I visited the ANA Sgt Major and over a cup of chai, we discussed the morning agenda. The Sgt Major would introduce me to the class and then I would take over. We all walked into the classroom and it was completely full of 50-60 ANA soldiers.
A Lively ANA Discussion - Part Two -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
...I continued the conversation by inquiring about the poppy situation here, since Afghanistan is responsible for producing 90% of the world's opium. Three provinces previously declared poppy-free have returned to growing the lucrative cash crop and had their status removed. Apparently, as more provinces resort to growing alternate crops, this unintended action has driven up the price of opium. The fundamental economic laws of supply and demand are applicable here. But I was surprised when one soldier responded to my inference that the Taliban also funds their insurgency from the poppy profits.
Marines Find Rocket Attack's Victims as Mystery Deepens -- [Danger Room]
On Tuesday, Company K of the Third Battalion, Sixth Marines visited a house in Marjah, Afghanistan, reduced to rubble by American rockets. Inside were twelve bodies. According to their superior officers, Company K had somehow been involved in the strike from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System; according to a press release from NATO headquarters in Kabul, the rockets had been a counterattack on a "compound where insurgents were delivering accurate, direct fire." But "to the Marines of Company K, and an embedded reporter accompanying them, one thing seemed clear: the company had not ordered a rocket strike on that house," the New York Times reports. "'The compound that was hit was not the one we were targeting,' the company commander said." That's not surprising. The HIMARS system is a "brigade-level asset," controlled by the Marines' top commanders in Afghanistan -- not by junior officers on the ground.
In Afghanistan, Marines handling detainees by the book -- [LA Times]
The Marines have been warned: Any rough treatment or even harsh language aimed at a detainee is forbidden. When making an arrest, they are instructed to ask their subject if he will voluntarily go with them. "We don't want any of our Marines to make a scene," said Capt. Yuri Paredes, commander of the battalion's Alpha Company. "People will think we're degrading them." Cases of detainees resisting are few; even while protesting their innocence, most go without a struggle. For the Marines, it's a test of their ability to follow orders and keep their anger in check. Most detainees are suspected of planting roadside bombs or taking sniper shots at troops. "It's hard to put our feelings aside when these guys were shooting at Marines," Staff Sgt. Jason Moore said. "But we do it; that's what makes us better than them."
Exclusive: War in Iraq to Be Given New Name -- [ABC News]
Gates writes that by changing the name at the same time as the change of mission -- the scheduled withdrawal of U.S. combat troops -- the US is sending "a strong signal that Operation IRAQI FREEDOM has ended and our forces are operating under a new mission."
The move, Gates writes, "also presents opportunities to synchronize strategic communication initiatives, reinforce our commitment to honor the Security Agreement, and recognize our evolving relationship with the Government of Iraq."
War in Iraq will be called 'Operation New Dawn' to reflect reduced U.S. role -- [Washington Post]
The Obama administration has decided to give the war in Iraq a new name -- "Operation New Dawn" -- to reflect the reduced role U.S. troops will play in securing the country this year as troop levels fall, according to a memo from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.
Iraq Suicide Bomber Strikes in Anbar -- [New York Times]
A suicide bomber struck near the government headquarters in the capital of Iraq's Anbar Province on Thursday, the latest in what Iraqi and American officials warned would be a wave of violence before next month's parliamentary elections.
The attack -- in Ramadi, an overwhelmingly Sunni city -- occurred amid heightened sectarian tensions and came only days after insurgents vowed to disrupt the elections.
The Secret War In Iraq -- [Forbes]
General Odierno, the commander of US troops in Iraq, recently said Dr.Chalabi and his colleague Faisal Al Lami were "clearly influenced by Iran.
General Says 2 Iraq Politicians Have Ties to Iran -- [NY Times]
Gen. Ray Odierno, the senior American commander in Iraq, said Tuesday that two influential Iraqi politicians now involved in blocking candidates in the parliamentary election next month had close links to Iran, which the general said was trying to undermine the vote.
General Odierno was unusually blunt in publicly expressing concerns about the actions of the two Iraqis: Ahmed Chalabi, who was a confidant of Bush administration officials in the prelude to the 2003 invasion but now is perceived as having supplied false intelligence to the United States; and Ali Faisal al-Lami, suspected of involvement in murderous activities of Shiite militants, including a bombing in Baghdad, accusations that he denies.
Joe Biden's Iraq 'Achievement' -- [Wall Street Journal - Omar Fadhil, Austin Bay]
Honest historians will eventually discover signs of victory in Iraq during the worst moments of media-driven doubt. But some of us refused to be swept up in...
Blackwater kicked out but not forgotten -- [A World of Troubles]
Private security groups say Iraqi Police and Army have treated them with more disdain at checkpoints since the 2007 Blackwater incident.)
They are perhaps the most hated Americans in Iraq.
...Back story of Nisour Square incident
The untold story is- the Blackwater team was actually leaving a USAID project compound headed towards the International Zone, on Sept. 16 2007 minutes before the shooting began.
After the crash -- [Greyhawk]
"My immediate reaction was to go towards the smoke..."
Fox News is interviewing a guy (former military) named Robin DeHaven who works for a glass replacement company named Binswanger.
He drove to the building after seeing plane and smoke from the crash, put his ladders up to the building -- and when he saw that the people at the window were 'panicked' -- climbed into the building, and helped get five people out.
Guardsman Posts Best U.S. Finish in Olympic Biathlon -- [The Fort Gordon Signal]
at Whistler Olympic Park in Callaghan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. It was the best American finish ever on Olympic biathlon competition.
U.N. Watchdog Accuses Iran over Nuclear Weapons -- [The Times]
The United Nations' nuclear watchdog has radically increased pressure on Iran by publicly describing concerns over atomic weapons for the first time.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it feared that Tehran could be working on a "nuclear payload for a missile" in its bluntest report yet on Iran's uranium enrichment programme.
The White House responded to the report by threatening "consequences" if Iran failed to co-operate with nuclear inspectors.
Joint medical team provides caring hands for Haiti effort -- [3d Sustainment Command
Greetings from sunny Port Au Prince Haiti!!!! Remember me????....Major Paul Hayes and the 3rd ESC are back baby!!!!! That's right - only not every Sunday this time, not with the Expeditionary Times, and NOT from Iraq. If you hadn't heard your friends in the 3rd ESC are now in Haiti contributing to the relief effort on the ground.
We've formed what's called the Joint Logistics Command - Haiti. Our mission is to provide command and control to operational-level sustainment forces operating here as well as providing sustainment, distribution management, and health services support to the US Military forces here on the ground.
Poison allegations at Jackson investigated -- [ArmyTimes]
However, there is no credible evidence to support the allegations, said Patrick Jones, a spokesman for Fort Jackson. "Allegations were made and the command
Fort Jackson "plot": "never any threat, nothing credible" -- [Donald Sensing]
...It's not CID's job to assess a referral as someone shooting off at the mouth or not. That's what an investigation may reveal, and CID agents quickly develop a very good sense of what is credible and what seems not, but the procedures still get followed and the allegations run to ground. That's what CID did here and the result is that the allegation is unfounded.
FoxNews' report that "soldiers were attempting to poison the food supply at Fort Jackson" almost rebuts itself. The post's 13 mess halls (okay, "dining facilities") serve tens of thousands of meal per day. Poisoning the food supply would mean that the presumed plotters, enrolled in a training regimen and under control of their chain of command practically every moment, would somehow be able to gain access to centralized, secured warehouses where food stocks are delivered and inspected before being picked up by the units running the mess halls. The likelihood of that is effectively zero.
Military must trash jihad coverup policy -- [BlackFive - Crush]
Why are we learning of this two months after the fact? When a non-Muslim commits a violent act, such as the man who killed the abortion doctor "Tiller the killer," journalists pass along everything there is to know about the man. However when the perpetrator happens to be Muslim, and especially when the crime is an act of jihad, we don't see a name or any religious connection until the last few paragraphs - if they are reported at all.
BREAKING: Five US Muslim soldiers arrested for attempted poisoning of fellow troops at Fort Jackson Army base -- [Jawa Report]
Update: More questions than answers, but investigation is still open
CBN News has learned exclusively that five Muslim soldiers at Fort Jackson in South Carolina were arrested just before Christmas and are in custody. The five men were part of the Arabic Translation program at the base.
The men are suspected of trying to poison the food supply at Fort Jackson.
...why did the DOD sit on this info until it broke in the media? [See my update at the bottom of this post. Both CBN and Fox were told the five were arrested, and they don't know if they are still in custody, but the AP says they weren't arrested at all.]
Olympics News: Support Our Troops Banned in Vancouver -- [Blue Star Chronicles]
The Olympic news today is that Support Our Troops is banned in Vancouver. What's that you say? Yes, they've banned the use of a 'Support Our Troops' slogan
MIICAH Marketing Solutions Donates to "Operation Support Our Troops" -- [PR Web]
Proceeds from the raffle were put toward the team's effort to raise funds for Operation Support Our Troops. "I work with a great group of individuals who .
BAE Systems to Support the Troops Through Operation Homefront -- [MarketWatch]
ARLINGTON, Va., Feb 18, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- BAE Systems employees will support the troops and their families, having selected Operation Homefront to be ...
Military retirees volunteer for active duty -- [USA Today]
The Air Force, which accepts only officers, had a voluntary recall program January through December 2009 and had 386 return, said Kenneth Pruitt, media
The Necessity of the Fragmentation Grenade -- [David Bellavia]
When you got to chow and are carrying two live M67 Frags on your person; you are in a warzone. And the light clank you feel as those 14 ounces of American made vengeance bounce against the hard ceramic protective plate over your chest, is a constant reminder of who you are and what you represent. Then it came time to use said grenade. In my entire company of Infantrymen, four soldiers had tossed a live hand grenade since basic training. And those four had done so in garrison training for another combat deployment outside our Division. I had no idea what it was like. I knew the blast radius. The supposed timing of the fuse. How to toss it and how to carry it safely, but that was it. We placed our grenades upside down in a grenade pouch on our upper left side of our IBA vest. Upside down was the easiest way to remove the grenade hastily during a fight.
After 9/11 Trial Plan, Holder Hones Political Ear -- [NY Times]
Out of view, Mr. Obama's aides did far more. Rahm Emanuel and Jim Messina, the White House chief and deputy chief of staff, proposed installing a minder alongside Mr. Holder to prevent further gaffes -- someone with better "political antennae," as one administration official put it.
When he heard of the proposal at a White House meeting, Mr. Holder fumed;
Military courts are overrated -- [Chicago Tribune]
If the Obama administration is forced by politics to take Mohammed's case to the largely untested military tribunals, it is because the White House
After a year in Afghanistan, KY soldiers return home -- [WYMT]
A hero's welcome greeted the five soldiers back from Afghanistan complete with signs, flowers, and most important for Sgt. 1st Class Bruce Hollon
Sabal Palm Elementary welcomes home soldier daddies -- [Naples Daily News]
"A lot of soldiers never got a welcome home. ... I know you all can feel the love around you." Edalis Mejia, 8, said she thought the soldiers were "awesome.
US media compliments Pak, with some sarcasm -- [The Nation]
The American print and electronic media, which for years has been portraying Pakistan in bad light for failing to act against extremists, is now showering compliments while commenting on the recent arrest of a key Taliban leader.
But even some of their comments are backhanded.
For instance,...
Attacks on the Press 2009: Preface -- [CPJ]
...the media business is changing rapidly. Unable to afford foreign bureaus, more newspapers and magazines are relying on freelancers abroad. These stringers look just as suspicious to dictators and militant groups--and they are distinctly more vulnerable.
...Advocacy works, and this work benefits all of us--those of us who hire freelancers, who rely on local blogs for firsthand information about faraway countries, who work with local journalists who have the kinds of insight and connections that can only be built over years. More than anything else, it benefits our readers and viewers and listeners.
WH Changing It's Story On Terrorist Sympathizer Rashad Hussain -- [Jawa Report]
(Video) Not only did President Obama's envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference defend Palestinian Islamic Jihad's US representative Sami al-Arian, claiming that his prosecution was some kind of right-wing effort to quash dissent, the evidence of his views now seems to be disappearing down the memory hole. The story where he is quoted as defending al-Arian had been redacted to remove Rashad Hussain's statements.
Obama to Seek Ratification of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty -- [New York Times]
The Obama administration said Thursday that it would ask the Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, more than a decade after President Bill Clinton failed to convince the treaty's opponents that the American arsenal could deter adversaries without ever setting off nuclear explosions.
The effort to move ahead with the treaty -- one of the steps the administration wants to take to convince the world that the United States is committed to reducing and ultimately eliminating its arsenals
Biden Seeks Test Ban and End to All U.S. Nukes -- [Washington Times]
In a speech setting out the administration's arms-control agenda, Mr. Biden also said the United States will continue to pursue President Obama's call for the elimination of all U.S. nuclear arms, but defended spending $7 billion in the coming year to repair an aging arsenal.
Blue Star Dad is First Tea Party Candidate Elected in NY State -- [Gathering of Eagles]
Dean Murray, Blue Star Dad from Patchogue, NY, won the special election for New York State's Assembly District 3!
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