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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.
Updating - Refresh for updates.
Contact -- [Kandahar Diary]
...DB and I were standing on the parapet of the Hesco wall on the phone to the Country manager when, without warning, a massive explosion occurred about 50 metres away from us and in front of Gate 1. DB and I were blown off the parapet and by the time we gained our feet, heavy small arms fire had broken out to our front and in the LN compound that borders ours. We bolted for our gear screaming 'Contact' at the tops of our voices which, on reflection, was an idiotic thing to do because it was bloody obvious were in contact...
Sargeant Stewart McCrone, Quick Reaction Force Commander -- [Frontline Bloggers - Afghanistan]
...The patrol lasted a couple of hours and water was the first thing in mind. It's quite difficult to win the hearts and minds and hold good relations when the local populus needs water and all they see is soldiers with it; so to that end we limit the time that we take on water and keep it well out of sight from the locals, so not to cause further disruption to the task.
Kandahar official slams U.N. withdrawal move -- [CNN/Afghanistan Crossroads]
KABUL, Afghanistan -- The head of Kandahar's provincial council slammed the U.N. decision to pull its local staff out of the southern Afghan region and is hoping the move will be reconsidered.
Ahmad Wali Karzai told reporters Tuesday the decision wasn't "necessary" since the situation in Kandahar province and the city of the same name is "not that bad."
Friendly Fire? -- [Knights of Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
The NY Times is reporting that a UN report has found that perhaps four of the five staff members killed in the guesthouse were victims of the ANCOP rather than the Taliban attackers. As a witness to parts of that attack and the security forces' response to it, I can say that there was an awful lot of firepower directed against that building from the outside. Apparently not all of it was particularly well-targeted.
Afghanistan denies police role in killing of U.N. staffers -- [Los Angeles Times]
A government spokesman says there's no evidence to support a finding that friendly fire from police, not suicide attackers, may have killed four U.N. workers during an October guesthouse assault.
Military Disputes Taliban on Korangal Valley Outpost -- [At War/NY Times]
Local people, some of them armed, have taken over the Korangal outpost, which was recently abandoned by the American military, according to residents of the area and Afghan officials. However, there is no indication that the Taliban are using the post as a fighting position despite boasts made on a satellite television channel.
...A video aired on April 19 by Al Jazeera, whose reporter visited the outpost, showed more than a dozen men, several of them armed, swarming over the outpost...
Behind the headlines, what is it like to fight in Afghanistan? -- [BBC/Afghan frontline diary ]
The 3rd Battalion of the Rifles Regiment has just returned from a six-month tour of duty in the country.
Among their number is Major Richard Streatfeild. During the tour, he commanded "A Company" 4 Rifles, attached to 3 Rifles in Battlegroup North, from a base in the upper Sangin valley where the heaviest of the fighting has been so far. We have been following his progress over the past months.
A Short Discussion with General McChrystal -- [CBN/Boots on the Ground/Chuck Holton]
If you've read some of my previous posts, you know that I served under General McChrystal when he was a mere Captain in command of A Company, 3/75 Rangers at Fort Benning back in 1987...
After spending a month on the ground in March and April, I returned home more confused than optimistic. That's because the units I embedded with - mostly special operations and DEA - were continually having good missions canceled - and some frustrated operators speculated it was a ploy to avoid bad news (i.e. casualties, military or civilian). Privately, many of the warriors we spoke to were critical of McChrystal's "kinder, gentler" approach to winning the war. As one operator put it, "Rules of engagement do not constitute a strategy."
I felt like General McChrystal deserved to answer this criticism, so I sent him an email, not so much as a journalist but as a fellow Ranger. I received a prompt, personal reply, which made me feel quite honored, considering how incredibly busy the General's schedule is.
In it, General McChrystal made his stance very clear...
U.S. training Afghan villagers to fight the Taliban -- [Rajiv Chandrasekaran/The Washington Post]
Taliban fighters used to swagger with impunity through this farming village, threatening to assassinate government collaborators. They seeded the main thoroughfare, a dirt road with moonlike craters, with land mines. They paid local men to attack U.S. and Afghan troops.
Then, beginning in late February, a small detachment of U.S. Special Forces soldiers organized nearly two dozen villagers into an armed Afghan-style neighborhood watch group...
The Afghanistan war, through the eyes of a soldier's wife -- [Georgie Hanlin/Christian Science Monitor]
Recently, at his company outpost in southern Afghanistan's Shah Wali Kot District, my husband and the other soldiers got access to Skype. Seeing his face again after many months rejuvenated my spirit and allowed my husband to see his 20-month-old son and vice versa.
...The other morning, I received an early phone call from my husband. "Are you able to get to the computer?" he asked, urgently. He explained that the district governor of Shah Wali Kot wanted to thank me for sending over the school supplies that people donated through a school supply drive we launched in December.
I sat in front of the computer, with my squirmy son on my lap. On screen appeared my husband, the governor, and his interpreter, sitting in a row, all three smiling and waving at my little boy...
Afghanistan Interrupted -- [270 Days in Afghanistan]
Every now and then, a slice of real life comes at the most inopportune times. One minute, you are cruising right along on your glidepath with no sign of trouble, and the next, you've got a flame out in the starboard engine and you're on the radio with the tower trying to arrange for fire trucks upon landing. Such is life.
Recently, I received some difficult news from home. My mother, who has been ailing for some time took a turn for the worse. Long story short, a couple of days and one Red Cross message later, and I am packed and bound for the States. Due to the nature of the situation, and the proximity of the conclusion of our mission here, I will not be coming back to the 'Stan with this particular mission...
Obama Sticks to a Deadline in Iraq -- [NY Times]
When President Obama approved a plan to withdraw combat forces from Iraq this summer, it was based on the assumption that a newly elected government would be in place by the time Americans headed home. Fourteen months later, that assumption is exploding but the plan remains the same.
Clinton urges Iraq to 'speedily' form government -- [Washington Post]
...Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Iraqi officials Tuesday to act more speedily and openly in forming a new government.
Former PM Urges Interim Government in Iraq -- [NY Times]
The front-runner in Iraq's recent parliamentary elections on Wednesday called for the formation of an impartial caretaker government to prevent the country from sliding into violence and counter what he says are efforts to change the vote results.
Former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a secular Shiite whose cross-sectarian coalition narrowly won the most votes in the March 7 polling, said in an early morning interview with an Iraqi satellite channel that disqualifying candidates and holding recounts is a violation of the people's vote and an attempt to ''steal the will of the Iraqi people.''
Skip Has Left The Building -- [Ramblings from a Painter - leaving Iraq]
I'm on my way home! The past couple of days have been busy: finishing the turnover, getting stuff checked off my checkout list, throwing stuff away, and mailing one final box of things home (remember that old sweatshirt that I said I was going to throw away? I lied.) Yesterday I packed my bags and said a final goodbye to my friends and co-workers.
Yesterday was also my birthday.
Hill praises High Court for cross ruling -- [American Legion]
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled 5-4 that a Latin cross honoring World War I veterans in southwestern California does not need to be removed or concealed from public view. The American Legion has long supported efforts to preserve the 1934-erected monument at its current location on Sunrise Rock. The American Civil Liberties Union has led efforts to remove it, contending it violates separation between church and state.
Supreme Court: The Mojave desert cross can stay -- [Hot Air]
I take his point -- honoring Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist troops, etc, with a cross is rather insufficiently nuanced -- but if the worry is observers feeling influenced by the display, how does Stevens justify the religious symbols on the headstones at Arlington? There's theoretically no government endorsement problem there since servicemen get to select their own insignias, but (a) it is federal land and (b) seeing so many crosses associated with such valor, even with stars of David and crescents mixed in, is more powerful than some puny cross in the desert.
Thank you Supreme Court -- [This Ain't Hell]
Actually, there are numerous "unknown" graves in federal cemeteries (mostly overseas) that have crosses over them. I always felt they would be the next target, since (contra what AP says), those buried underneath clearly did not "get to select their own insignias". Also, the WWI memorial in Arlington is a Latin Cross as well. The ACLU always promised us when we asked than they would not go after gravestones, and everytime I asked if that included the unknown ones overseas, they were silent. I wonder why that was....
Case of teenage militant moves toward tribunal trial -- [Los Angeles Times]
Omar Khadr was 15 when he was captured in Afghanistan and taken to Guantanamo, where he says he was abused and forced to give a false confession. The U.S. says he killed a U.S. soldier.
After Omar Ahmed Khadr was captured in Afghanistan in 2002, his American interrogators gave him a Mickey Mouse book, which he clutched to his wounded chest as he slept. He even brought it to Guantanamo Bay, where he asked for other coloring books and pictures of big animals. He cried out for his mother.
At 15, Khadr, a Canadian by birth, was among the youngest taken to the U.S. naval base prison in Cuba..
Wish For Our Heroes Awarded $50,000 in Pepsi Refresh Project
-- [Military Observer]
Phoenix-Wish For Our Heroes, a non-profit organization that grants wishes for active military, announced today that it is one of 10 causes to receive $50,000 in the Pepsi Refresh Project. Wish For Our Heroes finished 3rd among nearly 1,100 organizations competing in the $50,000 category.
The Pepsi Refresh Project (www.refresheverything.com) is an online grant program that, in 2010, will award $20 million to projects intended to improve, or "refresh" communities through an online, democratic voting process...
Vikings home from Helmand -- [Helmand Blog]
90 soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment returned home from Afghanistan.
The soldiers, from A (Norfolk) Company, returned to Elizabeth Barracks, Pirbright on Friday 23rd April and were met by their families after completing a six-month tour of Afghanistan.
The Battalion, nicknamed the Vikings, had 400 soldiers deployed across Helmand Province working with 3 different battle groups...
Actually, the Army Kind of Likes Your Blog -- [Danger Room]
You'd think all the criticism from left-wing websites like the Huffington Post, Daily Kos, and Salon would royally piss off the Army. But at least one Army report finds the sites' posts to be consistently "balanced."
Every week, the defense contractor MPRI prepares for the brass a "Blogosphere and Social Media Report," rounding up sites' posts on military matters. It's meant to be a single source for top officers to catch up on what's being said online and in leading social media outlets. Items from about two dozen national security and political blogs are excerpted, and classified as "balanced," "critical," or "supportive." The vast majority of the posts are considered "balanced" -- even when they rip the Army a new one.
Here are three recent reports...
My afghanistan reading list -- [Josh's Blog/The Alley]
Several of my colleagues here have asked me for the names and authors of the best books I've come across about Afghanistan, so I thought maybe more people would benefit from reading some of these works. Each one is a little different. Some are more geopolitical; others are a very human look at life in this country; still others focus on military operations since the beginning of OEF.
...Unfortunately, despite "Commanders' Recommended Reading Lists", most people serving here have very little idea of the culture, history, or politics of the region that they spend six or twelve months in. That is at best a lost opportunity; at worst, it can be a fatal misstep for a mission or a planned operation.
I would welcome your comments or additions to this list...
Quantico Conference: Afghanistan - the Way Ahead -- [The Military Observer]
QUANTICO, Virginia (Reuters) - When U.S. forces went in to clear the Taliban stronghold of Marjah in February, the hope was that local Afghan government could step in fast, but that has proved tough and underscores a countrywide challenge.
At a conference at the Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia, U.S. and Afghan officials listed dozens of obstacles...
Doolittle's Raiders (click for larger images)
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
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.
Updating - Refresh for updates.
Bedgets and Coffins -- [Kandahar Diary]
A BBIED (suicide bomber) walked into the middle of one of my convoys today, stuck in traffic on Route 1, and detonated. One guard KIA, 4 WIA (seriously). Not long after, a truck on another convoy tripped an IED - damaged vehicle, nil injuries - and my guard force travelling from here to Ghazni were contacted by fairly heavy small arms fire - thankfully, no injuries. The Int picture is building toward an inescapable conclusion: the Taliban are significantly stepping up operations against ISAF contracted convoys, probably as a precursor to a determined stance against the expected ISAF offensive here in Kandahar in June...
Daily brief: 3 explosions strike Kandahar -- [AFPak Channel/Foreign Policy]
The drumbeat grows louder: Two blasts within a minute rattled downtown Kandahar earlier today, one reportedly targeting the city's police chief, and two hours later a third attack hit north of the city (AP, Pajhwok, BBC, CNN). Two civilians were killed and three others, including an Afghan policeman, were wounded. On Sunday morning, the 12th assassination in two months left the brother of an Afghan senator dead (NYT). Ahead of major coalition operations in the southern Afghan province, elite U.S. Special Operations Forces are "picking up or picking off" Taliban leaders in order to weaken the insurgency; the overt parts of the offensive are expected to begin "in coming weeks" (NYT).
On Sunday morning, around 100 Afghan protesters burned 12 NATO trucks carrying fuel to a base in eastern Afghanistan, objecting to two raids by joint U.S.-Afghan forces...
Elite U.S. Units Step Up Effort in Afghan City Before Attack -- [New York Times]
Small bands of elite American Special Operations forces have been operating with increased intensity for several weeks in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan's largest city, picking up or picking off insurgent leaders to weaken the Taliban in advance of major operations, senior administration and military officials say...
U.N. keeps Kandahar staffers home after 'threats' -- [CNN/Afghanistan Crossroads]
Unspecified "threats" have forced the United Nations in Afghanistan's second biggest city to order its local staff to stay home until further notice.
The order involves more than 200 Afghan employees in Kandahar. Several foreign staffers have been moved to the capital, Kabul.
The action follows what a U.N. source said were "threats against the U.N. operation in Kandahar."
In recent months, violence in the city has escalated...
Moosa-Man is coming! -- [MOB 2009 Blog]
Well, today the last of the skateboards came and I was able to give them to the kids.
First off, I want to personally thank my wonderful Soldier's Angels (Lil' Sis and Granny) who provided the skateboards for the kids. They were great and the kids will wear the little wheels off of them before they give them up!
Some troops see closure of base as a symbolic end to their time in Iraq -- [Michael Gisick/Stars and Stripes]
FORWARD OPERATING BASE SUMMERALL, Iraq -- Memorials for fallen U.S. soldiers used to stand amid the sand and trailers of this sprawling base in northern Iraq like signposts.
Their names were written on concrete blast walls. The gym, the dining hall, the recreation center -- all were named after someone.
But as troops here and at dozens of other bases across the country close down their posts or turn them over to the Iraqi military amid a summerlong thinning of forces, the memorials are one more thing that has to go...
"I was here in 2003 when we had nothing and were living in trucks," said Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Zuniga. "The next tour we were building all these bases, and now we're giving them all away. What that means to me is that I probably won't be coming back to Iraq, and that's a relief."
Iraqi Cleric Calls on Followers to Defend Against Attacks -- [Voice of America]
An influential Shi'ite cleric in Iraq is urging followers to defend Shi'ite communities after a series of blasts killed at least 69 people throughout Iraq Friday.
The most deadly attacks targeted Shi'ite neighborhoods and mosques in Baghdad's Sadr city, where a movement led by anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is based.
Sadr released a statement late Friday calling on his followers to form brigades within the police force and army to defend their places of worship, homes and communities. Sadr said they must not rely on U.S. forces in Iraq to defend themselves.
Iraq's Sadr clarifies stance on militia's use -- [LA Times]
After a follower of Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr vowed to dispatch militia members to defend Iraqi mosques in the wake of a series of deadly bombings, a statement from Sadr that was widely distributed Saturday made it clear that the Mahdi Army would be reactivated only if the government accepted the offer.
90,000 Protest U.S. Base on Okinawa -- [NY Times]
The demonstrators, in one of the largest protests on Okinawa in years, demanded that Mr. Hatoyama scrap a 2006 agreement with the United States to move the Futenma Marine Corps Air Station to a different site on the island. Many of the protesters wore yellow to signal they were giving Mr. Hatoyama a warning for appearing to waver on election promises to move the busy base off Okinawa altogether.
Good camp, bad camp: The shortfalls of Haiti aid -- [AP/Stars and Stripes]
CROIX-DES-BOUQUETS, Haiti -- You name it, Camp Corail has got it. And Camp Obama does not.
The organized relocation camp at Corail-Cesselesse has thousands of spacious, hurricane-resistant tents on groomed, graded mountain soil. The settlement three miles (four kilometers) down the road - named after the U.S. president in hopes of getting attention from foreigners - has leaky plastic tarps and wooden sticks pitched on a muddy slope.
2 Chicago state reps: Bring in the National Guard -- [Chicago Breaking News]
Two state representatives called on Gov. Pat Quinn Sunday to deploy the Illinois National Guard to safeguard Chicago's streets.
Chicago Democrats John Fritchey and LaShawn Ford said they want Quinn, Mayor Richard Daley and Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis to allow guardsmen to patrol streets and help quell violence...
So far this year, 113 people have been killed across Chicago, the same number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined in the same period, Fritchey said.
Military cancels nuclear attack test -- [Washington Times]
U.S. Northern Command in Colorado withdrew from major participation in this month's National Level Exercise (NLE), a large-scale drill that tests whether the military and the Department of Homeland Security can work with local governments to respond to an attack or natural disaster.
The exercise was canceled recently after the planned site for a post-nuclear-attack response -- Las Vegas -- pulled out in November, fearing a negative impact on its struggling business environment.
A government official involved in NLE planning said a new site could not be found. The official also said the Northern Command's exercise plans for "cooping" -- continuity of operations, during which commanders go to off-site locations -- also had been scratched.
"All I know is it's been turned into garbage," said the official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the information...
More American Expatriates Give Up Citizenship -- [NY Times]
Amid mounting frustration over taxation and banking problems, small but growing numbers of overseas Americans are taking the weighty step of renouncing their citizenship...
One Swiss-based business executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of sensitive family issues, said she weighed the decision for 10 years. She had lived abroad for years but had pleasant memories of service in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Yet the notion of double taxation -- and of future tax obligations for her children, who will receive few U.S. services -- finally pushed her to renounce, she said.
"I loved my time in the Marines, and the U.S. is still a great country," she said. "But having lived here 20 years and having to pay and file while seeing other countries' nationals not having to do that, I just think it's grossly unfair."
"It's taxation without representation," she added.
..."It seems the new anti-terrorist rules are having unintended effects," Daniel Flynn, who lives in Belgium, wrote in a letter quoted by the Americans Abroad Caucus in the U.S. Congress in correspondence with the Treasury Department.
"I was born in San Francisco in 1939, served my country as an army officer from 1961 to 1963, have been paying U.S. income taxes for 57 years, since 1952, have continually maintained federal voting residence, and hold a valid American passport."
Mr. Flynn had held an account with a U.S. bank for 44 years. Still, he wrote, "they said that the new anti-terrorism rules required them to close our account because of our address outside the U.S."
'Suicide bomber' targets British Ambassador to Yemen -- [Time (UK) Online]
The British Ambassador to Yemen was targeted by a suicide bomber in the capital, Sanaa, today. but escaped unharmed, officials said...
"The failed terrorist attack that targeted the British Ambassador in Sanaa carries the fingerprints of al-Qaeda," said the Yemeni Interior Ministry in a statement.
The Stanley purge -- [Tom Ricks]
I'm hearing that the new Pentagon under secretary of Defense for personnel, Clifford Stanley, is defenestrating people left and right. Latest to get the heave, yesterday, was Noel Koch, the guy who was running the Wounded Warrior program.
Anyone wanna shed some light on what is going on?
Pentagon Wounded Warrior care official forced out -- [AP/Stars and Stripes]
...Koch said he believes the decision was unjust and that he resigned "under duress" after Stanley told him he had no confidence in him. The Pentagon had no comment.
"No explanation was given, although I pressed for one," he said. "No prior indication of dissatisfaction with the work of this office was cited."
Koch said the wounded warrior program has done good work during the past 11 months since his appointment to lead the new office.
Nearly nine years of war, in Afghanistan and Iraq, has physically, mentally and emotionally battered the military, sending thousands home with severe injuries and spawning spikes in suicides and post-traumatic stress issues.
Officials have scrambled to set up transition units to help wounded troops recover and return to society or even the military, but the flood of patients and the complexities of their injuries have often overwhelmed the system.
Feeling Warehoused in Army Trauma Care Units -- [NY Times]
Created in the wake of the scandal in 2007 over serious shortcomings at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Warrior Transition Units were intended to be sheltering way stations where injured soldiers could recuperate and return to duty or gently process out of the Army. There are currently about 7,200 soldiers at 32 transition units across the Army, with about 465 soldiers at Fort Carson's unit.
But interviews with more than a dozen soldiers and health care professionals from Fort Carson's transition unit, along with reports from other posts, suggest that the units are far from being restful sanctuaries. For many soldiers, they have become warehouses of despair...
Iraq war veteran may be denied citizenship -- [LA Times]
Just five days before Ekaterine Bautista planned to become an American citizen, she got a call from the federal government: Her swearing-in ceremony had been canceled pending further investigation.
Bautista was devastated. An illegal immigrant from Mexico, she had served six years in the U.S. military -- including a 13-month tour of duty in Iraq -- and was eligible to apply for naturalization under a decades-old law...
2-star receives new job after DUI arrest -- [Air Force Times]
A two-star general faces a charge of drunken driving while at an Air Force conference in Las Vegas, a misdemeanor filed six weeks before he received another top assignment at Air Force Materiel Command headquarters.
Maj. Gen. David W. Eidsaune is scheduled to appear May 13 in municipal court in Henderson, Nev., a Las Vegas suburb. If convicted of driving under the influence, Eidsaune could be sentenced to up to six months in jail and fined up to $1,000.
...Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz knows of the arrest, said spokeswoman Lt. Col. Adriane Craig.
"Air Force leadership was aware of the situation regarding Major General Eidsaune and appropriate action was taken," she said.
Just "some veteran" with TBI/PTSD -- [Hooah Wife]
When I first met Tim in 2009 he was thrilled to be in the study as his whole adult life had been with the Army and all he wanted was to continue on this path. He was looking for anything to help him overcome his TBI/PTSD and get on with his career of over 20 plus years in the Army. The treatment Tim received locally was Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) .
TBI: What it is, who it affects, what is being done -- [Burn Pit/The American Legion]
...Go and read the rest of the story over at Greta's place, but The American Legion will be working with Tim and his family as best we can to see that he doesn't lose his house and spend his life in poverty on account of defending our freedoms.
Like I said though, there is hope. I don't know enough about hyperbaric chambers and other treatments to do any of that discussion any justice. Just last night the House Armed Services Committee, Military Personnel Subcommittee [met] to receive testimony on implementation of the requirement to provide a medical examination before separating members diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and the capacity of the Department of Defense to provide care to PTSD cases...
Another group that is working on this issue that deserves note is the "Defense Centers of Excellence For Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury"...
Michael Yon is a Dick (and so was I) -- [Matt Gallagher]
When I posted this in 2008, I was in the same state. Exhausted. Strung out. Convinced no one cared about the war effort except me and those immediately around me. Sure, my post had some good points, but that doesn't mean I should have posted it. Yon may very well be right about General McChrystal (though I doubt it - everyone I know who works/worked for him is convinced he's a national treasure), but he of all people knows the power of the internet. I mocked middle management and bureaucracy. He's calling into question the leadership and prowess of our top man in the war. For all the flag-waving and chest-beating that usually peppers Yon's words, this sudden 180 screams of a burnout desperate for attention, and even more desperate for a break.
...My mid-tour leave in the Mediterranean cured a lot of my ills (the dickish ones and otherwise) back in 2008. Strolls along the beach, beers in the park, and a lot of sleep. Here's hoping Yon gets some of the same soon, and then returns back to his actual job in Afghanistan - war reporting.
This note... -- [Mike Yon]
Although I am not really tracking it, I understand that a number of milbloggers, including the Black Five gang (and some I haven't heard of), are providing their psychoanalytical ...services and kindly advising me to leave Afghanistan and stop reporting on the war. Maybe I should thank them for their internet psychology services and their concern...
It is somewhat coincidental that they are questioning my credibility and strongly pushing me to leave Afghanistan--for my own good, of course--just as I fully engage with the PAO and powers that be in an effort to keep McChrystal from controlling, restricting and manipulating the information flow from Afghanistan....... Is this a random coincidence? Lucky for everyone I feel great, don't plan on going anywhere soon, and will continue to tell the about what I see and hear.
Looking for reports -- [Mike Yon]
McChrystal's actions have underlined what I was starting to tell officers and NCOs, who mostly agreed with me that McChrystal can't handle this war. Experienced people have contacted me and asked me to keep the fire on McChrystal. (Menard is already dead in the water.) I can say with certainty that some of McChrystal's orders are being disregarded. McChrystal controls embeds. Embeds and access are separate matters. McChrystal has zero control over access. My access is extreme and wide. And with that, it can be said that units in various provinces are disregarding McChrystal's ROE and believe he is not acting in the best interest of our troops. Officers are disregarding orders from McChrystal. (I am not a journalist and will not provide evidence....)
Heard weapon cock -- [Mike Yon]
Heard weapon cock and so went to staircase to fire down. Good man just told me all good. Another day here.
Interesting messages continue to flood in: -- [Mike Yon]
--EMAIL---
From what I have heard, Canadian BG Menard fired more than 1 round. The high profile person in his presence was the Canadian 4 star general. This is a stupid investigation, however. Worst kept secret at TF K is BG Menard's adulturous affairs with female soldiers at KAF under his command. This is a distracted and selfish commander. He should not be leading troops who are sacrificing everything.
Gunshot. -- [Mike Yon]
Gunshot. Very close. No shouts or screams. Just gunshot close. Otherwise, Jalalabad is okay.
New Dawn -- [Richard S. Lowry]
Richard tells the stories of the men and women who fought to clear Fallujah, Iraq's most violent city. This is no ordinary historical account. Richard provides gripping narratives of individual sacrifice and valor while documenting the battle for military historians. He weaves a page-turning story that will educate and entertain in a style reminiscent of Cornelius Ryan's Longest Day...
Bush Memoir Set for November Release -- [ABC News]
The much-awaited memoir of former President George W. Bush is set to be published Nov. 9 -- just a week after congressional elections where his party expects to make significant gains.
"Decision Points" is being billed by its publisher as a "groundbreaking new brand of memoir," with Bush exploring what he considers to be the 14 "most critical and historic decisions in the life and public service of the 43rd President of the United States."
...More from the new release from Crown:
"Since leaving the Oval Office, President Bush has given virtually no interviews or public speeches about his presidency. Instead, he has spent almost every day writing Decision Points, a strikingly personal and candid account revealing how and why he made the defining decisions in his consequential presidency and personal life.
"In gripping, never-before-heard detail, President Bush brings readers inside the Texas Governor's Mansion on the night of the hotly contested 2000 election; aboard Air Force One on 9/11 in the gripping hours after America's most devastating attack since Pearl Harbor; inside the Situation Room in the moments before launching the war in Iraq; and behind the Oval Office desk for his historic and controversial decisions on the financial crisis, Hurricane Katrina, Afghanistan, Iran, and other issues that have shaped the first decade of the 21st century.
How Insurgencies End -- [Ben Connable, Martin C. Libicki /RAND]
This study tested conventional wisdom about how insurgencies end against the evidence from 89 insurgencies. It compares a quantitative and qualitative analysis of 89 insurgency case studies with lessons from insurgency and counterinsurgency (COIN) literature. While no two insurgencies are the same, the authors find that modern insurgencies last about ten years and that a government's chances of winning may increase slightly over time...
Why Does Special Forces Train and Educate for Unconventional Warfare? -- [Colonel David S. Maxwell/Small Wars Journal]
There is tremendous emotion, misunderstanding and just plain baggage surrounding Unconventional Warfare (UW). Most discussions revolve around the definition itself with little understanding of the breadth and scope of what UW entails. However, since most who discuss UW are only concerned with the words in the definition and do not delve into the intellectual foundation of UW, this short paper will seek to explain and interpret the words in the definition and answer the questions in the title. The USSOCOM approved definition for UW is: "Activities conducted to enable a resistance movement or insurgency to coerce, disrupt or overthrow a government or occupying power by operating through or with an underground, auxiliary and guerrilla force in a denied area."
Tactical tribal engagement -- [Gunslinger/Ink Spots]
While I'm posting today, I'd like to draw your attention to a piece that Abu Muqawama and I put together on tribal engagement at the tactical level. This abbreviated planning framework was the result of our discussions in the tactical working group at the Tribal Engagement Workshop that the boys at Small Wars Journal put together...
Rubber bullets are not magic bullets -- [Gunslinger/Ink Spots]
...in my tours in Iraq, I never had non-lethal weapons and I never once thought to myself, "Boy, I wish I had some non-lethal weapons to diffuse this situation." Ever.
The Future of American Combat Aviation: FUBAR? -- [Danger Room]
The future of American combat aviation is wrapped up in a single jet, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. And right now, that future is looking pretty damn cloudy, with skyrocketing costs, missed deadlines, and slowed production rates.
...If you're not familiar with the F-35 saga -- and even if you are -- this primer segment from PBS' News Hour is worth watching.
Pew report says Air Force is going green -- [Air Force Times]
The Air Force has cut its energy consumption by 20 percent in the past six years, but it still has work to do, according to a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts.
...As the military's biggest energy consumer, the Air Force is leading Defense Department efforts to rely more on "clean" energy and to spend less on conventional energy sources. Thirty-seven Air Force bases now draw at least part of their power from renewable energy sources, according to the report.
From solar power plants to tests on biofuels for jets, green initiatives are sprouting up across the Air Force.
Some examples...
Congress should be abetted in probing the Fort Hood massacre -- [Washington Post Editorial]
...This classic tug of war is playing out now in a dispute between the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Obama administration over the panel's investigation into last fall's shooting at Fort Hood, Tex. The committee's chairman and ranking Republican, respectively Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (Maine), have taken the dramatic step of subpoenaing the Defense and Justice departments. The committee is looking into what advance warning the Army or others had about the risks posed by the accused Fort Hood shooter, Maj. Nidal M. Hasan.
65 years ago today... -- [Castle Argghhh]
...Steiner won't save him, thankfully giving us hundreds of "Fuehrerbunker Parody Videos" courtesy the movie Downfall and YouTube - a most appropriate epitaph for the monster. The Red Army, driving over the bones of millions of their own, East European, and German dead, reach the Elbe, where they meet elements of the US Army headed east, most famously at Torgau.
Caption Contest (Go Go Girl Edition) -- [Castle Argghhh]
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
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.
Updating - Refresh for updates.
The Bus Stop -- [Rajiv Srinivasan - in Afghanistan]
I got called into our company operations meeting early one night last week. A terrible incident had occurred. The company commander detailed the serious engagement of an engineer Route Clearance Package (RCP) upon a bus of civilian local nationals. The engineer unit was traveling along highway one during the early morning in reduced visibility. The passenger bus came from the rear at a high rate of speed and the soldiers engaged the vehicle with heavy caliber machine gun fire, killing anywhere from 4-5 civilians and wounding dozens more.
From what I understand, most of my family and friends also heard about the incident, but from a nightly news broadcast or an article such as this one from the NYT...
Day 1- Become One with Your Camera Part 1 -- [Photography Class - in Afghanistan]
Amy Dearest, along with requesting me to create and start a beginners photography course for men and women in Afghanistan, has now requested I write a blog to accompany the classes. As I am teaching photography, most of the posts will consist of my students photos with some minimal explanation in writing...
A Good Day -- [A Major's Perspective - in Afghanistan]
I have a number of pictures to post of my day today, but still need to get to a different internet connection. Those will be posted seperately but are tied to this post.
I had the great honor a couple of months ago to communicate with Mr Greg Mortenson, the author of the book, "Three Cups Of Tea."
A Good Day Part Two -- [A Major's Perspective - in Afghanistan]
Photos...
Taleban rift ignites power struggle over who controls the insurgency -- [Times (UK) Online]
Two of the Taleban's most senior military commanders are involved in a bitter power struggle, which insiders claim has split the insurgents' leadership council and could turn violent in parts of southern Afghanistan...
Tensions are reportedly highest in central Helmand, where British troops are based and where fighters loyal to both men massed before Operation Moshtarak, the US, British and Afghan offensive to clear the insurgents out.
Taleban commanders reached by telephone told a different story. Haji Mullah Ibrahim, who said that he was in central Helmand, insisted that Mullah Mansoor was his defence minister. He said that the tensions were nothing more than everyday friction between commander and deputy.
A spokesman for British Forces in Helmand refused to comment...
Allied Leader Says Afghan War Effort Now on Track -- [Robert Burns/AP]
NATO agreed Friday to begin handing over control of Afghanistan to the Afghan government this year, a process that if successful would enable President Barack Obama to meet his target date of July 2011 for starting to bring U.S. troops home.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the 28-nation alliance is on track with its new strategy for winding down the war in Afghanistan, despite security setbacks and a continuing shortage of foreign trainers for the fledgling Afghan police and army.
He said a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, agreed on what it will take to create conditions enabling Afghans to assume control of their own country...
During Friday's meeting, which was closed to the press after Fogh Rasmussen made brief introductory remarks, Clinton was expected to press other NATO nations to provide more trainers for Afghanistan's police and military forces as part of preparations to withdraw Western troops from there by summer 2011...
During Thursday's talks, Clinton ruled out an early withdrawal of about 200 short-range U.S. nuclear weapons from bases in five European countries.
Once-docile Afghan parliament stands up to Karzai and becomes an ally of U.S. -- [Washington Post]
The Afghan parliament, long a bastion of dysfunction and docility, has emerged this spring as a robust check on President Hamid Karzai's power, giving the United States an unlikely ally as it tries to persuade the government here to clean up its act.
Taleban defectors 'are rejoining insurgency' -- [Times (UK) Online]
Almost a quarter of the low-ranking Taleban commanders lured out of the insurgency in southern Afghanistan have rejoined the fight because of broken government promises and paltry rewards, a scathing report on reintegration claims.
In Afganistan the final battle begins -- [Paul Wells/Macleans.ca]
"This is the edge of the moon," Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie told me as we dismounted from our armoured vehicles at the foot of the Soviet-built mountain fortress of Sperwan Ghar. He pointed westward. "If you go 100 m that way, you will die."
Afghanistan: A Tale of Soldiers and a School -- [Joe Klein/Time Magazine]
Jeremiah Ellis is not an Army lifer. He has other plans. He has a degree in outdoor education from the University of New Hampshire that he wants to start using as soon as possible. "What I really want to do," he says, "is use experiential education -- rock climbing, hiking and so forth -- as a form of therapy for veterans coming home." Ellis joined the Army so he could get scholarship money for a master's degree, but he's been an enthusiastic soldier, a graduate of the Army's famed, grueling Ranger School. "I joined the Army because it was an outdoor thing. You know, jump out of helicopters, crawl in the mud, sit around the campfire. But being a captain is the limit for that sort of stuff. Anything above this is a desk job." He is 29 years old, with quiet blue eyes and a garrulous informality that is explosive, intense and distinctly American...
Senjaray Update -- [Joe Klein/Time Magazine]
Good news about the Pir Mohammed School operation--the subject of my Time Magazine cover story this week--from the front in Zhari district, courtesy of our distinguished guest blogger, Captain Jeremiah Ellis...
Afghanistan: The Test in Kandahar -- [Joe Klein/Time Magazine]
A few days after my story about the efforts to reopen the Pir Mohammed School -- closed by the Taliban in 2007 -- in the Kandahar province town of Senjaray was published, I received a jubilant e-mail from Captain Jeremiah Ellis, commander of the U.S. forces there...
This is wonderful news, a tribute to the persistence of Captain Ellis and his troops. But it also raises serious questions...
What a way to fight a war -- [Uber Pig/B5]
Another guy who reminds me of Ernie Pyle is Jack from Texas Music, a reservist working a personal security detail in Iraq. If you're not reading him, I recommend that you get that way now.
The Villa -- [Texas Music - in Iraq]
The other night we took the Boss to a meeting at the Villa. We walked him through the outdoor patio with its marble columns, past the Level 7 Lounge that I am not allowed enter, and then past the sparkling swimming pool to his meeting room. "What a way to fight a war," Aide Man said, and I couldn't agree more.
The Villa his home to secret OGA types. OGA means 'Other Government Agency' which might mean CIA. Or so they say. I certainly don't know, and probably couldn't say even if I did. Which I don't. All I know is, there were a bunch of overly buff dudes walking around in tight tee shirts and cargo pants with pistols on their hips, plus a couple of Laura Croft looking chicks who were also rocking tight tee shirts, cargo pants and pistols...
Dead? Again? -- [New York Times/At War]
The death of the two top leaders of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia -- one of whom was supposedly fictional -- did little to illuminate the secrets of their shadowy lives and the state of the insurgency in Iraq today.
...The capture or demise of the two leaders -- Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri -- was heralded numerous times before by Iraqi authorities, turning the duo into the butt of jokes and even earning one Iraqi official the namesake of "the liar of Baghdad."
The last known audio clip attributed to Mr. Masri dating from November was still available online... In a frenzied and often hectoring tone, he offered a passionate and detailed justification for the devastating bombings against the Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs in Baghdad in August and the Ministry of Justice and the Baghdad Provincial Council in October.
Iraq reports arrest of al-Qaeda mastermind of '09 bombings -- [Ernesto Londono/Washington Post]
Iraqi officials said Thursday that they have detained the mastermind behind a string of bombings last year that targeted key government facilities in the capital.
The disclosure of the March 11 arrest of Manaf Abdul Raheem al-Rawi, the alleged Baghdad leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, came a day after U.S. military officials said the organization's top leader in the volatile northern city of Mosul, Ahmad Ali Abbas Dahir al-Ubayd, had been killed in a raid.
...Rawi coordinated the bombings of the Foreign, Justice, Finance and other ministries in August and October...
Bombs Targeting Shiite Mosques in Baghdad Kill 58 People -- [AP/Fox News]
BAGHDAD-- Iraqi officials say a series of explosions mainly targeting Shiite worshippers have killed at least 58 people.
The violence appeared to be an attempt by insurgents to demonstrate they are still a potent force days after Iraqi authorities announced the killings of the top two Al Qaeda in Iraq leaders in what was seen as a major blow.
Iraq's Parliamentary Election Votes to be Recounted in Baghdad -- [Voice of America]
Iraq's Electoral Commission is preparing for a manual recount of ballots cast in Baghdad during the March 7 parliamentary elections. An Iraqi court announced the recount on Monday after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki claimed widespread vote fraud in Iraq. Initial election results showed former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's Iraqiya coalition won the largest amount of seats in the 325 member parliament, but just two more than Mr. Maliki's State of Law bloc...
Overall, Ayad Allawi's Iraqiya bloc gained 91 seats and Prime Minister Maliki's State of Law coalition took 89. But in Baghdad, Prime Minister Maliki won two more seats than Mr. Allawi. Both men are Shi'ite. But Mr. Allawi's party won a majority of Sunni votes.
Fisherman: Captain was worried boat was overloaded -- [Dan Joling/AP]
Jack said the vessel's Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon did not activate. Royer, rather than immediately jumping ship with the others, stayed in the wheelhouse to make a frantic mayday call and give their position to the Coast Guard.
"There's only two ways we could have got saved: the EPIRB or the mayday call, and our captain made it in there and sacrificed himself, I believe, to make a mayday call for his crew," Jack said.
Jack and two other crew members, Nicole Esau, 36, of Ketchikan, Alaska, and Todd Knivila, 48, of Seattle, spent more than three hours in the frigid water but were hoisted to safety by a Coast Guard helicopter. Royer showed no vital signs when he was picked up.
Survivor Recalls Freezing Water Rescue -- [CBS News]
'South Park' censored after warning from U.S. Islamists -- [USA Today]
Last week's episode depicted the founders of various religions, including Moses, Jesus and Buddha, but did not show Mohammed outright. Instead, he was represented wearing a bear costume, and that angered members of a group calling itself Revolution Muslim. The group posted a warning on its website "that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show." The Dutch filmmaker was murdered in 2004 for his movie questioning Islam's views of women.
"This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them," the group wrote. (The New York Times spoke to one member afterward.)
In last night's episode, Santa Claus appeared when the bear costume was removed and the name Mohammed was bleeped.
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said it was censored after they delivered it to Comedy Central.
South Park death threats - Jon Stewart/The Daily Show
Military jury clears SEAL in abuse case -- [Washington Times]
BAGHDAD | A U.S. military jury cleared a Navy SEAL on Thursday of failing to prevent the beating of an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding a 2004 attack that killed four American security contractors...
The court-martial of Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Keefe of Yorktown, Virginia, who is also charged with dereliction of duty on allegations he failed to safeguard the prisoner, is scheduled to begin Friday also at Camp Victory.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe of Perrysburg, Ohio, the SEAL charged with assaulting Abed, is scheduled to be court-martialed May 3 in Virginia, where the three men are based.
...Petty Officer Huertas said he plans now to continue with his military career and "to go home and kiss my wife."
US clears 2nd Navy SEAL in Iraqi abuse case -- [AP/Stars and Stripes]
A U.S. military judge on Friday cleared a Navy SEAL of any wrongdoing in the alleged beating of an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding the grisly 2004 killings of four American contractors...
After a daylong trial and fewer than two hours of mulling the evidence, Navy Judge Cmdr. Tierny Carlos found Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Keefe of Yorktown, Virginia, not guilty of dereliction of duty, a spokesman said.
24 troops become U.S. citizens at White House -- [Military Times]
Two dozen foreign nationals who enlisted in the U.S. military became naturalized American citizens Friday morning during a sun-splashed ceremony in the White House Rose Garden.
Following Napolitano's lead, each service member swore "that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies foreign and domestic."
After the administration of the oath, President Obama welcomed the group and hailed their desire both to serve and to become Americans.
Coming Home -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour]
Despite delays caused by regime overthrow in Manas, a volcanic eruption in Iceland, a refueler strike in the Azores and delays caused by aircraft maintenance.... After 60 hours of sleeping in chairs - I am home at last! Warmest thanks to my wife Liisa's former teaching assistant Sarah Wilson for this homecoming video.
Michael Yon and the Benefit of the Doubt -- [Cassandra/Villainous Company]
I've been watching this one for more than a week now - well before Instapundit and NRO chose to link what I can only describe as grave (and to date totally unfounded) accusations of criminal malfeasance against the senior commander in Afghanistan.
...Over the years, I've disagreed with most of my friends at one time or another and I've never hesitated to say so. Most of us are still friends because we're talking about folks who are generous enough and confident enough not to confuse disagreement with disloyalty. They understand that blogging is a conversation, and that conversations conducted in an echo chamber are neither interesting nor enlightening. If I were asked why I blog, I'd have to cite my strong belief that we need the clash of opposing viewpoints to better understand current events. To paraphrase Socrates, the unexamined news is not worth blogging about...
Midrats Episode 18: Ponder Back and Look Forward -- [Cdr Salamander]
Join my co-host EagleOne and me as we look back at the Vietnam War and then look forward to the next decade's Fleet options for our Navy.
Mark your calendars for this Sunday, 25 APR at 5pm EST/700R/2200Z.
Our guests will be retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel J.G. Zumwalt and journalist Greg Grant.
For our first segment, we will be discussing Lt. Col. Zumwalt's new book, Bare Feet, Iron Will ~ Stories from the Other Side of Vietnam's Battlefields with the author.
Lt. Col. Zumwalt is a retired Marine infantry officer who served in the Vietnam war, the 1989 intervention into Panama, and Desert Storm. He is an author, speaker and business executive, and currently heads a security consulting firm named after his father--Admiral Zumwalt & Consultants, Inc...
If you miss the show or want to catch up on the shows you missed - you can always reach the archives at blogtalkradio - or set yourself to get the podcast on iTunes.
Air Force Launches Secretive Space Plane; 'We Don't Know When It's Coming Back' -- [Danger Room]
After more than a decade of development, the Air Force launched an unmanned and reusable space vehicle into orbit last night from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Perched atop an Atlas V rocket, the Air Force's X-37B made its first flight into space shrouded in mystery; most of the mission goals remain unknown to the public.
The X-37B may be the ultimate example of the tremendous increase in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by the military...
Raw Video: Atlas V Rocket Blasts Off From Fla.
Unmanned Space Plane Opening Door to Space Weaponization? -- [CBS News]
After a decade of development work, the Air Force is finally ready to launch its secret space plane, the unmanned X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle from Cape Canaveral...
That much is publicly available. Much of the rest has become fodder for speculation.
Air Force launches hypersonic glider over Pacific -- [AP/Stars and Stripes]
The Air Force has launched an experimental hypersonic glider able to travel more than 4,000 miles in 30 minutes over the Pacific Ocean.
The 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg Air Force Base says a Minotaur 4 rocket carrying the glider blasted off Thursday afternoon from the central California coast. The Air Force statement does not reveal the result of the test involving the Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2.
More on the Navy's green Hornets -- [Will Rogers/Best Defnese]
The U.S. military is the largest consumer of energy in the federal government. And its outsized dependence on energy means that the military cannot get its mission done without access to fuel. The Navy's efforts to diversify which fuels it uses in its aircraft means that it's attempting to reduce its vulnerability to fuel supply disruptions, price spikes and the consequences of energy use...
Iraqi Leaders, U.S. Forces Honor 'Earth Day', Open Landfill -- [DVIDS]
DIYALA PROVINCE, Iraq - Iraqi Leaders and U.S. Forces celebrated 'Earth Day' by opening the first landfill in Baqubah, providing the public an environmentally safe location to dispose of solid waste on April 22 .
The Baqubah Qada, or city, Landfill was first conceived on 12 July 2009 by the 37th Engineer Battalion- Joint Task Force Eagle, based out of Fort Bragg, N.C., 1-25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based out of Fort Richardson, Ala., the Provincial Reconstruction Team, and the Diyala Provincial Government.
The Desert One Debacle -- [Mark Bowden/The Atlantic]
In April 1980, President Jimmy Carter sent the Army's Delta Force to bring back fifty-three American citizens held hostage in Iran. Everything went wrong. The fireball in the Iranian desert took the Carter presidency with it...
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
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.
Updating - Refresh for updates.
Understanding the Insurgent Motive -- [Outside the Wire - JD Johannes - just back from Afghanistan]
[Preface: This article is going to get me in trouble with people who do not read it and slowly and digest it.
Gunmen, fighters, insurgents--whatever you want to call them--are not complicated people to understand. Understanding them will go a long way to determining success or failure in Afghanistan and other war torn regions.
I have bumped into several insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan over the years and understand their motives.
The Kandahar Offensive: Avoid the Snake Oil -- [SWJ - Capt. Jonathan Pan - in Afghanistan]
Sometimes doing nothing or doing less is better than doing anything in a counterinsurgency. However, the preference of action over inaction is deeply embedded within the United States military if not within the American culture as a whole. Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell and Capt. Mark R. Hagerott, of the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, recently offered a new metaphor for describing Afghanistan: "think of the country as an ailing patient -- in many ways analogous to a weakened person under attack by an aggressive infection." To cure this infection, they've suggested that the body, mind, and spirit of the nation must be addressed. In my opinion, to prevent a stalemate or worse in the upcoming Kandahar operations, senior decision makers should avoid snake oil in an attempt at curing this infection.
US withdrawal from Korengal Valley a 'Taliban propaganda coup' -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
The US military's withdrawal from the Valley of Death sends the wrong signals to the Afghan people as preparations for further operations begin in the south, US military officers said. Al Qaeda has also been given a new sanctuary.
Pakistan military fails to woo tribal allies under grip of Taleban -- [The Times]
The region has been described by the U.S. President as the most dangerous place in the world. No one who lives here would disagree. Pakistan's rugged tribal areas are now in the fourth year of a fierce struggle that shows little sign of ebbing and every indication that the daily toll in lives will continue to grow. The past few days provide a telling snapshot. More than 70 people were killed in a bungled Pakistani air raid against suspected militants; 45 Shia Muslims were killed by Sunni suicide bombers in burkas; a police station was hit by a suicide car bomber, killing 7; and 25 died in another suicide attack on a market in Peshawar, the regional capital. During this period U.S. military drones continued their daily strikes in North Waziristan, while Pakistani forces engaged in fierce battles with Taleban fighters over their strongholds in Orakzai. The impact is
Female ANA General -- [Afghanistan my last tour - in Afghanistan]
From Liisa, SMSgt Temple's wife: Rex is on his way home and may not be able to write today. So he asked me to post this video about one of only two Afghan women who have the rank of General in the Afghan National Army...
Make a Buck, Take a Buck....or Two -- [Knights of Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
By now, nearly everyone is aware of the endemic corruption of Afghanistan, which extends not only to all branches and levels of government but also to commercial and business activities, quasi-governmental organizations and aid/development organizations. Even ISAF is not immune to the taint of theft, bribery and corruption that exists here.*
Cross Cultural Experiences -- [Kandahar Diary - in Afghanistan]
Yesterday an LN was carried into the compound from the next door compound belonging to the provider of many of our drivers. I saw him carried in by some friends and he looked dead. Eyes closed, completely limp. I spoke to my medic this morning when I visited the LN in the RAP and was told he had been badly dehydrated - the LNs just don't drink water. I reckon he may also have something else wrong with him judging by the thousand-yard stare in his eyes and the track marks that were so evident on both his arms. Drugs, unsurprisingly, are a big problem. We have anecdotal evidence that many of the drivers, and even the convoy guards, are smacked out on heroin, crystal meth or hash when doing a convoy. It is very hard to prove this - even though drug paraphernalia is easily seen in their compound. Besides," what ya gonna do?"
The one thing it makes clear to me is that this country has so many more deeper-seated problems than an aggressive insurgency and, speaking from a purely academic point of view, the Taliban did, largely, clean up the drug problem during their brief reign - now, interestingly, they've come 180o and narco-power is one of the weapons in their arsenal.
Putting Taliban Sniper Fire in Context -- [At War]
A video and a blog post here on Monday presented a closer look at Taliban snipers, who were an unusual factor in the fighting in Marja this year. To understand the role that Taliban snipers have -- or have not -- played in the larger Afghan war, a look with more sweep is necessary. Afghanistan is a sprawling place, and the insurgency operates in some ways like a complicated syndicate, with varied groups and leaders in different parts of the country loosely collaborating with one another on some matters but not at all on others. So how significant have Taliban snipers been over all in the larger war? How much of a threat have they posed?
Supporting the Fight -- [270 Days in Afghanistan]
A little while ago, we went on a mission to mentor some of our Field Artillery guys during a fire support mission in an area that has seen some significant fighting in recent weeks. Their mission in the area is to provide indirect fire support to ANA and ISAF forces while they conduct counter insurgent operations (for my civilian friends, this means that they are the guys who fire the artillery shells high overhead to impact downrange to help support the fight).
First 100 days -- [A Major's Perspective - in Afghanistan]
Well its been almost a hundred days since I returned back to Afghanistan and I wanted to take a moment and talk about what Ive seen so far. This is in no particular order, and may be very long winded strings of thought since it is still swirling around in my head, but I thought it was important to give an update of sorts.
Daily brief: Afghan peace jirga delayed -- [AfPak Channel]
Yesterday was the first day for would-be Afghan parliamentarians to register to run for election in this September's contest (BBC, AFP). A spokesman for Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission said that dozens of candidates turned up to register.
Air Force Band of Brothers -- [Afghanistan my last tour - in Afghanistan]
A long year has finally come to an end. We are still spending our last days in Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait waiting for the "Freedom Bird" to transport us to BWI Airport. Here we will say our goodbyes and each of us will take a different connecting flight back to our homes and to our families who are anxiously awaiting our arrival. It will be a bitter sweet moment when this happens. It has been a long year we've shared together.
3 Profile: Thacker -- [Sgt Danger - in Afghanistan]
While Forrest Gump and his platoon patrol the paddies of Vietnam, he talks about the men in his platoon. "Now, I don't know much about anything, but I think some of American's best young men served in this war," he says. Damn right. Some call the young man pictured above 'Redneck' or 'Hillbilly' because he can't wait to get home to go mudding and shooting. Some call him 'The Kid' because he's just twenty years old. Others call him 'Geardo' because if you can attach something to body armor or to a weapon, this kid's done it. Most of us just call him 'Thacker'
A Bit of This 'n' That -- [Ramblings from a painter - in Iraq]
You've been reading that we're drawing down in Iraq. I've been saying it, too. Let me give you a visual. Here is the group I worked with last summer, when we were still in the International Zone. This gaggle of folks oversaw Army Corps of Engineers construction and capacity development projects all around the country.
Al Qaeda in Iraq loses 3rd operative Raid kills another top militant -- [AP]
Iraqi and U.S. troops killed a regional leader of al Qaeda in Iraq in a morning raid Tuesday, as security forces continue to put pressure on the terrorist group after the reported deaths of its two top-ranking figures over the weekend, officials said. Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri were killed in a joint operation Sunday in what Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. called a "potentially devastating blow" to al Qaeda in Iraq. The intelligence that led to the elusive leaders' desert safe house about six miles southwest of Tikrit came from the same source - a senior al Qaeda operative captured last month - that produced the information leading to Tuesday's raid, according to a senior Iraqi military intelligence officer who supervised both operations.
Wider Recount of Iraq Ballots Is Requested by Vote Leader -- [NY Times]
A day after an Iraqi court ordered a partial recount of ballots cast in last month's national elections, the man whose political alliance won the most votes called Tuesday for a broader recount of ballots, a move that could deepen the country's instability before the planned American military withdrawal. The alliance's leader, Ayad Allawi, a former prime minister, said his group had submitted evidence to the court detailing instances of fraud that occurred in the days after the March 7 parliamentary elections in several provinces in southern Iraq, a region where Mr. Allawi fared poorly. The court has not issued a decision on the claims, he said. On Monday, the Iraqi court ordered votes in Baghdad Province, the country's most populous, to be counted again after Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki appealed the results in the capital, saying there had been widespread ballot manipulation.
Court-Martial of Navy SEAL Opens in Iraq -- [NY Times]
A U.S. sailor testified Wednesday he saw a Navy SEAL punch an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding the killings in 2004 of four U.S. private security contractors, as the court-martial of another member of the elite unit allegedly involved in the incident opened at a military base outside Baghdad.
Iran boosts Qods shock troops in Venezuela -- [Washington Times]
Iran is increasing its paramilitary Qods force operatives in Venezuela while covertly continuing supplies of weapons and explosives to Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to the Pentagon's first report to Congress on Tehran's military. The report on Iranian military power provides new details on the group known formally as the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), the Islamist shock troops deployed around the world to advance Iranian interests. The unit is aligned with terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, North Africa and Latin America, and the report warns that U.S. forces are likely to battle the Iranian paramilitaries in the future.
Pseudo-Operations to Neutralize Extremist Networks, Insurgents, and Terrorists -- [SWJ - Major Seth Wheeler]
Terrorism is a threat to the stability and national security of many countries, and has undermined countless governments. However, technological improvements within the last century have allowed greater, more spectacular attacks and broadened the means by which terrorists may broadcast their message. Although previous terrorist attacks against United States citizens have drawn a measure of global attention, the world became acutely aware of the effects of terrorism on 11 September 2001 during the World Trade Center attack orchestrated by Osama Bin Laden and his terror group al Qaeda. The psychological impact of such a devastating attack--conducted so efficiently at such little cost to the attacker--jumpstarted a global level of effort to defeat terrorism and extremism. Indeed, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates identified terrorism as a Global National Defense priority in his 2008 National Defense Strategy, and discussed terrorism on 15 occasions throughout his 23-page report.
The True Heart of the American Soldier -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
He'd gotten blown up. Sustained burns to the face and hands and suffered blast inhalation. Breathing in superheated air is not good for the bronchial tubes and lungs. He's being mechanically ventilated.
I watch him struggle even when completely sedated, but some patients have a real rough patch before extubation. To make sure a patient can breathe on his own, first the docs need to dial back on the meds.
This is called "waking him up".
Just "some veteran" with TBI/PTSD -- [Hooah Wife]
I am writing this post completely from a layman's perspective, hoping my thoughts and clear understanding will resonate with many who are looking for some understanding about the struggle some current war veterans are having. We can't just brush these men and women under the carpet of society. They were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for us and now we must in turn lend them a helping hand. Through my volunteer efforts with Soldiers' Angels, I have come in contact with many veterans, including the one I am highlighting in this post. If anyone knows my track record, I will stop everything and use every resource possible to help a veteran in need. This is my responsibility and privilege as an American and I take it seriously.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) are words commonly used these days when discussing veterans issues. I would first like to preface this by saying PTSD should not be classified as a disorder, it is a natural response to stress.
US military jury clears SEAL in Iraq abuse case -- [FOXNews]
A jury is beginning its deliberations in the court-martial of a Navy SEAL accused of failing to prevent the beating of an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding an attack that ...
Group Says Obesity Epidemic Thinning Pool of Potential Military ... -- [KEYC]
So say a number of political and military leaders.A new report from the group Mission: Readiness says the increase in obesity is lowering the pool of young
The Army's War on Fat -- [FrumForum]
If you need a reason to care about the politics of obesity, ... a non-profit organization of retired military leaders, released Too Fat to Fight,
Flight cancellations could delay some troops' return home --[KTVL]
Those troops are expected to be home April 24th but for those still stuck overseas, the National Guard said they will hold a second welcome home ceremony ...
Journalist in war ponders troubling questions -- [AP - CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA]
All around, men roared and rifles thudded. Sprawled in the earth in an open field, an American soldier to the left handed me a wounded man's ammunition belt. Even as Taliban bullets whipped overhead, I thought about professional codes of conduct. Carry the belt? Or not?
I was a journalist, not a soldier. My job was to observe without bias, not take part. Yet surely it was a time for instincts rather than circumspection; a time for decisions geared to survival.
In four weeks of reporting on the war in Afghanistan as a journalist embedded with the U.S. military, I found many such troubling questions about my role -- and about why I was there in the first place.
End of an Embed, Beginning of a Storm -- [SWJ Editors]
Michael Yon's recent post on his Facebook page regarding the end to his embed is causing a stir in the milblog community: McChrystal's crew has declared an information war on me. No complaints here. McChrystal's attention is welcome. It indicates that my posts have hit steel further underlines that McChrystal is over his head...
In Michael Yon Wake Up Call, Uncle Jimbo at Blackfive writes: There comes a time when you have to look in the mirror and accept responsibility. It is not a collection of incompetent public affairs officers or some conspiracy to silence truth telling, it is his own fault. He has broken the rules time and time again and then when that bit him in the ass, he bit back.
Michael Yon jumps the shark? -- [Political Byline]
The Michael Yon Flap -- [Ace of Spades]
Yon keeps getting booted out of his embeddings, and he's yelling about it.
Laughing Wolf and Jimbo from Blackfive are both counseling Yon to take himself out of the equation, emotionally.
The dispute is over whether Yon is breaking embed rules, and therefore is being booted out of embeds properly, or if there is an unfair antagonism against him by the generals and public information officers, and if they're excluding him just because they don't want the war covered by a bit of a wildcard.
Patient transfer at Joint Base Balad -Troops wounded in Afghanistan are evacuated to Iraq -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany/S&S]
The U.S. military has diverted the medical evacuations of about 20 servicemembers wounded in Afghanistan to a hospital in Iraq because of the ash plume preventing usual air travel into Germany.
Military Scrambles Soldiers, Staff and Supplies -- [New York Times]
When it became clear on Thursday that the volcano could affect air traffic, the US military shifted about 30 maintenance workers from Ramstein to an air
Glass build-up found in NATO F-16 engine: US official -- [Reuters]
The official said the ash cloud had already led to the scaling down of some US military exercises. Planes were still flying in these, "but it is dangerous,"
The Bush Restoration ProjectJeffrey Scott Shapiro is on a mission to rehabilitate the former president's reputation. -- [Slate Magazine]
U.S. President George W. Bush. Click image to expand.George W. BushJeffrey Scott Shapiro talks about George W. Bush the way Buddhists talk about the Dalai Lama. "He stands for truth, compassion and freedom," he says. "Bush instinctively sees the global picture that every living person has the right to be free." It's hardly surprising, then, that Shapiro founded Honor Freedom, an organization devoted to restoring Bush's reputation. And Shapiro may actually succeed--especially since Bush, too, will be working on the same project, if not the same organization.
Marine back on Facebook after fueling debate -- [AP]
A Camp Pendleton Marine has relaunched his Facebook page criticizing President Barack Obama's health care policy after prompting a controversy over free speech that won him the support of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Sgt. Gary Stein took down his "Armed Forces Tea Party" page on Tuesday after he was called back to base.
Marine Says He'll Continue to Post on Tea Party Facebook Page -- [FOXNews]
According to Department of Defense directives, military personnel are prohibited from sponsoring a political club, writing anything that solicits votes for
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
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.
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What happens when the next soldiers come in? -Assistance to Afghans -- [A World of Troubles - in Afghanistan]
I had a nightmare last night," a soldier from 2nd Platoon Able Co. told me, "that I was in Afghanistan."
He said it with a smile, the kind that comes from actually waking up in the dark and for the first few seconds thinking you might be somewhere other than your dirt bunker or plywood shack. But no, you're in Afghanistan, and the best thing to do is shake the cob webs, maybe take a Baby Wipes shower, chug a Rip It, get up and keep busy, whether it's burning trash, burning sh--, or ...
Death in the Morning -- [Free Range International - in Afghanistan]
Yesterday morning started with an event so senseless and evil that it is hard to describe. An American army patrol was moving through downtown Jalalabad when the villains detonated a bicycle mounted IED. This IED had no chance of even denting the paint job on an MRAP, but it did throw out a bunch of shrapnel, which killed one of the best diesel engine mechanics in town and wounded another 15 civilians - mostly children.
120 Days of Wind in Afghanistan -- [One Marines View - in Afghanistan]
It sweeps across Afghanistan's desert steppes and mountains at speeds that can top 100 mph, pummeling the country relentlessly with sand and dust.
Known as "The Wind of 120 days," the phenomenon is a blessing and curse for the millions of people who live in its path.
"We have a saying," said Bagram resident Mohammad Safa, 54. "If you eat poison little by little, eventually you'll get used to it."
Cold Water -- [Memorandum for the Record - in Afghanistan]
Spring has crashed upon us with all the fury of the so-called "Wind of 120 Days" that occupies this country through the summer. ... The winds have blown the Taliban out of their winter hibernations in gentler lands and into my lap. Work hours have extended into infinity and many times I find myself floating above my body, bewildered, as my corporeal self continues busily about its tasks.
I think we're winning. I hope we're winning. We're throwing every gram of flesh and blood and brain we can muster at the people of Afghanistan. We're wishing and hoping and begging for them to believe us, to believe in their new government, to believe in the beauty and future of their land instead of always the cheapness and futility of life.
Interview with Former Mujahedeen Commander -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
...The ANA Major and I discussed some tactics and military strategy used by the Mujahedeen against the Soviets. He confirmed when the Soviets would find an IED, at times they would gather around the explosive device for a group picture. Meanwhile one of his fighters would patiently wait for this opportunity and set off the explosive. The Major also explained how his Mujahedeen fighters would travel in small groups and ambush the Soviets, similar to the tactics used by the Taliban in attacking coalition forces today. The key to a successful attack was in planning. The Mujahedeen fighters would take advantage of the dense vegetation and hide among the trees so they could not be seen by the Soviet helicopters. They would also attack in early morning or evening when the helos were not present.
Major Shah and I also discussed the use of mines and IEDs as part of their arsenal. He explained
Corruption - My Last Straw -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
...While sipping our chai, he revealed some information about the ANA school supply distribution. Some of his soldiers participated on this mission. According to his soldiers, after the school supplies were loaded on the back of a truck, they made a detour before arriving at the school. The truck stopped at the ANA Brigade Surgeon's house and he had the soldiers off load several boxes of school supplies and a portion of the Beanie Babies. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Here was a man I entrusted and to save face and keep our promises, I divided the school supplies and Beanie Babies for distribution to the village school. This is the same village where the ANA surgeon was born at. Now I find out he deprived his own people of goods only to enrich himself.
Putting the Seat Down -- [Rajiv Srinivasan - in Afghanistan]
The 6th Kandak Battalion Commander, LTC Abdul, has always been a mild-mannered and pleasant individual to deal with. He rarely panics or becomes rude. He's always treated me with the same respect that he'd show any of his direct coalition counterparts, even as a Lieutenant. So last week, when a winded ANA private came beating down the door of our Company CP yelling, "Commandan mekwahat ke bah shemah bebenat...The Commander needs to speak with you!" I felt a sense of urgency.
Wikileaks video is just cover for troops haters -- [This Ain't Hell...]
I read comments by Josh Stieber and his friend and I commend them for defending the soldiers (although it's half-hearted) however that's not what folks are thinking. Some anti-war types are using it as an excuse to condemn the troops. For example, someone sent me some screen shots of Dede Miller's Facebook Wall. For those of you who may not know, Dede Miller is Cindy Sheehan's sister.
On the Afghan Convoy -- [Starbuck ]
Most of you have heard about an incident in Afghanistan where American troops mistakenly shot a bus which contained civilians. One of my trusted friends in Afghanistan contacted me after the incident, and, not violating security procedures, noted that the American patrol had signaled for the vehicle to stop several times before firing at it.
While the deaths of civilians is certainly a tragedy, the US military's public relations people have been a little more quick to mitigate the PR effects than they were with last week's Apache video.
African-American expected to be named US Commander in Iraq -- [The Grio /AP]
The senior U.S. general in Iraq since 2008, Gen. Ray Odierno, will be succeeded by a leading Pentagon general at the end of the summer, military officials said Monday.
His replacement is Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin, the staff director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the officials said.
Military officials spoke about the change on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not been made.
Supporting Small, Local Government in Iraq -- [Sgt Stryker]
In the southern province of Dhi Qar in Iraq, the US military is continuing the mission of peace in Iraq by helping the small scale local government there. The Army's civil affairs teams and the United States Agency for International Development have got together to create a District Government Support Team. That team has solved a host of governing issues, helping to strengthen the democratic process at the city and village levels in Iraq.
Iraq's Forces Prove Able, but Loyalty Is Uncertain -- [New York Times]
Iraq's security forces, once mocked for deserting firefights and feared as a sanctuary for rogue death squads, crossed a crucial line of competence during the recent parliamentary elections: With little American help, they kept the nation overwhelmingly safe for voting. But as recruits return after the election to this dusty training outpost, the army and the police face new questions, not only about remaining gaps in ability, but also about loyalty in an uncertain period. More than a month after the election, there is still no new government, no certain leader that the security forces can look to - and few precedents for a peaceful transfer of power.
Iraq plans $1bn tourism development -- [AMEinfo]
The Iraqi ministry of tourism and the Wasit province investment commission have announced plans to build a $1bn tourism development near the Wasit capital city of Al-Kut, Meed has reported. Overlooking the Tigris River, the 500,000 square-metre Wasit Tourist City will include hotels, apartment blocks, private chalets, swimming pools, an amphitheatre, public gathering space and an amusement park for 2,000 people. The provincial government is relying on public and private funding at home as well as foreign investment from private developers abroad to fund the project, the magazine reported.
Terrorist Plot to Attack Najaf Shrine With Hijacked Airliners? -- [Iraq the Model]
A government delegation arrived in Najaf Wednesday afternoon to discuss the closure of Najaf's international airport. The delegation included the ministers of defense, transport and national security.
....Najaf's province council chief Fayid Shemmeri announced Tuesday that a protest against the closure of the airport has been postponed after PM pledged to find a solution for the situation. Other sources stressed that the airport was shut down because of threats of an attack on the Imam Ali shrine using a civilian airliner.
Officials say Iraqi forces foil 9/11-style plot -- [AP]
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqi security forces disrupted a 9/11-style plot by al-Qaida in Iraq to fly hijacked planes into Shiite religious shrines, Iraqi and U.S. officials said Wednesday....
Gates says video of U.S. helicopter attack in Iraq out of context -- [Los Angeles Times]
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Tuesday took a swipe at the website that released secret military video of a 2007 helicopter gunship incident in Iraq in which civilians, including two news agency employees, were killed. Gates said the videos released by the group WikiLeaks were out of context and provided an incomplete picture of the battlefield, comparing it to war as seen "through a soda straw." "These people can put out whatever they want and are never held accountable for it," said Gates, speaking to reporters aboard his plane en route to Lima, Peru, for a defense ministers conference this week. "There is no before and no after. It is only the present."
Comments about the Military -- [A Major's Perspective - in Afghanistan]
The derogatory comments made, focus around the general thought that all Soldiers are a bunch of murdering, rapist, thugs. One person even goes so far as to say that as long as the Military is comprised of the bottom 10% of society, what do you expect. This is the area of the article I want to rebuke.
U.S., Russia Finalize Plutonium-Disposal Accord -- [Voice of America]
The United States and Russia Tuesday finalized an agreement committing them to eliminate a total of 68 tons of weapons-grade plutonium. The deal was signed on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.
The two major powers had agreed in principle on the plutonium disposal project at the end of the administration of former President Bill Clinton.
Gates: No Iranian Nuclear Weapon for 'At Least a Year' -- [Voice of America]
Gates made the comment Tuesday on a flight to South America. He was responding to a declaration by a top Iranian nuclear official that Iran will join the "world nuclear club" within a month to deter possible attacks on the country.
Iran's Fars news agency quotes the deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization as saying "no country would even think about attacking Iran" after it joins the nuclear club.
General David Petraeus Says It's Iran That Keeps Him Up at Night -- [U.S. News & World Report (blog)]
Petraeus is in charge of US command in 20 countries from Egypt to Pakistan, most notably the US efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. But as troublesome as those
Syria Gave Scuds to Hezbollah, U.S. Says -- [Wall Street Journal]
Syria has transferred long-range Scud missiles to the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, Israeli and U.S. officials alleged, in a move that threatens to alter the Middle East's military balance and sets back a major diplomatic outreach effort to Damascus by the Obama administration. Israeli President Shimon Peres on Tuesday publicly charged President Bashar Assad's government with transferring Scud missiles to Hezbollah's forces inside Lebanon. Syria and Hezbollah both denied the charges. But the allegations already are affecting U.S. foreign policy: Republicans pressed on Capitol Hill to block the appointment of a new American ambassador to Damascus, according to congressional officials. The White House said it was pressing ahead.
U.S. and Pakistan adapt their approach on divisive issue of North Waziristan -- [Washington Post]
So far, however, Pakistan has resisted U.S. appeals to turn its attention to the north, thought to be the base for separate groups of Taliban fighters, whose attacks are aimed primarily at American troops in Afghanistan. It is also thought to be the base for al-Qaeda's leadership. To launch a major campaign in North Waziristan this spring, as the Obama administration has proposed, would be impractical and strategically unwise, the Pakistani army says. U.S. officials have expressed frustration about Pakistan's reluctance. But a rare visit to the restricted region by two Washington Post reporters offered a fresh vantage point into Pakistani thinking, and it suggested that the two sides are trying to find common ground in addressing what Washington sees as the epicenter of the terrorist threat.
Holder says US still hopes to take bin Laden alive -- [AP]
Under fire from Republican critics, Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday the U.S. still hopes to capture and interrogate Osama bin Laden but expects the al-Qaida leader won't be taken alive.
The attorney general was on the defensive from the outset in his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, peppered with criticism of his handling of terrorism issues
Spiritual Warfare Needed - Todd Nicely - Updated -- [Blackfive]
Update April 13th, 2010: On the Friday of the Fifth Annual Military Blog Conference, MaryAnn of Soldiers Angels Germany went and visited Todd and his amazing family and delivered a Valour-IT laptop.
I have been relaying messages from his unit back to him through MaryAnn and Kassie and now he'll be able to stay in contact with his Marines in Afghanistan. He was concerned about his squad (as the leader).
So....
Care Packages -- [A Major's Perspective - in Afghanistan]
A lot of people have written asking me what should they send in care packages to the Troops. And by no means is this a solicitation or the absolute answer. I've always felt kinda silly to be honest saying the typical things that Ive seen a million times before or stating the things that can't be sent. But, today I saw something that I had not seen talked about and I thought would be something useful to pass along.
Txt to Donate -- [SpouseBUZZ]
On the back of our AAFES flyer was an ad from M&Ms. They are having a vote for your favorite color sweepstakes but have added some covers for us military families.
The best part was seeing that they will be donating one dollar for each vote to the Fisher House.
In addition to voting on the website, you can text your favorite color to 41513. No charge from the candy company, but your service provider's regular messaging rates will apply.
A soldier's angel -- [Burleson Star] HT: SA Germany
When a soldier steps off American soil and onto the sand of a foreign country there is constant danger until they are home again.
Month of the Military Child -- [Soldiers' Angels]
Military Children of OIF/OEF veterans are eligible for a special gift during Month of the Military Child. Click here for details!
Thank You Soldiers -- [You Served]
Remember all those teachers indoctrinating our youth in the liberal ways of stupidity and supporting socialism and marxism? Remember the teacher at Langley High School that decimated the honor of our Iwo Jima veterans by putting a McDonalds sign on top of the famous flag-raising photo and inciting students to "discuss" it for a grade? Well, I've actually found a teacher who found an honorable way to recognize our troops with a positive song that understands the true sacrifice of our troops.
Phony charity busted -- [This Ain't Hell...]
TSO sends this link to an article about a California man who set himself up as a charity for Vandenburg AFB and claimed to be a Navy commander;
Are You Settled? -- [SpouseBUZZ - Andi]
It seems with military life, we're always "settling." I don't mean settling in the "settling for less" way. I mean settling in the sense that military life is ever-changing. Military families are always moving and settling in a new house and a new community. Settling into new friendships and relationships. Our spouses are often gone for lenghty periods of time so we settle into a routine when they leave. And when they return, we settle into another routine.
Settling. We do a lot of that.
Keeping The Home Fires Lit -- [Ranger-UP]
I was listening to the radio on the way to work the other day and I was reminded, yet again, of the brilliance of publicly funded studies. You know the ones; they cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and tell us things we already know, like $400K to discover that repeatedly hitting oneself in the head with a hammer can cause a headache. Duh.
This particular study highlighted the problems women (not all spouses; this one dealt with wives) experience while their husbands are deployed.
Each new fact was punctuated by an overdramatic pause by the reporter, like she was laying some kind of revelatory "There is no Santa" bombshell on a bunch of seven year olds.
30th Brigade returns home from Iraq -- [BlueNC]
The Guard's 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team made history with its second deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom last year, becoming the first National Guard unit to deploy twice and have its own area of ...
A well-deserved welcome home for 30th Heavy Brigade -- [FayObserver]
Lusk said he knew his troops were glad to be home, trading the desert sand for pine tree pollen. "All our guys did a phenomenal job over there," Lusk said
National Guardsmen, commander get a governor's welcome home -- [Savannah Morning News]
Durham said his troops were excited to be home. "You can see it in their faces," he said. "At the end of the deployment, we were no longer busy
The Four Reasons I Never Respond to Emails about Veterans Today -- [The Burn Pit - MOTHAX ]
Every now and again someone sends me an irate email citing to Veterans Today and asking me to comment. I even had some emails occasionally from authors over there asking me questions. I refuse to answer their questions, and when I get an email asking me to comment on something they write, I kindly but forcefully refuse to do so. There are four main reasons for that, none of which has anything to do with politics. Because lately they have been engaging in some sort of vendetta with The American Legion, I thought I would lay out the case here why I refuse to discuss them, so that any further emails either from or about Veterans Today I will respond with a link to this post. I tried posting comments there to correct the record, but it simply does no good.
Without further ado, this is why I don't respond to them:
PLAying with Veterans' Jobs -- [The Burn Pit - Demophilus]
Executive Order 13502, signed by President Obama, went live yesterday. The Order directs federal agencies taking bids for government construction projects to accept only those from contractors who agree in advance to a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) that requires a union work force. How does that affect veterans you ask? Read on!
SOS - RED ALERT - New York Times About to Put American Troops in Deadly Peril -- [Big Journalsim/Breitbart]
I have just received word that the New York Times is preparing to go public with a list of names of Americans covertly working in Afghanistan providing force protection for our troops, as well as the rest of our Coalition Forces. If the Times actually sees this through, the red ink they are drowning in will be nothing compared to the blood their entire organization will be covered with. Make no mistake, the Times is about to cause casualty rates in Afghanistan to skyrocket. Each and every American should be outraged.
View from the top at 2010 MilBlog Conference -- [Army Live]
ShareA panel of military leaders, moderated by Jamie McIntyre, spoke this afternoon at the 2010 MilBlog Conference.
Price Floyd, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs (whew), joins this year's panel and is a great proponent for social media within the Department of Defense. Having just released DTM 09-026, opening up access to social media across the DoD network, Floyd speaks candidly about his encouragement of social media but also his awareness of the potential risks and the need to mitigate those. (My kind of guy - he understands the power but hasn't drunk the kool-aid).
Floyd also takes a very un-self-serving perspective on social media, noting that as a senior leader in the Department of Defense it opens up critical opportunities for two-way dialogue. The engagement works to not just inform the audience but also inform my understanding, said Floyd.
TR At the MilBlog Conference -- [Team Rubicon - Jake]
Team Rubicon member William McNulty, and Board of Advisors members Gary Cagle and Matt Burden enjoy a few beers at the MilBlog Conference in Washington, DC. Matt Burden is being awarded "Veteran's MilBlog of the Year" for his site BlackFive.net. It is extremely important that Team Rubicon continue to embrace the military and veteran community in order to ensure success in its missions.
Is the military starting to embrace new media? -- [The Burn Pit - MOTHAX]
This is going to be a two for the price of one post, since I have been holding off posting about my trip to the Army's Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) for a while, and I wanted to let folks know about the Military Blogging Conference I just attended in DC. Since the issues involved sort of overlap, figure I will do it all in one post.
Facebook Fan of MilBlogs - 2010 MILBlog Conference
Please keep linking your Milblog conference posts here and sharing your photos with us! Thanks
Milblog Conference after reaction report-- [Good Friends - Good Times]
For the past five years, military bloggers have formally congregated, either in Washington D.C., or Las Vegas, NV, to discuss the challenges and the future of military blogging, share ideas and best practices, and meet new people and further strengthen the bonds previously forged in the depths of cyberspace.
Hey, isn't that...?: Garry Trudeau -- [Washington Post]
Garry Trudeau quietly taking notes at the Military Bloggers Conference at the Ballston Westin on Saturday. Plaid shirt, khakis; recognized by a few other attendees. The "Doonesbury" cartoonist runs his own military blog, the Sandbox, and is said to draw inspiration for his own war-themed strips from others.
The 2010 MilBlog Conference -- [AW1 Tim's Blog]
MilBlogs are more than just journals and news sites. They have become a modern calling tree, something similar to what the old (and still around) ham radio networks were. MilBlogs have become a number of things, but to my mind, they have been the conduit through which soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, both active and veterans, have been able to become a true extended family. Although it is still very much a work in progress, the seeds first planted have born fruit through any number of events. From showing a young, grieving widow that her loss and her words have had an impact far beyond what she could ever have imagined, to getting the word out for support for Team Rubicon to such an extent that it is demonstrable that Haitians are alive today that would not have survived had they been forced to endure the wait for typical NGO assistance.
The Military and DoD have also seen the impact that MilBlogs can have on troop morale, PR situations, and even in supporting and sometimes changing TRADOC, and various other missions, from procurement to training to supply to accessing and developing new media, to combating terrorism. MilBlogging is a tool, and how this form of social media is used, supported, and developed remains to be seen, but to date, it has had a great and positive impact in all parts of our military and national environment.
Saving Abel Rocks the Milblog Conference -- [Kiss My Gumbo]
So....here I am in DC with all my dearest Milblog friends in the world (a few were missing) and right in front of us, we have our own private Saving Abel performance (and I knew many of the songs already)!!! It was freaking amazing!
What I Saw at the Milblogger Conference -- [Sgt Mom]
...No one that I talked to at the conference had been mil-blogging longer than I had. I started in August, 2002 - the Dark Ages of mil-blogging - and am still at it, although I have drifted into wider circles than a strictly military/veteran focus. Which makes me rather famous in those circles, although no one asked for my autograph.
Pentagon Media Strategy- REVEALED!!! (Satire) -- [A Line of Departure]
While attending the 5th annual milblog conference this weekend a senior defense official slipped me a copy of a highly-unclassified PowerPoint slide outlining the Pentagon's internal strategy for dealing with the news media.
I am publishing the slide EXCLUSIVELY here at lineofdeparture.com to pull the curtain back on the techniques the powerful Pentagon Press Office uses to successfully influence news coverage.
Milblog Conference 2010: The Wrap-up -- [Starbuck]
After a great visit with the CNAS crew, it was off to the Milblog conference. I was quite amazed--when I told people I was attending a conference for milbloggers, most thought it was going to look like a Star Trek convention. Far from it. The event was attended by Admiral J.C. Harvey, Gary Trudeau (of Doonesbury), Jamie McIntyre, and featured a recorded message from General David Petraeus, who thanked milbloggers for their contributions.
MilBlog Conference 2010 -- [SWJ]
Military bloggers gathered in Arlington, VA this weekend for the 5th Annual Milblog -- Conference. The "Milbloggers" came from all walks of life: from veterans, to journalists, charity workers, even Gary Trudeau, the author of Doonesbury. The conference kicked off on Friday night with a panel entitled "It's a Marathon, not a Sprint", which chronicled the early days of the milblogosphere. Led by pioneers of milblogging
Mil Blog conference 2010 -- [Sandgram]
...My wife thinks that this conference was all about "playing," but in reality, it has become quite clear that those in positions of power are giving credence to the Mil Blog community just by the participation of such folks as Gen David Petraeus and MG David Hogg USA, Col Gregory Breazile USMC, and Admiral JC Harvey, Jr., Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, who has his own blog at usfleet-forces.blogspot.com. Since the military has now started embracing MilBlogs, I have stopped feeling like the cockroach hiding in the dark while I type away. Ha!!
I have to say that one of the most exciting things to happen for me this weekend was having the honor of meeting Major (Ret) Norman Hatch USMC, the combat cameraman who brought back the film from Iwo Jima, and also produced and won the Academy Award on his film about the Tarawa invasion.
Military Blogging Conference -- [Anne's Spot]
A summary of my observations are:
* Military bloggers are passionate, as you would expect.
* Military bloggers who began blogging in 2002 and 2003 were leaders and drove a grass roots movement that led to identifying military bloggers in a loosely structured group, but tightly connected and networked individuals. The blog sites are aggregated on the Military Blogging web site.
* Thousands of non-profit organizations serve military, soldiers, veterans, and families.
* Throughout this community of military bloggers, they all have a sense of responsibility toward families.
The 2010 (Fifth Annual) Military Blog Convention - Part I -- [BlackFive]
First of all, I would like to personally thank Andi of SpouseBuzz and the great folks at Military.com and Milblogging.com for yet again exceeding expectations and hosting/managing the Fifth Annual Military Blog Conference.
I would also like to mention that USAA went above and beyond, as a sponsor and they donated to Soldiers Angels and Homes for Our Troops - two fantastic organizations (more on that later). I have been a member/customer of USAA for more than 20 years. They rock!
MilBlog Conference Update. -- [Rebellion University]
The 5th Annual Milblog conference is in the can. My attendance there this year caused me to reflect on a few things that are interesting to me, and so I write them here.
The face of the Milblogging landscape is changing. Not for the better. The Blog, and its specialized cousin, the Milblog, is, at its core, journaling by people doing something that interests them and writing about it, for the interest of others.
There is a word -- [From My Position...]
There is a... woman (definitely not a lady) here who is a member of IVAW. If you're interested, that's Iraq Veterans against the war. Naturally, she is attending the milblog conference to gain understanding of all the good things our service members are doing in theater. If we're lucky, she'll even burn a flag or two while she's here.
Tribal Engagement Workshop -- [Small Wars Journal]
The Tribal Engagement Workshop, cosponsored by Small Wars Foundation, the U.S. Joint Forces Command Joint Irregular Warfare Center, the U.S. Marine Corps Center for Irregular Warfare, the U.S. Army / U.S. Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center, and Noetic Group, was conducted 24-25 March 2010 at Gari Melchers Home and Studio, Fredericksburg, Virginia.
...This TEW Summary Report captures the insights and opinions (agreement & disagreement) of the group. The final version incorporates many revisions from participant comments on a 4/1 draft for a more accurate summary. However, no 6 page summary can represent the expertise of the group or the many considerations for tribal engagement or other bottom-up approach to Afghanistan. Additional commentary from the participants is being integrated into a web-based resource presenting amplifying information to be perused by future practitioners who are interested in more detail, as conflicting as it may be. That product is being developed now with the input received to date, and will be linked in to this page shortly...
Republican websites pledge allegiance to flag -- [Politico]
House Republicans are far more likely to emblazon their campaign websites with the American flag than their Democratic rivals, according to a new study.
A comprehensive review of House reelection websites by the University of Minnesota's Smart Politics blog found that GOP incumbents are 36 percent more likely to incorporate Old Glory into the banner of their page, with nearly half of all House Republicans positioning the Stars and Stripes as the main image on their website. Just a third of their Democratic counterparts prominently place the flag as a backdrop, according to a survey of 368 campaign websites.
Robert Gibbs Considers Different White House Role -- [CBS News]
Robert Gibbs is tired of being White House press secretary and has his eye on the job held by senior White House strategist David Axelrod if and when Axelrod leaves that job to focus on President Obama's reelection campaign.
At least that's the portrait painted by a Gibbs profile in the Washington Post, which suggests the press secretary is far more invested in his private role as an adviser to the president than his public one dealing with the media.
Today's Medal of Honor Moment for 14 April -- [Castle Argghhh!!!]
There are eight Medals awarded for actions on this day in our military history. Five from the Civil War, two from World War II, and one from Operation Iraqi Freedom. Two awards are posthumous.
Remembering Eagle Flight - Annual Memorial on BlackFive -- [Blackfive]
"They came to save us, and to give us dignity. Their sacrifice will remain in the minds of our children for the rest of their lives. We will teach their names to our children, and keep their names in our books of history as heroes who gave their lives for freedom." - Kurd Sheik Ahmet, April 17th, 1994 memorial service in Zakhu, Iraq.
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
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.
Updating - Refresh for updates.
Operation Moshtarak -- [Free Range International - in Afghanistan]
Operation Moshtarak which was the taking of the Taliban infested area around Marjah by the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade has proven to be much more difficult than previous operations in the Helmand Province. The clearing phase was successful despite problems with the new rules regarding artillery and air delivered ordnance. It is the holding phase which is proving to be a problem. The Taliban still control most of the village hamlets and are exacting a heavy toll on local people who cooperate with the Marines of Afghan Government. The New York Times has a pretty good article on the problem here. The Marines have a limited number of options with which to deal with entrenched guerrillas.
Case of a Mistaken Village -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
...The ANA Surgeon called me on the phone and wanted to meet to discuss tomorrow's delivery. I went to his office and he inquired where I was this morning. I explained that we went to the village on a recon mission, met with the tribal elder and principal and solidified our plan to deliver school items tomorrow. He revealed that he also went to the village and met with the tribal elders and the principal and he too promised delivery of school supplies. Suddenly a dark cloud filled the room...
Poppy fields in AFG -- [One Marine's View - in Afghanistan]
The poppy field crops are coming into harvest about now. In 2007, 93% of the opium in the world market came from Afghanistan. This comes to be about $64 billion with less than a quarter going to farmers, and the rest going to district officials, insurgents, warlords and drug traffickers.
Go figure that! You're a farmer, work yer butt off only to have some armed thugs come take your years work and pay you pennies.
More Afghan Civilians Dead; US, NATO Commander Addresses Elders -- [Voice of America]
NATO officials in Afghanistan are investigating the latest deaths of civilians caused by an air strike and a clash with insurgents in the southern as well as eastern parts of the country. The probe comes as the U.S commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan has assured a traditional assembly of Afghan leaders his troops are making utmost efforts to avoid civilian casualties in what he described as "a difficult war".
NATO says its forces carried out an air strike Monday night on a compound in the district of Nahr-e-Saraj in southern Helmand province after coming under fire from insurgents hiding inside. NATO officials say four civilians, including two women and a child died in the airstrike.
White House hints it might cancel Obama meeting with Afghan president next month -- [Washington Post]
The Obama administration has been irritated by comments in which Karzai has denounced Western interference in his country, accused foreigners of perpetrating a "vast fraud" in Afghanistan's presidential election last year, and even suggested that his frustrations might lead him to join the Taliban.
The outbursts, which continued even after a conversation with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, have prompted critics of Karzai to question his leadership.
Ex-U.N. envoy: Karzai may have drug problem -- [MSNBC]
Peter Galbraith questions Afghan leader's mental stability -- NEW YORK - A former U.N envoy to Afghanistan on Tuesday questioned the "mental stability" of Hamid Karzai and suggested the Afghan president may be using drugs.
Down -- [Sgt Danger - in Afghanistan]
...But the distractions only last so long. When I've finished my cheeseburger, when the Red Bull wears off, when the Megadeth headache sets in, and when I'm finally bored with Super Mario Brothers... again I'm on my back, looking at the pictures of my girls taped above me and wishing their Dad wasn't so screwed up. Why so gloomy?
Change of mission.
Only one external thing has changed in recent months, but it's a big one. We lost our mission. No more convoys through exotic and dangerous cities, no more machine gunning, no more cold nights under the stars, no more tossing MRE pieces to kids. I love the Afghan people, and it was an exhausting joy to work alongside them on the road. I was so proud to be out there. Now, stuck on a large NATO base "guarding" parking lots,...
Cast of Characters (Revised) -- [Knights of Afghanistan]
For those of you who think that using the actual names or pseudonyms instead of entirely fake nicknames would be easier, it might help to realize that there are six or eight very popular male names in Afghanistan, so any list of actual names would be highly redundant. Sometimes it seems that every third guy here is named Massoud. Confusingly, many Afghans go by only one name, which only adds to the difficulty.
Chocolat The Army Hero (Video)-- [Helmand Blog]
The old market place was deserted. The soldiers knew that something was wrong because the local Afghan traders had abandoned it to set up another small bazaar further down the road. Last month, as part of Operation Moshtarak, a full search team was sent in to clear and make the area safe. Known only as Yellow 2 in the Nad e Ali region of Helmand it looked more like a scene from a spaghetti western, minus the tumbleweed, when the troops walked in.
Enter stage right: Chocolat, a beautiful Belgian Shepherd, and his handler
tears and tributes to a 'good guy' -- [Frontline blogger - in Afghanistan]
In his final blog from the front line, Trooper Pete Sheppard writes for Channel 4 News on how the anticipation of returning home is shattered by the death of a fellow soldier just days before he was due to leave Afghanistan.
Trooper Pete Sheppard is a radio operator with the Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF), which is part of Operation Moshtarak against insurgents in Helmand Province.
US Marines offer war or peace to Afghan elders -- [AFP]
SISTANI, Afghanistan (AFP) - The tribal elders gathered in the desert outside Marjah, the frontline of the US-led battle in southern Afghanistan to provide services and security after years of Taliban control.
Around 20 sat in a circle, waiting for Lieutenant Colonel Brian Christmas, US Marine commander in northern Marjah who has -- so far -- kept American troops out of the small village of Sistani to the northwest.
Nearly two months after US Marines led what was billed the biggest offensive against the Taliban in more than eight years of war, troops still come under daily fire from insurgents and bombs are still exploding.
6 April 10 -- [Military Consciousness - in Afghanistan]
well, great news today ... our replacements are on a bird in a few hours ... I am actually staying up all night because they will arrive in the wee hours of the morning...I am going out to meet them as they come out of the terminal and make sure they get all their bags and equipment off the pallet...we'll give them a ride to their sleeping quarters, let them get a few hours rest and then they start in-processing at 0900....we have cooks and mechanics so far.. I have been talking to a friend of mine from way back ...we were in Korea together back in '95 time-frame...it's been a very long time since I've seen or talked to him...it'll be good to catch up...but
Count UP Timer -- [Mob 2009 Blog - in Afghanistan]
I decided I would add a count *up* timer. It shows, in days, how long I've been gone. I don't know how high it will go before I can put a count *down* timer, but I guess we'll see together. ...To everyone out there, I send my love and thoughts. There are lots of great soldiers here doing some amazing things. Here's to hoping everyone can come home soon!
On the Iraqi guncam footage -- [Flit]
....There's a lot of misinformation here. Anne Flaherty's report linked on the Globe is wrong when it says, "A military investigation later concluded that what was thought to be an RPG was really a long-range photography lens; likewise, the camera looked like an AK-47." That is completely incorrect. The report clearly states that there was an RPG (in addition to the two cameras), and you can clearly see one on the video (in this version, at 3:44, look at the two guys across the street, one with a broad horizontally striped shirt, who's carrying an AK, and the guy next to him with the RPG), AND that one was found on the scene under a body.
WikiLeaks - "Collateral Murder" -- [A look inside]
...What could have been the case is identified for the viewer quite readily. What certainly is true, in several key moments, is not. When presenting source media as the core of your argument, it is grossly irresponsible to fail to make known variables not shown within that media. If you are going to take the time to highlight certain things in said media, you should make certain all key elements are brought to the attention of your viewer.
WikiLeaks failed to do these things in this video, happily highlighting the positions and movements of the slain reporter and photographer while ignoring those of their company. It is also, until their arrival on scene, never clear where exactly the ground forces are in reference to Crazyhorse 18 and flight.
War is UGLY, that is why so few of us are willing to do it -- [Bouhammer]
CDR Salamander did a great job pointing out the true facts and putting the video in context. You can listen to the archive of the BBC program at
It may or may not (if you have ever heard me on this show) surprise you how many ignorant and un-educated people there are in the world that have never been in combat but all seem to be experts on what it is like or supposed to be like. CDR Salamander did a superb job on the show countering so many "disturbed people". Also, the host of the show did as good as always of keeping the guests on tasks and very balanced.
Why COIN for Aviators is So Important -- [Starbuck]
... Despite the advances in thermal and optical sensors, it's still extremely difficult for an air crew to tell an insurgent from a civilian. The Apache pilots believed that they saw AK-47s and RPGs in the hands of the figures in the video. An examination of the video, however, is inconclusive. They could really be carrying anything. Some of the radio chatter from the infantry unit ("Bushmaster 26") indicates that there are insurgents walking about with AK-47s, and the cameras slung over the reporters shoulders might resemble some sort of rifle from a distance. It should be evident, based on this video, that although modern aerial platforms can collect a stunning amount of data, the most useful intelligence still comes from human networks, infantrymen on the ground, and the Mk-I eyeball.
The WikiLeaks Video -- [Schmedlap]
...Since seeing the video, I have seen a fair amount of commentary from diverse but fairly well informed folks. I disagree with the vast majority of what I have read from people on all sides of the issue. I will hit on the more credible commentary and leave others to fret over the nonsense of comments left at Reddit, YouTube, and other intellectual vacuums.
The Irony of Ron Paul's "Liberty" -- [A Soldier's perspective]
My father recently sent me a link to the video floating around of the "gun cam" from the Apache helicopter that allegedly killed two Reuters reporters and asked my opinion. As it happens, I had watched the video just this past weekend in its entirety - over 39 minutes.
After reading through the comments, I had to comment.
Anyway, my initial response was a simple one:
...That response was met with a hailstorm of criticism, which I responded to one by one. One of the posters by the name of Liberty_Belle posted a "veteran's analysis" of the video and responded to it point by point. Then, I was asked if I had read Smedley Butler's book, "War is a Racket." Of course, I have, but I disagree with Butler's views.
Video of a Baghdad Attack -- [Ramblings from a painter - in Iraq]
This is a rare event: two blog posts in a single day. Since posting my comments earlier, I found some discussions about the now-infamous Wikileaks video of an aerial attack in Baghdad in 2007 that killed a number of Iraqi men, among them a photographer and driver for Reuters. The video, entitled Collateral Murder, is on virtually every news site and probably has been shown on most TV news shows as well by now. I'm not going to post it as everybody else already has.
...But there is much more to the story than the Wikileaks video provides. It seems to me that Wikileaks is pursuing a sensationalist approach, or at least has an agenda to pursue.
35 killed in attacks against civilians in Baghdad -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
Seven bombs were detonated in residential areas of the capital as al Qaeda in Iraq attempts to reignite a sectarian war between Sunni and Shia.
al-Qaeda in Iraq Sends 10 Year Old as Suicide Bomber -- [Jawa Report]
A 10-year-old Iraqi boy allegedly recruited by al-Qaeda was about to blow himself in a suicide attack on Wednesday just east of Fallujah when police spotted and arrested him, a senior officer said.
The incident occurred near a police checkpoint in Amariyat Al-Fallujah, a village 15km east of the former Sunni rebel bastion of Fallujah and due west of Baghdad, said Captain Anas al-Issawi.
The Bums Get Voted Out -- [Strategy Page]
Terror attacks in Baghdad over the last week have caused over 400 casualties, including over a hundred dead. The attacks were the work of diehard Sunni Arab radicals, determined to terrorize their way back into power, or die trying. The remaining terrorist cells are largely fueled by cash from Sunni groups (al Qaeda and Saddam loyalists) outside the country.
Just Admit It: The Surge Worked -- [Abu Muqawama]
If you want to argue that getting involved in Iraq in the first place was a stupid decision, fine. I agree with you. But trying to argue that the Surge "failed" at this point -- even if Iraq someday descends anew into civil war -- simply isn't a credible option anymore.
Obama Limits When U.S. Would Use Nuclear Arms -- [NY Times]
But the president said in an interview that he was carving out an exception for "outliers like Iran and North Korea" that have violated or renounced the main treaty to halt nuclear proliferation...
"I'm going to preserve all the tools that are necessary in order to make sure that the American people are safe and secure," he said in the interview in the Oval Office.
...He dodged when asked whether he shared Israel's view that a "nuclear capable" Iran was as dangerous as one that actually possessed weapons.
"I'm not going to parse that right now," he said, sitting in his office as children played on the South Lawn of the White House at a daylong Easter egg roll.
New US Nuclear Policy Focuses on Terrorists, Rogue States -- [Voice of America]
The United States on Tuesday announced a new nuclear weapons policy that gives top priority to fighting terrorism and proliferation, rather than deterring or responding to a nuclear attack by a foreign country.
The Great Fear -- [Strategy Page]
April 7, 2010: In North Waziristan, a section of Pakistan's tribal territories that borders Afghanistan, there is growing fear among the Islamic militants who have long used the area as a base area and refuge. So far this year, there has been at least one missile attack a week, leaving more al Qaeda or Taliban, usually leaders, dead. American UAVs, often operating in pairs, or packs of four, roam the skies almost constantly. Terrorist leaders are now terrorized, and have cut back on travel, and use of satellite phones.
Not all terrorism: Obama tries to change subject -- [KOLD News 13 live/AP]
President Barack Obama's advisers plan to remove terms such as "Islamic radicalism" from a document outlining national security strategy and will use the new version to emphasize that the U.S. does not view Muslim nations through the lens of terrorism, counterterrorism officials say.
The change would be a significant shift in the National Security Strategy, a document that previously outlined the Bush Doctrine of preventive war. It currently states, "The struggle against militant Islamic radicalism is the great ideological conflict of the early years of the 21st century."
The officials described the changes on condition of anonymity because the document is still being written and is unlikely to be released for weeks, ...
Muslim cleric Aulaqi is 1st U.S. citizen on list of those CIA is allowed to kill -- [Washington Post]
A Muslim cleric tied to the attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound airliner has become the first U.S. citizen added to a list of suspected terrorists the CIA is authorized to kill, a U.S. official said Tuesday...
"He's recently become an operational figure for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula," said a second U.S. official. "He's working actively to kill Americans, so it's both lawful and sensible to try to stop him."
Ensnared by Error on Growing U.S. Watch List -- [NY Times]
Rahinah Ibrahim, a Stanford University doctoral student, arrived at San Francisco International Airport with her 14-year-old daughter for a 9 a.m. flight home to Malaysia. She asked for a wheelchair, having recently had a hysterectomy.
Instead, when a ticket agent found her name on the no-fly list, Ms. Ibrahim was handcuffed, searched and jailed amid a flurry of phone calls involving the local police, the F.B.I. and the Department of Homeland Security.
What To Say -- [A Little Pink in a World of Camo - Gold Star Wife]
Sometimes, I blog in my head. Seriously... the way my mind works, a lot of the time I'm thinking the way I'd write it out. I've been head-blogging an update for the past few days. That I've been doing alright. I've been carrying on. It isn't easy, not in the slightest, but I do the only thing I can do and I carry on. I've got lows. I've got some very low lows. But I've been lucky enough to have some... decents too. I call them decents because they aren't really highs but I can find time to laugh and be semi-normal.
Sometimes when this happens I feel awful. How can I be normal when I'm mourning? How can I laugh when laughter will never escape those lips I loved so much again? I am told this is all part of grief, that I shouldn't feel guilty, that I need to carry on with my life, and that it is what Jonny would want. That last part, I know is true. He made me promise before deployment "No Moping!" and I am trying so very, very hard to keep my promise. It ain't easy, but dammit, Jonny Porto, I'm trying.
Founder's Notes -- [Soldier's Angels]
In this war, those who make some of the biggest sacrifices are rarely noticed. The media is not covering the steady stream of heroes who now face a new mountain to climb: healing and reassembling their lives after catastrophic injuries. As the fight has heated up in Afghanistan, the number of wounded has increased.
Supporting these heroes and their families is some of the most powerful work Angels can do, reaching out to people at the most challenging times ....
Owning it -- ["From My Position... ]
A veteran injured in Afghanistan stands on the runway during the Dressed To Kilt charity fashion show in New York April 5, 2010.
Sassy -- [Toby Nunns Briefing Room - Jeff Bader]
Pictures of the new Soldiers Angels Support Center (SASC pronounced Sassy) Exhibition Hall and home turf of Operation Soft Landings' "Angels Landing". Our first events after the grand opening are an Operation Topknot Baby Shower Mothers Day weekend in May and a joint EA Sports/Ranger Up/Soldiers Angels EA Sports game release party with Soldiers Angel and MMA fighter Tim Kennedy TBA. Stay tuned for further events!
Snyder-Phelps fight has many twists, turns -- [Military Times]
Albert Snyder's eyes well up with tears when recalling his son's funeral.
...The funeral was marred, however, by seven uninvited guests -- members of the Westboro Baptist Church flew in from their headquarters in Topeka, Kan., to picket outside the church service.
Carrying signs reading "Semper Fi Fags," "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "Thank God for IEDs," the group infuriated passersby and mourners -- just as its members have at hundreds of military funerals across the country before and since.
Welcoming our nation's heroes home -- [Army Live]
My New Year's Eve in 2005 was a little different from any of my other New Year Eves' in the past. It was a New Year's Eve that would forever change the way I looked at events or people. I spent New Year's Eve that year with a few of my Army comrades. When I told my wife Michelle I was spending it with some of my fellow Army comrades and not with her and the family, she didn't quite know what to make of it. After all, aren't you supposed to bring in the New Year with family and friends? But my evening spent with fellow Army comrades in 2005 in fact, was a rather very quiet one. There were no big celebrations and hardly any fanfare, which is usually associated with anything on New Year's Eve. There was no loud music, no Dick Clark countdown in Time's Square, no fireworks to see, or even the traditional champagne toasts to bring in the New Year. In fact, my Army comrades didn't say a word at all.
You see, I spent that New Year's Eve on the flight line at Dover Air Force Base (AFB) in Delaware, as part of an official process that welcomes home the remains of U.S. Servicemembers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. This night, my fallen Army comrades took part in a very solemn and dignified ceremony which was in their honor.
Central Georgia Families Welcome 48th Brigade Members -- [13wmaz ]
"It's great to have him back home." They plan to take a vacation and spend time together as a family, now that dad is back home. As troops carried out their
Troops return to the gorge -- [Dalles Chronicle]
State agencies and local civic groups are planning ceremonies and events to welcome home troops from Iraq -- including "A Heroes' Welcome" in...
Troops Return to Olivia -- [West Central Tribune]
Friends and family welcome home the first returning troops with the 1st Battalion 151st Field Artillery to Olivia, Minnesota
I am done -- [Afghani Kush - home from Afghanistan]
I'm finished with my deployment, we made it home safe and after 14 months and some weeks in country, I am happy to say that it's over. Bittersweet because of those that didn't make it back, but I made some really good friends along the way too.
Shinseki Vows to Reduce VA's Claims Backlog -- [Elites TV]
Prioritizing the work ahead shortly after his first anniversary on the job, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said his focus for the year ahead is on reducing the disability claims backlog. "We are going to break the back of the backlog this year," Shinseki said during an interview with American Forces Press Service. He's counting on four pilot programs under way to help VA identify and break long-standing obstacles in providing veterans the benefits they've earned.
Few Veterans Seek Review Of Disability Rating, Panel Finds -- [Medical News Today]
"Only a small fraction of wounded veterans who could get better benefits have applied in the two years since Congress, acting on concerns the military was cutting costs by downplaying injuries, ordered the Pentagon to review disputed claims," The Associated Press reports. "As of mid-March, only 921 veterans have applied out of the 77,000 the Pentagon estimates are eligible, according to numbers provided by the Physical Disability Board of Review."
Joblessness hits male vets of current wars -- [USA Today]
Joblessness hits male vets of current wars USA Today - Washington -- Unemployment for male Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans has tripled since the recession began, rising from 5% in March 2007 to 15% last month, Labor Department statistics show. More than 250,000 of these veterans were unemployed last month. An additional 400,000 have left the workforce to attend college or raise children, or because they have stopped trying to find a job, Labor Department economist Jim Walker says. The overall national unemployment rate is 9.7%.
Job training programs for veterans Syracuse NY -- [CNY Central]
Unemployment rates among veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars jumped to over 14 percent, up 4 points from three months ago, according to Department of Labor Statistics. Here in Onondaga County, the rates are similar, with over 1,800 veterans unemployed. With veterans coming back to the job market, organizations in Syracuse are trying to make the transition as easy as possible.
Journeys End -- [Greyhawk]
"There's a power in people who dream big and try hard," reads the simple statement at the top of Jenna Wilcox' milblog. If you've never read it, it's still online - but she won't be adding new entries.
"This will be my last entry," the young U.S. Air Force captain recently posted. "Both Scott and I are home, safe and sound and I no longer have a reason to continue with this blog." She and her husband had completed their Afghanistan tours...
MilBlogs Event page for MilBlog Conference has been updated. -- [Fan of Milblogs]
Friday, April 9, 2010: Friday evening, we'll have a cocktail reception following the kick-off panel. At the reception, there will be a cash bar and lite fare (passed hors d'oeuvers). A full dinner will be served at Saturday evening's big bash. The agenda for Friday is below:
Episode #83 MilBlog Conference 2010 Special -- [ You Served®]
For the first time, CJ, Troy, and Marcus will all be together broadcasting from one location for the 2010 MilBlog Conference in Washington D.C. Guests that will be stopping by our "studio" include Matt Burden, Uncle Jimbo, Gina Elise and others. Uncle Jimbo will have a very special announcement that will have a huge impact on the Milblogging community, be sure to tune in!
Now Streaming: 2008 and 2009 MilBlog Conference Footage You Served® -- [ You Served®]
Josh D, one of the behind the scenes guys you rarely hear about, and I have been working very hard over the last week to upload video recorded by CJ, Troy, and I from the last two years of MilBlog Conferences. ...
World's Greatest Milblog -- ["From My Position... ]
I've voted for the milbloggies, have you?
A vote for US Army: From My Position... On the Way! is a vote for me, and America. It's like a patriotic duty. If I win, I promise to use my award to browbeat anyone who opposes service-members exercising their rights to keep America informed.
I'll also demand longer recess periods and seek new ways to fund field trips to the amusement park.
America's 1stSgt for Class President! -- [Castra Praetoria]
It seems Castra Praetoria is now in the finals for the 2010 MILbloggies. Scientists inform me they are unable to quantify the coolness of this event with current technology. In an effort to aid them, I have begun to do some of my own research.
International media groups call for investigation after leaked video shows US military killing Reuters' journalists -- [Online Journalism News]
Leading media and press freedom organisations have called upon the United States army to open a new investigation into the killings of two journalists in Iraq in 2007.
Predator Drone Warfare -- Assorted Links -- [Kenneth Anderson/Volokh Conspiracy]
It's not true that everything I do is about drone warfare, but it has taken a lot of my time lately and, of course, a lot of stuff is happening, both on the operational side as well as legal side. So here's a little round-up of links, more or less at random.
Breaking the Safe Haven: Minerals in Waziristan -- [CNAS Natural Security Blog]
...In remarks last week, Maj. Gen. Tariq Khan, the commander of the Pakistani Frontier Corps, lobbied for increased development efforts in the tribal areas, saying that "the world mustn't neglect the area as it did after the 1989 Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, or it could fall prey again to al Qaeda and its allies."
Development and maintenance of an extractive mineral industry could revolutionize the Waziristan economy and infrastructure in the long-term. Indeed, ongoing efforts in Afghanistan must be matched "across the border in FATA" according to Barnett Rubin and Abubakar Siddique in a 2006 USIP report. "FATA's isolation can be broken only by improving its infrastructure...
The 9/14 Presidency -- [Reason]
Barack Obama is operating with the war powers granted George W. Bush three days after the 9/11 attacks. -- If you believe the president's Republican critics, Barack Obama takes a law enforcement approach to terrorism. His FBI came under fire for reading Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab ...
My visit with Michelle Obama -- [A World Away]
I was invited by the First Lady and Dr. Biden to be their guest at the State of the Union Address in January 2010. I represented military families and the importance of volunteerism. Below is a detailed account of how this all came about.
Today's Medal of Honor Moment for 7 April -- [Castle Argghhh!!!]
...7 April 1865. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Philadelphia, Pa. Date of issue: 30 October 1897. Citation: His regiment being surprised and nearly overwhelmed, he dashed forward under a heavy fire, reached the right of...
McDonnell's Confederate History Month proclamation irks civil rights leaders -- [Washington Post]
Gov. Robert F. McDonnell, reviving a controversy that had been dormant for eight years, has declared that April will be Confederate History Month in Virginia, a move that angered civil rights leaders Tuesday
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
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.
Updating - Refresh for updates.
Deep Breaths -- [Rajiv Srinivasan - in Afghanistan]
Today is April 1, 2010...it's my 24th Birthday. And of course, the first thing I saw before I went to bed yesterday was my own face and body. I saw them in a mirror in the new shower trailer they're installing on our COP. Had it been any other day, I don't think I would have cared. But it's my birthday. I'm one year older, and most of that year was spent in Afghanistan. I stared at my own face like a ghost... "Aging is adding years to your life; growing is adding life to your years."...
Murder at Blue 25: British soldier speaks of betrayal in Afghanistan -- [Sean Rayment/The Telegraph (UK) - in Afghanistan]
A British soldier has spoken about how he survived a betrayal by an Afghan policeman who ran amok and killed five of his colleagues.
It was a typical balmy late Autumn afternoon in the British base known as "Blue 25"...
"I remember it being a beautiful day", recalled LSgt Baily. "I was on the roof because one of my radio antennae had broken and it was the only way I could get a signal.
"We had just finished lunch, and most of the soldiers were sitting on a small wall in the courtyard."
It was then that a lone gunman, who until that moment the troops had regarded as a friend and comrade, stepped out of the shadows and opened fire...
Violence Helps Taliban Undo Afghan Gains -- [NY Times]
Just a few weeks since the start of the operation here, the Taliban have "reseized control and the momentum in a lot of ways" in northern Marja, Maj. James Coffman, civil affairs leader for the Third Battalion, Sixth Marines, said in an interview in late March. "We have to change tactics to get the locals back on our side." ...
Push meets shove -- [Greyhawk]
...obviously, Obama's latest attempt to explain to Karzai what an awful job he's doing over there in Kabul didn't go well. (But by the way kids, this - another "Karzai's brother is a criminal, some say" report - and not Karzai's comment, was actually post-visit round one.)
In its turn the White House has expressed concerns. And apparently, Kazai and Secretary Clinton had a phone call today...
Karzai Slams the West Again -- [Wall Street Journal]
KABUL, Afghanistan--President Hamid Karzai lashed out at his Western backers for the second time in three days, accusing the U.S. of interfering in Afghan affairs and saying the Taliban insurgency would become a legitimate resistance movement if the meddling doesn't stop.
Karzai's Words Leave Few Choices for the West -- [NY Times]
There are no good options on the horizon, many analysts say, for reining in Mr. Karzai or for penalizing him, without potentially damaging Western interests. The reluctant conclusion of diplomats and Afghan analysts is that for now, they are stuck with him.
U.S. Admits Role in Killing of Afghan Women -- [NY Times]
KABUL, Afghanistan -- After initially denying involvement or any cover-up in the deaths of three Afghan women during a badly bungled American Special Operations assault in February, the American-led military command in Kabul admitted late on Sunday that its forces had, in fact, killed the women during the nighttime raid.
US special forces 'tried to cover-up' botched Khataba raid in Afghanistan -- [Times (UK) Online]
US special forces soldiers dug bullets out of their victims' bodies in the bloody aftermath of a botched night raid, then washed the wounds with alcohol before lying to their superiors about what happened, Afghan investigators have told The Times.
Easter -- [270 Days in Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
The morning dawned bright on this April day, and as we took stock of our surroundings, we realized that today was Easter. How about that? It seems like just yesterday we were talking about Christmas away from home and how much of a bummer it was that we wouldn't be able to spend it with our families. Well....fast forward to today, and the mood was quite different...
Easter 2010, St Elijah Monastery, Iraq -- [Greyhawk/Milblogs TV]
Easter in Baghdad -- [Yasmine Mousany/NY Times/At War - in Iraq]
Until 2003, no Sunday sermon, Friday prayer or any other occasion would take place without the sentence, "Long Live the Leader, Saddam Hussein." This day's sermon contained a prayer for Iraq. "Bear in mind that we are the sons of this wounded country," Father Cacha said. "Pray for it."
In one voice the congregation replied, "Amen."
As I left the church, I heard the Muslim call to prayer. This is the Iraq I miss, in which the ringing of church bells entwines with the calls to prayer...
"Blood will be shed" -- [Greyhawk]
If this is pessimism, it's not your typical, "Iraq unraveling" hand wringing: "Iraqi politics is a full contact sport, and blood will be shed. Nor will the battle be primarily sectarian. It will be a Shiia-on- Shiia affair. If it doesn't end up in a civil war, it will look like a Chicago gang war before it is over."
If events play out as he describes (and I'm not convinced they will - but the people of Iraq tend to defy expectations) US forces in Iraq will find themselves in a very different situation than what confronted us in 2006...
All in all it's a drama worthy of much attention and getting none. Should it become more "action-oriented" (what the ADD kids think of as attention worthy) that ignorance will be a tragic shame.
Suicide bombers target embassies in Iraq, kill 42 -- [AP]
BAGHDAD -- Suicide attackers detonated three car bombs in quick succession near foreign embassies in Baghdad on Sunday, killing more than 40 people in coordinated strikes that Iraqi officials said were intended to disrupt efforts to form a new government.
The bombings followed the execution-style killings of 24 villagers in a Sunni area two days earlier, a spike in violence that suggests insurgents are seizing on the political uncertainty after the recent election to try to destabilize the country as U.S. troops prepare to leave. No clear winner emerged from the March 7 vote...
On Friday, gunmen trying to pass themselves off as U.S. and Iraqi soldiers raided a Sunni village outside Baghdad and killed at least 24 people in an execution-style attack, apparently targeting a Sunni group that revolted against al-Qaida in Iraq.
Deadly raid on Sunni village renews fear of sectarian violence in Iraq -- [McClatchy Newspapers]
"Terrorists wearing Iraqi army uniforms and using SUVs stormed three houses of relatives, most of them are members of the local Awakening council," said a ranking officer in Iraq's Ministry of Interior who asked not to be identified because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media. "They took men and women out, handcuffed them with metal handcuffs, and executed them."
..."We detained 17 suspects and imposed a curfew in the area" said Qassim Atta, the spokesman for Baghdad operations of the Iraqi army. He said that most of the victims were members of Iraqi security forces and the Awakening group.
Atta said the Iraqi army also found seven people handcuffed and freed them. Iraqi authorities also found one of the cars the gunmen used.
...Maj. Mohammed al Askari, a spokesman of the Defense Ministry, said villagers told Iraqi soldiers that the gunmen came from a nearby village. He said 25 suspects had been arrested, and that some had confessed to committing the attack.
New Painting -- [Ramblings from a Painter - in Iraq]
This afternoon was my "weekend". I did this small painting from some photos that I took last summer of a kid who sold bootleg DVDs on the street near our compound in the IZ...
..he always had this worried, slightly desperate look on his face...
My Dad on Political Violence -- [Neil Gussman - Home From Iraq]
My Dad's stories about World War 2 were a big part of my childhood...
Shortly after he was assigned to Camp Shenango in PA, he was the officer on duty on a weekend. That weekend there was a race riot. My Dad went out of the headquarters and found himself in front of an armed mob. He said the young soldier in front had "a 30 Ought 6 aimed right at my belly button." My father told the soldier with the rifle to "take it easy." Then he heard someone in the back say "shoot the white . . . "
Hearing the cowards in the back egging the man in front on, my Dad spoke to the shaking young man in front with the rifle. "If you pull that trigger the MPs are going to shoot you. If they don't shoot you they'll hang you. Nothing will happen to the son of a bitch in the back telling you what to do." ...
EXCLUSIVE: Iran Nuclear Scientist Defects to U.S. In CIA 'Intelligence Coup' -- [ABC News]
An award-winning Iranian nuclear scientist, who disappeared last year under mysterious circumstances, has defected to the CIA and been resettled in the United States, according to people briefed on the operation by intelligence officials...
A spokesperson for the CIA declined to comment.
Russia offers Venezuela nuclear help, Chavez says -- [AP]
CARACAS, Venezuela - Russia has agreed to help Venezuela draw up plans for a nuclear power plant, President Hugo Chavez said Friday.
Atomic energy was one of many areas of cooperation discussed as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made his first visit to the South American country.
"We're ready to start drawing up the first plan of a nuclear power plant, obviously with peaceful aims," Chavez said.
Russian Arms Sales to Venezuela Could Total $5 Billion -- [Voice of America]
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says Russia could sell as much as $5 billion worth of weapons to Venezuela.
Mr. Putin spoke in Moscow Monday, following his first visit to the South American country...
The United States has previously cautioned Venezuela against continuing its arms buildup, warning its actions could endanger regional stability.
North Korea Accuses South Korean Troops of Firing Toward its Border -- [Voice of America]
North Korea's state-run news agency says South Korean forces committed what it calls a "grave armed provocation" Sunday. It says they fired toward a North Korean police post in the eastern part of the demilitarized zone. South Korea's military says no such incident took place.
Pyongyang regularly accuses Seoul of raising tensions between the two states, which remain technically at war since a 1953 truce that ended the Korean War.
US consulate attacked in NW Pakistan -- [AP]
PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Islamist militants attacked a U.S. consulate in northwest Pakistan with car bombs and grenades Monday, killing three people, hours after 41 people died in a suicide attack on a political rally elsewhere in the region.
...Al-Qaida and Taliban militants have long vowed to attack the United States, which has fired scores of missiles at them in their northwestern strongholds over the last year and a half. Washington has also given billions of dollars in aid to the Pakistani army, which is also attacking the Muslim extremists.
...The last attack against a U.S. mission was in Karachi in 2006...
Libya Lets Loose al-Qaeda -- [Michael Totten]
Libya just released 214 al-Qaeda members from Tripoli's Abu Salim prison. Seif al Islam, son of President Moammar Qaddafi, says hundreds more will be turned out soon, which will bring the number of freed Libyan terrorists up to almost 1,000.
Report: 2nd Moscow suicide bomber was teacher -- [AP]
A Russian newspaper quotes a man as saying that one of the Moscow suicide bombers may have been his daughter, a 28-year-old teacher named Maryam Sharilova.
Novaya Gazeta quotes Rasul Magomedov as saying that a photograph of the suicide bomber looks like his daughter and that she was wearing the same red scarf the last time he saw her...
Report: Military could be underestimating troops' compensation -- [Stars and Stripes]
Add in health care, retirement and additional tax breaks, and the difference between military and civilian pay jumped to $13,360 for enlisted servicemembers and $24,870 for officers.
Yet the GAO report, which was released Friday, said the military might be underestimating compensation because past studies often failed to take into account health benefits, retirement, commissary privileges, burial expenses and other forms of payment, such as hazardous duty pay or signing bonuses.
Snyder-Phelps fight has many twists, turns -- [Military Times]
YORK, Pa. -- Albert Snyder's eyes well up with tears when recalling his son's funeral.
More than 1,200 people packed St. John Catholic Church in Westminster, Md., on March 10, 2006, to pay their respects to 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who died when his Humvee rolled over in Iraq's Anbar province while he manned the vehicle's gun turret.
On their trip from the church to a nearby veterans cemetery, small-town patriotism was on full display. Cars pulled over and allowed the funeral procession to pass. Strangers on the street saluted.
"I've never seen a funeral like this in my life," the father said during an interview in his hometown, his voice wavering. "It was just amazing to see."
The funeral was marred, however, by seven uninvited guests -- members of the Westboro Baptist Church flew in from their headquarters in Topeka, Kan., to picket outside the church service.
Carrying signs reading "Semper Fi Fags," "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "Thank God for IEDs," the group infuriated passersby and mourners -- just as its members have at hundreds of military funerals across the country before and since.
Led by founder Fred Phelps, the group maintains that God kills U.S. troops as punishment for the country's tolerance of homosexuality, greed and abortion.
Snyder wasn't going to take that lying down...
Soldiers from 844th get big welcome home from families, friends -- [KnoxNews]
Thousands of vets missing out on better benefits -- [AP/Stars and Stripes]
Only a fraction of wounded veterans who could get better benefits have applied in the two years since Congress, acting on concerns the military was cutting costs by downplaying injuries, ordered the Pentagon to review disputed claims.
As of mid-March, only 921 vets have applied out of the 77,000 the Pentagon estimates are eligible, according to numbers provided to The Associated Press by the Physical Disability Board of Review. The panel was created in 2008 but started taking cases in January 2009.
Seven Hundred and forty-six reasons to never use Priceline.com -- [From my Position... on the Way!]
I am all set to go to the Milblogcon 2010.
I made sure I was arriving early on Friday morning, because there are some events I wanted to attend (which includes, as it turns out, a visit to the Pentagon to Welcome home Wounded Warriors. The same visit I made almost five years ago, just on the other side of the wheelchair. Also a trip to Bethesda, to hand out Valour-IT laptops and other assistance technology, including one for this young Marine.
Then I checked my itinerary from priceline.com...
Milblog Conference -- [Baldilocks]
This year's Milblog Conference will be held from 9-10 April--next week obviously--and not only will I be there, I'll be one of the panelists...
About the milbloggies -- [From my Position... on the Way!]
I've kept it to myself, but this year I've managed to get myself in a bit of trouble over my unvarnished, venomous opinions of malfeasance and idiocy in the gummint and media.
It had to happen sooner or later.
No, I'm not quitting. You may have noticed the more toned-down posts, and that's why. My very opinionated writing eventually resulted in a Letter of Reprimand from a General Officer...
If I screw up again, the reprimand goes in my record--and kills my career.
Thoughts on a Kindle -- [Ramblings from a Painter - in Iraq]
A bit over a year ago, my wife bought me a Kindle. It was a pretty cool little gadget. I could carry around a ton of books without carrying around a ton of weight. It was pretty easy to operate and the screen was easy on the eyes. No flicker, like you get from computer screens. I became a Kindle advocate and got into lots of conversations with strangers about this little "iPod-for-books".
But on my last trip back to Iraq, something on the Kindle's screen went wrong, and the top inch or so doesn't work anymore. That meant that every time I turned the page, a couple of lines went missing. I figured out a workaround and was able to finish the book I was reading, but then was faced with the question, do I get a replacement, or no?
I decided, no. ...
The Taliban Arrest Wave in Pakistan: Reasserting Strategic Depth? -- [/CTC Sentinel (pdf)]
...The wave of arrests follows years of meager results in capturing Afghan Taliban leaders in Pakistan. The arrests have been perceived in the United States as a veritable about-face in Pakistan's counterterrorism policy. U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, for example, called the arrests "another high-water mark for Pakistani and American collaboration." Bruce Riedel, who led the Barack Obama administration's policy review on both countries in spring 2009, called the arrest of Baradar a "sea change in Pakistani behavior."
A closer look, however, reveals that the arrests may not represent a clear change in Pakistan's policy toward the Afghan Taliban. All of those recently arrested were seeking political negotiations with the Afghan government, circumventing Pakistan-controlled channels. This article contends that the arrests may be an attempt by the Pakistani government to regain control over the Afghan Taliban's political agenda and, in a broader sense, over the "reconciliation" process announced by Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Drones Batter Al Qaeda and Its Allies Within Pakistan -- [NY Times]
A stepped-up campaign of American drone strikes over the past three months has battered Al Qaeda and its Pakistani and Afghan brethren in the tribal area of North Waziristan, according to a mid-ranking militant and supporters of the government there.
Drone Wars: The Legal Debate Continues -- [Nathan Hodge/Danger Room]
Last week, the State Department's top legal adviser laid out the administration's case for using drones to fight al Qaeda and its allies. Now the drone war is starting to generate some real legal debate...
The Spaces in Between: Operating on the Afghan Border (or Not) -- [Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Kelley and Lieutenant Colonel Scott Sweetser/Small Wars Journal]
"It must be remembered that Afghanistan has for centuries been rather a geographical expression than a country" --G.A. Henty, For Name and Fame (1900), p. 248
Henty's formulation, captured here from the Boys' Own Adventure genre of fiction popular among empires past, may be cliché and contradictory; but clichés and contradictions can be found in abundance around the Afghan border town of Spin Boldak. Along a jagged, ominous spine of rock in the center of town, a centuries-old fortress looms above the modern blue-roofed, pre-fabricated structures which house private contractors hired to train the border police manning the crumbling fortifications. Narrow, dust-blown alleys and acres of scrap-metal shops are punctuated by walled compounds stuffed to overflowing with gleaming, modern vehicles shipped duty free across the border from Pakistan, before ultimately returning - again duty free - to Pakistani markets in a kind of massive, international game of three-card Monte. The local commander of the Afghan Border Police is at once a demonstrably staunch ally against Taliban insurgents, and the subject of countless accusations of corruption, narcotics smuggling and arms dealing.
Nothing is quite what it seems
For Name and Fame -- [G. A. Henty, Illustrated by Gordon Browne]
In following the hero of this story through the last Afghan war, you will be improving your acquaintance with a country which is of supreme importance to the British Empire and, at the same time, be able to trace the operations by which Lord Roberts made his great reputation as a general, and a leader of men. Afghanistan stands as a line between the two great empires of England and Russia; and is likely, sooner or later, to become the scene of a tremendous struggle between these nations. Happily, at the present time the Afghans are on our side. It is true that we have warred with, and beaten them; but our retirement, after victory, has at least shown them that we have no desire to take their country while, on the other hand, they know that for those races upon whom Russia has once laid her hand there is no escape.
Air Force to Launch Robotic Spacecraft -- [AP/Fox]
LOS ANGELES -- After a decade of development, the Air Force this month plans to launch a robotic spacecraft resembling a small space shuttle to conduct technology tests in orbit and then glide home to a California runway.
The ultimate purpose of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle and details about the craft, which has been passed between several government agencies, however, remain a mystery as it is prepared for launch April 19 from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Pentagon Wants Troop Poop Porta-Reactors -- [Danger Room]
The Pentagon's got a new idea for generating renewable power at overseas military bases, and it's an eco-friendly initiative inspired by one of nature's most irrefutable truths: everyone poops.
It's no surprise that Darpa, the military's risk-taking research agency, is behind this one. They're requesting information on approaches to developing portable nuclear reactors that could generate electricity and fuel for land and water-based operations. And they want the systems to be sustainable for "several years" in off-the-grid locales. That means "indigenous feedstocks" are the preferred fuel source. What could be more indigenous, Darpa asks, than human waste?
U.N. chief shocked by shrinking lake -- [AP/MSNBC]
NUKUS, Uzbekistan - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday called the drying up of the Aral Sea one of the planet's most shocking disasters and urged Central Asian leaders to step up efforts to solve the problem.
Once the world's fourth-largest lake, the sea has shrunk by 90 percent since the rivers that feed it were largely diverted in a Soviet project to boost cotton production in the arid region. (Via Registan)
The Green Hornet -- [Greyhawk]
An F/A-18 Super Hornet from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 with green markings and the U.S. Department of the Navy Energy Security logo is in the hangar at Andrews Air Force Base. VX-23 will be testing the full envelope of the Super Hornet with a drop in replacement biofuel made from the camelina plant in an effort to certify alternative fuels for naval aviation use.
Natural Security News -- [CNAS/Natural Security blog]
Army secretary does about-face on DADT moratorium -- [Stars and Stripes]
On Wednesday, McHugh said, "What [Defense Secretary Robert Gates] has placed a moratorium on is going forward on discharges," he said. "It is not so stated, but I think a reasonable assumption."
On Thursday, McHugh issued a statement saying there was no such moratorium...
McHugh also backtracked from his comments the day before about not discharging soldiers who told him in confidence that they were gay, saying he should have done a better job explaining to soldiers who approached him that their conversations were not confidential and could result in their separation.
McHugh said he doesn't recall whom he spoke with.
"Because of the informal and random manner in which these engagements occurred, I am unable to identify these soldiers and I am not in a position to formally pursue the matter," he said in the statement.
Defense officials said McHugh issued the statement on his own initiative.
David Petraeus for President: Run General, run -- [The Telegraph (UK)]
Americans have never been so disgusted with their politicians. More than three-quarters of Americans disapprove of Congress. President Barack Obama's favourability ratings have slumped to below 50 per cent and he is no longer trusted or believed by many who voted for him.
Republicans are faring little better and the growth of the Tea Party movement reflects the widespread disgust with Washington and the political class. Incumbents across the board are vulnerable in November's mid-term elections...
In this toxic climate, perhaps the only public institution that has increased in prestige in recent years is the American military. Its officers are looked upon, as General George Patton once noted, as "the modern representatives of the demi-gods and heroes of antiquity".
Where better to look for Obama's successor, therefore, than in the uniformed ranks? Not since 1952, when a certain Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during the Second World War, was elected President, have the chances of a military man winning the White House been more propitious...
The Best Defense interview: Petraeus on not running for president, pirates, President Obama & 'The Blind Side' -- [Tom Ricks]
I noticed the other day that Gen. David Petraeus has been speaking all over the place and I figured if the Provo, Utah, newspaper could get an interview, so might I. So I did. This is what he had to say. His responses are given here in full and unedited.
If I were writing this as a news story, I'd probably hype the "review of concept" meeting he mentions on Afghanistan. But it isn't.
Best Defense: What do you think Americans aren't noticing about your Area of Responsibility right now that you think they should?
SFC Paul Ray Smith -- [Mrs greyhawk]
April 4, is the anniversary of the death of SFC Paul Ray Smith, the first recipient of the Medal of Honor KIA in Iraq in 2003.
"...The consequences were dire. If Smith's troops broke, the Iraqi troops would be able to move potentially unimpeded from the courtyard gate all the way to a nearby command center, flanking a mortar unit, and overrunning a station that held both the wounded and several embedded journalists..."
This week in the (mainstream media) History of the Iraq War -- [Greyhawk]
As the Mrs reminded us, April 4th marked the 5th anniversary of the day SFC Paul Ray Smith earned the Medal of Honor during the battle for what was then known as Saddam Hussein International Airport... That story didn't make the news that day. That's hardly a condemnation of reporters; obviously much time would pass before events of that nature (in the midst of a war) could be sorted out and accurately reported.
So what did make news from Iraq on 4 April, 2003? Here's Robert Fisk's report from that same airport...
Sacrifice and salvation -- [Greyhawk]
Easter Sunday, 1972: "...the U.S. was withdrawing its forces from Vietnam, my ship was off the southern tip of South Vietnam, replenishing some small boys, and headed to Thailand for liberty. But on March 30, 1972, we were ordered to make best speed for the gunline off the DMZ because the North Vietnamese, with tanks and regular army troops were rolling across the DMZ..."
2004: On April 4th, 2004, al'Sadr's Mahdi forces blocked roadways and bridges with burning tires, vehicles and trash... A battle raged across Sadr City. Insurgents assaulted American troops while looters and mobs formed and stormed through the streets. Word spread quickly across the American FOBs that there was trouble...
Casey Sheehan's Sergeant asked for volunteers. Sheehan had just returned from Mass...
A History Lesson -- [Greyhawk]
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