Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.Refresh for updates.
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Taliban Prepares for Major NATO Offensive -- [Voice of America]
In southern Afghanistan, Taliban militants are digging in for a fight against NATO forces preparing a massive assault on a key insurgent stronghold.
Witnesses say Taliban fighters are bringing in weapons supplies and digging in around Marjah in Helmand province, home to an estimated 80,000 people and center of opium trafficking. NATO commanders say thousands of coalition and Afghan troops are preparing to take back Marjah in one of the biggest offensives of the eight-year-old Afghan war.
Special Forces Assassins Infiltrate Taliban Stronghold in Afghanistan -- [Times Online]
American and British forces poised to assault the Taliban stronghold of Marjah, in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, have begun targeting insurgent leaders for assassination, The Sunday Times reported...
Dear Moderate Taliban -- [David Bellavia site - Semperpapa]
The Sunday edition of UK Times Online has a report from Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, titled "Special Forces Assassins Infiltrate Taliban Stronghold in Afghanistan" in which the tale is told of Coalition Special Operations Units having begun going around the Taliban held city of Marjah looking to find and kill Taliban leadership in advance of a major offensive that will possibly start very soon.
...Call me picky, but I have a little bit of a problem with the whole thing, in my humble opinion.
Far from advancing any criticism of the Military tactics, I am very concerned with the approach taken with this operation, which is called Moshtarak or "Together".
Mainly, my question is why are we telephoning the enemy the impending attack? And now we are telling our enemy that Special Ops teams are already in the city?
British sniper avenges his friend by killing Taliban -- [Telegraph]
Fusilier Martin Williams described shooting the insurgents as a "vendetta" against those who killed his friend Robert Hunt, who was the 200th soldier to die in Afghanistan.
His skills were put to the test when his patrol came under fire after it moved into a compound in an area north of Lashkar Gah in central Helmand last Monday. He took up his position and waited patiently for enemy troops to appear. His victims included two Taliban shot in a ditch at a distance of about 800 yards, including one who was hit in the throat.
"He put his hand out as if asking someone to help but not one came," the Welshman said. "There was definitely less movement after I dropped them.
"The Taliban are used to machine guns but as soon as you get a sniper on the ground, it puts the fear of God into them."
Taliban defiant as Afghans flee ahead of assault -- [AFP]
NATO commanders called on the Taliban to surrender as troops dug in Monday for a major assault on one of the last insurgent strongholds in southern Afghanistan, sending thousands of residents fleeing.
Afghanistan's NATO head: Military push needs gov't -- [Herald-Standard]
The success of a planned major U.S.-Afghan offensive in the south depends on how quickly troops and civilian development workers can get public services up and running once the Taliban have been driven away, the top U.S. and NATO commander said Sunday.
An Epic Tragedy -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
In the past 9 months, I have met some colorful people in Afghanistan. They have appreciated my interest in their culture, history, and philosophy. As such, they provide me insights and stories you don't read about in a book or newspapers. Over numerous cups of tea I find out some interesting stories or a sneak peak about their personal lives. These personal details are cultivated by developing a relationship and gaining trust of the individual you mentor and many cups of green tea.
Love, No War -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
...In the pictures are a new fleet of ANA pickup trucks, 7-tons, and up-armored Humvees, compliments of our US taxpayer dollars. As the size of the ANA forces expands, so does their requirement to have more vehicles to transport the troops and logistics. While outside the camp today, I spotted a truck that caught my attention.
First MEDEVAC for Joint U.S., Afghan Crew -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Richard Kramer and Afghan Sgt. 1st Class Ghulam Sakhi, flight medics with the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group/Combined Air Power Transition Force, discuss with an Afghan soldier through Shakira Azzizi, an Afghan translator, what is going to happen on a rotary wing medical evacuation from Bagram Airfield
Amnesty International is 'damaged' by Taliban link -- [Times Online]
A SENIOR official at Amnesty International has accused the charity of putting the human rights of Al-Qaeda terror suspects above those of their victims.
Gita Sahgal, head of the gender unit at Amnesty's international secretariat, believes that collaborating with Moazzam Begg, a former British inmate at Guantanamo Bay, "fundamentally damages" the organisation's reputation.
In an email sent to Amnesty's top bosses, she suggests the charity has mistakenly allied itself with Begg and his "jihadi" group, Cageprisoners, out of fear of being branded racist and Islamophobic.
Officials Confirm Kidnapping of U.S. Contractor in Iraq -- [Washington Post]
An American contractor working for the U.S. military in Baghdad has been kidnapped by a Shiite militant group, U.S. officials said this weekend in response to a statement and video issued by the group.
Iraq Militant Video Shows Abducted American -- [Voice of America]
A Shi'ite militant group in Iraq has released a video of a man it apparently kidnapped, and who appears to be a U.S. contractor who disappeared last month.
The video posted on the Internet shows a man wearing a U.S. military uniform. He is sitting in front of a flag inscribed with the name of the militant group - League of the Righteous.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Defense said a 60-year-old American contractor Issa T. Salomi had disappeared on January 23, and that search efforts were under way.
Iraq vote row to be resolved before campaign starts -- [AFP]
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Monday he has received assurances that judges will resolve a simmering row over who can stand in Iraq's general election before official campaigning starts on February 12.
Around 100 lawmakers had gathered earlier at parliament for an emergency session to debate a contentious decision to allow hundreds of candidates allegedly linked to executed dictator Saddam Hussein's Baath party to stand in the vote.
Former Iraqi premier slams de-Baathification -- [The Peninsula]
BAGHDAD: Iraq's pro-Western former prime minister Iyad Allawi has denounced a commission that barred candidates allegedly linked to Saddam Hussein from elections before their disputed reinstatement on appeal.
African Taliban Appoint Special Envoy to US -- [Jawa Report]
His name is Abukar Abdou Arman and he's a long time resident of the United States and a "well-known community activist." So well-known, in fact, that I've never heard of him. Any one have any info on Arman?
How screwed up is Somalia? The African Taliban in Somalia -- who Arman represents -- are now our allies. These would be the same people that we helped oust from power through our support of the Ethiopian invasion only to find that the alternative in the al Qaeda aligned Shabaab were worse.
Ahmadinejad Orders Production of Higher-enriched Uranium -- [Washington Post]
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday ordered the production of higher-enriched uranium -- significantly beyond the levels of its regular nuclear fuel -- prompting the United States to renew threats of carefully targeted sanctions.
Gates: Tough Sanctions Could Still Work -- [Defense Link]
There is still time to toughen sanctions to pressure Iran into complying with international demands that it halt its nuclear program that many believe is geared toward developing a nuclear weapon, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
"If the international community will stand together and bring pressure to bear on the Iranian government, I believe there is still time for sanctions and pressure to work," Gates said at a press event alongside Italy's minister of defense Ignazio La Russa.
"But we must all work together," he added.
Obama Challenges Terrorism Critics -- [New York Times]
The White House pushed back Sunday against Republican criticism of its approach to terrorism, calling it "not anchored in reality" as a national security debate that was largely muted in recent years roared back to center stage with an angry intensity.
Obama official accuses GOP of using terrorism as 'political football' -- [Los Angeles Times]
Reporting from Washington - President Obama's deputy national security advisor accused Republicans on Sunday of using national security as a "political football" and of being disingenuous in criticizing the treatment of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the suspect in the Christmas Day airliner attack.
Clinton Sees Islamist Terror as No. 1 Threat -- [Washington Times]
...While one of the White House's top national security advisers criticized lawmakers for politicizing national security threats, including the Christmas Day attack over Detroit, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said even a nuclear-armed North Korea or Iran isn't as great a threat to the U.S. as al Qaeda and allied jihad groups.
"The biggest nightmare that any of us have is that one of these terrorist member organizations within this syndicate of terror will get their hands on a weapon of mass destruction," she said in a Sunday appearance on CNN. "So that's really the most threatening prospect we see."
Special Delivery -- [Michael Yon]
American troops are spread widely across Afghanistan. Some are remote and accessibility is difficult. In 2008, I was with six soldiers in Zabul Province who didn't even get mail for three months. They had no email. They were on the moon. Six courageous men, in the middle of nowhere, and their nearest backup was a small Special Forces team about five hours away. Resupply to these small outposts is crucial, difficult, and would require major effort by ground. Enter the United States Air Force....
German-born US Soldier headed for OCS two years after being seriously wounded in Iraq -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
...You may also remember the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Spc. Jamaleldine's CASEVAC.
Upon landing, the co-pilot/gunner helped load the injured Soldier into the front seat without further injury. Despite the heavy small arms fire and surface-to-air fire events in the area, the co-pilot/gunner strapped himself onto the left side of the aircraft and hunkered down on the wing. The pilot flew to Camp Ar Ramadi medical pad, where emergency medical personnel provided treatment.
And now, over two years later, Jamaleldine is slated to attend Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning.
Stolen Honor as A Pick-Up Line? -- [Maggie's Farm]
Is wearing fraudulent medals of valor just a harmless pick-up line?
Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University's law school who is not involved in the two cases, said the Stolen Valor Act raises constitutional questions because it bans bragging or exaggerating about yourself."Half the pickup lines in bars across the country could be criminalized under that concept," he said.
The AP reports that defense attorneys in two Stolen Valor prosecutions are challenging the constitutionality of the Stolen Valor Act, passed unanimously in the US Senate and by acclamation in the House in late 2006. They say, the AP reports, "the First Amendment protects almost all speech that doesn't hurt someone else. ...
Absurd Stolen Valor case moves to the judicial phase -- [BurnPit - MOTHAX]
The Milblogs joined together to take this guy down, and all that remains now is the courtroom drama. You might recall from my earlier post that the ACLU and others are arguing that the Stolen Valor law is unconstitutional.
Guess what I have in my hot little hands? -- [This Ain't Hell...]
This will come out in sections. I have not been authorized to release it, but the email attached claimed it had already been "filed."
MCMANUS was previously convicted in U.S. Federal Court in California in 2002, arising out of federal criminal charges originating in Louisiana, for impersonating a U.S. "Air Marshal" and also impersonating a U.S. Army Major, both in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 912, He received a sentence of two years probation, which was later revoked for violations.
Another Update on Stolen Valor Imposter; what his real rank was -- [Bouhammer]
Below is a great article from the Houston Chronicle about McManus whom I have blogged about HERE and HERE. They highlight what his real rank was....he was a Private First Class. Yep, he never even breached the NCO corps.
GIs back from Iraq get 'rock star' welcome -- [Waukegan News Sun]
and "Welcome home!" An upstairs banquet room at the hall was decorated with balloons, welcome signs and tables decorated with stars and colorful cloths.
Ashwaubenon students welcome home Iraq veteran Steve Nolan with hugs -- [Green Bay Press Gazette]
He was stationed north of Baghdad, and said the number of troops will continue to decline. "Iraq is closing down," he said. "Things are getting better.
Child Abuse: Because of Bush! -- [Greyhawk]
or "how America's news is made".
...Tabloid data (in which our story sets out for Britain to seek it's fortune)
Somehow the British tabloid Daily Mail heard the child abuse story, and one week after the arrest they found a way to make news from Nisqually Valley an international sensation: add "waterboarding" and CIA" to the mix.
A Well-Written War, Told in the First Person -- [NY Times]
Soldier-writers have long produced American literature, from Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs about the Civil War to Norman Mailer's World War II novel, "The Naked and the Dead," to Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," about Vietnam.
The current group is different. As part of a modern all-volunteer force, they explore the timeless theme of the futility of war -- but wars that they for the most part support. The books, many written as rites of passage by members of a highly educated young officer corps, are filled with gore, inept commanders and anguish over men lost in combat, but not questions about the conflicts themselves.
...The writers say one goal is to explain the complexities of the wars -- Afghan and Iraqi politics, technology, the counterinsurgency doctrine of protecting local populations rather than just killing bad guys -- to a wider audience. Their efforts, embraced by top commanders, have even bled into military reports that stand out for their accessible prose.
"The importance of good official writing is so critical in reaching a broader audience to get people to understand what we're trying to do,"
To be fair, "fog of war" was suggested by the editors... -- [Abu Muqawama]
Elizabeth Bumiller, you are in the penalty box of the English language. Describing the many great memoirs that have been written about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, she writes these books "explore the timeless theme of the futility of war."* If that hackneyed phrase was even accurate to describe the books she profiles, we would forgive her, but since almost all of the books she describes deal with war at its tactical levels divorced from the question of whether or not the violence is realizing political objectives, it makes no sense. Here's a question: whatever happened to the authors of The Unforgiving Minute and One Bullet Away? Because it seems to me the career choices they made after writing their books endorse the utility of war.
On military blogs and social media. -- [Castra Praetoria - in Bahrain]
What is the impact of social media? Do military blogs shape how we view our military and current conflicts we are engaged in? Does it affect the way we communicate? How about the way we write?
White House press corps feels bypassed by Obama in favor of TV shows, YouTube -- [Washington Post]
Six months ago, network executives were complaining that the White House was costing them tens of millions of dollars by pressing them to carry presidential news conferences in prime time.
Rep. John Murtha dead at 77 -- [Washington Post]
Critics dubbed Rep. Murtha, the chairman of the powerful subcommittee that controls Pentagon spending, the "King of Pork" for the volume of taxpayer money he could direct to the area around his home town of Johnstown. Most of the largesse came in defense and military research contracts he steered to companies based in his district or with small offices there.
John-Jack Murtha is Dead -- [Greyhawk]
...I will pause now to say something nice about him: he was never convicted.
The Post story neglects to mention how he called several Marines killers, that they were absolved, and that they in turn sued him for libel - along with various other reasons that most veterans consider him "the second ex-Marine."
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
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Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.Refresh for updates.
Pentagon Behind Obama Schedule for Deploying Troops to Afghanistan -- [FOX]
The Pentagon expects to deploy 18,000 of the 30,000 troops called up to Afghanistan by late spring, a slower pace than the White House envisioned, but necessary, say Pentagon officials, because President Obama did not want to shorten troops' rest time at home.
Mullen: Afghanistan success window small -- [Washington Times]
U.S. 'imperiled' if war not won, Joint Chiefs chairman warns
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday the next 12 to 18 months will be critical in reversing momentum gained by insurgents in Afghanistan, with nothing short of the war-torn nation's security at stake.
Not only that, Adm. Mike Mullen told the Senate Armed Services Committee: "Our future security is greatly imperiled if we do not win the wars we are in."
US Marines facing a 'different war' in Afghanistan -- [AFP]
For the US Marines deployed to the battlefields of southern Afghanistan, life is fragile and thoughts focus on the day they see their families again, but something about this war is different. They are preparing for an offensive on Marjah, one of the Taliban's big urban strongholds in the southern province of Helmand, but progress is slow with the militants apparently preferring fight to flight.
The Marines will soon be joined by tens of thousands more soldiers, the lion's share of the 30,000-strong troop surge promised by US President Barack Obama in December to try and turn around the grinding Afghan war.
Predators pound terrorist camp in North Waziristan -- [Long War Journal - Bill Roggio]
A swarm of unmanned US aircraft pounded an al Qaeda camp today in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.
Five unmanned US strike aircraft, likely the Predators and Reapers, are reported to have fired 18 missiles at a camp and vehicles in the village of Datta Khel, a known al Qaeda and Taliban stronghold. This is the largest recorded US airstrike in Pakistan, indicating a top al Qaeda, Taliban, or Haqqani Network leader, or leaders, may have been present.
Eyes in the Sky -- [Army Live]
Being a Soldier in the United States Army is a full-time job. No one understands that more than the Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division's unmanned aerial vehicle cell. Twenty-four hours a day they monitor the 3rd HBCT's area of operation from above. "We are always on the lookout for the bad guys," said Staff Sgt. Ray Lemlin, a platoon sergeant in Company A, Brigade Special Troops Battalion. "The goal is always to spot them before they can hurt us."
Revenge on the Taliban, from 10,000 feet -- [Washington Post]
In their joint operations against Taliban militants hiding in the tribal areas, the United States and Pakistan seem to have embraced a classic bit of battlefield advice: Don't get mad, get even.
...Although Pakistan publicly criticizes the drone attacks, the administration official stressed that the recent campaign "is being done in full concert and cooperation" with the Pakistani government. "We've been very pleased with the extent of the cooperation," the official said, adding that the so-called box of geographical coordinates within which the Pakistanis allow the Predators to operate was wide enough to allow attacks on targets that are "geographically dispersed."
Pakistan blast kills US soldiers (Video) -- [BBC]
Three US soldiers are among at least 10 people killed when a blast hit a convoy near a school in north-west Pakistan. Police said around 70 people, including 63 school girls and a US soldier, were injured in the bombing in Lower Dir.
The soldiers were believed to have been training Pakistan's Frontier Corps in counter-insurgency operations.
The two governments deny substantial numbers of US troops are based inside Pakistan, where public opinion is strongly opposed to their presence.
3 G.I.s Killed in Pakistan. Now Can We Start Treating This Like a Real War? -- [Danger Room - Noah Shachtman]
Last year, President Obama and his administration ruled out sending U.S. ground forces into Pakistan. Instead, the White House said, America's clandestine operations there would be waged solely by remote-control -- with Predator and Reaper drones. "There is a red line," said special envoy Richard Holbrooke. "And the red line is unambiguous and stated publicly by the Pakistani government over and over again: No foreign troops on our soil." Yet today, three U.S. soldiers were killed and two more were wounded
Never take it for granted -- [One Marine's View - in Afghanistan]
When we lose a warrior, a part of you goes with them....
...From the smiles of children walking down a street of a recently liberated village to the compassion of our young Marines that tend to those same children after recently slugging it out with the enemy, I often ask "Where do we get such men?" Such men that will sacrifice themselves to protect others they have never met? To demonstrate a nearly inconceivable wrath of weaponry onto the enemy and in a split second later help a young child or elderly man out of the street, sometimes even before the battle is over?
He is a Marine and willing to sacrifice everything to make something bad better off and make a difference. They will not be forgotten.
It's the Economy, Undergraduate -- [At War]
What do they think of all this back there, in your world?
I knew what answer he expected because of the surprise that registers on such soldiers' faces when I offer a different one. He expected that in my world of left-leaning professors and privileged students, the war he and his unit were waging would be viewed with scorn or disgust, and maybe that he and his profession would be, too.
That wasn't the case, I told him. From his expression, what I told him was worse: that in my world (if it really is my world, but that's another question) most students -- young people who are his peers, at least in terms of age and video games and music -- rarely spare his war more than a passing thought.
Around ANA Land -- -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
One of my stops today was the proposed site for the new library and literacy program. The ANA Garrison commander has designated some room space inside a large building to accommodate these programs. The current library is compressed into a small room and the shelves are sparsely stocked. There are 99 books for the entire library.
Dari Keyboard -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
For the past few days, I have been working studiously with my ANA counterpart on accountability. The tool I'm using is an Excel Spreadsheet. For anyone who has basic knowledge of computers and programs, this program is fairly easy to use once the formulas are created. Then it's just a matter of populating the data points. But for someone who only has a rudimentary knowledge of computers and a high school degree (Afghanistan level), it becomes rather challenging to explain basic algebra, formulas, etc. As such, I have finally made headway and when my counterpart does understand, it's like a bright light comes on in his head. For me, it's just another small victory in mentoring.
Taking Tea with the Taliban -- [Commentary Mag - Michael Rubin]
Addressing the nation on December 1, 2009, President Barack Obama laid out the case for an augmented American presence in Afghanistan to battle the Taliban forces seeking to push their way back into power. "Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al-Qaeda, as they both seek an overthrow of the Afghan government," he declared. The president offered a brief account of the Taliban's rise to power before the U.S. tossed them out in November 2001. "Al-Qaeda's base of operations was in Afghanistan," he said, "where they were harbored by the Taliban--a ruthless, repressive, and radical movement that seized control of that country after it was ravaged by years of Soviet occupation and civil war, and after the attention of America and our friends had turned elsewhere."
New Afghan police officers graduate -- [Helmand Blog]
The first class of Afghan police officers to attend a new training centre graduated in a ceremony in Helmand yesterday.
More than 130 recruits of the Interim Helmand Police Training Centre attended the event in the Lashkar Gah district. The centre was set up last month to help with the recruitment push for 160,000 police officers across Afghanistan by the end of this year. From March, the centre is expected to train 2550 students a year.
Helmand deputy governor Sattar Marzakwal told the graduates: "You have the responsibility of serving the Afghan people with dignity.
U.S. military officers could face punishment over ambush in Afghanistan -- [Washington Post]
A military investigation into an ambush that left nine Americans dead recommends that the Army consider taking disciplinary action against three U.S. commanders who oversaw the 2008 mission to send troops to the remote Afghan outpost, defense officials said Tuesday.
Afghans protest to Iran over border killings -- [Reuters]
Afghanistan protested on Tuesday against what it said was the killing of five of its nationals by Iranian border forces. Host to millions of Afghan refugees for decades, Iran is also a key transit route for Afghanistan's opium and heroin trade.
The incident happened on Monday when a group of seven Afghans were trying to enter Iran, an Afghan foreign ministry official said, adding all were teenage males.
Bomb kills 20 in Iraqi Shi'ite city of Kerbala -- [Reuters]
A bomb on a cart pulled by a motorcycle killed at least 20 in a crowd of Shi'ite pilgrims on Wednesday in Iraq's holy city of Kerbala where hundreds of thousands have gathered for a religious rite, police said.
Obama, Biden meet with Iraqi VP -- [AFP]
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden met Monday with Iraq's Sunni Vice President, Tariq al-Hashimi, and discussed the importance
Iraq court lifts ban on hundreds of candidates -- [Atlanta Journal Constitution]
An Iraqi appeals court Wednesday struck down a ban imposed on hundreds of candidates for suspected ties to Saddam
Blair Called a Liar in Iraq Inquiry -- [NY Times]
Only days after Tony Blair offered an impassioned defense of his decision to take Britain to war in Iraq, a cabinet minister who resigned over the war delivered a blistering condemnation of the former prime minister on Tuesday, accusing him of "conning" her and of deceiving his cabinet, the Parliament and the public in his resolve to have Britain join the United States in the invasion of 2003.
Multiple Air Force crews, Landstuhl staff team up to save Peace Corps member injured in Kazakhstan -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany ]
What an amzing story. We all hear so many negative things that it's sometimes easy to forget how many wonderful, dedicated people there are in this world. And when multiple teams across Central Asia, Europe, and the US come together save a life, they can make miracles happen.
Iran hints at prisoner swap for 3 U.S. hikers -- [Washington Times]
President signals shift on uranium
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday proposed a swap of Iranians in U.S. prisons for three American hikers being held in Tehran.
In a television interview, Mr. Ahmadinejad also said Iran was ready to send its uranium abroad for further enrichment as requested by the United Nations, signaling a major shift in the Iranian position on the issue.
US Denies Speaking to Iran About Prisoner Swap -- [Voice of America]
The United States has denied speaking to Iran about a prisoner exchange after Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tehran has held discussions about such a swap.
Ahmadinejad backs deal to remove bulk of enriched uranium from Iran -- [Washington Post]
A long-dormant proposal to remove the bulk of Iran's enriched uranium from the Islamic republic appeared to be revived Tuesday as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran had "no problem" with a deal initially brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The deal, which Iran formally rejected weeks ago, would swap low-enriched uranium for fuel for a research reactor that produces medical isotopes. "If we allow them to take it, there is no problem,"
US wary as Iran president agrees nuclear deal terms -- [BBC]
The US has reacted warily after Iran appeared to accept a deal to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.
Emergency Assistance Still Hasn't Reached Many Haitians -- [Washington Post]
Three weeks after a powerful earthquake destroyed Haiti's capital, aid officials are still seeking to reach hundreds of thousands of desperate people who apparently have not received food and shelter from an expanding international aid operation, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
China's threat to sanction US firms in arms sale could backfire -- [Los Angeles Times]
In Washington, a White House spokesman said it would "not be warranted" for China to slap sanctions on the US companies over the Obama administration's
Corrected: Obama to meet Dalai Lama despite Chinese warnings -- [Reuters]
He offered no details on how China would impose sanctions. Companies that could be affected by Chinese sanctions include Sikorsky Aircraft Corp,
Panetta: Terror Attack in US Likely Soon -- [Military.com/AP]
Al-Qaida can be expected to attempt an attack on the United States in the next three to six months, senior U.S. intelligence officials told Congress.
The terrorist organization is deploying operatives to the United States to carry out new attacks from inside the country, including "clean" recruits with a negligible trail of terrorist contacts, CIA Director Leon Panetta said. The chilling warning comes as Christmas airline attack suspect, Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutullab, is cooperating with federal investigators, a federal law enforcement official said Tuesday.
Would-be LAX terrorist's prison sentence overturned as too lenient -- [Los Angeles Times]
A divided appeals panel rules that the 22-year sentence for an Al Qaeda operative didn't follow guidelines. He had originally agreed to cooperate with authorities for a lighter sentence but reneged.
Bill Would Forbid Civilian 9/11 Trials -- [Military.com/Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
Saying America can't afford the costs or the threat to national security, U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and a bipartisan group of other senators introduced legislation Tuesday that would forbid public funding for a civilian trial of those accused of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Instead, the senators want the government to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, alleged to be the Sept. 11 mastermind, and other terror suspects in a military courtroom at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
DOJ's New Tool Against Criticism: New Media -- [FOX]
Facing mounting pressure from both Democrats and Republicans over its handling of recent terrorism cases, the Justice Department is taking unprecedented steps to push back against critics.
Last night the Justice Department unveiled an entire web page -- titled "The Criminal Justice System as a Counterterrorism Tool" -- to address the growing debate.
One DOJ official described the new web page as an effort "to get the facts out there" and show that "the policy for handling these terrorism cases has not changed" from the way previous administrations handled such cases.
Brennan: All Transferred Detainees Who Returned to Terrorism Were Released by Bush, No Recidivism for Those Released by Obama -- [ABC News]
n a letter to congressional leaders sent Monday night, White House adviser John Brennan, the assistant to President Obama for homeland security and counterterrorism, argued that President Obama had made "significant improvements to the detainee review process" under President Bush and pointed out that all the former detainees released or transferred who have returned to terrorist activities were released or transferred under President Bush.
Is there an adult in there somewhere? Bueller? Bueller? -- [The Armorer]
It sure doesn't look like it.CNN's Steve Brusk tweets: "Law enforcement source says AbdulMutallah has been providing useful, current, and actionable intelligence. Leads being actively chased."Heh. This is smoke and mirrors, pure and simple.Let's take it at face value.It's been a month since AbdulMutallah proved himself an inept murderer-by-suicide. Hell, he's not even as successful as Achmed the Dead Terrorist.
MI5 hunting breast implants of death -- [WND]
Authorities alarmed by possibility of surgically placed bombs
Agents for Britain's MI5 intelligence service have discovered that Muslim doctors trained at some of Britain's leading teaching hospitals have returned to their own countries to fit surgical implants filled with explosives, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin. Women suicide bombers recruited by al-Qaida are known to have had the explosives inserted in their breasts under techniques similar to breast enhancing surgery.
Impact of deployment on kids -- negative reporting and troop bashing hurts them too -- [You Served]
I highlighted the area in bold text below that needs a LOT of attention brought to the matter. Negative reporting on the war, and the lack of support of the war and our troops affects the morale of everyone -- including our military children. I am so sick and tired of the BS line "we support our troops but not the war." It's not true. It's contradictory and this report here shows how that very attitude is not only unsupportive, but it is outright harmful to the children of our deployed troops.
I am going to print out a copy of the actual report and will write up some more.
Interview with Lorrie Nichols of The Journal of An Army Wife -- [Army Wives Lives]
Lorrie Nichols, who blogs at The Journal of an Army Wife, answered our questions about her life as an Army Wife
...Tell us a little bit about your military spouse journey.
Mike is in the Army National Guard. He hasn't been deployed, yet. He served in the Air Guard for six years, then spent several years as a civilian, and joined the Army Guard last October. We have been married for 2 1/2 years, but I have only been a military spouse for about 4 months.
What are the challenges of being a military spouse?
Military time doesn't necessarily coincide with real world time.
The Predictably Unpredictable Army Strikes Again.... -- [SpouseBuzz - Andi]
My husband has been TDY on many, many occasions throughout our marriage. I wish now that I had kept track of it because I don't know if my guesstimate of 3-4 years is on target. As for non-TDY, more permanent deployment bye-byes, we've had two. One for a year and one for seven months. Both times, we had ample warning. Both times we knew approximately when he was leaving. Both times, the house became cluttered for weeks with gear that would accompany my husband to his destination. On both occasions, I had time to process what was happening, and prepare for it.
A couple of weeks ago, my husband came home late at night, quickly packed, and was gone the next morning. It was so odd.
There was no warning. No time frame to process. No time to prepare, physically or emotionally.
They Ache -- [SpouseBuzz - Sarah]
This deployment has flown by for me because I've been distracted with my pregnancy. It's a major event that keeps my mind off missing my husband. When I do think of him, they've been self-centered or baby-centered thoughts: I wish he were here to feel the baby kick, or fetch me a glass of water, or discuss middle names in person. I've also tried to come up with some silver linings for why it's better that I've been alone all this time. And I have contingency plans in case my husband doesn't make it home in time;
Military OneSource Tax Filing Services -- [Military OneSource]
Military OneSource brings you H&R Block At Home® (formerly TaxCut) online tax filing through the Military OneSource Web site and telephonic tax consultations by calling our tax hotline at 1-800-730-3802. Prepare your 2009 state and federal taxes with this easy-to-use program. Provided by the Department of Defense, H&R Block At Home® is and free to active duty, National Guard, and Reserve service members and their families. Have questions? See our FAQs.
Tax consultants are available 7 days a week from 7 am - 11 pm ET by calling the Military OneSource Tax Hotline at 1-800-730-3802.
Please Note - You must use the link on the Military OneSource Web site to access our customized product and create your account. Do not go to the public H&R Block Web site to create a user account.
Wounded Warrior returns to West Point as WTU Commander -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Capt. Scott M. Smiley is a Soldier, infantryman, Airborne Ranger, combat diver, mountain climber, skier, tri-athlete, surfer, husband, father, and now Company Commander of West Point's Warrior Transition Unit.
He's also blind.
Law barring lies about military medals faces test -- [Washington Post]
A federal law against lying about military medals is facing First Amendment challenges in Colorado and California. Lawyers in both cases have made similar arguments against the Stolen Valor Act, saying that lying is protected by the First Amendment unless it does real harm.
Why Stolen Valor doesn't violate 1st Amendment -- [This Ain't Hell...]
Last month I wrote about the Denver Post going squishy on Richard Strandlof's impending trial for a violation of the Stolen Valor Act. The Post wrote that convicting him would violate his 1st Amendment right to free speech. Well, apparently, there's some case law that says otherwise.
In 2008, Xavier Alvarez, while running for office on his local water board made the following statement on the campaign trail
Air Force Academy creates worship area for pagans, Druids -- [USA Today]
The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs is establishing a worship area for followers of Earth-centered religions -- Wiccans, Druids, witches, pagans -- on a hill overlooking the campus, the USAFA says.
The Wiccan Cross -- [Greyhawk]
How would you complete the following sentence?
"Leaving a cross at a Wiccan* assembly area on a college campus is the equivalent of ____." (Consider the "blank" to be as long as you need.)
Why, the person who did this must be a ______.
Did you say "anonymous Christian supremacist"? Me neither.
Know why? Because first be not stupid is a good motto. At least that's what I always say.
Shorn -- [OPFOR - Lt Col P - heading home from Afghanistan]
am I of two constant companions since mid-August of last year-- my 9mm and my M4. I turned both in today, duly cleaned (and with a small net gain of ammo, to boot). I feel oddly under-dressed without them. I also removed the tourniquet and IBD that had been in my sleeve pockets for six months. Again, it doesn't feel quite right not to have them on board.
In about 24 hours or so I'll be airborne (!) back to the States, and this whole thing will be nearly done. That is the strangest feeling of them all.
If Not Now, When?: Duty and Sacrifice in America's Time of Need Wins 2010 Colby Award -- [PR Newswire]
(Chicago, Illinois, February 3, 2010) The military memoir by Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Jack Jacobs, USA (Ret.) has won the 2010 Colby Award.
Named for the late Ambassador and former CIA Director William E. Colby, the Colby Award recognizes a first work of fiction or non-fiction that has made a significant contribution to the public's understanding of intelligence operations, military history, or international affairs. The $5,000 award will be presented by Tawani Foundation in association with the Pritzker Military Library ...
CSI: Miami - Promoting the Good in Iraq -- [A Soldier's Perspective]
Many of us have seen the MSM misrepresent or not even report the good things that our military is doing in Iraq. We see TV shows and movies on the big and small screen that stand on either side of the issue. Some are very elaborate and in your face while others are more subtle. The latter was the case in last nights episode of CSI: Miami.
I don't always watch the show, sometimes I watch "Castle", so I didn't know that Cain's son had enlisted in the Army and been sent to Iraq. At the end of the episode they showed Cain signing into a video conference on his computer. The picture we see on the computer screen is Cain's son, in battle fatigues and in Iraq. There are the usual parent/child pleasantries and concerns passed from one to another. They could have ended the scene with that, but they didn't. They go on to have Cain's son talk about rebuilding the schools and how happy the kids are to have them.
Jeremy Renner nominated for best actor in 'The Hurt Locker'
"The Hurt Locker" honored with 9 Academy Award Nominations, including Best Picture
Cast includes TAPS mentor Brian Geraghty, Film depicts military's unsung heroes
Jeremy Renner nominated for best actor in 'The Hurt Locker'
'The Hurt Locker' may rewrite script on Iraq war movies -- [NY Daily News]
..."Maybe the winds have shifted, and people are willing to think about the war in cinematic terms," says Mark Boal, who was embedded in Iraq in '04 as a freelance journalist and is now nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for "Locker."
"'Hurt Locker' works as a magnifying glass on Iraq," says Boal, "but there's also a purely experiential level to it. Even for me, as a regular popcorn-buying member of the public, it's more than a war film."
Seeking balance: the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review -- [Foreign Policy Review]
he Defense Department today released the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, its Congressionally-mandated examination of defense programs and plans. The review is the latest milestone in Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates's campaign to focus the Defense Department on the need to win today's wars. As such, it is to be applauded. However, in concentrating on that goal, it too often shortchanges other challenges.
In its language, the 2010 QDR has clearly been Obamacized. It reads more like a corporate annual report than a strategy to guide the world's most powerful military, one that has been at war for most of the last decade. One is at pains, for example, to find in the document's 105 pages the word "win" (as in, "win the war in Afghanistan").
Don't ask Don't Tell -- [Greyhawk]
Gates and Mullen testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee, livestream:
Gates' prepared statement for the committee here.
That last line bears particular note - it's the often-ignored but fundamental and key truth at the heart of the issue - and it can't be repeated enough. "The ultimate decision rests with you, the Congress." That's not a decision Congress welcomes with open arms - and that reluctance presents a great illustration of one difference between power and responsibility - words that represent concepts that have meaning. Those concepts combined are such an enormous burden that the typical member of Congress can bear only one.
The Case Against Gays in the Military -- [Wall Street Journal]
Open homosexuality would threaten unit cohesion and military effectiveness. -- As expected, President Obama pledged during his State of the Union address to "work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans
Credit Where Credit is Due -- [BlackFive - Grim]
I know that we frequently have some philosophical disputes with the Obama administration here. Still, once in a while, it's a good idea to step back and point out the things they have gotten right.
Marine Ilario Pantano for Congress! -- [BlackFive]
We've followed the trials and tribulations of USMC First Lieutenant Ilario Pantano for awhile here on BlackFive. We've supported him since the beginning (and had to fight some of our own to do so), and, now, Ilario is running for Congress in the Congressional District NC-7. The 7th District has not had a Republican since March 3, 1871!
Pantano and his family live in North Carolina where, since 2006, he continues to serve his community as a Deputy Sheriff.
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US casualties in Afghanistan sow seeds of anger -- [AFP]
Anger, frustration and a hunger for revenge are running high among US Marines as casualties mount on the frontline of the battle against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.
On a base near Marjah, a Taliban stronghold in Helmand province, Marines are grieving the deaths of a sergeant and corporal killed by the remote-controlled bombs that have become the scourge of the long-running conflict.
Commanders try to keep the men's rage in check, aware that winning over an Afghan public wary of the foreign military presence and furious about mounting civilian casualties is as crucial as any battlefield success.
Petraeus on Afghanistan, Taliban -- [PRI]
At a conference on Afghanistan, Afghan President Hamid Karzai addressed ways of reintegrating some Taliban back into the Afghan political process, and into society as a whole. It's a provocative way forward in Afghanistan and it has the support of U.S. officials. Among them, the head of U.S. Central Command General David Petraeus, who commands forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Last week, "The Takeaway's" John Hockenberry spoke with General Petraeus in Washington, DC. The following is an excerpt of the interview.
Taliban's CIA bomber Hakimullah Mehsud dies of wounds -- [The Australian]
Hakimullah Mehsud, whose Pakistan Taliban movement was responsible for hundreds of deaths, was Pakistan's most wanted man.
The Pakistani military mounted an offensive against Mehsud and his loyalists in South Waziristan last year. But the US was also eager to retaliate against Mehsud after he claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing of a CIA base in southeast Afghanistan in late December that killed five agency officers and two private contractors, the deadliest assault against the spy agency in more than 20 years.
Afghanistan: Making Counterinsurgency Work -- [ABC News]
After US Army Capt. Michael Harrison completed his first tour in Afghanistan almost two years ago, he kept in touch with many of the locals he'd befriended, calling to chat via his old interpreter. When his unit redeployed to the Kunar River Valley, about a two-hour drive from Harrison's former area of operations in the Pesh River Valley, those friendships provided an unexpected benefit.
Armed And Ready To Rumble -- [Strategy Page]
The Taliban is in danger of being negotiated to death. Many older Taliban leaders, who ran Afghanistan until the end of 2001, and operating in Pakistani exile, are tired of the endless violence, and the growing dependence on heroin and al Qaeda to keep the Taliban war going. There is a growing lack of unity in the Taliban movement. The organization was always fragmented, but now you have mutually antagonistic factions (pro-drug, pro-al Qaeda, pro-"no foreigners or drugs", and so on). Many of the more powerful Taliban commanders are heavily dependent on drug money, and
U.S. air bases in Germany provide increasingly vital supply link to Afghanistan -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
It's been noticeable since last spring, but Ramstein and Spang are about to become even busier. - Nighttime and early morning flights at Ramstein and Spangdahlem air bases in Germany will noticeably increase over the next seven months as the military ferries additional troops and equipment to Afghanistan, U.S. Air Force officials said Friday.
The bases' airfields are typically less busy at night, with quiet hours enforced except for emergency or mission-essential flights. But starting next week and continuing until August, more large aircraft will be taking off and landing seven days a week, including during the base's normal 'quiet hours' between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Flights usually are limited on Sundays and German holidays.
How Rude Of Me -- [Afghan Quest - in Afghanistan]
As for the absence, I'd prefer not to make excuses. I have seen and learned so much on this tour... and it's only half over. I've learned a lot more about counterinsurgency. I've gotten snapshots of a lot of behaviors in the field. I've seen a lot of great developments that I've not been sure of being clear to write about.
There have also been frustrations.
I needed leave. Well, now that leave is over, where does the quest lead? We shall see soon enough... but back to the keyboard would be a good start.
Blasphemy -- [Afghan Quest - in Afghanistan]
The idea's being kicked around... though probably not by anyone who is capable or motivated to make a change in the policy... but it has been heard by these ears plenty; and from plenty of people. Most of them have "been there, done that." They have the little knickknacks on their apparel to show it. The idea itself is about the knickknacks; the badges.
Rainy Day in a White City (Updated) -- [Free Range International - in Afghanistan]
Jalalabad finally has some winter weather with much needed rain. The mountains surrounding the Kabul River plain have little snow; the weather has been unseasonably mild and dry thus far this winter. A dry winter is a real disaster in a parched country, which relies so heavily on small scale farms to feed its people. So the rain is good but only if it stops soon. Nothing is straightforward in Afghanistan even when it comes to rain - a few more days of this will render most of the housing structures unstable. Houses made of mud bricks do not handle the wet well at all.
U.S. makes small strides in getting Afghan army fighting fit, but hurdles remain -- [Washington Post]
As part of President Obama's plan to dramatically increase the size of the Afghan National Army, the first contingent of additional U.S. troops has arrived and begun taking over the training of new Afghan recruits, hoping to build up the local force to 134,000 battle-ready soldiers in 10 months.
America's New Hope: The Afghan Tribes -- [New York Times]
...For Pashtuns, the country's largest ethnic group and the Taliban's primary source of support, tribes are particularly important. Successfully turning Pashtun tribes against the Taliban -- or perhaps families or sub-tribes if they deal with the government on their own -- could deliver a serious blow to the insurgency and potentially create a means of stabilizing the long-suffering country.
Some Afghans, though, warn that the tribal system is not a panacea and fear that the United States is adopting a quick-fix approach that will not create long-term stability. They see the tribes as inherently anachronistic, sexist and corrupt
The Worst Job in Afghanistan -- [Knights of Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
No, not mine, although it sometimes seems like it.
And not the ANP either, although I'm sure they think so every time they hit an IED or an ambush. I'm talking about these guys:
Obama proposes $1.2 billion to aid Pakistani military -- [Reuters]
US President Barack Obama on Monday proposed $1.2 billion in funding next year to help train and equip Pakistani security forces to ...
Three lives linked by call to duty, common tragedy -- [Boston Globe]
...In law school, their interest in military and intelligence work made them oddities to many classmates. Now, in law firms and investment banks across the country, some who knew them are questioning their own career choices. Indeed, their friends said, the close relationship of the three, their commitment to confront America's enemies, and the tragic arc of their lives underscore how rare it is for people with privileged educations to volunteer to fight America's wars.
"To see people who could have done anything making that kind of sacrifice, it is hard not to look inward and ask, 'What kind of sacrifices are you making?' '' said Rob Simmelkjaer, a former classmate who is now a vice president at ESPN in New York.
Scores Killed in Attack on Shiite Pilgrims in Iraq -- [Washington Post]
A female suicide bomber attacked a column of Shiite pilgrims on the outskirts of Baghdad on Monday, part of a convulsion of violence that has hit the capital in advance of national elections in March.
Wounded Warrior gets a proper exit from Iraq [HQ] -- [AFN]
The bonds between troops who have served together represent some of the strongest ties in the military. SPC Christopher Tobey introduces us to one wounded Warrior with a devoted sense of camaraderie and an infectious sense of humor.
They're Back: New Group of Wounded Vets Return to Iraq -- [DVIDS]
Six wounded warriors arrived in Baghdad in C-130 Hercules, Jan. 31, and took their first steps in Iraq after being severely wounded the last time they were here.
This is the fourth time Kell, with support from the USO, has returned wounded service members to Iraq as part of Operation Proper Exit, a program aimed at helping the warriors find emotional closure after being injured.
U.S. Examines Whether Blackwater Tried Bribery -- [New York Times]
...The investigation, which was confirmed by three current and former officials speaking on condition of anonymity, follows a report in The New York Times in November that top executives at Blackwater had authorized secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials to buy their support after the shooting. The newspaper account said it could not determine whether any bribes were actually paid or identify Iraqi officials who might have received the money.
Incremental Steps in Iraq to Let Kurdistan Oil Flow -- [New York Times]
The semiautonomous region of Kurdistan is the one place in battered Iraq that promised economic boom times, but some of the foreign oil companies that rushed in over the past few years are becoming increasingly restless.
The Tawke oil field in Kurdistan. Several companies have invested billions of dollars and supplied oil and gas without payments.
Their multibillion-dollar deals are still mired in a bitter political dispute between the Kurdish region and the central government in Baghdad
BP Claims Iraq Could Rival Saudi Arabia in Oil Production -- [MEMRI Blog]
Tony Hayward, CEO of British Petroleum (BP), told an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos that within a decade, Iraqi oil production could quadruple to 10 million barrels a day, from its current 2.5 million barrels - and could rival Saudi Arabia by 2020.
Auctioning Off The Secret Police -- [Strategy Page]
February 1, 2010: The government agreed to investigate the purchase of $85 million worth of ADE 651 explosives detectors. Iraqi officials bought thousands of these hand held devices last year, for up to $60,000 each. But the British manufacturer is being prosecuted in Britain for fraud, when it was discovered there that the ADE 651 is a scam.
Furloughs hurt military's view of Hawaii schools -- [Washington Post]
It's a Friday, but these students aren't in school. They're at a youth center where the U.S. Army is keeping soldiers' children engaged and learning on the 17 Fridays this school year the state of Hawaii has closed public schools to narrow a budget deficit.
The state's decision in October to shrink the school year by 10 percent, giving it the fewest number of instructional days in the nation at 163, is adding to the already dismal reputation Hawaii's public schools have among servicemen and women.
China suspends military exchanges with US -- [NewsDay / AP]
China suspended military exchanges with the United States, threatened unprecedented sanctions against American defense companies and warned Saturday that cooperation would suffer after Washington announced $6.4 billion in planned arms sales to Taiwan.
US Beefs Up Defences In Persian Gulf -- [Sky News]
The US is increasing its military presence and installing new anti-missile systems in Persian Gulf countries ahead of possible new sanctions against Iran, officials say.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the Washington officials said the moves were to reassure Gulf countries that they would be protected against possible military attacks from Tehran.
Thais Say North Korea Arms Were Iran-Bound -- [New York Times]
A large shipment of North Korean weapons seized here in December was bound for an airport in Iran, according to a Thai government report submitted to the United Nations and leaked to news agencies.
Iran's Defiance Spurs Rise In U.S. Military Defenses -- [Wall Street Journal]
The U.S. and its allies in the Persian Gulf have stepped up their military defenses in recent months in response to Iranian missile tests and Tehran's continued defiance of international efforts to curtail its nuclear program, according to U.S. officials.
The moves, which have included upgrades, new purchases of American-made Patriot antimissile batteries and the addition of advanced air- and missile-defense radars, illustrate both growing concern with the Iranian moves and a new willingness by Arab allies in the region to more publicly tie their defenses to the U.S.
US Military to Resume Haiti Evacuation Flights -- [WMFE]
The White House says the US military will resume bringing Haitian earthquake victims to the United States for medical treatment, ending a suspension that
Get Information About Family or Friends in Haiti -- [Joint Task Force-Haiti]
The State Department Operations Center has set up the following phone number for Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747 (due to heavy volume, some callers may receive a recording). You can also send an email to the State Department. Information is on the State Department Web site's International Travel section under Haiti Earthquake. Please be aware that communications within Haiti are very difficult at this time.
In a Pentagon Channel interview today -- [Joint Task Force-Haiti]
In a Pentagon Channel interview today, Col. Gregory Kane, JTF-Haiti Operations Officer said, "In preparation for the rainy season we are transitioning our efforts to getting shelter and medical aid to Haitians displaced by the earthquake."
TR Operations Cease in Haiti -- [Team Rubicon - in Haiti]
Team Rubicon operations have ceased inside the nation of Haiti. The leadership within Rubicon has come to the conclusion that Team Rubicon has completed its mission of bridging the gap between the earthquake and large aid agency response. As of 1900 hours local, TR2 began travelling back to the US, with a small contingent of volunteers remaining behind to continue working at CDTI Hospital (under no affiliation with Team Rubicon).
Rescue mission -- [Cleburne Times-Review]
...John Griswell said David flew to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic immediately after hearing news of the earthquake.
While at the airport, David met Jake Wood, a former Marine who hastily put together a team of military professionals, Team Rubicon, specifically to go to Haiti, which needed doctors.
Terrorists 'plan attack on Britain with bombs INSIDE their bodies' to foil new airport scanners. -- [Family Security Matters]
Britain is facing a new Al Qaeda terror threat from suicide 'body bombers' with explosives surgically inserted inside them. Until now, terrorists have attacked airlines, Underground trains and buses by secreting bombs in bags, shoes or underwear to avoid detection. But an operation by MI5 has uncovered evidence that Al Qaeda is planning a new stage in its terror campaign by inserting 'surgical bombs' inside people for the first time.
How Designated Terror Organization al-Shabaab Targets Western Youth -- [Family Security Matters]
As the new year begins, al-Shabaab, a terror group fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia, has served notice that it intends to play an increasingly prominent role in international jihad. Al-Shabaab fighters declared their support for Al Qaeda in Yemen following the attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Flight 253, allegedly by a terrorist linked to that group. And police in Denmark said a man charged with the attempted New Year's Day murder of Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard (who drew a controversial 2005 cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammad) was a member of al-Shabaab with "close links" to leaders of al Qaeda in East Africa. Al Qaeda and al-Shabaab made official their alliance in September.
Discussing Lawfare on America's Newsroom (video) -- [BlackFive - Uncle Jimbo]
This morning I had the pleasure of discussing the Obama administration's approach to terrorism, precipitated by the news that KSM's trial is likely to be someplace other than NYC. That is good news, but not quite the right answer yet
The World's Most Bizarre Terror Threats: Underpants may be the least of our worries -- [Family Security Matters]
The ploy: Navigate into the center of a city by paraglider and attack crowds from above
This scenario was suggested in the Indian media this week after intelligence experts found that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) -- the Pakistani group believed to have orchestrated the devastating attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people in 2008 -- had purchased 50 paraglider kits for, supposedly, a new attack plan.
Assessing the Militant White Separatist Movement -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
Today the militant white separatist movement faces leadership and organizational challenges: after the deaths and arrests of significant movement leaders over the past decade, it is fractured and appears poorly led. Further, the movement's recruitment and training capabilities appear relatively crude, and it lacks a unified ideological outlook. However, it would be a mistake to conclude from this that the American white separatist movement will remain incapable of orchestrating violence on a large scale.
Military support groups give comfort, answers to families -- [Lancaster Gazette]
The Fairfield County Chapter of the American Red Cross is increasing its outreach to military members and their families.
Using a $10,000 grant from the national American Red Cross, the chapter was able to hire an education coordinator, Nancy Kane Primmer, for its Service the Armed Forces program.
veteran-run warehouse and Salute to Heroes and Angels museum in San Antonio -- [Soldiers' Angels Texas]
On March 13, Soldiers' Angels is celebrating the official opening of our new, veteran-run warehouse and Salute to Heroes and Angels museum in San Antonio, and we hope to see you there! Join us for a daylong celebration with heroes, live music, BBQ, fellowship with other Angels, and a chance to tour the amazing new facilities while helping out with a care package packing party!Tickets are $20 per person, and hotel discounts are available.
Who's caring for our wounded veterans? -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
ABC news anchor Bob Woodruff and hs wife Lee talk about the issue of caretaking after his traumatic brain injury resulting from an IED explosion that injured him while he was reporting in Iraq in 2006.
That short interview only touches on the issues some military families face.
Now I urge you to watch the PBS documentary called "Who's Helping Our Wounded Vets?" , which tells the stories of three families who have literally sacrificed everything to care for their severely wounded family members.
Sears Once Again Supports U.S. Military Veterans by Teaming Up With AMVETS for 'Operation Blanket' [FOX]
"Each year we challenge ourselves to find new ways to say 'thank you' to the members of our military. This is yet another way we can show our appreciation
America's Last Surviving WWI Vet Celebrates 109th Birth... -- [WHAG]
CHARLES TOWN, WV - America's last surviving World War I Veteran and local man Frank W. Buckles turns 109 years-old Monday.
Last U.S. veteran of World War I turns 109 -- [CNN]
But the old "Doughboy" -- as World War I American infantry troops were called -- has already been outspoken in recent years, urging congressional lawmakers to give federal recognition and a facelift to a run-down District of Columbia memorial in an overgrown, wooded area along the National Mall.
In December, at 108, Buckles testified on Capitol Hill as lawmakers considered whether to fund renovation and give the site "national" monument status. But rival legislation seeks the "national" designation for a 1920s-era memorial located in Kansas City, Missouri.
Second Group Of Red Bull Soldiers Returning Home -- [WCCO]
Read more in our Privacy Policy The printer is running on overdrive at Fast Signs making "Welcome Home" banners for the troops. Two-hundred-fifty citizen
Kaboom -- [Greyhawk]
Kaboom: Embracing the Suck in a Savage Little War. It's pre-order now - but author/milblogger Matt Gallagher says the release date is 1 April.
Someone emailed me this week and requested a list of my favorite active duty milblogs. (Not an unusual request.) I don't do favorites, but I did provide a list of folks currently (or recently) downrange. That list was short (and mostly here) - but that scarcity makes them all the more valuable - a national treasure, even.
But picking favorites aside, I think as far as milbloggers go, I can honestly say Lt G (the name he blogged under) is certainly the best writer among deployed milbloggers who actually published - I think he'll translate to ink on pages well. That he had good stories to tell is a bonus.
Obama Wants to Win the Next Election More Than Afghanistan -- [Human Events]
The burden of the war in Afghanistan is nowhere near fairly shared among NATO allies. Germany continues to have a numerically large, but mostly ineffective, deployment in the North of the country. But German troops are all safely restricted to base by 6pm to tuck into legendary amounts of German beer. French President Nicolas Sarkozy humiliatingly snubbed Obama on national TV on Monday night to inform the world that France won't be sending a single extra soldier to Afghanistan. And national caveats continue to bedevil the International Security and Assistance Force, as wounded servicemen lie dying in Afghanistan's combat zones while perfectly good helicopters stand idle less than a mile away restricted from entering "hot' areas.
Much to his amazement, Obama is experiencing the same thing that President Bush did: a Continental-wide "Non" from the very allies he's devoted the best part of a year trying to woo. In that respect, you'd expect him to be grateful for the countries that have stepped up to the plate: the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, as well as Australia and Canada to name a few. And none more so than the United Kingdom: more British servicemen have sacrificed their lives in Afghanistan than the rest of Europe combined. But during his speech, President Obama again refused to acknowledge the dedication and sacrifice of the 10,000 British troops in Afghanistan, in what must now be seen as near-contempt for America's greatest ally on the world stage.
Obama whistles past Afghanistan in annual address -- [Dawn]
In the president's 7,308-word speech, there were only 92 words for Afghanistan, a place where more than 100,000 US soldiers are engaged in a fight with an enemy they were told threatens American lives and interests.
The decision to keep references to foreign policy issues to the minimum in one of the longest state of the union speeches in recent years, made it amply clear that the Obama administration would focus mainly on domestic issues in its remaining three years.
Five years, $5.08 trillion in debt -- [Politico]
President Barack Obama's new $3.83 trillion budget -- on its way to Congress Monday -- anticipates an even worse deficit this year than last and no big improvement until the economy improves and the nation sheds the crushing costs of two wars overseas.
But behind the brave face, Obama's budget anticipates that Iraq and Afghanistan war funding will hover near $160 billion for both 2010 and 2011-- far more than he had hoped when elected and only modestly less than in the last years of the Bush Administration.
The strain shows itself in the new deficit projections, far worse than what the White House forecast in its first budget at this time a year ago.
After a record $1.4 trillion shortfall in 2009, the administration now says the red ink will reach $1.56 trillion this year and be little better, $1.27 trillion in 2011.
In fact, it's not until 2014 and 2015-- when Obama hopes to be in his second term-- that he has any hope of deficits approaching a sustainable level.
Obama proposes 3.4 percent boost for Pentagon -- [Washington Post]
The Pentagon will get a 3.4 percent boost to its regular budget plus extra money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the...
Pelosi's Children and Grandchildren Used Military Jets As Private Cross-Country Shuttle Service So They Could Avoid Dealing With the Rabble. -- [Doug Ross @ Journal]
Is it a legitimate use of military jets to transport the Speaker of the House and her favored Congressional coterie for routine travel? Even if you believe it is -- and, personally, I do not -- any rational taxpayer would admit that it is monumental waste of money. Military flights cost between $5,000 and $20,000 per hour to operate. The Speaker and her passengers routinely reimburse the Air Force $120 to $400 for each flight.
...Worse still, she also appears to have requisitioned entire flights for the personal use of her children and grandchildren. That is, unaccompanied by any member of Congress, her kids, in-laws and grandchildren are utilizing entire military passenger jets for their routine travel needs.
Forces Pushing Obama on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' -- [New York Times]
President Obama and top Pentagon officials met repeatedly over the past year about repealing "don't ask, don't tell," the law that bans openly gay members of the military. -- But it was in Oval Office strategy sessions ...
Susan Estrich: Military can lead way toward equal society -- [RocNow]
Since 1993, more than 13000 soldiers have been discharged from the military under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy.
Out of your league -- [Greyhawk]
...as in definition 2, that is: "in a situation where you have no chance of succeeding, especially due to lack of skills."
Can uniformed active duty military folks participate in a political debate?
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Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.Refresh for updates.
Six militants die in south Afghan shoot-out -- [AFP]
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- An eight-hour shoot-out in southern Afghanistan ended on Friday with the deaths of six insurgents who had occupied a building near
Wanat inquiry results may lead to punishments -- [Army Times]
Findings from an investigation into the deadly July 13, 2008, battle in Wanat, Afghanistan, could lead to action against Army personnel, officials announced Jan. 29.
Nine soldiers were killed and 27 wounded in that battle.
In a statement, Army Secretary John McHugh said he has received the results of the Central Command investigation and is directing Gen. Charles Campbell, commander of Forces Command, to "review the recommendations and take action as he deems appropriate with regard to Army personnel identified in the report."
ANA Escort Mission-Part One -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
We had just returned from our ANA Memorial Service mission and were in our cubicles unpacking our gear. Word came down to repack our gear and plan for a multi-day mission. We were tasked to escort a brand new Kandak (several hundred soldiers) and a hundred vehicles to their new location. The original plan was to meet our vehicles at 1000 hrs and get them ready for the mission, then depart later in the afternoon.
Part Two ... Herding Cats -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
...We arrived at our destination and the rain was starting to leave up a little bit. The large parking area was filled with ANA vehicles. Their armored fleet included 7-ton trucks, wreckers, ambulances, Humvees, fuel trucks, and LTV pick-up trucks. Most of these soldiers just graduated from the Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC) and were being remissioned. Their Marine ETTs also spent several weeks teaching them the fundamentals of shooting, combat
seatbelts and snakes -- [The Alley - in Afghanistan]
...A few days back, we got what seemed to be our third or fourth motor vehicle rollover incident involving Afghan National Army (ANA) troops. "Jeez," someone said, "somebody needs to teach these guys how to drive!" "I'd be happy if they just started wearing seatbelts," someone else chimed in, bad motor vehicle crashes being notorious for causing severe head trauma, organ injury, and fractures in the improperly restrained. One of our interpreters turned around with an incredulous look.
"Seatbelts? Only suicide bombers wear seatbelts!"
thursday night runnin' to friday on my knees... -- [The Alley - in Afghanistan]
Long derided by visiting Western soldiers as "Man-Love Thursday", it seems to be common for Afghan men, especially in the uniformed services, to have the attitude of "Women are for reproduction, men are for pleasure." In its uglier appearances, this can take the form of child sexual abuse. Why Thursday? Human nature, of course. The day before repentance at jumat (mosque), when transgressions are wiped clean. The remarkable thing is...
And you thought I was lying about Man-Love Thursdays -- [Bouhammer]
I have written on here several times about Man-Love Thursdays, the confusion that Afghan men have with sexuality and the rampant number of homosexuals there are amongst the Afghan male population. I have also had many people ask me if there was any truth to the term "man-love Thursday".
One of my first blogs that mentioned this is called " Their Thursday night is our Saturday night ". I wrote this one in July 2006. I have also wrote about this several other times over the years.
Rainy Day in a White City -- [Free Range International - in Afghanistan]
Jalalabad finally has some winter weather with much needed rain. The mountains surrounding the Kabul River plain have little snow; the weather has been unseasonably mild and dry thus far this winter. A dry winter is a real disaster in a parched country, which relies so heavily on small scale farms to feed its people. So the rain is good but only if it stops soon. Nothing is straightforward in Afghanistan even when it comes to rain - a few more days of this will render most of the housing structures unstable. Houses made of mud bricks do not handle the wet well at all.
Taliban say no decision yet on Karzai offer of talks -- [Reuters]
Taliban leaders will decide soon whether to join talks with the Afghan government, a militant spokesman said ...
Afghan 'surge' forces to arrive by late summer -- [The Examiner]
A top military commander said that nearly all of the US combat troops slated to deploy to Afghanistan to take part in the military buildup
Brown outlines steps to bring troops home -- [Channel 4 News]
By Channel 4 News Prime Minister Gordon Brown tells Krishnan Guru Murthy that British troops will be brought home from Afghanistan by 2011 "if the Afghan
Leading Iraqi politician welcomes Obama's remarks on Iraq -- [EarthTimes]
US President Barack Obama's remarks on Iraq from his "state of the union" address were "positive" and "welcome," a leading member of Iraq's parliamentary coalition said Thursday. "We welcome (Obama's) statements. They were positive and reflected the commitment of the US administration to ... the gradual withdrawal of the US military by the end of 2011," Abbas al-Bayati, a member of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's ruling coalition, told the German Press Agency dpa.
Iraqi: 2 Americans detained in northern Iraq -- [AP]
An Iraqi army official says two Americans are being held in northern Iraq on visa violations.
Citing 9/11, Blair Defends Legacy at Iraq Inquiry -- [NY Times]
This isn't about a lie or a conspiracy or a deceit or a deception," Mr. Blair said. "It's a decision. And the decision I had to take was, given Saddam's history, given his use of chemical weapons, given the over one million people whose deaths he had caused, given 10 years of breaking U.N. resolutions, could we take the risk of this man reconstituting his weapons program or is that a risk it is responsible to take?"
Daily Reflections -- [Team Rubicon - in Haiti]
Every day we hear the common story of people who want us to hire them for translators, workers, or anything possible. Most of this large city is homeless, without work, and in grief. The tent cities everywhere are improving in some ways, and deteriorating in others. After driving through the city several times today I became aware of just how long the rebuilding process is going to take.
Operations Are Winding Down -- [Team Rubicon - in Haiti]
Please be aware that Team Rubicon is now implementing plans to begin winding down operations inside Haiti. We have reached this decision because we have successfully helped "bridge the gap" between disaster and large NGO response. Large aid organizations now have the full weight of their might behind their logistics and operations, thus rendering us ineffective.
Trying to Get an OpEd Published -- [Team Rubicon - in Haiti]
The original members of Team Rubicon have been in the process of drafting an Opinion-Editorial about the manner in which we responded to the Haiti disaster, and how that model can serve to improve the current status quo at large aid organizations.
Ultimately, what we write will have to stand or fall on it's own merits, but we want to make sure that it doesn't immediately get shuffled to the "discard" pile. I think you, as our readers and supporters, understand we are passionate about spreading the word and informing the public on what needs to be done.
North Korea: Second American in Custody -- [NY Times]
North Korea acknowledged that it had detained an American for illegally crossing into its territory from China, the second United States citizen to be held as the North's dispute with Washington over its nuclear weapons program continues.
North Korea fires more artillery towards South -- [Reuters]
North Korea fired artillery toward a disputed sea border with its southern neighbor for the third straight day on Friday in a move seen by the South's president as a ploy by Pyongyang to put pressure on regional powers.
Iran could make nuclear advancement announcement early Feb -- [RIA Novosti]
Iran is likely to make a new announcement regarding its controversial nuclear program during a ten-day celebration to mark the 31st anniversary of the ...
White House orders Justice Department to look for other places to hold 9/11 terror trial -- [NY Daily]
White House officials have told the Justice Department to consider other venues for the 9/11 terror trial that was to be held in lower Manhattan, the Daily News has learned.
Official: Terror case may happen outside Manhattan -- [Breitbart /AP]
Facing growing opposition to its plans to hold the Sept. 11 terrorist trial in New York City, the Obama administration is considering moving the proceedings elsewhere.
Two administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Friday the Justice Department is drawing up plans for possible alternate locations to try professed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four alleged accomplices in case Congress or local officials prevent the trial from being held in Manhattan.
Bin Laden deplores climate change -- [Aljazeera]
Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, has condemned the US and other industrial economies, holding them responsible for the phenomenon of climate change. -- In an audio tape obtained by Al Jazeera, bin Laden criticised George Bush, the former US president ...
The 2LT: Most Definitely Not Alone -- [Kitchen Dispatch]
I met a kid this weekend. A recent graduate of West Point, he's a 2LT who will deploy soon. His very first. His very first everything.
...Later, I found out that his parents are mystified over his decision to go to West Point and then have to serve. They're bugged because their other kid has chosen to get an advanced degree. What they assume is one day --after emerging with a pile of debt, the other kid will make a million bucks a year. Maybe.
But the overwhelming chance is that their other kid will be average.
I certainly hope his parents will turn around. I hope their last conversation with him won't be berating him for his decision.
...So I've decided. He's my kid now. After he deploys, he's going to get so many packages he won't know what hit.
"A chance to help guys that help us out" -- [Soldiers Angel Germany]
Another civilian surgeon heads to LRMC as part of the Society of Vascular Surgery volunteer program. "I look at it as a chance to help guys that help us out", said Dr. David L. Street of Medford, OR.
Dr. Street will be volunteering for two weeks at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, treating wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a news release from his clinic, Street said, "There's a time in your life when it's just time to give back, and I'm there.
From Task Force 14th Med -- [Soldier's Angels - Medical Support]
We often receive notes of thanks that humble me. It sometimes seems like what we we do in our medical support team is small "Hey Eric, please send 24 pair of sweat clothes to this address", or "Caren, please send some of that coffee and Girl Scout cookies we got to this CSH". But I guess it makes a difference to the folks who need it most. It is the generosity and hard work of thousands of volunteers, donors and American patriots that make Soldiers' Angels possible.
Dear Soldiers' Angels,
On behalf of all Soldiers of Task Force 14th Med deployed to Camp Cropper in Baghdad, Iraq - I want to send you a letter of appreciation to everyone who has contributed to the support we have received during our current deployment. We want to say thanks very much for your steadfast support. We are assigned to the 14th Combat Support Hospital based out of Fort Benning Georgia to support the Global War on Terrorism in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 09-10.
The Soldiers of Task Force 14th MED have received many great things from your organization, actually
Pentagon leaders set to testify on 'don't ask, don't tell' -- [GovExec.com]
... Chairman Michael Mullen will testify Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
...
The Army delivers social media to soldiers -- [Defense Systems]
Through much of the past year, the Defense Department remained leery of approving social networking applications such as Facebook and MySpace for U.S. military personnel -- for understandable reasons. The security issues seemed to outweigh any and all arguments for open dialogue and collaboration among officers and troops.
Now we learn that the Army has been experimenting since October with its own secure version of Facebook -- dubbed milBook -- and the Pentagon brass appears to be satisfied with the early results.
Navy CIO Robert Carey talks Web 2.0 -- [FCW.com]
... that establishes Web 2.0 and social media policies. The mission in Haiti is one example of why the military needs to use social networking, he said Jan.
British military secrets leaked on social networking sites -- [Wikinews]
The ministry's "online engagement guidelines", released in August last year, recognise the importance of social media such as Facebook for personnel keeping
Ministry of Defence reveals 16 information leaks in the last 18 months due to social networking use -- [SC Magazine]
A joint investigation has led to revelations that Ministry of Defence staff and military personnel leaked secret information 16 times on social networking websites and internet forums in the last 18 months.
Following a Freedom of Information request tabled by Lewis PR and F-Secure to the MoD, it revealed the amount of incidents but declined to comment on whether any computer networks had been compromised as a result of staff using social media.
Taxpayers pay $101,000 for Pelosi's in-flight 'food, booze' -- [WND]
Speaker's trips 'are more about partying than anything else'
It reads like a dream order for a wild frat party: Maker's Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey's Irish Crème, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewars scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey ... and Corona beer.
But that single receipt makes up just part of the more than $101,000 taxpayers paid for "in-flight services" - including food and liquor, for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trips on Air Force jets over the last two years. That's almost $1,000 per week.
Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by Judicial Watch, which investigates and prosecutes government corruption, show Pelosi incurred expenses of some $2.1 million for her use of Air Force jets for travel over that time.
White House Rejects Pelosi's Push to Freeze Defense Spending -- [FOX]
The disagreement, surfacing mere hours before Obama's first State of the Union address, threatens to cast a pall over one of the items the White House hoped would establish the president's credibility on the deficit.
Pelosi stopped one CIA operation. So why not waterboarding? -- [Washington Post]
... At the time of her press briefing, Pelosi had been forced to acknowledge that she had learned in February 2003 that waterboarding was being used. Why, reporters asked, did she not object? Flustered, Pelosi claimed that it was not her place to complain because she was no longer the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee. "A letter raising concerns was sent to CIA general counsel Scott Muller by the new Democratic ranking member of [the] committee [Jane Harman], the appropriate person to register a protest." She made this claim five times during the briefing.
In fact, Harman's letter, since declassified, did not "register a protest"; it asked "what kind of policy review took place" and urged the agency not to destroy interrogation tapes. Moreover, when Pelosi made this claim, she knew that in 2004, when she was no longer the committee's ranking member, she had personally intervened with the White House to stop different covert action. She did not defer to Harman; she herself took action. Why was it "appropriate" for her to intervene then but not in the case of waterboarding?
Axelrod Struggles To Explain Why Obama's Spending Freeze Doesn't Include Defense Funding -- [Think Progress]
Yesterday, ThinkProgress joined a handful of journalists for a wide-ranging discussion with David Axelrod, Senior Adviser to President Obama. In his State of the Union address on Wednesday night
Ex-Marine Cleared of Wrongdoing in Deaths of Two Iraqis Running for Congress -- [FOX]
WILMINGTON, North Carolina -- A former U.S. Marine who was cleared of wrongdoing in the deaths of two Iraqis in 2004 now is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in North Carolina.
Ilario Pantano announced his candidacy Thursday. He is seeking to become the Republican nominee to challenge Democratic Rep. Mike McIntyre in a North Carolina congressional district.
Pantano shot two men in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, in 2004 and hung a warning sign on their corpses. He claimed self-defense, and a Marine general decided not to bring him to trial.
Rob Diamond is his own prop -- [This Aint Hell...]
I found an article on Huffington Post about Republicans using the troops as props most disingenuous written by some illiterate buffoon named Rob Diamond. In the article he complains about all of the times that Republicans have included veterans in some of their events. Mostly, Diamond was upset that a Staff Sergeant sat behind Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell during his Republican response to the State of the Union Address Wednesday night;...
Props! -- [Greyhawk]
"Let's face it, troops - you guys make a pretty good photo op!"
...For the record, the only thing I find more distasteful than using veterans, soldiers, or even bracelets with the names of soldiers as partisan political props is selective outrage over the practice.
And now, your moment of Zen.
And more faddish -- [Greyhawk]
The #1 fashion accessory for this year's State of the Union? Some might guess "adopted Haitian baby" - but they'd be wrong (but just wait for the Academy Awards...)
It's Veterans!
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Comments (if any):
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.Refresh for updates.
Karzai Warns 'Military Solution Alone' Not Viable -- [Voice of America]
Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned Tuesday that military action alone cannot stabilize his country.
...The Afghan leader said reconciliation is needed, especially with Taliban members who are not affiliated with al-Qaida or other terrorist networks. He also stressed that economic development will play a crucial role in reconciliation efforts.
U.S. Wrestling With Prospect of Olive Branch for Taliban -- [New York Times]
As the Obama administration pours 30,000 additional troops into Afghanistan, it has begun grappling with the next great dilemma of this long war: whether to reconcile with the men who sheltered Osama bin Laden and who still have close ties to Al Qaeda.
NATO, Russia to boost military co-operation in Afghanistan -- [The Canadian Press]
Italian Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola, who heads the alliance's military committee, said Russian Chief of Staff Gen. Nikolai Makarov had told his allied
Germany to Send 500 Extra Troops to Afghanistan -- [AP]
Germany plans to increase its troop contingent in Afghanistan by up to 850 and focus more strongly on training local security forces, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday.
Berlin plans to send 500 extra troops to Afghanistan. It also expects to adjust the parliamentary mandate under which they serve to allow for another 350 soldiers to be deployed as a "flexible reserve," to help with events such as elections if necessary, Ms. Merkel said.
Reinforcements -- [Knights of Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
First the Finns, and now the Germans.
...Guess we'll need to open some new supply lines to the north to move all that extra beer. Won't need to move any ammunition, since the Germans and the Finns aren't allowed to shoot anybody anyway.
Suicide Blast Kills at Least 22 in Baghdad -- [Voice of America]
Another big explosion shook Baghdad, Tuesday. Officials say at least 22 people have been killed and some 80 others injured, in an attack on a government building. The blast follows a series of bombings Monday.
Rivalries in Iraq Keep G.I.'s in the Field -- [New York Times]
MOSUL, Iraq -- A string of checkpoints has appeared on the roads that spoke out from this volatile city, guarded by hundreds of American soldiers working with Arab and Kurdish troops.
U.S. Military Deeply Involved in Aiding Yemen on Strikes -- [Washington Post]
U.S. military teams and intelligence agencies are deeply involved in secret joint operations with Yemeni troops who in the past six weeks have killed scores of people, among them six of 15 top leaders of a regional al-Qaeda affiliate, according to senior administration officials.
N. Korea Exchanges Fire With South -- [BBC News]
South Korea returns fire after the North fires shells near their disputed sea border, reportedly as part of a military drill.
Obama to Unveil New Plan to Fight Bioterrorism -- [Voice of America]
U.S. President Barack Obama will use his State of the Union address Wednesday to unveil a new plan for a better and quicker response to bioterrorism and other threats to public health. The announcement comes just hours after the release of a report critical of the U.S. government's ability to prepare for and respond to bioterrorist attacks.
US Military Panel Hears 1st Guantanamo Appeal -- [Voice of America]
A panel of US military judges has heard the first direct appeal of a convicted detainee at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that of al-Qaida's former top propagandist.
Where America Stands: Terrorism -- [CBS News - Lara Logan]
It was nothing but a make money for the Military Industrial Media Complex. Every thing that has happened since the TRIGGER 9/11/01 is based on outright LIES
A salute to military families -- [Chicago Sun-Times]
WASHINGTON -- First lady Michelle Obama will use the president's State of the Union address today to highlight one of her major issues: helping military ...
Charged contractors had checkered military pasts -- [Washington Post]
The military typically keeps its detailed service records confidential. That makes it difficult to verify the conventional perception that Xe has long ...
Grenade launcher, map of military facility found in ex-Navy man's NJ motel room -- [USA Today]
...It all started when police responded to a 4 a.m. call about a suspicious person at a Branchburg convenience store.
BREAKING: 'Red Bulls' arriving home Sunday -- [Woodbury Bulletin]
...More than 1,000 Red Bulls were deployed to Iraq. They are returning home in four groups, each about a week apart. The first wave of soldiers arrived in Fort Lewis, Washington earlier this week where they spent a few days debriefing before flying back to their Guard armories in Minnesota Sunday.
...
Smaller payraise for troops? -- [This Ain't Hell...]
A few weeks ago I wrote that retired military checks got smaller this year compared to last year, despite the fact that our costs of living had risen - 2.7% the last six months of 2009 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Well, now it's time for the active duty to shoulder their part of the White House budget, too, according to Stars & Stripes;
Common Ground With Tea Partiers? A Search for Understanding. -- [Daily Kos -Catzmaw]
...Due to a family member deploying to Iraq several years ago I started to hang out at a number of military websites. When military blogging (milblogging) took off during the early days of the Iraq conflict I became a regular reader of milblogs. More people at dKos would probably benefit from reading milblogs and I would suggest starting with Doonesbury's excellent milblog called "The Sandbox", which acts as a clearinghouse for diaries from other milblogs, but which also accepts original material. There are also several websites out there devoted to service members, their families, and military veterans. It is at some of these sites that one can find the most reactionary rhetoric. Tea partiers are often very active members of these sites. These aren't astroturfers, but the real grassroots of the tea party movement.
House OKs benefits for uprooted military spouses -- [Chicago Tribune]
The state would provide unemployment benefits for military spouses who leave their jobs because of a deployment or relocation, a move that backers said is just another way to support the troops.
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