Murtha, Hagee and Haditha

No, it's not one of those "Carnak the magician jokes." It's a serious disagreement on the timeline: Mr. Murtha said he was briefed by the Commandant and went forward with his ill-judged "cold blood" accusations on 17 AUG. General Hagee's office insists that the CMC's first brief to Murtha, et al, was on 24 AUG. Patterico puts it all together.

I can only speculate about where Murtha got his information, but according to Gen. Hagee’s Public Affairs Officer, it wasn’t from General Hagee himself (as Murtha had claimed to the Philadelphia Inquirer). Not only did Murtha make his statements before the investigation was complete, he didn’t receive his preliminary information from the top brass before accusing Marines of cold-blooded murder.

And the L.A. Times covered for him, and continues to do so — even after I have told them that Hagee’s office says otherwise.

Re: France Balks

Let's review -
Hezbolla starts war with Israel.
Israeli invades Lebanon
Usual suspects demand immediate Israeli withrdrawl
Various nations promise UN peacekeepers if Israel withdraws
Israel agrees to withdraw when UN peacekeepers deploy
Hezbollah claims Victory and refuses to disarm
Various Nations develop Amnesia about promises of troops.
Israel stays in Southern Lebanon in Accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 awaiting UN troops that may never show up.

France Balks

France is backing off its commitment to head the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

Le Monde reported that France wanted to send just a dozen officers and around 200 personnel from an engineering division for the beefed-up U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Many diplomats had expected France to provide at least 2,000 men.

Is anyone surprised?

I can stop anytime

Really, I can quit uploading video clips onto YouTube anytime I want....just not right now. I want to put two more up - some Afghan Militia setting up a 107mm rocket, then firing it. Check it out - then I will quit....for a while at least.

Brothers! Sisters! We March!

I am a proud member of this Band of Brothers!

The League of Disgruntled Majors!

Onward, to Victory!

Or the Club.

And then that sweet contracting job. Or better yet, Civil Service, where we can really screw with the Butt-Kissing Back Climbers...

When Numbers Lie

via NY Times

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 — The number of roadside bombs planted in Iraq rose in July to the highest monthly total of the war, offering more evidence that the anti-American insurgency has continued to strengthen ..The deadliest means of attack, roadside bombs, made up much of that increase. In July, of 2,625 explosive devices, 1,666 exploded and 959 were discovered before they went off. In January, 1,454 bombs exploded or were found.... 70 percent were directed against the American-led military force

Why we fight.

At the sharp end.

Leave no man behind.

This can't be good news: "DoD Finds Cruise Missile Defense 'Gaps'"

Uh oh. DoD Finds Cruise Missile Defense 'Gaps'.

More here.

Crude photoshop of a Scud on a North Korean cargo ship is my fault.