Odd happenings at Port of Miami

Breaking story on truck with some unlisted (and lied about) passengers.

Port security was, in this instance, on the ball.

More here.

Curious indeed. Persons of interest identified as U.S. citizens of Iraq and Lebanese descent.

Press conference coming.

Update: Sounds a little like something from the Vince Flynn book Memorial Day.

Update2: 1730 EST- The press conference clears up a great deal of misinformation from initial reports- the cargo of the truck does match the manifest and there were no mysterious "55 gallon drums" as reported by the Miami Herald. On the other hand, the explanation of finding a couple of additional people in the truck as a "miscommunication" seems a little weak.

Maybe it was all innocent fun, but it could have also been a probe of the security at the port on a Sunday in January. From what I have seen and heard, Miami Port security passed the test...

40

US casualties in Iraq actually were lower in 2006 than in 2005.

Here's how the Boston Globe chose to ignore that story:

N.E. Toll In Iraq Nearly Doubles

Most of 40 killed in '06 were men under age 25

The number of New Englanders killed in combat in Iraq nearly doubled last year to 40, mostly men under age 25 cut down by increasingly lethal hidden roadside bombs, according to a Globe analysis.

Military analysts said the numbers underscore a troubling aspect of the war: Insurgents have been able to outwit American forces by improving roadside bombs and other improvised explosive devices, resulting in a steady stream of deaths among the young soldiers and Marines typically assigned to daily patrols.

In New Hampshire, 2006 was particularly difficult for military families. The number of Iraq deaths jumped from two in 2005 to eight, and five of last year's dead were younger than 25, leaving a trail of unfulfilled aspirations.

30

Following PM Maliki's promise to increase efforts to crack down on sectarian violence in Baghdad, Iraqi troops "fought with gunmen in an area where several residents had been killed and their bodies hanged from street lampposts", the New York Times reports.

A spokesman for the Defense Ministry, Muhammad al-Askari, said that an Iraqi Army unit had gone into the area after receiving reports that Sunni fighters had set up a fake security checkpoint and were taking Shiites aside and shooting them.

The bodies of many of those killed at the roadblock were then hanged from the lampposts, Mr. Askari said.

He said that Iraqi soldiers had moved in and surrounded the fighters at the checkpoint. In initial fighting there, 30 of the men were killed and several more were arrested, Mr. Askari said, adding that the neighborhood remained locked down.

20

Offensive to pacify Baghdad begins

Hassan al-Suneid, a key aide and member of Mr. al-Maliki's Dawa Party, said the Iraqi leader had committed 20,000 soldiers to the operation and would call upon American troops and air power only when needed.

10

No 10: Saddam execution 'was wrong'

Prime Minister Tony Blair believes that the way in which former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was executed was "completely wrong", his official spokesman at Downing Street has said.

Zero

Dear Mr. President:

The start of the new Congress brings us opportunities to work together on the critical issues confronting our country. No issue is more important than finding an end to the war in Iraq. December was the deadliest month of the war in over two years, pushing U.S. fatality figures over the 3,000 mark.
<...>
Our troops and the American people have already sacrificed a great deal for the future of Iraq. After nearly four years of combat, tens of thousands of U.S. casualties, and over $300 billion dollars, it is time to bring the war to a close.

A Needed Service

Ships at sea reporting on the weather.

And geting sunk by U-boats.

Being the only U.S. surface ships to capture an enemy surface vessel during WWII...

Boring holes in the ocean...

And performing a rescue at sea that "must rank with the Coast Guard's outstanding rescue feats."

Details here.

If You Liked Two Percent You'll Love Next Year

Not as if it matters, but just to tweak people...

Navy Times says the proposed 2008 raise will be 3.5%. The proposal doesn't tend to go up over the year; it tends to go down...

No Sugar Coating this one...

...it's flat out the most disgusting administrative snafu I've ever heard of:

The Army said it will apologize to the families of about 275 officers killed or wounded in action who were mistakenly sent letters urging them to return to active duty.

The letters were sent a few days after Christmas to more than 5,100 Army officers who had recently left the service. Included were letters to about 75 officers killed and about 200 wounded.