The Left Can't Let Go

At 2200 hours last night I heard the news, it was official, Saddam had been executed for his crimes against humanity. There was in fact a sense of relief as the news sunk in, but almost immediately it started, I knew the Left just couldn’t let go. So I bring you a short recon of what the left is saying about Saddam’s execution.

Read 'em and weep my friends.

Robert Scheer writes Silencing Saddam “It is a very frightening precedent that the United States can invade a country on false pretenses, depose its leader and summarily execute him without an international trial or appeals process.” (READ
MORE)

Over at the Huffington Post:Martin Lewis says “[Congats] To George W. Bush. It only cost $354 billion (and counting) and the lives of 3,000 very expendable US military to enable the President to demonstrate to his dad that he has a bigger Dick. Or is one:” (READ MORE) While Tony Hendra gets even cheekier: Former American Puppet Executed By Current American Puppets. And if it isn’t one thing its another as Cenk Uygur asks: Where Were the Mass Graves? Raed Jarrar even goes so far as to say: There Is No Victory in Saddam's Execution

The Daily Kossaks can’t stop crying either as commenter Kdoug laments “Saddam Ex[e]cuted For...the killings of 148 Shi'ite villagers from Dujail. What should be the punishment for Bush? He is responsible for the deaths of 650,000 Iraqis (Lancet); and nearly 3,000 Americans? Those looking for Justice ... what should be the punishment?” Worse still commenter curmudgiana actually calls for the murder of the entire Bush Administration when she writes “Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld - By the neck.”

Over at the Democratic Underground commenter Kentuck still can’t come to grips with reality when he writes Make no mistake - Our grief is not for Saddam - It is for America. “To rationalize Saddam's death as a matter of simple justice is a mistake. It does not legitimize nor lessen the responsibility of an illegal invasion, built on a mountain of lies, and where now there are over 650,000 casualties as a result. Wiser men than we will say that the death of Saddam will lead to many more deaths, not less. The rush to execute, as the rush to invade, will lead to more death and destruction. Just as it was a war of choice, it was an execution of choice” (READ
MORE)

Amnesty International as expected issued a statement of their opposition of the sentence: Iraq: Amnesty International deplores execution of Saddam Hussein “The organization, which totally opposes the use of the death penalty, said it was concerned that the Iraqi Appeals Court had failed to address the major flaws during the former dictator's trial before the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal (SICT) which had rendered it unfair.” (READ MORE)

Michael Moore can’t stop for a second and blasts not only President George W. Bush bust also goes after George H.W. Bush!

Even Pamela Leavey of The Democratic Daily has to get in a jab when she says The Deed is Done… Saddam’s Been Hung “So the dirty deed has been done, it’s not been done dirt cheap.” (READ MORE)

Human Rights Watch says Hanging After Flawed Trial Undermines Rule of Law “The execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein following a deeply flawed trial for crimes against humanity marks a significant step away from respect for human rights and the rule of law in Iraq, Human Rights Watch said today.” (READ MORE)

And Ted Kennedy (D- MA) wants us to think about the refugees of Bush’s Illegal Occupation.

Stuck Between Worlds

Stuck between worlds have you ever felt that pull before?

That is exactly how I feel today especially after reading two posts this morning. Those posts are by Jules Crittenden and they are must reads…the first a moving story about the widows of soldiers about to become mothers.

The second; his thoughts as Saddam comes to the end of his days.

It’s the second that brought back the most memories, the knowledge that people you called friends will no longer be around ever, because they thought that the cause of freedom was more important that rolling over and letting "them" win. Because the person they went after wasn't a true leader but rather a coward found hiding in a hole in the ground. To make matters worse our leaders back home, at least some of them, find that standing up for the enemy is a better way to end their days than standing up for their country.

When we watch Saddam come to the end of his days we find ourselves stuck between worlds so to speak, and we begin to question our memories. Did Sgt. Michael Stokely really die on that August day? Did Sgt Plumadore? Lcpl Higgins, Capt Dennison, Lt Siedel, Cpl Corniel, Sgt Duplantier? Did they all really die or where those dreams of a time past a time so seemingly long ago that its hard to be sure if they are memories or nightmares, or both? And the answer is yes they did, but it’s the good in all of their lives that we remember, that we cherish and honor, for honor is the reward for what you give: and they gave all.

Someday soon Saddam will come to the end of his days, and in that moment a new world will begin, not a better world, and hopefully not worse, but a different world. The dreams will still come in the night and some times when we are alone driving somewhere, and we will honor the memory of our fallen brothers and sisters because the man they went after is finally gone, and we will continue the mission because there are still other men out there that are far worse.

Happy New Year!

I want to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and to welcome Mr. Crittenden's readers. I'm off to visit with family for the next few days and then Tuesday is a Day of Mourning for President Ford so I most likely will not be around 'til Wednesday.

Thank you all for your support over the last year and I look forward to a continued relationship with you all in 2007 and beyond.

What's in store:
A total redesign of The Thunder Run
and the premier of The NCO Board - the blog!

God bless you all, don't ever stop supporting the mission and Scouts Out!

Insurgents Kill Woman, Policeman, Wound Children in Attack in Ramadi

Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
RELEASE No. 20061228-21

Multi-National Force – West PAO

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – Insurgents killed a woman, an Iraqi policeman, and wounded two children and one male in an attack in their home in northern Ramadi Wednesday.

Iraqi police from the Albu Faraj police station immediately responded to the gunmen’s attack and administered first aid to the victims. All the casualties were taken to the police station, and then transported to a Coalition medical facility for additional treatment.

Iraqi police learned during their investigation that the gunmen entered the building, asked if a policeman lived in the home, shot everyone inside, and then left the scene.

The Albu Faraj police received an intelligence report detailing the location of the gunmen involved. The police raided the suspected gunmen’s hideout. As a result, 13 suspected insurgents were detained for questioning in relation to the incident.

One Insurgent Killed While Emplacing IED

Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
RELEASE No. 20061229-01


Multi-National Division – North PAO

KIRKUK, Iraq – Coalition forces killed one insurgent and captured seven others during operations to prevent the placement of improvised explosive devices near the village of Al Safar in the western Kirkuk province Dec 26.

Coalition Forces observed the insurgents emplacing the IED along a well traveled route and engaged the insurgents with air delivered precision-guided munitions. Coalition Forces then pursued the enemy to a building where several of the insurgents had fled.

During a search of the building, Coalition Forces detained seven individuals and found several weapons, several magazines with ammunition, and materials used to make improvised explosive devices.

There were no civilian casualties and no Coalition casualties.

Coalition Forces continue to conduct partnered operations with Iraqi Security Forces to eliminate the IED threat for the safety of all citizens in the province.

Two Terrorists Killed During Early Morning Raid in Baghdad

MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
PRESS RELEASE A06129b

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Forces killed two terrorists and detained two others during a raid against al-Qaida terrorists Friday morning in Baghdad.

While moving toward the targeted building, Coalition Forces encountered two armed men who had exited nearby buildings. Coalition forces assessed the two armed men as an immediate threat and engaged them. Both armed men were wounded.

Coalition Forces immediately rendered first aid and transported the two men to a nearby medical facility. Upon further investigation, Coalition Forces determined the men were local nationals. The two men are currently in stable condition.

Additional friendly forces performing security outside the targeted building were confronted by two armed terrorists during the raid. The terrorists began maneuvering toward Coalition Forces despite the ground troops’ repeated attempts to halt the men. The terrorists were non-compliant and continued to maneuver toward the Coalition Forces who engaged, killing the two armed terrorists.

Ground forces entered the targeted building and found a weapons cache consisting of AK-47s which was seized. Two suspected terrorists were also detained during the raid.

Military operations are inherently high risk, and Coalition Forces employ every effort to reduce the risk to civilians. Coalition Forces regret the injuries the local nationals sustained.

FOUR TERRORISTS KILLED; TWO IED BUILDINGS DESTROYED

MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
PRESS RELEASE A061229a

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed four terrorists and destroyed two buildings along with nearby cache sites containing improvised explosive device equipment during a raid Friday morning in Thar Thar.

Intelligence reports indicated IEDs were being produced in the targeted buildings. Upon entering the first building, Coalition Forces were engaged by armed terrorists. Coalition Forces returned fire killing four terrorists. While searching the targeted buildings and surrounding area, ground forces found a significant cache consisting a large amount of IED making material to include 16 pounds of homemade explosives, one 60-pound and one 80-pound bomb. Also found on the site were multiple batteries, blasting caps, a rocket-propelled grenade,100 feet of detonation cord, suicide vests, grenades and machine guns.

Coalition Forces coordinated an air strike that destroyed the buildings containing the weapons cache.

No civilians were injured during this operation.

Coalition Forces continue to dismantle the AQIZ terrorist network inside Iraq. The capture of these terrorists and the destruction of these buildings reduces the ability of the terrorist network to operate, and increases the safety of all Iraqi citizens, Iraqi forces and Iraq’s multi-national partners.

Iraqi Troops Train With Help From MiTTs

Sgt. Jon Cupp 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs

CAMP TAJI — New basic training graduates with the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized) trained with the assistance of Military Transition Teams from the 1st Infantry Division here Dec.19 on how to conduct cordon and searches.

The training consisted of the IA troops performing practice raids in two building "mock-ups." According to Capt. Eric James, operations officer and adviser for the 329th MiTT, the training lasts three to four weeks and readies the Iraqi troops before they encounter the challenges of working in actual urban environments and checkpoints.

"We're taking new Iraqi Soldiers before they get assigned to a company and giving them additional training," said James. "What we're doing is getting together with our Iraqi Army brothers and giving them this training prior to their going out into their areas of operations."
Read the Rest...

(Photo: An Iraqi Army instructor prepares his trainees, all Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized), to storm a building "mock-up" during training at Camp Taji, Iraq. Photo by Sgt. Jon Cupp.)

Salah ad Din doctors Catching Up

By Spc. Amanda J. Jackson
3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division PAO

TIKRIT — The Canon of Medicine was written by ancient Islamic physician Ibn Sina circa 1022 and became a reference for European doctors throughout the Middle Ages – a time when Islam was sovereign in the field of medicine.

Western medicine still credits Sina’s work to be the most influential medical reference book of ancient history, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Despite 20 years of regression the field suffered during Saddam’s regime, citizens of Islamic nations, such as Iraq, continue to follow in Sina’s footsteps.

Healthcare professionals in Iraq’s Salah ad Din Province contributed to the collective advancements of modern medicine by holding a Medical Symposium Dec. 14 in Tikrit to recollect the dark ages in which they were kept ignorant, and muse over the progression of medicine in Iraq.
Read the Rest...

(Photo: Lt. Col. Thomas Rogers, 399th Combat Support Hospital, hands an Iraqi doctor a book, Emergency War Surgery, and a compact disc during the medical symposium at the Salah Ad Din Provincial Joint Coordination Center.)

Operation Beastmaster Successful

By Staff Sgt. Kason Fark
2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment


BAGHDAD — Staring down at an empty lot, Spc. Craig McBaine wondered how such a tranquil neighborhood could be the scene of so much carnage.

Nicknamed “IED Alley East,” this 700-meter stretch of barren earth has been the scene of many attacks against coalition and Iraqi security forces.

On this day, the patch of land, bordered on three sides by once-beautiful three-story houses, is occupied by up-armored Humvees, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Abrams Battle Tanks, all in support of Operation Beastmaster.

During Beastmaster, troops from the 4th Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division cleared three large neighborhoods in the western Baghdad suburb of Ghazaliya. The sight of much sectarian violence, Ghazaliya is the battle ground for Sunni insurgents trying to push back the overwhelming Shia population in the northern and eastern areas of Baghdad.

Read the Rest...

(Photo: A Soldier from Company D, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, attached to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, communicates with his squad leader while pulling security during Operation Beastmaster.)

Iraqi and U.S. Troops Conduct Operations in Siniyah

By Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Div. Public Affairs


SINIYAH, Iraq – Many terrorists sought a haven here but were now confined to the cordoned city by a 12-foot high berm that wraps eight miles around Siniyah in the shape of a horseshoe. Razor wire outlines the tops of the berm amid surveillance and patrols by Iraqi and U.S. troops.

The only way in or out of the city is through a single, paved road with checkpoints manned by Iraqi army soldiers. The checkpoints have always existed but were reinforced after numerous attacks on security forces and civilians in Siniyah, said Lt. Col. Scott Harris, commander, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.

Siniyah lies in northern Salah ad Din Province and is the first city east of the Syrian Desert’s northeastern edge. Because of the city’s location, coalition forces believe terrorists harbor them selves there before filtering to other areas throughout Iraq, Harris continued.

Security in Siniyah began showing signs of weakening Oct. 24, 2006, when the police force of more than 100 quit due to terrorist attacks and threats against them and their families. Security didn’t show any signs of improvement as the police station was completely destroyed only 13 days later.

“The insurgents had a very strong hold on the city,” Harris said. “The entire city council quit; even the mayor resigned."

Read the Rest...

(Photo: A bulldozer operated by a Paratrooper from the 618th Engineer Support Company (Airborne) builds a berm around the outskirts of Siniyah, Iraq, Dec. 9, 2006, just north of Tikrit. The burm was constructed to isolate the city and trap terrorists who operate out of it.)

Radio Station Opens Doors, Gives Chance For Free Speech

By Spc. Ryan Stroud
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav. Division Public Affairs

BALAD RUIZ, Iraq -In a city where there is no means for releasing information to its people, coalition forces have developed a project to give the people a chance at free speech.

The ribbon cutting ceremony for the Al Noor radio station, also known as the 'The Light,' located here, opened its doors to many with high hopes and happy faces from the Iraqi Army and police department as well as city officials of Balad Ruz and members of the 5-73 Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.

"This is a great day for Balad Ruiz and its people," said Mayor Mohammed Maroof Al-Hussein, city mayor. "I think this is a new stage for our city and a new way to serve our people.

"This is a free station," he continued. "The people can say what they want, they can speak freely."

Read the Rest...

(Photo: Balad Ruz mayor Mohammed Maroof Al-Hussein cut the ribbon which opened the doors to free speech and the Al Noor radio station on Dec. 18. Photo by Spc. Ryan Stroud)

U.S. , Afghan Enlisted Leaders Gain Insight Into Pakistan Military Operations

By Tech. Sgt. Christopher DeWitt
Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan Public Affairs

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Senior enlisted leaders from Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States militaries met Dec. 27 for a second time this year to share insights among their services as part of a trilateral noncommissioned officer exchange program.

“This trip is about relationship building,” said Sgt. Maj. Daniel Wood, the command sergeant major for Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan. “Our countries are fighting a common enemy, and it is important that we strengthen the relationship between Pakistan and the developing Afghan military.”

Senior NCOs met in August in Kabul for the first exchange of information between the three countries, which is linked to the U.S. Central Command’s Theater Security Cooperation program, designed to foster relationships between U.S. military and partner countries.

“It was very good to have so much information to help our relationship,” said Sgt. Maj. Safi Roshan, the sergeant major of the Afghan National Army. “They were very happy. They said they wish they had more time to spend with us.”
Read the Rest...

(Photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher DeWitt: Sgt. Maj. Daniel Wood, the command sergeant major of Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan, right, discusses NCO training with Lt. Col. Khawar, center, commander of Pakistan’s 11th Corps Battle School. Sgt. Maj. Safi Roshan, the sergeant major of the Afghan National Army, looks on at left.)

Web Reconnaissance for 12/29/2006

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention.



In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
Ethiopians Help Seize Somali Capital “JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 28 -- Ethiopian-backed troops moved unopposed into Somalia's unruly capital of Mogadishu on Thursday, taking over from fleeing Islamic fighters as clan elders and politicians met in an effort to establish the first viable secular government in the country since 1991.” (READ MORE)

Somalia, U.N. regain Mogadishu “Jubilant Somalis cheered as troops of the U.N.-backed interim government rolled into Mogadishu unopposed yesterday, putting an end to six months of domination of the capital by a radical Islamist movement.” (READ MORE)

Thai insurgency targets Buddhists “Buddhists are fleeing their homes in southern Thailand in the face of an increasingly militant Muslim insurgency that has begun calling for an independent and pure Islamist nation in the impoverished region bordering Malaysia.” (READ MORE)U.S. Is Being Told Hussein Hanging Seems Imminent “Iraqi officials told the White House to expect the execution on Saturday, Baghdad time, a senior administration official said.” (READ MORE)



News From the Front:
The Online Chaplin writes Out of the Mouth's of Babes “About two weeks ago my seven year old and I were talking on the phone. He asked me the question of the month, ‘Dad, are you going to be home for Christmas?’ I said, ‘I’m sorry buddy, but, I have to stay here in Iraq and take care of soldiers.’ There was a moment pause and then my angelic little seven year old blurted out, ‘Daaaamn it!’” (READ MORE)

A Healer Is Forced to Tend His Own Wound “Petty Officer Third Class Dustin E. Kirby, a Navy corpsman whose efforts to save a wounded marine in Iraq were covered in The New York Times, was severely wounded by an Iraqi sniper on Monday.” (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio writes The Islamic Courts Abandons Mogadishu “After less than two weeks of fighting against Ethiopian and Somali government forces, the al-Qaeda backed Islamic Courts Union has fled the capital of Mogadishu for part unknown. Ethiopian armored columns and forces of the Transitional Federal Government have now been sighted entering the Somali capital of Mogadishu.” (READ MORE)

De Ri Militari writes Ethiopia's Lonely War “While the mainstream media comes up with more ghastly ways of criticizing the war in Iraq, (cannabilizing both 9/11 and the death of former President Gerald Ford to blast the US) the blogosphere has fortunately filled the gap and picked up the story of the war in Somalia.” (READ MORE)

Badger 6 writes Blogging, Morale, and How We are Doing Over Here “I try to spend some time thinking about what my blog posts are going to revolve around. I try to consider what parts of being in Iraq might be of interest to people back home and how I might make those stories and reporting interesting. I also contemplate what the implications of any post might be and how that potential post is part of the Tenets of the Blog. Additionally, I need to take into consideration guidelines from the US military about we can and cannot discuss.” (READ MORE)



On the Web:
Thomas Sowell writing at Townhall.com writes A dangerous obsession: Part IV “One of the questions often asked by those obsessed with income ‘gaps’ and ‘disparities’ is: "Is anyone really worth the millions of dollars a year that some people receive as personal income?"” (READ MORE)

Oliver North writing at Townhall.com writes Happy New Year “However one spends these last hours of 2006, Americans should take care to thank and pray for those who have defended our nation throughout the year.” (READ MORE)

Patrick J. Buchanan writing at Townhall.com writes A good man in evil times “Gerald R. Ford was a good man who served his country well in an evil time.” (READ MORE)

Lorie Byrd writing at Townhall.com writes Time will tell “Some interesting observations from history teacher/blogger Betsy Newmark on the passing of President Gerald Ford reminded me just how differently things are often viewed through the lens of history.” (READ MORE)

Rich Tucker writing at Townhall.com writes But Who’s Counting? “The problem here is the entire push for ‘diversity’ and ‘tolerance.’ Both those concepts have come to mean the exact opposite of what they should.” (READ MORE)

see-dubya of HotAir writes LA Times revisits controversial Ramadi airstrike story “Back in November, blogger Patterico spent a lot of time looking into an incident in Ramadi in which it was alleged in the L.A. Times that U.S. airstrikes killed several civilians. The incident in many ways set the stage for the ongoing questions about coverage of the Hurriya burning and the AP’s reliance on ‘Capt. Jamil Hussein.’” (READ MORE)

Dean Barnett writing at Hugh Hewitt writes The Birth of the Youthful Curmudgeon “’I think the best definition of journalism is history as refracted through the prism of the unfolding present.’ The above quote comes from young Joe Rago early in his interview with Hugh Tuesday night. When I heard it, I did a spit-take, regrettably spewing a mouthful of my Pinot over my computer screen. ‘Oh dear,’ I thought. ‘Not only does Rago write that way, he also speaks that way. Worse still, he apparently thinks that way.’” (READ MORE)

Lorie Byrd writing at Wizbang writes The 9/11-Iraq Death Toll Milestone “I agree with Barcepundit's commentary on the "milestone" that was recently reached with military deaths in Iraq topping the number of people killed in the 9/11 attacks: ‘Did anyone ever think to criticize World War II after the 2.303 'grim milestone' was reached (the number of people killed at Pearl Harbor)?’” (READ MORE)

Dan Riehl writes AP and E&P: Perfect "Liars" Together “The AP and E&P have teamed up to perpetuate a lie. The details of their own story make that clear for anyone taking the time to actually parse it. The headline screams Many U.S. Troops in Iraq Oppose Escalation, so let's take a look.” (READ MORE)

Andi of Andi’s World writes Public Ugliness “There have been a number of sordid stories in the news lately, all of which have left me feeling as if I need to take a long, hot shower. The Donald Trump/Rosie O'Donnell spat is one of the ugliest.” (READ MORE)

Cassandra writes The Faces Behind The War “Four a.m. It's cold and dark outside my small home in western Maryland. The slap of the newspaper hitting the driveway briefly jolts me awake as I blearily stare at the monitor. Behind my office chair a small but determined Weiner Beast wreaks havoc on carefully arranged stacks of Christmas wrap and bows with a destructive force that rivals the most fiendish IED as, via OpFor, I read that last week David Ignatius tried to convey a sense of Christmas during wartime:” (READ MORE)

Patterico writes L.A. Times (Almost) Admits Ramadi Airstrike Didn’t Happen “The L.A. Times has finally reported the military’s denial of an airstrike in Ramadi on November 13 or 14, in this story. The paper doesn’t exactly admit that no airstrike occurred in central Ramadi on November 13 or 14. But new interviews done by the paper’s mysterious unnamed Ramadi stringer have Iraqis saying they “assumed” that it was an airstrike that caused the deaths:” (READ MORE)


Have an interesting post or know of a "must read?" Then send a trackback here and let us all know about it. Or you can send me an email with a link to the post and I'll update the Recon.

And The Award Goes To

LGF has announced the nominees’ for the coveted Robert Fisk Award for Idiotarian of the Year 2006. You are allowed one vote, and the polls close at midnight on December 31, 2006.
Nominees include:

Kofi Annan
Hugo Chavez
John F. Kerry
Mainstream Media
John Murtha
Keith Olbermann
9/11 Conspiracy Theorists

Vote Now!

While you are there, you can vote for also vote for the Oriana Fallaci Award (the "Oriana") for Anti-Idiotarian of the Year 2006. You are allowed one vote, and the polls close at midnight on December 31, 2006.

Nominees include:

Ayaan Hirsi Ali
John Bolton
Canadian PM Stephen Harper
Australian PM John Howard
Melanie Phillips
Pope Benedict XVI
Robert Spencer
Mark Steyn
Stuck Mojo
Wafa Sultan

Vote Now!

Saddam Begs For a Savior

Now the genocidal killer is worried about international conventions and decorum, as he attempts to avert his schedule execution:

Saddam Hussein's chief lawyer implored world leaders on Thursday to prevent the United States from handing over the ousted leader to Iraqi authorities for execution, saying he should enjoy protection from his enemies as a "prisoner of war."

Iraq's highest court on Tuesday rejected Saddam's appeal against his conviction and death sentence for the killing of 148 Shiites in the northern city of Dujail in 1982. The court said the former president should be hanged within 30 days.

"According to the international conventions, it is forbidden to hand a prisoner of war to his adversary," Saddam's lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi said.

"I urge all the international and legal organizations, the United Nations secretary-general, the Arab League and all the leaders of the world to rapidly prevent the American administration from handing the president to the Iraqi authorities," he told The Associated Press. (READ MORE)

I’m sorry Saddam, holding you in custody instead of handing you over to the Iraqi Government would only subvert the authority of the Iraqi’s, and we can’t have that. Of course if he is willing to admit that he is infact a Prisoner of War, doesn't that suddenly change the status of those enemy combatants that the left is so concerned about?

Iraqi Forces Prove Eager to Help, Become More Capable

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – Iraqi military and police forces are eager to help find solutions for the challenges facing their country, and they are becoming more capable of assuming increased responsibility for security, a senior U.S. military officer said in Baghdad today.

As President Bush deliberates the way ahead in Iraq, the Iraqi people and their security forces will ultimately have the responsibility to quell violence and effect peace across the country, Army Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, told reporters.

“Ultimately, Iraqis have to step up and develop solutions to their country’s problems,” Caldwell said. “Yet, in the face of persistently high levels of violence, the Iraqi people are demonstrating that they are eager to do just that.”

More than 1,100 Iraqis recently signed up for the police forces in troubled Anbar province, Caldwell said, a place where there’d been no previous demonstration of such civic resolve.

More Iraqi citizens are also stepping forward to provide information about extremist and criminal activities to authorities, Caldwell said. From January to September 2006, he said, Iraqis provided an average of 4,500 tips monthly to authorities about possible terrorist or criminal activity in their areas.

Between October and November, such citizen-supplied tips increased by 66 percent to more than 7,600 tips per month. As of Dec. 22, the pace of tips received was anticipated to yield more than 8,700 this month, Caldwell said.

Read the Rest...

Southern PHCs Scheduled for Completion by June

By Betsy Weiner
Gulf Region South District
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers


Twelve primary healthcare centers (PHC), designed to provide essential medical care to people in underdeveloped urban and rural areas in the Dhi Qar and Muthanna provinces, will open by June 2007, according to Gulf Region South (GRS) District officials.

Construction on 55 facilities in the nine southern provinces halted when the primary contractor, Parson’s Corp., was terminated last year, but GRS re-awarded the contracts six months ago, according to Mike Osborne, Dhi Qar resident engineer.

“The clinics were in various stages of construction when Parsons left,” he said. “Some were weeks ahead of the others.”

Lt. Col. Dale Johnson, Camp Adder area engineer, noted that the centers under his watch – eight in Muthanna and four in Dhi Qar – exist in an increasingly dangerous security environment and this makes them difficult to build.

“I’ve got two in the area that are nearly finished,” he said, “one in Muthanna and one in Dhi Qar. Both have been built by the same contractor and will be finished in the next 30 days.”

Johnson said that despite the challenges of building the facilities, he reaps personal rewards from knowing that GRS has provided the community with something that is “uniquely good. They don’t get this level of medical care or service,” he said. “Not outside of hospitals anyway.”

Read the Rest...

(Photo: Mike Osborne, Dhi Qar resident engineer, examines the mortar on the skeletal structure of a primary healthcare center in Nasiriyah recently. Dhi Qar and Muthanna have 12 PHCs that fall under the purview of the Adder Area Office, GRS. Photo by Betsy Weiner)

Operation in Al Doura Market ‘sweeping’ Success for 2-12 Inf.

By Spc. Alexis Harrison
2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs


FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq – It doesn’t rain often in Iraq. When it does, the ground turns to a sloppy mess of mud that attaches itself to anything it comes in contact.

Despite being rained on and covered in mud up to their ankles, Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, braved more than the weather to make sure “Operation Gladiator” was a success. Not just for them, but for the locals counting on the businesses and shops to reopen.

The operation centered its effort in the ever-dangerous Al Doura marketplace in central Baghdad, the site for almost a third of the murders accounted for in the capital city. Soldiers from 2-12 have already been patrolling the streets for several weeks, and they’ve already had their share of adversity.

Dozens of roadside bombs, mortar attacks and small-arms fire fights have erupted in the same area where hundreds of businesses used to be.

However, despite the dangerous conditions, the infantry battalion rose to the challenge.

Read the Rest...

(Photo: During a sweep of the Al Doura market, Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, find a man and his family still living in one of the buildings. The family was one of two found during Operation “Gladiator,” which swept the market to root out any insurgent activity.)

Al Anbar Outlook Getting More Optimistic

By Norris Jones
Gulf Region Central District
US Army Corps of Engineers

RAMADI, Iraq— “In one of Iraq’s most turbulent areas, we’re seeing signs that the situation is changing,” says Navy Commander James Lee.

He just finished a six-month tour with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as their representative on the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) for Al Anbar Province that includes the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah.

“At one point the local tribal leaders and the population at large fought against us. But as they observed our continuing efforts to improve their communities, they’ve taken noticeable steps switching their alliance from sympathizing with the insurgents to helping us get the security situation under control,” Lee explained.

“We’re working on schools, water and sewage treatment plants, hospitals and primary healthcare centers, electrical generation and distribution networks, waterway maintenance, roadways, police and fire stations and the local residents appreciate our efforts. Those times I would get discouraged about the ongoing challenges, it just took a stop in one of the many villages we were assessing for projects to get re-energized about our mission. The thankful smiles of their youngsters did it for me every time.”

Read the Rest...

(Photo: Al Anbar Governor Ma’Moun Sami Rashied and Navy Commander James Lee, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representative on the Al Anbar Provincial Reconstruction Team.)

Launching: Operation Valentine!

Via the unstoppable Kat:

OK, Christmas is over... so here we go again with Operation: Valentine! All the info is below... anything you can do to help get the word out about this will be MOST appreciated! I also have a pretty, printable Word flyer I can email you if you wish.

OPERATION: VALENTINE
Valentine's Day Card Drive for Troops

Let's show our troops we love and support them! Starting NOW, I will be collecting Valentine's cards to send to troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you wish to participate, please send light-hearted, silly, cheerful (and un-sealed) cards to this address:

Mrs. Kat Orr
Operation Valentine
P.O. Box 1660
Loganville, GA 30052

I am also collecting "Hershey's Kisses" and "Hershey's Hugs" candy, and any other silly Valentine's candy you'd like to send – lollipops, candy hearts, etc. It's cold over there now, so we can, for the moment, get away with sending CHOCOLATE! You may also send a e-mail of support to the following email address:

Any e-mail received to this e-mail account will be printed and mailed, together with the Valentine's cards.

The cards can be handmade or store-bought... for that matter, they don't even have to be cards; a hand -written letter is just as wonderful! Let's all band together and overwhelm our heroes with support and chase away those "after Christmas blues!"

ALL CARDS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2007

Thank you so much for having a heart for our heroes !

Web Reconnaissance for 12/28/2006

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention.



In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
Ford's Integrity Praised “President Bush and other lawmakers paid their respects to Gerald R. Ford yesterday, as plans were completed for several days of funeral services and memorials, which will include the late president's body lying in state at the U.S. Capitol.” (READ MORE)

Islamic Militias 'On Run' Near Mogadishu “Somali and Ethiopian troops drove Islamic fighters out of the last major town before Mogadishu yesterday, and the government predicted that the capital and stronghold of the radical Islamists would fall without a fight.” (READ MORE)

Populist Edwards Unveils Bid “Presidential hopeful uses New Orleans as backdrop to illustrate his two Americas theme.” (READ MORE)

Sadr Adviser Dies in Najaf Raid “Death of top deputy sparks protests, complicates tense relationship with powerful Shiite cleric.” (READ MORE)

Opponents of Islamists Seize Somali Capital “Troops from the transitional government, along with Ethiopian soldiers who had been backing them up, poured into Mogadishu from the outskirts of the city.” (READ MORE)



News From the Front:
Mohammed of Iraq the Model writes It's in our interest to make them understand... “’Oh Iraqis, just listen to what your American enemies are saying these days and you'll know that victory is close…’ this is a slogan among many others we hear everyday on one of the terrorists' mouthpieces.” (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio writes The Fall of the Islamic Courts “Nine days after the onset of open warfare between the al-Qaeda backed Islamic Courts and the Ethiopian backed Transitional Federal Government, the Islamic Courts have surrendered.” (READ MORE)

Michael J. Totten writes Hezbollah's Putsch - Day One “I returned to Beirut after eight months and a hot summer war and found that the city had little changed, at least on the surface. My old neighborhood in West Beirut was intact. Civil war reconstruction continued downtown. More restaurants and pubs had opened close-in on the east side of the city.” (READ MORE)



On the Web:
Larry Elder writing at Townhall.com writes You've Got Mail! “Oprah Winfrey recently spoke about a pre-Iraq invasion show, in which her guests questioned the war's wisdom and validity.” (READ MORE)

Victor Davis Hanson writing at Townhall.com writes Iran’s Ahmadinejad Far Weaker Than He Lets On “The Iraq Study Group, prominent U.S. Senators and realist diplomats all want America to hold formal talks with the government of Iran.” (READ MORE)

Michael McBride writing at Townhall.com writes Winning the Information War in Iraq “Part of the problem is that the military doesn’t get that trying to deal with the MSM as partners will not work.” (READ MORE)

Thomas Sowell writing at Townhall.com writes A Dangerous Obsession: Part III “People in the media, in academia and among the intelligentsia in general who are obsessed with ‘disparities’ in income and wealth usually show not the slightest interest in how that income and wealth were produced in the first place.” (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden writes Woodward Chants Up a Ford Zombie “Last night we saw that Wonkette couldn't wait for the funeral to start bashing Gerald Ford. Here comes Bob Woodward, who can't wait until Ford is cold to start using him to bash Bush. Very nice.” (READ MORE)

The Wall Street Journal Opinion Journal has President Ford “The abiding cliché about Gerald Ford--who died Tuesday at age 93--is that he was a decent man who steadied the country but held the White House too briefly to leave a major imprint. We've always thought that view of his Presidency is too diminishing, not least because he led the nation at a dangerous time and resisted political furies that could have done the U.S. far more harm.” (READ MORE)

Hugh Hewitt writes Mitt Romney On The Blogs And New Media “The Governor Romney's response to Robert Bluey's question on blogs and new media: ‘I think that the opinion leaders in the country, particularly those in primaries, are people who are very involved on the Internet and are watching the blogs and seeing what’s being said.’” (READ MORE)

Kim Priestap writing at Wizbang writes Harry Reid is Simply Too Busy to be Bothered with President Ford's Funeral “Incoming Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senators Dick Durbin, Kent Conrad, Judd Gregg, Robert Bennett, and Ken Salazar are going on a junket to South America and just can't reschedule to attend former President Ford's state funeral on Friday.” (READ MORE)

Dafydd writes Careful What You Threaten; You Might Have to Deliver “Muqtada Sadr's faction in Iraq is up in arms -- not quite literally yet -- because we killed a top Sadr aide who was also an ‘improvised explosive device facilitator’ and ‘implicated in a bomb attack on a police chief in October.’” (READ MORE)

Froggy writing at Blackfive writes Lessons Learned “When you decide to go to war, make sure you go ball’s deep. In my segment on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show yesterday, I focused on the frustrations that I hear from milblogs to MSM reports to reports from my own sources that the ROEs have devolved to the point of absurdity and our forces are more fearful of UCMJ violations than they are of enemy insurgents.” (READ MORE)

Captain Ed writes Ford On Iraq “The blogosphere is abuzz today about the Bob Woodward interview that took place in July 2004 with now-deceased former President Gerald Ford about Iraq and other topics. In the interview, Ford criticized the Iraq invasion, opposing the decision and claiming that he would have looked harder for other options:” (READ MORE)

John Hawkins writes It's Not Over Until It's Over On Illegal Immigration “Many people are presuming that an amnesty bill is good as through Congress now that the Democrats have taken over. They may be right. After all, the average Democrat is as bad on the issue as the worst offenders on the right, like George Bush and John McCain. However, it's not over until it's over and there are a few reasons to think that amnesty isn't a forgone conclusion.” (READ MORE)

Right Wing Nut House writes THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY “It says a lot about the
character of the new Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he would blow off the state funeral of Gerald Ford, the least partisan of our most recent presidents, in order to get in a little holiday sight seeing and engage in some hobnobbing with South American leftists.” (READ MORE)

Curt of Flopping Aces writes Latest On The Jamil Hussein Saga “Barry Caro, a sophomore at Princeton, penned a great article a few weeks ago in the college paper about the Jamil Hussein story: ‘The most explosive and far-reaching news story of the year has nothing to do with underage pages and a certain Republican ex-Congressman. This story involves ignition in the streets of Baghdad and six immolations that probably never occurred.’” (READ MORE)

Michele of Reformed Chicks Blabbing writes Gerald Ford's pardon of Nixon lead to the war in Iraq “It's amazing how all roads lead to George W. Bush in the minds of some on the left. I'm not sure that when I heard about the death of Ford that my mind would ever have gone where Sheehan's mind took her.” (READ MORE)

Dan Riehl writes Compassionate Islamists Abandon Mogadishu, Liberals Lament “Ethiopian and Somalian government forces have closed on the capitol of Mogadishu, while Islamists have fled south toward the seaport of Kismayo. Unfortunately, some former Islamist supporters simply went back to their tribal leanings, changed clothes and began looting buildings formerly held by the Islamists.” (READ MORE)

Right Wing Guy writes A Decision That’s Right “There are those who state that you cannot talk about the military, the actions taken or about to be taken about the military unless you have served in said military in some fashion and of course we know which side of the line tends to use this argument.” (READ MORE)

Blonde Sagacity writes Einstein Would Have Fit Right in at Berkeley... “’Patriotic women should be sent to the front in the next war.’ -Albert Einstein. Someone that claimed to be "a U.S. Army Sergeant with 18 months of trigger time in Iraq" sent me an email saying this was the quote that came to mind when they read my blog. I couldn't get the quote out of my head after I read it..” (READ MORE)

Wretchard of The Belmont Club writes The Blogosphere at War “I wrote this paper as an attempt to describe how the blogosphere works; to situate it vis-a-vis the mainstream media and to indicate some of the ways it can be used as a weapon of information warfare.” (READ MORE)


Have an interesting post or know of a "must read?" Then send a trackback here and let us all know about it. Or you can send me an email with a link to the post and I'll update the Recon.

Why I Serve - TSgt. Elias

Why I Serve - TSgt. Elias

"So that my son's world will be one of peace."

How the West Could Lose

By Daniel Pipes
FrontPageMagazine.com

After defeating fascists and communists, can the West now defeat the Islamists?

On the face of it, its military preponderance makes victory seem inevitable. Even if Tehran acquires a nuclear weapon, Islamists have nothing like the military machine the Axis deployed in World War II, nor the Soviet Union during the cold war. What do the Islamists have to compare with the Wehrmacht or the Red Army? The SS or Spetznaz? The Gestapo or the KGB? Or, for that matter, to Auschwitz or the gulag?

Yet, more than a few analysts, including myself, worry that it's not so simple. Islamists (defined as persons who demand to live by the sacred law of Islam, the Sharia) might in fact do better than the earlier totalitarians. They could even win. That's because, however strong the Western hardware, its software contains some potentially fatal bugs. Three of them – pacifism, self-hatred, complacency – deserve attention.

Read the Rest...

Associated Propaganda Press

By Ben Johnson
FrontPageMagazine.com

WHO IS THE BIGGER MURDERER: GEORGE W. BUSH OR OSAMA bin Laden? For the Associated Press, the scales are tipping in favor of our commander-in-chief.
The world’s most widely syndicated news service made the oblique, unflattering comparison yesterday in a story headlined “U.S. Deaths in Iraq Exceed 9/11 Count.” The AP reported with bated breath:

The U.S. military death toll in Iraq has reached 2,974, one more than the number of deaths in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, according to an Associated Press count on Tuesday. The U.S. military announced the deaths of two soldiers in a bomb explosion southwest of Baghdad on Monday.

The deaths raised the number of troops killed to 2,974 since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003. The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks claimed 2,973 victims in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania.

Trumpeting American deaths at every opportunity – a staple of enemy psychological warfare – is old hat for the leftist-dominated press. There were similar media orgies for the 2,000th casualty, the 1,000th casualty, even the 721st casualty. The media bemoaned a ban on portraying military caskets – which they quickly broke – and have taken to classifying each month as, e.g., “the fourth deadliest month of fighting.” None of these convinced the American people Operation Enduring Freedom was more harmful than 9/11.

Enter yesterday’s story.

The AP’s choice of comparisons is vitally misleading. The reporter collated servicemen killed in Iraq to civilians murdered on 9/11 – rather than, say, with the number of homicides in a comparable number of American cities (where there are neither Fedayeen nor organized death squads, except those canonized in leftist victimology as “troubled inner city youths”). By its nature, this comparison beckons the reader to embrace the Left’s conclusions. The implication is clear: Operation Enduring Freedom has been worse for America than the 9/11 hijackings.

Read the Rest...

Iraqi Police Treat and Evacuate IED Victim

Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
RELEASE No. 20061227-11

2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. Public Affairs

MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq – Iraqi Police, reacting to a roadside bomb detonation, treated one male who had been wounded in the attack on the main road into Mahmudiyah, Dec 26.

The improvised explosive device was placed on the southbound lane of the road.

Once treated, the police evacuated the man to the Mahmudiyah hospital.

The incident is under investigation.

IA Conducts Operations To Capture IED Facilitator

Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
No. 20061227-01

Multi-National Corps – Iraq PAO

BAGHDAD – 8th Iraqi Army Division Forces, with coalition advisors, killed a suspected improvised explosive device facilitator and cell leader during operations Dec. 27 in Abu Sukhayr, near An Najaf. The person was implicated in an October 2006 IED attack on a police chief in An Najaf. The suspect allegedly provided recently several IEDs to his cell for an attack that he allegedly directed be carried out against Iraqi and Coalition Forces in the An Najaf area.

During operations, Iraqi forces and coalition advisors entered the individual's house to search for and detain him. Upon entrance, a man was observed moving up a set of stairs leading to the roof of the house. He ignored repeated verbal warnings to stop. Iraqi Soldiers and coalition advisors followed the man up the stairs and onto the roof.

First on the roof was an Iraqi Soldier, followed by a Coalition Forces Soldier. The Coalition Soldier observed the male, now armed with an assault rifle, turning his weapon toward the Iraqi Soldier. The Coalition Soldier observed the man's hostile intent against the Iraqi Soldier and shot the man, neutralizing the threat and resulting in his death.

The man was identified as the suspected IED facilitator.

There was minimal damage done to the objective. There were no Iraqi forces or Coalition Forces casualties.

Commandos Hold Candlelight Vigil

By Staff Sgt. Angela McKinzie
2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs


CAMP STRIKER — In a city where many residents must use candlelight because they have no power, Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) celebrated Christmas by candlelight in Baghdad.

Soldiers of the 2nd “Commando” Brigade and the local community gathered in the 2nd BCT chapel for a Community Candlelight Service here on Christmas Eve.
The service opened with an invocation, then members of the choir led the congregation in Christmas carols.

“It was encouraging to take a break from everything and gather with the other believers to celebrate Christmas,” said Capt. Scott Carow, a physical therapist and native of Tampa, Fla., serving with the 210th Brigade Support Battalion. Carow, a member of the choir, played the guitar and sang during the service.

Read the Rest....

(Photo: Spc. Kensley Bell, a 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) supply specialist and native of El Paso, Texas; Sgt. Brendaliz Morales, a 2nd BSTB, 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) intelligence analyst, and native of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; and Pfc. Shana Keenan, a 2nd BSTB intelligence analyst and native of Steubenville, Ohio, bow their heads to pray during a Community Candlelight Service at the 2nd BCT chapel at Camp Striker, Iraq.)

EOD Techs Passionate About Job

By Lance Cpl. Ryan L. Tomlinson
1st Marine Logistics Group


AL ASAD — Most Marines try their best to avoid improvised explosive devices, but these hard-charging Marines seek them out.

Explosive ordnance disposal technicians with 2nd EOD Platoon, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward), counteract IEDs everyday.

“The great element of this job is I’m able to work tight with my unit,” said Sgt. Harry W. Parker, an EOD technician with 2nd Platoon. “We’re one team and that is it.”

Cohesion is important, and EOD units consist of small teams for a reason. The Marines said that in a job with no margin for error, trusting each other is vital.

The three Marines in 2nd Platoon said they joined EOD for a challenge.

“I joined EOD to better myself,” said Staff Sgt. John Pado, leader of Team ‘Chuck Norris’, EOD Platoon. “In this (occupation) you have the skill to minimize a threat to save Marines.”

The threats of IEDs are dreadfully real, and not only are these Marines aware of the dangers they face, but it drives them to keep executing their missions.

Read the Rest...

(Photo: Staff Sgt. John Pado, 27, team leader of Team ‘Chuck Norris’, 2nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Platoon, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward), gathers detonation wire while counteracting improvised explosive devices in Al Anbar Province. Official Marine Corps photo.)

Army Engineers Bring Joy to Iraqi Orphanage

By Mohammed Aliwi, Gulf Region South District

AN NASIRIYAH — Orphanages recently received numerous packages of stuffed animals delivered to promote goodwill between Iraqi and U.S. children and help the rebuilding effort in Iraq.

“The children were extremely happy and did not believe that the stuffed animals were given especially for them,” said Edmay Mayers, a program analyst with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

An Iraqi associate told Mayers the headmistress of the orphanage welcomed the team that delivered the toys and appreciated what the Americans were doing for the Iraqis. On her first tour to Iraq, Mayers visited one of the elementary schools and saw a beautiful interaction between the Americans and the children. “The children of Iraq have stolen my heart,” Mayers said. “They are precious, young and innocent, and if only a child remembers that an American, British, South African or Australian person gave them something that made them feel special as a child, then we have done our part to help these little ones.” For her, the children need these toys as much if not more than the school supplies. They need something to hold close to them and love, and these stuffed animals have a lot of love left in them for these children, she said.

“I wanted to tell all that we are receiving tons and tons of stuffed animals, toys, school supplies, clothes, et cetera,” Mayers said. “All are being given to Iraqi children in schools, orphanages, clinics and now the Basrah Children’s Hospital. I am so thrilled that so many individuals have opened their hearts to the mission in Iraq.”

Read the Rest...

Troops Train Kenyan Youths to Care for Livestock

By Sgt. James Allen

MANDA BAY, Kenya - Eight young servicemen fromthe Kenyan Nation Youth Service joined service members from Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa and the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in Operation Honest Knight to perform a Veterinarian Civil Action Program in the Lamu District islands of southern Kenya.

The CJTF-HOA military members trained the servicemen to administer vaccines, de-wormers, multi-vitamins and external parasite repellant.

“The Veterinary Civic Action Program is the best thing to happen to the people of the Lamu District and their livestock,” said Levi Mbuvi, a member of the National Youth Servicemen. "This is because healthy animals mean better life for the people living in their marginalized islands.”

The VETCAPs are designed for people from CJTF-HOA to train and augment host nation assets by providing veterinary care for local livestock populations. During the VETCAP, they supported the district veterinary officers and NYS servicemen, letting them run the show.

Read the Rest...

(Photo: A Kenyan National Youth Serviceman uses a drench gun to put a tick killer on the back of a goat during a Veterinarian Civil Action Program (VETCAP) project. The Kenyan National Youth Serviceman is working along side U.S. Army and Kenyan veterinarians in cooperation with the local government and village leaders to vaccinate and to kill tick populations within their herds. The U.S. Army veterinarians are part of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, a unit of the United States Central Command. (U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sgt. Sean M. Worrell))

Holiday cheer warms ‘Cold Steel’

By 1st Lt. Patrick Stallings
3rd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. PAO


MUQDADIYAH — On an early Friday morning, Pfc. Jesse Gonzalez prepared his truck at Forward Operating Base Normandy to go out on patrol, and even though he was about to spend the next several hours in harm’s way, he couldn’t help but smile before he left.

“Fridays and Mondays are the best,” said Gonzalez, Troop C, 6-9 Armored Reconnaissance Squadron, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

“We get back from patrol and get to dig through the packages that friends and family send, read the letters they write and share a few laughs about the patrol,” said Gonzalez, a Beaver Dam, Wis. native.

“It’s amazing what mail can do for a Soldier,” said 1st Sgt. Walter Sims, who is responsible for the well-being and morale of the Troop C “Cold Steel” Soldiers. “When you come back from a tough mission, it can just turn your day around to find a package with your name on it.”

The Army mail network manages to push an enormous amount of care and concern packages every week. Soldiers receive care packages and letters from friends, family, and even strangers who want to support them.

Read the Rest...

(Photo: Photo: An Iraqi boy holds up a notebook he received from Soldiers of the 6-9 Armored Reconnaissance Squadron, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. After realizing the need for school supplies in the local area, the Soldiers’ families sent supplies to be delivered throughout the Diyala province’s schools.)

Web Reconnaissance for 12/27/2006

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention.


Special Section - Gerald Ford RIP:
Gerald Ford Dies at 93 “Gerald R. Ford, the nation's 38th president, has died. He was 93.” (READ MORE)

Don Surber writes Ford's final lesson for Bush “The public pushed Nixon from the presidency not for Watergate. The connection between the White House and the break-in and bugging of the DNC chairman’s rooms were well known before the 1972 election. Nixon still took 49 states. No, what cost Nixon his job was surrendering in Vietnam.” (READ MORE)

Kim Priestap writing at Wizbang writes Former President Gerald Ford Remembered “Even though I was just a little kid when Gerald Ford was president, I liked him. To me, he was a good, kind man, and Chevy Chase's ‘impression’ of him, which was comprised of nothing more than Chevy stumbling, ticked me off. It was mean.” (READ MORE)

Hugh Hewitt writes Remembering President Ford “President Ford was a wonderful man and an excellent president. I spent most of the fall of 1976 running around Massachusetts with a bus full of college students attempting to persuade voters that they were better off with Gerry Ford than an unknown an untried southern governor. I had no idea how right I was.” (READ MORE)

see-dubya writing at HotAir writes RIP, Gerald Ford “Best President of the 1970’s, dead at 93. By all accounts he was a decent and genuine man. He survived two assassination attempts and relentless mocking by Chevy Chase, who portrayed him as hopelessly clumsy (even though he was quite athletic and a college football star).” (READ MORE)

Gribbit writes President Ford Dead at 93 “President Gerald R. Ford, the oldest living former President of the United States, has passed away at the age of 93. As a wee little lad in 1974, I remember President Nixon’s resignation speech and President Ford taking the reigns of the nation the following day at noon.” (READ MORE)

Murphy of Pirate’s Cove writes WTW: President Gerald Ford Passes On, Liberals Seethe “Morning, y'all, Jebediah here, and I am very sad over the passing of President Gerald R. Ford at 93 years old. Teach has also sent in his condolences, as well. From one of the most popular First Ladies, Betty Ford. He will be missed. But, as Teach did yesterday, I will do today, delving into what Captain Ed calls the Fever Swamps. And, as Teach did, back to the Hufftardians, who have truly taken over from the DUmmies and Kosbats as the biggest Moonbats in the mainstream Left-O-Sphere:” (READ MORE)

GayPatriotWest of GayPatriot writes In Memoriam Gerald R. Ford “It is with greatness that I learned just a few moments ago of the passing of our nation's 38th president, Gerald R. Ford. While this good man will, alas, merit little more than a footnote in American history, the only president never elected to nationwide office, he provided steady leadership at a time of national unease and, through his most controversial action, pardoning Richard Nixon, helped the nation move past Watergate.” (READ MORE)



In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
Biden To Fight Troop Surge “The incoming Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday said he will try to block President Bush from sending an additional 30,000 troops to Iraq, calling it ‘the absolute wrong strategy.’” (READ MORE)

Saddam To Be Hanged Within 30 Days “Iraq's highest court rejected Saddam Hussein's appeal yesterday and said the former dictator must be hanged within 30 days for his role in the 1982 slayings of 148 Shi'ite Muslims from a town where assassins tried to kill him.” (READ MORE)

Assad Inspires 'Flip' Theories “Recent visits by Syrian President Bashar Assad to U.S.-allied Yemen and the United Arab Emirates are prompting speculation that Syria is seeking to leave the Iranian orbit and pursue closer ties with the West.” (READ MORE)

Ethiopians Closing In On Capital of Somalia “LONDON, Dec. 26 -- Ethiopian troops fought their way closer to the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Tuesday, pushing back militias loyal to the Islamic Courts movement that has until now controlled much of the country and has vowed to wage a guerrilla war against Ethiopia lasting ‘years and years and years.’” (READ MORE)



News From the Front:
Michael Yon writes Christmas in Kuwait (And Qatar, and Hanoi, and Singapore, and Jakarta) - From a Starbucks, on a U.S. Military Base, in Kuwait “Christmas seems to have escaped the bonds of Christianity. During the past month or so, I’ve seen Vietnamese preparing to celebrate Christmas in Hanoi, “Sings” stuffing stockings in Singapore, and Muslims galore wearing Santa Claus outfits in Jakarta. It’s Christmas day in Kuwait, where I sit in a Starbucks among soldiers, sailors, marines, air force and civilians. I’ve seen probably a hundred people in the last 15 minutes, yet few were wearing uniforms, giving a lone writer plenty of cover to swim silently through the waters.” (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio writes Islamic Courts in Retreat in Somalia “The Islamic Courts are in near-full retreat in central and southern Somalia after 8 days of fighting against the Ethiopian military and the Transitional Federal Government forces. Ethiopian and TFG forces have broke the cordon around western Biadoa, and have advanced as far west as Burhakaba after heavy fighting.” (READ MORE)



On the Web:
Jack Keane and Frederick W. Kagan writing at The Washington Post write The Right Type of 'Surge' “Success in Iraq is possible only with a surge of at least 30,000 combat troops lasting 18 months or so. Any other option is likely to fail.” (READ MORE)

Austin Bay writing at Townhall.com writes The looming tower: Egyptian ideological origins of al-Qaida “The Wright vignette illustrates the fierce, unbending will of al-Qaida's most committed cadres. And demonstrates why they remain a threat.” (READ MORE)

Walter E. Williams writing at Townhall.com writes Reinstating the military draft “Rep. Rangel, D-N.Y., has it completely backward in terms of incentives created by the draft. Let's apply a bit of economic logic to it.” (READ MORE)

Ben Shapiro writing at Townhall.com writes 2006: The year of retreat “2006 saw Western civilization doubt the justice of its cause and shy away from the means necessary to preserve its survival.” (READ MORE)

Tony Blankley writing at Townhall.com writes 2006 considered “Two thousand six is coming to an end much as it began: with war, terrorism, bloodshed and moral confusion.” (READ MORE)

Michelle Malkin writing at Townhall.com writes The bipartisan Katrina boondoggle “The Bush administration, like every administration since Jimmy Carter created the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 1979, has failed mightily to break the natural disaster-federal disaster cycle.” (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden writes A Numbers Game “Because that's what this is all about, right? The Associated Press weighs Sept. 11 dead against Iraq dead. The Democratic Daily likes a good numbers game. The Horse's Mouth sounds more like the other end.” (READ MORE)

Right Wing Nut House writes A GOOD AND DECENT MAN “The year was 1980 and Gerald Ford was on a mission. The last two weeks of October, the 38th President of the United States was fulfilling a promise he made during the tumultuous Republican Convention to the GOP standard bearer Ronald Reagan; that he would campaign his heart out for Republican candidates running for the House and Senate. He would help ‘extend Reagan’s coattails’ to bring as many GOP lawmakers to Washington as he could.” (READ MORE)

Texas Rainmaker writes John Kerry’s Stuk in Irak Tour “A picture is worth 1000 words. Here’s the email that accompanied the photo: ‘This is a true story…..Check out this photo from our mess hall at the US Embassy yesterday morning.’” (READ MORE)

Robert Farrow writing at Flopping Aces writes A World Without America - The World need not be this way. “On a foggy day at the end of August, a General surveyed the battlefield in front of him. At least 400 enemy ships lay anchored in the harbor as the best military force in the world prepared to deliver a knockout blow to his front. His outnumbered army was in danger of being cut off and destroyed as enemy frigates moved up the river to cut off his retreat and the opposing army prepared for the final assault on his position. In what was undoubtedly the understatement of the year, George Washington declared to his superiors. ‘I have no doubt but a little time will produce some important event.’” (READ MORE)

Dan Riehl writes Muslims Have Nothing To Teach America “Newly elected Congressman Keith Ellison spoke to a large gathering of Muslims. His message and the response would be laughable, were they not so disappointing. Can you imagine the reporting were another politician to speak to a crowd that responded: Hallelujah! Jesus is Lord? I doubt that it would be portrayed in a positive light. And the early signals from Ellison are very troubling for America and especially American-Muslims. When he suggests Muslims can teach America about tolerance and justice, Ellison is stealing from the legacy of Blacks in America and attempting to somehow link Muslims to that struggle. But nothing could be further from the truth.” (READ MORE)

Lightning writing at OPFOR writes Required Reading “The below article, by MAJ Bill Edmonds of the United States Army, is one of the best written pieces I have seen on the war. Although a few blogs have picked this up, why it is not on the front page of every major newspaper in the country is beyond me. Highlight of the article? ‘I have come to realize that we isolate our soldiers from the societies in which we operate. We airlift and sealift vacuum-sealed replicas of America to remote corners of the world; once there, we isolate ourselves from the very people we are trying to protect or win over.’” (READ MORE)

Captain Ed writes So The Message Got Delivered, Then “Iran has acknowledged that its oil industry has fallen on hard times, and guess who they blame for their troubles? The Great Satan, this time, might not mind: ‘Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh has lamented that the development of Iran's Oil industry was suffering from US pressure.’” (READ MORE)

Dafydd writes The Way the Future Wasn't “Talk about ‘the biter bit,’ or perhaps people getting their ‘just desserts’ -- Iran appears to be running out of oil, or more accurately, running out of oil revenues: The problem is that they're pouring so much of their revenue into their military, into terrorist groups like Hezbollah (and now Hamas), and into nuclear research -- that they have neglected to reinvest in oil exploration and extraction technologies.” (READ MORE)

Major Z writes Three Kings “I went to Walter Reed again on Wednesday. I’m now scheduled for surgery #34 on the 9th of February. They’re going to do another skin graft into my left hand, hopefully to increase the web space in my left hand, and also a Z-Plasty (imagine Zorro carving his mark betwixt your thumb and forefinger.) Lovely. Although that was the purpose of my visit, the true highlight was meeting three young men who were spending Christmas (and New Years, and probably Easter) on ward 57. I spent some time with each one, heard their stories, and shared my experiences with them. I tried, at best to give them hope, and at least to prepare them for what is coming.” (READ MORE)

Jay Tea writes An uncomfortable parallel “In the past few weeks, I've been noticing more and more news about Iran, and once again I'm seeing parallels with the War on Terror and World War II -- and I don't think I care for this one. First, ABC News reported that US forces have captured brand-new, fresh-from-the-factory Iranian weapons from terrorists in Iraq. This is case-closed, irrefutable evidence that they are, indeed, supporting and fomenting the fighting in Iraq -- a clear-cut casus belli against both Iraq and us.” (READ MORE)

see-dubya writing at HotAir writes Burning Memories: Watch the AP change their Hurriya sourcing (UPDATED) “Confederate Yankee thinks he’s so clever, poking holes in the AP’s version of the Sunni-burning in Hurriya. When first revisiting the story, the AP reported that ‘two workers from Kazamiyah Hospital’ confirmed that “bodies from the clashes and immolation” had shown up at the Kazamiyah hospital morgue.” (READ MORE)

Kobayashi Maru writes Religious 'Tolerance', Hamas Style “Not a pretty picture: ‘This Christmas was the first under a Palestinian Authority controlled by the militant Islamic group Hamas. To alleviate Christian fears, Hamas promised to provide $50,000 for decorating Manger Square in the town's center for the holiday, but it wasn't clear if the money arrived. There were fewer Christmas decorations than in the past, and for the first time no Christmas carols were piped over the loudspeaker system.’” (READ MORE)

Paul Mirengoff of Power Line writes Will Iran wither away? “According to an analysis by the National Academy of Sciences, Iran is experiencing a serious decline in revenue from its oil exports and, if the trend continues, income could virtually disappear by 2015. The author of the study is Roger Stern, an economic geographer at Johns Hopkins University and, as reported by the Washington Times, Stern seems a bit too eager to convince us that the U.S. doesn't need to worry much about Iran's development of nukes (and to argue for Iran's need to develop nuclear energy for its own consumption).” (READ MORE)


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