"To Help Those Who Have Chosen Selfless Paths to Protect and Honor Our Country"

The brave men and women who continue to serve the United States in the War on Terrorism and who are now facing a changed life because of injuries received in the line of duty have additional support thanks to Bob and Sandy Seidel, who have once again turned to the Community Foundation to help others in the face of the devastating loss of their son, 1LT Robert A. Seidel III, who was killed in action in Iraq in May, 2006.

To honor Rob’s memory and the great respect and admiration he had for the troops serving their country, the Seidels have established The 1LT Rob Seidel Wounded Soldiers Fund to support charities that provide direct services to military veterans of the War on Terrorism. Such services may include medical treatment, housing assistance, psychological, physical, occupational, recreational, music, and art therapies, companionship, mentoring, employment training, and any other service that will help veterans of the War.

The number of wounded soldiers since the War began has surpassed 26,000, with many facing lifelong challenges that will require costly short-term and long-term assistance. Bob and Sandy Seidel wanted to help in a way that would honor their son’s memory and his commitment to the troops and his country.

“We were looking for another way to keep Rob’s legacy alive and to help those who have chosen selfless paths to protect and honor our country. This new Fund enables us to do so. Rob would be extremely proud that money is being raised to help wounded soldiers and their families.”

Those interested in helping the troops who proudly serve the United States in the War on Terrorism may send contributions to The 1LT Rob Seidel Wounded Soldiers Fund by making checks payable to:

Community Foundation of Frederick County
312 East Church Street
Frederick, MD 21701.

Simply insert the Fund’s name in the check’s memo line or click here to donate electronically.
All contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Web Reconnaissance for 08/31/2007

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.


In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
Justice Dept. Probing Whether Gonzales Lied - The Justice Department's inspector general indicated yesterday that he is investigating whether departing Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales gave false or misleading testimony to Congress, including whether he lied under oath about warrantless surveillance and the firings of nine U.S. attorneys. (READ MORE)

Inspectors Find Decade-Old Iraqi Chemical Gas in U.N. Office - U.N. weapons inspectors stumbled upon evidence of Saddam Hussein's elusive weapons of mass destruction: a vial of potentially lethal chemical gas that was stored in a U.N. shipping crate in Midtown Manhattan more than 10 years ago and forgotten... (READ MORE)

Taliban Ambushes Pakistani Convoy, Seizes 100 Troops - In an audacious display of force, Taliban fighters on Thursday ambushed a convoy of military vehicles in a remote tribal area and took more than 100 Pakistani troops hostage, local officials said. (READ MORE)

Reid Opens Door to Pact With Antiwar Republicans - Saying the coming weeks will be "one of the last opportunities" to alter the course of the war, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said he is now willing to compromise with Republicans to find ways to limit troop deployments in Iraq. (READ MORE)

Sadr May Revoke 'Freeze' on Militia - Radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr told his followers Thursday that he would rescind his order "freezing" the operations of his powerful militia if military raids on his offices did not cease in the next few days, according to officials of Sadr's organization. (READ MORE)

Marriages Split al Qaeda Alliance - Iraq's Sunni tribes began turning against al Qaeda when the largely foreign-run terrorist group tried to arrange forced marriages with local women to secure a foothold in the country, according to a top counterterrorism adviser. (READ MORE)

Republicans Slam Islamic Society Convention - Republican lawmakers are urging the Justice Department not to participate in a convention held by a group named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a terrorism-financing case. (READ MORE)

Iowa Gay 'Marriage' Law Struck Down - A county judge yesterday struck down Iowa's law defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman and ordered local officials to process marriage licenses for six gay couples. (READ MORE)

Bush's War Support Rising? - The White House believes it has made significant progress in swaying public opinion for a continued U.S. military effort in Iraq, a key presidential adviser said. (READ MORE)

Obama Needs Early Win to Get Black Vote - Sen. Barack Obama's campaign says he must win either the Iowa caucuses or New Hampshire's primary to show black voters influential in ensuing primaries that he's a legitimate candidate. (READ MORE)

N.Zealand Eyes Labels to Fight Obesity - The government should impose "traffic light" labeling to warn consumers about obesity-causing food and drink products if New Zealand companies won't do it voluntarily, a parliamentary committee said Friday. (READ MORE)

Virginia Democrats ask WWMWD? - If John Warner announces his retirement as expected, the big question for Democrats is: What will Mark Warner do? The popular former Democratic governor could decide to seek the vacant Senate seat next year, or try to return to the Executive Mansion in 2009. (READ MORE)

Group Meets to Plan Response to Immigration Raid - A Montgomery County immigrant advocacy group met Thursday to discuss ways to respond to immigration raids as communities across the country crack down on illegal immigrants. The meeting, sponsored by CASA of Maryland, comes three months after the group distributed a controversial pamphlet spelling out the rights of people confronted by immigration authorities. (READ MORE)



From the Front:
Greyhawk: Wearing the Black Flag (4) - One of the obscene amenities available to us G.I.s lounging around over here in Iraq is a huge supply of DVD's available at (ahem) very reasonable prices from local vendors. In addition to just about every hot new movie released in theaters up to yesterday we can obtain disks with multiple older features. Some are conglomerations of Oscar-winners, and the other day for a whopping 2 dollars I picked up one that included Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, and a few other gems - including the winner from the list above: The Best Years of Our Lives. (READ MORE)

Matt Sanchez: The statement is worth repeating - Jeff Emanuel wrote a story for the National Review today concerning the recent headline-grabbing announcement that CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric will be going to Iraq. Couric will be touring for 12 days in September and it has caused, as it should, new attention to be cast on combat-zone journalism. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: A Troublesome Blink - David Ignatius writes in his Thursday WaPo column that in 2005, Iran essentially fixed the Iraqi elections. The CIA was prepared to counter Iran's moves, but -- thanks to Condoleezza Rice and Nancy Pelosi -- the U.S. blinked. “By one CIA estimate," Ignatius writes of the 2005 election, "Iranian covert funding was running at $11 million a week for media and political operations on behalf of candidates who would be friendly to Iran, under the banner of Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani. (READ MORE)

Badger 6: Still A Gunfight - 0600 Tuesday - computer booting, coffee ground and brewing, into the the TOC - what happened over night? The board that was so often blank, filled with five events and a sixth being written. "What? Did First decide they need to make up for doing Convoy Security the first part of this rotation?" "I guess so, Sir," replied one of the Battle NCOs. "So what do we have?" "Six finds , Sir. One with det." The battle NCO using our slang indicates one detonated while being interrogated. (READ MORE)

Army Girl: Preparing to Leave - My time at this base is soon coming to a close. I have mixed feelings about it. You'll have to forgive me if I post about nothing much more over the course of the next couple of weeks. I'm starting to feel the sadness that is inevitable with leaving a place you've grown to love. I won't have reliable internet for a while. I have no idea how long it will be before I do. I'm not even sure when I'm getting to Afghanistan, but it will be sometime before Turkey Day. Before that, I'll be doing training and various other administrative and medical things. My schedule will be full, I'm sure. (READ MORE)



On the Web:
Amanda Carpenter: Liberals Plan to Gut FISA - The liberal Center for American Progress organized a panel discussion to criticize a newly-passed bill that expands the Bush administration’s wiretapping program under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on Wednesday. (READ MORE)

John Hawkins: It's Time To Get Over Katrina Already - Two years after Katrina, everywhere you turn, there are people carping, whining, and kvetching. Just why hasn't the pity party for the citizens of New Orleans run out of booze and chips yet? (READ MORE)

Douglas MacKinnon: Hillary Is Right. Republicans Will Win The White House. - In the cesspool that Washington has become, truth and clarity still manage to bubble to the surface on occasion. As Senator Hillary Clinton intensifies and refines her spin, deception, and self-aggrandizement, she inadvertently slipped up in a big way and revealed a truth that will doom her campaign. (READ MORE)

Lorie Byrd: Suppressing the Good News from Iraq - Immediately following September 11, many liberals reflexively and preemptively accused those on the right of questioning their patriotism, before anyone had even had a chance to do so. For a honeymoon period of about six months, as President Bush’s poll numbers skyrocketed in response to his successful handling of the aftermath of the attacks, most liberals held their tongues. (READ MORE)

Oliver North: Offers of Help - If September goes as August ended, this is going to be a very interesting month. On Monday, President George W. Bush told the American Legion in Reno, Nev., that two dangerous strands of Islamic extremism are converging in Iraq, "supported and embodied by the regime that sits in Tehran." He went on to warn that the Iranians "must halt these actions." (READ MORE)

David Limbaugh: Bush Tax Cuts Must Be Extended - Democrats have only two arguments left against extending the Bush tax cuts, but recent data affirm that neither is valid. Sadly, though, Democrats will never abandon their claims because they fit so well into their class warfare template. (READ MORE)

Charles Krauthammer: Washington vs. Maliki - The government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has had more than 15 months to try to pacify the Sunni insurgency by offering national accords on oil-sharing, provincial elections and de-Baathification. It has done none of these. Instead, Gen. David Petraeus has pacified a considerable number of Sunni tribes with grants of local autonomy, guns and U.S. support in jointly fighting al-Qaeda. (READ MORE)

Mona Charen: Thinking with our Emotions - New Orleans was deeply troubled before Katrina, beset by corruption, high crime rates, poor family structure and a weak economy. Nearly one-third of New Orleans residents had incomes below the poverty level. The schools were abysmal. Some estimates put the dropout rate at 50 percent. Was it any surprise that the state and local officials who presided over what in another context we might label a "failed state" responded so poorly to Hurricane Katrina? (READ MORE)

Burt Prelutsky: Why I'm A Conservative - Every so often I hear from a self-anointed right-wing commissar that I'm not really a conservative simply because he's disagreed with something I wrote. The most annoying aspect of being called on the carpet is that it serves to remind me that some of those on the right can be every bit as dogmatic and self-righteous as the pinheads on the left. (READ MORE)

Jon Sanders: Jesus Christ, You Can't Say That in Our School (Unless You're Cursing) -So according to the wisdom of the public education establishment, a high-school valedictorian should lose her diploma for - not cheating, not plagiarism, but 30 seconds of telling her classmates about her faith in Jesus. (READ MORE)

Herb London: The Subprime Mortgage Market In Perspective - The subprime mortgage market has caused a convulsion on Wall Street with several analysts insisting it foreshadows a deep recession. There is little question that a sharp increase in delinquent mortgage payments has been due to loans made to borrowers with weak credit. (READ MORE)

Kimberly A. Strassel: What Women Want - Hillary has herself. Barack has Oprah. John Edwards has his wife, Elizabeth. And what secret weapon do Republican presidential candidates have to curry the all-important "women's vote"? (Cue silence.) Expect to hear a lot about lady voters over the next few months, though most of it from Democrats. Women make up 60% of the left's primary electorate, and the front-runners are already going to the mat for their vote. It's why Ms. Clinton has six full-time staffers for women's outreach: (READ MORE)

Peggy Noonan: A Time for Grace - What will be needed this autumn is a new bipartisan forbearance, a kind of patriotic grace. This is a great deal to hope for. The president should ask for it, and show it. Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, will report to Congress on Sept. 11. From the latest metrics, it's clear the surge has gained some ground. It is generally supposed that Gen. Petraeus will paint a picture of recent decreases in violent incidents and increases in safety. In another world, that might be decisive: It's working, hang on. (READ MORE)

Pete Du Pont: Lottocracy - Resolved: Congress should pass and send to the states for ratification a Constitutional Amendment: Setting a maximum contribution limit any campaign donor--individual, organization, or interest group--may contribute to any Presidential or Congressional candidate; Setting the maximum amount any candidate for President or Congress may spend in primary or general elections; and Setting the maximum amount any independent organization may spend for their own primary or general election campaign advertising. Such was the topic of the annual summer community-center debate in a small town on the coast of Maine. Last year's debate topic was eliminating the Constitution's state Electoral College and having a direct national election of the president. Pretty serious stuff for a small town event. (READ MORE)

John R. Bolton: Pyongyang's Upper Hand - The Six-Party talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program have now descended into a miasma of "working groups," one of which, on U.S.-North Korea bilateral issues, will meet this weekend in Geneva. It is worth paying attention to the outcome of this gathering. North Korea wants to be taken off the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism and, as soon as possible, to enjoy full diplomatic relations with Washington. (READ MORE)

Steve Shippert: Nothing Lives Long in a Vacuum - As Michael noted, Nothing Lives Long in a Vacuum. That apparently includes “taking up arms against the occupiers.” Muqtada al-Sadr has announced a six month suspension of Mahdi Army activity in Iraq. The question is why, and at least part of the answer is obvious. "Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has ordered a six-month suspension of activities by his Mahdi Army militia in order to reorganize the force, an aide said Wednesday." (READ MORE)

Kim Priestap: Jonah Goldberg on Liberals' Moralizing - Jonah Goldberg has an interesting take on the Larry Craig situation that is spot on when it comes to liberals. Those on the left aren't condemning Larry Craig's supposed lewd conduct but are instead condemning his hypocrisy on the matter. Jonah notes that the hypocrisy that the liberals can't stand about conservatives, failing to live up to every moral standard all the time - in other words - for being human, they, too, engage in moralizing on a regular basis but fail to live up to what they preach: (READ MORE)

Jay Tea: A Little Red Meat For The "Anti-Immigrant" Crowd - Every now and then, a spate of stories will come out that all touch upon one of my "hot buttons" and I'll tie them all together in a bit of a roundup. This morning, it's illegal aliens. First up, Elvira Arellano is still in the news. She's back in her home country of Mexico, but she wants to return to the US. Having sneaked across the border twice, been caught twice, and deported twice, this time she wants to do it differently: she's asking the Mexican government to appoint her an "ambassador for peace and justice." (READ MORE)

Cassy Fiano: So, like, what year was, like, 9-11, like? - Want proof that the nation has forgotten 9-11? It's easy to see that we have in the cut-and-runners, the treachorous rhetoric of liberal politicians, and the devil-may-care attitude towards national security that has permeated the country. But how's this for shocking: a bunch of San Diego State University students couldn't even remember what year it happened! (READ MORE)

Bryan Preston: Marine to sue Murtha over irresponsible Haditha accusations - Remember this: Well, the Marine Corps investigator has now dropped all charges against 3 of the 8 accused Marines in the case, and only one Marine still stands accused of crimes at the scene. The others are charged with various after-the-fact issues that arose from investigations of Haditha, not the events themselves. Murtha’s aim, of course, in accusing the Marines of murder “in cold blood” was to pin the blame on Bush. But in the process of blaming Bush, he slandered those Marines. One of those Marines, Col. Jeffrey Chessani, plans to sue Murtha once he’s exonerated. (READ MORE)

Allahpundit: Rematch: Hanretty vs. Powers II - A million thanks to the bete noire of Fox haters, the high priest of Olby critics, Johnny Dollar, for hooking us up with the clip. I dropped an A-bomb on KP yesterday so I don’t want to risk overkill, but I find it a tad ironic that she’s suddenly concerned about illegals who are posing “a violent danger against us.” She didn’t seem so concerned about the immigration status of violently dangerous illegals like Jose Carranza last week when she hosted H&C. But then, what do I know? I’m just a “nativist” racist. (READ MORE)

Don Surber: Zogby: Most Americans think Iraq can be won - John Zogby’s latest online poll — for UPI — showed 54% of Americans believe that the war in Iraq can be won. Only 34% said the war cannot be won. 11% said the war has already been won! Among Democrats, 66% said Iraq is hopeless. (READ MORE)

Meryl Yourish: Ahmadinejad and the Zionist conspiracy - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has gone into wholehearted ZOG mode. (That’s Zionist Occupation Government, a favorite term of the world’s Jew-haters used on all of the Stormfront-style message boards). The setting: A Swedish artist drew a cartoon of a dog with Mohammed’s head. Muslims are predictably upset, particularly because the Swedish press refuses to kowtow to Muslim demands to apologize and never insult Mohammed again. The Swedish government isn’t, either. (READ MORE)

WonkoKevin: Are blogs predictive, p. 3 - In the first two posts, the conclusion to this question was: you bet. Political blogs can create and rapidly diffuse stories and opinion in a way that MSM cannot. Now let me turn the question around a bit, and ask: Are political bloggers predictive? Everett Rogers was one of our great American thinkers, and his classic book “Diffusion of Innovations” is the bible concerning how both tangible innovations (like a product) and intangible innovations (like an idea) diffuse in a society. He identified that there are different “types” of people per when they adopt: (READ MORE)

Wolf Pangloss: Defiant Heroes and Scapegoats - I don’t get it. Why do Republican politicians go after sinning Republican politicians with such gusto? Teddy Kennedy (D) was supported by Democrats after drunk driving Mary Jo Kopechne to her death by drowning. His nephew Patrick Kennedy (D) was pulled over by DC cops for driving drunk and stoned on pain medications, and somehow escaped getting charged with any crimes. Gerry Studds (D) had sex with a 17-year-old male page, and was cheered for his defiance of the Ethics Committee by his fellow Democrats. Jack Murtha (D) escaped indictment in the Abscam investigations. “Dollar” Bill Jefferson (D) was caught with $90,000 of bribes in his freezer, was re-elected in New Orleans, and still serves in the Congress. (READ MORE)

TigerHawk: Defining diplomacy down - Finally, George W. Bush has secured the support of the "traditional ally" most favored by the American left. You would think the New York Times would be delighted. You would be wrong. Nicholas Sarkozy, George W. Bush, the editors of the New York Times, and I all believe that it would be much preferable for Iran to negotiate away its nuclear fuel cycle and weapons programs, rather than for the mullahs to get an atomic bomb or for some great power or combination thereof to destroy its facilities from the air. The editors of the Times, however, not only believe that the West must use "diplomacy" rather than military action, but that it must be devoid even of threats: (READ MORE)

LawHawk: You Had Your Warnings - I warned about this on August 28th when the deal to free South Korean hostages from the Taliban's grip was announced: The Taliban now have a successful recipe that they can use on other countries to demand their departure from Afghanistan so that they can regain power in the country and restart their plans for an Islamic state from which the likes of al Qaeda can continue operating with impunity. (READ MORE)

A Soldier's Mind: “Quit” Doesn’t Exist In Their Vocabulary - Sgt. Thomas Davis has a special job. His job is to teach young Soldiers about IED’s. It’s a topic that he’s well versed on and has first hand knowledge. In June 2006, near Ramadi, Sgt. Davis lost his leg because of an IED that blew up his Humvee. Sgt. Davis is one of more than 2100 Soldiers working in the Army’s Wounded Warrior (AW2) program. The program was initially established in 2004 as a Disabled Soldier Support System, and is designed to assist and advocate for severely wounded Soldiers and their families. As well, the AW2 program offers help with rehabilitation and transition back into the Army or into the civilian community. Davis never had any thoughts of getting out of the Army, even while he was receiving treatment at Walter Reed. (READ MORE)

The Barnyard: A New Iraq: Updated With Unrelated Romney Good News And Video - Mike Yon's "Ghosts of Anbar Pt.III" is posted and it is a remarkable contrast from his early dispatches from the front filled with combat and IEDs, he has pictures of gardens and palm groves and colorful Iraqi soldiers afraid of nothing that were once trying to kill us and are now trying to emulate our Marines and their code, Semper Fidelis, Always Faithful. That may be the Marine's code it is not that of our defeatocrats in Congress that would abandon the people of Iraq to the thugs of AQ and Iranian proxies. I posted a while back that much of what was going on was as much organized crime and typical gangster thug behaviour as driven by Islamic fundamentalism. (READ MORE)

Dafydd: The Insanity - and Inanity - of Judge-Ordered Same-Sex Marriage - Today, a lowly, puny county judge in Iowa gave the finger to the entire Iowa state legislature, overturned a nine-year old Iowa law, went against the opinion of a majority of Iowans, and set up a confrontation that can only end one way: a state constitutional amendment. Why? Because he felt sorry for gays. Dennis Prager is fond of remarking that compassion is one of the greatest virtues -- when practiced by individuals. But when practiced by government, compassion is more often one of the vilest vices. (READ MORE)

The Belmont Club: Bury Me Upside Down - Robert Kaplan remembers the Vietnam that was meant to be forgotten. It deserves to be read in its entirety, but without giving away the store, here are some excerpts. Maybe in the end there was no such thing as the Vietnam War which historians and polemicists have codified in books. Perhaps there was nothing that remotely resembled the neatly constructed narratives, both pro and antiwar, of the times. All that there is -- all that remains -- is memory. And as Kaplan picked through the memories, I recalled Stephen Pressfield's opening chapter as the dead of Thermopylae crossed the River Lethe, the border of forgetfulness. (READ MORE)

Bear Creek Ledger: Truth is being slimed for Dhimmi’s according to WaPo - It’s hard to keep up with all the new definitions with the Dhimmicrats and it’s lap dog the Washington Post. When some lawmakers recently visited the Green Zone in Baghdad thumbnail bio’s were distributed of the lawmakers. The bio’s inlcuded quotes and how the lawmakers voted on war issues. According to Jonathan Weisman at the WaPo this is now to be considered “sliming”! Lawmakers Describe ‘Being Slimed in the Green Zone’ (READ MORE)

Ed Morrissey: Where Does Hsu Get The Money? - The mystery of Norman Hsu deepens today with a New York Times report on his collapsing cover stories. While the Gray Lady tries to focus on the sudden retreat of Democrats from a man who has raised almost a million dollars for them, the real story comes in the second half of the article -- in which Hsu appears to be a front: “People who met him said they knew only that he ran an apparel business. Efforts to learn more about his trade hit dead-ends yesterday. Visits to companies at addresses listed by Mr. Hsu on campaign finance records provided little information. There were no offices in buildings in New York’s garment district whose addresses were given for businesses with names like Components Ltd., Cool Planets, Next Components, Coopgors Ltd., NBT and Because Men’s clothing — all listed by Mr. Hsu in federal filings at different times.” (READ MORE)

ChickenHawk Express: They Can't Admit They Were Wrong About Haditha - The media is still harping on the “Haditha Massacre”. It is not enough that these young men were subjected to an extreme case of presumption of guilt without a trial. It is not enough that Murtha pronounced the Marines “cold blooded murderers” and accused those in command of a cover up. Despite the FACT that 3 Article 32 hearings have ended in dismissal of charges, the media refuses to admit they were wrong about Haditha. Paul von Zielbauer launched the latest salvo against the heroes in today’s NY Times. (READ MORE)

Jeffrey Imm: ISNA and Jihad: Why DOJ's Involvement in ISNA Conference Sends The Wrong Message - Regarding DOJ's involvement in the ISNA conference, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross states that the thrust of his comments about the recent news story on DOJ's involvement in the ISNA conference is "that many of the attorneys in DOJ's civil rights division are far more dedicated and do a better job than people in the counterterrorism field often give them credit for, and I feel that they took too hard a hit in the initial coverage of DOJ's attendance of the ISNA event." The focus of this blog is on counterterrorism issues and concerns. From a counterterrorism perspective, there are five key facts that are the basis for why DOJ's involvement in the ISNA conference is wrong: (READ MORE)

Matthew Levitt: Yassin al-Qadi: the Hamas Connection - My colleagues Doug Farah and Victor Comras have posted excellent analyses of Yassin al-Qadi on these pages. To further flesh out Qadi's financing activities here in the United States, consider some of the material that came out of the federal civil trial in Chicago Boim V. Quranic Literacy Institute et al. Evidence produced at that trial revealed that FBI investigation concluded that al-Qadi played a central role in financing Hamas through a Chicago land deal and by paying the salary of a confessed Hamas operative. The trial, at which I served as an expert witness, led to a $156 million finding in favor of the Boim family and against QLI, Salah, the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP) and others. (READ MORE)

Discerning Texan: Corruption and the Clintons: White on Rice II - Hillary Clinton obviously thinks that a token contribution of $23,000 to one of her favorite "charities" is going to make this whole Hsu matter go away. Today her campaign made a big public production of giving $23K to charity "as soon as she found out" about the status of Mr. Hsu... They would have you believe that their reaction was: Oh, really? He belongs in jail?? Who knew? Meanwhile the Clinton campaign continues to hold onto contributions from the Paw and Hyung Young "Daniel" Lee families, which add up to a total of $69,100--even though the Wall Street Journal article Monday made it quite clear that, for example, donations from the Paw family--whose head of household is a Postal Worker who makes about $50K per year--were obviously funneled to the campaign via Hsu. (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio: NATO airstrike kills Taliban Commander Mullah Berader - US and Afghan forces continue to strike hard at the Taliban's leaders in southern Afghanistan. The US Air Force killed Mullah Berader, a senior Taliban general and leader, after British and Afghan forces called in an air strike on Taliban fighters attempting to ambush their patrol in Helmand province. Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense has confirmed Berader's death in the fighting. (READ MORE)

Baron Bodissey: Terror-in-Law - Geilenkirchen is a modest German town in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, hard on the western border with the Netherlands. Just outside of Geilenkirchen is a NATO airbase named after the town. Geilenkirchen Air Base is home to NATO’s E-3A AWACS aircraft and their support systems . The Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) is designed to carry out airborne detection and surveillance of enemy missiles and aircraft from a great distance. Seventeen E3-A AWACS aircraft are based at Geilenkirchen. Not surprisingly, Geilenkirchen, like so many other NATO installations in Germany, has repeatedly been the focus of European anti-war demonstrators. (READ MORE)

MountainRunner: Weapons that create and shape perceptions - Modern war is fought over strategic influence more than territory. Win the first and the second is gained easily. In this struggle, we are battling over perceptions and in the hyper-communications environment today, facts do not matter. We risk tactical and strategic success as we rely on a lawyerly conduct in war resting on finely tuned arguments of why and why not. Human nature in a crisis doesn't care about the finer points that exist further up Maslow's pyramid, human nature falls back on the quick response of emotions and are vulnerable to rumor and simple distortions, especially those reinforced over time. (READ MORE)

Right Wing Nut House: Just Who is Mr. Hsu? - Bizarre times we live in, no doubt about it. While the left obsesses over the bathroom antics of a relatively obscure Idaho senator and the social right gets their opportunity to wag a finger in disapproval at the hapless hypocritical closet case, a genuine scandal involving a Democratic fundraiser who has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money and raised hundreds of thousands more all for Democratic candidates perks along growing stranger by the hour. (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.

Wednesday Hero Blogroll - One Year Old

Tomorrow the Wednesday Hero Blogroll will be one year old.

That means over 50 heroes have been recognized, but there are plenty more, and the word still needs to get out. Indian Chris has been working tirelessly all that time to write up every post of that series along with assistance from blogroll members. To learn more about becoming a member of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll go here.

Now enjoy a slide show of the heroes all thanks to fellow blogroll member - Kathi:

100's of Innocent Civilians are Spared a Gruesome Death Thanks to a Tip

On August 28th, acting on another tip provided by a concerned citizen Coalition Forces recovered a cache of nitric acid buried in drums near the town of Niam Mashawn:

NIAM MASHAWN, Iraq — Coalition Forces, acting on a tip from a local concerned citizen, discovered a large cache of nitric acid buried in drums near the town of Niam Mashawn, Aug. 28.

Soldiers of 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), out of Fort Drum, N.Y., received a tip that there was a large quantity of nitric acid near a checkpoint on Route Tampa, a major Iraqi highway. The cache site is located about 15 kilometers west of Baghdad International Airport.

The man who reported the cache helped the Soldiers dig up 411 plastic jugs.

Nitric acid is often used in making fertilizer and homemade explosives, commonly found in improvised explosive devices.

The containers of acid were collected and removed to a secure location.

This discovery means that another IED or VBIED has been removed from the streets of Iraq, never to harm another person. Every day the ability of the insurgent groups to operate in the shadows is limited more and more, and soon they will be forced to either retreat completely or die.

Of course don't expect to find a story like this in your local paper or even one of the national outlets, its not sensational enough when 100's of innocent civilians are spared a gruesome death, instead they would rather they die so that they can sell more papers and push their agenda of gloom and doom. Do yourself a favor, put down your paper and go to the blogs from the front lines and find out for yourself the story that isn't being told. You'll be suprised at the level of optimism you'll find from the boots on the ground.

45 Terrorists Captured and 2 Killed in Operations Around Iraq

In on going operations south of Tarmiyah and in Baqubah and Mosul targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders in an effort to disrupt their attack networks. Coalition Forces killed two terrorists, including a terrorist leader and captured 29 more:

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed two terrorists, including a terrorist leader, and captured two other suspected terrorist leaders during raids Thursday targeting the al-Qaeda in Iraq operations network.

During an operation south of Tarmiyah, Coalition Forces killed the military emir of Tarmiyah, who was responsible for directing attacks against Coalition Forces and Iraqi civilians in the area. When the ground forces moved toward the target building, they observed an armed man in a neighboring house maneuvering into position to engage the assault force. Responding in defense against the hostile threat, Coalition Forces engaged the man, killing him. Another armed man moved to the roof of the target building, where Coalition Forces responded to the hostile threat by engaging and killing him. The terrorist on the roof was determined to be the terrorist emir targeted in the operation. The ground forces detained 11 individuals with suspected ties to the al-Qaeda in Iraq network.

Operations in Baqubah and Mosul targeted al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders to disrupt their attack networks. Coalition Forces captured an individual in Baqubah who is believed to conduct operations to incite sectarian violence, provide weapons to al-Qaeda in Iraq and attack Coalition Forces. The ground forces detained nine additional suspects for their ties to the terrorist network. In Mosul, Coalition Forces captured an alleged al-Qaeda in Iraq leader who recently fled to the northern city and is believed to provide financial support to al-Qaeda in Iraq, facilitate the movement of foreign terrorists and control terrorist operations in an area south of the Baghdad airport. Coalition Forces detained seven of his suspected associates as well.

“We will continue to dismantle the terrorist networks that threaten the security of Iraq,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson. “The people of Iraq continue to demonstrate their desire to build a secure future, without the influence of al-Qaeda in Iraq.”

Elsewhere in Iraq, Iraqi Special Operations forces detained 16 al Qaesa in Iraq members in Muelha and Taji:

BAGHDAD – Members of the Iraqi Security Forces detained five suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists in an intelligence-driven operation Aug. 29 in Muelha.

Reports indicate the suspected terrorist belong to a cell of more than 100 men suspected of attacking Coalition and Iraqi Forces in the village south of Baghdad.

Additional intelligence shows the cell members conduct these indirect and direct fire attacks with improvised explosive device, mortar and vehicle-borne explosive attacks.

One of the terrorists is allegedly involved in two specific IED attacks that seriously wounded multiple U.S. Army Soldiers, to include kidnapping and murdering local civilians in Muelha.

In a second operation, Iraqi Army Forces conducted an intelligence driven helicopter assault raid detaining 11 suspected insurgents west of Taji.

Scouts from the 1/7th Iraqi Army Brigade raided a series of targets and detained the primary suspect believed to be an al Qaeda in Iraq member and allegedly involved in supporting a sniper cell operating within the Karmah area.

After detaining six additional suspects, it was discovered that individuals fled from one of the targeted locations into a nearby mosque. U.S. Special Operations Forces provided external security while Iraqi Forces conducted an internal search of the mosque and detained four more suspected insurgents.

During the operation five AK-47 assault rifles, numerous identification cards and a rifle scope were seized. In addition, five rocket propelled grenades, two high explosive hand grenades, fuses and several containers of homemade explosives were destroyed on sight by a controlled detonation.

U.S. Special Operations Forces were advisers on both operations; no forces were harmed during either mission.

Operations of this type will continue to dismantle the terrorist networks that threaten the security of Iraq and make it safer for every citizen to live in peace.

Good hunting boys, good hunting.

Web Reconnaissance for 08/30/2007

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.


In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
Va. Tech Criticized In Massacre Probe - The panel appointed by the governor to investigate the massacre at Virginia Tech is critical of the university's response to the shootings and its treatment of Seung Hui Cho, concluding that lives could have been saved if officials had issued an alert sooner that a gunman was on campus. (READ MORE)

Terrorism Policies Split Democrats - A growing clamor among rank-and-file Democrats to halt President Bush's most controversial tactics in the fight against terrorism has exposed deep divisions within the party, with many Democrats angry that they cannot defeat even a weakened president on issues that they believe should be front and... (READ MORE)

Report Finds Little Progress On Iraq Goals - Iraq has failed to meet all but three of 18 congressionally mandated benchmarks for political and military progress, according to a draft of a Government Accountability Office report. The document questions whether some aspects of a more positive assessment by the White House last month adequatel... (READ MORE)

Planned Crackdown on Immigrants Denounced - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO this week separately assailed a new White House-backed crackdown on illegal immigration, warning of massive disruptions to the economy and headaches for U.S. citizens if the proposal goes ahead as planned in the coming days. (READ MORE)

Sadr Orders 'Freeze' on Militia Actions - BAGHDAD, Aug. 29 -- The powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr publicly ordered his huge militia Wednesday to "freeze" operations for up to six months, but U.S. and Iraqi officials expressed skepticism of the cleric's intentions and his ability to control the fractured network of fighters who kil... (READ MORE)

Property Tax Flood - The second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina arrived yesterday, with the White House disclosing that U.S. taxpayers have chipped in no less than $127 billion (including $13 billion in tax relief) to rebuild the Gulf region. That's more than the GDP of most nations. (READ MORE)

Shi'ite Leader Declares Cease-Fire - Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr yesterday ordered a six-month "freeze" of activities by his Mahdi Army, a militia accused of attacking U.S.-led forces and operating "death squads" against Sunni Arabs. (READ MORE)

FairTax Efforts Popular in GOP - After Rep. Steve King endorsed a national sales tax to replace the federal income tax during his first run for Congress, his own campaign coordinator told him his candidacy was over. (READ MORE)

Katrina Collects a Bundle - The flow of federal dollars to the Gulf Coast two years after Hurricane Katrina already exceeds what the U.S. spent on the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II. (READ MORE)

Virginia GOP Plans Bills to Curb Illegals - Virginia Republicans yesterday said they will push five proposals aimed at illegal aliens in next year's General Assembly. (READ MORE)

Economy Grows at Fastest Pace in a Year - The economy grew at its strongest pace in more than a year during the spring as solid improvements in international trade and business investment helped offset weakness in housing. (READ MORE)

Study: Democrats Get More A.M. Airtime - A media watchdog organization charged Wednesday that the network morning news shows have spent considerably more time this year on Democrats running for president than on Republicans. (READ MORE)



From the Front:
Michael J. Totten: Front-line lessons from the Iraq surge - While American politicians bicker among themselves from eight time zones away about whether the surge led by Gen. David Petraeus is working or not, I returned to Iraq to see for myself. This trip - from which I returned this month - was my fourth reporting stint in the country since the conflict began. And this time, what I saw was overwhelming, undeniable and, like it or not, complicated: In some places, the surge is working remarkably well. In others, it is not. And the only way we will know for sure whether the tide can be turned is to continue the policy and wait. (READ MORE)

Matt Sanchez: Dora in World Net Daily - It was a very nice street. The residents of Dora came out as the 1-4 Cav walked down the mostly paved road. Paving a road is a good sign of safety in Baghdad, where deep-buried IEDs are deadliest. An Army staff sergeant explained how the terrorists liked to burn tires over a pressure-plate IED and set it off under an unsuspecting Humvee. This street had no pressure plates, but plenty of residents who had felt the pressure of day-to-day life. (READ MORE)

Jason's Iraq Vacation: Perspective - As Marvin Gaye's voice crooned through my head phones, I closed my eyes and all of the sudden I was in a different place. "Mother, mother. There's too many of you crying . .." It was the happiest day of my life; I was dancing with my mom and as I glanced over at my beautiful bride, all I could think was, I am truly a lucky man. I opened my eyes and stared at the cracks my ceiling, stuck back in a reality I couldn't drag myself out of for more than a couple minutes at a time. (READ MORE)

Jake's Life: The More Things Change... - I guess you could say the more things change the more they stay the same. I came back from Iraq with a different CO and XO, different Company Gunny, a different platoon commander, and different squad leaders. Your basic top to bottom reshuffling of company leadership. I would have hoped that maybe things would be run differently upon our return. (READ MORE)

Bill Ardolino: Headed Out - I'm off to Kuwait tomorrow, followed by a brief stop in Baghdad and then Fallujah. "Space Available" military travel could take 2-4 days, so expect posting from Iraq to start early next week. (READ MORE)

Calvey in Iraq: Long Days - Greetings from Baghdad! Working long days again. Typically, in the mornings, I suit up in my body armor in the morning, lock and load my M9, and head out into the Red Zone. In the afternoons I am usually back at the shop, completing paperwork on the day’s events and preparing for upcoming days. (READ MORE)

Jeff Emanuel: All Combat Zone Journalism is NOT Created Equal - The recent headline-grabbing announcement that, in an effort to bolster the network’s sagging ratings, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric will be coming to Iraq for 12 days in September has, as it should, caused new attention to be cast on combat zone journalism. However, amidst all of the hubbub and hoopla about the ‘danger’ of her trip to Iraq, it is important to draw a distinction between what Ms. Couric and the majority of her colleagues in the media are doing, and what others in Iraq are contributing, information-wise, to the debate. (READ MORE)

Michael Yon: Ghosts of Anbar, Part III of IV - A Model for Success - The presence of the rule of law is a major factor in assuring voluntary acceptance of a government’s authority and therefore its legitimacy. A government’s respect for preexisting and impersonal legal rules can provide the key to gaining it widespread, enduring societal support. Such government respect for rules—ideally ones recorded in a constitution and in laws adopted through a credible, democratic process—is the essence of the rule of law. As such, it is a powerful potential tool for counterinsurgents. (READ MORE)


On the Web:
Michael Reagan: The Craig Affair: Rampant Hypocrisy - Listening to Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig proclaim in near-thundering terms that he is not gay and never has been gay, I couldn't help but recall hearing Bill Clinton swear he "did not have sex with that woman." (READ MORE)

Mike S. Adams: Of Mice and Mormons, Part IV - On July 10, 2004, Mr. Ford met with Professor Wetchler to explain that he would choose another topic for his thesis. Wetchler encouraged Mr. Ford to consider two topics: (1) the relationship between differentiation and religiosity; and (2) the relationship between identity foreclosure and intolerance. (READ MORE)

Lisa De Pasquale: Liberal Women Struggle to Find Broad Appeal - It was no surprise last week when GreenStone Media announced the end of its all women, all whining, all the time radio network. In the year since its inception, GreenStone only had 11 stations that carried its programming. The mainstream media was positively orgasmic when GreenStone launched in late 2006. The network was backed by investors like Gloria Steinem, Rosie O’Donnell, Billie Jean King and Jane Fonda who all ponied up $3.1 million. (READ MORE)

Ken Blackwell: Obama’s Attack - In light of recent polls, pundits have speculated that Sen. Barack Obama will need a miracle to win his party’s presidential nomination. After offending many of the nation’s ministers, priests and rabbis in a speech this summer, he’d better have a direct line to the Almighty. (READ MORE)

Rebecca Hagelin: Making the Right Connections - You can’t send two sons off to college, as my husband and I now have, and expect them to succeed if you haven’t taught them some sense of self-reliance. Indeed, that virtue has long been recognized as a foundational mark of the American character. It enabled our forefathers to establish a nation that still serves as a beacon of freedom to the world. No free republic can survive without it. (READ MORE)

Michael Fumento: To Lengthen Thy Life, Ignore the Fatophiles - To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals: So observed Benjamin Franklin centuries ago. But Franklin didn’t comment on whether food intake restriction worked by keeping people thin or by making them thin. Indeed, it’s become a mantra of the ‘size acceptance’ groups that there’s no scientific evidence that losing weight increases longevity. And it’s been true - until now. (READ MORE)

Jacob Sullum: The National Intelligence Director Explains Why Bush's Critics Have Blood on Their Hands - Because he's resigning, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales won't have much chance to exercise his powers under the Protect America Act. The new law charges the attorney general with determining which international communications involving people in the U.S. will be subject to warrantless surveillance. (READ MORE)

William Rusher: The Shape of September - September is shaping up to be a major month for American foreign policy. President Bush, having quite responsibly (in my opinion) taken America into Iraq in 2003 to cope with what appeared to just about everyone to be a serious nuclear danger, quickly discovered that the danger was in fact nonexistent. (READ MORE)

Donald Lambro: Anti-incumbent Strategy Buoys GOP - Republicans face another hostile political climate next year, but GOP congressional election strategists think they may have found a way to overcome it. (READ MORE)

Linda Chavez: Abuse of Power - Sen. Craig's political career is probably over. The abuse of power, however, was not Sen. Craig's but the media's, who pick and choose whose privacy they will violate on a partisan basis. (READ MORE)

Emmett Tyrrell: The media's mood turns foul on McCain - The foul mood could deny voters what should be a stimulating presidential match-up, McCain against his Republican rivals and then maybe against the Democratic nominee. (READ MORE)

Ann Coulter: Reno 911 - Right-wingers like me never trusted Gonzales. But watching Hillary Rodham Clinton literally applaud the announcement of Gonzales' resignation on Monday was more than any human being should have to bear. (READ MORE)

Tom DeLay: Tom DeLay's Action Points: Tell NBC "Shame on You" - I have a very important mission for all of you. Our good friend's at Freedom's Watch are running a $15 million ad buy calling on the American public to tell members of Congress to support full funding of the war in Iraq. (READ MORE)

David Strom: Prices Too High? Raise Taxes! - For most of us, life is pretty simple. If there isn't enough of something and prices skyrocket, the last thing we would think of is limiting the supplies even more and raising prices by slapping even higher taxes on it. (READ MORE)

Allen C. Guelzo: From the Pulpit, Powerful Words - A sermon is like a symphony. Both are first written out and then can be read (in words or musical notes), studied and discussed as though nothing more were necessary. But in the end, a sermon is written to be preached, just as symphonic music is written to be performed. What ultimately determines the quality of both (sermons and symphonies) is the effect of their performance on a listener. (READ MORE)

Daniel Henninger: Media Showers - Last month--though it feels as if it were last year--a large Snowman (depicted below) got to ask the Democratic presidential candidates a question about global warming. CNN solicited questions through YouTube, the amateur video Web site, because YouTube is, in some as-yet-undefined sense, "the future." A senior CNN executive said, "There are questions that we, the journalists, we, the mainstream media, would never think to ask in the presidential debate." That's for sure. Afterward, there was commentary on whether the Snowman's video had dumbed down the political process. (READ MORE)

War Historian: Can They Say That? - I am a 7th Cavalryman. That is to say, within the Army, my personal regimental affiliation is with the 7th Cavalry Regiment. All soldiers are aligned with one regiment, though in this day and age that is largely an ornamental designation. In my case it came about because I commanded within the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry. Because of this, and because of my interest in history, I am effectively the de facto active-duty regimental historian. That is how I know the honorary colonel of my regiment, retired Lt. Gen. Hal Moore. (READ MORE)

McQ: Changing views question Global Warming Consensus - DailyTech has a story up today which argues that the scientific community has begun to back away from the "consensus" view that supports the theory that humanity is responsible for global warming: "In 2004, history professor Naomi Oreskes performed a survey of research papers on climate change. Examining peer-reviewed papers published on the ISI Web of Science database from 1993 to 2003, she found a majority supported the "consensus view," defined as humans were having at least some effect on global climate change. Oreskes’ work has been repeatedly cited, but as some of its data is now nearly 15 years old, its conclusions are becoming somewhat dated." (READ MORE)

Cassandra: Poverty In The U.S. - Apparently, it isn't what it used to be: “Five years into a national economic recovery, the share of Americans living in poverty finally dropped. The nation's poverty rate was 12.3 percent in 2006, down from 12.6 percent a year before, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday. Median household income increased slightly, to $48,200.” (READ MORE)

Jay Tea: Campaign Finance Reform: A Modest Proposal - With the news that one of Hillary Clinton's biggest fundraisers is a criminal fugitive, I've been thinking about campaign finance reform. And I think I have a fairly simple set of ideas that ought to clean up politics a bit. The basic concept uniting all these is simple: "sunlight is the best disinfectant." No games, no tricks, no shenanigans will be tolerated, and everything will be as open and aboveboard as possible. (READ MORE)

Jim Addison: Richard Jewell dead at 44 - Richard Jewell, the hero who saved many lives at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 only to become a suspect in the bombing, has died at age 44, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports: “Jewell was initially lauded as a hero after a bomb went off on July 27, 1996, during an Olympic celebration in Atlanta. He called attention to the suspicious knapsack that held a bomb and helped evacuate the area.” (READ MORE)

Allahpundit: Brave Aussie artist creates composite image of Mohammed and Hitler - No no, of course not. She’s all about challenging perceptions … in the safest, least challenging way possible, of course. A close-up plus the ever daring Mary-in-a-burqa shot are here, if you care. My advice: if you’ve a hankering to see a religious icon insulted, skip this lowbrow crap and spend the time reading Hitchens’s new column on Mother Teresa instead. Quote: (READ MORE)

Bryan Preston: The Hillraisers: Another day, another fugitive - His name is Abdul Rehman Jinnah, 56, originally from Pakistan. He allegedly funneled loads of money to the Clinton campaign, stood accused of same, and fled to Pakistan. In May, he surrendered to the FBI, flew back to the US to answer the charges against him, and collapsed in court. (READ MORE)

Don Surber: Bush's Led Zeppelin is taking off - Upon losing both houses in Congress last fall, President Bush decided to change the course in Iraq and go for broke. Bush's plan went over about as well as Jimmy Page's idea for a rock group. It fell not just like a lead balloon, but a lead zeppelin, which is how Led Zeppelin got its name. Columnist Bob Novak, in his New Year's Day column, said the Surge was in trouble. (READ MORE)

Rhymes with Right: Will Liberals Complain About These Police State Tactics? - Probably not -- after all, they want to grab your guns, and the mere fact that these police officers and city officials violated Virginia law and the Second Amendment won't bother them a bit. “More than 100 gun-rights advocates, most carrying handguns on their hips and wearing buttons saying "Guns Save Lives," came to the City Council on Tuesday night to protest what they called harassment of law-abiding gun owners by city officials. The protest was called by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun-rights group, after Chet Szymecki of Yorktown was arrested in June at Harborfest for carrying a gun.” (READ MORE)

California Yankee: What About The Other $977,000? - Democratic presidential wannabee, Hillary Clinton, will donate to charity $23,000 of the contributions she has received from her fugitive fundraiser. Why only $23,000? The Wall Street Journal [subscription required] reports that Hillary's fugitive fundraiser, also known as Norman Hsu, has raised over $1 million for Hillary's Presidential campaign: (READ MORE)

Crazy Politico: Two Years Later - Yesterday, as I was driving to and between jobs, I got to listen to all the hoopla on the radio about the 2 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. There are of course, lots of problems still in New Orleans, and the rest of the Gulf Coast area. There are also huge contrasts between the recovery in Louisiana and Mississippi. The contrasts are startling, to say the least. In Mississippi only 25% of the people originally put up in FEMA trailers still live in them, in Louisiana that number is over 60%. Mississippi. (READ MORE)

Ed Morrissey: Another National Health Care System Horror Story - The lack of facilities in a national health-care system has resulted in the death of a newborn. Japan, whose system has been cited as a model for the United States to consider, has few medical facilities in their rural areas, and the lack of obstetricians led one couple to be turned away from eight hospitals when the mother-to-be went into labor: (READ MORE)

Pros and Cons: Alberto Gonzalez’s legacy is the fight over Presidential control of the executive branch. - Unsurprisingly, I think The Wall Street Journal has the legacy of one of our least aggressively partisan AGs ever about right in a trule great story, and also in this editorial. The relevant news story by Evan Perez (ABC’s The Note agrees that it should be read by all, actually leading with this excellent piece and thus puts outside the subscription-only barriers of WSJ.com) actually covers the fight over Presidential control of the recalcitranbt beurocracy even better. (READ MORE)

Right Wing Nut House: Bias? What Media Bias? - After all the sound and fury, the bombastic rhetoric thrown around by Democrats over the supposed partisanship of Fox News, comes this stunner of a study done by the conservative Media Research Center about coverage of the presidential campaigns on the three biggest morning shows on television. In a word; mindboggling: “The study found that 55 percent of campaign stories on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” CBS’s “The Early Show” and NBC’s “Today” focused on Democratic candidates while only 29 percent focused on Republicans. The remaining 16 percent were classified as “mixed/independent.” (READ MORE)

John Hawkins: Whose Fault Is It When Palestinian Kids Get Killed? - Here's the slant from USA Today on 3 Palestinian kids being accidentally killed by the Israelis: “Three young Palestinian cousins were killed Wednesday in northern Gaza in what the Israeli army said was an attack on rocket launchers aimed at southern Israel. The incident could set back peace efforts, just a day after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met in Jerusalem to try to move the process ahead.” Ehr..."set back peace efforts?" (READ MORE)

Meryl Yourish: Israeli Double Standard Time, Temple Mount version - Say, remember that worldwide media blitz about how Israeli archeologists were going to destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque by building a new ramp to the Temple Mount? Remember the incredibly biased stories that insisted on minimizing the Temple Mount’s meaning to Jews and maximizing the Muslim connection? Remember how there were stage-managed riots about the Temple Mount ramp? Well, the AP has finally noticed that Jews are outraged that the Islamic Waqf, who frankly should not be in control of a toy model of the Temple Mount, is now digging a 500-yard trench in the Temple Mount complex, destroying precious artifacts, and once again trying to “prove” there are no Jewish ties to the Temple Mount complex. And the AP is aiding and abetting, by adding even more bias to their piece. (READ MORE)

Dafydd: The "Maturity Mask" Slips - UPDATED With Embedded YouTube - Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA, 80%) has a very, very serious problem: He is a moderately liberal Democrat in a fairly neutral district (WA-3), a district that narrowly went for George Bush in the last two presidential elections. First elected in 1998 by 55%, he won his last three elections by more robust percentages of 62-63%. Baird was handily reelected even in the two years that his district voted for George W. Bush. Cook rates WA-3 as D+0. He was opposed to the Iraq war from the very beginning, voting against it at every turn. (READ MORE)

A Soldier's Mind: Insurgents Prey On Vulnerability Of Youth - In the United States, we look at our children as the future of our Country. Because of their youth and the vulnerability that goes with their youth, we’ve always been taught to protect the children, to nuture them, teach them right from wrong and encourage them to learn and grow. In Iraq, by the insurgency, children are often looked upon as pawns in their deadly game, someone that the insurgents can exploit and manipulate, someone that to them is an expendable commodity. (READ MORE)

The Belmont Club: Looking ahead at the Shi'ite militias - The recent Brookings trip report to Iraq believed abuses by Shi'ite militias were turning the population against them and pushing communities into the arms of the Coalition. The fighting that just ended between Shi'ite militias in Karbalah, and which forced not only the curtailment of the lucrative pilgrimage but the declaration of a curfew is a perfect example of how not to make friends and influence people. (READ MORE)

Democracy Project: NYT’s Hasn’t Heard Of Innocent ‘Til Proven Guilty - A few days ago I wondered about the “little or no reflection by the major media on their own hysteria” about Haditha. The latest rumination from the New York Times, instead, with squad leader SSgt Wuterich’s Article 32 hearing beginning, wonders why the entire U.S. military justice system can’t seem to agree with its hysteria. Generalizing from its own partial and hasty viewpoint the NYT’s says, (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.

Two Years After: A Final Goodbye - "A Ride to Remember..." [Robert Stokely]

They made us have to say a final goodbye. They thought they had done a great feat. They thought they had hurt us so bad as to take away our life. They thought they had us down for good.

They hurt us bad. They hurt us worse than we could have ever imagined, or wanted to feel. They made us weep deep tears. They made us miss him so much.

Our family sat graveside grieving for a lost husband, son and brother. Friends wept with us, grief stricken in their own right. Two of his fellow soldiers, both seriously wounded in that same road side bomb explosion refused to be kept bed bound and by sheer will made it to be with us. One barely able to hobble with a cane, who but by the grace of God he would have been in a flag draped casket, his mouth sown shut, bottom gum, bone and teeth knocked out and facing a dozen or more surgeries to give him back an ability to merely chew food in a normal way. The other, crutch bound, foot in a cast, facing more surgery as well. Both thankful to be alive, yet wondering why they were and not him. I didn't know them at all, but needed no introduction as they sought me out in a mass of people. It was for me, a moment of joy to know that they were alive and I could readily see for myself that my son's brothers in battle would make it.

The sad melody of TAPS cut deep; the report of a 21 gun salute made me flinch, even feel fear at the prospect of a future without him; the folding of a flag with honor was a final heartbreak, knowing a final moment of goodbye was now at hand, and even though it was time to let him go, I didn't want to.

It was August 27, 2005, a hot day to say the least, a hard day goes without saying. It seemed at that moment we might not make it. It seemed we didn't want to. But then, we remembered what he would want and so we did that instead. We held it together, we went forward, heads up, hearts proud, and lives to be lived as fully and happily as possible.

On Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 104 weeks since that final goodbye, the Stokely family gathered with friends and strangers alike for the Mike Stokely Foundation, Inc. 1st Annual "Ride to Remember..." The thunderous roar of 215 motrocycles, 40 plus cars, one tractor-trailer minus the trailer, led by a HUMVEE with patriotic color scheme leading the way and with air support from a Blackhawk helicopter, we sent a message that we were alive and we would not fear his death nor a future without him. Instead, we were going to go forward and in doing so, we would Remember with Honor, a life well lived, well loved, and dearly missed - SGT Mike Stokely, KIA 16 AUG 05 near Yusufiyah in the Triangle of Death, south of Baghdad. We raised $20,000 net after expenses toward the $25,000 needed to fund the scholarship in Mike's name at Georgia Military College where he got to attend one year before duty called. The other $5,000 - I'll drive a truck one night a week after I get off work for the next 50 or so weeks and raise that money and I'll remember the nights Mike rode with me on such trips and the good time we had doing that.

Mike Stokely didn't get to come home to finish college, but his footprints are bigger than his boots and his legacy will ensure that others will go to college and a future is well preserved for a better America. More so, a call to action now leads us to continue the ride in future years and use the proceeds to honor each and every one of his other 25 fallen brothers from Georgia's 48th Brigade with a scholarship in their name and memory. A region has been mobilized. We are committed.

You know, if Mike Stokely had made it home alive, we would have gone on to live ordinary lives without so much as a second thought by those around us, without a thought of how others might go to college.

They would have been better off to have left him, and us, alone. They suffered their cause a great defeat by taking his life. They made us have a reason to stay in the fight, and go on.

DUTY HONOR COUNTRY.

Robert Stokely
proudly remembering my beloved son
SGT Mike StokelyKIA 16 AUG 05 near Yusufiyah
USA E Troop 108 CAV 48th BCT GAARNG

[Ed Note: For some pictures of this event go here. Courtesy of Kat in GA: Yikes!]

1st Annual Mike Stokely Ride to Remember

Just received this in an email from Robert Stokely and wanted to share it here... time permitting, I will be writing my own post this weekend about the ride. It truly was a very memorable experience, and it was such an honor to participate.

Grab a tissue, and read on.

They made us have to say a final goodbye. They thought they had done a great feat. They thought they had hurt us so bad as to take away our life. They thought they had us down for good.

They hurt us bad. They hurt us worse than we could have ever imagined, or wanted to feel. They made us weep deep tears. They made us miss him so much.

Our family sat graveside grieving for a lost husband, son and brother. Friends wept with us, grief stricken in their own right. Two of his fellow soldiers, both seriously wounded in that same road side bomb explosion refused to be kept bed bound and by sheer will made it to be with us. One barely able to hobble with a cane, who but by the grace of God he would have been in a flag draped casket, his mouth sown shut, bottom gum, bone and teeth knocked out and facing a dozen or more surgeries to give him back an ability to merely chew food in a normal way. The other, crutch bound, foot in a cast, facing more surgery as well. Both thankful to be alive, yet wondering why they were and not him. I didn't know them at all, but needed no introduction as they sought me out in a mass of people. It was for me, a moment of joy to know that they were alive and I could readily see for myself that my son's brothers in battle would make it.

The sad melody of TAPS cut deep; the report of a 21 gun salute made me flinch, even feel fear at the prospect of a future without him; the folding of a flag with honor was a final heartbreak, knowing a final moment of goodbye was now at hand, and even though it was time to let him go, I didn't want to.

It was August 27, 2005, a hot day to say the least, a hard day goes without saying. It seemed at that moment we might not make it. It seemed we didn't want to. But then, we remembered what he would want and so we did that instead. We held it together, we went forward, heads up, hearts proud, and lives to be lived as fully and happily as possible.

On Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 104 weeks since that final goodbye, the Stokely family gathered with friends and strangers alike for the Mike Stokely Foundation, Inc. 1st Annual "Ride to Remember..." The thunderous roar of 215 motorcycles, 40 plus cars, one tractor-trailer minus the trailer, led by a HUMVEE with patriotic color scheme leading the way and with air support from a Blackhawk helicopter, we sent a message that we were alive and we would not fear his death nor a future without him. Instead, we were going to go forward and in doing so, we would Remember with Honor, a life well lived, well loved, and dearly missed - SGT Mike Stokely, KIA 16 AUG 05 near Yusufiyah in the Triangle of Death, south of Baghdad. We raised $20,000 net after expenses toward the $25,000 needed to fund the scholarship in Mike's name at Georgia Military College where he got to attend one year before duty called. The other $5,000 - I'll drive a truck one night a week after I get off work for the next 50 or so weeks and raise that money and I'll remember the nights Mike rode with me on such trips and the good time we had doing that.

Mike Stokely didn't get to come home to finish college, but his footprints are bigger than his boots and his legacy will ensure that others will go to college and a future is well preserved for a better America. More so, a call to action now leads us to continue the ride in future years and use the proceeds to honor each and every one of his other 25 fallen brothers from Georgia's 48th Brigade with a scholarship in their name and memory. A region has been mobilized. We are committed.

You know, if Mike Stokely had made it home alive, we would have gone on to live ordinary lives without so much as a second thought how others might go to college.

They would have been better off to have left him, and us, alone. They suffered their cause a great defeat by taking his life. They made us have a reason to stay in the fight, and go on.

DUTY HONOR COUNTRY. Romans 8:28.

Robert Stokely
proudly remembering my beloved son
SGT Mike Stokely
KIA 16 AUG 05 near Yusufiyah
USA E Troop 108 CAV 48th BCT GAARNG