Tommy

Support the troops only when it suits your pupose? Well Rudyard Kipling met you a long time ago:

Tommy

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o'beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:

O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's ``Thank you, Mister Atkins,'' when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's ``Thank you, Mr. Atkins,'' when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy how's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints:
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;

While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind,"
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind,

There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country," when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
But Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!

So stop surrendering to the enemy and support the troops 100%, not just when it suits your agenda, otherwise we don'na need ya, because we can see your intentions and desires and we have enough people wanting to kill us over there, back here it would be nice if you'd just keep your opinions to yourself.

Defence Secretary Sees Reconstruction and New Vehicles in Southern Iraq

The Iraqi Government is making encouraging strides in its efforts to curb violence in the country, the Defence Secretary Des Browne said on a visit to Basra on Tuesday 30 January 2007.

Mr. Browne began his visit to Iraq with a series of meetings in the capital Baghdad. He then landed in Basra where he paid tribute to the work of British troops involved in Operation Sinbad, a successful joint Multi National Forces and Iraqi Army reconstruction programme.

So far the operation has helped regenerate key infrastructure and civic services in Basra City whilst also providing valuable mentoring for the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police Service.

Read the Rest...

(Photo: Defence Secretary Des Browne meets troops from the 1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets [Picture: British Army])

Iraqi Policemen Recognized For Sacrifice, Dedication

Release Number: 07-01-03PA

BAGHDAD – More than 30 Iraqi Police officers were formally recognized for their dedication and personal sacrifice during a ceremony held in their honor at the 1st Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division Headquarters in Baghdad recently.

This first-ever ceremony made the honorees a member of a new order known as the “Knights of Iraq.”

“I feel great on this great day because I’m recognizing my great soldiers, my best guys who were wounded, and the guys who sacrificed their lives in action,” said Iraqi Police Col. Ali Mohammed, who is the assistant commander. “These [policemen] work hard and put everything, even their lives in danger, for fighting the terrorist and even the bad people.

According to Lt. Col. Ronald P. Reyna, the 1/6/2 National Police Transition Team chief, who is also a police officer in Louisville, Ky., wanted to honor the 12 Iraqi Police officers killed and the more than 100 wounded during the past year.
Read the Read...

Web Reconnaissance for 01/31/2007

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

In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
For GOP, Discord In Dissent On Iraq “Republican misgivings over President Bush's new war strategy are increasingly dividing the GOP as the Senate moves toward a showdown over the deployment of 21,500 additional troops to Iraq.” (READ MORE)

Centcom Pick Warns of Iran Influence in Gulf Region “Iran is positioning its military to deny U.S. access to the Persian Gulf while acting as a "destabilizing" influence in the region, President Bush's nominee to command U.S. forces in the Middle East told the Senate yesterday.” (READ MORE)

A Key Padilla Charge Is Reinstated “A federal appeals court on Tuesday reinstated a key terrorism charge, the only one carrying a potential sentence of life in prison, against suspected al-Qaeda operative Jose Padilla.” (READ MORE)

Homeland Security Employees Feeling the Blues “The employees have spoken. What they have said about job satisfaction has gratified four relatively small federal agencies and sent a jolt through the Department of Homeland Security, which scored last or almost last in job satisfaction, leadership and workplace performance.” (READ MORE)

Venezuela Poised to Hand Chávez Wide-Ranging Powers “The line forms every day after dawn at the Spanish Consulate, hundreds of people seeking papers permitting them to abandon Venezuela for new lives in Spain. They say they are filled with despair at President Hugo Chávez's growing power, and they appear not to be alone.” (READ MORE)

Advocates of troop surge about-face in Congress “For many in the Senate, they were for a surge of troops in Iraq before they were against it.” (READ MORE)

Senators sound alarm on climate “One-quarter of the Senate yesterday called global warming a serious threat to the world's future and urged quick action, despite disagreement on how to stem its effects.” (READ MORE)

Lawsuit accuses black officials of violating whites' voting rights “A federal court trial is expected to end this week in a Justice Department lawsuit seeking an end to "relentless voting-related discrimination" by black political leaders in a rural Mississippi county.” (READ MORE)

Senate Allies of Bush Work to Halt Iraq Vote “The new effort is aimed at blocking two nonbinding resolutions directly critical of the White House.” (READ MORE)

Reporter Who Was Jailed Testifies in Libby Case “Judith Miller, formerly of The Times, recounted details of her once- confidential interviews with I. Lewis Libby Jr.” (READ MORE)

German Court Issues Warrants for C.I.A. Agents “Prosecutors today obtained warrants for 13 C.I.A. agents allegedly involved in kidnapping a German citizen, Khaled el Masri.” (READ MORE)


News From the Front:
Bill Roggio writes Pentagon investigating Iran's Qods Force role in Karbala attack “IRGC's Qods Force is the prime suspect in the Karbala attack which killed 5 soldiers; we broke story on Friday, January 26 - On Friday, we reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps' Qods Force was very likely behind the attack on the Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Karbala, which resulted in the kidnapping and execution of four U.S. soldiers.” (READ MORE)

Badger 6 writes Democracy in Iraq “I was reading an article in the Economist two days ago about the President’s proposed change in strategy in Iraq. The article reported that SEN Voinovich not longer believed democracy in Iraq is possible. I was puzzled when I read that. Democracy is here in Iraq. In December 2005 in national legislative elections, 76% of the registered electorate turned out to vote.” (READ MORE)

On the Web:
Michael Medved writes Victory Lessons from Ronald Reagan “With resurgent Democrats showing discipline and determination to regain the White House after two terms in the wilderness, the Republican rank-and-file felt uncertain and apathetic about the GOP’s most likely standard bearers. Sound familiar?” (READ MORE)

Paul Greenberg writes The home front “Yes, there is some good news out of Iraq, though you might never suspect it from the general run of stories about bomb blasts in Baghdad and deadly attacks on Iraqi and American forces elsewhere.” (READ MORE)

Tony Blankley writes No Third Way in Iraq “The current mentality in Washington -- to pretend that there is a third way between victory and defeat -- is morally despicable.” (READ MORE)

Debra J. Saunders writes See no dissent, call it science “It is a sign of how politicized global warming has become when a father's push for his daughter's junior high school science class to present both sides of the global warming controversy becomes a national story -- with the father being portrayed as the villain.” (READ MORE)

Michael McBride writes Turning Surge Into Victory “When I cracked 1776 on Wednesday to give it its long overdue read, there were two pleasant surprises. I found that it was autographed by the author-something I am appalled at myself for not remembering. And secondly, alone on the inner leaf just prior to Part One, I was greeted by a simple and profound quote from General George Washington?” (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden writes Not in Front of the Kids, Honey “Fox reports the Bush administration had planned to release a detailed dossier on Iran’s interference and support for terrorism in Iraq. ‘Now, U.S. military officials say the decision to go public with the findings has been put on hold for several reasons, including concerns over the reaction from Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — as well as inevitable follow-up questions that would be raised over what the U.S. should do about it.’”(READ MORE)

Ian writes LA Senator: ‘Would have been better off if the terrorists had blown up our levees’ “It’s a shame there’s no video of this: ‘Senator Mary Landrieu’s outrageous outburst this morning in which she remarked that we ‘would have been better off if the terrorists had blown up our levees’ is the latest episode in a stream of recent Democratic blame-shifting and accusations.’” (READ MORE)

Hugh Hewitt writes Senators Also Said They Were Beginning To Realize That The Vote, While Nonbinding, Would Be An Important Statement On Congressional Sentiment Regarding The War. “Oh, you mean like the troops, our Iraqi allies, and the enemy might be watching? The New York Times' story on the Senate's dance of the resolutions throws the paper behind John McCain's and Lindsey Graham's "Gang of 14," er, "benchmarks" draft in an attempt to leave the impression that the McCain resolution is the one favored by people serious about victory.” (READ MORE)

Kim Priestap writes British Police Thwart Kidnap and Beheading Plot “Eight people thought to be of Pakistani origin were arrested for plotting to kidnap a British Muslim soldier and video taping his torture and beheading. They then wanted to post the video tape on the internet. From Sky News: ‘The eight people arrested by terror police in Birmingham were allegedly planning an Iraq-style kidnapping and beheading in the UK.’” (READ MORE)

William Teach writes Why Mommy and Daddy Are Global Warming Nuts “Remember back a couple years ago when the book ‘Why Mommy is a Democrat’ came out? It was a good thing that Mommy didn't take the full Democrat position, otherwise the boys and girls woulldn't have been able to read it, as they would have been in a liberal medical center having their embryonic stem cells yanked from their cold, dead bodies for pointless research. Well, now we have another silly little indoctrination book, 'The Down To Earth Guide for Global Warming'” (READ MORE)

Right Wing Nut House writes What Do We Do About Iran? “Perhaps a better headline for this post should have been: Is there anything to be done about Iran? But since I am an inveterate warmonger and fire breathing neo-con – at least according to some of my more unbalanced critics – the idea that there actually is something to be done militarily about Iran appeals to my militaristic soul.” (READ MORE)

ShrinkWrapped writes Psychobabble and the Mis-use of Psychology “The current issue of New York magazine takes the pathologizing of one's political opponents to a new and thoroughly sordid level in an attack on President Bush, ‘The Loneliest President: What’s going on in George Bush’s mind? A psychopolitical survey.’ New York magazine is a light weight publication which exhibits the vice of an apparent congenital inability to explore any particular issue in any particular psychological depth, and the virtue of having its hand firmly on the pulse of New York Liberal Conventional Wisdom. The article is only surprising in its viciousness and shallowness.” (READ MORE)

Paul Mirengoff writes Boring from within “In my first post about the decision of William & Mary's president to remove the cross from the Wren Chapel, I argued that, though President Nichol claimed he was acting to protect the sensibilities of non-Christians on campus, his decision more likely was driven by his own sensibilities. I pointed out that Nichol had made the decision without any apparent attempt to determine campus sentiment, and that his wife had attempted, as counsel for the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, to force religious groups to admit and empower individuals hostile to their religion.”(READ MORE)

Curt writes When To Hit Iran? “It's getting harder and harder for people to dismiss the allegations that Iran is behind much of the bloodshed going on in Iraq against our troops: The most deadly improvised explosive devices being used against U.S. soldiers in Iraq continue to come from Iran, and Iran continues to provide more tactical training, according to explosive experts working with the U.S. military.” (READ MORE)

Chickenhawk Express writes Vietnam Redux - Radical Left Goes After US Soldiers, Again “This is part one of a video from the DC Protest Saturday. The young man in the gray sweatshirt is Joshua Sparling who lost his leg while serving in Iraq. Watch and hear the reactions as he exercises HIS free speech rights...” (READ MORE)

Dan Riehl writes Bush Must Pay The Price “It's unfortunate, I don't think I've ever seen such a lack of leadership in Washington as we are seeing today. Senator's and Representatives who proudly stood up to take what now appears to have been only a purely political stand by supporting and voting for a war they evidently never had the courage to see through. But not Bush. Foremost among many, he seems almost alone now, determined to stay the course.” (READ MORE)

Neptunus Lex writes C’mon, I mean how bad was it really? “You might have read yesterday that a Johns Hopkins University history prof made something of a splash when he asked of the national tragedy represented by 9/11 – ‘Was it really all that bad?’ I mean, after all, isn’t this whole ‘War on Terror’ thing a bit of an over-reaction?” (READ MORE)

Captain Ed writes Cult Group Ready For Major Battle “The cult group destroyed by the Iraqi-run offensive on the eve of Ashura may have been obscure, but they had one point in common with the other insurgencies in Iraq -- they were armed to the teeth. Close air support from the US forces backing up the IA units made the difference, as more that 260 cultists died with bags of ammunition surrounding them:”(READ MORE)

Blackfive writes Sergeant in Afghanistan - Stop the BS and ‘Let's Get It Done’ “I've got permission to go hot with this. This is typical of what I've been hearing. It's a manifesto of sorts from a Staff Sergeant in the fight in Afghanistan. He had an experience recently while on mid-tour leave to see his wife and baby boy that was the last straw:” (READ MORE)

Blonde Sagacity writes The Current Rules of Engagement in Iraq (i.e. Why We Could Lose) “The current ROE's in Iraq: (1) You must feel a direct threat to you or your team. (2) You must clearly see a threat. (3) That threat must be identified. (4) The team leader must concur that there is an identified threat. (5) The team leader must feel that the situation is one of life or death. (6) There must be minimal or no collateral risk. (7) Only then can the team leader clear the engagement.” (READ MORE)

Wretchard writes Those Happy Faces “For more than sixty years it has been the recipient of aid from the United Nations, Europe and the United States. In fact, ‘the highest per capita aid transfer in the history of foreign aid anywhere.’ Statesmen all over the world have paid homage to it. It's leadership has been praised and defended by Jimmy Carter. Charities have been established to support it.” (READ MORE)

Fuzzilicious Thinking writes Arkin, the War and Gymnastics "Mr. Arkin and I have a history. Last year he linked little ol' me and my under 100 visitors a day as an example of blogs he implied were "bought" by the Army, bypassing bigger blogs deeply "plugged in" to the miltary world. That led to far more trollish and DoD attention than I ever wanted [Check the links/comments above and you'll see Mr. Arkin doesn't have a track record of grasping the essential elements of things military]. Now to his latest inanity:" (READ MORE)

Jay Tea writes Unringing the bell "There's a rather fascinating (at least, to me) discussion going around the blogosphere and the real world lately, inspired by the Democrats' "non-binding resolution" against the war. And it's a simple question: Just what can Congress do, if it should choose, to end the US involvement in the fighting in Iraq?" (READ MORE)

Jay Tea writes Check, please! "The Constitution divides our government into three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. Congress makes the laws, the President enforces them, and the Supreme Court reviews them. The federal bureaucracy is almost entirely concerned with the enforcing of the law. As such, it falls under the executive branch. This means that every federal bureaucrat, even a Forest Ranger or a meat-packing inspector or a Circuit Court Clerk, is part of a chain of command that eventually ends in the Oval Office."(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.

Troops Sound Off Against Critics at Home.

Hat Tip: Ace

RN and RAF Harrier Combat Ops Gear Up as Royal Navy Crews Join The Fight Against The Taleban (VIDEO)

Recent video footage of Harrier pilots bombing Taleban targets in Afghanistan, the "view from the cockpit" and the release of statistics showing a surge in munitions deployed against enemy targets, has reinforced the crucial role the Joint Force Harrier is playing in supporting Operation Herrick.

Shot last week, these clips show the cockpit view, munitions being directed onto targets, and jets landing, taking off and preparing for sorties. The short videos show the operational role of the Harrier in support of the ground troops fighting pitched battles against a determined foe.

The Joint Force Harrier Detachment at Kandahar airfield was deployed to Afghanistan in September 2004 to provide assistance for the Afghan elections the following month. They have been there ever since and recently the six GR7As were supplemented by a seventh in support of democratic governance and bringing stability to the region.
Read the Rest...

(Photo: Royal Navy and RAF Harrier aircraft provide vital Close Air Support to NATO ground troops. [Picture: RAF] )

On patrol: Hampshire TA Soldiers Prove Their Worth in Southern Iraq

A group of Territorial Army soldiers from Southampton are working closely with the Iraqi authorities to help build peace and stability in the south of the country.

The soldiers, from 457 Battery Royal Artillery (Volunteers) in Southampton, are part of the 1 YORKS Battle Group, responsible for helping the Iraqis bring security in some of the key areas of Basrah Province, including the vital strategic port of Umm Qasr and the border crossings with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Basrah Province itself is geographically diverse, with three distinct areas; rural, desert and urban. To the soldiers of 457 Battery, who are based in Umm Qasr, improvised explosive devices, smuggling and hijacking of convoys are the main threats they face while out on patrol. Their daily activity is aimed at countering such threats, ensuring that local people can get on with their lives in peace.
Read the Rest...

(Photo: Gunner Colin Rees greets a young Baswari in a market in Umm Qasr [Picture: Cpl Ian Forsyth RLC] )

Joint Effort

Polish Army Soldiers march in a change of command ceremony at Camp Echo.
Official Department of Defense photo by Sgt. Curt Cashour

Godspeed Marines

Friend of this blog, "N", sends this via email:

We were at 29 Palms Saturday for the send off. "D" left for his 2nd Deployment to Iraq on that day. His best friend from high school who is also a Marine left for his 2nd deployment on Friday.

So far I know "D" got to Kuwait and is taking a CH53 in country...and his Area of Operations is vast and ever changing - as is his mission objective. Sooooo I'll just pray alot and keep sending him mail.

So will we "N". Contrary to the opinion of some of our leaders they truly are our best and brightest, we will keep him and all of them in our prayers because they mean everything to us.

Pictures after the jump:

Web Reconnaissance for 01/30/2007

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


In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
Iraqis thwart plot to kill Shi'ite clergy “Iraq's army announced yesterday that it had foiled a plot to kill leading Shi'ite clerics and killed the leader of a heavily armed band of messianic Shi'ites called ‘Soldiers of Heaven’ during a fierce gunbattle near the southern city of Najaf.” (READ MORE)

How the 'axis' seeks the killer missile “North Korea and Iran are cooperating in developing long-range missiles, the deputy director of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency said yesterday.” (READ MORE)

Civilian Reserve just words in a speech “President Bush's call last week for a Civilian Reserve Corps to help troubled countries is either a solid idea whose time has come or yet another throwaway applause line in a State of the Union speech -- and it's up to Mr. Bush to decide how it turns out.” (READ MORE)

Dutch man face terror trial in U.S. “An Iraqi-born Dutch citizen pleaded not guilty yesterday in federal court in Washington to charges of conspiring with insurgents to attack U.S. military personnel in Iraq -- the first U.S. criminal prosecution arising from terrorist activities in Iraq.” (READ MORE)

With Iran Ascendant, U.S. Is Seen at Fault “Kuwait rarely rebuffs its ally, the United States, partly out of gratitude for the 1991 Persian Gulf War. But in October it reneged on a pledge to send three military observers to an American-led naval exercise in the Gulf, according to U.S. officials and Kuwaiti...” (READ MORE)

Soldier's Death Strengthens Senators' Antiwar Resolve “Just before Christmas, an Army captain named Brian Freeman cornered Sens. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) and John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) at a Baghdad helicopter landing zone. The war was going badly, he told them.” (READ MORE)

Uighurs' Detention Conditions Condemned “Chinese Uighurs who have been imprisoned for the past month at a new state-of-the-art detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are being held around the clock in near-total isolation, a circumstance their lawyers say is rapidly degrading their mental health…” (READ MORE)

Europe Resists U.S. Push to Curb Iran Ties “The resistance threatens to open a new rift between Europe and the United States over Iran.” (READ MORE)

Senators at Louisiana Hearing Criticize Federal Recovery Aid “Three United States senators sounded off on Monday about the slow pace of recovery from Hurricane Katrina at a hearing in the French Quarter, criticizing federal officials for perceived inequities in aid to Louisiana and for imposing rules that are halting government assistance.” (READ MORE)


News From the Front:
Sgt ELF writes Spaces of Opportunity “At the interstices of Bin Laden's falsehoods and distortions and the unbridled criminality of his foot soldiers-their petty sadism, inane brutality and murder-are the crossroads of our many little victories if we exploit them.” (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio writes Pakistan's Insurgency, Continued “The fourth suicide bomber in less than a week kills a policeman in Dera Ismail Khan: Pakistan has suffered its fourth suicide bombing since January 22nd. Today, a 17 year old suicide bomber detonated his vest after being searched by police outside of a Shia celebration in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in the Northwest Frontier Province.” (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio writes Jaish al-Janna and Najaf “An intelligence source provides preliminary information on the players behind the Najaf battle; al-Qaeda's Omar Brigade appears to have player a role: The motivation and prime actors behind the fighting in Najaf remains uncertain one day after the battle ended. As U.S. and Iraq intelligence attempts to sort out the details, media reports indicate a mix of Shi'ite and Sunni fighters were involved in the battle against Iraqi forces, which resulted in upwards of 300 enemy killed in 24 hours of combat.” (READ MORE)


On the Web:
Cal Thomas writes Aquarius Senset “The ideologically decrepit anti-war crowd returned to Washington last weekend for a reunion. The older among them abandoned hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of Vietnamese to imprisonment, torture, death and re-education camps.” (READ MORE)

Patrick J. Buchanan writes Hysteria at Herzliya “When Congress finally decides on just the right language for its ‘non-binding resolution’ deploring Bush's leadership in this war, it might consider a resolution to keep us out of the next one.” (READ MORE)

David Limbaugh writes Hillary's Understandable Contradictions “Hillary Clinton's many contradictions aren't hard to understand once you realize her need to suppress her natural instincts and policy preferences because they conflict with her lifelong presidential aspirations.” (READ MORE)

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. writes Driving While Defeatist “Members of the 110th Congress are behaving like drunken drivers with respect to the conflict in Iraq, veering wildly all over the road, seemingly oblivious to the risk they pose to others.” (READ MORE)

Burt Prelutsky writes In Praise of Oil “My question is this: Where in the Bill of Rights is it written that filling up your SUV should cost you the same as it cost your grandpa to gas up his Model-T?” (READ MORE)

Victor Davis Hanson writes How Will Illegal Immigration End? “We hear all sorts of solutions for ending illegal immigration. Build a wall! Beef up border security! Fine employers, and create a massive guest-worker program. Or America could insist on tamper-proof identification cards, or detention, deportation or even amnesty for some illegal aliens — or all of these measures somehow combined. But ultimately the solution lies in the hope that a Tijuana might become as prosperous as a San Diego — now a few miles away but a world apart.” (READ MORE)

Kobayashi Maru writes "Deep Felt" Psychoses “[I]f sexual identity is so important as to require radical surgery in some cases (a position more associated with the left than the right), then how can feminists also insist that there are no intrinsic differences on average between the capabilities, preferences and outlooks of men and women?” (READ MORE)

Jay Tea writes "Peace at any price" “Well, it happened again. Another suicide bombing in Israel. But by some amazing coincidence, the reports tend to gloss over the truly important points: The bombing was a joint venture of Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. AAMB is attached to Fatah, the political party that many argue is the ‘moderate’ side we should be backing.” (READ MORE)

Sachi writes 200, 250, 350, 400, 470, and Counting... “Before the ‘surge’ has even begun, Iraqi and the US troops are taking it up a notch, engaging in fierce battles near Baghdad. The battles reveal Iranian influences on both Sunni insurgents and Shiia militia -- and show that under the right circumstances, the two groups can work hand in hand to oppose peace and democracy.” (READ MORE)

Major Z writes Words. (Almost). Fail. Me. “This shit-filled pimple on the ass of America wrote a pretty lengthy post on why he doesn't support the troops. I don't care about his support, honestly. I am pissed because his ‘logic’ for not supporting us is so faulty, it pisses me off that one person could be *THAT* delusional.” (READ MORE)

Captain Ed writes Bush Orders Political Oversight Of Agency Rulemaking “The Gray Lady gets hysterical this morning over the executive order signed by President Bush requiring oversight of agency rulemaking. Bush's order requires federal agencies to submit impact reports that justifies additional regulation not authorized by Congress as well as an annual report of the cumulative effect of their entire regulatory position, and it creates a White House appointee to conduct the oversight. One might consider this common sense, unless one has a bad case of Bush Derangement Syndrome:” (READ MORE)

John Hawkins writes How The Mainstream Media Rewards Republicans Like Chuck Hagel For Betraying Conservatives “A lot of conservatives out there are continually scratching their heads and trying to figure out why Republicans like John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Chuck Hagel love to slam a shiv into the back of other conservatives as often as possible. Well, it's because they get fawning press coverage when they do it. Just look at this mash note from Newsweek to Chuck Hagel over his opposition to the surge. There are two different things that can inspire the mainstream press to speak this fondly about a Republican: their death and/or their betrayal of other conservatives.” (READ MORE)

Cassandra writes Cultural Revanchists, Unite! “Long 'ere rosy-fingered dawn painted the sky over our little house in the woods here in western Maryland the half vast editorial staff leapt with alacrity from betwixt the Marital Sheets. Eagerly we searched the Internets, hoping to snatch from the daily smorgasbooard of miserable failure, defeat, and despair some positive message of hope and inspiration. Fortunately for us, Hope was once again On The Way:” (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden writes The Large Pistachio Nuts of Iranian Foreign Policy “The UK Guardian keeps trying to convince us to leave Iran alone. In this op-ed, which gets bogged down pretty quick, the point laboriously arrived at is that international pressure (Great Satan) will rescue Ahmadinejad from his public’s annoyance with his failure to come through domestically:” (READ MORE)

ShrinkWrapped writes Culture and Democracy in the Middle East “A great deal of the criticism of our current approach to the War in Iraq and the greater war on global Islamic fascism, hinges on the uncomfortable fact that no one seems to have any very good strategic ideas for how we might proceed in ways that would be likely to enhance our future security and make the world a safer place. It seems to me that all the current suggestions have extremely problematic flaws and ultimately resolve down to unanswerable questions.” (READ MORE)

Right Wing Nut House writes 9/11: Just A Real Bad Day “I pity David Bell. And, in a way, I envy him. To be so oblivious to the threat posed by organizations like al-Qaeda and the ever burgeoning list of imitators and wannabes involved in international terrorism takes a special sort of myopia, a blissful blindness that lays a blanket of serenity over those who are arrogant enough or delusional enough to indulge in such fantasies.” (READ MORE)

The Belmont Club writes Life in the Left “Nothing so low as a Fallen Angel. When the Guardian reprinted excerpts of Nick Cohen's book about the Left it faced a storm of commentary from its readers. I have an extract, provided courtesy of a reader, which suggests why the Leftist readers would find Cohen's book infuriating. All I can say is that Cohen barely fails to scratch the surface; in terms of absurdity and tragedy, of the Leftist Deep.” (READ MORE)

American Soldier writes If I die in Iraq “I stumbled across this video this morning and it really brought me back. While holding my baby daughter in my arms I clicked on this video. I’ve never really spoken or written of the day I got hurt. The exact details and what happened to me when it actually happened still embedded in my brain. I’m talking about the spiritual event that occurred at the very moment of the explosion.” (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.

Critical Times - The NRSC Pledge

From Hugh Hewitt and NZ Bear.

Today and tomorrow will be decisive days in the Senate debate over the Biden/Warner/McCain resolutions. We believe the Senate GOP should refuse cloture on all resolutions, and thus at least provide victory Republicans with clarity as to who deserves their support in the Senate. Please contact the nine Senators below and urge them to oppose all resolutions, and to refuse to vote for cloture (which requires 60 votes) and to aggressively defend the war and the reinforcements in the debate this week. Nine phone calls, nine faxes and nine e-mails may take an hour or two, but we believe that victory in Iraq deserves that effort and much much more.

The nine key senators and their contact information:
Senator McConnell: Phone: (202) 224-2541 Fax: (202) 224-2499 E-mail here:
Senator Lott: Phone: 202-224-6253 Fax: (202)-224-2262 E-mail here:
Senator Kyl: Phone: (202) 224-4521 Fax: (202) 224-2207 E-mail here:
Senator Ensign: Phone: (202)-224-6244 Fax: 202-228-2193. E-mail here:
Senator McCain: Phone: (202)-224-2235 Fax (202)-228-2862. E-mail here:
Senator Warner: Phone: (202) 224-2023 Fax: (202) 224-6295. E-mail here:
Senator Cornyn: Phone:202-224-2934 Fax: 202-228-2856. E-mail here:
Senator Smith: Phone: 202-224-3752 Fax: 202-228-3997. E-mail here:
Senator Coleman: Phone: 202-224-5641 Fax: 202-224-1152.E-mail here:

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Thank you for getting the message to these senators early on Monday and throughout the day and tomorrow.

Relishing Defeat

By Jacob Laksin
FrontPageMagazine.com

For all the twists and turns of the conflict in Iraq, it’s comforting to reflect that one thing hasn’t changed: The antiwar “movement” -- that motley aggregation of Hollywood glitterati, bullhorn radicals and leftist Democrats -- remains as irresponsible and unserious as ever.

As evidence, consider this weekend’s much-hyped antiwar protest in the nation’s capital. Coming on the heels of last Wednesday’s nonbinding anti-surge resolution, a cynical stunt engineered by the Democrat-dominated Senate Foreign Relations Committee to oppose the 21,500 troop increase in Iraq, the protest was a transparent attempt by a political fringe to capitalize on popular discontent over the war’s conduct.

To wit: The star of the demonstration was none other than Jane Fonda. As she told it, the 69-year-old actress had come out of protest retirement -- this was her first anti-war demonstration in 34 years, Fonda solemnly explained -- in order to break her silence about, well, the need to break her silence. “Silence is no longer an option,” Fonda announced, thus dealing a certain blow to public discourse. Fonda also delivered a historical lecture. Likening Iraq to the war in Vietnam, Fonda condemned what she called America’s “blindness to realities on the ground.”

This is richly ironic. It was Fonda after all who distinguished herself in the Vietnam War by glad-handing communists in Hanoi and making propaganda broadcasts for their cause, only to look on as the real destruction commenced once South Vietnam fell to her former hosts.
Read the Rest...

Food Drop Operations in Western Baghdad Neighborhoods Fostering Goodwill from Residents

MULTI-NATIONAL DIVISION - BAGHDAD
Release Number: 07-01-02PA

By Capt. Warrick Craig
1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment

BAGHDAD - Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers, working together with Iraqi security forces over the past three weeks, have established relationships between the Iraqi troops and residents of western Baghdad.

A large part of the effort by troops from 3rd Brigade 6th Iraqi Army Division and 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, have been food drops to underprivileged residents in western Baghdad. They conducted their second food drop to area Jan. 10. Iraqi and U.S. troops have worked with local leaders to find which local residents were in most need of the supplies.

"We love helping our people," said Iraqi Army Lt. Abass, "They are part of us and when they need help, we will be here to provide it." Local residents have been more willing to cooperate with Iraqi security forces, which has led to the detention of two individuals who were on the Iraqi Army's wanted list since the food drop operations began.

MND-B Soldiers Evacuate Young Girl Following Attack in Al-Doura

MULTI-NATIONAL DIVISION – BAGHDAD
Release Number: 07-01-02PA

BAGHDAD – A five-year old Iraqi girl was wounded during an insurgent attack on coalition forces in the Al-Doura district of the Iraqi capital.

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, part of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, were conducting a security patrol of the area with an Iraqi Army platoon when the platoon was attacked by a rocket-propelled grenade followed by small arms fire. During the attack, the girl received multiple gunshot wounds to her legs and arms.

Soldiers provided emergency medical treatment and evacuated the girl and her neighbor to the International Zone where she received further treatment for her injuries.

Al-Qaida Courier, IED Facilitator, 19 Others Captured

COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
Release Number: 07-01-02PA

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces captured 21 suspected terrorists including a senior al-Qaida in Iraq courier, an improvised explosives devices cell leader and a foreign fighter facilitator during operations Sunday morning around Iraq. In Baghdad, Coalition Forces captured three individuals with ties to senior al-Qaida in Iraq leadership.

During operations in Karmah, Coalition Forces captured 11 suspected terrorists including a high-level al-Qaida courier who is a known associate of multiple senior al-Qaida in Iraq personnel. He is also known for facilitating the movement of multiple senior al-Qaida personnel in the region. Three suspected terrorists were detained in Ramadi, including the leader of an IED producing and emplacement cell.

In Bayji, four suspects were detained with ties to foreign fighter facilitation.
Coalition and Iraqi Forces are working diligently to eliminate al-Qaida in Iraq and foreign terrorists who are trying to hijack the development and building of a new stable and peaceful Iraq.

Coalition Forces Destroy Suspected Insurgent Training Site

MULTI-NATIONAL DIVISION – NORTH
Release Number: 07-01-02PA

TIKRIT, Iraq – Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces Soldiers found and destroyed a suspected insurgent training site with explosives during a security patrol northwest of Samarra, Jan. 27.

Soldiers from Company D, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, and IA soldiers found 20 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, one 82 mm mortar tube with a base plate, four 60 mm mortar tubes with base plates, a car battery and more than 7,000 large caliber machine gun rounds at the site.

An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the discovered weapons and the buildings. The mission was in response to a report of a suspicious area seen by air crew members as they flew missions over the area.

8 Hostages Rescued, 9 Terrorists Detained in Arab Jabour

MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
Release A070127c

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces rescued eight Iraqi citizens who had been tortured while being held hostage in Arab Jabour Wednesday. During the same operation, ground forces also detained nine terrorist suspects while conducting a raid targeting a vehicle-borne improvised explosives devices network.

According to the hostages who were tied up and hidden in an underground bunker, they were tortured, beaten, deprived of food and water and told they were being held for ransom. One of the hostages reported he had been held hostage for 50 days, and another for 47 days. Another hostage indicated the terrorists had captured other Iraqis and tortured them before receiving ransom payments.

Ground forces stated the hostages were very afraid for their safety and looked as if they had been physically abused and severely mistreated.
Read the Rest...

Transition of Authority Ceremony Marks Progress of Iraqi Battalion

Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
RELEASE No. 20070127-04

Multi-National Force – West PAO

AR RAMADI, Iraq – The 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division officially took charge of independent operations in west Ramadi during a ceremony at Camp Ali Jan. 22.

This is the third battalion in the 1st Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division to assume authority over another area in the city during the past five months, signifying the continued progress of the brigade. The 2nd Battalion commanding officer, Col. Khalid, said after the ceremony the transfer of authority was the result of the cooperative effort with the Coalition Forces’ Military Transition Team.

“They are serving our country in a great way and I am very grateful to them,” he said.
Read the Rest...

Fourteen Insurgents killed, Foreign Fighter Safe House Destroyed South of Baqubah

MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ
COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
Release A070127a

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed 14 terrorists, detained two suspected terrorists and destroyed a known foreign fighter safe house Saturday morning during a raid south of Baqubah.

Intelligence reports indicated that a foreign fighter facilitator responsible for conducting multiple attacks on Iraqi and Coalition Forces was operating in the area. As ground forces approached the objective building, several terrorists began to flee the targeted and surrounding buildings. Others were observed maneuvering against the Coalition forces.

Ground forces called for close air support resulting in 14 enemy fighters killed during the air strikes. Additionally, Coalition aircraft delivered precision munitions and destroyed the building to prevent it from further use as a terrorist safe haven.

This is another step closer to defeating the facilitation of foreign fighters in Iraq and helping establish a safe and peaceful Iraq.

Iraqis, Coalition Reestablish Security On Haifa

Story and photo by Spc. Shea Butler
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment


BAGHDAD — The company of Soldiers starts the day before the sun, knowing in the back of their minds that it is going to be a long day full of fire fights with the enemy. As grenades detonate around them and bullets fly by, they target the enemy and engage immediately, proving that “courage is the absence of fear.”

For the second time in the past several weeks, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division teamed up with Iraqi Army troops to take on insurgents on Haifa Street, in Baghdad’s Karkh district Jan. 24.

The Haifa Street operation, dubbed Operation Tomahawk Strike 11, aimed to disrupt insurgents in order to establish security, said Capt. Isaac Torres, commander, Company C, 1-23 Inf.
Read the Rest...

(Photo: Sgt. Kevin McCallum , a native of Aikens, S.C., with Company C,1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, looks for his next accurate shot on insurgents on Hiafa Street Jan.24)

Iraqi Police Learn Law, Tolerance

BAGHDAD — A U.S. military police brigade deployed in Baghdad is teaching Iraqi Police about democratic principles such as tolerance in addition to law enforcement skills, the unit’s commander said Friday.

“Our fundamental role here is to support the Iraqi Security Forces as the Iraqi government moves forward towards securing the populace,” Army Col. Michael S. Galloucis, commander of the 89th Military Police Brigade, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-telecast news conference.

Galloucis said his unit is focused on training local Iraqi police and not the national police, which are instructed by other Coalition forces.
Read the Rest...

(Photo: 2nd Lt. Ryan Swinford, from Company D, 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment from the Florida Army National Guard, talks with Iraqi police officers at one of their stations in Tal Afar, Iraq. Swinford is part of a Police Transition Team, which works daily to train Iraqi police forces to operate autonomously. U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Daniel Bearl, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs.)

Medics Administer Aid to Iraqis

By Spc. Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown
Multi-National Corps - Iraq

AL JAMIAH — Iraqi citizens stood in line holding their numbered tickets, and children trudged barefoot through the cold, ankle-deep mud anticipating a chance to be seen by U.S. and Iraqi doctors.

They were waiting for members of 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, who rode to the nearby town of Al Jamiah to conduct a medical day-clinic Jan. 15.

The clinic was a pre-cursor to the medical facility’s projected grand opening in a few months. “The ultimate goal is to get this to be a fully-functioning clinic,” said Capt. Andrew T. Short, battery commander for the 2-82 FA.
Read the Rest...

(Photo: Pfc. Daren C. Ruby from Sand Springs, Okla., a combat medic with the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment takes an Iraqi man’s blood pressure before he is diagnosed in Al Jamiah, Jan. 15. U.S. Army courtesy photo)

British Troops Seize Ammunition and Weapons in Iraq Raid

British troops in southern Iraq have uncovered a significant arsenal of ammunition, weapons and bomb-making equipment during a series of night time raids on locations to the south-west of Basra.

The raids, carried out by soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, took place in Az Zubayr, a town approximately 15 km south of Basra City, in the early hours of the morning, Saturday 27 January 2007.

At just after midnight local time, a group of unknown males were identified caching mortar rounds in a compound. The men were observed transferring the mortars into two vehicles, one of which was then tracked to a house in the town of Az Zubayr, where it parked up.
Read the Rest...

(Photo: Lieutenant James Fulton, Multiple Commander, from the 1 Yorks Battlegroup guards the property in Az Zubayr. Picture: Lt Jamie Metcalf)

Web Reconnaissance for 01/29/2007

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

In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
Suicide bomber kills 3 at Israeli bakery “A Palestinian suicide bomber attacked a bakery in this southern Israeli resort town on Monday, killing three other people, police said. It was the first suicide bombing in Israel in nine months and the first ever to hit Eilat, Israel's southernmost city.” (READ MORE)

Israeli Cabinet approves Muslim minister “Israel was on the verge of installing the first Muslim Cabinet minister in its 58-year history Monday after the government overwhelmingly approved the appointment.” (READ MORE)

Iraqis: At least 200 insurgents killed “Iraqi officials claimed Monday that at least 200 militants were killed in a fierce battle between U.S.-backed Iraqi troops and a religious cult allegedly plotting to kill pilgrims at a major Shiite Muslim religious festival, while bombings and mortar attacks targeting Shiites elsewhere killed at least 15 people.” (READ MORE)

Iraq war foes mass on Mall “Tens of thousands of anti-war protesters led by several Hollywood celebrities converged on Capitol Hill yesterday and railed against President Bush and his plan to send thousands of additional troops to Iraq.” (READ MORE)

Mixed Reviews For Clinton In Iowa “Lynda Waddington met Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton twice this weekend as the Democratic senator from New York made her initial campaign visit to the state with the nation's first presidential caucuses. Clinton, she said, is nothing like the politician she sees portrayed...” (READ MORE)

Vietnam Shades Warner's Iraq Stand “Virginia Sen. John W. Warner's words betray the guilt he still carries about the Vietnam War and help explain why this pillar of the Republican establishment is leading a bipartisan revolt against the war plans of a president in his own party.” (READ MORE)

Iraqi Soldiers Clash With Insurgents “Iraqi soldiers supported by U.S. helicopters on Sunday clashed with a gathering of insurgents hiding out amid date palm orchards near the southern holy city of Najaf, according to Iraqi officials.” (READ MORE)

Iraqis Raid Insurgents Near Shiite Holy City “Iraqi soldiers, backed by U.S. helicopters, stormed an encampment of hundreds of insurgents hiding among date palm orchards in southern Iraq in an operation Sunday that set off fierce, day-long gun battles during the holiest week for the country's Shiite Muslims.” (READ MORE)

Hillary defends her vote on war “Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday defended her 2002 vote to authorize the war in Iraq, a vote that Democratic activists have said could doom her campaign for the presidency.” (READ MORE)

GOP getaway focuses on return to roots “House Republicans spent most of their 48 hours at last week's retreat here examining why they lost the congressional majority and trying to formulate a winning way forward.” (READ MORE)

News From the Front:
Michael Yon writes Desolate Roads Part 2 of 2 “The wind hasn’t blown hard in Mosul since 2005, but there are still a lot of holes in the lumber that frames its slow but undeniable reconstruction. Only about a single battalion of American soldiers is left here. There has been indisputable progress in building ISF in Mosul.” (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio writes Iraqi Army battles Shia cult, Sunni insurgents in Najaf “Iraqi led operation results in over 300 deaths of enemy fighters. Iraqi security forces, backed by American tanks and air support, attacked what appears to be a mixed group of Sunni insurgents and a Shia end-times cult known as the ‘Soldiers of Heaven.’ The battle occurred in the suburbs and orchards north of Najaf.” (READ MORE)

Michael J. Totten writes Busted “Lebanese bloggers Rampurple and Jeha, who both show up at times in my comments section, busted Hezbollah and Michel Aoun for peddling a blatantly doctored photograph on Hezbollah's An Manar TV channel. Here is a screen shot of Aoun holding up the photo on TV.” (READ MORE)

Michael J. Totten writes They Had Machine Guns Welded in Windows “I went to South Lebanon looking for Lebanese civilians who witnessed the July War between Israel and Hezbollah and who could, perhaps, clarify some controversial claims. Did Israel bomb indiscriminately? Did Hezbollah use human shields? Some civilians did testify that Hezbollah used people in their village as human shields. And I found evidence that Israel at least sometimes struck with precision, if not at all times.” (READ MORE)

Omar writes Sources: Operation Baghdad starts on February 5. “The preparations for Baghdad's security operations and the reactions of politicians, people and militant groups are still taking the most prominent headlines of local news in Iraq. The head of one of the two city councils in Sadr city told AFP that he's ready to cooperate with the Iraqi forces in implementing the security plan.” (READ MORE)

Badger 6 writes Sounds of War “War here in Iraq has generated an entire set of sounds that are unique, whether in origin or presentation. They come from the mundane and the deadly, but they all have their own particular flavor. The most common sound we all share is the drone of the generator. Large or small, every building has its electrical power provided by generators.” (READ MORE)

On the Web:
Dinesh D'Souza writes Giving radical Islam its start “Recently Jimmy Carter was on television, denouncing President Bush’s policies in Iraq. I find this highly ironic, because Jimmy Carter and his liberal advisers helped the Ayatollah Khomeini to come to power in Iran a quarter of a century ago.” (READ MORE)

Paul Greenberg: By The Book: What's Next In Iraq? “Month after month, official Washington downplayed the trickle and then constant stream of bad news out of Iraq, content to advertise hopeful signs like free elections. But even this president finally had to face the bloody facts and draw the obvious conclusion: The coalition of the ever less willing in Iraq was losing the war. And to leave the conduct of this war to the same generals with the same minimal strategy would lead to the same defeat.” (READ MORE)

Donald Lambro: Troop surge debate signals weakness, instability “The battlelines were carved into the Senate floor over a Democratic resolution condemning President Bush's war plans to send more troops to Iraq.” (READ MORE)

Michael Barone: Empty Words From the U.S. Senate “What the resolution tells us is that most members of Congress, echoing what they think is the view of most voters, yearn to return to the holiday from history that we thought we were enjoying between the fall of the Berlin Wall and Sept. 11, 2001.” (READ MORE)

W. Thomas Smith, Jr: False claims undermining U.S. troops “How can anyone honestly say they support the troops when they make false claims that a majority of both military leaders and the rank-and-file no longer support what their organization is doing, particularly when the majority does?” (READ MORE)

Doug Wilson: Three truths for victory “Keith Olbermann is no stranger to cynicism, but he reached a new low this month when he described the hit television show 24 as the type of ‘fear tactic’ ‘beloved’ by the Bush administration, an exercise in ‘naked brainwashing,’ and a ‘program-length commercial for one political party.’” (READ MORE)

Kobayashi Maru writes 444 Days in Reverse “Even as a politically clueless (and leftist) teenager, it was obvious to me at the time--and still more obvious today--that Iran's release of the American hostages 26 years ago this week was in direct response to their fear of what Reagan would do once inaugurated. It was an equally stark illustration of the utter contempt in which the Islamofascists held America while Carter was in charge. Now we are seeing the reverse.” (READ MORE)

Ian writes Video: Missing ‘Path to 9/11′ scenes “On his Sunday show, Sean Hannity aired the following scenes that were removed from ABC’s docu-drama, ‘The Path to 9/11′:” (READ MORE)

Bruce Kesler writes Rules of Engagement for Conscience and Sense “I’ve heard those conservatives or to-now Iraq war supporters express their misgivings about the ‘surge.’ Those misgivings, that lack of confidence, have strong grounds in the too often vacillating and confused course of our engagement. Still, not only is there no alternative that doesn’t promise even worse outcomes, but the misgivings ignore the unavoidable problems of any war.” (READ MORE)

Jay Tea writes John Kerry: some things never change “One of John Kerry's more notable characteristics is his tendency to ‘flip-flop,’ to change his position on an issue when it becomes convenient. It's also rather remarkable how he can rationalize it as not contradictory, but entirely consistent and logical and correct. But in many other ways, Kerry is remarkably unchanging. In those ways, his fundamental character just shines through.” (READ MORE)

GayPatriot writes The Lie of Modern Liberals: Human Rights “Progressive liberals no more care about extending human rights than I do about scrubbing the floor with a toothbrush and soapy water. Self-proclaimed ‘progressive’ liberals have never once praised the efforts of the United States and its allies for liberating 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq from two murderous dictatorships that were poster children in their suppression of human rights.” (READ MORE)

William Teach writes Bush 43: Smartest, Most Eloquent Man On Earth “Yes, I am serious, including the eloquence part. Those on the Left constantly state that Bush is an idiot. A moron. Dumb. And we all know about W's speaking issues. But, is that really the case? Let's see the evidence.” (READ MORE)

Blue Crab Boulevard writes A Severe Case “This op-ed from the Los Angeles Times astounds me. David Bell is a professor of history at Johns Hopkins University and a contributing editor for the New Republic magazine. And he appears to be trying to reframe 9/11 and the aftermath of that day by arguing it wasn't really all that bad and we're over-reacting. Hell, it was only 3,000 or so Americans. No big deal. Nothing to see, move along.” (READ MORE)

Right Wing Nut House writes Karbala Attack: A Very Disturbing Day “When I first read about the attack on our men in Karbala, the details seemed rather incredible. The enemy, speaking English and dressed in American uniforms, attacked a group of soldiers holding a meeting with local leaders on reconstruction issues.” (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden writes Clearing the Earth of the Depraved “Outside Najaf, U.S.-backed Iraqi forces have engaged and killed an estimated 250 insurgents who were preparing attacks on Shiite pilgrims. Their goal? Clearing the way the arrival of the Mahdi. Not the Shiite militia of that name. The guy:” (READ MORE)

Texas Rainmaker writes Another Day, Another Corrupt Democrat “Looks like Nancy Pelosi’s swamp has a clog in the drain. From the party that brought you Alcee ‘Impeached Judge’ Hastings and William ‘Dollars in the Freezer’ Jefferson, now comes Diane Feinstein who’s been turning a nice profit using her position in Congress to appropriate money for her husband.” (READ MORE)

Iraq War Today writes My Two Cents - The Enemy Within: Abetting with Apathy “I, and a lot of other people, have been saying it for a long time. The "Anti-war" crowd, no matter how much they'll tell you they support the troops, inevitably shows themselves to be anti-troop. There are the more subtle methods - inviting speakers to events, a poorly-worded headline. And then there are the not-so-subtle methods - a nasty email, a nasty blog comment, efforts to kick recruiters off of campuses, spitting, and assault.” (READ MORE)

Michelle writes Republicans will not filibuster the Senate resolution “I thought McConnell said that he would. This man is probably getting thousands of calls to filibuster and yet he isn't going to do it which tells me he doesn't have the votes. What a sorry state the party is in. We've always known that the Republican senators have no backbone and now, when we need them the most they wimp out.” (READ MORE)

Dan Riehl writes Beware Hillary “If you had asked me on Friday what I thought of Hillary Clinton's chances to be elected president, I would have probably said slim to none. But I made a decision to watch a large portion of her first effort in Iowa via C-Span. Perhaps I was feeling masochistic. There was the usual ‘government of white men’ liberal platitudes and the questioners for her non-discussion discussion couldn't have been more hand-picked. But she did manage to put the slick back in Clinton in a way I didn't think she could.” (READ MORE)

Cassandra writes NY TimesWatch: The Times Discovers Bullets! “5 a.m. we step outside to retrieve the daily fishwrap but to our utter surprise, it's dark outside. And cold. Very cold. This is just another thing for which we can thank the stupid Chimp. Since he refused to ratify Kyoto, the weather seems prone to ever more alarming and unpredictable fluctuations.” (READ MORE)

John Hawkins writes The Disgraceful Anti-War March In DC This Week-End “The anti-war march this week-end in Washington was as repulsive as one of those ‘God hates f@gs’ funeral protests. American traitor, Jane Fonda, was welcomed there: ‘Those people who would try to undermine her credibility will fail. We welcome her back to the peace community," said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), chairman of the Out of Iraq congressional caucus.’” (READ MORE)

Captain Ed writes The Cure Is Worse Than The Disease “Earlier, I posted about the pressure on bloggers that the early start to the 2008 Presidential nomination has created, and what I believe the solution to that pressure should be. Does the early start and long campaign constitute a serious problem for the United States? The New York Times believes it does, and its editors believe the federal government should fix it for all of us:” (READ MORE)

Conservative Propaganda writes UFPJ March on Washington, Jan 27, 2007 "Normally, Tantor observes anti-war marches with a detached amusement but the Truthers, who are a feature of the wacky Left, disturb the usual imperturbable Tantoric calm with their wacky rants that America attacked itself on Sep 11. Most of all, it sets the genial Tantor, Air Force veteran, off considerably when the Truthers claim the Air Force was part of a conspiracy to attack the United States. It's one thing to be a hammerhead, it's another to be a hammerhead conspiracy nut, and yet another to be a hammerhead conspiracy nut traitor." (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.

The NRSC Pledge

I want to thank everyone that has stepped on board and taken the pledge. The effort to convey the genuine opinion of the rightroots has succeeded with over 18,000 signatures collected thus far, now its time to do a little more.

Please tell the candidates in the ’08 cycle especially – Alexander, Collins, Coleman and Smith and would be presidential nominees McCain and Brownback — that a vote for the Warner resolution is the end of support for them and the NRSC.

Senator Alexander’s phone: (202) 224-4944. His e-mail form is here:
Senator Brownback’s phone: (202) 224-6521. His e-mail form is here:
Senator Coleman’s phone: (202) 224-5641. His e-mail form is here:
Senator Collins’ phone: (202) 224-2523. Her e-mail form is here:
Senator McCain's phone: (202) 224-2235. His campaign e-mail form is here:
Senator Smith’s phone: (202) 224-3753. His e-mail form is here:
Senator Voinovich's phone: (202) 224-3353. His e-mail form is here:

The GOP leadership, which needs to announce that no resolution will be voted on that encourages the enemy, and that includes the Warner resolution or any cousin of the Warner resolution:

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s phone is (202) 224-2541. His e-mail form is here:
Minority Whip Trent Lott’s phone is (202) 224-6253. His e-mail form is here:
Senator Jon Kyl’s phone is (202) 224-4521. His e-mail form is here:
Senator John Ensign’s phone is (202) 224-6244. His e-mail form is here:

Please help us stop the GOP leadership from following this misguided course, and abandoning our troops.