The Thunder Run

Proving that the Surge has provided a stable background and returnned many areas of Iraq into safe havens from terrorist attacks religious leaders from both Sunni and Shia sects met recently to discuss the progress of peace and security.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the top-ranking Shia cleric in Iraq, hosted the meeting, calling for an end to the sectarian violence that has plagued the country. Leading Sunni religious figures also attended, including Sheikh Khalid al-Mullah of the Sunni Muslim Scholars Association.

The an-Najaf talks come at a time when other factors, including the troop surge, the change in military tactics, the increasing effectiveness of the Iraqi security forces and the formation of Concerned Local Citizens groups, are having a positive impact on the security situation, military officials said.

Violence in Iraq is at its lowest level since January 2006.

Attack levels are continuing a downward trend that began in June of this year, with the number of weekly attacks reaching its lowest level since early February 2006 -- before the Samarra mosque bombing that month. Iraqi civilian deaths have also declined in recent months, and despite some sensational attacks on civlian targets, have been on a general downward trend since December 2006.

Even Mr. Murtha the mouth peace of doom and gloom has had to admit that progress is occuring and the surge is working. While leaders on teh ground admit that, "There is still a lot of work to be done..." the efforts towards peace by Sistani, Mullah and other religious leaders, demonstrate their concern for the safety of all Iraqis.

This is progress that can not be ignored.

Rural Community All Smiles About New Healthcare Center

By Norris Jones
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

BAGHDAD — If you build it, they will come. And when a new primary healthcare center (PHC) recently opened between Baghdad and Fallujah, come they did in record numbers. Dr. Mohammad Gassan said at the old clinic they were seeing 75 to 150 patients daily. Today they are treating 250 to 450 patients daily.

“Some mothers are walking miles to bring their sick infants here,” he said. Through word of mouth, residents have heard that a new facility has opened with new equipment and they want the very best for their families, so they are willing to come from long distances to get here, he continued. “With the weather getting cooler, the most common ailment we’re seeing is upper respiratory infections including colds and flu.”

The clinic is open six days a week, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Physician’s assistant Sa’ad Naji Fayadz, who is in charge of the clinic’s respiratory department, points out that the project was delayed for more than two years and people kept asking, “When will it be finished?”

The delays continued and the situation did not improve “until we got rid of the insurgents.” He said the community was very grateful when construction restarted and the new facility finally opened earlier this month. “It’s very beautiful. Everything is as it should be and we’ve never seen a place like this in our lives,” he added.

Navy Cmdr. Steve Frost with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers knows from personal experience the turnaround in that community. “In April, as we were exiting the unfinished facility, we had a 40-minute gunfight there during which one of our vehicles was destroyed by an RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade). Today, you have mothers coming up, inviting you to hold their babies, a big step for Iraqis. It is truly rewarding to see the smiles on their faces and this has been well worth the effort.” Frost is overseeing the construction of 30 new PHCs in Baghdad Province and 11 PHCs in Al Anbar Province.

Read the Rest...

Coalition forces with help from local Iraqis detained 18 suspects, and found numerous weapons caches Monday through Thursday during operations north of Bayji:

BAGHDAD, Iraq – During a multi-day operation, Coalition forces targeted al-Qaeda in Iraq networks operating north of Bayji. Reports indicate al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders routinely traveled through the targeted area, and used it as a logistical sanctuary and safe haven to plan and coordinate attacks.

With the help of two local Iraqis the ground force located and detained 18 suspected
terrorists and discovered two weapons caches, which were safely destroyed on site.

During the same operation Thursday, Coalition forces returned to the community and offered their condolences to local leaders and the families of three civilians killed Monday when their vehicle sped through a road block, ignoring Coalition forces’ warnings (SEE MNF-I RELEASE A071127a “Coalition forces target al-Qaeda senior leaders, two terrorists killed,” dated Nov. 27, 2007).

“Coalition forces continue to work with local Iraqis to gather information and help rid Iraq of terrorists who threaten the Iraqi people,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. "With the help of the Awakening and Concerned Local Citizens, we can continue to dismantle the terrorist networks.”

Good work men, your efforts have mde it possible for thousands of Iraqi refugees to return to their homes.

IA Soldiers captured two insurgents and recovered 900 million conterfeit Iraqi Dinars:

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – Iraqi Army troops captured two insurgents and recovered counterfeit Iraqi dinars during an operation in eastern Baghdad, Nov. 27.

More than 900 million counterfeit Iraqi dinars was uncovered in the operation, along with a printing press and four computers. The press and computers were also seized.

The suspects are being held for questioning.

Good work men, keep it up. Taking this funny money off the streets, no doubt intended to fund insurgent activities, will definately put a crimp in the terrorrists ability to operate.

Iraqi and Coalition forces discovered a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, or VBIED, near the office compound of Council of Representatives member Adnan al-Dulaimi yesterday while pursuing suspected criminals wanted for the murder of a Concerned Citizen:

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi and Coalition forces discovered a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, or VBIED, near the office compound of Council of Representatives member Adnan al-Dulaimi yesterday while pursuing suspected criminals.

More than 40 suspected criminals have been detained as a result of this operation.

Iraqi and Coalition forces responded to a report of the murder of a Concerned Local Citizen member approximately one block from al-Dulaimi's office compound. Witnesses observed the murder.

Coalition forces found a car matching the description of one that left the murder scene parked in the street and two men apparently taking refuge in al-Dulaimi's office compound. Coalition and Iraqi forces questioned al-Dulaimi's security guards and detained eight of them.

Independent of the murder investigation, a separate vehicle was found on the street outside of al-Dulaimi's office compound, and it appeared to be wired as a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, or SVBIED. One of the eight detained security guards had in his possession the keys to the SVBIED.

An additional five suspects were detained at a checkpoint near the office compound.

During the transfer of detainees, one suspect escaped. Iraqi Security Forces fired at the fleeing man, wounding two civilians, who were transported to a local hospital.

Coalition forces destroyed the VBIED with a controlled detonation, but a secondary explosion wounded five Coalition force soldiers and one Iraqi civilian, who was evacuated to a medical treatment facility. The Coalition force soldiers sustained only minor injuries and were returned to duty.

Iraqi security forces went to the residence of al-Dulaimi, approximately a half kilometer from his office compound, where they found him at home, detained 30-40 additional security and staff, and asked al-Dulaimi to remain in his residence for his own personal safety. Iraqi Security Forces posted guards outside his home and placed a curfew in the area.

The incidents are currently under investigation.

As many are want to say: developing....

Troopers form the 2nd Inf Div acting on a tip form area residents captured a cache in Eastern baghdad. This is the fourth recovered weapons cache this week:

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – Soldiers with the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, recovered a weapons cache for the fourth time in a week in eastern Baghdad, Nov. 28.

Acting on a tip from an area resident, Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment found five 120mm mortar rounds, 34 82mm mortar rounds, eight 60mm mortar rounds, six rocket-propelled grenade rounds, one 60mm mortar base plate, 150 rounds of small arms ammunition and four improvised explosive device triggers.

The discovery comes as U.S. and Iraqi forces continue to sweep out insurgent strongholds in eastern Baghdad. There has been a substantial reduction in violence in eastern Baghdad, and the recovered cache builds on that momentum.

Weapons and explosives off the streets mean that more and more residents can continue to live in peace, adn have their lives returned to normal.

Units of the 1st Battalion, 28th Inf Regiment "Black Lions" captured two extremist leaders during operations in West Rashid yesterday:

BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad forces arrested two alleged criminal extremist leaders and another suspect during a cordon and search operation in West Rashid, Nov. 28.

“Black Lions” from Company D, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, captured the suspects during an early morning operation.

One of the alleged extremist leaders suspected of ordering attacks on Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces, assassinations and kidnappings, was detained after he tried to drive through a checkpoint.

Another alleged extremist leader, believed to have ordered mortar and rocket attacks on Coalition bases, rocket-propelled grenade attacks and placing improvised explosive devices, was also arrested during the raid. The two alleged insurgents, along with a third suspect, are being held for further questioning.

Leadership positions in the insurgency are one of the hardest positions to fill, simply because we capture so many of them. Good work boys!

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)
Iraqis' Quality of Life Marked By Slow Gains, Many Setbacks - BAGHDAD, Nov. 29 -- This war-battered city, according to U.S. statistics, now receives an average of 11.9 hours of electricity a day, far more than earlier this year. But don't tell that to Ghaida al-Banna. (READ MORE)

FBI's Gun Ban Listing Swells - Since the Virginia Tech shootings last spring, the FBI has more than doubled the number of people nationwide who are prohibited from buying guns because of mental health problems, the Justice Department said yesterday. (READ MORE)

Processing of Iraqi Refugees Improves, Officials Say - Bush administration officials said yesterday that they are stepping up the processing of Iraqis who wish to come to the United States, but officials cautioned that the complexities of the two immigration programs involved will limit the number of entrants in the next few months. (READ MORE)

Globally, Deaths From Measles Drop Sharply - Worldwide deaths from measles have fallen by two-thirds since 2000, the result of stepped-up immunization efforts and the distribution of vitamin A capsules in developing countries, a partnership of five health organizations said yesterday. (READ MORE)

The Trial Bar on Trial - The barons of the tort bar must have thought 2007 would be a very good year: Some of their biggest cases (Katrina, Enron) were set to pay out, and a Democratic Congress meant no more worries about legal reform. Talk about reversal of fortune: As the year ends, we are witnessing nothing short of the dismantling of what are alleged to be major tort criminal enterprises. (READ MORE)

CNN Hit for Planted Questions - CNN intended for political sparks to fly during Wednesday"s Republican presidential debate, but outrage and accusations of partisanship were directed at the network instead. (READ MORE)

Intelligence report hits China deal - U.S. intelligence agencies informed a Treasury Department-led review committee recently that a merger between 3Com and a Chinese company would threaten U.S. national security, The Washington Times has learned. (READ MORE)

Immigration group: Huckabee a 'disaster'- Groups that support a crackdown on illegal aliens haven't settled on their champion in the race for the White House, but there's little doubt which Republican scares them most — former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. (READ MORE)

Sudanese call for teacher's death - Thousands of Sudanese, many armed with clubs and knives, rallied today in a central square and demanded the execution of a British teacher convicted of insulting Islam for allowing her students to name a teddy bear "Muhammad." (READ MORE)



From the Front:
From an Anthropological Perspective: Persecution of a Family - During the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, many families were persecuted. One such family, the Aswads, lost their father and five of eight sons on allegations of being members of the Al Daawa Party (the political party of current Prime Minister Al Maliki). The Association of Free Prisoners kept files on this and other families to track such persecution given is pervasive nature. Saddam made membership in Al Daawa illegal and punishable by death. In some ways, allegations Saddam made membership in Al Daawa illegal and punishable by death. In some ways, allegations and resulting executions resemble the witch hunts that marked colonial American history. A jealous neighbor, business partner, co-worker, or relative could wreak havoc on a family or individual by informing intelligence agents in the Baath Party that their enemy was in Al Daawa. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: Still Unsure About the Surge Strategy - While politicians such as Joe Biden and John Murtha struggle to figure out whether the surge strategy is working, life goes on in Iraq. Biden just called the surge "a fantasy," and Murtha just admitted that it's working. So now we are faced with a situation. What's the next step? Report news? Of course not! It is time to say improvements are too slow, and they exploit the Iraqi people. WaPo reporters know what to do: "As violence continues to dip across Iraq, U.S. officials say they will increasingly shift their barometers of success from security to basic services -- electricity, gasoline, water and sanitation -- that reflect whether life for Iraqis is returning to normal." (READ MORE)

Northern Disclosure: Somedays I should Pay the Army for what they do for me! - One thing that my Father has always impressed upon me was the value of an honest days pay for an honest days work. When I was younger I didn't receive an allowance I recieved a wage for the work or chores I did around the house. This was based of a basic contract outlining the daily task and its value. I did, even as a young boy try to bid higher and fight for better wages but my Father was firm he didn't run a Unionized shop. As many can relate being in the military or striking out from home one is faced with a bounty of friends and places that he/she would love to visit and return too. This however takes available time and more importantly the funding to make it all possible. Since being in the Army I have worked with the highest caliber of men and women in exotic to not so nice places. (READ MORE)

This War and Me: Dont Come Home Soon: Explained - I feel I need to explain my frustrations I expressed in my previous entry. I mentioned many months ago that the emotions I go through here are from one extreme to the other. There are times when I am very proud and excited to be here and other times where I am deeply depressed. I don't use the word 'depressed' lightly. I don't mean I get sad or feel down. I mean I reach a point where I sometimes pray that a rocket or gunman's aim will not stray. I don't want to hurt myself, but at times, I would feel relieved to 'come home soon'. There are times when I need to feel that every day is just one more day of being closer to going home and being with my family. There are times when I don't care what 'significant day' it is back home. Sometimes I don't care it is my birthday, anniversary, Valentine's, St. Patties Day or even Christmas. (READ MORE)

Sgt Hook: TIME - Time flys. Marking time. Time out. So little time. Time to go. Where has the time gone? Time’s up. Miller time. We focus a lot on time. We spend our days looking at our watches, checking calendars, marking the passage of time. Some count down a 15-month deployment to Iraq, others time how long it takes to run 2-miles. We track the amount of time it takes for a letter to make it from Afghanistan to Idaho or how much time is spent in a hot landing zone picking up wounded warriors. Some of those same wounded warriors will spend a lot of time getting fixed up by the amazing docs and medical staff at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Some wounds take a long time to heal. Many will live at WRAMC for a longer period of time than they had deployed. All will mark the time until they can go home or rejoin their brothers and sisters in arms. Imagine if someone would give each of our wounded warriors a very special calendar with which to mark that time. Imagine no more… (READ MORE)

Yellowhammering Afghanistan: A modesty proposal - Afghan girls can be hard to photograph. I caught her as she uncovered her face.Whether they are shy or the culture encourages them to hide from men, once my camera points to most of these girls, they hide their faces or run away. While such modesty is frustrating as a photographer, as the father of two girls I sort of like it. I was recently around a group of children in downtown Ghazni, handing out some candy and asking them their names. As is usually the case, girls giggled among themselves and looked at me, but when I turned to look at them or pulled out my camera for a photo, they turned their heads away or covered their faces. (READ MORE)



On the Web:
Kimberly A. Strassel: Fred's Folly - On Fox News this Sunday, Fred Thompson laid out the most creative tax proposal yet in the race for president. It should have been an important moment, the point at which GOP aspirants finally dug into a core issue and went a few rounds over marginal rates and corporate levies. Instead, nothing. The Thompson plan inspired little fanfare, less press and didn't even merit time during this week's GOP debate. The black hole says everything about the mess that is the Thompson campaign, and just as much about today's intellectually bereft Republican primary campaign. (READ MORE)

Peggy Noonan: Death, Taxes and Mrs. Clinton - I will never forget that breathtaking moment when, in the CNN/YouTube debate earlier this fall, the woman from Ohio held up a picture and said, "Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Obama, Mr. Edwards, this is a human fetus. Given a few more months, it will be a baby you could hold in your arms. You all say you're 'for the children.' I would ask you to look America in the eye and tell us how you can support laws to end this life. Thank you." They were momentarily nonplussed, then awkwardly struggled to answer, to regain lost high ground. One of them, John Edwards I think, finally criticizing the woman for being "manipulative," using "hot images" and indulging in "the politics of personal destruction." (READ MORE)

John Hawkins: Rudy Giuliani Would Be Our Bill Clinton - Perhaps the biggest oddity of the Republican primary season so far has been that GOP voters keep saying that they want another Reagan, the candidates keep comparing themselves to Reagan at every opportunity, and yet the man who is leading in the national polls, Rudy Giuliani, is about as far apart from Reagan as it's possible to get ideologically while still remaining in the Republican Party. Rudy Giuliani is no Reagan. What he is, and what he would be if he gets the nomination, is our Bill Clinton. (READ MORE)

Paul Greenberg: Whose Right to Bear Arms? - There long has been a legal, almost philosophical, question hanging over the Second Amendment. While it protects the right to keep and bear arms, is that an individual right or may it be exercised only in connection with the state's need to maintain a militia? The exact wording of this much-disputed amendment has been the subject of many an historical and even grammatical debate. To quote the sacred text itself: "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." (READ MORE)

Lorie Byrd: Denying Progress in Iraq in 2008 - If you thought Bill Clinton’s recent convoluted claim that he was against the war in Iraq from the beginning was hard to swallow, just imagine some of the verbal gymnastics we are likely to witness over the next year if progress continues in Iraq. The Democrats running for President are now trying to appeal to their anti-war left base primary voters, and most congressional Democrats are still using the same old “Iraq is a hopeless failure” lines, but if the mission in Iraq is seen as anything close to a success next year the time between the primary and the general election will be spent by many Democrat candidates trying to find a way to get on the right side of the issue. (READ MORE)

Mike S. Adams: Kent State Fires Chair and Terrorist Sympathizer - My old buddy John Jameson just got fired from his job as Chair of the History Department at Kent State University. This action was a result of his decision to grant – without proper authority - a paid leave to terrorist supporting professor Julio Pino. Generally, it isn’t a good idea to let Muslim professors who advocate the mass killing of Jews and American troops go to the United Arab Emirates on paid leave. This is especially true when you don’t seek required approval from the higher administration. (READ MORE)

Paul Weyrich: The Need To Control Air Passengers Who Are Threatening To Other - Perhaps you have heard of the "Flying Imams" lawsuit, brought on by an incident on U.S. Airways in November 2006. The lawsuit against U.S. Airways and the United States Government was filed by six Muslim clerics who claim discrimination because they were removed from their flight before take-off on account of "suspicious behavior" noted by both the flight crew and fellow passengers. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an unindicted co-conspirator in a separate trial recently brought by the United States Attorney General against terror front organizations, announced the imams' lawsuit earlier this year. The lawsuit originally included fellow passengers as defendants as well as U.S. Airways and the U.S. Government, although these passengers were removed after a public outcry. (READ MORE)

Oliver North: Peace Process? - As my FOX News team left the United States for our ninth embedment with U.S. combat troops in Iraq, the headlines were all about the resurrected "Mideast peace process." European papers touted the conference in Annapolis, Md., as a "long overdue breakthrough" because Syria attended. Buried deep in all these stories is the observation that Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas all have condemned the conference and its goals. It's doubtful that radical Islamists such as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran, Hezbollah's Sheik Hassan Nasrallah or Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh ever will accept Israel's existence or Western-style secular, consensual government in the Middle East. (READ MORE)

Jonah Goldberg: Cell Mates are in Full Backpedal - By now you've probably heard that scientists have discovered an elegant way to create the equivalent of embryonic stem cells (ECS) without having to create - and destroy - embryos. They just reprogram some skin cells and, voila, bypass all the controversial stuff. The long-promised miracle cures are still a long way off, if they're coming at all, and ECS research still has its boosters, but it seems pretty clear that stem cells have been decoupled from the abortion wars. Still, there has been one amazing breakthrough. Thanks to stem cells, journalists are finally growing backbones. (READ MORE)

Richard H. Collins: Hillary’s Albatross - Hillary Clinton owes a great deal of her popularity – her shrinking standing in recent polls notwithstanding – to an odd sort of nostalgia surrounding her husband. Rank and file Democrats generally hold him in high esteem and friends and critics alike admire his formidable political skills. Her eight years in the White House give her an aura of, if not actual, experience. But his recent statement that he was against the war in Iraq “from the beginning” points to the risks involved. Thanks to these almost offhand remarks, Bill once again made the news cycle about him and the potential negative impact on his wife. He also raised the difficult and unhelpful issue of the slippery nature of both Clinton’s positions on the war in Iraq. (READ MORE)

Rich Tucker: Bridge to Nowhere - When she won an Oscar a few years back, actress Sally Field memorably blurted, “You like me!” to her fellow Hollywood stars. It’s become commonplace for Americans traveling abroad to assume the opposite. As we skittishly pull out our passport, we nervously assume the natives won’t like us. But why not? In the Nov. 25 Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, columnist David Rossie explains that “the United States, thanks to the Cheney/Bush administration, is about as popular world-wide as the Ebola virus.” He goes on to detail the “draconian penalties” handed down to some American bridge players (that’s the card game, not the congressional earmark game in which representatives attempt to direct billions of dollars to unnecessary hometown projects) who held up a sign reading “We Did Not Vote For Bush” after they won at an international competition. (READ MORE)

John McCaslin: Tribal Warfare - Terry McAuliffe left Washington yesterday, bound for Iowa — again. "I'm always in Iowa, I'm living in Iowa," the chairman of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign tells Inside the Beltway. "And I'll be in Iowa from here on out: 35 more days." Until the Jan. 3 Iowa Caucus, that is, the first major contest of the 2008 presidential election. Mr. McAuliffe remains "upbeat" about Mrs. Clinton's chances for what would be her first primary victory over her closest Democratic rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, whose candidacy is suddenly further illuminated by the star power of Oprah Winfrey. Whatever support in Iowa Mrs. Clinton can't muster for herself, the New York senator will rely on her husband, former President Clinton, to counter Miss Winfrey's cheerleading. (READ MORE)

Herb London: The Bad News Is The Good News Is Ignored - More than a decade ago Ben Wattenberg wrote a book with the marvelous title, The Good News Is The Bad News Is Wrong. If that book were republished today I would change the title to The Bad News Is The Good News Is Ignored. It isn’t surprising that in the world of media reportage only bad news counts. The problem with this condition is that it feeds a generally one dimensional view of politics, a misperception of the world that promotes weltschmerz and despair. Most of the reports about Iraq, for example, emphasize sectarian violence, failed policy and tactical errors. Overlooked, with rare exceptions, is that the “surge” and an emphasis on counterinsurgency have had a profound effect on the war effort. Civilian deaths have fallen 77 percent year over year, while military fatalities have declined by 64 percent. (READ MORE)

The Sandmonkey: The Teddy Bear Lady charged in Sudan - For inciting religious hatred. See, I told you , you can't name a cuddly toy after our Prophet without us getting mad at you. But what's really amusing is the school's response: “Several Sudanese newspapers ran a statement Tuesday reportedly from the school, saying the administration ‘offers an official apology to the students and their families and all Muslims for what came from an individual initiative.’ It said Gibbons had been ‘removed from her work at the school.’”While despicable, I believe the school's action is understandable: They don't want to get killed, especially not over a freaking Teddy Bear, and in Sudan, especially in this case, that's actually a possibility. Would you wanna lose your life because of a Teddy Bear political crisis? (READ MORE)

Meryl Yourish: Hamas calls for the end of Jews in “Palestine” - Yesterday, Hamas made quite clear exactly what they think of the nation of Israel: “Hamas on Thursday called on the UN to rescind the 1947 decision to partition Palestine into two states, one for Jews and one for Arabs. The group said in a statement, released on the 60th anniversary of the UN vote, that ‘Palestine is Arab Islamic land, from the river to the sea, including Jerusalem… there is no room in it for the Jews.’ Regarding the partition decision, Hamas said that ‘correcting mistakes is nothing to be ashamed of, but prolonging it is exploitation.’” This is the same organization that Jimmy Carter has been urging Israel to deal with for years. Because he’s really, really sure that Hamas wants peace with Israel. (READ MORE)

Cassy Fiano: More Iraq news that you won't see in the MSM - At least not prominently. No, it'll probably run somewhere around page A-16 or so in a little teeny, tiny column, where no one will see it unless they're really looking for it. In the QUAGMIRE! that is Iraq according to Dems, deaths have been dropping. Citizens have been returning. Progress is being made, and victory is inevitable, if Democratic leaders will only let us achieve it. A sign of our coming win in Iraq: "In the Iraq war, November has been one of the more deadly months for U.S. troops. However, this November has been the quietest since the U.S.-led coalition ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003." (READ MORE)

Nick Grace: Bin Laden: Message to the European Peoples - Osama bin Laden’s awaited speech, titled “Message to the European Peoples,” was released on the Internet this evening. It was first delivered to al Jazeera approximately 9 hours before its public distribution on the Internet and was also the second new as-Sahab product disseminated on November 29. This is bin Laden’s sixth appearance in 2007 and since September alone. “Message to the European Peoples” is the 90th video product produced by as-Sahab, al-Qaeda’s central media wing, this year and actually comprises of three videos and a stand-alone audio file. The three videos are individually subtitled in German, English and Pashtu. The videos were posted by “Ekhlaas Correspondent” on behalf of al-Fajr Media, which regularly posts communiques and messaging products on behalf of frontline al-Qaeda nodes. (READ MORE)

Stop the ACLU: Santa Cruz Sheriff Says Illegals Aren’t ‘Criminals’? - The AP has used the somewhat heartwarming tale of an illegal alien who found an American boy and his mother suffering from a car accident in the Arizona desert and stayed with them until help arrived as an excuse to plead that illegals aren’t “criminals” and should somehow be given a break. The AP tried to pin this wild leap in logic on Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada, but they offer no quote marks around the sentence, so it is hard to say if the Sheriff really said that or the AP was extrapolating and putting words in the Sheriff’s mouth. Still, that this one illegal did something morally right even while he was breaking our laws, does not erase all the illegalities and law breaking that every other illegal immigrant has done over the last 30 years. (READ MORE)

Sister Toldjah: CNN’s Plantgate continues - I tell ya, the more news that comes out about the liberally biased questioners at CNN’s Republican YouTube debate, the worse they look. Malkin’s latest column addresses the number of questioners who have actually been found out to be Democrats, ‘unaffiliated’ supporters of Democrat policies, or at the very least people who have declared support for Democrat contenders. Brian at Liberty Pundit makes a great point about the seriously foolish John Edwards’ attempt at a “gotcha” moment with his comment on Olby’s show last night about Republicans supposedly being “too afraid” to accept questions from Democrats: "And you know what the kicker is? That the Breck Girl (John Edwards) had the nerve to go on Keith Olberdork’s show last night and say that Republicans were afraid to be asked questions from Democrats. Correct me if I’m wrong, but they answered them, didn’t they? Unlike Silky and his comrades, who refuse to go on Fox, lest they be asked a serious question by a moderator. Hyprocrite, thy name is Edwards. Sit down, buy some conditioner, and shut up, pretty boy." (READ MORE)

ROFASix: AAR on Republican Debate - Part I - Thirty-three questions were posed last night to GOP hopefuls running for President. This 'debate' was a joint effort by CNN and Youtube which means you can go back and watch it again at your leisure. It is well worth it. Here is my take on Question #2 onward. I am skipping #1 which was hardly a question. It was a guitar solo diddy about the politicians. It was cute and also valueless except for those who were looking solely for entertainment instead of a Presidential nominee. If you watched it live you no doubt soon were overcome with the sheer volume of it all. This approach lets you look at each question and evaluate the responses and the responders. Sometimes they answered the questions. But more often they used it as a 'bridge' to what they really wanted to say. It drives the question, are these candidates unable to answer a straight question, or do they simply have no idea how to answer them? (READ MORE)

Rhymes with Right: Even Murtha Admits it - John Murtha is forced by reality to concede he was wrong about the surge. Now if he will only admit he tried to railroad the Haditha marines for political purposes. “U.S. Rep. John Murtha today said he saw signs of military progress during a brief trip to Iraq last week, but he warned that Iraqis need to play a larger role in providing their own security and the Bush administration still must develop an exit strategy. ‘I think the “surge” is working,’ the Democrat said in a videoconference from his Johnstown office, describing the president's decision to commit more than 20,000 additional combat troops this year. But the Iraqis ‘have got to take care of themselves.’” (READ MORE)

McQ: Dems on Iraq: Now What? - Congressional Democrats risk looking like obstructionists on Iraq now that one of the staunchest anti-war critics in the House has declared "the surge is working". Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), one of the leading anti-war voices in the House Democratic Caucus, is back from a trip to Iraq and he now says the "surge is working." “This could be a huge problem for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democratic leaders, who are blocking approval of the full $200 billion being sought by President Bush for combat operations in Iraq in 2008. Murtha’s latest comments are also a stark reversal from what he said earlier in the year. The Pennsylvania Democrat, who chairs the powerful Defense subcommittee on the House Appropriations Committee, has previously stated that the surge "is not working" and the United States faced a military disaster in Iraq.” (READ MORE)

The Monkey Tennis Centre: Will Hollywood learn from its Iraq flops? - I've been meaning to post for a while on the disastrous performance of the various anti-Iraq war/War on Terror movies that have been released over the past few weeks. I'd not long started blogging when the buzz began about Lions for Lambs, Rendition, Redacted, In The Valley of Elah and the rest, and I posted on the subject here and here. At the time the Surge was just starting to show signs of success, and I wrote: ‘Hopefully continued progress in Iraq and Afghanistan will diminish the public's appetite for fictionalised bad news stories. […] and if movie-goers shun the anti-war polemics, then Hollywood will be hit where it hurts – at the box office – and might just get the message.’ Continued progress was far from guaranteed at that point. (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio: Taking the fight to al Qaeda in the North - As al Qaeda in Iraq attempts to re-establish its networks in the Northern provinces, the Iraqi military and Multinational Forces Iraq have been shaping the battlefield in the north for a showdown with the terror group. Iraqi and US forces received a big boost the past week when a significant number of Iraqis formed a Concerned Local Citizens group in the region. Meanwhile, the Islamic Army of Iraq in Mosul has vowed to dig in and fight the Coalition. Iraqi and US forces have been focusing on the northern region – (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden: I Have Not Yet Begun to Give Up! - Don’t Give Up the Surrender! Damn the Factedoes, Full Surrender Ahead! Inspiring words from American history, updated for current circumstances. But the last word on surrenderism, of course, came from McAuliffe, Bastogne, Christmas 1944. His enigmatic, Kraut-confusing response is marvelous in how it can used equally well to express defiance as to describe surrenderism … “Nuts!” Which brings us to Murtha, a diehard surrenderist now beginning to recognize his position is untenable, putting out capitulation feelers. (READ MORE)

Patrick Lasswell: Reconsidering the Oregon Guard Deployment - Open Letter to KINK-FM in Response to Their Latest KINK Considers Broadcast: Jacob, When I was in Kirkuk earlier this year, the locals pointed out the American patrol passing by as something they appreciated because it was helping them beat the terrorists. The police chief I had lunch with was looking forward to getting new Iraqi Police units in that were going to break the insurgency in Kirkuk. Everything in Iraq is complicated, so I find it disturbing that your comments regarding the war there is so incredibly simple. You may have heard the old saying that for every complex problem there is a simple solution, and that solution is invariably wrong. So it is with your tantrum regarding the Oregon National Guard's upcoming deployment to Iraq. (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.

SpouseBuzz Live 3 is headed to Fort Bragg this December 1st.

Mission: to connect with other military spouses, normalize the "life" of military spouses in day where many of us are feeling the pressure of so many deployments, and separations. To join all service branches, and male and female spouses to connect, share stories, resources, and information so we can advocate for one another as a United effort.

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The best thing about the internet, no more isolation, and support for those that need it.

Major Michael Tomberlin is not only a Soldier, he is also a journalist. Earlier this year he hung up his journalist hat and put on his Kevlar helmet for a tour of duty in Afghanistan as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom. He blogs at Yellowhammering Afghanistan and his posts provide great insight into the everyday occurrences of our troopers deployed in support of the GWOT.

Recently The Thunder Run was able to catch-up with Major Tomberlin to bring you this interview in the continuing series of Boots On The Ground Interviews.

Major Tomberlin. thank you for taking the time to speak with us, can you start by providing us with a brief bio?

I'm from Alabama, originally from Covington County but now I live in McCalla, a suburb of Birmingham. I joined the Alabama Army National Guard when I was 17, starting out enlisted as a forward observer. I got my commission through ROTC at The University of Alabama and went to OBC at Fort Sill, Okla. I was in the same battalion -- 1st of the 117th FA -- for more than 20 years. The only time I've left the battalion was for this deployment to Afghanistan. In my civilian job, I'm a journalist with The Birmingham News, the state's largest newspaper. I am married to Alison and we have two daughters -- Flannery and Michaela.

And can you give us an overview of your mission in the Afghanistan Theater of Operations?

I am part of a Provincial Mentoring Team working with the Afghan National Police. We are taking the Embedded Training Team model that worked so well with U.S. and Coalition troops training and mentoring the Afghan National Army over the last five years and applying that to the police. Having a reliable police force trusted by the citizens of this country is going to be critical to defeating the Taliban-lead insurgency. Beyond that, the police is critical to a democracy and in giving a society the foundation it needs to grow and prosper. The ANP does not have the best of reputations among the population here, but hopefully with some help that will change. I believe it will and I'm convinced it will not take five or six years as it did with the army.

Why is your blog called Yellowhammering Afghanistan, what is the significance?

The yellowhammer is Alabama's state bird. When it came time to name the blog, I wanted something that connected me to my home state but also said something about what I'm doing here. I like the hammer as a symbol because it is a tool for rebuilding and a weapon for fighting, both of which apply to what we're doing here. To top it off, the Vulcan statue in Birmingham uses a hammer which the artist who created my logo incorporated in the design. I ended up at Camp Vulcan in Ghazni, ironically enough.

You asked the question in your first blog post “What the heck am I doing in Afghanistan?” and answered it with: “Trying to make a difference.” You are now at the half-way point of your tour; can you give us an update on your progress?

There are goals we set for ourselves as trainers and mentors and I think we have met most of those at this point. That's one measure. I've also seen the leadership among the ANP do many of the things necessary to ensure they have long-term success even if it causes them some short-term pain. I plan on taking a hard look at what we have or have not accomplished closer to the end of my tour. Right now, I'm so into the task at hand that I think I'm too close to see how much of a difference we might have made. I like to think "Yellowhammering Afghanistan" has made a difference simply by raising awareness of what is taking place here to the people back home. I know the humanitarian assistance visits we have made have certainly made a difference in the lives of the Afghans who got the help. Still, I feel like there is much more we can get done in the time we have left.

Do you have an event that sticks with you as a watershed moment of your time in Afghanistan so far?

Members of our team have been involved in four IED strikes and we disrupted a fifth attempt to hit a convoy I was on. We came here primarily as mentors and trainers and we have found ourselves in the middle of the fighting, particularly when our enemy uses a coward's weapon like the IED. We've also participated in combat operations with the ANP, the ANA and the 82nd Airborne and had some nice successes. But when this deployment ends, I have a feeling I'm going to look at the huge outpouring of support we witness here almost daily. People send items to me and the other soldiers, but they also send food, clothing, toys, candy and all sorts of great things for the people of Afghanistan. One of the greatest things I think we have accomplished thus far has been building the image of the police among multitudes of people each time we let them take the lead in distributing the HA. You see a visible change in the way people look at their police and the way the police look at the people. It fits so perfectly with what we are here to do and at the same time in involves the people back home in our mission.

Afghanistan has been pretty much the forgotten theatre, do you feel that the successes your troops are accomplishing are getting out or are there a lot of great stories being ignored that need to be told?

Being a member of the media, I understand the primary story here is the successes and failures of the counterinsurgency as the young government tries to grow. For some time, there was no real story here because militarily the Taliban were defeated and ousted, elections were held and democracy was formed. Now that the insurgency is trying to exert itself against this young government, that is the main story. The detailed things we are doing with the ANP -- apart from the HA -- would not make for good copy. Fighting and attacks and death will always trump the hard, "boring" work stuff. If we do our jobs right, there will be less to say about the insurgency and more about the things Afghanistan is doing to better iteself. There are stories here, powerful ones, that have the ability to touch people on many levels. Those are stories that have a shelf-life far greater than the latest death tolls. You can find some of them in the media if you look hard enough. You should be finding more of them more easily.

I’ve been seeing reports coming out of Afghanistan indicating that the insurgency / Taliban are regrouping and increasing their attacks on US and NATO forces have you encountered this in your area of operations, and if so do you have any opinions as to why the sudden upturn in activity is taking place?

Ghazni is a very active area when it comes to the insurgency. It has always been a militarily significant province. This is the province where the Korean hostages were taken and held earlier this year. So, yes, Ghazni is sort of a hotbed for insurgent activity. You have a young government and a struggling economy, so if the Taliban-lead insurgency was ever going to try to reclaim power, this would be it. They can't wait any longer as the government begins to get stronger and expands its influence - which is happening. They also take advantage of the poor and disillusioned both here and from neighboring countries to join the fight for profit. I would be curious to know how many of those involved in the insurgency consider themselves hard-core Islamic extremists or even would call themselves "Taliban." I'm under the impression greed is the main motivation for most. Imagine yourself as a leader of the Taliban. You were easily thrown from power and since then the overwhelming majority of the people have made it clear they never liked you in the first place. You have watched the Afghan National Army go from an undisciplined band of ragamuffins to an effective fighting force in half a decade. Now, the same is being done to transform the police at an even faster rate. If you were going to take one last stab at regaining power, now is pretty much you're only shot. And guess what? Even in what may be your most successful year, you're still losing.

In Iraq there has been a phenomenon of local citizens forming what are called Concerned Citizen’s group to provide for their own security. These groups are turning on alQaeda in Iraq and the other insurgent groups operating in their cities and villages. Have you encountered any such occurrence in Afghanistan?

Not on the scale I've heard of in Iraq. But you have to remember, Afghanistan is very splintered with its tribalism. You have large groups of the population that refuse to work closely together or fully trust each other all because of a difference in tribal name. It's amazing because, as I said, the overwhelming majority of the people here dislike the Taliban and want to see the new democracy take hold here. Yet, they won't show the unity that I believe could really tip the balance and make real change come at a rapid rate. But I'm optimistic they will get past that tribalism, at least on the real important issues.

This week the big news out of Afghanistan for the rest of the world is the torture and murder of five policemen in southern Afghanistan. These men had been held for 2 months now, why do you think the Taliban chose now to torture and murder them?

I can't speak to the specifics of that event because that's outside my AO. Generally speaking, you have a group of cowards who were only able to hold power by emotional and physical torture and murder that included public executions for adultery. They have to resort to these tactics, because they can't win on ideas -- the people have already made it know they reject those. I have to wonder what about them makes them think they could ever regain power in this country again. Their time has come and gone and I can't imagine a circumstance that would ever allow their time to come again.

What about opium production in Afghanistan, is there a possible end to it or is it there to stay?

Ghazni is not a major player in the opium trade, so I'm no really well versed on the subject. Drug production and drug use is a big problem throughout this country.

What is its relationship to the Taliban?

It's been proven that the Taliban relies heavily on the opium trade to finance the insurgency. Unfortunately, many farmers who may not be part of the Taliban or insurgency also rely on it to put food on their tables. There are people above my pay grade making the tough decisions how best to deal with it.

How do you see Afghanistan coming out of this?

I am naturally optimistic, but even if I wasn't there are enough good things you can easily find to be positive about here. You can point to economic measures, to political progress or to any number of societal improvements. It's also easy to point to the things that have to improve -- like corruption in all levels of government, the need for quality education and the way this society treats women. When you look at the rich history of this country and you recognize the historic times we are seeing today --even in light of that amazing past -- it's easy to believe Afghanistan's best days are ahead of it. The people here are hungry for progress.

Do you have anything you’d like to add?

Just that those of us here on the ground could not do what we do without the tons of support we receive, whether it's care packages, letters or cards from the U.S. or blogs like Thunder Run that help us get the word out about what we're doing here. It all matters and it matters in ways that those who support us probably can't even imagine. Sure, we're the face of it all, but the heart of what we do is made of so many unsung heroes our there. I thank all of them from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us and thank you for your service to our country.

Crossposted at: H&I Fires for 11/30/2007 at Argghhh!

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)
Foes Use Obama's Muslim Ties to Fuel Rumors About Him - In his speeches and often on the Internet, the part of Sen. Barack Obama's biography that gets the most attention is not his race but his connections to the Muslim world. (READ MORE)

In Debate, Romney and Giuliani Clash on Immigration Issues - ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 28 -- The Republican candidates for president engaged in a two-hour free-for-all Wednesday night, repeatedly confronting one another directly even as they fielded video questions submitted by Internet users in the most spirited debate of the 2008 presidential campaign. (READ MORE)

Moscow May Host Middle East Follow-Up - Russia and the United States are tentatively planning a second Middle East peace conference, in Moscow in early 2008, with major parties hoping to begin a comprehensive peace effort that would include direct talks between Israel and Syria, according to U.S., Russian, Arab and European officials. (READ MORE)

Judge Calls for Data on Telecom Lobby - An electronic privacy group challenging President Bush's domestic spying program scored a minor victory when a judge ordered the federal government to release information about lobbying efforts by telecommunications companies to protect them from prosecution. (READ MORE)

Bill Clinton's Claim of Opposing Iraq War From Outset Disputed - A former senior aide to then-national security adviser Condoleezza Rice disputed Bill Clinton's statement this week that he "opposed Iraq from the beginning," saying that the former president was privately briefed by top White House officials about war planning in 2003 and that he told them he supported the invasion. (READ MORE)

Citi of Arabia - Investors seem delighted that Abu Dhabi is injecting $7.5 billion into Citigroup, bidding up stocks in general on new confidence that the mortgage solvency crisis might ease. We hate to spoil the party, but it strikes us as unfortunate, if not a tragedy, that America's largest bank had to go hat in hand to Arab sheiks because of bad management and blundering U.S. monetary policy. The Citi play is being spun as a master-stroke by Robert Rubin, the chairman of the bank's executive committee. (READ MORE)

Romney, Giuliani Battle in Debate - The eighth Republican debate got off to a blistering start and quickly became the Mitt and Rudy Show, with the two front-running candidates going toe to toe on immigration, interrupting each other until they were booed by the boisterous crowd. (READ MORE)

Musharraf now Civilian President - Pervez Musharraf embarked on a new, five-year term as a civilian president of Pakistan today, a day after ceding the powerful post of army chief – the basis of his rule for the past eight years. (READ MORE)

U.S. to hold N. Korea to Nuclear Promises - The chief U.S. negotiator with North Korea, concerned that Pyongyang might fail to provide a full declaration of its nuclear-related materials and activities by year's end, as it has promised, will return to the North on Monday, U.S. officials said yesterday. (READ MORE)

Immigrants, Illegals use Welfare More Often - Both immigrants and illegal aliens are more likely to be poor and to use welfare programs than native-born Americans because they come to the country with lower levels of education, according to a new study looking at U.S. Census Bureau data. (READ MORE)

Iraq a Loud No-Show at Talks - Faced with a difficult political and military insurgency at home, and having to balance competing sectarian and diplomatic demands, the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki decided it did not have the time or resources to attend Mr. Bush's high-stakes gathering. (READ MORE)



From the Front:
A Battlefield Tourist: More Positive Effects of the “Surge” - Sunni attacks up because areas have no security. Rush in troops to indicate to the locals, who are scared to death, “We will support you.” Locals see support and believe in it. They gain confidence to defend themselves from Al Qaeda; the “Concerned Citizens” are born. “Concerned Citizens” of great trust are id’d and brought into intel services. Intel services get better and begin planting spies. Spy network is set up to begin interdiction of attacks. Attacks decrease as high value targets are taken out, attacks are successfully defended and insurgents are running around wondering who the spies are. (READ MORE)

Badger 6: So Much Misinformation - Watching Fox News this morning and they are reporting live from the headquarters of Force Protection, Inc. as they celebrate the delivery of their 1000th MRAP. The biggest problem I have with these news reports is they make it seem like the MRAP is a panacea to protecting Soldiers and Marines from Improvised Explosive Devices. They are not. They are another tool and they are better for a variety of reasons than the HUMVEE, but they don't solve all the issues. People should not be lulled into thinking they do. (READ MORE)

Fightin' 6th Marines: Iraqi family culture - In the story below it tells about Marines with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, visiting people in their homes in Fallujah, Iraq. This is an introduction written by Pfc. Brian Jones about the some of the circumstances of Iraqi culture that Marines have discovered for themselves and have curiously questioned. As violence subsides in Fallujah, “the city of mosques”, Marines find time to indulge in investigating their cultural curiosities of the Iraqi people who surround them. Marines communicate, work and in some cases live with them offering ample amounts of opportunity to get to know them. (READ MORE)

Matt Sanchez: Trauma, shrapnel and the fight for life - One of the rules for a media embed is that you're not allowed to show the faces of injured people without their consent. I had to keep that in mind while spending time recently at the Air Force hospital in Balad, a level three facility, which makes it the best hospital in the entire Middle East for trauma. "Any doctor who has spent four months here is probably ready to handle anything," Lt. Col. Christopher Coppola told me. What set the newly completed facility apart from emergency rooms back home was the typical patient and "the severity and multiplicity of wounds," Coppola explained. (READ MORE)

On Point: Spinning Up the Afghan Army and Police - Although most of the military and media attention remains focused on Iraq, there is still a vicious war raging in Afghanistan. Islamic extremists from Pakistan cross the border nightly in an effort to destabilize the Karzai government by terrorizing the local populace; home-grown extremists have adapted IED and suicide bomber tactics they’ve seen so popular in Iraq, and the drug lords and local criminal element work hard in advancing their own corrupt agenda. In the midst of all this are 24,000+ American troops and a large contingent of troops from NATO and other countries who are attempting to stabilize the country, defeat Al-Qaeda, and perhaps drag it into the 21st - or at least the 20th - century. (READ MORE)

This War and Me: Don't Come Home Soon - The other day a friend of mine and I were talking and I realized that I hate to hear phrases like, "Come home soon" or "Wish you were here". The holidays are upon us and I have missed many of them. There are several days lately, hell throughout the past year, that I get depressed knowing I am missing things that I enjoy back home. The good intentions of those from home are quite appreciated, but annoy me just the same. To say, "We love you, come home soon" is annoying to me. There are only a couple of ways I will get to come home soon and I do not like any of them. Even the option of a total military withdrawl where I come home alive and in one piece, means that we leave before the region is stable enough to stand on it's own and my brothers and sisters have died in vain. (READ MORE)

Yellowhammering Afghanistan: Different kind of dusting - Since we arrived in Afghanistan in May, we have seen more than our share of dust due to the dry, desert, powdery sand that seems to find its way on everything, indoors and outdoors. But we awoke this morning to a different kind of dusting. Last night it snowed for the first time since we've arrived. The inch or so covering the ground was minimal compared to the four or five feet of it we can expect on the worst days we're here, I'm told. Still, it was kind of a pleasant surprise to step out the door in my mostly un-clothed body on the way to the shower and walk through the snow rather than on top of the bare gravel. (READ MORE)

Michael Yon: Men of Valor: Part III - The 4 Rifles first trip into Basra brought more than 15 hours of fighting that left a Pakistani driver killed, dragged away and never seen again by the British. Two British killed in action and many more wounded, a convoy of banged-up vehicles that ran the damage gamut from flat tire to complete destruction, and almost no break before it was time for Major Steve Webb to saddle up and move on again, his Welsh Warriors always taking point on another convoy. Major Steve Webb fought through those 15 hours two days before. Webb became one of the most respected leaders in the battalion. Each time one of his men described Webb, they said things like, “he’s a very courageous man,” or, “Major Webb is inspiring.” High praise in such company. (READ MORE)



On the Web:
Bill Whittle: Freedom versus Justice - Are you in favor of Freedom? Well, who isn’t? What about Justice? Put me down for that too. Everybody wants freedom, and everybody wants justice… but it occurs to me, if you really get down to brass tacks, that pure freedom and pure justice are mutually exclusive. For example, if one was truly free, utterly at liberty to do whatever one wanted, whenever they wanted to do it, then that person would leave a vast wake of injustice. To walk wherever you wanted: trespassing. To take what you wanted: stealing (or rape if it was who you wanted). If you were absolutely, utterly free you could murder at will. Or perhaps just drive as fast as you want. The fact that you are not able to do any of these things puts constraints on your liberty. It limits your freedom to act. (READ MORE)

John C. Hulsman: A Man on a Mission - Michael Gerson, long praised (some would say over-praised) as President Bush's genius speechwriter, is also, it turns out, a would-be moral philosopher and political strategist. In "Heroic Conservatism," he calls for the Republican Party to redefine itself and brighten its future by casting aside its suspicion of big government and pursuing lofty projects of statist do-goodery. Let us hope that Republicans ignore him. (READ MORE)

Daniel Henninger: Does Reading Matter? - Time-pressed Christmas shoppers who visit Amazon.com nowadays see a homepage pushing Kindle. Kindle is Amazon's "revolutionary wireless reading device." This ambitious ($400) and ultimately admirable gadget springs from the hopes of Amazon's visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, whose e-company began with books but in time found that profitability required the selling of things that people prefer to do with their ever-dwindling free time. (READ MORE)

Ann Coulter: NYT: An undocumented newspaper - Last week, in an article titled "Walking a Tightrope on Immigration," The New York Times made the fact-defying claim that the illegal immigration issue poses a risk for Republicans who appeal to voters "angry" about illegal immigration. (This is as opposed to voters "angry" that they spent good money buying a copy of The New York Times.) In support of this assertion, the Times was required not only to ignore the stunning defeat of this year's amnesty bill, but also to proffer provably absurd evidence. (READ MORE)

Amanda Carpenter: Signs Hillary Will Tap Clark as VP - Hillary Clinton has been working closely with decorated anti-war retired Gen. Wesley Clark on foreign policy, fueling rumors he could be vice-president on a “Clinton-Clark” ticket in 2008. In recent months Clark has joined Clinton several times on the campaign trail, has been publishing a number of profile-raising editorials, and is making a substantial effort to keep his slick PAC website updated with his media schedule. He also promotes email campaigns that solicit names and contact information, as he did in his recent push to remove Rush Limbaugh from Armed Forces Radio. (READ MORE)

Steve Chapman: The Eternal Life of NFL Sudden Death - The Chicago Bears won a football game Sunday in a way that is possible only in the National Football League. Tied with the Broncos at the end of regulation, they won the coin toss for overtime, elected to receive, took the kickoff, proceeded down the field and kicked a field goal, leaving Denver without so much as a single touch of the football. For those of us who live in Chicago, it was great fun -- but ridiculously unfair. Imagine an extra-inning baseball game decided by this sudden-death approach: (READ MORE)

Hugh Hewitt: Romney Wins. Big. - Mitt Romney won the last night's debate because he emerged as a plausible, indeed compelling match-up to Hillary. Rudy hit him hard --and below the belt, with the "sanctuary mansion" shot. But so what? We aren't expecting the Clinton's to play nice. Our candidate will have to be able to be "strong" without being "mean," superior on the issues and intellect and ahead on the key test of "Who shares my values?" That's Romney, and I expect the Clintons know it and will work overtime to take him off the board in the next six weeks. (READ MORE)

Victor Davis Hanson: A Few Good People - In the last few years, it has become popular to say that history is determined largely by sweeping inanimate forces of technology, the environment, gender, class or race. We play down the role of individuals — as if the notion that one person can shape history is old-fashioned. But that’s hardly the case. Take Nicolas Sarkozy, the new president of France. For 60 years, the power of the state in France had steadily increased. Government workers were handed lavish entitlements and retirement packages while French competitiveness diminished in a new globalized world. (READ MORE)

William Rusher: The Giuliani Conundrum - Rudy Giuliani's candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination presents conservative Republicans with a real conundrum. Should they support the candidate who will put up the best fight, though he (or she) disagrees with them on virtually all of the social issues? Or should they insist on a candidate who truly represents conservative values, even if they suspect he might be a degree or two less combative against (say) Hillary Clinton in the campaign? My own brooding on this question is decisively affected by my conviction that 2008 is going to be a Democratic year. I believe the Democrats are very likely to win the presidency and strengthen their hold on both Houses of Congress. (READ MORE)

Cal Thomas: Changing Nation - No one ever accused Patrick J. Buchanan of lacking conviction or of consulting a focus group before saying what he thinks. In his new book, "Day of Reckoning," the former presidential candidate, columnist and TV pundit confronts readers with many irrefutable facts that if left unaddressed, he believes, will lead to America's destruction. That may sound extreme, even apocalyptic, until one considers his assertions: "The Army is breaking and is too small to meet America's global commitments; (READ MORE)

Emmett Tyrrell: The Intriguing Britney Spears and Iraq - WASHINGTON -- Have you noticed that during the past few days, Britney Spears has vanished completely from the news? For that matter, Paris Hilton has, too, and she has been absent for an even longer period than the intriguing Spears. Possibly their significance to our nation was not as great as the media space accorded them would suggest. For that matter, perhaps the significance of our war in Iraq has been exaggerated, also. It, too, has vanished from the news. There was a wire story on Nov. 27 that the Bush administration is planning negotiations with the Iraqi government for withdrawing the bulk of U.S. forces by the end of 2008, but that story only made it into the indispensable New York Sun and The Kansas City Star. (READ MORE)

John McCaslin: Go Figure - "Good evening," the U.S. president began in a hastily called address to the nation, which many Americans have chosen to forget. "Earlier today, I ordered America's armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors." His expression determined, his goals clear, the president continued: "I have no doubt today, that left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will use these terrible weapons again." (READ MORE)

Austin Bay: Al-Qaida's Emerging Defeat - The postwar relationship between Iraq and the United States is now a broader public topic. This week, the White House and the Iraqi government announced that state-to-state discussions are taking place with the goal of reaching detailed agreements that will govern Iraq and America's long-term political, economic and military ties. Iraqis have asked for "an enduring relationship with America." I use the term "broader public topic" because this matter has been a subject of constant discussion since April 2003, with little of that discussion hush-hush. (READ MORE)

Ed Morrissey: About That Economy .... - As the presidential election continues to draw nearer, we keep hearing about our collapsing economy from the usual media hysterics. The housing market is near collapse! The credit crunch! The subprime markets are melting, melting, I say! Well, what about the actual economy? Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 4.9 percent in the third quarter of 2007, according to preliminary estimates released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. (READ MORE)

Jay Tea: "CNN: If It's News To You, It's News To Us" - I was feeling tired, so I slept through the Republican debate last night. And it sounds like I missed a humdinger. But as is so often the case, the really interesting stuff was the behind-the-scenes dirt. As Kevin pointed out, it turns out that one of the questioners -- retired General Keith Kerr -- is a Hillary Clinton advisor. And others have been doing some digging, and have found that three other questioners also have ties to Democratic candidates. Michelle Malkin has a good roundup of the plants: the abortion questioner is a proud John Edwards supporter, the Log Cabin Republican is backing Barack Obama, the lead-in-toys mom is an aide to a prominent union leader and John Edwards supporter, and the aforementioned General Kerr also helped John Kerry back in 2004. (READ MORE)

Kevin Aylward: CNN/YouTube Debate Features Hillary Plant - CNN would have you believe that out of all the people THEY selected to ask video taped questions of the Republican presidential candidates the this evening at the CNN/YouTube debate they had no idea that Keith Kerr, retired Colonel., U.S. Army; retired Brigadier General, California National Reserve, was a member of a Hillary Clinton LGBT Steering Committee. Nor did they know was on the National Veterans for Kerry Steering Committee in 2004. CNN was, however, able to find this 13-year-old Mitt Romney quote about gays in the military to make Kerr's question into a booby-trap for Romney: (READ MORE)

The Belmont Club: War movies - Roger Simon tries to understand why antiwar movies have been doing so badly at the box office. Brian de Palma's Redacted recently grossed so little worldwide it has excited the pity of even amateur movie makers. The artistic failure, Simon believes, is rooted in the distance between the film-maker and the subject. They don't care about the great perils facing the world. They don't care about the history of war-torn regions. They don't care about the causes of the war itself except as a backdrop to make a political statements. The action of Redacted might be located in Iraq, but everyone knows it is really set in Vietnam. (READ MORE)

Bear Creek Ledger: CNN’s Plants Thrive in YouTube Republican Debate - CNN has once again proved itself incapable of shedding it’s anti-Republican fervor. To say this YouTube debate was pathetic is an understatement. The snowman did make it once again to the screen even though it wasn’t for a debate question. I was following the Free Republic forum thread which revealed early on that the “gay” General was a plant from the Hillary campaign. But Michelle Malkin has exposed 3 additional “planted” questioners - all Dhimmicrats. This is a Republican debate, why so many Democrat questioners? (READ MORE)

Blogmeister: CNN's YouTube Republican Debate: The Shenanigans Continue - Good lord, will CNN never learn? There were 5,000 questions submitted for last night's debate and a *surprising* number of them were from committed Democrat candidate supporters. Michelle Malkin and Hot Air have lots and lots of details. I only caught the second hour of the debate and watched the first half hour of the discussion afterward. The alarm bells first started ringing when Bill Bennett (the only conservative commentator out of six in the after-debate mish mash) said he was getting e-mails saying one of the questioners (I think the guy who said, "What would Jesus do?" about capital punishment) was connected with the Hillary Clinton campaign. Anderson Cooper started hemming and hawing, saying that he didn't know anything about that, but CNN would look into it. Seems to me they might have wanted to look into it BEFORE the debate. Or did they? (READ MORE)

Don Surber: Defining away victory - Chris Matthews’s new definition of Victory in Iraq means we lost World War II. But, hey, we finally won Vietnam. Growing up, I always heard America wins the war, loses the peace. The nation never was big on diplomacy. But in an asymmetrical war, there are no diplomatic negotiations. That’s where some in the media step in to try to give our military victories away. Consider this quote from Chris Matthews on his show last night while he was interviewing David Ignatius: (READ MORE)

Bryan Preston: (Video) Karl Rove says Congress pushed the Iraq war resolution too soon - Former Bush administration adviser Karl Rove appeared on the Charlie Rose show just before Thanksgiving for a wide-ranging interview. When the subject turned to the Iraq war, Rove offered a surprising take: That Congress took up its war resolution too soon, sooner than the Bush administration wanted, and that Congress’ timing made the resolution and thereby the war political. This sequence begins with Rove answering whether the Bush administration has made any mistakes in the war, then flows into the section on the war resolution. (READ MORE)

Allahpundit: (Video) The disappearing Hillary plant; Update: Does it matter who the questions come from? - Tough call for CNN on re-broadcast. Do they stick with the footage of Keith Kerr after having been de-pantsed by Bill Bennett an hour or so before? Edit out the footage? Leave it in with a graphic at the bottom of the screen disclosing his campaign affiliation? Decisions, decisions. Here’s your answer. This is what went down at around 9:45 ET… and this is how it played at 1:45 on re-broadcast: (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden: Syriously, Though - This is funny, in a sad-clown, third-world tinpot dictatorship and sponsor of terrorism in benighted neighboring countries kind of way. Official Syrian press columnist calls Bush “the Fuehrer of the 21st century” and predicts US empire’s fall. MEMRI: “ … Even a novice to politics and international relations can see very clearly that President Bush Jr.’s escapade in Iraq is a significant turning point that will go down in history as the beginning of the fall of the great American empire.” (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio: Hunting al Qaeda in Iraq's propaganda cells - After a nearly two-month lull in videos released by al Furqan, al Qaeda in Iraq's primary propaganda arm, two new videos of attacks on US forces have been released over the past three days. Al Qaeda in Iraq is attempting to reestablish its propaganda presence in Iraq, while Multinational Forces Iraq is seeking to dismantle the network. "Despite the recent loss of numerous cells across Iraq, the media wing of al-Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) has produced a second video product, which the al Fajr Media Center posted Tuesday night on the main Jihadi message boards: (READ MORE)

Michelle Malkin: More diversity lunacy: The Army Intelligence and Security Command’s list of forbidden words; Update: Add “brown people” to the list - Update: Nine-year-old suspended for saying “Brown people.” In response to the Denver diversity video debacle, a military reader shared his own diversity lunacy story: “I’m not sure this tops the Denver story but this past August the Army Intelligence and Security Command’s (INSCOM) Equal Opportunity (EO) promulgated a list of forbidden words. Some of the words on this list wouldn’t be used in the work place by most people with any common sense — but some of the words on the list are ridiculous and epitomize the overreaching hysteria of the PC speech police.” (READ MORE)

McQ: Combat leaders and perfumed princes - Ralph Peters, who usually enjoys smacking the "brass" around, gives some rare praise in his most recent article. I bring it up because of who it is he praises. He praises LTG Ricardo Sanchez’s replacement, LTG Ray Odierno (he also praises Petraus), and he gives voice to why Sanchez is a retired LTG and sniping for the Democrats from the sidelines: “Even as some of us began to suspect that Iraqi society was hopelessly sick, our troops stood to and did their duty bravely. The tenacity of our soldiers and Marines in the face of mortal enemies in Iraq and blithe traitors at home is the No. 1 reason why Iraq has turned around. Without their valor and sacrifice, nothing else would’ve mattered. Key leaders were courageous, too - men such as now-Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno. Big Ray was pilloried in our media for being too warlike, too aggressive and just too damned tough on our enemies.” (READ MORE)

Political Vindication: Leaked Government Report Reveals Serious Weaknesses In Haditha Case - Here is an article from the CNS that is worth reading. I’ll offer a quote or two, and look forward to any thoughts you might have: “Military prosecutors have tried to make the case that the soldiers - supposedly motivated by revenge - intended to kill the civilians after a roadside bomb killed one Marine and injured two others. However, according to a 37-page military assessment recently obtained by Newsweek , the Haditha case is unraveling. The report, by investigator Lt. Col. Paul Ware, said, ‘The evidence is contradictory, the forensic analysis is limited, and almost all the witnesses have an obvious bias or prejudice.’” (READ MORE)

Soccerdad: 60 years old and still premature - In a sense, today Israel is 60 years old today. The partition plan that split the portion of the Palestine Mandate that hadn’t already been lopped off to create Transjordan (now Jordan) into Jewish and Arab sections was approved today. Infolive.tv sums it up nicely: “Sixty years later, Israel is still under threat, and continues to strive for recognition in the Arab world. Israel sixty years later, still suffers from Palestinian initiated violence and terror and still strives to live within secure borders. It appears that despite all negotiations for peace, history once again is repeating itself. As Israel marks the 60th anniversary of the UN Resolution 181, the United Nations declares an official day of solidarity with the Palestinian people.” (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.

Folks, I've been terribly remiss in not pushing this this year, but Kat in Ga sends us an update on her current Christmas Card drive.

Current Update on our 2007 Christmas Card Drive for the Troops:

Between the Christmas cards I've received (and am still getting in) and the letters leftover from Q100's Big Thank You that I was given, we are currently up to... 15,719 cards/letters/etc to ship to our heroes all over the world!!! This is by no means the "final count." I don't think I'll truly have the final final count until late Friday night! But it's bound to be a huge number! :) Too darn awesome. :)

Thanks everyone for all you've done to make this year such a success!!!!!

I wish I had done more Kat, but I'm glad that once again it was a success. I know for those deployed it may be difficult to find the cheer in the holiday season but I want you all to know that I am eternally grateful for your service to our country.

Coalition forces detained 12 suspects Tuesday and Wednesday during operations targeting al-Qaeda networks in central and northern Iraq:

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces captured a wanted individual in Mosul believed to be an al-Qaeda in Iraq leader with numerous connections to terrorist operations. Reports indicate the wanted individual, who allegedly receives foreign funding, was actively involved in murdering and intimidating Iraqi police, hijacking fuel trucks, manufacturing car-bombs and using improvised explosive devices against Coalition forces. During the operation, an improvised explosive device detonated near one of the ground force’s vehicles, but no injuries were reported. The wanted individual identified himself to Coalition forces and was subsequently detained.

During an operation south of Baqubah, Coalition forces captured a wanted individual who is allegedly an al-Qaeda in Iraq leader in Khan Bani Sa’ad and associated with several other al-Qaeda leaders in the Diyala area. The wanted individual identified himself to the ground force and subsequently was detained, along with one suspect.

Coalition forces captured another wanted individual during operations south of Baghdad. The wanted individual is believed to be a weapons and foreign terrorist facilitator in the region with numerous ties to foreign terrorists.

During operations Tuesday, Coalition forces detained eight suspects while targeting terrorists believed to be associates of foreign terrorists and al-Qaeda in Iraq planners and financiers, and suspected of being responsible for attacks against Coalition and Iraqi security forces.

“Al-Qaeda in Iraq networks are being continually disrupted by Iraqi and Coalition forces operations,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. “The Iraqi people are helping us find these networks in order to secure a future without extremism.”

Great hunting!

Iraqi Special Operations Forces, advised by U.S. Special Forces, captured three known al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists Nov. 27 during an operation in western Baghdad:

BALAD, Iraq – Iraqi and U.S. Forces conducted the raid to capture three terrorists and disrupt the activities of an AQI cell operating in the Ameriya area. The cell is reported to conduct improvised explosive device, rocket and small-arms fire attacks against Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces. The terrorists are believed to be responsible for launching Katyusha rockets against Baghdad International Airport and are linked to attacks against Iraqi Forces and the murder of Iraqi civilians.

During the course of operations, an Iraqi man exited a targeted residence and began to move toward ground forces. He ignored several verbal and visual signals to stop while continuing forward movement. He was shot and killed by a security element after displaying hostile intent by refusing to stop and was observed tugging at his clothing as if to detonate a suicide vest IED.

The three targeted terrorists were captured without further incident.

In a separate operation, Iraqi Special Operations Forces and U.S. Special Forces captured a suspected extremist cell leader in Baghdad. The suspect is reportedly involved in the purchase and trafficking of weapons used in attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces.

Great work men!

Concerned Local Citizen's have provided another tip to Iraqi Police which led them to a massive weapons cache in southern Ninevah:

QAYYARAH, Iraq – Iraqi Police from Qayyarah discovered a large weapons cache in Kredi, located approximately 13 kilometers southwest of Qayyarah, Nov. 25 while conducting operations based on a tip from a Concerned Local Citizen.

The IPs discovered seven 82mm Iranian mortars and a fully functional suicide vest.

In addition, they discovered over 130 Russian 57mm rockets; over 60 Russian, Chinese, Yugoslavian and South African mortar rounds of assorted sizes; over 230 assorted high explosive and fragmentation hand grenades; approximately 70 Russian anti-personnel landmines; 100 various types of rocket-propelled grenades with motors; 150 pounds of unknown bulk explosives; and an assortment of propellant, detonator cord, grenade fuses, and bomb-making accessories – to include – four empty metal box bombs.

“This is a significant find by the Iraqi Police that will hurt the terrorists’ ability to launch future attacks that are intended to injure and kill Iraqi citizens and the Iraqi Security Forces,” said Lt. Col. Robert McLaughlin, commander of the 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

“The Iraqi citizens need to continue to come forward by calling in tips; it’s these tips that are instrumental in helping the Iraqi Security Forces capture and kill the enemy fighters and eliminate the weapons and explosives that are being used to hinder the Iraqi infrastructural rebuilding process.”

Iraqi Police officers consolidated the usable ammunition and RPGs into their unit armory, while Coalition Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialists destroyed all of the remaining munitions – to include the suicide vest – in a controlled detonation to prevent future use by enemy fighters.

More tips, more caches and increased security and safety for the cirizen's of Iraq.

In what can only be credited to the fact that there has been a clear shift in the security situation in Adhamiyah concerned citizen’s provide more tips about caches, one of which leads to large cache find in Adhamiyah, the 28th so far this month:

BAGHDAD – Based on a tip from a concerned citizen, Iraqi Security Volunteers in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah District led Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division to a building containing a large weapons cache Nov. 24.

The cache contained several improvised explosive device-making materials, more than 120 mortar and artillery rounds, two suicide vests and several bags of homemade explosives.

Maj. Ike Sallee, operations officer with 3-7 Cavalry, said that it was likely that the weapons contained in the discovered cache were for short- and longterm use.

He also said that the discovery will have a significant impact on anti- Iraqi Forces, but also indicates that there could still be a significant amount of caches in his area of operations.

Sallee credits Adhamiyah residents with the find.

“This cache is more evidence that there has been a clear shift in the security situation in Adhamiyah,” Sallee said. “Through the continued cooperation of the Iraqi Army, Iraqi Security Volunteers and Coalition Forces, we will be able to provide an enduring security for Adhamiyah.”

Sallee noted that this was the 28th cache found this month in his area of operations. An explosive ordnance disposal team secured the munitions and transported them to a safe holding area for destruction.

Fewer IEDs, fewer attacks, more security and a return to normalcy, Iraq is clearly on the way to a clear and decisive victory for the Iraqis.

Progress in Iraq is being measured in ways more than just an increasing enemy bodycount, it is also measured by counting building projects that improve the country for its residents such as this news that Iraqis with assistance from the US Army Corp of Engineers are constructing Fallujah’s first-ever sewage system:

About 450 Iraqis are currently working to get Fallujah’s first-ever sewer system operational by next summer.

That number is expected to soon grow to a construction force of 700 Iraqis.

The $85 million project includes a collection system, trunk mains, pump stations and a wastewater treatment plant processing 40,000 cubic meters daily (10.5 million gallons).

“People are happy because our community is safer now and there are more American projects creating jobs in different areas,” said Construction Manager Awaf Abdul Rahim at the wastewater treatment plant. “It’s helped Fallujah’s unemployment. When the security situation improved earlier this year, we were inspired to work hard. Our construction crews became more serious and active and are now getting more done.”

Peter Collins, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is the project manager overseeing the work. “The long term benefit is huge. At the moment Fallujah’s raw sewage is flowing into the Euphrates River, polluting it, impacting communities downstream who depend on it as a drinking source,” Collins said.

Apart from the Iraqi work force, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has 35 Iraqi engineers visiting the various project sites daily, checking on the quality of the ongoing construction and encouraging worker safety.

Collins says the new treatment plant will have the capacity to serve Fallujah’s needs until 2025, even if the community has a 50 percent growth in population (from 200,000 to 300,000 residents).

“People in Fallujah may not fully appreciate the impact of this project because they have never lived in a sewage-free city. Next year there will be no wastewater flowing in the streets and their children will be able to play safely outside,” Collins said. “It represents a monumental step forward and that’s what motivates us as we work to achieve that goal.”

Fallujah's first ever sewage system...and yet there are those among us that still cling to the fabrication that Iraqi's were better off under Saddam's rule. Complex infrastructure that we take for granted in this country never existed before today for many Iraqi's, tell me again how they were better off?

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)
As Lott Leaves the Senate, Compromise Appears to Be a Lost Art - In January, as a dormant Senate chamber entered its fourth hour of inaction and a major ethics bill lay tangled in knots, Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.) took to the Senate floor with a plaintive plea. (READ MORE)

Palestinians Give Voice to Contempt for Annapolis Talks - JERUSALEM, Nov. 27 -- Thousands of Hamas supporters rallied in the streets of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday against the U.S.-sponsored peace conference in Annapolis, and a second armed Palestinian movement vowed to intensify its attacks on Israel... (READ MORE)

In France, 'a Bomb Waiting for the Match'- VILLIERS-LE-BEL, France, Nov. 27 -- On the morning after a mob of angry youths torched the library in this small, immigrant-heavy town north of Paris during a second night of rioting, a group of local leaders stood outside the charred remains Tuesday and tried to make sense of what they saw. (READ MORE)

Bill Clinton Tells Iowans He Opposed Iraq From Start - Former president Bill Clinton said yesterday that he "opposed Iraq from the beginning," glossing over the more nuanced views of the war he has expressed over time. Clinton made the remarks while campaigning for his wife in Iowa -- a state where many Democrats are against the war -- and as he expressed bitterness over getting a tax cut with money that could have been spent on the military. (READ MORE)

In Praise of 'Thought Competition' - Monday: After a long day at his New York City private school, Ben, 16, heads to my creative writing lab to work on his heartfelt memoir about his parents' bitter divorce. Tuesday: Alison, 15, rushes from her elite private school in the Bronx to work on her short screenplay about a gifted, mean and eccentric boy. Lily, 13, pops in whenever she can to polish her hilarious short story narrated by an insomniac owl. (READ MORE)

Hollywood Bombs - What if they held a war movie, and no one came? That's the tale of woe at this year's fall box office, where Tinseltown's bleak vision of Iraq has many movie-goers taking a pass. Films from Brian De Palma's low-budget screed "Redacted" to Robert Redford's star-studded "Lions for Lambs" are playing to empty seats. Small wonder. (READ MORE)

Flat Tax Fred - Fred Thompson's Presidential campaign has been struggling, in part because of a sense that he lacks passion and an agenda. But late last week he unveiled a tax reform that is more ambitious than anything we've seen so far from the rest of the GOP field. Mr. Thompson wants to abolish the death tax and the Alternative Minimum Tax and cut the corporate income tax rate to 27% from 35%. (READ MORE)

Olmert, Abbas Set Goal - President Bush and the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority yesterday agreed to work toward finalizing a peace agreement by the end of 2008, at a summit attended by more than 40 nations at the U.S. Naval Academy. (READ MORE)

Musharraf Relinquishes Military Role - President Pervez Musharraf finally removed his military uniform today, completing what has become the longest striptease in Pakistan's history. (READ MORE)

China's Action Troubles Admiral - China's refusal to allow U.S. warships to visit Hong Kong recently was carried out to protest U.S. sales of Patriot missile equipment to Taiwan, Bush administration officials said yesterday. (READ MORE)



From the Front:
ETT PA-C: Free For All - Some of you know that we've been building our camp up out back so we can have our own little part of the world without the ANP staring at us all the time. Well, we have 50% of it done and we should be able to move in within the week. I'll be so glad! You have no idea. We are the only embedded team with the type of mentoring that we do. Most teams live on a compound near by. We live in the same compound about 10ft away. Gets old after a while. You just want a little bit of space. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: Media Say Iraq Coverage Inaccurate - There are those who say that I have been a bit too harsh on the journalists who cover Iraq. But a brand new survey tells me that I haven't been hard enough. Because the opinion of reporters indicates that the journalists themselves are even more critical of their own Iraq coverage. Here's what the poll found: "The survey by the Washington-based Pew Research Center showed that many U.S. journalists believe coverage has painted too rosy a picture of the conflict." (READ MORE)

Sgt HooK: The Multaka Night Watch - They’re tired of the bombings. They’re tired of the killing. They’re tired of not counting. They call themselves Sahwa, an Arabic term that translates to Awakening. Their awakening comes in the form of a neighborhood watch. "The neighborhood watch programs were established Nov. 14, two weeks after local citizens approached Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, with the idea. More than 1,000 citizens showed up, ready to be recruited to take up arms in defense against the terrorists in the region." (READ MORE)

Yellowhammering Afghanistan: MWR makeover - It's not exactly "Extreme Makeover: Camp Vulcan Edition," but the MWR room certainly has a lot of new life. Actual couches to sit in!Not only did we deck it out with Christmas decorations, but we have furniture, games and more. The reason we had a five-ton that broke down in Kabul recently was because we needed the truck to haul back some exercise equipment, furniture and MWR items. Our MWR room was pretty barebones, except for a pool table, some laptops and a small television (READ MORE)



On the Web:
Austin Bay: Al-Qaida's Emerging Defeat - The postwar relationship between Iraq and the United States is now a broader public topic. This week, the White House and the Iraqi government announced that state-to-state discussions are taking place with the goal of reaching detailed agreements that will govern Iraq and America's long-term political, economic and military ties. Iraqis have asked for "an enduring relationship with America." I use the term "broader public topic" because this matter has been a subject of constant discussion since April 2003, with little of that discussion hush-hush. (READ MORE)

Paul Greenberg: The Wasteland: the Presidential Campaign So Far - Lincoln-Douglas this isn't. Once again the issues being debated in this year's presidential campaign are of the greatest importance - war or peace, freedom or slavery, national unity or a house divided against itself. But today's debaters do not rise to the stature of the questions facing the country and the world. Both major parties have platforms and policies and soundbites to offer, but neither yet offers a clear vision. Their leaders are adept enough in the give-and-take of political repartee, but the object of the game has become how to echo the voters' concerns, not shape them. (READ MORE)

John Stossel: The Free Market Does It Better - Another global warming skeptic has dared speak up. Meteorologist John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel, calls global warming "the greatest scam in history". "Environmental extremists, notable politicians among them create this wild 'scientific' scenario of the civilization threatening environmental consequences from Global Warming unless we adhere to their radical agenda. I have read dozens of scientific papers. I have talked with numerous scientists. There is no runaway climate change. The impact of humans on climate is not catastrophic. Our planet is not in peril. In time, a decade or two, the outrageous scam will be obvious." (READ MORE)

Ben Shapiro: The Democrats' Experience Gap - None of the Democratic frontrunners is qualified to be president of the United States. How do I know? They say so themselves. This week, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., attacked odds-on-favorite Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., explaining that Hillary's years in the White House weren't her years -- they were her husband's. "The fact of the matter is that Sen. Clinton is claiming basically the entire eight years of the Clinton presidency as her own, except for the stuff that didn't work out," Obama said. "There is no doubt that Bill Clinton had faith in [Hillary] and consulted with her on issues, in the same way that I would consult with Michelle [Obama's wife], if there were issues. (READ MORE)

Kathleen Parker: Survival of the Stupidest - Hey, did you hear the one about the woman who aborted her kid so she could save the planet? That's no joke, but Darwin must be chuckling somewhere. Toni Vernelli was one of two women recently featured in a London Daily Mail story about environmentalists who take their carbon footprint very, very seriously. So seriously, in fact, that Vernelli aborted a pregnancy and, by age 27, had herself sterilized. Baby-making, she says, is "selfish" and "all about maintaining your genetic line at the expense of the planet." (READ MORE)

Michelle Malkin: Fuzzy Math: A Nationwide Epidemic - Do you know what math curriculum your child is being taught? Are you worried that your third-grader hasn't learned simple multiplication yet? Have you been befuddled by educational jargon such as "spiraling," which is used to explain why your kid keeps bringing home the same insipid busywork of cutting, gluing and drawing? And are you alarmed by teachers who emphasize "self-confidence" over proficiency while their students fall further and further behind? Join the club. Across the country, from New York City to Seattle, parents are wising up to math fads like "Everyday Math." Sounds harmless enough, right? It's cleverly marketed as a "University of Chicago" program. (READ MORE)

Jonah Goldberg: At Peace with Pax Americana - The United States is getting tagged as an "empire" from all quarters. Indeed, it's been a century since the notion of an American empire got such wide circulation, and back then Washington truly had designs on such expansion. (Google "Spanish-American War" if you're interested.) The empire charge has long been a staple of the political extremes. It's even bubbled up in the presidential race. Lefty Rep. Dennis Kucinich insists that we must abandon "the ambitions of empire." Hyper-libertarian Rep. Ron Paul says we could afford health care if we weren't running a "world empire." (READ MORE)

Michael McBride: Kerry Will Go Down “Swinging” in Round Two - Naval Aviation hopefuls are trained to box. The Navy is not really trying to develop the next Mike Tyson, but they have a specific purpose for this training and it serves its purpose. The boxing program is designed to test three things about the flyboy wannabes; their response to training under duress, their physical fitness, and their mettle. All of the qualities that it takes to be a viable aviator in combat, post-shoot down survival, or life in a POW environment. For anyone that has boxed, jab-jab-hook is as easy as it comes on the heavy bag or in front of the mirror, but throw in a couple of rounds of shuffling around the ring, and take a few shots to the brain/housing group, and jab-jab-hook becomes more like walking a tight rope in a hurricane. (READ MORE)

Mary Katharine Ham: Anderson Cooper on Choosing Questions From the YouTube Madness - Republican candidates are gearing up for a fight in St. Petersburg at Wednesday night’s CNN/YouTube debate, as critical mailers and rhetorical punches have begun to fly with just five weeks to go until primary voting kicks off. This is the debate that almost wasn’t. Republican candidates, skeptical of the user-generated questions and how they’d be chosen, at first declined invitations, but changed their minds after a flurry of debate within the right-wing blogosphere and mainstream media. (READ MORE)

Michael Medved: Gloom-and-Doomers Wrong on U.S. "Moral Collapse" - The United States has displayed a remarkable and long-standing tendency not only to tolerate, but to honor and reward, those who decry the nation’s morality and predict its imminent and inevitable doom. Consider Pat Buchanan’s new bestseller, “Day of Reckoning: How Hubris, Ideology and Greed are Tearing America Apart.” This magnum opus follows his similarly cheerful (and successful) releases, “State of Emergency” and “The Death of the West.” In the opening pages of the most recent book, “Pitchfork Pat” dramatically declaims: (READ MORE)

John Fund: English-Only Showdown - Should the Salvation Army be able to require its employees to speak English? You wouldn't think that's controversial. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is holding up a $53 billion appropriations bill funding the FBI, NASA and Justice Department solely to block an attached amendment, passed by both the Senate and House, that protects the charity and other employers from federal lawsuits over their English-only policies. The U.S. used to welcome immigrants while at the same time encouraging assimilation. Since 1906, for example, new citizens have had to show "the ability to read, write and speak ordinary English." (READ MORE)

Joseph Bottum: Trading Places - If the news of major breakthroughs in cell research should turn out to be correct, we are about to witness something like victory in the fight over embryonic stem cells. And that will open a nest of interesting questions, beginning with this one: All those editorialists and columnists who have, over the past 10 years, howled and howled about Luddites and religious fanatics thwarting science and frustrating medicine--were they really interested in technology and health, or were they just using all that as a handy stick with which to whack their political opponents? (READ MORE)

A Newt One: Treachery at Annapolis - From President Bush's remarks at the Annapolis Peace Conference: taken out of context and interspersed with my comments. [Emphasis added for clarity] “The Palestinian people are blessed with many gifts and talents. They want the opportunity to use those gifts to better their own lives and build a better future for their children. They want the dignity that comes with sovereignty and independence. They want justice and equality under the rule of law. They want freedom from violence and fear.” So, why did they elect HAMAS to a majority in their legislative body? How are those statements to be believed in the face of "from the river to the sea", "a million martyrs marching to Jerusalem and “With our soul, with our blood, we will sacrifice for Palestine.” ? If they wanted peace they could have made it any damn day in the last 60 years, including today. They choose not to. (READ MORE)

Lawhawk: Iran Celebrates Not Attending Annapolis With Missile Claim - Iran wasn't invited to the party in Annapolis, but they're celebrating anyways. With a new 1,200 mile range missile. The AP report posts a most curious caveat: “Many of Iran's weapons development claims have not been independently verified.” Heh. In fact, many of Iran's weapons development claims have actually been debunked or show bogus footage or footage swiped from other weapons tests. (READ MORE)

A Soldier's Mind: God And Country: The Untold Stories Of The American Military - Lately, the movie industry has bombarded us with their anti-war, anti-Troops sentiments in recent movies that have been released. Apparently most of the country, is not real impressed with their product, as they’ve not done well in the box office. I’ve not watched any of them and doubt that I will. Many of these movies, depict our Troops as blood thirsty thugs and murders and even go so far, as to imply that their belief is that those who refuse to serve are heroes in their eyes. We know better and thankfully, a director/producer feels the same way that we do. I was recently contacted about a new movie that is in the works about our Troops and the fantastic humanitarian work that they do in other countries. Things we don’t hear about in the media. (READ MORE)

Donald Douglas: Israel's Right to Exist is Non-Negotiable - Israeli and Palestinian negotiators reached agreement today to enter into formal diplomatic negotiations on a possible peace treaty, the Washington Post reports. But the opening statments by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas - who both made reference to the "right of return" for Palestinian refugees - indicates how deeply problematic progress toward compromise is likely to be: “Abbas referred to a U.N. resolution that Palestinians believe gives them a right to return to their land in Israel, while Olmert mentioned a 2004 letter that President Bush gave former Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon which said the return of such refugees was unrealistic.” (READ MORE)

Ace of Spades: The "Thought Crimes Act" Threatens - The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 is poised to be come the next greatest threat to American democracy. No, really: "not since the "Patriot Act" of 2001 has any bill so threatened our constitutionally guaranteed rights." I looked for a generally unbiased article to link for you, but everything out there about the bill opposes it. It doesn't look like legacy media have picked up the story yet. If you like, you can look through the legislative text. The bill passed the House in October by a vote of 404 to 6. A Senate committee is considering it now. (READ MORE)

Atlas Shrugs: "I do hope that France will survive" - Riots have broken out for a third night in the poor French suburbs as violence is spreading despite the heavy police presence. “Youths rampaged for a third night in the tough suburbs north of Paris and violence spread to a southern city late yesterday as police struggled to contain rioters who have burned cars and buildings and -- in an ominous turn -- shot at officers. A senior police union official warned that ‘urban guerrillas’ had joined the unrest, saying the violence was worse than during three weeks of rioting that raged around French cities in 2005, when firearms were rarely used.” Sophie, our intrepid correspondent in France, stayed up late into the night on the third straight night of Muslim rioting to file this report for us. She signed off, “Many kisses I do hope that France will survive.” (READ MORE)

John Donovan: Following through - You may remember that I got invited to the White House and, with my Band of Brothers, got to spend an hour with the President of the United States, forever being branded a sycophant in the process. I asked a question. “‘Mr. President, since you clearly see the war as necessary, and lasting beyond your administration, how do you set the conditions to ensure that the effort will continue beyond 2008, regardless of who wins the White House?’ His answer was along the lines I expected, and neutrally stated. Mr. Bush responded, ‘The private rhetoric of the occupant of the Oval Office may be much different from their public rhetoric once they have access to the information the President has access to.’ He added that ‘Iraq has asked for a permanent political, economic and military relationship with the US’ which I took to mean that Mr. Bush would be putting formal relationships into place that would make it more difficult for his successor to just repudiate things.” Well, some Dem candidate rhetoric has changed over time, and it was reported that President Bush had been talking to the candidates about that very issue… (READ MORE)

Augean Stables: The Sweet taste of Moral Schadenfreude: Archbishop of Canterbury Denounces US to Muslim Journal - An interesting article in the London Times by Abul Taher discusses an interview with Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Emel, a British Muslim lifestyle magazine. (Actually the article is itself a fairly editorial write-up of the interview. I wonder how Archbishop Williams feels about it.) Given that the Times’ article makes Williams’ even more anti-American than (his own words in) the interview, it raises an interesting question we will address at the end of this post. Is the author doing a hatchet job on the Archbishop by making him sound even more ludicrously anti-American than he really was? Or is he trying to spell out for his readership the anti-American lessons that the Archbishop was too subtle to articulate as clearly as the “reporter” wanted? (READ MORE)

The Belmont Club: Brand A and Brand B - How well would a country with no almost no accountability to the public, able to apply unrestricted amounts of brutality and firepower and unconstrained by legal or humanitarian rights fare against a Jihadi foe? While those who believe that President Bush actually is Hitler may think the foregoing is a reference to the US campaign in Iraq, it is more accurately a reference to the Russian campaign in Chechnya. The Russian campaign in Chechnya is interesting as a control case to Iraq not only because it lets the historian examine a counterinsurgency waged without American political constraints but also provides a real-world benchmark for what constitutes a truly brutal campaign as opposed to one only imagined that way by Hollywood directors like Brian de Palma. (READ MORE)

Big Dog: Schumer Now Likes Arab Emirate Business - A few years back Dubai wanted to purchase several ports in the United States. Democrats, trying to make people believe they were tough on security, raised a stink about the security implications of such a move. The deal was eventually halted and the Democrats got their way though there was no real reason for their opposition. Interestingly, none of their toadies made comments about hating people with brown skin. It was just accepted that a partner in the war on terror would undermine our security and cause us harm. Chuck Schumer was one of the loudest (and most annoying) voices to express opposition. (READ MORE)

Dafydd: Moslems, Mormons, and Mitt - Everybody seems to be jabbering about this supposed faux pas of Mitt Romney in response to a question by Mansoor Ijaz; but no such judgment can be made without knowing not only the exact question Ijaz asked... but also the preceding conversation, which set the context of the question. Power Line was the first place I read it; now it's been discussed on Captain's Quarters (and here, too), Real Clear Politics, National Review, and goodness knows where else, mostly but not exclusively to Romney's discredit. Here's the buzz. According to an opinion piece by Mansoor Ijaz in the Christian Science Monitor, the following exchange took place at a Mitt Romney fundraiser in Las Vegas earlier this month: (READ MORE)

The Captain's Journal: Will the State Department Play Along? - Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates made a provocative speech today at Kansas State University. It was sweeping and far reaching in terms of the mobilization and leveraging of symbiotic power of the United States as a complete, holistic nation state, to effect and achieve its ends, those ends being most particularly the security of the same. This symbiotic power couples multiple power centers (diplomacy, monetary, military, etc.) in a way that makes the combination of them more potent than the particulars taken separately, or so the vision goes. At The Captain’s Journal we have been hard on the State Department and their lack of participation in such endeavors, but Gates has laid down the gauntlet. In part, Gates said: (READ MORE)

Ed Morrissey: The Cabbie Factor - The last few months have shown a remarkable decline in violence in Baghdad and Iraq, and the Western press has finally begun reporting it in earnest. For a while, the media would report the numbers but include enough anecdotal reporting to cast doubt on them. Now even the anecdotal reporting supports the progress made by the Americans and Iraqis in dialing down the violence. Today's Washington Post reports on the cabbie factor for measuring progress: “Haider Abbas, a 36-year-old taxi driver, had only a few moments to answer what is often a life-or-death question in this city: Would he drive a passenger home? The home, on that scorching afternoon last month, happened to be in Adhamiyah, a notoriously dangerous neighborhood where several cabbies had been gunned down. Abbas hadn't been there in two years. But the fare pleaded that it had become safer, so the cabbie reluctantly agreed to go.” (READ MORE)

Noah Shachtman: How Tech Almost Lost the War - And How We Still Might Win - My Iraq story for WIRED magazine is finally out. It's an attempt at explaining why we've seen such a drop in violence in Iraq in recent months, and why it took so long to see a shift. My short answer: the U.S. dropped its somewhat techno-centric approach to prosecuting the war -- and started focusing on Iraq's social, political, tribal, and cultural networks instead. Take a look, and let me know what you think. The war was launched, in part, on a premise that you could wipe out more bad guys with fewer troops, as long as those troops were networked together. Businesses like Wal-Mart made their supply chain more efficient through information technology; the military could do the same with its "kill chain," the theory of network-centric warfare went. (READ MORE)

Dr. Sanity: The Path to Self-Destruction - A long time ago I attended a seminar run by noted philosopher and author Dr. Tibor Machan, and during the course of the discussion, he asked us to consider the question (and I'm paraphrasing), "In a democratic and free society would it be legitimate to vote in a dictatorship?" The question took me by surprise because I had never even considered the possibility that free people would consciously and deliberately choose a totalitarian system. Of course I was wrong about that. Modern history gives us many examples of exactly that scenario transpiring (consider the Palestinians and what passes for democracy in Iran, or the "99%" of the vote in Iraq for Saddam. (Consider Jimmy Carter smiling and blessing such travesties if you really want to be ill). (READ MORE)

Don Surber: Clinton lies about Iraq - Do we really want to bring back this soap opera for 4 more years? Patrick Healy of the New York Times reported that Bill Clinton is telling people on the campaign trail that he opposed the war in Iraq “from the beginning.” Of course that’s not the truth. CNN reported on June 23, 2004: “‘I have repeatedly defended President Bush against the left on Iraq, even though I think he should have waited until the U.N. inspections were over,’ Clinton said in a Time magazine interview that will hit newsstands Monday, a day before the publication of his book ‘My Life.’” (READ MORE)

The Discerning Texan: Another Hillary "Funny Money" Man Pops up in Texas - A money bundler for Hillary Clinton in South Texas named Alonzo Cantu has, according to the Washington Post, raised some $640,000 in Hidalgo County, Texas--an area along the Mexican border in which one would be being very kind in describing as 'not exactly the Hamptons'. In the same area, over the same timeframe. Barack Obama has raised $2,086. Lee Cary looks closely at the Cantu story, and recalls that it evokes the ghosts of LBJ's 1947 stolen election in Duval County, also in South Texas: “When the Texas Election Bureau closed on Election Day, Stevenson led by 854 votes. But the counting wasn't done, and neither was the voting. Resolution of the contested results would be a precursor of the 2000 Presidential Election drama in Florida, except more crudely complicated. Johnson eventually won by 87 votes in an election where 988,295 votes were allegedly cast. ‘Allegedly’ is the operative word.” (READ MORE)

Democracy Project: Waffling On Winning - San Diego, like most metropolitan areas, has a liberal center surrounded by a more conservative suburbia, in San Diego’s case a bit less liberal in-all than most. Its major newspaper, the San Diego Union-Tribune exhibits similar tendencies, its reporting mostly drawn from liberal newswires (although often blended to get better info) but its editorial and opinion pages containing less liberal lock-step than most. This has been played out in its recent editorials on Iraq, exhibiting the lack of clear-sightedness that plagues our media, and how secondary markets are affected by the leading memes that emanate from New York and Washington newswires. (READ MORE)

Gribbit's Word: Symbolic Promises: An Effort to Buy Votes - The Dems who gained control of Congress promised to better the plight of the working poor by increasing the federal minimum wage. They campaigned on it but they couldn’t get it to pass on its own merit. They finally pulled one over by tagging it on the War Supplemental thereby sneaking it passed the debate process of the Senate. This said, who does it really help? Not the working poor. A Heritage Foundation study of the then proposed increase in the federal minimum wage suggested that the only people who would actually benefit from an increase in the federal minimum wage would be high school students, college students, those working second jobs and the like. (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden: Terrorism Summit - Didn’t Dr. Evil do this? Ahmadinejad is gathering terrorist leaders who were snubbed by the United States at Annapolis … not that they’d want to be caught dead shaking hands with filthy Zionists … for a big counter-peace summit in Tehran. AFP: “TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran said on Tuesday that it had invited Palestinian militant factions to a meeting in Tehran aimed at countering a US-hosted Middle East peace conference seeking to kickstart the peace process.” (READ MORE)

The Monkey Tennis Centre: Facts are held hostage at the BBC - Alan Johnston, the BBC's Gaza correspondent who was held hostage for nearly four months by Islamic terrorists before being freed in July, is probably the first kidnap victim to develop Stockholm syndrome before being abducted. His solidly pro-Palestinian reporting made him an unlikely target for the militants, and as Melanie Phillips has written, his kidnapping was very likely staged as a prelude to Hamas’s takeover of Gaza a few weeks later. That’s not to belittle Johnston’s ordeal. But the way the BBC has milked the episode to wallow in self-importance, and generally promote its global brand, leaves a nasty taste in the mouth – to say nothing of its kid-gloves approach to the terrorists of Hamas in the months since. (READ MORE)

Amy Proctor: The Misreported War in Afghanistan - Bottom Line Up Front: The war in Iraq isn't the only engagement misrepresented by the media. Progress in Afghanistan is also overlooked and misreported. U.S. GEN Dan McNeill, now NATO commander in Afghanistan, sat down with Bill O'Reilly in that country and said the media isn't accurately portraying the successes of the war. GEN McNeill was commander of 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, basically the daddy of the 82nd, 10th Mountain Division, etc., when we were at Bragg in 2000-2004. (READ MORE)

Political Pistachio: What's the Point? - I hear the question, "What's the Point?" often. It seems that folks are becoming tired of business as usual, but don't seem to think their voice carries much weight in the broad scheme of things. Republicans of late desire a resurgence of conservative values, a kind of Red November, hoping for the emergence of some kind of Reaganesque candidate, but quickly realizing that none of the Presidential Candidates fit the bill. It seems as if Conservatives fear that during these uncertain days only the worst possible scenario looms on the horizon. And as the concern for a return to conservatism arises, the news offers little solace. (READ MORE)

Kim Zigfeld: Confronting Russian Barbarism - The Moscow Times reports today that "the European Commission, France and Britain added their voices Monday to criticism from Washington of the police crackdown on weekend opposition rallies in Moscow and St. Petersburg" which led the arrest of major opposition political leaders Garry Kasparov and Boris Nemtsov. It would be as if George Bush had arrested Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for attending an anti-Bush rally hosted by Moveon.org. European Commissioner Jose Manuel Barroso said: "I was very concerned to see reports of police harassment and arrests of politicians and peaceful demonstrators in Russia. The right to peaceful free speech and assembly are basic, fundamental human rights, and I very much regret that the authorities found it necessary to take such heavy-handed action." (READ MORE)

The Redhunter: Some Questions for Muslim Schools - The Islamic Saudi Acadamy, located in the Virginia suburbs of Washington DC, should be closed simply because it is operated and funded by the Wahabist government of Saudi Arabia, which is a totalitarian nightmare. But what about Muslim schools where we cannot find a direct link to a jihadist government or organization? How do we determine if the school has a jihadist or Islamist curriculum, or whether it is simply a religious school that happens to be Islamic? M. Zuhdi Jasser, a Muslim American and former Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy, answers these questions in an article posted at Family Security Matters. Mr. Jasser is the founder and Chairman of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, a Phoenix based organization. That Family Security Matters is a pretty conservative outfit vouches for the AIFD by itself, but please visit his website if you'd like to be reassured. These days, it's understandable. (READ MORE)

Paul J Cella: Israeli apartheid? - A new round of Israeli-Arab peace talks is under way. Whether something enduring will come of it seems rather unlikely, though even some normally skeptical observers have expressed guarded hope. There is one curiosity here worth expounding: Thanks to Jimmy Carter, you’ll probably need both your hands to count the number of times the charge of APARTHEID will be hurled against Israel, sometimes with the esteemed former president actually cited, during interviews of Arab PR men. “Apartheid system,” “apartheid regime,” “apartheid state,” “apartheid government,” possibly even the infelicitous phrase “apartheid occupation” — over and over and over: these guys are suckers repetition of striking phrases. And while we’ve heard the apartheid accusation before, it is Carter’s recent book has vastly increased its currency. (READ MORE)

John Hawkins: The Democratic Underground Poll Of The Day: When The Conspiracy Theorists Become The Mainstream - This thread at the Democratic Underground, "Poll question: Do you believe George W. Bush was elected in 2000 and re-elected in 2004?," is a real eye catcher. Take a look at these poll results […] What this shows is how the conspiracy theorists have taken over the Left, lock, stock, and barrel because the "stolen election" pap in 2000 and 2004 is only marginally less kooky than the 9/11 conspiracy theories that libs seem to love so much. Let's take a quick look at the 2000 election first. Here's an excerpt from my column, "The Two Year Old's Tantrum That Never Ends". (READ MORE)

Mark Steyn: Bold as Brass - The other week, in Wednesbury in the English Midlands, an unusual crime occurred. A thief passed down a residential street and methodically stole every single front door handle and house number. The victims discovered the burglary when they tried to leave their homes and found the door no longer opened. An Englishman's home may be his castle but if you can't let down the drawbridge it's indistinguishable from a dungeon. Trying to get a, er, handle on property crime in the United Kingdom is a problematic business. Why would anyone steal door knockers? Well, there's a construction boom in India and China. Demand for lead is higher than at any time since 1980 and the price of copper has quadrupled in two years. And in a globalized market place that hasn't escaped the attention of Britain's criminal gangs, for whom "scrap metal" has become a far more lucrative proposition than it might once have been. (READ MORE)

Sister Toldjah: Breaking news: Glenn Greenwald has become a stickler for ‘factual accuracy’ (UPDATED) - Yes, I know it’s hard to believe, but the left’s favorite sockpuppet, Glenn Greenwald (who has a couple of NYT “bestsellers,” dontcha know), has developed an obsession of sorts for making sure other people get their facts straight before posting/publishing them. I find this development very intriguing, and definitely worth a much closer look. His target du jour (for many weeks, actually) has been noted lefty “sell-out” Joe Klein, who I should point out is one of the few liberals out there who comprehends and has written often about the importance of the US winning in Iraq. That should be the only clue anyone out there needs as to understand how the far left despises Klein, and why they go out of their way to “correct” any halfway sane liberal who they believe is “horrific” and “deceitful.” (READ MORE)

Jay Fraser: Science, Technology and the "Age of Terrorism" - The old saying was publish or perish. Scientists or academic researchers knew that peer review of their work was critical to gaining acceptance. But since September 11th, serious questions have arisen as to the appropriateness of certain types of research in general, and then the publication of sensitive but not classified information. This first became an issue for discussion when Dr. Mark Buller of St. Louis University and his team developed a vaccine resistant strain of mousepox in 2003 with funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Back then the question was whether the benefits of doing the research, especially when it came to especiallyparticularly virulent and new bio-terror agents, was prudent, and whether the publication of the results outweighed the potential for educated terrorists having the information and potentially being able to duplicate it. (READ MORE)

Ron Winter: Move America Forward Shows What It REALLY Means To Support The Troops - Move America Forward, the nation's largest pro-troop organization once again is underway with a pro-troop, cross-country caravan, this time ending at Ground Zero in New York where a rally will kick off the next phase, Christmas in Iraq. This is the third cross-country caravan this year for MAF. The first was in March when the group joined 30,000 patriots at the Gathering of Eagles in Washington, D.C., where we stood vigil against pro-communist, pro-terrorist forces who had threatened to deface the Vietnam Veterans Memorial during anti-troop demonstrations. MAF staged another caravan in September when they again gathered in D.C., to show support for the troops and Gen. David Petraeus who was reporting to Congress on that status of military operations in Iraq. The anti-war crowd who always claims that they support the troops, but not the Commander-in-Chief, sneaked in to D.C. a week ahead of that rally and defaced the Vietnam Memorial overnight on Sept. 7, apparently as revenge for being thwarted in March. (READ MORE)

Jay Tea: Dum De Dum Dum... - If ever I need something really stupid from the media, I have two sources that I can consistently count on to come through: the Arab News and the Boston Globe. And today, the Globe came through not once, but twice. First up, we have Derrick Jackson. Mr. Jackson today takes Toyota to task for committing a grave, cardinal, maybe even a mortal sin: offering its customers what they want. You see, Toyota, the makers of the blessed Prius, also offers a full-sized SUV, the Sequoia. And the Sequoia is nearly as big as the tree it is named after. It gets horrid gas mileage -- about 14 MPG city and highway. (READ MORE)

Meryl Yourish: Annapolis: The spin is in - And so it turns out that Annapolis has achieved just about nothing. Well, except cause more media outlets, pundits, and world leaders to put the lion’s share of the blame for any failure on Israel. Reuters has an interesting roundup of Arab opinion. “Lebanon’s former telecommunications minister Essam Noman, writing in the opposition al-Akhbar newspaper, said the United States had succeeded in ‘dragging the Arabs to a diplomatic talkfest.’” Notice how the subject of peace is treated as a horrible thing. “Ghassan Charbel, editor of the London-based Al-Hayat daily, said Arab states had gone to Annapolis without illusions. ‘They know that Israel wants to negotiate without being ready to pay the price of the solution. And they are aware that the Israeli negotiator will ask the Palestinian Authority for (conditions) it cannot provide…’” (READ MORE)

Andrea Shea-King: People Who Need Peeeeee-pul - Oh THIS is rich.... The New York Post is reporting... "Hillary Rodham Clinton turned her battle against Sen. Barack Obama into a clash of divas yesterday, rolling out the endorsement of Barbra Streisand to counter the buzz over talk-show star Oprah Winfrey's decision to stump for Obama." Heh... "'Madame President of the United States . . . it's an extraordinary thought,' Streisand gushed in a statement released by Clinton's campaign. "We truly are in a momentous time, where a woman's potential has no limitations." But just in case... "Although she is close to Bill Clinton, Streisand stayed on the fence earlier in the year by cutting $2,300 campaign checks to Clinton, Obama and John Edwards." (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.

In April 2006, Park Service Director Mary Bomar ordered an internal investigation into claims that the planned Flight 93 Memorial is actually a terrorist memorial mosque, built abound a giant Mecca-oriented crescent. Bomar's investigation was a total fraud, concluding, for instance, that it isn't possible to calculate the orientation of the crescent because the site-plan has not been geo-referenced. (Page 2, PP2 of September 2006 summary report. Page 1 here.)

In fact, the original Crescent of Embrace site-plan was drawn on a topo map that the Memorial Project provided to all participants in the design competition. A topo map is the epitome of a geo-referenced map. North marked on a topo map is true north, which is the only piece of information needed to calculate the orientation of the crescent. Just connect the tips of the crescent, form the perpendicular bisector, and calculate how many degrees it points from north (53.4).

Also known are the crash-site coordinates, which is all that is needed to calculate the direction to Mecca (55.2° clockwise from north). All of this is trivially easy to verify. Just use the Mecca-direction calculator at Islam.com to get a graphic of the direction to Mecca from the crash site and place it over the crescent site plan:



Somerset PA is ten miles from the crash-site. The "qibla" is the direction to Mecca. Red lines show the orientation of the crescent. The crescent points 1.8° north of Mecca. (Click for larger image.)

A request for oversight

Because it is the director's office that has been covering up the Mecca-orientation of the crescent, oversight can only come from Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne himself. Several people sent letters to Secretary Kempthorne two weeks ago, showing how the giant Mecca-oriented crescent remains completely intact in the so called redesign. But Mr. Kempthorne also needs to know that he is getting bad information from his subordinates in the Park Service. Thus a request for all readers of this post: if you have a minute, please copy and paste this entire post into an email for Secretary Kempthorne.

We don't need for the secretary to understand all the terrorist memorializing features in the design, or the numerous proofs of intent that architect Paul Murdoch included so that his accomplishment will be undeniable once it is a fait accompli. It is enough that he be concerned about features that can be readily interpreted as terrorist memorializing, whether they are intended or not. As Congressman Tancredo put it: we need "a new design that will not make the memorial a flashpoint for this kind of controversy and criticism."

But even getting to the most basic facts about what is in the present design requires getting past Mary Bomar's fraudulent report, which tries to pretend that there is nothing that can even be interpreted as untoward.

Mary Bomar's intellectually dishonest "experts"

In addition to claiming that topo maps are not geo referenced, Mary Bomar's internal investigation cites a small number of academic experts, all of whom spout nothing but the most absurd non sequiturs. One is Dr. Daniel Griffith, professor of "geo-spatial information" at the University of Texas. About Alec Rawls' analysis of the Mecca orientation of the giant crescent, Dr. Griffith writes:

... Mr. Rawls's arithmetic calculations appear to be correct ... [but] ... just because calculations are correct does not make the resulting numbers meaningful.

Dr. Griffith's point, it seems, is that the mere fact of Mecca orientation does not imply intent. Who said it did? The way Murdoch proves intent is by repeating his Mecca orientations (scroll down to the last section here). But intent is not the only thing that matters. Even without terrorist memorializing intent, it is inappropriate to plant a giant Mecca oriented crescent on the crash site.

The Memorial Project knows this, but it is committed to defending the crescent design, so it keeps using its doubts about intent as an excuse for denying the facts. Dr. Griffith, for instance, is telling every reporter who will listen that there is no such thing as the direction to Mecca. "Anything can point toward Mecca," he told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, "because the earth is round." One billion Muslims face Mecca five times a day to pray, and Griffith pretends there is no such thing as facing Mecca!

Of course he knows better. The first thing that Griffith's report does is calculate the direction to Mecca:

I computed an azimuth value from the Flight 93 crater site to Mecca of roughly 55.20°.

Bomar expert #2

Dr. Kevin Jaques, specialist in Islamic sharia law from the University of Indiana, acknowledges that the Mecca-oriented crescent is similar to the mihrab around which every mosque is built, but says:

...just because something is 'similar to' something else does not make it the 'same'.

Yes, well, similar--very, very similar--is exactly the problem.

Like Daniel Griffith, Mr. Jaques is trying to make hay of the fact that Mecca orientation does not by itself imply intent. So what? Intentional or not, it is unacceptable for the central feature of the Flight 93 memorial to be a geometric match for the central feature of a mosque. Jaques is pretending that the questions he raises about intent somehow make the facts irrelevant.

Professor Jaques also dismisses the likeness between the Mecca-oriented crescent and a traditional Islamic mihrab by noting that lots of religious structures have prayer-direction indicators, not just mosques:

The biggest hole in [Rawls'] argument is that all of the elements he points to are common architectural features that one would find in a church or synagogue. The mihrab originated in pre-Islamic buildings and can be found in temples, churches, and synagogues around the Mediterranean.

This is logic? Because Christian churches are often oriented to the east, that somehow makes it okay to build the Flight 93 memorial around a half-mile wide Mecca oriented crescent? If this is "the biggest hole in [Rawls'] argument," then there are no holes in Rawls' argument.

Project spokesmen know the truth, and are lying about it

Memorial Project spokesmen have followed the lead of these academic frauds, using doubts about intent as a pretext for denying the facts. Asked about Rawls' Mecca orientation claim, Patrick White, vice president of Families of Flight 93, denied it:

Rawls' claims are untrue and "preposterous," according to Patrick White, Families of Flight 93 vice president. "We went through in detail all his original claims and came away with nothing."

In fact, Patrick White is fully aware of the Mecca orientation of the giant crescent. At the Memorial Project's public meeting in July he argued that the almost-exact Mecca orientation of the giant crescent cannot be intended as a tribute to Islam because the inexactness of it would be "disrespectful to Islam."

Joanne Hanley has done the same:

"Alec Rawls bases all of his conclusions on faulty assumptions," said Joanne Hanley, the superintendent of the Flight 93 National Memorial. "In addition, the facts are twisted and people are misquoted, all to serve his intended purpose."

But she too has admitted the Mecca-orientation of the giant crescent, telling Mr. Rawls in a 2006 conference call that she wasn't concerned about the almost-exact Mecca orientation of the crescent because: "It isn't exact. That's one we talked about. It has to be exact." (Crescent of Betrayal, download 3, page 145.)

These are your subordinates Mr. Kempthorne. Please do not let them get away with this fraud. Congressman Tancredo is demanding answers from Director Bomar and many of us are hoping that you will do the same. There is not much time. Construction on Paul Murdoch's terrorist memorial mosque is about to begin.

Sgt. Antwan L. Walker

22 years old from Tampa, Florida
2nd Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division
May 18, 2005


Sgt. Antwan Walker was excited about coming home from Iraq to celebrate his 23rd birthday with his family and friends. His mother, Andrea Pringle, was busy planning the party when an Army official unexpectedly came to her house.

She said he told her Thursday that her son was killed the previous day by a bomb blast in Ramadi. The Department of Defense hasn't publicly confirmed his death.

Sgt. Antwan Walker, known as Twan to his friends and family, joined the Army in 2000. Pringle said her son joined to earn money for college.

"Twan had a lot of goals in life," She said. "He was very ambitious and very smart."

Sgt. Walker had been in Iraq for about a year. He called his family often but didn't want to talk about war. Instead, he talked about starting a real estate career and his three children.

"He was such a good dad," his mother said. "All he wanted to do was make a good life for his kids."

In April 2005, Walker wanted to talk about the fighting. He told his mother five soldiers he was traveling with were killed. His phone calls became more frequent after that.

Pringle said she had days when she couldn't eat or sleep because of her worries. But she never forgot to give her son her support.

"I always told him I'm proud and be safe".

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

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)
Signs Are Pointing South on Wall St. - Wall Street is betting on a recession. Investors in stocks and bonds are paying prices that indicate they believe a snowballing housing crisis and worsening credit crunch will soon tip the U.S. economy into a recession, analysts said. Many economists, including leaders of the Federal Reserve, don't... (READ MORE)

Politics Creates Odd Pair: Sanchez and Democrats - It may be among the strangest of political alliances: a former commanding general in Iraq, blocked from a fourth star and forced into retirement partly for his role in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, and the speaker of the House, desperate to end a war that the general helped start. (READ MORE)

Restrained Optimism For Mideast Peace Talks - On the eve of President Bush's most ambitious effort to forge peace between Israelis and Palestinians, White House aides played down expectations for an immediate breakthrough, while Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally, made clear that it expects an aggressive administration attempt to broker a final... (READ MORE)

Congress's Historians Keep Record Straight - Want to know which senators have received the Nobel Peace Prize? Or who was the first African American to serve in the House? The answer is likely to be found in the historical offices that both chambers maintain, each with voluminous information about Congress. (READ MORE)

Bush, Maliki Sign Pact on Iraq's Future - President Bush reached a deal yesterday that is intended to lead to a more normalized, long-term relationship between the United States and Iraq by the time he leaves office, but it left unsettled the question of how many and how long U.S. forces would remain. (READ MORE)

Gates Urges Increased Funding for Diplomacy - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called yesterday for a "dramatic increase" in the U.S. budget for diplomacy and foreign aid, arguing that al-Qaeda does a better job than Washington of communicating its message overseas and that U.S. deployment of civilians abroad has been "ad hoc and on the fly." (READ MORE)

India Appeases Radical Islam - Friday's multiple bomb blasts in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh -- which killed 13 people and injured about 80 -- ought to give pause to those who see the world's largest democracy as a linchpin in the war on terror. India's leaders and diplomats seek to portray the country as a firebreak against radical Islam, or the drive to impose the medieval Arab norms enshrined in Shariah law on 21st century life. In reality, India is ill- equipped to fight this scourge. (READ MORE)

Bush Meets with Israeli, Palestinian - President Bush met separately yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in preparation for direct talks between the two leaders today in Annapolis and said that a deal would require "difficult compromises." (READ MORE)

Redskins' Sean Taylor Dies - Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died this morning in a Miami hospital, a day after he was shot in the leg during a home invasion. Taylor was 24 years old. Family friend and Taylor's former lawyer, Richard Sharpstein, said Taylor's father called him with the news at 5:30 a.m. (READ MORE)

Hamas Convenes Shadow Meeting - Hamas held a conference of its own yesterday, denouncing any Palestinian concessions at today's Annapolis peace summit as a "surrender of Palestinian rights." (READ MORE)

British Teacher Held Over Prophet 'Insult' - A British teacher in Sudan yesterday faced lashes and deportation as she languished in police custody, accused of insulting the Muslim prophet for allowing young children to name a teddy bear Muhammad. (READ MORE)

Obama's Bid to Get Oomph From Oprah - Oprah Winfrey will tour Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina with Sen. Barack Obama as his presidential-nomination campaign seeks to cash in on the momentum it has picked up in recent weeks, with polls showing him leading his Democratic rivals in Iowa and closing the gap in New Hampshire. (READ MORE)

Photo ID Law Didn't Hurt Turnout in Indiana - Voter turnout among Democrats improved slightly last year in Indiana, despite a new law requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls, according to a new report that comes months before the Supreme Court hears a case challenging the law. (READ MORE)



From the Front:
This War and Me: End of Mission: Part 1 - I recently returned from my third mission since I arrived in country ten months ago. This mission I was assigned as Truck Commander of a 'flex' truck in our Convoy Protection Platform. I basically sent messages back and forth to the Tactical Operations Center (where I normally work). It is the same 'dings' that I talk about while sitting on the other end. Everyone in the truck had a headset so we could talk to each other. The trucks were so noisy with everything going on that it was the best way to talk to each other effectively. We could also talk to the other trucks in the convoy. (READ MORE)

This War and Me: End of Mission: Part 2 - The PX was a good stop. The PX on Camp Liberty is a Super Wal-mart compared to the PX we have on Adder. There is a small bizarre and several little shops. I searched for just the right souvenirs for my children and found some things I think they’ll like. I had learned on the trip up that it is hard to see in the dark and a good, rugged tactical flashlight is invaluable. I however did place a value on it and bought a suitable flashlight for $75. It is supposed to be water-proof and crush-proof. Though it should survive being driven over by an up-armored HUMVEE, at this price I won’t test it. (READ MORE)

Sergeant Grumpy: Running on Java and Jolt - "It is impossible to know who to trust here - the best advice is to trust no one" That is surely the best advice I got from the outgoing team, and if I didn't hear it from CI-Roller dude, I am sure he would have said it. Everyone here you work with wants something from you and has some scam they are trying to run. People show up every day with some urgent information we should drop everything in order to discuss. Most of it is crap, or recycled intel they were able to sell to the last rotation, or the FOB down the road. Or worse, they are from the "enemy/insurgent/AIF/ACF/freedom fighter/Abu dirt-bag/take-your-pick" and they are trying to figure out what we already know. (READ MORE)

Amir Taheri: Iraq: Beyond the Drop in Violence - "A TORRENT OF GOOD NEWS": So The New York Times described the reports of a significant fall in violence in Iraq. But reducing all Iraqi news to measures of violence can hamper understanding of a complex situation. Those who opposed the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003 prefer to focus on violence, for it has seemed to confirm their claim that the war was wrong. They've downplayed all good news from post-Saddam Iraq - the end of an evil regime that had oppressed the Iraqi people for 35 years; the return home of a million-plus Iraqi refugees in the first year after liberation; the fact that the Iraqis got together to write a new constitution and hold referendums and free elections - for the first time in their history - and moved to form coalition governments answerable to the parliament. The drop in violence is certainly a good thing. But other Iraq news, both good and bad, needs to be taken into account. (READ MORE)

Northern Disclosure: In a Dream! - Several times in my life I have been priviledged enough to be able to speak and have people listen. Some times what I have said influenced those that listened, ussually not in the way I had intented though. Recently I was contacted by my friend David over at Doonesbury who was working a research project for G Trudeau the creator and cartoonist of Doonesbury about what we do for music over here. I, along with a handful of others responed and spoke of what we listen to and why. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: Empowering Iran - Iran's leaders must be feeling awfully flattered today. The papers report that the real reason behind the Annapolis conference is not the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but Iran. WaPo's story says: "Iran's growing role in Iraq, where its Shiite brethren control the government, has also changed regional dynamics, particularly for the region's Sunni governments that decided to come to Annapolis." Iran is becoming more important each day, and it loves being the scariest bully in the 'hood. (READ MORE)

Fightin'6th Marines: 3/5 Marines meet unexpected man of the house - Marines stopped and knocked at a courtyard gate in Fallujah's Andaloos district. A little girl answered the door with an anxious look on her face. “Is the man of the house in?” asked Sgt. Ysac M. Perez, a squad leader with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6. As if on cue, a little seven-year-old boy appeared and owned up to the title. The Marines greeted him with smiles and laughter. This scenario is not unusual, however, said Perez. (READ MORE)

Badger 6: Sergeant Samuel Nichols, United States Marine Corps - Some of you may remember this post regarding the four Marines we worked with that were killed in late July. That was a horrific attack that also left wounded. One of those wounded was Sergeant Samuel Nichols. His family has set up a blog here to report on his progress. Although Sergeant Nichols did not do Route Clearance, Katana Battery was a part of our Task Force if not tactically, then at least in spirit. Here is to Sergeant Nichols and his family. Let us hope for a recovery for this brave Marine. (READ MORE)

A Battlefield Tourist: COP Corregidor, al-Haswa - Southwest of Baghdad is an area called al-Hawsa, a Sunni region in the area of Iraq known as South Baghdad. It’s an area that is part of Iraq’s notorious “Triangle of Death”. It’s also the area that, up through October, was assigned to “B” Troop, 1-89 Cavalry, part of the 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd BCT. The unit established COP Corregidor as part of the US military’s new strategy to put smaller units among the population in an effort to stimulate cooperation. From this strategy shift, the “Concerned Citizens” movement began to take root across the area, following the successful template being used in Anbar Province. (READ MORE)

Michael J. Totten: An Edgy Calm in Fallujah - FALLUJAH, IRAQ – “You're probably safer here than you are in New York City,” said Marine First Lieutenant Barry Edwards when I arrived in Fallujah. I raised my eyebrows at him skeptically. “How many people got shot at last night in New York City?” he said. “Probably somebody,” I said. “Yeah, probably somebody did,” he said. “Somewhere.” Nobody was shot last night in Fallujah. No American has been shot anywhere in Fallujah since the 3rd Battalion 5th Marine Regiment rotated into the city two months ago. There have been no rocket or mortar attacks since the summer. Not a single of the 3/5 Marines has even been wounded. (READ MORE)



On the Web:
Jonathan H. Adler: The Lowdown on Doomsday - The secretary-general of the United Nations, upon issuing yet another global-warming report a couple of weeks ago, announced that "we are on the verge of a catastrophe." Kevin Rudd, Australia's just-elected prime minister, has said that fighting global warming will be his "number one" priority. And Al Gore, propelled by his Nobel Prize, still travels the world to warn of doom. His latest stop was the Caribbean, where earlier this month he told a gathering of the region's environmental officials that rising seas, the result of melting polar icecaps, would threaten their island paradise. (READ MORE)

Bret Stephens: Condi's Road to Damascus - Remember Nancy Pelosi's spring break in Damascus? Condoleezza Rice apparently does not. When the House Speaker paid Syrian strongman Bashar Assad a call back in April, President Bush denounced her for sending "mixed signals" that "lead the Assad government to believe they are part of the mainstream of the international community, when in fact they are a state sponsor of terror." Today, said sponsor of terror will take its place at the table Ms. Rice has set for the Middle Eastern conference at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. (READ MORE)

Joel Kotkin: The Rise of Family-Friendly Cities -For much of the past decade, business recruiters, cities and urban developers have focused on the "young and restless," the "creative class," and the so-called "yuspie"--the young urban single professional. Cities, they've said, should capture this so-called "dream demographic" if they wish to inhabit the top tiers of the economic food chain and enjoy the fastest and most sustained growth. This focus--epitomized by Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm's risible "Cool Cities" initiative--is less successful than advertised. Cincinnati, Baltimore, Cleveland, Newark, Detroit and Memphis have danced to the tune of the hip and the cool, yet largely remain wallflowers in terms of economic and demographic growth. (READ MORE)

Dennis Prager: The World Doesn't Hate America, the Left Does - One of the most widely held beliefs in the contemporary world -- so widely held it is not disputed -- is that, with few exceptions, the world hates America. One of the Democrats' major accusations against the Bush administration is that it has increased hatred of America to unprecedented levels. And in many polls, the United States is held to be among the greatest obstacles to world peace and harmony. But it is not true that the world hates America. It is the world's left that hates America. (READ MORE)

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Gang-Rape in Annapolis, Saudi Style - It is fitting that Condoleezza Rice chose the U.S. Naval Academy for the venue of tomorrow’s so-called Mideast peace conference. The reputation of that extraordinary institution in Annapolis has been sullied in recent years by a succession of rapes of young women. Despite official efforts to low-ball its significance, Ms. Rice’s conclave is shaping up to be a gang-rape of a nation on a scale not seen since Munich in 1938, when the British and French allowed Hitler and Mussolini to have their violent way with Czechoslovakia. (READ MORE)

Mike S. Adams: I'm Embarrassed to be White - The other day a skinny white boy came to me complaining about his teacher’s “anti-white racist remarks.” These remarks were made while the teacher was lecturing in a course here at UNC-White (Oops! I mean, UNC-Wilmington). After listing a bunch of bad things white people have done to black people, the professor stated in front of a racially-mixed audience: “You know … I’m actually embarrassed to be white.” The student thought this made his teacher look like an “anti-white racist.” But looks can be deceiving. In reality, like most white “liberals,” the teacher is really a white supremacist. (READ MORE)

Cal Thomas: Another Piece Summit - Just as Thanksgiving and Christmas come around with predictable regularity, so, too, do Middle East peace summits arrive near the end of modern presidencies. Bill Clinton had his and now the Bush administration is treading where previous fools have trod with what appears to be the diplomatic equivalent of a shotgun wedding in Annapolis, Md. These gatherings never bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians. That's because only one side wants peace. The other wants pieces of Israel... (READ MORE)

Thomas Sowell: That "Top One Percent" - People who are in the top one percent in income receive far more than one percent of the attention in the media. Even aside from miscellaneous celebrity bimbos, the top one percent attract all sorts of hand-wringing and finger-pointing. A recent column by Anna Quindlen in Newsweek (or is that Newsweak?) laments that "the share of the nation's income going to the top 1 percent is at its highest level since 1928." Who are those top one percent? For those who would like to join them, the question is: How can you do that? (READ MORE)

David Limbaugh: 2008: Holding Democrats Accountable on War - Some say Democrats won't have Iraq as an issue for the 2008 presidential campaign due to our dramatic turnaround there. Republicans should take it a step further and make it an issue themselves. Democrats have accused President Bush of politicizing the war any time he merely reported favorably on our progress or made a speech defining the enemy and explaining our multi-pronged strategy to defeat him. All the while, it was Democrats who were exploiting the war for partisan gain. (READ MORE)

Rich Lowry: Science Trumps Politics - The "sideshow" has become the main event. For years, we've been told that only stem-cell research that destroys human embryos is worth pursuing. Everything else is a diversion, driven by fanatical religious opposition to the progress of science. When President Bush sought legislation from Congress to advance research that didn't involve destroying embryos, he was rebuffed by the Democratic Congress. Eventually, he issued an executive order in June 2007 to promote stem-cell research "without violating human dignity or demeaning human life." (READ MORE)

Dinesh D'Souza: Debunking the Galileo Myth - Many people have uncritically accepted the idea that there is a longstanding war between science and religion. We find this war advertised in many of the leading atheist tracts such as those by Richard Dawkins, Victor Stenger, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens. Every few months one of the leading newsweeklies does a story on this subject. Little do the peddlers of this paradigm realize that they are victims of nineteenth-century atheist propaganda. About a hundred years ago, two anti-religious bigots named John William Draper and Andrew Dickson White wrote books promoting the idea of an irreconcilable conflict between science and God. The books were full of facts that have now been totally discredited by scholars. (READ MORE)

Amanda Carpenter: Voter ID Fraud Doesn’t Exist Says ACORN - ACORN, a group with a track record of submitting fraudulent voter registration forms, says it is unjust to enact voter identification laws until it is proven that “voter impersonation fraud” is happening. The Association of Community Organization for Reform Now (ACORN) submitted an amicus brief, also called a “friend of the court” document, to the Supreme Court on November 13 in opposition to Indiana’s new voter identification laws. ACORN’s amicus brief disputes the existence of “voter impersonation fraud” in which a person would assume someone else’s identity in order to vote, but not “voter registration fraud” which ACORN employees have been found guilty of several times. (READ MORE)

Rich Galen: The Australian Election - The big news over the weekend was that a guy named Kevin Rudd won the election to be the Prime Minister of Australia. Rudd is the leader of the Labor (Labour?) Party and beat the incumbent John Howard whose Conservative Party had been in power for nearly 12 years. This was, of course, reported around the world as a defeat for … George Bush. EVERYTHING is reported around the world as a defeat for … George Bush. Rudd said he would do two things immediately: 1. Ratify the Kyoto Protocols on global warming; and, 2. Withdraw all of Australia's troops from Iraq. (READ MORE)

Jay Tea: Compare And Contrast - Currently in Boston, they're trying out a new program to cut down on gun violence. The police are going to homes and asking for permission to search the house for illegal guns. If any are found, they are confiscated -- but no charges are being filed. And if the residents refuse, the police (in theory) thank them for their time and move on. This has a lot of people concerned about the intrusiveness of the police, and potential violations of civil rights and intimidation of people. (READ MORE)

Wolf Pangloss: News from the Far End of the World - The far end of the world would be the Himalayan nations of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and perhaps India and Bangladesh. The big news is in Pakistan. Musharraf is stepping down as chief of the Army on Wednesday and taking the oath of office as a civilian president this Thursday. But first, he will make extended farewell visits to Pakistani troops in Islamabad and Rawalpindi from Tuesday through Wednesday. Musharraf’s successor as chief of the army is slated to be General Ashfaq Kiyani, the former head of the Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). (READ MORE)

Ilya Somin: Airport Security in Israel - I recently blogged about some of the failures of the Transportation Security Administration, the federal bureaucracy charged with ensuring airport security in the United States. It was therefore interesting for me to observe Israeli airport security in action during my recent trip to Israel. Israeli airport security is widely considered the best in the world. There has not had a successful hijacking of an airliner originating in Israel since 1969, and you can be quite sure that it's not because the terrorists haven't been trying hard enough. I noticed two obvious differences between the US and Israeli systems. (READ MORE)

Orin Kerr: The Law and Propriety of Posting YouTube Links - In response to yesterday's post including a link to a YouTube clip of a jazz performance, commenter "Siona Sthrunch" contends that such posts violate copyright law; are hypocritical; undermine the credibility of the blog; and even undermine our commitment to the United States Constitution: “As I've said many times, everyone knows, or should know, that lawyers posting on Volokh are effectively immune from any copyright suit. It's much too expensive to litigate against a bunch of lawyers. Kerr can freely post from now till doomsday and never fear paying any monetary penalties.” So is Strunch correct that I am guilty of "continual copyright infringement"? (READ MORE)

Lawhawk: Annapolis Unburdened - The Annapolis Middle East summit is underway, and the diplomats are unburdened by such details as Gaza being in the hands of an Islamic terrorist group dedicated to Israel's destruction, and which is a member of the Palestinian Authority with whom the Israelis are supposed to make peace with. Hamas supporters demonstrated in Gaza and called for the death of Israel, the US and called Abbas a traitor for even daring to talk with the Israelis. (READ MORE)

Ace of Spades: The Case of the Mustachioed Bride: "Just Married" Couple Stopped At Checkpoint, Bride Is Wanted Terrorist - Fruits of Islam: “SUSPICIOUS Iraqi troops ordered a ‘bride’ and ‘groom’ out of their car at a checkpoint on a highway north of Baghdad only to find they were wanted militants in disguise, the defence ministry said. Two other men travelling with the all-male “bridal couple” were also found to be wanted militants, the ministry said in a statement. It said the incident occurred near Taji, about 40km from Baghdad, but did not indicate when.” (READ MORE)

Ed Morrissey: The American Non-Empire - The charge of empire-building gets made repeatedly by critics of the United States, to the point where counterargument rarely occurs. This passivity comes in part from the unquestionable international military reach of the US and its commercial, cultural, and political influence around the world. However, the term "empire" means much more than influence and reach, as Jonah Goldberg notes in today's Los Angeles Times: The age of empire has long since passed. Real empires - not the pseudoempire that critics accuse America of building - invaded and colonized territory, putting them and their peoples under a single head of state, usually a monarchy. (READ MORE)

Dave Ross: The Most Important Thing of 2008 - The central tenet of my life and the universe-- at least this week-- is that the most important thing in the world is to prevent Hillary Clinton from becoming president. Although from the standpoint of my personal profit and reputation it would be a good thing if Hillary become president, since I am working on a 1984ish dystopian horror fiction knockoff about the beginning of her fourth term in office entitled (tentatively) "Nanny" I consider it hardly an exaggeration that a second Clinton presidency would be the beginning of the end for freedom and civil liberties as we know it, but probably also the American way of life. (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio: Doku Umarov declares Islamic Caucasus Emirate - While al Qaeda in Chechnya and the greater Chechnya rebel movement has suffered a serious setback over the past two years, a nucleus of the terror movement remains. Doku Umarov, one of the last remaining original leaders of the Chechen rebellion and a close associate of al Qaeda, has declared an Islamic emirate in the greater Caucasus region. On November 22, the Kavkaz Center, an al Qaeda-linked website promoting the jihad in Chechnya, published Umarov's declaration of the Caucasian Emirate. Umarov, who is now the "Amir of Mujahideen in Caucasus," emphasized the importance of implementing sharia, or Islamic law, and the responsibility of Muslims to "fight the infidels." (READ MORE)

Confederate Yankee: TNR's Last Stand? - 1/18 Infantry, Second Brigade Combat Team, First Infantry Division, rotated out of Iraqi several weeks ago to their home base in Schweinfurt, Germany. This included noted fabulist Scott Thomas Beauchamp. Whether Beauchamp is still in Germany or has been allowed home on leave is rather irrelevant; he matters quite little now that he has established that he will not support his dark fantasies on the record. What does matter is that Franklin Foer and The New Republic have lost yet another excuse in their continued failure to account for the actions of the magazine's editors since "Shock Troops" was first questioned July 18, over four months ago. Now that Beauchamp is out of the war zone and back in western civilization, Foer is unable to claim that he military is muzzling his communication or that of his fellow soldiers. (READ MORE)

Don Surber: We won - NY Sun: Negotiations have begun on ending the occupation of Iraq by Jan. 20, 2009. The headline in the New York Sun this morning read: “Talks Are Set on Ending Battle of Iraq.” This may be the story of the year. Reported Nicholas Wapshott: “Lieutenant General Douglas Lute, quietly announced that the American and Iraqi governments will start talks early next year to bring about an end to the allied occupation by the close of Mr. Bush’s presidency.” (READ MORE)

Allahpundit: Crisis, day two: Teddy bear blasphemer fired, grilled for five hours, facing sedition charge - Gordon Brown claims she hasn’t been charged with anything yet but there are rumors of a blasphemy charge and a sedition charge on the way if witnesses “bring new elements to light.” Which, I guess, explains why they’re grilling her for five hours about a teddy bear. “When the mother-of-two was arrested on Sunday an angry mob, chanting death threats, gathered outside her lodgings at Unity High School as she was led away by police…She is now facing charges under sharia law for ‘insulting ideology and religion’…” (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden: Jerusalem by Halves - Israel Matzav on the deal shaping up in Annapolis. He doesn’t like it. He’s not the only one. On the other side of the ledger, al-Jazeera’s glum and so is Hamas. Here’s how Gaza plans to express itself during the talks. Friedman at Stratfor weighs in with some history, complexities, pitfalls and goals: (READ MORE)

Bryan Preston: John Edwards, health care jackboot - Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have of late engaged in a back-and-forth over their respective health care plans. Now John Edwards is swinging into the fray with a plan that is best summed up in a single word: Totalitarian. Not making this up. “I’m mandating healthcare for every man woman and child in America and that’s the only way to have real universal healthcare. Evertime you go into contact with the healthcare system or the govenment you will be signed up.” (READ MORE)

McQ: Sanchez and the Democrats - The sudden relationship can be summed up neatly by the old Arab proverb: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Dale has written about it and he and I have discussed it on a podcast. That is the suddenly outspoken retired LTG Ricardo Sanchez blasting the administration about the conduct of the war in Iraq. Of course what Sanchez never does is take any responsibility for his role in that war. For instance: “Other senior military figures have turned on the White House, but none as senior as Sanchez, whose command of coalition forces in Iraq in 2003 and 2004 coincided with an explosion of violence, the emergence of a brutal insurgency and a prison-abuse scandal that still haunts the war effort.” (READ MORE)

Dan Riehl: Paris Burning, Again - It looks like rioting is becoming something of a seasonal sport among France's immigrant population. Bottom line, two young, I hesitate to use the word, men, on a motorcycle collided with a police car, died, and the lower income suburbs think it was intentional, and or, that the police didn't do enough in the aftermath. What it looks like is a growing political class waiting for an excuse to riot. Some have been reported to be firing guns at police, with some 60 - 70 cops injured in what is now two nights of rioting. (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.

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)
Trent Lott to Resign From Senate - Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, the Senate's No. 2 Republican, plans to resign his seat before the end of the year, congressional and White House officials said today. Lott, 66, scheduled two news conferences in his home state later in the day to reveal his plans. According to congressional and White House officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement, Lott intends to resign effective the end of the year. (READ MORE)

Study Calls HIV in D.C. A 'Modern Epidemic' - The first statistics ever amassed on HIV in the District, released today in a sweeping report, reveal "a modern epidemic" remarkable for its size, complexity and reach into all parts of the city. (READ MORE)

The Press's Post-Iowa Tailwinds: As Nature Intended It? - On the morning of Jan. 4, 2008, the winners of the Iowa caucuses -- one Democrat, one Republican -- will blast into the stratosphere as if they were strapped to a booster rocket. (READ MORE)

Iraqis Detail Shooting by Guard Firm - Guards employed by Unity Resources Group, a security company responsible for the shooting deaths of two Iraqi women here Oct. 9, had shot and seriously wounded a man driving a van 3 1/2 months earlier on the same Baghdad thoroughfare, according to four witnesses. (READ MORE)

The FCC Plays 'Monopoly' - With all due respect to Kevin Martin, we're beginning to wonder if the head of the Federal Communications Commission knows the first thing about the cable industry he regulates. At a meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Chairman Martin plans to push a slew of new regulations on cable operators. (READ MORE)

On the Jewish Question - Herewith some thoughts about tomorrow's Annapolis peace conference, and the larger problem of how to approach the Israel-Palestine conflict. The first question (one might think it is obvious but apparently not) is, "What is the conflict about?" There are basically two possibilities: that it is about the size of Israel, or about its existence. (READ MORE)

A Challenger Welcomed - Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned home to a tumultuous welcome last night, ending seven years of exile in Saudi Arabia in hopes of reinvigorating his political party and challenging President Pervez Musharraf for national power. (READ MORE)

Islamists Target Arizona Base - Fort Huachuca, the nation's largest intelligence-training center, changed security measures in May after being warned that Islamist terrorists, with the aid of Mexican drug cartels, were planning an attack on the facility. (READ MORE)

D.C., Annapolis Brace for Summit Security - D.C. police say they will use rolling street closures today to protect and help move diplomats attending the first day of the Middle East peace talks. (READ MORE)

Out of Office, Blair Opens Up on Role of Faith - Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday that religious faith was "hugely important" to his decision-making — including the decision to go to war in Iraq — but that he was unable to talk about it while in office because people in Britain regard religion with deep suspicion. (READ MORE)

Hillary Takes Aim at Obama on Health Care - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton often tells voters she is proud of the Democratic field of presidential candidates, saying it's so nice that "you don't have to be against anybody." (READ MORE)



From the Front:
Bill and Bob's Excellent Adventure: Patriot - I met a patriot today. I met a man who is not in the military of any country, but he is most certainly a patriot. He is a manager for the company that manages our terps, or interpreters. He is an Afghan-American. He lived in the United States Since the early 80's. Shortly after he arrived in the United States he became an activist for his native country, first as an opponent of the communists, and then as an opponent of the Taliban. He worked to raise awareness among the decision-makers of the events in Afghanistan and the threats to the security of not only his native land but to the rest of the world as well. (READ MORE)

Eighty Deuce On The Loose In Iraq: A time to give thanks... - This Thanksgiving has a little extra meaning this year. It is a time when we give thanks for the things we have, and to remeber that some of the most important things we have are those that we have always had or will always have; our friends and family. But this year, I have a little something more to be thankful for. To take a few steps back, I'll go back and talk about the last couple patrols I went on. These were the first couple of patrols I had done since being back in Iraq. The first one, there was nothing really special about it. I was a dismount team leader and we did the usual amount of walking around, but I discovered that my body was going to take a little bit to get used to working 20+ hours at a time again. (READ MORE)

ETT PA-C: Arrival - I have made it "home" so to speak. After about 3 days, 3 countries, 3 planes, 1 cold shower and 9 hours of sleep I've arrived. It was a bitter sweet arrival to Kandahar, feeling the pain of leaving my beautiful family behind yet feeling the joy of seeing my comrades here again AND dare I mention the fact that I'm in the down hill slide of the tour now. There's joy in just that alone. On the trip back Goddard got "stuck" in Qatar for a day and couldn't believe that was a base supporting a war. (READ MORE)

Far From Perfect: In Transition - If you haven’t guessed by now, updates may be few and far between for the next month or so. Why? Because I am getting ready to leave this God Forsaken country, and access to the internet is getting scarce. So please bear with me and I’ll update everyone as often as I can. (READ MORE)

Fightin' 6th Marines: Marine awarded Silver Star for heroism - Staff Sgt. Charles M. Evers, a platoon sergeant with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, was awarded the Silver Star Medal during an evening ceremony here, Nov. 23, by Gen. James T. Conway, the 34th commandant of the Marine Corps. Evers, a native of Lewiston, Idaho, was presented the award for his actions against insurgents during Operation Iraqi Freedom while serving as platoon commander with third platoon, Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, I Marine Expeditionary Force Forward during June, 2006. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: Snubbing the Annapolis Meeting - As the Middle East talks begin in Annapolis, some absences might be the subject of fun speculation. We all know why Iran isn't present, and there could be all sorts of reasons for Iraq's decision to stay away. Surely Iraqi politicians should be busy working towards solving their own problems. But there might be a more sinister reason for Iraq's choice to stay home. "Iraq has received an invitation to attend the meeting in the United States but will not take part in it for several reasons," Labid Abawi, the Undersecretary for Political Affairs in the Iraqi foreign ministry, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq by telephone on Monday. (READ MORE)

Matt Sanchez: Ride along with U.S. military quick reaction force saving lives in Iraq - Embedding with the quick reaction force – QRF – was like drawing straws and hoping something would happen on the long 24-hour shifts. I was with the "C" Company 7th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment from Fort Campbell, Ky., a medical evacuation team stationed at Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad. Its motto: "Bene Volare Vitam Salvare," "To fly well is to save lives." Paul Rauscher, a chief warrant officer and pilot originally from Lake of Ozarks, Minn., was on his third trip to Iraq, where he piloted a UH-60 Sikorsky, a type of flying ambulance with 6 litters for the wounded. (READ MORE)

Michael J. Totten: Happy Thanksgiving Weekend - I would have written "Happy Thanksgiving" to all my American readers, but I have been embedded in joint Marine-Iraqi security stations in Fallujah very far from Internet access. So my holiday greeting is late. The Marines are keeping me busy. I have tons of material, and little time to write yet. But I should, theoretically, have a proper full-length article for you on Monday (he says as he crosses fingers.) Thank you for being patient. (READ MORE)

Ranger Sid: Thanksgiving? - Its been quite a while since my last post....I've really had a tough time coming up with positive things to say....It seems as this deployment drags on, my patience and tolerance of others is rapidly decreasing...and i found myself on Thanksgiving... thinking.... what the hell do I have to be thankful for??? Of course then it dawned on me....Almost like a slap in the face.....that i DO have plenty of things to be thankful for..... (READ MORE)

This War and Me: In my solitude - Tonight is cool and the air is crisp. I sit in my solitude and work on my Psychology paper that is due in a couple days. I must do it tonight as I will be on a mission and unable to turn it in on time if I don't finish it tonight. Always the procrastinator, I have waited until the last possible moment to do it. I lean back and look up at the stars as I sit on the steps of my porch. My air conditioner fan is clanking along beside my head so I turn it off and enjoy a bit of silence. It is nice, relaxing and reminds me of home; sitting on my front porch, snuggled between the Ozark Mountains. (READ MORE)

Yellowhammering Afghanistan: What a day! - It had the makings as one of my worst days in Afghanistan (not counting the times our troops were involved in IED strikes). I woke up early Sunday morning to watch my beloved Crimson Tide lose its sixth straight game to hated rival Auburn. We were preparing to leave Kabul and I was the convoy commander. I missed my departure time because vehicles and soldiers were not prepared at the prescribed time. Then, our five-ton truck broke down and had to be recovered back to Camp Phoenix where we ended up spending another night waiting for it to be repaired. What else could go wrong? (READ MORE)

Michael Yon: Men of Valor Part II - To interpret events in al Basra, context is critical. When we invited the British to join us in this war in 2003, the U.S., with the bulk of troops and assets, was the senior partner. In essence, we were the driver of a bus filled with several dozen partners: Poland, Australia, Japan, Georgia, Korea, Albania and so on. Although several key countries had opted to stay home, no nation stepped up to the task like Great Britain, taking responsibility for southern Iraq. But they could not have not planned for the seemingly precipitous and arbitrary decisions made by the mostly American bus drivers in Washington and Baghdad, who took many turns without consulting an accurate map. Egos and strained competencies only magnified and compounded errors. Nobody paid more for these mistakes than Iraqis and Americans, but the Brits and others have also paid tolls for their seats. (READ MORE)

Battlefield Tourist: COP Corregidor and al-Hawsa - Southwest of Baghdad is an area called al-Hawsa, a Sunni region in the area of Iraq known as South Baghdad. It’s an area that is part of Iraq’s notorious “Triangle of Death”. It’s also the area that, up through October, was assigned to “B” Troop, 1-89 Cavalry, part of the 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd BCT. The unit established COP Corregidor as part of the US military’s new strategy to put smaller units among the population in an effort to stimulate cooperation. From this strategy shift, the “Concerned Citizens” movement began to take root across the area, following the successful template being used in Anbar Province. (READ MORE)




On the Web:
Paul Greenberg: Peace Through Confusion - Let us begin with this one fact, for it may be the only thing that is clear in all the diplomatic fog that has settled over this Chinese puzzle: Joseph Wu is an envoy. I know that much. He walks, he talks, he looks like a diplomat. It takes me a good half-hour of asking dumb questions for him to show even the slightest trace of exasperation. Yes, he's definitely a diplomat. He speaks at least a couple of languages. (I can vouch for the quality of his English, though not his Chinese.) (READ MORE)

Donald Lambro: Dems in Denial Over Iraq Recovery - WASHINGTON -- The significant decline of violence in Iraq is well documented: fewer insurgent attacks, far less roadside bombs, fewer U.S. casualties and little or no sectarian warfare. Last week, a series of reports by U.S. military officials in Iraq revealed the dramatic changes that have taken place there. A 55-percent drop in attacks since the surge offensive began nine months ago. Overall violence in key areas of Iraq has dropped to its lowest levels since the summer of 2005. Iraqi civilian casualties have also fallen, a staggering 60-percent drop since June, down 75 percent in Baghdad alone. (READ MORE)

Michael Barone: A Wide Range of Possibilities in the Race for President - Six weeks out from the Iowa caucuses, the presidential race looks more uncertain than ever. Only last week did the schedule of contests become certain: The day before Thanksgiving, New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner set the state's primary on Jan. 8, and the day before that, the state Supreme Court ruled that the Michigan primary can proceed on Jan. 15. Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani continue to lead the competitions in national polls and in the large states, but on the Democratic side, there is a virtual three-way tie in Iowa, and on the Republican side, Mitt Romney leads in Iowa and New Hampshire. As for the general election, national polls show Democrats generally doing better than Republicans, but recent Rasmussen and Mason-Dixon polls show Hillary Clinton trailing in what was, in 2000 and 2004, the key state of Florida. (READ MORE)

Ken Blackwell: Gun Rights and Presidential Politics - The debate over individual gun rights just has become a front line issue in the 2008 presidential campaign. The United States Supreme Court decision to hear arguments on District of Columbia v. Heller, the D.C. gun ban case, guarantees it. In the District of Columbia, it is a crime to have a handgun. It also is a crime to have shotguns or rifles unless they are unloaded and disabled. Ordinary people cannot have a gun, even in their own homes. (READ MORE)

Doug Wilson: A Victory For Freedom - Democracy scored a huge victory earlier this month, one that the media has largely overlooked. Yahoo Inc., the Internet company made famous by their search engine, settled out of court with two Chinese journalists who sued the company under U.S. human rights laws for providing the Chinese government with identifying information about their Internet use. One of the journalists, Wang Xiaoning, is an editor of several publications that advocate for democracy in China and was arrested in 2002 after police raided his home. Charged with government subversion, Xiaoning was sentenced to jail. Advocacy groups that received word of the arrest thought it bizarre that Xiaoning was found so quickly by the Chinese police, though he had anonymously sent his pro-democracy writings. According to the lawsuit, Yahoo gave Xiaoning’s e-mail records to local authorities. (READ MORE)

John Fund: The Wolverine Primary - What if we look back on the 2008 presidential nomination contests and conclude one or both were effectively decided by a single vote--and among a group of judges at that? Democratic partisans still argue that the 2000 presidential contest was decided by a single vote in the U.S. Supreme Court, even though media recounts of Florida ballots showed that the outcome would not have been changed if Bush v. Gore had gone the other way. But there's no doubt that a 4-3 ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court last Wednesday saved that state's Jan. 15 presidential primary, which was in danger of being scrapped over a dispute about whether it adhered to the state constitution. The winners are likely to be Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton. (READ MORE)

Shelby Steele: Obama Is Right on Iran - After a recent Democratic presidential debate, Barack Obama proclaimed that were he to become president, he would talk directly even to America's worst enemies. One could imagine President Obama as a kind of superhero taking off in Air Force One for Tehran, there to be greeted on the tarmac by the villainous Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Was this a serious foreign policy proposal or simply a campaign counterpunch? Hillary Clinton had already held up this idea as evidence of Mr. Obama's naiveté. Wasn't he just pushing back, displaying his commitment to "diplomacy"--now the most glamorous word in the Democratic "antiwar" lexicon? (READ MORE)

Soccerdad: Sieg-speak: war is peace - Henry Siegman is my hero. Really. With academic credential no greater than mine (a bachelor’s degree from the New School vs a B.A. in Math from Yeshiva University ) Siegman has had the title of “expert” appended to his name. He writes for the New York Times, the New York Review of Books and served on the council of foreign relations. He also is better connected than I am. I doubt that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia would deign to I don’t know that he writes a whole lot better than I do, though he is certainly longer winded. Me, I’m just a blogger. Still when Siegman writes, people apparently read, so I guess that’s why he continues to write no matter how wrong he’s been in the past. In a recently published piece in the NY Review of Books dramatically titled, Annapolis: The Cost of Failure, Siegman lays out many of his ideas about what’s wrong with the Middle East. (READ MORE)

Jay Tea: Some Free Advice For Congress - With Congressional approval at incredibly dismal levels (I believe polls place them around the level of used-car salesmen, serial killers, and lawyers, and they're heading towards pedophiles and telemarketers), I find myself wanting to offer them some advice. The advice I have to offer is simple: DO SOMETHING. This is awkward, as my libertarian streak strongly believes that "that government is best which governs least," as Thomas Paine put it, but "least" means that they have some things they need to do, and they're failing miserably at that. (READ MORE)

DJ Drummond: The Problem With Reason - The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case out of Washington D.C., where a long-standing law prohibiting honest citizens from owning and keeping handguns for their self-defense and the defense of their families is being challenged as a violation of 2nd Amendment rights. It would seem, at first, to be a clear division of positions - one either contends that the 2nd Amendment was written regarding individuals, or it was not. But, a longer inspection makes things a bit sticker. For Liberals, the fact that the Bill Of Rights was clearly written to protect the people from a repressive government makes it hard to claim that they should be denied the right to protect themselves from criminals. (READ MORE)

Ron Winter: God and Conservative Values Alive and Doing Well in "Blue" America - Most of the nation's attention has been focused on the Thanksgiving weekend travel and the upcoming Christmas - excuse me, generic holiday - shopping season that officially kicks off today. But Monday and Tuesday evenings, in Enfield, Connecticut, newly elected Republican Council and Board of Education members were sworn in and took their seats to start two years of what can be and should be new directions for the community. Throughout the summer and fall the GOP spread the message that the emphasis will be on transparency, accountability and inclusion for the community. Monday night there were statements of cooperation and bipartisanship from the new GOP council majority, while the Democrats looked quite uncomfortable in their new status as minority party. (READ MORE)

David Bernstein: Florida Supreme Court Welcomes Junk Science - In Marsh v. Valyou, the Florida Supreme Court (1)reiterated that Florida follows the Frye general acceptance test; (2) held that Frye doesn't apply to a medical expert's "opinion" testimony regarding causation; (3) held that even if Frye did apply, it should be applied only to the issue of whether the technique of "differential diagnosis" is generally accepted in the medical community, regardless of whether the technique was used in a generally accepted way. [It was not, as the dissent explains in some detail. In fact, it wasn't really a differential diagnosis at all, but a differential etiology, and this cannot properly be used to "rule in" a cause that has not been otherwise established by other evidence.]; and (4) implicitly rejected the notion that Florida Rule of Evidence 702, modeled on the federal rule that led to the Daubert Supreme Court opinion, provides a "backup" reliability test for causation testimony. (READ MORE)

David Kopel: D.C.'s Handgun Ban and the Constitutional Right to Arms: One Hard Question? - Prof. Nelson Lund, of George Mason, is one of the leading conservative legal scholars writing in support of a meaningful Second Amendment. Unlike, for example, most of the VC writers, Lund's legal philosophy has hardly any libertarian influence. (For example, Lund argues that Pierce v. Society of Sisters was wrongly decided, as are all its progeny, the "substantive due process" cases.) Lund's latest article on the Second Amendment, will appear soon in a symposium issue of George Mason University Civil Rights Law Journal. Here's part of the abstract of the thought-provoking article, which addresses an argument that, as the cert. petitions have already shown, will be a key part of the Fenty administration's attempt to preserve the D.C. handgun ban: (READ MORE)

Nick Grace: Al-Furqan Releases New Iraq Video - Al-Furqan, the official media wing of al-Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), posted a new video on Saturday - its first since September - called “Implementing Allah’s Rule On Nine Elements Of Interior Commandos.” The video lasts 3 minutes and 14 seconds and shows the gruesome assassination of nine Iraqi men by masked mujahideen with a bullet to the back of the head. It is included in the group’s ongoing series of video releases called “Roman and Apostate Hell in al-Rafedain Land.” The murders appear to be recent. Although the video and accompanying Web posting do not state when the men were killed, the New York Times reported the discovery of four dead bodies in Salahuddin, including three floating in the Tigris River, on November 20. (READ MORE)

Michelle Malkin: Shame in Britain: Disabled veterans jeered at swimming pool - The London Telegraph has a Sunday morning blood-boiler. Britain has a potent strain of moonbat virus going around. What would Churchill do? “Injured soldiers who lost their limbs fighting for their country have been driven from a swimming pool training session by jeering members of the public. The men, injured during tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, were taking part in a rehabilitation session at a leisure centre, when two women demanded they be removed from the pool. They claimed that the soldiers ‘hadn’t paid’ and might scare the children.” (READ MORE)

Tel-Chai Nation: Annapolis disaster: mugs for smashing, not drinking - A day before the Annapolis surrender summit, al-Reuters reports that an Arab shopkeeper is selling mugs that he invites customers to smash if things don't go their way (via Michelle Malkin): “In a symbol of fragile hopes for this week’s Middle East peace conference at Annapolis, one Palestinian shopkeeper is selling souvenir mugs for the event - complete with instructions to smash them if talks break down. Under a dove and olive branch motif, the mugs carry the message in English: ‘Please keep this souvenir, but in case of the conference’s failure; you are only asked to break the mug.’” (READ MORE)

Stop the ACLU: US Media Distorts Falling Dollar Story - What is it with the MSM and their fetish with worrying so much about everyone but Americans? For the L.A.Times, for instance, even the weakness of our dollar is cause for worrying over how bad it is for… wait for it… foreign companies. While our dollar weakens and could perhaps bring us major economic trouble, the L.A.Times shows serious concern and laments that the soft currency crisis is hurting European companies who are finding their prices rising because of our falling dollar. The Times is all upset that foreigners are losing profits, but there isn’t a word in its story about what it might do to Americans, befitting its general disinterest in America and perfectly reflecting its heightened concern for foreigners. (READ MORE)

Mark Steyn: What America Has, and Europe Doesn't - Giving thanks - Speaking as a misfit unassimilated foreigner, I think of Thanksgiving as the most American of holidays. Christmas is celebrated elsewhere, even if there are significant local variations: in Continental Europe, naughty children get left rods to be flayed with and lumps of coal; in Britain, Christmas lasts from December 22nd to mid-January and celebrates the ancient cultural traditions of massive alcohol intake and watching the telly till you pass out in a pool of your own vomit. All part of the rich diversity of our world. But Thanksgiving (excepting the premature and somewhat undernourished Canadian version) is unique to America. "What's it about?" an Irish visitor asked me a couple of years back. "Everyone sits around giving thanks all day? Thanks for what? George bloody Bush?" (READ MORE)

Melanie Phillips: The question of a freed slave - Simon Deng, a former jihad slave and now a human rights activist, has written a remarkable protest to Bishop Desmond Tutu over the bishop’s rabid prejudice against Israel which he accuses of ‘apartheid’. The State of Israel is not an apartheid state. I know because I write this from Jerusalem where I have seen Arab mothers peacefully strolling with their families – even though I also drove on Israeli roads protected by walls and fences from Arab bullets and stones. I know Arabs go to Israeli schools, and get the best medical care in the world. I know they vote and have elected representatives to the Israeli Parliament. I see street signs in Arabic, an official language here. None of this was true for blacks under Apartheid in Tutu’s South Africa. (READ MORE)

ShrinkWrapped: A Liberal Narcissist's Thanksgiving Primer - It is rare to see liberal narcissism so clearly delineated as in the marvelously misguided and myopic cri du couer from Robert Jensen, Journalism Professor at University of Texas at Austin. He starts by setting the stage: “Fowl Play - Ethnic Cleansing. Crimes Against Humanity. Turkey and Stuffing? After years of being constantly annoyed and often angry about the historical denial built into Thanksgiving Day, I published an essay in November 2005 suggesting we replace the feasting with fasting and create a National Day of Atonement to acknowledge the genocide of indigenous people that is central to the creation of the United States. I expected criticism from right-wing and centrist people, given their common commitment to this country's distorted self-image that supports the triumphalist/supremacist notions about the United States so common in conventional politics, and I got plenty of such critique. But I was surprised by the resistance from liberals -- even some on the left, including a considerable number of my friends.” (READ MORE)

The Shield of Achilles: The "New Holocaust" in Iraq: Alternet's alternate reality - Whenever I stray too far from what should be the main topic of this blog (The War on Terror), there's always something that gives me a sanity check, reminds me why I started this blog in the first place, and knocks me back on track. This time it was a nonsensical article at Alternet, which compares the occupation of Iraq to the "Holocaust" and parrots the long debunked claim that "over a million" Iraqis have died since the start of the Iraq war. It hit the front page of Digg, and has thousands of people in a frenzy of self-flagellation, condemning the US and asking: "Why? why? why are Americans worse than the Nazis??" I'm not exaggerating either. Here's an eloquent sample: (READ MORE)

McQ: Energy Policy: Unconventional Energy Resources - We hear (and have heard) political promises to make the US "energy independent" by x number of years coming from all the current presidential candidates. And they’re also concerned with breaking the hold of foreign oil dependence. Two worthy goals - if they allow what we have already available to be exploited. And what we have available is massive: “In a massive new multivolume report on energy strategy in the United States, a high-powered federal task force puts ‘peak oil’ into perspective. On the one hand, it says, the country has already consumed, in 150 years, 446 billion barrels of its own fossil-fuel endowment. On the other hand, it says, the country has 8.59 trillion barrels left - or more ‘oil equivalent’ than the rest of the world combined. More than 95 per cent of America’s oil reserves, in other words, are still in the ground.” (READ MORE)

Scott Johnson: Overcoming History - During the summer of 1971 Hillary Clinton interned at a well-known Oakland "Communist law firm." Today's New York Sun publishes two articles by Josh Gerstein exploring Ms. Hillary's activities that summer. Mr. Bill and Ms. Hillary acknowledge that they lived together in Berkeley during the summer of 1971. The Sun calls it "The Clinton's Berkeley summer of love." Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham lived together in Berkeley while Ms. Clinton worked at the radical firm of Treuhaft, Walker and Burnstein. Gerstein has examined archival material and interviewed law firm principals and others to ascertain what she did professionally that summer. What cases did she work on at the firm? In "Hillary Clinton's radical summer," Gerstein hunts an elusive quarry that is rendered even more elusive Ms. Hillary's highly selective approach to her own history: (READ MORE)

John Hinderaker: "I Believe!" - So says Dan Rather, in this Hollywood Reporter interview. I have generally found Rather an endearing character, to the extent I've paid attention. It's hard not to sympathize with his desire to keep working as long as someone is willing to pay him, or with his claim to be an "independent" commentator on the news. There are two problems with Rather's world-view. The first is that, while he may or may not be an independent, he is most surely a liberal, and his liberal political philosophy has informed his work throughout his career. The second is that, as to the 60 Minutes / National Guard story that brought his career to a crashing halt, he is in outer space: (READ MORE)

Political Vindication: Honor killings - What does it tell us about a culture? - When Americans who support the battle against extremist Islam wonder aloud at how the left in this country can sit idly by as freedoms are denied and equality is mocked, we are often told one of two things; that America is the cause of the extremism or that living in a multicultural world means allowing people to have their own definitions of freedom or equality. We can agree to disagree, but what is evident is that one side unabashedly brings to light the depravity of the medieval mindset that drives the terrorist, the other side forsakes its duty to defend the weak for the political hatred that drives the partisan. (READ MORE)

Neptunus Lex: The fall of Camelot - Forty-four years ago last week, Sarajevo came to Dallas and the boy king of Camelot stood in the footsteps of Archduke Ferdinand. Rather than igniting a world-wide conflagration, when Lee Harvey Oswald fired those three shots from the sixth floor of the Texas Schoolhouse Depository he ignited what was to become the American culture war - a war whose volleys echo to this day. Partisans of the handsome young president and his glamorous bride saw in him the manifestation of all their aspirations and prayers. His murder on the streets of Dallas sent them searching for an enemy to blame. They found it in Oliver Stone-style conspiratorial visions of an America divided by race and class, gender and age. They found in it a reason to hate themselves - or at least, to hate those among them who did not share their vision of the America-that-ought-to-be. (READ MORE)

The Monkey Tennis Centre: UK's Iraqi employees are pleading for help - Blogger Dan Hardie is coordinating efforts to put pressure on the British government to help Iraqis whose lives are in danger because they've worked for UK forces in the south of the country. The government continues to drag its feet on the matter, and the plight of many Iraqis who have worked as interpreters and in other capacities. You can read more here. I had the following email from Dan this morning, which he's asked me to post here: I've had emails from three people who claim to be - and who almost certainly are - Iraqi former employees of the British Government. All three say that they and their former colleagues are still at risk of death for their 'collaboration'. (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio: Iranian Special Groups linked to Baghdad pet market bombing - The Friday, November 24 bombing of al Ghazi pet market in Baghdad was the largest attack in the capital in months. At least 15 Iraqis were killed and 56 wounded in the blast. US and Iraqi security forces now believe the attack was conducted by the Iranian-backed Special Groups and was designed to simulate an al Qaeda in Iraq attack in order to increase Shia dependency on militias. The "ball-bearing laden bomb" was hidden inside a birdcage smuggled inside the pet market by members of the Special Groups, the US learned after capturing four members of the terror group. "Based on subsequent confessions, forensics and other intelligence, the bombing was the work of an Iranian-backed special group cell operating here in Baghdad," said Rear Admiral Gregory Smith, the Deputy Spokesman for Multinational Corps Iraq in a press briefing on November 25. (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden: Peace in Someone Else’s Time - What Annapolis is about, IMHO, at Pajamas. It’s a Kumbaya thing, it’s a divide-and-conquer thing. It’s about making new friends and isolating old enemies. It’s a build, which might make it one of the more practical Mideast peace moves since Egypt and Jordan figured out which side of the pita had the humus on it. Someday, it might amount to something. Meanwhile, related but different at WSJ, interesting read from Hoover Institute’s Shelby Steele, “Obama is right on Iran.” He posits direct talks with A’jad as a seizing of the moral high ground after which war remains an option. (READ MORE)

Flopping Aces: The New Meme From The Left On Iraq - Laura at Ace of Spades HQ posted a snippet of a new editorial from the WaPo that is most probably gonna be the new meme from the left. Sure, Iraq is working, but we still paid too high a price to make it work: “Though I don't especially want to perpetuate any stereotypes about the mainstream media, I have to say that this optimism is totally unwarranted. Not because things aren't improving in Iraq -- it seems they are, at least for the moment -- but because the collateral damage inflicted by the war on America's relationships with the rest of the world is a lot deeper and broader than most Americans have realized. It isn't just that the Iraq war invigorated the anti-Americanism that has always been latent pretty much everywhere. What's worse is the fact that -- however it all comes out in the end, however successful Iraqi democracy is a decade from now -- our conduct of the war has disillusioned our natural friends and supporters and thrown a lasting shadow over our military and political competence. However it all comes out, the price we've paid is too high.” Now who couldn't see this coming? (READ MORE)

Ed Morrissey: Bad Economy? Not So Far, Although Good Luck Reading About It - As a presidential election draws near, the opposition party inevitably begins talking about how poor the economy has begun. This election has seen an early start to this kind of talk, recalling the 2004 rhetoric about how the rebounding US economy then resembled the Great Depression -- laughable in retrospect and educational in review. It appears that Christmas shoppers have both laughed and learned this weekend as well: “The nation's retailers had a robust start to the holiday shopping season, according to results announced Saturday by a national research group that tracks sales at retail outlets across the country. According to ShopperTrak RCT Corp., which tracks sales at more than 50,000 retail outlets, total sales rose 8.3 percent to about $10.3 billion on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, compared with $9.5 billion on the same day a year ago. ShopperTrak had expected an increase of no more than 4 percent to 5 percent.” (READ MORE)

Don Surber: Lead America, Republicans - We need our Tony Blair, our Nicolas Sarkozy. While Democrats select a presidential candidate, Republicans seek a president. There are a bunch of Jimmy Carters on the other side who are willing to apologize for America’s greatness. Forget about finding the next Reagan. America can settle for another Tony Blair or Nicolas Sarkozy. Wouldn’t it be delightful to hear Mitt Romney say: “Sept. 11 was not an isolated event, but a tragic prologue, Iraq another act, and many further struggles will be set upon this stage before it’s over. There never has been a time when the power of America was so necessary …” (READ MORE)

The Captain's Journal: The Special Forces Plan for Pakistan: Mistaking the Anbar Narrative - While the campaign in Iraq continues and the Afghanistan campaign continues to suffer from a lack of adequate force projection, Pakistan remains fertile soil for making jihadists. Concerning the going-forward U.S. strategy for addressing the problem, the New York Times is the recipient of leaked preliminary strategy plans for counterinsurgency in Pakistan. “A new and classified American military proposal outlines an intensified effort to enlist tribal leaders in the frontier areas of Pakistan in the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, as part of a broader effort to bolster Pakistani forces against an expanding militancy, American military officials said. If adopted, the proposal would join elements of a shift in strategy that would also be likely to expand the presence of American military trainers in Pakistan, directly finance a separate tribal paramilitary force that until now has proved largely ineffective and pay militias that agreed to fight Al Qaeda and foreign extremists, officials said.” (READ MORE)

Dafydd: Reducted - Not a movie review; I haven't seen the movie. But of course, neither has anybody else. That's the point. According to Box Office Mojo, Brian De Palma's new anti-war, anti-American, anti-soldier tour de farce Redacted, winner of the Best Director award at the Venice Film Festival -- which tells the stirring and subtle story of how American soldiers raped, murdered, and burned a fourteen year old Iraqi girl, and then raped, murdered, and burned her entire family to silence them, and then raped, murdered, and burned the military investigators, then the news reporters who tried to report on it, then families of random American soldiers, then Mr. Whipple, then all the animals at the petting zoo -- has enjoyed a resounding lifetime box office gross of $25,628 dollars. But wait, that's not entirely fair; that's just the domestic gross. We really should include the international take, too... that would be $71,968 (all from Spain, where the movie opened), for a whopping grand total of $97,596. (READ MORE)

Big Dog: Democrats Cannot Embrace Victory - The problem with the Democrats, besides their weakness on national security, is that they want to win so badly they will say of do anything to get elected. This includes slandering our troops and changing their points of view in order to refocus the attention of the electorate. For the longest time the Democrats claimed that George Bush was not listening to his commanders on the ground (though commanders say he was) but when commanders asked for more troops and Bush listened (the surge) the Democrats criticized the President for actually listening to his commanders. They said the surge would not work and that we are in the middle of a civil war. (READ MORE)

Augean Stables: Rioting in Paris Suburbs - In an interview with a French journalist last week I made the point that the French police live in constant fear of a French “al Durah” — with a “youth” killed by the police, even as a mistake, they can end up not just with rioting, but with suicide bombing. That’s why when the rioting happens, the police are extremely reluctant to suppress the violence. The first part of that prediction just came true in Paris where two boys died when their moped smashed into a police car and it led to immediate rioting. Note that the police are nowhere to be seen. (READ MORE)

Ace of Spades: Anyone Could See This Coming - A while back in some comments I predicted how lefties/ MSM would have to respond to a good outcome in Iraq. After years of investing their reputations in defeat, success must not be allowed to stand untarnished. Even if Iraq became a stable democracy- if we created a strategic beachhead of sanity in the Middle East, they will have to maintain that it wasn't worth our investment of blood and fortune. It is the last way they can still claim we lost. This outcome hasn't even been determined yet, but the distressingly good news from Iraq has already provoked that response. (READ MORE)

The Belmont Club: Making ends meet - Politicians the world over like to kiss babies. That's the trouble. “Meanwhile, horrifying new details emerged last night of the attempt by suicide bombers to kill Ms Bhutto on her return home from exile last month. Investigators from Ms Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party said yesterday they believed the bomb, which killed 170 people and left hundreds more wounded, was strapped to a one-year-old child carried by its jihadist father. They said the suicide bomber tried repeatedly to carry the baby to Ms Bhutto's vehicle as she drove in a late-night cavalcade through the streets of Karachi. ‘At the point where the bombs exploded, Benazir Bhutto herself saw the man with the child and asked him to come closer so that she could hug or kiss the infant,’ investigators were reported as saying.” (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.

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)
Pakistani Court OKs Musharraf - A Supreme Court stacked with judges loyal to President Pervez Musharraf cleared the way yesterday for him to rule as a civilian president, throwing out a final challenge to last month's election. (READ MORE)

Democrats Party of Rich, Study Finds - Democrats like to define themselves as the party of poor and middle-income Americans, but a new study says they now represent the majority of the nation's wealthiest congressional districts. (READ MORE)

Arabs Holding Out on Peace Conference - Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinians sought yesterday to persuade skeptical Arab nations to attend a U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference, insisting it could open the door to a Palestinian state in the next year. (READ MORE)

Hillary Criticized for Press Strategy - When Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton wants to get a message out, her presidential campaign handpicks news outlets. Or, in some cases, bypasses the media entirely. (READ MORE)

Agents Question Slow Indictment of Border Suspect - Two U.S. Border Patrol agents were indicted two months after shooting a drug-smuggling suspect as he fled back into Mexico, but it took the Justice Department more than two years to bring charges against the suspect, and the head of the National Border Patrol Council wants to know why. (READ MORE)

Cellphone Tracking Powers on Request - Federal officials are routinely asking courts to order cellphone companies to furnish real-time tracking data so they can pinpoint the whereabouts of drug traffickers, fugitives and other criminal suspects, according to judges and industry lawyers. (READ MORE)

A Gap in Knowledge About Kids, Medication - A decade after the government began trying to ensure that prescription drugs used to treat children work and are safe, doctors still have scant information to guide them when they administer many medications to kids. (READ MORE)

Returnees Find a Capital Transformed - BAGHDAD, Nov. 22 -- Iraqis are returning to their homeland by the hundreds each day, by bus, car and plane, encouraged by weeks of decreased violence and increased security, or compelled by visa and residency restrictions in neighboring countries and the depletion of their savings. (READ MORE)

Court Clears Way For Musharraf to Remain in Office - ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 22 -- President Pervez Musharraf's script for a tightly controlled political transition moved ahead on cue Thursday, as his handpicked Supreme Court dismissed the final legal challenge to his election to another five-year term and officials said he would resign as army chief within days. (READ MORE)

From Hopeful To Helpless At a Protest In Lebanon - BEIRUT -- Squalls of rain lashed the offices of Carmen Geha and other young activists. Thunder rolling off the Mediterranean provided a cadence to their work. The weather was a little like politics this week in Lebanon -- turbulent and baleful. And Geha, optimistic against the odds, was determined to provide a glimmer of hope. (READ MORE)



From the Front:
1romad: AfghanisTanksgiving - This is probably the earliest I've ever wished someone Happy Thanksgiving. Just after 12:15 am zulu (4:45 am local and 6:15 pm CT) I was working in our TOC due to a 100% 'stand to.' So I wished everyone Happy Thanksgiving and made myself some coffee. At about 3 am we were stood down, so it was off to breakfast. But breakfast on Turkey day is a bit different--the sign outside the meal tent said "Continental Breakfast." Loosely translated it means we are using our burners to get the turkey ready so good luck scrounging up something to eat. I chose the protein bar, blueberry muffin, and what they claim is white milk. (READ MORE)

Bill and Bob's Excellent Afghan Adventure: Thanksgiving In The Land Of Sandcastles - Happy Thanksgiving! We thought we were going to eat Thanksgiving dinner at the most dangerous firebase in the province, but that plan changed before breakfast due to a late night email barrage between two Colonels. It's not important what it was about to anyone but us. The end result was that we took a nice long drive in the land of sandcastles, policed up some Joe's, and returned to Bagram for our Thanksgiving dinner. (READ MORE)

ETT PA-C: Heading Back! - So, once again back in the airport awaiting a flight back to "home." It's been a great visit with family and friends and I'm not sure I could've maximized it any more. It was great to see you all, assuming I saw you and I appreciate all of you that shared your hospitality with my family and me while we were home. Thank you. So, I'm here in the international wing of the H...field Int Airport and there are these two European dudes sitting a few feet away from me as I type. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: Fringe Benefits? - The Democrats -- who surely must know better -- have been busy trying to please the fringe elements of their party. Now we learn they have a new ally. Retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, best known for being linked to the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal, has assailed current war strategy as doomed to fail, says the United States cannot win in Iraq with the military alone and that it is prudent to bring troops home to bolster national security. Okay, let's have a look at this strategy Sanchez says is doomed: (READ MORE)

Michael Yon: Happy Thanksgiving: Baqubah Update - Happy Thanksgiving from Iraq! I had the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with General Petraeus. Very interesting series of helicopter flights to several bases. Bottom line is that progress is clear and real, but there are tough days ahead and al Qaeda, for instance, is far from dead. The mood is of cautious optimism, with a concern that some of the very positive media lately might set expectations too high. (That’s right: many military leaders are concerned that the media lately might be too positive.) Bottom line is that I am more optimistic than ever before, but I share that caution. It’s obvious, too, that the tough fighting is not over. (READ MORE)

LTC Richard Phillips: R&R Leave - I’ve been terribly remiss in posting. Let me get back on track and tell you about my R&R (Rest and Recuperation) Leave. All service members deployed for 12 months or more are entitled to R&R leave, more correctly titled Environmental and Morale Leave (EML). If you’re deployed for 12 months you get 15 days leave; if you are deployed for 15 months you get 18 days of leave. I’m deployed for 15 months, so I got 18 glorious days of R&R leave with my beautiful wife, Joyce. (READ MORE)

Sergeant Grumpy: Happy Thanksgiving - Happy Thanksgiving from Iraq. Here, well it is just another day. Another day out on the road, in training with the Iraqis, another day trying to put together the pieces of several puzzles, of trying to sort through, of trying to get through. But then it is also not any other day. The most American of Holidays, it is a day to set aside differences and sit around the table and enjoy the bounty of our land together. To enjoy the company and conversation of good friends and family. It is a day not to take for granted. (READ MORE)

Yellowhammering Afghanistan: Giving more than thanks - We could have taken an "off" day today, seeing as it is Thanksgiving. Clothes and food are ready to distribute.But instead, one of our district teams decided it would be more fitting to do unto others. Good call! We organized a humanitarian assistance visit to Khogiani, one of the districts where we work closely with the Afghan National Police. The subgovernor held a shura, or meeting with the elders, to discuss the issues of the district. Stuffed animals and radios await a good home. Then the real fun started. (READ MORE)



On the Web:
Burt Prelutsky: Jews and the Evangelicals - It is a peculiar thing about Jews that we seem to trust our enemies more than we do our friends. Maybe that's because, historically, we at least had the comfort of knowing where we stood with those who openly despised us, but very often suffered betrayal from our alleged allies. It would help explain why many of my older relatives, those who had been born in Czarist Russia and had experienced pogroms, believed in Stalin, and eagerly lapped up his propaganda. Because he was an enemy of their enemies, they foolishly mistook him for a friend. It's simplistic, but why else would so many seemingly well-informed American Jews have enlisted in the Communist Party, swelling the ranks of Stalin's "useful idiots"? (READ MORE)

Oliver North: Thanksgiving at Turtle Bay - WASHINGTON -- Now that we are stuffed like turkeys, consider that Thanksgiving is celebrated as an official national holiday in only two countries -- the United States and Canada. In both nations, it is uniquely mandated as a day for offering thanks and praise to God. Interestingly, there is no mention of God or thanksgiving in the U.N. Charter. Nonetheless, United Nations officials apparently take full advantage of the holiday as a respite from the grueling work of international diplomacy. Calls to the secretary-general's office (212-963-7162) on Thursday, Nov. 22, were unanswered. One can only wonder whether the striped pants set at Turtle Bay had gone to church. (READ MORE)

Charles Krauthammer: Turning Tides in Iraq - WASHINGTON -- It does not have the drama of the Inchon landing or the sweep of the Union comeback in the summer of 1864. But the turnabout of American fortunes in Iraq over the last several months is of equal moment -- a war seemingly lost, now winnable. The violence in Iraq has been dramatically reduced. Political allegiances have been radically reversed. The revival of ordinary life in many cities is palpable. Something important is happening. And what is the reaction of the war critics? Nancy Pelosi stoutly maintains her state of denial, saying this about the war just two weeks ago: "This is not working. ... We must reverse it." (READ MORE)

Mona Charen: An Egyptian Makes the Case for America - When you begin reading the output of MEMRI, the Middle East Media Research Institute (memri.org), you are at first blown back by the intensity of the hatred, deliberate lies and fantasy that characterize so much of the journalism from the Arab and Middle Eastern press. MEMRI dutifully translates it without comment. Here you can read transcripts of interviews with leading Arab commentators who explain that the United States is engaged in a war of extermination against Muslims, that Israel calls all of the shots in Washington, D.C., and that 9/11 was a hoax. But there are other voices, too. There are figures within the Muslim world who make the case for democracy, liberalism (small l) and historical accuracy better than we do. (READ MORE)

Ann Coulter: NYT: Suicide Manual For Dems - Here's a story that may not have been deemed "Fit to Print": In the six months that ended Sept. 25, The New York Times' daily circulation was down another 4.51 percent to about a million readers a day. The paper's Sunday circulation was down 7.59 percent to about 1.5 million readers. In short, the Times is dropping faster than Hillary in New Hampshire. (Meanwhile, the Drudge Report has more than 16 million readers every day.) One can only hope that none of the Democratic presidential candidates are among the disaffected hordes lining up to cancel their Times subscriptions. (READ MORE)

Phil Harris: Abortion and the U.S. Constitution - I am thankful for my constitutional scholar hat, which I am wearing at this very moment. It is a magic hat, of course, because I am not a constitutional scholar. To make it work, I sprinkle a bit of common sense powder and a dash of logical thinking on the inside of it. Then when I put it on, …BAM!!! For all of you front-end baby boomers, the answer is no. Common sense powder is not a hallucinogen, and no, I do not buy my logical thinking in a bottle imported from Mexico. I realize that many of today's social realities were conceived in that manner, and that our liberal politicians lost far too many brain cells during their period of enlightenment, otherwise known as attending college in the '60s. (READ MORE)

Kimberly A. Strassel: Will Character Be Destiny? -You might not think one lousy debate performance, or one silly planted question, would jolt a storming campaign. Then again, you might not be Hillary Clinton. If the last few weeks have shown anything, it's that Mrs. Clinton has some weak spots. What isn't yet clear is whether her Democratic opponents have the time, or the will, to exploit them. Until recently, the biggest thing going for Hillary is that she has appeared "inevitable." This is no accident. Mrs. Clinton may not be as naturally gifted as her husband, but she does have access to his playbook. (READ MORE)

Peggy Noonan: People Before Prophets - I was talking with an old friend, a longtime Democrat, and she asked if I knew what religion a certain presidential candidate was. I replied that I didn't know and hoped I'd never find out. We started to laugh, and she nodded. I didn't mean it and yet I meant it, for we have come to an odd pass regarding candidates and their faith. It's not as if faith is unimportant, it's always important. But we are asking our political figures--mere flawed politicians--to put forward and talk about their faith to a degree that has become odd. We push them against the wall and do a kind of theological frisk on them. We didn't use to. (READ MORE)

Mike Cox: Second Amendment Showdown - The Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case that will affect millions of Americans and could also have an impact on the 2008 elections. That case, Parker v. D.C., should settle the decades-old argument whether the right "to keep and bear arms" of the Constitution's Second Amendment is an individual right--that all Americans enjoy--or only a collective right that states may regulate freely. Legal, historical and even empirical reasons all command a decision that recognizes the Second Amendment guarantee as an individual right. The amendment reads: "A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." (READ MORE)

Humbled Infidel: "The Agenda Item Targeting Israel." The UN Is A Corrupt Organization - Do We Need Them? - By a vote of 165 to 7, a UN General Assembly committee last Friday approved "institution-building" changes to the Human Rights Council that actually weaken or eliminate several of its key institutions. The package scraps the independent investigators of abuses in Cuba and Belarus, makes it harder to criticize specific countries for violations, and institutes the permanent censure of Israel as a fixed agenda item, an initiative pushed by the group of Islamic states. The U.S., Canada, Australia, Israel and three Pacific Island states voted in opposition. The European Union countries supported the package, arguing it was the best possible compromise to preserve a functioning council. (READ MORE)

Army Girl: Turkey Day 2007 - On this day last year, I was working... Up early, boots on... hair pulled back and weapon slung. I'd volunteered to relieve some of the soldiers working Entry Control Point 1, so that they could have a few hours off and go eat some hot chow. They brought our meals to us in a van and we spent the day scanning and patting down local nationals for weapons, bombs, etc. That evening, I spent a few hours hanging out with the guys at a small compound within a compound... around a camp fire, listening to the stories and sipping on soda. A local national brought us something that resembled a charred bird and told us it was Turkey. I have no idea where they got turkeys in Afghanistan, but I ate it anyway. We all thought about our families back home, and hoped they were enjoying the day and festivities even in our absence. (READ MORE)

Ace of Spades: 600 Shiite Leaders, 300,000 Iraqis Sign Petition Condemning Iran's Terrorism - It's something: “‘The most poisonous dagger stabbed in us, the Iraqi Shi'ites, is the (Iranian) regime shamefully exploiting the Shi'ite sect to implement its evil goals. They have targeted our national interests and began planning to divide Iraq and to separate the southern provinces from Iraq.’ -- From the petition” John Murtha immediately praised the letter, suggesting that the US could help defeat the Iranian menace by re-deploying our troops to Trinidad/Tobago, an island strategically located, of course, between Iran and Iraq. Plus, he continued: "All that jerk chicken! Mmmm!" (READ MORE)

Big Dog: Congressman Uses McKinney Racism Defense - Congressman Danny Davis a Democrat in the 7th District of Illinois said he was the victim of racial profiling because he was pulled over early in the morning while driving a few of his friends. Two white police officers pulled him over and issued a $75 ticket because he went over the center line. Davis is crying racism and said he can't think of any other reason he was pulled over other than he is black and had black people in the car. How about her drove over the line and that is the reason? (READ MORE)

The Belmont Club: You Take the High Road, I'll Take the Low Road - Tigerhawk notices an article in the Washington Post. More than 300,000 Shiite Muslims from southern Iraq have signed a petition condemning Iran for fomenting violence in Iraq, according to a group of sheiks leading the campaign. Yes, you read that right. "The Iranians, in fact, have taken over all of south Iraq," said a senior tribal leader from the south who spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared for his life. "Their influence is everywhere." (READ MORE)

Ed Morrissey: Clinton Wins Support From Another Ethics-Challenged Administration - This story challenges the boundaries of satire. Hillary Clinton captured the vital corrupt-foreign-leader constituency with Bernadette Chirac's endorsement yesterday. The wife of the French ex-president said that she thought Hillary had the makings of a president, although her personal experience at that may not play too well on the campaign trail (via Memeorandum): “U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won surprise backing from the wife of former French President Jacques Chirac on Thursday, together with a pledge to join her on the campaign trail.” (READ MORE)

Matthew Levitt: Sentence in Chicago Hamas Trial - Abdulhalim Ashqar, who was convicted of obstruction of justice and criminal comtempt in a Hamas-related trial in Chicago earlier this year, was sentenced today to 135 months imprisonment and a $5,000 fine. The sentence was arrived at through application of the Sentencing Guidelines terrorism enhancement based on what the judge thought the trial evidence showed about Ashqar's activities for, and knowledge of, Hamas. On February 1, after fourteen days of deliberation, a Chicago jury acquitted Muhammad Salah and Ashqar of charges that they were involved in a racketeering conspiracy by financing and supporting Hamas terrorist activities in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The two were accused of laundering funds, facilitating communications, and providing recruits for Hamas, but were convicted only on minor charges of obstruction of justice and, in Ashqar's case, criminal contempt. (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio: Al Qaeda attacks the Awakening; Senior al Qaeda leaders killed, captured - Al Qaeda in Iraq may be down, but it is not out. While al Qaeda has suffered a major setback after US and Iraqi forces launched multiple offensives throughout Iraq, the terror group still retains some capacity to conduct attacks. Today, al Qaeda attacked the Awakening movement two villages north and south of Baghdad. The battles resulted in scores killed on both sides, including 10 al Qaeda fighters. Meanwhile, Iraqi and Coalition forces have killed or captured several senior al Qaeda leaders over the past week. (READ MORE)

Knee Deep In the Hooah!: Military Desertion Rates and the AP - Hat tip to Black Five for leading me to the following article by Alan Fraser of American Thinker. When I first came across the AP article he mentions I knew that the statistics being used in the story were not telling the whole story. In research unless you have a total and accurate picture of the subject then you really can not draw any conclusions from the statistics. Remember the quote attributed to Mark Twain (and many others too)? There are three kinds of lies; lies, damned lies; and statistics. The story I read that AP put out was obviously a damned statistical lie. (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden: Abandon Hope - Or hope with abandon?* Euro think tank reports Taliban control half of Afghanistan, winning hearts and minds, not if but when Kabul will fall. UK Telegraph: “… The Senlis Council claimed that the insurgents controlled ‘vast swathes of unchallenged territory’ and were gaining ‘more and more political legitimacy in the minds of the Afghan people.’ It said that the Nato force in the country needed to be doubled to 80,000 front-line soldiers who should be allowed to pursue militants into Pakistan.” (READ MORE)

Amy Proctor: Military Journalists Report on Lack of War Funding - Military reporters who are also active duty soldiers report military news on the Pentagon Channel. This report focuses on Congress’ refusal to fund the military. This story looks much different through the eyes of a soldier than from the mouth of a Katie Couric or Wolf Blitzer. “GEN (Ret) Meigs (Director of JIEDDO) says the funding crisis comes at a time when IED attacks have dropped 55% since their high in June this year. And average daily attacks are down 42%. However, without an approved funding bill, the organization only has enough money to remain operational through April 2008.” (READ MORE)

The Monkey Tennis Centre: There's no one left for the Left - Pajamas Media is linking to lefty blog Crooks and Liars, which has video of John Bolton appearing on Hardball. It’s a fairly unspectacular clip, with Chris Matthews challenging Bolton over his insistence that the US can’t allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. Bolton makes his case calmly and persistently, while Matthews and a Middle East ‘expert’ who doesn’t sound like much of one, and who makes infantile comments about ‘Nintendo wars’ and the like, become ever more excited. The reason that the poster at Crooks and Liars is so excited about the clip is that at one point Matthews calls Bolton a ‘neocon’, and Bolton responds sharply that he isn’t one. “No,” sneers the poster, “Mr Bolton isn’t a Neocon – he just thinks, talks and acts like one.” Bolton, as anyone who knows anything about anything knows, isn’t a neocon. (READ MORE)

Neptunus Lex: The peace process - Many critics point to the current US administration’s hesitation to enage American prestige in the Middle East peace process as the reason why things over there remain a chaotic mess. Why we should risk wrestling with that particular pig - especially given the painful lessons learned by the Clinton administration during their attempts in the region - is a mystery, however. And over in the WSJ, former Clinton-era UN Human Rights Commission delegate Jeff Robins points out some of the reasons why Condi’s Mid East engagement process may well be the worst thing to come out of Annapolis since Jimmy Carter graduated. In order for there to be peace between Israel and her neighbors, everyone concerned must prefer that outcome to the status quo risks and costs of continued, smoldering hostility. Clearly, not everyone does: (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.

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A democratic republic is the worst of all forms of government, except for all the others. Updated. from Pros and Cons

Father/son, mother/son, father/daughter mother/daughter, brothers, sisters, brother and sister, cousins, we've heard of the many combinations of family members serving together while deployed, but how often do we hear of 4 fmaily members: 2 brothers and their wives all being deployed to the same base? Allow me to introduce you to the Pruitt's a family that serves together and are stationed together with the 3rd CAB:

CAMP STRIKER — Nearly every time Army Chief Warrant Officer Michael Pruitt flies his Apache here, his brother, Army Capt. Joseph Pruitt, knows exactly what’s happening to him, good or bad. Both brothers’ wives, in turn, also have a finger on the safety and well being of their husbands and brothers-in-law.

The four Pruitts -- Michael, a pilot with 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment; Joseph, battle captain, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), 3rd Infantry Division; and their wives, Capt. Kristi Pruitt, support operations officer, 603rd Aviation Support Battalion, and Capt. Alicia Pruitt, personnel officer, 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment -- are stationed here together with the 3rd CAB, a situation that brings both benefits and a decided downside.

“It’s very cool to be here together,” said Kristi, Michael’s wife. “But it also has a separate sacrifice.”

With most close family relationships, there is a separation during deployment. Spouses and siblings are most often at home, far away from the day-to-day dangers of deployment to a war zone. The Pruitts don’t experience that separation, said Kristi, who hails from Oviedo, Fla.

Joseph, from Peachtree City, Ga., works in the 3rd CAB tactical operations center as the battle captain, a position which gives him a front-row seat to everything happening in the 3rd CAB’s operating environment.

“I know when (Michael) is flying,” said Joseph, admitting that he sometimes worries about his brother. “But if (Alicia) flies, I do the same thing.”

At the same time, Joseph said, he realizes they are Soldiers and there isn’t room for compromising the mission by worrying too much.

“If something were to happen, I don’t think it would hit until after the battle drill,” Joseph said.

On the flipside is the fact that the Pruitts work in different battalions and are on different schedules, explained Michael, also a native of Peachtree, Ga. It’s good to be able to see each other, he said, but it is sometimes difficult not being able to spend quality time with each other.

While all four Pruitts acknowledge they are able to spend more time together than many other Soldiers and their families, it’s almost like being teased with their close presence and not being able to fully experience it.

“We don’t see each other really very much,” Michael said. “We see each other maybe once a week.”

The other issue this raises, said Alicia, a native of Fort Kent, Maine, is that soldiering becomes your life. That translates to having no pets, having to rent out your house during deployments, and having no kids.

“We can’t just decide to have babies,” she said. “We have to work around the Army’s schedule.”
Coming here together in one brigade wasn’t exactly planned, the Pruitts said. Joseph and Alicia met early on in their careers.

“We kind of ran into each other in (officer basic course), but we really didn’t start dating until Korea,” Joseph said.

Joseph and Alicia were married before moving to the 3rd Infantry Division, where they said they found a pair of slots open; those positions happened to be with the 3rd CAB, where Michael had also moved.

Michael and Kristi subsequently met during a deployment here in 2005, when they were both with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, of the 3rd CAB. In early 2007 the 3rd CAB was given the word to deploy here again in May, but they would leave 3-3 Aviation behind, Kristi said. At that time Kristi and Michael were dating, and to keep from being moved to other posts elsewhere in the world, and probably being separated, they decided to transfer to the battalions that were deploying.

Kristi said they weren’t engaged at that point, so their planning was tentative at first.

“I was the one who brought it up initially, and (Michael) had heard of a job opening up in 1-3 and said, ‘OK, I’ll volunteer, too,’” Kristi said. “So I guess it was to stay together.”

They married by proxy wedding through the state of Montana during this most recent deployment.

“I love the way it is now,” Kristi said. “When (Michael) vents to me I know exactly what he’s talking about. I know not to overreact, and he’s really good about doing the same thing. It’s like we speak the same language, you know, the whole military language thing.”

The bond they share, say the Pruitts, goes beyond the bond among Soldiers. It has deep roots in family and the love they feel for each other.

“I look up to them,” Alicia said of her family here. “I only worry when they worry. It’s comforting that they are here.”

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)
Justices To Rule On D.C. Gun Ban - The Supreme Court announced yesterday that it will determine whether the District of Columbia's strict firearms law violates the Constitution, a decision that will raise the politically and culturally divisive issue of gun control just in time for the 2008 elections. (READ MORE)

Pentagon Warns of Civilian Layoffs If Congress Delays War Funding - The Defense Department warned yesterday that as many as 200,000 contractors and civilian employees will begin receiving layoff warnings by Christmas unless Congress acts on President Bush's $196 billion war request, but senior Democrats said no war funds will be approved until Bush accepts a shift... (READ MORE)

In Pakistan, U.S. Envoy Courts No. 2 General - ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 20 -- When Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte visited Pakistan last weekend, he met once with President Pervez Musharraf, for two hours. But before he left town, he held three meetings with a lesser-known figure: Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, the deputy army chief. (READ MORE)

Murtha: 'We Can't Win Militarily' - House Democrats' point man in the war-funding showdown with the White House is dismissing U.S. military gains in Iraq and vowed to tighten the purse strings until President Bush accepts a pullout plan. (READ MORE)

Mideast Peace Conference Set - President Bush plans to play a prominent role in next week's Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, elevating the level of the summit, even though it will be officially hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, administration officials said yesterday. (READ MORE)

Court Agrees to Consider D.C. Gun Ban - The Supreme Court will rule on the scope of the Second Amendment's right to bear arms for the first time in nearly 70 years after deciding yesterday to hear arguments on whether D.C. residents can keep handguns in their homes. (READ MORE)

Senate Democrats Play Recess Hardball - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, said he called yesterday's pro forma sessions because the Bush administration had informed him the president would be making recess appointments during the current congressional layoff. (READ MORE)

Skin Cells Alter Stem-Cell Debate - Scientists from Japan and the United States have changed human skin cells into cells that look and behave like embryonic stem cells, a development that could be a turning point in the contentious debate over human embryonic stem-cell research. (READ MORE)


From the Front:
Yellowhammering Afghanistan: Mail anatomy - The flood of packages, cards and letters I have received recently really tell a lot about the hearts of the people who sent them. First of all, you love and support the troops. Tracy Post and the folks of SALUTE (Sending Appreciation & Love with Unending Thoughts of Esteem) in Doon, Iowa, loaded us up with lots of goodies ranging from Christmas decoration to clothes, toiletries and snacks, including homemade cookies. Widows Might Ministry of Liberty Baptist Church in Chelsea, Ala., sent us lots of nice goodies, including Christmas cards for the troops and a stocking filled just for me. I will wait until as close to Christmas as I can before opening my stocking. (READ MORE)

Northern Disclosure: Hearts get filled before our Bellies! - Holidays are those days that make us remember whats really important. Whoever came up with these days was a smart man but most likely a woman! It is important to designate days that we should create memories on for so many other days we forget all to easily. As a soldier that has missed the majority of my adult holidays when they come around they don't seem to mean what others might think. When another holiday passes and I have spent it with our guys its starts a personal sense of this is the way it should be. (READ MORE)

Michael Yon: Men of Valor: Part I of about VIII - “Bizarre” is an accurate word to describe how quickly a man can fly from, say, Orlando and land smack in the middle of a minefield. Not a metaphorical minefield, but a big, real minefield. The transition occurred in a matter of a few days: Goodbye Mickey Mouse, Hello Minefield. Hello Iran. The American name for the war is Operation Iraqi Freedom. OIF 1 comprised the initial invasion back in 2003. Subsequent rotations have led to OIF 2, 3, and so on until the OIF number has become nearly meaningless, and definitely confusing. The British name for OIF is “Operation Telic,” or “Op Telic.” The British designation is less confusing, but practically no British soldiers know what “Telic” means. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: The Opinion Writers' Show - Seems to me that newspaper columnists this week are already on vacation. I can't believe what these people are saying. They say we mustn't get too excited about recent developments in Iraq. Okay, we can all agree. Even Gen. Petraeus has been careful to say that al-Qaeda has not been defeated. But then the columnists do exactly what they caution against. They themselves get really excited about the surge -- but for different reasons. Take for example WaPo's Anne Applebaum, who has been really good on European issues. Perhaps she ought to stick with Europe and leave Iraq alone. (READ MORE)


On the Web:
Jeff Robbins: The Perils of Engagement - In March 1999, a Democratic president of the United States was leading a military intervention in Kosovo. It was aimed at stopping the mass murder of a Muslim minority by Slobodan Milosevic, a bona fide war criminal. Our European allies ardently desired the U.S. to shoulder the burden of this effort--but wished to publicly distance themselves from it, in order to avoid the potential political fallout in their own countries that ineluctably follows an association with the U.S. (READ MORE)

Peter Wehner and Yuval Levin: Back to Normal? - Fifteen years ago, a deep pessimism seemed to be stalking the American landscape. It arose from diverse quarters, took different forms, and cited a congeries of different symptoms--military, economic, social, cultural and spiritual--in support of its dark diagnosis. For some, like the Yale historian Paul Kennedy, America's commitments abroad--dubbed by Mr. Kennedy a species of "imperial overstretch"--were a sure harbinger of impending national decline. (READ MORE)

Austin Bay: Manned and Unmanned in the Air - THE MIDDLE EAST -- At a sprawling desert airbase in the Middle East -- one not far from Iran and the geo-strategically critical Strait of Hormuz -- I saw the past and future in aerial reconnaissance cross-paths. This instructive moment, however, was symbolically inverted. In the Hollywood version, the future takes off and the past lands, rolling off into the sunset. Just the opposite occurred. The past, a black U-2 spy plane, took off and shot skyward with a characteristic steep climb, an altitude grabber. The future, a U.S. Air Force Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, landed and glided to a stop. (READ MORE)

Paul Greenberg: How Goes the War? - The news on the military front in Iraq continues to improve thanks to a new commander's new strategy, aka The Surge, and to the continued courage and competence of the troops entrusted with executing it. At last they seem to have a commander worthy of them. Every wartime president struggles to find his Grant. George W. Bush's may be named Petraeus. Kimberly Kagan of the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War ran the numbers the other day: (READ MORE)

John Stossel: The Tragedy of the Commons - Every year around this time, schoolchildren are taught about that wonderful day when Pilgrims and Native Americans shared the fruits of the harvest. "Isn't sharing wonderful?" say the teachers. They miss the point. Because of sharing, the first Thanksgiving in 1623 almost didn't happen. The failure of Soviet communism is only the latest demonstration that freedom and property rights, not sharing, are essential to prosperity. (READ MORE)

Walter E. Williams: The Greatest Generation - The "greatest generation" is a term sometimes used in reference to those Americans who were raised during the Great Depression, fought in World War II, worked in farms and factories and sacrificed for the war effort while maintaining the home front. Following the war, these Americans, many of whom were born between the turn of the century and 1930, went on to produce a level of wealth and prosperity heretofore unknown to mankind. There's no question that this generation made an important contribution. Let's look at what else that generation contributed that might qualify them for the generation that laid the foundation for the greatest betrayal of our nation's core founding principle: (READ MORE)

Paul Weyrich: A Guide to Federal Spending Out of Control - One of the reasons the Democrats won that resounding victory in the 2006 elections is that Republicans lost their way. In the 109th Congress there was profligate spending which would have made President Lyndon B. Johnson blush. Following the 2006 elections the Party leadership resolved that the GOP was going to get back on track. The leadership determined that spending was again going to be a major issue for the Republicans. Toward that end, Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) has produced a booklet to help GOP Members of Congress "in making the case for a smaller, less intrusive, more efficient and more effective federal government." (READ MORE)

Ben Shapiro: Pakistan vs. Lebanon: Bush Derangement Syndrome Strikes Again - There is a country in the Middle East where democracy could flourish. In that country, however, democracy has been crushed repeatedly by foreign-supported autocrats. Elections have been postponed in order to prevent the rise of truly liberal democrats; international observers have stood silently by as authoritarianism has run roughshod over civil libertarianism. That country is, of course, Lebanon. This week, Lebanon postponed its upcoming presidential election for the fourth time. It did so in order to enable Hizbollah, the terrorist group, to put forward a viable alternative to a candidate backed by Western-friendly Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.(READ MORE)

Kathleen Parker: On Bush Time - ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE -- George W. Bush has accepted that he won't live long enough to witness his legacy, though he still hopes to capture Osama bin Laden before leaving office in just over a year. These were among his thoughts during an in-flight interview on Monday following a Thanksgiving address in Virginia. Bush looked relaxed in a blue jacket, and frequently gazed out the window as he reflected on his years in office, the war and this season of gratitude. (READ MORE)

Michelle Malkin: Stop Before You Gripe - Before you blow your top about the holiday hassle at the airport, the long lines at the grocery store, all the hours you'll spend cooking and cleaning, the uninvited guests who are crashing hubby's football party, and the endless Christmas shopping list that awaits, just stop. Stop and think of the Johnson family. Army Spc. John Austin Johnson of El Paso, Texas, is recovering from massive head wounds sustained in an IED attack. Johnson is a member of Fort Bliss' 4-1 Cavalry. He had survived five previous bombing incidents. That is not all. (READ MORE)

Tony Blankley: Hillary's Faux Experience - Having spent much of my adult life in politics, it would be silly at this late date to be shocked by the discovery of insincerity and misleading statements coming from leading candidates for president. But if I have seen too much of the world to be shocked, at least I still can be appalled. And the gentle lady, the junior senator from the Empire State continues to appall. Consider the following Associated Press story from earlier this week: (READ MORE)

Maggie Gallagher: The United Nations is Always Right - Last week, the secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, issued a new warning on global warming that began with this sentence: "We all agree. Climate change is real, and we humans are its chief cause ... we are on the verge of a catastrophe if we do not act." Just a few days later the United Nations released a new report in which it confessed its previous estimate of AIDS cases worldwide was inflated by more than 6 million sick people. In India alone, the number of AIDS patients estimated by the United Nations dropped by more than half, from 6 million to 3 million. (READ MORE)

Amanda Carpenter: The Obey-Murtha Funding Compromise - Two anti-war Democrats who hold congressional purse strings offered President Bush a deal on war funding today: give us a withdrawal date and we’ll give you the money. House Appropriations chairman Rep. David Obey (D.-Wisc.) and Rep. John Murtha (D.-Pa.), chairman of the Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations said they would agree to pass a funding bill if President Bush would commit the military to a no-torture policy and agree to a withdrawal all troops from Iraq by December 2008. (READ MORE)

Jay Tea: Common-Sense Environmentalism - I've spent a bit of time lately discussing the hysteria surrounding the environmental movement lately, and it occurs to me that I might be painting with too broad a brush. The whackos do have a few points -- and I don't mean the ones atop their heads, the ones that pinch their brains and compress them into twisted, perverted, unnatural shapes -- and we all ought to do a few simple things to respect the environment. (READ MORE)

Kim Priestap: Breaking: SCOTUS to Hear DC Gun Case - Many have been waiting with great anticipation about whether the US Supreme Court would hear this case, the outcome of which has far reaching Second Amendment implications: "The Supreme Court said Tuesday it will decide whether the District of Columbia can ban handguns, a case that could produce the most in-depth examination of the constitutional right to "keep and bear arms" in nearly 70 years." (READ MORE)

Jim Addison: CNN's Dem debate debacle - Before last week's Democratic debate in Las Vegas on CNN, Hillary Clinton backers issued "warnings" to moderator Wolf Blitzer. Since a Clinton supporter in a conference call had suggested Tim Russert "should be shot" for pressing Hillary for an answer in the Philadelphia debate, such warnings would be heard. Some suspected Wolf would be forced into aggressive questioning of the former First Lady to assert his journalistic integrity, but others noted he had never had any journalistic integrity in the first place and expected him to roll over and sit like a good dog. (READ MORE)

A Soldier's Mind: Despite Injuries, Soldier Chose To Remain In Iraq - Many people who aren’t in the military or familiar with it, often wonder why some of our Troops stay in the warzone, even when they have they opportunity to return home early. They don’t understand the special bond, the comrarderie that develops between the Troops, when your in a place where your life is constantly on the line. Many people don’t understand why thousands of our Troops, stand up and reenlist in the military, in the warzone. (READ MORE)

Ace of Spades: John Murtha: "War Can't Be Won Militarily;" American Troops' Enormous Progress Has Nothing To Do With Actual Victory - As they say in court: When the facts are on your side, pound the facts. When the law is on your side, pound the law. When neither is on your side, pound the table. There is some truth that ultimate victory must be ratified and consolidated via political means. However, there is indeed political progress being made as well; grassroots reconciliation is doing much of what the elected officials will not. Furthermore, we've had serious political progress before -- like the free and open elections -- and Murtha didn't seem to care about such progress then, only the military situation. (READ MORE)

Ed Morrissey: Is This What Victory Looks Like? - The momentum has been shifting away from the terrorists in Iraq and towards peace ever since the US demonstrated its commitment to the mission with the surge. Over the last five months, violence has dropped precipitously and normality has begun to return, which even the New York Times noticed yesterday. Some skeptics still insist that the situation only improved because Iraqis left the country in droves. Guess who's coming back to town? (READ MORE)

Bill Whittle: Some of You May Remember Me - During my entire life I have never been able to explain my need to simply go wander the desert by myself at the most inopportune times. It is not something I am proud of. In fact, it is a deep character flaw. But it does seem to be part of the bedrock of the psyche that has produced these writings, and I am long past the point of arguing with that strange and destructive impulse. I hope you can forgive me, or at least understand that I do not understand it myself. One of the reasons why I update E3 so infrequently -- despite my best efforts -- is because I often have to think long and hard about things, and that is what I have been doing for these past months. Not only thinking about Ejectia! and other issues I'd like to deal with, but coming to grips with things on a deeper level, in terms of what the best use of my time and limited talents should be. (READ MORE)

Don Surber: Iraq-is-lost parody - Glen Campbell fans may recognize this tune. The Agence France Presse startled me with this report, which began: “The gaudy orange, green and purple electronic palm trees flashing in the dark alert you that you’re getting close to one of Baghdad’s bustling nightspots. “The palms, like a mirage, can be seen from way down the darkened streets, lighting up the night and giving a promise of normality in the otherwise bleak and deserted capital, ravaged by four years of insurgency and sectarian strife. (READ MORE)

Dymphna: Through a Glass Darkly - We often make quick judgments, based on what we think we know, only to discover later that our brilliant insight may have been wrong. In fact, not only wrong, but unkind and — in the long run — harmful. Thus, the story in The Daily Mail. A story about someone we thought we knew, someone we made into an iconic symbol of all that we hate and fear since 9/11. He’s a poster boy for islamic terrorism, right? He hates, and it shows on his face. But what is behind that façade? I’ll bet that like me, you thought you knew his story, or at least it’s general outlines. (READ MORE)

Bryan Preston: (Video) Laura Ingraham pwns some Commie chick - Her name is Sunsara Taylor, and I’ve probably seen her at one or two of the protests we’ve covered. She’s cleaned up here on the Factor, but in the wild I’m sure she’s as hippie as the rest of them. She’s with World Can’t Wait! (because it has bladder control issues or something) and World Can’t Wait! (to get back into life with Depends) is a bona fide Communist outfit. They have been lead organizers, along with the ANSWER crowd, in organizing the anti-war protests all over the country. (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden: Road from Damascus - Times of London on Iraqis voting with their feet here. AP story on Iraqi pols unclear on the concept here: “BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s prime minister lashed out at the country’s Sunni Arab vice president in an interview published Tuesday, drawing attention to a bitter rift between two key politicians from rival sects at a time the U.S. is pressing for Iraqi unity.” Difficult to read internal politics from halfway around the world, and unfortunately the political reporting on Iraq has been about as bad as the military reporting, and creates a vacuum in which it is hard to judge the depth and nature of problems and possible resolutions. Reports like this however suggest that the preferred Democratic strategy of abandoning Iraq in order to force them to get along is not a particularly viable path. (READ MORE)

Atlas: CAIR Lauds Dhimmi Ruling on Iman's Suit Againsy Airline - Another Clinton appointee asshat judge submits to CAIR. And don't even think of selling me on well she is hung up on constitutional rights. Because if that were the case, would she have denied a young boy his "rights" to wear a Green Bay Packers shirt to a Minnesota Vikings party? But she did. Hey, Monte - we are at war, tool! “CAIR ALERT: (WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/20/2007) The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed a ruling today by a federal judge in Minnesota that rejected almost all of the arguments made by U.S. Airways and the Metropolitan Airports Commission in the case of six imams, or Islamic religious leaders, removed from a flight last year in Minneapolis, then arrested and denied further service.” (READ MORE)

Augean Stables: “EU Inaction Breeds Contempt in a Dictatorship of Floggers” - The following article is from Kevin Myers at the Irish Independent. And it really does express a magnificent independence, a sense of moral outrage that one can be forgiven for thinking had all but disappeared from Europe, spent in the moral masturbation of attacking Israel and the US. Among the more interesting aspects of the case, which the author raises, but whose implications he does not explore, is the fact that the girl in question got 90 lashes for being raped, and an additional 110 lashes for speaking to the press about it. There we touch on honor-shame issues; and we also touch on the enormous leverage the West has — if it would only use it — on the Muslim world. (READ MORE)

Big Dog: Democrats Fail to Support the Troops - Too often the word is put out that the Democratic Party supports the troops and anyone who dares to question that is castigated by anyone associated with that group. People can't really be blamed for the perception that the Democrats do not support the troops because they have a strange way of showing their support. In the past year they have voted on over 40 pieces of legislation designed to hurt the mission and to lose the war. They opposed the troop surge and now that the evidence is clear that the surge is providing benefits they claim it is not and that a decorated general is a liar. They have trumpeted the cry that we have lost the war and they wave the white flag in front of our enemies. This is what passes as support and how dare anyone question that. The same holds true with funding the war. (READ MORE)

Dadmanly: Winning, to Won - The NY Times decided it’s time for front page acknowledgement that the situation in Iraq has clearly improved, dramatically, across the board and in almost all areas: “The security improvements in most neighborhoods are real. Days now pass without a car bomb, after a high of 44 in the city in February. The number of bodies appearing on Baghdad’s streets has plummeted to about 5 a day, from as many as 35 eight months ago, and suicide bombings across Iraq fell to 16 in October, half the number of last summer and down sharply from a recent peak of 59 in March, the American military says.” Gone are the negatives in the lead, the contrarian framing of the story in editorially favored tones. Sure there’s a slight effort of “sure things are good now, but that may not last,” but the effort is pale and weak, and shrivels in contrast. (READ MORE)

GayPatriotWest: John McCain, Hillary, the Media and the “B” Word - Last week, while doing some cardio at the gym, I looked up at the TV monitor to see CNN’s Rick Sanchez anchor a seemingly lengthy segment about how Republican Presidential contender John McCain handled someone describing New York’s junior Senator and Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton as a “bitch.” Given the attention Sanchez was devoting to the topic, I assumed a McCain aide has so described the former First Lady. Only later would I learn this reporter was hyping the Arizona Senator’s failure to rebuke a woman who asked him “How do we beat the bitch?” I wonder if CNN has ever devoted as much time to a top Democrat’s failure to rebuke someone who asked a question using equally colorful language to describe the President of the United States. (READ MORE)

YankeeMom: Peace In America - Okay, I’ve had it with all the head in the sand nonsense going on in this country. While Congress quibbles and plays political games with our troops welfare and gives those who wish to see us destroyed ever more ammunition (instead of our military), there are many who are already in this country working to empower and aid the enemy. So I’ve decided to ramp up the info about these activities and those who are behind them. My information will be coming from ACT for America (Brigette Gabriel), The Religion of Peace and other sites that are keeping an eye on such things. We need to know what is going on right under our noses, on our soil, in our towns, as well as around the world. Because have no doubt, they are here: (READ MORE)

Jihad Watch: Shock horror! No evidence to support CAIR-backed Muslim schoolgirl's claim she was harrassed and threatened! - Now, everyone knows CAIR is a neutral civil rights organization that is scrupulous about telling the truth. Never mind that CAIR's spokesman Ibrahim Hooper has defamed me on national television, or that the organization's website even featured a link, for a time, to a tissue of lies about me and Jihad Watch penned by a mendacious and pathetic thrice-convicted felon. Never mind that CAIR's Ahmed Bedier, quoted in this story, has posted a vile hate message at this site, and has never bothered to answer my questions to him about the Islamic supremacist ideology. (READ MORE)

McQ: Blind Envy - You knew someone would attempt to make a big deal about it and you also knew it would be someone from the Nutroots. My money was on Oliver Willis, but instead it was one of the mouth-breathers at FireDoggerelLake, home of the black-face Joe Lieberman. Apparently our acceptance from the American Petroleum Institute of coach tickets in the horror that is modern airline travel and hurried dinners at 11pm EST (the result of a very ambitious itinerary)was enough for this whack-job to question my and Ed Morrissey’s integrity without knowing either of us. Never mind that each of us openly disclosed that information (at the insistence of API although I’m sure I speak for Ed when I say we’d have done it anyway). (READ MORE)

Protein Wisdom: No right to self-defense - Well, at least if you’re melanin challenged. “LAKEPORT, Calif. - Three young black men break into a white man’s home in rural Northern California. The homeowner shoots two of them to death — but it’s the surviving black man who is charged with murder. In a case that has brought cries of racism from civil rights groups, Renato Hughes Jr., 22, was charged by prosecutors in this overwhelmingly white county under a rarely invoked legal doctrine that could make him responsible for the bloodshed.” (READ MORE)

TigerHawk: The New York Times and the civil right it does not like - The editors of the New York Times are, unusually for them, calling upon the Supreme Court to construe one of the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution to give individuals no rights against the government. Hint: It is not the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, or Eighth amendments. You do the rest of the thinking. The most appalling thing about the editorial is its final sentence: “A decision that upends needed gun controls currently in place around the country would imperil the lives of Americans.” (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.

Spc. Roger G. Ling
20 years old from Douglaston, New York
Company C, 1st Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team
February 19, 2004


When Spc. Roger G. Ling's Humvee was struck by a homemade bomb in October of 2003, he survived the attack and he worked to keep his superior officer, Lt. Matt Homa, alive. Spc. Ling was riding in the backseat of the Humvee when it was hit. It destroyed Lt. Homa's door.

"It almost killed me. From what I've been told, Roger helped keep me awake until my medic arrived." said Lt. Homa. "Ling was a good kid. You could count on him to do anything."

Spc. Ling was killed, along with Second Lieutenant Jeffrey C. Graham of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, when their unit came under fire from insurgents in Khalidiyah, Iraq. Only two miles from where he'd survived the attack just four months earlier.

Leona Ling said she was grateful her brother came home in August of 2003 just before leaving for Iraq.

"He had to have his tonsils taken out," she said. "It was a blessing in disguise because we got to see him again."

In phone calls home, the soldier spoke wistfully of returning to New York and going to college. "He wanted to hear about what was going on at home and all the latest family gossip," Leona Ling recalled.

Survivors include his father, Wai Ling, a U.S. Army veteran.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

No comment from the Park Service yet on Congressman Tancredo's request for a new Flight 93 Memorial. We did a little better with last week's blogburst letters. Some emailers got a response from Memorial Project Superintendent Joanne Hanley, answering Mr. Tancredo's contention that the original giant crescent is still present in the redesign. Interestingly, her description of the redesign actually admits that the giant crescent IS still present, both geometrically and thematically.

In 2005, architect Paul Murdoch explained his original Crescent of Embrace design in terms of the flight path: as the hijacked airliner came over the ridgeline above the crash site, its flight path symbolically broke the circle, turning it into a giant crescent. In the original design, the broken off part of the circle was removed entirely:



Flight 93 came down from the Northwest (the upper left). The flight path breaks the circle at the upper crescent tip, says Paul Murdoch, then continues down to the crash site, which is located between the crescent tips (roughly in the position of the star on an Islamic crescent and star flag).

In describing the barely altered redesign, Superintendent Hanley uses the exact same "breaking the circle" language that Paul Murdoch used to describe the original design, only now the broken off part of the circle is not completely removed. A broken chunk of it remains, so that the design now includes "two breaks" instead of one:

The most prominent refinement was in the treatment of the naturally occurring bowl-shaped landscape feature. The design now surrounds that area with a circle of trees which is broken in two places - the location which marks the flight path as it breaks the circular continuity of the bowl edge, and the Sacred Ground where the crash occurred. The locations of the two breaks in the circle are based on the flight path and crash site of Flight 93.

The site plan graphic for the redesign was dramatically re-colored, making the crescent LOOK more like a circle. You have to examine closely to see that the original break in the crescent is still there, along with the new "second break." But as Superintendent Hanley admits, the original break IS still there, and it is still intended to be seen as being there. Hanley is directly admitting what Congressman Tancredo is complaining about, that the original crescent has only been disguised.

A side-by-side comparison of the Crescent of Embrace site-plan and the redesign site-plan confirms that the only change was to include a chunk of the symbolically broken off part of the imaginary full circle:



Ignoring the re-coloring of the image, the only change is the additional arc of trees to the left side of the crescent. (Click pic for larger view.)

Including a chunk of the broken off part of the circle does nothing to remove the original crescent, but on the contrary is perfectly consistent with it, both geometrically and thematically. The terrorists are still depicted as breaking our humanitarian circle and turning it into a giant Islamic shaped crescent.

Just to make sure people get it, Paul Murdoch has placed a huge glass block at the spot where this circle-breaking, crescent-creating feat takes place. It is the 44th translucent block emplaced along the flight path (matching the number of passengers, crew, AND terrorists) and is inscribed: "a field of honor forever."

Earlier admissions that the redesign retains the crescent and star configuration of an Islamic flag

An August 18th article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette quoted Superintendent Hanley denying the Mecca orientation of the giant crescent:

"The only thing that orients the memorial is the crash site," she said.

Mr. Murdoch reinforced that idea.

"It's oriented toward the Sacred Ground," he said. "It just couldn't be clearer."

The symbolism of the memorial, he continued, is representative of the geography of the crash site, an idea that predates Islam or any other major religion.

They are not calling it a crescent and star configuration, but that is what they are describing, and what they are talking about here is the redesign. They are admitting that the design still has the arms of the crescent reaching out towards the crash site, which sits between the crescent tips, in the position of the star on an Islamic flag. “It just couldn’t be clearer.”

Connect a line from the lower crescent tip to the thematic upper crescent tip (the 44th glass block, commemorating the spot where the flight path breaks the circle) and a perpendicular to this line (the direction of a person facing directly into the giant crescent) points exactly to Mecca. Thus does Paul Murdoch tie the Islamic features and the terrorist memorializing features of his design into a perfect bin Ladenist embrace. The 44th block defines the exact Mecca orientation of the giant crescent.

Very simply, we hosted an open design competition in time of war. Of course the enemy would enter. The only thing that is hard to understand is why the Memorial Project is willfully blind to this ploy.

Iraqi officials it seems are more effective than our own Congress:

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The senior leader of the Iraqi Army along with Government of Iraq officials from eight ministries, Sunni and Shia tribal sheiks and other leaders met with the people of Sab Al Bor, Iraq, Nov. 17 to discuss and highlight resettlement initiatives and progress as a result of sustained security throughout the city.

Iraqi Army Lt. Gen. Abud Qanbar, the commander of Baghdad Operations Command; Dr. Ahmed Challabi, Operation Fahrd Al Qanoon services committee chairman; Saabar Nabact Al Asaway, deputy governor of Baghdad; Ahmed Abdul Ameer Abd, the deputy Minister of Oil; Maeen Al Kathamy, head of the Provincial Council; and Maj. Gen. Wajih Hameed, Kharkh area commander, were a few of the guests and speakers. Other guests at the meeting included sheik Hassan Al Sudany, a representative from the Grand Ayatollah Sistani – the most prominent religious Shia leader in Iraq, and deputy ministers and representatives from the Ministries of Health, Housing, Education, Commerce, Interior for Police Affairs, Municipalities and Agriculture.

Local city council leaders and sheiks hosted the event while Multi-National Division – Baghdad senior leaders from the 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and members of the brigade’s Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, Baghdad EPRT 5, were on hand to assist in facilitating the meeting.

The event began at a joint security station where U.S. and Iraqi press engaged in a question-and-answer session with the government panel and a town hall meeting allowed residents of the city to express their concerns about essential services and other issues.

When the town hall meeting closed, the government leaders, Iraqi Army officials and tribal sheiks walked the streets of the city to tour a local medical clinic and discuss shortfalls and challenges facing the public health system. From there, the leaders traveled to the Al Balquis school where they met with local educators.

After returning to the JSS, the leaders dined together and talked about plans of action to restore essential services.

The government officials then visited a local water pumping station and another local school.

Over the course of the event, some of the main topics discussed included the improvement of essential services and public works in order to entice displaced citizens to move back into their residences and the city. In addition, government officials talked about how to bring jobs into the area; fixing roads; the hiring of doctors and nurses to staff medical clinics; hiring certified teachers for local schools; creating new systems to collect and control trash and sewage and efforts to provide drinking water – which is in short supply – to the city’s residents.

Lt. Gen. Qanbar said that since his last visit to the area, security in the region has increased which has allowed for a more stable environment.

“The people of Sab Al Bor will return to their homes as long as this continues,” Qanbar added. “In order for the people to stay and the city to prosper, essential services and public works must be improved. This is the only way in which resettlement will work in the area.”

Dr. Challabi of the OFAQ services committee who served as the keynote speaker during the event said he was very receptive to the concerns of the local citizens and looked forward to finding ways to help them with the problems they face due to the lack of public services in the city.

After receiving a list of issues which are in need of attention in the area, Challabi agreed to sign a series of promissory notes to ensure that the city is allocated the resources it needs from the Iraqi government to improve essential services and bring jobs to the area.

Challabi also directed Sab Al Bor’s city manager to hire a work brigade of 500 to 1,000 local citizens within each district to pave the roads and to help resource jobs for the city.

Brig. Gen. John F. Campbell, Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s deputy commanding general for maneuver, concluded the event addressing the council members and government officials about the ”irreversible momentum” in the initiative of resettlement and progress in essential services in Sab Al Bor and Iraq as a whole, while also stressing the importance of collaboration and partnership between the local council members and Iraq’s ministerial representatives.

“This has to be a joint effort but, ultimately, an Iraqi solution,” said Campbell in his closing remarks.

Coalition forces killed five terrorists and detained 11 suspects late Sunday through Tuesday during operations targeting al-Qaeda networks in central and northern Iraq killing five and capturing 11. The operations resulted in the removal of al-Qaeda foreign terrorist facilitators, a financier, a courier and a propagandist:

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces killed five terrorists and detained 11 suspects late Sunday through Tuesday during operations targeting al-Qaeda networks in central and northern Iraq.

Southwest of Baqubah, Coalition forces targeted al-Qaeda in Iraq and foreign terrorist facilitators during a 24-hour operation Sunday and Monday. Coalition forces observed several men maneuvering toward their position and, perceiving hostile intent, called for supporting aircraft to engage the men, killing four terrorists. Coalition partners in the area discovered weapons, including missiles and grenades, ammunition and an improvised explosive device.

Coalition forces conducted operations Monday and Tuesday in Rabiyah and northern Samarra. During the operation northwest of Samarra, Coalition forces captured a wanted individual while targeting al-Qaeda financial and courier operations. The captured individual is believed to be associated with propaganda operations and senior terrorist leaders. During the operation, Coalition forces saw one individual maneuver into the palm groves. Perceiving hostile intent, the ground force called for supporting aircraft to engage, killing the terrorist. Coalition forces detained three suspects, in addition to the wanted individual.

North of Samarra, Coalition forces captured a wanted individual believed to be a courier for senior al-Qaeda leaders. During the operation, one suspect received minor wounds. He received medical care on site before being detained by Coalition forces. In addition to the wanted individual and the wounded suspect, the ground force detained two suspects without incident.

During the operation in Rabiyah Monday, Coalition forces captured an alleged former al-Qaeda in Iraq leader believed to be a planner of car-bombing attacks in Mosul. Coalition forces detained two other suspects, in addition to the wanted individual.

"These operations exemplify the continued success we're having in operations against terrorist networks," said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. "With the help of Iraqi citizens and their security forces, we will succeed in defeating al-Qaeda in Iraq."

Excellent news indeed!

On November 17 troopers operating in Baghdad two individuals believed to be part of a terrorist cell and found a cache of explosively formed penetrators, rockets and other munitions after a search of the house in which they were captured:

BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad troops captured two individuals believed to be part of a terrorist cell and a cache of explosively formed penetrators, rockets and other munitions in southern Baghdad Nov. 17.

Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment “Black Lions,” 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, conducted the successful operation after several individuals were observed fleeing from a suspected point of origin of a rocket attack in the Aamel neighborhood of West Rashid. They were tracked to a house and immediately detained. A subsequent search of the building revealed the sizeable cache.

Confiscated by troops assigned to Attack Company were six complete EFPs, three 107mm Iranian-made rockets, more than 30 mortar rounds of various calibers, 12 57mm projectiles and other explosives and bomb-making materials.

The suspects are being held for further questioning.

Soldiers assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armored Regiment “Tuskers,” working closely with Iraqi Security Volunteers in the Saydiyah neighborhood of West Rashid, seized four separate caches of weapons and explosives after receiving tips from area resident Nov. 18.

The troops seized a complete 82mm mortar system, more than 40 pounds of homemade explosives and several AK-47 assault rifles and pistols.

Sometimes it pays to allow the terrorists to "escape" to a safe house so that Coalition Forces can capture them when tehy least expect it. Good work men, and a special thanks to the citizen's that provided the tip that allowed the "Tuskers" to take even more weapons and explosives off the streets.

Coalition forces captured a suspected senior Special Groups leader responsible for smuggling and storing weapons used in attacks against Coalition forces and detained another suspected criminal during operations late Sunday near Baghdad:

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces captured a suspected senior Special Groups leader and detained another suspected criminal during operations late Sunday near Baghdad, in the Adhamiyah area.

The targeted individual was reportedly responsible for smuggling and storing weapons used in attacks against Coalition forces, and supported Special Groups criminal elements through funding and training. The suspected criminal was also reportedly an associate of several other senior-level Special Groups members from Diyala to Baghdad who were involved in attacks on Coalition forces.

“We will continue to pursue criminal elements who fail to honor Muqtada al-Sadr’s pledge for peace and we commend those who honor it,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson,
MNF-I spokesman. “The groundswell of citizens who have courageously decided to oppose these terrorist elements are vital for improved security in Iraq.”

The article doesn't say it, but the implication is surely there, this terrroist was given up by citizens tired of the killing and chaos. Even the NYT has finally noticed that the tide has turnned, when will the Democratic leadership in Congress?

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)
Global Warming, Inc. - Al Gore no longer needs to make claims about creating the Internet, because the former Vice President deserves much of the credit for creating an entire new industry--the global warming business. And like the energy barons of an earlier age, Mr. Gore has the chance to achieve enormous wealth after being named last week as a new partner at the famously successful venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins. (READ MORE)

For Democrats, Iowa Still Up for Grabs - The top three Democratic presidential contenders remain locked in a close battle in Iowa, with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) seeing her advantages diminish on key issues, including the questions of experience and which candidate is best prepared to handle the war in Iraq... (READ MORE)

Bush Calls for More Community Service - In a speech at the historic Berkeley Plantation, where 38 English settlers held what many consider to be the nation's first Thanksgiving in 1619, President Bush on Monday saluted the military and the nation's "good Samaritans" and called on Americans to perform more ... (READ MORE)

Iraqis Joining Insurgency Less for Cause Than Cash - MOSUL, Iraq -- Abu Nawall, a captured al-Qaeda in Iraq leader, said he didn't join the Sunni insurgent group here to kill Americans or to form a Muslim caliphate. He signed up for the cash. (READ MORE)

U.N. to Cut Estimate Of AIDS Epidemic - The United Nations' top AIDS scientists plan to acknowledge this week that they have long overestimated both the size and the course of the epidemic, which they now believe has been slowing for nearly a decade, according to U.N. documents prepared for the announcement. (READ MORE)

Baghdad Starts to Exhale as Security Improves - Iraqis are beginning to reclaim their lost lives five months after extra U.S. troops arrived, but the depth of the changes remains open to question. (READ MORE)

Suicide Attack in Afghanistan Kills 7 but Spares Governor - KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 19 — A provincial governor in southwestern Afghanistan narrowly escaped a suicide attack on Monday, but his 25-year-old son and five of his bodyguards were killed in the blast. A civilian bystander was also killed, and 14 others were wounded, the police said. (READ MORE)

Khmer Rouge Figure Appears in Open Court - More than 28 years after the killing stopped, the first Khmer Rouge defendant stepped into a public courtroom today to answer for the deaths of 1.7 million people. A tiny, self-effacing man who once commanded an efficient and ruthless torture house, the defendant, Kaing Guek Eav, 66, known as Duch, was seeking bail on charges of crimes against humanity. (READ MORE)

As Somali Crisis Swells, Experts See a Void in Aid - The worst humanitarian crisis in Africa may not be unfolding in Darfur, but here, along a 20-mile strip of busted-up asphalt, several top United Nations officials said. A year ago, the road between the market town of Afgooye and the capital of Mogadishu was just another typical Somali byway, lined with overgrown cactuses and the occasional bullet-riddled building. Now it is a corridor teeming with misery, with 200,000 recently displaced people crammed into swelling camps that are rapidly running out of food. (READ MORE)



From the Front:
Eighty Deuce On The Loose In Iraq: My Baghdaddy vacation... - I sit down on a metal chair, complete with bent legs and a missing back piece, curtosey of the lack of care and extra weight of men lumbering down upon it with 60+ lbs. of gear affixed to their bodies. This chair will be my throne in this tiny castle, or should I say tomb, for the next 4 hours. I look over and see my grenadier who seems so comforable in the remnants of an officer chair stacked upon layers of sandbags, just high enough to be able to see over the machine gun and out the window of our fortified guard tower. This is going to be a long 4 hours. An hour is long in these towers, 4 hours feels like an eternity sometimes. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: You Don't Say - Guess who wrote this today: "The security improvements in most neighborhoods are real." Gee, I thought we were victims of some propaganda. That's right, the NYT had no choice but to report: "As a result, for the first time in nearly two years, people are moving with freedom around much of this city. In more than 50 interviews across Baghdad, it became clear that while there were still no-go zones, more Iraqis now drive between Sunni and Shiite areas for work, shopping or school, a few even after dark. In the most stable neighborhoods of Baghdad, some secular women are also dressing as they wish." (READ MORE)

Sgt Hook: Fallen Guardian - “Private First Class James!” the first sergeant called, standing in front of the formation. “PFC Horace James!” he repeated after not getting a reply. “Horace A. James!” he said a third time, again with no reply. “READY, AIM, FIRE,” ordered the color sergeant. His individual commands were answered with sharp, well practiced movements executed in unison by each of three riflemen in the honor guard formed up a safe distance from the hundreds of attendees; snapping their M16 rifles to the ready position, simultaneously aiming into the sky, then pulling the trigger, firing seemingly a single round with a loud retort. “READY, AIM, FIRE,” they reverently repeated two more times before silently returning their weapons to the position of present arms, standing steadfast at the position of attention. While the echo of the final volley of gunfire hung in the air, a lone bugler, standing off in the distant, solemnly played Taps on his well worn brass instrument. (READ MORE)

Yellowhammering Afghanistan: Pic-ing favorites - I have taken hundreds, perhaps thousands of pictures since I've been in Afghanistan. Most of them have made their way onto blog posts and in the two slideshows I've put together. While I did take photography classes in college, my skills are not such that any of the truly great photographers at The Birmingham News should fear for their jobs. But during the recent distribution of food and clothing to the Afghan Hazara refugees, I took a picture that I personally feel is my best. It may not have the technical makings of a great photo, but I have decided it is my personal favorite. (READ MORE)


On the Web:
Bret Stephens: The Annapolis Fiasco - Henry Kissinger once observed that "when enough prestige has been invested in a policy it is easier to see it fail than abandon it." At the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., next week, the current secretary of state will illustrate her predecessor's point. "Annapolis," as it is spoken of in diplomatic circles, was conceived earlier this year by the Bush administration as a landmark conference that would revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and lead to a final settlement by January 2009. (READ MORE)

Richard B. Woodward: Cheap Technology, Shoddy Morals - "Peeping Tom," the chilly 1959 movie by Michael Powell, concerns a young psychopath who uses a 16mm movie camera to film his victims while he is killing them. The close-ups of terror that cross the faces of the women as he impales them on a spike attached to his tripod are for him a source of curiosity and pleasure. Widely reviled on its release--and credited with destroying the commercial career of Powell, a venerable English director ("The Red Shoes")--the work was rediscovered by Martin Scorsese and other cinéastes in the 1970s. (READ MORE)

David Limbaugh: Will Apple Pie Be Next? - If you want to gain greater insight into the mindset of much of Hillary Clinton's base -- the type of people she caters to, and will continue to cater to if she is elected -- you should familiarize yourselves with a couple of recent news stories involving the Boy Scouts and our troops. In Philadelphia, the glorious city where our unique experiment in constitutional governance began, the city solicitor issued the Cradle of Liberty Boy Scouts Council a dire ultimatum. Unless it renounces its policy excluding homosexuals by Dec. 3, it will forfeit the right to rent from the city a building it has rented for $1 a year since 1928. (READ MORE)

Dennis Prager: America, Here Are Your Democratic Presidential Candidates - If you want to know what the Democratic presidential candidates and the Democratic Party believe, the debates, often derided as intellectually inconsequential, reveal a great deal. The problem is that news media almost never report the most important statements the candidates make. Here then are some of those statements from the most recent debate, followed by a comment on their significance. Joseph Biden on how he'd handle Russia: "Who among us is going to pick up the phone and immediately interface with Putin and tell him to lay off Georgia because [Georgian President] Saakashvili is in real trouble?" (READ MORE)

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Staticidal Zealotry - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is behaving like a zealot. In her ever-more-rash pursuit of a Palestinian state, she is exhibiting the syndrome defined by the philosopher George Santana, as one who redoubles her efforts upon losing sight of the objective. Let’s recall: The objective laid out by President Bush, when he decided in June 2002 to support the creation of a homeland for the Palestinian people, was to provide a stable, secure neighbor for Israel, committed to leaving peaceably with the Jewish State. (READ MORE)

Thomas Sowell: Income Confusion: Part II - When most of us look at income statistics, we are not just being numbers junkies. We want to find out something about actual flesh-and-blood human beings -- specifically what their standard of living is like. But you cannot always just take statistics at face value -- or, worse yet, with the spin that politicians and the media put on them. Income, for example, is not the same as earnings, and neither is the same as the economic resources on which people's standard of living is based. (READ MORE)

Patrick J. Buchanan: Democracy vs. Security - Which is more critical to the United States in the Islamic world -- that a government be democratic, or that it be a friend and ally in the war against al-Qaida and Islamic extremism? In the Bush era, the answer has seemed unequivocal. We are for democracy first. For democracy is the best guarantee of our security interests. As Condi Rice famously said in 2005 at Cairo University: "For 60 years, my country, the United States, pursued stability at the expense of democracy in this region here in the Middle East, and we achieved neither. Now, we are taking a different course. We are supporting the democratic aspirations of all people." (READ MORE)

Daniel Pipes: Lee Harvey Oswald's Malign Legacy - What's wrong with American liberalism? What happened to the self-assured, optimistic, and practical Democratic Party of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John F. Kennedy? Why has Joe Lieberman, their closest contemporary incarnation, been run out of the party? How did anti-Americanism infect schools, the media, and Hollywood? And whence comes the liberal rage that conservatives like Ann Coulter, Jeff Jacoby, Michelle Malkin, and the Media Research Center have extensively documented? In a tour de force, James Piereson of the Manhattan Institute offers an historical explanation both novel and convincing. (READ MORE)

Richard H. Collins: Are the Democrats Up To Snuff? - Following last week’s Democratic debate in Las Vegas the media buzz was: Hillary Clinton is back. In contrast to the previous debate, Hillary largely avoided sounding evasive and getting tripped up by the attacks of her rivals. Instead, she seemed to go on the offensive and challenge them. This, and the raucous crowd’s seeming disapproval of any direct attacks on Hillary, kept Barack Obama and John Edwards on their heels most of the night. (READ MORE)

Amanda Carpenter: Tagg Romney: Press Should Find Who Made Anti-Mormon Calls - Mitt Romney’s son and senior campaign advisor, Tagg, said the press should find out who is behind the anti-Mormon calls that were made in Iowa and New Hampshire in a phone interview Monday morning. When asked if the Romney campaign would make a push to find out who made the calls Tagg said: “We’re going to let the press do that. If there was something we could do, we would. The Attorney General in New Hampshire is going to look into it, so we’re going to let them pursue it.” (READ MORE)

Phyllis Schlafly: No Need to Tinker with the Constitution - Let's face it. Some people, especially liberals, just don't like the U.S. Constitution. Every few years, they come up with wild or devious plans to make major changes. The would-be rewriters of the Constitution do not merely propose amendments to remedy a problem, as allowed for in Article V. They seek structural change after hurling put-downs such as archaic and out-of-date. The latest to imagine that he can write a 21st century improvement on our great Constitution is University of Virginia professor Larry J. Sabato, whom the Washington Post once dubbed "the Mark McGwire of political analysts." (READ MORE)

Wolf Pangloss: News from the End of the World - The end of the world would be the Himalayan nations of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and perhaps India and Bangladesh. The US is planning to train and supply paramilitary forces in Pakistan’s tribal areas, the Frontier Corps, in order to better counter the growing Al Qaeda insurgency in Pakistan. “It also marks a shift in favor of a locally recruited paramilitary force that many have considered unreliable because it is drawn from Pashtun tribes sympathetic to the Taliban. ‘We believe that, particularly in this part of Pakistan, it is more effective to work with a force raised from locals than it is to work with the Pak army,’ Morrell said.” (READ MORE)

Jay Tea: Identity Politics At Its Dumbest - Over at the Huffington Post, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh (who's pretty much been resting on the laurels of My Lai for almost literally my entire life) discussed how the United States needs to elect Barack Obama as president if we wish to mend our relations with the Muslim world. (Hat tip: my colleague Steve Crickmore at Blue. By the way, Steve, Hersh did not "break" Abu Ghraib; the US Army broke the story itself. He was just the first to actually report what they said.) I read Steve's piece, then over to HuffPo (after having all my shots) and read the piece. In a nutshell, the fact that Obama's biological father was a Muslim (as was the man his mother married next) will somehow win over those who currently dislike and distrust us. This is so barkingly stupid, it can only have been first published at HuffPo. (READ MORE)

The Tygrrrr Express: Republicans and Race - The Jayson Blair Times has an article today by Paul Krugman entitled “Republicans and Race.” I will not be providing the link because nothing positive has ever been gleamed from anything written by any of the race baiting left wing bullies that work at the JBT. Krugman tries to show why Ronald Reagan is a racist, and then concludes his monstrosity of an article by saying that “we should be able to discuss the role of race in American politics honestly.” Forget that Paul Krugman and honesty are contradictory. Let’s have a real honest conversation about race. Oh, and referring to that scourge of a left wing rag as the Jayson Blair Times is not racist. Pinch Sulzberger and Howell Raines promoting this incompetent man over better qualified coworkers because he is black is racist. (READ MORE)

Right Truth: Gender apartheid in Iran - Reader Ross R thought I would be very interested in this Boston Review article by Akbar Ganji on gender apartheid in Iran. He was right. According to Ross, "Ganji, as you may know, is Iran's leading political dissident. He has been given more than a dozen human-rights awards, most recently the 2007 John Humphrey Award (Canada's most prestigious human rights and democracy award). His article doesn’t just list the restrictions Shari’ah law puts on women, but suggests several provocative yet practical means of interpreting the Quran to allow for equal gender rights. Ganji shows modern examples of the interpretation of the Quran being changed such as Ayatollah Khomeini’s denial of the obligatory nature of prayer. The methods Ganji describes may be important to the future path of Iranian democracy." (READ MORE)

Ed Morrissey: AQI: The Sopranos Of Iraq - As it turns out, those of us who watched The Sopranos may have better insight into al-Qaeda in Iraq than we knew. Major General Rick Lynch, commanding US forces in central Iraq, claims that the sixth season of the show reveals all there is to know about AQI -- that it is nothing more than a crime syndicate, and most of its Iraqi members little more than hired guns. Cutting off the money has helped cripple the terrorist organization (via Memeorandum): (READ MORE)

Don Surber: Pham Xuan An Hussein - Did the Associated Press learn nothing from Vietnam? Pham Xuan An was one of the heroes of the Vietcong (which was the enemy in Vietnam). Pham was the first Vietnamese reporter for an American news organization in that war. And unknown to his employer, Time magazine, Pham was also an officer in the Vietcong army (which again was the enemy in Vietnam). Pham insisted that he never distorted the news. Frank McCullough, the guy at Time who hired him, agreed. (READ MORE)

Bryan Preston: Murtha wants Marines’ defamation suit tossed out - Senility is no defense. “Lawyers for Rep. John P. Murtha will appeal a recent ruling advancing a defamation lawsuit brought against the Pennsylvania Democrat by a U.S. Marine under investigation for killing Iraqi civilians. Justice Department lawyers representing Murtha on Nov. 16 filed notice that they planned to appeal a federal district court judge’s Sept. 28 ruling allowing the lawsuit to proceed and ordering Murtha to give sworn testimony in the case.” (READ MORE)

Jules Crittenden: Day in Court - UPDATED. Bilal Hussein, AP insurgent affairs photographer, is up for his day in court: “The U.S. military plans to seek a criminal case in an Iraqi court against an award-winning Associated Press photographer but is refusing to disclose what evidence or accusations would be presented.” As Malkin notes, the AP that has been demanding legal steps would now prefer to forego them. While the AP insists the bulk of Hussein’s work was inocuous, Michelle’s got the art that wasn’t. News or propaganda? You decide. (READ MORE)

Neptunus Lex: No way to run a war - The only thing worse than fighting a war is losing one. That said, I don’t know that there’s any good ways to fight a war, but there are distinctions to be drawn between “bad” and “worse” ways. This is an absurdly bad way to to do so, it seems to me: “Congress’s failure last week to agree whether and how to fund the war puts the onus on the Pentagon, at least for now, to find a way to cover expenses in Iraq, potentially forcing the Defense Department to close dozens of domestic military bases and imperil the livelihoods of tens of thousands of defense workers.” (READ MORE)

Rhymes with Right: Kennedy Calls For Rape Of Justice At Supreme Court - Senator Teddy the Hutt (D-Dead Girlfriend In The Passenger Seat) has a solution to the "problem" of Supreme Court decisions he dislikes -- require appointees to the Supreme Court (and, presumably, lower courts) to make a blood oath to rule in a liberal manner without reading the briefs, hearing the arguments, or knowing the facts of specific cases. “We know from their past decisions how all of the current justices interpret Roe v. Wade, yet they are not precluded from sitting on future cases involving abortion. Why shouldn't we also learn how Supreme Court nominees view that decision and other important cases? If all nominees were expected to answer these questions, the White House would no longer seek out ‘stealth’ nominees whose views are largely unknown.” (READ MORE)

Sister Toldjah: Revealed: Pro-lifers want to treat womyn as “property”! - *stands up, clears throat, looks around nervously at the rest of the people who are sitting in the group circle* Hi. I’m Sister Toldjah. I believe life begins at conception. But I don’t believe that a woman should be considered a human being, but instead as nothing more than a walking incubator, who should be on standby to be impregnated everytime her master decides it’s time for her to fulfill her “wifely duties.”* Ok. That last part was a whole lot untrue. But you wouldn’t know it if you read the predictable outrage being expressed by several feminist blogs today over a pro-life video released by InsideCatholic.com. (READ MORE)

ShrinkWrapped: Culture, Politics, and Economics - As we approach the culmination of the latest Middle East Diplodancing, expectations are being managed, anticipatory finger pointing is in full flower, and reality continues to insist upon its day. In the Middle East, more than in most parts of the world, fantasy has always had sovereignty over reality, yet reality stubbornly refuses to go away. The current liberal fantasy structure elaborates a number of tried and true failed assumptions. • The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the core of the problems for the Muslim world. • Palestinian anger and violence are caused by the oppressive Israeli occupation. • Israel has legitimate concerns about Palestinian terrorism but must address "root causes" (see above) and accept risks (ie, more dead Jews) before peace can come. • Restarting a Peace Precess is necessary to bring Hope to the area and from such hopeful starts, true acceptance and peace will eventually (perhaps magically) emerge. (READ MORE)

Melanie Phillips: Now investigate West Midlands police - The Ofcom ruling today totally exonerating the Channel Four Dispatches programme Undercover Mosque should not be the end of this disturbing episode. The programme exposed the preaching of extremism and hatred in a number of British mosques, several of them supposedly ‘moderate’ and mainstream. In any rational society those preachers, who were inciting hatred against gays, Jews, women and non-Muslims, would have been arrested and prosecuted. But this is Britain, and what happened after Undercover Mosque was transmitted was an object (or should that be abject) lesson in how to hand victory to the Islamists on a plate. (READ MORE)

Augean Stables: “Western Civilization is not Really a Civilization”: ‘Westophobia’ in Arab Culture - The following article is by Prof. Barry Rubin, contributor to The Jerusalem Post and Director of the Global Research in International Affairs Center. Prof. Rubin discusses Islamic “Westophobia”, often overlooked in Western and Arab culture, both of whom tend to blame the West for the woes of underdeveloped regions. The idea that poverty, relative backwardness, violence and instability must be caused by external circumstances is ingrained in much of the Western intelligentsia. It contributes to a tendency to apologize for those regimes and radical groups that are the main cause of continued stagnation and suffering in the Middle East. (READ MORE)

Blue Star Chronicles: Vets for Freedom Speak Out Against Plethora of Anti-War Films - First Lieutenant Pete Hegseth, Executive Director of Vets for Freedom, went to see the hollywood film Redacted so that he would be able to speak on it. It seems he was one of about 10 people who actually paid to see American Soldiers slandered. The film actually grossed around $25,000 on its opening weekend. As you might know, Redacted is a movie by Brian De Palma based on the story of a sociopathic soldier who went into the home of an Iraqi girl, raped her and killed her and her family. This was a terrible incident in the war that took a dominant place on the front pages of news media for a good long period when it happened. It was an isolated incident and the soldiers involved in this incident have been tried and convicted and are serving life sentences. (READ MORE)

Michael Barone: Looking at Iraq in Macrotime - When my father returned from service as an Army doctor in Korea in 1953, he brought back slides of the photos he'd shot, showing a war-torn country of incredible poverty. We would have laughed if you had told us that Americans would one day buy Korean cars. But 50-some years later, South Korea has the 13th-largest economy in the world, and you see Hyundais and Kias everywhere in America. Looking at things in microtime frames is not always a reliable guide to the macrotime-frame future. So it may turn out to be with Iraq. We have been looking at Iraq in microtime frames—or, for many who oppose the war, frozen in the time frame of late 2006. A better picture of the microtime frame is that we have achieved considerable success this year. (READ MORE)

Ace of Spades: Congress' Funding Standoff Must End - Senate Majority Leader Reid has vowed to release no funding for the Iraq War this year unless the Republicans accept his retreat deadlines. That vow has put the mission and our troops in danger. Last week, I wrote about Secretary Gates' public condemnation of Democratic efforts to force a premature withdrawal and his announcement that if Reid persists in his refusal to support our troops in the field, Gates would have to lay off up to 200,000 people and begin closing stateside facilities in order to pay for the war. Now, Defense Link reports that the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization will have to curtail operations for lack of funding starting on December 1st. (READ MORE)

A Soldier's Mind: The Last Graduate - I’ll tell you right from the start…. have a box of tissues ready, because this will definitely cause those tears to flow. In the tiny town of Spade, Texas, May 2006 with it sadness, but more importantly, the chance to honor a Korean War Hero. May 2006 was the very last graduating class of Spade High School and the graduating Seniors, felt it was only fitting to honor a War Hero from Spade, who had never graduated, because he quit school, joined the military and went to Korea, where he was captured, held prisoner and eventually shot and left for dead. (READ MORE)

Lawhawk: Lawyering Up on the Second Floor - While investigations into the shennanigans on the Second Floor* continue apace, Gov. Spitzer's press flacks are avoiding answering questions as to whether Gov. Whiplash Spitzer is himself lawyering up in anticipation of being questioned. “Spitzer's communications director, Christine Anderson, asked for three days by The Post if the governor has hired his own lawyer, refused to say, insisting, ‘We are not commenting on the ongoing investigation.’” (READ MORE)

DRJ: Blogger may have Helped US Military Identify AP Photographer, Alleged Terrorist Sympathizer Bilal Hussein - Bilal Hussein is an Iraqi photographer who works for the AP in Baghdad. Some of his acclaimed photos show al-Qaeda insurgents with weapons aimed at and attacks against American and Iraqi targets. Michelle Malkin has a few of Hussein’s photos here. Hussein has been in American or Iraqi custody on unspecified charges for approximately 19 months. During that time, the AP lodged complaints aimed at gaining his release. A recent report indicates Hussein will now be charged by the Iraqis (at the request of the American military) because he “was caught in an apartment with known members of al Qaeda– with bomb making material.” (READ MORE)

Paul Mirengoff: Reality trumps public opinion - In a front page story in today's Washington Post, Peter Baker acknowledges that although the Bush administration is making advances in Iraq and elsewhere, the president's approval ratings have not improved appreciably. I don't think there's much of a mystery here. Most people believe one or both of these two propositions: (1) we shouldn't have gone to war in Iraq and (2) the administration badly mishandled the war for at least several years. Under these circumstances, even those who have received (and believe) word that things are improving in Iraq are unlikely to think kindly of President Bush. That's not to say that Bush won't eventually see an improvement in his approval rating; indeed, I believe that if the economy holds together, he will. But I don't expect anything very dramatic. (READ MORE)

Meryl Yourish: Votes in the Middle East - Voters are headed to the polls in Jordan. "Tuesday’s elections for the 110 seats in the lower house are marked by rising expressions of cynicism from among the country’s 2.4 million voters, and from political analysts. Eighteen years after Jordan’s ruling family lifted martial law and restored parliament, King Abdullah II faces growing charges that the parliament in this Middle East monarchy is only superficially democratic." Oh really. You think that might have something to do with the fact that the country is ruled by a monarch who came to the throne on the strength of hereditary? (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.

Saturday was an awesome, awesome day!!!! A local friend of mine (I'll call her Princess, it's part of her screen name on a local message board) invited me to go with her and her family to the Atlanta airport to pick up their son (we'll call him...John. Since that's his name & all, haha) who was FINALLY coming home from The Sandbox!!!!!! :-) Our family had adopted John while he was overseas... he was a recipient of at least one, if not two, of the holiday card drives y'all helped make such a success. :) Needless to say, I was deeply touched that Princess would invite me to be part of such a special family moment.... and darn right, I jumped at the chance to be there! ;-) Few things are cooler than meeting one of your very own adopted Heroes that you've written to and sent stuff to and worried over and prayed over and cried over and written to more (etc) for at least a year!!! :-) So, Princess and I were talking (via email), and we were both all excited about The Imminent HomeComing.... and I said, "Hmmm.... I wonder if we could sweet-talk some Patriot Guard Riders into showing up???" Princess absolutely LOVED that idea, and (of course) so did I!!! So I sent some emails, did some asking, and thank God, John's homecoming became an official PGR "mission!" Normally, our primary mission is honoring those who have fallen and shielding the families from Unwanted Guests (protesters) at their loved one's funeral. However, whenever possible, we also attend "welcome home" events and "send-off" (deployment) events and other activities honoring those who serve or who have served. This was one of those happy, feel-good missions that we all really needed! :) So, for the better part of a week, the PGR ride captains worked out the logistical details, while I helped Princess get stuff for the suprise welcome home party she was having... decorations and such. :)
Finally, the big day was here!!!! The family decorated their van:



And off we went to the airport. We got caught in horrible traffic and feared we'd be late. His plane was due to land at 2:00 p.m. We arrived at Hartsfield at about... 1:50 or so, haha! Just in time!!!! Once we found where we were supposed to be (if you've never been to the Atlanta airport...it's HUGE!!!!!!!!!), I ran over to check the arrivals:



And yep, his plane had landed!!!!! Yay!!! What followed were twenty of the LONGEST minutes of my entire life... and I'm sure it seemed even longer than an eternity to his family!!!!! Finally.... HE WAS HERE!!!! :)



Yes, I was snapping pics like crazy... I knew they were too busy hugging the stuffing out of him (as it should be!) to worry about capturing these irreplaceable Kodak Moments.... and I wanted it all preserved for them..... well, till it was MY turn to hug the stuffin' out of him, haha!

Anyway, the first of many surprises for him was me being there (I know - NOT much of a surprise at all, haha! Luckily for him, the surprises got MUCH cooler as the day went on!). While we walked from the baggage claim area to the parking deck, I hung back a discrete distance and make a quiet phone call to the PGR ride captain, who, together with another one of the ride captains, was waiting in the wings for us to emerge from the parking garage. Sure enough, as we rolled out of the garage, two patriot guards appeared before us... one on a red motorcycle, one on a green. I'm sure they didn't PLAN on being so seasonally appropriate, but hey, Princess & I thought it was pretty cool it worked out that way! ;)



John thought this was really neat, of course. :) I told him, "Now, you didn't think you could just COME HOME and not get SOME kind of welcome, did you?!" heh heh heh >:-) Well, he thought that was all there was - just those two...

UNTIL.... about 11 miles from our ultimate destination, we pulled into a BP gas station, where about 20 more Patriot Guards were waiting for us!!!! :) When we pulled in, they all started clapping and cheering and hootin' & hollerin' & in general, giving him a real Hero's welcome! :) The LOOK on his face was absolutely PRICELESS! check this picture out! :) Yep...every bit of the planning and plotting was SO worth it! :)



Ah, but the surprises weren't over just yet!!! There was more to come! We left the BP station, with about 4 PGRs in front of our vehicle, and 20 or so behind, with American Flags flying. At this point, John (probably) still thinks he's just going home...but nope... Princess had rented a church gym to have a family gathering/welcome home party for him!!!! When we got to the church, we all took lots of pics and spent time talking, etc... oh yeah, and taking lots of pics:







And one of my favorite favorites: Me, John, and Princess:



While all the picture takin' & socializin' was going on, a scrapbook of "Welcome Home!" messages was being passed around for people to sign. See, for the Honor Missions we do for fallen soldiers, we make "condolence books," where all the condolence messages posted on the Patriot Guard forum are put together into a book and signed by the PGRs in attendance at the services. I thought it would be a cool idea to do something like that for the welcome home event, too... so everyone posted a bunch of welcome home messages and I put them into a simple scrapbook for folks to sign. Later on, I gave it to him:



All in all, everything went great... he seemed really blown away by the welcome home and all the support!!! :) It just seemed to me that he was really loving every minute of it... and that made me pretty darn happy!

I told him that 30 years from now, he'll be telling his grandkids about his return from the war, how he was welcomed home.... which will be a far, far different story than many of the Patriot Guard Riders had to share with THEIR grandkids, when they came home from Another War in a jungle far away...when they came back to either silence or insults or indifference or out-right hatred. NEVER AGAIN. EVER!

Judging by the almost constant, ear-to-ear grin on his face the whole day, I'd have to say....
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!! Thank you, PGR!!! :)




What a way to start Thanksgiving week!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Kat

Spc. Christopher Hoyt, an infantryman with 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division from Fort Lewis, WA re-enlisted in the Army just hours after being seriously wounded in an improvised explosive attack near Zaganiyah, Iraq, Nov. 13:

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq – A U.S. Soldier re-enlisted in the Army just hours after being seriously wounded in an improvised explosive attack near Zaganiyah, Iraq, Nov. 13.

Spc. Christopher Hoyt, an infantryman with 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division from Fort Lewis, Wash., suffered severe lacerations to his legs and torso when an IED exploded near him while conducting a dismounted patrol. Two of his fellow Soldiers were killed in the attack.

Hoyt was rushed to the emergency room at Logistics Support Area Anaconda, where he decided to re-enlist for four more years in the Army.

“He said he wasn’t finished,” said Hoyt’s battalion commander Lt. Col. Mark Landes, who re-enlisted the Soldier. “He said, ‘I still have a job to do.’ I’ve never seen the like.”

Command Sgt. Maj. John Troxell, the brigade’s top noncommissioned officer, was also on hand for Hoyt’s reenlistment.

“It takes a person of very strong character to go through an incident where another Soldier five feet away was killed and he was severally wounded and still say ‘I believe in what we are doing and I want to stay on the team. I want to support the United States Army and my country.’

“Spc. Hoyt is the epitome of what a Soldier should be,” Troxell continued. “He is a model for what all men and women should be, and that is very patriotic and very selfless.”

Hoyt, whose hometown is Clemente, Calif., is currently recovering in an Army hospital in Germany.

At the same time the residents of Washington State were standing in lines preventing his fellow soldiers from returnning home and blockading their equipment from being offloaded at the port so it could return to Fort Lewis. Disrespectful doesn't even begin to explain their actions while one of our finest re-enlists to continue the mission despite being injured in combat.

Trackbacked / Linked by:
H&I Fires* 20 NOV 2007 from Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys.

Coalition Forces killed eight terrorists, detained 13 suspects and found an alleged execution site, torture room and 16 weapons caches between Nov. 6 and 10 during a multi-day operation in the Diyala River Valley:

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Nov. 7, Coalition forces observed several armed men maneuvering away from their location. Perceiving hostile intent, the ground force called for supporting aircraft to engage the armed men, killing five terrorists. The ground force discovered a small cache of AK-47s, a pistol, grenade and ammunition at the suspects location. Later that day in two separate areas, Coalition forces were engaged by armed men. Responding in self-defense, the ground force engaged the armed men, killing three terrorists. Coalition forces also detained 13 suspects during the four-day operation.

During operations Nov. 9, Coalition forces discovered what appeared to be an execution site. As they cleared the area they found the remains of approximately five individuals, as well as several 9mm casings believed to be used in the executions.

Over the course of the multi-day operation, Coalition forces located and destroyed 16 weapons caches to include: 13 complete anti-aircraft weapons, mounts, rounds and equipment; a World War II-era Russian T34 Cannon; 24 TOW missiles; 14 Saggar missiles; anti-personnel mines; 40 NBC masks; several machine guns and mounts; three jugs of homemade explosives; 10 anti-personnel mines; 35,200 feet of detention cord; one 25-pound bag of ammonium nitrate; several dozen mortars, tubs, fins, fuses and rounds; rifles; grenades and rocket propelled-grenades; ammunition; improvised explosive device-making materials; and two military-style vests. Two of the anti-aircraft weapons systems were found welded to the bed of a truck.

The ground force also discovered several buildings used for terrorist operations to include an alleged torture facility complete with chains, shackles, heavy-duty locks similar to those found in detention cell bunkers, windows cemented closed, terrorist propaganda materials, and kerosene heaters. Coalition forces found another building they believed to be an al-Qaeda in Iraq safe house containing additional terrorist propaganda and an alleged terrorist medical clinic with supplies, weapons and a hidden compartment in the floor.

Nearby, they discovered what appeared to be a building used to create false IDs, complete with numerous ID-making materials and a small media cache. Reports indicate several of the rooms, including the torture room were recently inhabited. Coalition forces also found an improvised explosive device making facility inside one of the buildings, with numerous cylinders, tanks, tubes and car parts believed to be used in the production of IEDs. The ground force called for supporting aircraft to conduct an air strike to safely destroy the building to prevent further use by terrorists.

“Al-Qaeda in Iraq members are ruthless terrorists who brutalize, torture, and murder innocent Iraqis in their campaign of senseless terror,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesperson. “Iraqi and Coalition forces will continue to capture or kill these brutal terrorists who seek to deny Iraqis a future of their choice.”

The hiding places of alQaeda in Iraq and other insurgent groups are becoming a thing of the past, thanks in part to concerned local citizens who have decided that the years of killing are over.

Iraqi Army Forces, advised by U.S. Special Forces, detained two suspected extremists and killed one extremist in a cordon and search operation Nov. 16 in As Sa’diyah:

BALAD, Iraq – The operation was conducted to counter increased activity by al-Qaeda in Iraq in the area, including small-arms fire attacks, multiple car-bomb, suicide-vest and other improvised explosive device attacks against Iraqi Army checkpoints.

During the operation, the Iraqi Forces establishing the cordon were attacked, resulting in the death of one Iraqi Soldier and the wounding of another. An aerial weapons team identified and engaged the enemy responsible for the attack, resulting in one enemy killed. No U.S. forces were injured.

In a separate operation Nov. 16, Iraqi Security Forces and U.S. Special Forces detained an alleged extremist during a raid targeting extremist activity in Diwaniyah. The detainee is believed to belong to an extremist group responsible for selling weapons and murdering Iraqi Army Soldiers.

Good work men.

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)
Oklahoma's Most Wanted - A veteran political activist is facing 10 years in prison and a hefty fine for attempting to petition government for redress of grievances. The latest news from Pakistan? No, this is happening in Oklahoma. (READ MORE)

A Murder Conviction Torn Apart by a Bullet - Former Baltimore police sergeant James A. Kulbicki stared silently from the defense table as the prosecutor held up his off-duty .38-caliber revolver and assured jurors that science proved the gun had been used to kill Kulbicki's mistress. (READ MORE)

Mideast Conference Nears, With Few Plans - A few days after Thanksgiving, President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plan to open a meeting in Annapolis to launch the first round of substantive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks during Bush's presidency. (READ MORE)

U.S. Cites Drop In Attacks Since Buildup in Iraq; Bombs Kill 20 - BAGHDAD, Nov. 18 -- U.S. officials on Sunday declared a 55 percent drop in attacks since the launch of an offensive nine months ago, while bombs across Iraq killed at least 20 people, highlighting the country's continuing security threats. (READ MORE)

An Engineer Does the Math So Troops in Iraq Can Find Bombs - Joshua R. Fairley is stationed in Vicksburg, Miss. -- and helping fight the war in Iraq. Fairley, an electrical engineer at the Army's Engineer Research and Development Center, developed a method for improving the detection of improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, improving the accuracy of sensor systems by 75 percent. (READ MORE)

OPEC eyes dollar's dip - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday that OPEC's members have expressed interest in converting their cash reserves into a currency other than the depreciating U.S. dollar, which he called a "worthless piece of paper." (READ MORE)

Israel setting tone for talks - Israeli leaders have taken to using a new phrase loaded with hidden meaning ahead of a proposed conference this month in Annapolis — "two states for two peoples." (READ MORE)

Agents' pardon urged of Bush - Top conservatives have joined ranking House leaders in their bid to pressure the president to pardon two Border Patrol agents imprisoned for the nonfatal shooting of a Mexican drug smuggler in El Paso, Texas, in 2005. (READ MORE)

Bhutto has penchant for contradiction - Headstrong and head-scarved, Benazir Bhutto has spent a lifetime embracing contradictions while playing a central role in the turbulent life of her country. (READ MORE)

Unlikely allies unite for Paul's quixotic '08 bid - They say they are the disaffected in politics, and this year they are finding a political home with Ron Paul, the congressman from Texas who is shaking up the Republican presidential contest with phenomenal fundraising and the potential to convert that into enough votes to be a spoiler come January. (READ MORE)



From the Front:
A Battlefield Tourist: A Tour of Arab Jabour - By taking the time to visit places, like Iraq, I always seem to meet interesting folks after the fact. There’s a number of reasons why people write to me. Usually, though, it’s because of a connection. Sometimes that connection is a dead soldier, and when it is, it really makes me think. Recently, a man named Ed Kirkpatrick, dropped me a note. His son, Scott, was killed in Arab Jabour back in August. He decided to write to me because he has unanswered questions about his son’s death. Since I was the first civilian he’d encountered that had been to the area, he thought, just perhaps, I could help him. (READ MORE)

From an Anthropological Perspective: AAA Executive Board Decision (Long Post)* - A little more than two weeks ago the AAA Executive Board decided to make a formal statement not supporting the Human Terrain System. I’ve read some of the blog and forum traffic on the matter and decided to respond since I’m here in Iraq as the field anthropologist for a Human Terrain Team. *The views expressed here are my own and not necessarily representative of Cultural Operational Research-Human Terrain System or the US Army and are based on my personal experience. The first part of the AAA statement that troubles me is: (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: Time to Step Up - WaPo's lead editorial today says everyone is missing the opporturnity to move Iraq forward, which makes much more sense than Thomas (Fiasco) Ricks's recent front-page story in the same paper about how it's just the Iraqis who are missing the boat. Today's opinion piece says that neither Iraq nor Washington is doing its part. The Iraqis need to work on reconciliation until they get somewhere; in the U.S., the Democrats should stop acting like the surge didn't work. (READ MORE)

Michael Yon: Ameriyah Update - Michael Yon has a policy to publish anything written by an American BN commander in Iraq or Afghanistan on this website. The following is submitted from Lt. Col. Dale Kuehl, the U.S. Battalion Commander who works directly with Abu Abed of Ameriyah in response to the 10 NOV07 Guardian article written by Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. "Ghaith Abdul-Ahad’s recent article on Abu Abed of Ameriyah does not paint an accurate picture of him nor of Ameriyah." (READ MORE)

Michael J. Totten: Fallujah is Lovely This Time of Year - Really, the weather in Fallujah is lovely in November. Internet access, not so much. I am still alive, breathing, and vertical, though, and should have something for you to read shortly. Those of you who like to comment, consider this an open thread. Be nice and obey the moderator. (READ MORE)

Northern Disclosure: Thats my Story and I'm Sticking to it! - What is life without a little love and fun. I have been so overwhelmed lately with all the blessings in my life. A new baby...ya ya I will post some pics, a kick butt wife that can apparently handle anything. I think we should have her handle some major world crisis for awhile. I have also had several old friends look me up lately and the timing could not have been better. Again the life we lead does come with sacrifice and loss and I am sorrowful to report that a former Tommahawk Cpt Tiffner made the ultimate sacrifice this past week. (READ MORE)

This War and Me: Forgotten War - Part 1 - With the recent passing of Veteran's Day, I thought it important to write about something that disappointed me in talks of celebrating our veterans. I was as guilty as many others and it was my grandmother that pointed out my negligence. As I preached to remember our veterans I spoke of World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Desert Storm and todays war. My grandmother wrote and reminded me of the 'Forgotten War' - The Korean War - my grandfather's war. My grandma said, “I think the Korean War is the forgotten War. I am sure though that whichever war anyone went through was the worst, and at that time it was.” (READ MORE)

Yellowhammering Afghanistan: Delivering on a promise - We told the refugees we would be back with some help. A few days ago, we delivered on that promise. There are 76 Hazara families who were forced to flee their village after the Taliban destroyed it. A couple of the men in the village did some construction work for the U.S.-lead Coalition at a nearby FOB, which apparently was the reason for the attack. The refugees came to Ghazni and lived in tents for a while in another Hazara village. All have found homes to live in, either with existing families or ones they found on their own. (READ MORE)

Fightin' 6th Marine's: As stability returns, Marines move out of neighborhood - Marines with third platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, have dismantled and de-militarized the patrol base that has been their home for months. The purpose of patrol bases such as these is to bring Marines as far into a troubled community as possible. This enables them to work closely with the Iraqi Security Forces and residents to improve the area and put an end to violence. (READ MORE)



On the Web:
John Fund: Mi Casa, Sue Casa - It's been less than a week since New York's Sen. Hillary Clinton and Gov. Eliot Spitzer had to climb down from their support of driver's licenses for illegal aliens. Now House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has moved to kill an amendment that would protect employers from federal lawsuits for requiring their workers to speak English. Among the employers targeted by such lawsuits: the Salvation Army. (READ MORE)

Michael Barone: Looking at Iraq in Macro-time - When my father returned from service as an Army doctor in Korea in 1953, he brought back slides of the photos he'd shot, showing a war-torn country of incredible poverty. We would have laughed if you had told us that Americans would one day buy Korean cars. But 50-some years later, South Korea has the 13th-largest economy in the world, and you see Hyundais and Kias everywhere in America. Looking at things in micro-timeframes is not always a reliable guide to the macro-timeframe future. (READ MORE)

Suzanne Fields: The Politics of Irrational Ideology - Hitler kissed babies and romped playfully with children at their birthday parties. He married his mistress to make her an honest woman just before the two took poison together to avoid capture by the Russians. For an ever so brief moment, the devil wore a human face. Now we hear that Saddam Hussein cried like a baby when his FBI interrogator, whom he thought was a friend, bid him farewell. (READ MORE)

Robert D. Novak: Democratic Iran Dilemma - WASHINGTON -- Sen. Barack Obama, desperate to cut down front-running Sen. Hillary Clinton, did not take advantage of one opening in Thursday night's Las Vegas Democratic presidential debate. Obama pulled his punches on Clinton's September vote for a resolution that he earlier said can be used to go to war against Iran. His reticence may be traced to his co-sponsorship of a similar hawkish amendment back in March. (READ MORE)

Douglas MacKinnon: Cowardly Gutter Politics - For those who still don’t understand why so many Americans have become disgusted with the politics of today, they need look no further than the vile smear campaign that was orchestrated against former Governor Mitt Romney last week. Residents of Iowa and New Hampshire received calls that purported to be part of a poll, when in reality, they were a carefully planned assault against Romney and his Mormon faith. Upon learning of the calls, the former Governor said, “I think the attempts to attack me on the basis of my faith are un-American.” (READ MORE)

Mike S. Adams: Devolving Standards of Decency - Recently, a young woman came by my office to discuss my opposition to abortion. Two of her friends had already had abortions though she had not. She was motivated to visit me by a discussion in her Women’s Studies class – one that broached the controversial topic of abortion and rape. The feminist teaching the class was one affiliated with our Women’s Resource Center – an office that seeks to win the abortion debate by ensuring that it never actually takes place. (READ MORE)

Dinesh D'Souza: The atheists who came in from the cold - Imagine if one of the world's leading Christians--say C.S. Lewis a generation ago, or Billy Graham now--were to reject his religious beliefs and become a atheist. It would be big news! The New York Times would be all over it, for sure, and the question would be why a man who has devoted his life to God would now turn against Him? In sum, the focus would be on what were the reasons for the conversion and on what's so bad about Christianity. (READ MORE)

Wolf Pangloss: Nazis Against Christianity - More evidence, not based on Wikipedia or recent scholarly disinformation but from contemporaneous sources, that Nazism was not conservative, not Christian, not anti-Atheist: This should not even be in question, given the Nazis’ widespread demonization of Jews, Freemasons, and Christians. But it is, due to decades of leftist (Nazi and Communist) smears of Christianity having been accepted and propagated by pro-Communist and anti-Christian media. "Christianity is perfect anti-Nazism and the Nazis knew it. Members of the Hitler Youth were forbidden to join church organizations and membership in the Hitler Youth was more or less compulsory." (READ MORE)

Jay Tea: "The Universe Is Change" - One of the big problems I have with the debate about global warming -- and, indeed, much of the environmental movement -- is that it seems to be based on a fundamentally flawed precept: that there is a "natural" state of the earth, of nature, where all is in equilibrium. History and science tells us that just ain't so. Earth's history is a history of change and evolution and adaptation -- often violent. The Earth was born of fire and dust and chaos, took millions of years to cool down and solidify. (READ MORE)

Ron Winter: Enfield GOP Victory Complete - Perhaps - Can you say sore loser? Sure you can. The municipal