2Slick's Forum

Mr. Morality

2008-08-08T17:49:00.002-04:00

Lead the way, oh great Master of Morality. What better time to cheat on your wife than when her cancer starts spreading! What a fantastic example of morality, this Edwards guy...

Jennifer Loven Watch- Take 4

2007-07-12T21:43:00.000-04:00

Damian wrote:

This has got to be the most irresponsible “news” reporting I’ve EVER seen. I usually criticize both liberals and conservatives on their bias (mostly liberals though), but this beats it all:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070712/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush

I saw you made a post about Jennifer Loven once before, so I thought you might be interested in this. Read the first couple paragraphs – it’s obvious bias front and center with very little effort to hide it.

Thanks, Damian- it's nice to know that people are out there paying attention to what Jennifer Loven and her AP conspirators are trying to do.

For the benefit of anyone who might be new to this little conspiracy, here's how it works- they want you to believe that you are about to read a "legitimate" news article, but as soon as you breeze through the first few paragraphs there will be no doubt- it's nothing but tired old editorialized liberal ranting. Don't believe us? Read it:

President Bush always said he would wait to talk about the CIA leak case until after the investigation into his administration's role. On Thursday, he skipped over that step and pronounced the matter old news hardly worth discussing.

"It's run its course," he said. "Now we're going to move on."

Despite a long history of denouncing leaks, Bush declined to express any disappointment in the people who worked for him and who were involved in disclosing the name of a CIA operative. Asked about that during a wide-ranging news conference, the president gave a dodgy answer.

"It's been a tough issue for a lot of people in the White House," he said.

He didn't even acknowledge the undisputed fact that someone working for him was the source, saying only that "perhaps somebody in the administration did disclose the name of that person."

And this is my favorite part:

But the president appeared eager Thursday to put the entire case in the past. It was costly for his presidency, denting his image as someone who had pledged to restore integrity to the White House.

Yep- just the facts. No opinions there at all.

It's seriously hard to believe. Seriously. And there's so much more. Call me crazy, but I have a sneaky gut feeling that she doesn't like the President! It's almost as if she's married to a former Clinton staffer or something...

Bush Got It Right... Unlike Mr. Clinton

2007-07-06T21:29:00.000-04:00

The silly Plame Game looks like it finally flamed out last week. A little more drama than I expected, given the lameness of it all. What an unbelievable waste of time and money. I read quite a few articles about this farcical chapter of what is now US History, and I have to believe that none got it better than did Jack Kelly of RealClearPolitics:

"Scooter" Libby will serve as much time in prison for lying under oath to a federal grand jury as Bill Clinton served for lying under oath to a federal grand jury.

Mr. Libby, who was chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted in March of lying about from whom he learned that Valerie Plame Wilson worked at the CIA. Last month Judge Reggie Walton sentenced him to 30 months in prison and a $250,000 fine.

On Monday, President Bush commuted the prison sentence. His conviction still stands, and Mr. Libby still must pay the fine.
Democrats were outraged. "As Independence Day nears, we are reminded that one of the principles our forefathers fought for was equal justice under law," said Sen. Charles Schumer of New York. "This commutation completely tramples on that principle."

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said President Bush should be impeached for "crimes against the Constitution of the United States."

So were liberal newspapers. "President Bush's commutation of a pal's prison sentence counts as a most shocking act of disrespect for the U.S. justice system," said the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in an editorial.

"In this case, Mr. Bush didn't sound like a leader making tough decisions about justice," said the New York Times. "He sounded like a man worried about what a former loyalist might say when actually staring into a prison cell."

These worthies were outraged in the fall of 1998, too. But then they were outraged because President Clinton had been impeached for committing perjury.

With so many others piling on, Hillary Clinton should have had the good sense to hold her tongue. But she said "this commutation sends the clear signal that in this administration, cronyism and ideology trump competence and justice."

That's rich, as in Marc Rich, the financier who fled the country to avoid prosecution for tax evasion, fraud and "trading with the enemy." On his last day in office, President Clinton pardoned Mr. Rich after his ex-wife, Denise (with whom Mr. Clinton reportedly had been sleeping) donated $1 million to the Democratic party and $10,000 to the Clintons' legal defense fund.

That day Mr. Clinton also pardoned four Orthodox Jews who had bilked the government out of some $40 million. They were leaders of the Skver sect in New Square, N.Y. Members of the sect usually vote Republican, but broke heavily for Hillary in her senate campaign after she invited the group's spiritual leader to the White House.

Others among the 140 Mr. Clinton pardoned on his last day in office were Henry Cisneros, his former Housing secretary who was convicted of lying to federal officials; Susan McDougal, his former partner in the Whitewater land deal, and his former CIA Director, John Deutch, convicted of mishandling national secrets.

Few Democrats or journalists said those pardons sent "the clear signal" that in the Clinton administration "cronyism and ideology trump competence and justice." Few Democrats or journalists said anything about them at all. Hillary Clinton could get away with her blatant hypocrisy because she knew her fellow hypocrites wouldn't call her on it.

And no complaints were heard from these worthies when Sandy Berger, who had been President Clinton's national security adviser, received no jail time -- and only a $50,000 fine -- for stealing classified documents from the National Archives.

We still don't know why Sandy stole those documents, or why he destroyed some. The news media aren't pursuing the story. For most journalists, a scandal isn't a scandal unless a Republican is involved.

Mr. Bush also took flak from the right for commuting Mr. Libby's prison sentence. The editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post blasted him for not pardoning Mr. Libby outright.

It wasn't a crime to disclose Ms. Plame's identity (she hadn't been covert for more than five years), and it was Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage who outed her, not Mr. Libby. But Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald demanded he be sentenced as if he had violated the Intelligence Identities Protection Act.

I'm suspicious of verdicts handed down by DC juries, and I think Mr. Fitzgerald is the federal equivalent of disgraced Duke rape prosecutor Michael Nifong.

But I think the president got it right. There was no underlying crime, but Mr. Libby might have lied to the grand jury. If so, he should pay. But the loss of his job, his reputation and the $250,000 fine are greater punishment than similarly situated Democratic offenders ever receive.

Yep- that about says it all. I like the Nifong analogy...

My Dinner with Lee I-a-Coca-Cola

2007-05-01T22:00:00.000-04:00

People keep sending me this little clip from Lee Iacocca's new book, asking me what I think about it. To be honest, it's hard for me to read it without laughing. It's one of those things where it's funny, but it seems like it might be wrong to laugh- like if you were to go into an asylum and start making fun of people. You can find his ridiculous little rant here if you're so inclined. He may be qualified in some things, but last I checked, he hasn’t spent much time in Iraq. My favorite part is where he says "I've never been a Commander-in-Chief, but I HAVE been a CEO." Don't believe me? I'm serious, he actually wrote that- or at least dictated to some co-author. As someone who has been on both sides of the green machine, I can't even begin to describe how laughable that statement really is. But there's so much more. Here’s how his rant would play out if he had the guts to spew his cowardly diatribe in a two-way discussion over dinner-

Had Enough?

Enough of What?

Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course."

I’m sorry, Lee- I can’t get mad about our inability to build a hybrid car. I’m sure I should be furious, but I just can’t seem to get myself there. I’m not sure what “stay the course” has to do with Hurricane Katrina, corrupt tycoons, or even car-making. You’ve thrown a lot of different things into one bag here. Is that why you’re so angry? Because you can’t sort out all of the things that piss you off? Well, let me tell you- my outrage is right where it should be, Lee. I’m outraged about the myriad of beheadings that keep popping up on the internet. I’m pissed off at the islamofascists who keep blowing up our soldiers while they bring education and freedom to places that have needed it for centuries. I’m pissed off at the way women and children are TARGETED and systematically slaughtered by an uncivilized culture of hatred that promises good sex in return for their horrific misdeeds.

Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!

I guess I would have to ask you what “stay the course” means to you, Lee. I think it means we have to keep fighting these maniacs while we do everything we can to change the obvious defects in their culture (promote education while curbing religious extremism, treatment of women, etc). If you have a better way, then I would love to hear it. Pretending that the problem doesn’t exist is a cop-out. Don’t try to convince me that if we just leave the terrorists alone, then they’ll stop killing people. That’s a very weak argument. What’s the right answer, Lee? How did your buddy Bill Clinton deal with terrorists? Get “serviced” by interns while jihadis enrolled in flight school? Wow- that’s a pretty effective method. Maybe we should have stayed THAT course! As far as your “sound bite” goes- you’re right on! Throw the bums out! We took care of Saddam, Uday, Qusay, Zarqawi, and many others- now let’s continue to go after bums like bin-Laden and Zawhiri!!

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have.

Yes- you have.

But someone has to speak up.

Okay, but maybe it shouldn’t be you. But it’s a free country so screech on, brave warrior…

I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies.

Well, I guess it’s all in the words, Lee. You see, I would argue that the President has finally been given the power to protect us against terrorists- something the prior administration deemed a bit low on the priority stack. I’d prove that if I could, but Sandy Berger accidentally stuffed a bunch of documents in his underwear during a recent visit to Archives- no biggie, though. He apologized. I think he had to pay a fine or something. But, yes- Bush now has broad sweeping powers that give our intel folks the means to go after the real baddies- if this means that some criminals might have a tougher time getting away with certain things, then I’ll accept that. My conscience is clear- they can look at my phone records all day long. Tap my phones. Come search my house. I don’t care. Do you have something to hide, Lee? Do we have some tax shelters out there that might come up a little bit soft under scrutiny? A pack of lies, huh? How about these direct quotes from some of your favorite people:

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."

-President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998.

"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face."

-Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998.

"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983."

-Sandy "Pants" Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."

-Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others Oct. 9, 1998.

"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."

-Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998.

"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies."

-Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999.

"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power."

-Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002.

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is using and developing weapons of mass destruction."

-Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002.

"[W]ithout question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation. And now he has continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real ..."

-Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003.

Wow, Lee- that’s a lot of lies!!! If you want Bush to stop making decisions that are based on packs of lies, then tell your crazy Democrat friends to stop lying to him!!!!

Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it).

Of course you don’t need it, Lee- but are you really saying that our hard-earned money should be spent by financial wizards like Marion Barry and Duke Cunningham? I thought you just said you didn’t like politicians! You’ve been bashing them like piñatas up to this point, and now you’re saying that we should trust them with our money? Sure, it’s easy to just hand your cash to the government and trust them to do good with it- but I think that’s crazy!!! I’d rather do my research, and give my money to worthy causes that I deem worthy- to people and organizations that I trust. Yes, it’s extra work, but I think my money is worth it. Apparently you don’t?

The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs.

Okay, whose fault is that? The media outlets who publicize them or the people who watch it and drive up their ratings? Either way, I think we have bigger things to worry about...

While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do.

Whoa, big man!!!! First of all, what’s this WE stuff?? I didn’t see you over there in Iraq! And if you HAD been there, maybe you’d know that we’re not over there “fiddling.” I’m sorry, but that’s just so damn demeaning- not just for those of us who were over there risking our lives in order to help people who couldn’t help themselves, but especially to those who were killed or wounded. Now I’m really pissed off. We took down a terrorist regime, installed an elected government, rebuilt an infrastructure that was so badly neglected you wouldn’t have believed it if you’d seen it with your own eyes- and you call that “fiddling”??? Asshole! Go to Walter Reed, look a wounded soldier in the eye- and tell him/her that they were merely “fiddling” in Iraq. I’d love to be there watching.

As far as not knowing what to do- I disagree. We fight the bad people and help the good people. Why is that so hard to comprehend? Are you rattled because the enemy is fighting back? Yeah, that never happened in any other war, right? During WWII the Germans and the Japanese just took their beatings like men, and it was over quickly, right? How on this green earth is it surprising that the enemy is fighting back??? Were you expecting a much easier fight? The fact that casualties in this war are unbelievably low when viewed through a historical context shouldn’t count for anything, huh? What do YOU think we should do, Lee? It’s easy to shrug your shoulders and say “everybody is stupid!” How does that help? I’ve told you my answer to this problem- I’m waiting to hear yours…

And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions.

I haven’t seen the pom-poms. Are we talking about two different conflicts? Because the press that I’ve seen publicizes each and every tactical “success” that the enemy achieves- which is exactly what the enemy wants. I’m still waiting to see the press report about the University that my unit renovated in Mosul. I saw a whole bunch of stuff about some sick teenagers from Maryland who played naked twister with some terrorists. No pom-poms, though.

That's not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

I don’t know, I think most of them would be proud that we still think it’s worthwhile to fight against the forces of evil, no matter where they strike from or where they choose to hide…

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.

True- if you’re not outraged by the horrific actions of terrorists, both in our own country and abroad, then yes- you are not a patriot. So pick up a rifle and head to Baghdad brave guy! However, if you think it’s best to direct your anger, passion, and energy against a patriotic man from Texas instead of a mass-murdering psycho like bin-Laden, then I promise you- you are not a patriot- you’re just another asshole who gives inspiration and hope to those who wish to exterminate us.

The rest of his ridiculous screed just goes on to explain why he is so much smarter than Republicans, Democrats, and anyone else who chooses to read his soggy load of crap.

And for those of you who have been asking what I think about Tenet's new book, I don't really know enough to comment on it. But Christopher Hitchens does. I don't like Mr. Tenet. While serving under the Clinton regime, Mr. Tenet came to Korea and flew around in my Black Hawks. He didn't like one of my Hawks, because he thought it was "dirty." We caught a lot of heat for that. That kind of prima-donna BS was so typical of the Clintonians. SECDEF Cohen wouldn't even get out of the aircraft until the rotors came to a complete stop, lest it blow away his hairpiece. But I digress...

He Made This Way Too Easy

2006-11-01T22:31:00.000-05:00

Wow, John. I didn't think even you could be that stupid. Sure, you've been an opportunistic elitist all your life- but usually you're a little more controlled than this. Was it really necessary to publicly dump all over the "little people" that you so poorly pretend to represent?

Let me ask you, John- Did I not study hard enough at West Point? Is that how I wound up being stuck in Iraq?

How about those people that you send to the Service Academies every year? What do you tell them when you call them with the good news? "Congratulations, Mike- I've decided to make you my primary nominee for the Air Force Academy this year! Now make sure you study hard, because I'd hate to see you end up in Iraq..."

You say that you're sorry, but be honest- what are you sorry for?

Are you sorry that you accidentally exposed your elitist, holier-than-thou persona to the entire world with one unfortunate moment of honesty?

Are you sorry that your pathetic attempt at a cover story ("I meant to say that George Bush is a jerk, but I just screwed up the punch-line") has solidified your status as a world class liar?

Are you sorry that your political career is over? Are you going to miss it? How about the Swiftees? Will you miss them? Yeah- I thought you would.

Well, it's time to go, Johnny. It's time to abandon that dream of becoming JFK the 2nd. Your "war-hero" status that you tried so hard to cultivate- gone. Too many people know about your fake write-ups that led to your unearned medals.

Your dreams of being a "man of the people" who will lead our great nation to peace and prosperity- not going to happen. It was never going to happen. You're spineless. You command zero respect. Nobody likes you. Just walk away, man. Just walk away.

Suicide Killers

2006-09-29T15:38:00.000-04:00

This is an excellent interview that I found on Pedestrian Infidel. A French guy, even! His ideas and theories go hand-in-hand with Haim Harari's teachings, but I like the way this guy takes everything a bit further beyond the PC barrier. Very gutsy and very insightful. I'd like to see his film...

The Psychology Behind Islamic Suicide Bombings

On July 15, 2005, MSNBC's "Connected" program discussed the July 7th London attacks. One of the guests was Pierre Rehov, a French documentary filmmaker who has filmed six documentaries on the intifada by going undercover in the Palestinian areas. Pierre's upcoming film, "Suicide Killers," is based on interviews that he conducted with the families of suicide bombers and would-be bombers in an attempt to find out why they do it. Pierre agreed to a request for a Q&A interview here about his work on the new film.

Q - What inspired you to produce "Suicide Killers," your seventh film?

A - I started working with victims of suicide attacks to make a film on PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) when I became fascinated with the personalities of those who had committed those crimes, as they were described again and again by their victims. Especially the fact that suicide bombers are all smiling one second before they blow themselves up.

Q - Why is this film especially important?

A - People don't understand the devastating culture behind this unbelievable phenomenon. My film is not politically correct because it addresses the real problem, showing the real face of Islam. It points the finger against a culture of hatred in which the uneducated are brainwashed to a level where their only solution in life becomes to kill themselves and kill others in the name of a God whose word, as transmitted by other men, has become their only certitude.

Q - What insights did you gain from making this film? What do you know that other experts do not know?

A - I came to the conclusion that we are facing a neurosis at the level of an entire civilization. Most neuroses have in common a dramatic event, generally linked to an unacceptable sexual behavior. In this case, we are talking of kids living all their lives in pure frustration, with no opportunity to experience sex, love, tenderness or even understanding from the opposite sex. The separation between men and women in Islam is absolute. So is contempt toward women, who are totally dominated by men. This leads to a situation of pure anxiety, in which normal behavior is not possible. It is no coincidence that suicide killers are mostly young men dominated subconsciously by an overwhelming libido that they not only cannot satisfy but are afraid of, as if it is the work of the devil. Since Islam describes heaven as a place where everything on Earth will finally be allowed, and promises 72 virgins to those frustrated kids, killing others and killing themselves to reach this redemption becomes their only solution.

Q - What was it like to interview would-be suicide bombers, their families and survivors of suicide bombings?

A - It was a fascinating and a terrifying experience. You are dealing with seemingly normal people with very nice manners who have their own logic, which to a certain extent can make sense since they are so convinced that what they say is true. It is like dealing with pure craziness, like interviewing people in an asylum, since what they say, is for them, the absolute truth. I hear a mother saying "Thank God, my son is dead." Her son had became a shaheed, a martyr, which for her was a greater source of pride than if he had became an engineer, a doctor or a winner of the Nobel Prize. This system of values works completely backwards since their interpretation of Islam worships death much more than life. You are facing people whose only dream, only achievement goal is to fulfill what they believe to be their destiny, namely to be a Shaheed or the family of a shaheed. They (Muslims) don't see the innocent being killed, they only see the impure that they have to destroy.

Q - You say suicide bombers experience a moment of absolute power, beyond punishment. Is death the ultimate power?

A - Not death as an end, but death as a door opener to the after life. They are seeking the reward that God has promised them. They work for God, the ultimate authority, above all human laws. They therefore experience this single delusional second of absolute power, where nothing bad can ever happen to them, since they become God's sword.

Q - Is there a suicide bomber personality profile? Describe the psychopathology.

A - Generally kids between 15 and 25 bearing a lot of complexes, generally inferiority complexes. They must have been fed with religion. They usually have a lack of developed personality. Usually they are impressionable idealists. In the western world they would easily have become drug addicts, but not criminals. Interestingly, they are not criminals since they don't see good and evil the same way that we do. If they had been raised in an Occidental culture, they would have hated violence. But they constantly battle against their own death anxiety. The only solution to this deep-seated pathology is to be willing to die and be rewarded in the afterlife in Paradise.

Q - Are suicide bombers principally motivated by religious conviction?

A - Yes, it is their only conviction. They don't act to gain a territory or to find freedom or even dignity. They only follow Allah, the supreme judge, and what He tells them to do.

Q - Do all Muslims interpret jihad and martyrdom in the same way?

A - All Muslim believers believe that, ultimately, Islam will prevail on earth. They believe this is the only true religion and there is no room, in their mind, for interpretation. The main difference between moderate Muslims and extremists is that moderate Muslims don't think they will see the absolute victory of Islam during their lifetime, therefore they respect other beliefs. The extremists believe that the fulfillment of the Prophecy of Islam and ruling the entire world as described in the Koran, is for today. Each victory of Bin Laden convinces 20 million moderate Muslims to become extremists.

Q - Describe the culture that manufactures suicide bombers.

A - Oppression, lack of freedom, brain washing, organized poverty, placing God in charge of daily life, total separation between men and women, forbidding sex, giving women no power whatsoever, and placing men in charge of family honor, which is mainly connected to their women's behavior.

Q - What socio-economic forces support the perpetuation of suicide bombings?

A - Muslim charity is usually a cover for supporting terrorist organizations. But one has also to look at countries like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are also supporting the same organizations through different networks. The ironic thing in the case of Palestinian suicide bombers is that most of the money comes through financial support from the Occidental world, donated to a culture that utterly hates and rejects the West (mainly symbolized by Israel).

Q - Is there a financial support network for the families of the suicide bombers? If so, who is paying them and how does that affect the decision?

A - There used to be a financial incentive in the days of Saddam Hussein ($25,000 per family) and Yasser Arafat (smaller amounts), but these days are gone. It is a mistake to believe that these families would sacrifice their children for money. Although, the children themselves who are very attached to their families, might find in this financial support another reason to become suicide bombers. It is like buying a life insurance policy and then committing suicide.

Q - Why are so many suicide bombers young men?

A - As discussed above, libido is paramount. Also ego, because this is a sure way to become a hero. The shaheeds are the cowboys or the firemen of Islam. Shaheed is a positively reinforced value in this culture. And what kid has never dreamed of becoming a cowboy or a fireman?

Q - What role does the U.N. play in the terrorist equation?

A - The U.N. is in the hands of Arab countries and third world or ex-communist countries. Their hands are tied. The U.N. has condemned Israel more than any other country in the world, including the regime of Castro, Idi Amin or Kaddahfi. By behaving this way, the U.N. leaves a door open by not openly condemning terrorist organizations. In addition, through UNRWA, the U.N. is directly tied to terror organizations such as Hamas, representing 65 percent of their apparatus in the so-called Palestinian refugee camps. As a support to Arab countries, the U.N. has maintained Palestinians in camps with the hope to "return" into Israel for more than 50 years, therefore making it impossible to settle those populations, which still live in deplorable conditions. Four hundred million dollars are spent every year, mainly financed by U.S. taxes, to support 23,000 employees of UNRWA, many of whom belong to terrorist organizations (see Congressman Eric Cantor on this subject, and in my film "Hostages of Hatred").

Q - You say that a suicide bomber is a 'stupid bomb and a smart bomb' simultaneously. Explain what you mean.

A - Unlike an electronic device, a suicide killer has until the last second the capacity to change his mind. In reality, he is nothing but a platform representing interests which are not his, but he doesn't know it.

Q - How can we put an end to the madness of suicide bombings and terrorism in general?

A - Stop being politically correct and stop believing that this culture is a victim of ours. Radical Islamism today is nothing but a new form of Naziism. Nobody was trying to justify or excuse Hitler in the 1930s. We had to defeat him in order to make peace one day with the German people.

Q - Are these men traveling outside their native areas in large numbers? Based on your research, would you predict that we are beginning to see a new wave of suicide bombings outside the Middle East?

A - Every successful terror attack is considered a victory by the radical Islamists. Everywhere Islam expands there is regional conflict. Right now, there are thousands of candidates for martyrdom lining up in training camps in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Inside Europe, hundreds of illegal mosques are preparing the next step of brain washing to lost young men who cannot find a satisfying identity in the Occidental world. Israel is much more prepared for this than the rest of the world will ever be. Yes, there will be more suicide killings in Europe and the U.S. Sadly, this is only the beginning.

Five Wars in Iraq

2006-09-28T17:41:00.000-04:00

This is a great piece- packed with common sense information, and perfectly concise. I always tell people that there were two wars in Iraq- the first was to oust Saddam (we won it in three weeks) and the second (and much more difficult) was to prevent the terrorists from coming in and filling the power vacuum. This guy argues that there are in, in fact, FIVE wars in Iraq, and after further review- I agree with him.

America's five Iraq wars
September 21, 2006

America has fought five wars in Iraq -- not merely one. And we’ve won or are winning four of them. Winning the last war, however, is all that counts. To cut and run now would leave America less safe than when we started.

War One: Battling Saddam. The United States waged war in Iraq for one reason -- to remove Saddam from power. This was really a continuation of Desert Storm. After all, we halted the first Gulf War based on a host of promises that Saddam made but never kept. Few doubt that the United States, the peoples of the Middle East, and especially the Iraqis are better off with the Butcher of Baghdad swept from power.

War Two: Combating chaos. Despite the scenes of rioting that arose when the regime collapsed, America and its coalition partners managed to quickly avert a wide-scale humanitarian crisis. Although Iraq was (and is) hardly a danger-free zone, there was no mass starvation, floods of refuges, or disease outbreaks that usually accompany the aftermath of conflict.

War Three: Confronting al Qaeda. In the wake of the war, lacking any real success elsewhere in the world, transnational terrorists leapt into the vacuum in Iraq. In the first years following the collapse of the regime, they accounted for the lion’s share of murdering -- killing primarily innocent Iraqis. Even insurgent groups within Iraq that initially cooperated with al Qaeda in Iraq soured on the indiscriminant slaughter. Indeed, al Zawahiri (bin Laden’s deputy) warned that the terrorism in Iraq was alienating Muslims both inside and outside the country from the cause of al Qaeda. Arguably, al Qaeda has lost in Iraq. Its most senior leadership has been killed or captured. Its popularity is low. And it no longer commands a significant following among the Iraqi insurgents.

War Four: Handling the Sunni insurgency. The Sunni minority in Iraq largely abstained from the political process established to form a legitimate government. Democracy went on without them. Led by the other major groups, the Shia and the Kurds, the Iraqis wrote a constitution, held a series of successful elections, and seated an interim government. A Sunni insurgency first rose up to forestall the march of democracy. That failed. The insurgents then tried to force more compromises on the government. Over the last year, it appeared that key Sunni leaders were giving up on the insurgency and were increasingly interested in negotiating a more equitable seat at the table and resolving key power-sharing issues.

War Five: Fighting the proxy war. Unfortunately for the United States, the wavering of the Sunni insurgency coincided with a decided increase in attacks by Shia militias. These provocations have resulted in an increasing cycle of retaliatory sectarian strikes between Sunnis and Shias, as well as concerted efforts to kill more American soldiers using more deadly and accurate improvised explosive devices. This latest war may be the toughest to win because its principal authors are probably not inside Iraq. They are in Iran.The most recent uptick in violence in Iraq parallels closely U.N. efforts to pressure Iran to give up its nuclear programs. Instability serves Iran’s purposes well. It diverts attention from the issue and undermines U.S. interests in the region.

There is a good deal of evidence to make this case. Weapons and funds to fuel the Shia insurgency are coming across the border from Iran. In addition, Hezbollah, Iran’s stooge in Lebanon, initiated a violent confrontation with Israel which also has shifted the focus away from what Iran’s mullahs are up to.

Cutting and running in the face of this latest threat would yield only one result: It would empower Iran and make its radical government more aggressive, more reckless and more dangerous. That’s obviously not in America’s interest.

What the United States needs to do is finish the job in Iraq -- and that means strengthening Iraq’s security forces so they can handle the insurgency. At the same time, it needs to focus on the other threats to regional stability -- helping empower the Lebanese government to disarm and defang Hezbollah and marshalling the international community to isolate and punish Iran for its adventurism.

That way, we can ensure that War Five ends the same way the first four did.

James Carafano is Senior Research Fellow for National Security and Homeland Security at The Heritage Foundation (heritage.org), and author of the new book “G.I. Ingenuity.”

Distributed nationally on the McClathy Tribune wire

Jennifer Loven Brings Out the Claws!

2006-09-26T17:50:00.000-04:00

Since I started posting again, I've been checking the Statcounter every few days just to see if anyone actually still comes around here. I've been tracking about 80 hits per day- a far cry from the several hundred (several thousand?) per day back in 2004, but still way more activity than I would have expected given the lengthy hiatus. Well, today I checked and I was shocked to see that more than 200 people hit the site today. Of course, I wondered what was causing such a stir- and then I saw the trackbacks. Damn near every hit was coming from a Google search for none other than JENNIFER LOVEN- the most shamefully biased joke of a newsperson this country has ever seen.

After a quick investigation of today's news, I found the culprit- it seems young Jennifer was selected to be one of the two reporters to ask Presidents Bush and Karzai a question today! How that happened I'll never know. One thing I will say- at least this time she had the courage to stand up there and flaunt her stupidity right in front of his face- way to be, Jen!

Here's how it went down:

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you. We'll have two questions a side. We'll start with Jennifer Loven.

JENNIFER LOVEN: Thank you, sir. Even after hearing that one of the major conclusions of the National Intelligence Estimate in April was that the Iraq war has fueled terror growth around the world, why have you continued to say that the Iraq war has made this country safer?

I'll translate, as I have become fluent in Lovenese:

JENNIFER LOVEN: Thanks, a$$hole. The recent National Intelligence Estimate clearly states that you suck. I happen to also believe that you suck. Since everyone now knows for a fact that you suck, why have you continued to say that you don't suck? By the way- you really suck.

Same ol' Jennifer- she's always entertaining. Hardly a news reporter, but she'd be great at stand-up!

I do think that President Bush's response was excellent- make sure to read the whole transcript if you haven't already- the best part (my emphasis added):

PRESIDENT BUSH: ...Because I want you to read the documents so you don't speculate about what it says. You asked me a question based upon what you thought was in the document, or at least somebody told you was in the document. And so I think, Jennifer, you'll be able to ask a more profound question when you get to look at it yourself -- (laughter) -- as opposed to relying upon gossip and somebody who may or may not have seen the document trying to classify the war in Iraq one way or the other.

I guess it's just Washington, isn't it, where, you know, we kind of -- there's no such thing as classification anymore, hardly. But, anyway, you ought to take a look at it and then you'll get to see.

Nice work, Mr. President. Very well stated. In case you don't speak Bush yet, here's what he really said:

PRESIDENT BUSH: Jennifer- you really suck. Your pathetic attempt at interjecting your lame-ass opinion into that stupid, stupid question did not go unnoticed. You are perhaps the worst excuse for a journalist I have ever seen- you keep asking bogus questions, and I'll continue to call you out for your complete disregard for truth and substance- sound good? How did that make you feel- getting laughed at on a world stage? I wish more left-wing journos were as stupid as you! Man alive, you really suck.

Stay tooned for more fun with Jennifer- we certainly haven't seen the last of her....

UPDATE:

Looks like she followed up her performance with a standard hit piece. He must have really rattled her cage today? This one is especially ridiculous. Some highlights from Iraq is 'cause celebre' for extremists (my emphasis added):

The war in Iraq has become a "cause celebre" for Islamic extremists, breeding deep resentment of the U.S. that probably will get worse before it gets better, federal intelligence analysts conclude in a report at odds with President Bush's portrayal of a world growing safer.

In the bleak report, declassified and released Tuesday on Bush's orders, the nation's most veteran analysts conclude that despite serious damage to the leadership of al-Qaida, the threat from Islamic extremists has spread both in numbers and in geographic reach.

Bush and his top advisers have said the formerly classified assessment of global terrorism supported their arguments that the world is safer because of the war. But more than three pages of stark judgments warning about the spread of terrorism contrasted with the administration's glass-half-full declarations.

Wow. I mean, this is truly unbelievable. In three short paragraphs, Jennifer and her friend have made it clear to us that we are losing the War on Terror. Seriously. They are saying quite clearly that no matter what Bush and his liar friends try to tell you- we are getting are butts kicked, and it's only getting worse- just look at this report. It's all there, people. We are losing, and it's your fault for putting this glass-half-full-pedaling liar into the White House!

Talk about fear-mongering for political gain...

Actors Think They're Smart

2006-09-26T08:49:00.000-04:00

This is an old classic that made it's way around the internet a few years ago. Not sure who wrote it, but it's right on...

The Hollywood group is at it again. Holding anti-war rallies, screaming about the Bush Administration, running ads in major newspapers, defaming the President and his Cabinet every chance they get, to anyone and everyone who will listen. They publicly defile them and call them names like "stupid," "morons," and "idiots." Jessica Lange went so far as to tell a crowd in Spain that she hates President Bush and is embarrassed to be an American. So, just how ignorant are these people who are running the country? Let's look at the biographies of these "stupid," "ignorant," "moronic" leaders, and then at the celebrities who are castigating them:

President George W. Bush: Received a Bachelors Degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He served as an F-102 pilot for the Texas Air National Guard. He began his career in the oil and gas business in Midland in 1975 and worked in the energy industry until 1986. He was elected Governor on November 8, 1994, with 53.5 percent of the vote. In a historic reelection victory, he became the first Texas Governor to be elected to consecutive four-year terms on November 3, 1998, winning 68.6 percent of the vote. In 1998 Governor Bush won 49 percent of the Hispanic vote, 27 percent of the African-American vote, 27 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of women. He won more Texas counties, 240 of 254, than any modern Republican other that Richard Nixon in 1972 and is the first Republican gubernatorial candidate to win the heavily Hispanic and Democratic border counties of El Paso, Cameron and Hidalgo.

Vice President Dick Cheney earned a B.A. in 1965 and a M.A. in 1966, both in political science. Two years later, he won an American Political Science Association congressional fellowship. One of Vice President Cheney's primary duties is to share with individuals, members of Congress and foreign leaders, President Bush's vision to strengthen our economy, secure our homeland and win the War on Terrorism. In his official role as President of the Senate, Vice President Cheney regularly goes to Capitol Hill to meet with Senators and members of the House of Representatives to work on the Administration's legislative goals. In his travels as Vice President, he has seen first hand the great demands the war on terrorism is placing on the men and women of our military, and he is proud of the tremendous job they are doing for the United States of America.

Secretary of State Colin Powell was educated in the New York City public schools, graduating from the City College of New York (CCNY), where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in geology. He also participated in ROTC at CCNY and received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in June 1958. His further academic achievements include a Master of Business Administration Degree from George Washington University. Secretary Powell is the recipient of numerous U.S. and foreign military awards and decorations. Secretary Powell's civilian awards include two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the President's Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal, and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal. Several schools and other institutions have been named in his honor and he holds honorary degrees from universities and colleges across the country.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld: attended Princeton University on Scholarship (AB, 1954) and served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as a Naval aviator; Congressional Assistant to Rep. Robert Griffin (R-MI), 1957-59; U.S. Representative, Illinois, 1962-69; Assistant to the President, Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, Director of the Cost of Living Council, 1969-74; U.S. Ambassador to NATO, 1973-74; head of Presidential Transition Team, 1974; Assistant to the President, Director of White House Office of Operations, White House Chief of Staff, 1974-77; Secretary of Defense, 1975-77.

Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge was raised in a working class family in veterans' public housing in Erie. He earned a scholarship to Harvard, graduating with honors in 1967. After his first year at The Dickinson School of Law, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as an infantry staff sergeant in Vietnam, earning the Bronze Star for Valor. After returning to Pennsylvania, he earned his Law Degree and was in private practice before becoming Assistant District Attorney in Erie County. He was elected to Congress in 1982. He was the first enlisted Vietnam combat veteran elected to the U.S. House, and was overwhelmingly reelected six times.

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice earned her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Denver in 1974; her Master's from the University of Notre Dame in 1975; and her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. (Note: Rice enrolled at the University of Denver at the age of 15, graduating at 19 with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science (Cum Laude). She earned a Master's Degree at the University of Notre Dame and a Doctorate from the University of Denver's Graduate School of International Studies. Both of her advanced degrees are also in Political Science.) She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Morehouse College in 1991, the University of Alabama in 1994, and the University of Notre Dame in 1995. At Stanford, she has been a member of the Center for International Security and Arms Control, a Senior Fellow of the Institute for International Studies, and a Fellow (by courtesy) of the Hoover Institution. Her books include Germany Unified and Europe Transformed (1995) with Philip Zelikow, The Gorbachev Era (1986) with Alexander Dallin, and Uncertain Allegiance: The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army (1984). She also has written numerous articles on Soviet and East European foreign and defense policy, and has addressed audiences in settings ranging from the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Moscow to the Commonwealth Club to the 1992 and 2000 Republican National Conventions. From 1989 through March 1991, the period of German reunification and the final days of the Soviet Union, she served in the Bush Administration as Director, and then Senior Director, of Soviet and East European Affairs in the National Security Council, and a Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. In 1986, while an international affairs fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations, she served as Special Assistant to the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1997, she served on the Federal Advisory Committee on Gender — Integrated Training in the Military. She was a member of the boards of directors for the Chevron Corporation, the Charles Schwab Corporation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the University of Notre Dame, the International Advisory Council of J.P. Morgan and the San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors. She was a Founding Board member of the Center for a New Generation, an educational support fund for schools in East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park, California and was Vice President of the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. In addition, her past board service has encompassed such organizations as Transamerica Corporation, Hewlett Packard, the Carnegie Corporation, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Rand Corporation, the National Council for Soviet and East European Studies, the Mid-Peninsula Urban Coalition and KQED, public broadcasting for San Francisco. Born November 14, 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama, she earned her bachelor's degree in political science, cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Denver in 1974; her Master's from the University of Notre Dame in 1975; and her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Morehouse College in 1991, the University of Alabama in 1994, and the University of Notre Dame in 1995. She resides in Washington, D.C.

So who are these celebrities? What is their education? What is their experience in affairs of State or in National Security? While I will defend to the death their right to express their opinions, I think that if they are going to call into question the intelligence of our leaders, we should also have all the facts on their educations and background:

Barbra Streisand: Completed high school
Career: Singing and acting

Cher: Dropped out of school in 9th grade.
Career: Singing and acting

Martin Sheen: Flunked exam to enter University of Dayton.
Career: Acting

Jessica Lange: Dropped out college mid-freshman year.
Career: Acting

Alec Baldwin: Dropped out of George Washington U. after scandal
Career: Acting

Julia Roberts: Completed high school
Career: Acting

Sean Penn: Completed High school
Career: Acting

Susan Sarandon: Degree in Drama from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Career: Acting

Ed Asner: Completed High school
Career: Acting

George Clooney: Dropped out of University of Kentucky
Career: Acting

Michael Moore: Dropped out first year University of Michigan.
Career: Movie Director

Sarah Jessica Parker: Completed High School
Career: Acting

Jennifer Anniston: Completed High School
Career: Acting

Mike Farrell: Completed High school
Career: Acting

Janeane Garofelo: Dropped out of College.
Career: Stand up comedienne

Larry Hagman: Attended Bard College for one year.
Career: Acting

Mel Gibson: Quit college because one of his professors was Jewish
Career: Jew hater (OK, I just slipped this one in there. I made it up. Sort of- 2Slick)

While comparing the education and experience of these two groups, we should also remember that President Bush and his cabinet are briefed daily, even hourly, on the War on Terror and threats to our security. They are privy to information gathered around the world concerning the Middle East, the threats to America, the intentions of terrorists and terrorist-supporting governments. They are in constant communication with the CIA, the FBI, Interpol, NATO, The United Nations, our own military, and that of our allies around the world.

We cannot simply believe that we have full knowledge of the threats because we watch CNN!!

We cannot believe that we are in any way as informed as our leaders. These celebrities have no intelligence-gathering agents, no fact-finding groups, no insight into the minds of those who would destroy our country. They only have a deep seated hatred for all things Republican. By nature, and no one knows quite why, the Hollywood elitists detest Conservative views and anything that supports or uplifts the United States of America. The silence was deafening from the Left when Bill Clinton bombed a pharmaceutical factory outside of Khartoum, or when he attacked the Bosnian Serbs in 1995 and 1999. He bombed Serbia itself to get Slobodan Milosevic out of Kosovo, and not a single peace rally was held. When our Rangers were ambushed in Somalia and 18 young American lives were lost, not a peep was heard from Hollywood.

The ultimate irony is that many of these celebrities have made a shambles of their own lives, with drug abuse, alcoholism, numerous marriages and divorces, scrapes with the law, publicized temper tantrums, etc. How dare they pretend to know what is best for an entire nation! What is even more bizarre is how many people in this country will listen and accept their views, simply because they liked them in a certain movie, or have fond memories of an old television sitcom!

It is time for us, as citizens of the United States, to educate ourselves about the world around us. If future generations are going to enjoy the freedoms that our forefathers bequeathed us, if they are ever to know peace in their own country and their world, to live without fear of terrorism striking in their own cities, we must assure that this nation remains strong. We must make certain that those who would destroy us are made aware of the severe consequences that will befall them. Yes, it is a wonderful dream to sit down with dictators and terrorists and join hands, singing Cumbaya and talking of world peace. But it is not real.

We did not stop Adolf Hitler from taking over the entire continent of Europe by simply talking to him. We sent our best and brightest, with the strength and determination that this Country is known for, and defeated the Nazi regime.

President John F. Kennedy did not stop the Soviet ships from unloading their nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962 with mere words. He stopped them with action, and threat of immediate war if the ships did not turn around.

We did not end the Cold War with conferences. It ended with the strong belief of President Ronald Reagan... PEACE through STRENGTH.

Critics will say "How dare you suggest that someone is stupid just because they didn't go to college!!!" And that's crap. That's not what this essay suggests. At all. Yes, there are very brilliant people who never went to college. Harry S Truman is one example. On the flip side, Jimmy Carter went to the Naval Academy (not a bad school, but not as great as West Point), and he's dumber than a box of hammers. There will always be exceptions and stand-outs- ronald Reagan was an actor, and he became one of the greatest Presidents ever. Of course, he started out as a Democrat, but grew wiser as he got older. But seriously- this essay does a great job of pinning credentials to the loudest (and least informed)voices in Hollywood. Nice job, whoever wrote it.

Is the Pope Really to Blame?

2006-09-19T21:27:00.000-04:00

I know- stupid question, right? But here's the reason I ask- I was watching Fox News this past Sunday morning when all that stuff with the Pope and angry Muslims was going on, and one of the Fox newsies (didn't catch her name) began the broadcast with:

"A nun shot dead in Somalia, and the Pope's words might be to blame. Hello everyone, I'm so and so and this is Fox News...."

I'm not kidding- she really said that. I'm not trying to single out Fox News here- it happens all the time with every major news outlet. If the person (I use the word loosely) who shot that nun were to have written the intro to that newscast, I ask you- how different would it have been from what she actually read? Not much different, I would guess. The killer probably would have dropped the words "might be," but it would have otherwise sounded exactly the same. I don't think I've seen such a clear cut example of our own media being used by terrorists as a propagnada weapon. It really is amazing. What she said is absolutely no different that starting off a newscast with:

"A suicide car bomb killed fourteen people in Baghdad this morning, and the U.S. humanitarian efforts in Iraq might be to blame."

or:

"Radical Islamic extremists beheaded an American civilian and posted it on the internet, and our own President Bush might be to blame."

Am I the only one who sees the danger in this?

Believe me, Fox News is NOT trying to push a terrorist agenda. I don't even believe that the other network and cable news outlets are trying to push a Democratic Party agenda (okay, maybe CBS a little bit). I think every media outlet in America is merely doing what every red-blooded American company is trying to do- make a buck!!! It's capitalism, stupid!

It sounds better when they blame the Pope for murdering a nun, doesn't it? Isn't that a tantalizing way to start a broadcast?

Isn't it hard to flip the channel when they suggest that maybe- just maybe- our own President is ordering U.S. troops to play "Walk the Dog" with a bunch of terrorists in Abu Ghraib?

How about the hot air-filled talking head who says stuff like "we've been creating more terrorists ever since we started fighting them. Before we decided to fight back, everything was just peachy keen. You know, and embassy here, a USS Cole there, a few buildings in some major U.S. cities- no big deal. But now we've made them angry! And French people hate us! Bad Mr. Bush!"

Or what about the time when our President and his band of thugs endangered the life of a CIA agent in order to get back at her and her husband for being so mean to Republicans!?!? Holy Moly! Ben Affleck informed me that they shoot people on the battlefield for that sort of thing! Wow, man- Ben must have all kinds of war experience and he must know a whole heck of a lot about spy stuff, what with all his play-acting and stuff. But I digress...

So, yes, it all may be a total crock of BS, but it sure gets our attention, doesn't it?!?!? And it stirs the pot, and gets people fired up and angry, and it generates all kinds of debate, and it gets ratings and sells newspapers, and the money just keeps flowing in...

The obvious problem with all this- the terrorists know exactly how capitalism works. And they know how our media works. And we are absolutely powerless to stop them. Our only hope is to somehow be smart enough to see through our own BS.

Ever since I returned from Iraq, I've been asked the age old question, "Why don't we ever hear about the progress being made over there? How come we never get the good news?" The sad (but true) answer to this question- you don't really want to hear it. You think you do, but you don't. Everybody's always screaming about the "biased" media, and everyone's always lamenting about sensationalism trumping the facts, and blah blah blah- but the numbers don't lie, people.

How many of you would watch the Fox News special about power grid reconstruction efforts in Mosul? Yeah. Well. Not too exciting, huh?

Okay, now which of you would watch the special report about the suicide bomber who killed 4 American soldiers and 20 children who were giving them candy? Yep, that'll get your attention.

Are you going to watch the 2-hour special that takes you through the entire start-to-finish construction of the newly-formed Iraqi government? No. You're not going to watch that. And you're not going to read about it in tomorrow's Washington Post. Stop arguing with me- you have no interest in that stuff. But I promise you, it's the most important thing that's happening over there...

The terrorists know what you're going to watch. So do the suits at the news bureaus. The media isn't all that biased, ladies and gentlemen- they just want your money.

Even if it means in-your-face reporting on every single terrorist act that takes place in any part of the world at any given time.

Even if it means regurgitating a nun-killer's talking points. Verbatim.

Mail Call

2006-09-16T02:02:00.000-04:00

I've been working my way through a list of emails that I had left unattended for well over a year- and I found some pretty fun ones. Before I get to the featured item, I'd just like to say thanks for all the nice well-wishes and kind words- it's much appreciated, and I apologize for taking so long to write back. Most of the emails I get are really nice and thoughtful. And then I get some like this:

----- Original Message ----
From: kaofpm@jcn.net
To: cpt2slick@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2005 9:42:34 PM
Subject: Discovery!

Heard about mil blogs. your name came up. just what i expected. im not a lefty. im a veteran of our last big war on the dark skinned poor - in central america. you seem to be a part of the machine. a muscle fiber in the corporate bicep that is "redifining" american power in central asia. you are rewarded by your "fortune 500" job. horde those green backs captain before that corporate bicep outsources your ass and you find yourself teaching government classes at a community college.

xo our knight in shining gunship
or does 2slick refer to medivac?

Don't bother trying to send this person an email- the address is no longer valid. I tried to send him a response that went like this:

Cool. Thanks for checking out my site.

I think I'll start by telling you something that your parents probably told you a long time ago, but you just never liked to hear- people who are "anti-establishment" tend to be people who were soundly rejected by said "establishment." They're the ones who got beat up in school because they were always trying to be the center of attention- but never had any good reason to command said attention. Not typically the sharpest bulbs in the drawer- but really convinced that they were so much smarter than everyone else. Simply put- "anti-establishment" people (like you) are the ones that most "normal" people try so very hard to avoid.

Seriously, man- I'm sorry that nobody likes you or wants to hire you. Keep blaming "the man" for all your problems, and maybe your pain and suffering will begin to subside. Maybe- just maybe- the good people of the world will see how you've been wronged, and maybe everyone will line up to apologize to you. I know that would be really AWESOME for you!

Me? I'm just going to keep "redefining" American power with my corporate biceps while I step all over the poor dark-skinned people. You just sit there and think about what an awful and terrible person I am- I'm certain that will make you happy. See how thoughtful I am?

Seriously, though- you're right. You're not a lefty. You're just a run-of-the-mill fraud. A sad and pathetic loser who never got enough hugs.

Just what I expected....
P.S.: What's wrong with teaching government classes at a community college? Is teaching not an honorable profession? I happen to have a great deal of respect for teachers, and I certainly appreciate all the ones who taught me...

I love getting emails from these clowns!

I Miss the Swifties

2006-09-14T22:48:00.000-04:00

I guess I have to admit that a small part of me hopes that John Kerry does run again in '08. It's a little twisted, but it really was fun to see a glory-chasing self-serving traitor get what was coming to him right there on the world stage. And now I read this hilarious interview where he says that he's now "prepared to kick their ass from one end of America to the other." Oh, man I can't wait to see that!!!! Yeah, this time he'll really nail 'em! Go get 'em, Johnny!!!!

John O'Neill's response was priceless:

It is a little difficult to imagine Kerry (“I voted for it before I voted against it”) kicking the most decorated living serviceman, Bud Day, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, or our salty commander, Adm. Roy Hoffman, anywhere. Perhaps Kerry had in mind using a “Rice Fanny Grenade” as he did by mistake on himself shortly before leaving Vietnam. If so, based on the record, he is in far more danger than anyone else.

Kerry and his friends certainly seem to show much greater anger and hatred toward us than toward the murderous al Qaeda terrorists.

Reminds me- my wife is always asking me to post my thoughts on the left's current obsession with blaming all the world's problems on Republicans instead of terrorists. I had always planned to write something about it, but then I read Pam Foster's now-famous letter and I knew that I would never be able to say it better- so here goes:

WHAT'S ALL THE FUSS?

Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001? Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan, across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet? Well, I don't. I don't care at all.

I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia.

I'll care when Abu Musab al-Zarqawi tells the world he is sorry for hacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called "insurgents" in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots, who blow themselves up in search of nirvana, care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.

I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.

When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college hazing incident, rest assured that I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank that I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed "special" food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being "mishandled," you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts that I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and other times "Quran." Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and ---- you guessed it - - - I don't care ! ! ! ! !

Then it goes on to say "please forward to all your friends" and yadda yadda. I didn't even bother to snopes it, but it was supposedly written by "Pam Foster of Pamela Foster and Associates in Atlanta. She's been in business since 1980 doing interior design and home planning." Maybe she wrote it, maybe she didn't. Either way, you can bet your holy head scarves that I simply do not care who wrote it. It's awesome no matter what.

I have not, do not, and damn most certainly will not ever support the idea that terrorists should be protected by the Geneva Convention. The Geneva Convention needs to be "reconvened" and the international community needs to accept and deal with the fact that Islamic Militants are out there chopping off heads and blowing up school busses. The Geneva Convention means absolutely nothing to them- so come up with a plan for dealing with these animals and fix the problem.

When I hear people like Colin Powell say that we need to be nice to them in order to protect our own soldiers from harm, I feel like smacking him in the head with a rockfish. General Powell, with all due respect- are out of your freaking mind???? Do you honestly believe that these disgusting viruses will respond to our kind treatment with kindness? Trust me on this one, my 4-star friend- any soldiers captured by these sick thugs are damn near certain to suffer a fate worse than you or I could ever imagine- the terrorists have proven this time and time again. Stop kidding yourself. Your foolish banter is only serving to embolden them. You should seriously know better...

Letter to Senator Reid

2006-09-06T09:31:00.000-04:00

I guess it's been a long while since I've put anything on this site- I'm still trying to shake off some of the cobwebs around here...

I read a recent interview with Cindy Sheehan- she says that she wants to build a "Center for Peace" or something in Crawford, Texas. It's her attempt at making sure that war never happens again. The interviewer asked her why she would build it in Crawford, and Cindy said that it wouldn't be in a big city because blah blah words whatever blah blah. Not sure what she was talking about and I REALLY don't care.

If I were interviewing her, I would have asked why she wasn't building a "Center for Peace" in Iran or maybe adjacent to one of Saudi Arabia's many madrasses. The answer, of course, is that if she tried to do that she would quickly find that it's hard to get any work done when your head is no longer attached to your body.

So please, Cindy, build your "Center for Peace" in Crawford, Texas. I'm sure that would have prevented 9/11 had you thought to do that 6 years ago. Oh, the missed opportunities! Tell you what, Cindy- while you build your "Center for Peace" in Texas, I'm going to start construction on "2Slick's Obesity Prevention and Weight Control Clinic" in the middle of Ethiopia.

So I was perusing Drudge this morning, and I found an excellent letter that was written by Josh Bolten, and I think it deserves mass dissemination:

Dear Senator Reid:

Thank you for your September 4 letter to the President. I am responding on his behalf.

A useful discussion of what we need to do in Iraq requires an accurate and fair-minded description of our current policy: As the President has explained, our goal is an Iraq that can govern itself, defend itself, and sustain itself. In order to achieve this goal, we are pursuing a strategy along three main tracks -- political, economic, and security. Along each of these tracks, we are constantly adjusting our tactics to meet conditions on the ground. We have witnessed both successes and setbacks along the way, which is the story of every war that has been waged and won.

Your letter recites four elements of a proposed “new direction” in Iraq. Three of those elements reflect well-established Administration policy; the fourth is dangerously misguided.

First, you propose "transitioning the U.S. mission in Iraq to counter-terrorism, training, logistics and force protection." That is what we are now doing, and have been doing for several years. Our efforts to train the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) have evolved and accelerated over the past three years. Our military has had substantial success in building the Iraqi Army -- and increasingly we have seen the Iraqi Army take the lead in fighting the enemies of a free Iraq. The Iraqi Security Forces still must rely on U.S. support, both in direct combat and especially in key combat support functions. But any fair-minded reading of the current situation must recognize that the ISF are unquestionably more capable and shouldering a greater portion of the burden than a year ago -- and because of the extraordinary efforts of the United States military, we expect they will become increasingly capable with each passing month. Your recommendation that we focus on counter-terrorism training and operations -- which is the most demanding task facing our troops -- tracks not only with our policy but also our understanding, as well as the understanding of al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, that Iraq is a central front in the war against terror.

Second, your letter proposes "working with Iraqi leaders to disarm the militias and to develop a broad-based and sustainable political settlement, including amending the Constitution to achieve a fair sharing of power and resources." You are once again urging that the Bush Administration adopt an approach that has not only been embraced, but is now being executed. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is pursuing a national reconciliation project. It is an undertaking that (a) was devised by the Iraqis; (b) has the support of the United States, our coalition partners and the United Nations; and (c) is now being implemented. Further, in Iraq's political evolution, the Sunnis, who boycotted the first Iraq election, are now much more involved in the political process. Prime Minister Maliki is head of a free government that represents all communities in Iraq for the first time in that nation's history. It is in the context of this broad-based, unity government, and the lasting national compact that government is pursuing, that the Iraqis will consider what amendments might be required to the constitution that the Iraqi people adopted last year. On the matter of disarming militias: that is precisely what Prime Minister al-Maliki is working to do. Indeed, Coalition leaders are working with him and his ministers to devise and implement a program to disarm, demobilize, and reintegrate members of militias and other illegal armed groups.

Third, your letter calls for "convening an international conference and contact group to support a political settlement in Iraq, to preserve Iraq's sovereignty, and to revitalize the stalled economic reconstruction and rebuilding effort." The International Compact for Iraq, launched recently by the sovereign Iraqi government and the United Nations, is the best way to work with regional and international partners to make substantial economic progress in Iraq, help revitalize the economic reconstruction and rebuilding of that nation, and support a fair and just political settlement in Iraq -- all while preserving Iraqi sovereignty. This effort is well under way, it has momentum, and I urge you to support it. Three of the key proposals found in your letter, then, are already reflected in current U.S. and Iraqi policy in the region.

On the fourth element of your proposed “new direction,” however, we do disagree strongly. Our strategy calls for redeploying troops from Iraq as conditions on the ground allow, when the Iraqi Security Forces are capable of defending their nation, and when our military commanders believe the time is right. Your proposal is driven by none of these factors; instead, it would have U.S. forces begin withdrawing from Iraq by the end of the year, without regard to the conditions on the ground. Because your letter lacks specifics, it is difficult to determine exactly what is contemplated by the “phased redeployment” you propose. (One such proposal, advanced by Representative Murtha, a signatory to your letter, suggested that U.S. forces should be redeployed as a “quick reaction force” to Okinawa, which is nearly 5,000 miles from Baghdad). Regardless of the specifics you envision by “phased redeployment,” any premature withdrawal of U.S forces would have disastrous consequences for America’s security. Such a policy would embolden our terrorist enemies; betray the hopes of the Iraqi people; lead to a terrorist state in control of huge oil reserves; shatter the confidence our regional allies have in America; undermine the spread of democracy in the Middle East; and mean the sacrifices of American troops would have been in vain. This “new direction” would lead to a crippling defeat for America and a staggering victory for Islamic extremists. That is not a direction this President will follow. The President is being guided by a commitment to victory -- and that plan, in turn, is being driven by the counsel and recommendations of our military commanders in the region.

Finally, your letter calls for replacing Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. We strongly disagree.

Secretary Rumsfeld is an honorable and able public servant. Under his leadership, the United States Armed Forces and our allies have overthrown two brutal tyrannies and liberated more than 50 million people. Al Qaeda has suffered tremendous blows. Secretary Rumsfeld has pursued vigorously the President’s vision for a transformed U.S. military. And he has played a lead role in forging and implementing many of the policies you now recommend in Iraq. Secretary Rumsfeld retains the full confidence of the President.

We appreciate your stated interest in working with the Administration on policies that honor the sacrifice of our troops and promote our national security, which we believe can be accomplished only through victory in this central front in the War on Terror.

Sincerely,

Joshua B. Bolten
Chief of Staff

Now that's a great letter...

Why We're Going to Succeed in Iraq

2006-04-07T22:37:00.000-04:00

Wow, you people really are coming by here to see what 's going on. I'm amazed and flattered and humbled and everything in between. Thanks, I hope you'll continue to drop by...

I heard there was some big uproar about illegal immigration last week? I missed it all- you see, I was vacationing in Mexico. And guess what (I'm not joking)- President Bush was there, too. It was in all the Mexican newspapers, and I know because I can read espanol. For the record- Mexico is really amazing. Wow.

But I digress...

Sometimes I think I'm the only person in America who thought the War on Terror was going to be tough one.

I never thought that we shouldn't fight it.

I never thought that we couldn't win it.

I just thought that it was going to be a tough struggle.

Why? I don't know- maybe because there are so many people out there who are more than willing to blow themselves up in order to enjoy a night out with some virgins that they'll never meet, or even worse- recruit others to blow themselves up for some "cause" that seems to involve enslaving women and chopping people's heads off for the simple act of intellectual noncompliance.

Yes, there will always be a pool of poor young teens looking for glory; mentally retarded "outcasts"; "disgraced" women seeking redemption after having the audacity to entice someone to rape them; even "normal" people who are just too plain stupid to figure out that if "martyrdom" was really such a cool thing, people like bin Laden and Zarqawi would be doing it too!

Lots of them out there- lots and lots.

And how prepared were we for this war before 9/11? Here's a hint. Almost 5 years later, we're STILL postured for that big showdown with the Soviets. If those commies ever decided to cross that line in Germany, we'll have more than enough troops to fight 'em off, dammit!

So yes, I was pretty sure this would be a tough one.

People are surprised by a lot of things, but I think the thing that surprises me most is that here we are going on 5 years since 9/11, and number of American troops lost in combat has yet to surpass the number of innocent lives that were taken from us on that one day that we all remember so clearly. We do remember what happened, right? Just checking.

I always thought that the one of the most important keys to winning this thing was to understand what we're up against- sooner than later. We still don't fully comprehend what this enemy is and how we're supposed to fight it, but I think our old friend and my former Commanding General, LTG David Petreaus, is leading the way to understanding. Check this out:

Observations from Soldiering in Iraq

1."Do not try to do too much with your own hands."

2. Act quickly, because every Army of liberation has a half-life.

3. Money is ammunition. (This is so true- capitalism can really put a dagger through the terrorist's hearts -2Slick)

4. Increasing the number of stakeholders is critical to success.

5. Analyze "costs and benefits" before each operation.

6. Intelligence is the key to success.

7. Everyone must do nation-building.

8. Help build institutions, not just units.

9. Cultural awareness is a force multiplier.

10. Success in a counterinsurgency requires more than just military 0perations.

11. Ultimate success depends on local leaders.

12. Remember the strategic corporals and strategic lieutenants.

13. There is no substitute for flexible, adaptable leaders.

14. A leader's most important task is to set the right tone.

Read the whole thing, because this guy knows what the hell he's talking about...

Jennifer Loven Gets Famous

2006-03-23T07:47:00.000-05:00

Since it's been such a long time since I've even visited my own site, I decided to check the stat tracker to see if anyone was even poking round here anymore. I was astonished to find that this site still draws about 100 visitors a day- mostly people following links to archived posts from yesteryear. I noticed a huge spike a few days ago, so I decided to check into it. Seems that my old friend Jennifer Loven caused another commotion- this one her biggest yet. I saw the article on Yahoo! News last weekend while I was browsing through my handy dandy handheld. The headline left me no doubt that I was about to read a Jennifer Loven article- it said something like "Bush Using Straw Man Arguments in Speeches." Sounded very much like the unforgettable "Bush Twists Kerry's Words on Iraq."

My favorite part of her latest hit piece:

"There are some really decent people," the president said earlier this year, "who believe that the federal government ought to be the decider of health care ... for all people."

Of course, hardly anyone in mainstream political debate has made such assertions.

"Of course," she says. Because we all know that Bush is such a conniving and deceitful liar and anything he tries to push on us is total crap.

And this:

He typically then says he "strongly disagrees" conveniently knocking down a straw man of his own making.

"Conveniently." Jennifer, you absolutely must be kidding here, right? Are you seriously trying to play this off as news? This is a sarcastic and vindictive opinion piece and nothing more. The AP is now officially the media's worst joke.

And when she writes, "Bush routinely is criticized for dressing up events with a too-rosy glow," she must be referring to another one of her own legendary hit pieces- Bush Paints Rosy Picture of Iraq Situation. She's literally using her prior opinions in place of facts for her new opinion piece! And the AP lets her get away with it.

Well, kids- it looks like the cat's really out of the bag this time. I just found a story about her latest work of art through Drudge- AP Article on Bush Called Out as Hit Piece...

It mentions her marriage to a former Clinton aide and all that good stuff. Not a bad article really. For me, it was nice to see Jennifer Loven being scrutinized on a bigger stage than Powerline. She finally made it big.

It'll be interesting to see if the AP attempts to garner some sort of credibility by firing her or apologizing in some way. Don't hold your breath.

Here I Come

2006-03-22T20:56:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's been a few months- I had to rest up and tend to my new civilian family life. Now I'm dusting off my keyboard and preparing for the next phase. To quote the immortal GEN Douglas MacArthur- "I shall return!"

King of Iraq

2005-12-21T09:32:00.000-05:00

From Seconds Out:

King's morale boost for troops in Iraq

Legendary promoter Don King said he would like to host a morale-boosting boxing exhibition in Iraq featuring world champion boxers he represents. King made his comments to CNN's Wolf Blitzer while appearing on The Situation Room last week.

Major General Thomas R. Turner II of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division told King earlier this year he would welcome such an event.

"There are many things that make a unit successful in combat," Turner said. "They need good equipment, the right number of people and good training. The army does that very well but the solider also needs to know that the American people support them and Don King has done that."

King never forgot the major general's comments and later presented a check for over $200,000 he raised to help create a 101st Airborne Memorial in Ft. Campbell, Ky.

He also visited troops fresh from the front lines in Iraq at Germany's Landstuhl Hospital near Ramstein Air Base in September, and he now wants to bring a boxing exhibition to Iraq to give soldiers a taste of home.

"Major General Turner and President George W. Bush are absolutely right about helping the troops," King said. "I intend to answer the President's call and do all I can to support our troops. Our men and women in uniform around the world are defending our freedom and liberties. They need to know that we appreciate their service and sacrifices to honor their bravery and dedication.

"I intend to stage exhibition matches in Iraq displaying the skills of many great champions from the boxing world. I want to entertain the troops, raise their morale and let our soldiers know that the American people are 100% behind them. It will be an unforgettable, historic event. I'll even stage a true championship match if I am allowed."

King added: "While politicians in Washington debate the issues, we must show through action and deed that we support our troops fighting for our liberties and way of life. I honor them. I want to be the black Bob Hope of boxing," King said with reverence to the comedian's achievements.

King is now discussing the formal arrangements with the White House, USO and the Department of Defense.

"I am proud to be an American, I love my country and I love my troops," King said. "I want to do everything I can to lift them up in their hour of need but I cannot do it without the blessing of our commander in chief."

King has quietly provided all telecasts of boxing matches he promotes free of charge to Armed Forces Network for over 20 years, so troops stationed abroad can view his telecasts.

Yeah, I remember watching a bunch of great title bouts on AFKN when I was in Korea. It was great because we wouldn't have to stay up until 2 am to watch them- they'd come on at around 3 pm Korea time. Now that I think of AFKN, I remember they had a PSA spot (AFKN ran PSA's instead of commercials) featuring an 18-year-old Kobe Bryant preaching to us soldiers about "doing the right thing." Wow, that was some great stuff. -2Slick

Voting

2005-12-15T22:32:00.000-05:00

My Godmother's son-in-law sent this dispatch a few days ago- sorry it took so long to get it posted. Cool stuff...

Today the Iraqi soldiers got their turn to vote so they are able to secure the polling sites on election day. It was amazing to see how happy these soldiers were to vote in a free election. Soldiers were dancing around and singing. It was the happiest I have ever seen these soldiers.

Enjoy,

Jeff

Bruce Willis is Cool

2005-12-01T17:46:00.000-05:00

"Hollywood" people don't typically impress me much, but I think Bruce Willis is pretty cool. He came out to visit the 101st in 2003. My buddy Mark took some pics during his concert in Tall 'Afar:

Just recently I read that he showed up to be the guest speaker at the Deuce Four's Punisher's Ball. Looks like he's going to play LTC Erik Kurilla in a movie based on Michael Yon's writings. That's excellent. It's nice to see something positive come out of Hollywood for a change.

Another Great Letter from Iraq

2005-11-18T14:43:00.000-05:00

SGT Rausch and his buddies in 1st Platoon just crafted a masterpiece that needs to be seen by everyone you know. I've been trying to say this stuff for years now, but I couldn't quite figure out how to put it all into words. Well, these guys just cracked the code. Thanks to Becky C for bringing this to my attention:

Cpt2slick,

I am passing this on from a dear friend of mine. Her son wrote her this email and asked her to get it out to everyone. So she told me to send it to you too. Here is his email he wrote to her today. God bless those 101st soldiers. We love em all. Hope you will share his email with your readers.

Becky C

I will gladly pass this on, Becky. Thanks for doing your part in helping to spread the good word...

2Slick

SGT Rausch's email follows:

Mom

Be my voice. I want this message heard. It is mine and my platoon's to the country. A man I know lost his legs the other night. He is in another company in our batallion. I can no longer be silent after watching the sacrifices made by Iraqis and Americans everyday. Send it to a congressman if you have to. Send it to FOX news if you have to. Let this message be heard please.

My fellow Americans,

I have a task for those with the courage and fortitude to take it. I have a message that needs not fall on deaf ears. A vision the blind need to see. I am not a political man nor one with great wisdom. I am just a soldier who finds himself helping rebuild a country that he helped liberate a couple years ago.

I have watched on television how the American public questions why their mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters are fighting and dying in a country 9000 miles away from their own soil. Take the word of a soldier, for that is all I am, that our cause is a noble one. The reason we are here is one worth fighting for. A cause that has been the most costly and sought after cause in our small span of existence on our little planet. Bought in blood and paid for by those brave enough to give the ultimate sacrifice to obtain it. A right that is given to every man, woman, and child I believe by God. I am talking of freedom.

Freedom. One word but yet countless words could never capture it's true meaning or power. "For those who have fought for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know." I read that once and it couldn't be more true. It's not the average American's fault that he or she is "blind and deaf" to the taste of freedom. Most American's are born into their God given right so it is all they ever know. I was once one of them. I would even dare to say that it isn't surprising that they take for granted what they have had all their life. My experiences in the military however opened my eyes to the truth.

Ironically you will find the biggest outcries of opposition to our cause from those who have had no military experience and haven't had to fight for freedom. I challenge all of those who are daring enough to question such a noble cause to come here for just a month and see it first hand. I have a feeling that many voices would be silenced.

I watched Cindy Sheehan sit on the President's lawn and say that America isn't worth dying for. Later she corrected herself and said Iraq isn't worth dying for. She badmouthed all that her son had fought and died for. I bet he is rolling over in his grave.

Ladies and gentleman I ask you this. What if you lived in a country that wasn't free? What if someone told you when you could have heat, electricity, and water? What if you had no sewage systems so human waste flowed into the streets? What if someone would kill you for bad-mouthing your government? What if you weren't allowed to watch TV, connect to the internet, or have cell phones unless under extreme censorship? What if you couldn't put shoes on your child's feet? You need not to have a great understanding of the world but rather common sense to realize that it is our duty as HUMAN BEINGS to free the oppressed. If you lived that way would you not want someone to help you????

The Iraqi's pour into the streets to wave at us and when we liberated the cities during the war they gathered in the thousands to cheer, hug and kiss us. It was what the soldier's in WW2 experienced, yet no one questioned their cause!! Saddam was no better than Hitler! He tortured and killed thousands of innocent people. We are heroes over here, yet American's badmouth our President for having us here.

Every police station here has a dozen or more memorials for officers that were murdered trying to ensure that their people live free. These are husbands, fathers, and sons killed every day. What if it were your country? What would your choice be? Everything we fight for is worth the blood that may be shed. The media never reports the true HEROISM I witness everyday in the Iraqi's. Yes there are bad one's here, but I assure you they are a minuscule percent. Yet they are a number big enough to cause worry in this country's future.

I have watched brave souls give their all and lose thier lives and limbs for this cause. I will no longer stand silent and let the "deaf and blind" be the only voice shouting. Stonewall Jackson once said, "All that I have, all that I am is at the service of the country." For these brave souls who gave the ultimate sacrifice, including your son Cindy Sheehan, I will shout till I can no longer. These men and women are heroes. Their spirit lives on in their military and they will never be forgotten. They did not die in vain but rather for a cause that is larger than all of us.

My fellow countrymen and women, we are not overseas for our country alone but also another. We are here to spread democracy and freedom to those who KNOW the true taste of it because they fight for it everyday. You can see the desire in their eyes and I am honored to fight alongside them as an Infantryman in the 101st Airborne.

Freedom is not free, but yet it is everyone's right to have. Ironic isn't it? That is why we are here. Though you will always have the skeptics, I know that most of our military will agree with this message. PLease, at the request of this soldier spread this message to all you know. We are in Operation Iraqi Freedom and that is our goal. It is a cause that I and thousands of others stand ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice for because, Cindy Sheehan, freedom is worth dying for, no matter what country it is! And after the world is free only then can we hope to have peace.

SGT Walter J. Rausch and 1st Platoon
Charlie Co. 2/327 Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

101st Airborne Back in Action

2005-11-14T18:21:00.000-05:00

The Screaming Eagles are back in the Land of the Awful Sand. I'll be posting periodic updates in an effort to document their progress. The following update comes from SFC David Abrams...

U.S. combat ops continue to defeat terrorists on street

Blackanthem.com, BAGHDAD, Iraq, November 13, 2005 6:54

Operation National Unity, an on-going operation by Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces to root out terrorists in the Baghdad area, continues to meet with great success, said Task Force Baghdad officials.

"Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers are bravely carrying out their mission to provide a safe and secure environment for the democratic process to grow in Iraq," said Lt. Col. Robert Whetstone, Task Force Baghdad spokesperson. "Terrorist activities continue to attempt to derail that process, while Iraqi Security Force and Coalition Force successes occur daily."

In one 96-hour period alone in November, Task Force Baghdad conducted more than 1,030 patrols, carried out 100 cordon-and-searches and raids, and set up more than 400 tactical checkpoints during aggressive combat operations throughout the capitol city.

While the threat of improvised explosive devices still lingers for Soldiers on patrol, Task Force Baghdad officials report the number of successes far outweigh the number of IEDs struck by humvees and other military vehicles.

During combat operations Nov. 6-11, Coalition Forces detained more than 250 terror suspects, found seven weapons caches, and discovered 37 IEDs before they could be detonated.

This is typical of the missions U.S. Soldiers in Baghdad engage in every week as they work to create an environment where a strong Iraqi Security Force can contain and eventually defeat the insurgency, Whetstone noted.

Task Force Baghdad officials cite operations on Nov. 11 as examples of how U.S. and Iraqi forces are "taking the fight to the terrorists."

For instance, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment interrupted a suspected assassination attempt in progress in the Ghazaliyah district. Around 6:30 p.m., the U.S. patrol reported taking small-arms fire from three individuals running from a store where they were believed to be intimidating or attempting to assassinate civilians inside. The Soldiers returned fire on the fleeing terrorists, killing two of them. No civilians were harmed in the incident.

Earlier in the day, an Iraqi-U.S. patrol northwest of Baghdad turned an IED strike into an opportunity to nab a terror suspect. The patrol from 2nd Battalion, 70th Armored Regiment, and 2nd Mechanized Battalion, 1st Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division hit the roadside bomb around noon and immediately took small-arms fire from two nearby cars. U.S. Soldiers returned fire and chased the vehicles from the area. The Soldiers returned to the IED site and found a secondary device. An explosives ordnance disposal team was called in to destroy the 155-millimeter round. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Soldiers noticed an individual throw a possible trigger device into a nearby canal. The suspect was detained and processed into the Iraqi judicial system. There were no injuries to Iraqi or U.S. forces during the incident.

In another example of Coalition troops responding with a show of force to a terrorist attack, a patrol from 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry killed a terrorist who fired on them with an AK-47 assault rifle around 7 a.m. south of the Abu Ghraib Prison Facility.Iraqi forces with 1st Battalion, 4th Public Order Brigade operating in Doura reported a success of their own around 5:30 p.m. when they caught a terrorist emplacing an IED along a major highway. A U.S. EOD team recovered the 107-millimeter rocket and the Iraqi Army unit detained the terrorist for questioning.

Other potential IEDs were discovered by U.S. Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team working the streets of east Baghdad.

Around noon, Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment reported finding a 130-millimeter round in the median of a major road. They secured the area and called for an EOD team. The Soldiers also found a secondary device consisting of 120-millimeter and 100-millimeter rounds encased in concrete. EOD recovered both devices.

In another location, Iraqi civilians waved down a patrol from the 26th Forward Support Battalion and told them of a suspicious device at the intersection of two main roads in the area shortly after 3 p.m. The U.S. Soldiers cordoned off the site and called in an EOD team to recover what turned out to be a potentially deadly IED.

"We (U.S. Forces) are not the determining factor with respect to the ultimate defeat of the terrorists—the Iraqi people are," said Col. Joseph DiSalvo, 2nd BCT commander. "The terrorists have no chance as long as the Iraqi people stand up against them." Task Force Baghdad Soldiers also seized weapons and munitions during combat operations Nov. 11.While searching a house, Soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division found three cases of 20-millimeter anti-aircraft ammunition, about 7 million in dinar (equivalent to nearly $5,000), and two loaded AK-47 assault rifles. Two terror suspects were detained at the house and held for further questioning.

Another 2nd Bde., 101st Airborne Div. unit found a cache consisting of four 3-foot rockets at a site southwest of Baghdad.Task Force Baghdad officials said Nov. 11 is just one example of how Operation National Unity is succeeding on all levels to keep the city’s terrorists on the defensive.

By Sgt. 1st Class David Abrams
Task Force Baghdad PAO

House becomes a home for (Iraq war) hero

2005-10-30T15:32:00.000-05:00

By VICKI BERRY, C-T Lifestyle Editor

He received a hero’s welcome when he returned to his newly renovated home Wednesday, however, Bobby Isaacs does not refer to himself in that manner at all.

"I was just doing what I was told," he said, matter-of-factly.

Retired Cpl. Bobby Isaacs, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. was initially given an imminent death retirement because he wasn’t expected to recover from injuries he received while serving in Iraq.

And just as understatedly, the Roxboro resident was prompted to join the armed forces following the 9/11 tragedy.

Isaacs said he had tossed around the idea of joining the Army prior to the 9/11 attacks. "That gave me the push," he said.

In March of 2003 Isaacs was deployed to Iraq. After serving in several Iraqi cities, events led to an occurrence that would change the young man’s life forever.

Isaacs recently recalled the events of that day near Mosul. Isaacs and others in his division were part of a convoy. He explained that he was standing behind his staff sergeant who was sitting in the passenger’s seat. The convoy was ambushed with small arms fire and a roadside bomb that shattered the bones in both of Isaacs’ legs and severed the femoral artery.

"My staff sergeant was killed," he said.

Isaacs too, came very close to losing his life. "I was resuscitated three times," he said.

Following a few days in a field hospital, Isaacs was taken to Germany before being sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the U.S. There, he spent the next year, lost both legs and underwent 39 operations. While it doesn’t sound like fun, Isaacs said he was happy to be there.

"I was just glad I was in a hospital and not in a body bag," he said.

During his stint in the hospital and through a fellow patient, Isaacs fatefully met John Gonsalves, founder of Homes for Our Troops. Although Isaacs was not aware of it at the time, that meeting was the first of several to follow that would have a positive impact and outcome.

Isaacs left Walter Reed Hospital and moved back to Roxboro to live with his mother, Pat Isaacs, and although he was out of the hospital, he was not finished with the medical visits. It was necessary for Isaacs to go to Veterans Hospital in Durham for his prosthesis and follow-up care. And that is when Isaacs had another fateful encounter.

He met Charlotte Riggle, who works as a technician with the Center for Orthotic and Prosthetics at Duke University.

"She makes the legs," he said.

That was then. Now, together, plans are being laid for a wedding ceremony for the two on July 1.

Future plans for Isaacs include returning to school in the spring, probably at a local community college, he said. From there, he is considering a career as a physician’s assistant.

However, his plans do not involve moving.

When Isaacs left Walter Reed Medical Center to come back to Person County, he was told by Gonsalves to begin looking for a house and, if possible, Homes for Our Troops would buy and adapt the house to meet his special needs.

This past June, he found the house and Homes for Our Troops made the purchase along with plans to renovate the structure so that Isaacs could move in by December.

That move-in date was stepped-up a notch when Homes for Our Troops combined forces with the ABC network television show Extreme Makeover Home Edition and, in a blitz-like fashion, the house was adapted, renovated, furnished and ready for its new occupant in 48 hours.

On Wednesday, amidst television fanfare, Gonsalves handed Isaacs the key and the deed to his new home – a charitable act from Homes for Our Troops to help the veteran achieve his future dreams.

Business as Usual

2005-10-21T22:10:00.000-04:00

Just a quick passage from a recent Time Magazine article:

It was then that Lt. Nelson took the decision that could jeopardize his service career. "We decided to burn the bodies," one soldier recounts, "because they were bloated and they stank." News of this cremation may have remained on these scorching hills of southern Afghanistan, had the gruesome act not been recorded on film by an Australian photojournalist, Stephen Dupont. Instead, when the footage aired on Australian TV on Wednesday, it unleashed world outrage. A Pentagon spokesman described the incident as "repugnant" and said that the army was launching a criminal investigation into the alleged desecration of the corpses, which is in violation of the Geneva Convention on human rights.

I'll say this once- if the American media machine continues to drag our military through the mud with all of our "violations of the Geneva Convention," we will lose this war. That's not a guess on my part- it is a fact.

Nice job, Newsweek. Let's not talk about cutting the heads off of living human beings. Forget about blowing up dozens of young children as they attempt to collect candy from U.S. soldiers- that stuff just happens and so who cares, right?

Literally hundreds of U.S. soldiers have risked their own lives in order to save the lives of fellow soldiers, innocent civilians, and even enemy terrorists who were only minutes earlier trying to kill them- and you see fit to report...none of it. Nada. Zip. It's boooor-ing. So last century. But when U.S. troops decide to burn a couple of already-dead terrorists- stop the presses! It's almost as big a deal as when they put underwear on someone's head!

Muslims traditionally bury their dead, and as one Kabul cleric Mohammed Omar told newsmen, "The burning of these bodies is an offense against Muslims every where. Bodies are burned only in Hell."

That's a great point you make there, cleric guy- but where do people typically get their heads cut off? Is there a place in Hell for that? Did the Newsweek reporter ask you that question? When an American gets his/her head sawed off by one of your fellow faithful, is that an offense against Americans everywhere?

Al Jazeera does a swell job of making Americans out to be the "real" terrorists- but Newsweek and the rest of America's MSM are really giving them a run for their money. I have a challenge for somebody out there. I'd do it myself, but I'm just way too busy these days. Find out how many "Abu Ghraib-type" stories graced the front page of the New York Times, and then chalk up the number of times they fronted stories about American heroism and valor. I think the results will be stunning. Or not.

I'm not asking for flag-waving and apple pie.

I'm not seeking fame and glory for myself or anyone else.

I just think we'd better stop treating our own people worse than we treat head-chopping, baby-bombing terrorists. That's not so much to ask...

If you haven't read LTC Tim Ryan's assessment yet- read it.

Holy Bush-Bashing, Batman!

2005-10-14T23:33:00.000-04:00

The AP really went all out with their latest assault on the current administration and anyone even remotely associated with it. Deb Reichmann's latest masterpiece managed to slime the President, the Pentagon, and of course- the soldiers! I'm not quite sure what soldiers ever did to the AP (unless you believe Eason Jordan's assertion that American troops systematically slaughter journalists), but Deb really seems to go out of her way to make these troops look stupid:

A brief rehearsal ensued.

"OK, so let's just walk through this," Barber said. "Captain Kennedy, you answer the first question and you hand the mike to whom?"

"Captain Smith," Kennedy said.

"Captain. Smith? You take the mike and you hand it to whom?" she asked.

"Captain Kennedy," the soldier replied.

And so it went.

Duhhhh...and my name is Bob and I'm really stoopid! I can't think for myself and I need Allison Barber to tell me what to think and what to say and who to hand the microphone to and- uh oh! I went poopie in my poopiepants!

Nice work, Deb- I'm sure the soldiers appreciate all the blood sweat and tears you poured into making them look like a bunch of diaper-clad thumb-sucking idiots.

And what about the Iraqi soldier? Let's pass him off as a lovestruck groopie!

The president also got praise from the Iraqi soldier who was part of the chat.

"Thank you very much for everything," he gushed. "I like you."

Are you kidding me??? He gushed????? Who in the wide world of sports wrote this garbage? A valley girl?

And here's my favorite insult- some yahoo named Paul Rieckhoff fancies himself as a "support the troops" kinda guy:

Paul Rieckhoff, director of the New York-based Operation Truth, an advocacy group for U.S. veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, denounced the event as a "carefully scripted publicity stunt." Five of the 10 U.S. troops involved were officers, he said.

"If he wants the real opinions of the troops, he can't do it in a nationally televised teleconference," Rieckhoff said. "He needs to be talking to the boots on the ground and that's not a bunch of captains."

Well said, Paul. Tell you what- send me an email and let's arrange a meeting. I'd like to give you the opportunity to tell me to my face that I haven't earned the right to give a legitimate opinion about what I saw and what I experienced over there.

I want you to tell me to my face that my opinion isn't "real" because of the rank I held while I was over there.

I want you to tell me that my "Captain" friends who died while fighting for something they believed in are somehow less important than soldiers who carry a different rank.

I want to see just how much courage you really have, Paul.

Go ahead- send me an email. Let's set up the meeting, and let's find out how completely and pathetically gutless you really are.

Thanks for bringing this joke of a man to my attention, Deb. Now go back to doing what the AP pays you for- but please stop insulting our intelligence by trying to pass off your poorly written slop as "news."

For all you folks out there who would like to read an honest account of what happened at that "staged" teleconference, I give you Sergeant Ron Long :

Yesterday, I was chosen to be among a small group of soldiers assigned to the 42ID’s Task Force Liberty that would speak to President Bush, our Commander-in-Chief. The interview went well, but I would like to respond to what most of the mass-media has dubbed as, “A Staged Event.”

First of all, we were told that we would be speaking with the President of the United States, our Commander-in-Chief, President Bush, so I believe that it would have been totally irresponsible for us NOT to prepare some ideas, facts or comments that we wanted to share with the President.

We were given an idea as to what topics he may discuss with us, but it’s the President of the United States; He will choose which way his conversation with us may go.

We practiced passing the microphone around to one another, so we wouldn’t choke someone on live TV. We had an idea as to who we thought should answer what types of questions, unless President Bush called on one of us specifically.

President Bush told us, during his closing, that the American people were behind us. I know that we are fighting here, not only to preserve our own freedoms, but to establish those same freedoms for the people of Iraq. It makes my stomach ache to think that we are helping to preserve free speech in the US, while the media uses that freedom to try to RIP DOWN the President and our morale, as US Soldiers. They seem to be enjoying the fact that they are tearing the country apart. Worthless!

The question I was most asked while I was home on leave in June was, “So...What’s REALLY going on over there?” Does that not tell you something?! Who has confidence in the media to tell the WHOLE STORY? It’s like they WANT this to turn into another Vietnam. I hate to break it to them, but it’s not.

Tomorrow morning, the Iraqi people will vote on their constitution. The success of our mission or the mission of the Iraqi security forces is not defined by the outcome of that vote. If the people of Iraq vote this constitution down, that only means that the FREE, DEMOCRATIC PROCESS is at work in Iraq. They are learning to voice their opinions in the polling stations, not through violence. If it is voted down, they will have the chance to draft an even better version; One that may better serve the people of Iraq. This is up to them. It is history in the making and I will not let the media or anyone else (who has not spent more than two weeks here) tell me otherwise. I have been here for almost a year. I have seen the progress made in so many ways from January’s elections to this referendum. Don’t tell me what the Iraqi people can or can’t do. They will tell you with their VOTES!

If you would like to see our interview with President Bush, you may get it HERE.

Nice try, AP...

101st Airborne Getting Ready to Return to Iraq

2005-10-12T22:33:00.000-04:00

By Ryan Lenz

The Associated Press

FORT CAMPBELL - Combat soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division will begin deploying to Iraq in the next week, two years after the division helped topple Saddam Hussein, Army officials said Thursday.

The Army is processing nearly 1,000 soldiers a day at Fort Campbell. The 3rd Brigade is preparing to be among the division's first combat units to replace the Army's 42nd Infantry Division. It operates out of Tikrit, in north central Iraq.

For many, it's a moment filled with nervous excitement despite having been to the battlefield before. For others, it is a sobering dose of reality to wait in long lines to check everything from vaccinations to mental health.

About 3,600 troops from Fort Campbell are already in Iraq, including hospital and artillery forces. The departure of units from the 3rd Brigade, known as the Rakkasans, marks the beginning of a deployment many had expected.

"It's easy going over there," said Sgt. Jeff Desrosier, 34, of Grand Forks, N.D., as he laughed and told jokes with fellow soldiers. "But what's hard is when I'm in the kitchen and my son comes up crying and hugging me."

On Thursday, soldiers filed into an old gym at Fort Campbell to update personal records including contact information for next of kin, personal information to help officials identify them if captured, even details for the type of funeral they'd like to have.

"I'm just ready to go to Iraq and get it over with," said Sgt. Sheroda McLendon, 27, of Macon, Ga., after receiving one of several shots that the Army requires of soldiers going to Iraq.

About 19,000 soldiers from the division deployed to Iraq in 2003. After the fall of Saddam Hussein, the division was assigned to the Mosul area of northern Iraq.

The nature of the conflict has changed since then, said Maj. John Calahan, the brigade's executive officer. He was waiting in line with enlisted soldiers to receive one of the many medical checks. But the Rakkasans are ready, he said.
"The entire time we were there last year, the enemy was constantly evolving. And they've continued to evolve," he said. "But on the same token, we have also evolved."

For those soldiers deploying for the first time, finalizing their affairs all at once drove home the coming deployment.

"It really made me step back and ask what is it that's worth leaving my family for," said Staff Sgt. Jesse Riggin, 24, of Middletown, Del. "It basically comes down to waking up every morning and having a purpose."

The movement of the 101st and 159th Aviation Brigades and the division's four combat brigades - more than 20,000 troops - will be carried out in stages, possibly through November, Army officials said.

No Better Friend...

2005-10-10T11:27:00.000-04:00

October 10, 2005

Release Number: 05-10-32

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FIRST U.S. HUMANITARIAN AIRLIFT REACHES ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A United States Air Force C-17 delivered the first relief supplies here within 48 hours of the devastating earthquake that has left thousands dead and thousands more injured and displaced.

The aircraft and its crew from the 7th Airlift Squadron, McChord Air Force Base, Wash., delivered 12 pallets -- weighing almost 90,000 pounds -- of food, water, medicine and blankets from Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.

With only a few hours notice, Airmen and soldiers at Bagram, successfully worked to palletize the humanitarian relief supplies and prepare them for the flight. Three aerial port specialists were also on the flight to coordinate and manage the cargo once it arrived at Islamabad.

"This was a total team effort," said Col. Mike Isherwood, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Vice Commander. "Our hearts go out to all those affected by the earthquake and we are thankful we were able to help out."

Pakistan Army Brig. Gen. Imtiaz Sherazi, director of logistics, is coordinating the relief efforts as supplies arrive and ensuring rapid distribution of assistance to areas that need it most.

Said General Sherazi, "These items are very valuable to us because there are lots of people in great distress."

As relief efforts are ongoing worldwide, United States Central Command will continue to identify and provide additional capabilities for airborne reconnaissance, heavy lift ground equipment, medical support, shelters, rations and water to aid and assist the people of Pakistan.

McMaster Tells It Like It Is

2005-09-16T19:10:00.000-04:00

CENTCOM just posted a friendly message from Terrorist-du-jour Abu-Mus'ab al-Zarqawi. Check it out, and see how the other side thinks. Here's a peek:

Since yesterday, the battles for revenge started all over the land of the two rivers. The raid for avenging the Sunni people in Tall far has started.

Celebrate and sing the praise of God, O nation of Islam. The battalions of monotheism have set out, pledging to die in support of the faith and its people. They were spearheaded by the best of the battalions, the Al-Bara Bin-Malik Battalion.

Approach us, O paradise. O brigade of martyrdom-seeker: Celebrate and sing the praise of God, for tomorrow you will meet the beloved ones, Muhammad and his companions. You have never accepted injustice, O lions of monotheism. This is your day. Go after the heads of the infidels, the Jews, the Crusaders, and the descendants of Ibn al-Alqami [derogatory term for Shia named after Ibn-al-Alqami, a Shia minister who was accused of betraying the last Abbasid caliph Al-Musta'ism during Hulugu's attack on Baghdad in 1258]. Do not show any mercy toward them.

Sounds like he's throwing down the gauntlet, huh? I think I know what's got him so ruffled. It seems that my old history professor, COL H.R. McMaster, decided to put some roadblocks on Syria's terrorist expressway. Here's a clip from the COL's recent press briefing (thanks to Mike for sending):

Q: You've painted an extremely rosy picture of your campaign so far. Have you taken and secured Tall Afar, and are you going to be able to hold it and keep it?

COL. MCMASTER: Yeah. Those are great questions. Nothing's rosy in Iraq, okay? So I don't want to give you an unrealistic perspective here. What I tried to describe with you was a continuous interaction with the enemy that we've had since our arrival, but an interaction that has been in our favor. We've maintained the initiative over this enemy.

So is Tall Afar secure? No, it's not secure. Is the enemy on the run in Tall Afar? Yes, the enemy's on the run. And we're going to conduct some follow-on operations in the next week or so to relentlessly pursue the enemy across the city.

The standard for success for us here is to ensure that the enemy can no longer wage an effective campaign of intimidation over the population of Tall Afar. And to get to your question, in terms of can we permanently secure it, the answer is, yes, and we're taking all measures to do that. In fact, it's the most complicated part of the mission, is how we provide permanent security. We're introducing Iraqi security forces into the center of the city. Iraqi army will have access to the population. They'll be in patrol bases in the interior of the city.

I think my old prof sounds more intelligent than Zarqawi, but maybe I'm biased. Bottom line- Zarqawi is upset. Which brings me to my next point. During my last few posts, I invited some thoughtful debate about why our government decided to remove Saddam from power. I saw some good points from all sides, and I appreciate all the emails and comments. My thoughts on the subject are simple- the terrorists want us to fail in Iraq. They have decided that their very survival depends on turning Iraq into another Mogidishu. If this were to happen, it would be the unthinkable. This is why our troops are there. This is why failure is not an option. It doesn't matter what Saddam had or didn't have. It doesn't matter what he was planning to do in the future. That's all been settled. The fight is with a different enemy now- an enemy that has very little to do with Saddam (they didn't like him either), and everything to do with the ongoing fight against terrorists.

More on this later, but for now I'd just encourage everyone to read COL McMaster's entire press briefing- it's good reading and it really puts the current situation in perspective. And please- read the news releases on the CENTCOM page. This conflict has entered a new phase, and the MSM has no clue what's going on.

More bad news for Zarqawi and the gang- the 101st Airborne Division is heading back to Iraq. Stay tuned...

Armed Forces Retirement Home

2005-09-06T18:02:00.000-04:00

I found the following post at Rick Lippincott's site. It caught my attention because I'm quite familiar with AFRH's in DC and Gulfport. There are many worthy causes to contribute to in the wake of the Katrina disaster, and I'm just throwing this one out there because I think it's a good one...

The Armed Forces Retirement Home facility in Gulfport, MS has suffered severe damage from Hurricane Katrina.

The AFRH is the facility that cares for veterans (both men and women) in their declining years. The Gulfport facility was built in the early 1980s, originally as the US Naval Home before the military retirement home systems consolidated a few years back.

As a result of the damage to the Gulfport facility, the AFRH has to relocate over 400 aged veterans to the other AFRH facility in Washington DC. As I write this, they're on buses heading north.

According to this story (originally from the Washington Post), quote:

Timothy C. Cox, chief operating officer in charge of both homes, said 10 feet of water surged into the ground floor of the Gulfport home, ruining the kitchen, dining room, bowling alley and long-term care facility and submerging the emergency generator. The hurricane also blew down the home's water tower...

Scores of people volunteered to help prepare for the newcomers, Cox said. Sheila Abarr, a spokeswoman for the home, said others interested in volunteering can call 202-730-3410. Donations of such toiletries as soap and shampoo also will be accepted, she said. Donations can be made by calling 800-422-9988.

He said the homes, which are operated jointly, did not have money in the budget to pay for housing the Gulfport residents in Washington but did have money in a trust fund. The homes are operated with funds from a $119 million trust fund and together have a $58 million annual budget.

The AFRH will accept donations to the trust fund, or the donations of the toiletries and such.

Donations may be sent to:

AFRH
PAO
13053700 N. Capitol St. NW
Washington, DC 20011-8400

You can call for further information at: (800) 332-3527.

There are many organizations working to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and donations to any one of them will do good. But a donation of relatively small, simple items will go directly into the hands of an elderly vet.

My grandfather spent the last dozen or so years of his life in Gulfport, and it literally was his home. The residents there all view the quarters as their home, and they've been taken from it just as traumatically as the thousands of civilians who have also lost their homes. These old vets have nowhere else to go. Some of them don't have families, either.

These men and women fought for our freedom. The least we can do is send down a few cans of shaving cream and a couple of bottles of shampoo.

And while you're at it, consider throwing in a short note that says "Thanks for serving."

RM Steps Up

2005-09-02T10:56:00.000-04:00

Commenter "RM" stepped up to my challenge, and here's what he said:

2Slick,

With all due respect, an implication or inference is not something you can prove. All President's speeches are highly crafted to send multiple messages to broad constituencies. Different people hear different things and rarely is it unintentional.

Many people simply "heard" Bush make a connection between Iraq and 911. Were they stupid? Poor listeners? Who knows. They are voters however and the President needed them to support the war.

Evidence aside, your gut should tell you that Bush did everything in his power to build the case for war, including implying a connection to 911, and raising the specre of a nuclear attack. What exactly about Bush would make you think he would shy away from bending the facts to make his case?

I don't know why people cant just acknowledge that he manipulated the public, and THEN debate if it was necessary or not, and what the effect of that manipulation might be for American society.

The closest thing to proof of his desire to link 911 to Iraq is the assertion, "fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them here". As the London bombing proved, the statement is patently absurd, and even contradicts his own words that more attacks on the US are inevitable. If this is a global war then how can it have a front line?

RM,

Thanks for your input- you lay out your argument in an intelligent and thoughtful manner, and for that I commend you. Now here's where you're wrong-

Yes, Bush did everything in his power to make his case for war- if I were President, I'd have done the same thing. I would not expect any President to say, "Hey, I'm going to invade a country right now- trust me it's the right thing to do, and I'll tell you all about it later."

Of course he's going to lay out his case! And he's going to have thousands of staffers get together and form a PR campaign that essentially says "here's why we're going to war."

As a member of the 101st Airborne Division, I knew that I'd be one of the first to go over there, so I listened CAREFULLY. I'm going to say it again- not once did I hear anyone in his administration even imply that Iraq was involved in planning and/or executing the attacks on 9/11. To do so would have been absolutely absurd. Anyone who knew anything about 9/11 knew that the 19 hijackers were mostly Saudi (none Iraqi) and that it was an act of bin Laden's AQ network- I wouldn't insult anyone's intelligence to suggest otherwise, and I wouldn't expect our governement officials to do so either.

I agree with you- some people may have been "poor listeners" or just "too stupid" to grasp the literal meaning of what was said. That's their problem- if they can't pay attention or if they hear only what they want to hear, that's great- they just need to be prepared to lose any debate that they decide to engage in. If they hear Bush say "9/11" and "Iraq" in the same sentence and then conclude that he must have meant that Iraq was responsible for 9/11, then I can't help them. But when they tell me (a person who actually listened to him) that Bush said "Iraq was responsible for 9/11," I'm going to call them out every single time. I'm going to tell them that they're wrong. I'm going to ask them to show me where he said that or even implied it. And when they say "well, I can't really think of a specific time when he said it, but I know for a fact that he used '9/11' and 'Iraq' in the same sentence!" then I'm going to devaluate their argument- severely. I'm going to tell them that maybe they should listen to the whole sentence- better yet- the whole speach, before attempting to argue about what Bush said or even "really meant to say." If those people had been on the verge of a deployment, they probably would have listened a little more carefully. Last thing- I don't think it's a coincidence that the vast majority of those "poor listeners" are card-carrying Bush-bashers.

Did he bend the facts? No. He did not. I've not seen one shred of evidence to suggest that he "bent any facts"- our intelligence matched up with every intellegence agency in the world. He did, however, present a lot of reasons (some turned out to be better than others) for going to war. Is this manipulation? I suppose you could call it that. I'd call it "doing his job."

Here's where you're right-

I think you were alluding to this debate:

"If Bush did lie/cheat/steal in order sway public opinion in support of this war, why does that automatically have to be a bad thing?"

I agree with you 100%- this is an excellent topic for debate. It brings up a ton of points to consider. Here's just a few...

1) Is political correctness a factor? You know- in the sense that we can't just come out and say "Hey we need to transform the middle east before that place becomes infested with Islamic fundementalists." Iraq would be the logical first step because Saddam is hated and despised by the vast majority of his constituents for obvious reasons (he kills them a lot, etc.), and so we build our case for going in without ticking off the entire Muslim world...

2) Does this mean it's okay for our government to lie to us? If it's in our best interest? For the sake of national security? Certainly it's been done before, right? Are there times when we have to act on a certain geopolitical agenda, even though it would outrage our overly-politically correct culture (especially the "poor listeners" who really just can't seem to get a handle on things)?

Just a few questions that can be debated until the end of time.

I agree with you about the "we fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them over here" stuff, but I think you read a little too much into it. I don't see anything in that statement that suggests Iraq was responsible for 9/11. I think it's pretty obvious that he's making the point that there are terrorists over there who are fighting like hell to keep Iraq from becoming a free society- and it's better that they are engaged in that fight instead of planning and executing attacks on US soil.

I don't like the way he phrases that statement, because it implies that it's "OK" for terrorists to be raising hell in some other country- as long as they're not in our back yard. It's sort of a selfish way of putting it. I can tell you that the Iraqi people (whom we are there to help) would rather we be fighting those terrorists in Iowa instead of Baghdad and Mosul, and I certainly don't blame them. But most of them accept that it's a battle between good and evil that needs to be fought and won by the good guys (the good guys being us and the Iraqi Security Forces).

I believe that we will prevail in Iraq- and when we do, the Iraqis will begin to enjoy life again. The entire middle east will follow them towards the path of freedom, and the world will be a better place. And I'll just be glad to have been a part of it...

Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-01T12:40:00.000-04:00

Just Give

Joe Answers the Bell

2005-08-30T08:16:00.000-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, a nice guy named Joe Bartilucci has decided to present me with that "one single solitary shred of evidence that the Bush administration linked Iraq to what happened on 9/11." Are you ready for his evidence? Here goes:

"Are you serious? When DOESN'T Bush try and link Iraq to 9/11 in order to justify sending over 1800 American men and women to their deaths? Do you just type stupid remarks here without listening to anything Bush says?"

In other words, "because I said so."

Thanks, Joe- thanks for making my point for me.

"Stupid" is such a strong word, isn't it?

I have heard Bush (and many others) talk about how the geopolitical structure of the world changed after 9/11, and with it our need to adjust our strategy in how we deal with lunatic dictators in the mideast. Joe might think that's a stupid approach- I think it's pretty smart. Let's agree to disagree. I've never heard Bush (or anyone associated with him) say anything that even implies that "Saddam orchestrated the attacks on 9/11." These are two completely distinct and unrelated concepts that people like Joe try to equate and manipulate into their own twisted version of reality. How do they do it? Read my post carefully, and then look at Joe's repsonse:

Me: I politely ask you to show me one single solitary shred of evidence that the Bush administration linked Iraq to what happened on 9/11.

Joe: Are you serious? When DOESN'T Bush try and link Iraq to 9/11...

See that? Joe decided to remove two words from my post- I guess he was hoping nobody would notice. By removing those two words, Joe changes the premise of the whole argument- thus allowing him to dodge my challenge, rant about how stupid I am, call Bush an evil murderer, these are a few of his favorite things.

Please note the way in which Joe decides to indict Bush for the deaths of 1800 American men and women without offering any words for the terrorists who killed them. It's a sickness, folks. A disease.

Wow, look at that. I just destroyed someone's argument by presenting thoughtful and factual information- and I didn't even have to call anyone "stupid!"

Jennifer Loven Strikes Again

2005-08-25T17:41:00.000-04:00

I've written about her before.

Google her name and you'll find a long list of indictments that leave no doubt- this woman is nothing more than a card-carrying Bush-basher who (poorly) disguises herself as a legitimate "news person."

Her latest shot at Bush is laughable at best:

Of All Gas Consumers, Bush May Be Biggest

Getting President Bush from here to there consumes an enormous amount of fuel, whether he's aboard Air Force One, riding in a helicopter or on the ground in a heavily armored limousine. The bill gets steeper every day as the White House is rocked by the same energy prices as regular drivers. Taxpayers still foot the bill.

Is there anyone out there who can still take this woman seriously?

Cindy Sheehan

I am done with this topic- if you really want some hard-hitting reports about this woman and her merry band of lunatics, I strongly recommend Huffington's Toast. I especially enjoy Michael Moore's "Letters from the Fat Farm." Great stuff!

Debate This

I've seen a few things floating around the comments lately...

If Bush really thinks this is a noble cause, then his daughters should be over there fighting as well.

I simply can't believe how ridiculous that statement is.

1) The last thing I would ever want is for our Commander-in-Chief to have a son or daughter serving in the military. That would be a conflict of interest that could seriously impact national security. If it happens, it happens- but as an American citizen, I would strongly oppose it.

2) The Bush twins actively campaigned for their father last year. They supported the troops by supporting their cause as well as the mission, and they put themselves in harms way in order to do so- there are plenty of whackos out there. Most Americans their age didn't even vote.

But really, think about how stupid this is. Here's the new liberal mantra:

Force your adult sons or daughters into doing whatever you want them to do! It's the only way to prove your devotion to a cause!

Seriously, I just can't believe it.

Here's another gem:

The war is based on a lie, because now we know that Iraq was not linked in any way to what happened on 9/11.

Wow, that's a fantastic talking point! It makes you sound really smart and worldly until I politely ask you to show me one single solitary shred of evidence that the Bush administration linked Iraq to what happened on 9/11. Go ahead. I'm waiting. Still looking? OK, stop looking- you won't find it. Therefore, your argument has no basis in reality.

You see, the Michael Moore liberals in this country have an interesting way of structuring their arguments. They lie about what you said, and then they call you a liar because of what you didn't say. I can do that, too. Watch this:

I say: "Jimmy Carter is such a liar because he said that Saddam Hussein used to hang out with him at NASCAR races."

Libby the Liberal says: "What??? Jimmy Carter did not say that!"

I say: "Yes, he did! Fatty Fatfinger said so in his latest movie!"

It's actually kind of fun- insert your own B.S. arguments and have at it. You can keep yourself busy for hours...

Before I went to Iraq, I was 100% sure that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Nobody ever tried to tell me that Saddam was in any way responsible for that terrible day. We weren't going there to avenge 9/11, folks. We went there to help prevent the next 9/11. It was the second step in what is sure to be a long drawn out campaign that is likely to see even more destinations in the mideast. If you can't figure that out, and you're still foaming at the mouth over all those lies that were never told- well, then, that's you're own fault...

Moving Forward

2005-08-18T10:19:00.000-04:00

I don't anticipate this getting much coverage in the much maligned MSM, so I thought I'd do my part to help spread the good word. Seems our friends at MoveAmericaForward.org are taking action. Make sure you watch the video link at the bottom.

Update:

I was wrong. I thought Cindy Sheehan was doing our country a disservice. But then I read this unbelievable post by one Scott Randolph (via LGF). Cindy Sheehan just might be the beacon of enlightenment that we've been waiting for all this time. Keep up the great work, Cindy- and thanks to Scott Randolph for putting it all into perspective. And you must read the comments. I'm telling you, there's hope for the good guys- no matter how the MSM tries to spin things.

Speaking of the MSM...

Did anybody catch this article that appeared in the NYTimes of all places? Here's a clip (my emphasis added):

Editors Ponder How to Present a Broad Picture of Iraq
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
Rosemary Goudreau, the editorial page editor of The Tampa Tribune, has received the same e-mail message a dozen times over the last year.
"Did you know that 47 countries have re-established their embassies in Iraq?" the anonymous polemic asks, in part. "Did you know that 3,100 schools have been renovated?"
"Of course we didn't know!" the message concludes. "Our media doesn't tell us!"
Ms. Goudreau's newspaper, like most dailies in America, relies largely on The Associated Press for its coverage of the Iraq war. So she finally forwarded the e-mail message to Mike Silverman, managing editor of The A.P., asking if there was a way to check these assertions and to put them into context. Like many other journalists, Mr. Silverman had also received a copy of the message.
Ms. Goudreau's query prompted an unusual discussion last month in New York at a regular meeting of editors whose newspapers are members of The Associated Press. Some editors expressed concern that a kind of bunker mentality was preventing reporters in Iraq from getting out and explaining the bigger picture beyond the daily death tolls.
"The bottom-line question was, people wanted to know if we're making progress in Iraq," Ms. Goudreau said, and the A.P. articles were not helping to answer that question.

Really? Ya think?

I posted the email in question way back when.

John Hockenberry Confuses Everyone

During his appearance on the Daily Show, John Hockenberry mentioned that I was "retired from the Army and living on the west coast." He was just trying to help protect my "secret identity."

Alas, I'm not quite retired- that would mean I'm getting a pension for having put in over 20 years of service. That would be nice, but no- I just resigned (after 8 wonderful years- the 4 years at West Point don't count) and became a civilian. As for living on the west coast- well, let's just say I'm somewhere east of the west coast. Many thanks to all the people who have offered to buy me a drink in Sacremento and have me over for BBQ's in San Diego. Maybe someday!

UPDATE!

An anonymous reader just alerted me to the fact that the Hockenberry interview is online at the Daily Show Video Archives. Go check it out!

Thanks for the tip, whoever you are...

Gunnery Sergeant Darrell Carver Revisited

2005-08-17T18:45:00.000-04:00

I always like to see the comments that pop up here in the Forum- some are witty, some are brilliant, some are heartwarming, and some- well, some are just comments. But today a comment surfaced on an old post, and it really struck me. It reminded me of why I started this site, and it reinforced my commitment to keep it going. Since it was an old post- buried deep in the archives- I'm going to repost the entire entry, and I'll follow it with the comment that just surfaced. Trust me, you'll understand exactly what I mean.

Below is a short article [written by Owen West] about a Marine shot 4 times and then fragged in Fallujah. The sacrifice by all the Marines and soldiers in Operation Al Fajr--including those who fought in the April battle--brought extraordinary results. Fallujah has turned from hornet's nest into one of the more peaceful cities in the triangle. Indeed, the excision of the terrorists in Fallujah is directly correlated to the overall drop in violence and the spectacular election. Semper Fi

The Few

The path Darrell Carver chose out of his Salt Lake City high school was similar to that taken by other overachieving classmates. He'd married his high school sweetheart when he was 20, had three wonderful kids by the time he was 27, and was leading an elite team for his company by the time he was 28, sating his mild addictions to fitness and hunting when the occasional free hour presented itself.

But Carver followed a calling imbued in just a sliver of the population. On November 20th, 2004, while most of his peers were in office parks earning money with keyboards, Darrell Carver was approaching a tin-plated door in the heart of Fallujah, Iraq, with his rifle stock held firm in the crook of a shoulder tattooed with "USMC" and two terrorists praying to end him on the other side.

Gunnery Sergeant Carver is a member of an elite slice of America that has emerged on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq: the warrior class. Drawn from across the socio-economic spectrum by an uncommon confluence of duty, adventure, and martial spirit, this all-volunteer cadre has demonstrated that it belongs among history's elite fighting units. That men like Carver choose to serve in combat arms, a deadly profession in which few transferable civilian skills are gleaned, says a lot about the fabric of the country. Before September 11th, America carried a soft and feckless reputation among its mortal enemies. Beyond low-risk tactics skewed toward technology-cruise missiles, invisible bombers-they concluded that America had no will to fight. Now those enemies are meeting America's core strength: young men with an innate desire to carry rifles for a living.

The ferocity and direction of the attack into Fallujah shattered the enemy's initial defensive plan. It was left to infantrymen like Carver to rip the terrorists out of closets and bedrooms were they had scattered in small packs.

On one side of the doors stood men who believed they would be judged how they lived. On the other lay men who believed they would be judged on how they died. How these two groups of men, who were more alike than different as boys, had traveled tens of years and thousands of miles to kill each other was best answered by the professional philosopher. For a professional warrior like Carver, combat was the natural culmination of moral divergence. A murderous enemy had infected Fallujah. Politicians could not excise them. Marines and soldiers could.

Fallujah had been parsed into familial nicknames. Clearing the Upper West Side had been hard enough, but when Carver's platoon was sent to help the effort in Queens, a particularly nasty corner of the city near the Euphrates that was littered with corpses of Iraqi "collaborators" who had been executed, it seemed as if a terrorist was hidden in every third house, hell-bent on dragging a Marine into the ground with him.

It was "tiring work," as Carver puts it. For most Americans, the office is a cubicle tract where conflict is limited to harsh emails. For a Marine, the office is a smoldering, stinking, ear-splitting arena filled with young men who are trying to kill each other.

The battle was an intensely personal, face-to-face fight inside individual rooms where the screams often muted the gunfire and the crawl spaces muted the American technological edge. This meant that a Marine had to burst into a room with his rifle shouldered, steady his barrel on a concealed target, then break the trigger before the screaming lunatic trying to ambush him could manage an aimed shot and a proper "Allahu Akbar!"

If anything, the madness of it just made the Marines angrier. Everything in Fallujah was upside-down. Religious leaders demanded violence. Stray cats feasted on fallen men. Zarqawi had constructed a torture chamber twenty-five feet away from a small amusement park.

Even the smoke settled strangely. In his first firefight on November 20, Carver charged into a room behind a grenade. The acrid dust had climbed the walls and spilled across the ceiling, broiling in the top half of the bedroom instead of falling. He heard the terrorist shuffle toward his men. Instead of dropping into a firing position that might have exposed him, Carver leapt up into the smog and onto a bed. He ended the threat.

In the second house, the door swung open and there were two terrorists lumbering toward Carver like zombies in some horror movie. He and the other force reconnaissance Marines had honed their shooting skills over hundreds of hours and thousands of bullets. Four bullets did the trick.

The day was an hour old.

The Marine team crept down the hallway of the third house in a human centipede stack bristling with rifles. Carver had moved into point position and now he stood outside another door wondering what the hell was waiting for him inside. Hundreds of doors opened already. Hundreds more to go.

He opened the door with his left hand, keeping his front sight post moving with his eyes. Someone coming out of a closet, firing an AK-47. The flat, booming report reverberated under his body armor. Carver had to shoot the terrorist several times before he flopped onto the spent casings.

Now more firing from behind the door on his left. Two rounds slammed into his thigh and another passed clean through his calf. They felt more like baseball bats than hot needles. Carver wheeled to maintain his balance and center his weapon. Saw smoking holes in the door. Another bullet popped through and smacked his shoulder, ending any hope of remaining on his feet.

It was an enemy grenade that saved him. Without it, Carver would have tumbled inside the room, into the kill zone. Instead the grenade came bouncing out toward his boots, as mesmerizing as a giant wasp, and blew him clear out of the room.

Twenty-one minutes later Navy doctors were plucking dozens of fragments from his body and sewing the four quarter-sized holes. Twenty-one hours later Carver checked out of the field hospital with a crutch in his armpit instead of a rifle and the hazy memory of a phone call to his wife, Holly.

Holly got the call in the afternoon. "Honey I got hurt," her husband told her. Of all the casualty notifications given to family members, a phone call from the wounded warrior is the best. Phone calls from doctors or officers are bad. Doorbells are the worst. Darrell was now one of the twelve thousand casualties in Iraq. One of the lucky ones. The untold story of war is the burden shouldered by the families. Devotion to their soldiers is well known. But the hidden buttress of an all-volunteer war is devotion to the cause. Families are serving the country every bit as fervently as their soldiers. Without their commitment to the war, second and third deployments to Iraq would be zero sum decisions for soldiers. "If he had to go back (for a third tour), I support him," says Holly. "It is worth the sacrifice of separation to help the people of Iraq."

The costs of the war on terror may not be spread wide, but they are deep. Families like the Carvers are willing to shoulder the costs of the national interest for the lowest risk-adjusted wage in America and zero fanfare. In other societies, warriors are motivated by externalized power. Ours are motivated by internal duty. Geopolitics aside, the country should be thankful that it has cultivated a tiny warrior class that can dominate an overseas battlefield while upholding its best values.

Owen West, a trader for Goldman, Sachs, served with the Marines in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

And now the comment I was telling you about-

I have just gotten the chance to read this article about my brother and it really brings the reality of what war is. Darrell and my brother dustin and I were all present for the war in Iraq at its opening stages. being from a family with one sailor and two marines is a source of great pride.

My younger brothers and I would like to thank all the families of our Fallen and wounded and wish them our best

-MA2 (AW) Ryan Carver

Thank you, Ryan- and thanks to your whole family for all that they do for this great nation of ours...

Mohammed's Message to Cindy Sheehan

2005-08-14T21:58:00.000-04:00

Mohammed from Iraq the Model posted this must-read message to Cindy Sheehan. As I read it, I thought back to all the stories that my Iraqi friends would tell me about the "dark ages" under Saddam's rule. During one supply run in downtown Mosul, the shop owner's sister (a widow and mother of 4) told me about the time she and her young children watched as Saddam's henchmen showed up at their door, dragged her husband into the front yard, and shot him in the back of the head. He was an Iraqi Air Force pilot, and he was suspected of saying "bad things" about the regime. Stories like that found us pretty much anywhere we went. People would wait their turn to thank us with tears in their eyes- sharing stories of loved ones who never lived to see their nation on the cusp of freedom.

Mohammed's post took me back to all that. I wish Cindy Sheehan would go to Iraq. I wish she would talk to the people who gained so much from her son's sacrifice. From where she stands now, she can only hear the voices of the terrorists who so capably use our media as a global megaphone- drowning out the voices of all those good Iraqis who are saying "thank you."

No, you won't find Mohammed's message in any newspapers. You see, he chooses not to precede his message with videos of violent car bomb attacks or grotesque beheadings- so he is ignored. But I'll give him some press- seems only fair, since he represents the vast majority of the Iraqis out there:

Freedom is not an American thing and it's not an Iraqi thing, it's what unites us as human beings. We refuse all kinds of restrictions and that's why we fought and still fighting everyday in spite of the swords in the hands of the cavemen who want us dead or slaves for their evil masters.
We cried out of joy the day your son and his comrades freed us from the hands of the devil and we went to the streets not believing that the nightmare is over.We practiced our freedom first by kicking and burning the statues and portraits of the hateful idol who stole 35 years from the life of a nation.
For the first time air smelled that beautiful, that was the smell of freedom.

His blood didn't go in vain; your son and our brethren are drawing a great example of selflessness.

God bless his free soul and God bless the souls of his comrades who are fighting evil.

God bless the souls of Iraqis who suffered and died for the sake of freedom.

God bless all the freedom lovers on earth.

Read the whole post.

Thanks to Blackfive for pointing the way...

Suicide Bomber Eats Lead

Thunder 6 gives a fantastic account of a suicide bombing that resulted in nothing but a suicide.

We didn’t know it at the time, but the sound we heard in the CP wasn’t a mournful cry - it was the sound of victory. Thanks to the alert soldiers in Demon Company the only life that ended that day was the suicide bombers. All that will mark the bombers bitter existence is a scorch mark on a worthless piece of road. A scorch mark that will forever recount his dismal failure.

Read the whole thing- this guy can write like no other...

Cindy Sheehan

2005-08-11T18:15:00.000-04:00

Several people have asked for my thoughts on this, so I figured I'd give it a go. This is one of those ugly subjects that nobody likes to touch, for fear of coming across as callous, cold-hearted, insensitive, etc. Not fun, but it's a subject that needs to be dealt with...

Cindy Sheehan has a right to voice her opinion, and I respect that. If she wants to go to the Crawford Ranch or the White House lawn and claim that President Bush killed Casey Sheehan (her son), then so be it. I have no problem with her. I'll disagree with her (I think Islamofascists killed her son), but I won't argue with or question the actions of a grieving mother. I couldn't even fathom what she's going through...

My problem is with the media vultures who descend on her like a cash cow from heaven. They give her all the credibility in the world (despite some serious credibility issues) and make her the face of the "mourning mother" in America. But why does she get all the attention? Why not give some equal press to the mothers who still support the cause that their son or daughter died for? Clearly the family members who support the war make up the vast majority of those who have fallen loved ones. Just look at Casey Sheehan's other family members.

I'll tell you why these people don't get equal coverage- because it wouldn't sell. It wouldn't stir the "emotional pot" the way Cindy Sheehan's story does. It wouldn't get the big ratings and all those key demographics that the networks so desperately covet. And so now Cindy has become a pawn for terrorist apologists like Michael Moore to exploit beyond the limits of their wildest imaginations. People will listen to Cindy, they gloat to themselves- her son died in the war! Yay for us! We have a ringer! It's sickening.

The one thing we need to remember here is that Cindy's opinion is more controversial than what we typically see from families of the fallen- not more credible. She is using her son, a fallen hero, as a prop in a misguided campaign against her own country- that is her right and she has to live with her actions.

Congrats, Michael Moore- you got yourself another one...

Wow- The Daily Show!

2005-08-11T09:15:00.000-04:00

That was really something. If you missed it last night, you have a chance to catch it today at 10 am eastern and again at 8 pm eastern. Watch it.

I just read Kate's take on it, and I think she says it way better than I ever could:

Last night on the Daily Show, John Stewart interviewed John Hockenberry on his upcoming article in Wired on military bloggers. Stewart has been reading milblogs and was enthusiastic and complimentary on the quality of writing - which is no surprise to those who follow the blogosphere. He seemed puzzled that the mainstream had ignored their stories - also no surprise to those who follow the blogosphere.

Hockenberry explained how he became interested - relating an incident about running head to head with a then little known milblogger "2Slick" - and how badly it came back to bite him...

...They quickly made amends, 2Slick is retired and back in the States, and there is a "convert" in the media...

...Hats off to John Hockenberry - I don't know if his email (John.Hockenberry@nbcuni.com) still functions, but I sent him a congratulations and thank you. You don't often see that much humility and integrity in journalism, but he displayed it last night.

So true. He's a class guy, and I'd love to see people swamp him with appreciative emails- his current email address is hockoo@earthlink.net. Seriously, how often have you seen mainstream journalists make that kind of effort to publicize the stories that aren't being reported? Thanks, John- we appreciate it...

Assignment: Daily Show

2005-08-10T13:25:00.000-04:00

To all Milblog readers and writers out there:

Tonight you need to watch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Yes, he leans a little too far to the left on most issues, but he's usually pretty funny and the show is entertaining. His guest tonight will be none other than John Hockenberry, an emmy-winning journalist who just wrote a great article about Milblogs for Wired magazine. He'll be talking about the article and how he came to be interested in the world o' milblogs.

Sure, Mr. Hockenberry and I got off to a rough start, but now he's a friend of the Forum and a friend of the milblog community- so let's all support him by watching the show tonight.

11 pm Eastern on Comedy Central.

Be there or be square.

Another Email

Since so many people seemed to appreciate my "reader mail" segment yesterday, I thought I'd share a more serious and thoughtful email in today's post. I received it just before I left for my honeymoon, so my apologies for taking so long to respond. Here goes:

Hello:

I purchased a copy of "Desert Sky" awhile ago. I apologize for not watching it yet. The past few months have not been conducive for viewing a DVD about OIF in Iraq. I have some time off, so I plan to watch it sometime over the next 2 weeks. If my husband and I have any questions, are you still willing to answer such questions, via e-mail? I know you mentioned this, but that was many months ago. Is it an invasion of privacy to ask your first name, as you said you were in this film. thank you for your service

"L&H"

Well, thank you L&H! The money you spent on that Desert Sky DVD went to a scholarship fund for children of fallen soldiers- you are great Americans! I am absolutely willing to answer any questions that anyone may have about the DVD. Since much of the film was produced while I was in Kuwait (serving out a second tour), I didn't get to participate in it as much as I would have liked- but I'm happy to report that I (along with some help from my aunt and a few cousins) was able to contribute from afar. Eric did a great job putting that film together, and I'm just proud to be associated with it. As for revealing my "true identity"- I'll give you the same answer that I gave John Hockenberry when he offered to mention my name on the Daily Show tonight:

...As a condition of starting the blog, I had to make a promise to my wife that I would always remain anonymous. Why? She's convinced that if Karl Rove ever leaked my identity, we would immediately find ourselves besieged by crazed anti-war lefties and bloodthirsty radical Islamists- all fighting for first dibs on my spleen. Personally, I find that scenario a bit far-fetched, but as I'm sure you know- the lady is always right...

But trust me- my identity is not a factor. Watch the film, enjoy it, and send me your questions and/or comments. The ones I like will be answered right here on the Forum. Somewhere in my responses, I promise to mention how cool you are for buying the DVD, watching it, and taking the time to write me about it.

Yesterday's Email

"Hockenbone" (Not to be confused with the aforementioned John Hockenberry) seemed to generate quite a response. You'll note a comment from Froggy (of the excellent Froggy Ruminations blog) asking for the guy's email and IP addresses. I was confused when I saw this, because I was certain that I had posted his email address- but then I looked up there and sure enough- no email address. What gives? Can the "Blogger people" take that stuff down? Or am I just getting old before my time? In any case, here's the contact info for "Hockenbone"- fire for effect!

Email address: thockenbone2002@yahoo.com

IP address: 206.190.37.57

I've Got Mail!

2005-08-08T10:57:00.000-04:00

Since I started this blog almost one year ago, I've received thousands of emails from good people all over the world. Most of the emails were very kind and from the heart, and I just want you all to know that they are greatly appreciated. As an example of just how thoughtful most of you are out there, I'd like to show you something that came to my inbox just last night:

Subject: thank you

Just a moment of time to say thank you for your service and dedication to our country. God Bless you - and may life bring you the best of everything.

Isn't that nice? Well I'd just like to take this opportunity to publicly say "you're welcome" to Paula (the nice woman who sent me that), and to thank her for the kind words. Thanks, Paula!

Next, I'll share with you a far less typical email- one that I received a while back. I'm sure he's a decent person who means well, but something about his tone made me feel like he might not be a big fan of the United States. Decide for yourself as I answer his email publicly, point-by-point:

From: "hockenbone"

Subject: thanks

thanks for all your courage in fighting GWB's not so secret family fued.

You're very welcome, Sir. I prefer to call it the "Global War on Terror," but we all have our own ways of saying things. I don't know that I'd claim to have any courage, though- I just did my job. But thanks for assuming such a thing. You're very kind!

thanks for helping oust the horrible dictator that our government created.

No problem! I agree that our government is responsible for creating many things in this world (the Internet, ways to fight world hunger, cures for lots of diseases, freedom for those who otherwise wouldn't have had it, etc.), but I'll bet Mr. Hussein's parents had a lot more to do with creating said dictator than our government did. But I'm not a doctor or a scientist, so you may well be correct!

thanks for protecting the saudi royal family and lining dick cheney's pockets once again.

Thank you for giving me so much credit! I feel like I helped to protect a lot of people from a lot of bad things, and of course that makes me feel good. If you were especially concerned for the Saudi royals, then I'm glad to have helped put your mind at ease about that. I, for one, was more concerned about protecting my buddies on the battlefield as well as my friends and family back home, but we all have our priorites. Thanks for assuming wealth and wisdom on my part, but I must confess- I never did make any financial contributions to the Bush/Cheney campaign last year- but- if I'd had any extra disposable income at that time, I think that would have been an excellent investment on my part- Bush and Cheney are exactly what this country needs right now, and I'm glad that you and the vast majority of American voters agree!

thanks so much for not finding osama bin laughin'.

Wow, I could thank you for the same thing, but I actually think it's not a good thing that he hasn't been found yet. Sorry to disagree with you on this one, but I think you and I both should keep an eye out for him- he's bad news, trust me! I think you spelled his last name incorrectly, but who cares, right? The guy's a jerk.

thanks for killing inocent people so you can play out some f***ed up little boy army game that still obviously haunts you to this very day.

I'm sorry, but I think you're thinking about someone else here- never killed anyone (innocent or guilty), never played army games when I was a little boy (but I'll bet that would've been fun!), and the only thing that haunts me these days is the fact that celebrities in California can kill anyone they feel like killing, without having to worry about silly things like "justice" or "rule of law." That's scary, man! If you find yourself leaving a restaurant with Robert Blake, you'd better watch out! He just might have to "go back and get his gun." Whoa!

did your daddy stop the hugging machine a little too early?

My dad never bought me a hugging machine (how much do those things go for, btw?), so he wouldn't have had any way of stopping it- early, late, or whenever. I wouldn't have known those things existed if you hadn't mentioned it- do you still use yours?

thanks for still not getting any pussy.

Once again, you're thinking of the wrong guy. My wife and I own a cat- he's 3 years old and we love him very much. And why would you thank me for not having a cat? I think it's an awesome thing to own a cat! You should go out and get one- seriously!

you suck as a human being for even considering the military.

I know, I know- you got me there. I shouldn't have even considered it- I should have just signed up without ever having given it a thought! Trust me, if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have considered it- I would have just done it. You are obviously wise beyond your years, but some of us "slower folks" learn as we go.

what would your little jesus think of your behavior?

Again- wrong guy. I don't have any children yet, but even if I did- I don't think "Jesus" would be the name I'd choose for my son. Obviously, "Jesus" was an acceptable Jewish name 2,000 years ago, but you just don't find many Jews named "Jesus" these days...

you will burn in hell for your deeds.

No argument there- let's just say I was young and needed the money.

f**k you and f**k the marines and f**k republicans and f**k democrats for that matter.

Hey, no need to get political here- even if you are bipartisan! But I am happy to be connected in some way with the Marines (I greatly admire them), Republicans (I admire most of them) and even Democrats (Joe Lieberman is cool, I guess). So thank you!

f**k you!

Wow, you see fit to give me a 2nd emphasis? Over the Marines and all those politicians! Thanks again, Sir!

you arent protecting my family from anything you c**ks**king warmonger.

True- but if you gave me your family's contact information, I'd be happy to protect them! Just showing them a copy of your email would probably alert them to a few realizations that just might serve to protect them somewhere down the road- just guessing here. And please- I prefer "former Army Aviator."

i cant wait till they send you home in a f**kin bodybag!

Well, I don't know that I was in that much of a hurry to get home- but thanks for your obvious concern, and you'll be happy to learn that they sent me home several months ago!

you deserve to die for your involvement in this dirty f**kin mess.

Well, the way I see it- we're all going to die someday whether we deserve it or not. Thanks for the note, and please write again soon!

Well, that was fun- I hope you enjoyed his email as much as I did!

Bad Blogger

2005-08-06T15:43:00.000-04:00

I just read an interesting article about a National Guardsman who recently found himself in some hot water after blogging against his mission while stationed in Iraq. I'm certain that we'll hear some tired old arguments about "free speech" and "every soldier has a right to an opinion" and blah blah words words ACLU blah blah Bush is a big stupidhead words words. Well it's all a bunch of crap.

This man is drawing a paycheck, and he's expected to perform a service in return for getting paid. As a former member of his profession, I'm well aware of what that service entails. Duty, Honor, Country- I won't bore you with the details.

Think of it in terms of football. Keyshawn Johnson wasn't getting paid to simply catch the ball when it was thrown to him- he was getting paid to help win football games. That was the expectation when he was hired. He was paid handsomely for his services. But when he started mouthing off about how bad the coaching was and how miserable his job had become, he was in effect doing the opposite of helping to win games- he had become a distraction to the team, a burden on the coaching staff, and so his employers wisely decided to cut him loose. But that's football. If they don't win games, then oh well- there's always next year.

What happens when Leonard's anti-mission attitude and public denunciation of his own organization cause his unit to become distracted? Can they just suck it up, and hope for a better season next year? No. Unfortunately, when selfish publicity-seeking morons like Leonard infect an organization within the ranks of the military, they can certainly end up getting good people killed. It's simply a matter of fact. His chain of command acted appropriately as far as I can discern, although I'd have probably been less tolerant if I were his commander. I'll have to see how it all shakes out.

Don't be fooled by this clown. Don't commend him for his "service"- admonish him for endangering the lives of good soldiers in a quest for publicity and political gain. That's right- political gain. He plans to run for the U.S. Senate when he returns home. Read all about it, my friends. He's just another pathetic John Kerry wannabe looking to sacrifice good people on his way to fame and fortune. I hope he fails, and I hope he rots in hell for attempting to use our nation's military as a credibility-boosting political podium in time of war.

This reminds me of an old rant I once wrote about the most liberal Senator from Massachusetts. Here's a blast from the past just for you, Leonard- enjoy your Article 15, my friend!

John Kerry Blows
-A Rant by 2Slick

John Kerry served more than most and should therefore be honored, right? Wrong! How about our "heroic soldiers" who abused the prisoners in Iraq and took the photos for all the world to see? They served more than most people. Like Kerry, some of them might have actually performed an act of courage here and there. Should they be honored? Absolutely not!!! Their lame-brained sex games caused countless insurgents to take up arms against us and kill who-knows-how-many American soldiers. To make a blanket statement along the lines of "anyone who served should be honored" is just plain ignorant. There are bad apples in every bunch, and the sad truth is that there is a small minority of soldiers in every American war that did more to hurt the cause than to help. John Kerry is one of those bad apples. "Why" you ask? Well, it has nothing to do with the fact that he lied to get medals.

As a leader/officer in wartime, one must ensure that soldiers know one thing above all else- that their leaders are looking out for them. The soldiers must believe that the ones in charge will devote every last breath, drop of blood, bead of sweat to ensure the soldiers' safety during the course of the mission. John Kerry did no such thing. He got 3 band-aid wounds, and promptly headed home. Remember- great leaders like Ollie North refused Purple Hearts so that they could stay and lead their troops. John Kerry went after those Purple Hearts like a man possessed. One commander refused to give him one, so he waited until he had a different commander and then asked again. What kind of message did that send to his sailors and all the other enlisted sailors in his unit? I'll tell you what message it sent- "officers look out for themselves." Officers will get rattled and say "OK good luck guys! I'm outta here!!"

Apparently a handful (maybe 9 out of about 300?) of the sailors he served with have forgiven him. Understandable, given the fact that he delivered those troops a national cheering audience that was more than 30 years overdue (at the DNC in Boston). But I'll tell you who will NEVER forgive him for what he did- the officers who served with him. He complicated their efforts, he hurt their unit's morale, he put their lives in danger, and he quickly rubbed salt in their wounds by coming home and bashing the ones who were brave enough to stay behind and do their duty. He had an anti-war agenda before he even joined the Navy. He used his credibility as an officer to propagate outrageous theories that hurt the ones who were still held captive, and caused years of unfair bias and hard feelings toward thousands of brave and honorable vets after they returned home.

He did all of this in order to win political fame and favor in the Democratic Party. It was his ticket to the big time, and he cashed it without a second thought. Reprehensible in every sense of the word. Say what you want about whether or not he deserved his medals- I could care less. As a leader in the US Military, he was an insult to our profession. He would have served his country much better by never having gone to Vietnam.

Blogs of War

2005-08-04T08:33:00.000-04:00

Some of the folks who have been coming by since the early days of this blog may recall my little "dustup" with a journalist/TV personality by the name of John Hockenberry. Shortly after that interesting debacle I said that "if I ever bring him up again, I hope that it will be because of something positive." Well, I'm happy to report that something positive has indeed happened.

What most of you don't know is that John and I have been corresponding since then- via phone and email- mostly because he expressed a profound interest in writing an article about milblogs and the milblogging milbloggers who write them. I gave him a few leads (Mudville was probably all he needed), and he charged onward. Now that I think of it, I still have all those email exchanges- maybe I should ask for his consent to post a few of them- it would be pretty interesting, I think. But I digress- the article has arrived! You can find it here and in the current issue of Wired Magazine. Check it out!!!

I actually got an email from John last night- he'll be talking about the article on the Daily Show on August 10th- MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Blogger Down

2005-08-03T12:01:00.000-04:00

I didn't know Steven Vincent, but I became familiar with his work soon after I heard the tragic news of his death. He was enormously talented, gutsy, and fully determined to make the world a better place. I believe that history will show that he succeeded. He will be missed.

Get the Stories that Matter

The good people at the DoD's Public Affairs Office do a lot of hard work, and too often their great work gets drowned out by the sensationalist "big media" coverage of car bombs and rocket attacks. I spent quite a bit of time with PAO folks while I was in Mosul, and I can tell you that they do their very best to get the word out. The rest is up to us- we need to filter through the sensationalist headlines and find the stories that the bad guys don't want us to see, and the CENTCOM Bulletins are a great place to start. In my left margin, I'm going to place a permanent link to the CENTCOM web page- so now you have no excuses for not getting the real stories behind the ongoing operations.

Michael Yon

There is another courageous journalist/blogger in Iraq- his name is Michael Yon, and I've been following him for a while now. He's fantastic. We can only hope that people like Michael and Stephen Vincent will inspire a new generation of writers who seek to promote truth and hope as opposed to cashing in on hatred and violence.

In Case There Was Any Doubt...

Michelle Malkin is still one of the best out there. Her take on Air America's latest scandal is priceless:

If a conservative radio network had been entangled in a scam to steal from black children to line the pockets of wealthy white con artists, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would already be staging hunger strikes in protest. But both have hefty political and financial stakes in Air America's success -- and the big mouths aren't about to badmouth their friends.

There's simply no better way to say it.

Levity

2005-08-03T02:36:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I posted anything funny, so here's something I found at a site called stephenmphillips.com. It's so funny, it'll make you sick.

A Fired Up Muslim Speaks

2005-07-29T10:29:00.000-04:00

This is one of the better articles I've seen in recent times. I found it on LGF, and I think it should be seen by everyone. Read it, email it, talk about it, read it again.

The Muslim Mind is on Fire

Youssef M. Ibrahim
July 26, 2005

DUBAI -- The world of Islam is on fire. Indeed, the Muslim mind is on fire. Above all, the West is now ready to take both of them on.

The latest reliable report confirms that on average 33 Iraqis die every day, executed by Iraqis and foreign jihadis and suicide bombers, not by US or British soldiers. In fact, fewer than ever US or British soldiers are dying since the invasion more than two years ago. Instead, we now watch on television hundreds of innocent Iraqis lying without limbs, bleeding in the streets dead or wounded for life. If this is jihad someone got his religious education completely upside down.

Palestine is on fire, too, with Palestinian armed groups fighting one another - Hamas against Fatah and all against the Palestinian Authority. All have rendered Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas impotent and have diminished the world's respect and sympathy for Palestinian sufferings.

A couple of weeks ago London was on fire as Pakistani and other Muslims with British citizenship blew up tube stations in the name of Islam. Al Qaeda in Europe or one of its franchises proclaimed proudly the killing of 54 and wounding 700 innocent citizens was done to "avenge Islam" and Muslims.

Madrid was on fire, too, last year, when Muslim jihadis blew up train stations killing 160 people and wounding a few thousands.

The excuse in all the above cases was the war in Iraq, but let us not forget that in September 2001, long before Iraq, Osama Bin Laden proudly announced that he ordered the killing of some 3,000 in the United States, in the name of avenging Islam. Let us not forget that the killing began a long time before the invasion of Iraq.

Indeed, jihadis have been killing for a decade in the name of Islam. They killed innocent tourists and natives in Morocco and Egypt, in Africa, in Indonesia and in Yemen, all done in the name of Islam by Muslims who say that they are better than all other Muslims. They killed in India, in Thailand and are now talking of killing in Germany and Denmark and so on. There were attacks with bombs that killed scores inside Shia and Sunni mosques, inside churches and inside synagogues in Turkey and Tunisia, with Muslim preachers saying that it is okay to kill Jews and Christians - the so called infidels.

Above all, it is the Muslim mind that is on fire.

The Muslim fundamentalist who attacked the Dutch film director Theo Van Gogh in the Netherlands, stabbed him more than 23 times then cut his throat. He recently proudly proclaimed at his trial: "I did it because my religion - Islam - dictated it and I would do it again if were free." Which preacher told this guy this is Islam? That preacher should be in jail with him.

Do the cowardly jihadis who recruit suicide bombers really think that they will force the US Army and British troops out of Iraq by killing hundreds of innocent Iraqis? US troops now have bases and operate in Iraq but also from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman.

The only accomplishment of jihadis is that now they have aroused the great "Western Tiger". There was a time when the United States and Europe welcomed Arab and Muslim immigrants, visitors and students, with open arms. London even allowed all dissidents escaping their countries to preach against those countries under the guise of political refugees.

Well, that is all over now. Time has become for the big Western vengeance.

Visas for Arab and Muslim young men will be impossible to get for the United States and Western Europe. Those working there will be expelled if they are illegal, and harassed even if their papers are in order.

Airlines will have to right to refuse boarding to passengers if their names even resemble names on a prohibited list on all flights heading to Europe and the United States.

What is more important to remember is this: When the West did unite after World War II to beat communism, the long Cold War began without pity. They took no prisoners. They all stood together, from the United States to Norway, from Britain to Spain, from Belgium to Switzerland. And they did bring down the biggest empire. Communism collapsed.

I fear those naïve Muslims who think that they are beating the West have now achieved their worst crime of all. The West is now going to war against not only Muslims, but also, sadly, Islam as a religion.

In this new cold and hot war, car bombs and suicide bombers here and there will be no match for the arsenal that those Westerners are putting together - an arsenal of laws, intelligence pooling, surveillance by satellites, armies of special forces and indeed, allies inside the Arab world who are tired of having their lives disrupted by demented so-called jihadis or those bearded preachers who, under the guise of preaching, do little to teach and much to ignite the fire, those who know little about Islam and nothing about humanity.

Youssef M. Ibrahim, a former Middle East correspondent for The New York Times and energy editor of the Wall Street Journal, is managing director of the Dubai-based Strategic Energy Investment Group

To Paradise and Back Again

2005-07-18T14:10:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the nice well-wishes and all that. The wedding was fantastic. It happened on July 2nd in NYC- probably the most beautiful day the city will have this year. The honeymoon was beyond spectacular. It kicked off on July 4th with dinner and fireworks on a Maui beach. It only got better from there. My wife is the greatest, and I'm now officially the luckiest man in the world.

Other Important Stuff

I don't think I can say anything about the London bombings that hasn't already been said. What a sad and pathetic culture that breeds such senseless savagery...

Not sure who the next Supreme Court Justice will be, but I'm not in the running- squash the rumors NOW.

The Laughably Lame Valerie Plame Name Game- what an unbelievable joke. If you haven't educated yourself about this media-manufactured non-scandal by now, you must dive into it- it's a great laugh, I assure you. Desperation can be really funny. I think Fox News' John Gibson has the best take on it- I like the way he compared it to the Sandy "Pants" Berger fiasco:

Let's tee up a big screaming match about whether a high official of the White House committed a crime by breaching security in a dust-up over terrorists like Saddam Hussein and Usama bin Laden.

No, I'm not talking about Karl Rove. I'm talking about Sandy Berger stuffing secrets into his socks so the 9/11 Commission wouldn't be able to see what he and Bill Clinton were really thinking and saying and doing about Usama bin Laden.

Let's see now, what happened when Berger got caught with the secrets in his socks?

Hmmm. Did we hear the Democratic senators and congressmen wailing about breaking national security? No, we did not.

Did we hear them harrumphing about how a White House operative was tanking an official investigation, trying to steer the snoopy voters in another direction, away from the officials' own complacency, or moral turpitude?

Nawww, we didn't hear that.

But we're hearing it now.

Even the sainted Amb. Joe Wilson has now admitted his wife was not in a covert status when Karl Rove explained to a Time magazine reporter it wasn't Dick Cheney who sent Wilson off to Niger, but that it was Wilson's wife. She recommended him, telling her bosses he had loads of contacts in Africa.

So Wilson comes back and says no reason to think Saddam wanted to build a nuke bomb out of Nigerian yellow cake — the uranium you need for a bomb.

Evidently, Bush and Cheney didn't believe him. Neither did the Select Committee investigating pre-war intelligence. They said Wilson was wrong and didn't tell the truth — could you say lied — about who sent him to Africa.

But, oh no, sorry Valerie Plame is a CIA agent with covert status. Can't tell the country she was the one who set her husband up to go tank a report on a key question leading up to the war.
No, no no. She's a spook you see. She only acts like a political hack trying to pull strings on national policy from behind a curtain.

The American people aren't allowed to know who she is when she does something like that. She's covert, don't you know. And Sandy Berger, the guy with the secrets in his socks? He just gets a pass.

Why? They're Dems, as in 'Dems' the wrong guys to blame.

That's My Word.

Be sure to check out his rubuttal to his rebuttals as well.

Durbin Must Go- Happy July 4th!

2005-06-29T10:48:00.000-04:00

I'm usually a forgive and forget kind of guy.

But I will never forgive Senator Durbin for saying what he said about the brave men and women who put their lives on the line for him on a daily basis.

He is an enemy of the United States and should not win another election. Ever. For any office.

I will gladly assist any and all efforts to ensure that Dick Durbin is voted out of office, and I would ask anyone who would ever consider voting for him to look themselves in the mirror and strongly consider the implications of their actions.

The following post is borrowed from the great people at http://www.moveamericaforward.org/. (Many thanks to Joe Wierzbicki)

****From MoveAmericaForward.Org****

Bloggers, website hosts, and others who support the war against terrorism and our troops who bravely fight it. WE NEED YOUR HELP.

Tuesday night President Bush gave a speech from Fort Hood to rally public support for our troops and the important missions they are serving in the fight against terrorism.

There should be NO DOUBT that the President's opponents will surely use the following days as a staging ground to step up their continuing political insurgency - designed to undermine support amongst Americans for the fight against terrorism just as the terrorist insurgents in Iraq seek to undermine support amongst the Iraqi citizenry for a free, democratic and peaceful Iraq.

The political insurgents of the "Blame America First" crowd in America launched their jihad against Operation Iraqi Freedom before it even began (actually even before Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan when led by Congresswoman Barbara Lee they implored us to "Bomb Them With Bread").

They tell us the war in Iraq has nothing to do with Al Qaeda even as their liberal journalist brethren report on the near daily attacks against civilians and Coalition Forces alike by the group "al Qaeda in Iraq" led by Abu Musab Al Zarqawi.

Increasingly, they've resorted to the macabre practice of celebrating "bad news" in the war effort - hoping such news will once and for all discreditthe Bush Administration and anyone who supports the mission in Iraq. They impatiently waited like groupies lined up in advance of a big rock concert for the day the death toll of U.S. Troops in Iraq reached 1,000 - ready with their pre-printed newspaper headlines and NightLine specials to decry thewar effort.

And in recent weeks they've sunk to new lows - orchestrating a multi-front propaganda campaign to make the American public believe that our own sons and daughters serving at GITMO had become infected with some real life "Lord of the Flies" syndrome. becoming the butchers and torturers of the "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime-Pol Pot or others-that had no concern for human beings."

That last quote of course belongs to Senator Dick Durbin - which gets us to our point.

That the Senator from Illinois was able to utter those words and proceed without a slap on the wrist, without censure by the Senate, and with a near media blackout of his abhorrent behavior by the old line liberal media establishment (aka "mainstream media") cannot be something we tolerate.

We must stand toe to toe with the likes of Senator Durbin in the battle for the hearts and minds of the American public, and we must not allow conduct like Senator Durbin's to stand without consequence.

We need the help of you and your readers/followers/admirers/friends/loved ones and others - to make an example of Senator Dick Durbin. We must make the American public (who largely are still unaware of the Senator's initial statements) aware that these are the tactics being used by those who wish to rile them up into a frenzied state of "BRING THEM HOME NOW" Vietnamization.

On July 4th - Independence Day from those who seek to undermine our national resolve - we will begin a television ad campaign to hold Senator Dick Durbin accountable for his denouncement of our troops. The first ad, "TorturedWords," will air nationwide on cable news channels (Fox News, CNN, etc.) and in Illinois on the major broadcast affiliates (ABC, CBS, NBC, etc.)

However, we need your help to raise the remaining money for airtime in just a few days time.

We are about $174,832 short of our initial budget for the ad campaign. That means we need another 6,993 Americans to contribute an average of $25 to the ad campaign. (Or less Americans to contribute a slightly larger amount).

We haven't got much time to get our order for airtime in with the networks -will you please help us spread word of our efforts - and need for assistance?

The first ad - "TORTURED WORDS" can be seen at our website:

http://www.MoveAmericaForward.org

Direct link to the first ad is:

http://www.moveamericaforward.org/Video/MAFO-7449-HI.wmv

And individuals may contribute online at:

http://www.MoveAmericaForward.org/Contribute

We plan to keep the pressure up after this initial ad run - with a longer 60-second spot featuring the Senator in his own words - but 60-second ads cost twice as much as our current 30-second spot, so first things first. We must pay for our more modest media budget before we worry about the future.

In the 24-hour media cycle we have a tendency to move on to the next story before the last one has ever been fully told. We CANNOT afford to do this with Senator Durbin. We must push back for once and turn the tables in the war for hearts and minds. Let us return the news cycle to the need to hold Senator Durbin accountable and let us demonstrate to those who relish a return to the 1960's that they best put their plans for Woodstock 2006, their campus riots and their spitting upon returning U.S. Troops on hold. We're not going to let them conjure up that kind of America again.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Sincerely, Melanie Morgan & Howard Kaloogian
Move America Forwardhttp://www.MoveAmericaForward.org

P.S. Lest you think our commitment to this cause is not complete, please note that later today we will be sending you an update on "The Truth Tour" -we will be traveling to Iraq July 7th -17th, along with fellow MAF BoardMember, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Buzz Patterson (the man who carried the nuclear football during the Clinton Administration), leading a delegation of talk radio hosts who will interview our troops and allow them to report to America on the accomplishments they are making in Iraq that never get reported by certain media outlets. We're prepared to walk the walk ourselves - and not just ask others to help us in this just cause.

****End Post form MoveAmericaForward.Org****

Have a great 4th, everyone- I'll be honeymooning!!

So Sick of This

2005-05-25T18:14:00.000-04:00

I'm so sick of today's so-called "media," I simply had to write something. How pathetic is this article?

Let's examine it, shall we?

FBI Records Cite Quran Abuse Allegations

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

WASHINGTON - Terror suspects at the Guantanamo Bay prison told U.S. interrogators as early as April 2002, just three months after the first detainees arrived, that military guards abused them and desecrated the Quran, declassified FBI records say.

That's the OPENING of the article!! He might as well have written it thusly:

Before you read anything else that I'm about to tell you in this article- I want you to know that I'm about to tell you what the honest and forthright terrorists are saying about the evil US interrogators at Gitmo.

Let's look further into this sordid tale of US atrocities-

"Their behavior is bad," one detainee is quoted as saying of his guards during an interrogation by an FBI special agent in July 2002. "About five months ago the guards beat the detainees. They flushed a Quran in the toilet."

Nice work, Mr. Burns!! Let's go ahead and be a sounding board for terrorist propagandists!!!

Better to leave the "evil US" version of events buried somewhere towards the end of the article-

Pentagon officials have said recently that the public claims by released detainees were not credible and that the terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay had been trained to make such false claims.

Indeed, the FBI records cite at least one instance in which a detainee is said to have falsely claimed that a guard had dropped a Quran. "In actuality the detainee dropped the Quran and then blamed the guard. Many other detainees reacted to this claim," the FBI document said, and that sparked an uprising "on or about 19-20 July 2002."

In response to a recent Newsweek story, later retracted, that U.S. officials had confirmed allegations of Quran desecration at Guantanamo Bay, Pentagon officials have said repeatedly that they have turned up no credible, substantiated claims that U.S. military guards had deliberately treated the Muslim holy book with disrespect.

Wow, that might have been good to have at the BEGINNING of the article. No such luck for the bad Americans.

And then today, we get the same garbage from the same guy.

The newsies want us to believe that a small handful of soldiers who may or may not have "mishandled" the Muslim holy book is a news story. I don't buy it. Why am I supposed to get excited about alleged "Quran mishandling" when I know for a fact that if I attempted to bring a Bible or Torah into just about any Arab state, my head would quickly find itself detached from my body?

You want something worth reading? Read this.

Hypocrisy Most Holy

Muslims should show some respect to others' religions.

BY ALI AL-AHMED Friday, May 20, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT

With the revelation that a copy of the Quran may have been desecrated by U.S. military personnel at Guantanamo Bay, Muslims and their governments--including that of Saudi Arabia--reacted angrily. This anger would have been understandable if the U.S. government's adopted policy was to desecrate our Quran. But even before the Newsweek report was discredited, that was never part of the allegations.

As a Muslim, I am able to purchase copies of the Quran in any bookstore in any American city, and study its contents in countless American universities. American museums spend millions to exhibit and celebrate Muslim arts and heritage. On the other hand, my Christian and other non-Muslim brothers and sisters in Saudi Arabia--where I come from--are not even allowed to own a copy of their holy books. Indeed, the Saudi government desecrates and burns Bibles that its security forces confiscate at immigration points into the kingdom or during raids on Christian expatriates worshiping privately...(read the rest)

This guy is a Muslim worth listening to. Why do we allow people like him to be drowned out by inciteful accusations made by terrorists who clearly aim to energize their suicide-happy base? Well, it's because of responsible truth-seekers like good 'ol Robert Burns, of course!

Robert Burns hates America. I'm sure Michael Moore is happy to have him in the club...

Haim Harari Wrote a Book!

2005-05-05T11:07:00.000-04:00

Hello all. Sorry it took so long to get to this- civilianing is harder than I thought it would be!

I was obviously thrilled when I saw that Haim Harari turned his awesome speech into a book (A VIEW FROM THE EYE OF THE STORM), but I was even more thrilled with the way I found out about it. I got an email from his publicist, who found my blog entry about Haim's speech, and he offered to send me a copy of the book so that I could write a review, and perhaps conduct an online interview with Haim! I thought that was really amazing, and of course I took him up on the offer. He sent me the book the next day, and I plan on reading it this weekend. I'll write my review soon after. I'm certain it will be a favorable review- the guy is a genuis.

More Good News

U.S. Marine cleared in shooting of Iraqi

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Marine Corps has ruled that no charges will be filed against a Marine in the fatal shooting of a wounded and unarmed Iraqi in a Falluja mosque last November in an incident shown in a television pool report, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

After a five-month investigation, the Marine Corps determined that the Marine corporal fired in self-defense and will not face court-martial, spokesman Lt. Col. T.V. Johnson said.

Welcome news, indeed.

This Looks Interesting

Sent: 05 May 05 11.06
To: West Point Class Leaders
Subject: Update on 60 Minutes 2005 Coverage

Dear Class Leaders,

I got a return message based on the information I provided on the 60 Minutes piece on the Class of 2005, expressing some concern that the coverage might not be positive. Because I thought there might be some credibility to that concern I contacted our Public Affairs Office and posed the question. The following is what they have provided.

"-We anticipate a positive story from CBS-TV's "Sixty Minutes" that will set the tone for other graduation media coverage. In particular, we are pleased that throughout the project we were able to remain true to our original premise so the segment will focus on how West Point has changed and how cadets (Class of 2005) prepare to meet the challenges of today's OEF/OIF world environment. The segment will feature several aspects of West Point to include interviews with the Dean and several First Class cadets and footage of classes, technology, Sandhurst military skills competition, etc. It will also include interviews with 1LT Andy Blickhahn (former Cadet First Captain now serving in Iraq) and Dr Leonard Wong from the U.S. Army War College on adaptable leaders.

Barring any major breaking news, CBS-TV 60 Minutes is scheduled to air the segment on this Sunday, May 8, at 7 p.m. EST. It should be the second story to run (a Vladimir Putin story may be first) and has quite a long run-time at 12 and a half minutes."

I'll be interested to see what the young Cadets are doing these days...

Paula Abdul...

...is so guilty, it's not even funny. She should start looking for a new job now.

Some Big News- Spread the Word, Please!

2005-04-25T18:17:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, I've been a bit scarce during these past few months, so there probably aren't that many people coming by these days- no problem, I understand. For those of you who inexplicably continue to drop by (thanks!), I'd like to ask a favor. Please help me get the following announcement to as many people as humanly possible- it's for a good cause, I assure you.

DESERT SKY IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!!!!!!!

Please order a copy today, and tell everyone you know about it. I'll be happy to field any and every question you feel like asking about anything you see in this film- just send them to my email or post them in any comments box. I saw a sneak preview a few months ago when I was still in Kuwait, and I think Eric did a great job of capturing our experience on film. Congrats to Eric for bringing this project to fruition...

And Then There's This

Can you believe RightWingSparkle? She's the coolest. Somehow, she thought I was worthy enough to be on the business end of a hard-hitting online interview! I was flattered to say the very least. Check out the first installment here. I'm about to answer the rest of her questions right now, so I'm guessing she'll post the finale sometime this week- subject to current events, I'm sure. Stay tooned! Update: Part II is up already!

And As If That Weren't Enough...

Something very cool happened to me the other day. I can't wait to tell you about it. Here's a hint: it involves Haim Harari- one of those brilliant minds on this planet...more tomorrow.

Jane Takes On Big Tobacco

2005-04-20T16:04:00.000-04:00

I don't condone this sort of behavior AT ALL. But I just felt that this story should be shared with as many people as possible...

Missouri Man Spits on Jane Fonda

TIM CURRAN, Associated Press Writer

A man spit tobacco juice into the face of actress Jane Fonda after waiting in line to have her sign her new book, police said. The man ran off but was quickly caught by police Tuesday night and charged with disorderly conduct.

Fonda has been on tour and doing interviews to promote her just-published memoir, "My Life So Far." The thrice-married, two-time Academy Award winner covers a wide array of topics, including her 1972 visit to Hanoi to protest the Vietnam War, during which she was photographed on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. She has apologized for that photo, but not for opposing the war.

Capt. Rich Lockhart of the Kansas City Police Department said that although Fonda did not want to press charges against Michael A. Smith, 54, of Kansas City, he was arrested on a municipal charge of disorderly conduct after off-duty officers caught him just outside Unity Temple, where Fonda was signing books.

Lockhart said Smith was released on bond late Tuesday night and is due to appear in municipal court on May 27.

Smith, a Vietnam veteran, told The Kansas City Star on Wednesday that Fonda was a "traitor" and that her protests against the war were unforgivable. He said he normally does not chew tobacco but did so Tuesday solely to spit juice on the actress.

"I consider it a debt of honor," he told The Star for a story on its Web site, www.kansascity.com. "She spit in our faces for 37 years. It was absolutely worth it. There are a lot of veterans who would love to do what I did."

Fonda drew a crowd of about 900 for her appearance, said Vivian Jennings, whose Rainy Day Books of suburban Fairway, Kan., sponsored the event at Unity Temple in Kansas City. Fonda, 67, spoke for about 15 minutes, answered questions for another 15, then began signing copies of her book.

Jennings said Fonda received a standing ovation when she came out and when she finished speaking. Alan Tilson, one of those who had his book signed but left before the incident, said the crowd was very "warm and supportive" to Fonda and he was surprised to learn what had happened.

Jennings said the actress never got up from her seat and continued autographing books after the tobacco juice was wiped off.

"The important thing is that she was so calm and so gracious about it," Jennings said of Fonda. "She was wonderful."

Jennings said that the man had a book to which the name "Jody" had been affixed as he approached to have it autographed. She said that when Fonda got the book, she looked up and said, "You're not Jody."

"At that moment, he turned his head quickly and spit a trail of tobacco juice," Jennings said. "He immediately jumped off the stage and started running down the aisle."

Fonda, who flew to Minneapolis Wednesday for another appearance on the book tour she began April 5, issued a statement through Jynne Martin of Random House, which published her book.

"In spite of the incident, my experience in Kansas City was wonderful and I thank all the warm and supportive people, including so many veterans, who came to welcome me last night," Fonda said.

In Other News

I have some exciting things coming up in the next few days- two interviews. Stay tooned to find out more...

Medal of Honor

2005-04-01T14:54:00.000-05:00

Well deserved...

Darrell Carver

2005-03-25T13:48:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm finally getting settled into my new locale, and I'm about ready to start making noise again. I'll start by posting this great email from Owen West. Looks like Owen wrote this article himself- nice job, Owen...

Below is a short article about a Marine shot 4 times and then fragged in Fallujah. The sacrifice by all the Marines and soldiers in Operation Al Fajr--including those who fought in the April battle--brought extraordinary results. Fallujah has turned from hornet's nest into one of the more peaceful cities in the triangle. Indeed, the excision of the terrorists in Fallujah is directly correlated to the overall drop in violence and the spectacular election. Semper Fi

The Few

The path Darrell Carver chose out of his Salt Lake City high school was similar to that taken by other overachieving classmates. He'd married his high school sweetheart when he was 20, had three wonderful kids by the time he was 27, and was leading an elite team for his company by the time he was 28, sating his mild addictions to fitness and hunting when the occasional free hour presented itself.

But Carver followed a calling imbued in just a sliver of the population. On November 20th, 2004, while most of his peers were in office parks earning money with keyboards, Darrell Carver was approaching a tin-plated door in the heart of Fallujah, Iraq, with his rifle stock held firm in the crook of a shoulder tattooed with "USMC" and two terrorists praying to end him on the other side.

Gunnery Sergeant Carver is a member of an elite slice of America that has emerged on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq: the warrior class. Drawn from across the socio-economic spectrum by an uncommon confluence of duty, adventure, and martial spirit, this all-volunteer cadre has demonstrated that it belongs among history's elite fighting units.

That men like Carver choose to serve in combat arms, a deadly profession in which few transferable civilian skills are gleaned, says a lot about the fabric of the country. Before September 11th, America carried a soft and feckless reputation among its mortal enemies. Beyond low-risk tactics skewed toward technology-cruise missiles, invisible bombers-they concluded that America had no will to fight. Now those enemies are meeting America's core strength: young men with an innate desire to carry rifles for a living.

The ferocity and direction of the attack into Fallujah shattered the enemy's initial defensive plan. It was left to infantrymen like Carver to rip the terrorists out of closets and bedrooms were they had scattered in small packs.

On one side of the doors stood men who believed they would be judged how they lived. On the other lay men who believed they would be judged on how they died. How these two groups of men, who were more alike than different as boys, had traveled tens of years and thousands of miles to kill each other was best answered by the professional philosopher. For a professional warrior like Carver, combat was the natural culmination of moral divergence. A murderous enemy had infected Fallujah. Politicians could not excise them. Marines and soldiers could.

Fallujah had been parsed into familial nicknames. Clearing the Upper West Side had been hard enough, but when Carver's platoon was sent to help the effort in Queens, a particularly nasty corner of the city near the Euphrates that was littered with corpses of Iraqi "collaborators" who had been executed, it seemed as if a terrorist was hidden in every third house, hell-bent on dragging a Marine into the ground with him.

It was "tiring work," as Carver puts it. For most Americans, the office is a cubicle tract where conflict is limited to harsh emails. For a Marine, the office is a smoldering, stinking, ear-splitting arena filled with young men who are trying to kill each other.

The battle was an intensely personal, face-to-face fight inside individual rooms where the screams often muted the gunfire and the crawl spaces muted the American technological edge. This meant that a Marine had to burst into a room with his rifle shouldered, steady his barrel on a concealed target, then break the trigger before the screaming lunatic trying to ambush him could manage an aimed shot and a proper "Allahu Akbar!"

If anything, the madness of it just made the Marines angrier. Everything in Fallujah was upside-down. Religious leaders demanded violence. Stray cats feasted on fallen men. Zarqawi had constructed a torture chamber twenty-five feet away from a small amusement park.

Even the smoke settled strangely. In his first firefight on November 20, Carver charged into a room behind a grenade. The acrid dust had climbed the walls and spilled across the ceiling, broiling in the top half of the bedroom instead of falling. He heard the terrorist shuffle toward his men. Instead of dropping into a firing position that might have exposed him, Carver leapt up into the smog and onto a bed. He ended the threat.

In the second house, the door swung open and there were two terrorists lumbering toward Carver like zombies in some horror movie. He and the other force reconnaissance Marines had honed their shooting skills over hundreds of hours and thousands of bullets. Four bullets did the trick.

The day was an hour old.

The Marine team crept down the hallway of the third house in a human centipede stack bristling with rifles. Carver had moved into point position and now he stood outside another door wondering what the hell was waiting for him inside. Hundreds of doors opened already. Hundreds more to go.

He opened the door with his left hand, keeping his front sight post moving with his eyes. Someone coming out of a closet, firing an AK-47. The flat, booming report reverberated under his body armor. Carver had to shoot the terrorist several times before he flopped onto the spent casings.

Now more firing from behind the door on his left. Two rounds slammed into his thigh and another passed clean through his calf. They felt more like baseball bats than hot needles. Carver wheeled to maintain his balance and center his weapon. Saw smoking holes in the door. Another bullet popped through and smacked his shoulder, ending any hope of remaining on his feet.

It was an enemy grenade that saved him. Without it, Carver would have tumbled inside the room, into the kill zone. Instead the grenade came bouncing out toward his boots, as mesmerizing as a giant wasp, and blew him clear out of the room.

Twenty-one minutes later Navy doctors were plucking dozens of fragments from his body and sewing the four quarter-sized holes. Twenty-one hours later Carver checked out of the field hospital with a crutch in his armpit instead of a rifle and the hazy memory of a phone call to his wife, Holly.

Holly got the call in the afternoon. "Honey I got hurt," her husband told her. Of all the casualty notifications given to family members, a phone call from the wounded warrior is the best. Phone calls from doctors or officers are bad. Doorbells are the worst. Darrell was now one of the twelve thousand casualties in Iraq. One of the lucky ones.

The untold story of war is the burden shouldered by the families. Devotion to their soldiers is well known. But the hidden buttress of an all-volunteer war is devotion to the cause. Families are serving the country every bit as fervently as their soldiers. Without their commitment to the war, second and third deployments to Iraq would be zero sum decisions for soldiers. "If he had to go back (for a third tour), I support him," says Holly. "It is worth the sacrifice of separation to help the people of Iraq."

The costs of the war on terror may not be spread wide, but they are deep. Families like the Carvers are willing to shoulder the costs of the national interest for the lowest risk-adjusted wage in America and zero fanfare. In other societies, warriors are motivated by externalized power. Ours are motivated by internal duty. Geopolitics aside, the country should be thankful that it has cultivated a tiny warrior class that can dominate an overseas battlefield while upholding its best values.

Owen West, a trader for Goldman, Sachs, served with the Marines in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Great Stuff

2005-03-06T15:57:00.000-05:00

From my future brother-in-law via my future mother-in-law- no idea where it originated:

DID YOU KNOW THIS?

Did you know that 47 countries have re-established their embassies in Iraq?

Did you know that the Iraqi government employs 1.2 million Iraqi people?

Did you know that 3100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under rehabilitation, 263 schools are now under construction and 38 new schools have been built in Iraq?

Did you know that Iraq's higher educational structure consists of 20 Universities, 46 Institutes or colleges and 4 research centers?

Did you know that 25 Iraq students departed for the United States in January 2004 for the re-established Fulbright program?

2Slick edit- Actually, I did know this. One of those 25 people was my interpretor from Mosul. Here's a snippet from one of the first emails he sent me after arriving in the US:

How is life with you? I miss you too much. I am in Indiana, Bloomington. I am doing my pre-academic course. I will stay here untill August, then the IIE (Institute of International Education ) guys will place me to the college where I will do my masters study. The head of the department of linguistics told me that I can apply for this university, and he gave me a special application form to fill in.

So there is a big chance to stay here for the rest of my study. Except missing home, I am doing good. Although cold, Bloomington is very nice place. I live in an apartment with two Iraqi room-mates. I go to school five days a week. I have a good relation with the professors of my department, and they don't stop encouraging me to stay here.

He's a great guy. OK, back to the post:

Did you know that the Iraqi Navy is operational? They have 5- 100-foot patrol craft, 34 smaller vessels and a naval infantry regiment.

Did you know that Iraq's Air Force consists of three operational squadrons,9 reconnaissance and 3 US C-130 transport aircraft which operate day and night, and will soon add 16 UH-1 helicopters and 4 bell jet rangers?

Did you know that Iraq has a counter-terrorist unit and a Commando Battalion?

Did you know that the Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000 fully trained and equipped police officers?

Did you know that there are 5 Police Academies in Iraq that produce over 3500 new officers each 8 weeks?

Did you know there are more than 1100 building projects going on in Iraq?

They include 364 schools, 67 public clinics, 15 hospitals, 83 railroad stations, 22 oil facilities, 93 water facilities and 69 electrical facilities.

Did you know that 96% of Iraqi children under the age of 5 have received the first 2 series of polio vaccinations?

Did you know that 4.3 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary school by mid October?

Did you know that there are 1,192,000 cell phone subscribers in Iraq and phone use has gone up 158%?

Did you know that Iraq has an independent media that consist of 75 radio stations, 180 newspapers and 10 television stations?

Did you know that the Baghdad Stock Exchange opened in June of 2004?

Did you know that 2 candidates in the Iraqi presidential election had a televised debate recently?

OF COURSE WE DIDN'T KNOW!
WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW? - OUR MEDIA WOULDN'T TELL US!
DAN RATHER WOULDN'T TELL TELL US.
PETER JENNINGS WOULDN'T TELL US.
THE NEW YORK TIMES WOULDN'T TELL US.
Because a Bush- hating media and Democratic Party would rather see the world blow up than lose their power.

Instead of shouting these accomplishments from every rooftop, they would rather show photo's of what a few perverted malcontent soldiers have done in prisons in many cases never disclosing the circumstances surrounding the events.

Instead of showing our love for our country, we get photos of flag burning incidents at Abu Ghraib and car bombing incidents.

The lack of accentuating the positive in Iraq serves only one purpose. It undermines the world's perception of the United States and our soldiers.

I AM ASHAMED OF MY FELLOW AMERICANS WHO WOULD RATHER SEE TERRORISM SUCCEED THAN A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT.

And Then There's This...

...a nice slideshow- sent to me by my lovely Auntie M.

Citizen 2Slick

2005-03-02T11:33:00.000-05:00

Hello all- sorry I've been out of the loop for a while. I've completed my job search, and I'm now working for a Fortune 500 company near a major city. I look forward to enjoying my new life as a civilian. Things are very much in transition right now, so I'll be away for a little while longer. When the dust settles, I'll get back to blogging. There is obviously very much to discuss these days- freedom is on the march, and the world is changing faster than the MSM can spin it. This is good...

Don't Miss This

2005-02-22T21:29:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been out of the loop- the job search is very demanding. I finally had a chance to check my email, and I found this great update from Diamond Jack. Looks like I missed it, but I'm sure it'll air again soon. If anyone had a chance to see it, please let me know your thoughts...

The film A COMPANY OF SOLDIERS will be broadcast next Tuesday night (February 22) on PBS at 9 pm (check local listings). It is the soldiers' story of fighting in Iraq - a month in the life of the 1st Battalion of the 8th Cavalry stationed in South Baghdad. It was shot last November during one of the most dangerous times for that unit.

A COMPANY OF SOLDIERS was made by October Films under the umbrella of the PBS Frontline Series and we'd like to ask you to email this to everyone you know with a request for them to send it on to everyone they know. We are hoping to get as many US Military families to tune in. One word of warning is that the film graphically shows the risks and consequences of what it is to fight in Iraq - so if you haven't told your loved ones, they might be in for a shock.

One senior confidential source at the Pentagon who has seen the film told us: "It is compelling stuff. It proves once again that it is our Soldiers who are our best spokespeople. It is not only courageous filmmaking (both figuratively and literally), but it's also an example of very insightful filmmaking. The film captures our Soldiers' humanity, putting a human face on a very complex set of issues - that is priceless stuff."

Thinking Outside the Box

2005-02-11T09:17:00.000-05:00

Some of you might remember when I mentioned my West Point classmate (we'll call him "Mike") who found my site via the Wizbang Awards (he recognized the "2Slick" moniker- which originated when we were in flight school together). He's a Kiowa Warrior (OH-58D) pilot, and he served a year in Fallujah during the time I was in Mosul. He and I have had some excellent debates and discussions over the past few months, and he recently sent me the following gem- read it, and you'll understand why I've been trying to talk him into starting his own blog:

A suggestion for the first major decision of the new government: a new name for the country.

'Iraq' has a history basically from WWI, and the British mandate following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire - the last vestige of the Muslim Caliphate. The problem is (besides a name imposed by the British Empire) that the name does nothing to unify or appeal to the people who live their now. There is no overwhelming sense of Iraqi nationalism- no ethnic, religious, political or cultural unifying theme in Iraq.

I would suggest that the new government look to the rich history of the region - the birthplace of civilization, and appeal to the historical significance of the area within Iraq's borders. By going back before the birth of Islam, you bypass the Shia-Sunni strife, and going back far enough you can claim the first modern culture in the world. Call the new Nation Sumer or Babylon appeals to the pride, nationalism, and helps redefine an identity. That identity will be key in defeating the Sunni-Shia-Kurd-insurgent factions as they struggle to find a place in the new country. Calling it Babylon appeals to the people and helps them define themselves in a new way, outside of the horrible history of the last century - much in the same way Egypt or Syria claim a historic heritage to the ancient civilizations, the newly elected government should choose a new name that unifies the country, appeals to their rich history, and by passes the existing divisions with a goal of building a newer, stronger nation.

Anyway, just a thought. If I lived there, I'd want people to identify themselves as a Babylonian (or Sumerian, whatever - Babylon may have poor connotations to the Christian world) than a Sunni, or Shia, or Kurd - it's a way to build some unity, and capitalize on the promise of the elections.

Smart stuff, huh? I agree with him 100%. I'd be interested to see how the guys at Iraq the Model feel about such an idea. If anyone out there is tight with those guys (or any other Iraqi bloggers out there), please try to ping them for their thoughts...

Iraqi Official Vows To Fight 'The Ghosts Of Death'

2005-02-10T14:33:00.000-05:00

I stopped by Iraq the Model today. I'm glad I did. Omar quotes Iraqi politician Mithal al-Alusi, who survived a recent attempt on his life. Sadly, his bodyguard and two young sons did not survive. Here's part of what al-Alusi said following the attack.

My children, three people [in all] -- one of my bodyguards and two of my children -- died as heroes, no differently from other people who find their heroic deaths. But we will not, [I swear] by God, hand Iraq over to murderers and terrorists. We will pave the road for peace. If [the attackers] thought that by attempting to kill Mithal al-Alusi, the advocates of peace in Iraq will be stopped, then they have made a grave mistake. We will be calling for peace. We will be calling for peace with all neighboring countries [of Iraq]. We will be calling for peace with all countries of the region. And we will be calling for fighting terrorism by any means [and] against all forms [of terror].

Let's see if the MSM picks up on this. They certainly give the terrorists enough coverage...

Here Comes the Heart Failure, Mr. Moore

If Michael Moore's next Triple Quarter-Pounder with Cheese doesn't give him a heart attack, then I'm afraid this might.

North Korea Has Nukes

Of course they do. By announcing it (again), they're doing the geopolitical equivalent of pulling out a pistol and saying "I have a gun- give me your wallet." I suspect the U.S. will continue to come back with "Nice try, looney guy. Our guns are still much bigger. Put that thing down before you hurt yourself."

And Finally...

No Senate race for Weird Al. I wish I could say that I talked him out of it when he came to visit us in Kuwait. But I'd be lying.

This is an amusing story about a conservative press guy:

By examining Internet records, online sleuths at DailyKos.com figured out that his real name was Jim Guckert and he owned various Web sites, including HotMilitaryStud.com, MilitaryEscorts.com and MilitaryEscortsM4M.com.

Wow. Just wow.

UPDATE:

A reader has just alerted me that my picture is posted on HotMilitaryStud.com. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this. Look, people- I was young and needed the money...

Ward Churchill- I Thought I was Native American, but...

2005-02-09T09:16:00.000-05:00

This guy is a joke. He desperately wants to be famous. Congrats, man- you succeeded. He also wants Osama bin Laden to rule the United States of America. Sorry, bud- not gonna happen. He's so full of insight, I decided I should help him to get his word out:

"I don't answer to Bill Owens. I do not answer to the Board of Regents in the way they think I do. The regents should do their job and let me do mine," Churchill said to thunderous clapping.

What exactly is your job then, Mr. Churchitler? Is it your job to preach the virtues of murder and terrorism to our nation's youth? You do seem to have a knack for that sort of thing...

In an essay, Churchill wrote that workers in the World Trade Center were the equivalent of "little Eichmanns," a reference to Adolf Eichmann, who ensured the smooth running of the Nazi system. Churchill also spoke of the "gallant sacrifices" of the "combat teams" that struck America.

A longtime American Indian Movement activist, he said he is also culpable because his efforts to change the system haven't succeeded. "I could do more. I'm complicit. I'm not innocent," he said.

You certainly could do more, Wardo. You must feel so ashamed that you're still lagging so far behind Timothy McVeigh in your sick and twisted race towards hell. I can only surmise that you're afraid to conduct your own suicide attack against America, so you're doing your very best to inspire young and impressionable college kids to do your dirty work for you. That makes sense.

I like this part:

The Boulder Faculty Assembly, which represents professors at the Boulder campus, has said Churchill's comments were "controversial, offensive and odious" but supports his right to say them based on the principle of academic freedom.

Right. It's perfectly OK to praise and advocate the ritualistic slaughter of New York City "technocrats"- that's covered by academic freedom. Good. Now how about this- Ward Churchill calls for the immediate murder and dismemberment of each and every member of the Boulder Faculty Assembly- would he then still be protected by the principle of "academic freedom?" Just something to think about.

The crowd Tuesday night was loud and orderly as Churchill spoke: "I do not work for the taxpayers of the state of Colorado. I do not work for Bill Owens. I work for you," he said.

Not sure who "you" is. A bunch of screaming terrorists/terrorist-sympathizers? I'm not sure if bin Laden is paying this guy for his work, but he certainly should be.

"I've read some of Ward's work," said 26-year-old Vinita Laroia, an environmental studies major. "I think what he has to say is true and interesting. I wanted to hear his actual voice say what he's thinking."

"True" and "interesting!" Congratulations, Vinita! You're now ready to begin your training at the Al-Jihadi Terrorist Camp for the Pretentious and Idiotic in beautiful Tehran, Iran! Have a nice trip, and watch out for the Daisy Cutters!

I Didn't Realize Soccer Was So Dangerous

I heard something about this on the radio this morning, and it struck a chord. Apparently, Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany made the following remark over the weekend at a Socialist Party event, referring to the Hungarian Soccer Team's 0-0 tie against the Saudi Arabian Team in Turkey last week:

"I think that there were very many terrorists also among the Saudi soccer players, and our sons fought with death-defying bravery against these terrorists, so a draw away from home is a fantastic result,'' Gyurcsany was quoted as saying by state news agency MTI.

Wow! Them's fightin' words! Of course, he was only joking:

On Tuesday, he said his comments were said in the context of a TV show parody and anyone who took them seriously was driven by "political intolerance...or even ill-will.''

"I apologize to anyone who with or without reason was offended by that sentence,'' he said.

Who is he apologizing to? Terrorists or soccer players?

Lucky Totten

2005-02-08T15:37:00.000-05:00

If you're a Chris Hitchens fan (as I am), you must check out this report from Michael Totten. The post is thought-provoking, informative, and extremely entertaining. I especially liked the part where MJT taught Hitchens about the importance of the blogosphere:

I asked him if he reads blogs.

“No,” he said. “Not really. I could spend all day reading blogs and not get anything done.”

“You can’t afford not to read blogs,” I said. “Because of who you are and what you do for a living, you’ll be hopelessly behind if you don’t.”

“Yes,” he said. “I know, I know,” but I wasn’t sure he really meant it.

Later he told me he recently saw “that little weasel” Juan Cole speak in public.

“You know about that flap he had with Omar and Mohammed from Friends of Democracy?” (I am referring here to Omar and Mohammed of Iraq the Model. They also founded Friends of Democracy.)

I could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t.

“He floated some conspiracy theory about how Omar and Mohammed, whom you spoke to over the phone on C-SPAN today, are possibly CIA plants.”

He stared at me gape-mouthed.

“He completely disgraced himself,” I said. “Most of the blogosphere piled on. You should have seen it.”

“You mean I stood right there in front of both him and his fans without that ammunition?”
He looked despondent. I felt triumphant.

“Like I said, Christopher,” I told him. “You can’t afford to be unplugged from the blogosphere."

“Angel,” he said. “Can I call you angel?”

“Of course,” I said. (Did he actually say that? – ed. I think so, but keep in mind I was drunk.)

“I want to exploit your knowledge of blogs,” he said.

“Email me,” I said. “You know where to find me.”

(He did email me. I showed him all of my favorites. And I showed him Juan Cole’s lunatic post.)

Read the whole thing.

Thanks to Kate for the head's up...

From Iraq to the US and Back Again

What an excellent story from the Sminkster. Here's a teaser:

Born in Iraq, raised in America

Stryker Brigade Soldier’s passion to help comes from his past

QAYARRAH, Iraq – Pfc. Husam Razaq Almusowi was born in Iraq, but raised in Dearborn, Mich. When asked: Where are you from, he replies “that’s a difficult question.” According to his fellow Soldiers in the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, Almusowi’s journey to become an American Soldier is an unforgettable tale of courage and sacrifice.

A young boy

Born in the southern Iraq city of Samawi, Almusowi lived the life of a prince. His room was covered in marble and his peers treated him like a god. In the Arabic culture, the name Almusowi is of great prominence. All Almusowis are thought to be descendents of the Islam Prophet Mohammed.

Okay, now you're hooked. Go read the whole thing (the story is at the bottom of the post). You'll be glad you did...

And Finally...

-THE Cinnabon Recipe! (thanks Jeff)

-Hog on Ice is funnier than funny. Here's my all-time favorite post- it's a sort of "best of" compilation from his "all-hate Fridays" from 2004.

-Follow my nose! Or...um...don't. (Jeff again)

Eason Jordan- The Pride of CNN

2005-02-07T13:28:00.000-05:00

I hope you're all up to speed on the Eason Jordan scandal. If not, please check here and here. This is one of those stories that isn't really surprising on the surface- but the sheer stupidity of the whole thing starts to grow on you after a while. I'm curious to see how this one turns out.

I'd like to go on the record and say that no one in my chain of command ever told me to target journalists- on or off the battlefield. I've never known a soldier who expressed any serious intent to kill a journalist.

Superbowl Ads

The game was okay- I'm sick of seeing the Pats win all the time. Next year, my Dolphins will clean house. Loved the funny commercials. The Anheuser Busch "Thank You" ad was nice. It's pretty overwhelming to experience it in real life (which I have- twice). I give a huge thumbs up to the American people for the way they've treated me and my comerades thus far. I was in my uniform at a Starbucks the other day, and some stranger insisted on buying me a cup of coffee. That's pretty nice, especially considering that it almost takes a 2nd mortgage to be able to afford a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Thank you, Mr. Stranger- it was great coffee.

Cool Round Up

This is nice...

Rumsfeld Speaks Out

2005-02-06T10:32:00.000-05:00

I just watched Rumsfeld on the Russert show, and I now feel compelled to write about it. First off, I thought Rumsfeld was brilliant. I especially like the way he defended himself with respect to the SPC Wilson question. He did exactly what we milbloggers have been doing since the whole episode happened- he whipped out a copy of the transcript and showed how the MSM lied and lied and lied about how the exchange went down. I think he made Russert feel ashamed of himself for using the same old trick (showing the dialogue selectively out of context) right then and there on his show.

Now Ted Kennedy is on- please oh please, let him say "Barack Obama Osama Yo' Momma" again. I haven't had a laugh like that in quite a while. Thanks to Cranky Greg for capturing that brilliant soundbyte.

Back to Rumsfeld. I did disagree with one thing he said. Maybe not what he said but the way in which he said it. When asked about why he had twice offered to resign, he talked about how upset he was with the whole Abu Ghraib episode. Of course he was disappointed- we all were. But he went on to say, "that's not how we act in America." Wrong. We need to get away from the notion that Abu Ghraib was some crazy anomaly that could only have been brought about by corrupt policy and tainted memos. Abu Ghraib was no such thing. Go to any strip club, frat party, nightclub, etc.- and you'll probably see some things that will remind you of Abu Ghraib. Any time I watch TV after midnight, I see commercials for videos that look like Abu Ghraib on speed. The fact is we do act like that in America. We may not be proud of that fact (no country or society is perfect), but we do behave in such a way. We need to acknowledge this, because it's the only way to truly understand why such things happen. Leaders need to be aware of this so that they know what the potential shortfalls are- so that they can take action to prevent such things.

To simply assume that "Americans don't behave in such a way" is a surefire way to suffer a dramatic leadership failure on or off the battlefield- just ask anyone who served in the Abu Ghraib chain of command. I've said it once and I'll say it again: boot camp is effective, not magical. The only way to effectively lead soldiers is to know and understand the society from which they came. If I were to have a face to face conversation with the SECDEF, this is the sort of thing I'd like to discuss with him. Overall, he was fantastic on the show this morning. Tim kept trying to catch him in lies and contradictions (Tim's a tough interviewer and he's good at what he does- I don't fault him for it), and each and every time Rumsfeld came back at him with perfectly logical and reasonable explanations. Nice work.

Ted Kennedy just keeps digging and digging. He wants a timeline for troop withdrawal (absurd) and keeps insisting that we're not doing enough to train the Iraqi troops. Sure thing, Ted. Drink a few more, and then see if you have the courage to speak such nonsense to LTG Petraeus' face. Didn't think so. How can someone who's been so wrong about so many things for such a long time stay in office for an eternity? If the Red Sox can finally win a World Series, is it so unimaginable that the Massachusetts voters might one day find a way to dump the drunken Senator? What's the hold up, anyway? Are they afraid of him? He can't drown each and every one of them, can he? C'mon folks! Stand up and take charge over there...

UPDATE:

Argghhh! has a more in-depth review...

The General Speaks

2005-02-04T10:19:00.000-05:00

"Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot. ... It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right upfront with you, I like brawling."

-Lt. Gen. James Mattis

Okay, so the guy likes his job. Big deal. I'm glad he likes it and I'm glad he's good at it. If it weren't for people like him, we'd be speaking German or Arabic (or some bizarre combination of both) right now. Our friends at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) had some choice words for him:

"We do not need generals who treat the grim business of war as a sporting event," said the council's executive director, Nihad Awad. "These disturbing remarks are indicative of an apparent indifference to the value of human life."

Okay, how about this- spend more time condemning people who enjoy blowing up innocent children, and less time condemning people who hurt your feelings with words- and maybe you'll actually do some good for your religion. I won't hold my breath. Observe (my emphasis added):

CAIR condemnation of suicide bombing

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/28/2002) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, today condemned a bomb attack on a Passover celebration in the Middle East that left 20 people dead and more than 100 wounded.

In a statement, CAIR said:

"We condemn this attack and all other attacks on innocent civilians. Illegitimate and counterproductive tactics must not be used in the legitimate struggle to end Israel's brutal occupation. This attack is of particular concern coming as it did during a religious observance in which the focus is remembrance of God."

Note: CAIR has condemned numerous such bombings.

Yes, and I'm sure they used each one of those "condemnations" to:

a) completely avoid any mention of the fact that Muslims were behind such bombings.

and

b) take a cheap shot at Israel.

What a joke...

She's Back With a Vengeance

Reaganesque is back- and she's just as fired up as she was before the election. Go see what happens when a politically inclined 18-year-old puts the smackdown on the liberals. Some might argue that she's the next Ann Coulter- I think she'll leave Ann in the dust. She's that good...

VDH Friday

This is one of his best ever. He's got it all straightened out...

A Big Step

2005-02-03T18:02:00.000-05:00

I was in a room full of 58 other soldiers when we heard the news. We had been so up to our necks in the "job-finding" seminar, we didn't even have time to think about the historic events that were taking place on the other side of the world. One of our instructors came in the room and said, "there's a new democracy in the world today- and many of you were directly involved in making it happen. Congratulations." Applause rang out, and for a brief moment I felt an amazing sense of relief. Not surprise or wonder. Just relief. Then I reminded myself that much work was left to be done, and my thoughts turned to those who had sacrificed so much and those who were destined to go and help complete the mission. Let's not forget...

SFC Paul Smith- Medal of Honor

I was listening to my favorite radio show on the way home from work- the Kimmer announced that SFC Paul Smith has been awarded the Medal of Honor. Paul's sister called in and thanked Kimmer for his support- not just for getting Paul's story out there, but for all that he does. Kimmer choked up a bit (he does that), and I'd just like to echo her sentiments. Thanks to Kimmer and all the other great radio and TV personalities who support the cause and spread stories of heroism and valor that the MSM just doesn't want to be associated with. Go read Paul's story. He brought new meaning to the word "hero."

I'll try to pick up the pace with the postings. Employmenting is hard...

Job Hunting

2005-01-28T10:26:00.000-05:00

I'll be back in a week. While I'm gone, many things will happen in Iraq. I'm sure you'll all be watching Drudge and all that. Don't forget to check the Iraq Election Diatribes. Great information there. Don't miss history in the making.

See ya...

Marine Chopper Crash

2005-01-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

This is just an awful tragedy. Please keep these brave warriors and their families in your thoughts. I won't speculate about what happened, but I'm sure the facts will come out soonest...

Condi Rice

I haven't mentioned anything about the Barbara Boxer fundraiser...I mean, the Dr. Rice confirmation fiasco until now. Go check out Power and Control and you'll know everything you need to know.

Meet Rambo

That's right- Rambo is alive and well, and he's working for the US Army in Afghanistan:

By Afghan standards, Udin had a good life. He had a steady job, an apartment, six children and a wife he adored.

The turning point for Udin, he said, came several years ago when a rocket-propelled grenade apparently fired by a Taliban soldier slammed into his apartment, killing his wife.

Udin remembers the time of day — 10 or 11 a.m. — but not the year. The Taliban captured Kabul in September 1996, but were beating back counterattacks for sometime afterward, so it could’ve been 1997.

“We loved each other,” Udin said of his wife, “which is why I will never remarry.”

You can't afford to miss this story...

Cut to the Chase

In case you missed it in yesterday's update, here's my recent interview at Cut to the Chase. We had a great discussion about some very relevent topics...

Quick Hits

Michael Moore got snubbed by Hollywood. Maybe he'll find comfort in a brontoburger with cheese and an extra large milkshake.

Thanks to Liz for this excellent tip regarding the U of Oregon's "brilliant" decision to forbid employees from overtly supporting our deployed soldiers.

Get a box of Kleenax and go check out Froggy's Victim of the Week. It's a heartbreaker of epic proportions.

Read this post from LGF and then decide whether or not you can believe your own eyes.

Before You Read This...

2005-01-25T15:29:00.000-05:00

...you have to go read this post at Black5's site. It's excellent. After you read it, come back and see why I disagree with most of what his military friends had to say about the war in Iraq.

1) Duration Plus Six. Just like World War II. Wow- that's a far out concept. Except this isn't WWII. In WWII, we were working towards a surrender. When Hitler (or his post-suicide stand-in) surrenders, we win. When Emperor Hirohito surrenders, we win. What an unbelievably simple concept! Those days are long gone, my friends.

Remember when the Taliban surrendered in Afghanistan? That's because they didn't. Remember when Saddam surrendered his control of Iraq? Me neither. Ask Saddam who the lawful ruler of Iraq is, and you'll hear something far different than what Emperor Hirohito would have said in 1946. Our objective in Iraq was to defeat Saddam (took 3 weeks), and to create a free and stable Iraq (still working on it). To think that this should have been done in 6 months or less is pure fantasy. This war will continue after we leave (the Iraqis will defeat the insurgency- not us), and I promise you will never see a formal surrender come from Zarqawi, bin Laden, Saddam's henchmen, or anyone else involved in the terrorist-sponsored insurgency. To say that we should have deployed forces for "the duration of the war plus 6 months" would have been laughable if it had been said before the initial invasion. The fact that people (military people even) are saying it now is simply hard for me to believe- but they did say it! Maybe I'm not understanding them...

2) Troop Strength. First off, I do agree that Shinseki wasn't forced out. He would have said something by now if he felt like he was forced out, and the whole conspiracy makes no sense. He served his time, and he served it well (except for the beret thing- that was just plain stoopid). Yes- he happened to be of the opinion that more soldiers would be needed in Iraq for the post-conflict Stability and Support Operations (SASO). The fact is, there were plenty of Generals who took that view. My take on this is simple- so what? Most Generals (notably including the one who was in charge of CENTCOM at the time- Tommy Franks) shared the view that the SECDEF ultimately decided on. So what's the argument here? Was it stupid to go with the majority view as opposed to the minority? I think not. When high-ranking military and government officials have conflicting opinions, they discuss them. They weigh the pros and cons of each Course of Action, and they have healthy and productive debates. The one in charge makes the decision after weighing all the facts and opinions. The majority often rules, but not always. Folks, this is how it's supposed to work, and this is how it happened. Did Rumsfeld end up making the wrong decision? I won't pretend to know (because it's impossible to know for sure), but I certainly haven't seen anything to convince me that it was the wrong decision.

Remember the Mosul blast last month? Let me ask you a simple question. If more troops had been in the dining tent that day, would the blast have been prevented? Or would the blast have killed more troops? Think about it. We're fighting an insurgency here. We already have them grossly outnumbered. If we were up against the Nazi horde, things would be different- but this isn't WWII.

I agree that future military action is imminent, but I believe that there will be lots of behind the scenes diplomacy and coalition-building preceding it.

I disagree that we need more than 40,000 additional soldiers and I can assure you- there will not be a draft. The issue isn't numbers- we have enough troops. The issue is restructuring- force modernization. We need less artillery soldiers and more MP's, Civil-Military specialists, and intelligence specialists. We need fewer tanks (but we still need tanks!) and more armored humvees. We need a flexible, rapidly deployable, modular force- with just the right amount of light brigades and heavy brigades. We need fewer troops in Europe and Korea than we have right now. This is all being fixed as I type this. It won't happen overnight, but it might not happen at all if it weren't for the wisdom of Rumsfeld and his staff. Which brings me to my next point...

3) Rumsfeld Should Resign. This is a fun one to debate. Let's take the first point:

-He should accept responsibility and step down.

Now the obvious question- he should accept responsibility for what? The fact that Iraq is about to hold it's first free election in it's history? The fact that the people of Afghanistan held free elections last year and are now more concerned with opium crops than Taliban/al-Qaeda goons? Should he accept responsibility for restructuring our military to reflect the current threat environment as opposed to the non-existent Soviet threat that Clinton and the gang were poised to fight while terrorists enjoyed 8 long years of unhindered aggression towards the United States? Or should he accept responsibility for the left-wing/media-concocted "quagmire" that used to exist in Afghanistan before it moved to Iraq?

And the second point:

-Most feel that it's not fair to have higher standards for Soldiers than for the Civilian leaders of the DOD.

Absolutely correct. But let's not forget that soldiers (like me) are not under the media microscope. Let's not forget that Rumsfeld takes the spotlight whenever something goes wrong (or in most cases- when the media or Ted Kennedy pretend that something goes wrong), and is ignored for anything and everything that goes well. As a soldier, I can't relate to this sort of treatment. But I can say that if the media covered the actions of every soldier (including me) the way they covered SECDEF Rumsfeld, you would think that we were the most incompetent military in the history of the planet- and those who were dumb enough to believe all the media spin would be calling for all of our resignations! Wouldn't that be interesting?

I guess my advice to Blackfive's friends would be to stop watching so many CBS news broadcasts, start reading more blogs, and talk (and listen) to their friends who were there. He didn't mention whether any of his friends ever served in Iraq, but I'm guessing most of them haven't. I could be wrong.

UPDATE:

I discussed many of these same issues in a recent interview with Marshall Masters of Cut to the Chase:

26-January-2005: Iraq War Fighter Captain Rick: "Is President Bush Writing Bigger Checks Than Our Military Can Cash?"

Last December, Captain Rick 2Slick, as he is known to netizens, weighed in on the honesty of the American media. Now, he does the same with the Iraqi people and gives his honest, boots-on-the-ground perspective on whether or not democracy can flourish in Iraq. He knows them well, having fought his way into Iraq in 2003 as a Captain in the US Army. He has just finished his second tour of duty in Kuwait and continues to fight the injustices of the American media on his war blog <2slick.blogspot.com>. He also addresses a key concern for YOWUSA.COM, that being the possibility that we may, ourselves, be dangerously over-extended in the Middle East. If you have nagging doubts, as we do, you'll appreciate his no-fluff assessment.

Back to the U of O

I haven't been able to follow up on this, but I got a great tip from GaijinBiker at Riding Sun- he caught University President Dave Frohnmayer squirming under the weight of an ever-increasing blogolanche. Go check it out.

UPDATE:

Check out what Deb the Marine Mom had to say...

This Might Hurt a Little

2005-01-24T14:17:00.000-05:00

Before you read this post, I want to caution you- this is not for the weak at heart. Our friend Jordan at Cheese and Crackers tipped me off to this nice little story out of Oregon- courtesy of ABC affiliate KEZI:

"Support our Troop" Stickers...Creates a Stir at U of O

That's right- the University of Oregon has banned the Yellow Ribbon sticker. Writer Andrew Padula is to be commended for bringing this saga to our attention. Thanks, Andrew. Now let's discuss the piece.

In an e-mailed statement.. the University of Oregon says it is unclear if the decals are a political statement.

But to make sure they are in compliance with state restrictions... all stickers were ordered to be removed.

Wow, that's great. If there's ever any doubt, always default to the old "Screw the First Amendment" tactics- it's the best way to silence all those idiots who are dumb enough to love their country.

And then there's this:

The university determined that some may view the yellow ribbons as a political statement....therefore they demanded that all those stickers be removed.

That's brilliant. Imagine the possibilities! Let's ban SUV's and those cool little electro-hybrid thingies- might as well call them politimobiles! Let's ban Heinz ketchup while we're at it. Can we allow the employees to say things like "I love my country" or "Man, I'm glad I don't live in France?" Too political? I thought so.

U of O student Terra Wegner puts it in perspective for us-

"I think it's really a tough situation... because both sides have valid arguments."

Well said, Terra! Can you please share the "valid" arguments in support of the university's decision? No fair saying that they just didn't know what to do so they banned the stickers- they've already made that argument and we all laughed. I want a valid argument. Terra?

Andrew's article is chock full of valid arguments, but I couldn't find any that supported the University of Oregon's dubious position. Check it:

"I don't know how they think these are political.. I think they're patriotic," said Pete Baker, U of O delivery driver. "I'm not democratic or republican.. and I was really surprised the university deemed them to be political," said Baker.

We're all surprised, Peter.

"These are like their offices- they work in them for eight hours a day.. they're going to do something personal with them," said Ron Lattion, facilities Maintenace worker. "I don't think it's political I think they're just trying to support the guys who are putting their lives on the line for this country. Be it right or wrong.. be it right or left."

Good point, Ron. You might very well be the smartest man in Oregon. Hey, I'm just going by what I'm reading in this article. Stay with me here.

"It really comes down to the question of should state employees be allowed to express their opinions," said Morgan Goulding, a Eugene resident.

Ouch. Thanks for playing, Morgan. That's not what it comes down to at all. The university decided that displaying a "support the Troops" sticker is an expression of a political opinion (which it is not) as opposed to an expression of support for the troops (which it clearly is)- and sold it by saying "some people may think this- therefore it is so." Once that was accomplished, they tricked people like you into thinking that the whole debate is about whether or not state employees have the right to express their political opinions. It's an evil trick, but it only works on stoopid people. Sorry. Just read some blogs and you'll get more smarter, I promise.

For you really smart folks out there- I give you this (thanks again, Jordan):

Email University President Dave Frohnmayer (pres@oregon.uoregon.edu) or call his office at 541.346.3036 and let him know how you feel about this policy.

Yes. Tell him what you think. It's fun!

Best Story of the Year Thus Far

This Washington Post article is the most informative and compelling piece of journalism I've seen in quite a while. Here's a teaser:

Imaad began to slap his mother, he said. "The American people are devils," Um Imaad recalled her son repeating.

and

"I used to have a good opinion of the Americans," Imaad said. "But they are the enemy. They are bad."

I know it sounds hard to believe, but please read the whole article. If you read it, you will learn absolutely nothing about American soldiers and even less about Iraqi people. Instead, you will discover how painfully easy it is to be a journalist in today's market. You will begin to understand why more and more people are turning to publications like US Weekly and People for their news and information. No, let me finish. You will hate yourself for laughing about a guy who slaps his momma, but if you go visit Tim Blair's site- you will find comfort in the fact that you are not alone.

So You Say You Support The Troops?

2005-01-23T11:40:00.000-05:00

Hello again. Sorry I've been so scarce. Lots going on these days. I'll get things moving here shortly, I promise. In the meantime, here's a great scoop from Russ Vaughn- thanks, Russ!

So You Say You Support The Troops? 2d Ed.

It's so easy to say you support the troops, regardless of which side you come down on in the issue of the War in Iraq itself. Yeah, you can send care packages and put yellow ribbon magnets on your car to make you feel all warm and fuzzy that you're doing your own small part. You can do as I do and use forums such as this one to expound the viewpoint of the folks we send in harm's way, hoping that someway, somehow, someone who can make a difference may read your rant and actually do that something that makes a difference.

But right now, folks, we have a rare opportunity, a seldom-held power for ordinary citizens, to actually do something for the troops that will bring them more comfort than any supportive letters or boxes of cookies and candy ever possibly could. You see, right now we have the ability to provide them with comfort of mind, to lift a mental and emotional burden that they all carry with them when they enter any theater of combat. We hold in our collective hands the ability to grant them assurance that should the worst befall them, we, their grateful nation, will provide for their loved ones in a manner that will approximate what they would have provided in the normal course of their lives.

Under current law, Uncle Sam is a rather parsimonious patron when it comes to providing for the families of fallen warriors. For example, when an American is killed in combat, the surviving spouse receives a one-time death gratuity of $12,400. Service Member's Group Life Insurance coverage (SGLI) up to $250,000 is available for those service members who can afford to pay the premiums. If the fallen trooper has been in service for an extended period of time, the surviving family may also qualify for the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), which is paid up to age 62 or until the spouse remarries. This SBP benefit is limited to 55 percent of the soldier's retirement pay, in the pay grade at the time of death. With so many combat deaths occurring among the youngest service members, we must keep in mind that this is frequently a pay grade that actually qualifies the family for food stamps and aid for dependent children.

The annual base pay of a sergeant E-5, with six years of service is less than $30,000. With twenty years service his retirement benefit is half of that. Think for a moment what 55 percent of less than $15,000 amounts to. Think about being a young widow trying to raise small children on less than $700 a month. And for lower pay grades, which constitute the majority of combat deaths, the situation is even grimmer because most of them will not have served long enough for their families to qualify for even this miserly benefit. Even if the service member is insured to the maximum amount, an unlikelihood for younger troops, think about how little $250,000 amounts to over the twenty-plus years required to raise and educate children in today's world.

Now think about the benefits conferred by our government on the survivors of 9/11. Yes, think about it long and hard: millions awarded to families because their loved one happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Millions handed to them not because their loved one had volunteered for the hard service of fighting in combat, but had simply shown up for work. Tell me, America: where's the justice in this situation?

Fortunately, there are some in government who have taken notice of this gross injustice and are preparing to attempt a legislative correction long overdue. Senator Joe Lieberman, D-CT, and Senator Jeff Sessions, R-AL, are scheduled to introduce the Honoring Every Requirement of Exemplary Service (HEROES) Act on January 24th. This legislation will increase the benefit paid to the survivors of military personnel killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and future conflicts, from $12,400 to $100,000, retroactive to October 2001. The benefit for non-combat deaths will remain at $12,400. The Act will raise SGLI Insurance coverage from $250,000 to $400,000, with the government paying the premiums for the first $150,000 for military personnel serving in a combat zone, also retroactive to October 2001.

So you say you support the troops? Then as soon as you finish reading this, start hammering that keyboard and let your two senators and your congressman know that you expect no less than their full support for early passage of the HEROES Act. To a person, they all swear they support the troops, regardless of party affiliation or individual positions on the war. Let them know, their future electoral efforts will, in your mind, be dependent upon their actions on behalf of those troops and those families who have given that last full measure of devotion, to their nation.

Want a place to start? For a list of sites with congressional contacts, go here:

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-16,GGLD:en&q=contacting+congress

Get off your butts, America and show you really do support the troops.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne DivisionVietnam 65-66

Paulette Supports the Troops

An excellent email from our friend Paulette Nelson:

Hey !! I wanted to share something with you. Last night I went to Hunter Army Air field, here in Savannah. I went as a volunteer for the USO. It was first trip and I sort of nervous. I get really emotional when it comes to certain things. And our troops as you probably know happen to be one of those things. There were a couple hundred troops from the 3rdID leaving last night. So I went to help. My job was hand out Krispy Kreme doughnuts! OH NO not Krispy Kreme!! I LOVE those sugar balls!! Anyway, I was so amazed at how relaxed and young these guys were!! They were ready to do their job. I watched them line up and board the plane. I was lucky enough to be on the tarmac when they left. I stood in the 30* temp waving a tiny flag. I watched a plane filled with American pride disappear into the night sky. I watched the lights until I could no longer see them. I wish I could describe what I saw and the feelings that I felt. I am overcome by the emotions today. I hope I can go back many many more times. I wish I could have thanked each one of them. But instead I had several actually thank ME! Thank ME for standing there and handing out doughnuts. They made a special effort to come and say thank you. There are just no words to express my gratitude to them or to you. Take care my friend.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts are the best. Thanks, Paulette- and thanks to all the other great Americans who take the time to send us off and welcome us home. I know there are lots of you out there, because I'm a multiple beneficiary of your efforts...

Back In the Saddle

2005-01-18T15:35:00.000-05:00

Thanks for all the kind words- it's really great to be back. Let me try to catch up with a few things that I missed during the hiatus:

1) Charles Graner: I agree with Black5- he should've gotten the max. Still, I won't complain. Kudos to the military jury that saw fit to ignore the outrageous defense thoery that he was "following orders." As if somebody would ever give the order to play naked twister with a bunch of prisoners and expect it to be followed. If I had been given such an order and been dumb enough to follow it, I'd be ashamed to admit it. Anyway- my heart goes out to the child that Charles and Lynndie conceived. Good luck, kiddo...

2) To everybody who's been asking me about what's happening in Fallujah: It should be obvious. You're not hearing anything about it on the MSM. Draw your own conclusions. Remember when Najaf was the hottest topic of the day? Whatever happened to Najaf?

3) Brad and Jennifer: I'm just as stunned as everyone else. To the best of my knowledge, the Pentagon had nothing to do with this unfortunate split. That doesn't mean that Rumsfeld won't have to answer some questions about it- stay tooned.

4) To anyone who sent me an email during the last 2 weeks: I'll respond, I promise. Please give me a couple days. Thanks for caring enough to write. I greatly appreciate all your emails and comments.

More Current Stuff

I watched the exchange between Condi Rice and Barbara Boxer today. It reminded me of my last post before the hiatus- that big debate we had. I think Ms. Rice handled it well. We'll hear more about this...

The Iraqi Election is coming up. It will happen, and it will be historic. I'll devote all of next week's post to this subject, and I have a "Cut to the Chase" interview set up for the 24th. It'll probably be available for streaming on the 25th. I promise to deliver the most honest and informative assessment possible.

Has anyone heard Sean Hannity's new Weekly Wrap-up segment? It's some of the funniest stuff ever. I love the guy who does the Ted Kennedy impression. They're all really good with the voices. There's a free link on his site right now. Go check it out...

Long Time Gone

2005-01-12T13:57:00.000-05:00

Has it really been almost 2 weeks? I think time flies faster in the US. It sure is nice to be back home. Thanks for all the nice comments and emails.

I didn't mean to imply that I was "retiring" from the blogosphere- I'm just not sure what direction I'm going to take with this thing as I make my big transition into the civilian sector. No big deal- I'm sure I'll figure something out. There's plenty of time for all that.

In the short term, we've got some work to do. The Iraqi elections are coming up. I've got some ideas.

Somebody suggested that I renovate the site- give it a big facelift or something. I'm open to change. We'll see what happens.

On Tuesday the 18th, the Forum will once again be open for business. Hope to catch you then...

Begin Hiatus

2005-01-01T14:25:00.000-05:00

Well, folks- the time has come at last. In just a matter of hours, I'll be climbing aboard a great big piece of tin foil that will somehow transport me to my beloved homeland. I'm obviously very excited, and of course I'll be taking some time off from the ol' blogosphere whilst I tend to personal matters. I'm not sure what will happen to this blog in 2005. I like the Commissar's indefinite light blogging idea, but I'll just have to see how it goes.

Some of you may not know this, but in two months I'll be a civilian for the first time since I was 17. Yep, I'm getting out of the Army. It's an Unqualified Resignation from Active Duty- no National Guard, no Reserves. A clean break. This is a decision I made a few years ago, so it's not like I've been doing a lot of soul searching or anything like that. I've enjoyed every minute of my time in the service, and the Army's done more for me than I'll ever be able to put into words. I'm just ready to move on and enjoy other things in life. That doesn't mean I'll stop supporting the cause. I'll just be serving in a different way.

In the meantime, please visit the sites on my blogroll- I put them there because I really like them, and I think they're run by great people. Also, please continue to check the Desert Sky website for updates.

If you're ever in the mood for something "different"- I invite you to check out my brother's site. Yes, we have very different political philosiphisies (my word- I invented it), but we're the best of friends and we both want to help make the world a better place. He is the "yin" to my "yang"- and he's the smartest kid I've ever known. Listen to his music- the kid's a genuis. You might laugh when you see his "optimistic" plans for the Acoustic Circus, but trust me when I tell you- he'll be laughing all the way to the bank when he pulls it off! Most of my family believes he'll wind up being a wealthy Republican Senator after he gets tired of showbiz...but I digress.

Many have asked what I'll be doing and where I'll be living and all that- the truth is I just don't know. I'm sure I'll find something great out there, but it's really not something that anybody needs to be concerned about. As I've said before, this blog was never meant to be about me (today is just an anomoly)- it's supposed to be about the troops who are deployed, who have been deployed, and those who will be deployed. If I can use my combat experience and things I've learned on Active Duty to help debunk fascist mythos or help people understand what's going on over here, then I'm honored to do so. Mostly because I know that it will ultimately help those who chose to answer the call- as well as those who care enough to support them.

Thanks to all of you for making this last "mini-deployment" so much more enjoyable (and rewarding) than it otherwise would have been...

Hang Your Head in Shame

2005-01-01T11:42:00.000-05:00

I wasn't going to touch on this topic, but the outrage has become more than I can bear. How can anyone- I mean anyone- find it in their heart to politicize or in any way agendicize (my word- I invented it) the Tsunami Disaster? It boggles the mind to think that anyone (other than maybe Osama bin Laden) can do this. But it happens. I won't rant about it. It's been done already. Here's what John Podhoretz had to say about the Bush-bashing opportunists from hell:

The political and ideological exploitation of perhaps the worst natural disaster in all our lifetimes is almost beyond belief — were it not for the fact that nothing these days is beyond belief.

Even as tears spring into the most hard-hearted person's eyes at both the unimaginable scope of the tragedy and at the wrenching individual stories of loss, opinion leaders just can't help themselves.

They are using this cataclysm as little more than cheap debate fodder about the nature and character of the United States, its president and its citizens.

Don't misunderstand.

It is fine and proper to have a debate and discussion about the degree of generosity the United States could, should and must show in the wake of this literally earth-shaking event.

But at this moment, the United States is not the issue.

The foreign-aid budget of the United States is not the issue.

Our government should not be the focal point of the discussion right now.

Don't we owe the dead, dying and injured the minimal grace not to convert their suffering into a chat-show segment — the latest left-right clash over the Bush Presidency?

And couldn't the editorialists at The New York Times have forborne — even just for a week — making use of the tsunami to complain about U.S. government spending on "development aid"?

There's more.

Here's what Neal Boortz had to say about the anti-American opportunists from hell:

In the meantime, certain people aren't missing the opportunity to use this disaster to attack the United States and President Bush. CNN was carrying a video clip yesterday showing a disaster survivor screaming "Please tell the world, where is America?" Bear in mind, there is no way in the world that this individual could have had any idea as to who was doing what insofar as relief efforts were concerned. He had just survived a terrible natural disaster and may well have lost members of his family, and there he is asking "Where is America?" His screams just validate what most of us already know ... when times get rough pretty well anywhere in the world the people affected look to America for help. One day they may be demonstrating outside an American embassy demanding for the withdrawal of all things American from their part of the world, and they next day they reflexively look to America for rescue.

America will once again show its generosity and goodness to the world as this disaster unfolds. Ironically it is the very strength that allows us to help at times like these that will insure the continuation of the animosity against our country. It might be a good time to remember that poll that was taken just prior to the presidential election. A surveyed showed that 58% of the various nationalities polled wanted to see the United States and its role in world affairs weakened. A weakened United States could not respond to this disaster in as meaningful a way. These people will put aside their desires for American weakness until this tragedy is passed. Then it will be back to business as usual.

There's more to this one as well. Make sure you go and check out the picture he shows with this post. Make sure you have a barf-bag handy.

If you find anyone spouting off with any of this nonsense, then by all means- command them to hang their head in shame. There's just no excuse...

Meet Logan, Iraqi Boy Wonder

This just in from my new favorite Milblog- In Iraq for 365 (thanks, Andre):

Iraqi boy assists Soldiers as an interpreter and a friend
MOSUL, Iraq – If the Army had an adopt-a-child program, Logan would be the poster child. For more than a year, the 13-year-old boy, who contends he’s 13 and a half, has lived and worked with Coalition forces at a forward operating base in Mosul. The boy speaks four languages and his official title at the FOB is translator and supervisor, but he is a Soldier at heart.

“I want to be an American Soldier when I grow up,” he said. “I really want to be a specialist because those are the guys doing all the work.” With tours with the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division and the Stryker Brigade, when Logan enlists, he may be the most experienced private to ever join the Army.

Go read it. Quick!

Back to the War

Great debate about my last post- if you haven't read the comments, please read them. I believe that the most valuable information and perspectives come out in debates. Real debates- not scripted dog and pony shows.

Chalabi

There's a great post about Chalabi at the Iraqi Elections Blog. I met him when he visited Mosul last year (before he "fell from grace"). I'm not sure what to think of the guy. When the professors complained about pay, he blamed it on the US. We had been breaking our backs trying to fix the pay issues- but the red tape disaster that existed in Baghdad was difficult to overcome. We weren't to blame- Chalabi was. But he ducked the shot and laid the blame on us while we were standing right next to him! Unbelievable. On the other hand, Geraldo Rivera likes the guy. I'm so confused. Anyway- read the article before you form your own opinion. And make sure you bookmark this site! It's important stuff, I assure you.

And Finally

Hope everyone is enjoying a spectacular New Year!

What Went Wrong?

2004-12-31T09:47:00.000-05:00

Heres a good question I get from time to time- "What went wrong with the plan for Iraq?"

It's a fair question, but I do think that people today lack a true understanding of the nature of war. There seems to be very little historical perspective these days. Everybody wants a "quick and dirty" smackdown followed by immediate withdrawal. "War is fine as long as nobody gets hurt." It just doesn't work like that- in fact, it's never worked like that. As a people, I think we Americans have become a little bit spoiled in that sense. Having said that, I do think there were some "miscalculations" made in this war- here's my take on it...

When I was home between tours, I saw a Bill O' Reilly segment where he boasted that he had the "real scoop" on what went wrong with the pre-war planning. His premise- "Chalabi said the Iraqis would welcome us as liberators and immediately take charge of their country and yadda yadda." But the Iraqis didn't do this- and disaster followed. Well, Bill was close- but he way oversimplified it, and he made no effort to talk about what we were doing to fix it- which was a little disappointing coming from Bill. And I'm not sure why he continues to call the current situation a "disaster" (compared to what, Bill?), but I digress...

It is true that we were mislead by the "uberintellectual" Iraqis (Chalabi is the most often cited), but my experience tells me that these people (even Chalabi) were not lying. They actually believed that the Iraqi people would rise up, thank us, take charge, and live happily ever after. This was an elitist view. Most of these "elites" were exiles who could speak freely and give us their honest assessment- some were Iraqi citizens who were using the Internet and communicating their thoughts at great risk to their own lives. In any case, they were all well-educated, but they proved to be pretty out of touch with the less-educated masses.

Saddam never took many polls during his reign, and I'd be pretty skeptical about any that he did take since he won every "election" by a 100% margin (uncontested of course- they were all "Saddam- yes or no"). He certainly never took a poll that asked "OK, Mr. Joe Iraqi- the US invades and chases me out of power. What will you do?" The fact is nobody really knew what they would do, and so the only thing we (or anybody else) had to go on was the assessment given to us by the Iraqi elites.

As I mentioned, the elites were convinced that Iraqis would stand up for "love of country" and unite against evil. They were wrong. Sure, there were some brave souls who did exactly what was expected- but for the most part, "Joe Iraqi" wanted food for his family and he'd prefer not to be killed. That was pretty much it. He'd grown used to the idea that if he keeps his mouth shut and does nothing, then he's got a better chance of living. The insurgents reinforce this idea several times every day (just watch the news).

In retrospect, I'd say it's pretty silly to think that the overwhelming majority of Iraqis would have had this great "love of country," since the overwhelming majority were brutally oppressed by this country's government for the better part of 30 years. Nobody's going to love such a country. We would have done well to understand that these Iraqis needed a whole new country to love- and it takes a great deal of time to build a whole new country. But I won't fault those who didn't realize this initially- I sure didn't see it. I read books and all that- and I believed Chalabi and the gang. Hindsight is indeed 20/20.

Many Iraqi "intellectuals" were still in denial, even after the invasion. I remember in the first months of the occupation- whenever a car bomb went off or insurgents slaughtered civilians in a school yard, the Iraqi professors that I worked with would say, "They're not Iraqis. Iraqi people simply wouldn't do that"- they just couldn't fathom that Iraqi people would do such things. Well, now we know better.

Sure, there are terrorists from foreign lands in the mix. But there are many Iraqis who are fighting in this insurgency as well- and most of these insurgents (re: terrorists) are serving former regime officials and terrorist thugs like Zarqawi for the very reasons that Dr. Harari spelled out for us- "they promise them the delights, mostly sexual, of the next world, and pay their families handsomely after the supreme act is performed and enough innocent people are dead." But there is also another element here- intimidation. Many Iraqis are forced to make a choice for which they are ill-informed to make- side with the Coalition/IIG, and the insurgents might kill me- side with the insurgency, and the Americans might kill me. Unfortunately, many Iraqis believe that their odds are better if they side with the insurgency. Watch Al Jazeera or (even worse) read any news article from the Associated Press, and you'll understand why they believe this. It's not just the propaganda coming from radical clerics and former Saddamites- it's propaganda (under the pretense of "news") that comes to them from our very own United States of America. Furthermore, Americans won't threaten a man's family if he doesn't join the Iraqi National Guard or agree to "sell out" a terrorist financier. Insurgent leaders, however, will execute a man's entire family just for making a financial transaction with Americans. This is pure intimidation, and it works better than we'd like to think.

Iraq's long term success will be defined by improvement in education, the economy, infrastructure, etc. These are super-long term projects, and they won't have any real impact on whether or not we can get out of Iraq in the next 5-10 years. The only thing that's going to get us out of Iraq sooner than later is improved security. What the Iraqis need right now are courageous leaders to step up and lead these people out of this "beaten-down in the dark ages" mentality. These leaders exist in Iraq- they step up every day at great peril to their own lives. Assassinations are rampant. It's bloody and it's ugly. Sort of like a revolution. This is what's happening. Good people like Ali and the guys at Iraq the Model are shining examples of why there is indeed hope.

I will tell you that our greatest hope for improved security in Iraq is a little-known operation based in Baghdad- LTG Petraeus and his Multinational Security Transition Command- Iraq (MSTC-I). Petraeus isn't just churning out thousands of Iraqi troops- his focus is on creating Iraqi versions of George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower, and George S. Patton. He's producing leaders- people that Iraqi soldiers (and Iraqi people) can look up to, admire, respect, and believe in. This hasn't even come into play yet, but it will- sooner than you think. It's the most important project that we have going on there- Colin Powell said it yesterday on Fox News- did anyone catch it? Didn't think so. It's like a big secret that everyone's telling, but nobody's hearing. Stay tooned, because I think this is about to change. I used to work for LTG Petraeus, and I believe he will succeed in this mission- he has never failed at anything. Just watch...

Your Support is Killing Us!

Thanks to Sparkle for directing my attention to one Jeff McMahon of Rutgers:

Vehicles in New Jersey are covered with decals representing little ribbons inscribed with the legend: "Support Our Troops." I have done a lot of driving recently and have noticed geographical disparities in the distribution of these symbols. There are fewer in the Midwest and very few at all in the LA area. They are also disproportionately displayed on SUVs and vans, which isn't surprising given that the owners are disproportionately reliant on the oil supplies that our soldiers are in Iraq to protect (among their other purposes).

What is it exactly that these decals exhort us to do? How can I, or anyone, support the troops themselves? What can we possibly do for them? It seems that the message is really an exhortation to support the war. Why then don't we ever see bumper stickers urging us more straightforwardly to support the war? It seems dishonest, manipulative, and coercive to assert an equivalence between support for a war and support for the participants in the war. The aim of such an effort is to make it seem that to criticize the war is to criticize our young soldiers and perhaps to increase their peril by weakening the war effort.

I'll say nothing. Please feel free to visit him and sound off with your comments. Many people already have...

Update: Jeff shut off the comments on that post. Couldn't take the heat? Hey, you can still email Rutgers!

Let's Hear It For the Youngsters!

In 2008, these young kids will be old enough to vote. Be afraid, Hillary. Be very afraid!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Tsunami Help

2004-12-30T07:44:00.000-05:00

This is looking to be the worst disaster of our time. I just found this site. I'm sure lots of people want to help.

Liberal Voice in Iraq

It's not what you think, I promise! This guy is a "real" liberal- much different than the "fake" liberals that you'd find in Hollywood (end controversial potshot). He believes in helping people and making the world a better place. Check it:

I was watching al Arabiya yesterday and they showed a report about the American families that came with supplies they gathered to help civilians of Fallujah. It was very refreshing and heart warming even for guys like me who have firm belief in the American people's good will. To see families who had their son's, daughters and beloved ones killed in 9/11 and even in Iraq cross all this distance and take all this risk to help Iraqis left me speechless.

There's a lot of distrust and fear among Iraqis and Americans in Iraq (this holds true only in the centre of Iraq, as the situation in the north and south is much better than here) and what these families have done come in a very critical stage and bares a great significance and I just wish it gets more exposure than what it's getting now. I wish you could see the look on my friend's face as he was telling me about how surprised and impressed with the efforts of these great people. These guys have built a strong bridge of compassion and love even though they are the ones who paid the most through this struggle, and I hope there will be more bridges from both sides to help restore the trust and love that means so much for the future of the whole world. God bless you and God bless your beloved ones' souls.

Go to his site, and welcome this great Iraqi to the blogosphere. His name is Ali, but he's not the same Ali that just left ITM. Thanks to Michael Totten for the tip.

News Doctoring 101

Michael Totten also did a nice job deconstructing a recent AFP article. You have to go see it to believe it.

I Think I Might Watch This

Decision 2005- Iraqi style!

Insurgents Come Up Short in Mosul

Check out the latest from Slobodan Lekic- he writes about a recent battle in Mosul that didn't go so well for the bad guys. Looks like he's backed off a bit from the terrorist-propaganda stance that he took with this article that caused me to write this rebuttal. Maybe he knows we're watching him now, because I didn't find anything all that appalling in his most recent piece. Let me know if I'm wrong...

Holy Rotorheads, Batman!

I had no idea so many of you were so well-versed on the superior mode of flight. I was incredibly impressed, and I'll willingly admit that many of you know a good deal more about this stuff than I do. Especially Quilly and Mike- the guys who noticed the 4 blades instead of 5. When I saw Mike's comment, I thought- "Yeah, I remember them having 5 blades, too!" So I opened up my photo file, and I saw some more pictures with only 4 blades. Guess what? They just hadn't hung the 5th blade yet. I finally came upon a shot that we took yesterday morning that shows all 5 blades hanging proudly:

Nice catch!

Tsunami Videos and Charity Links

2004-12-29T09:50:00.000-05:00

Our friend Jordan at Cheese and Crackers is providing some unbelievable amateur video footage along with some great links that can help you to help the victims. His great work was even recognized by Drudge. Nice job, Jordan.

For the Last Time- Leave the Guy Alone

Bryan G. Whitman sticks up for his boss:

Re the Dec. 21 story Rumsfeld is faulted for Iraq abuse: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld never has approved interrogation methods for Iraq. As they have testified before Congress, military commanders approved the procedures in use in Iraq, and it is within their authority to do so.

The FBI document mentioned in the article attributed Iraq interrogation guidelines to a presidential executive order. But the document made no mention of Rumsfeld. The headline conveying that the order came from the secretary was based not on the FBI document itself, but on two anonymous sources who claimed that the FBI official was really referring to the defense secretary.

BRYAN G. WHITMAN, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, Washington, D.C.

Mark Shields Gets the Smackdown from Lawrence Di Rita

Mark Shields stepped on it- and got caught:

Mark Shields' Dec. 18 op-ed column ["Our 'Best Equipped' Army? Baloney!"] distorted or ignored statistics and history to make baseless assertions about how our troops in Iraq are equipped and protected.

Because he cited figures only for armor installed on Humvees in factories, Mr. Shields would lead readers to believe that less than a third of the Humvees in Iraq are protected. In fact, when counting vehicles that have had armor added in the theater, that figure rises to about 75 percent. Military commanders have noted that not every vehicle requires armor at all times, such as those confined to operating within military bases.

Mr. Shields' praise of the manufacturing prowess of the "greatest generation" -- which built America's military might and industry essentially from scratch -- is well founded. His attempt to belittle the performance of today's effort by comparison, however, is invalid.

Consider what the Defense Department, working with industry, has done since the Iraq insurgency -- and with it, roadside ambushes and bombings -- started last year. The production of armored Humvees has increased from about 35 per month to about 450 per month. In addition, since March 2003, the department has spurred production of body armor from 1,200 sets a month to more than 25,000.

Officials in this department at all levels, military and civilian, are doing their best to ensure that our troops in combat have the best protection available. The president has budgeted more than $1 billion in additional funds to ensure that we have sufficient armor, and defense spending overall is up nearly 40 percent since 2001. As our adversary adapts his tactics, military commanders are revising their own procedures and rethinking their equipment requirements. Mr. Shields' op-ed did a disservice to those responsible for providing for the national security.

LAWRENCE Di RITA

Pentagon Spokesman

Washington

Yeah, what he said.

Oops- I Married a Terrorist!

Like many people, I found this unbelievable story at LGF. She claims that she "tried to tell everybody, but nobody would listen"- that just rings a little hollow with me. Her son supposedly went to "terrorist meetings" with the guy. How about bringing a tape recorder or wearing a wire? There are a million different things they could have done, but the truth (as I see it) is that this woman was sad and desperate and she allowed herself to be a victim.

She's now coming clean in an effort to clear herself of any complicity. Again- my $0.02.

Beautiful Atrocities has my all-time favorite take on this one. You must go there and check out the pictures and read the comments.

Mission Accomplished

Thanks to all who inquired- my mission went well. It will be my last mission during this deployment, as I am set to leave in just a few days. I am happy about that. Best thing about this last mission- I got to sit in this cockpit:

Anyone know what this is?

Moore Joke for the Day

I love this.

Out for the Day

2004-12-28T08:51:00.000-05:00

Won't really be able to post today. I just picked up a late mission that will keep me busy all night. Thanks for the feedback about the RSS stuff. Sounds like things are pretty much fixed. Anyone who still has problems can probably blame it on their computer- seems to be working for everyone else.

Looks like Omar at ITM has entered the war against the AP.

Here's another winner from VDH.

My dear mother sent me the following rant by our friend Charlie Daniels. Thanks, Ma! Many of you have probably seen it before, but it's worth another look (my emphasis added):

The Straight Scoop from Charlie Daniels

I've just returned from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Naval Air Station base where we did three shows for the troops and toured several locations around the post visiting with some of the finest military personnel on planet earth. The kids seemed to really enjoy the shows and especially liked "This Ain't No Rag, It's A Flag" and "In America". We had a great time with them.

We saw Camp X-Ray, where the Taliban detainees are being held only from a distance, but I picked up a lot of what's going on there from talking with a lot of different people.

The truth of the matter is that this operation is under a microscope. The Red Cross has an on site presence there and watches everything that goes on very closely. The media is not telling you the whole truth about what's going on over there.

The truth is that these scum bags are not only being treated humanely, but they are probably better off health wise and medically than they've ever been in their lives. They are fed well, able to take showers and receive state of the art medical care. And have their own Moslem chaplain. I saw several of them in a field hospital ward where they were being treated in a state of the art medical facility.

Now let's talk about the way they treat our people. First of all, they have to be watched constantly. These people are committed and wanton murderers who are willing to die just to kill someone else. One of the doctors told me that when they had Taliban in the hospital the staff had to really be careful with needles, pens and anything else which could possibly be used as a weapon. They also throw their excrement and urine on the troops who are guarding them. And our guys and gals have shown great restraint in not retaliating. We are spending over a million dollars a day maintaining and guarding these nasty killers and anyone who wants to see them brought to the U.S.A. for trial is either out of their heads or a lawyer looking for money and notoriety. Or both.

I wish that the media and the Red Cross and all the rest of the people who are so worried about these criminals would realize that this is not a troop of errant Boy Scouts. These are killers of the worst kind. They don't need protection from us, we need protection from them. If you don't get anything else out of this soapbox, please try to realize that when you see news coverage much of the time you're not getting the whole story, but an account filtered through a liberal mind set with an agenda.

We have two fights on our hands, the war against terror and the one against the loudmouthed lawyers and left wing media who would sap the strength from the American public by making us believe that we're losing the war or doing something wrong in fighting it. Remember these are the same people who told us that Saddam Hussein's Republican guard was going to be an all but invincible enemy and that our smart bombs and other weapons were not really as good as the military said that they were.

They also took up for Bill Clinton while he was cavorting around the Oval office with Monica Lewinsky while the terrorists were gaining strength and bombing our Embassies and dragging the bodies of dead American heroes around the dusty streets of Somalia. It's a shame that we can't have an unbiased media who would just report the truth and let us make up our own minds.

Here I must commend Fox News for presenting both sides much better than the other networks. They are leaving the other cable networks in the dust. People like being told the truth.

Our military not only needs but deserves our support. Let's give it to them.
The next time you read a media account about the bad treatment of the Taliban in Cuba, remember what I told you. Been there done that.

Footnote: I got an e-mail from a rather irate first cousin of mine the other day who has a daughter who's a lawyer and she seemed to think that I was painting all lawyers with the same brush. Please understand that I'm not doing that at all. That would be like saying that all musicians were drug addicts. There are a lot of good and honest attorneys out there. I happen to have one of them. But it seems that they never get any airtime. It's always the radicals who get their opinions heard, who fight the idea of the military tribunals and cite The Constitution and the integrity of America as their source of justifying their opinions. Well, first of all The Constitution says "We the people of the United States", it doesn't mention any other country.

And secondly as far as integrity is concerned, I don't think some of these folks would know integrity if it bit them in the posterior.

What do you think?

God Bless America.

Charlie Daniels

Good words, Charlie. We appreciate it.

Earthquake

2004-12-27T10:36:00.000-05:00

Obviously the earthquake/tsunami disaster is the big story right now, and I simply can't fathom the amount of sheer horror that's been going on in those countries that were hit. So many dead- it really puts things in perspective. I'm not an expert on this sort of thing, so I won't comment except to say that my heart goes out to those who have been affected by this disaster. Drudge has a comprehensive round up.

The Professional

Papa Ray pointed me to a site called In Iraq for 365. What a great site. This guy is a Public Affairs soldier and he's currently stationed in Mosul. His writing is excellent, which isn't surprising since it's what he does for a living. It's an absolute must read if you want to know what's really going on in Mosul. And thanks again to Papa Ray for pointing out the story about the two Iraqi soldiers.

No Surprises Here

I direct you to this new Military Times poll:

-63% of respondents approve of the way President Bush is handling the war.

That's pretty much what it was right before the election.

-60% remain convinced it is a war worth fighting.

Yep.

-67% of combat vets say the war is worth fighting.

Makes sense- it's easier to understand it if you've seen it.

-nearly half say they expect to be there more than five years.

I include myself with that half- although I don't think we'll be at the current strength of presence in 5 years. I doubt we'll be in Afghanistan in 5 years, but I could be wrong...

-87% say they're satisfied with their jobs.

Sounds about right.

-25% say they'd leave the service if given the choice today.

Hopefuly, they'll be able to get out soon.

Compared with last year, the percentages for support for the war and job satisfaction remain essentially unchanged.

If nothing else, we're consistent.

-A year ago, 77% said they thought the military was stretched too thin to be effective. This year, that number shrank to 66%.

Wow. Imagine that- we believe in ourselves more and more each day.

-75% oppose a military draft.

It's bad enough that we have those 25% who don't want to be there (some of these soldiers do a fine job anyway, but many of them are what we call "leadership challenges")- a draft would boost that number to well over 40%. That would be awful. Nobody wants that. I'm willing to bet that the same 25% who want the draft are the same ones who said they'd leave if given the choice today.

-60% blame Congress for the shortage of body armor in the combat zone.

Especially the ones that vote for the appropriations bill, before voting against it. Here's the best one of all:

-12% say civilian Pentagon policymakers should be held accountable for abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

I wonder how the NY Times staff of writers would compare to this. My guess is that it would be a mirror image of this number. 88% of them would say that Bush and Rumsfeld are to blame- citing the fact that no soldier would ever sink so low as to play "naked twister" with a prisoner unless he or she was "specifically ordered" to do so by a mean ol' bastard from D.C.

We know better. We know that our fellow soldiers are just as human as anyone else. We're just as human as a former President who likes to play cigar games with interns. We're just as human as the stoopid criminals who do stoopid things in every one of our 50 great states each and every day.

We soldiers are smart enough to know that the Army does not have a "special screening process" that keeps out the morons- we take who we can get and hope for the best.

We are smart enough to know that Boot Camp is effective- not magical. Our ratio of criminal morons vs. good people is better than what it is in the general public- but we'd be foolish to believe that the military is "completely free of idiots."

We are smart enough to look at those pictures and see that those idiots (especially Lyndie England) were getting some sick "kicks" out of what they were doing. Most of us hope those clowns get the book thrown at them.

We are smart enough to know that the Army catches it's criminals, prosecutes them, and punishes them when they're found guilty- just like in the real world!

If only somebody would educate the good folks at the New York Times- they just don't seem to get it.

Update

Thanks to epador for pointing out the follow up to the "Rob story" at the Banty Rooster.

War Against the AP

You've probably noticed some commenters talking about other blog sites that have taken a stance against the AP. It certainly is looking more and more like the AP has taken sides with the terrorists in order to fatten up that bottom line (I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt here- they might just be a bunch of terrorists themselves). I was going to point you to some of the places that these commentators were referring to, but I found that Kate at Small Dead Animals has already done it. Make sure you read the last few posts at the Belmont Club- I really think Wretchard nailed these clowns. Thanks, Kate.

Admin Note

I've gotten a bunch of complaints about my RSS feeds. I'm not very smart about these things. I do know that my template crashed a few days ago, so I had to replace some things. Maybe you have to reset your feeds? I don't know. All I know is that I have my feed on MyYahoo! and it's been working fine. Any ideas? If anyone is having trouble with their feeds, please email me with the RSS service you're using, your browser, and anything else that might help me solve this problem. Thanks!

Must Read Email

2004-12-26T08:33:00.000-05:00

Hello All-

Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend with friends and loved ones. Thanks so much for all the kind words- please know that you are all greatly appreciated over here.

I'm going to enjoy my day off today, but I wanted to make sure everybody sees the must read email at The Banty Rooster. Here's a snippet:

...The soldier was in a bit of disbelief, because he couldn't see with one eye patched and the other swollen shut. He said he wanted to talk to Rumsfeld. That's when I said "He's standing right to your left, Rob, that's his voice you hear. You can talk to him." The kid was nervous at that point, but sputtered out how honored he was to talk to him. Mr. Rumsfeld replied, "No, it's an honor for me to talk to you."

Then remarkably, the young soldier, who had just lost his left hand and right eye from an explosion, came to the defense of the Secretary of Defense, stating "Mr. Rumsfeld, I want you to know, that you are doing a fantastic job. I know that you are taking a lot of heat for the problems with getting armor for vehicles. I want you to know that things are vastly improved. Our vehicles are great, and I have never searched through junk piles for scrap metal."

At this point, Rumsfeld looked choked up, and I had a lump in my throat and watery eyes. It was moving. What makes a man who has been so close to death, and maimed for life, come to the defense of the Army's highest ranking official? Loyalty, I dare say. Did Rob think Mr. Rumsfeld was having a self-esteem problem? In his greatest hour of need, his thoughts went to the emotional needs of another. I found it quite amazing, and moving. The Secretary took out a coin and gave it to a bystander for him, as if he didn't know he could touch him. Finally, the soldier said, "Man, Donald Rumsfeld, I wish I could shake his hand..."

Read the whole thing. It will make you proud to be an American.

Holidays Abroad

2004-12-25T02:03:00.000-05:00

Well, folks- it looks like I'm spending the holidays away from home. I've spent 5 of the last 7 years in some strange land during the holidays, and (believe it or not) I'm totally fine. You all may think that such craziness would be unbearable, but I think you'd be surprised. This post is not a play for sympathy- it is, in fact, an attempt to help you all understand something about this sort of thing.

Being at war during the holidays is tough, but it's probably not as tough as you think- and that has everything to do with the good people who constitute the majority of our great nation. The way you provide us with warm wishes and heartfelt support- it really makes us feel closer to home. If you want an idea of what I'm talking about, just look in yesterday's comments (thanks all). And the emails- you wouldn't believe how many emails. I shared them with everyone here at the office, and we all appreciate it greatly- thanks so much for that.

I've been watching Fox for the past few hours (slow day at the office), and it seems like everyone and anyone is thanking the troops for "leaving their families and fighting for freedom during this holiday season." Well, that's really swell- and I'd just like to say "you're welcome!" and "thanks for the support!"

And now I'd like to thank a few people (if I may):

-Thanks to all those WWE wrestler folks who came out here a few weeks back.

-Thanks to the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders for coming to visit me during the holidays for 3 consecutive years ('98-'01) while I was in Korea. Apologies to the girl who "hurled" in the back of my Black Hawk in '99 (I should have gone a little easier on that turn). Many of you may not know this, but the NFL sends football stars and cheerleaders overseas every year to support the troops during the holidays. John Elway was in Iraq recently. The Redskins Cheerleaders were right here in Kuwait a couple weeks ago. So really, I'd like to thank the NFL for everything they do for us.

-Thanks to the following entertainers who came out to entertain us over the years: Chely Wright, Blues Traveler, Taylor Dayne (remember her?), Charlie Daniels (he played an impromptu concert in my office!), Rob Schneider, Wayne Newton, Kid Rock (didn't really see him, but my old boss took pictures for me at the Baghdad concert), Robin Williams, Leeanne Tweedon, David Letterman, Paul Schaefer, Quiet Riot, Al Franken (didn't meet him either, but my current boss had him sign a picture of Bill O'Reilly for me), Ben Affleck, Ted Nugent, Alyssa Milano, Arnold Schwartze...the Governor of California, and all the other American stars who are carrying on the proud tradition of Bob Hope, Ann Margaret, and many other legends who have given so much to our deployed soldiers. Please feel free to credit any others in my comments. I really could go on forever.

-Thanks to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for visiting me in Mosul last year, and for going back to Mosul (and many other places in Iraq) yesterday.

-Thanks to President Bush for coming to visit the troops in Baghdad last Thanksgiving.

-Especially thanks to all of you, the good people of America, for supporting us the way you do- day in and day out- not just during the holidays. It makes more of a difference than many of you might realize.

Yes, it certainly hurts to be away from loved ones during the holidays, but as you can see, there are plenty of things going on here that help to keep our spirits up.

And speaking of friends and loved ones:

-I'd like to thank all the great soldiers (especially those who are wounded or no longer with us) who I had the honor of serving with during these crazy times so far away from home. We may not have our families out here, but we have each other- and that makes a huge difference.

-I'd like to thank my friends and family for putting up with my never-ending deployments and always letting me know that I am sorely missed.

-And of course most of all- I'd like to thank the most beautiful and amazing woman in all the world- the future "Mrs. 2Slick"- for putting up with way more than one person should have to put up with these past two years. Thanks for believing I'm worth it. I Love you, Sweetie!

Merry Christmas and Happy (belated) Hannukah!!!

Holiday Photoblogging

2004-12-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

As promised, I'll leave you with some pictures that I brought back from Mosul last year. According to a recent article from the AP, these Iraqis no longer exist:

Kids mobbed us every single time we stopped somewhere. I now know what it feels like to be a member of a boy band.

This is me sitting down at at one of the schools we helped to rebuild. The children all belonged to a couple that worked at the school (dad was the janitor). Mom was just about ready to deliver number 6, and she looked all of 22 years old. They're all in my video. Cute kids, huh? Some people think I look like Mel Gibson, but I don't see it.

Soldier having a discussion with the local grocer while his troops go inside to buy some Cokes. Grocer's 6-year-old son just comes out of nowhere, sits down next to the soldier, and puts his arm around him. How cool is that? We barely knew them when this picture was taken. Before we left, we were all very close friends. We'd have lunch together and everything. Good people.

I'll post more some other time...Seasons Greetings!

Can't Miss Interview

2004-12-24T02:03:00.000-05:00

Last night, I stayed up late and called a guy named Marshall Masters (of YOWUSA) for a radio interview- his show is called Cut to the Chase:

An American officer who fought his way into Iraq in 2003, during his first tour of duty is now serving his second tour of duty in Kuwait. Known to netizens as Captain 2Slick, he spends his days fighting the war and his nights fighting the injustices of the American media on his war blog <2slick.blogspot.com>. In this interview, he unravels the agenda-driven spin of the American media, many of who seem to view their blatant mismanagement of the war news as means to an end. The collateral damage that their efforts are causing is deadly to our war fighters and to our chances of achieving victory. Yet, what is truly history making about this interview is that it is unfiltered and direct.

His site can only be described as "outside the box"- and our discussion was excellent. I enjoyed it (if I seem a little tired, it's because I was up way past my bedtime), and I thank Mr. Masters for helping to get the truth out. Please listen to it and let me know what you think.

UPDATE:

Thanks for all the amazing feedback! I'm glad you all got something out of it. I've already scheduled another interview which we'll do about a week prior to the Iraqi elections. I plan to discuss the growing relevance of Iraqi blogs among other things. Really- thanks for listening, and thanks for all your incredible support...

Rumsfeld's Surprise Visit

Fox just showed a meeting that Rumsfeld just had with some troops in Tikrit- the meeting followed his recent "failure to support the troops" while visiting them in Mosul on X-mas Eve. Smiles all around. Soldiers thanked him and said they appreciated his leadership. Therefore, this has no chance of getting any circulation in the press. Prove me wrong press people. Please prove me wrong.

Whenever someone suggests that Rumsfeld doesn't care about the troops, please ask that person how many times they've visited wounded troops at military hospitals. Then ask them if they should be saying these things about a man who practically lives in those hospitals. Tell them to go visit a military hospital just once. It's not an easy thing to do. It would be tougher if you were one of the people who sent them into combat. But the SECDEF does it- all the time.

Back to his meeting with the troops- SECDEF lashed out at the press- specifically Al-Jihada, but he expressed confidence in the American people and their ability to filter out the garbage and find the truth for themselves. I agree with him. Let's see how much coverage this gets.

VDH Watch

Victor Davis Hanson agrees with me- about Rumsfeld and the rogue MSM. Good!

This is Cool

Dave Letterman will be taping his show in the building next to mine in about 2 hours. I will be there. Maybe he'll have "Stupid Milblogger Tricks?"

UPDATE:

Just returned from the show- Dave, Paul, and Biff were hilarious! Very good of them to come out and see us. The troops LOVED it! That place was jam packed and everyone was going nuts the whole time. It wasn't a real "show" (it wasn't taped or anything) it was just sort of a "talent show" hosted by Dave and Paul. Very funny and entertaining. I took some pics and I'll try to post them tomorrow.

Some of you may have seen a comment by "gun toting liberal" yesterday- he did have a point. It'll be a while before any of you see my video (which is separate from the footage that I'm including in Desert Sky), but I do have some good pics from Mosul that I can post. I'll post them tomorrow. I apologize if I came across as obnoxious in my response, Mr. Liberal- wasn't my intent. I was just having fun. Thanks all- and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

About the CW5 in the Franken Picture

I promised "the bronze" that I would write about our new CW5 today. He showed up to our unit about 10 days ago. I went and picked him up at the bus stop. First thing I noticed about him (besides the fact that he could have been my long lost grandpa) was his 101st combat patch. I said, "Hey man! I've got a 101st combat patch," which I turned and showed him, "and our Section Chief, LTC %#%, has one, too! Mine is from OIF last year, and the Chief's is from Desert Storm. Which one is yours from?"

He just looked at me funny. I knew that look. It was a friendly enough look- but it was a look that carried an unspoken message- "I was flying choppers through bullet-storms before your candy a$$ ever saw the light of day."

"Vietnam?"

He nodded. Right then it hit me. I was going to be working with a guy who's been putting himself on the line for his country since well before I was born. What an unbelievable honor. We just don't find many Vietnam Vets around here anymore. He's got some amazing stories, as I'm sure you can imagine. I got to know him pretty well during a recent drive to Camp Doha- he's a really great guy, and I'm glad he's on board.