Thursday, August 23, 2007
BRAZEN # 2
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
BRAZEN # 1
Thursday, August 16, 2007
EXECUTE PADILLA
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
WAR NEWS 15 AUG 07
IRAQ FRONT: Enemy operations can be expected to increase in scope and ferocity as the defeatist imposed September deadline for surrender approaches. Yesterday's events in Iraq are evidence of terrorist plans to come.
1. A U.S. CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter crashed in western Iraq, killing all five servicemen aboard. The crew was conducting a "routine post-maintenance" flight near Al-Taqaddum Air Base in Anbar province.
2. Coalition forces conducted operations in western Baghdad targeting VBED networks. The raids netted two foreign terrorists. (AFP)
3. Working on a tip from local residents, Iraqi and U.S. forces in Mosul freed six men from an Al Qaeda prison. Soldiers from the Iraqi 2nd Army Division and the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment detained a terrorist guarding the men, who had been held bound and blindfolded for two weeks in an attempt to ransom them for $100,000 each. (AFP)
4. Apache attack helicopter crews from the 227th Aviation Regiment discovered a suspicious collection of drums north of Baghdad August 12. The area had been identified as a VBED assembly area, and the drums were destroyed. A later recon of the area showed terrorists had removed the remnants. (AFP)
5. A coordinated VBED attack in northern Iraq left an estimated 200 civilians dead and 30 homes destroyed. The U.S. military said five VBEDs were used, apparently targeting the Yazidi pre-Islamic religious sect. Terrorists have been kidnapping and killing the Yazidi in increasing numbers. The coordinated and simultaneous nature of the attacks point directly to Al Qaeda. (AFP)
AFGHAN FRONT: Yesterday's events reflect the growing desperation of Al Qaeda and their inability to mount a strategically significant attack.
1. Poland has suffered their first military KIA in Afghanistan. The death was the result of a grenade blast. Polish forces are part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and are heavily involved in providing security in Paktika and Ghazni provinces. (AFP)
2. Three senior German police officers involved in security for the German ambassador were killed when their vehicle was struck by an IED. (AFP)
3. In Logar province, south of Kabul, nine suspected Taliban were killed by Afghan police. (REUTERS)
4. Afghan and coalition forces have launched a major operation against terrorists once again using the Tora Bora mountains as refuge. (AFP)
HUSSEIN OBAMA GOES TOO FAR: The emptiest of suits ever to run for President of the United States cannot help himself. His true feelings and naive views of the world keep leaking out. This time he's gone way too far, and is once again demonstrating his total inexperience and lack of qualifications for office. "We've got to ge the job done there and that requires us to have enough troops so that we're just not air raiding villages and killing civilians," Obama said yesterday. Really. Not only is Hussein Obama inexperienced, he's also proving his true feelings about our military. No one with that sort of contempt for our men and women in uniform should be allowed anywhere near the Oval Office. Obama and his defeatist buddies can try to wriggle out of their propaganda support for Al Qaeda, but it won't work.
JINGOCON
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
WAR NEWS 14 AUG 07
Monday, August 13, 2007
WEEKEND WAR NEWS
Friday, August 10, 2007
WAR NEWS
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SPEAKING OF NORTH KOREA: The NKs are complaining about an upcoming joint U.S.-South Korean military exercise called Ulchi Focus Lens. During a meeting of Colonels from the United States and NK at Panmunjom, the exercises were termed a prelude to war and invasion. Some unidentified South Korean governement types even floated the idea of postponing the maneuvers, scheduled for August 20 -31, after the NK government threatened to cancel talks on their nuclear program. That would be a very bad idea. The opposition to the dictator in NK should remain strong and as unified as possible. Allowing the NKs to alter American defense policy is unacceptable: conduct the exercises, and make sure they get full media coverage.
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AFGHANISTAN UPDATE: Coalition forces fought off an attempted Taliban ambush Thursday. The fighting stretched through the day after an estimated 50 Taliban tried to ambush a joint Aghan and Coalition patrol. The result: 10 Taliban KIA. Meanwhile, tribal villagers in western Afghanistan threw down with the Taliban, killing 5 and taking 2 KIA of their own. Additional word is that the Pakis are using attack helicopters in NW Pakistan operations, and have reportly killed a dozen or so Taliban in the last several days.
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BILLARY: It seems Billary may have spoken too soon in her beratement of Hussein Obama last week. Billary said in April of 2006, in reference to Iran: "I would certainly take nuclear weapons off the table." That contradicts her statements last week on several occasions chastising Obama for making essentially the same declaration about Pakistan / Afghanistan. Obama should hit her hard with this glaring hypocrisy, but if he follows his prior pattern, he won't.
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HOLLYWOOD THANK YOU: Much respect and many thanks to comedian Kathy Griffin. She is participating in the Army's Operation Tribute to Freedom, and recognized Iraq and Afghan front vets during her July 27 performance at the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. Our military could use more celebrities like Kathy supporting them.
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JINGOCON
Thursday, August 09, 2007
WAR NEWS
CRACKING THE CODE: Army LTC Morschauer of the 2nd Bn., 2nd Bde, 15th Artillery, 10th Mountain Division, says U.S. forces have "cracked the code when it comes to working with the Iraqi Army" in Mahmudiyah. LTC Morschauer's unit is working with the "Baghdad Eagle Division" of the Iraqi Army.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
AL QAEDA IN IRAQ UPDATE
Three recent Pentagon reports indicate our forces in Iraq are making good progress against Al Qaeda and other terrorist elements. None of these reports will be widely disseminated by the media as they should be. The battle with Al Qaeda in Iraq is fully engaged, the terrorists are being killed or captured in large numbers, and our forces are the giving the enemy a good thumpin'.
BG Kevin Bergner tells us 18 senior Al Qaeda members were killed or captured in July, among them the senior Iraqi Al Qaeda operative, Khaled al Mashhdari, captured (ironically) July 4. Last week, Iraqi Army forces shot and killed three thugs from the Islamic State of Iraq terrorist group. On August 2, a coalition air strike killed Haitham Sabal al Badri, the dirtbag responsible for both of the Samarra Golden Mosque bombings and several other attacks on Americans. BG Bergner also pointed out Al Qaeda hasn't gone away, having launched a truck bomb attack in Tal Afar that killed 29 and wounded 50.
U.S. Army Colonel John Charlton says progress in Anbar is nothing short of "remarkable". He has seen attacks in his AO drop from 30 - 35 per day to an average of less than one per day. Following large scale operations to root out the terrorists, American and Iraqi forces working together extablished joint security stations, moved into the neighborhoods, and began conducting joint patrols. Al Qaeda hasn't quit on his turf either. An apparent attempt to infiltrate Ramadi with 60 -70 well-equipped terrorists, some of them complete with suicide belts, was detected and the enemy were eliminated. Good work, men. COL Charlton also says the previously pathetic 200 man Ramadi police force has grown to 7,400 cops deployed in 30 stations.
Finally, Army Colonel Mark S. Martins (SJA/MFI) tells us three Iraqi snipers have been convicted and sentenced to death for the shootings of two coalition soldiers and nine others. The three confessed members of Jaysh al-Islami were captured by the Iraqi Army after a two month shooting spree in Baghdad. These vermin had a van set up for sniping and were taping their attacks. Convictions and sentences like these can only help.
JINGOCON
CONTAMINATION FROM CHINA
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
CLAYMORE 07 AUG 07
DEMOCRAP FORUM: The bulk of the Dem Presidential candidates met in Chicago in a forum organized by the AFL/CIO. I'm not really sure why it wasn't called a debate, but it was essentially a rump kissing rally. Each candidate went to great lengths to smooch butt on union issues, even arguing over the number of picket lines walked. All maintained their uniformly socialist healthcare agenda and "Bush is bad rhetoric". None could explain what they would do if American forces withdraw from Iraq only to see Al Qaeda reign supreme. Kucinich once again provided the humor, while the U.S. Senators in the race spent time complimenting each other. Ho-hum. Billary did manage to utter the phrase "Islamic terrorism", which I guess is significant progess.
HOT IRAQ SUMMER: Expect the pace of combat in Iraq to pick up dramatically in the next several weeks leading up to the self-imposed September judgement time. The terrorists are well aware that any KIAs inflicted on U.S. forces now will be decried and used for political advantage by the Democraps next month. A sudden spike in American deaths or a large scale attack near the end of the month are both possible. The absence of such activities will be a fantastic sign of progress. It will be because they can't, not because they don't want to.
FRANKIE COLEMAN SKATES AGAIN: Frankie Coleman, wife of Columbus, Ohio Mayor Mike Coleman, has used alcohol as a public crutch to escape fair punishment once more. After largely avoiding any real punishment for a previous DUI arrest, Mrs. Coleman pleaded no contest and was sentenced on charges of falsification and attempted theft in office after her state job employment time sheets came into question. Mrs. Coleman submitted hours for which she was completely absent or habitually tardy. She could have faced up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine on each count, but miraculously received five years probation, a $500 fine on each count, and 100 hours community service. Maybe Mrs. Coleman's problem is a lack of accountability because she escapes significant penalties for her problems. This is the sort of sentence that shakes faith in the judiciary and points out the advantages of celebrity, even if it's local. The judge should have maxed her out. I wonder what I would get for equivalent crimes?
JINGOCON
Monday, August 06, 2007
DEFENSE BUDGET?
Our sad little Congress managed to pass a defense budget of a sort before their recess. Maybe after recess we can give them milk and cookies and put them down for a long nap. Suffice to say the nation is a tad more secure, at least until after Labor Day. The defense authorization approved by these merry men and women did not include funds for the Iraq and Afghanistan fronts, setting up another session of political theater in September to coincide with the surge review from General Petraeus.
Highlights and lowlights of the authorization included:
- added funds for National Guard and Reserve equipment (much needed);
- an additional 12,000 soldiers and marines (not enough);
- added funds for military healthcare and housing (not enough);
- funds to continue the F-22 Raptor program (right on);
- an increase of $1B to $8.5B for SDI (commendable, but not enough);
- a military pay increase of 3.5 percent, 0.5 percent more than Bush asked for (?);
- funds for 12 additional naval vessels, 5 more than the Pentagon asked for; and
- a nasty little bitter pill banning permanent bases in Iraq.
I cannot explain the administration asking for anything other than the maximum pay raise they can wring out of Congress. Perhaps other budget priorities forced that move. The ship funding is also classic U.S. Congress, building more ships than the Navy even requested. Situations like that create waste and mismanagement. The bit about permanent bases in Iraq is laughable. I guess it will all swing on who defines "permanent", but it could lead to substandard housing for our forces in Iraq.
The worst part of the budget is what's not there. No funds for the Iraq or Afghanistan were provided, oddly enough. That is no accident and reflects the extreme politicization of the war by the Democrap Congress. September will present an opportunity for the surrender monkeys to hurl feces at the President and our military, and you can bet they'll take every chance they can get. No matter what the surge evaluation says, preliminary as it will be, the Dems will paint the worst possible picture they can. They have invested themselves in defeat and cannot change course . If our commander on the scene reports good news, it will be distorted and twisted by the Dems and the media. Failure to fully fund national defense in order to set up a Congressional drama is despicable.
Congress should be applauded for many elements of the budget, but the rotten parts and the theater set up override the positive notes. We should all try to enjoy the next several weeks without Congress, because their return will not be pleasant. This Congress has a slim record of actual legislation and a thick record of political squawking, most of it aiding and abetting the propaganda arms of Al Qaeda. This new boss is much worse than the old boss, expecially because of their pious attitude toward ethics. Perhaps the Army can provide them with a copy of the Code of Conduct, an item sorely needed on the Hill.
JINGOCON
Friday, August 03, 2007
THE BRIDGE
Breaking news of the collapse lit up the cable news tree from top to bottom. It was so big O'Reilly was bumped. Fox stayed with the story literally all night. What really raised questions for me was the almost instantaneous reaction by Homeland Security downplaying the possibility of terrorist involvement. How can they be so sure so fast? That kind of makes one wonder what kind of program they're running over there.
Now the criticism: ENOUGH! I think several days of nonstop coverage is quite sufficient. It is also clear that we need a few ground rules for the use of terms like accident, tragedy, and disaster. An accident is when there's a pileup on the freeway. A bridge collapse is no accident: gravity is a constant, and the rest falls on the heads of the humans building and maintaining. A tragedy is when death befalls a promising individual or small group, or a historical building falls tothe wrecking ball. The collapse of a bridge is horrific, but not a tragedy: it fell all on its own, without a bright future. A disaster is a massive tornado, or a volcano, or a tsunami. Perhaps the rules governing certain terms implies a body count, as primitive as that seems. Every five seconds the cable talking heads grew solemn and you knew "tragedy" or "disaster" were coming. Ridiculous. Now the death toll appears to be much smaller than originally thought, fortunately.
Speculation about every aspect of the collapse, always preceded by a declaration admitting uninformed guessing, began immediately. Anyone who ever drove across a bridge became an instant expert. It should be weeks or perhaps months before anyone knows anything about causation. That is not a conclusion any expert or panel of experts can satisfactorily reach overnight. The wild guessing just made me reach for the remote. Finally I had to flee to the web to get any war news at all.
It took until today for the media to let me know my home state of Ohio has nearly 200 bridges of the type that collapsed, more than any other state. Very timely.
One final item: The fellow on the schoolbus who kicked open the emergency door and helped the kids get out is a good man, but not a hero. He just happened to be there. If he's a hero, then so is the doorman at a hotel.
JINGOCON