Lt. Smash, over at Indepundit, has a post you've got to see about not-so-cheery Zarqawi-related letter that was obtained...

Letter to Zarqawi Captured

If you need a little teaser....

"...But morale is weakening and there is (unclear word: either "exhaustion" or "confusion") among the ranks of the mujahedeen..."

Received via email:

TO ANNOUNCE MILITARY SPOUSE APPRECIATION DAY, FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2005.

"If the military had wanted you to have a spouse, they would have issued you one." Remember those words? Well, that was then and this is now. America's military has realized and acknowledged the significance of the military spouse. In 1984 President Reagan proclaimed the Friday before Mother's Day of each year to be Military Spouse Appreciation Day. It is your day to stand up and be honored.

For the times you've stood and watched a ship sail from the harbor, an aircraft disappear into the clouds, or a truck convoy pull out of sight, not sure when they would return, we thank you.

For the countless household moves you've made from a place you know to one that's strange and different - often by yourself - we thank you.

For the families you've held together, for the anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays you've celebrated alone, we thank you.

For the hand you've extended to another military spouse when the need was there, truly creating a military family, we thank you.

For the spirit and strength you've shown when your service member has gone into harm's way, we thank you.

For the pride you've displayed while serving as an ambassador of the military spouse to the rest of the world, we thank you.

Far too frequently, the sacrifices and dedication of the military spouse have gone unnoticed and unappreciated. In our nation's recent history, thousands of service members have been placed in harm's way as they stood watch as freedom's guardian. You too have stood watch at home, facing challenges alone. You have waved flags and held banners high to express your support. You have kept the candles burning on the home front as a reminder of our deployed military.

You have made difficult sacrifices of your own, and have called upon your inner reserves to nurture family life so your service member can focus on the business at hand.

Even in times of relaxed alert status for our military, you have stood ready and alert for the slightest of signs, perhaps overlooked or ignored by your civilian counterparts, signaling a potential change in the status of our military forces. As a military spouse, you have willingly packed up and relocated countless times, and may have been separated from your own parents and siblings for several years at a time.

Quite often, you have been placed in an unfamiliar ethnic or cultural setting, or a remote location. You have met this challenge with confidence and pride, making your nation proud of you. By the same token, you have extended your hand and hospitality to visitors to our country.

A country cannot count itself strong by its armed services alone, but must also depend on its civilians. With military wives and husbands setting a superior example through devotion, courage, and commitment, we are a nation of strength.

Military spouses -- stand tall, stand proud!! We salute you; you are truly our unsung heroes.

Thanks to Jill - one of those unsung heroes - for passing this along.

U.S. soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment search the perimeter of a home during an early-morning raid in Baghdad, Iraq, April 30, 2005. U.S. Army photo



U.S. soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment search a stopped vehicle early in Baghdad, Iraq, April 30, 2005. U.S. Army photo



A U.S. soldier from 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment prepares to enter a home of a suspected insurgent during an early-morning raid in Baghdad, Iraq, April 30, 2005. U.S. Army photo



A U.S. soldier from 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment scales a wall to reach the yard of a suspected insurgent's home during an early-morning raid in Baghdad, Iraq, April 30, 2005. U.S. Army photo

LOCKED DOOR — U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Brian Criss fires his shotgun onto a door lock to allow his fellow Marines to enter and secure the room during a cordon and knock within the neighborhood of Kharma, Iraq, April 19, 2005. Criss is assigned to 3rd Battalion, Eighth Marine Regiment, India Company, 4th Platoon. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Matthew Hutchison

Remains Found From Apparent Crash
BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 3, 2005 — Early this morning local time, search teams located the body of a pilot from one of two missing U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 aircraft from the USS Carl Vinson, according to Multinational Force-Iraq officials. The aircraft had been flying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom when contact was lost at approximately 10:10 p.m. May 2. The status of the second crew member is unknown at this time and search efforts continue. There was no initial indication of hostile fire in the area at the time contact was lost. The incident is under investigation.

JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Body of missing U.S. pilot found in Iraq
Pakistan building collapse kills 25
2,300-year-old mummy unveiled in Egypt
England pleads guilty to abusing prisoners
Italy: Agent's shooting not deliberate


CENTCOM
CONTACT LOST WITH TWO U.S. MARINE F/A-18S


US News: Iraq News
Abu Ghraib photos to embarrass
Iraqi Leaders Seek Deal Amid Bloodshed
Italy Says Stress and Inexperience Played a Role in Killing of Italian Agent in Iraq
Two U.S. fighter jets apparently collide over Iraq; search on for crew members.
Australian troops in Iraq distinguished by red kangaroos
"Operation Yellow Jacket" Sends Supplies For Troops In Iraq
Rescue team sent to Iraq
16 including UK soldier killed in Iraq
Australia won't bow to Iraq kidnappers' demand, says Howard
Attacks target Iraq future
Saddam rejects Rumsfeld offer of release: Daily
Italy criticizes U.S. over its Iraqi checkpoints
Cambodia's killing fields get privatized
New airline democratizes Brazil's skies
Margaret Hassan's killers seized in Iraq
Fremont Native Dies In Iraq Fighting
U.S. probe finds new data on Iraq attacks
What 'minuteman' vigil accomplished
UK's Blair stands firm on Iraq as poll lead grows
Italy: Agent's shooting not deliberate
U.S. military loses contact with two jets
UN appalled at deaths of more than 100 Iraqis since Friday
2 Bombs Explode In Baghdad
Australia asks UN to help rescue Iraq kidnap victim
U.S. military misses recruiting goals amid Iraq war
Koizumi thanks Dutch for Iraq security
Iraq killing won't harm Italian-US ties
Who's who: the Iraqi government
A Look at U.S., Italian Reports (AP)
More Deadly Bombings as Iraqis Debate Last Cabinet Posts
British soldier killed in Iraq
By chance, Boy Scout meets guardsman he sent packages in Iraq
Former Iraqi diplomat ordered out of New Zealand
Two Fort Carson Soldiers Killed By Iraq Bomb
Thanks From Iraqis To American Sacrifice
Iraq Still Fixing Leak In North Oil Export Pipe - Source


Fox News
'Stress' Cited in Italian Agent's Shooting in Iraq
Army Misses Recruiting Goal
England Pleads Guilty to Abuse at Abu Ghraib
Man Finds Finger in Custard
Pilot's Body Found
No Word on Kidnapped American
Clash With Insurgents Kills 12
Pakistan Explosion Kills 25
Photo Essay: Building Collapse


Department of Defense
Arrival Sets Tone for Civic Leaders Visit — Story Photos
U.S. Strategic Command to be More Flexible — Story

ON THE GROUND
Norway Donates Tent Kits to Afghan Army — Story
Communications Platform Proves Its Worth — Story
'White Devils' Recon Khost Province — Story

IN IRAQ
Operation Spring Cleaning Targets Insurgents
Deployed Guard Troops Walk to Raise Awareness
Fuels Airmen Cultivate Balad Farm
Soldiers, K-9 Partners Work to Deter Attacks

IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghan Army Gets Armored Personnel Carriers
Khost Team Helps Restore Mosque, Shrine

IN THE HORN OF AFRICA
Mobile Training Team Visits Camp Lemonier

FACE OF DEFENSE
Army Officer Paves Way for Fellow Islanders — Story

Singers to Salute Troops
Keni Thomas: 'Not Me'
Rockie: 'Red, White and Blue'
Morgan Has Vet’s Perspective

TOP NEWS
IN IRAQ
Calipari Death a 'Tragic Accident'
U.S. Troops Get Suspects, Weapons
Troops Rescue Blackmailed Man
Iraq Daily Update
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps
Weekly Progress Report (pdf)

IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghan National Police Capture 6
Afghanistan Daily Update
Maps


WAR ON TERRORISM
Iraqi Appreciates U.S. Sacrifices
Senators Get Intel Update
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
Commissary a Prime Perk
National Guard, Reserve Update

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Marine Casualty — Story


Today in History
1568 - In Florida, French troops slaughter hundreds of Spanish.
1859 - France declares war on Austria.
1863 - In the second day of the Battle of Chancellorsville, the Confederates take Hazel Grove. 1865 - President Lincoln's funeral train arrives in Springfield, Illinois.
1926 - US Marines land in Nicaragua.
1942 - The Battle of the Coral Sea - the first modern naval engagement - begins
1946 - In Tokyo, the International Military Tribunals for the Far East begins hearing the case against 28 Japanese military and government officials accused of war crimes in World War II.
1951 - The Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees begin their closed-door hearings into the dismissal of Gen. Douglas MacArthur by President Truman.
1952 - The first airplane lands at the geographic North Pole.
1965 - The 173rd Airborne deploys to South Vietnam.
1968 - After three days of battle, the U.S. Marines retake Dai Do in Vietnam, only to find the North Vietnamese have evacuated.
1971 - James Earl Ray, Martin Luther King's assassin, is caught in an attempted jail break.
1979 - Margaret Thatcher becomes the first woman prime minister of Great Britain.
1982 - In the Falklands, a British submarine sinks Argentina's sole cruiser.

Birthdays
1469 - Nicolo Machiavelli, political advisor / writer.
1898 - Golda Meir, 4th Prime Minister of Israel.