Former hostages allege Iran's new president was captor
06/30/05 12:03 PM, EDT
A quarter-century after their 444-day ordeal at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, several former hostages say Iran's hardline president-elect, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was one of their captors.
FULL STORY

“I LOVE GITMO” CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED BY MOVE AMERICA FORWARD


(SACRAMENTO) – The non-profit group that supports our troops and the war against terrorism, Move America Forward (website: http://www.moveamericaforward.org/), has launched a campaign to rally public support for the Detention Center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The “I LOVE GITMO” campaign will take to the airwaves in the form of paid commercials urging Americans to support the men and women operating the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

The commercials will target those individuals who have put forth false charges about the operations at the facility so that their constituents can know about their “Blame America First” antics. One example is Illinois Senator, Dick Durbin who said GITMO and those running it had created an environment akin to the "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime -- Pol Pot or others."

“GITMO is a key arsenal in the fight against terrorism, and Americans must stand behind the heroic men and women of the Armed Forces who serve proudly there,” said Howard Kaloogian, Co-Chair of Move America Forward.

The campaign to support GITMO was launched on Thursday with the release of the “I LOVE GITMO” bumper sticker. Thousands of these bumper stickers have been sold in the first 24 hours they were available online at http://www.moveamericaforward.org/

“These terrorists detained are not common criminals; they are enemy combatants in our war against terrorism. They are not entitled to all of the rights that someone arrested in this country gets. Just like we held German and Japanese prisoners of war during World War II, we have to confine enemy combatants so they stop killing Americans serving their country in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Kaloogian added.

On the website Move America Forward notes that the food served to the terrorist detainees and terrorist suspects held at GITMO is better in many cases than the food being served to our troops in the Armed Services. Congressional decree prevents the military from serving MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat – vacuum packed sealed food bags served to U.S. troops) to detainees because it would be considered “abuse.”
Instead, in the past week the anti-American terrorists and terrorist suspects held at GITMO have been served:

*Orange Glazed Chicken
*Rice Pilaf
*Steamed Peas & Mushrooms
*Fruit Roupee

In addition, on Ramadan the terrorists held at GITMO are served lamb, dates and honey as part of their religious observance.

GITMO detainees also are provided prayer mats and prayer oils and are allowed to pray five times per day – something that even U.S. schoolchildren are forbidden from doing.

“In recent days we’ve seen certain liberal politicians have the audacity to undermine American troops by falsely accusing them of torture and misconduct, including bogus charges of desecrating the Koran” said Melanie Morgan, Co-Chair of Move America Forward.

“These shameless individuals, interested in selling magazines or rallying their leftist political followers, are willing to denigrate the important mission being conducted by our troops in Guantanamo Bay.

“By falsely provoking anti-American sentiment overseas, these domestic enemies who have fanned the flames of a ‘Gulag at Guantanamo’ are jeopardizing the lives and well being of our servicemen and women stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Morgan.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.—Marines from 1st Fleet Anti-Terrorism Team, 1st platoon, 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, secure a building after it has been hit with a smoke bomb at the Military Operations in Urban Terrain training area here June 21. The training exercise was a three-day evolution where the Marines were tasked with securing a consulate in a troubled area. Photo by: Sgt. Tracee L. Jackson

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.—Marines from the 1st Fleet Anti-Terrorism Team, 1st platoon, 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, stand at the ready while fighting off an attack during a training exercise at the Military Operations in Urban Terrain training area here June 23. The Marines were being evaluated on their use of lethal and non-lethal force, as well has how to handle a variety of scenarios they may soon encounter in a real-world contingency. Photo by: Sgt. Tracee L. Jackson


MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.—A Marine from 1st Fleet Anti-Terrorism Team, 1st platoon, 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, reinforce the perimeter of a building during a training exercise at the Military Operations in Urban Terrain training area here June 21. The Marines had to continually repair and maintain their positions due to ongoing attacks by Marines from 4th MEB Headquarters playing the role of aggressors.Photo by: Sgt. Tracee L. Jackson

More pictures, and the story, at Marine Corps News

Received Via Email...

My name is Stephanie Holbrook. I am writing to you on behalf of the U.S. Army to inform you about Operation Tribute to Freedom (OTF), which is a program designed to honor Soldiers and give them opportunities to thank the American people for their support.

Just as Soldiers vow to never leave a fallen comrade, OTF refuses to leave a Soldier’s story untold. By working with Army Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) around the country, OTF identifies ongoing media, speaking, and recognition opportunities to ensure that homecomings last longer than one day and that American Soldiers stay connected with the American public.

Please view the Operation Tribute to Freedom Web site here:

http://www4.army.mil/otf/indexFlash.php

As part of the Army's 230th birthday celebration that took place on June 14th, Lycos.com, one of the world's leading search engines, has created a special homepage promotion dedicated to OTF and all military supporters. The Lycos.com "dog" mascot is wearing a camouflage jacket in honor of the Army's birthday through July 3, 2005. Lycos also owns the free Web-page/blog building site, Tripod.com. Their new program, "Tripod for Troops," allows anyone in the military to build a free Web page or blog using special, new military templates and designs. The "Tripod for Troops" program was inspired by the OTF program, but is intended for all members of the military, their loved ones, and supporters.

We would be thrilled if you could let your Web site visitors know about this new, free, military-focused Web-page building tool on the Tripod for Troops Web site:

http://www.tripod.lycos.com/campaigns/landing/army.html

I've attached more information from the Army's official Web site below, but any type of promotion and link back to the "Tripod for Troops" site would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time and we hope your site visitors find this new tool both useful and inspirational!

Best,

Stephanie Holbrook

Army Web site's Story on "Tripod for Troops:"

http://www4.army.mil/news/article.php?story=7459

The following has been posted online at: MoveAmericaForward.org

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

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 discredit the 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 the war 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, "Tortured Words," 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 Forward
http://www.MoveAmericaForward.org

Empire State native deploys to help make a brighter Iraq
Cpl. C. Alex Herron2nd Marine Aircraft WingOn Sept. 11, 2001, Lance Cpl. James Connolly was a senior at Walter Panas High School in Westchester, N.Y. While the horrible events of that day took place only 40 minutes away he felt helpless as he watched the news on television...

News of Note
If you read nothing else today, read this one:
Al Qaeda Manual Drives Detainee Behavior — If you're a Muslim extremist captured while fighting your holy war against "infidels," avoid revealing information at all costs, don't give your real name and claim that you were mistreated or tortured during your detention. Story

Operation Iraqi Freedom
Iraqis Nabbed Near Border- Video: Border Bust

Operation Enduring Freedom
SERVICE MEMBER MISSING (CENTCOM News Release)

Fallen Heroes
Military: 17 Believed Dead in Chopper Crash

War on Terror / Homeland Security
U.S. Capitol Briefly Evacuated
U.S. reiterates $5M reward for hijackers

Well, at least we know where all that U.S. funding is going...
U.N. Probes 'Secret Prisons'
3 more oil-for-food reports to be issued

Other News of Note
New Freedom Tower Design

Fox News
Bush Announces New FBI Unit
Blair 'Astonished' by Claims U.S. Rushed to War
Settlers Protest Gaza Plan

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqi forms political front for insurgents
Lebanese lawmakers nominate prime minister
ICC lays out prosecution plans for Sudan
Hezbollah attack wounds 6 Israeli soldiers
Iran council OKs presidential vote results
Ex-Gitmo inmate acquitted of all charges
Iraq captors free Turkish businessman
Iran's new president now looks to economy
Saudi official warns of more terrorism
Jewish settlers clash with Palestinians
Syria and Iraq discuss restoring full ties

Reuters: Top News
White House endorses U.S. intelligence changes
Israeli army ejects rightist Jews from Gaza outpost
Judge gives extension to reporters in leak probe

CENTCOM: News Release
UPDATE: U.S. HELICOPTER CRASHES NEAR ASADABAD

Department of Defense
Pentagon Holds Global Town Hall Meeting — Story
Senate Holds Leader Confirmation Hearings — Story
Bush Discusses U.S. Troop Levels in Iraq — Story Photos Transcript
President: U.S. Will Remain Until Job is Done
Officials: Religious Practices Respected — Story
Detainees Treated Humanely

ON THE GROUND
Marines Give, Receive Key Insights in Georgia — Story
Training for Iraq Boosts Security in Caucasus
Iraqi Police Train for 'Hardest Job in the World' — Story
Operation Diablo Reach Back Targets Militia — Story

IN IRAQ
Airman Tests New Body Armor
Former Professor, Students to Deploy to Iraq
Engineers' Gulf Region Division Has New Commander
Soldiers Bring Fresh Drinking Water to Iraqis
Airborne Army Medics Work to Save Lives
Battalion Aid Station Finds Order in Chaos

IN AFGHANISTAN
Mountain Warfare Instructors Train Troops Photos
Deployed Marine Shares Combat Skills

FACE OF DEFENSE
Engineer Helps Iraqis Rebuild — Story

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU
Leaders Call on American Support — Story
Couple Helps War-Wounded GIs
President Thanks Troops
Baseball Pitchers Show Support

TOP NEWS
IN IRAQ
Task Force Liberty Find Caches
Rumsfeld Discusses Media Focus
Rice Topic: Progress, Insurgents
Focus on Progress, Leaders Say
Momentum Favors Democracy
Iraq Daily Update
Multinational Force Iraq
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps
Weekly Progress Report (pdf)
'Eye on Iraq' (pdf)
Fact Sheet: Helping Women in Iraq

IN AFGHANISTAN
NATO Unit Deploys to Afghanistan
Afghans Rescued from Floodwaters
Afghan Ready to Begin West Point
Afghanistan Daily Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Camp Paves Way for Future Ops
DoD Works to Improve Detainee Ops
Detainees Medical Policy Reaffirmed
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
17 Aboard Crashed Chinook
Families to Receive MIA Remains
Hearing Looks at Overseas Basing
Educators Seek Ways to Help Kids
Hill Hearing: Veterans' Health Care
Reserves, Guard Bring Vital Skills
FDIC Supports Guard, Reserves
National Guard, Reserve Update

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Army Casualty — Story

PHOTO ESSAY - JOINT MISSION, DELES, IRAQ
More Photos More Photo Essays

Weather
from The Weather Channel

Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Gitmo

Today in History
1294 - Jews are expelled from Berne, Switzerland.
1794 - Battle of Fort Recovery, Ohio.
1834 - Congress creates the Indian Territory (Oklahoma).
1859 - Charles Blondin becomes the first to cross Niagara Falls - on a tightrope.
1862 - Day 6 of the 7 Days - Battle of White Oak Swamp.
1893 - The Excelsior diamond (a 995 carat blue-white diamond) is discovered.
1894 - Korea declares independence from China, requesting Japanese aid.
1914 - Mahatma Gandhi's is arrested for the first time.
1934 - In the "Night of the Long Knives," Hitler purges the Nazi Party.
1936 - The federal 40-hour work week law is approved.
1939 - The Heinkel He. 176 rocket plane takes its maiden flight.
1940 - The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is established.
1942 - The New Orleans U.S. Mint in New Orleans closes down.
1950 - President Truman orders American troops into Korea.
1956 - Over the Grand Canyon, a United Airlines DC-7 and a TWA Super Constellation collide, killing 128.
1960 - Zaire (then the Belgian Congo) gains independence from Belgium.
1961 - Explorer-12 fails to reach an Earth orbit.
1962 - Rwanda and Burundi become independent.
1964 - Centaur-3 fails to reach an Earth orbit.
1967 - Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr., is named as the first African-American astronaut .
1971 - Ohio becomes the 38th state to approve lowering the voting age to
18, thereby ratifying the 26th Amendment.
1972 - The first leap second day
1977 - Jimmy Carter cans the B-1A bomber; he later "B-1's the B-52"; the U.S. Railway Post Office makes its final train run (NY to DC).
1981 - China's Communist Party condemns the Mao Tse-tung's policies during the Cultural Revolution
1982 - The Federal Equal Rights Amendment misses ratification by three states.
1985 - The 39 remaining hostages from Flight 847 are freed in Beirut. (for info, see here, here, here, and here)
1989 - Attorney General Thornburgh orders Joseph Doherty (IRA) deported to the UK; Congressman Lukins is convicted of having sex with a 16-year-old girl; NASA closes down its tracking stations in Santiago, Chile and Guam; the NY State Legislature passes the Staten Island seccession bill.

Birthdays
1470 - King Charles VIII of France
1768 - Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, First Lady
1819 - William A. Wheeler, 19th Vice President
1837 - Stephen D. Ramseur, youngest West Pointer to become a Major General

Passings
1961 - Dr. Lee De Forest, radio pioneer
1971 - Three cosmonauts, as Soyuz XI depressurizes during reentry
1974 - Mrs. Albert King, Sr. (mother of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), murdered in church

Reported Missing in Action
1967
Allen, Merlin R.; USMC (WI); CH46A shot down, KIA, body not recovered
Cole, Legrande O., Jr., USN (CT); A4C shot down, remains returned May, 1989
House, John A. II, USMC (NY); pilot of CH46A shot down, KIA, body not recovered
Howard, Luther H., US Army (NC); drowned, body not recovered
Judd, Michael B. , USMC (OH); CH46A shot down, body not recovered
Killen, John D. III, USMC (IA); CH46A shot down, KIA, body not recovered
McGrath, John Michael, USN (CO); A4C shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - alive and well as of 1998
Runnels, Glyn L., Jr., USMC (AL); CH46A shot down, KIA, body not recovered

1970
Bell, Marvin E., USAF (AR); HH53C shot down while attempting to rescue a downed pilot, remains returned March, 1995**
Burgess, John L., US Army (MI); UH1H shot down, KIA, body not recovered
Dean, Michael F. USAF (CA); HH53C shot down while attempting to rescue a downed pilot, remains returned March, 1995**
Goeglein, John W., USAF (MO); HH53C shot down while attempting to rescue a downed pilot, remains returned March, 1995**
Hill, Gordon Clark, USAF (WA); F4E shot down, presumed KIA
Jenkins, Paul L., USAF (AR); HH53C shot down while attempting to rescue a downed pilot, remains returned March, 1995**
Sadler, Mitchell Olen, Jr., USAF (CA); F4E shot down
Sanders, Williams S., USAF (ME); HH53C shot down while attempting to rescue a downed pilot, remains returned March, 1995**
Schaneberg, Leroy C., USAF (IL); pilot of HH53C shot down while attempting to rescue a downed pilot, remains returned March, 1995

1971
Bridges, Philip W. , US Army (CA); presumed Killed when the explosives truck he was driving blew up, body not recovered.

** In March, 1995, remains were returned that could not conclusively be identified as any of the individuals in the Chinook. Personal items were included with the remains. It is felt that the remains may represent 1-2 people.