Michael Yon's latest is up...as always, it's a must-read:

To an enemy in need of assets, a press that is increasingly disengaged is like an empty car with keys in the ignition--begging to be stolen. How the keys came to be left in the car, and how the inevitable theft managed to go unreported are questions for a different dispatch. To really understand the dynamics of the Battle for Mosul, it suffices to say the enemy started with a media advantage that they continue to exploit even now.

Insurgent leaders must have spent hours watching western television, particularly news broadcasts. They planned attacks that would create dramatic footage for the nightly news, and in many cases, they provided the camera crew and made the footage available for streaming and downloads on the internet. In light of their other recent media victories, the enemy felt ready to take on the Americans in Mosul.

That's only the merest of snippets. To get the rest, go to The Battle for Mosul IV: Soldiers, Spies, and Sheep

As a proud Soldiers' Angel, and a proud member of the Letter Writing Team, this number even impresses me!

From Linda D. of the LWT (Letter Writing Team) at Soldiers' Angels.

Hi Everyone,

A great end of the 3rd quarter for the LWT as follows:

Total 3rd Quarter, 2005: 30,122 letters

Total Letters January - September, 2005: 73,656 letters

A gigantic "THANK YOU" to all of you and your great team writers.
Linda D.

The Soldiers' Angels LWT sends letters to soldiers and units needing extra support. This is over and above the letters and packages regularly sent by many thousands of Angels to their adopted soldiers.

If you would like more information, please contact Linda with "Non-Registered SA Information for Joining LWT" in the subject line.

For information on how to adopt a Hero, go to the Soldiers' Angels website.

Hat tip to Soldiers' Angels Germany

SEARCH — U.S. Army soldiers try to open a door during Operation Appaloosa, an operation to look for weapons caches and anti-coalition forces in the town of Anah, Iraq, Sep 28, 2005. The soldiers are assigned to Bravo Company, 2-1 Infantry, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Andy Dunaway

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Blair says possible Iran links to Iraq bombs
Iraqi Citizens Mull Constitution Before Vote
Pentagon to Pay for Armor
Offensive finds little resistance, many bombs
'Black Three' Rides Again
TIP HELPS U.S. SOLDIERS FOIL CAR BOMB ATTACK NEAR SCHOOL

Operation Enduring Freedom
Unofficial Afghan Results Announced

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Detainee Bill Passes
White House Spy Probe
Indonesian army to join hunt for Bali bombers
Bali police pursue lead on bomber
Bali bombings revive concern on Philippine terror training camps

Hurricane Season
Storm Slams Into Florida
New Orleans Mayor Says Layoffs 'Pretty Permanent'
Rains Kill 160 in Central America

Supreme Court
Assisted-Suicide Case Hinges on Jurisdiction

Milblogging in the News
Military Warns Combat Bloggers

News of the Weird
Python Tries to Eat Gator
He should have taken a gander upwards..
UFO-spotters tell tales of the extra-terrestrial

Talk About Your Cloud-with-a-Silver-Lining...
Million-dollar jackpot for Katrina evacuee

Fox News
Body in Woods May Be Missing Va. Student
DeLay, Blunt Swapped Cash
Probe: N.Y. Boat Was Too Full
CIA Declines Sept. 11 Review
Ex-Bush Official Charged With Lying in Abramoff Probe

Reuters: Top News
Israeli high court bans use of 'human shields'
Gunmen kill 5 Iraq Oil Ministry guards
US nuclear veteran sees long road in N.Korea talks
Oil at two-month low as US cars idle
ElBaradei leads Nobel Peace tips
US Mormons prepare for worst by storing supplies
Rescuers seek clues after Iraq mosque blast kills 25
Scientists resurrect 1918 flu, study deadliness
Climate change linked to cruise ship illness outbreaks
Director Neil Jordan grapples with the new Ireland

AP World News
Bali Officer: Cafes Ignored Warnings
Spain to Expel Immigrants After Latest Run
Brazil Urges Bishop to End Hunger Strike
Panel: Int'l. Migrants Send $240B Home
U.S., Iraq Forces Patrol Troubled City
Zimbabwe to Import Maize to Feed Citizens
Schroeder, Merkel Agree to Hold Summit
King Abdullah: Mideast Leaders to Meet
Crew of Freed U.N. Ship Tell of Pirates
Brazil Seeks to Punish U.S. for Subsidies
At Least 25 Killed in Iraq Mosque Blast
Sunnis Drop Threat to Boycott Referendum

The Seattle Times
Grades just part of UW admissions
New woes for Alaska jackscrew servicing
Hastings says ethics panel won't investigate DeLay

Chicago Sun-Times
Cheney urges patience; war may take decades
5 U.S. soldiers killed after major offensive

Boston Globe: World
Iraq lawmakers drop voting changes
Ulster strongman's death fit a familiar pattern
US backs resolution for Liberian's arrest
Arab League team readies for Iraqi reconciliation conference
UN nuclear chief offers a plan to stop spread of arms
Sharon and Abbas said to hold summit next week
Church acceptance of drug money draws fire in Mexico

Military.com
Arm Amputees Rely on old Devices
U.S. to Stay on Offense in Iraq
Military to Fund Prosthetics Research
Best Soldiers Are 'Learners' Who can Adapt
Schoomaker Praises Army's Performance in War
Levin: Ending War Could be Only Fix for Recruiting Woes
(this from a Dem - what a surprise)
Bush Hails Progress of Iraqi Troops
Talabani Rejects Call for Al-Jaafari to Step Down
Kidnappers Spread Terror Among Locals

CENTCOM: News Release
SOLDIERS, IRAQI FORCES CONTINUE OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS IN BAGHDAD
OPERATION RIVER GATE UPDATE
DETAINEE DIES AT CAMP BUCCA

Department of Defense
Bush Discusses Iraqi Forces, Progress — Story Remarks
Cheney: America 'Won't Wait to Be Hit Again' — Story
Petraeus Details Iraqi Military Progress – Story

ON THE GROUND
River Gate Begins in Iraq's Euphrates Valley — Story
'Lab in a Suitcase' Improves Afghan Hospital — Story
Taji Depot Ramps Up Training, Supply Efforts — Story
6th Civil Affairs Group Takes Reins in Al Anbar — Story

IN IRAQ
Troops Work to Bring Security to Iraqi City Photos
Loyal Partners Sniff Out Trouble in Iraq
Airmen Control, Contain, Communicate at Ali Base

IN AFGHANISTAN
Red Horse Engineers Tackle Bagram Upgrade
Romanian Officials Visit Troops in Kandahar

IN KYRGYZSTAN
Security Escorts Eyes, Ears for Base Security

FACE OF DEFENSE
Deployed Marine Bridges Cultural Differences — Story

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU
Charlie Daniels Band Wows Troops — Story
(you just gotta love Charlie Daniels)
Airport Lounge Welcomes Travelers

TOP NEWS
SPECIAL REPORTS
Hurricane Coverage
Iraq Transition of Power

IRAQ
Bomber Stopped Short of Target
Bush: Iraq Success Critical Remarks
Iraqi Police Get Cars, Equipment
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps
Iraq Daily Update
Multinational Force Iraq
Eye on Iraq Update (pdf)
Iraq Progress Fact Sheet (pdf)
Weekly Progress Report (pdf)

AFGHANISTAN
Afghan Police to Visit U.S.
Afghan Army Chief to Visit U.S.
Afghanistan Daily Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
Cheney Visits Marines Photos
U.S. to Host Defense Conference
National Guard, Reserve Update

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Army Casualty — Story

Weather
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

National Hurricane Center

Today in History
1683 - 13 German families arrive in present day Philadelphia.
1781 - The Americans and French begin the siege of Cornwallis at Yorktown (last battle of the Revolutionary War).
1866 - The U.S. sees its first train robbery.
1876 - In Philadelphia, the American Library Association is organized.
1884 - In Newport, RI, the Naval War College is established.
1889 - Thomas Edison shows his first motion picture.
1890 - The Mormon Church outlaws polygamy.
1923 - The U.S.S.R. adopts an experimental calendar.
1928 - Chiang Kai-Shek becomes president of China.
1939 - Hitler announces he has no intention of war with Britain and France
(shortly thereafter, he announces he has a bridge he'd like to sell)
1949 - President Truman signs the Mutual Defense Assistance Act (for NATO).
1959 - The U.S.S.R.'s Luna-3, (first successful photographic spacecraft) impacts on the Moon.
1967 - Haight-Ashbury hippies throw a funeral to mark the end of hippies (oh, brother).
1973 - Syria and Egypt attack Israel, beginning the Yom Kippur War.
1976 - President Ford says there is "no Soviet domination in Eastern Europe" (you may slap hand to forehead now).
1979 - Pope John Paul II becomes the first Pope to visit the White House.
1990 - The U.S.' 67th manned space mission (STS 41 -- Discovery 11) launches.

Birthdays
1824 - Henry Chadwick, baseball pioneer (developed the first rule book)
1846 - George Westinghouse, U.S. alternating current pioneer
1849 - Sir Basil Zaharoff, arms dealer ("merchant of death")
1888 - Li Ta-chao, cofounder of the Chinese Communist Party (with Mao Tse-tung)
1914 - Thor Heyerdahl Norway, anthropologist/explorer (Kon Tiki, Aku-Aku)
1930 - Hafez al Assad, president (Syria)

Passings
1891 - Charles Stewart Parnell, leader of the Irish party
1951 - Henry Gurney, British high commissioner to Malaya, assassinated
1981 - Anwar Sadat, Egyptian president, assassinated (Hosnai Mubarak succeeds him)
1989 - Bette Davis, actress

Reported Missing in Action
1962
Anderson, Thomas Edward, USMC (AK); UH34D shot down (aircrew), KIA, body not recovered

1966
Johnson, William Edward, USMC (FL); CH46A shot down (pilot); remains recovered January, 1969

Makowski, Louis Frank, USAF (FL); B57 shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive as of 1998

Moser, David Lloyd George, USMC (PA); CH46A shot down (aircrew), remains recovered January, 1969

Pfeifer, Ronald Edwin, USMC (NY); aircrew, remains recovered January, 1969

1967
Armstrong, Frank A. III, USAF (LA); A1E shot down (pilot); KIA, body not recovered

1969
Bower, Irvin Lester, Jr., USMC (PA); drowned during extraction from a tower post on the Song Thu Bon River

1972
Anderson, Robert D., USAF (MI); F4E shot down (pilot, w/Latella), remains ID'd October, 1998

Baker, Veto H., US Army; initially reported AWOL; status changed - released November, 1975 by SVN - deceased as of 1998

Boltze, Bruce E., USMC (MI); OV10A exploded (cause unknown) and broke up over water(spotter, w/McCormick), KIA, body not recovered

Latella, George F., USAF (NY); F4E shot down (WSO, w/Anderson), released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Major - alive and well as of 1998

McCormick, Carl O., USMC (IL); OV10A exploded (cause unknown) and broke up over water (pilot, w/Boltze), KIA, body not recovered

1973
Elm, Homer L.; released December, 1973