I know this is a departure from my usual subject matter, but it's been bothering me all day...

I don't know...maybe it's me. I have to admit I have mixed feelings about the whole "Internet search" story last week. On the one hand, stopping child pornography is a good thing. On the other, I'm not sure I agree with obtaining info on who's searching for what.

However, despite some of the comparisons being tossed around, one thing I do believe is that there's a VAST difference between getting generic info on what search terms are yielding what results, with no data on who is searching, and paying attention to phone calls involving known terrorists. Some people are trying to make the two things similar, and I don't believe they are.

Google late last week refused to provide the data, taking the moral high ground. They were not going to compromise their standards.

Unless, of course, it involved making a lot of money.

This week comes the news that Google agreed to censor the search results that would be returned to users in China, thereby ensuring a larger share in the fastest growing Internet market.

Now, if you don't believe in compromising your standards when it comes to addressing the issues of child pornography on the internet, but it's ok when it's going to make a lot of money, I start to doubt the ferocity of your dedication. And if it's wrong to release generic data to your own government in order to curb child pornography, but it's OK to assist an oppressive Communist regime in monitoring and controlling its people, I really start to get queasy. Sound business decision, maybe. Moral high ground, not so sure.

The whole thing's just left me a bit dubious about the wisdom of putting Google on the "defender of rights" pedestal. I'm not saying that they were wrong to refuse to provide data, or wrong to try and make a profit. I'm just saying that I find the combination of the two acts leaves me wondering.

by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon II
January 25, 2006
An Iraqi child is greeted by Staff Sgt. Robert Proteau, from 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, during a patrol in Tal Afar.

0844 - Gregory IV begins & ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1139 - Godfried II the Young becomes duke of Brabant
1327 - King Edward III accends to British throne
1348 - Earthquake destroys Villach, killing 5,000
1494 - Alfonso II replaces his father as king of Naples
1533 - England's King Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn (approximate date)
1554 - Sir Thomas Wyatt gathers an army in Kent, rebels against Queen Mary
1565 - Battle at Talikota India Moslems destroy Vijayanagar's army
1579 - Treaty of Utrecht signed, marks beginning of Dutch Republic
1721 - Czar Peter the Great ends Russian-orthodox patriarchy
1775 - Americans drag cannon up hill to fight British (Gun Hill Road, Bronx)
1787 - Shays' Rebellion suffers a setback when debt-ridden farmers, led by Captain Daniel Shays, fail to capture an arsenal at Springfield MA
1799 - 1st US patent for a seeding machine, Eliakim Spooner, Vermont
1802 - Napoleon elected President of the Italian (Cisalpine) Republic
1825 - 1st US engineering college opens, Rensselaer Polytechnic, Troy NY
1844 - Recontre between Representatives Weller & Shriver, US House of Representatives
1851 - Sojourner Truth addresses 1st Black Women's Rights Convention (Akron)
1856 - Battle of Seattle; skirmish between settlers & Indians
1858 - Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" 1st played, at wedding of Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Victoria, to crown prince of Prussia
1863 - Battle of Kinston, NC; General Joseph Hooker replaces Burnside as head of Army of Potomac
1865 - The CSS Shenandoah arrives in Melbourne, Australia
1870 - Soda fountain patented by Gustavus Dows
1875 - Anti-slavery society formed in NY
1877 - Congress determines presidential election between Hayes-Tilden
1890 - Nellie Bly beats Phileas Fogg's time around world by 8 days (72 days)
1904 - 179 die in coal mine explosion at Cheswick PA
1915 - Transcontinental telephone service inaugurated (New York to San Francisco)
1916 - Montenegro surrenders to Austria-Hungary
1918 - Russia declared a republic of Soviets
1919 - Founding of League of Nations, 1st meeting 1 year later
1924 - 1st Winter Olympic games open in Chamonix, France
1937 - Miami-to-Tampa bus overturned in a canal, kills 13
1940 - Nazi decrees the establishment of Jewish ghetto in Lodz Poland
1945 - Grand Rapids, MI becomes 1st US city to fluoridate its water; Japanese occupiers of Batavia arrest Indo-European youths; West Africa 82nd division occupies Myohaung, Burma
1949 - 1st Israeli election - Ben-Gurion's Mapai party wins
1951 - UN begins counter offensive in Korea
1955 - Russia ends state of war with Germany; US & Panamá sign canal treaty
1957 - FBI arrests Jack & Myra Sobel, charged with spying for the USSR
1959 - 1st transcontinental commercial jet flight (American) (Los Angeles to New York for $301)
1961 - 1st live, nationally televised Presidential news conference (JFK); Walt Disney's "101 Dalmations" released; Military coup in El Salvador
1964 - Echo 2, US communications satellite launched
1969 - US-North Vietnamese peace talks begin in Paris
1970 - Robert Altman's "M*AS*H" premieres
1971 - Charles Manson & 3 women followers convicted of Tate-LaBianca murders; Himachal Pradesh becomes 18th Indian state; Philadelphia mint's 1st trial strike of the Eisenhower dollar; Military coup in Uganda under General Idi Amin Dada
1974 - Bülent Ecevit forms government in Turkey
1974 - South African surgeon Christiaan Barnard transplanted the first human heart without removal of the old one
1975 - Parliament disposes of premier sheik Mujib ur-Rahman
1978 - Muriel Humphrey (D-MN) appointed to fill late husband's Senate seat
1979 - Pope John Paul II's 1st overseas trip as supreme pontiff
1980 - Highest speed attained by a warship, 167 kph, USN hovercraft; Bani Sadr elected President of Iran; Dutch Government demands boycott of Olympics; 52 Americans held hostage by Iran for 444 days arrived back in US
1981 - Mao's widow Jiang Qing sentenced to death
1983 - China's supreme court commutes Chiang Ch'ing's death sentence to life; Infrared telescope satellite launched into polar orbit; Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie arrested in Bolivia
1986 - General Tito Okello's government flees Kampala Uganda
1988 - Vice President Bush & Dan Rather clash on "CBS Evening News" as Rather attempts to question Bush about his role in the Iran-Contra affair; Ramsewak Shankar sworn in as President of Suriname
1990 - Former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega is transferred to a Miami jail
1991 - Manuel Noriega is given access to assets frozen by US government
1992 - Hubble space telescope optics finds NGC3862/3C264
1993 - Puerto Rico adds English as its 2nd official language; Sears announces it is closing its catalog sales department after 97 years
1994 - Accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy, Michael Jackson settles a civil lawsuit out of court; US space probe Clementine launched
1995 - Jacques Santer succeeds Jacques Delors as chairman of European Committee

Birthdays
0749 - Leo IV (the Khazar), Byzantine emperor (775-80)
1540 - Edmund Campion London, saint/Jesuit martyr (December Rationes)
1634 - Gaspar Fagel, lawyer/pension advisor of Holland (1672-88)
1693 - Anna Ivanova Romanova, daughter of Ivan V/empress of Russia (1730-40)
1741 - Benedict Arnold, General /traitor (US revolution)
1766 - Hans Freiherr von Gagern, German advisor to Dutch king Willem I
1770 - Francis Burdett, British politician
1777 - Elias Canneman, Dutch liberal minister of Finance (1813-14)
1814 - Francis Harrison Pierpont, Governor (Union)
1826 - Rembt van Boneval Faure, Dutch MP
1839 - Seldon Connor, Union Brigadier General
1841 - John Arbuthnot Fisher Ceylon, 1st Baron Fisher/admiral of the fleet
1860 - Charles Curtis, (R) 31st US VP (1929-33)
1866 - Emile Vandervelde, leader of Belgian BWP party
1891 - William C. Bullitt, 1st US ambassador to USSR
1912 - Lucius E. Burch Jr., US lawyer/civil rights leader
1928 - Eduard Shevardnadze, Soviet Georgia, foreign minister of USSR (1985-91)
1936 - Dan Schaefer (Representative-CO)
1946 - Josephine M. Verspaget, sociologist/Dutch MP (PvdA)

Passings
1138 - Anacletus II [Pietro Pierleone], Jewish anti-pope (1130-38)
1139 - Godfried I with the Beard, duke of Brabant/Earl of Leuven
1494 - Ferdinand I cruel king of Naples
1733 - Reinier V. van Hompech, Dutch General-Major cavalry
1821 - Johan Valckenier, Dutch politician/patriot, dies at 62
1906 - Joseph Wheeler, Confederate General, dies at 70
1947 - Al Capone Chicago gangster, dies of syphilis at 48
1952 - Sveinn Bjørnsson, Danish 1st President of Iceland (1944-52), dies at 70
1969 - John Zajíc, Czech student, self incinerates
1970 - Eunice Hunton Carter, 1st Black female District Attorney in NY, dies at 70
1978 - Tango Duke dies in Australia at 42; oldest known thoroughbred horse
1982 - Mihail A. Suslov, Soviet party ideologist, dies at 79
1992 - Mahmoud Riad, Secretary-General of Arab League (1972-79)
1998 - Mohammad Yusuf Khan, prime minister of Afghanistan in (1963-65)

Reported Missing in Action
1967
Wallace, Arnold B., US Army (CA); Killed, body not recovered

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AFPN) -- Staff Sgt. Gerald Morey kneels with Louis, his German shepherd, and Staff Sgt. Matthew Claxton poses with his Belgian Malinois, Elsa. The military working dog teams recently returned from a seven-month deployment to Tikrit, Iraq, attached to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, part of the 18th Airborne Corps. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Karen J. Tomasik)

The following essay by "Doc" Alexander won the Thomas Jefferson award for Patriotic Essay, and is posted with permission:

By Dr. Ariane T. “Doc” Alexander

“And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” --John F. Kennedy.

It was Wednesday, the 3rd of August, 2005 and fourteen United States Marines were killed in combat. Marines--14 of America’s youth. I am a war trauma specialist, so I experience America’s youth through the eyes of the troops, America’s sons and daughters. It is my role to be there for them, to be a witness, to hear and hold their pain, to take within my heart and mind and soul, their emotions, their stories, their values, their goodness, their ethics and yes, also their pain.

Because of my contact with these brave young men and women in the military, I know in my heart, our finest American youth are scattered to the farthest winds and lands. From the privilege of working to help and support them as they undertake the challenge of protecting America and troubled global arenas, I witness the nobleness of our American youth firsthand, and I witness what is in their hearts, minds and souls. All of America's sons and daughters are the best, but the best of the best are out making a difference every moment we draw breath. These American youth are not waiting in line for their next fast food snack, hanging out at raves, or worrying about if they got that section of English that allows them to hit the beach early to surf. Americas youth in the military are giving all of themselves, relinquishing all comforts and luxuries to the point that receiving a box of chap stick, wet wipes and jelly beans is cause for a party. America’s youth in the military are working in extreme conditions that remove health, emotions, and even life and limb, for a salary equal to a fast food worker. And yet, how many of these brave young men and women, when wounded to the point of discharge, weep and beg to return to their units, because they cannot live with the thought of letting down their fellow soldiers and their country. American youth in the military of whom I speak are not all Medal of Honor, Purple Heart or Bronze star recipients—but they are all everyday heroes on the front lines. And this heroism is present in every one of their actions, great and small.

Countless platoons are begging loved ones at homes to send shoes, school supplies, candy, clothing for the children of their war zones. “The kids here have nothing, we want to give them something,” I am told over and over. These youth that serve America are not motivated by materialism, but pure altruism. America’s youth in the military are motivated by a higher intent than to have the latest stereo, I pod, fast car, minimalist designer gear or get to the next great party. Don’t get me wrong, they are beautiful inside, and would love all those things just like the rest of our youth in America—and don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge our American youth anything, I am a parent and like most parents, want to give them everything. But America’s youth in the military have searched within themselves—and responded to a spiritual calling within their higher self, their soul, if you will. America’s youth in the military have chosen to put their own needs to the side, to take their place in America’s history to protect our country, to selflessly put oneself on the line for others, including, if required, the ultimate sacrifice of life.

The majority of America’s youth in the military enter their service too young to vote or legally purchase alcohol. Yet these American youth are exhibiting levels of courage, fortitude, bravery, and analysis well beyond their years. Their compassion, their depth of soul touches me in ways I can never forget. How many dark nights I have lain awake, so touched by their stories, sleep has left to return no more forever. One soldier wept as he talked to me, telling me this story. He and his platoon had been patrolling in Iraq, and they had been “adopted” by a group of children as big brothers. They had interacted with the kids for weeks; always bringing them treats from their MRE’s2 and care packages from home. One of the platoon members had taken up a collection from their minimal salaries to purchase sweaters, shoes, coloring books, crayons, school supplies and candy to help children who had nothing. It was, this young soldier said, nothing to what the kids had been through. “These kids are the real heroes,” he said, fighting back the tears, “They have endured so much, yet still have this spirit of joy and humor in their little souls. We can’t do a lot for them, but these little things we do, they get so excited over—I know it doesn’t make up for the bad stuff in their world, but it might keep them going, like my letters from home keep me going when it gets dark.”

“Oh God,” he continued…the GPS3 line crackled and I could hear this brave and compassionate young man loose his emotions. “It was the worst of the worst…” It took awhile for this young Marine to get it out, and time stopped for me as he told it. “One of the little boys, Ahmed, was strapped with an IED4 by the insurgents and told to walk with us. His Mother came running up. We didn’t know why she was upset; none of us know their language. She grabbed the little boy and tried to pull him away from us. They began to run, and insurgents began shooting at them. They shot Ahmed and his mother, and Ahmed’s body was blown to nothing. What kind of world holds people that would blow up an innocent little kid?”

What does one say to America’s youth at this point? In addition to this, the platoon had lost three of their brother Marines. We want to tell America’s youth, ‘Here take the keys to the car son! Do you need money for school? What do you want for your birthday?”—Yet how does one answer a question that breaks one’s very heart? America’s youth in the military are being tempered moment by moment, and so is America tempered—for these youth are a part of our future.

Yes America’s youth in the military have been trained to be warriors, yes--yet, due to their own internal being and motivation, they are also knights with a code of honor and ethics, chivalry and complex emotions that would be equal to King Arthur and his knights of the round table. How little is said, even in America, of the tender beauty of their emotions; how even as they lay their own life down to save their platoon, making the ultimate sacrifice, they will cry out for their mothers, mourn the deaths of the children that are a consequence of war, and if they survive, where their comrades fall, remain guilt ridden for all their days. I mourn as they mourn, for what our youth learn, they first learn from all of us, their elders, before the world begins to teach them.

My soul cries out for our fallen, America’s youth, America’s finest, and their families. I know in my mother’s heart what it is to lose a son who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country. There is a saying, which is that of the thousand-yard stare our troops have when they return from war, which describes the tempering effect of a combat zone. Well there is another 1,000 yard stare we parents have when we loose our child, and another 1,000 yard stare that our wounded have, and these two later types of courage have to go on forever.

What our brave youth in America’s military protect, is worth protecting. What their mission is, they do it, with the highest standards and with all they have. What their courage teaches us, and their sacrifice, and their beauty of soul, can never be forgotten and to me, is spiritual in the extreme. Freedom is never free; Freedom has its price, yet the sadness of this is; only a few pay this price for us all.

This essay is dedicated to our fallen youth of America and their families...

"And how stand America on this winter night? After two hundred years...she still stands strong and true and her glow has held steady no matter what storm."---John F. Kennedy

Semper Fidelis, Carpe Diem and Fortier oh youth of America, America’s sons and daughter in the military. You are our hearts, our heroes and never to be forgotten, as my tears wash my face, my soul soars with your courage.

2005 Dr. Ariane T. “Doc” Alexander, All rights reserved, permission for publication must be requested in writing


1 Semper Fidelis means ‘always faithful’, Carpe Diem means, “seize the day” and Fortier means 'go boldly!’.

2 Meals Ready to Eat

3 Global Positioning System

4 Improvised Explosive Device


Congratulations, and HOOOAH Doc!

Pakistan (Jan. 20, 2006) - U.S. Navy Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Four (NMCB-4)) build a temporary school in the mountains near Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. The U.S. military is participating in Operation Lifeline, the Pakistani-led relief operation designed to aid victims of the devastating earthquake that struck the region Oct. 8, 2005. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Joseph McLean

This is Joel Stein's take on our troops (LA Times):

Warriors and wusses
I DON'T SUPPORT our troops. This is a particularly difficult opinion to have, especially if you are the kind of person who likes to put bumper stickers on his car. Supporting the troops is a position that even Calvin is unwilling to urinate on.

I'm sure I'd like the troops. They seem gutsy, young and up for anything. If you're wandering into a recruiter's office and signing up for eight years of unknown danger, I want to hang with you in Vegas.

And I've got no problem with other people — the ones who were for the Iraq war — supporting the troops. If you think invading Iraq was a good idea, then by all means, support away. Load up on those patriotic magnets and bracelets and other trinkets the Chinese are making money off of.But I'm not for the war. And being against the war and saying you support the troops is one of the wussiest positions the pacifists have ever taken — and they're wussy by definition. It's as if the one lesson they took away from Vietnam wasn't to avoid foreign conflicts with no pressing national interest but to remember to throw a parade afterward.

AND it gets worse

There is a bright spot - and it's Hugh Hewitt's response, in part:

These are not illegal opinions, of course, but they are deeply repulsive ones, and I don't believe the Los Angeles Times ought to have run this column. At a minimum, Stein's editor, Andres Martinez, who worked with Stein on the piece last night should have expressed some demands for reporting or distinction or at a minimum cautions about what Stein wrote. I questioned Stein closely on this point, and Martinez expressed no substantive views on the column at all.

I also asked Stein if a reader would be justified in cancelling his or her subscription to the Los Angeles Times on the basis of the column. He admitted that while he hoped that a single column on the op-ed page wouldn't rigger such a reaction that he could certainly understand people doing so.

Hugh also has a follow-up here.

"Deeply repulsive" is right, and I'm not going to reiterate my position on the anti-war crowd other than to say that this type of reprehensible tripe is just that - but it's not at all surprising.

So read both posts, and if you feel so moved, let the LA Times know what you think. My comment is already there.


UPDATE - Others Posting:
RIP Joel Stein's career- Kudos Hugh Hewitt (BlackFive)
Laughing at Joel Stein and Hugh Hewitt vs. Joel Stein - No Contest (Michelle Malkin)
Punkin' Joel Stein (Neptunus Lex)
Meeting and Greeting the Planes in Maine (Mudville Gazette)
A Second: (Grim's Hall)
Way Over the Top (Power Line)
Ye Gods (Villanous Company)
Joeling - The Radio Equivalent of Fisking (Aaron's CC)
Of Warriors and wusses (Small Town Veteran)
Radio Blogger
Dumb and Dumber (Mark in Mexico)
Joel Stein VERSUS the USA Military (My Newz 'n Ideas)
Warriors and Wusses Fisking Roundup (Soldiers' Angels Germany)

And I'm sure there will be others - feel free to trackback or add 'em in the comments section.

TAJI RAID — U.S. Army soldiers with Comanche Company, 7th Battalion, 10th Cavalry Unit, 4th Infantry Division and the Iraqi army 9th Mechanized Brigade carry out a raid in Taji, Iraq, in an attempt to find hidden weapons and thwart insurgent activity Jan. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Captured: Two of Samarra's Most Wanted - Photos
Iraq Parties Haggle Over Gov't
Five Iraqi women prisoners to be freed: ministry - Video
Four U.S. Governors Meet GIs in Iraq
Shiites Name Four PM Candidates
Raid targets Basra police infiltrators
Another delay in Saddam Hussein's trial

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Iran accuses UK of cooperating with Ahvaz bombers - Video
Libya sees swift removal from US terror list Video
Mexico denies army clashed with troopers along border
Gonzales says surveillance entirely legal

Military News
Military Axes Gay Officers
260,000 unable to get VA health care
Army Stretched to Breaking Point
Fewest U.S. Troops in Iraq Since Summer

Moonbat Watch
Some US church leaders step up anti-war moves
PETA angling for fishermen to be kind to fish

Supreme Court
Almost Certain
Video: Judiciary Panel OKs Alito

Politics
Bush aims to make security campaign issue
Senators: White House stalls Katrina probe
Sen. Reid says Bush should 'come clean'
Democrats get boost from advocacy group

Oddities
Hiccups lead to two deaths
Man says 'spell' won him harem of 10 wives
Michael Jackson seen in Bahrain disguised as woman
(anything involing Michael Jackson belongs in "Oddities")
Study found bats can be smart or studly, not both
Woman flicks matches, dies in fire (another Darwin award?)
Farmer rescued by dog named Lassie (You can't make this stuff up)
Man picks perfect place to have a heart attack
Stolen body parts lead to lawsuits by patients

Other News of Note
Palestinians Decide Their Future
Canadian Border Gun Battle
Iran Defends Planned Holocaust Conference

Fox News
Russia Offers Way Out
High Court Stays Execution
Male Can Wear Skirt to School
Pope Mandates Charity
Boston Scientific Wins Guidant Battle
Stocks to Watch: Disney- Disney Deals for Pixar
Google Restricts Self in China
Seoul: Don't Push Pyongyang
NBC Axes 'Daniel'
Minister's War on Microsoft
Isiah Thomas Accused of Sexual Harassment
SPORTS NEWS AND SCORES

Reuters: Top News
Eyes on Hamas as Palestinians vote
Iran defiant as world weighs action in atomic row
No divide between US and China on Iran: Zoellick
London whale died of severe dehydration: autopsy
S.Korea scientists created no stem cells: prosecutor
Hunger kills in Kenya's North as drought takes toll
New test gives women a status report on body clock
Omega-3 fats offer no cancer protection: study
Life without a Blackberry?
Microsoft to license some source codes in EU case
ConocoPhillips profit soars on higher prices
Prudential 2005 sales up, says can go it alone
Xerox fourth-quarter profit narrowly higher
McGraw-Hill quarterly profit falls
IBM acquires closely held CIMS Lab
NTP set to push on with RIM patent battle
Norfolk Southern 4th-qtr net profit rises 37 pct
Stocks rise on earnings, merger activity
Covenant shares rise after strong results
CNH Global profit, sales disappoint, shares fall
Mobilcom shares rise on talk of bid from US firm

AP World News
Man Fires Gun Inside Italian Consulate
Iran Welcomes Russian Nuclear Offer
Chile Says Pinochet's Daughter Detained
Eight Killed in Nepal Rebel Attack
U.N. Security Council Nations to Meet
World Social Forum Begins in Venezuela
Tamil Tiger Rebels to Resume Peace Talks
Negligence Eyed in Deadly Train Crash
SKorea Warns U.S. Against Pressuring North
U.S.-Canada Relations Expected to Improve
Ex-President Arias Leads Costa Rica Polls
Shoddy Work Blamed in Kenya Collapse
Palestinians Begin Voting; Security Tight

The Seattle Times
Blanco says FEMA rules delay rebuilding
Many in La., Texas lament Rita 'amnesia'
Fla. inmate wins temporary stay
Racing champ Stewart, Oval Office regular
True blue (and green) fans creating a memorabilia blitz
Report finds evidence of "rendition" system
U.S. investor up against a Chinese wall
Asthma-inhaler ban backed
Study: '05 warmest year in a century
Senators say Katrina probe stymied
States to be reimbursed for senior drug costs
Chinese president to visit the U.S.
Kuwait prime minister takes over as new emir
China strengthens Mideast oil ties during Saudi's visit
Young Mexicans tapped to rock the vote in July
Pork soup served with controversy
Peace march opens forum
Put drug makers at arm's length, doctors urged
Tiny cameras have their eyes on you
Pilot errors blamed in Missouri crash
British Columbia votes its own way

Chicago Sun-Times
New policy gives ex-cons a shot at city jobs
Chefs help airlines keep the skies friendly
Therapist gets 30 years for forcing group into sex acts
Hunters donate fewer deer to needy
Acting Israeli leader says more pullouts needed
Mall dig turns up large medieval cemetery in Britain

Boston Globe: World
Olmert backs partial W. Bank exit
In campaign to eradicate polio, Egypt scores a victory
Young, fed up Gazans offer range of election views
Campaign targets human trafficking
Allies try to quell a storm

Military.com
Two Kidnapped in Iraq; No Word on Reporter
Execution Rules Don't Apply to Detainees
Army, Marines Work on Humvee Successor

Department of Defense
Bush: Terrorist Surveillance Plan Vital - Story
Industry Tapped for Ideas to Counter IEDs - Story
Army Bomb-Disposal Robot Now 'Packs Heat'
Info Is as Important as Ammo in 'Long War' - Story
Odierno: Cultural Shift Needed to Fight 'Long War'

ON THE GROUND
Navy Ships Deploy to Support Maritime Ops - Story

IN IRAQ
Aircraft Recovery Platoon First of Its Kind
Photos: Operation King Tut

IN AFGHANISTAN
Windmills Provide Water Source for Farmers
Vendor Day Educates Business Leaders

FACE OF DEFENSE
Airman, Dad Reunite in Afghanistan - Story

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU
New Citizen Gives Troop Concerts - Story
NYC Workers Send Care Packages
CinCHouse Spouse Offers Tips

TOP NEWS
IRAQ
Troops Capture Terrorists, Weapons
Roadside Bombs Kill 7 U.S. Troops
Casey: Vote Will Not Be Undone
Operation Koa Canyon Continues
Mosque Attacked; Gunman Nabbed
Soldiers Detain Terrorists
Officials Reach Out to Uneasy Iraqis
General: Fewer Sunni Terror Ties
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq (pdf)
Multinational Force Iraq
Eye on Iraq Update (pdf)
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report (pdf)
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Humanitarian Efforts Underway
Police Discuss Internal Security
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Bush: Must Take Threats Seriously
Cheney: Terrorists Target U.S.
Charges Referred to Commission
Bush Meets Saddam's Victims
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
Wounded Bond Across Generations
'Welcome Home' Honors Reservists
Troops, Families Get Tax Services
Survey to Aid Radio Programming
A-10 Pilots, Personnel Head to OEF
National Guard, Reserve Update

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Marine Casualties - 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