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Friday, June 16, 2006

2 U.S. Soldiers Missing in Iraq After Attack

Friday, June 16, 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The U.S. military says two soldiers are missing after their team came under attack at a traffic control point in Yusafiyah, Iraq Friday night, that left one other coalition soldier dead.

Full Story

I Think I'm on a Roll...

The Merry Moonbat

I met a Merry Moonbat
As I checked out at the store
(I was buying “soldier stuff
as many times before)

That “Keebee shirt,” the moonbat said,
You’re one of those, I see
Well let me tell you how things are
You just pay heed to me:

That Iraq War is so unjust
We never should have gone
We’ll never win – we should just quit
It just goes on and on.

There’s nothing good we’re doing there
And it’s a civil war
And most Iraqis just don’t care –
They’re worse off than before!

Afghanistan, I get, I guess
That 9/11 thing
But what more good can our troops do
What benefit can they bring?

You milbloggers think you’re so bright
But you’re just spinning lies
The war’s for oil – cooked up by
Bush’s oil-buddy guys.”

“Are you done now?” I asked him then
“Do I get time to speak?”
“Well go ahead,” the Moonbat said
“You warmongering freak.”

I took a breath and raised my chin,
And looked him in the eye
“You Moonbats have it wrong, you know
And here’s exactly why:

What about Saddam’s crusade
To trample out the Kurds
What about the no-fly zone
The shooting at our Birds?

What about the schools we’ve built
The water and power plants
What about the lives we’ve saved –
Omitted from your rants

What about sweet freedom’s gift
And purple fingers raised
What about the right to vote
The same thing that you praised?

What about Al-Qaeda’s ranks
Who still conspire to kill
For islamofascist rhetoric
And mal-adjusted thrill?

What about this country’s right
To guard its liberty
It’s bought by military might
For folks like you and me

You all say you support the troops
But don’t support the war
Well how many of those heroes have
YOU given money for?

How many have you thanked today?
How many do you know?
How many have you written?
The tally is “none,” I know.

The War on Terror’s not a joke
It’s not a game or ploy
And Heroes’ hearts are just not yours
To use as your own toy.

Bad stories like at Abu Ghraib
Is all you ‘bats can see
But I post stories every day
Of Heroes o’er the sea

Who work, and die, and sacrifice
To serve their country proud
Maybe, just once, it would be nice
To hear “Thanks” just as loud

As you all spit out epithets
And spin your Leftie trash
Maybe try some gratitude
Instead of moonbat mash.”

It was clear there was no middle ground
For the Moonie-bat and me
And as the talking downward wound
He finally said, “I see –“

You milblog folks won’t get it.”
And, leaving, doffed his hat
“That logic thing, you always sing –
Now what’s the use of that?”


-- Pam, 6/16/06
Pentagon, Arlington, Va. (June 15, 2006) - Ceremony participants stand in prayer during the benediction and conclusion of a Pentagon groundbreaking ceremony for the 9/11 memorial monument. From left are Pentagon family members James J. Laycheck, President of the Pentagon Memorial Fund and their Vice President Ms. Rosemary Dillard, opposite end is Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and one of the memorial architects Julie Beckman. The memorial on the west lawn of the Pentagon will have 184 cantilevered benches, one in memory of each victim of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Construction is expected to be completed in September 2008. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Johnny Bivera

Making Mincemeat of Moonbats

Earlier today, while cruising the referrals to this blog, I came across a moonbat's evaluation of IWT that described it as "War-mongering bloggers that take pleasure in other's deaths, and the efficiency and lethality of the US war machine." and puled,"What has the West become?"

Heh. "War-mongering?" Hmmm....

War
war (wôr) n.
1. a. A state of open, armed, often prolonged conflict carried on between nations, states, or parties.
b. The period of such conflict.
c. The techniques and procedures of war; military science.
2. a. A condition of active antagonism or contention: a war of words; a price war.
b. A concerted effort or campaign to combat or put an end to something considered injurious: the war against acid rain.


Monger
mon·ger (mnggr, mng-) n.
1. A dealer in a specific commodity. Often used in combination: an ironmonger.
2. A person promoting something undesirable or discreditable. Often used in combination: a scandalmonger; a warmonger.


OK, maybe I am one. I suppose war is undesirable, though sometimes unavoidable and necessary. OK, so I'm a warmonger. Then again, maybe not. I'm not promoting war, as in "Cool, let's have a war....come one, come all....step right up to the war!" Ah, well. Enough grey area maybe to have me as a warmonger. I'll have to be strong, and try to just soldier on.

"taking pleasure in other's deaths."
Hmmm....well, if we're talking about Zapping Zarqawi (since they said "other's," not "others'"), he may have me there. Not to put too fine a point on this, but can an "other" really have "deaths?" Other than in sci-fi, I mean. I guess we did think we got him once or twice before, so maybe it's a cat-with-nine-lives kind of reference...

...but I digress.

I guess I have to admit, yeah, I'm glad he's dead and gone. Don't recall ever getting teary-eyed over the death of any other terrorist, either. Oh, well. But I don't take pleasure in random killing....and, I'm not cracking out the popcorn for the death count.

And as far as taking pleasure in the "efficiency and lethality of the US war machine" goes...Well, I guess he's got me on that one - I got nothin' here. Yeah, I guess I am damned proud that we have the best military out there, period. Hooah! And what exactly are you supposed to take pleasure in when evaluating your military? I mean, have you ever seen anyone take pleasure in the "color coordination and spectacular macrame skills" of a "war machine"? It's a war machine. (See "war" definition, above)

What has the West become? Dunno. Can't speak for the whole West. I'm hoping that the US has become a country that has zero tolerance for threats and terrorism.

Oh, and in fairness, "bloggers" is a little unfair. I don't know if Patti, who started this blog, and Paul, who occasionally posts here, want to be called warmongers - and it's just not right to have them share my Moonbat-levied label without their consent. And Natalia's not a warmonger. Seriously unfair call there. Bad Moonbat - Bad! Back in your corner (you'll find it over there...far to the Left).

--------------------------------------------------

In related Moonbattery, David at The Thunder Run got a visit from a Grade-A Moonbat, shrieking the shriek about Haditha, calling the Marines cowards, and basically treating the MSM version of events as fact. Real peach of a comment - definitely shows an ability to remain open-minded until all the facts are in - or NOT.

Read the full comment, and David's response, here. (David, you warmonger, you)

------------------------------------------------

UPDATE: Up for a little Friday Merry Moonbat Mincemeat-making? (nice alliteration there, eh?) Visit Blue Star Chronicles for "Caption This" - and figure out what's going on in Teddy's addled head.
by Petty Officer 2nd Class Roger Duncan
June 15, 2006
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines from Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa run 4 miles around Camp Lemonier, Djibouti.

Natalia's Corner - Deployment, Part III


Once in Iraq, the phone calls were not 2 to 4 times a day anymore, and now they were timed (30 min.) the time difference, long lines and the fact that I didn't have a computer made our communication limited.

I was 7 months into the pregnancy and started feeling very sick to the point I could barely get out of bed to go to work. When I went to see my ob/gyn, I started crying trying to express to the doctor the way I was feeling, he told me ( I was just depressed and gave me a prescription for Zoloft, he said, that was going to take care of my problem).

I switched doctors the same day and was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, I kept it to myself for a while (didn't want to worry my husband) and took maternity leave sooner, good thing I did, I started having 5 to 6 appoinments a week. Between finger pokes and 3 Insulin shots a day on my belly, I told Maxwell the news.

Then it was my 28th birthday, took the kids to a fancy restaurant, but oh boy! that was my worst birthday ever.

Once November came, things got a lot better for me....


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Need to catch up on Natalia's Corner?
Deployment, Part I
Deployment, Part II

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Additional NOTES from Pam:
* Certain details will be edited to protect security concerns or family privacy. My edits appear in brackets [ ].

* Maxwell's status as the blog's "adopted" Hero, and Natalia's posts about her experiences, should NOT be construed as their endorsement of any opinion I post on this blog, or representative of any policy or position of the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense, or any other government entity. This is merely a way to allow readers to learn more about what military families experience, and to offer an opportunity to support a deployed Hero and his family.

* To learn what you can do to help, click on Maxwell's picture over on the left, or go here.
To adopt "your own" Hero, visit Soldiers' Angels.
HORNET LAUNCH — An F/A-18C Hornet aircraft assigned to the Sidewinders of Strike Fighter Squadron 86 launches from the flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, June 13, 2006. The carrier is deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of the war on terror. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Navy Airman Marshall James

In Today's News - Friday, June 16, 2006

Quote of the Day
"The Army’s character in service to the nation is defined by Soldiers, who demonstrate daily their commitment … to live by the ideals contained in the Warrior Ethos and Army Values. I could not be more proud of our Soldiers and the professionalism, courage and competence that they demonstrate every day."
-- General Peter J. Schoomaker

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Mosque Bombing
10 dead, 18 wounded in attack
House GOP to Set up Pullout Vote
Japan May Pull Troops Early
Linking Saddam to Taliban (this you've got to read. It might shut up the 'unjust war' cries....then again...naaaaaah)
Congress rebuffs bid to recall troops from Iraq

Homeland Security / War on Terror
AP Enterprise: 9/11 thefts not prosecuted
U.S. military shows Al-Zarqawi's successor

Other Military News
Data Theft Not Linked to Other Crimes
Vets Housing and Benefits Bill Becomes Law

NSA / CIA
Specter Threatens to Subpoena Wiretapping Docs

Worldwide Wackos
Iran considering nuclear package

Politics / Government
Jefferson Stripped (Bravo to the Dems on this one - seriously)
Fed bribery probe continues
Endangered Republicans play down party label
Bush signs $94.5 bln war, hurricane funding bill

In the Courts
Supreme Court Backs No-Knock Police Searches

Hurricane Season
New Orleans seen a boom town as storm aid arrives

Oddities
75-Year-Old Jewel Thief Sentenced to Prison
Colorado Court Allows Young Teens to Get Married
Man Carrying Wife's Severed Head Crashes Car, Kills 2
Art gallery loses its head, displays plinth
New dogs learn old tricks -- in Dutch
DNA test to clear up Confucius confusion
Whale carcass mystifies Alaska scientists

Fox News
Interest Rates May Rise with Escalating Inflation
U.S. Bishops Approve New Mass Translation
Gates Stepping Down From Microsoft in 2008
Video: Microsoft Changes
Stocks to Watch: Adobe
Men Found Dead in Indonesian Volcano Shelter
Experts: Missing Link in Bird Evolution Found
Bush Protects Large Marine Area in Hawaii
Tiger Starts Slow at U.S. Open
U.S. Open Leaderboard
Ecuador, England Advance
FULL WORLD CUP COVERAGE

Reuters: Top News
US must show more leadership on poverty: Wolfensohn - Video
Peres says ceasefire in everyone's interests
Gates focusing on charity to "give back" wealth
Japan unsure of pro-whaling majority at meeting
Ozzie takes top Microsoft software job
Wheat farmers celebrate harvest but many giving up
Watching World Cup is stressful business
Obesity tied to hepatitis C treatment failure
Cruise tops Forbes' celebrity power list
Britney Spears says "I'm an emotional wreck"
Fed will respond to persistent inflation: Poole
Wall Street's "fear gauge" falls as anxiety eases
EADS boss first knew of Airbus hitch in April
Microsoft's Gates says to reduce role in 2008
TeliaSonera says can buy Turkcell, MegaFon -paper
De Mol may team with Mediaset to buy Endemol
Stock futures slip; Oracle, Microsoft in focus
Soft start tipped for Wall Street - Video
Oracle says results to top forecast, shares up - Video
Nikkei books first weekly gain in six weeks - Video
California Micro shares fall on lowered outlook
A case for homebuilders
Lionsgate a pricey ticket
Commodities as inflation key

AP World News
Sunscreens faulted on cancer protection
'Idol' winner Studdard awarded $2M in suit
Wade's 36 help Heat tie NBA finals
Amid deaths, Heroin addicts keep using
Country Weekly names Urban sexiest man
Happy return for Monty, not so for Tiger
Roethlisberger contrite, says he's lucky
Stock futures point to profit-taking

Military.com
MCPO of the Navy Selected
Basic Pay Table Redesign
U.S., U.K. Joint Strike Fighter Stall

CENTCOM: News Releases
COALITION SOLDIER DIES OF A POSSIBLE HEART ATTACK

INVESTIGATION ORDERED INTO DEATH OF THREE MALES IN COALITION CUSTODY

AFGHAN, COALTION FORCES ENGAGED IN OPERATIONS MOUNTAIN THRUST

IRAQI GOVERNMENT KICKS OFF OPERATION TOGETHER FORWARD

TERRORISTS BOMB BUS OF AFGHAN CIVILIANS

COALITION FORCES FOIL KIDNAPPING

AFGHAN, COALITION PATROL REPELS AMBUSH

EXTREMIST TARGET AFGHAN CIVILIANS

COALITION CONDUCTS MOUNTAIN THRUST STRIKE IN PAKTIKA PROVINCE

IRAQI SECURITY FORCES CAPTURE TERRORIST LEADER IN KARBALA

Department of Defense
Darkhorse Marines Secure Road to Ramadi - Story
Troops Deliver Water to Bedranri Village - Story
Engineer Reflects on Second Deployment - Story

IN IRAQ
'Rocket Man' Rocks Insurgents in Ramadi

IN AFGHANISTAN
U.S. General Speaks to Afghan Cadets
French Military Starts Second Phase of Ops

BACKGROUND
IRAQ
Renewal In Iraq
Iraq: Security, Stability
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq (PDF)
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report (PDF)
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Fact Sheet: Budget Request
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify 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

Today in History
1567
- Mary, Queen of Scots, is imprisoned in Lochleven Castle.
1671 - In Moscow, Cossack rebel leader Stenka Razin is tortured and executed.
1832 - Battle of Kellogg's Grove, IL.
1858 - Abraham Lincoln says "A house divided against itself cannot stand."
1864 - The siege of Petersburg and Richmond begins.
1909 - The first US airplane sold commercially (by Glenn Curtiss) goes for $5,000.
1917 - The first Congress of Soviets convenes in Russia.
1922 - Henry Berliner shows off his helicopter to the U.S. Bureau of Aeronautics.
1933 - The U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is created.
1940 - A Commuinist government takes power in Lithuania.
1941 - The first Federally owned airport opens in Washington, DC.
1961 - Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defects to the West in Paris.
1975 - Randy Farland finds a 14-leaf clover near Sioux Falls, SD.
1977 - Leonid Brezhnev is named president of the U.S.S.R.
1991 - Boris Yeltsin is elected president of Russia.

Birthdays:
1899 - Nelson Doubleday, publisher (Doubleday)
1902 - Barbara McClintock, cytogeneticist, Nobel Prize winner

Passings:
1686BC - Hammurabi the Great dies in Babylon
1216 - Pope Innocent III dies at 54
1671 - Stenka Razin Cossack rebel leader, tortured, executed in Moscow
1976 - Francis E. Meloy, Jr., US ambassador to Lebanon, kidnapped & killed

Reported Missing in Action:
1965
Schumann, John R., US Army (MN); Ambushed, captured, died in captivity

1968
Bowman, Frank, USN (SC); PCF19 sunk, KIA, body not recovered

Chandler, Anthony Gordon Warner, USN (GA); remains returned 2001

Rupinski, Bernard Francis, USN (PA); F4J shot down, presumed killed

Wilber, Walter Eugene, USN (PA); Released by DRV February, 1973 (injured), later accused of mutiny while in captivity

1973
Cornelius, Samuel B., USAF(TX); F4E shot down, survival unlikely

Smallwood, John J., USAF (GA); F4E shot down, survival unlikely

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