From Fox News:

Congress Gridlocked on Iraq
House, Senate split on Bush troop plan
Senate vote, 56-34, falls short of 60 votes needed to pass resolution opposing troop 'surge' plan for Iraq

Other OIF Headlines:
Secretary of State Rice Makes Surprise Visit to Baghdad
Homicide Bomber Kills 11 in Northern Iraq

Labels: Headlines, Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom

Iraqi recruits get into position to fire blanks from their AK-47's during their Basic Combat Training graduation ceremony, Feb. 6, 2007. During the five weeks of training, they received 30 hours of training in drill and ceremony as well as 210 hours of other training. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew M. Kalwitz


An Iraqi recruit participates in a demonstration in which he raids a building and cleared it of insurgent role-players, Feb. 6, 2007. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew M. Kalwitz


Iraqi recruits put some of their training to practice during their Basic Combat Training graduation ceremony, Feb. 6, 2007. During the five weeks of training, they received 30 hours of training in drill and ceremony as well as 210 hours of other training. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew M. Kalwitz


The Iraqi flag waves from a building after being cleared of role-playing terrorists, Feb. 6, 2007. This demonstration was symbolic of the Iraqi Army's determination to defend their country and prevail over terrorism. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew M. Kalwitz


A recently graduated soldier proudly holds his country's flag from a balcony overlooking the graduation ceremony, Feb. 6, 2007. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew M. Kalwitz


Iraqi recruits stand tall with their country's flag moments before graduating from training and becoming soldiers in the growing Iraqi Army, Feb 6, 2007. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew M. Kalwitz


New Iraqi Army soldiers celebrate after their graduation ceremony at Camp Habbiniyah, Feb. 6, 2007. The graduating group was comprised of 934 Iraqis. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew M. Kalwitz


Iraq's newest soldiers take each other in arms after their graduation from Basic Combat Training at Camp Habbiniyah, Feb. 6, 2007. For five weeks these men trained together to progress toward this graduation day. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew M. Kalwitz


More photo essays at DefendAmerica

Labels: Good News, Iraq, Iraqi Army, photo essay, photos

WORKING DOG — U.S. Air Force military working dog Jackson sits on a U.S. Army M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle before heading out on a mission in Kahn Bani Sahd, Iraq, Feb. 13, 2007. His handler is Tech. Sgt. Harvey Holt, of the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall

Labels: 732nd ESFS, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Iraq, K9, M3A3, military working dog, MWD, photos, USAF

Fortunately, I’m not a politician. I’d never make it, ‘cause I’d say what I think. For instance, if I were to give a speech to Congress today, here’s what I’d say:

Over two centuries ago, Thomas Paine said, “These are times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

Yesterday, in the House of Representatives, delegates met, and passed one of the most important resolutions in American history. Though a non-binding one, this one resolution – this one vote – says more about the character of the American body politic than hundreds that have gone before. And what we have learned is that Mr. Paine’s words are as true now as they were then, for surely Congress is filled with sunshine patriots.

Yesterday's vote was about a war, but it is much more than that. The abominable resolution passed by the House sends a message that will echo in the halls of history, and will no doubt be recorded as the day that America set its course for decades to come.

There are those in Congress – now a majority, who have elected as their leaders individuals who would say that this war has been based on lies, that it has made America less safe, and that it is a failure. The same voices say that to do so, and indeed to pass this resolution, is not un-American.

I would agree.

They are not un-American. They are, in fact, anti-American.

From the beginning of the war, those same voices called for more troops, stating that the forces currently in Iraq did not have the resources to do the job they were asked to do. And yet now, when an increase in troops is planned, they say that the “escalation” is unwarranted.

Now, a Congressman who served in the United States Marine Corps works to secure a bill that would de-fund the war, compromise his brother and sister Marines, and make the mission all but impossible to achieve. This is the same Congressman who long before accused Marines were placed on trial called them murderers. The saying has been, “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” I say that John Murtha has stopped being a Marine, and has become a politician, a coward, and a traitor. Working to undermine the efforts of U.S. troops, and therefore to harm the country, is and ought to be regarded as treason.

Today, the first female Speaker of the House rejoices in the passage of a Congressional statement to disparage the very move that was advocated by her party long ago. She backs a plan to de-fund the war as a back-door way to force a retreat. Some would call her an advocate for peace. I say that she is a betrayer of those abroad who need our help, a betrayer of U.S. troops, and a traitor. Undermining the authority of the President of the United States, and working to prevent our troops from succeeding, is and ought to be regarded as treason.

So, my liberal friends, rejoice, if you will, in the passage of this resolution. Continue to give voice to the lie that you were put in power by a majority of the American people. Continue to give voice to the lie that 70% of America supports the betrayal of our troops. There are many of us that know the truth.

You were not put in power by a majority of the voters in this country. You were put into power by 40% of the eligible voters in this country. 60% of the eligible voters in this country did not participate. 60% of the eligible voters in this country didn’t see any of you as worth voting for.

The overwhelming majority of Americans do not support immediate withdrawal of the troops. They support a clear agenda, clear milestones, and success. The American people have never supported cowardice. Would that we could say the same about the American Congress..

What you have done today is send a message to the enemy that we are weak. You may couch it any way that you choose, but that is what you have done. You have advised our enemies that we will abandon our efforts, just as they have told their followers that we would . You have given them credibility. You have given them reassurance. You have given them a victory.

What you have done today is send a message to our troops that they are without the support of the leaders of their country. You may sing the old tune that working to abandon military action is a way to support them, but you have abandoned them. A generation ago, people like you lied about another conflict, permitted assaults and insults to our returning troops, and made them feel as if they should be ashamed. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, and so you have.

What you have done today is cause fledgling democracies to live in fear, and to lose hope. Iraq has learned today that you see no value in supporting them, and that the American Congress does not keep its promises, for you assured them that you had no intention of abandoning them. Afghanistan has learned that you will tire, that you will abandon them, just as those we went to remove have said. Millions of fingers raised in triumph at the voting booth will tremble in fear, awaiting our departure and the sure retribution they will face in our wake. And every country that looks to us hoping to find a voice for freedom will be disappointed.

You have told the world that we are vulnerable. You have told the world that we do not mean what we say. You have invited our enemies, who will fight to a man, to attack us at will, because we will give in once the war does not go exactly as we would like, once it is more difficult than we had hoped. All they have to do is wait us out.

You have chosen political expediency over good judgment. You have chosen to bow down to the enemy. You have chosen to abandon your military. You have chosen to run from the battlefield with your tail between your legs, all the while calling over your shoulder that you are making a tactical retreat. You have chosen a “non-binding” resolution because it allows you the safety of claiming that you have not directly harmed our troops, but have merely expressed your displeasure at the tactics of the war.

It is a lie.

On the House floor, you have called this war a defeat for the United States. You have referred to our country as warmongering. You have insulted our President. You have vowed to restrict funding so insidiously that you will harm our troops, but be able to say that it was the President who has not met your goals.

You have consistently maligned this country, its military, its very founding principles. You have now given aid and comfort to an enemy who has promised to shed American blood. Someday, you will pay for it.

And sadly, you have likely now doomed us all to pay the price with you.

Had you the decency to feel shame, you would be shrinking away from any light near you, so that good people would not have to look upon your countenances.

Celebrate your victory while you can, for the wolves are at the door, and you have left the key for them. And they will not pause to thank you before they do what evil they intend.

******************************************

On a positive note, Chris Shays, the only Congressional Republican from my abysmally left-wing state, voted against the resolution (view his speech here). I've never been particularly fond of him, but he did the right thing, and that should be noted. Thank you, Rep. Shays. Shame on the rest of you.

Tomorrow, Joe Lieberman will not be voting, due to religious constraints.

Senator McCain won't be voting either. He's too busy campaigning. Not sure that's a great statement for what kind of President he'd make, especially when it's coming from a veteran who should know better.

Wanna know how your Rep voted? Go here or here

Don't know who your Rep is? Go here to check first, and then see how they voted.

Wanna let them know what you think about their vote? Go here.

******************************************

If you ever vote Republican, and you feel as I do, take The Pledge:

If the United States Senate passes a resolution, non-binding or otherwise, that criticizes the commitment of additional troops to Iraq that General Petraeus has asked for and that the president has pledged, and if the Senate does so after the testimony of General Petraeus on January 23 that such a resolution will be an encouragement to the enemy, I will not contribute to any Republican senator who voted for the resolution. Further, if any Republican senator who votes for such a resolution is a candidate for re-election in 2008, I will not contribute to the National Republican Senatorial Committee unless the Chairman of that Committee, Senator Ensign, commits in writing that none of the funds of the NRSC will go to support the re-election of any senator supporting the non-binding resolution.

Go here to sign your name


We'll likely see today how many Senators earn me keeping my checkbook firmly closed.

Here are 17 Republicans in the House of Representatives who shouldn't see dime one:

Michael Castle (DE),
Howard Coble (NC), a USCG and USCGR vet,
Tom Davis(VA), a US Army and US Army Reserve vet,
John 'Jimmy' Duncan (TN), National Guard and US Army Reserve vet
Philip English (PA),
Wayne Gilchrest (MD),
Bob Inglis (SC),
Tim Johnson (IL),
Walter Jones (NC),
Ric Keller (FL),
Mark Kirk (IL), USNR
Steven LaTourette (OH),
Ron Paul (TX),
Thomas Petri (WI),
Jim Ramstad (MN), US Army and US Army Reserve vet
Fred Upton (MI),
James Walsh (NY)

******************************************

UPDATE: NOTR's about as pleased as I am. Uncle Jimbo is too.

Labels: My Two Cents, opinion, politics, The Pledge

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Uneasy Quiet in Baghdad - Crackdown sends militants underground
'We Need a New Direction' - House Dems push through anti-war resolution - VIDEO
Senate to vote on Iraq troop buildup (Round Two of "What's My Whine")
Experts: Iran's Quds Force Deeply Enmeshed in Iraq
Bush: Iraq meeting security benchmarks
Suicide bomber kills 9 in northern Iraq
Secretary of State Rice visits Baghdad
Civilian Deaths in Iraq Drop Overnight (Better watch out - that kind of success will get you a no-confidence vote around here...)
Military.com Op-ed: Truly Inappropriate (Don't miss this one)
Soldier Survives Sniper's Bullet

Operation Enduring Freedom
Afghanistan forgotten as U.S. focuses on Iraq
Afghanistan vows to crush any Taliban offensive

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Italy Indicts 26 Americans in CIA Kidnap Case
American Speaks on Al Qaeda Tape - VIDEO
NY businessman charged with financing terrorism
Accused mastermind of Madrid bombs denies involvement
Seven jailed for life for Istanbul bombings - Video
Blast in Pakistan court kills at least 11: doctor
Palestinian unity govt within weeks; U.S. wary - Video
Judge orders Padilla's military jailers to testify

Troops on Trial
Air Force Academy Scandal Grows

Fallen Heroes
Chaplain, Soldiers Escort Fallen Heroes Home

POW/MIA
Officials ID Soldier Missing in Action from Korean War

Worldwide Wackos
Bomb Strikes Iran Near Site of Deadly Blast
Iran police clash with armed group after bomb
U.S. expects change after Fidel's death

Homegrown Moonbats
Ricky Martin Flips Bird When Singing 'Bush' (What a peach)

Adventures in Political Correctness
Univ. of Ill. to Drop Controversial Indian Mascot

Politics / Government
Will Clinton Suffer Nader Nightmare? (Oh please, oh please...)
Bush has two moles removed from his face
House backs tax breaks to advance wage hike
FDA widens peanut butter warning
Group claims Coburn broke election law
Giuliani praises conservative judges

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
'Closet Killers' Convicted of Murdering Son

U.N. News
U.N.: Hunger kills 18,000 kids each day (Wonder how many the U.N. kills by failing to do anything about anything)

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
MYSTERY WEAPON FOUND IN IRAQ: Do You Know What It Is? (Michael Yon's mystery weapon)
Milbloggie Voting is Open

Science / Medicine / Technology
Diabetes in pregnancy can hamper infant memory
When pregnant mom eats fish, kids do better: study
Japan spy satellite launch postponed
Teen tech tormentors: what's a parent to do? - Video
Tiny frog in amber may be 25M years old

Mother Nature
Pa. drivers freed, but highway still icy

Oddities
Please Don't Find Me!
Woman, 84, Admits Sex With 11-Year-Old (Ummm...eww...)
Paraguay swallows tall tale of husband-eating boa - Video
Is it the drink, or did that urinal talk to me? - Video
Laxative-Laced Brownies Lead to Charges

Other News of Note
Inventor of TV Remote Control Dies

Fox News
Report: GM in Talks to Buy Chrysler
Anna Nicole's Will Leaves Estate to Dead Son - Click Here to Read Full Text of Will (pdf)
Babies Form Memories, But Forget Them
Explosion Rocks Texas Oil Refinery

Reuters: Top News
Warren Buffett heads list of top 2006 donors
China lets AIDS doctor collect U.S. rights prize
Mardi Gras, crime go on in New Orleans
Cactus-eating moth threatens favorite Mexican food
NBA rolls out 3D telecast for All-Star games
L.A. judge allows TV cameras at Phil Spector trial
Stocks eye CPI, retail results in short week
Dollar ends day flat, but worst week in two months
Oil jumps above $59 on U.S. Nigeria warning
Dow ends at record, scores best week since November
Sandisk drops as company cites margin pressures
Gauging Wal-Mart
Little sizzle seen for GE shares
Market Update
Harley reaches tentative pact with strikers
Ex-Merrill bankers aiming to avoid 2nd Enron trial
House backs tax breaks to advance wage hike
Judge weighs dismissal of Google trademark case
AIG, NY-NJ OK pact with DP World for Newark port

AP World News
19 injured in Texas refinery blaze
4 states may divert convervation funds
Bald Britney gets new tattoo in L.A.
Scottie Pippen planning NBA comeback
Songwriter Ray Evans dies in LA at 92
Mickelson grabs share of Nissan lead
Paraglider survives high-flying ordeal
Michael Richards won't attend mock trial
Lying to doctor can mean health risks
Mathers says Eminem unfaithful, uncaring
Eagles coach's son surrenders to police
Nicole Richie charged with DUI
Obituaries in the News

Military.com
DT: Navy Headed Inland
Advisors: Make Your Viz
Kit Up! if You've Got the Gear
Get the Best Deal on Home Loans

CENTCOM: Press Releases
MND-B COMMANDING GENERAL EXPLAINS SECURITY PLAN FOR BAGHDAD
173RD AIRBORNE BRIGADE TO DEPLOY TO AFGHANISTAN

USJFCOM
JPADS continues to improve the way it delivers aerial drops to the warfighter - podcast

DefenseLink
Officials Accelerate Army Unit's Deployment - Story
Dedication Key to Baghdad Security Plan - Story
Video: Fil Gives Iraq Operational Update
Transcript: Fil Gives Iraq Operational Update
Force Increase Necessary for War on Terror - Story
Corps Reaches Out to Former Marines
Family Program Leaders Define Top Concerns - Story
Officials Present Top Family Readiness Awards
Military Health System Excels at Mission - Story
Chu: Recruiting, Retention Remain Solid - Story

More Headline News
Guardsmen Help Storm-Stranded Motorists
Bush Will Protect U.S. Troops, Not Provoke War
President Says Baghdad Security Plan on Track
North Korea Agrees to Nuclear Disarmament

Military News
Marines, Djiboutians Train Side by Side
Officials Seek to Improve Support Programs
Guard Assists in Storm-Battered New York

Transformation
Pentagon Channel Launches New Web Site on Feb. 19 - Story
Propane Plant Fuels Alternatives
New Program Encourages Savings
U.S., Peruvian Air Forces Train
36th Ops Group Reactivates

War on Terror
Troops Gain U.S. Citizenship - Story
Weapons Caches Found
Bomb-Making Factory Destroyed
Iraqis Capture al Qaeda Leader

America Supports You
Group Helps Soldier Fly - Story
Operation Jellybeans Launches
Channel Airs Troop Valentine Messages
'VetFran' Helps with Franchises

Face of Defense
Spouses Serve in Iraq
Sailor Earns Bronze Star

DefendAmerica
Potential for Securing Iraq Exists - Story
Weapons Influx a Major Concern
Maj. Gen. Caldwell biography
Bloggers' Roundtable Web Site

NEWS UPDATES
Baghdad Security Plan Can Work - Story
Stability & Security in Iraq Report (pdf)
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
U.S. Military Helps Build Health Center on Island - Story
Deployed Servicemembers Become U.S. Citizens - Story
Market Opening Signifies Iraqi Resilience - Story
Air Cavalry Brigade Hits 200th Re-enlistment - Story
Soldiers, Iraqi Citizens Share Goal of Peace - Story
Iraqi Police Train to Lead, Protect Fellow Officers - Story

IN IRAQ
Comedians Bring Laughter to U.S. Troops
Army Vice Chief of Staff Visits Ironhorse Troops
1st Stinger Battery Begins Iraq Deployment
U.S. Troops, Iraqis Celebrate Bridge Opening
U.S. Marines Help Secure 'Smugglers Town'
Organization Delivers Supplies to Iraqi Families
Aircrew Aids Globemaster Carrying Injured
Iraqis 'Get Answers' from Civil Affairs Marines
Americans Unite with Socotra to Build Schools
Engineers Build High School in Northern Baghdad
Army Engineers Help Build Potable Water Plant

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
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Weekly Reconstruction Report (PDF)
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Update
Maps

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

Weather
Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Germany
Ansbach Aschaffenburg Berlin Berlin-Tempelhof Berlin/Schonefeld Bremerhaven
Darmstadt Frankfurt Frankfurt/Main Freiburg/Breisgau Garmisch
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Geilenkirchen Gelnhausen Giessen Kitzingen
Hanau Am Main Heidelberg Mainz Mannheim Nurnberg Stuttgart Trier
Wiesbaden Wurzburg

Gitmo

Guam
Agana Agana Heights Agat Andersen AFB Asan Barrigada

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

Japan
Kadena Air Base Okinawa Tokyo Yokohama

Philippines
Baler Radar Site Catanduanes Radar Site Manila

South Korea
Cheju Upper/Radar Chonju Chunchon Inch'on Kunsan Masan Mokp'o
Osan Pusan Seoul Suwon Taegu Taejon Tonghae Radar Site Ulsan Yosu

Today in History
1370 - Battle at Rudau - Germany beats Lithuania
1568 - Holy Roman Emperor agrees to pay annual tribute to Sultan for peace
1598 - Boris Godunov chosen tsar of Russia
1621 - Miles Standish appointed 1st commander of Plymouth colony
1670 - France & Bavaria sign military assistance treaty
1676 - Kings Charles II & Louis XIV sign secret treaty
1691 - Thomas Neale granted British patent for American postal service
1714 - Parliament of Paris accepts Pope Clemens XI's "Unigenitus" degree
1772 - 1st partition of Poland-Russia & Prussia, joined later by Austria
1776 - 1st volume of Gibbon's "Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire" published
1791 - Messier catalogs M83 (spiral galaxy in Hydra)
1801 - House breaks electoral college tie, chooses Jefferson President over Burr
1817 - 1st US city lit by gas (Baltimore)
1818 - Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun patents "draisine" (early bicycle)
1836 - HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin leaves Tasmania
1848 - Toscane gets liberal Constitution
1854 - British recognize independence of Orange Free State (South Africa)
1864 - Confederate sub H.L. Hunley sinks Union ship Housatonic (1st submarine to sink an enemy ship)
1865 - Columbia, SC burns down during the Civil War (Battle of Charleston)
1867 - 1st ship passes through Suez Canal; Gyula Andressy becomes premier of Hungary
1870 - Mississippi becomes 9th state re-admitted to US after Civil War; Esther Morris appointed 1st female judge
1876 - Sardines 1st canned (Julius Wolff-Eastport, ME)
1878 - 1st telephone exchange in San Francisco opens with 18 phones
1880 - Tsar Alexander II of Russia survives an assassination attempt
1883 - A. Ashwell patents free-toilet in London
1896 - London Country Councils' Muzzling Order becomes effective
1897 - National Congress of Parents & Teachers (PTA) organizes (Washington DC)
1905 - Frances Willard becomes 1st woman honored in National Statuary Hall
1906 - Theodore Roosevelt's daughter Alice marries in the White House
1911 - 1st amphibian flight to & from a ship, by Glenn Curtiss, San Diego
1913 - New York Armory Show introduces Picasso, Matisse, Duchamp to US public; 1st minimum wage law in US takes effect (Oregon)
1915 - Edward Stone, 1st US combatant to die in WWI, is mortally wounded
1926 - Avalanche buries 75 in Sap Gulch Bingham UT, 40 die
1930 - French government of Tardieu falls
1931 - 1st telecast of a sporting event in Japan (baseball)
1933 - 1st issue of "Newsweek" magazine published; US Senate accept Blaine Act, ending prohibition
1934 - 1st high school auto driving course offered (State College, PA)
1938 - 1st public experimental demonstration of Baird color TV (London)
1940 - British destroyers board German Altmark off Norway
1943 - Dutch churches protest at Seyss-Inquart against persecution of Jews; General-Major Bradley flies to Washington, DC; Hitler visits field marshal von Mansteins headquarters in Zaporozje; New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio enlists in the US Army
1944 - Battle of Eniwetok Atoll begins - US victory on Feb 22; US begins night bombing of Truk
1947 - "Voice of America" begins broadcasting to USSR; Dutch Roman Catholic bishops publish manifest against "godless communism"
1949 - Chaim Weizman elected 1st President of Israel
1949 - Men's Figure Skating Championship in Paris won by Richard Button USA
1950 - 31 die in a train crash in Rockville Center, New York
1953 - Baseball star/pilot Ted Williams uninjured as plane shot down in Korea
1957 - Suez Canal reopens
1958 - Comic strip "BC" 1st appears
1959 - 1st weather satellite launched, Vanguard 2, 9.8 kg
1962 - Storm in Hamburg, kills 265
1964 - US House of Reps accept law on civil rights; US Supreme court rules 1 man 1 vote (Westberry vs Sanders)
1965 - US Ranger 8 launched, will transmit 7,137 lunar pictures; US-Japan baseball relations suspended over Masanori Murakami dispute
1966 - French satellite Diapason D-1A launch into Earth orbit
1967 - Kosmos 140 (Soyuz test) launches into Earth orbit
1968 - Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, MA, opens
1969 - Golda Meir sworn in as Israel's 1st female prime minister
1972 - President Nixon leaves Washington, DC for China; British Parliament votes to join European Common Market
1974 - 49 die in stampede for seats at soccer match, Cairo, Egypt
1976 - Macau adopts constitution (Organic Law of Macau)
1979 - China invades Vietnam
1981 - Chrysler Corp reports largest corporate losses in US history
1983 - Netherlands adopts constitution
1985 - 1st class postage rises from 20¢ to 22¢; 3rd person to receive an artificial heart (Murray Haydon)
1986 - 1st Francophone Summit convenes at Versailles; Johnson & Johnson announces it no longer sells capsule drugs; Libyan bombers attack N'djamena Airport in Chad
1988 - US Lieutenant Colonel William Higgins kidnapped by Lebanese terrorists & later killed
1989 - 6-week study of Arctic atmosphere shows no ozone "hole"
1989 - Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia & Libya form common market
1993 - Haitian ferry boat capsize in storm, 800-2,000 die
1995 - Colin Fergusson found guilty of killing 6 people on the Long Island Railroad in New York; Federal judge allows lawsuit claiming US tobacco makers knew nicotine was addictive & manipulated its levels to keep customers hooked
1997 - Carl Sagan Public Memorial at Pasadena, CA
1998 - Diane Zamora, 20, Naval Academy cadet convicted of capital murder; Larry Wayne Harris & Bill Levitt arrested for possession of anthrax

Birthdays
1490 - Charles de Bourbon officer/governor (Lombardy)
1519 - François de Guise [Balafré], French general strategist (Calais)
1723 - Tobias Mayer "method of lunars" for longitude determination
1804 - Samuel Read Anderson, Confederate Brigadier General
1817 - Frederick Douglass, famous African-American
1824 - William Farrar "Baldy" Smith, Union Major General
1837 - Francis Jay Herron, Union Major General
1854 - Friedrich A. Krupp, German arms manufacturer
1855 - Otto Liman von Sanders, German general in Turkey (WWI)
1874 - Thomas J. Watson, Sr., representative/founder (IBM)
1880 - Alvaro Obregon, General/President of Mexico (1920-24)
1884 - Arthur Vanderpoorten, Flemish minister of Internal affairs (1940)
1888 - Otto Stern, German/US physicist (Stern-Gerlach-experiment, Nobel 1943)
1889 - H(aroldson) L. Hunt, Texas oil multi-millionaire
1906 - Galo Plaza Lasso, President of Ecuador (1948-52), head of OAS (1968-75)
1914 - (Bert de) Wayne Morris, WWII-pilot/actor (Paths of Glory)
1918 - Charles A. Hayes (Representative-IL)
1929 - Yasser Arafat PLO-leader (Achille Lauro, Nobel 1994)
1933 - Craig Thomas (Representative-WY)
1938 - Mary Frances Berry, educator/head (US Commission on Civil Rights)
1942 - Huey Newton, Black Panther leader
1944 - Bernie Grant, British politician (Labour)
1945 - Willie J.L. Swildens-Rozendal, Dutch MP (PvdA)

Passings
0364 - Flavius Jovianus, Christian emperor of Rome (363-64), dies at about 32
0956 - Hugo the Great, Earl of Paris/duke of Francia, dies at about 55
1612 - Ernst of Bayern, Prince/Bishop of Luik/archbishop of Cologne, dies at 57
1688 - Reverend James Renwick, hanged in Scotland for being a Presbyterian
1874 - (Lambert) Adolphe J. Quetelet, Belgian astronomer/sociologist, dies at 77
1905 - Serge Alexandrovich, Governor-General Moscow, murdered
1912 - Aloys von Aerenthal, foreign minister (Austria-Hungary), dies at 57; L. Oates, British explorer (Antarctica)
1918 - Wilfrid Laurier, Canadian PM (1896-1911)
1934 - Albert I LCMM von Saksen-Coburg, King of Belgium (1909-34), dies at 58
1977 - Quincy Howe, newscaster (CBS Weekend News), dies at 76
1991 - Enrique Bermudez, commandant (Contra)

Reported Missing in Action
1967
Sooter, David W., US Army (CA); OH23G shot down - released by DRV March, 1973 - deceased, 1968

1968
The following USN personnel reported MIA when their OP2E was shot down - remains returned 1993:
Ashby, Clayborn W., Jr. (KY)

Coons, Chester L. (ND)

Dawson, Frank A. (CA)

Donato, Paul N. (MA)

Hayden, Glenn (CA)

Kravitz, James S. (CA)

Martin, James E. (UT)

Thurman, Curtis F. (MO)

Wonn, James C. (PA)

1972
Cutter, James D., USAF (KY); F105G shot down (w/Fraser), released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Major - alive as of 1996

Fraser, Kenneth J., USAF (NY); F105G shot down (w/Cutter), released by DRV March, 1973 - alive as of 1998

Hawley, Edwin A., Jr., USAF (AL); F4D shot down (w/Irwin), released by DRV (injured) February, 1973

Irwin, Robert H., USAF (NY); F4D shot down (w/Hawley) - remains returned July, 1989 - ID'd November, 1989

Labels: Headlines, History