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Thursday, February 22, 2007


2/21/2007
NICE TO MEET YOU
U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Chris Conner, platoon sergeant assigned to the 3rd Platoon, Golf Company, Battalion Landing Team 2/4, interacts with a local child while conducting clearing operations in Barwanah, Iraq. The California-based Marines conducted a sweep and clear operation through the city. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Tracie G. Kessler

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A Cannoneer Crewman with B Btty., Battalion Landing Team 3rd Bn., 8th Marines, uses a ramming staff to stuff a 155mm High Explosive projectile into the breach of an M198 Howitzer cannon during a field training exercise aboard Fort A.P. Hill, Va., Feb. 16, 2007. The Marines and sailors of BLT 3/8 are scheduled to deploy as the Ground Combat Element of the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit later this year. Photo by: Cpl. Peter R. Miller, Photo Date:02/19/2007
Read the story associated with this photo

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Weighing In on Walter Reed

As I suspected, Chuck Z has got a lot to say about the situation at Walter Reed.


Go here, here and here to start with.


And when you're done with that, don't miss this post.


For more on WRAMC, NOTR, over at ROFASix, notes that:

The danger is that once the media glare leaves the horrors at Walter Reed, it will settle back to "situation normal." That means essentially the real horror of all this, the stripping of the dignity our soldiers deserve would remain unchanged. That is what must not be allowed to happen.
Too true.

It doesn't really matter whose fault it is. It doesn't really matter whether the Washington Post was biased. If any of that report was true - any of it - it's unacceptable. Don't examine, analyze, requisition, or anything else. Fix it. Now.

Where is Congress? Instead of arguing with each other about who called who unpatriotic, maybe they should be actually doing something important...nahhhh.

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Luanda, Angola (Feb. 21, 2007) – Gunner’s Mate Seaman Randall Chambers practices weapons handling and ship boarding tactics with an Angolan sailor aboard guided missile frigate USS Kauffman (FFG 59). In conjunction with Kauffman's port visit to Luanda, the training is part of a U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa initiative to improve maritime security by helping African partners build core competencies and capability. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anthony Dallas

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Moonbat Watch: It's All Love and Peace...Until it Isn't

Ah, the days of yore....when happy, gentle pacifists used to sing...

"All we are saying....is give peace a chance..."

They might have to rewrite that one - and a couple of their anti-war slogans, too.

I'd suggest "All we are saying....is give psychotic anti-war bigoted freaks a chance...."

And instead of "Make Love....not War," how about "Throw Punches, not Flowers."

Wondering what I'm talking about? Well, none other than gentle peace activist Andrew Stone. Good ol' Andy has developed a new tactic in the noble crusade to stop this darned illegal war.

Stalking.

Here's what one of the people he assaulted, UMW student Richard Reed Pannell, had to say about our intrepid psychopath, after he'd dropped in for a little "love-in":
...Later that day we found a list of names on the front porch, complete with addresses, boys and girls, all members of the college Republicans. I was 9th on the list. I contacted a few of the people on the list and only one had received a visit from this guy, and they hadn't even answered the door because they knew of his affiliation and what he was coming to say. For lack of better words, we were pretty unsuspecting. His arraignment is on March 1st, and our school newspaper is doing a large investigation of his ties to other organizations on campus, etc. For now, we're all pretty scared about what this guy'll do now that he's back on the streets...
Aw, come on.....he's anti-war. When are they ever violent? What's that? All the time? Oh.

Make sure you visit Michelle Malkin's blog to get the whole story. Don't be fooled. Most "peace" activists are anything but.


Ah, the anti-war crowd. Gotta love 'em, eh?


What are you doing for St. Patrick's Day this year?

Me, I'm planning on joining the Gathering of Eagles.

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Working dog teams search, patrol together
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNEWS) -- Ensuring the safety of everyone at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here rests upon a group of Airmen and their highly trained four-legged partners. The 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Military Working Dog Section has several certified teams made up of handlers and their explosive detecting dogs who inspect every vehicle entering the base.

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My Two Cents: Horrible, Horrible Freedom...

Relax - I'll explain in a minute.

"The Simpsons" is not the sort of fare usually turned to for life lessons, for sure. But there are a couple of nuggets that have stayed with me from earlier days when I used to watch it regularly.

One was an episode in which Mayor Quimby called the people of Springfield "a bunch of fickle mush-heads," due to their shifting political loyalties and gullibility. Yep.

Another was when Homer was in space. There was also an ant colony up there. Homer's usual bumbling resulted in the shattering of the glass encasing the ant colony. As the ants spilled out, they protested "Horrible, horrible freedom!"

As Homer would say, "It's funny 'cause it's true..."

The American Revolutionary War lasted from 1775 (with the expulsion of Royal officials) to 1783. It wasn't until 1787 that the Constitution was ratified. It took four years to figure out how the hell to govern the country they'd spent 8 years getting.

Hmmm.

It took almost a hundred years to make it a single entity - the United States Civil War was, in large part, a battle about the governmental structure. Did the rights of the individual states take precedence, or was the federal government the one that ultimately was in charge? That one was four years of destruction, costing approximately 620,000 lives (about as much as in all other American wars combined). Gettysburg alone killed more than 50,000.

Was it worth it? It's a question that often gets asked about wars, and if one wants to do it right, it's impossible to answer. The reality is that we'll never know what would have happened without it. How long would The non-United States have survived? Remember, in 1812, the Brits tried to remedy their loss of a few decades earlier. Was Lincoln right? Would a "house divided" have fallen? Given the wars that followed, probably.

I was in Disneyworld on vacation when Mikhail Gorbachev was overthrown. At the time, I had a Ukrainian penpal. a medic in the Soviet army. Nice guy. As I watched the news in my hotel room, I said to my boyfriend at the time, "Oh, God, this is a disaster."

He looked at me like I'd gone insane. "What?!? We're watching the birth of a democracy, here - this is great!"

"No, we're not," I said quietly. "Those people haven't the foggiest idea of how to build a democracy. Gorbachev was doing it right - little freedoms here and there....he was introducing them to independence a little at a time. They're used to having everything done for them. They have no idea how to take care of themselves."

And they didn't. Gennady told me they didn't have stamps, or money, for months. Everything with Lenin's visage on it was confiscated, but there were no replacements. MiG's were being traded to farmers for food. Criminal elements, long kept in line by the KGB, were suddenly unleashed. Corruption flourished. A superpower disappeared into ignominy and confusion.

Sound somewhat familiar? It should.

Iraq has been out from under Saddam Hussein for not quite four years. It's had a fledgling government for less time than that. And its people, in large part, still have absolutely no clue what self-determination really means.

I've seen articles where residents of the former Soviet Union have said that life was better under Communism, because at least they had food, and crime was lower. Iraqis have said that life was better under Saddam.

Why is that, do you think?

Well, there's probably a very simple answer - freedom sucks if you don't know how to live under it. It's an inertia thing. Objects at rest tend to remain at rest. People who are used to having everything decided for them get used to it. Freedom - self-determination, personal responsibility - can be terrifying.

It's often been said that the natural state of the soul is freedom - that inside every heart is a desire for freedom. Maybe so. But just because I'd like to be a surgeon, doesn't mean you'd want me operating on you. It takes knowledge, it takes skill, and so does maintaining freedom.

"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-- Thomas Paine, in Common Sense
Even if you want freedom, that doesn't mean that you'll know what to do with it once you get it. Freedom has so often been held up as the ideal that what often gets lost is the downside - it's work. It isn't easy to be free. Look at the consequences...

The U.S. has had to endure being hated. We've spent heaploads of money - and oceans of blood - in wars. We've put up with civil strife. Bad politicians. Media outlets run amok. And why? Because we're free. This country walks the line between freedom and oppression every single day. Collectively, we wake up each morning and have to decide - Is this still worth it?

We keep answering "Yes." But how long is that going to last. Our freedom is very much in jeopardy in the present day. Hillary Clinton says that if she could, she would take the profits of oil companies, putting them into programs for alternative energy sources. Think about that for a second. She would TAKE the profits, and decide where they should be spent.

Political correctness dictates that certain words are banned. Not just unfashionable. Not just problematic. Banned. You can get fired from your job for using them. You can get fined if your network uses them.

Political correctness dictates that certain characters are not permissible. A college mascot is no more because it *might* offend people. Look out, Notre Dame - I'm Irish. That angry little leprechaun of yours is one phone call away from extinction.

It's not that people are choosing to refrain from watching certain shows, or listening to certain music, or supporting certain sporting events. The free market, free will, is not deciding what is or is not acceptable. THEY are. Political groups...your government...is deciding what you can say, what you can see, what you can hear.

That ought to scare the living crap out of you. But how many of us does it really scare? Everyone can agree that certain words are just out of bounds, right?

There was a time that I was told that my SAT score, a 1320 under the old scoring system, was "pretty good for a girl." Did that piss me off? You bet. Did I call the cops and ask that the offender be put in jail? No. I stood up for myself. I decided that I would not accept that.

There are certain words that drive me up a tree. Certain racial terms just really tick me off - but there's a difference between calling someone an idiot for saying something, and putting them in jail. There's a difference between using a word, and assaulting someone. Granted, once the first step is permitted, the next ones become easier to accept. But what I'm saying is that legislation isn't always the answer - sometimes people have to take PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for drawing a line.

Ah, but I digress.

Back to Iraq: Under Saddam, your life was pretty much decided for you. You got what food was allowed to get to you. You had electricity, water, etc. when you were permitted to have it. You were either going to live that day, or die. All of that was completely out of your control. Voting was easy - your vote for President consisted of a choice between "Saddam forever" and "Kill me now." Pretty simple choice there.

And then came the Americans, promising freedom. You'd get to vote, you wouldn't have to be randomly dragged off to be tortured, you'd have rights...only the Americans forgot to tell you a thing or too...you'd have to do a lot of work to get there, and you'd have to do a lot of work to keep it.

Remember the tales that people hear about this country. Everyone's rich. Everyone has equal rights. Everybody has cars, and food, and medical care that consists of more than sawing something off with a rusty knife. People don't die of diseases here that people of other nationalities die of all the time. In America, people throw food away! In America, women vote. Women leave the house alone! Women decide who they marry! Women hold political offices! No one can tell you what religion to follow! No one can put you in jail - or worse, for calling the President a moron. Wow...it's a lot to take in.

And most of it's pretty much true. Compared to other countries, we are pretty rich. Most people have good medical care. In some cases, poor people have access to better medical care than others with more money. People call the President a moron - and worse - all the time. And they're not in jail.

But what people don't understand is that, as Ronald Reagan said,

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."
And that's, in essence, the problem in Iraq.

Herschel Smith, over at The Captain's Journal, has a post up today that looks at the state of the counterinsurgency in Anbar. The picture he paints is somewhat grim. Snipers still prowl the roads. Clean water is still out of reach. Peace, where it exists, is fragile.

I was struck by one quote from that post:

“It is hard to say this but years ago I was praying for the death of [former president] Saddam Hussein, but today I wish he could come back to life and was in power again because at least in his time we used to have safe water, good sewage systems, had food to eat and our children never got diarrhoea,” she said.
Many of the war's critics would pounce on that and say, "See - we've actually made things worse in Iraq. They were better off with Saddam."

In some cases, I would agree. But not because WE have failed. The problem is that the Iraqis have largely failed themselves to this point. The Iraqi leadership has failed its people. Most of that is not their fault. They are not used to having to step up. And let's face it - standing down a bunch of armed lunatics who don't think you're being Muslim enough isn't exactly a fun way to spend a day.

The problem is that freedom is work. Freedom in itself does not make things wonderful. Freedom, when fully embraced by a nation, however, with all its trials, and all of its responsibilities, is the most wonderful thing on Earth.

Iraq is in danger of never finding that out. We are in danger of losing what we know to be priceless. Both may succeed. Both may fail. And in large part, both hinge on this country answering that question again.

"Is it worth it to be free?"

"We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home."
-- Edward Murrow
Are we, once again, going to take a stand for freedom?

Universal healthcare looks pretty good, doesn't it? But it compromises the free market, and it takes away personal responsibility. Work, or don't - you'll be taken care of. It is a feel-good way to get people used to not having to think - or work - for themselves.

War sucks. It claims lives, maims young men and women. But when you're the nation that says it stands for freedom, you have to fight in one from time to time. Some are for your own survival. Some are about eliminating threats. And some are in defense of a smaller nation that asks for help. All are expensive in money and lives. But what does peace at any price really mean?

Maniacs are going to want to kill us if we are free. If we knuckle under, it will buy us some security. Maybe. Terrorists will hit us again. People will die. Freedom will make us a target. Which do we want to choose?

The American Constitution as it is now written does not guarantee that you will never be offended. It doesn't guarantee that you'll never hear something that you don't like. It doesn't guarantee that people will always be nice to you. Sometimes, life hands you a raw deal. But if we legislate speech, and legislate media "fairness," and legislate religion, we can control those things. Of course, it means that we will give up some of our rights...

The fact of the matter is, what's going on in Iraq scares me a lot less, most of the time, than what's going on here. Our troops are the best in the world. They're getting things done in Iraq. Yes, we have to continue to put pressure on Iraqis. And I agree that we have to let them know we're not going to be there forever. If we don't do that, they won't do it for themselves. Inertia. We're going to have to drag them kicking and screaming into their new existence. Reward those who stand up - who chase off insurgents, who build a local workforce to fix the water problems. Who appoint a representative to come to the U.S. forces and say, "what the heck do we need to do to help you get the power working consistently?" Reward personal responsibility.

At the same time, we cannot abandon them. They simply do not know how to be free. It is going to require some education. We are going to need to help them deal with the murdering thugs they allowed to gain a foothold, and give them a little bit of Freedom 101.

Here at home, we need to make a choice in a little under two years. It is a pivotal one. Listen very, very carefully to what politicians are saying. Listen very, very carefully to those who tell you that they will take away your worries, make life easier, give you something for nothing, prevent you from hearing something that offends you, and see to "social justice."

Lenin said the same thing. So, very likely, did Saddam.

Freedom lies in the balance in two countries. And it is very likely the people in this one that dictate the survival of both.

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KUNAR PROVINCE - U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Hosmer takes a moment to interact with local children during a key leaders meeting in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan, Feb. 3, 2007. The subject of the meeting was the progress of development projects that are a combined effort of the Coalition-led Asadabad Provincial Reconstruction Team and local contractors. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Gipe

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In Today's News - Thursday, February 22, 2007

Quote of the Day
"Heroism is latent in every human soul -
However humble or unknown, they (the veterans)
have renounced what are accounted pleasures
and cheerfully undertaken all the self-denials -
privations, toils, dangers, sufferings,
sicknesses, mutilations, life-"

-- Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Report: Prince Harry Being Deployed to Iraq
Iraq says ready to take over Basra after UK pullout -Video
Iraq insurgents again use 'dirty' attack
U.S. weighs in on Iraq rape case
Guard to Redeploy to Iraq Early
Helicopter Down North of Baghdad
Jumaylah Citizens Deny Insurgents
No Serious Injuries in Crash

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Indian train blast probe widens to several states

Troops on Trial
Judge OKs Guilty Plea in Iraqi Slaying

Fallen Heroes
Officials ID Casualties from Crash

Supporting Our Heroes
Vietnam vets rally to protect memorial (Gathering of Eagles, March 17th, D.C.)

Other Military News
Philippine army on defensive after killings charges
Hue City: 39 Years Later - Watch slideshow now.
Military.com Blog: Final Thoughts on Walter Reed

Religion of Peace??
Extremists Threaten Peacekeepers in Somalia

Worldwide Wackos
Rice to Urge World Leaders To Take Action on Iran
Allies want Iran back at bargaining table
Iran refuses to budge on UN demands
Cheney meets N.Korea abductee's parents in Japan

Homegrown Moonbats
Monks Deny PETA Charges of Chicken Abuse

Politics / Government
Hillary Clinton, Obama in Hot Exchange Over Hollywood Heavyweight's Comments
Richardson Jumps Into Dems' Feud
N.M. governor weighs in on Hillary-Obama feud
Pelosi Bites Back at Cheney
GQ Drafts 'Articles of Impeachment' Against Cheney
Rice faces uphill battle to revive Mideast peace
Cheney, Democrats trade barbs over British troop move - Video
In Nevada, Democratic 2008 hopefuls spar on Iraq war
Iraq war protests grow before Cheney's Australia trip
Bush vows cooperation on health care
Cheney at odds with McCain over Rumsfeld
S.F. mayor discusses alcohol use, affair
Italy president in crisis talks after Prodi quits
French farmers fret about life after Chirac (What, worried about a shortage of fertilizer, without his b.s.?)
Russia, U.S. officials shift to softer stance in talks

Immigration / Border Control
Groups seek shutdown of immigration center

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Ex-Lab Aide Gets Life for Acid-Vat Slaying
Lawsuit: School Nixed Boy's Jesus Costume
DNA Evidence Clears Man in Child's Rape
Government Sued for Medical Marijuana Claim
Flood Unearths Old Child Porn, Leads to Arrest
N.Jersey jury to hear tape of murder victim's pleas
Ohio woman guilty in foster son's death

Adventures in Political Correctness
So Long, Chief: U. of Illinois Mascot Retired
Lawsuit Claims School Prevented Boy From Wearing Jesus Costume for Halloween

U.N. News
Rice says to use Security Council to pressure Iran - Video

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
What is the Iraq Mystery Weapon? (Michael Yon's Mystery Weapon)
Blogger sued over topless Aniston photo

Science / Medicine / Technology
Hypersonic Rocket Would Take You From London to New York in Less Than Two Hours
Distant planets: Warm, weird, waterless

Mother Nature
Fisherman Catch Rare Colossal Squid Off Antarctic Coast
Experts: Warming may harm Tuscan wines
Sea turtles returned to Gulf of Mexico

Oddities
Sword-Wielding Man Confronts Neighbor Watching Porn After Hearing Screams (too funny - make sure you read this one)
'McMissile' Mom Gets Probation for Throwing Cup of Ice Into Car That Cut Her Off
Michael Jackson: King of Pop Really Wants to Be Prince
Katie Holmes' Creepy Magazine Cover Story
Fighting surgeons leave patient in the lurch
Empty boxes and politeness dent generosity

Other News of Note
Farrakhan to make his last major address
Teacher Allowed Group to Distribute Anti-Muslim Material in Class, Activists Say

Fox News
Hypersonic Passenger Rocket in the Works
Apple, Cisco Settle Legal Dispute Over iPhone
Britney Spears' Ex-Husband May Make Play for Custody of Kids as She Leaves Rehab Again
Judge Grills Anna Nicole Smith's Ex-Boyfriend Larry Birkhead

Reuters: Top News
Indonesia ferry fire kills 11, survivors returning
Sudan, Chad again pledge to avoid hostilities
Honduras gang members guilty of Xmas bus massacre
Group says factory Wal-Mart uses abuses workers
Scientists surprised by data about distant planets
Hearing to probe climate change and Inuit rights
Canon unveils new professional digital camera
Google sees video anti-piracy tools as priority
Dwindling fan numbers worry skaters
Breast cancer theory supports African folklore
Caffeine may be good for some aging hearts
Britney reported out of rehab after 24 hours
Obama finds friends in Hollywood, and money too!
Oil holds at $60 on concern over supply hitches
Japan shares up as yen hits record low vs euro
Dow drops as CPI gains
Yen hits record low vs euro on BOJ outlook
HP shares fall after quarterly results
When filing taxes, go slow
On the radar: Healthcare
Apple, Cisco agree both can use iPhone name
Coca-Cola completes purchase of Philippines bottler
EMI talks to others after Warner Music approach: FT
Whole Foods to buy Wild Oats for $565 million
Shopkeepers protest as Wal-Mart checks out India
Google offers business software via subscription

AP World News
Alaska village faces fuel crisis
Spears exits rehab; K-Fed going to court
Heat loses to Rockets; Wade injured
Suns sink Celtics 118-108
76ers knock Knicks 104-84
Woods, Mickelson advance in Match Play
Dow ends down 48 on inflation concerns
Smith's mother fears for baby's life

Military.com
Def Tech: Binge and Surge
Op-ed: Swedish Lesson From Below
Blog: Training NCOs in Iraq
Got the Gear? Then Kit Up!

CENTCOM: Press Releases
TROOPS EMPLOY CONCRETE SOLUTION TO MARKET PLACE SECURITY
AL QAEDA IN IRAQ OPERATIONS INTERDICTED BY IA, 2-7 CAVALRY IN NINEWA
SEVEN TERRORISTS KILLED, 13 DETAINED IN VBIED, FOREIGN FIGHTER RAIDS
CCCI CONVICTS 23 INSURGENTS.
AIRPOWER SUMMARY FOR FEB. 20

USJFCOM
USJFCOM partners with ACT to sponsor NATO urban workshop - podcast
USJFCOM partners with ACT to sponsor NATO urban workshop - podcast
JPADS continues to improve the way it delivers aerial drops to the warfighter - podcast

DefenseLink
Cheney Thanks Japan for Support, Lauds Troops - Story
Cheney: Terrorists Seek to Break America's Will
Photos: Cheney Visits USS Kitty Hawk
Nation Safer Now Than Before 9/11 Attacks - Story
Blair Announces British Reduction of Forces - Story
Officials Promise Changes at Walter Reed Facility - Story
Transcript: Briefing on Outpatient Care
African-American NFL Players Help See Future - Story
Caldwell Recaps First Week of Baghdad Plan
McConnell Takes Oath, Joins Security Team
Defense Dept. Works on Patient-Care Issues

Military News
Guard Soldier Earns Distinguished Service Cross
PBS Documentary Captures Corps’ Values
Troops to Teachers Adds Advance Hiring Feature
Officials Accelerate Army Unit's Deployment

War on Terror
Soldier, Marine Killed in Iraq
Officials Transfer 7 Detainees

America Supports You
‘Quad-A’ Helps Families - Story
Businesses Aim to Hire Vets
Foundation Helps Wounded
Group Helps Soldier Fly

Face of Defense
Soldier Returns to Defend Title - Story
Volunteer Leads With Passion
Soldier Survives Sniper's Bullet

Transformation
Training Becomes More Realistic
Propane Plant Fuels Alternatives
New Program Encourages Savings
U.S., Peruvian Air Forces Train

DefendAmerica
NEWS UPDATES
Baghdad Plan Quells Some Violence - Story
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
Sailors, Marines to Conduct Maritime Security - Story
Desert Hawk Takes Command of Aviation Ops - Story
Six Villages in Kandahar Get New Water Wells - Story
'Ironhorse' Soldiers Learn to Airlift Equipment - Story

IN DJIBOUTI
U.S. Marines, Sailors Help Clean Up Local School

IN IRAQ
Paratroopers Seek to Build Ties with Leaders
New Pump Station Improves Quality of Life
Air Cavalry Brigade Observes Black History Month
Iraqi Police, U.S. Soldiers Set Up Headquarters
Medic Re-visits Residents During Medical Ops
Chaplain, Soldiers Escort Fallen Heroes Home

IN KUWAIT
Deployed Servicemembers Become U.S. Citizens

IN YEMEN
U.S. Military Helps Build Health Center on Island

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

CASUALTIES
Officials ID Casualties from Crash - Story

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
0606 - Sabinian ends his reign as Catholic Pope
0896 - Pope Formosa crowned king Arnulf of Karinthie/French emperor
1071 - Battle of Cassel-Robert I the Frisian defeats Arnulf III/I
1281 - Simon de Brion elected Pope Martinus IV
1288 - Girolamo Masci elected Pope Nicolas IV
1349 - Jews are expelled from Zurich Switzerland
1495 - French King Charles VIII enters Naples to claim the crown
1561 - William of Orange appointed viceroy of Burgundy/Charolais
1630 - Indians introduce pilgrims to popcorn, at Thanksgiving
1656 - New Amsterdam granted a Jewish burial site
1744 - Battle at Toulon English-French & Spanish fleet
1746 - French troops conquer Brussels; Jakobite troops vacate Aberdeen
1774 - English House of Lords rules authors do not have perpetual copyright
1775 - 1st US joint stock company (to make cloth) offers shares at £10; Jews expelled from outskirts of Warsaw Poland
1784 - 1st US ship to trade with China, "Empress of China", sails from New York
1819 - Spain renounces claims to Oregon Country, Florida (Adams-Onís Treaty)
1821 - Spain sells (east) Florida to United States for $5 million
1825 - Russia & Britain establish Alaska-Canada boundary
1828 - Russia & Persia sign Peace of Turkmantsjai
1835 - HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin leave Valdivia Chile
1836 - Dutch garrison evacuates fort Du Bus New Guinea
1847 - Battle of Buena Vista -- US troops beat Mexican army
1854 - 1st meeting of the Republican Party, Michigan
1856 - 1st national meeting of the Republican Party (Pittsburgh)
1860 - Organized baseball played in San Francisco for the 1st time
1861 - On a bet, Edward Weston leaves Boston to walk to Lincoln's inauguration
1864 - 2nd/last day of Battle of Okolona, MS; Battle at Dalton, Georgia; Skirmish at Calfkiller Creek (Sparta) Tennessee
1865 - Tennessee adopts a new constitution abolishing slavery; Battle of Wilmington, NC - Fort Anderson occupied by Federals
1872 - 1st national convention of the Prohibition Party (Columbus OH)
1878 - Greenback Labor Party formed (Toledo OH)
1879 - 1st 5¢ & 10¢ store opened by Frank W Woolworth in Utica NY
1887 - Union Labor Party organized in Cincinnati
1888 - John Reid of Scotland demonstrates golf to Americans (Yonkers NY)
1889 - Dakotas, Montana & Washington admitted to the union
1898 - Black postmaster lynched, his wife & 3 daughters shot in Lake City, SC
1900 - Battle at Wynne's Hill, South-Africa (Boers vs British army); Hawaii became a US territory
1903 - Due to drought, the US side of Niagara Falls runs short of water
1907 - 1st cabs with taxi meters begin operating in London
1909 - Great White Fleet, 1st US fleet to circle the globe, returns to Virginia
1912 - J. Vedrines makes 1st airplane flight over 100 mph-161.29 kph
1915 - Germany begins "unrestricted" submarine war
1917 - German Navy torpedoes 7 Dutch ships
1918 - Germany claims Baltic states, Finland & Ukraine from Russia
1920 - 1st artificial rabbit used at a dog race track (Emeryville CA)
1922 - Congress authorizes Grant Memorial $1 gold coin
1923 - Transcontinental airmail service begins
1923 - 1st successful chinchilla farm in US (Los Angeles CA)
1924 - 1st presidential radio address (Calvin Coolidge)
1928 - 1st solo England to Australia flight lands (Bert Hinkler)
1932 - Purple Heart award re-instituted
1933 - Göring forms SA/SS-police, shoots 40-50
1935 - Airplanes are no longer permitted to fly over the White House
1939 - Netherlands recognizes Franco-regime in Spain
1940 - Finnish troops vacate Koivisto island; German air force sinks 2 German destroyers, killing 578
1941 - Arthur T. "Bomber" Harris becomes British Air Marshal; German assault on El Agheila Libya; I.G. Farben decides building Buna-Werke in Auschwitz Concentration Camp; Nazi SS begin rounding up Jews of Amsterdam
1944 - US 8th Air Force bombs Enschede, Arnhem & Nijmegen by mistake/800+ die
1945 - Arab League forms (Cairo); British troops take Ramree Island, Burma; Canadian 3rd Division occupies Moyland
1948 - Arab bomb attack in Jerusalem, 50 die
1955 - British aircraft carrier Ark Royal sets sail
1956 - Elvis Presley's 1st hit in Billboard's top 10 - "Heartbreak Hotel"
1958 - Egypt & Syria form United Arab Republic (UAR); Indonesian air force bombs Padang, Sumatra/Menado, Celebes
1959 - 1st Daytona 500 auto race-Lee Petty wins (135.521 MPH)
1965 - USSR launches Kosmos 57 into earth orbit (Voskhod Test)
1966 - Soviets launch Kosmos 110 with Veterok & Ugolek, 1st 2-dog crew
1967 - 25,000 US & S. Vietnamese troops launched Operation Junction City, offensive to smash Viet Cong stronghold near Cambodian border
1971 - Lieutenant General Hafiz al-Assad becomes President of Syria
1972 - Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani becomes Amir & Prime Minister of Qatar; President Nixon, meets with Chinese Premier Chou En-Lai in Beijing
1973 - US & China agree to establish liaison offices in Beijing & Washington, DC; Israeli fighter planes shoot down a civilian Libyan Arab Airlines Boeing 727 killing 108
1974 - Ethiopian police shoot at demonstrators
1978 - 2 tankers with propane gas explode, killing 15 at Waverly, TN
1979 - St. Lucia gains independence from Britain
1980 - Afghanistan declares martial law; USA beats USSR in Olympics hockey 4-3 en route to a gold medal
1982 - NYC Mayor Koch announces he will run for New York governor (unsuccessful)
1983 - Hindus kill 3000 Muslims in Assam, India
1989 - 1st Spanish commercial on network TV (Pepsi-Cola-CBS Grammy Award); UK physicist Stephen Hawking calls Star Wars a "deliberate fraud"; US authors demonstrate against Iranian death treats against Salman Rushdee, author of "Satanic Rituals"
1991 - G.H.W. Bush & US Gulf War allies give Iraq 24 hours to begin Kuwait withdrawal
1995 - Algiers police kill at least 99 prison rioters; Steve Fossett completes 1st air balloon over Pacific Ocean (9600 km)
1996 - STS 75 (Columbia 19), launches into orbit
1998 - 18th Winter Olympics games close at Nagano Japan

Birthdays
1403 - Charles VII, king of France (1422-61)
1440 - Ladislaus V, Posthumus King of Hungary/Bohemia
1514 - Tahmasp I, shah of Persia (1524-76)/author (Tazkire-i Shah)
1684 - William Pulteney London, statesman (Earl of Bath)
1732 - George Washington, 1st American President (1789-97)
1797 - William I Berlin, King of Prussia (1861-88)/German Emperor (1871-88)
1798 - Charles Mynn Thruston, Union Brigadier General
1819 - James Russell Lowell, poet/critic/diplomat/abolitionist
1827 - James Barnet Fry, Union Brevet Major General
1828 - Robert Alexander Cameron, Union Brevet Major General
1838 - Pierre Jules Cesar Janssen, discoverer of hydrogen in Sun
1840 - F. August Bebel, German social-democrat
1857 - Heinrich Hertz physicist, 1st to broadcast & receive radio waves; Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder (Boy Scouts, Girl Guides)
1868 - Henri Polak, union leader/politician (Social-Democrat)
1879 - Johannes Brønsted, Danish physical chemist (acid-base reactions)
1892 - David Dubinsky, labor leader (Freedom Award, 1969 Medal of Freedom); Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet/writer/feminist (Harp Weaver-Pulitzer Prize)
1898 - Anton de Kom, Surinam/Dutch worker's union leader/resistance fighter
1901 - Charles E. Whittaker, US Supreme Court justice (1957-62)
1908 - Rómulo Betancourt, President of Venezuela (1945-48, 1958-64)
1917 - Harmen van Rossum, civil servant/resistance fighter (WWII)
1918 - Don (Dominic G.) Pardo, TV announcer (Jeopardy, Saturday Night Live)
1932 - Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (Senator-MA, 1962- )
1935 - Ineke (R.M.) Haas-Berger, Dutch MP (PvdA)
1943 - David E. Skaggs (Representative-CO)
1947 - John Bryant (Representative-TX)
1951 - Harley O. Staggers, Jr. (Representative-WV)
1952 - James Philip Bagian, MDPE/astronaut (STS 29, STS 40)
1975 - Drew Barrymore, actress (ET, Firestarter, Poison Ivy, Altered States)

Passings
0606 - Sabinian Italian Pope (604-06)
1071 - Arnulf III, earl of Flanders/Hainault (Arnulf I), dies in battle
1076 - Godfried III, with the Hump, duke of Lower Lorraine, murdered
1371 - David II Bruce, king of Scotland (1331-71), dies at 46
1512 - Amerigo Vespucci, Italian explorer (America), dies at 61
1770 - Christopher Snider, 11, in Boston - becomes 1st martyr of US Revolution
1913 - Suarez, Mexican vice President, assassinated in a military coup; Francisco Indalecio Madero Mexican President, assassinated in military coup at 39
1930 - Godfried van Daalen, Dutch General/governor of Atjeh, dies at 66
1943 - Christoph Probst, Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, German resistance fighters (Die Weisse Rose)
1958 - Michael Todd, film magnate, killed in an New Mexico air crash
1973 - Winthrop Rockefeller, US Governor (Arkansas), dies at 60
1984 - David, spent most of his life in a plastic bubble, dies at 12
1987 - Andy Warhol, pop artist, dies from complications following gall bladder surgery at 58
1993 - Jean Lecanuet, French UDF-presidential candidate, dies at 72; Pieter A.H. Bos, Dutch lawyer/procureur-General (Aruba), dies at 63
1995 - Lembarek Boumaarafi, Algerian murderer of President Boudiaf
1998 - Jose Maria de Areilza Spanish minister of foreign affairs (1975-76); Sandy Hume correspondent (Fox News), commits suicide at 28

Reported Missing in Action
1969
Macko, Charles, USAF (NY); B57B shot down (co-pilot, w/Paxton)

Paxton, Donald Elmer, USAF (IA); B57B shot down (pilot, w/Macko)

Pearson, Wayne E., USAF (IL); F4D shot down - remains ID'd July, 1993

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