Iraq War Today

Moving...

2010-05-20T12:48:00.003-04:00

I am in the process of setting up the new location - http://keepyourhelmeton.us

Be patient - it's going to take me a while to get everything going.

This blog will stay here for archive purposes - new posts will be at the new location.

Soldiers' Angels Germany: Soldiers' Angels brings Chefs to Landstuhl

2010-03-22T19:12:00.000-04:00

Soldiers' Angels Germany: Soldiers' Angels brings Chefs to Landstuhl

Nearly 10 Years Out, and the Attack on the USS Cole isn't Over...

2009-12-31T22:32:00.003-05:00

USS Cole bombing survivor dies in Fla. home

By BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press Writer – Tue Dec 29, 2:59 pm ET

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Johann Gokool lost his left foot when a bomb ripped a hole in the side of the USS Cole nearly a decade ago, but the injury was nothing compared with the mental torment that ravaged him almost daily.

He returned home to Florida suffering severe post-traumatic stress disorder and frequent panic attacks so violent he would launch into seizures and even fractured his own wrist several times as he flailed, sister Natala Gokool said Tuesday.
One of the brothers he lived with found him dead in their home last Wednesday, just a week after his 31st birthday, Natala Gokool said. His cause of death was unknown, though she said foul play was not suspected. The family believes the seizures just became too much for his body to handle.

Full story here.

Our hearts go out to this Hero's family, and all those haunted by the attack on the Cole...

Monopoly and WWII

2009-09-18T16:56:00.001-04:00

Who knew?

It's a story that will forever change the way you think of the phrase, "Get Out of Jail Free."

During World War II, as the number of British airmen held hostage behind enemy lines escalated, the country's secret service enlisted an unlikely partner in the ongoing war effort: The board game Monopoly.

It was the perfect accomplice.

Included in the items the German army allowed humanitarian groups to distribute in care packages to imprisoned soldiers, the game was too innocent to raise suspicion. But it was the ideal size for a top-secret escape kit that could help spring British POWs from German war camps.

The British secret service conspired with the U.K. manufacturer to stuff a compass, small metal tools, such as files, and, most importantly, a map, into cut-out compartments in the Monopoly board itself...

Full story here

Remember...

2009-09-11T06:23:00.004-04:00

There are precious few headlines devoted to it today. People are "moving on." And the White House designated it a "Day of Service," not a day to remember (of course, now it's a "Day of Remembrance and Service." I'm sure that had nothing to do with the backlash...). Seems the Left, the White House included, just wants to forget it ever happened.

But I can't. I won't. On this day each year, I will remember. Every sunny, cool, breezy morning as I drive in a car, I will remember. Whenever I hear news of our troops in Afghanistan, I will remember. At odd moments, out of the blue, I will remember.

I will never forget.

We must never forget.

photographer unknown

National Park Service photo

2009-08-04T09:05:00.003-04:00

A COOL DRINK - A U.S. soldier hands an Afghan girl a bottle of water during Operation Champion Sword in Khost province, Afghanistan, July 29, 2009. The operation directs Afghan and international security forces to focus on specific militant targets and safe havens within Sabari and Terezai districts in eastern Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Matthew Freire

And Yet Again with the "Peace" from Islam

2009-08-04T08:53:00.003-04:00

OK, I'll admit it - I've been guilty of doubting the "Religion of Peace" thing. But looking at the example of tolerance shown here....Oh, yes, I'm a believer now. I mean, look how peaceful....

Christian Family Burned to Death in Pakistan After Koran is 'Defiled'
Zahid Hussain in Islamabad

Paramilitary troops patrolled the streets of a town in eastern Pakistan yesterday after Muslim radicals burnt to death eight members of a Christian family, raising fears of violence spreading to other areas.

Hundreds of armed supporters of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an outlawed Islamic militant group, set alight dozens of Christian homes in Gojra town at the weekend after allegations that a copy of the Koran had been defiled.

The mob opened fire indiscriminately, threw petrol bombs and looted houses as thousands of frightened Christians ran for safety. “They were shouting anti-Christian slogans and attacked our houses,” Rafiq Masih, a resident of the predominantly Christian colony, said. Residents said that police stood aside while the mob went on the rampage. “We kept begging for protection, but police did not take action,” Mr Masih said.

Police and local officials said that at least eight people, including four women and a child, were killed in the fires. Two others died of gunshot wounds. Residents said that the casualties were much higher; one claimed that the number of dead could be in the dozens as many bodies were still buried under the rubble.Shahbaz Bhatti, the Minister for Minorities, said that 40 Christian homes were torched in rioting. He said there was no truth to allegations that a Koran had been defiled, and accused the police of ignoring his appeal to provide protection to Christians.
[...]

On second thought...maybe, just maybe, burning down houses with women and children inside doesn't qualify as 'peaceful' after all...

The rest of the article is here, from The Times of London

After Nearly Twenty Years, a Hero Will Be Coming Home

2009-08-02T19:28:00.003-04:00

Sands hid fate of Gulf War pilot lost since '91

By PAULINE JELINEK and PAMELA HESS, Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON – Navy pilot Michael "Scott" Speicher was shot down over the Iraq desert on the first night of the Gulf War in 1991 and it was there he apparently was buried by Bedouins, the sand hiding him from the world's mightiest military all these years.

In a sorrowful resolution to the nearly two-decade-old question about his fate, the Pentagon disclosed Sunday it had received new information last month from an Iraqi citizen that led Marines to recover bones and skeletal fragments — enough for a positive identification.

His family issued a statement Sunday saying, "The news that Captain Speicher has died on Iraqi soil after ejecting from his aircraft has been difficult for the family, but his actions in combat, and the search for him, will forever remain in their hearts and minds."

President Barack Obama called the news "a reminder of the selfless service that led him to make the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom."

"My thoughts and prayers are with his family, and I hope that the recovery of his remains will bring them a needed sense of closure," Obama said in a statement issued Sunday.

More here

Our hearts are with this Hero's family.

Two Hundred and Thirty-Three Years Ago Today

2009-07-04T11:02:00.000-04:00

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

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

Thanks to those who still step forward to pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to keep us free.

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

Images courtesy of:
Navyjack.info
The Flagpole

Pravda - Beacon of Truth?

2009-06-02T06:49:00.001-04:00

Remember the days when we used to look skeptically at anything in the Russian / Soviet media, knowing the pressure they faced to issue propaganda? Well, how's this for a turning of the tables. Now it's the U.S. media that is a state-run propaganda machine, and Pravda's doing their job:

American capitalism gone with a whimper

It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people.

True, the situation has been well prepared on and off for the past century, especially the past twenty years. The initial testing grounds was conducted upon our Holy Russia and a bloody test it was. But we Russians would not just roll over and give up our freedoms and our souls, no matter how much money Wall Street poured into the fists of the Marxists.

Those lessons were taken and used to properly prepare the American populace for the surrender of their freedoms and souls, to the whims of their elites and betters.

First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather then the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas then the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their "right" to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us about our rights and about our "democracy". Pride blind the foolish.

More here - and well worth the read.

2009-06-02T06:44:00.001-04:00

KEY MOMENT - Iraqi National Army Capt. Ali Abdual Zaharra Hussain raises the symbolic key to Joint Security Station Mutanabe during a transfer ceremony in Wasit province, Iraq, May 28, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson

Home-Grown Jihad

2009-06-02T06:38:00.004-04:00

At what point do we decide we're going to pay attention to the threats on our own soil? Certainly, it's a dicey proposition. We don't want to repeat the era of internment camps and rounding up U.S. citizens without cause. But we'd better start paying attention to the terrorists in our midst, or we're going to have more of this type of tragedy:

A man with "political and religious motives" killed a soldier just out of basic training and wounded another Monday in a targeted attack on a military recruiting center in Arkansas, police said.

The suspect, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, reportedly had been under investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force after he traveled to Yemen and was arrested there for using a Somali passport.

According to ABC News, the investigation was in its early stages and was based on Muhammad's travel to Yemen. While there, Muhammed, a recent convert to Islam, studied jihad with an Islamic scholar, Jihadwatch.org reported.

A police report based on an interview with the suspect said Muhammad, 23, told police he observed two soldiers in uniform on Monday, drove up to the recruiting center in Little Rock and started shooting.

Sigh. Yet another reason that "Religion of Peace" thing doesn't quite ring true with me. You can read the rest here.

2009-05-27T06:31:00.003-04:00

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY - Family members visit the gravesite of a loved one during Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., May 25, 2009. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

Today’s Troops, Families Best Ever, Chairman Says

2009-05-27T06:28:00.000-04:00

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2009 – As the nation prepares to enjoy its Memorial Day holiday, the military’s top officer asked that U.S. troops and families be remembered for their sacrifices.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made appearances this morning on the major network morning shows broadcasting from the Pentagon.

Mullen called today’s fighting force and its families the best he’s ever been associated with.

“I've been wearing the uniform for over 41 years. This is the best military we've ever had, and they are making a big difference in these two wars that we're fighting,” he said. “And we're in our eighth year of war, our sixth year of fighting two wars simultaneously, and they've just been incredible.”

The holiday serves as the unofficial start of summer with many community pools opening for the weekend. Many enjoy the typical three-day weekend boating, cooking out and in other outdoor recreational activities.

But Mullen asked that the nation take pause to remember the sacrifices of the troops and families, and to renew its commitment to supporting those in their communities who are serving.

“Today’s a day we need to remember their sacrifice -- those who’ve paid the ultimate sacrifice as well as the families of the fallen,” Mullen said.

Nearly 5,000 troops have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since they began, Mullen said. More than 36,000 troops have been injured.

“We’ve got some 240,000 young men and women of the United States deployed around the world today … and many of them in harms way who we really need to take pause and remember their sacrifice,” the chairman said.

“They represent the best of America. They’re the best young people I have ever been associated with and they really do make a difference,” Mullen said.

Biographies:
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen

Memorial Day 2009 with Soldiers' Angels

2009-05-25T07:53:00.002-04:00

Memorial Day Live with Soldiers' Angels

Community Team Leaders and Angels across the nation are honoring our great nation's Fallen Heroes.

Soldiers' Angels invites Angels and Warriors to share Memorial Day activies from across the nation by taking pictures/videos on their cell phone and sending to Soldiers' Angels (218) 779-7271 or to ShelleMichaels-AT-SoldiersAngels.org to be uploaded to the website or you can choose to join this Facebook group and upload your information here: Memorial Day Across the Nation with Soldiers' Angels

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=79427592631#/group.php?gid=79427592631&ref=mf

Don't forget to take your phone to your event!

Happy Angeling~

2009-04-23T22:13:00.004-04:00

LONG-RANGE TECHNIQUE - A U.S. Army soldier uses long-range marksmanship techniques to engage steel targets with an M-14 enhanced battle rifle during a four-day marksmanship course on Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul, Iraq, April 13, 20009. The soldiers are assigned to 1st Cavalry Division's Company A, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Benjamin Fox

Religion of Peace: Terrortown, NY

2009-03-23T19:51:00.004-04:00

I'm not quite sure why this is headline news, since this place has been well known for years, but here we are:

HANCOCK, N.Y. — If you didn't know where to look, you'd probably never find Islamberg, a private Muslim community in the woods of the western Catskills, 150 miles northwest of New York City.

The town, sitting on a quiet dirt road past a gate marked with No Trespassing signs, is home to an estimated 100 residents. There are small houses and other buildings visible from the outside, but it is what can't be seen from beyond the gate that has some watchers worried.

Islamberg was founded in 1980 by Sheikh Syed Mubarik Ali Shah Gilani, a Pakistani cleric who purchased a 70-acre plot and invited followers, mostly Muslim converts living in New York City, to settle there.Federal authorities say Gilani was also one of the founders of Jamaat al-Fuqra, a terrorist organization believed responsible for dozens of bombings and murders across the U.S. and abroad. The group was linked to the planning of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and 10 years earlier a member was arrested and later convicted for bombing a hotel in Portland, Ore.
[...]

Shoe bomber Richard Reid has been linked to the group, along with convicted D.C. sniper John Allen Muhammad. But it is Sheikh Gilani who creates the most controversy and concern.

Gilani has told his followers that "Zionist plotters" plan to rule the world, and he encourates them to leave America's cities and avoid the "decadence of a godless society." Gilani is the man American reporter Daniel Pearl was trying to interview in Pakistan when he was kidnapped and beheaded. The Sheikh was taken into custody and later released by Pakistani authorities; he denies any involvement in Pearl's murder.

[...]

So basically, we have a report that warns state troopers to look out for citizens exercising their Constitutional rights, and classifies them as possible domestic terrorists - but it's very likely that real terrorists have been allowed to operate in upstate NY for years without anyone saying anything. Oh, and the place was founded by the guy Daniel Pearl was headed to interview when he was kidnapped. But Gilani couldn't have had anything to do with that - after all, he says so.

Yeah, that makes sense.

The full story is here.

Look, Ma - I'm in the Militia

2009-03-23T14:52:00.004-04:00

Vote for a third party candidate this past election? Ever criticize the IRS? Have a problem with the way the government does things? You're not just exercising your Constitutional rights - you could be a domestic terrorist:

If you're an anti-abortion activist, or if you display political paraphernalia supporting a third-party candidate or a certain Republican member of Congress, if you possess subversive literature, you very well might be a member of a domestic paramilitary group.
That's according to "The Modern Militia Movement," a report by the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC), a government collective that identifies the warning signs of potential domestic terrorists for law enforcement communities.

According to the report, here are some of the scarier things they say to look for:

- strong Christian identity
- being opposed to illegal immigration
- displaying the "Don't Tread on Me" flag
- criticism of the IRS

Think I'm kidding? I wish.

More here.

If you haven't figured it out yet, we are headed into some very scary waters. Follow where this report eventually leads, and it ain't pretty. But then again, that's just the sort of thing you'd expect a potential right-wing wacko militia member to say, isn't it?

ACORN and the Census

2009-03-18T08:50:00.003-04:00

Call me a cynic, but could this just maybe be related to our current President's push to move the Census under the direction of the White House?

ACORN to Play Role in 2010 Census

The U.S. Census is supposed to be free of politics, but one group with a history of voter fraud, ACORN, is participating in next year's count, raising concerns about the politicization of the decennial survey.

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now signed on as a national partner with the U.S. Census Bureau in February 2009 to assist with the recruitment of the 1.4 million temporary workers needed to go door-to-door to count every person in the United States -- currently believed to be more than 306 million people.

A U.S. Census "sell sheet," an advertisement used to recruit national partners, says partnerships with groups like ACORN "play an important role in making the 2010 Census successful," including by "help[ing] recruit census workers."

The bureau is currently employing help from more than 250 national partners, including TARGET and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), to assist in the hiring effort.

But ACORN's partnership with the 2010 Census is worrisome to lawmakers who say past allegations of fraud should raise concerns about the organization...

Naaaaah...just coincidence, I'm sure.

Full article here.

Same Old, Same Old

2009-03-02T10:39:00.003-05:00

More proof that the only "change" we can "hope" for with this Administration is some in our pocket once the goverment is done taxing us into oblivion:

Obama Will Sign Spending Bill Despite Earmarks

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will break a campaign pledge and sign a budget bill laden with millions in lawmakers' pet projects, administration officials said.

Administration budget chief Peter Orszag and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel both downplayed the $410 billion spending bill and signaled Obama would hold his nose and sign it. Orszag said: "We want to just move on. Let's get this bill done, get it into law and move forward.

Said Emanuel: "That's last year's business."

The House last week passed the measure that would keep the government running through Sept. 30, when the federal budget year ends. Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group, identified almost 8,600 specially sponsored projects totaling $7.7 billion; Democrats say the number is $3.8 billion.

Either way, it is far more than Obama promised as a candidate. He refused "earmarks" for the economic stimulus package he championed and a children's health bill.

Now we'll see if his fan club is willing to hold him accountable.

Full story is here.

Army Charity Hoards Millions Meant to Help Veterans

2009-02-22T23:07:00.001-05:00

AP
Sunday, February 22, 2009

FORT BLISS, Texas -- As soldiers stream home from Iraq and Afghanistan, the biggest charity inside the U.S. military has been stockpiling tens of millions of dollars meant to help put returning fighters back on their feet, an Associated Press investigation shows.

Between 2003 and 2007 -- as many military families dealt with long war deployments and increased numbers of home foreclosures -- Army Emergency Relief grew into a $345 million behemoth. During those years, the charity packed away $117 million into its own reserves while spending just $64 million on direct aid, according to an AP analysis of its tax records.

Tax-exempt and legally separate from the military, AER projects a facade of independence but really operates under close Army control. The massive nonprofit -- funded predominantly by troops -- allows superiors to squeeze soldiers for contributions; forces struggling soldiers to repay loans -- sometimes delaying transfers and promotions; and too often violates its own rules by rewarding donors, such as giving free passes from physical training, the AP found.

Full story here

2009-02-19T22:49:00.003-05:00

Distinguished Service Cross awarded for saving lives in Iraq
In front of a standing-room-only crowd of 600 at the National Training Center Friday, Spc. Erik Oropeza became the 21st Soldier to receive the Distinguished Service Cross since the war in Afghanistan and Iraq began. FULL STORY (opens in new window)

Tasteless, Yes - Illegal, No

2009-02-19T22:24:00.003-05:00

OK, let's start with the fact that I find this little bit of free expression to be completely tasteless. What concerns me is the reaction of law enforcement.

The Oklahoma City Police Department admits one of its officers made a mistake in pulling over a man last week for carrying an anti-President Obama sign in his car.

According to The Oklahoman newspaper, an officer pulled over Chip Harrison last week because he had in his car a sign that said, "Abort Obama, not the unborn."
Call me a cynic, but I'm fairly sure that it wouldn't have been handled the same way if it read "Abort Bush...."

Maybe the police officer reacted that way because the Left tried to drill it into our heads that if you dare to be underwhelmed by the Obamessiah, you're a racist. Maybe he was young. Maybe he was being overly careful in no-doubt-sensitive Oklahoma City, in a post-9/11 environment.

Whatever the reason, the fact that the current Administration seems to think it can dictate what you can and can't say about our new President makes this particular incident a little creepy. Even though the Secret Service investigated the incident, ruled him not a threat, and presumably he can go about his business, incidents like this have some potential to create a chilling effect on those who would criticize The One.

I've got no argument with taking the security of our President seriously. But when we start having people face law enforcement over distasteful speech, we should all keep a very close eye on the situation. It's a very steep, and very slippery slope from here, and the landing is extremely unpleasant.

(For the full article, go here)

2009-02-18T21:57:00.003-05:00

Feb. 16 airpower summary: F-15E bombs encampment
An F-15E Strike Eagle flies a combat mission over Afghanistan in support of Operations Enduring Freedom. The Strike Eagle is a dual-role fighter designed to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon)

Giving Credit Where Credit Is (maybe) Due

2009-02-18T21:51:00.005-05:00

If this is true, it's one of the only bright spots I've seen in the new Administration:

White House: Obama Opposes 'Fairness Doctrine' Revival
President Obama opposes any move to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine, a spokesman told FOXNews.com Wednesday.

The statement is the first definitive stance the administration has taken since an aide told an industry publication last summer that Obama opposes the doctrine -- a long-abolished policy that would require broadcasters to provide opposing viewpoints on controversial issues.

"As the president stated during the campaign, he does not believe the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated," White House spokesman Ben LaBolt told FOXNews.com.

More here

Let's just hope the reason for his opposition isn't a belief that it doesn't go far enough...

I don't think I trust any of the useless lumps in Washington.

UPDATE: Looks like my inclination not to trust this was well founded; the White House is now apparently indicating that a new Fairness Doctrine is up for discussion. Disappointing, but certainly not a surprise.

Religion of Peace: Building Bridges, Beheading Brides

2009-02-17T21:08:00.003-05:00

Bridges TV was touted as the TV station that was going to bring understanding to America - to "better the Islamic image" in the U.S.

Yeah, umm.....FAIL:

Beheading in New York Appears to Be Honor Killing, Experts Say

The beheading of 37-year-old Aasiya Hassan has all the markings of an honor killing, psychologists and Islamic experts tell FOXNews.com, as the upstate New York woman's husband awaits a preliminary hearing on murder charges.

Muzzammil Hassan, 44, remains jailed after being charged with the second-degree murder of his wife, whose body was found Thursday at the office of Bridges TV, their television station in Orchard Park, near Buffalo.

Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew Benz said Hassan has not confessed to the crime, despite media reports to the contrary.

"He came in and said his wife was dead," said Benz, who declined to elaborate on the particulars of his conversation with the suspect.

But Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III left no doubt that he believes Muzzammil Hassan killed his wife. Hassan will appear for a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Orchard Park. If convicted of second-degree murder, he faces up to life in prison.

"He's a pretty vicious and remorseless bastard," Sedita told FOXNews.com Tuesday. "Whether he was motivated by some kind of interpretation of his religious or cultural views, we don't know. We'll look into everything in the case."

More here

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

And then there's this little gem:

FBI Cuts Ties With CAIR Following Terror Financing Trial

The FBI severed its ties with all local branches of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the country's largest Islamic advocacy group, an FBI official told FOX News.

The FBI is severing its once-close ties with the nation's largest Muslim advocacy group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, amid mounting evidence that it has links to a support network for Hamas.

All local chapters of CAIR have been shunned in the wake of a 15-year FBI investigation that culminated with the conviction in December of Hamas fundraisers at a trial where CAIR itself was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator.

The U.S. government has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.

An official at the FBI's headquarters in Washington confirmed to FOX News that his office directed FBI field offices across the country to cut ties with local branches of CAIR.

More here

Me, I'm a little concerned that there ever WERE ties to CAIR....seriously, how did anyone not know these guys were tied to terrorists?? What's next - the shocking news that Mexican drug gangs are dangerous?

And while we're on the subject, CAIR was an unindicted co-conspirator in a trial that ended - in a conviction - in freakin' December! It takes until February to cut ties?? Methinks there's a few people whose heads need to be removed from a certain part of their anatomy.

Your tax dollars at work, folks.

Religion of Peace: Coping with Terrorists, the Pakistani Way

2009-02-16T10:45:00.005-05:00

Pakistan has come up with a revolutionary way of dealing with murdering, low-life terrorists: give them what they want:

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – The government agreed to impose Islamic law and suspend a military offensive across much of northwest Pakistan on Monday in concessions aimed at pacifying the Taliban insurgency spreading from the border region to the country's interior.

[...]

"Our whole struggle is for the enforcement of Shariah (Islamic) law," Swat Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said. "If this really brings us the implementation of Shariah, we will fully cooperate with it."

[...]

...the main changes were included in existing laws stipulating Islamic justice that have never been enforced. They allow for Muslim clerics to advise judges when hearing cases, but do not ban female education or mention other strict interpretations of Shariah espoused by the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Hey, it works with pirates, right? I mean, paying ransoms has all but eliminated piracy near Somalia, hasn't it? Right? Hello?

Giving the terrorists what they want will work - until they want something else, anyway. After all, why not just take the coward's route. I mean, if you have no spine, no dignity, no values, and no regard for your people, it's a great solution.

Me, I'm for killing them. Bullets are cheap. Sacrificing your sovereignty and freedom is expensive.

As Ben Franklin said, "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. "

Let's just hope the President and our Congress are too busy wasting our money to try this one.

Porkulus

2009-02-16T07:34:00.004-05:00

At his recent press conference, there were a couple of 'yelling at the t.v.' moments. These were a couple of the choice ones:

"...what I've been concerned about is some of the language that's been used suggesting that this is full of pork and this is wasteful government spending, so on and so forth..."

"when they start characterizing this as pork without acknowledging that there are no earmarks in this package — something again that was pretty rare over the last eight years — then you get a feeling that maybe we're playing politics instead of actually trying to solve problems for the American people."

No pork? No earmarks? Really? Common understanding of the political term 'pork' is that it has to do with unnecessary items. And 'earmarks' in common thought refer to pet projects that get funded off of the Federal dime. But just to be sure, because I tend to think of $3 billion for ACORN and similar groups, and $200 million for a coal-fired power plant in Illinois as a little bit of pet project / pork funding.

Pork barrel projects, or earmarks, are defined as those that primarily benefit constituents.

OK, so how, exactly, is a $200 million coal plant NOT pork?

And while we're on the subject of coal plants, I thought that our President said something about that before....ah, yes, I believe it was this:

“So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.”

Well, I guess it won't bankrupt them if it gets funded out of our wallets.

Looking at this bill, I wonder if there's actually anything in there that's not pork! What sorts of beauties are we getting out of the bill that is actually going to cost far more than the oh-so-lean $789 billion? Well, if it gets its way, $615 million will go to Stamford, CT so it can convert sports fields to turf, build a waste-to-energy plant ('cause they're working to get America off oil), replace windows in a school, etc., etc. They are, according to their mayor, working to "rebuild America." Mayor Dannel "Turfbuilder" Malloy claims that the school field project will create 100 jobs. One of the things you don't hear, though, is how long these jobs are going to last. It might create 100 jobs - at least until the turf is put down. How many do we lose 'cause the grass isn't being maintained? And I'm betting it'll be a grand total of one sports season before we start hearing the complaints about turf-related injuries in the schools. Glad to hear my home state wants to do its part in wasting taxpayer funds.

According to Newsmax, here are some of the other gems:

$3 billion plus in “neighborhood stabilization” and Community Development Block Grant funding, much of which may go to ACORN. Not really a surprise they're getting funding, but disgusting nonetheless.

$1.3 billion to bailout AMTRAK.

$1 billion for educational programs, including courses on sexually transmitted diseases.

$30 million for restoration of wetlands in Nancy Pelosi's district (because the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse is the no doubt key to American economic recovery).

$45 million for ATV four-wheeler trails, and government office renovations.

$50 million for the National Endowment of the Arts.

More than $650 million for digital TV converter-box coupons - even though this whole thing has been put off until June.

A reported $300 million for hybrid vehicles and electric-powered cars (including golf carts for federal workers). No word on whether those golf carts are going to come with country club memberships - or whether they're going to be able to convince the American people to actually buy these cars. This is supposed to help prop up the failing auto industry, but does nothing to address the oppressive union environment - one of the prime things that's killing it.

Add it all together, and the cost of all this crap is actually going to be more than $3 trillion. It's incomprehensible, and that may be why no one's cracked out the tar and feathers yet. The number is so large that it's almost inconceivable. This is why you hear all sorts of imagery to try to explain just how much money that is.

Here is one way to look at it. There are approximately 306 million people in America. At a cost of $3 trillion, Congress could give $10,000 to every single American. Hmmm...that would very likely do a little economic stimulating, now wouldn't it.

Here's another way to think of it. According to the National Compensation Survey, the average American civilian earned approximately $19.29 an hour as of June, 2006. At the current population, and that average wage, it would take every single American working approximately 500 hours to pay their share of this pork roast. With the number of Americans that are actually employed (150 million or so) , it would take double that. So this year, you're working through April to pay your taxes, and through October to pay for the stimulus bill. Enjoy the two months' pay this year that you actually get to keep.

No pork? There's so much pork in this bill, I'm surprised the U.N. hasn't demanded that we tank the stimulus bill because it's offensive to Muslims.

Report: Poland to 'Punish' Taliban Who Beheaded Polish Geologist

2009-02-09T10:34:00.002-05:00

It seems that Poland isn't in the mood to negotiate with, talk to, or appease terrorist thugs:

Monday, February 09, 2009

Poland pledges to capture and "punish" the Taliban militants who beheaded a Polish engineer in Pakistan on Friday before delivering a video of the attack to the media, the Times of London reports.

Piotr Stanczak was reportedly kidnapped four months ago while working in the Attock district — a region close to Pakistan's lawless North West Frontier Province.

A video released to media outlets Sunday shows the beheading of Stanczak just minutes after he appears on tape urging the Polish government not to send troops to neighboring Afghanistan.

On Monday, Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said the video had been authenticated and pledged to bring the terrorists to justice, according to the Times of London.

"The cassette of the execution, this bestial execution, is authentic and unfortunately it confirms the worst," Sikorski reportedly said in a statement. "Now we can no longer save our compatriot, we are going to try to punish his killers."

Stanczak's death would appear to be the first killing of a Western hostage in Pakistan since U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl was beheaded in 2002.

Good for you, Poland. Stand strong.

Full story is here.

Today's Episode of "Religion of Peace?"

2009-02-08T07:26:00.003-05:00

In Afghanistsan, two men may be sentenced to death as early as today.

Their crime? Translating the Koran because many Afghanis can't read Arabic:

No one knows who brought the book to the mosque, or at least no one dares say. The pocket-size translation of the Koran has already landed six men in prison in Afghanistan and left two of them begging judges to spare their lives. They're accused of modifying the Koran and their fate could be decided Sunday in court.

It's a disturbing throwback to an era in Afghanistan where non-Muslims were required to wear yellow cloth stitched to their clothing (sound familiar?) and conversion to any other religion meant death. The Taliban are gone, but the hardliners aren't:

The trial illustrates what critics call the undue influence of hardline clerics in Afghanistan, a major hurdle as the country tries to establish a lawful society amid war and militant violence...

...Many clerics rejected the book because it did not include the original Arabic verses alongside the translation. It's a particularly sensitive detail for Muslims, who regard the Arabic Koran as words given directly by God. A translation is not considered a Koran itself, and a mistranslation could warp God's word.

The country's powerful Islamic council issued an edict condemning the book.

"In all the mosques in Afghanistan, all the mullahs said, 'Zalmai is an infidel. He should be killed,'" Zalmai recounted as he sat outside the chief judge's chambers waiting for a recent hearing.

Zalmai lost friends quickly. He was condemned by colleagues and even by others involved in the book's printing. A mob stoned his house one night, said his brother, Mahmood Ghaws.

Police arrested Zalmai as he was fleeing to Pakistan, along with three other men the government says were trying to help him escape. The publisher and the mosque's cleric, who signed a letter endorsing the book, were also jailed...

It's up to Afghanistan to sort out who they are, and what laws will govern them. But if we aren't careful, the cradle that birthed 9/11 will still exist. It will be the same play, just with different actors.

The full story is here.

Welcome Home USS Pittsburgh!

2009-02-07T16:48:00.003-05:00

GROTON, Conn. (Feb. 4, 2009) Electronics Technician 3rd Class Chuck Youngberg throws a line from the fast-attack submarine USS Pittsburgh (SSN 720) to the pier to haul up the shore phone cable aboard. Pittsburgh returned to Submarine Base New London from a scheduled six-month deployment to the U.S. Southern Command and African Command areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by John Narewski)/Released)

Whoops...

2009-02-07T16:40:00.002-05:00

Navy Missile Cruiser Runs Aground Near Honolulu
Saturday, February 07, 2009

HONOLULU — Navy officials say an attempt to pull free a 9,600-ton warship that ran aground off the coast of Honolulu has been unsuccessful.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet says Navy tugboats and salvage ship USS Salvor tried to tow the USS Port Royal early Saturday but the guided missile cruiser remained stuck.

The Navy says it plans to try again after extracting fuel and water from the $1 billion vessel.

The 9,600-ton ship, while carrying guests that included a rear admiral, ran aground Thursday night on a sandy, rocky bottom. The cause of the grounding, as well the extent of the damage to the ship, remains under investigation.

An initial effort by Navy tugs early Friday to free the guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal also was unsuccessful.

"We're certainly working on bringing to bear the resources we have to move her off the current position. We're still putting that plan together," said Capt. W. Scott Gureck, a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Fleet. "Obviously, the high tide gives us an opportunity to do that."

More here

Uh Oh...the Moonbats Won't Like This

2009-02-06T18:49:00.003-05:00

Looks like the Obamessiah is backing off of that "bring the troops home now" thing:

White House Weighing 23-Month Iraq Withdrawal Plan

Friday, February 06, 2009

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is weighing three different military options for withdrawing troops from Iraq -- including the possibility of breaking Obama's campaign pledge of a pullout within 16 months -- a senior U.S. official confirmed to FOX News.

One of the options is along the lines of Obama's campaign pledge of 16 months, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have drawn up what that would entail.

The second option envisions about 23 months for combat forces to leave, an option that many of the military leaders favor because it would not require leaving so much equipment behind. It also could be done in a more orderly manner, and bases could be cleaned up and closed properly, the U.S. official told FOX News.

An earlier report by the Associated Press, citing two officials, said a third, in-between option of 19 months is also being weighed. One of the officials told the Associated Press that the main focus appears to be on the 16-month and 23-month options; 23 months would run to the end of 2010.

OK, kudos to the President if he's looked at things and said, "You know, my initial idea just isn't going to work, let's look at something else."

But I won't hold my breath waiting for him to admit that maybe some folks on the other side got it right, and his party has it wrong.

The full story is here.

So Why Not Close Gitmo?

2009-02-06T18:18:00.004-05:00

I can think of close to three hundred reasons. Three hundred reasons just like this:

At Least One American Believed Killed by Freed Gitmo Prisoners
If the Guantanamo prison base is shut down, critics say, some military combatants currently held there will be sent back to their home countries — where they will rejoin terrorist groups and ultimately kill Americans.

It's already happened.

A New York woman was killed in a terrorist attack at the U.S. Embassy in Sana, Yemen, in September. And U.S. counterterrorism officials have now confirmed that Said Ali al-Shihri, 35, who was released from the Guantanamo Bay prison center in 2007, is the deputy leader of Al Qaeda in that Mideast country and is a suspect in the attack.

State Department officials have identified Susan Elbaneh, 18, of Lackawanna, N.Y., as one of at least 16 people — including her Yemeni husband — who died in the coordinated strike.

Elbaneh was initially thought to be the first American victim of a freed enemy combatant, but a Defense Department source told FOXNews.com Friday that she was not the first American "possibly" killed by a former Guantanamo detainee.

"Due to classification, I cannot get into who or when other than to say it was before the Embassy attack," the source wrote....

Read the rest here.

We're not keeping truants at Gitmo, folks. We're keeping murdering terrorist dirtbags down there. Release them, and we send them right back into the fight. How does that make any sort of sense? They want to kill us. Why the hell can't we even lock them up?

The new Administration wants them in your backyard - or worse, released to roam the streets. John Murtha says it's just fine with him if they're in his backyard (of course, knowing full well that his district doesn't have the maximum security prisons necessary to house them). How about you?

The countries these pieces of filth came from are refusing to take them back. Doesn't that tell you something?

I'm fine with closing Gitmo - once the terrorists safely kept there are permanently prevented from ever being an issue again.

Beyond the Pale

2009-02-06T00:31:00.003-05:00

There just aren't words for how angry this one makes me:

Charges Dropped Against USS Cole Bombing Suspect

The senior military judge overseeing terror trials at Guantanamo Bay has dropped charges against a suspect in the 2000 USS Cole bombing.

The legal move by the Hon. Susan J. Crawford upholds President Obama's Guantanamo order to halt court proceedings at the Navy detention center in Cuba.
The military charges against suspected Al Qaeda bomber Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri marked the last active war crimes case at Guantanamo Bay.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Crawford dismissed the charges against al-Nashiri without prejudice. That means new charges can be brought again later. He will remain in prison for the time being.

"It was her decision, but it reflects the fact that the president has issued an executive order which mandates that the military commissions be halted, pending the outcome of several reviews of our operations down at Guantanamo," Morrell said Thursday night.

The full, disgusting story is here.

I guess it's OK to allow the murderers of our military Heroes to go unpunished - just so long as we don't make the terrorists feel bad.

Welcome to "Hope and Change," folks.

Evening Headlines

2009-02-03T21:44:00.001-05:00

Short-Term Focus in Afghanistan
Obama expected to approve higher U.S. troop levels, may downplay goal of long-term stable government

Other Headlines:
NATO: Members May Use Iran to Reach Afghanistan
Pentagon: Iran's Satellite Launch Cause for Concern

Okay, NOW I've Heard Everything...

2009-02-02T20:10:00.004-05:00

Tough economic times are forcing businesses to compete harder than ever for consumer dollars. People are buying less, spending less, and curtailing extravagant vacations.

So if you're a corrupt, bloated, scandal-ridden bureaucracy that caters to violent left-wing nations and socialist agendas, you've got to dig even deeper to ensure that those billions of dollars of mismanageable funds keep rolling in.

And what better way to do that than capitalizing on the human tragedies of the world that you whine about other people (read, the United States) solving, but do absolutely nothing to solve?

Enter the new vacation spot for the rich and completely disconnected - the U.N.'s new Refugee Run!

That's right, if you're a wealthy European with a hankering to live like the unwashed (but only until you get a craving for escargots and Pernod...) this is the place for you.

Where else can you spend your day in the squalor of a refugee tent from Darfur, Afghanistan, or Iran, and your nights relaxing in the jacuzzi of your luxurious hotel in the Swiss mountains?

Think I'm kidding? Not a chance.

I'm waiting for the U.N. to take some other opportunities it's got out there. I mean, if you're going to cross a line, cross it, dammit! Think about the possibilities. How about:

The African Famine Cafe
Where your lunch is hand-delivered to your table by a starving child. Remember, don't feed the natives!

The Tsunami Water Park
Featuring a wave pool filled with real tsunami debris and replica bloated bodies

The Holocaust House of Horrors
Wander through a terrifying journey filled with moving floors, rooms filled with mirrors, and twisted Nazi scientists as you try to avoid being one of 6 million Jews who may or may not have been murdered by a psychopathic dictator (depending on who you ask). Children under 12 get their own replica yellow star to take home...

Stalin Village
Visit the guest center, where you can play "Raze the village." Challenge other families to see who can wipe out thousands of innocent people first. Are you paranoid enough to beat Stalin's score? And when you're done playing, you can take your picnic lunch out to the perfectly flat, barren wasteland to eat, and enjoy your lunch on what was once a vibrant, thriving village before Stalin ordered everyone killed and the village buried. Visit on his birthday for special discounts!

The 9/11 Fair
What better way to commemorate the deaths of 3,000 innocent people at the hands of Islamic terrorists than a rousing game of Blame America! At the 9/11 Fair, you can learn how to divert aid funds to radical groups, and how to make bland statements denouncing terrorism, all the while condoning nations supporting terrorist groups. It's non-stop hypocritical fun for the entire family. The fair runs the month of September. Negotiations are underway to purchase the soon-to-be-closed Gitmo detention facility for terrorists, in order to allow the fair to be run year round!

Ah, the possibilities are endless.

2009-02-02T20:09:00.003-05:00

ARABIAN SEA (Jan. 28, 2009) Sailors assigned to the amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD-50) perform an operational test on a 13-meter rigid hull inflatable boat in the Arabian Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Charles Panter/Released)

The CIA's Top Ten

2009-02-02T19:48:00.004-05:00

CIA Director: Al Qaeda is Job 1 of Top 10 Security Challenges in 2009

Iran, North Korea and Al Qaeda are still in, but Iraq is out of the list of top 10 national security threats the United States is likely to face in the coming year.

As Leon Panetta faces a Senate confirmation hearing this week to be the next CIA director, outgoing CIA Director Michael Hayden says several regions and disputes could create serious headaches for the intelligence community in 2009.

Hayden, a Pittsburgh native, put together his list on the way back from a recent Steelers game. It will not be formally presented to his successor, but it does represent the top issues Hayden anticipates will be faced in 2009.

"This is an informal list that I kind of jotted down, what are the things I would fret about over the next 12 months," he told FOX News in the second of two interviews about the nation's greatest security challenges.

"I don't want to get in the business of suggesting ways to threaten the well-being of the planet, but frankly that is what we are in the business of thinking about every day here with our analytic workforce."

Hayden said top of the list is still Al Qaeda, which has been working on expanding its associations with other groups around the world. Hayden said this development is particularly troubling because groups like Lashkar-i-Tayyiba, which was responsible for the attacks in Mumbai last November, start to think outside their region and focus on the United States and elsewhere.

The full article is here. Definitely worth the read, it includes Hayden's reasons for each pick. Here's a quick look at the Top Ten:

1. Al Qaeda

2. Violence in Mexico

3. Iran's nuclear program

4. Europe and the War on Terror

5. Instability caused by the low price of oil

7. Afghanistan

8. North Korea

9. China

10. The Middle East

No real surprises here, but I'm skeptical that the present Administration is going to really want to address many of them. There have been some positive signs with regard to Iraq and Afghanistan, but some scary ones with regard to the Middle East, the War on Terror, and Iran. Unfortunately, if things go wrong, they're going to go very, very wrong.

OK, So Now Can We Stop Caring About What the Rest of the World Thinks of Us?

2009-02-02T15:22:00.004-05:00

Seriously. I'm supposed to be concerned about the rest of the world thinks of my country? When these are the choices they make?

Dismay as Gadhafi chosen to lead African Union

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Moammar Gadhafi of Libya was elected Monday as leader of the African Union, a position long sought by the eccentric dictator pushing his oil-rich nation into the international mainstream after years of isolation.

Some African leaders offered tepid praise for the choice of Gadhafi, who grabbed power in a 1969 coup. Rights groups called him a poor model for Africa at a time when democratic gains are being reversed in countries such as Mauritania and Guinea.

Once ostracized by the West for sponsoring terrorism, Gadhafi has been trying to increase Libya's presence on the global stage and its regional influence — mediating African conflicts, sponsoring efforts to spread Islam on the continent and pushing for the creation of a single African government.

He attended the session dressed in a gold-embroidered green robe and flanked by seven extravagantly dressed men who said they are the "traditional kings of Africa." Gadhafi told about 20 of his fellow heads of state that that he would work to unite the continent into "the United States of Africa."

So did the Associated Press write this article, or reporters from Fashion Weekly? I mean, if the dude attended the session in a "gold-embroidered green robe," or a chicken costume, who the heck cares? He's a terrorist-sponsoring Islamofascist loon, no matter what he wears - or, for that matter, however the heck you actually spell his last name...Ghadafi, Qaddafi, Khadafy...either way, I think it means "sandwich shy of a picnic" in Arabic.

Gotta love seeing "spreading Islam" AND "single African government tied together," eh? Especially since Islam tends to BE the government in such countries. Since the Islamic nations of Africa have a habit of being a bit terrorist-rich, and really not so peaceful, I'm really not feeling the love coming from that neck of the proverbial woods.

Worry about what the rest of the world thinks about us? Somehow, not a high priority for me.

I wonder if our new President will suck up to Ghadafi Duck, too...

The rest of the article - and one SERIOUSLY unflattering picture of Ghadafi, is here.

2009-02-02T14:42:00.002-05:00

SUPER BOWL TOSS - U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander, U.S. Central Command, gets ready to toss the coin at Super Bowl XLIII here Feb 1, 2009, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Bradley Lail

Gunmen Kidnap American U.N. Official

2009-02-02T07:38:00.003-05:00

QUETTA, Pakistan — Gunmen kidnapped an American U.N. official and killed his driver in southwestern Pakistan on Monday, underscoring the security threat in a country wracked by Al Qaeda violence and rising criminality.

The official was abducted in the morning on his way to his job as head of the U.N. refugee office in the city of Quetta, senior police official Khalid Masood said. He identified the kidnapped official as John Solecki of the United States.

"Solecki has been serving in Quetta for more than two years," Masood told The Associated Press. "We cannot speculate on the motive behind the crime."

Authorities sealed exit routes from the city, said Wazir Khan Nasir, another senior police official. Meanwhile, police in the border town of Chaman said they were checking vehicles to prevent the kidnappers from whisking the captive to Afghanistan.

It was not immediately clear what impact the kidnapping would have on U.N. staff. September's bombing of Islamabad's Marriott hotel has already prompted new U.N. rules prohibiting expatriate staff in Pakistan from living with their children in parts of the country, including Quetta.

Read more

Related News:
Bomber in Police Uniform Kills 21 Afghan Policemen

Best.Phone Call. Ever. -- And a Call for Action

2009-01-30T10:47:00.005-05:00

A week ago, at lunchtime, my phone rang. It was my personal cell phone, and I was at work. Didn't recognize the area code, so I didn't answer. I did, however look up the area code.

'Waco, Texas?' I thought. 'Who the hell do I know in Waco, Texas?'

I travel for work, but I haven't been in Texas in a while (and I've never been to Waco), so I didn't think that was it.

Only one other option I could think of - a Soldier.

It rang again. Same number. Though I had to leave in a few moments for a business meeting, I picked it up.

The caller had a mischievous tone in his voice as he asked me how I was doing, and whether I was in CT or travelling that day. 'OK, I'll play,' I thought. There were only a couple of people this could be. Not too many people had this number.

He asked me about my dogs, my work, my family.

And then he asked about the squirrels - an inside joke that only one person outside of my house knew about.

It was my first Soldiers' Angels adoptee - the one who calls me Big Sis, and who I call alternately SuperSarge, Li'l Bro, or my favorite Cav. Scout.

I'd never talked to him in person before. And unbelievably, after a minute, I had to say,

"You're not going to believe this, but I have to go. Can I call you back?"

When I did, it turned into a two-hour conversation. The last time I'd heard from him, he was feeling pretty low. Medevac'd out of Iraq his last tour, he'd been going through a pretty tough time, with treatments, evaluations, and the fact that his future military career was in question due to his medical issues.

He'd told me then that at his lowest, he'd re-read a book I sent him - a book full of thank yous and other messages. He said the book kept him focused on the fact that a lot of people were pulling for him, and he couldn't let them down.

This day, he sounded good - cheery, a bit of a smart@$$ - exactly the way I figured he'd sound based on letters, emails, and instant message conversations.

At one point, he expressed amazement at the fact that I'd known him for four years now. He said I was one of very few people who had seen him at his best and his worst. I told him what I've told him a number of times before - that I would be there anytime he needed me.

He told me that thanks to some great people, he was making progress - getting treatment that was working. He said that the place he was at was awesome, and not enough people knew about them.

He also mentioned that he was working to arrange a ski trip for him and some buddies - they had a ski place that was donating equipment and tickets, but they still didn't have ski jackets, pants, etc. In fact, he wasn't even sure what the heck they needed - "I'm from Louisiana!"

He wondered if I knew of any place that might be willing to donate ski jackets, pants, etc.

I didn't, but I did know where to get help. I immediately (with him on the phone) emailed Patti about the trip, what they needed, etc.

Within a few days, they were all set and ready to purchase jackets, pants, etc. - all the cold weather clothing they needed.

When the folks at the clinic asked my Li'l Bro how the heck he'd pulled that off, he reported that he'd said:

"You know how I say I'm the Hand of God on the battlefield? Well, God never goes anywhere without his Angels."

HOOAH to that.

Patti didn't hesitate when I asked. Not one second. Her response was "we'd be honored to help."

And that's the response I - and so many others - always get when Soldiers' Angels is asked for help. SA never looks for what can't be done, but always for what CAN be done. When hurricanes damage barracks, when fires damage FOBs, when it's hot as heck in Iraq, when wounded heroes need ski gear - it's "What can we do to help?"

What mattered most in the world to me and to one wounded Hero on that Friday afternoon was getting some warm weather clothing so that six Heroes could go skiing. And again, it was "what can we do to help."

In the aftermath of a political campaign based on the catch phrase "Yes we can," SA shows what that really means, but goes further. SA isn't just "Yes we can" - it's "Yes we will."

Unfortunately, as things stand now, the reality of charities / non-profits is that donations are drying up. Whether the economic slowdown / recession / whatever you want to call it has actually hit or not, people perceive that things are rough, and they're tightening their belts. Unfortunately, one of the things they're giving up is donations to groups like Soldiers' Angels.

What that means is that more than 500 Heroes are currently waiting for Angels.

And SA is looking at escalating action in Afghanistan, and continuing efforts in Iraq, and saying, "Yes, we can - but we need your help to do it."

I've seen SA get family members tickets to see wounded heroes, provide voice-activated laptops to wounded heroes, ensure that wounded troops in Germany don't feel alone, and bring the holidays to tens of thousands of deployed Heroes.

It doesn't take much to be a part of it.

$5.00 sends a cool scarf to a Hero, to alleviate the misery of the desert heat.

$13.00 sends a 150-minute phone card.

$29.00 buys a kit to make a Blanket of Hope that you can send to comfort a wounded Hero.

$32.00 helps send a Welcome Home pack to a Hero.

$45.00 - $55.00 provides a welcome thank you to a veteran, or provides much-needed necessities to our Heroes, who often arrive at the hospital with nothing.

Or why not adopt a Hero? A letter a week / a package a month is all it takes. The USPS provides free mailing supplies to those who are sending to deployed troops, and they've got flat-rate priority mail shipping. My average package from the East Coast to an APO starting with 09 is about $6.00 - $8.00 to ship. Homemade treats, goofy gifts to bring a laugh, books, magazines - the contents don't have to be remarkable. The recipients, though, certainly are.

Without my involvement in SA, I would never have met my friend the SuperSarge, who I've talked to on the phone several times since, and who is one of the finest people it has ever been my privilege to know (seriously, Li'l Bro - you rock). Without SA, I would never have blogged. I would never have been to Walter Reed and had the chance to meet some incredible Heroes. Five minutes to sign up online changed my life, put me in the company of Heroes, and made me a better person. And my Li'l Bro would never have gotten a message book that provided a lift in one of his lowest moments. That's what SA does; what it means.

It means that Heroes half a world away, or right here at home, know we care.

How much is it worth to have the chance to thank a Hero? One less latte at Starbucks? A night at the movies? That jar of pennies?

It really doesn't take much - but it might mean everything.

Visit the Soldiers' Angels Website

Nutjob Rides Again...

2009-01-28T19:24:00.003-05:00

Obama's lovely remarks to Al Arabiya, whereby he echoed the Leftist refrain of "It's all America's fault," have prompted a new round of lunacy from our favorite wacko:

Ahmadinejad Demands Apology for U.S. 'Crimes'
Wednesday, January 28, 2009

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for "profound changes" in U.S. foreign policy on Wednesday, including giving up support for Israel, during an address to thousands of people in the western city of Kermanshah.

President Obama on Tuesday, in an interview with Arabic television, called for more dialogue with Iran to express difference and see "where there are potential avenues for progress."

Without mentioning President Barack Obama by name, Ahmadinejad Wednesday repeatedly referred to those who want to bring "change," a word used often in Obama's election campaign, and indicated that Iran would be looking to see if there would be substantive differences in U.S. policy.

"We welcome change but on condition that change is fundamental and on the right track," Ahmadinejad said. "When they say 'we want to make changes', change can happen in two ways. First is a fundamental and effective change... The second ... is a change of tactics."

Ahmadinejad also demanded the U.S. apologize for 'crimes' committed against Iran; specifically, criticizing and trying to block their nuclear program.

Funny, but I don't hear any calls for Iran to apologize for its crimes. And there are still those who insist that Mahmoud has some apologizing of his own to do.

Sadly, with the new administration, Mad Mahmoud might just get what he wants.

The full story is here.

Yep, They're All Innocent at Gitmo...

2009-01-27T21:10:00.003-05:00

Wonder if John Murtha is bummed he can't invite this guy to PA:

Bomber's Martyrdom Tape Renews Fears Over Consequences of Closing Gitmo

As President Obama pushes for the closure of Guantanamo Bay prison, the debate over where to house the terror detainees being held there is heating up.

An exclusive video of a former Gitmo detainee's martyrdom tape, obtained by FOX News, is a reminder of the concerns that terror suspects — who have been held but released from Guantanamo Bay — are increasingly returning to the fight against the United States and its allies.

Abdallah Ali al-Ajmi was transferred back to his home country of Kuwait after his release from Guantanamo in 2005. Last April he blew himself up in a homicide attack that killed 12 people in Mosul, Iraq.

Al-Ajmi, known in Guantanamo as Detainee 220, made his martyrdom tape before the attack.

"In the name of Allah, most compassionate, most merciful and prayers and peace be upon our Prophet," al-Ajmi says in the video. "I thank Allah, Lord of the Worlds, who freed me from Guantanamo prison and, after we were tortured, connected me with the Islamic State of Iraq [ISI]. And it is the gift of Allah to follow the path of this nation, the ISI."

In the video, translated by the NEFA Foundation, a non-profit that tracks terror groups, al-Ajmi mentions Guantanamo Bay right away. For many jihadists, having served time at Guantanamo is seen as a badge of honor.

Yeah, well, serving time at Gitmo wouldn't be seen as a badge of honor if no one got turned loose to brag to their friends, but instead, the dirtbags all got left to rot in ignominy for the rest of their lives.

But this does prove that 'religion of peace' thing, doesn't it? I mean, this dude's 'most compassionate, most merciful' god freed him so that he could 'most mercifully and compassionately' blow up innocent people...just steeped in peace.

Yeah, closing up Gitmo and bringing this load of dirtbags to the U.S. mainland is a great idea.

Read the rest of the article here.

The Enemy Within: Terrorists Around the Corner

2009-01-24T20:27:00.003-05:00

Forget the ones our new President is going to cut loose from Gitmo - we've got another dirtbag to worry about. Check out who's gonna be footloose and fancy free real soon:

NEW YORK — In 1973, a young terrorist named Khalid Duhham Al-Jawary entered the United States and quickly began plotting an audacious attack in New York City.

He built three powerful bombs — bombs powerful enough to kill, maim and destroy — and put them in rental cars scattered around town, near Israeli targets.

The plot failed. The explosive devices did not detonate, and Al-Jawary fled the country, escaping prosecution for nearly two decades — until he was convicted of terrorism charges in Brooklyn and sentenced to 30 years in federal penitentiary.

But his time is up.

In less than a month, the 63-year-old Al-Jawary is expected to be released. He will likely be deported; where to is anybody's guess. The shadowy figure had so many aliases it's almost impossible to know which country is his true homeland.

Before we chucked Khalid into the pen, he was a busy boy. Among his hobbies:

- the Black September's letter-bombing campaign in the 1970s

- a botched terrorist attack in 1979

- very likely, the bombing of a TWA flight in 1974 (which killed 88 people)

But take heart - his lawyer says he was framed.

You can read more here.

And So it Begins...

2009-01-21T06:25:00.002-05:00

Well, one thing's for sure - he's not wasting time.

Obama Administration Moves to Halt Guantanamo Trials

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba -- Military judges on Wednesday will consider motions by the Obama administration to suspend the Guantanamo war crimes trials for 120 days during a review of the system for prosecuting suspected terrorists.

The motions, filed late Tuesday at the direction of President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, will be heard in the cases of five men charged in the Sept. 11 attacks and of Canadian Omar Khadr, who is accused of killing an American soldier with a grenade in Afghanistan in 2002.

Read the Rest
PHOTOS

Inauguration Day, 2009

2009-01-20T10:11:00.003-05:00

WATCH LIVE - SCHEDULE - FULL INAUGURATION COVERAGE - PHOTOS

THE STRATEGY ROOM: Special Inauguration Coverage on FOX News' Online Talk Show — STREAMING LIVE

FOX FORUM: 1st 100 Days — the Whole World's Watching

FOX FORUM: The True Meaning of the Day

Thousands Try to Beat Crowds for Obama Ceremony

OBAMA CHIC: Decorating the White House on a Budget

OBAMA CHIC: Extreme White House Makeover?

PHOTO ESSAY: Get Michelle Obama's First Lady Style

LIVE CHATS! Get On and Talk Inauguration 2009

Cheney to Attend Festivities in Wheelchair After Injury

INAUGURATION NATION: Chatting in Detroit — LIVE

INAUGURATION NATION: North Carolina Chat — LIVE

INAUGURATION NATION: Chatting New York — LIVE

INAUGURATION NATION: Chatting in California — LIVE

Nearly a Million Kenyans Celebrate Obama's Presidency

Inauguration Day at the Beach for Republicans

Celebrations Worldwide for Obama's Inauguration

Pennsylvania Boy Offers Puppy to Obama Family

9/11 suspects declare guilt at Gitmo war court

2009-01-19T20:18:00.003-05:00

I'm just SO excited that our incoming President wants to close Gitmo and bring dirtbags like this to the U.S. mainland...

By BEN FOX, Associated Press Writer

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba – Two alleged orchestrators of the 2001 attacks on America casually declared their guilt on Monday in a messy and perhaps final session of the Guantanamo war crimes court. This week's military hearings could be the last at Guantanamo — President-elect Barack Obama has said he would close the offshore prison and many expect him to suspend the military tribunals and order new trials in the U.S.

Ramzi Binalshibh and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed architect of the terrorist attacks, were unapologetic about their roles during a series of outbursts as translators struggled to keep up and the judge repeatedly sought to regain control.

"We did what we did; we're proud of Sept. 11," announced Binalshibh, who has said he wants to plead guilty to charges that could put him to death. The judge must first determine if he is mentally competent to stand trial.

Mohammed shrugged off the potential death sentence for the murder of nearly 3,000 people in the Sept. 11 attacks.

"We don't care about capital punishment," said Mohammed, whose thick gray beard flows to the top of his white prison jumpsuit. "We are doing jihad for the cause of God."

He also boo-hooed about being "tortured." Probably didn't like the rice pilaf he was getting. Somehow, I really don't care how he was treated. Whatever we could dream up would probably be too kind for the likes of these two.

Funny how the rest of the world, which yells about us keeping "innocent" people at Gitmo, doesn't want their "innocents" back, isn't it?

You can read the rest of the article here.

Hail to the (Outgoing) Chief

2009-01-19T13:28:00.002-05:00

Bravo:

Bush Commutes Sentences for Two Former Border Patrol Agents
President Bush commutes the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, convicted of shooting a Mexican drug runner in 2005.

On his last full day in office, President Bush commuted the sentences of two former Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican drug runner in 2005.

The imprisonment of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean had sparked outcry from critics who said the two were just doing their jobs. They had been sentenced to 11- and 12-year sentences, respectively.

Their prison sentences will now expire on March 20 of this year.

The two were sentenced in connection with the shooting of Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, who was shot in the buttocks while trying to flee along the Texas border. He admitted smuggling several hundred pounds of marijuana on the day he was shot and pleaded guilty last year to drug charges related to two other smuggling attempts.

Bush has been cautious in his use of pardon powers, and particularly careful when it comes to commutations of prison terms. Where a pardon is an official forgiveness of a crime (typically requested at least five years after the completion of a prison term), a commutation is a reduction of sentence.

Before Monday, the outgoing president had granted 171 pardons and nine commutations. By comparison, President Clinton granted 396 pardons and 61 commutations, many on his last day in office. President Reagan granted 393 pardons and 13 commutations.

More at Fox News

How's This for Change?

2009-01-18T01:29:00.003-05:00

Wish I could say I was surprised:

Feds Say Obama Prayer Leader Is From Group Linked to Hamas

Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America, is the leader of a group that federal prosecutors say has ties to terrorists.

A Muslim scholar chosen to speak at President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural prayer service Wednesday is the leader of a group that federal prosecutors say has ties to terrorists.

Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America, is one of many religious leaders scheduled to speak at the prayer service at Washington's National Cathedral.

Mattson has been the guest of honor at State Department dinners and has met with senior Pentagon officials during the Bush administration. She also spoke at a prayer service at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Mattson, who was elected president of the society in 2006, is a professor of Islamic studies at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Conn.

But in 2007 and as recently as last July, federal prosecutors in Dallas filed court documents linking the Plainfield, Ind.-based Islamic society to the group Hamas, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization.

Neither Mattson nor her organization have been charged. But prosecutors wrote in July that they had "a wide array of testimonial and documentary evidence expressly linking" the group to Hamas and other radical groups.

Linda Douglass, a spokeswoman for Obama's inaugural committee, would not discuss the case or say whether the committee knew about it.

"She has a stellar reputation in the faith community," Douglass said Saturday night.

The existence of the court documents was first reported by Politico.

Read the Rest

1 Dead, 4 Injured in Texas A&M Black Hawk Wreck

2009-01-12T19:24:00.001-05:00

Monday, January 12, 2009
AP

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — An Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed Monday in a field on the campus of Texas A&M University, killing one person and injuring four others aboard.

The Army UH-60 helicopter crashed Monday afternoon during training exercises near the Corps of Cadets field on the school's College Station campus, about 100 miles northwest of Houston. No one on the ground and no students were hurt.

A crew of four from the Army National Guard and an Army lieutenant assigned to the school's ROTC unit were the only ones aboard the Black Hawk, Texas A&M spokesman Lane Stephenson said.

Read More

2009-01-12T10:14:00.002-05:00

FULL-DRESS MARINES - U.S. Marine Corps participants in the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Parade rehearsal make their way down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., Jan. 11, 2009. More than 5,000 men and women in uniform are providing military ceremonial support to the presidential inauguration, a tradition dating back to George Washington's 1789 inauguration. DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Suzanne M. Day, U.S. Air Force

Story

And Again with the "Peace" from Islam

2009-01-07T23:14:00.003-05:00

Protester Calls for Jews to 'Go Back to the Oven' at Anti-Israel Demonstration (Fox News)

Like many other protests of Israel's campaign in Gaza, this one ended badly — police had to cool an ugly fight between supporters of Israel and Gaza, breaking up the warring sides as their screaming and chanting threatened to turn into something worse.

But some protesters at this rally in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., took their rhetoric a step further, calling for the extermination of Israel — and of Jews.

Separated by battle lines and a stream of rush-hour traffic outside a federal courthouse last week, at least 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators faced off against a smaller crowd of Israel supporters.

Most of the chants were run-of-the-mill; men and women waving Palestinian flags called Israel's invasion of Gaza a "crime," while the pro-Israel group carried signs calling the Hamas-run territory a "terror state."

But as the protest continued and crowds grew, one woman in a hijab began to shout curses and slurs that shocked Jewish activists in the city, which has a sizable Jewish population.

"Go back to the oven," she shouted, calling for the counter-protesters to die in the manner that the Nazis used to exterminate Jews during the Holocaust.

"You need a big oven, that's what you need," she yelled.

Just steeped in peace, love, and tolerance, isn't it? Now why would I think that this religion just isn't so peaceful??

Read the rest here, and if you need more peace and love, you can watch the video.

In Today's News - Friday, January 2, 2009

2009-01-02T05:50:00.006-05:00

Quote of the Day

"A hero is simply someone
who rises above his own human weaknesses,
for an hour, a day, a year,
to do something stirring."

--Betty Deramus

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Iraq Takes Control of Green Zone - VIDEO - PHOTOS
Greetings From Iraq: Happy Sovereignty Day!

Operation Enduring Freedom
U.S. Preps for 20,000 Troop Surge Against Taliban

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Israel Slams Hamas Homes, Destroys Gaza Mosque
Hamas Resilient Despite Israeli Onslaught
Gaza Decisions Made Day-by-Day - PHOTOS (Graphic)
Fate of Revered Soldier Captured by Hamas Unclear
Hamas Rockets Put Israel's Nuclear Facility in Battle Zone
Pro-Palestinian protesters at Obama's Hawaii house - Video
Judge rejects release of two Guantanamo inmates
Aussies 'Unlikely' to Take Detainees (So we're supposed to close Gitmo, but no one wants their dirtbags back....maybe we should send 'em to the whiners who want them released)
Suspected U.S. Airstrike in Pakistan Kills 3 Militants
India says Pakistan attitude unchanged on militants
Beware of Disinformation From Gaza

Worldwide Wackos
Cuba celebrates revolution's 50th anniversary
Castro: Cuba Revolution Will Last Another 50 Years

Politics / Government
Portland Largest U.S. City With Openly Gay Mayor
Ex-Rhode Island Sen. Claiborne Pell Dead at 90
Mahalo, Hawaii: Obamas Head Home to Chilly Chicago
Caroline Kennedy's Star Rising in Senate Bid
Dems Could Try Stall Tactics to Block Burris From Senate
Obama to meet with congressional leaders on economy - Video
Madoff complying with assets disclosure deadline
China's Hu praises 30 years of ties with U.S.
Video: Illinois Governor arrested

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
4 Arrested in Calif. Lesbian's 'Extreme' Gang Rape
'Santa Shooter' Led 2 Lives While Plotting Murders
Caylee Anthony's Grandparents Seek Immunity
Officials: Ski Resort Shooter Killed Cat, Committed Suicide
Aspen Man Threatened 'Mass Death' Before Killing Self
North Carolina Father Suspected of Killing 3, Taking His 2 Children
Man says he shot car with paintballs to deter DUI
A look at Illinois' new interlock-ignition law
New ignition lock laws aim to foil drunk drivers

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
Viacom and Time Warner reach deal to avoid blackout - Video

Science / Medicine and Health / Technology
Medics Caught on Tape Allegedly Decided Disabled Man Not Worth Saving
Beatles to zombies, videogamers set for varied '09
NASA says Columbia crew had no chance to survive - Video
Antibiotics before infections save lives: study
Esophageal cancer linked to osteoporosis drugs
Circulating fluid keeps donated kidneys healthier
Microsoft blames leap year for Zune glitch
Beatles to zombies, videogamers set for varied '09
Nokia CEO to favor profit over sales targets: report
China Mobile soars after 3G approval; pushes HSI up
Online holiday sales fall 3 percent
Video - 2008: a take on tech

Mother Nature
Gas Tax Hike a Carbon Surcharge? (Here we go...)
Great Barrier Reef Coral Decline May Spell Disaster
Avalanches Kill 2 at British Columbia's Whistler Resort
Beijing's New Year resolution: scrap polluting cars
Poison shrub oil powers New Zealand airline flight - Video
2009 to be one of warmest years on record: researchers
Whales throw New Year party in Maine: government
Sharks have wimpy bites, study finds
2 major Wash. passes closed by snow; 1 reopens

News from My Neck of the Woods
Special-needs student, 22, left on NYC bus in cold

Oddities
Teens Lost for 3 Days After Trying to Sneak Into Show: We Are Idiots
When to buy? When to sell? When to divorce? - Video
Easy come, easy go after gold glitch
Tick tock ... tick: Extra second added to 2008 - Video
Peruvian Jesus born to Virgin Mary on Christmas
Warner Bros blacks out "Dark Knight" from China
Video: And Finally.. The Oddest of 2008.
Suicides in national parks increase in 2008

Fox News
USC Rolls Over Penn State 38-24 in Rose Bowl
New Year's Day Fire Kills 5 in Washington - PHOTOS
61 Killed in New Years Eve Club Fire - PHOTOS (Graphic)
Reuters
Red Wings beat Blackhawks at Winter Classic
States, cities struggle with economic crisis
Q&A: What is municipal bond market?
Calif. budget woes tarnish outlook
Rhode Island worse-off than most
Wall St bets on bull year for 2009
Stocks end dismal year on higher note
Factbox: S&P 500 winners & losers
Factbox: Worst year ever for Nasdaq
Factbox: Third worst year for Dow
U.S. steel industry urges "buy America" recovery plan
Obama to meet with congressional leaders on economy - Video
Fannie says IndyMac has $1 bln in mortgage obligations: report
Europe's gas flowing day after Moscow cuts off Kiev
Global stocks rise on first trading day of year - Video
Losing the luxury appetite
Technology and Trust
New year, new hope
The nonprofit challenge
Heal your way to higher earnings
Factories slash output and jobs in big emerging markets - Video
City National subject of bailout review: report
Bank of America, Wells close mergers as banking transforms
After worst year ever, commodities may lag recovery
GM gets $4 billion rescue loan, Chrysler on hold
Bank of America, Wells close mergers as banking transforms
More Gulf industrial projects at risk after Dow
ONGC to proceed with Imperial Energy takeover
Heath Ledger 2008's biggest movie story: poll - Video
French actress Huppert to head Cannes film jury
August date for Quentin Tarantino World War II movie - Video
Taylor Swift tops album chart for 4th week
Music album sales tumble further in 2008
Video: New Year river dive stuns crowds
Travel Picks: Top budget-friendly 2009 destinations
Travel Postcard: 48 hours in Tianjin, China
Just a Minute With: Oscar winner Cate Blanchett
Japan shoppers grab lucky New Year bags amid gloom
Magic turn on the style to overpower Bulls
Angels and Fuentes agree on two-year contract
Bruins beat Penguins to notch 10th win in a row
Indians sign infielder DeRosa from Cubs

Associated Press
Aspen tries to recreate New Year after bomb scare
France's Isabelle Huppert to head Cannes film jury
Bernie Hamilton, 'Starsky and Hutch' captain, dies
Virginia Tech tops Cincinnati, ends BCS drought
Prolific mystery writer Donald Westlake dead at 75
Nebraska beats Clemson 26-21 in Gator Bowl
Ask AP: Digital TV switch, keeping sailors healthy
FAA: 2 dead in fiery plane crash at Ill. airport

NewsBlaze
NP ready to take lead in Abu T'shir
Wolfhounds Train Iraqi Police
Soldiers' Angels and Patriot Guard
Iraq News
Read about Operations in Iraq
FOB Warhorse Memorial Photos
Videos

CENTCOM
Job training opens doors for former 'Sons of Iraq'
Medical clinic opens in Kabani
Baghdad operation showcases Iraqi readiness
Sons of Iraq, IP and IA work together to make provinces safe
Mullen surveys Golden Mosque reconstruction

USJFCOM
2008 Year in Review
Command begins new capability development on three projects
USJFCOM fires unit helps training center improve joint training for Army units
More about Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team
U.S. Joint Forces Command clarifies Joint Operating Environment 2008
Command releases report examining the future - Read the report
USJFCOM, NATO reach historic first for simulation federation

Multi-National Force - Iraq
Air Force Surgeons Rotate Through Iraq
82nd Paratroopers Prepare for Iraq Mission
Camp Liberty Soldiers Ring in the New Year
Iraqi Commandos Learn Border Security
Citizen's tip leads IA, MND-B Soldiers to Baghdad weapons cache
Airport transitions to civil authority in southern Iraqi province
IA detains 5 after IDF attack near Kut
IA, MND-B Soldiers find weapons caches west of Baghdad
ISF secure warrants, arrest 13 suspected criminals

DefenseLink
HOLIDAY MESSAGES
Bush Thanks Troops for Making Country Safer - Video
Chairman Honors Sacrifices of Troops, Families

TOP NEWS
U.S. Turns Over Green Zone Security Responsibility to Iraq
U.S. Seeks Supply Routes for Afghanistan
Armed Forces Inaugural Committee Moves Into High Gear as Jan. 20 Nears

IRAQ NEWS
Renovations Form Strong Foundation
Diyala 'Sons of Iraq' Invest in Future
Iraqis Lead Coalition to Dismantle Bombs

AFGHANISTAN NEWS
Doctors Combat Waterborne Illness
Coalition Kills 11 in Shootout With Terrorists

MILITARY NEWS
Air Force Surgeons Train in Iraq
Navy to Commission Aircraft Carrier

AROUND THE SERVICES
U.S. Army, Iraqi Leaders Discuss Elections
Female Marines Give Up Locks for Love
Country Singer Brings Cheer to Sailors
Air Force 'Thunderbirds' Set Schedule

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
0069 - Roman Lower Rhine army proclaims its commander, Vitellius, emperor
0533 - John II begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1235 - Emperor Joseph II orders Jews of Galicia Austria to adopt family names
1492 - Spain recaptures Granada from the Moors (Granada Day)
1570 - Tsar Ivan the Terrible march to Novgorod begins
1602 - Spanish forces in Ireland surrender to the English at Kinsdale
1757 - British troops occupy Calcutta India
1776 - 1st revolutionary flag displayed; Austria ends interrogation torture
1788 - Georgia is 4th state to ratify US constitution
1800 - Free black community of Philadelphia PA petitions Congress to abolish slavery
1811 - US Senator Thomas Pickering is 1st senator censured (revealed confidential documents communicated by the President of the US)
1831 - Liberator, abolitionist newspaper, begins publishing in Boston
1839 - 1st photo of the Moon (French photographer Louis Daguerre)
1842 - 1st US wire suspension bridge for general traffic opens in Pennsylvania
1861 - Colonel Charles Stone is put in charge of organizing DC militia; SC seizes inactive Fort Johnson in Charleston Harbor
1863 - Battle of Murfreesboro (Stone's River) ends
1871 - King Amadeus I of Spain inaugurated at 25
1885 - General Wolseley receives last distress signal of General Gordon in Khartoum
1890 - Alice Sanger becomes 1st female White House staffer; Record 19'2" alligator shot in Louisiana by E.A. McIlhenny
1893 - 1st US commemoratives & 1st US stamp to picture a woman issued
1896 - Battle at Doornkop, South Africa (Boers beat Dr Jamesons troops)
1903 - President T. Roosevelt shuts down post office in Indianola MI, for refusing to accept its appointed postmistress because she was black
1905 - Elara, a satellite of Jupiter, discovered by Perrine; Japanese troops capture Port Arthur
1910 - 1st junior high schools in US open in Berkeley CA
1919 - Anti-British uprising in Ireland; Lithuania gains independence
1920 - 10,000 US union & socialist organizers arrested (Palmer Raids)
1923 - Ku Klux Klan surprise attack on black residential area Rosewood FL, 8 killed (compensation awarded in 1995)
1925 - Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region established (now in Tadzhik SSR)
1929 - US & Canada agree to preserve Niagara Falls
1933 - US troops leave Nicaragua
1934 - 1st state liquor stores open, in Pennsylvania
1935 - Bruno R. Hauptmann trial begins for kidnap-murder of Lindbergh baby
1936 - 1st electron tube to enable night vision described, St Louis MO
1938 - Book publisher Simon and Schuster founded
1942 - 28 nations, at war with Axis, pledge no separate peace; German troops in Bardia surrender; Japanese troops occupy Manila, in the Philippines
1944 - 1st use of helicopters during warfare (British Atlantic patrol)
1945 - Allied air raid on Neurenberg; Radio Orange ends cooperation at Liese-Aktion
1947 - Mahatma Gandhi begins march for peace in East-Bengali
1956 - Poujadists/communists win French parliamentary elections
1959 - USSR launches Mechta (Luna 1) for 1st lunar fly-by, 1st solar orbit; Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista flees
1960 - Senator John F Kennedy, announces his candidacy for President; John Reynolds sets age of solar system at 4,950,000,000 years
1964 - Ayub Khan elected President of Pakistan; Failed assassination attempt on President Nkrumah of Ghana
1965 - Martin Luther King, Jr., begins a drive to register black voters; Obverse design of all Canadian coins is changed to depict the Queen with a slightly more mature look
1966 - 1st Jewish child born in Spain since 1492 expulsion
1968 - Christiaan Barnard performs 2nd heart transplant
1970 - US population is 205,052,174
1971 - A barrier collapses at Ibrox Park football ground at end of a soccer match in Glasgow Scotland, killing 66
1972 - Mariner 9 begins mapping Mars
1974 - 55 MPH speed limit imposed by Richard Nixon; Worst fire in Argentine history destroys 1.2 million acres
1975 - US Department of Interior designates grizzly bear a threatened species
1978 - Bülent Ecevit forms government in Turkey
1979 - Sid Vicious' trial for murder of girlfriend Nancy Spingen begins
1983 - Garry Trudeau takes a 20-month break from writing "Doonesbury"
1984 - Riot in Tunis kills over 100; Wilson Goode, sworn-in as Philadelphia's 1st black mayor
1987 - Troops of Chad President Habré conquer Fada oasis
1988 - Oil storage tank spills 3.8 million gallons, Pennsylvania; Mulroney & Reagan sign Canada-US free trade agreement
1994 - Battles between army & rebellious Indians in South Mexico, kill 57
1995 - Bus crashes in Luzon Philippines, 29 killed; Most distant galaxy yet discovered found by scientists using Keck telescope in Hawaii (estimated 15 billion light years away)
1998 - Autopsy of Chris Farley shows he overdosed of opiates & cocaine

Birthdays
1642 - Mehmed IV, sultan (Turkey)
1647 - Nathaniel Bacon, leader of Bacon's Rebellion, Virginia (1676)
1699 - Osman III, sultan (Turkey)
1727 - James Wolfe, commanded British Army (captured Québec)
1835 - Charles Russell Lowell, Jr., Brigadier General (Union volunteers)
1861 - Helen Herron Taft, First Lady (1909-13)
1873 - Anton Pannekoek, Dutch astronomer/marxist theorist (Communist Tactics)
1880 - Louis Breguet, French aviation pioneer
1895 - Count Folke Bernadotte, statesman (Red Cross, UN)
1899 - Paul-Henri Spaak, Premier/Secretary-General of NATO (1957-61)
1913 - Ernest Sidey, British air marshal; Juanita E. Jackson Mitchell, US head (NAACP)
1920 - Penelope Jessel, politcal activist; Peter Harrison Swan, bomber pilot/stockbroker
1927 - Richard Belmont Ray (Representative-GA)
1928 - Dan Rostenkowski (Representative-IL, -94), House Ways & Means Committee chair
1928 - Vaughn Beals, CEO (Harley Davidson motorcycle)
1931 - Toshiki Kaifu, premier of Japan (1989-91)

Passings
1763 - John Casteret Earl Granville, English premier, dies at 72
1861 - Frederik Willem IV King of Prussia (1840-61)/Germany (1849-61), dies at 65
1863 - Roger Weightman Hanson, Confederate Brigadier General, dies in battle at 35
1904 - James Longstreet, Confederate General, dies at 82
1921 - Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, German chancellor/PM (Prussia); referred to the international treaty guaranteeing Belgian neutrality as "a scrap of paper", dies at 64
1923 - Sam Carter, Black resident of Rosewood FL, lynched by KKK
1945 - Betram Home Ramsay, English Admiral/Commander Naval Forces (Normandy), dies at 61
1955 - José Antonio Remon, President of Panamá (1952-55), assassinated
1960 - Friedrich Adler, Austria social-democrat, assasinated PM Stürgkh, dies in Zürich at 80
1990 - Alan Hale, Jr., actor (Skipper Jonas Grumby-Gilligan's Island), dies of cancer at 71
1994 - Caesar Romero actor (Joker-Batman), dies at 86; Dixy Lee Ray, chairwoman (US Atomic Energy Commission), dies at 79
1995 - Mohammed Siyad Barre, President of Somalia (1969-91); Siad Barre, General/President of Somalia (1969-91), dies at 84

Reported Missing in Action
1966
MacLaughlin, Donald C., USN (MD); A4C disappeared while on combat mission

1967
Menges, George Bruce, USAF (OH); O1F shot down - remains returned August, 1980

1970
Brooks, Nicholas G., USN (NY); A6A shot down (w/Fryar); remains returned February, 1982

Fryar, Bruce C., USN (NJ); A6A shot down (w/Brooks)

Lindstrom, Ronnie G., USAF (MN); F4D shot down (w/West)

West, John T., USAF (MD); F4D shot down (w/Lindstrom)

Surgery...Ugh

2008-12-29T22:26:00.002-05:00

I am going in for surgery on Tuesday 12/30. A one-day job, but will take me a few days to recover.

Pre-cancerous cells. Again. Ugh.

Should be fairly uneventful (we hope), but it may be a little while before I'm up to blogging. Especially if the pain meds are real good.

Wish me luck!

Merry Christmas to Our Heroes

2008-12-25T00:21:00.001-05:00

Each year, I continue to become more aware of just how precious our freedom is, and how fragile. Thank you to all of our Heroes in Iraq, Afghanistan, and numerous places far from home. Thank you for those that have gone before. You are all in our hearts and prayers, and we are very, very proud of all of you. Merry Christmas.

Pam

A Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said " It's really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."

My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a fox hole with little to e at.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."

"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

Graphics in this post came from a number of locations, among them:

Christmas-graphics-plus.com
Christmas Graphics by Pat
Christmas-Graphics.com
The Wonder of Christmas
The Christmas Corner

2008-12-19T07:49:00.002-05:00

DISTANT DETONATION - U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Nyx Zaid Nieves Lopez rolls tape while a U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal team uses a radio detonation unit to explode charges set on unspent munitions that were left over from the Iran-Iraq war along with other weapons seized from insurgents by the Iraqi police in Kirkuk, Iraq, Dec. 13, 2008. Lopez is a videographer with Joint Combat Camera at Forward Operating Base Warrior in Iraq. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian L. Short

In Today's News - Friday, December 19, 2008

2008-12-19T06:26:00.003-05:00

Quote of the Day
"The bravest are surely those who have
the clearest vision of what is before them,
glory and danger alike,
and yet notwithstanding, go out and meet it."
-- Thucydides

News of Note
'Tis the Season
Video: And Finally... Holiday Gift Guide
Travel Picks: Top 10 unusual stores for holiday gifts
Iraqi Logistics System Takes Shape, Boosts Efficiency
NORAD Prepares for 50th Year of Tracking Santa

Operation Iraqi Freedom
Shoe-Throwing Journalist 'Appears Beaten' - PHOTOS
Palestinian Offers Shoe-Throwing Reporter a Bride
Report raps ex-White House pair on Iraq claims
Freedom of the Press in Sadr City

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Jury in Fort Dix Trial Scheduled to Resume Deliberations
Rockets, Gunfire on Gaza Border as Ceasefire Ends
U.S. not ready for cyber attack

Welcome Home!!
Lithuanians Conclude Mission in Iraq

Troops (and Contractors) on Trial
Blackwater radio logs: Guards took incoming fire

Supporting Our Heroes
Gold Star Mom heads to Guantanamo Bay!
Celebrities, Volunteers Assemble Care Packages

Other Military News
Russia to Cut Arms if U.S. Drops Missile Defense
China Sending Ships to Battle Somali Pirates - PHOTOS

Worldwide Wackos
Israel Urges Russia Not to Sell Weapons to Iran

Politics / Government
Mideast Donors Big on Bill Clinton's List - LIST
End to Mideast Cease-fire Poses Challenge for Obama
Watergate 'Deep Throat' W. Mark Felt Dies at 95 - PHOTOS
Emanuel 'Spoke Directly' to Blago About Senate Seat
Deference to Feds Could Slow Blago Impeachment Push
Illinois AG: Blago Can't Use Taxpayer Funds for Defense
Legal fight planned over Ill. governor wiretaps
Obama plans week's 5th news conference for Friday
Bush, Abbas to assess negotiations with Israel
Auto Aid Announcement Imminent
Coleman's Lead in Senate Race Down to 2 Votes
Obama promises to bolster financial regulation - Video
Obama starts to put stamp on Fed with Tarullo - Video
Obama spurs EU on economy
Obama defends choice of pastor for invocation
Saudis, Indians among Clinton foundation donors
Schwarzenegger to veto Democrats' budget plan
Sharpton takes Caroline Kennedy to lunch in Harlem

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Ultimate Fighter, Wife Found Shot Dead in Bed
Did Madoff Pull Off Ponzi Scheme Alone?
Alleged Scheme Could Cost IRS up to $17B
After shock, Madoff fraud victims struggle to cope - Video
Did Bernard Madoff act alone? Investors doubt it
Mass. investor saw inside Madoff scam
Caylee Tipster Questioned; Cops Find Bones - PHOTOS
Anthony Defense Wary of Evidence Tampering
NASCAR settles $225 million suit with ex-official

U.N. News
U.N. divided over gay rights declaration
US balks at backing condemnation of anti-gay laws

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
Man wins first case vs China's "human flesh search engine"

Science / Medicine and Health / Technology
Real-Life 'Da Vinci Code' Found on Back of Masterpiece
'Audio Aquarium' Technology Helps Blind 'See' Fish
Solar Flare Could Cripple Communications in '12 - VIDEO
Daddy day-care: dinosaur fathers guarded the eggs
Shocking study finds most will torture if ordered
Mineral points to Martian water suitable for life
Experts urge safety probe of plastics chemicals
Fatal attraction: How leukemia seduces blood cells
Japanese group asks Google to stop map service
U.S. government lab, 14 firms team up on lithium battery
U.S. not ready for cyber attack
Government website rates nursing homes
Portable devices give "cloud" computing new clout
More than 54 million disabled in U.S., census says
Electric cars no panacea
Shocking study finds most will torture if ordered
Panasonic to spend at least $4.5 billion to buy Sanyo

Mother Nature
Las Vegas gets record Dec. snowfall, 3.6 inches
Pet lovers protest cats on the menu in China
River pilot's jealousy linked to massive oil spill
Three Gorges Dam tested as water rises
Coal should be warming concern: scientists
EU draws closer to finalizing new pesticides law
African ministers say share water to combat hunger - Video:

News from My Neck of the Woods
NY man charged with insider trading on wife's info
NY man pleads guilty to YouTube baby food threat

Oddities
Duggar Family Welcomes 18th Child - PHOTOS
Tumor Removed From Newborn's Brain Contained Foot
NASCAR Settles $225M Racial, Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
Church Threatens to 'Out' Sins
More? What the Dickens are you talking about?
Carla Bruni wins damages for nude handbag
Snowfall buries skiers' credit crunch fears
Father offers daughter to shoe-thrower
Lawyers turn to Facebook to serve legal papers
Burger King Launches 'Flame'-Broiled Body Spray
Shooting victim goes to work with bullet in head
Officers: Pierced 'gothic kittens' marketed on Web

Fox News
FOXBusiness: GM, Chrysler Finance Units May Merge
Toyota Vehicle Operations to Post First Ever Loss
Will Smith: Suicide, Career And Otherwise
David Letterman Gets Jen Aniston's 'Naked on GQ' Tie

Reuters
Tsvangirai threatens to suspend Zimbabwe talks
Protesters battle Greek police, flights grounded - Video
From bridges to police: U.S. draws up stimulus plan
Morning Call: Losses at the open
Paulson vague on auto bailout
Economic crisis claims Detroit GP
China's struggle
China tries to lure "sea turtles" home
Video: China grads feel job chill
BOJ cuts rates and pumps funds to fight credit crunch
JP Morgan CEO and Citi's Rubin won't seek bonuses: report
Oil touches fresh 4-year below $36
Global stocks fall on oil and U.S. concerns - Video
Taking on the tomcats
Emerging SE Asia haunted by corruption
The green-collar economy
Fed's greatest bubble of all
GM and Chrysler seen near loan deal Video
Oil price has found floor: OPEC president
GMAC bank bid may fail: report
S&P says GE triple-A could be at risk
BofA to shelve $3 billion CCB share sale plan: report
Dassault Aviation signs $2.26 billion Thales stake deal
General Growth puts more high-end malls on sale
"Doubt" tops SAG film nominees amid strike talk - Video
"Benjamin Button" took decades to reach big screen - Video
Metallica on fire at L.A. show - Video
Golden Globe contenders a complicated bunch
Critics weigh in on year's best films
Caution: Wine label hazardous to your funny bone
Video: Traditional Paithani saris
Manning leads Colts to comeback win
Roy explodes for 52 in Blazers' win
Yankees introduce new aces Sabathia and Burnett
Detroit Grand Prix dropped from Indy schedule
Sixers' Brand out for a month with shoulder injury

Associated Press
Paulson: 'Orderly' auto bankruptcy might be best
Ed McMahon, wife have no plans to move from home
Sundin picks Canucks over Rangers, agrees to deal
Conklin, Datsyuk lead Wings to 6-0 win over Sharks
Official: Clemens' trainer cooperated under threat

NewsBlaze
MND-B Soldiers provide over watch for SoI payday activities
Tribal Sheiks Meet in Suleikh to Discuss Issues
Soldiers' Angels and Patriot Guard
Iraq News
Read about Operations in Iraq
FOB Warhorse Memorial Photos
Videos
California Heading for a Financial and Fiscal Armageddon

CENTCOM
Odierno: Troops out of Iraqi cities by summer
Iraqi bomb experts gain independence
General cites 'monumental' changes during time in Iraq
Iraqi pilots fly night missions
New plant means fresh water for Sadr City

USJFCOM
Command begins new capability development on three projects
USJFCOM fires unit helps training center improve joint training for Army units
More about Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team
U.S. Joint Forces Command clarifies Joint Operating Environment 2008
Command releases report examining the future - Read the report
USJFCOM, NATO reach historic first for simulation federation

Multi-National Force - Iraq
Bawi Water Pump, Filter Facility Opens in Salman Pak
Tribal shaykhs meet in Suleikh to discuss issues
Prime Minister addresses British troops in Iraq
Sustainers assist the Iraqi Army with a master driver program
ISF demonstrates integrated training facility�s capabilities
Coalition forces further degrade AQI in central Iraq: 11 suspects detained

DefenseLink
TOP NEWS
Gates Urges Direct Dialogue With President-elect on Iraq
Gates Asks for Guantanamo Closure Plan
Chinese Plans to Fight Piracy Welcomed
Chairman Takes Pulse of U.S. Forces, NATO Commands in Afghanistan
Mullen Sees Golden Mosque Rise Again - Photos
Supply Line Viable Despite Breaches
Agencies Receive Kudos for Cutting Costs
Gates Cites Appreciating Limits as Guide

IRAQ NEWS
U.S. Marines Bring Medicine, Security
Iraqi Forces En Route to Self-Sufficiency
Coalition, Iraqi Forces Capture 24

AFGHANISTAN NEWS
Attack Helicopters Join Afghan Air Corps
Afghan Commandos Detain Insurgent Leader

MILITARY NEWS
No Fancy Venues, But the USO Stars Rock - Photos

NATIONAL GUARD
National Guard to Support Inauguration

AROUND THE SERVICES
Army Cadets Work to Improve Physical Eval Boards
Marines Tackle Pre-deployment Training at Quantico
Trident Submarine Wraps Up Maiden Deployment
Air Force C-17 Revolutionizes Logistics in Antarctica

FACE OF DEFENSE
Soldier Continues Holiday Tradition from Afghanistan

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
0401 - St Anastasius I ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1055 - Seldjuken under Toghril Beg occupy Baghdad
1154 - King Henry II of England crowned
1562 - Battle at Dreux: Anne de Montmorency & huguenots under Condé captured
1686 - Robinson Crusoe leaves his island after 28 years (as per Defoe)
1688 - King James II's wife & son flee to France
1732 - Benjamin Franklin (under the name Richard Saunders) begins publication of "Poor Richard's Almanack"
1776 - Thomas Paine published his 1st "American Crisis" essay, in which he wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls"
1777 - Washington settles his troops at Valley Forge PA for the winter
1788 - Chinese troops occupy capital Thang Long Vietnam
1795 - 1st state appropriation of money for road building, Kentucky
1823 - Georgia passes 1st US state birth registration law
1828 - South Carolina declares the right of states to nullify federal laws
1835 - HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin approaches New Zealand
1842 - US recognizes independence of Hawaii
1843 - Charles Dickens publishes "A Christmas Carol" in England
1854 - Allen Wilson of Connecticut patents sewing machine to sew curving seams
1861 - Battle of Black Water
1862 - Skirmish at Jackson/Salem Church TN (80 casualties)
1867 - Victims of "Angola Horror" burned to death (Angola NY)
1871 - Albert L Jones (New York NY), patents corrugated paper
1884 - Italy recognizes King Leopold II's Congo Free State
1888 - Stanley's expedition reaches Fort Bodo, East-Africa
1907 - 239 workers die in a coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek PA
1910 - 1st city ordinance requiring white & black residential areas (Baltimore); Rayon 1st commercially produced, Marcus Hook PA
1918 - Robert Ripley began his "Believe It or Not" column (New York Globe)
1919 - American Meteorological Society found
1928 - 1st autogiro (predecessor of helicopter) flight in US
1934 - Japan agress to fleet treaty of 1922 & 1930
1939 - Russian air & ground attack against Finnish positions near Summa
1941 - German submarine U-574 sinks; Hitler takes complete command of German Army; US Office of Censorship created to control info pertaining to WWII
1943 - Military coup in Bolivia
1945 - Austrian Republic re-establishes
1946 - War breaks out in Indochina as Ho Chi Minh attacks French in Hanoi
1948 - 2nd political action of Java/Sumatra
1950 - General Eisenhower named NATO commander; Tibet's Dalai Lama flees Chinese invasion
1951 - Nazi General Christiansen leaves Netherlands
1958 - 1st radio broadcast from space (recorded Christmas message by President Eisenhower: "To all mankind, America's wish for Peace on Earth & Good Will to Men Everywhere")
1960 - Fire aboard USS Constellation, under construction in Brooklyn (50 die); Mercury-Redstone 1A reaches 210 km in test flight
1961 - British government begins decimal coin system; Indonesian President Sukarno proclaims general mobilization
1962 - Nyasaland secedes from Rhodesia & Nyasaland; Transit 5A1, 1st operational navigational satellite, launched
1963 - Zanzibar becomes independent from UK
1965 - French President De Gaulle re-elected (Mitterrand gets 45%)
1971 - NASA launches Intelsat 4 F-3 for COMSAT Corp
1972 - Grenada adopts constitution
1974 - Nelson A Rockefeller sworn-in as the 41st Vice-President
1975 - John Paul Stevens becomes a Supreme Court Justice
1976 - President Brezhnev receives his 5th Lenin order
1980 - Iran requests $24 billion in US guarantees to free hostages
1985 - STS 61-C scrubbed at T -13 seconds because of SRB auxiliary power problem
1986 - USSR frees dissident Andrei Sakharov from internal exile
1988 - NASA unveils plans for lunar colony & manned missions to Mars; Unexploded WWII bomb found in Frankfurt, Germany-5,000 evacuated
1991 - Boris Yeltsin takes control of Kremlin

Birthdays
1036 - Su Tung-p'o China, poet/essayist/painter/calligrapher
1683 - Philip V Versailles France, King of Spain (1700-24, 24-46)
1814 - Edwin M[cMasters] Stanton Ohio, US Secretary of War (1861-65)
1817 - James Jay Archer Brigadier-General (Confederate Army) died in 1864
1819 - James Clifford Veatch Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1895
1821 - Mary Ashton Livermore American reformer/women's suffrage leader
1824 - Hercules Robinson Ireland, South Africa Commissioner (1880-89, 1895-97)
1837 - John Carpenter Carter Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), died in 1864
1852 - A[lbert] A Michelson Strelno Prussia, US physicist (Nobel 1907)
1884 - Antonín Zápotocky premier/President of Czechoslovakia
1891 - Edward Bernard Andre Maria Raczynski Poland, president-in-exile (1979-86)
1906 - Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev Ukraine, 1st Secretary of the Community Party/President of the USSR (1964-82)
1926 - Jeanne Kirkpatrick US ambassador to UN
1943 - William De Vries Brooklyn NY, surgeon-inventor (Symbion artifical heart)
1951 - Fred W Leslie Ancon Panamá, PhD/astronaut (STS 73)

Passings
0401 - Anastasius I Bishop of Rome (399-401)
1370 - Urban V [Guillaume de Grimoard] 1st Avignon Pope (1362-70)
1804 - Mary Bright British PM Rockingham
1915 - Alois Alzheimer German neurologist (first described Alzheimer's Disease), dies at 51
1953 - Robert A Millikan US physicist (Nobel 1923), dies at 85
1968 - Norman Thomas founder (ACLU)/Socialist Party (1926-55), dies at 84
1977 - Nellie Taylor Ross 1st woman governor, dies at 101

Reported Missing in Action
1968
Payne, Norman, US Army SF (OH); disappeared after his unit was ambushed

1971
Forame, Peter C., US Army (VA); OH6A shot down (w/Skiles)

Johnson, Kenneth R., USAF (MN); F4D shot down (w/Vaughan)released by DRV March, 1973 – retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive as of 1998

Poynor, Daniel R., USAF (OK); F4D shot down (w/Thomas), remains ID’d June, 1995

Skiles, Thomas W., US Army (WY); OH6A shot down (w/Forame)

Thomas, Leo T., Jr., USAF (KY); F4D shot down (w/Poynor), remains ID’d June, 1995

Vaughan, Samuel R., USAF (SC); F4D shot down (w/Johnson), released by DRV March, 1973 – alive and well as of 1998

1972
The following USAF personnel reported MIA when their B52D was shot down:

Alexander, Fernando (TX); released by DRV March, 1973 – retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

Barrows, Henry C., (NJ); released by DRV March, 1973 – retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

Brown, Charles A., Jr. (MA); released by DRV March, 1973 – retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive as of 1998

Cooper, Richard W., Jr., (MD); navigator, presumed KIA

Poole, Charlie S., (LA); tailgunner, presumed KIA

Wilson, Hal K., (NY); released by DRV March, 1973 – retired as a Major - alive and well as of 1998

To Quote Bugs Bunny....

2008-12-16T21:26:00.001-05:00

...What a maroon.

OK, so there's been this snarky little troll frequenting my comments section, who keeps referring to Obama as the President, and the other day said I should bow down and swear allegiance to him. He keeps throwing a rod when I remind him that Obama is not the President yet.

When I told him that:

1) AGAIN - Obama is the president-elect, not the President just yet; and

2) I wasn't aware that American civilians were required to swear allegiance to a President,

he posted what was quite possibly one of the most laughable comments I've had here. Too good not to share (my reply follows it).

OMG, you and people like you are truly sick, bitter and twisted. Obama is your President, legitimately voted for in the biggest turn out of any American Election. (they call it democracy, its what you guys claim to be fighting for in other parts of the world!)

Obama is commander in chief of the US armed forces (which you claim to be a supporter of!!). I think you should be arrested and charged with treason and crimes against the democratic will of the American people....TRAITOR!!!!!!!!!
john mckellar | Email | 12.15.08 - 8:39 am

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

No, you idiot, he isn't yet. Obama himself said that there is only one President at any given time, and HE ISN'T IT YET. Since you seem to ignore basic, rudimentary Constitutional facts, let me explain a couple of things.

1. FYI, The United States isn't a democracy - it's a representative republic. However, if by democracy you are referring to the "little d," implying free elections, then yes, democratic will elected him (we'll leave the questions of voter fraud out of it, since even though I think there was rampant voter fraud, I don't think it would have changed the outcome much).

2. The United States Constitution provides me with freedom of speech, which means that I can stand on a street corner and proclaim Obama to be the worst excuse for a President we've ever elected. Not that I would - there isn't enough information to judge at present. He's got to outdo Carter to be the worst, and that's quite an obstacle.

3. Obama is NOT the commander-in-chief or the President until he is sworn in, which happens in January. That's why his pretentious little podium sign says "Office of the President-ELECT." He is NOT the President yet.Please, call the feds and tell them I should be charged with treason for implying that my President is still my President, and that the President-elect doesn't become President until January 20th. Maybe then they'll take you somewhere you can get the help you so obviously need.
Pam | Email Homepage | 12.16.08 - 9:51 pm

I also wasn't aware that there was a charge of "crimes against the democratic will of the American people," but hey, he obviously is a veritable font of knowledge...

Still, I don't think I'll lose any sleep waiting for them to show up with the arrest warrant.

2008-12-16T21:24:00.001-05:00

MR. FREEZE - Army Spc. Daryl Johnson cuts a fallen tree with a chainsaw in Phillipston, Mass., Dec. 14, 2008. Johnson is a construction equipment operator, 379th Engineer Company, Massachusetts Army National Guard. The town of Phillipston lost power when trees covered with ice began falling onto power lines leaving the town's 900 homes without electricity. The 379th was mobilized to cut down trees and clear roads so civilian utility companies can begin trying to restore power to the town. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. James Lally

In Today's News - Tuesday, December 16, 2008

2008-12-16T20:21:00.003-05:00

Quote of the Day
We Few
Beloved heritage is ours
To fondly cherish evermore.
By God's own hand sweet Freedom's flower
Was planted at our nation's door.

Warm blood of men enriched the soil
In hope it blossom-filled would thrive.
Though tyrants sent fierce weeds to foil
And hamper growth, it still survived.

The blooms will wither not nor die;
Some men will crave the fragrant air.
Unyielding Resolve reigns on high
With Duty calling those who care.

Much-needed care cannot be sloughed;
A few must bear the load for all.
From sun-soaked shores to windswept bluffs
We few will answer Duty's call.
-- Former POW Colonel Howard John Hill, USAF

News of Note
'Tis the Season
Child Writes to Santa, Asks for Molestation to End
FOX News Poll: Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?
Man Arrested for Truckloads of Stolen Christmas Decor
Technology helps Santa make magic, scientist says
Video: And Finally... Holiday Gift Guide.

Operation Iraqi Freedom
Iraqi Shoe-Thrower 'Suffering Broken Bones' - VIDEO
Shoe-thrower expected to appear before Iraqi judge
Chavez: Shoe Toss 'Funny,' 'Courageous' - PHOTOS
Odierno: Troops out of Iraqi cities by summer
Iraqi pilots fly night missions
Women's Newspaper 'Tackles' Issues in Southern Iraq

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
U.S. General Tells Hidden Story of 9-11 Mastermind
U.S. plot suspects had no intent to kill: attorneys
Police find explosives in Paris store after warning - Video

Politics / Government
Blago Chaos in Illinois House
WHERE'S BLAGO?
Ill. Speaker, AG Have Stormy Past with Blagojevich
White House Nears Bailout Decision
URGENT: Obama to Tap Vilsack for Agriculture Secretary
Education Secretary Pick Praised as 'Reformer'
Kennedy and Cuomo Openly Vying for Clinton's Seat
Impeachment query opens against Illinois governor
Houston mayor may pursue Senate seat in 2010
Obama names education chief, focuses on economy
Rep. Becerra says won't take Obama trade job
Video: Illinois Governor arrested
AP source: Donor to Commerce nominee being probed
Ill. parties clash over potential special election

Illegal Immigration / Border Control
$2.7 Billion Mexico Border Fence Now at 500 Miles

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Case Closed in Adam Walsh Slaying - PHOTOS
Murder of Adam Walsh: A 27-Year Mystery Solved- VIDEO
Twisted Life of Serial Killer Ottis Elwood Toole
Former Hit Man for Boston Mob Gets Movie Deal
Caylee Anthony Judge Denies Defense Access to Evidence, Will Reconsider Second Autopsy
Police Officer Seen Shoving Bicyclist on YouTube Indicted
Caylee's Grandparents 'Devastated' as Investigators Find More Bones
No Access to Evidence for Anthony Lawyers - PHOTOS
Police: 1981 Murder of Son of America's Most Wanted Anchor John Walsh Is Solved
Guard Fatally Shoots Ex, Self at Pa. Weapons Plant
Va. Cops Hunt Suspect Who Shot Officer, Neighbors
Father of Ore. Bank Bomb Suspect Arrested - PHOTOS
FBI Establishes Hot Line for Alleged Madoff Victims
Madoff tries to stay out of jail as probe widens
Dennis Quaid and his wife settle with hospital
SoCal grandmother held captive 26 hours in own car

Adventures in Political Correctness
Student Says School Persecuted Him for Being Conservative
UK Woolworths Won't Sell Lightsabers: Jedi Weapon Looks Like Gun

U.N. News
U.N. council allows Somali anti-piracy fight on land

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
Australian Couple Defaults on Home, Notified on Facebook
Oprah Winfrey makes TV movie deal with HBO

Science / Medicine and Health / Technology
Scientists Brand AP Story 'Hysteria'
Study: Colonoscopies Less Effective in Fighting Cancer
Phoenix probe sheds new light on Mars weather
"Death map" shows heat a big hazard to Americans
Researchers find short-armed raptor in Argentina
Archeologists in Peru unearth ancient Wari city - Video
Mobile phone market to shrink in 2009
Wireless companies warn of U.S. inauguration delays
Sony, Fox Sports offer 3-D college football event
U.S. cable companies giving free equipment for digital move
Microsoft issuing emergency fix for browser flaw

Mother Nature
Mekong Valley a Treasure Trove of New Species
Arctic ice volume lowest ever as globe warms: U.N.
Luxury downturn hits U.S. beaver trappers
In "eat local" movement, Cuba is years ahead
Calif. near impact report on Monterey desalination
EU agrees to cut pollution from lorries
Video: Protests over Australia climate plan
No respite as wintry storms spread over nation

Oddities
Man Found Hanging From Tree Along Nevada Highway
Missouri Moves to Dump Old Law Banning Margarine
Man dies after retirement party hijinks
Nude models brave cold to protest low pay
Man who snatched wig will have toupee
Peru traffickers hide cocaine in smelly bird dung
Absolute leader's name dropped from anthem
Toilet-maker pledges to repair smoking bidets
Police: Armed burglars demand man's eggbeater

Fox News
No More Failures?
FOMC Cuts Rates to Lowest Level on Record
FOXBusiness: Dow Closes Up Nearly 360 Points
FOXBusiness: Consumer Prices Plunge at a Record Rate
Ski Resort Tower Collapse Traps 12 in Gondola
Exclusive: Hilary Duff 'Absolutely Did Not Say' She Was a Virgin

Reuters
Some 30 Russian tourists die in Israel bus crash
Greek PM vows to fight corruption after 11-day protest - Video
Emerging SE Asia haunted by culture of corruption - Video
Yale says its endowment lost 25 percent since June
What is quantitative easing?
Federal Reserve policy statement
Factbox: Recent Fed comments
Timeline: Rate changes since 1994
Wall Street rallies on Fed's rate cut - Video
Auto rescue being worked on quickly: Paulson
Jobs won't deliver Macworld keynote
Nikkei rises 1.3 percent on Fed rate cut
Morgan Stanley's earnings
Minimizing exposure
Obama spurs EU on economy
Great debt engine slips into reverse
And the band played on
Bold Fed still needs fiscal help
Honda shares dive ahead of possible profit warning
Wanted: Super-human technocrat to run New York Fed
GE says industrial profit could rise 5 percent in '09
Bristol-Myers to cut another 10 percent of workforce
Ford CEO expects lots of interest in Volvo
NAB in talks to buy GE's Australian mortgage unit
Satyam bows to investors, drops deal for builders
Downturn spurs "survival panic" for some - Video
Argentine wine exports seen growing despite crisis
EU plans museum of European history
London animal refuge bursting with abandoned pets
Sole-searching in China after shoe attack on Bush
Video: Death among the ruins
Six Giants and Vikings, seven Jets named in Pro Bowl squad
Orioles sign free agent shortstop Izturis
PGA Tour player award is phenomenal, says Harrington
Beijing a success after initial protests
YEARENDER-Cycling-Spain take the year's honors

Associated Press
Source: Ill. gov nixed job for Jackson Jr.'s wife
SEC chairman says agency failed to probe Madoff
Russian warships causing no ripples in Pentagon
Nation's first face transplant done in Cleveland
Strange dark energy acts as galactic diet enforcer
Marilyn Monroe pics sold for $150,000
Cake request for 3-year-old Hitler namesake denied
Peyton and Eli Manning: QB brothers in Pro Bowl
Document: Actor Peter Falk has Alzheimer's
SIPC chief: Madoff falsified books to hide losses
Stocks surge after Fed cuts rates to record lows
Rafael Furcal near 3-year deal to return to Braves
More than 130 A-list actors oppose strike vote
Harrington voted PGA Tour player of the year

NewsBlaze
DBE Personnel and American Troops Ground Smuggling Operations
PHOTOS: Infantry Soldiers earn Bronze Star Medals
Soldiers' Angels and Patriot Guard
Iraq News
Read about Operations in Iraq
FOB Warhorse Memorial Photos
Videos

CENTCOM
Iraqi bomb experts gain independence
General cites 'monumental' changes during time in Iraq
New plant means fresh water for Sadr City

USJFCOM
USJFCOM fires unit helps training center improve joint training for Army units
More about Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team
U.S. Joint Forces Command clarifies Joint Operating Environment 2008
Command releases report examining the future - Read the report
USJFCOM, NATO reach historic first for simulation federation
Multinational conference focuses on joint solutions

Multi-National Force - Iraq
Basra Receives Boost in Clean Water
Department of Border Enforcement, Coalition Forces Ground Smuggling Operations
Mail Team Keeps Morale High Over Holidays
Tip leads MND-B Soldiers to weapons cache
IA, MND-B Soldiers confiscate weapons in Karadah
1 NP, 2 civilians killed, 13 wounded in IED attack
Coalition forces transfer 39 high-value detainees to Iraqi authorities
Iraqi Army achieves milestone at Bayji National Ammo Depot

DefenseLink
Recruiting Still Challenging Despite Low Job Market
Secretary's Article Addresses Need for U.S. to Maintain Conventional Dominance
Chairman Hits the Road With USO Tour - Photos
Bush Cites 'Good Progress' in Afghanistan
Bush, Maliki Sign Security Pact

IRAQ NEWS
Local Contractor Rebuilds Water Facility
Officials Cite Progress in East Baghdad
Coalition, Iraqis Kill Three, Capture 31

AFGHANISTAN NEWS
Airmen Combat Explosive Threats
Forces Capture Taliban Commanders

MILITARY NEWS
Military Housing Allowance Rates Set for 2009
Command Works to Reduce Caregiver Fatigue
Guantanamo Detainees to Transfer

NATIONAL GUARD
Guard Responds to Neighbor's Call for Help

AROUND THE SERVICES
Army Releases New Field Training Manual
Marines Tackle Sludge and Swamps
Naval Aviators Conduct Carrier Landings
Airmen Donate School Supplies to Ecuador

FACE OF DEFENSE
Siblings Serve Together

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

Today in History
0882 - John VIII ends his reign as Catholic Pope; Marinus I begins his
1431 - King Henry VI of England crowned king of France
1538 - King François I orders renewed pursuit of Protestants
1577 - Danzig surrenders to troops of Polish king István Báthory
1617 - Spanish viceroy Hernando Arias de Saavedra founds provinces Río de la Plata (Argentina)/Guaira (Paraguay)
1631 - Mount Vesuvius, Italy erupts, destroys 6 villages & kills 4,000
1653 - Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England, Scotland & Ireland
1659 - General Monck demands free parliamentary election in Scotland
1689 - English Parliament adopts Bill of Rights after Glorious Revolution
1740 - Prussian Libya falls to Silezie
1761 - Russian army occupies Kolberg
1773 - Boston Tea Party
1809 - Napoleon Bonaparte divorces Empress Josephine by the French Senate
1811 - Most violent & prolonged quakes in US begins in Midwest region; 8.0 earthquake shakes New Madrid MO
1817 - Leaders of Molukkas uprising hanged in Ambon
1824 - Great North Holland Canal opens
1835 - Fire consumes over 600 buildings in New York NY
1838 - Boers beat Zulu chieftain Dingaan in South Africa
1857 - Earthquake in Naples, Italy
1858 - Dutch government decides to vacate Schokland Island
1862 - Kingdom of Nepal accepts its constitution
1864 - Battle of Nashville ends after 4400 casualities
1880 - Republic of South-Africa forms
1884 - Great Britain recognizes King Leopold II's Congo Free State
1897 - 1st submarine with an internal combustion engine demonstrated
1900 - Boer army under General Kritzinger take Cape colony
1905 - "Variety", covering all phases of show business, 1st published
1907 - Great White Fleet sails from Hampton Downs on its World Cruise
1909 - US pressure forces Nicaraguan President José Santos Zelaya from office
1912 - 1st US postage stamp picturing an airplane, 20¢ parcel post, issued; Austria-Hungary engage in conflict with Serbia
1913 - Charlie Chaplin began his film career at Keystone for $150 a week
1914 - French offensive in Artois (Pétain)
1915 - Albert Einstein publishes his "General Theory of Relativity"
1920 - Over 180,000 die when 8.6 earthquake destroys 15,000² miles (Kansu China)
1930 - Golfer Bobby Jones wins James E Sullivan Award
1931 - German SPD begins Eiserne Front against fascism
1932 - Heavy earthquake ravages Kansu China, 70,000 killed
1940 - British air raid on Mannheim
1941 - Sarawak occupied by the Japanese
1942 - Hitler orders combat against partisans in Russia & Balkan
1943 - "Tamiami Champion" trains collide, kills 73 & injures 200
1944 - Battle of the Bulge begins in Belgium; German V-2 strikes Antwerp bioscope (638 kill); US 2nd Infantry division occupies "Heartbreak Crossroads," Wahlerscheid
1949 - Sukarno becomes President of Indonesia; Mokammed Hatta becomes premier
1950 - Truman proclaims state of emergency against "Communist imperialism"
1953 - 1st White House Press Conference (President Eisenhower & 161 reporters); Charles E. Yeager flies over 2,575 kph (1,650 mph) in Bell X-1A (first man to fly at nearly two and one-half times the speed of sound)
1960 - 134 die as United DC-8 & TWA Super Constellation collide over Staten Island, New York NY
1962 - Constitutional Monarchical Hindu State of Nepál adopts new constitution
1965 - Gemini 6 returns to Earth; Pioneer 6 launched into solar orbit; Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, becomes King of Tonga
1969 - British House of Commons votes 343-185 abolishing the death penalty
1970 - 1st successful landing on Venus (USSR)
1971 - Bangladesh (East Pakistan) declares independence from Pakistan
1973 - US kidnap victim Paul Getty III freed
1976 - Government halts swine flu vaccination program following reports of paralysis; Andrew Young named Ambassador & Chief US Delegate to UN; Liberian tanker stranded at Nantucket, 180,000 barrels oil in sea
1978 - Ronald Reagan denounces President Jimmy Carter's recognition of China People's Republic
1980 - President-elect Reagan announces Alexander Haig as Secretary of State
1981 - Dutch Van Agt's 2nd government falls
1983 - Riverside CA judge denies cerebral palsy victim Elizabeth Bouviato request to starve herself to death in a county hospital
1988 - Political cult leader Lyndon LaRouche convicted of tax, mail fraud
1990 - Reverend Jean-Betrand Aristide elected President of Haiti
1991 - UN reverses ruling that Zionism is racism by 111-25 (13 abstain) vote
1992 - Israel orders deportation of 415 Palestinians after escalating terrorist activity
1997 - President Clinton names his Labrador retriever, "Buddy"

Birthdays
1485 - Catherine of Aragon, Spanish princess/1st wife of Henry VIII
1622 - Kurt S. Adeler, Danish admiral/ship builder
1742 - Gebhard Leberecht Fürst Blücher von Wahlstatt, German fieldmarshal
1809 - Peter P. van Bosse, Dutch attorney/liberal minister of Finance
1812 - William Grose, Union Brevet Major General
1819 - Robert Selden Garnett, Confederate Brigadier-General
1825 - Henry Heth, Confederate Major General
1828 - John Beatty, Union Brigadier-General
1830 - John Frederick Hartranft, Union Brevet Major General
1851 - Theodoor H. de Meester, Dutch premier (1905-08)
1857 - Edward Emerson, astronomer (Jupiter's 5th satellite)
1863 - Ralph Adams Cram, US gothic architect (Cathedral of St John the Divine NYC)
1888 - Alphonse Juin, French marshal
1906 - John Morrison, politician/landowner; Lord Margadale, English Conservative parliament leader/large landowner
1907 - Ray C. Bliss, Ohio State Republican Chairman
1909 - Henricus Verbunt, civil servant/resistance fighter
1941 - Lesley Stahl, White House correspondent (CBS-TV)
1955 - Carol M. Browner, US Administrator (EPA)

Passings
0714 - Pippin II of Héristal, Duke/prince of France
0875 - Ado of Vienne, French archbishop of Vienne, dies at about 75
0882 - John VIII, Italian Pope (872-82), dies
0999 - Adelheid the Saint, German empress of Otto I/saint, dies at about 68
1404 - Albrecht of Bavaria, duke of Bavaria, dies at about 74
1670 - Dorothy, 1st English marquis of Halifax, dies
1672 - John II Casimir Vasa, cardinal/king of Poland (1648-68), dies at 63
1774 - François Quesnay, French personal physician of Louis XIV, dies at 80
1858 - Richard Bright, British Dr. (Bright's disease/nephritis), dies at 69
1859 - Wilhelm Grimm, writer (Grimm's Fairy Tales), dies at 73
1916 - Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, powerful Russian monk, murdered at 45
1920 - Ma Mua-Ming-Hsin the Benovelent, Chinese muslim rebel (holy war)
1922 - Gabriel Narutowicz, 1st President of Poland (December 7-16, 1922), assassinated
1944 - Glenn Miller, USAF veteran, jazz composer/orchestra leader (Danny boy), dies at 40 when his plane disappears on the way to entertain US troops
1945 - Fumimaro Konu Japanese prince/PM (1937-39, 40-41), commits harakiri
1949 - Traitsjo Kostov Bulgarian communist vice-premier, executed
1980 - Harland "Colonel" Sanders, founder Kentucky Fried Chicken, dies at 90
1983 - Kusan Sunim, founded Milae Sa temple/Bulsung Sa Zen in Korea, dies at 74
1985 - Paul Castellano, Organized-crime chief, shot dead at a New York, NY restaurant
1987 - Albert P. Morano (Representative-CT, 1951-59), dies at 79
1993 - Bentri Seddik, Algerian court judge, murdered at 46; Kakuei Tanaka premier of Japan (1972-74), dies at 75; Ratu Penaia Ganilau President of Fiji (1987-93), dies at 75
1996 - Jean-Pierre Levy, resistance leader, dies at 85

Reported Missing in Action
1965
Wickhamm, David W. II, USN (WV);A4C shot down, KIA, body not recovered

1967
Hill, Howard J., USAF (IL); F4D shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive as of 1998

Low, James Frederick, USAF (CA); F4D shot down, released August, 1968

1969
Buckley, Victor P., USN (VA); RF8G shot down, KIA, body not recovered

Soldiers' Angels: Your Holiday Help Desperately Needed!

2008-12-11T19:53:00.003-05:00

December 11, 2008

I desperately need your help!

Thanks to the support of loyal friends like you, Soldiers' Angels has sent out thousands of WRAPPED IN HOLIDAY SPIRIT care packages to our soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan or recovering from injuries in a hospital far from home.

But now we have an urgent situation on our hands...

We have run out of funds to pay for the postage to ship out the remaining 40,000 care packages!

It is absolutely critical that we raise $150,000 in the next three days to send out the remaining 40,000 care packages for our soldiers so they arrive in time for Christmas!

Each of these packages has been lovingly packed by our caring volunteer "Angels," but without your immediate help they will not get into the hands of one of our heroes in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Along with a handmade blanket, each care package includes snacks, hot chocolate, a stainless steel travel mug, socks and a handwritten holiday card.

I can't bear the thought of thousands of our wonderful soldiers being left out and ignored this Christmas. And as a loyal friend to Soldiers' Angels, I'm sure you agree that we can't let our brave men and women down. No soldier should go unloved... especially during the holiday season.

Worse yet, the wounded will be recovering from their injuries at military hospitals... feeling homesick and very alone. Please, can I count on your support so that we can show each and every soldier how much we care for them?

Your generous support at this time would be a Godsend.

To donate now please click here.

The only way Soldiers' Angels can complete a job of this magnitude is to enlist the help of patriotic, caring Americans like you who support our troops.

That's why it's so critical that our most loyal friends respond today to this urgent request.

Thousands of our brave men and women are depending on us.

Please, we must raise $150,000 in the next 3 days to send the remaining 40,000 WRAPPED IN HOLIDAY SPIRIT care packages.

I hope I can count on your critical support once more.

I know our troops will love the WRAPPED IN HOLIDAY SPIRIT care packages you will help send.

Please help now in any way you can.

Sincerely,

Patti Patton-Bader

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

Click on the link below to purchase a "Wrapped in Holiday Spirit package"

(You can elect to have it sent to any Hero in need)

You can also make a cash donation - details at http://www.soldiersangels.org/

Day of Infamy (repost)

2008-12-07T17:23:00.001-05:00

The forward magazines of USS Arizona (BB-39) explode after she was hit by a Japanese bomb, 7 December 1941.Frame clipped from a color motion picture taken from on board USS Solace (AH-5).Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

The United States of America had been very clear on its position regarding Japanese aggression in Manchuria - Get out. Now. The U.S. (with the U.K.) had imposed a boycott of scrap metal and oil on the Japanese, too. Japan saw one method to deal with the issue. Even while they entered into negotiations, they were planning to attack.

That attack came early in the morning on December 7, 1941. Unfortunately, although the attacking planes were spotted on radar, that system was new, and the planes were thought to be a flight of B-17s due in that day. The radar operator reported the contacts, but was told, "Don't worry about it."

The first wave of planes hit at 7:53 a.m., with Japanese midget subs also on the attack. Just a little over an hour later, the second wave of planes hit. And an hour after that, it was over. At least, the immediate attack was over. By the time the Japanese planes were gone, they had left inconceivable death and destruction in their wake, and turned a harbor in paradise into a war zone - literally.

"I was about three quarters of the way to the first platform on the mast when it seemed as though a bomb struck our quarterdeck. I could hear shrapnel or fragments whistling past me. As I reached the first platform, I saw Second Lieutenant Simonson lying on his back with blood on his shirt front. I bent over him and taking him by the shoulders asked if there was anything I could do. He was dead, or so nearly so that speech was impossible. Seeing there was nothing I could do for the Lieutenant, I continued to my battle station." -- Marine Cpl. E.C. Nightingale, aboard the USS Arizona

2,403 were dead. Nearly 200 American planes were destroyed, and 8 battleships were destroyed or damaged. But Japan had missed the opportunity to hit what they wanted to - the aircraft carriers they saw as the U.S.' most dangerous assets. The Lexington, the Saratoga, and the Enterprise were all away when the attack came. And the U.S., largely reluctant to enter into the conflict raging in Europe, knew one thing - we were at war.

The Americans got a few small pieces of luck in the midst of all the chaos. The fuel oil storage, right next to the harbor, was unscathed. This was, in part, due to the fact that in those days, they were painted an aqua color that made them appear to be pools of water from the air. The submarines were also undamaged.

"With a quick glance to the right, I noticed the Arizona was a mass of flames and one of the AA guns was blasting away. Just about that time a plane was passing by very low and close. I saw the pilot looking over the Arizona, and as he pulled up, I noticed the red ball on the wing. Yes, I could have hit it with a stone if I had one to throw." -- Paul P. Urdzik, aboard the USS Vestal

But Japan had also seriously underestimated the Americans. Most of the Japanese command, many of whom had been educated in the States, believed the Americans would be unable to mobilize for a year or two - unable to replace what had been lost - and by then, Japan would have secured its interests in Asia. They believed they had rendered the Americans powerless to stop them.

They were wrong.

There has been a great deal of discussion in the decades since about what contributed to the attack. If the planes hadn't been parked the way they were. If the sailors hadn't been given a day off after the music competition. If we'd recognized the radar blips for what they were... In hindsight, it's easy to criticize, easy to blame, easy to divert attention from what matters - thousands of American heroes died that day, in an attack that shattered American innocence, and reminded them that war wasn't always far away - it could come right into one's front yard. The outrage, the horror, the undeniable need to strike back, would only be rivaled one other time in American history - on a sunny September morning in 2001.

"The first Japanese plane flew over us about 0755 and banked to the right toward Battleship Row. Just prior to this pass, we had heard large explosions coming from Ford Island. We did observe planes in the air, and to a man questioned the Army flying on Sunday. Very unusual to say the least.

By the time a second plane made a pass, we were at General Quarters, and one of our gunners was fortunate enough to get a direct hit off our starboard quarter. The plane went up in one large ball of fire, and immediately dropped into the water." -- Roy Cella, aboard the USS Sumner

One day after the attacks, this is what Americans heard from their President:

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. This morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation. As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounded determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

-- President Franklin D. Roosevelt, December 8, 1941

Fifteen ships were named in honor of Sailors, to pay tribute to the heroism they displayed that horrible day.

USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Photographed by Lieutenant Commander Tracy D. Connors, USN (Retired), June 1987.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Links for more information:
VIDEO: Pearl Harbor, as It Was Told 66 Years Ago
Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941
Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941 (U.S. Navy website)
Pearl Harbor: Remembered
Pearl Harbor Attack, 1941
December 7, 1941 - Japanese Bomb Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Remembering Pearl Harbor
FDR's "Day of Infamy" Speech
USS Arizona (BB-39)
Air Raid Pearl Harbor
My Story: Pearl Harbor Battleship Row
Days of Infamy: December 7 and 9/11
USS Utah (BB31/AG16)
Pearl Harbor Attack, 1941
Pearl Harbor Documents
Naval Institute: Pearl Harbor
Ginger's Diary (account of a 17-year-old American girl living at Hickam Field, Hawaii, at the time of the Pearl Harbor bombing)
Pearl Harbor Survivors Association
The Pearl Harbor Attack Hearings
USS West Virginia (BB-48)@
TIME Magazine: The Attack on Pearl Harbor
Naval History Magazine: Pearl Harbor - Attack from Below
Japanese Navy Ships -- Midget Submarines
USS California (BB-44)
National Geographic: Expedition Pearl Harbor
The Day After Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor Operations
USS Oklahoma (BB-37)
What the Chaplains Were Doing at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941
Imperial War Museum: Pearl Harbor
USS Arizona Memorial

Dear B-HO: Where's the Proof?

2008-12-07T17:18:00.001-05:00

Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution reads: "No Person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of this constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States."

There are numerous questions as to Obama's citizen status raising suspicion and doubt about Obama constitutional qualification to be president. To settle these questions Mr. Obama must produce proof of citizenship!

Documents that must be produced include;
(a) a certified copy of "vault" (original long version) birth certificate;
(b) certified copies of all reissued and sealed birth certificates in the names Barack Hussein Obama, Barry Soetoro, Barry Obama, Barack Dunham and Barry Dunham;
(c) a certified copy Certification of Citizenship;
(d) a certified copy Oath of Allegiance taken upon age of maturity;
(e) certified copies of admission forms for Occidental College, Columbia University and Harvard Law School; and
(f) certified copies of any court orders or legal documents changing his name from Barry Soetoro.

It is reasonable that these documents should be produced considering that his father is Kenyan, his adoptive father is Indonesian, and his grandmother claims to have been present at his birth in Kenya. If he is a natural born citizen then producing these documents should not be any problem.

These allegations will not go away until Mr. Obama produces proof to federal authorities and the public. If he will not do so voluntarily he must be compelled by every means available. You, as an employee of The People, have sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution.

We The People are demanding you to make every effort, both public and private, to resolve this fundamental Constitutional question before 20 January.

Sign the Petition

2008-12-05T09:31:00.001-05:00

BLANK ROUNDS
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Keith Holt fires blank rounds from an M-240 machine gun from an SH-60F Seahawk helicopter during an air-power demonstration for the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 21, 2008. The demonstration was one of many events for more than 1,200 friends and family members of Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group sailors. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph M. Buliavac