Archive for the ‘War’ Category

Iraq 2009

This blog-article from “Winds of Change.Net” sums up many of my feelings on the subject:

Most wars have to be sold. Seldom is the perceived need for war strong enough overcome people’s reluctance to fight until the enemy is at the gates…at which point it is often too late. Much of Thucydides is about the efforts of various Greek leaders to rally the reluctant city-states to support the Persian war.

This is damn hard to do in the modern era, because the ways wars are seen…unfiltered, raw, live on television, tends to focus our attention intently on the costs of war.

The Bush administration badly failed the public relations war, and it very nearly cost us the whole deal.

US Army Sergeant elected Sheik in Iraq

Sheik Horn floats around the room in white robe and headdress, exchanging pleasantries with dozens of village leaders. But he is the only sheik with blonde streaks in his mustache – and the only one who attended country music star Toby Keith’s recent concert in Baghdad with fellow U.S. soldiers.

Money quote:

Some sheiks later gave him five sheep and a postage stamp of land, fulfilling some of the requirements for sheikdom. Others encouraged him to start looking for a second wife, which Horn’s spouse back in Florida immediately vetoed.

This seems like it might be important.

From ABC News:

Five Egyptian men with maps of the New York City subway system and video of New York landmarks have been arrested by the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Newark, N.J., ABC News has learned.

FBI and law enforcement officials told ABC News the five men — four illegal immigrants and one law enforcement fugitive — were arrested Sunday night following a tip to the Newark Police Department. In addition to the subway maps and video, the men had train schedules and $8,000 in $20 and $50 bills.

The men were identified as: Karim Ahmed Abdel Latif Ahmed, 21; his brother Mahoud Ahmed Abdel Latif Ahmed, 19; Ahmed Mohamed Atta, 30; Mohamed Ibrahim Gaber, 34, and Mohamed Palat Anwar Jozain. When Newark authorities converged at the group’s location at 246 Ferry St., Karim Ahmed answered the door and agreed to allow police to enter. Officers said they noticed the maps, and video cameras and Karim and his brother agreed to a search.

Karim said he had the maps because he had a new job as a street vendor. Initially, Karim said no one else was in the apartment, but police came upon the three other men upon further search.

FBI officials said the men have no known link to a terror network but noted that none of them could adequately explain the items they had in their possession, the large amount of money or their reasons for being in the United States. Mohamed Ibrahim Gaber has been a fugitive since he jumped ship from an Egyptian flagged freighter in September 2000.

The men, all of whom claimed to be unemployed civil or chemical engineers, are set to be deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Now maybe I’m being just a bit reactionary here, but deportation seems like a notch or two too tame for these guys. How long do you figure before these guys are diving off of another tanker or slipping across the Canadian border again?

Stuff from the war

Here’s a link to a post over at Blackfive which contains some videos of the fighting in and around Fallujah as well as an interesting tale of an artillery mishap.

Then Bill Roggio does a comprehensive series of writeups about the recent actions in the border area near Syria.  Riveting stuff.  Check the posts here, here, here, and here.

Photoblogging Fallujah

This site is simply amazing…dig deep, there’s a lot there.

The Marines are operating with liberal rules of engagement.

“Everything to the west is weapons free,” radios Staff Sgt. Sam Mortimer of Seattle, Washington. Weapons Free means the marines can shoot whatever they see — it’s all considered hostile.

Our humvees pass by a body of a man in the center of the street. There is hole through his left eyes socket where a Marine sniper round passed cleanly through.

Down another side street is the body of a second man. This one dressed in clean white sneakers and athletic pants. He is on his back — his arms behind his head, his face seems nearly peaceful, content. Not far from him–a Russian-made Dragonov sniper rifle. From the black ammo vest strapped to his chest loose 7.62 rounds have spilled to the ground.

Soda, meet screen…

Overheard inside a Fallujah bunker, Wednesday, November 10

First militant: “You know, for paper tigers, these American infidels sure did pack enough ordnance, wouldn’t you say, Farouk?”

Second militant: “I cannot feel my legs.”

(Too short to excerpt, I had to post the whole thing…too funny.)
Daily hilarity can be found over at Protein Wisdom.
Also, don’t you dare miss the daily Martha Stewart Chronicles…

Fallujah

The long awaited push has begun, and with it the media-worrying about military and civilian casualties, escaping terrorists, and country-wide unrest.

As usual, Belmont Club is a great source for information and opinion regarding this battle. Here’s a rundown of some of the latest postings:

The Preparations for the Fallujah Assault
The Assault Begins
The Banner of Zarqawi
Fallujah Again

Some great nuggets to be found, like this story which would’ve been missed otherwise.