24th MEU History

USMC Iraq Updates:

The 24th MEU(SOC) is now fully deployed in Iraq; JarHeadDad points out that they're bunking with the 2/2 Marines. The 24th has a short but proud history, including the daring rescue of downed pilot Scott O'Grady in the Bosnian conflict.

In other news, Marines are taking worthless souvenirs of their time in Iraq, and riding around with the Army while taking over stability operations. They're also making Iraq a safer place by destroying enemy munitions by the mountain, and using up some of their own stockpiles, too.

The Economics of Obesity

Smoke 'Em:

This one is mostly for Doc Russia, who was advocating a good cigar the other day:

We have also unmasked a second and perhaps more surprising culprit in the alarming rise in obesity: the crackdown on smoking via tax increases. Higher cigarette taxes and higher cigarette prices have caused more smokers to quit -- but these smokers seem to have begun eating more as a result. According to our research, each 10 percent increase in the real price of cigarettes produces a 2 percent increase in the number of obese people, other things being equal.

Clearly, those who curtail their habit or quit smoking altogether typically gain weight as the appetite-suppressing and metabolism-increasing effects of smoking come to an end. This is no small effect: The inflation-adjusted price of cigarettes has risen by approximately 164 percent since 1980. This large growth resulted in part from four federal excise tax hikes, a number of state tax hikes, and the settlement of the state lawsuits filed against cigarette manufacturers to recover Medicaid funds spent treating diseases related to smoking. The rise in the real price of cigarettes is the second-most important factor next to the growth in restaurants in the trend in the post-1980 obesity trend. We estimate that it accounts for almost 20 percent of the growth in obesity.

There you go. Smoke, and you increase your risk of heart disease and cancer; don't smoke, and you increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes, depression, and cancer. Smoke, and you may join the 430,000 people a year who die from smoking-related illness; don't smoke, and you may join the 400,000 people a year who die from obesity-related illness.

Once again, a life of regulated vice seems to be the wisest choice.

KeepMedia | Esquire: The Case for George W. Bush

Bring Me Everyone:

I don't turn to Esquire looking for philosophy, but maybe I should. Thanks to The Mudville Gazette, I see that they've printed a piece of particular power and insight into the nature of war, and the war on terror.

Telegraph | Arts | For love of liberty

On Germany:

The Telegraph has a piece on Germany. It contains, in analyzing one of Germany's leading thinkers, a cutting insight:

He agrees that the European Union is, among other things, a project to avoid war at all costs, but he does not see what a burden this throws upon America, Britain and, indeed, the free world which he loves.

Exactly.

Haaretz - Israel News

OutStanding!

The Arrow lives! This was pretty close to a make-or-break test, and it's good to see that it's pulled through.

Tim Worstall: Anybody but Sully Project.

Ponies in the Rain:

For those of you participating in the anti-Andrew Sullivan pledge drive, Grim's Hall is endorsing Tim Worstall's project. He's supporting a charity that does "sports therapy" for handicapped kids, putting them on horseback and teaching them to ride.

Grim's Hall feels that horseback riding, like the regular practice of gunfighting skills, is the God-given right of every American. For my leftist readers (I'm always surprised by how many I have), I would point out that Edward Abbey supported both.

The notoriety brought by The Monkey Wrench Gang, together with the literary respectability of Desert Solitaire, combined to provide him a bully pulpit, which he used to spout off on feminism (bad), mountain lions (good), immigration (give 'em a rifle and send 'em home), cowboys (peasants on horseback), and the National Parks (rip out the roads).

Teddy Roosevelt did too, as it happens. In fact, it's how he overcame a severe case of asthma, and went on to become a hero to those who enjoy a life fully lived. His example lives on in this charity, and it therefore deserves our support and admiration.

CNN.com - Pakistan captures high-level al Qaeda operative - Jul 29, 2004

Stories that Really Are True:

CNN reports that Pakistan has captured a high-level al Qaeda operative. There is only speculation as to exactly who it is, although Reuters names Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani based on a report from Al Arabiya.

UPDATE: In regard to the speculation we're seeing about this, here is what I wrote about this on 8 July, when the New Republic story broke:

This rumor has been bouncing around for a while now--since early May for certain. Josh Marshall first aired it in the English language press, citing "chatter" among Pakistani intelligence sources.

Evaluating intelligence, as we've discussed, is like figuring odds for poker. The odds are high that these propositions are true:

1) Someone that Marshall believes to have connections to the ISI said something like this to him, and,

2) Someone (perhaps the same someone) said the same thing to someone from TNR, and,

3) There probably really is a rumor to this effect circulating in Pakistan.

Proposition three is likely to be true because Pakistan contains the highest per-capita ratio of conspiracy theorists on the ground anywhere. A few days' reading of the Frontier Post (out of Peshawar), the Balochistan Post, and the Nation of Pakistan (all available online) will demonstrate what I mean.

The odds are a lot lower on this proposition:

4) The US told the ISI to capture someone important around 28 July.

This proposition requires the Bush administration to be Machivellian enough to plan in those terms, and also confident of the ISI's capability to believe they could capture a high value target on demand, and also confident that the ISI would carry out such orders. Opinions can differ on point one, but points two and three would require a faith in the ISI's competence and loyalty totally unjustified by past events.

Here's a piece of personal speculation on a more likely proposition:

5) A high-value target has already been captured.

In this scenario, the ISI need only be cynical enough to believe that the announcement will be made during the DNC--which is, given Pakistani politics, only reasonably cynical. They would, in this case, be gaming their media contacts to win increased influence with the TNRs and Josh Marshalls of the world. That's just what intelligence agents do--game people based on secret information, in order to manipulate them.

I'd lay money that proposition 5 is the true one, and we've got someone big that we haven't admitted to yet because we're still benefitting from interrogating them. We'll see, in the fullness of time.

Our Josh Marshall really ought to learn this part by heart: clandestine service officers game people. He's been getting it hard for the last several months, and he doesn't even see it. I'm sure these guys are really sympathetic when they leak him "secret" information. 'You have such a vivid voice,' I reckon they tell him. 'I wish I could write like you, and get the truth out about this administration. You see through all the mist. Here, this can help you...'

And Josh, who wants nothing more than to believe that he's smarter than you, prints it. I hate to be the one to tell you, son, but these people lie for a living. I'm sorry to break your heart, but you're not in the secret club. This is just what they do. What you probably really do believe is the Secret Truth is just a tale told to move your heart, whereby you are used to advance their careers, fight their little bureaucrat wars, and advance their political interests.

Stories you wish were true

Stories You Wish Were True:

The Russian newswires are reporting, I am told, that Zarqawi has been arrested by US and Iraqi forces. I haven't heard any confirmation of this from any non-Russian source, and I rather doubt it simply because I can't imagine why the Russians would know. Probably it isn't true -- but we can wish, and even hope.

UPDATE: The report is now online. Unhappily, there is also a denial.

Dispatches�From Fallujah - On an�April day, 30 Iraqi lives, one brave Marine�and another's hands, and another's legs�were lost. By Owen�West

Recon:

Even among Marines, there are legends. Recon is one of them.

Grim's Hall

Pistols in the Barroom, Ponies in the Rain:

Just got back from the range. Now, I have a confession to make about that to my fellow Knights of St. John Moses: I haven't been to a range in way too long. I spent the last year resident in Maryland, where shooting sports are quasi legal and tightly regulated, and to participate in them you have to register your guns with the state (like hell, says I). As a consequence, it's been over a year since I've shot.

However, now that I am happily resident out Virginia way, that's going to change. A gun shop down the highway has a range out back, and so long as you buy your targets and ammo there, you can shoot for free as often as you like, 0900 to 1700 daily. They keep a range safety officer on duty, and my experience today was that he was highly competent. It is, in other words, a cheap, pleasant, safe place to shoot.

I'm going to make it a habit to get down there at least once a week, for at least a box of ammo, until I'm shooting back at the level I used to aspire to in my tactical match days. After that, I'll be making a monthly trip at least.

All that said -- have a gander:

This group came from my brand new .357 Magnum. I shot six rounds to get the feel of the thing, then shot these six on a standard 75-foot range. Smith & Wesson makes fine weapons: the very first round out of the box went through the center ring. For this group, the first round was the one in the center, and then they began to pull up. You can see I adjusted fire down for the sixth round. Still, first one in the white, while the other five in this group stayed in the black. Kim du Toit was talking about how a .357 Magnum with a four-inch barrel is hard to control in sustained fire, and he's right:

Very few people can control a 4"-barreled .357 Mag revolver properly (unless the barrel is ported), especially when it comes to getting off the second shot quickly. I would never consider a .357 Mag with anything less than 6" -- size does matter, in this case. But a Ruger .357 revolver is an excellent choice.

Still, I hope you all noticed the irony that, just a few inches later, Kim advocated the S&W "Mountain Gun" in .44 Remington Magnum with a 4" barrel. I have one of those too, and it's a bear. Still my favorite piece to hike around with.

I may take his advice and get the barrel ported, just for speed on the second tap. I certainly will want a trigger job. Still -- for a guy who hasn't shot in a year, using a brand new gun in a challenging caliber, I think I did OK. Always did love a Smith & Wesson.

PS: If the title of this post means nothing to you, it's a line from a song by Cowboy Nation, one of the few good things besides Hollywood Marines to come out of California.

BLACKFIVE

Shirley Temple Awards:

I was doing some reading over at BlackFive today, when I came across a disused category called "The Shirley Temple Drink Awards":

Blackfive says, "Hey, Jackass, let me buy you a drink!" - A Shirley Temple!...

Michael Moore - Big lying scumbag who wins an Academy Award for a documentary that contains moslty fabricated material (Nuclear Missles in Columbine, buying a weapon over the counter, etc. ad nauseum). This guy might possibly do more to harm America than any traitor we have ever had.

It happens that I am a regular purchaser of Shirely Temples (with extra cherries)... for dear Sovay, who drinks little else. In any event, I'd like to lobby B-5 to resume this neglected category. If anyone else would care to join my petition, feel free to drop into the comment section any nominees. Remember the Hall comment policy, though, adopted from the Texas Mercury:

As we see it, modern society has all the important ideas of life exactly backwards: we are completely against the belief in sensitivity and tolerance in politics and raffish disregard in private life. The Texas Mercury is founded on the opposite principles- our idea is of tolerance and polite sensitivity in private life and ruthless truth in politics. Be nice to your neighbor. Be hell to his ideas.

Buying people drinks is nice, right?

Liberty Dad - a World Without Dictators

A Useful Fantasy:

Liberty Dad has written a very good speech for President Bush. It is on the topic of Darfur in the Sudan, but by way of that, it's about another topic even more important: the use of force by a democracy.

Marine Corps News> Marine battalion defeats attackers in Ar Ramadi again

Ooh-rah!

Marine Corps News> Iraqi soldiers' sacrifice in Marine zone saves lives of 250

Brethren in Arms:

Does it matter that they are Iraqis? Only to the good, I think.

The Australian: Secrets of a terror turncoat [July 17, 2004]

Speaking of Which:

As for the chances of turning terrorists, The Australian has an interview for you to read.

UK forms special unit to fight Al Qaeda

Intel Reform:

The British are ahead of us, as usual.

A new special forces regiment is being formed in Britain to effectively tackle terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, a report said today.

The Reconnaissance and Surveillance Regiment will work closely with the Special Air Service (SAS) and the Special Boat Service. Its mission will be to penetrate groups, either directly or by "turning" terrorists into double agents....

It will be given the authority to operate around the world, working closely with friendly intelligence agencies such as the US intelligence agency CIA and Israel's Mossad, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

lgf: lost and found

Daily KOS:

Charles at LGF wants to remind us just who Zuniga of the Daily KOS is, and what he's done. Charles is interested, because the DNC has given Zuniga credentials at its convention.

I haven't forgotten. Nor shall I soon.

Instapundit.com

InstaPundit & the 9/11 Commission:

The Sage reports that the 9/11 commission has been repeating the words of bloggers.

We are facing, the report notes, a loose confederation of people who believe in a perverted stream of Islam that stretches from Ibn Taimaya to Sayyid Qutb.... We also need to mount our own ideological counteroffensive.

He's right.

Well, as to that: Here's mine, current as of 25 March 2003. It speaks to Qutb, but also to Socrates, Alcuin, Ingeld and Christ. I'll stand by it, a year and more on. Who else has something?

The "Kosher Nostra Scam" on the American Consumer

"The Kosher Nostra"

I must admit that, in my humble opinion, this is the best Zionist Conspiracy Theory yet. Did you know that major food companies pay "protection" money to a Rabbinical council? Well, they don't -- but the Voice of Aztlan makes a convincing case that they are idiots who don't understand a thing about consumer marketing.

:: Digital Marine ::

Campaign Slogans:

Devil Dog Digital Marine has a suggestion for the Kerry/Edwards campaign. A warning to my lady readers: the language is just what you'd expect from an opinionated Marine.

Google Search: "suicide bomb" -israel

The Death of the Suicide Bomber?

While reading up on the explosion in the hostage taking industry (The Belmont Club is the leader in thinking about this topic), a thought struck me. When was the last major suicide bombing, excepting Israel? A GoogleNews Search on the topic produces a lot of commentary, but few recent news stories.

The suicide bomber was always primarily a psychological weapon. Even in Israel, where they have been fielded most heavily and for a protracted period, the damage they have been able to do to the economy has been minimal. They have been more successful at attacking society -- people become less ready to go to pizzarias or cafes, or to ride buses. But even in that regard, the tactic has failed to either destroy the Israeli ability to function socially or to undermine Israel as a political entity. Indeed, it hasn't even been a success at making them unhappy:

A recent survey of 7000 Israelis showed that Israelis are among the happiest people in the world, despite terror, constant stress, the current impasse, the economic crisis, and the many frustrations of Israeli life. That's right, 83% of Israelis say they are satisfied or very satisfied with their lives. Moreover, 53% expect things to get better in the coming years, and only 14% of them expect things to worsen. According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, this makes Israelis among the happiest people in the world. For instance, Canada, with a much higher standard of living, and no sign of terror and the other stresses of Israeli life, only scores marginally better, with 85% of people satisfied or very satisfied.

Veteran Israeli writer Hillel Halkin speculates that it all comes down to human relations, and especially the strong families that are a hallmark of Jewish culture, combined with the smallness of Israel, where everyone is a bit like a family. He reports that 99% of Israelis have families, 98.5 % of them are in regular contact with them, and 94% say their relations with their families are good.

The kidnappings we've seen lately, attended by filmed beheadings or other mutilation, have a similar psychological effect to the suicide bomb. But they are also more efficient: you don't need to sacrifice a mufsidoon to carry it out. You also don't leave as much evidence behind that can lead to reprisal raids -- just a body that you can dispose of, rather than an obvious crime scene loaded with bomb parts and other trackable items.

It may be too much to hope that the suicide bomber has outlived his usefulness. It could be that the remaining suicide-squads are biding their time for something big, round about November. Or, it could be that we simply have hit a lull in the recruiting cycle. It takes time to train someone to go blow themselves to pieces, and stores of suckers may be low just now. Only time will tell if the tactic is really on its way out. Still, there is reason to wonder if the mufsidoon have had to switch their signature tactic from "matyrdom" to kidnapping -- and if so, to wonder what it means.

Instapundit.com

Airbrushed:

I see that the Kerry campaign is taking steps to pretend that they have no idea who Joe Wilson might be. Odd given the top billing that Wilson used to get, and the fact that his website used to be not only linked to, but funded by, Kerry's campaign. No longer.

But I hear Wilso is still "respected." It's just that no one with anything to lose wants to be associated with him, or his story.

Hat tip to The Sage.

The Hudson Review | Bruce Bawer

"Hating America"

There is a long piece in The Hudson Review by Bruce Bawer. He's an American who moved to Europe, where he decided that Europe was the real font of civilization:

Living in turn in the Netherlands, where kids come out of high school able to speak four languages, where gay marriage is a non-issue, and where book-buying levels are the world’s highest, and in Norway, where a staggering percentage of people read three newspapers a day and where respect for learning is reflected even in Oslo place names ("Professor Aschehoug Square"; "Professor Birkeland Road"), I was tempted at one point to write a book lamenting Americans' anti-intellectualism -- their indifference to foreign languages, ignorance of history, indifference to academic achievement, susceptibility to vulgar religion and trash TV, and so forth. On point after point, I would argue, Europe had us beat.

The next several pages are devoted to explaining how he recovered his love of his native country, and what he's come to believe about Europe. Following that, he talks about the post-9/11 world.

Over time, then, these things came into focus for me. Then came September 11. Briefly, Western European hostility toward the U.S. yielded to sincere, if shallow, solidarity ("We are all Americans"). But the enmity soon re-established itself (a fact confirmed for me daily on the websites of the many Western European newspapers I had begun reading online). With the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, it intensified. Yet the endlessly reiterated claim that George W. Bush "squandered" Western Europe's post-9/11 sympathy is nonsense. The sympathy was a blip; the anti-Americanism is chronic.

The piece goes on to look at a number of recent books written on the topic of US-European relations, and to give some thoughtful opinions on the subject. It is quite long, but I recommend it to anyone who wishes to spend a little while reading a reasoned and interesting article.

Backcountry Conservative: Sailors on the Ground in Iraq

Squids in the Sandbox:

Thanks to Backcountry Conservative for this link on our sailor brothers in country.

Sgt Hook - This We'll Defend � Castaway Conner

Castaway Conner:

Sgt Hook, the Hall waits on your word. All the best.

UPDATE: Hook reports. Good luck to wee Castaway, who we hope will be just fine.

Welcome to Castle Argghhh! The Home Of One Of Jonah's Military Guys.

Ghouls:

Sadly, this story is not surprising. My father, once a captain in the Volunteer Fire Department, used to go and sit houses during the funerals of fallen brethren, both police and firefighter. It was to avoid stories like this:

The apartment of a Marine reservist killed in Iraq was robbed this week while family members were preparing for his funeral, police said.

Cpl. John Todd, 25, was killed last month when a roadside bomb exploded. Two other Marines were also killed in the attack.

Todd's family was getting ready for his funeral on Wednesday when a thief, who apparently was aware of the funeral, broke into Todd's apartment, ransacked it and stole his computer, police said.

There's a certain kind of ghoul who looks out for the funerals of heroes, in order to feed. May justice find him.

UPDATE: It appears the police caught someone.

BLACKFIVE

B5-2:

Speaking of BlackFive, he's got a good point today:

But, I ask you, isn't Sandy Berger a former advisor to Bill Clinton? And, isn't Sandy Berger Senator Kerry's foreign policy advisor now?

I know it's just a verb-tense issue, but the media is really showing it's hand here. Those headlines should have read:

Kerry Advisor Probed

It is curious that Berger's job as of five years ago is mentioned, but not his current occupation.

Spirit of America

Spirit of America:

I got a package today from Spirit of America. You may remember the fundraiser from the spring in which Grim's Hall participated. Today the good folks sent me a T-shirt and baseball cap (the latter of which I gave to my wife, who likes baseball caps) to thank me for my efforts on their behalf. I appreciate the swag and will wear it proudly, but the folks who deserve thanks for their efforts are the full-timers at SoA. Drop by and see what they've been up to.

Yahoo! Mail - grimbeornr@yahoo.com

BlackFive Sends:

I really doubt too many of you who are deployed military read my site and not BlackFive's. Still, in case any of you Devil Dogs out there don't skim his place (and you should), I thought I'd pass along this offer he mentions:

I could use your help in getting the word out to our
deployed military.

Donovan Janus is the Principal of a company called
Exposure Manager - http://www.exposuremanager.com/ -
which is a top flight photography company that
specializes in storage and display of photos on-line.
I have no involvement or relationship with Exposure
Manager.

Donovan's team contacted me and would like to extend
an offer to any service member in Iraq or Afghanistan
(or Africa) to provide free storage for their digital
photos. So,instead of emailing large photo files, our
service members could upload them to Exposure Manager
for free. They could then have their friends and
family see their work on-line.

Donovan's email address is donovan@exposuremanager.com
. Any deployed service member can contact him and
he'll set them up with a free account at Exposure
Manager. You can reference this email if needed.

Cheers,

Matt
Blackfive

That's downright decent of Donovan. The rest of you might want to consider throwing some business his way, if you happen to have any such needs.

Forsyth County News - Main News

Ah, Georgia:

Back in the county -- that is, Forsyth County, the county where I grew up -- there's an election for sheriff. Now, everyone's heard stories about Georgia sheriffs. I just want you all to know, the stories are all true:

Forsyth County Sheriff candidate Gary Beebe was released on a $15,000 bond Wednesday after being arrested on extortion charges by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In a statement released by his attorney, Beebe said he believes he still has enough support in Forsyth to stay in the race for sheriff.

"Extortion" doesn't begin to cover it.

According to an audio recording, Beebe planned to solve the county's drug problem if elected by endorsing robbery of drug dealers. Beebe told the general manager he would allow a "strike force" to operate in the county and rob drug dealers -- with the general manager keeping the loot.

"You and me have talked about some things that are definitely gray -- like the strike force," said the informant, who suggested that he would have control over methamphetamine trade in Forsyth County.

Beebe said he would give the informant a heads up to remove the illegal drugs in advance of a raid by sheriff's deputies.

At one point in the conversation, the informant told Beebe, "We need to talk about what we're really gonna do."

Beebe replied, "We'll do whatever you want to do, boss."

In the most disturbing accusation by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Beebe is accused of saying he would look the other way if the general manager committed murder in the county.

The informant suggested that he would like to "bust a cap in his a**," referring to the unnamed person who would testify against him in court.

"If it happens in Forsyth County, it will go unsolved," Beebe said. The man asked Beebe to repeat his response, which he did.

Over the nearly twenty years that I lived there, I've known dozens of Deputies and, especially, firemen down in the county. They're good, hardworking, generally honest and certainly brave. I don't want you to get the idea that it's a den of thieves. Moreover, down North Georgia way the folk are pretty much independent of the law anyway -- there aren't many lawmen about, and people mostly take care of their own. Forsyth County has always been a safe and pleasant place to live.

But yeah, the stories are true.

Scots

Scottish Hunters:

Here is an interesting story, as you can tell from the lead paragraph:

You may recall the nifty exclusive we brought you earlier this year about the widow who had her husband's ashes packed with No 6 shot into cartridges and fired off on a shoot at Brucklay Estate in Aberdeenshire. The particular excitement, apart from a very good day out for friends and, indeed, his widow, was that the deceased bagged a fox, which is never a bad thing.

One begins to wonder if the stress of being a hunter in the UK, where the populace widely hates hunters, is starting to get to these poor lads. It could be that they're starting to crack.

Well, gents, we sympathize. It's not easy for anyone these days. Keep the faith.

The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 53

Here's an Oddity:

A foreign press article -- from Bangladesh, no less -- that begins with the phrase "Donald Rumsfeld was justifiably..."

Analyzing The 2nd Amendment

Second Amendment, First Freedom:

An analysis of the 2nd quoting scholars is running over at OutdoorsBest. It makes for interesting reading.

DefenseNews.com - China To Demonstrate Air Superiority in Taiwan War Games - 12 July, 2004 13:38

Provocative Weakness:

This AFP headline states, "China to Demonstrate Air Superiority in Taiwan War Games." The story says:

"The emphasis on air supremacy is central to any PLA offensive operations in the Taiwan Strait, but the Taiwan Air Force has traditionally held the upper hand in this area," said one analyst.

"But as the PLA Air Force has made rapid improvements in this area with significant acquisitions of Russian fighters and attendant weapons packages ... the air balance is now beginning to gradually swing in China's favor.

"This article clearly suggests that the Chinese will use the Dongshan exercise as a forum to show that it can now succeed in gaining air dominance against the Taiwanese, which is a major step in making its threats of the use of military force, including an invasion, more credible."

I know what you're thinking: "Yeah, those great Russian fighters. Why, if I were a Taiwanese pilot flying my F-16, I'd be quaking in my boots."

Well, the odds on that proposition changed just recently.

The success of the Indian air force against American fighter planes in a recent exercise suggests other countries may soon be able to threaten U.S. military dominance of the skies, a top Air Force general said Wednesday.

"We may not be as far ahead of the rest of the world as we thought we were," said Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, the chief of Air Combat Command, which oversees U.S. fighter and bomber wings.

The U.S.-India joint exercise, "Cope India," took place in February near Gwalior in central, India. It pitted some F-15C Eagle fighters from the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, in mock combat against Indian MiG, Sukhoi and Mirage fighters.

The F-15Cs are the Air Force's primary air superiority aircraft. The Indian fighters, of Russian and French design, are the type of planes U.S. fighters would most likely face in any overseas conflict.

Hornburg, speaking to reporters, called the results of the exercise "a wake-up call" in some respects, but he declined to provide details, other than to suggest the Indian air force scored several unexpected successes against the American planes.

For the last 15 years, the U.S. military has enjoyed almost total command of the air during conflicts.... Still, new tactics, better Russian fighters like the Su-30, and a new generation of surface-to-air missiles mean that U.S. dominance could be ending, said Loren Thompson, who follows military issues for the Lexington Institute, a Washington think tank.

"The United States has grown accustomed to having global air superiority, yet we haven't put much very much money in the last generation into maintaining that advantage," he said, noting the F-15 first flew in the 1970s.

"So of course the rest of the world is finally starting to catch up," he said.

This is one reason that Jiang Zemin confidently predicted this week, "Taiwan by 2020." I see no reason that he should have to wait so long.

ajc.com | Metro | Political Insider

Coat-Tails:

Bush obviously has some pretty strong ones, judging from the Senate race down Georgia way. Both "Rock the Boat" Johnny and Mac Collins have been attacking candidate Herman Cain for not being sufficiently pro-Bush.

Their attacks are, well, a little on the edge of honest. What's interesting is that Cain is more conservative than either of them. The particular attacks they've chosen are not designed to run to the right of Cain, which isn't really possible: they're trying to make him appear more to the left than he really is.

Hat tip: Southern Appeal, which is working to help Cain's chances in the election. I have to admit a certain longstanding disdain for "Rock the Boat" Johnny. I think Collins is not a bad option. First of all, you should probably disregard the suggestion by the Atlanta Journal & Constitution that he's "playing the race card" in this election. The AJC is the boy who cried wolf on questions of racism. I read the paper every weekend growing up, and many weekdays also, and they never ceased to amaze me with the places they found "racism." I notice that they've promoted Cynthia Tucker (for this purpose, "the Lady who Cried Wolf") to the editorial page editor since I left the Atlanta area, which suggests that the trend has deepened.

If we set aside the AJC's attempt to hang that albatross around his neck, Collins comes across as an unexciting but solid candidate. His views are uncontroversial, for Republicans in Georgia. He has a seat on the House Subcommittee on Intelligence, which will be a positive for his image in the race.

What he doesn't have is money, which Johnny boy has in spades. He's only just begun TV ads, which he can't afford because he's been dead last in the fundrace.

We'll see how it sorts itself out. I think that one of these three fellows is going to be Georgia's next Senator--I can't imagine that Georgia will return a Democrat this year. The AJC has endorsed Isakson, holding that he's better on "policy," which is a sure sign of a loser in the general election. I'm going to bet that Southern Appeal has the right of it, and Cain is going to be the man.

The Epoch Times | The CCP�s History of Assassinations

China's Assassins:

From The Epoch Times, a history of the People's Republic of China's use of assassins. It's sort of an interesting topic, amid rumors that the Chinese wargames off Dongshan Island contain a "guillotine squad" aimed at Taiwan's President Chen. Oh, and the recent assassinations.  At least, they seem like assassinations--why else would the PRC deny but not condemn the killing?

Yahoo! Mail - grimbeornr@yahoo.com

Warlords:

An update from Iraq by "Warlord Six." It looks clear to me, so here it is in full.   Ellipses are in the original.  There's some good stuff in it, from NASCAR to battlefield stories.

Hello once again Warlord families!

As if we have not said it enough please know that we miss you and as each day passes we look forward even more to being reunited with you after having accomplished our mission here! It has been more than a month since I contacted you last and, as has been Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for us, we have moved yet again. We left behind our former area of operations near Fallujah and returned to our original location here in Mahmudiyah and set up shop again relieving an outstanding Army unit that had been here in Iraq for 15 months. Nevertheless, we have been reassigned here as the First Marine Division spreads its combat power to assist the fledgling Iraqi Government in asserting its new sovereignty. As an overall summary I must say once again what an honor it remains to be privileged to lead your husbands in this campaign to bring democracy and hope to Iraq. They continue to set the standard for the Division and Regiment with their courage, flexibility and determination to get the job done regardless of the circumstances or challenges facing them. They have truly shown the people of Iraq that they have no better friend or nor worse enemy than a Warlord from Task Force 2/2.

As of the 19th of May, we had established a new base camp near Fallujah and began to assert our presence in the operational area we had been given. Our immediate task was to disrupt the enemy's ability to shoot indirect fire with mortars and rockets into the large base camp to which we were assigned as well as protect a major supply route and re-assert coalition presence in a previously unaddressed area. This was no small task and as a result of the efforts of the battalion, that kind of fire was virtually eliminated because of the creative and tenacious way that the Marines and Sailors of the battalion took the fight to the enemy. By varying their methods and tactics, the Warlords kept the enemy guessing and caused him to spend most of his time looking over his shoulder wondering when he was going to have a bad day. Let me tell you ... many of them did and they never knew what hit them and in many cases where it came from. That fact was largely due to the superb application of combat power that was orchestrated by the small unit leaders in the task force. Sometimes it was airpower, sometimes it was snipers, sometimes mortars, sometimes heavy machine guns. Quite frankly, the enemy learned very quickly that he was outmatched by the Team, Squad, Platoon and Company leadership in this Task Force.

This fight has not been without cost and we have now lost three of our own and had nearly one hundred Warlords wounded as these cowards attempt to hide behind their roadside bombs and hit and run tactics. They have come to find however, that the Warlords are like their predecessors. You cannot beat them with cowardice, in fact, you cannot defeat them at all. This is not bluster, this is the observation of a commander who has had the privilege of endorsing countless combat awards during the last forty days recognizing some inspiring acts of courage and compassion. For example: one Marine drove his HMMWV directly into the enemy's fire to draw fire from a pinned down team and then sprinted twice across 200 yards of fire swept terrain to re-supply his gunner with ammunition. Two others ignored their own safety to rescue and Iraqi family caught in a kill zone created by terrorist crossfire coming from a Mosque. A Corpsmen constantly exposed himself to enemy fire and continued to provide aid to wounded Marines as rounds impacted around his position and literally cut a tree down just over his head.

At the same time, when critical support functions needed to be accomplished, those Marines, often unsung heroes also pressed the attack with their unique skills. One story I very much enjoy telling is when a HMMWV that had been hit by a roadside bomb came limping in to the battalion area with casualties aboard, the doctors and Corpsmen immediately began triage of the patients. Simultaneously however, the Warlord Motor "T" section and its mechanics conducted triage for the vehicle.

What was inspiring is that each of these sections went at their job with exactly the same sense of urgency and pride. The result was three Marines whose injuries were quickly stabilized in a manner that would make any hospital trauma team jealous and a vehicle that was combat "deadlined" back in the fight in less than 30 minutes by a team of mechanics that would have made Jeff Gordon's NASCAR pit crew envious. That is teamwork and professionalism! I could literally write volumes about the performance of your Marines and Sailors in every unit and in every circumstance. I see it every day and I am never long without observing yet another action that reminds me why I have remained a Marine for nearly twenty years ... because of them.

I would like to make a special effort to recognize the Engineer Platoon and the Human Exploitation Team that were attached to 2/2 prior to coming to Iraq. Each has established an unprecedented record of success here in supporting our operations in Iraq. The Engineer platoon was the driving force behind and the primary architects of a weapons cache search plan that netted more caches in a 40 day period than had been found by the entire Division since arriving in country. Literally tons of rockets, mortars explosives, and other lethal materials were found thus eliminating the terrorist's ability to mix more lethal concoctions to attack the people of Iraq and the forces here to help them. The HET team also proved itself on numerous occasions by providing the kind of focused intelligence support required to ensure the battalion's success on countless raids that netted no less than eight high value terrorist targets and numerous other anti-coalition fighters. Once again, I am indebted to them beyond my ability to repay and I only ask that they pass on their experiences so future generations of Marines can benefit from their actions here in this war-torn land.

The combat performance of your Warlords has been equaled only by their compassion for the people of Iraq. During operations at our previous location our initial contact with the local tribal Sheiks were met with coolness and an admonition that they would never work with us and would continue to fight us. Your Warlords met this challenge with their normal tenacity, compassion, and willingness to show the people the content of their character and within a month, they were being invited to dinner, being offerd tea even while on patrol, and were referred to as a new branch to the Zobai tribe. Amazing? Absolutely!

Also during this time period, the Marines of 2/2 led one of the first patrols back into Fallujah to open dialogue with the local leaders after a standoff of nearly two months showing yet agasin their flexibility and readiness to accomplish any mission. Soon after that mission we received word that we would be moving again and as a result, re-embarked the entire battalion yet again making our way back to Al Mahmudiyah and its 120 degree heat. We had just gotten our new camp livable and were starting to settle in near Fallujah when the word came. In true Warlord fashion, the Marines, Sailors and their leaders buckled down for the new task and turned over a "pristine and very livable camp" to our higher headquarters from what had been a gravel parking lot less than 40 days before. Once again, they do it all, and do it all with style!

Snail mail remains regular for the most part given our constant hobo status, and your cards, letters and packages continue to brighten our days. It is accurate to say that the most welcome truckloads are those that carry the big orange bags that say "US Mail" prominently on their sides! Pictures of wives, children and sweethearts adorn the billeting areas and the artwork of our talented youngsters seems to be quite at home inside a dusty tent or tacked to the roof of the inside of a HMMWV. When coupled with the continued magnificent performance of our Key Volunteers and all of the informal support groups that have sprouted everywhere, we want you to know that we have never felt more supported. You remain the rock of strength on which we depend and the light that we look forward to coming home to. In many ways I think that is one of the reasons we have succeeded so well in dealing with the people here ... we just try to give them the same respect and understanding that your example provides us! You are a combat multiplier for us here in more ways than you could possibly know.

Throughout another of the busiest months in the storied history of the Warlords, your Marines and Sailors continued to acquit themselves with honor, courage and compassion and I can only hope that you are as proud of them as I am. Whether in Time magazine, on the scoreboard of the New York Mets Shea Stadium or in the small villages of this new democracy, your Marines and Sailors have again made their mark in the hearts of those who have been privileged to come in contact with them. Please remember them and the families of our lost brothers in your prayers each night and pray for their strength, for their fierceness in battle and for their compassion. Those prayers have buoyed us until now and will continue to do so as each day unfolds. Please keep the faith that we are talking care of each other and that we are doing what Marines do ... we are winning!

In closing, I will say yet again how humbled I am by the constant reminders I see that show clearly the greatness of the men of this Task Force. They continue to exceed all of my expectations and provide an example of what is best in our great country to the people of Iraq. They are a rare breed of men and one that will likely be forever changed by their experiences here in Iraq. Those experiences will have run the full spectrum of emotion and depth, but will be a constant companion in the years ahead when they look back on their service to Corps and Country. Whenever those times are recalled, they, and I, will know that they made a difference, and that their sacrifices were made for one of the noblest goals that can be imagined ... they set a people free, and they gave them hope.

I will continue to do my best to lead your fine husbands, sons, brothers, fathers and cousins with the same tenacity and sense of purpose that has established their reputation among those whom they help and those whom they fight. As I said before, I am honored to know each of you to have been given the rare privilege of leading your husbands under difficult conditions. Please know that we miss you and love you all.

God Bless each of you, God Bless America, and Semper Fi from your Marines and Sailors in Iraq!

Humbly,

Giles Kyser
LtCol USMC
"Warlord Six"

Schedule A for ALL Line #'s

Cynthia McKinney:

My least favorite congressperson of all time is attempting to win back her seat. She will, of course, need money. Almost none of these contributors are from Georgia. Almost all of them are Muslim anti-Israel activists, funding Cynthia because of her attitude toward Jews.

Honestly, Georgia. We don't need her. Really, do any of us even want her? Vote for whoever her opponent is.

Mudville Gazette: More on Moore

From Greyhawk:

Greyhawk at the Mudville Gazette sends:

Some folks claim that there's no such thing as bad publicity. If that's true, then there must be exceptions to the rule.

He then follows with links to articles about the use of a veteran's funeral by Michael Moore in his new film. The relatives of the late Major Gregory Stone describe Moore and his work with some colorful adjectives, and one or two unhappy nouns as well.

Greyhawk has some action items for those interested.

Yahoo! News - Kerry fleshes out blueprint for troop withdrawal from Iraq

News Flash: AFP Hears What It Wants To Hear

I'm as critical of Kerry as anyone, but I do at least listen to what the man is saying before I make up my mind about it. Consider this AFP story:

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said he would set three conditions for withdrawing US troops from Iraq if he were elected, and warned that President George W. Bush might cut troop numbers ahead of the November 2 vote.

In an interview with the The Wall Street Journal, Kerry said the conditions were "to measure the level of stability" in Iraq, "to measure the outlook for the stability to hold" and "to measure the ability ... of their security forces" to defend Iraq.

Until each condition is satisfied, Kerry said, "I will provide for the world's need not to have a failed state in Iraq."

...

Kerry said he had "heard (it) said by many people" that Bush might be preparing to withdraw some troops from Iraq before the election, adding that he was prepared for anything.

"I'd put nothing past them," he added, referring to the White House.

Now, what does this say? It says that:

A) Kerry is pledging not to withdraw US forces until Iraq is stable, the stability is certain, and Iraqi security forces can obviously handle themselves.

B) Until then, Kerry promises not to withdraw forces, in order to "provide for the world's need not to have a failed state in Iraq."

C) Also, he thinks George Bush and the White House staff are a pack of untrustworthy liars.

What the Agence France Presse runs this story under is the headline, "Kerry Fleshes Out Blueprint for Troop Withdrawal From Iraq". He does nothing of the sort. Not only is this not a blueprint for withdrawal, it's a commitment to stay on for as long as it takes. These conditions could keep troops in Iraq for ten years, or two years, or five. This isn't a plan for how we'll withdraw, or even when we will: it's plan for when we won't.
 
Now that we've listened, we can critique.  The criticism is only this:  We realize that Kerry has a large constituency that, like France, wants to see us cut and run -- George Bush doesn't.  If staying the course is the option of choice, and it is, Bush is the candidate more likely to see it through.  This isn't to say that Kerry won't keep his commitments and campaign promises as well as any politician does.  It's just to say that, as circumstances change, Kerry will find a lot of his supporters agitating for an instant exit.  Bush's supporters won't be.
 
Oh, all right, a personal criticism too:  A president shouldn't promise to 'provide for the world's needs.'  First of all, it's hopelessly patrician (and they say Bush is arrogant!).  Second, it conflicts with his actual job, which is to protect and defend the Constitution against her enemies. 
 
Third, the President is an executive, not a provider.  All he does is oversee the expenditures, distributions and executions of the government.  The provision is made by the legislature, using the treasure of the taxpayer.  The President should remember that, and speak as a servant, not as a generous lord.  There is honor enough in service, for the man with eyes to see it.

"Gun Control: The Brady Campaign, White Lies, and Damn Lies" by Howard�Nemerov

Conservative Media Watchdog Day:

Having looked at one conservative media watchdog earlier, I'd like to look at another one. ChronWatch has an article called "Gun Control: The Brady Campaign, White Lies, and Damn Lies." The author writes:

When I began reconsidering my position on gun control, I needed to proceed in a structured manner. Being a medical researcher by profession, I knew how to construct reasonable testing guidelines in order to arrive at a supportable conclusion....

I concluded that the claims of pro-gun-rights organizations were easily and consistently verifiable using neutral or even slightly anti-gun sources. But there was another side to the research, and that was to check the veracity of the claims of gun-control organizations. Were they telling the truth when they promoted the benefits of civilian disarmament? Were their claims based on statistically valid and verifiable sources?

He concludes, at some length, that they are not. I'm not sure I track why his first argument is relevant to the Brady Campaign's claims. However, the remaining arguments appear right on.

Combat, le blog de la r�sistance

A French Blog We Can All Back:

Gustave La Joie, of Samizdata, has started a new blog. It's in French, and bears the unlikely name of "Combat!". We wish him luck.

ABC�s Moran Chides Bush for �Sharply Personal Attacks� on Kerry --7/14/2004-- Media Research Center

MRC:

Is the Media Research Center playing fair here?

On the July 12 Special Report with Brit Hume, Bret Baier reported how "sixty-six pages of the report fall under the heading 'Iraq's Links to Terrorism'" and in it, Baier related, "multiple, credible sources are cited that Iraq provided al-Qaeda with various kinds of training, combat, bomb-making, along with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear training, backing up public and private statements by former CIA director George Tenet." Baier pointed out: "The details in the report seem to shoot down at least two of former White House counter-terrorism director Richard Clarke's bold claims."

Now that's a bold claim. So I went to look. I started to write a lengthy piece--indeed, I got to about four pages, before I realized that this was a waste. Just go and read it yourself. The CIA appears to have known very little with any certainty after the failed coup, in which the IIS infiltrated and eliminated their in-country assets. Yet there is quite a lot of information suggestive of an Iraq-Qaeda relationship that I haven't seen before. None of it is proof. But proof would not be forthcoming after an intelligence loss such as the failed coup. What there is may not be as strong as MRC suggests. It is, however, much stronger than I've been led to believe by other sources.

Grim's Hall

Anybody Seen This Before?

Here's a photo I haven't seen before:

It's from the 3rd Infantry Division, so I'm told, and was taken at the Baghdad airport. Now, I've seen the mural that I MEF found in Nasariyah, but this isn't it. Anybody else seen it?

UPDATE: That was fast.  People have seen it, and you can buy a print of it online. Apparently it was taken by Steve Metz. You guys rock, by the way. I had an answer to that question in like ten minutes.

Southern Appeal

For the Folks Back Home:

Feddie at Southern Appeal has some thoughts on the Republican primary for the upcoming Senate race. He also has an endorsement, and it isn't "Rock the Boat" Johnny. If you haven't been following the race, it might be worth dropping by to see what the fellow has to say.

spiked-politics | Article | Meet the al-Qaeda archetype

What Makes A Terrorist?

UK magazine Spiked reports on an academic conference on terrorism. Marc Sageman, an expert on terrorism, had studied the lives of 382 people with direct or indirect links to al Qaeda.

His finding is that al Qaeda's members tend to be "well-educated, well-off, cosmopolitan and professional, with good jobs, wives, and no history of mental illness." Only 9.4 percent had a religious education, but 90.4 percent--the rest--had been educated in secular schools. None were uneducated. Nearly half were were professional careerists, including doctors and lawyers.

In this, they are different in form from Palestinian terrorists, Jemaah Islamiyah or Abu Sayyaf. Those organs recruit among the poor and hopeless for domestic insurgency. Al Qaeda is a terrorist group for the upper class. It also has wider goals--not change at home, but remaking the world in its image.

So what, if not poverty and despair, is the cause of the terrorist's desire to destroy the West? Sageman points to this:

They are... 'international people'; they are 'global citizens' who left their homes and travelled, some of them to the West.... 70 percent 'joined the jihad' in a foreign country, and 'many of these joined in a Western country'. They were recruited -- or rather, 'they self-recruited themselves'... after leaving home and travelling abroad....

Sageman believes there must be something in the global experience that plays a role in pushing the subjects who travelled towards the new terror networks. 'It's not just the homesickness. You also need to have some kind of script. These guys are lonely, and then they hear this narrative, from radical mosques and so on, which says: "You guys are unhappy because you are excluded from society and the reason you're excluded from society is because there is a crisis of values. It's because of the corruption of the West, because of greed and decadence, and you have to fight against it."... Sageman talks of the role of radical mosques in providing homesick Muslims with a means for venting their spleen, and sometimes providing them with links to other, perhaps violently minded individuals.

If this analysis is correct, and I think it is, it actually eases some of the problems we face in infiltrating these groups. The dangerous places aren't in alien lands, but in our own cities. It should be easy to arrange for American "Muslim" operations officers to drift into the mosques of London or Paris. Claiming to share the disaffection with the Western decadence, and sharing in fact the sense of being in a foreign land, they would appear to be natural compatriots. The education level favored by our intelligence services is right, too.

That being so, there is no excuse for a continued failure to infiltrate. Bureaucracy is not an adequate reason to fail in the task.

Google Search: france vietnam

Indochina:

Last Bastille Day, we pointed to a news story on French "partnership" with the Communist government of Vietnam. A year on, how's that partnership doing?

France ranks 1st among EU Investors in Vietnam

France, Vietnam to boost infrastructure & education cooperation

France Expects New Dimension in Vietnam Relations

So the French strategy has worked in Vietnam, at least. Lose war, surrender, let US pick up slack, and then conduct "diplomatic relations" behind our back until the profit margin soars. Nice work, lads, nice work.

BLACKFIVE: Update on Luci and Michelle - Animals You Should Know

Devil Dogs:

From Black Five, an update on Luci and Michelle.

The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Marines sweating it out on the ground

Ooh-Rah!

A pair of USMC links, thanks to line-runner JHD:

A Hundred And Crazy

and

Mahmuidyah Road Warriors.

Belmont Club

Belmont Club:

Another disturbing, but excellent, post from the Belmont Club. It begins:

The International Herald Tribune describes what happened to a woman on a commuter train north of Paris.

The woman was mistakenly identified as a Jew by six men of North African and African origin, who surrounded the victim in what at first appeared to be an attempt to steal her stroller ... One of them said, 'She's a rich kid.' And then he added, 'There are only Jews in the 16th,'" the police spokesman said. "Nothing in the name of the young woman or where she lives has any Jewish character," the spokesman added. The attackers cut the victim's clothing, slightly wounding her in the process, and cut off a lock of her hair, "as a souvenir," one of the attackers is reported to have said. After slashing the stroller, the six attackers overturned it. The baby fell to the ground and suffered a mild bruise, the police said. The men stole a credit card and E200 from the woman, before getting off the train after it pulled into Sarcelles, which is about 17.4 kilometers, or 11 miles, from Paris.

The incident is also reported in the New York Times with one omission. Here's the omission.

About 20 people saw what happened, but none came to the aid of the victim, the police said, adding that only two passengers approached afterward.

Wretchard points out several non-violent alternatives to simply not aiding the victim. They may be of interest for those of you disinclined to violence yourselves. (Those of you who are not have already thought this through.) As he points out, the first thing is to decide never to let yourself be cowed by the cruel. After that, do what you can.

L'actualit� internationale sur Lefigaro.fr

No Joy in Paris:

In Le Figaro today, there is an article on Neoconservatives. It begins:

La derniere victoire des neoconservateurs est inscrite en toutes lettres dans la plate-forme electorale du candidat... democrate.

Yeah, you read it right--John Kerry, Neoconservative. The piece goes on at some length on the degree to which the French eye sees no difference between Bush and the Democrats on the questions of the day. It ends on a despondant note:

Mais les neoconservateurs n'ont pas desarme.... du Nouvelle Siecle americain... reconnait que la theorie de l'action preventive semble interdite a tout president "dans le futur previsible".

That is: "But [in spite of the fact that we think they've been wrong on every single question for thirty years, as we just finished explaining!] the neoconservatives have not disarmed. The Project for the New American Century reckons that the theory of pre-emptive action will inform any president 'for the forseeable future.'"

Now, if J.F. Kerry looks like a neoconservative to you, it may be that you're standing on ground far enough away that distances are compressed in your sight. It does call into question, however, the Kerry/Edwards belief that they will be able to improve French cooperation with American ventures. Le Figaro is a conservative French newspaper, and conservatives are thin on the ground in France. Even by their lights, there's no difference between Bush and Kerry on any important question of policy. The rest of the French are farther left. Measuring their distance from ours on any question can only be done using the techniques of astronomy--called, appropriately enough, "Red Shift."

Religion News Blog : It's an uneasy time for Britain and its rising Muslim population

"Stay Muslim: Don't Vote"

Both al Mujahiroun and Hizb ut Tahrir, two Islamist organizations, have been running persuasion campaigns to convince Muslims not to vote. Voting is unIslamic, we are told by these organs, because it puts the will of man ahead of the will of Allah in formulating laws. You can read about one of these campaigns here.

Is it working? Perhaps:

The majority of the 33 prisoners convicted of involvement in the 12 October 2002 Bali bombings decided to boycott Indonesia's presidential elections, with bombing mastermind Imam Samudra declaring the elections 'haram' or forbidden under Islamic law.

The 33 men face sentences ranging from a matter of months to death by firing squad for their role in perpetrating the bombings on Bali's main tourist thoroughfare that left over 200 people, mainly foreigners, dead.

The inmates' decision not to cast their ballots in presidential elections on Monday (1/7/04) was their democratic right, said Tulus Widjajanto, chief warden of the Kerobokan Jail in Kuta, Bali.

"They said they have the right not to vote. OK, we can't force them," he added.

Widjajanto said 30 of the 33 inmates were actually registered to vote, reported the detikcom news website.

Well, the Bali bombers are what statisticians call a "self selecting" group. Their opinions aren't apt to be representative of Muslims as a whole. And yet, the sides are shaping up on this question.

BakuTODAY.net

Drunk Vikings In Mosques:

An odd story out of Azerbaijan: the Norwegian ambassador apparently toddled off to the mosque while drunk, and called the entire faith of Islam a pack of cowards. That, at least, is the charge leveled against him by certain Muslim clerics; the newspapers note that he has been guilty, at least, of letting opposition authorities take refuge in his embassy. That may be the real offense.

Herald.com | 07/11/2004 | Edwards bad news for Latin America

Miami Herald: Edwards Bad for Latin America

The Miami Herald has an article today on Edwards' record as a protectionist. Apparently Edwards has fought against NAFTA, the Chilean free trade agreement, the Caribbean trade agreement, the Singapore agreement, and against fast-track authority for similar such agreements. That last one can be excused on partisan grounds--it's usual for the opposition party to oppose letting the President bypass them on anything--but the others do make for a consistent record.

What is Edwards' position on the free trade area Bush has proposed for the Middle East? Would he rather protect American jobs, or help to undercut terrorism by helping develop the economies of these societies? It's not an easy question, and I think there can be honorable answers on both sides. Indeed, I'm not sure where I fall myself. It is a question that ought to be answered. We know where Bush stands: how about his opponents?

Boston.com / A&E / Books / Something in the way she moves

Wargames:

On chess.

Knights

Holy Equestrian Order of the Knights of Saint John Moses:

I have created a Coat of Arms for the Order.

"Ride to the Sound of Guns"

It may be borne by any of the Order's Knights, Knight-Captains, and Knights Grand Cross. The beast is called an "Enfield," which is a mythical beast with the head and tail of a fox and the talons of an eagle. It is also, of course, a famous arms company. The "Cross Celtics" speak for themselves.

Power Line: Joseph Wilson, Liar

Former Ambassador Wilson:

I've never heard a kind word about Joseph Wilson from anyone except Sovay. She maintains that he was uniquely qualified for the mission to Africa, having been ambassador to Iraq for the Bush I administration and also an experienced Africa hand.

Sovay is a fine researcher, so I will assume that part at least must be true and justified. Yet I keep reading stories like this one, which point out just how awful the Wilson expedition was. He seems to have singlehandedly convinced half of America of something that wasn't true--that Bush lied about Saddam seeking Uranium in Africa. I was raised not to call a man a liar even if he's lying, at least, not unless you were ready to kill him and take the consequences. Still, the Wilson situation is testing my resolve. He appears to have betrayed the trust of his nation, and deceived not only the American people but also the CIA.

UPDATE: Mark Steyn sounds off. He mentions that the British investigation, like the recent Senate investigation here in the US, also rejects Wilson's claims.

UPDATE: Charles at LGF posts a retrospective link, to a speech given by Wilson in which he blames Israel for the Iraq war. There we are--I knew there was a logical explanation for all this.

BBC NEWS | UK | Canterbury backs updated Bible

I Thought This Was A Joke:

Have you heard about the "Good As New" Bible? When I read about this at Daniel's website, I assumed it was a joke; he linked to a WorldNet story about it which I figured was a parody at the expense of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Apparently not. It really does exist, and it really does have St. Paul advising fornication:

There's nothing wrong with remaining single, like me. But if you know you have strong needs, get yourself a partner. Better than being frustrated.

That last sentence is more usually rendered, 'It is better to marry than to burn.' Obviously frustration is what Paul was talking about, right?

The Archbishop of Canterbury went on to say, "Instead of being taken into a specialised religious frame of reference... we have here a vehicle for thinking and worshiping that is fully earthed, recognisably about our humanity."

Is that not a warning, rather than praise? Is becoming "fully earthed" what the faith was meant to be about? When I was a boy, the stories I was taught were that Jesus passed through the earth, and ascended into Heaven.

That was meant to be the goal for us too, as I understood it. We were meant to pass through the earth, not to root ourselves in it. The hope was to leave behind earthly things, in the grave if not before, and to ascend some day into Heaven. Surely that hope and vision was the important thing about the faith. Surely that was the thing not to be lost.

ABCNEWS.com : Captive Calls Taliban's Mullah Omar-Official

What Was that Noise?

From Reuters:

"Captive Calls Taliban's Mullah Omar"

A captured member of the Afghan Taliban has contacted the movement's leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, a senior official said on Friday, the first indication in months that the one-eyed fugitive is still alive.

Afghanistan's southern security chief, Abdullah Laghmani, said Mullah Mujahid, whom he described as Omar's former bodyguard, was captured about 50 miles north of Kandahar city this week.

"Last Monday, Mujahid spoke to Mullah Omar in our presence," Laghmani said. "But since then, when we tried to contact him on this number they disconnected it. Mullah Omar is alive." ...

"It's wrong to suggest that the satellite 'phone belonged to Mullah Omar or anybody has spoken to him," said spokesman Latif Hakimi.

Boom.

bloodletting.blog-city.com

Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!

On the establishment of the Holy Equestrian Order of the Knights of St. John Moses. I have, of course, petitioned for admission.

On Point - The United States Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom

PSYOP:

There has been a rash of stories suggesting that an Army report criticized the toppling of Saddam's statue. This has been followed by posts by some in the blogosphere who have believed that the involvement of a PSYOP unit meant that the emotion of the Iraqis was faked, perhaps to manipulate the US public's opinion.

You can read the report online. It says absolutely nothing of the sort.

We woke up that morning [of 9 April] in the Iraqi Special Forces training compound on the outskirts of southern Baghdad. Attached to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment (of I MEF), who were conducting a clearing operation on the southern approach to Baghdad, [we were] moving with their TAC at the time. We were kept in a centralized location while moving so that we could be flexed to where we might be needed. We were not sure what we were going to hit, but we were expecting a lot of resistance. The infantry unit was to be clearing door to door, while we would be broadcasting civilian noninterference messages and occasional surrender appeals when pockets of enemy forces were located. The infantry unit started its operation but was encountering no resistance at all. After a few hours of going door to door, kicking doors and entering, looking for enemy concentrations and weapons caches but finding none, they modified their plan and formed up into a column and started a general movement toward Al-Firdos (paradise) Square in [eastern] Baghdad, where the Palestine Hotel and statue [of Saddam Hussein] were located. The entire movement went a lot faster than anyone had anticipated....
Crowds of Iraqi citizens started coming out and cheering the American convoy. We started to do some PSYOP broadcasts about bringing about a free Iraq, but knowing that we were to continue some clearing operations; we were telling them to stay away from our military vehicles for their own safety. We eventually dismounted from our vehicle and continued to inform the civilians to stay back from the military vehicles. The Iraqi civilians were very receptive to us, and [we] continued to engage them with our interpreter.

As we approached the street leading into the Al-Firdos Square, we could tell that there was a very large crowd of civilians starting to form up. It looked like the infantry unit up there could use some support, so we moved our [tactical PSYOP team] TPT vehicle forward and started to run around seeing what they needed us to do to facilitate their mission.... There was a large media circus at this location (I guess the Palestine Hotel was a media center at the time), almost as many reporters as there were Iraqis, as the hotel was right adjacent to the Al-Firdos Square.

The Marine Corps colonel in the area saw the Saddam statue as a target of opportunity and decided that the statue must come down. Since we were right there, we chimed in with some loudspeaker support to let the Iraqis know what it was we were attempting to do. The reporters were completely surrounding the vehicle, and we started having to ask the reporters to move out of the way, but they would not move. We were getting frustrated, but we were also laughing about it. We dismounted the vehicle again and just started pushing the people out of the way. They were starting to really inhibit our ability to conduct our mission. The tanks . . . formed up into a perimeter around the square, with the statue in the middle.

An M88 recovery vehicle approached the statue and continued to drive up the steps right next to the statue in an attempt to bring it down. The people had already tied a noose around the neck of the statue with some rope. They were trying to just tug on it and bring it down and were hitting it with sledgehammers; it was clearly getting crazy in the square. We were no longer in crowd control, as there was just no controlling this crowd at this time. We decided to just ride along with the crowd, and we started just kind of celebrating with the Iraqi people. We actually had to have our interpreter record an ad-hoc broadcast message, informing the Iraqi people that if they did not stand back from the statue, American forces would not bring the statue down. We were afraid that some civilians would get hurt if they were too close or in the wrong spot.

All of this activity was going on within just a few blocks of where other marines were battling with snipers in a building across from the Palestine Hotel. The local Iraqi people just did not care for their well being at this point; they just wanted to see the statue come down...We looked over and now there was an American flag draped over the face of the statue. God bless them, but we were thinking from PSYOP school that this was just bad news. We didn't want to look like an occupation force, and some of the Iraqis were saying, `No, we want an Iraqi flag!' So I said `No problem, somebody get me an Iraqi flag.' I am not sure where it came from, but one of the Iraqis brought us the old Iraqi flag without the writing on it (added by Saddam). We got that as fast as we could and started running that up to the statue. At this time, the marines had put a chain from the boom of the recovery vehicle around the neck of the statue, and they just ran the [Iraqi] flag up the statue. It was real quick thinking on Staff Sergeant

Plesich's part to get that Iraqi flag up there quick. But by the time the Iraqi flag got put on the statue, there had already been a lot of photos taken with the marine covering the statue with the American flag.

Somehow along the way, somebody had gotten the idea to put a bunch of Iraqi kids onto the wrecker that was to pull the statue down. While the wrecker was pulling the statue down, there were Iraqi children crawling all over it. Finally they brought the statue down, but we expected this big statue to come crashing down, to shatter or whatever, but it just slowly bent over and slid off the mounting pipes. Once the statue was on the ground, it was attacked by Iraqis with the sledgehammers and broken apart. The head of the statue was dragged through the streets, with people hitting the face with their shoes and spitting on it. After the statue was down, we started to receive a lot of intelligence on where Ba'ath Party personnel were staying and just generally got a lot of real good intelligence for use in later direct-action missions. All this information was developed with and through the human exploitation teams, which had assigned interpreters.

If the American people are being PSYOP'd, it's the press and not the Army doing it. Everything goes through a negative lens. How anyone could read this report and not feel the joy and excitement of liberation is beyond me; but some can, and have.

What though they come with scroll and pen,
And grave as a shaven clerk,
By this sign you shall know them,
That they ruin and make dark.

Beware the old foe.

PARAMETERS, US Army War College Quarterly - Summer 2004

In Praise of Attrition:

A piece from the journal of the Army War College argues that the US military has gone too far to avoid killing people. It's getting in the way of victory, the author suggests...

It's essential to purge our minds of the cliched images the term "war of attrition" evokes. Certainly, we do not and will not seek wars in which vast casualties are equally distributed between our own forces and the enemy's. But a one-sided war of attrition, enabled by our broad range of superior capabilities, is a strong model for a 21st-century American way of war....

Precision weapons unquestionably have value, but they are expensive and do not cause adequate destruction to impress a hardened enemy. The first time a guided bomb hits the deputy's desk, it will get his chief's attention, but if precision weaponry fails both to annihilate the enemy's leadership and to somehow convince the army and population it has been defeated, it leaves the job to the soldier once again. Those who live in the technological clouds simply do not grasp the importance of graphic, extensive destruction in convincing an opponent of his defeat.

Focus on killing the enemy. With fires. With maneuver. With sticks and stones and polyunsaturated fats. In a disciplined military, aggressive leaders and troops can always be restrained. But it's difficult to persuade leaders schooled in caution that their mission is not to keep an entire corps' tanks on line, but to rip the enemy's heart out.

The explanation of why and how this works begins with the condottiere and passes through Napoleon, the Fraco-Prussian war, both declared world wars, the Cold War and Desert Storm. It then examines the new war at length. Just one quote of many worth considering:

[W]e shall hear that killing terrorists only creates more terrorists. This is sophomoric nonsense. The surest way to swell the ranks of terror is to follow the approach we did in the decade before 9/11 and do nothing of substance. Success breeds success. Everybody loves a winner. The cliches exist because they're true. Al Qaeda and related terrorist groups metastasized because they were viewed in the Muslim world as standing up to the West successfully and handing the Great Satan America embarrassing defeats with impunity.

It's not exactly nonsense--particularly in tribal societies, there is a duty to vengence that does create new enemies. Still, if you find yourself in a war with such a culture, there is no way out except victory. The creation of certain numbers of terrorists is a price you have to accept, because you really must destroy the ones who exist already. You just also have to destroy those of their cousins who feel they must have revenge upon you.

I think the author is on to something, although I depart from him on other points as well. It's an argument worth considering, and I'm glad to see that the Army War College is able to voice these sorts of opinions and debate them.

Teens like Bush less than Saddam, Osama

The Madness of No Consequences:

Hungarian schoolchildren, in a poll that has for some reason become international news, report liking Bush less than Osama bin Laden, Saddam, or Joseph Stalin. Bush did manage to narrowly avoid being worse than Hitler in the poll (25 versus 23 percent). Oddly enough, Bush seems to have also been the most-liked foreigner (eight percent). One supposes there must have been two categories--most liked, and most disliked.

High School popularity contests are always a bad way to decide anything more important than the Prom Queen--even the Senior Class Presidency is really too important for it, as you need someone for the office who will develop into the responsible citizen that arranges reunions every five years forever.

Still, one expects that this says something about Hungary: that the parents of these kids spend a lot of time complaining about Bush, and not very much talking about Osama or Stalin. This, combined with the lack of historic context that attends youth, surely explains the results.

The results also reinforce the principle of crunchiness--that the further you get from decisions having practical consequences, the more obviously mad are your results. There is no consequence to a 16 year old in Hungary to saying that Bush is worse than Stalin, or Saddam; nothing depends on it. There is no reason he shouldn't say it, or even believe it. There is certainly no reason he should examine the sentiment closely or investigate its context. It changes nothing in his world; it is not worth his time.

But why, then, should we ask him what he thinks? Why should we print this high school survey from Hungary in newspapers as far away as India?

EU Business - France could defend EU in case of attack: minister

French Nukes May Guard Europe:

Hat tip LGF. Leave aside the French bashing for a moment--I normally enjoy it myself, but just for a moment--and consider what is being proposed by the French:

She said that rogue states "could one day point their missiles toward France and its neighbours. We could say to those countries: 'Watch out, if you try to carry out your threats we will destroy you before you know what's hit you.'

"If Germany asked us for help, it is probable that European solidarity would come into play," she told the Berliner Zeitung newspaper, and added: "For us, nuclear weapons are the ultimate protection against a threat from abroad."

It is probable? Let's say, for the sake of argument, that a nuclear DPRK with improved ballistic capability, or indeed any other rogue state, were indeed to threaten Germany. How protected would you feel by an alliance with a state that will "probably" defend you? How effective is that in deterring attack?

Let's say you're the head of a rogue state. What does the calculation look like from your side? "France says it will probably retaliate if we hit Germany," you think. "On the other hand, they know that if they do so they will become a target themselves. If they don't, Paris doesn't get turned into ash. So how 'probable' is 'probable'?"

Not very, I suspect.

Sharp Knife

On Saving the North Church:

A poem from Sharp Knife. It was composed on the occasion of someone complaining about spending taxpayer dollars to save the church where Paul Revere's lanterns were hung, saying it was a breech in the 'wall between church and state':

Listen, tax-payers and you will hear
of the Midnight ride of Paul Revere.
Where are you going at this hour, Paul?
Playing some Midnight basketball?
Or, are you a war-monger,
spreading intolerance and hate,
and breeching the wall between church & the state?

I can't help but notice you carry a musket;
Paul, they're illegal from here to Pawtuket.
You wear a tri-corner and their coats are red;
Is that any reason to fight 'til one's dead?
To our modern eyes, these are indicia;
'My God! I think he's in a militia!'
You see, Paul, some things have changed since your day;
If we saw you now, we'd lock you away.

That horse that you're riding out in the yard;
He too, has rights, and you ride him too hard!
And the lanterns your friend carried up to the tower
relied upon whale oil for their shining power!
And that shop in town where you were a smithy;
must comply with our rules; there's a million & fifty!
Talk back not, and cast no aspersions,
Or we'll drop by to see if you've hired enough Persians.

On April 15th and each day of the year,
we pay and we pay on what we have earned dear.
We've got money for Egypt, money for zoos,
plenty of money for removing tattoos.
Money to study love-lives of emus,
and money for mohair where no hair ever grew.
Money for 'artists' wearing nothing but chocolate,
Money for bombs that make awe and make shocklets.
But here is a thing that you would find odd;
No money for North Church... Someone said 'God'!

I know what you're thinking as you shake your head;
You think that you're safe, Paul; but we tax the dead.
You're saying to us: 'Why on earth did I bother?...
Have my children forgotten the Flags of their Fathers?
And whence all this anger at all your traditions?
How did you come into this strange condition?"

"Some worship money, some worship science,
some merely shake their fists in defiance.
Some worship power, some worship Nature,
some worship the Devil, and worse: Legislatures!
Your fathers were brave, ringing Liberty's Bell,
and Acknowledged their Father who blessed them so well.
But ponder this thought as you seek your solution:
Without that church tower...

...There'd be no Constitution.

Marine Corps News> New radar system brings the fight back to terrorists

Ingenuity:

This is a pretty nifty idea: a device that tracks incoming mortar rounds by laser, and calculates their launch coordinates for counterbattery fire. The Marines are enthusiastic:

It's good to know we have this piece of equipment here,' Fomin explained. 'It's good to know we don't have to wait so long to fire back and when we do, it'll be a lot more accurate. And that's the whole goal, to find out where they're shooting from and kill the bastards.'

Sounds like a fellow with the right attitude.

Yahoo! Mail - grimbeornr@yahoo.com

Family Stories:

I've asked my father to drop by the weblog and look over the family stories I've been posting. Some of them I've not heard since I was a boy, and some of them I've heard only from my Great Uncle Ralph, just deceased this year. It may be that my father can correct some details if I've misremembered. I'll post more as time goes along and events remind me of them.

4th

Fourth of July Parade:

Grim and family took part in the local Fourth of July Parade. It was conducted down main street, to a profusion of red, white and blue ribbons and the sounds of a fife and drum band. The parade was a parade of children and pets, with adults walking alongside just to keep order. Bicycles with pinwheels and kids on sliders went by like tornados. Here's a short photo essay of the event.

My son Beowulf waves the colors...

Grim and wife march down mainstreet...

Beowulf rides to the sound of drums...

The family assembles to hear the Marine Corps Hymn...

I hope your Independence Day was also well-celebrated. Take care.

Israelis

Israelis in Iraq:

This is a pure bleg. Yesterday Gen. Karpinski stated that she had encountered Israelis in Abu Ghraib. This has been a persistent rumor, but one I had thought we'd pinned as originating from Turkey. As you know, the Turks have an interest in derailing a "Kurdistan" in Northern Iraq. You probably remember that we've caught their special ops teams in Iraq on two occasions. They've also been running an IO campaign, and so far the "Israelis in Iraq" claims have been tracking back to them. It appears that they've been planting these stories and then, when the stories are reported in the Arab press, using them as a pretext for a host of measures. I've run a few of these rumors to ground myself, and I'd thought we had done with this story line.

But now we've got a US officer saying it, so I'm curious. If anybody's heard anything about Israelis operating in Iraq--rumors, personal experience, or otherwise--would you send it my way? I'm trying to sort this business out in my head, and Karpinski's statements have muddied the picture a lot. I'll write something on it for Grim's Hall when I've got a better sense of what's up, but for now I don't know just what to say.

I'll respect anyone's confidentiality if they ask.

History of the Marine Corps Hymn

The Hymn:

While you're celebrating Independence Day, you might read this history of the Marine Corps Hymn. I like the verse from Iceland:

Every campaign the Marines have taken part in gives birth to an unofficial verse. For example, the following from Iceland:

"Again in nineteen forty-one
We sailed a north'ard course
And found beneath the midnight sun,
The Viking and the Norse.
The Iceland girls were slim and fair,
And fair the Iceland scenes,
And the Army found in landing there,
The United States Marines."

Mudville Gazette

Independence Day:

Happy Independence Day. The Mudville Gazette has some suggestions for you on how to celebrate. Most of them revolve around giving money to some charity or other.

Funny thing about that. I've got one too. I gave to Second Harvest this year. It's not really a MilBlog thing. It's a charity for civilians. But it's a pretty good one. It feeds a lot of people every year--including the rural elderly, who are not the sort of folks that go to soup kitchens. They claim to have distributed more than thirty-eight million pounds of food in Georgia alone in 2002.

Of course, everyone has their favorite charity. I won't try to make a case that this one is better than any other. It's just the one I picked. Greyhawk's are good too.

lgf: Don't Go Shooting With John F. Kerry

J. F. Kerry Loves Guns:

Little Green Footballs is pretty much right on this occasion: this is a violation of almost every rule of safe-handling a firearm. Well, depending on who you ask. As they were taught to me:

1) Treat every weapon as if it is loaded at all times. The only exception is while cleaning a weapon, after you have yourself, right now, checked to be certain it is unloaded.

2) Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.

3) Always be sure where your weapon is pointed, knowing both your target and what is behind it.

The National Rifle Association teaches them differently:

1) Always keep the Gun pointed in a Safe Direction.

2) Always Keep your Finger Off the Trigger Until Ready to Shoot.

3) Always Keep the Gun Unloaded Until Ready to Use.

Curiously, he's breaking all three of my rules, and just one of the NRA's. :) The weapon isn't loaded, because he's just shot the load--the caption says it was after missing a shot, and the weapon is a single shot break action shotgun, which you can see clearly in some of the other photographs. Under the NRA's rules, that weapon could be called unloaded; and as it's pointed downrange, you could argue that it was pointed in a "safe direction."

The rules I learned are better. They don't excuse clowning around (as LGF calls it) with a weapon just because it is unloaded, and they don't permit you to point the weapon in a direction you're not looking (with your finger on the trigger!) just because you've shot your load.

Still, under the right circumstances, all it takes is one broken rule to kill somebody. This reminds me of one of my father's stories of being a Drill Sergeant.

Where he was stationed, they had a lot of inductees from Puerto Rico, which in those days had a lot of tough neighborhoods. This being the days of the draft, a lot of these kids were pretty sour about being in the Army. They tended to be tough, accustomed to violence, and disrespectful of authority. The Drill Sergeants had their hands full with them.

It happened that, as was occasionally the case, a Marine D.I. got tasked to go train Army recruits for a while. He wasn't with my father's unit, but their units happened to be firing at the same range one day.

After the range was supposed to be clear--but wait, let me explain. I know some of my readers aren't familiar with firearms. Declaring a range clear and safe is a big deal. For one thing, lives depend on it, as people may go downrange once the range is called clear. For another thing, it's a matter of unit discipline. This is one of those occasions when the safety of the military unit depends on people obeying orders. That is, in turn, one of the key disciplines of military life. If you don't obey orders on this occasion, and the range gets called clear when it isn't clear, you have broken faith with your unit and betrayed the discipline you're sworn to obey.

So anyway, the range was called clear, which means that everyone's weapons should have been unloaded, breaches locked open. This one kid from Puerto Rico had held back some ammo, though--I'm not sure why, as it's been years since I heard the story. Most likely he was planning to keep it as a souvenir. In any event, he didn't obey the rule about keeping your finger clear of the trigger either (*ahem*, Mr. Kerry), and ended up discharging his weapon.

He also wasn't looking where it was pointed. The round hit a rock, and richochet'd (a ricochet is every bit as dangerous as a direct-fire attack). The round went wizzing through the Marine D.I.'s area.

My father happened to be standing off while one of the junior Drill Instructors chewed the kid out. It wasn't having much of an effect on this tough island kid, though, who knew he was headed to 'Nam no matter what anyone said or did.

My father said, "And then I saw the Marine headed his way. He came jumping over barricades, stalking straight up to the kid. The Drill Sergeant stepped aside without being asked, just feeling the Marine coming. And the Marine took a breath, and started to yell.

"At first the kid didn't change expression. He just stood there. But a moment passed, and another, and another, and the Marine was still yelling. He never took another breath. And long before he was done, tears were running down this kid's face. After that, he was never a moment's trouble to anybody."

Ooh-rah. Out.