June 16, 2006

I'd Like To Order 2,880 Virgins

Or is it raisins? I prefer to think they get 72 toothless French whores, myself.

Whatever, they're getting the job done in Afghanistan:

MUSA QALA, Afghanistan - Coalition forces killed 40 militants during combat operations linked to a large-scale anti-Taliban blitz launched across southern
Afghanistan, the military said Friday.

Note the inaccurate use of the word "blitz." But no, they're not biased.

And lest we get accused of just reporting on good news, a mosque is attacked in Iraq.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A shoe bomber blew himself up inside an important Shiite mosque during Friday prayers, killing at least 10 people and wounding 20, as violence persisted in the capital despite a massive security operation aimed at restoring order.

There is a nugget of good news in this piece, though. The fact that the bomber had to resort to a shoe bomb is evidence that the clampdown is having an effect.

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June 07, 2006

Day Two

June 7th, 1944:

Allied forces reach Bayeux and make contact with 6th Airborne Div. First Allied airstrip laid out at Asnelles, N.E. of Bayeux.

German light naval forces and U-boats commence frequent sorties (mainly by night) against Allied invasion fleet, but suffer heavy losses - including 2 destroyers - and sink only small number of transports and LC (landing craft) and 1 destroyer (RNN Svenner).

Italian front: 5th Army takes Civitavecchia, 56 km N. of Rome

[Reference: Chronology of World War II, the Day by Day Illustrated Record, compiled by Christopher Argyle p.158]

I'm going to do another 5 post D-Day, well, posts, from the same book.

If you thirst for more, then maybe I'll start from the beginning and do a post each day starting on September 1st of this year, the day Hitler invaded Poland in 1939.

Or, you can buy the book.

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June 05, 2006

June 6th, 1944

Forget the "Omen" crap. June 6th, no matter what year, will always be a special day.

Soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the great crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you." - Gen. Eisenhower's Order of the Day

D-Day Casualties:

British: 3000

Canadian: 946

U.S.: 6,603

114 Allied planes

German: c.6,500

(figures above taken from Chronology of WWII: The Day By Day Record 1939-1945)

"Casualties" meaning a total of dead, wounded, and/or missing/captured. A good breakdown is here.

June 6th, 1944, has so many lessons to be taught. So many perspectives which are at odds with the perspectives about the war we're fighting now.

Rusty update: Blackfive has an excellent roundup on D-Day remembered.

Fellow MU.NUer Confederate Yankee has reprinted Patton's Normandy Invasion speach.

(via Blogfather)

Ronald Reagan's tribute to D-Day (video)

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May 26, 2006

A Memorial Day Reflection: Thank You Grandpa

punchbowl_cemetery.jpg

I just received an e-mail from my mother inviting our family to take a moment of time to reflect on her father who was a Marine killed in the Pacific during WWII. My mother never knew her biological father because she was so young when he went off to war.

I never knew my maternal grandfather, but I am proud of his voluntary service and of his supreme sacrifice to our country. RIP.

To my paternal grandfather, who was a pilot in WWII, and a career Air Force officer, thank you for your service. RIP.

To my father who was a Marine--once a Marine, always a Marine--thank you for your service. To my niece, currently a Marine, may God's protection and blessings be upon you in the service of your country.

The image above is from the Punchbowl National Cemetery, where my maternal grandfather is buried. The image below is from the National Archives of my grandfather's service record. If one of your relatives was KIA during WWII, you can visit the National WWII Memorial website and look up their information. Their, you can also find where your loved one is buried. Perhaps, like me, you will be able to visit their grave someday.

grandfathers_marine_file.jpg

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The Unilateralist's Memorial Day Tribute

Usually I find the AP's daily death tally creepy, but, this weekend it does have some relevance. It's the only source with information on the sacrifices made by our unilateral coalition allies.

The British military has reported 111 deaths; Italy, 31; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 17; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Slovakia, Denmark three; El Salvador, Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Romania, one death each.

Who knew Latvia sacrificed a native son in the name of Iraqi freedom?

I don't think the fact that the U.S. shoulders most of the load in Iraq matters much to the family in Kazakhstan that lost a son in defense of liberty.

It doesn't matter to me. God bless them all, and thank you.

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April 28, 2006

April Is Jihadi Awareness Month

Or so it seems anyway. Now Zawahiri throws out another softball:

CAIRO, Egypt — Al Qaeda's No. 2 said the terror network's branch in Iraq had "broken the back" of the U.S. military with hundreds of homicide bombings, in a video posted Saturday that was the latest in a string of new messages by al Qaeda's leaders.

Well, forget the "it seems." In the grand tradition of organizations that seem not to realize we're already aware of the causes they ram down our throats in the name of "awareness," I am officially declaring April "Jihadi Awareness Month."

To be followed by "Illegal Immigrant Awareness Day" on May 1st. Which runs concurrent to "Vinnies Daughter Awareness Day." She turns five.

And remember, don't use your curling irons whilst sleeping.

thatisall.

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Terroists Murder Over 14,500 in 2005.

The State Department has released it’s summary report on terrorism in the year 2005. The vast majority of all terror attacks were carried out by al-Qaeda and other “radical” Islamist groups. Iraq remains the focus of terrorist activity. Iran remains the most active state sponsor of Islamic terrorist groups.

Bloomberg :Terrorists killed more than 14,500 people in 11,000 attacks across the globe last year, the U.S. State Department said in its annual report on terrorism.

Al-Qaeda Threat

The al-Qaeda terrorist network remains a threat, with plans to attack the U.S. in a manner to match ``or even surpass the terror of 9/11,'' Henry Crumpton, the U.S. State Department's anti-terrorism chief said.

``Al-Qaeda is not the organization it was four years ago,'' the report said. The group's leaders are scattered and on the run, while its Afghan safe haven is gone. Its relationship with the Taliban has diminished, and its finances and logistics have been disrupted, Crumpton said.

For these reasons, ``al-Qaeda and its affiliates are desperate to claim Iraq as their own,'' Crumpton said. ``We and our allies, along with the emerging Iraqi government, must deny Iraq to al-Qaeda.''


Al-Qaeda is fragmented and desperate to create a safe have in Iraq.
Yahoo News : "Al-Qaida is not the organization it was four years ago," the report said.

However, "overall, we are in the first phase of a potentially long war," it said. "The enemy's proven ability to adapt means we will go through several more cycles of action/reaction before the war's outcome is no longer in doubt. It is likely we will have a resilient enemy for years to come."

A new generation of extremists, some of them getting training through the Internet, is emerging in cells that are likely to be more local and less meticulously planned, the report said. These small groups, empowered by technology, are very difficult to detect or counter, it said.

"We must maintain unrelenting pressure against al-Qaida," Henry Crumpton, the U.S. ambassador in charge of counterterrorism, said Friday at a briefing at the State Department. "We know they aim to attack the U.S. homeland."

The terrorist have threatened the American people directly with attacks even larger then the 9-11 attacks. After this years failure to produce civil war in Iraq by bombing Shite holy places it seems that the desperate Abu Musab al-ZarqawiÂ’s message last week indicates a change in strategy. Since he has been unable to drag large blocks of SunniÂ’s into a civil war he attempted to start he has not turned his attention to the Sunni themselves. Branding as Apostates any who cooperate with the new Iraqi government and targeting they and their families for murder. Just after ZarqawiÂ’s message last week there have been several targeted murders of prominent Sunni politicians and their families. By turning on his own sect he hopes to use fear to stop the participation of Sunni Muslims in the advancement of a new Iraqi government.
Zarqawi to Sunnis : Be extremely aware, those who join these apostate forces have nothing with us except the sharp swords, and between them and us will be nothing except grave days and nights.
Sunni of Iraq, will you stand for this murderer ruling over you? He stands in the way of both your freedom and our exit. Destroy him for he is certainly a murderer of his own and cares for nothing but power. He ignores the orders of his commanders while singing their praises. Truly he is the liar and the hypocrite. Fight and destroy al-Qaeda so all our peoples can have peace. Surely you heard him ignore and do the opposite of Bin LadenÂ’s call for you to come to Sudan. He has failed his assignment and now desperately rebels against his own, so has become his blood lust! Abu Musab al-Zarqawi must be destroyed.

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April 14, 2006

Clinton W. Taylor Talks Trash

I say, I say trailer trash that is. What is an uneducated hillbilly like me doing linking a Yale grad? Is that not unusual, for the classes to mix like that? Well not when you have as much class as Clinton does. Plus IÂ’m a reading addict and he provides just the fix for that.

Clinton W Taylor Via The Spectator : Flash back to February 5, 2003, when Secretary of State Colin Powell addressed the U.N. General Assembly about Iraq's WMD program. He played audio of an intercepted phone call between an Iraqi Brigadier General and a Colonel, dated November 26, 2002, and showed slides of their transcribed conversation:
COL: About this committee that is coming...
GEN: Yeah, yeah...
COL: ...with Mohamed El Baradei [Director, International Atomic Energy Agency]
GEN: Yeah, yeah.
COL: Yeah.
GEN: Yeah?
COL: We have this modified vehicle.
GEN: Yeah.
COL: What do we say if one of them sees it?
GEN: You didn't get a modified...You don't have a modified...
COL: By God, I have one.
GEN: Which? From the workshop...?
COL: From the al-Kindi Company
GEN: What?
COL: From al-Kindi.
GEN: Yeah, yeah. I'll come to you in the morning. I have some comments. I'm worried you all have something left.
COL: We evacuated everything. We don't have anything left.
GEN: I will come to you tomorrow.
COL: Okay.
That sure got the General's attention, didn't it? There was something about the mention of a "modified vehicle" from the "al-Kindi Company" that made him want to visit this colonel's site, wherever it was, "in the morning." That would be November 27, the first day that IAEA and UNSCOM inspections resumed. And on the very first day of the inspections, this general was rushing out to tend to this particular vehicle.

Probably because of those darned hydrogen generators. Yeah? Yeah.

Plus my master, The Macktastic Rusty Wicked says, “Link him Howie or else!”

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April 09, 2006

Secretary of Defense on Iraq Anniversary


Donald H. Rumsfeld talks about what we have gained in the last three years. HeÂ’s not been fired yet so what the hell.

Secretary Rumsfeld Via Centcom :Some have described the situation in Iraq as a tightening noose, noting that "time is not on our side" and that "morale is down." Others have described a "very dangerous" turn of events and are "extremely concerned."

Who are they that have expressed these concerns? In fact, these are the exact words of terrorists discussing Iraq -- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his associates -- who are describing their own situation and must be watching with fear the progress that Iraq has made over the past three years.

The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. I believe that history will show that to be the case.

Donald H. Rumsfeld

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April 07, 2006

Helicopter Pilot Video(Updated)

In a cheap attempt to break our will the enemy in Iraq has attempted to copycat the Somalia incident that broke Bill ClintonÂ’s will. The US military has called the video despicable. Our thoughts and prayers go to our fine pilot and his family.

CNN : "We are outraged that anyone would create and publish such a despicable video for public exposure," military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington said in a statement. "The terrorists continue to demonstrate their immoral disregard for human dignity and life."
The U.S. military reported Sunday that an Army AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter went down, likely from enemy fire, west of Yousifiah on Saturday evening while conducting a combat air patrol.
The video shows what appears to be a helicopter ablaze -- and later with no flames -- and insurgents dragging what appears to be "part of" a burning body away from the wreckage.
Hat Tip : Bareknucklepolitics for the video (available here). I (that's me Howie) have a copy and will send by email request at the address on the contacts page. ER uh I would if could my email clients all refuse to send a file that large.

Update : Al emails to question the last part of clip that shows the body. It's not very clear exactly what it is. Possibly a dummy? Right above the belt where the hips meet the waist it does not look quite right to me either.

Update II : Darcey also is hosting the Video here and a Hat Tip too for the frame grabs below the fold.

Update III 04/07/06 Hat Tip Infovlad: I saw this over at MSNBC today .

Military analysts have authenticated the terrorist videotape released this week that militants said showed the burning wreckage of an Apache helicopter and the body of a U.S. Army pilot being dragged, U.S. military officials have told NBC News.
So IÂ’m not sure, real or really staged? I'm not convinced that this is a body I suppose it could be, but I thought I had seen fire that behaved like that before. Just burns on and on, smoking and never consuming anything. Reminds me of this video on Infovlad.net. You can find VladÂ’s entry here and scroll till you see the Feb 15th entry
Vlad : Recipe of flammable liquid? Whose logo is this? The video looks bit old though.
The fire in the new Video looks very similar to VladÂ’s entry. Just thought I'd expose their little magic trick.
more...

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April 03, 2006

Argentina Claims Falkland Islands Again

(Buenos Aires, Argentina) As I recall, it was only a little over two decades ago that the Argentine government, ostensibly in a wag-the-dog move by the military leadership, invaded the British Falkland Islands. They were unsuccessful. Nonetheless, memories are short in the political realm and Argentina is again making noise about its sovereignty over the South Atlantic islands of Falkland (called Malvinas in Argentina), South Georgia, and South Sandwich.

Argentine President Nestor Kirchner said the Argentine government chose to solve the dispute through dialogue and diplomacy and by peaceful means. He also said that the British government must "show willingness to negotiate the sovereignty of the islands" because the "claim for the islands is a permanent objective and undeniable right of the Argentine people."

Just what the world needs -- another hot spot preparing to flare.

From Interested-Participant.

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April 02, 2006

Iran Test Fires High-Speed Torpedo

Fox News was showing video earlier today of the "new" Iranian Hut high-speed torpedo, which travels in excess of 220 miles per hour underwater, and is said to be undetectable by sonar. It seems likely that it could, however, be heard by passive means from some distance underwater.

From Bloomberg:

April 3 (Bloomberg) -- Iran's navy said it successfully test-fired its fastest torpedo capable of reaching a maximum speed of 360 kilometers (223 miles) an hour, the official Islamic Republic News Agency said.
Coincidentally, in the 90s the Russians deployed a high-speed torpedo, developed years earlier by the Soviet Union, called the Shkval (Squall) that is capable of speeds up to 230 miles per hour. It achieves this velocity by deliberately cavitating the water around the torpedo to reduce friction.

Neither the Hut, nor the Shval offers protection against incoming B-1 bombers, something that Iran might want to take into consideration.

Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.

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I Am So Sick Of This (UPDATED)

"Our troop's time is better spent doing this or that rather than rescuing him/her."

Oh, STFU.

Our military, which you statistically never bothered to join, takes pride you will never have, rescuing civilians from harm, no matter their ideology.

Idiot commenters like that fail to grasp the basic concept that our military is designed to protect us. All of us.

Not just here, but there as well.

That's what they do. We do (er, I did heh). Kill people, break things, and protect Americans. Not leftist Americans, not conservative Americans, not American Indian African Irish Indo-Chinese Jamaican Arabian Pashtu Tobrukian Americans.

Just Americans.

And, truth be told, they like doing it.

Here, or there.

So give us a goddamned break on the You-Think-You-Know-Best-What-The-Military-Should-Spend-It's-Time-Doing-Thing.

Unless you have 4 stars on your epaulettes. Then I might listen. But probably not, I have an issue with authority figures.

Updated with revised and extended remarks. more...

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March 28, 2006

Nuking Mecca Back on the Table

Remember that whole nuking Mecca uproar I caused awhile back? Knowing that the Saudis are developing nukes just adds a whole new dimension to it. more...

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March 22, 2006

Stranded, Caught in a Crossfire

Yesterday Rusty posted on the bad news that a police station in Iraq was overrun by the enemy. Police were killed and prisoners about 18 of whom were insurgents were released. Today Rusty shows us how they bragged. In fact they were feeling so damn good about it they got sloppy. US and Iraqi forces trapped them in a cross-fire and captured 50 of them.

ABCNEWS : BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents attacked a police station Wednesday for a second day in a row, but U.S. and Iraqi forces captured 50 of them after a two-hour gunbattleÂ… Â…About 60 gunmen attacked the police station in Madain, south of Baghdad, with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic rifles, said police Lt. Col. Falah al-Mohammadawi. U.S. troops and a special Iraqi police unit responded, catching the insurgents in crossfire, he said.
Hell Yeah, brave mujahadbeens forgot to fight to the death and were captured by infidel dogs, how humiliating.

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March 14, 2006

It Takes 1.2 Billion Tons Of Coal To Find A Diamond

This:

The West has overcome Communism, it can and will overcome triumphalist Islam. It will not be easy, but seeing the situation clearly will make the fight clearer in perspective, rather than confused and muddied if one knows not the realities of this war. One must never forget that the enemy - radical, militant, fundamentalist, triumphalist, violent, terroristic (and/or whatever adjective one wishes to use) Islam - is evil.

Is why he also posts here.

I just wish he'd post more.

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March 04, 2006

Israeli Anti-Ballistic Missile System

Arrow 2 anti-ballistic missile(Jerusalem) In the aftermath of the Gulf War, Israel embarked on a project to develop a first-line missile defense system. The result is the Arrow 2.

From JPost.com:

Israel's Arrow 2 anti-ballistic missile system is capable of intercepting and destroying any Iranian missiles, even were they to carry nuclear warheads, a high-ranking IDF officer told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

While Iran is Israel's most serious strategic and existential threat, the country, he said confidently, was sufficiently protected by the Arrow, which plays a major role in maintaining Israel's protective envelope.

"We will shoot all of [Iran's missiles] down," he told the Post. "The Arrow knows how to intercept the Shihab missile."

The Arrow 2 can detect even a missile carrying a split warhead and armed with decoys. Last December, it successfully intercepted an incoming rocket simulating an Iranian Shihab-3 missile. Two Arrow batteries with hundreds of missiles are said to be operational, one protecting Tel Aviv and one protecting the northern part of Israel.

From Interested-Participant.

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February 25, 2006

The Close Call That Shouldn't Have Been

Today's attempted attack on the Saudi oil processing facility should have been a huge wake-up call for everyone.

ABQAIQ, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Suicide bombers carried out a bold attack on the world's largest oil processing facility Friday but were stopped from breaking in by guards who fired on their cars, exploding both vehicles and killing the attackers.

Al-Qaida purportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, the first on an oil facility in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Qaeda has been threatening to do something like this for quite awhile, which is probably why the attack failed miserably.

However, if we do not get our own oil out of our own ground, or figure out an economcially feasible way to get off foreign oil, we could be seriously screwed if one were to suceed.

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February 21, 2006

Show Your Face, You Coward

AP photo of Wassim I. Mazloum, on of the 3 Ohio conspirators.

MILITARY_PLOT_CHARGES.sff_CO106_20060221163241.jpg

Yeah, they talk a big game. But when an Islamotard* gets busted, he's too chicken to show his ugly face to the world. more...

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Skynet and T-1000 Coming Soon

More robots in the war-zone. Hasta la vista, terrorists.

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