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Common Sense Junction
Military Blog Headlines

  1. News Break Until September 6th

    → Stryker Brigade News | 5 Sep 2010 | 2:24 pm MDT

    I will be offline from Saturday, August 28 until Monday, September 6 and will not be updating the blog during that time. I'll try to do a recap of the stories missed when I return. This entry is post-dated, so...

  2. The End is Here, Not with a Bang, but with a Whimper [David M]

    → Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys.. | 2 Sep 2010 | 3:00 pm MDT

    PARDON me for a few if I slip away from my typical method and indulge in some introspection. Galrahn of Information Dissemination has a rather salient point to be made about the end of combat operations in Iraq, that being, that for the most part, there has been no generational impact upon the American people because of Iraq or Afghanistan theatres. Not surprisingly the meme coined by some Marine in theatre: “America isn’t at War, the Marine’s are at war, America is at the mall” was then and is now irrefutable true.

  3. AZ Troop Deployed Who Left Dogs With Friend, Call Home

    → BLACKFIVE | 2 Sep 2010 | 1:27 pm MDT

    Several of you have contacted me about the dogs of a soldier deployed overseas (possibly Iraq) who were dropped off at the shelter by the "friend" in who's care they were entrusted. To be honest, the story sort of smelled to more than one of us, and some digging was done. Thanks to a good Friend on the ground where this occurred, the smell is less though there are still some questions. It does appear that two dogs were dropped off at a shelter, with the story that they belonged to a soldier deployed overseas (apparently Iraq but not confirmed). They were dumped by a "friend" of the soldier who had been given custody; however, the "friend's" wife apparently was allergic so rather than do something responsible, the "friend" dumped them at the shelter. One of the things mitigating the smell was the actions of the shelter, which kept them longer than normal, did not put them down, and worked to find them a home together. The Friend on the ground is working to find out more details, and to get a unit, name, or something else so that we can let the soldier in question know what is going on. Meantime, a home has been found at a resort nearby, and the people there are taking care of them while efforts to contact the soldier are underway. They've declined help, but know that there is a network of people ready and eager to help as necessary. If you know a unit deployed from Arizona, or know of someone from Arizona deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, please share this story with them. If they contact me using the e-mail on the right, I will get them in touch with the people who have the dogs. They are being well cared for. As for me, I hope the "friend" in question isn't just some s***bird who made up a convincing tale. If the story as told is true, however, I suggest they run far and fast before the troop gets home, because I know how I would react to the complete and total douchebaggery displayed. For dumping the dogs in a kill shelter with no apparent effort to find them a home first makes one a buddyf****r extraordinare. LW UPDATE: Thanks to RNLTLucas, some things may be happening. Thanks to all the good wishes and offers to help the dogs and the soldier.

  4. The Theater of War (part one)

    → Mudville Gazette | 2 Sep 2010 | 9:45 am MDT

    You may have heard that combat in Iraq ended this month. You may even believe it. If so, the following could explain why. Here's a graph from an earlier post, with a couple of additions. This depicts American combat deaths in Iraq from late 2006 to now, as recorded and reported by icasualties.org. For a full explanation of what you're seeing, click here. The vertical dashed line is at January, 2009 - when Barack Obama became President of the...

  5. Help A Milblogger: Buy A Book

    → BLACKFIVE | 2 Sep 2010 | 7:55 am MDT

    Milblogger and all-around good person Baldilocks has, like many of us, hit a bump in the road. However, she has a novel way to deal with it. Go check it out and buy a book. LW

  6. Damncat Sez

    → Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys.. | 2 Sep 2010 | 7:54 am MDT

    The Auld Soldier had an Auld Cat, hight Damncat, who now resides at Castle Argghhh! He has a snaggletooth, which from time to time gives him an interesting mien that I finally caught on camera today. This may become a feature during this election cycle, if I can keep the Muse of Teh Funny. Of course, the commentariat may submit ideas, via email, so as to not give all the good ones away in comments!...

  7. A Castle Public Service Announcement

    → Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys.. | 2 Sep 2010 | 7:54 am MDT

    Cannonballs got you down?  Just got 'em laying around gathering dust but suddenly aren't sure whether or not they're live?No, really.  I'm serious - read this article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:When General William T. Sherman rode through in 1864, folks got out of the way; and hundreds of Kennesaw State University students were evacuated from a classroom Monday because of two live cannonballs on campus.They were not uncovered during construction or an archeological dig, but had been gathering dust in a display case for three years on the third floor of the Social Sciences building. The room had limited access.So. ...

  8. What has been seen...

    → Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys.. | 2 Sep 2010 | 7:26 am MDT

     Cannot be un-seen.  (Be aware of your surroundings when you click that link)....

  9. Signs Of The Times

    → Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys.. | 2 Sep 2010 | 7:09 am MDT

    "Signs, signs, everywhere a sign...Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind."Heh. Silly hippies -- over here, unless you're heavily into beige, the signs *are* the scenery.I've already introduced you to this one:But most of the time, the signs you see are informational -- and if the information's important enough, they'll be bilingual.The larger lettering is, of course, aimed at the larger audience -- in this case, the drivers who are waiting at the checkpoint for their cars to be inspected for unauthorized exothermic devices capable of producing a transient dynamic overpressure in the immediate environment.Some of them are informational for...

  10. Book Review- Capitol Game by Brian Haig

    → BLACKFIVE | 1 Sep 2010 | 8:54 pm MDT

    Elise Cooper for BLACKFIVE The Capitol Game by Brian Haig is a fast paced book that the reader will not want to put down. The plot is about a small, insignificant company on the edge of bankruptcy that has supposedly discovered a miraculous polymer that when coated on any vehicle, is the equivalent of 30 inches of steel. The Capitol Group, one of the country’s largest and most powerful corporations was enlisted to take over the smaller company that developed the polymer. After the Pentagon’s investigative service starts to ask questions the Capitol Group finds themselves embroiled in a tremendous scandal that involves insider trading, SEC violations, and profiteering. Brian Haig’s experience enables him to understand how the military procurement system works. He previously served in the military as Special Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Command in Korea, and then for four years as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Haig gets his point across in a clear, concise, and humorous manner. The reader is able to see the tragedy of incompetence and profiteering through the characters. Haig told blackfive.net that “In life as well as literature to make a tragedy have an impact it must be done through people.” Captain Bill Forrest is a minor character that plays a major role in the book. He dies when his vehicle hits an IED in Iraq. Using that as a springboard Haig allows the reader to understand what the book is really about, how a corporation tries to make money off of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Haig commented that “what the book is really about is contractor profiteering. The bomb issue was a critical issue. How is it that we took 6 to 7 years to field combat vehicles that would have given our soldiers a much higher chance of survival against the principle battlefield weapon, IED’s.” The two heroes of the book are intentionally vague and are not fully developed, probably because this novel is definitely more of a plot driven story where there are many twists and turns. Everything comes to head in the last three chapters when the reader is able to see how the dots were connected. Brian Haig’s novel, The Capitol Game is an intelligent and captivating thriller. He is able to alert the reader in a very insightful way how a company is willing to put its own profits ahead of both the taxpayer and the American soldier. This book is an exciting read and very informative. Haig has hit a home run with this novel.

  11. Julian Assange: Collateral Rapist (Update)

    → BLACKFIVE | 1 Sep 2010 | 8:47 pm MDT

    If you have a blog or a facebook page, please consider publishing a link to this post, or to the original article: Director of Public Prosecutions Marianne Ny said she decided to reopen the investigation after further review of the case. "There is reason to believe that a crime has been committed. Considering information available at present, my judgment is that the classification of the crime is rape," Ny said in a statement on the Prosecution Authority's website. "More investigations are necessary before a final decision can be made," she added. She also said a preliminary investigation into charges of molestation would be expanded to sexual coercion and sexual molestation. "The case has a high priority," she told Reuters. She declined to say whether Assange had already been questioned or give further information. My heart goes out to these poor women -- apparently at least one of which was a young girl at the time she was raped -- just as it goes out to the Apache helicopter crew he so unfairly maligned, and to the families of the Afghanistan informants he exposed, and who now are in fear for their lives. More here. -- Uber Pig PS: Assange's internal monologue.

  12. Iraqi Civilian Reacts to Obama's War Speech - The Daily Beast

    → Winds of Change.NET | 1 Sep 2010 | 5:11 pm MDT

    An Iraqi view on events in Iraq

  13. Obama's "Targeted Killings" in Court

    → BLACKFIVE | 1 Sep 2010 | 2:46 pm MDT

    Reader Bruce C. sent the article below with some good questions about our targeted killing programs. Here is the article by Evan Perez in the Wall Street Journal: Suit Challenges Reach of U.S. 'Targeted Killings' ...The American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights are taking aim at what the government calls its "targeted killing" program, which mostly uses Central Intelligence Agency-operated drones against suspected terrorists. The lawsuit was filed in federal court for the District of Columbia on behalf of the father of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born Islamic cleric of Yemeni descent, who is believed to be targeted for extra-judicial killing for his alleged involvement in terror plots against the U.S. The administration hasn't publicly described its deliberations about Mr. Awlaki's fate, nor how it uses the secret drone program against suspected terrorists... Read the whole article here and then let's hear what you think in the Comments. Bruce writes: ...[These are] proactive lawsuits to provoke CIA/DoD into "proving" a person is enough of a danger to warrant targeted killing. OK, maybe there ought to be some kind of review on these killings if they're not part of war (and it's a fair debate if they are war or not), but a hearing in open court with the media and others present?...When a request for wiretaps is heard, it is held in a secret intelligence court with attorneys and judges holding TS/SCI clearances. That venue seems like the proper place for these targeted killing hearings, and that's only if they are necessary... BTW, Awlaki was the model citizen who 'counseled' Major Nidal Hassan who killed 13 Americans...among other things.

  14. President Costanza

    → BLACKFIVE | 1 Sep 2010 | 2:27 pm MDT

    James Taranto at WSJ's Best of the Web explains...hilarious (if it weren't so true...this is a pretty darn important time to be going through the "Summer of George")

  15. A Better Speech

    → BLACKFIVE | 1 Sep 2010 | 10:15 am MDT

    Because we need a morale boost after that speech yesterday, here is a repeat of a Blackfive reader favorite video - LTC Randolph White's Infantry School AIT graduation speech:

  16. Building the Perfect Kill House - Virtually

    → BLACKFIVE | 1 Sep 2010 | 9:41 am MDT

    Nick K. sends us this story about using video game software to emulate conditions inside a shoot house: ...The Laser Shot Virtual Shoot House gives these specialized warriors a chance to blow in doors, fire live ammo and take out life-sized enemies, all in a real environment helped along by quite a bit of video game technology. The soldiers are deadly serious about their training. The weapons and ammo they use very real. But their opponents are life-sized video game avatars, the blood virtual, the threat they pose imagined. And the walls these digital enemies stand in front of are actually high-tech video screens that can project images and automatically seal up after a round passes through them... Read the rest here. Be sure to check out the video about the shoot house at the end of the article.

  17. Veterans are the reason for the high deficit

    → BLACKFIVE | 1 Sep 2010 | 9:36 am MDT

    So, last night, a Presidential speech about ending combat operations (not really) in Iraq became an economic diatribe. At least the President promised to stand by veterans: ...That effort must begin within our own borders. Throughout our history, America has been willing to bear the burden of promoting liberty and human dignity overseas, understanding its link to our own liberty and security. But we have also understood that our nation’s strength and influence abroad must be firmly anchored in our prosperity at home. And the bedrock of that prosperity must be a growing middle class. Unfortunately, over the last decade, we have not done what is necessary to shore up the foundation of our own prosperity. We have spent over a trillion dollars at war, often financed by borrowing from overseas. This, in turn, has short-changed investments in our own people, and contributed to record deficits. For too long, we have put off tough decisions on everything from our manufacturing base to our energy policy to education reform. As a result, too many middle class families find themselves working harder for less, while our nation’s long-term competitiveness is put at risk. And so at this moment, as we wind down the war in Iraq, we must tackle those challenges at home with as much energy, and grit, and sense of common purpose as our men and women in uniform who have served abroad. They have met every test that they faced. Now, it is our turn. Now, it is our responsibility to honor them by coming together, all of us, and working to secure the dream that so many generations have fought for –the dream that a better life awaits anyone who is willing to work for it and reach for it. Our most urgent task is to restore our economy, and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work. To strengthen our middle class, we must give all our children the education they deserve, and all our workers the skills that they need to compete in a global economy. We must jumpstart industries that create jobs, and end our dependence on foreign oil. We must unleash the innovation that allows new products to roll off our assembly lines, and nurture the ideas that spring from our entrepreneurs. This will be difficult. But in the days to come, it must be our central mission as a people, and my central responsibility as President. Part of that responsibility is making sure that we honor our commitments to those who have served our country with such valor. As long as I am President, we will maintain the finest fighting force that the world has ever known, and do whatever it takes to serve our veterans as well as they have served us. This is a sacred trust. That is why we have already made one of the largest increases in funding for veterans in decades. We are treating the signature wounds of today’s wars post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury, while providing the health care and benefits that all of our veterans have earned. And we are funding a post-9/11 GI Bill that helps our veterans and their families pursue the dream of a college education. Just as the GI Bill helped those who fought World War II- including my grandfather- become the backbone of our middle class, so today’s servicemen and women must have the chance to apply their gifts to expand the American economy. Because part of ending a war responsibly is standing by those who have fought it... And today we have the President's adviser, former Senator Alan Simpson, talking about reasons for our high (and getting higher everyday) deficit. From the Boston Globe: ..."The irony (is) that the veterans who saved this country are now, in a way, not helping us to save the country in this fiscal mess," said Simpson, an Army veteran who was once chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee... I know that many of you are scratching your heads on this one. First, unlike all of the other government programs that give handouts to people who do not deserve them or have not earned benefits, the Department of Veteran Affairs seeks to help veterans who have done EVERYTHING we have asked of them. ...Sen. Daniel Akaka, a Hawaii Democrat who currently chairs the VA committee, said Tuesday he will address the broader issue of so-called presumptive conditions at a hearing previously set for Sept. 23. The committee will look to "see what changes Congress and VA may need to make to existing law and policy," Akaka said in an e-mail. "It is our solemn responsibility to help veterans with disabilities suffered in their service to our country," said Akaka, who served in the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II. "That responsibility also requires us to make sure limited resources are available for those who truly need and are entitled to them."... But it's okay to use stimulus money to fund research into weather patterns on Venus or to bail out banks run by the relatives of Congress or fixing runways at airports that have been shut down for years? ...VA used an age-adjusted formula in its latest proposal and estimated that it could cost some $67 billion in the next decade. "It's the kind of thing that's just driving us to this $1 trillion, $400 billion deficit this year," Simpson said. "It's not that I'm an uncaring person, but common sense is the most uncommon thing in Washington. Sooo, the VA and the Pentagon are to blame for the skyrocketing budget deficits? Sure, the war has cost us severely. Sure the VA is the biggest government arm in existence. But it is the reason for the huge deficits. Not TARP/Stimulus? Not bailing out GM and supporting union companies that cannot sustain themselves? Not funding universal Obama-care? Not the biggest expansion of government in the history of our government?! Seriously, Senator, you are out of your g*ddamned...

  18. Obama has learned nothing about being Commander in Chief

    → BLACKFIVE | 1 Sep 2010 | 9:30 am MDT

    My reaction to Obama's speech was confirmation that this guy has near zero leadership ability. President Obama’s biggest problem as Commander in Chief is that he is not a leader. He is detached from the troops who fight our wars and they will never feel about him the way they did about George W. Bush. He is uninspiring and it is obvious that he considers the fight against Islamic extremists to be a distraction from his true mission, fundamentally transforming and rescuing America from its failed past. There was not a single moment in his speech where he spoke to the troops about their mission. He spoke about them in reverent tones, but he never articulated what we were fighting and why it really mattered. There is a reason for that, he has absolutely no rapport with them, he doesn’t understand them, and he has absolutely no clue how to lead them. Hell he really wishes he didn’t have to. My welcoming rant to Obama is below the fold (language warning). Sadly it still seems perfectly apt.

  19. The President's Speech

    → Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys.. | 1 Sep 2010 | 7:27 am MDT

    It wasn't awful, but it was weak tea, and disingenuous - as all speeches like this tend to be. "But this milestone should serve as a reminder to all Americans that the future is ours to shape if we move forward with confidence and commitment. It should also serve as a message to the world that the United States of America intends to sustain and strengthen our leadership in this young century."Heh. If I'm going to hear this from a Democrat sitting in the Oval Office, I much prefer the JFK version:"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well...

  20. Lili Marlene & The Power Of Music

    → Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys.. | 1 Sep 2010 | 7:00 am MDT

    As The Greatest Generation inexorably moves on, it is important to remember them for the sacrifices the all made for us, and for the stories that their souls keep...

  21. On the radio

    → IRAQ THE MODEL | 31 Aug 2010 | 1:55 pm MDT

    Will be on the Brian Lehrer-WNYC show tomorrow starting 10:06 Am EST to talk about the withdrawal of combat troops and Obama's speech.

  22. Buy Baldi's book

    → Mudville Gazette | 31 Aug 2010 | 12:49 pm MDT

    A break from convention coverage because one of my favorite milbloggers needs your help....

  23. The Boehner Speech

    → Mudville Gazette | 31 Aug 2010 | 12:33 pm MDT

    The moment some folks have been waiting for... I'll add comments to the post below as the speech progresses......

  24. Live blogging the Boehner Speech

    → Mudville Gazette | 31 Aug 2010 | 11:47 am MDT

    Here's the full text of House Minority Leader John Boehner's speech today, as released. Apparently this one's getting some attention around the blogosphere. I'll be live blogging it from here on the convention floor, so my thoughts will be added (in italics) as he delivers... Item one: there was a brief intermission to allow the setup of the teleprompter for Congressman Boehner. He's the first to use one here... Washington (Aug 31) House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) Remarks to...

  25. The Patriot Award

    → Mudville Gazette | 31 Aug 2010 | 11:26 am MDT

    The American Legion's Patriot Award was just presented to Duane Jackson and Lance Orton, the two Legion members who foiled the Times Square bomber earlier this year. Their actions prevented a catastrophe, and while that foiled attack was big news for a while, there's a bit of irony in that the event is one already fading from our national memory thanks to the actions of two alert heroes....

  26. Secretary Shinseki's Speech

    → Mudville Gazette | 31 Aug 2010 | 9:50 am MDT

    Live video feed here The degree of interest and response to this speech is slightly greater than that for Secretary Gates. Not surprising in the largest veterans' group in America. "There will always be unfinished work" - the opening line. VA's budget increase over the past year is the largest in 30 years, and will increase next year, too. "Eliminate veterans homelessness by 2015." This is VA's key goal for the next few years. "No longer need to document a...

  27. Secretary Gates' Speech

    → Mudville Gazette | 31 Aug 2010 | 8:38 am MDT

    Secretary Gates is on stage, you can watch the live video feed here. Paraphrasing: He's addressing tomorrow's change from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn, and pledging to never forget the contributions and sacrifice of American troops who made it possible. Afghanistan effort is moving ahead in all fronts. A few main points: Think of the Afghan campaign as two different wars - the first, to oust the Taliban, was in 2001 and early 2002, and was won outright....

  28. The New Ad...

    → Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys.. | 31 Aug 2010 | 7:45 am MDT

    You may have noticed the Sierra Club ad over there.    Go ahead, click on it!  It won't hurt you (and will help the Castle). I didn't disapprove it.  I didn't approve it, either, I dunno how they got it to run automatically, I must have a setting off in my blogad control panel. S'okay. They hate the Second Amendment.  I'm going to buy ammo with the revenue. They love trees (so do I, but hey, I've got a small forest to manage, too).  So, I'm going to get the chainsaw blades sharpened.  And cut some wood.  And not just deadfall, either. To burn for aesthetic purposes.  And to stockpile, in case the world does devolve to their kinda preferred balance, and we once again live in a world lit only by fire. Besides, what they're advertising for in and of itself isn't a bad thing.

  29. Live blogging the American Legion Convention

    → Mudville Gazette | 31 Aug 2010 | 7:38 am MDT

    I'm on the convention floor in Milwaukee, enjoying the hospitality of the American Legion at their 92nd Annual National Convention. Events are already underway - you can watch the live video feed here. Guests scheduled to address the group include House Minority Leader John Boehner (story here), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. I'll be updating with posts throughout the day. In addition, Mr Wolf is updating at Blackfive here, and Mark Seavey, the...

  30. A TINS!

    → Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys.. | 31 Aug 2010 | 7:31 am MDT

    BTDTGTTS*Hearken back to 1978, Fort McClellan, Alabama.  Cadet Donovan is engaged in CTLT, or Cadet Troop Leading Training, which was a 3 week add-on to ROTC summer camp.  Cadets fanned out across the Army (West Pointers could score CTLT in Europe or Korea, but not us cheap kids at land grant universities) and were supposed to assume Lieutenant-level leadership positions in actual units.  Some units were good at actually letting the cadets get their teeth into it.  Others treated the CTLT cadets as tag-alongs.  I got lucky.  I spent three weeks as the functional XO of a Basic Training company.  The real XO,...

  31. Military recruiting vids -

    → Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys.. | 31 Aug 2010 | 7:28 am MDT

    Which ones do you like the best?...

  32. A hot time in old Milwaukee

    → Mudville Gazette | 30 Aug 2010 | 2:19 pm MDT

    This could be interesting- "Boehner To Slam Obama Ahead Of Iraq Speech":House Minority Leader John Boehner is preparing to bash President Obama and other Democrats during a speech Tuesday for having opposed the troop "surge" in Iraq that he says is now allowing a shift of U.S. forces there from combat. In a speech to be delivered at 1:10 p.m. CST to the American Legion convention in Milwaukee, Wis., Boehner, R-Ohio, will also talk about the role the U.S. should...

  33. Glenn Beck As Nemiah Scudder

    → Winds of Change.NET | 30 Aug 2010 | 9:32 am MDT

    Robert Heinlein imagined a religious dictatorship taking over the US in 2012...are you nervous yet?

  34. Unbreakable

    → Mudville Gazette | 30 Aug 2010 | 7:11 am MDT

    "Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible. I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot; but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose. But fortunately I had my manuscript, so you see I was going to make a long speech, and there is a bullet - there is where the bullet went through - and it probably saved me from it going into my heart. The bullet is...

  35. Setting the Bar Low, Setting the Bar High

    → Winds of Change.NET | 27 Aug 2010 | 9:05 am MDT

    How they control the horizontal, how they control the vertical. In the Consistency thread one of our frequent commenters made a revealing remark which deserves to be highlighted separately, as it unintentionally confirmed the point...

  36. They Played This Song at the end of My Oath of Citizenship Today......

    → Winds of Change.NET | 26 Aug 2010 | 2:19 pm MDT

    I always liked that song, and remember when it first came out. I wish they had also played this in the prelude......

  37. PFC Justin B. Shoecraft

    → Stryker Brigade News | 26 Aug 2010 | 9:58 am MDT

    The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Pfc. Justin B. Shoecraft, 28, of Elkhart, Ind., died Aug. 24 at Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit...

  38. A Year in Afghanistan

    → Stryker Brigade News | 25 Aug 2010 | 5:02 pm MDT

    Frustration, pride in a year of danger by Seattle Times reporter Hal Bernton is a stellar overview of one unit's year in Afghanistan. And it was from these orchards that the soldiers of the 1st Battalion waged some of their...

  39. The Perfect Iranian Storm on the Horizon

    → Winds of Change.NET | 25 Aug 2010 | 3:14 pm MDT

    Jonathan Spyer is not your typical Israeli journalist and political analyst. He has a PhD in International Relations, he fought in Lebanon during the summer war of 2006, then went back to Lebanon as...

  40. No words...

    → Winds of Change.NET | 23 Aug 2010 | 7:00 pm MDT



  41. 4/2 SBCT, The Last Combat Brigade

    → Stryker Brigade News | 19 Aug 2010 | 9:48 pm MDT

    Lots of coverage of the 4/2 SBCT as it redeploys as the last combat brigade in Iraq. Operation Iraqi Freedom ends as last combat soldiers leave Baghdad - Washington Post Last U.S. combat convoy has left Iraq - CNN.com Last...

  42. Dragoons Save Local Businessman’s Cargo

    → Stryker Brigade News | 18 Aug 2010 | 9:36 pm MDT

    Story by Sgt. Gerald Wilson ZABUL, Afghanistan- It was shaping up to be a routine Tuesday morning, August 10th, for the Regimental Personal Security Detail of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. It was convoy trip with the regimental commander and...

  43. Governor Inspects Damage in Shin Kay

    → Stryker Brigade News | 18 Aug 2010 | 9:25 pm MDT

    Story by Spc. Audrey Glynn and Sgt. Gerald Wilson ZABUL, Afghanistan- Governor of the Zabul province, Al-Haj Mohammed Ashraf Naseri, stood alongside representatives from 2nd Squadron , 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, the Provincial Reconstruction Team, and coalition partners from Combined...

  44. Medics Lead a Dog’s Life

    → Stryker Brigade News | 18 Aug 2010 | 9:21 pm MDT

    Story by Sgt. Gerald Wilson ZABUL, Afghanistan- Medics from the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment received some paws on training Thursday, Aug. 8 at Forward Operating Base Lagman from some very unusual instruction. The troopers received a class on how to...

  45. SPC Jamal M. Rhett

    → Stryker Brigade News | 18 Aug 2010 | 10:35 am MDT

    The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Jamal M. Rhett, 24, of Palmyra, N.J., died Aug. 15 in Ba Qubah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle...

  46. Consistency

    → Winds of Change.NET | 17 Aug 2010 | 7:58 pm MDT

    Always remember that the governing class is completely consistent. They consistently have two standards. The Over and Under: The Mosque will be completed before the new WTC/Freedom Tower/"One World" Tower/whatever they end up calling it...

  47. 4/2 SBCT Redployment Articles

    → Stryker Brigade News | 16 Aug 2010 | 9:29 pm MDT

    Welcome home! 4th Brigade troops head home - The News Tribune Sweet homecoming for 4th Brigade troops - The News Tribune...

  48. A Helping Hand For A Hero's Widow

    → Winds of Change.NET | 16 Aug 2010 | 12:35 pm MDT

    A widow needs a helping hand...

  49. Five Hours

    → Winds of Change.NET | 13 Aug 2010 | 12:48 am MDT

    I got a phone call.

  50. On the Proposal to Amend the 14th to End Birthright Citizenship

    → Winds of Change.NET | 12 Aug 2010 | 1:01 pm MDT

    Mark B. asked for a thread to discuss this issue. Here are some recent news stories. Here is the Wikipedia entry on jus soli, which is the Latin phrase for what we call birthright citizenship....

  51. U.S., Iraqi leaders bid farewell to last American combat brigade

    → Stryker Brigade News | 12 Aug 2010 | 9:31 am MDT

    By Spc. Luisito Brooks & Pfc. Kimberly Hackbarth FORWARD OPERATING BASE CONSTITUTION, Iraq (Army News Service, Aug. 10, 2010) -- Two Iraqi and three American Soldiers marched crisply across a parade field here to a display where their unit colors...

  52. New Op-Ed

    → IRAQ THE MODEL | 3 Aug 2010 | 5:24 pm MDT

    Check out the opinion page at the WSJ tomorrow. Austin Bay and I will have a piece on government formation.

  53. Realities, rules, relationships won't help surge succeed

    → IRAQ THE MODEL | 1 Aug 2010 | 3:10 pm MDT

    Debating the surge in Afghanistan, on The Hill. Here are my two cents. When the Bush administration unveiled the Iraq surge and new war strategy, then Senator Barak Obama opposed the plan, arguing it was bound to fail and increase the violence. He was proven wrong. A few years later, President Obama, faced with a dismal situation in Afghanistan, is trying to copy the same approach, minus

  54. False alarm

    → IRAQ THE MODEL | 28 Jul 2010 | 2:55 pm MDT

    Yes. That's what the post from July 8 was. It was very disappointing because Maliki did in fact make such statement and it was reported the next day by numerous local and Arab sources. It was probably a statement that he made without enough thinking or without the approval of other powerful members of his coalition. Anyway, it's been 20 weeks since the election and there's still no sign of a

  55. Maliki Concedes the Premiership to Allawi

    → IRAQ THE MODEL | 8 Jul 2010 | 11:47 am MDT

    It looks like Allawi is about to get what he deserves as the winner in the March 7 election: Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said that he is not opposed to having al-Iraqiya bloc of Ayad Allawi form the new government, if the matter was conducted in accordance with constitutional guidelines. Maliki added at a joint press conference with Lebanese counterpart Saad Hariri that he believes in the

  56. Allawi-Maliki Deal Imminent

    → IRAQ THE MODEL | 29 Jun 2010 | 8:05 am MDT

    Nouri Al-Maliki and Ayad Allawi are going to meet tonight at 6pm local time, at Allawi's Iraqiya bloc offices. Word in some local media and speculations by some politicians indicate that a deal between the two leaders is imminent. The deal is expected to give Allawi the Presidency and Maliki the Premiership, while awarding the Parliament Speaker post to the Kurds, who are freaked out by the

  57. Najaf in Vatican's Footsteps?

    → IRAQ THE MODEL | 17 Jun 2010 | 6:05 pm MDT

    A growing sex scandal that recently surfaced is probably going to haunt the Najaf clergy, particularly that of Ayatollah Ali Sistani, for a while. Recently, a bunch of video clips appeared on youtube, in which Sistani's representative in Maysan province is seen engaged in sexual action with several women. So far, the leaks, discussion and speculations have been limited to online forums and

  58. Time for some maintenance

    → IRAQ THE MODEL | 16 Jun 2010 | 4:41 pm MDT

    I decided it was time to finally endorse Blogger's new (a couple years old actually!) goodies and fancy tools. So, I will be upgrading, adding, removing, adjusting and readjusting page elements, sidebar content, links etc one thing at a time, meaning it will probably take a couple weeks until things return to normal. The disruption will regrettably involve the comments section as well, but I will

  59. Maliki at a Crossroads

    → IRAQ THE MODEL | 9 May 2010 | 2:50 pm MDT

    Two months after election and six weeks after results were announced, we are farther from figuring out the shape of the new government than we were on election eve. The largest three blocs (Allawi's Iraqiya, Maliki's SoL and Hakim/Sadr's INA) are struggling to wrestle the initiative from one another. Recent developments over the last week appear to have given Maliki the advantage. Maliki has

  60. Government Formation--Nationalism vs. Regional Agendas

    → IRAQ THE MODEL | 16 Apr 2010 | 10:42 am MDT

    The dust from election day is beginning to settle down and now we can identify the main possible trajectories in which government-formation is going. First of all, it is becoming clear that there are two very powerful regional influences that are pulling in different, but not exactly opposite, directions. On the one hand there’s Iran and on the other there’s Saudi Arabia, and I may say Turkey

  61. Blog World Convention Panel

    → Austin Bay Blog | 19 Sep 2008 | 7:52 am MDT

    I will be moderating a panel at the Blog World Expo in Las Vegas at 12:15 pm Saturday, September 20th. (Las Vegas Convention Center. Go here for the conference schedule.) The panel is titled “The Blogosphere in Transition.” Panelists include Pam Spaulding (pamspaulding.com), Bridget Magnus (BridgetMangnus.com), Roger L. Simon (Pajamasmedia.com and rogerlsimon.com) and Rob Neppell (NZ Bear [...]

  62. Up the Ante Diplomacy: US and Poland go for Euro-Anti-Missile

    → Austin Bay Blog | 14 Aug 2008 | 3:35 pm MDT

    This via AP: Poland and the United States reached an agreement Thursday to base American missile interceptors in Poland, the prime minister said, going ahead with a plan that has angered Russia and threatened to escalate tensions with the region’s communist-era master. Speaking in an interview televised on news channel TVN24, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the [...]

  63. UPDATED: Texas Hold’em versus Russian Roulette = The New Eastern Front? Let’s explore an alternative military option

    → Austin Bay Blog | 13 Aug 2008 | 4:59 pm MDT

    Follow my blog posts and this week’s newspaper column and it’s clear that I’m looking at the diplomatic mid-term and long-term for resolution of the Russo-Georgia War. However, this morning I had “one of those conversations” about US and Western European military options—in the gym. Hey, these chats are occurring in defense ministries, in State Departments, [...]

  64. UPDATED: More on the Russo-Georgia Aftermath

    → Austin Bay Blog | 13 Aug 2008 | 7:36 am MDT

    Via StrategyPage. This week’s column. Also see this StrategyPage update on the GSSOP (Georgia Sustainment and Stability Operations Program). UPDATE: Hat tip Instapundit. A comprehensive post from CharlesCrawford.biz which concludes with this thought: Does the objective correlation of forces favour those leaders who in a pre-modern way have a clear sense of what they want - and are [...]

  65. More on the dire diplomatic aftermath of Russo-Georgia War

    → Austin Bay Blog | 12 Aug 2008 | 3:54 pm MDT

    As I write this post news reports claim Russian troops have halted their main attack just short of Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital. Perhaps Russian memories of the battle for the city of Grozny, Chechnya, play a role. In late 1994 the Russians attempted to drive Chechen rebels from Grozny, and failed miserably. The city fight became [...]

  66. And a nice review from Michael Barone

    → Austin Bay Blog | 12 Aug 2008 | 3:25 pm MDT

    The inimitable Michael Barone reviews the “convergence media” presentation of my interview with General David Petraeus. I appreciate the generous words.

  67. Two Short Book Reviews: Winkler’s “Nexus”, Nichols “Eve of Destruction”

    → Austin Bay Blog | 10 Aug 2008 | 3:29 pm MDT

    NOTE: I will eventually turn this post into a column. I have been intending to review Nichols’ book since March. I got to read Winkler’s book in galley and got a copy in the mail ten days ago. Two books published this year admirably reflect history renewed and history pending, Jonathan Reed Winkler’s Nexus: Strategic Communications [...]

  68. UPDATED: Russia’s Invasion of South Ossetia: The Kosovo Precedent In Play?

    → Austin Bay Blog | 9 Aug 2008 | 7:51 pm MDT

    Consider the looming diplomatic argument. If protecting Kosovar Albanians elicits a NATO invasion, as it did in 1999, and in the case of South Ossetia Russian peacekeepers operating under international aegis were already on the ground and involved in the Georgia-South Ossetia conflict (which they were), what is the gripe? After Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of [...]

  69. Terror Connects to Crime In Iraq: Analysis by General David Petraeus

    → Austin Bay Blog | 6 Aug 2008 | 9:27 pm MDT

    Quick note: TheArenaUSA’s convergence media program featuring the entire interview with GEN Petraeus went on-line a short time ago. The response to the various Arena “beta” programs has been gratifying and thank you– the Korea backgrounder and the Over The Horizon: The Evolving Food Crisis seem to have been particularly well received. Thank you. [...]

  70. Turkey’s Constitutional Court Fines AKP

    → Austin Bay Blog | 6 Aug 2008 | 9:09 pm MDT

    I know this post comes a bit late. It’s old news by now: Turkey’s Constitutional Court did not ban the Justice and Development Party (AKP), it fined the AKP. The “judicial coup” did not occur. The AKP was accused of undermining Turkey’s secularist institutions. While working on an update for StrategyPage I read through a [...]



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