Operation Sleigh Ride Brightens Troops’ Day

BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Dec. 27, 2005 — Christmas in Afghanistan will never rival a Christmas at home, but for two U.S. Army officers from the 1st Personnel Command, they have gone above and beyond to bring home to soldiers serving in Afghanistan. (Full Story)

82nd airborne unit coming home

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq, Dec. 29, 2005 – An 82nd Airborne Division unit has again proven the division's unofficial motto of "America's 911 Force" during its deployment to Iraq's Anbar province... (full story)

Biblical City handed over to iraqi forces

The U.S. Central Command announced today that Nineveh and it's surrounding province is being handed over to Iraqi troops. Nineveh, you may recall, was the biblical city founded by post-flood ruler Nimrod some 6000+ years or so ago. It is spoken of in the Bible in Genesis 10:11, Jonah 3:3 and 4:11, and was once the Capital of the Assyrian empire.

From CentCom...

December 29, 2005
Release Number: 05-12-78


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


FIRST BATTLE SPACE TRANSITION IN NINEVEH PROVINCE

MOSUL, IRAQ – Over 500 soldiers from the Coalition Forces and the Iraqi Army came together for a battle-space assumption handover ceremony Dec. 27.

For the first time within the Nineveh Province of Iraq, the 3/3/2 Iraqi Army assumed military control of battle-space. The Iraqi Army is fully engaged in the fight, and Iraq’s leadership will bring security and stability back to the nation and ultimately defeat the insurgency.

One of the Coalition Forces main efforts is to build capable Iraqi Army battalions, brigades and divisions through partnership and transition teams. This effort has enabled the Iraqi people to have increased confidence in the capability and credibility of its security forces.

B-Roll of this monumental event can be down-loaded from the Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS), HTTP://www.dvidshub.net

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT MULTINATIONAL FORCE-NORTHWEST PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER, MAJ DAVID ALBANO AT David.Albano@MNBNW.IRAQ.ARMY.MIL

20,000 tons destroyed

On December 16th, U.S. troops completed the destruction of nearly 20 thousand tons of Iraqi weapons and munitions. According to the Army News Report, they destroyed "small-caliber ammunition, mortars, and artillery shells to larger weapons such as 1,000 pound bombs, and surface-to-air missiles".

20 thousand tons of weapons and munitions? Sounds to me like that could have resulted in "mass destruction" somewhere.

Nine Insurgents (AKA terrorists) killed in overnight raid.

This from the U.S. Central Command, released today.

December 21, 2005
Release Number: 05-12-56


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


NINE INSURGENTS KILLED, 16 DETAINED IN OVERNIGHT RAIDS

BAGHDAD, Iraq – At least nine Anti-Iraqi Forces were killed and 16 terror suspects were captured in two separate incidents in southern Baghdad Dec.19-20.

Two vehicles were observed fleeing the scene of a raid Dec. 19. One group pulled a bound hostage from the vehicle and killed him. A U.S. warplane flying in support of operations in the area engaged and killed the terrorists...

Full story

A Christmas Poem

I don't know where this came from, originally, other than to say that a good friend of mine, who just returned from Iraq, sent it to me. Something to think about this weekend as we celebrate with our friends and family.

A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS POEM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line, That
separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me, I'm proud to
stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December," Then
he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam', And
now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while, But my
wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag, The
red, white, and blue... an American flag.

"I can live through the cold and the being alone, Away
from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another, Or lay down
my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all, To ensure
for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright, Your
family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?

It seems all too little for all that you've done, For
being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret, "Just
tell us you love us, and never forget.

To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead, To
know you remember we fought and we bled.

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust, That
we mattered to you as you mattered to us.

Please pray for and remember our men and women in uniform this Christmas season.

Those Silly Terrorists

Now here's a bit of news I'll bet you hadn't heard on your local TV or radio station. Today in Tikrit, Iraq, 1 terrorist was killed and another injured while trying to place an IED. But, for an interesting twist, we actually tried to save the lives of those who were intent on killing our soldiers. I didn't know imperialists did that (?????) Hey, whaddaya know, we're not so evil afterall.

Spies Like Us

Given all of the liberal media hype surrounding Bush's use of wire taps to spy on terrorists, I thought it appropriate to point out that this is nothing new. The fact is that the FISA courts not only knew of Bush's use of wiretaps, they also specifically noted that he had the power and authority to conduct those taps without a warrant.

So why all the hub-bub? Because the media simply wishes to smear the Bush Administration by whatever means they can. The author of the NY Times article that "outed" the NSA has a new book coming out later this month, so anyone with a brain has to question the timing of the release of the article, which the NYT sat on for over a year. Not only is there a new book, but let's look at the other news at the time:

• Iraq had just finished their elections - This is an obvious Bush win, so why release a potentially damaging story, unless you're trying to hurt the President?
• The Patriot Act was up for renewal in the Senate - A negative story purporting an abuse of power, such as the NSA spy story, only served the hurt the renewal of the Patriot Act, which was defeated.

The defeat of the Patriot Act renewal, in particular, will make it more difficult to track terrorists, which makes it easier for them to operate. It's frustrating, to say the least, that the media and the liberal elite seem to have such burning hatred for Bush that they are willing to put the lives of every American in jeopardy just to regain their power. The fact of the matter is, we are a nation at war, and as such we should support our President and our troops if we want to win that war.

I for one think the President's speech this weekend was inspired. He said what needed to be said. We can have an honest debate about policy, but not if only one side is being honest.

Politics by Other Means

Karl Von Clausewitz wrote in his [now classic] work On War; "War is merely a continuation of politics by other means" and "War is thus an act of force to compel our enemy to do our will."

There are those segments of our Earth's population that are compelled to believe that under Karl's statement that our "supposition of force" on Iraq is an "act of force, compelling the Iraqi people to do our will". And perhaps, in a limited, narrow minded sense- they'd be completely correct. But note that I say "in a limited, narrow minded sense".

The "progressive" minds of our Liberal friends seem to vapor lock at the idea that one can and should compel another to do the right thing against their will. Perhaps that's an archaic and barbarous notion, but how is it we can assert our will on our children and that is considered "molding" a person into a productive member of society, yet children are the most innocent of mankind's population- surely supposition on their part is akin to bowing down to slavery before their parents?

The other piece of this Liberal mindset puzzle, is the inference that we as Americans are in some way "controlling" the Iraqi people. What helps flesh out this notion is that we're seeing the return of the dogmatic ritual of the post 60s/70s counter culture philosophy that "anything Republican/Government can't be trusted".

The funny part to this whole politicized Greek Tragedy of The Iraqi invasion and the general War On Terror is that everything has fallen into place as if the counterculture playbook [which I'm sure is still a bold, communist red...] were read word for word and the pieces fallen into place based on their dog-eared, off-Broadway script.

There's even the sacrificial media stars that appear with the enemy and stand as social martyrs to their soiled, ignorant cause based on their own narrow view of the situation. Always in lockstep with the script of the anti-Vietnam sentiment.

If you want the whole scism on this interpretation, note the average age of the rebelling actors and actresses- the younger ones have ties to those that were "rebels" of their day- and the older ones, are reliving the death-rattle of their baneful and selfish wasted years.

Those of the counterculture are petulently spoiled with their own fame and idolitry to recognize that they thmeselves are the scolded children that do not wish to be told "what to do"- you could say that they display the classic case of transference on teh Iraqui people...

Prove me wrong- it's simply what I've noticed and there's no truth or facts, other than my observations, to prove or disprove it one way or the other.

I'll be playing my part to debunk the Hollywood martyrs and their flawed, convoluted and sad interpretation of the world around them. Sean Penn, Barbara Streisand, Martin Sheen, anyone who's "anyone" will not escape my wrath- but at the same token, they are our brothers and sisters of mankind- so I'll promise to approach this subject with candor, but hopefully fairness.

If I'm wrong, I expect to be "called" on it- but it had better be with facts that come from processed, non derivative data- since you'd expect the same thing from me- let's agree right here and now that together we should expect no less from each other and come to a consensus- even if it's to agree to disagree.

I promise not to be boring- and at any point the gloves come off, I promise to factually bury any interlopers.

Peace be with you all! I hope to be no less than worthy as a contributor to this fine Blog.

I continue to be Russ.

Iraqi Election Day!

Well, today is a day when history is being made. For the very first time the people of Iraq are participating in a true democracy that will shape their future by electing the first leaders in their new permanent government. What an exciting time to be alive! All of the is possible, of course, because the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the U.S. military and the undaunting leadership of President Bush. It is a great day indeed!

DOD Photo - Iraqi man shows his purple finger after voting.