Christian Peacemaker Teams: ...should you be captured ...... many good lucks

Statement at CPT website on the recent capture of four members by thugs in Iraq:

"Christian Peacemaker Teams, (aka CPT,) does not advocate the use of violent force to save lives of its workers should they be kidnapped, held hostage, or caught in the middle of a conflict situation."

Bill Roggio reports back from the bush via Instapundit

Instapundit has the latest word from Bill Roggio. I especially liked the comment by Lifton.

BLOGGER-TURNED-REPORTER BILL ROGGIO reports back from a patrol on the Iraqi/Syrian border. He also sends this, by email: "My internet access has been limited but I'm having the time of my life in Iraq. I've had great access to all of the Marines and soldiers out here, and am being treated like royalty. These guys are extremely frustrated with the media and make no bones about their distaste for those who are undermining the war effort by calling for withdrawal."

Bill also has a report on Operation Steel Curtain.

UPDATE: Reader Jack Lifton emails:

You had a link this morning to a report from an embedded newsman in Iraq who said that the troops were frustrated by the lack of support from the folks at home (at least from the MSM) and by the operational advice being given to them by strategists from deep in their armchairs.

"I worked in military research and development during the Vietnam era. Many of my friends served in Vietnam and some didn't come home. At no time during that period do I remember morale being as high as it is now in the ranks. In those days a lot of the boys (there were very few girls) didn't have much education or exposure to high tech. My group designed, manufactured, tested, and trained them in the use of night vision equipment. I remember well our quiet pride and admiration for a soldier who had jumped into a river from a helicopter under fire to retrieve the latest starlight scope that had been lost by an injured comrade, so the enemy would not have access to it. This was at the same time as we all had a good laugh listening to Robert MacNamara tell the country that an electronic fence would keep the enemy at Bay and therefore the boys would be home by Christmas. Those of us working on the "electronic fence" knew that the junkyard dog smart Viet Cong wouldn't be stopped by this toy or MacNamara's strategic imagination....

"Today's troops are light-years ahead of Vietnam in education and technical awareness. Morale is high. They are fighting an army of thugs who cannot face them one-to-one and so try to "terrorize" the people on whose behalf our soldiers are fighting into asking them to leave. The thugs are in fact doing a good job on the self-absorbed opportunist seekers of power we call our elected representatives. They may have schemed themselves into and paid for some elections, but they don't represent those of us who know that you need to fight for freedom."

topcat marine security Delivers Thug Buster Boat to Calvert Co.

topcat marine security: "Charleston, SC February 23, 2005: Top Cat Marine Security (TCMS) delivered its 31’ Cobra Predator Patrol Boat to Calvert County Maryland’s Special Operations/Counterterrorism teams. The boat was purchased to combat the threat of terrorism toward its nuclear power plant and liquid natural gas facility both located on Chesapeake Bay.
Sheriff Mike Evans of the Calvert County Sheriff’s department, Ricky Thomas Head of the Special Operations team and Frank Wysocki, a 29 year Navy Seal team expert, Special Ops innovator, President of Survival Strategies and founder of Special Ops teams specializing in counterterrorism were all instrumental in selecting the 31’ Patrol boat. TCMS’s maritime experts also provided extensive training for the Special Ops team aboard the 31’ Predator.
According to Sheriff Evans” we needed a vessel that would allow us to stop violators and suspicious individuals in a rapid fashion. The way it took the waves, the way is handled was quite impressive”. Ricky Thomas went on to say “We looked at a variety of boats and were very impressed with Cobra’s ability to handle many sea states. It turns on a dime, this boat is set up for intercept work and we are delighted we got it.” Sgt. Steve Jones added, “The stability of the boat will allow our long gunners to stay on target while never losing sight range. The front end was very stable. That is key in patrolling and responding to a potential threat to our plants and our ports”."

Eagle Speak has a post detailing the news that this company also has the contract to do an S&D on pirates off the coast of Somalia. The pirates have a couple of motherships that operate further off the coast as well as the local puppies that work closer to the shore.

Gatekeeper, courier, confidant of al-Zarqawi confirmed outside the airlocker by relative

Bilal Mahmud Awad Shebah, aka Abu Ubaydah, XS for Zarqawi killed Oct 14th by Coalition Forces in the Albu Ubayd suburbs of Ramadi. Info collected during the raid could not definitely ID him until a month later when a relative confirmed the death of Zarqawi's confident and gatekeeper. His replacement for the post of executive secretary should provide a resume indicating the ability to screen calls, messages and requests for meetings; be willing to be an MTA most-trusted-associate as well have a secure stable of safe houses while using intimidation tactics and death threats to secure willing cooperation for al Qaeda activity.

Marine ThugBuster Unit Open for Business in 6 to 8 months - via MSNBC.com

The Marine Corps latest contribution to WW IV aka The Thug Wars is MARSOC--Marine Special Operations Command otherwise known, by moi, as the "who ya' gonna' call:Thugbusters!" dedicated to the mission statement that all thuggies should be ushered at once to the nearest exit ramp for the air locker. The new 2600 man unit is the brain child of "Dances w/Marines" Rummy whose persistence in the face of over whelming resistence to dance from Marine Corps Brass left Rumsfeld exasperated beyond patience for a old meat and fire eater. At Socom headquarters on Oct. 11, he said the talks had gone "painfully" slow. Sounding like Master Yoda he said: "Forever, it's taken," . "I will be 85 before it's finished, I'm afraid."

"After learning the Marines were not in the mix, Rumsfeld decided that long-standing position should change. The Marines "wanted to do what they do, and they did not want that pool of people to be used for that function," Rumsfeld said. "I thought that was maybe fine before but not so good now." As initial steps, the Marines added liaison officers at SoCom and expanded training initiatives with the command, SoCom officials said.
To test the concept in a real-world setting, a small Marine Corps special operations outfit known as "Detachment One" deployed to Iraq last year.
Rumsfeld, however, kept pushing for a permanent commitment."


As U.S. Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine wrote in a 2003 article for National Review Online, "Special operations units in the Marines are not accorded the same respect [by the Marine leadership] as they are in other branches. The Marines view special operations as simply another realm of warfighting. Marines are Marines, and no individual Marine or Marine unit is considered more elite than the other." That's long been the Corps' approach to special operations, and one of the reasons the Marine Corps successfully resisted becoming a component part the U.S. Defense Department's Special Operations Command (SOCOM) when it was formed back in 1986.

Anyway, that's all agnst outside the air locker. No more talk of who is gonna eat whose lunch and though the brass and senior NCO's at Force Recon are worried about how they are going to replace the troops MARSOC will take-- the commander's intent has been given. The new "who ya' gonna' call" team is set for Camp Lejune w/a regimental HQ a couple of BN's, support group and a training unit that will work with foreign military units under the watchful eyes of Brigadier Dennis Hejlik.
Marines' Elite Unit Breaks Ground - News - MSNBC.com

First LAR Marines Along the Syrian border celebrate Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving Day, Marines of the First Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion are rooting out local thugs, smugglers and foreign thugs on patrol along the porous Syrian border. Back at the CP they celebrate the day eating the traditional fare of turkey w/all the trimmings and looking forward to the day they too will be holding point on the couch in front of the TV watching Dallas and Denver go head to head into overtime.

Marine Corporal Brian Zwart of Fruitport, Michigan, said, "Serving my country is important but losing friends makes me more thankful for what I have and for what I used to take for granted.''

Lance Corporal Kyle Maxwell, a 21-year-old from Petaluma, California, said yes he could be sitting on a couch back home watching football with his dad. Right now he has an important mission at hand driving an LAV-25 war pig loaded with a reception committee of LAR Marines and an unforgiving 25 mm chain gun loaded for thuggies keeping America safe.

The Nation owes a great debt of gratitude and thanks for all Marines near and far. OOORAH!

Cpl. Chris Stein, B Co. 4th LAR Photo Show via...The Daily Times - News - 11/23/2005

Cpl. Stein shared his March to Baghdad photos with his students at Interboro High School:


By Alex Rose
"Retired Marine Cpl. Chris Stein, an alum and 11th-grade American history teacher at Interboro High School, where some 340 of his students got a more personal look at the war Tuesday during an all-day presentation of his own deployment.


"I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to share my experiences with the students of today so they can see it from a different perspective," said Stein, 31, a former reservist and Delco native now living in Oxford.

"And I guess it makes it even more special that it's within the community I grew up in. That adds to the experience of the situation."

Stein was activated for an eight-month tour of duty in February 2003. He was awaiting orders in Kuwait by the beginning of March, and when the war began March 17, Stein set out with the 157 other Marines of the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion's Bravo Company to become a part of history.

"I think it hits a little more home when it's someone (students) know or someone they deal with," said Stein, having now traded dusty boots and tan fatigues for sensible shoes and striped ties.

Many of the pictures Stein showed his classes illustrated the lighter side of military life during "down time." With 10 days out of every 30 devoted to time off, sheer boredom gave birth to a syrup chugging contest and mock trial (someone was "sued" for child abuse after he let another Marine's pet scorpion escape).

But other photos showed all too clearly the constant danger the 4th was in during those other 20 days.

Marines slept in "graves" they'd dug next to their vehicles to avoid shrapnel from falling artillery - it explodes up and out, not down. There were images of burned-out or still flaming tanks, and one picture, taken on the second day of fighting, showed a giant fireball rising from the Al-Ramallah oil fields on the horizon. The Marines were heading toward it.

Stein was set for a medical evacuation in June 2003, but elected to stay until the rest of his company shipped out in October of that year.

"It was, you left with a certain group of men, you want to come home with them," he said. "I wouldn't have felt comfortable coming home knowing they were still over there. My grandfather spent two years in a prisoner camp (in Austria during World War II). Spending a couple more months (in Iraq) wasn't too much to ask.""




''

Mohammed al-Harbi a Saudi Teacher Jailed for Praising Jews

Mohammed al-Harbi, a secondary school teacher will be flogged in public each week w/fifty of the best for three months and three weeks for discussing the Bible and praising Jews. Al Harbi was hauled into court by former colleagues and students according to the Saudi newspaper Al- Madina. After 9/11 and the discovery that 15 of the 19 thugs were Saudis, our friends the " Saudis altered their school curriculum to remove passages from textbooks that offensive to Christians and Jews in an attempt to encourage moderation and tolerance." WaPo
Harbi crime was to "encourage moderation and tolerance".
Saudi Teacher Jailed for Praising Jews

TIME.com Cartoon

Red alert, for CAIR looking for a few weak knees. The nick of TIME is not only growing a spine it has also added Kevlar knees w/this cartoon.

"Zarqawi's would-be passing as extremely unlikely." The Counterterrorism Blog

Counterterrorism Blog is not buying into 'Zarqawi's Dead" mantra. The news of his apparent death is greatly exaggerated notes TCB and is "extremely unlikely" stating: "Not only has Al-Qaida issued nearly twenty new communiques in the last twenty four hours, but it also claimed credit for additional insurgent attacks on U.S. forces in Mosul. Apparently, the raid that "might have killed" Zarqawi did not even succeed in decapitating Al-Qaida's military command structure in the Mosul area." The for sure for sure report awaits forensic evidence.

The Counterterrorism Blog:

Taste of Freedom via Sgt. Hook

Rece'd email fwd by Sgt. Hook that is a must read:

"I received an email from a mother whose son is currently fighting in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division. He and his platoon have penned a message to the American public that is a little different from the message we are getting via the MSM. He asked his mom to help get this message out and she asked me. Here it is from the soldiers on the ground…

Mom,

Be my voice. I want this message heard. It is mine and my platoon’s to the country. A man I know lost his legs the other night. He is in another company in our batallion. I can no longer be silent after watching the sacrifices made by Iraqis and Americans everyday.Send it to a congressman if you have to. Send it to FOX news if you have to. Let this message be heard please…

My fellow Americans, I have a task for those with the courage and fortitude to take it. I have a message that needs not fall on deaf ears. A vision the blind need to see. I am not a political man nor one with great wisdom. I am just a soldier who finds himself helping rebuild a country that he helped liberate a couple years ago.
I have watched on television how the American public questions why their mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters are fighting and dying in a country 9000 miles away from their own soil. Take the word of a soldier, for that is all I am, that our cause is a noble one. The reason we are here is one worth fighting for. A cause that has been the most costly and sought after cause in our small span of existence on our little planet. Bought in blood and paid for by those brave enough to give the ultimate sacrifice to obtain it. A right that is given to every man, woman, and child I believe by God. I am talking of freedom.

Freedom. One word but yet countless words could never capture it’s true meaning or power. “For those who have fought for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know.” I read that once and it couldn’t be more true. It’s not the average American’s fault that he or she is “blind and deaf” to the taste of freedom. Most American’s are born into their God given right so it is all they ever know. I was once one of them. I would even dare to say that it isn’t surprising that they take for granted what they have had all their life. My experiences in the military however opened my eyes to the truth.

Ironically you will find the biggest outcries of opposition to our cause from those who have had no military experience and haven’t had to fight for freedom. I challenge all of those who are daring enough to question such a noble cause to come here for just a month and see it first hand. I have a feeling that many voices would be silenced.

I watched Cindy Sheehan sit on the President’s lawn and say that America isn’t worth dying for. Later she corrected herself and said Iraq isn’t worth dying for. She badmouthed all that her son had fought and died for. I bet he is rolling over in his grave.

Ladies and gentleman I ask you this. What if you lived in a country that wasn’t free? What if someone told you when you could have heat, electricity, and water? What if you had no sewage systems so human waste flowed into the streets? What if someone would kill you for bad-mouthing your government? What if you weren’t allowed to watch TV, connect to the internet, or have cell phones unless under extreme censorship? What if you couldn’t put shoes on your child’s feet?

You need not to have a great understanding of the world but rather common sense to realize that it is our duty as HUMAN BEINGS to free the oppressed. If you lived that way would you not want someone to help you????

The Iraqi’s pour into the streets to wave at us and when we liberated the cities during the war they gathered in the thousands to cheer, hug and kiss us. It was what the soldier’s in WW2 experienced, yet no one questioned their cause!! Saddam was no better than Hitler! He tortured and killed thousands of innocent people. We are heroes over here, yet American’s badmouth our President for having us here.

Every police station here has a dozen or more memorials for officers that were murdered trying to ensure that their people live free. These are husbands, fathers, and sons killed every day. What if it were your country? What would your choice be? Everything we fight for is worth the blood that may be shed. The media never reports the true HEROISM I witness everyday in the Iraqi’s. Yes there are bad one’s here, but I assure you they are a minuscule percent. Yet they are a number big enough to cause worry in this country’s future.
I have watched brave souls give their all and lose thier lives and limbs for this cause. I will no longer stand silent and let the “deaf and blind” be the only voice shouting. Stonewall Jackson once said, “All that I have, all that I am is at the service of the country.” For these brave souls who gave the ultimate sacrifice, including your son Cindy Sheehan, I will shout till I can no longer. These men and women are heroes. Their spirit lives on in their military and they will never be forgotten. They did not die in vain but rather for a cause that is larger than all of us.

My fellow countrymen and women, we are not overseas for our country alone but also another. We are here to spread democracy and freedom to those who KNOW the true taste of it because they fight for it everyday. You can see the desire in their eyes and I am honored to fight alongside them as an Infantryman in the 101st Airborne.

Freedom is not free, but yet it is everyone’s right to have. Ironic isn’t it? That is why we are here. Though you will always have the skeptics, I know that most of our military will agree with this message. Please, at the request of this soldier spread this message to all you know. We are in Operation Iraqi Freedom and that is our goal. It is a cause that I and thousands of others stand ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice for because, Cindy Sheehan, freedom is worth dying for, no matter what country it is! And after the world is free only then can we hope to have peace.

SGT Walter J. Rausch and 1st Platoon
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

I’ve never met this young Sergeant, but if I get the chance I’ll buy the beer for him and his platoon as nothing goes better with the taste of freedom than a couple of cold
ones. This We’ll Defend. Sgt Hook out."
Posted by Hook @ 20:29 hrs zulu | | Permalink

U.S. Marines Invent particularly Vicious and Brutal weapon: The HAG...Keep Mum about it....

Alert scientists embedded with U.S. Marines before the battle for Fallujah observed a distinct behavior in senior nco Marines, E-6 and above that has led to the discovery of a new ingredient and the invention of a new urban combat weapon, the HAG-IHB
The behavior of Senior NCO's during coffee breaks before the battle led scientists to the discovery of Brocadia anammoxidans a bacteria capable of making rocket fuel and High Explosive.
Astonished scientists were led to the discovery of this vital ingredient by their observation of coffee break conversations between senior NCO of equal or nearly equal rank that nearly always were about ex-wives, ex-girl friends, ex-mother in laws stepmother and mothers who acted like wicked stepmothers.
"Not once did these men express concern or anxiety about the coming battle instead they were expressing strong opinions about the women no longer in their lives. This not the norm for men under stress so we decided to take armpit swabs and in the lab discovered Brocadia anammoxidans" said a scientist involved in the project.
"particularly potent were samples from Marine NCO's who had not filed an MCI in the last 2 years of their last promotion. We are not sure why this is so and we will continue to keep this under observation" said the unidentified scientist.
The HAG is the standard issue of the Shoulder Mounted Assault but with a new explosive in the War head described as PYB or the pack your bags you're going for a guilt trip.

The war head unleashes stathmin in the amygdala area of the brain where unconscious fears appear to be stored. An unidentified marine spokesman said: Oh man, its awesome. The HAG comes out and hits you right between the eyeball with every criticism from a woman a man ever heard from the time you were in diapers to the time you came home drunk and missed the toilet to every time you pissed off your stepmother or goal you didn't make....its there and it literally sucks the air right out of the room creating a thermobaric reaction and a hugemongus shockwave kicking tuckas like you would not believe. We were hoping to keep this sucker on the QT but certain Hot Shot whinny butt surfers let the Hag out the bag." said the young Marine Lieutenant who was not ID'ed for security reasons.

"

BLACKFIVE

BLACKFIVE: "I didn't know him personally, but, from hearing friends talk about him, I'm quite sure that I'd follow Marine Lieutenant General Mattis into hell carrying a gasoline can."

Are Muslim leaders derelict in not denouncing acts of terrorism? Yes. :via: The Daily Herald, Provo Utah

No mush mouth, tiptoe around the facts, double standard, two timey looks at what the hell is going on with the reception Islamic Jihad suicide bombers are getting from America's leading Muslim leaders. Lawrence J. Haas fromn Provo, Utah lays it out straight with a hot off the presses hell fire and come to Jesus editorial. BAMM!

When a suicide bomber from the Islamic Jihad killed five Israelis and wounded dozens more in the coastal town of Hadera earlier this fall, the silence from America's Muslim leaders was deafening.

There was no statement of denunciation or even regret from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the most influential Muslim-American organization; nor was there one from
the American Muslim Council, the Muslim Public Affairs Council or the Islamic Society of North America.

Unfortunately, this silence was not surprising. When it comes to terrorism -- that is, the indiscriminate murder of innocent men, women and children to advance a political agenda -- time and again the most influential of America's Muslim groups and leaders have been quiet.

The roots of the problem are twofold: First, some Muslim-American leaders simply do not oppose terrorism. They have proclaimed support for some of the world's most lethal terrorist organizations and they have cavorted with prominent advocates of terrorism. Second, and worse, some of those leaders have been linked to, charged with, or convicted of illegal activities related to terrorism.

Consider the way some American Muslim leaders have spoken about terrorism and its manifestations:

One of CAIR's founders, Nihad Awad, called himself a supporter of Hamas, the Iran-backed group that has waged a long campaign of terror against Israel. He also called the trial over the 1993 World Trade Center bombing "a travesty of justice" and suggested that Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, and Egyptian intelligence agents played a role in the bombing. In recent years, a CAIR spokesman repeatedly refused to condemn Hamas, Hezbollah or Islamic Jihad.

Even condemnations of terrorism from America's Muslim leaders seem lukewarm at best. After this year's bombings in London, the Fiqh Council of North America issued a fatwa, endorsed by 140 Muslim groups and leaders, against terrorism directed at civilians. But, as Judea Pearl, the father of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl, noted in The New Republic soon thereafter, the fatwa fell far short of a full-fledged condemnation of terrorism and was much weaker than one issued months earlier by the Spanish Muslim Council on the first anniversary of the Madrid train bombings.

Consider, too, the growing list of American Muslim groups and leaders with alleged or proven ties to terrorism.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, CAIR solicited donations for a charity whose assets were later frozen by the Treasury Department because it allegedly funneled funds to Hamas.

CAIR's civil rights coordinator pleaded guilty to conspiring to help al-Qaeda and the Taliban; its director of community relations was arrested for his alleged ties to groups that fund Islamic terrorism and agreed to be deported to Egypt; and a founding board member of CAIR-Texas and his two brothers were convicted of terrorism charges related to Hamas.

CAIR officials are not alone among American Muslim leaders, however. The Treasury Department announced this year that Abdurrahman Alamoudi, the founder of the American Muslim Council and American Muslim Foundation, facilitated the transfer of $1 million to al-Qaeda from a British-based group that the department had designated as a terrorist organization. Late last year, Alamoudi was convicted and sentenced to 23 years in prison for his activities with nations and organizations that have ties to terrorism.

This sorry record by America's Muslim leaders has prompted well-meaning Muslims to seek their own platform. Kamal Nawash, a young Washington lawyer, created the Free Muslim Coalition Against Terrorism last year to provide a Muslim voice of unalterable opposition to terrorism.

His efforts are laudable, but they highlight the larger problem. When it comes to combating terrorism, America's most influential Muslim organizations and leaders are doing far too little.

Lawrence J. Haas is a member of the Committee on the Present Danger, a think-tank that advocates aggressive action in the war on terror.">Are Muslim leaders derelict in not denouncing acts of terrorism? Yes. :: The Daily Herald, Provo Utah: "Are Muslim leaders derelict in not denouncing acts of terrorism? Yes.

"This war is for real" from Eco freedom

Article found and forwarded by Major General Vernon Chong, USAF, retired:

To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it. Our country is now facing the most serious threat to its existence, as we know it, that we have faced in your lifetime and mine (which includes WWII).

The deadly seriousness is greatly compounded by the fact that there are very few of us who think we can possibly lose this war, and even fewer who realize what losing really means.

First, let's examine a few basics:

1. When did the threat to us start?

Many will say September 11, 2001. The answer, as far as the United States is concerned, is 1979 – 22 years prior to September 2001 – with the following attacks on us:

Iran Embassy Hostages, 1979;
Beirut, Lebanon, Embassy, 1983;
Beirut, Lebanon, Marine Barracks, 1983;
Lockerbie, Scotland, Pan-Am flight to New York, 1988;
First New York World Trade Center attack, 1993;
Oklahoma City – Murrah Federal Building, 1995;
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Khobar Towers Military complex, 1996;
Nairobi, Kenya, U.S. Embassy, 1998;
Dares Salaam, Tanzania, U.S. Embassy, 1998;
Aden, Yemen, USS Cole, 2000;
New York, World Trade Center, 2001;
Pentagon, 2001;
Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Plane Crash, 2001

(Note that during the period from 1981 to 2001 there were 7,581 terrorist attacks worldwide).

2. Why were we attacked?

Envy of our position, our success, and our freedoms.

1. The attacks happened during the administrations of Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush

2. We cannot fault either the Republicans or Democrats, as there were no provocations by any of the Presidents or their immediate predecessors, Presidents Ford or Carter.

3. Who were the attackers?

In each case, the attacks on the U.S. were carried out by Muslims.

4. What is the Muslim population of the World? 25 percent.

5. Isn't the Muslim Religion peaceful?

Hopefully, but that is really not material. There is no doubt that the predominently Christian population of Germany was peaceful, but under the dictatorial leadership of Hitler (who was also Christian), that made no difference. You either went along with the administration, or you were eliminated. There were 5 to 6 million Christians killed by the Nazis for political reasons (including 7,000 Polish priests).

Thus, almost the same number of Christians were killed by the Nazis, as the six million holocaust Jews who were killed by them, and we seldom heard of anything other than the Jewish atrocities.

Although Hitler kept the world focused on the Jews, he had no hesitancy about killing anyone who got in his way of exterminating the Jews, or of taking over the world – German, Christian, or any others.

Same with the Muslim terrorists. They focus the attention of the world on the U.S., but kill all in the way – their own people, or the Spanish, French, or anyone else. The point here, is that just like the peaceful Germans were of no protection to anyone from the Nazis, no matter how many peaceful Muslims there may be, they are no protection for us from the terrorist Muslim leaders, and what they are fanatically bent on doing – by their own pronouncements – killing all of us "infidels." I don't blame the peaceful Muslims. What would you do – if the choice was shut up, or die?

6. So who are we at war with?

There is no way we can honestly respond that it is anyone other than the Muslim terrorists. Trying to be politically correct, and avoid verbalizing this conclusion can well be fatal. There is no way to win, if you don't clearly recognize, and articulate who you are fighting.

So with that background, now to the two major questions:

1. Can we lose this war?

2. What does losing really mean?

If we are to win, we must clearly answer these two pivotal questions.

We can definitely lose this war, and as anomalous as it may sound, the major reason we can lose is that so many of us simply do not fathom the answer to the second question – "What does losing mean?"

It would appear that a great many of us think that losing the war means hanging our heads, bringing the troops home, and going on about our business, like post-Vietnam. This is as far from the truth as one can get. What losing really means is:

We would no longer be the premier country in the world. The attacks will not subside, but rather will steadily increase. Remember, they want us dead, not just quiet. If they had just wanted us quiet, they would not have produced an increasing series of attacks against us, over the past 18 years. The plan was clearly, for terrorists to attack us, until we were neutered, and submissive to them.

We would, of course, have no future support from other nations, for fear of reprisals, and for the reason that they would see that we are impotent, and cannot help them.

They will pick off the other non-Muslim nations, one at a time. It will be increasingly easier for them. They already hold Spain hostage. It doesn't matter whether it was right or wrong for Spain to withdraw its troops from Iraq. Spain did it because the Muslim terrorists bombed their train, and told them to withdraw the troops. Anything else they want Spain to do, will be done. Spain is finished.

The next will probably be France. Our one hope on France is that they might see the light and realize that if we don't win, they are finished too, in that they can't resist the Muslim terrorists without us. However, it may already be too late for France. France is already 20 percent Muslim, and fading fast!

If we lose the war, our production, income, exports, and way of life will all vanish, as we know it. After losing, who would trade or deal with us, if they were threatened by the Muslims?

If we can't stop the Muslims, how could anyone else?

The Muslims fully know what is riding on this war, and therefore, are completely committed to winning, at any cost. We better know it too, and be likewise committed to winning at any cost.

Why do I go on at such lengths about the results of losing? Simple. Until we recognize the costs of losing, we cannot unite, and really put 100 percent of our thoughts and efforts into winning. And, it is going to take that 100 percent effort to win.

So, how can we lose the war?

Again, the answer is simple. We can lose the war by "imploding." That is, defeating ourselves, by refusing to recognize the enemy and their purpose, and really digging in and lending full support to the war effort. If we are united, there is no way that we can lose. If we continue to be divided, there is no way that we can win!

Let me give you a few examples of how we simply don't comprehend the life-and-death seriousness of this situation.

President Bush selects Norman Mineta as Secretary of Transportation. Although all of the terrorist attacks were committed by Muslim men between 17 and 40 years of age, Secretary Mineta refuses to allow profiling. Does that sound like we are taking this thing seriously?

This is war! For the duration, we are going to have to give up some of the civil rights we have become accustomed to. We had better be prepared to lose some of our civil rights temporarily, or we will most certainly lose all of them, permanently.

And, don't worry that it is a slippery slope. We gave up plenty of civil rights during WWII, and immediately restored them after the victory, and in fact, added many more since then.

Do I blame President Bush or President Clinton before him?

No, I blame us for blithely assuming we can maintain all of our Political Correctness, and all of our civil rights during this conflict, and have a clean, lawful, honorable war. None of those words apply to war. Get them out of your head.

Some have gone so far in their criticism of the war and/or the Administration that it almost seems they would literally like to see us lose. I hasten to add that this isn't because they are disloyal. It is because they just don't recognize what losing means. Nevertheless, that conduct gives the impression to the enemy that we are divided and weakening. It concerns our friends, and it does great damage to our cause.

Of more recent vintage, the uproar fueled by the politicians and media regarding the treatment of some prisoners of war, perhaps exemplifies best what I am saying.

We have recently had an issue, involving the treatment of a few Muslim prisoners of war, by a small group of our military police.

These are the type of prisoners, who just a few months ago, were throwing their own people off buildings, cutting off their hands, cutting out their tongues, and otherwise murdering their own people, just for disagreeing with Saddam Hussein.

And just a few years ago, these same types of prisoners chemically killed 400,000 of their own people for the same reason. They are also the same type of enemy fighters who recently were burning Americans, and dragging their charred corpses through the streets of Iraq.

And still more recently, the same type of enemy that was, and is, providing videos to all news sources internationally, of the beheading of American prisoners they held.

Compare this with some of our press and politicians, who, for several days, have thought and talked about nothing else but the "humiliating" of some Muslim prisoners – not burning them, not dragging their charred corpses through the streets, not beheading them, but "humiliating" them.

Can this be for real?

The politicians and pundits have even talked of impeachment of the Secretary of Defense.

If this doesn't show the complete lack of comprehension and understanding of the seriousness of the enemy we are fighting, the life and death struggle we are in, and the disastrous results of losing this war, nothing can.

To bring our country to a virtual political standstill over this prisoner issue makes us look like Nero playing his fiddle, as Rome burned – totally oblivious to what is going on in the real world. Neither we, nor any other country, can survive this internal strife.

Again I say, this does not mean that some of our politicians or media people are disloyal. It simply means that they are absolutely oblivious to the magnitude of the situation we are in, and into which the Muslim terrorists have been pushing us, for many years.

Remember, the Muslim terrorists' stated goal is to kill all infidels! That translates into all non-Muslims – not just in the United States, but throughout the world.

We are the last bastion of defense.

We have been criticized, for many years, as being "arrogant." That charge is valid, in at least one respect. We are arrogant in that we believe that we are so good, powerful, and smart; that we can win the hearts and minds of all those who attack us; and that with both hands tied behind our back, we can defeat anything bad in the world!

We can't!

If we don't recognize this, our nation as we know it, will not survive, and no other free country in the World will survive, if we are defeated.

And finally, name any Muslim countries throughout the world that allow freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, equal rights for anyone – let alone everyone, equal status, or any status for women, or that have been productive in one single way that contributes to the good of the world.

This has been a long way of saying that we must be united on this war, or we will be equated in the history books to the self-inflicted fall of the Roman Empire. If, that is, the Muslim leaders will allow history books to be written, or read.

If we don't win this war right now, keep a close eye on how the Muslims take over France in the next 5 years or less. They will continue to increase the Muslim population of France, and continue to encroach little by little, on the established French traditions. The French will be fighting among themselves, over what should or should not be done, which will continue to weaken them, and keep them from any united resolve. Doesn't that sound eerily familiar?

Democracies don't have their freedoms taken away from them by some external military force. Instead, they give their freedoms away, politically correct piece by politically-correct piece.

And, they are giving those freedoms away to those who have shown, worldwide, that they abhor freedom, and will not apply it to you, or even to themselves, once they are in power.

They have universally shown that when they have taken over, they then start brutally killing each other, over who will be the few who control the masses. Will we ever stop hearing from the politically correct, about the "peaceful Muslims"?

I close on a hopeful note, by repeating what I said above. If we are united, there is no way that we can lose. I hope, now after the election, the factions in our country will begin to focus on the critical situation we are in, and will unite to save our country. It is your future we are talking about! Do whatever you can to preserve it.

After reading the above, we all must do this not only for ourselves, but our children, our grandchildren, our country, and the World.

Whether Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal, and that includes the Politicians and media of our country, and the free World!

Please forward this to any you feel may want, or need to read it. Our "leaders" in Congress ought to read it, too.

There are those who find fault with our country, but it is obvious to anyone who truly thinks through this, that we must unite!


It has come to the attention of the editorial staff of eco-logic Powerhouse on-line that the article, This war is real, was not written by Major General Chong. According to information provided by an astute reader, Melissa Huante, who contacted the Air Force News Agency, Major General Chong had found the article and forwarded it to a colleague. However, as the article circulated, he was given credit as the author. When contacted by the Air Force News Agency, he revealed that he did not remember the true author.

OOPS! Zarqawi’s Big Mistake

The gods of the MSM are chattering about Big Al toe stub. Al Six-Camels is doing the 'What the...are we Isrealis or Americans that he should only blow us up. All right all ready. You blew up the wrong guys ya smuck.' Big Al doesn't make mistakes, when it comes to blowing up targets. Have you heard the outrage from the Arab MSM. No. What does that tell you. heh. Bet I could hear the out rage if the damn crickets were not so loud. No. There is only one mistake Big Al Z will make and that will be when he lets the 911 Thugbusters in the front door.

James S. Robbins on Jordan & Terrorism on National Review Online: "You know that a terrorist attack has backfired when the bad guys start blaming it on us. Rumors are spreading on the insurgent websites and chatrooms that last week's hotel bombings in Amman, Jordan, were part of a CIA plot, a Mossad intrigue, or a take-your-pick conspiracy. Since al Qaeda has already admitted the attack was theirs, this line will have a hard time playing, but it shows that at some level the terrorist sympathizers know that this was a bad move."

Mohammad al-Harbi, will be flogged in public for discussing the Bible via:The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

Mohammad al-Harbi, will be given 750 of the best in public and sentenced to 40 months in prison for discussing the Bible. The Saudi's are hell on wheels w/any religious freedom but the state-approved Sunni Islam. Al-Harbi will appeal his verdict.

Getting Your MPR's and that Special Mug shot of your old man as a young turk

If I had known my MPR's included a recruit mug shot, I would not have waited so long to order them from St. Louis, Mo. After 40 years, I am still sporting the same Hair -do The entire process is simple and painless. Took about 45 days. A bit late for that Christmas gift. But hey, look for Father's Day. You'll be ready.

The National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records (NPRC-MPR) is the repository of millions of military personnel, health, and medical records of discharged and deceased veterans of all services during the 20th century. (Records prior to WWI are in Washington, DC.) NPRC (MPR) also stores medical treatment records of retirees from all services, as well as records for dependent and other persons treated at naval medical facilities. Information from the records is made available upon written request (with signature and date) to the extent allowed by law.

This site is provided for those seeking information regarding military personnel, health and medical records stored at NPRC (MPR).

If you are a veteran or next-of-kin of a deceased veteran, you may now use vetrecs.archives.gov to order a copy of your military records. For all others, your request is best made using a Standard Form 180. It includes complete instructions for preparing and submitting requests. Please Note: All requests must be in writing, signed and mailed to us at the address shown below.

Address

National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

viaTim Blair--- Aussie Treasurer Says 'Forgetaboutit!'

From Tim Blair this priceless comment that should be posted at all gateways into the USA.


Australian treasurer Peter Costello:

"If you are somebody who wants to live in an Islamic state governed by sharia law you are not going to be happy in Australia, because Australia is not an Islamic state, will never be an Islamic state and will never be governed by sharia law.

We are a secular state under our constitution, our law is made by parliament elected in democratic elections.

We do not derive our laws from religious instruction.

There are Islamic states around the world that practise sharia law and if that’s your object you may well be much more at home in such a country than trying to turn Australia into one of those countries, because it’s not going to happen."

It's the Marine Corps 230 Birthday!

Today is your birthday! Happy Birthday to ya.....

Republican Bed wetters who refuse to bring federal spending under control-viaRedState.org

RedState.org: "For those of you who want to burn the phone lines or just take down the names for posterity, here is a snap-shot list of just some of current bed wetters:

Sherwood Boehlert (NY and Chairman of the Science Committee)
Charles Bass (NH)
Mark Kirk (IL)
Jeb Bradley (NH)
Roger Wicker (MS)
Chip Pickering (MS)
Mark Kennedy (MN)
Nancy Johnson (CT)
Walter Jones (NC)
Mike Castle (DE)
Rob Simmons (CT)
Tim Johnson (IL)
Vernon Ehlers (MI)
Chris Shays (CT)
Jim Gerlach (PA)
Jim Ramstad (MN)"

Marine Corps units will be added later....

News from The Associated Press: "The Pentagon said the following major units will deploy as part of the 2006-2008 rotation:

- 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard.

- 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfert, Germany.

- 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

- 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

- 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

- 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

- 13th Corps Support Command, Fort Hood, Texas.

- Division headquarters, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

The announcement said, without elaboration, that Rumsfeld decisions 'may result in changes to this rotation and may affect units now being identified and advised to prepare to deploy.'"

Thanks to his Kevlar helmet -- USMC photo by Sgt. J. W. Alexander

The sniper had shot Snipes square in the side of his head, hitting him directly in his Kevlar helmet.

"I was in shock, I didn't know what happened. I remember thinking ‘Am I still here?'" he said.

Snipes dropped down in the turret. It was at that point he realized he was, in fact, still with the living thanks to his helmet. While inside the cab of the Humvee, another shot

tore through one of the handgrips of his .50-caliber machine gun, partially shattering it. The sniper then began focusing on the vehicles tires.

After a moment, Snipes said he composed himself and raised his 5-foot-11-inch frame back up into the turret to engage the sniper with his machine gun.

The platoon's organic firepower and a 500-pound bomb from overhead air support eventually silenced the sniper, noted 1st Lt. Jeremy S. Wilkinson, platoon commander, 3rd Mobile Assault Platoon.

Snipes' life, though, was saved by his gear.

"I was really surprised," he said. "It's supposed to be able to stop a 7.62mm round at long distances. Well, it did," he said. "The gear works, don't doubt it. This is proof."

Going into Combat? Don't forget your Silly String

From Cockeyed dot com this creative use of silly string ISO traps. Plausible? Check it out.

"The Military Applications of Silly String: "First off, I should mention that Cockeyed.com is the number one result on Google on searches for 'Silly String'.
Because of this, I was the lucky recipient of this letter from Alejandro Hernandez:
Hello sir,
I just have a quick question. I'm a former Marine I in Afghanistan. Silly string has served me well in Combat especially in looking for I.A.Ds., simply put, booby traps. When you spray the silly sting in dark areas, especially when you doing house to house fighting. On many occasions the silly string has saved me and my men's lives.
Now my little brother has taken up the fight in Iraq and where he is, house to house fighting is intense. To get to the point I would like to purchase a large amount of silly string to send to him to help with the booby traps. Please send me some prices for a bulk order.

Thank you for you time, Alex

I wrote back:

Wait a minute. Explain this to me, you are using silly string to flush out booby traps or people? This sounds really interesting!

-Rob

And he replied:
Yes, I myself use it too. When you spray the string it just spreads everywhere and when it sets it lays right on the wire. Even in a dark room the string stands out revealing the trip wire.
I thought that was an ingenious use for silly string! I bought a can myself and tried it in my living room. Sure enough, the string reveals even a tiny black thread. Very cool! Hopefully you can see the results in the photos on this page.

Horn of Africa Pirates Repelled with Sonic Blaster

The Seabourn Spirit used a sonic blaster to foil the pirates. Developed by American forces to deter small boats from attacking warships, the non-lethal weapon sends out high-powered air vibrations that blow assailants off their feet. The equipment, about the size of a satellite dish, is rigged to the side of the ship.

The waters off the Somali coast are among the most dangerous in the world. They are occasionally patrolled by a combined taskforce, known as CTF150, currently under the command of the French navy. Somalia has had no recognised government since 1991. There have been at least 23 pirate attacks off its coast this year alone.
Now, the Army and Marines have added this auditory barrage dispenser to their arms ensembles... Some of the Iraq-bound devices will be used by members of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, both recently deployed to the western province of Al Anbar, a largely barren, predominantly Sunni Muslim area.
The equipment, called a Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, is a so-called "non-lethal weapon" developed after the 2000 attack on the USS Cole off Yemen as a way to keep operators of small boats from approaching U.S. warships.

The devices have been used on some U.S. ships since last summer as part of a suite of protection measures.

Now, the Army and Marines have added this auditory barrage dispenser to their arms ensembles... Some of the Iraq-bound devices will be used by members of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, both recently deployed to the western province of Al Anbar, a largely barren, predominantly Sunni Muslim area.

Jarhead: First Seinfeld War Movie about Nothing

The Reviews are starting to come in for Jarhead and nationwide the Critics, aka those people who actually get paid to sit thru war movies, said: it stinks. At Rotten Tomatoes
the paid to watch-critics gave Jarhead a 56 with 60 being Fresh. The payers disagree with the critics and give Jarhead a positive 88. The common thread between the payers and get paid seems to be Jarhead is the first Seinfeld War Movie,a movie about nothing, a war movie with no point, no moral, no war.

Makes you feel sorry for the marketing dept....impossible task of selling a war movie without any actual war in it" Rene Rodriguez , Miami Herald.

"The film's lack of Meaning seems all the more egregious...." Glenn Whipp, LA Daily News.

This is not a war film its a lack of war film. Phil Villarrearl, Arizona Daily Star.

"Jarhead...walks up to the most urgent ...issues...loudly clears its throat and says nothing." A.O. Scott New York Times

"I've read the book that this movie is based on, and the author was in the Marine Corps during the first Gulf War. In my opinion, he is what we Marines called a 10-percenter or a certain type of bird. He admits in the book to being a thief and a liar, stealing equipment from fellow Marines and then selling it at surplus stores. The entire book is nothing but him whining about what is wrong with the Marine Corps. ... you can find better ways to spend your money and time. I won't be putting any of my money into this (expletive) bird's pockets." Jim Burke Tallahassee Democrat

Some positive reviews, from the Jacksonville, N.C. Daily News: "I thought it was good," said Lance Cpl. Richard Usher, 19, from Tampa, Fla. "From what I know, it's accurate. They did say 'Oohra' way too much."

Lance Cpl. Josh Rader, 29, of Georgia, said he thought the movie was one of the more accurate portrayals of the Marine Corps, with the only more accurate movie being Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket."

"A lot of the training, they dramatize it more," Rader said. "I'd say it's probably more accurate."

Lance Cpl. Adam Blades, 20, with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, agreed, but took exception to the actors' ages.

"The actors were a little old," he said. "The majority of guys going over there are like 18 and 19. But it was pretty cool. As accurate as I've seen."

EliteThug Buster Marine Unit to Join Special OPS

Rumsfeld has been super pissed off at how long it has taken to get the ThugBuster unit into Socom. The Corp does not give up control or break w/tradition lightly if at all, however. this is a different type of war and keeping control and warming the bench is not a Corps tradition either.

"

After a visit to Socom headquarters on Oct. 11, he said the talks had gone "painfully" slowly. "Forever, it's taken," he told troops at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. "I will be 85 before it's finished, I'm afraid."
"'We finally came to the realization that unless we were a full partner in U.S. Special Operations Command, we probably weren't making maximum use of the Marine Corps's capability,' said Lt. Gen. Jan C. Huly, deputy Marine commandant for plans, policies and operations. He added that Rumsfeld's interest in the issue 'has certainly brought us along.'"Yesterday's announcement represented the most significant breakthrough in a relationship between the Marines and Socom that began changing shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. In November 2001, the Corps agreed to boost liaison officers at Socom. A year later, the Marines lent Socom an 86-man unit known as Detachment 1 that deployed to Iraq in late 2003 and early 2004, working with other Special Operations forces.

BOOTAL:Blasted Out of the air locker--Abu Sa'ud Senior Facilitator

Senior Saudi al Qaeda foreign fighter facilitator known as Sa’ud (aka Abu Sa’ud) tried to make a quick getaway after Coalition Forces attempted to secure the vehicle containing Sa’ud and other terrorists. Coalition Forces shot at the vehicle, killing Abu Sa’ud and three unknown terrorists.

Abu Sa’ud, a Saudi extremist, was a senior al Qaeda terrorist who funneled foreign fighters and suicide bombers into Iraq. Intelligence sources believe that Sa’ud recently arrived from Saudi Arabia to prop up of al Qaeda leadership whose previous leaders have been blasted out the air locker in recent months.