Archive for October, 2006

‘Heroes’: Pentagon unveils a series of stories on courageous GIs of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars
Frank Warner notes a great new DoD site highlighting the unsung. But not unsung by all…see the next entry.

Someone You Should Know
Blackfive has been running this series for a couple of years now. The most recent Someone is The World’s Strongest Dad

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lori Hill
Meanwhile, Chuck Simmins notes another noteworthy.

Riding onboard Atlantis during re-entry
Short video from within the shuttle’s cockpit during the STS-115 re-entry. A longer version is available.

Expat Yank has a new home
Go check out the new Wordpress site. Another Blogspotter makes a dash for freedom.
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Here I go again. I know that a lot of folks, particularly those on “my side” don’t agree, but I think I need to point out that Iraq is, indeed, in the midst of a civil war. Today. Right now.

In March, I wrote:

For what it’s worth, I’m just not buying this “sectarian violence” bit. I know that it all comes down to definitions, but if you don’t count the terrorist acts of foreign terrorists and the insurgency’s attacks on US and Coalition forces, you’re left with mostly either gang-like criminal violence or civil war. Not a Civil War. A civil war.

Iraqis loosely affiliated with one another are waging war on other Iraqis. Not a war with tanks and artillery (other than mortars) and one side doesn’t wear uniforms. But it is a war, albeit a “low intensity” guerrilla war. It’s more than just angry Sunnis attacking their Shiite neighbors and vice versa. The Iraqi army is heavily involved. The insurgency aims to overthrow the Iraqi government. Some are loyal to the previous government. I just don’t see how you can call it anything other than a civil war.

Then in April:
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A friend sent me this and I was able to find it on YouTube (of course…everything’s on YouTube…). What’s even funnier is that it was sent to him by a German.

UPDATE: There’s also a less-funny version available.

I’ve added to yesterday’s post linking to Fourth Rail’s coverage of the fight against Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army and added a few thoughts. Rather than post it here, go check out the updates.

Got this in a comment on last night’s post about the USS New Orleans (LPD 18):

I still don’t understand the difference between LSDs and LHDs. In a nutshell, what’s the diff?

I’ll admit that I’m often confused about, and often confuse, all the Navy’s “L” ships. But here’s a basic rundown:

• LSD – Landing Ship, Dock
  These ships are primarily LCAC (Landing Craft, Air Cushion – the hovercraft) platforms. They also support other small landing craft and operate a couple of helicopters. They each carry about 500 Marines. The Whidbey Island-class ships (and the cargo variant Harper’s Ferry-class ships) are the state of the art LSDs in the fleet.
• LHD – Landing, Helicopter, Dock
  These are the “light aircraft carriers” of the fleet. They are, in fact, about the size of a WW2 Essex-class CV, and their general appearance resembles that of a standard flat top. They operate up to 40 helicopters and Harriers and carry over 2,000 Marines. They can also operate LCACs and other landing craft out of a well deck in the stern. They each, in truth, represent more seaborne military power than most nations can muster. The Wasp-class ships are the LHDs in the fleet.
• LHA – Landing, Helicopter, Assault
  These are the predecessors to the LHDs and are, basically, smaller versions of them. They were not designed to operate LCACs, though they now do so in a limited role. They also operate other landing craft and carry about 30 helicopters and Harriers. The Tarawa-class ships are the LHAs in the fleet, but they are aging and will be replaced by they LHA(R) class in the future.
• LPD – Landing, Platform, Dock
  The newest LPDs have been designed to replace four types of ships – older classes of LPDs, LSDs, and LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank) and the already-retired LKA (Landing, Cargo, Assault) cargo ships. They’re basically “LSDs on steroids”, and operate a couple of LCACs and four or so helicopters or V-22 Ospreys. They carry about 700 Marines. The San Antonio-class ships are just entering service, replacing the Austin-class LPDs.

Here, to compare LSDs and LHDs, are a couple of pics:
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I find your lack of faith disturbing

Bill Roggio covers the recent action in Sadr City and environs:

• Iraqi Army, Sadr’s Mahdi Army Battle in Amara
  Sadr’s Mahdi Army must be reined in
• Mahdi Army, Iraqi Police Clash in Suwayra
  Sadr’s attacks coincide with al-Qaeda bombing, media campaigns and ‘marches’ in western Iraq. Shades of the Fall of 2004…
• Raids on Mahdi Army, Amara flares
  Sadr continues his double game and U.S. and Iraq forces dance with Sadr in central and southern Iraq
• Back to Sadr City
  Iraqi and Coalition forces raid one of Sadr’s offices in his Baghdad stonghold
• The Sadr City Raids
  Following up the raids in Sadr City; Maliki did approve of the raids

Plus, Ralph Peters writes KILL MUQTADA NOW. I wonder how Peters really feels?

UPDATE: Via Instapundit, here’s Roggio’s latest:

• Mahdi Army, Iraqi Police Battle in Baquba
  The Mahdi Army continues to flaunt its power. It’s decision time for Maliki.

He notes the calls for the killing of Sadr.

However, this would give Sadr the status of martyr to the ‘occupiers’ and could create unnecessary violence. We argue this is a task best left to the Iraqis. Ideally, a ‘rogue element’ of the Mahdi Army would kill him (or so it would appear). This would be just desserts for Sadr’s shallow attempts at obfuscating his militia’s role in the fighting. And it would spawn a round of internecine fighting that would do much of the needed dirty work of dismantling the Mahdi Army.

Bill seems to realize that this would be a “best-case scenario”, however, and realizes that “realistically the task will fall upon Iraq’s security forces.”

In whatever form it comes, the death of Sadr will certainly cause “additional” violence of one sort or another. However, it should be apparent that the battle against his army and followers will need to be fought and won before further steps toward peace and stability can be taken. Sooner or later, the guy has to be taken down and his organization disrupted. Yes, this will then scatter the survivors and lots of little groups will “pop up” and a few of them will make real trouble. But that’s the nature of anti-insurgency. It has to be done.

We will have many more years of “Iraq is teetering on the verge of civil war” reports to keep us warm. Never mind that the civil war is being fought right now.

UPDATE 2: I meant to add that what I’m expecting is that a crackdown on Sadr by US, Coalition, and especially Iraqi forces will score several more weeks of successes. Numerous lieutenants and other various minions will be killed or captured, and a fair share of his cannon fodder will be slaughtered in battles against professional soldiers. With his back once again against the wall, Sadr will announce that he’s giving up the fight and will use governmental channels to advance his cause. He will play along until he can replace his key henchmen and recruit additional thugs to play the part of cannon fodder, then we’ll do this all again. Second verse, same as the first.

After Protest March For Jobs, Youths Torch Buses in Paris

Meanwhile, France Prepares 50,000 Riot Police for Muslim Attacks

A commenter on Gateway Pundit writes:

This year Paris, next year Dearborne?

Now, Murdoc would never say “It can’t happen here”, because it can. And it very well might. But I don’t think I’m being overly optimistic when I think that between a fair amount of “Americanization” of immigrant Muslims in Dearborn and elsewhere (at least compared to most immigrant Muslims in most of Europe) and a society that will react with far less tolerance than that in, say, France, we won’t see anything approaching the scale of what we’ve seen in France. And will see again in France.

When Murdoc’s home state of Michigan passed its concealed carry laws a few years back, we were all treated to the predictable “the streets will run with blood” stories in the press. It didn’t come to pass, of course, but don’t discount the threat that a gun-owning society is to troublemakers like these rioters. So while Dearborn may get a taste of them, I don’t think it will really take hold. Or last long, even if it does.

It’s just a lot less fun vandalizing and terrorizing innocent folks when they’re shooting at you.

Army Times is looking for stories about the stopping power (or lack therof) of the 5.56 NATO round:

Send us your stories at armylet@armytimes.com. Please include your name, rank and contact information.

New Orleans, La (Oct 23, 2006) – The Pre-Commissioning Unit New Orleans (LPD 18) transits past the city of New Orleans on the Mississippi River. The amphibious transport dock was heading to the Gulf of Mexico to conduct builder’s trials. New Orleans is being built in Avondale, Louisiana, and is scheduled to be commissioned in March of 2007. U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Dan Ball (RELEASED)

The New Orleans is the second San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship. The next, the Mesa Verde, will also be commissioned next year.

Pics of the New Orleans’ construction are available on the PCU web site.

Wonder if this particular soldier thinks it’s fine for CNN to show video taken by the enemy of snipers firing on US troops?

Click for bigger version

BAGHDAD — A Soldier from Troop A, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division — Baghdad, provides security after a sniper fires rounds in the vicinity of his unit during a humanitarian aid mission in Baghdad’s Karkh district Oct. 13. Despite terrorist small-arms fire, Soldiers delivered 75 generators to be distributed to the area’s schools, as well as backpacks and soccer balls to be given to the students. [Emphasis Murdoc's]

Did you notice that? Snipers are firing on a delivery of generators that will provide power for 60 area schools and of backpacks and soccer balls. (Pic from DIVDS)

Wolf Blitzer of CNN, which aired a video of an insurgent sniper shooting a US soldier, asked this:

“Is this appropriate, Mr. Chairman, Congressman Hunter, for the American public to see how awful, to see how brutal the war can actually be? Because I — I guess there has been criticism from the other side that we sort of whitewash, and we don’t really convey to the American public the full extent of the brutality of the enemy. Do the American people have a right to know what war is like?”

How about showing us the soldiers who protect the deliveries of electrical generators, backpacks, and soccer balls to Iraqi schools? That would show us what this war “is like”.

Since you can’t film that from the Green Zone hotels, maybe the US military could put together a video of it for CNN to air. But, alas, that would merely be propaganda.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif, asked Blitzer:

“Does CNN want America to win this thing?”

I think the answer has been very clear for quite some time.

Meanwhile, if you really want to support some snipers, why not check out AmericanSnipers.org? I’ve been linking to them for months and have been gratified to see that around 2-3% of MO visitors click over. If straight shootin’ is your thing, why not lend a hand to the good guys?