Go here.
It is reported that Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi is dead, having been killed in a U.S. airstrike conducted against him and several others. I’m glad to not have to ever see the bastard’s face again justaposed with images of the latest horrendous act d’jour.
Radar
Jeff Harrell over at The Shape of Days has a great story about one of the Gunners from Gunner Palace who came back from Iraq and couldn’t get the kids out of his head.
After reading the emails from Sergeant Niece and seeing the pictures of her and the kids in Iraq, I can completely understand.
Don’t skip the story, but if you’re short of time, just go check out WAR KIDS RELIEF.
Scott Johnson posted this on Powerline, which in turn gives a Hat Tip to the Mudville Gazette. It sure made me proud of our troops, and should give pause to the Cindy Sheehan’s who would characterize our enemies as freedom fighters.
Go say congrats and read how she turned a bad day into a good one for all.
Then read the rest of her blog.
I get a lump in my throat when I see what our young people are doing over there.
Via Blackfive.
I don’t know if y’all have heard about this – it’s making the local news because it’s a GA National Guard company.
I ran across it on a couple blogs earlier this week, but forgot to say anything. Basically, a company of Guardsmen, whilst patrolling a city looking for insurgents, came into a house with a sick child, who had what appeared to be a huge tumor on her back. Turns out she was born with Spina Bifida, and the doctors there said she wouldn’t last 45 days. Well, she’s about 3 months old now, and thanks to our servicemembers and some generous doctors, corporations, and aid groups, she’s coming to Atlanta to have corrective surgery, FOR FREE.
A friend of mine said they were showing her on the news (last night?) and the grandmother (grandma and papa are traveling with the little one) was rocking her, in her lap at the airport, and calling her “Georgia.”
Without the surgery, her days are numbered. With it, she has a chance at a functional life, although most likely in a wheelchair.
Oh – I remembered where I first read about her – at OpinionJournal’s Best of the Web, where they were wondering if this was what he meant when Senator Kerry said that US troops are terrorizing children in Iraq. James Taranto was referencing CNN, so maybe y’all *have* heard about it.
UPDATE: She arrived in Atlanta this evening, and her first surgery is scheduled for Jan 9.
…but I’ve had a little time to catch up on the news and I’m confused about something.
Taking off my glasses and pinching the bridge of my nose:
Another unknown scum-sucking traitorous bastard (or bitch, I want to be politically correct) turns over classified information to the press. The press holds onto this information until things are looking good, no, great in Iraq with an amazing turnout for the elections, something we should all be feeling good about and celebrating. The press then releases that classified information, embarassing the United States, completely destroying an ongoing intelligence operation, letting our enemies know that our civil liberties are no longer a cover for their operations.
The story from all the media outlets is that the President ordered the electronic surveillance of Americans (whispering) who are in contact with terrorists overseas?
The story isn’t the ongoing scum-sucking traitorous actions of people who believe that releasing classified information is okay and that our press continues to sell us out to our enemies?
And unless I’m mistaken, the same people who are currently beating up the President for being over-zealous about protecting our country are the exact same people who have been blaming him for not being zealous enough about protecting our country from the attacks on 9-11-01.
Do I have that right?
Because if I have that right, I think I’m going to get ready to retire soon. My country has gone batshit crazy.
And yes, IF the President acted illegally then the Senate should have exercised their powers of oversite and done THEIR FREAKING JOB and they should have done it quietly so as not to embarass the country and ruin the intelligence that may have been gathered. This was a bullshit hit job on the administration for purely political purposes and it didn’t do anyone any good what so ever.
Update: If you want to read and mess around with the various legal arguments, head over to Protein Wisdom. Goldstein has a real good wrap-up. Start at the top of the page and scroll down, because some of it’s just plain funny.
Here’s one I haven’t heard about before and I like what they’re about:
While my wife was in Iraq, I started Operation: A Bit of Home. My wife called me and told me she had to put on 80 lbs. of battle gear, pick up her rifle, and walk 2 miles in 140 degree heat to buy soap and tampons and toothpaste. She told me that the government does not supply any sanitary or entertainment items to our troops. I decided that I would not have my wife doing that. I started shipping boxes to her unit in Iraq, in large quantities.
One day I got a phone call from a place in Baghdad called Freedom Rest. They stated they were the only R&R facility in Iraq for our troops. They get soldiers that have been in combat, on convoys, or high stress dangerous situations and give them 3 days and nights of R&R, good food, a pool, games, a soft bed and goodies. They process hundreds of soldiers in-and-out each day. By supplying hygiene, snack and entertainment items to Freedom Rest, we have directly affected the lives of over 23,000 soldiers.
They told me the government provides basic foods, linens etc., but all hygiene, snack and entertainment items come from donations, and asked if I could help. I am one of the few groups that actually have been asked to send supplies.
I know there are a lot of charities for the troops out there, but these facts set us apart from the rest:
1. We supply a facility for stressed troops, not individuals. We have eliminated the problem of NCOs and officers hording the boxes. We do not send things to the same troops over and over,
2. Our website tells people how to send their own boxes, how to fill out the US Postal forms, gives packing tips and lists of needed items, and most importantly, we give out the address to send it to. We do not post names of individual soldiers, a very dangerous thing to do. If Al Qaeda knows where a National Guard unit is from, and has names, they could potentially find and endanger soldier’s families just by using a phone book!
3. Although the website does accept donations from folks who want us to do all the work, we encourage people to do it themselves, give them the tools, and hope to encourage a sense of civic pride. We do civic presentations and assist groups in completing their “Public Service” obligations.
4. We don’t sell a bunch of overpriced “Boxes” like others do.
We are working with several organizations to help them develop their own programs.
I could go on forever, but if you visit our website, or Google Us, you will find we are legitimate.
A short mention on people’s blogs could do more for us than months of our pounding the streets and working the phones. A link on your mail list or your homepage would work wonders also.
Please visit our website, google us, and tell your friends about us. Every dime of donations goes to shipping and buying needed items. No one is paid, we have no overhead, and we care about the troops. We continue to send even when donations are thin using our personal Credit Cards.
Thank you and please visit www.OperationaBitofHome.com
Supporting the troops means more than placing a yellow ribbon on your car.
Thanks for your support
Ken Meyer
Founder
Operation: A Bit of Home
During Desert Storm we had the wonderful support of “Any Service Member” mail and I don’t think we had to buy a can of shaving creme, a bottle of shampoo, toothpaste, or a stick of deordorant unless we really wanted to, which was good because the AAFES tent or baby BX often was out of…just about everything. For operational and security reasons, “Any Service Member” mail is pretty much gone. These folks seem to have found a way to fill that void. And if you don’t think that a real shower with real soap and some anti-perspirant makes any difference, you have never been the kind of dirty that a week in the desert can get you. You can’t stand the smell of yourself and every part of your body is covered in powdered grit.
Spirit of America has launched a fundraising campaign that began last week and will run through the end of this year. Bloggers have joined together in the past to get the word out and this time we’re joined by Gen Tommy Franks and Senator John McCain.
Spirit of America’s mission is to extend the goodwill of the American people to assist those advancing freedom, democracy and peace abroad. We provide support to those on the front lines: American military and civilian personnel and people who call to Americans for help in their struggle for freedom and democracy.
Spirit of America is a 501c3 nonprofit supported solely through private-sector contributions. We do not receive funding from the government or military. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible.
Please check out the videos and and the website and see if you can’t help our folks in Iraq and Afghanistan show the people there the true spirit of the American people. You generosity can make a world of difference.
Uncle Jimbo over at Blackfive has a very good piece called Iraq Endgame – Let’s Win the Narrative.
Recommended reading…unless of course you’re one of them long-haired hippy type pinko fags with a commie flag in your garage…then it’s just going to piss you off.
And you’ll find the entire interview here.
I’m not 100% sure that we’re doing all the right things over there. If we’re just getting around to securing the Syrian Border and we still haven’t secured our own…we got issues. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve got a niece on the ground over there and I think it’s simply ridiculous that more of the good things that have happened simply do not make the news so it fits the entire doom and gloom scenario that the Dems are trying to sell us for upcoming elections.
No, things ain’t all rosy either, but from what I hear from people that have actually been there, it’s not as bad as the news makes it out to be.
Link requires registration.
Ya gotta love this guy.
Burghardt was wounded.
But with two new young Marines in his ordnance disposal unit – and the insurgent attackers undoubtedly looking on – “I didn’t want them to see the team leader carried away on a stretcher,” he said.
So after the Nebraskans tended to wounds that reached from his boot tops to the small of his back, Burghardt rose to his feet and reached back with a one-finger salute for his attackers.
“I was angry,” Burghardt said.
…
As for Burghardt, he said he wanted to send a message to the insurgents who failed to kill him.
“I knew there was somebody disappointed out there.”
Via Ravenwood who got it from The Smallest Minority who got it from…my local newspapaer?
Blackfive has the scoop on the real Sheehan story:
Casey Sheehan’s Sergeant asked for volunteers. Sheehan had just returned from Mass. After Sheehan volunteered once, the Sergeant asked Sheehan again if he wanted to go on the mission. According to many reports (and according to his own mother), Casey responded, “Where my Chief goes, I go.”
Go read the whole thing. Bring tissue.
A message from Spirit of America, presented in full:
Dear Friends & Donors,
This message has updates, photos and lots of links on projects that your support has made possible:
* America-Iraq School Partners program.
* Support for Lebanon’s independence
* Friends of Democracy
* Gifts for Iraqi children
* Orphans day in IraqThis entire message with photos is also on our website here:
http://www.spiritofamerica.net/site/blog/594
AMERICA-IRAQ SCHOOL PARTNERS
The America-Iraq School Partners Program pilot launched in April, 2005. It is designed to establish friendships and enable exchange between American and Iraqi schoolchildren. The pilot phase features 13 American schools and 17 schools in Iraq. More than 1500 schoolchildren are participating. Here is a photo of a participating classroom in Basra, Iraq:
We are looking for more schools (elementary, middle and high schools) in the U.S. to join for the 2005-2006 school year. There is no cost to participating schools although schools may exchange gifts. If you have a school interested in participating in the program, click here: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/projects/13 for more information or send inquiries to tamara@spiritofamerica.net.
SUPPORT FOR LEBANON’S INDEPENDENCE
On April 6 we kicked off a project to support Lebanon’s struggle for independence. We had been asked by some Lebanese and Lebanese Americans if we could provide assistance to the tent city demonstrators who were keeping national and world attention on ending Syria’s occupation and achieving free elections in Lebanon. The original project description is here: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/projects/96
This was our first project outside Iraq and Afghanistan and some of our supporters asked why we would do something in Lebanon and what happened to supporting requests from Marines in Iraq. Our view on “Why Lebanon?” is here: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/site/blog/584. We also asked Marines we have assisted in Iraq for their perspectives. Their responses here: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/site/blog/583
Thanks to your support more than $60,000 was quickly contributed to the Lebanon project. We helped the tent city demonstrators achieve their main goal: free elections. This involved pressuring for a “Call for Elections.” Our support helped them increase the visibility of their demands – the countdown clock in the photos below that was erected in Martyrs Square is one example.
The official call for elections by Parliament came with only one day left on the countdown clock. Elections are now scheduled to begin on Sunday, May 29. With that goal achieved tent city has been dismantled. There is still a long way to go for genuinely free, stable and peaceful Lebanon but this was a great step forward.
We also provided Internet connectivity to tent city itself and provided the resources, technical assistance and training that allowed the tent city demonstrators to create a website to tell their story to the world. You can visit Pulse of Freedom at http://www.pulseoffreedom05.org/.
A letter of support to the demonstrators from former Czech President Vaclav Havel was arranged by Ambassador Mark Palmer, a Member of Spirit of America’s Advisory Board. It did a lot to boost morale in tent city. You can read it here: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/site/blog/565
For the first time we deployed a blogger to write about one of our project. Michael Totten was in Beirut for a month and did a great job. You can read his fascinating blog posts here: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/lebanonblog
Other acknowledgements: Tiran Kiremidjian was onsite in Lebanon for Spirit of America for 3 weeks serving as a liaison: helping to define and responding to needs of the tent city demonstrators. And, Harish Rao of EchoDitto was also on site for SoA and was the lead on providing the training and technical assistance that got the Pulse of Freedom website and blog launched.
FRIENDS OF DEMOCRACY
Friends of Democracy is the Iraqi pro-democracy organization Spirit of America has supported since last October. They have done great work under very dangerous circumstances. Click below for an extensive update on Friends of Democracy and our activities in support of Iraq’s January 30 election, including details on funds raised, expenditures and results.
http://www.spiritofamerica.net/site/blog/593
Photo below is of a women’s workshop by Friends of Democracy that involved training and use of our Arabic blogging tool. Read the story here: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/site/blog/580
On February 24 Friends of Democracy sponsored a seminar to educate and involve children in discussions on democracy as part of the “children parliament” project. Photo below. Read about it here: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/site/blog/FoD_Nurturing_the_Next_Generation
GIFTS FOR IRAQI CHILDREN
The 2nd Marine Division at Camp Blue Diamond, Iraq has received 7500 watches from Timex, 4554 pairs of children’s Elan-Polo athletic shoes and 6000 Champion soccer balls to distribute as part of the “Gifts for Iraqi Children” project. The project is described here: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/projects/18
The Marines are using the gifts to brighten the day of children in Al Anbar province – the scene of some of the worst continued fighting and terrorism in Iraq. Some photos and links to stories on our site are below
http://www.spiritofamerica.net/site/blog/Gifts_for_Iraqi_children_email_from_Jones
http://www.spiritofamerica.net/site/blog/Gift_for_Iraq_children_received
ORPHANS DAY IN IRAQ
Spirit of America provided gifts, clothing and personal items to children in Baghdad and Basra on “Orphans Day.” Photos below are from an event for orphans by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Read about it here: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/site/blog/Orphans_Day_Success
We are working on providing ongoing assistance to orphans in Iraq: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/projects/91. More on this next week.
ANSWERS TO SOME QUESTIONS
Read this page on our blog for answers to some recently-asked questions:
http://www.spiritofamerica.net/site/blog/592
Thank you for your support. Please contact us at staff@spiritofamerica.net if you have any questions.
All the best,
Jim Hake and the Spirit of America team
Doc in the Box is shooting for hit number 150,000.
And while you’re there, get caught up on one of the better Iraqi-based mil-blogs around. He has sparkly links and cursors that turn into crosshairs too.
Via Mustang who’s also over there and thinks I’m funny. Which for me is a first from an Army Captain…I usually just annoy them.
I can’t find a web-based version of the story but earlier today on Fox, Shepard Smith reported that in one town, after a bomb had gone off, Iraqi citizens were lining back up to vote while the carnage of the explosion was still being cleaned up.
Say what you want, I’m impressed as hell and my hat is off to every Iraqi who came out and voted today…even if they are embarassing the hell out of every yahoo American who didn’t vote back in November because FILL IN YOUR WHINEY-ASSED EXCUSE HERE.
More news from Jim Hake of Spirit of America:
Great news! We’ve just received confirmation that C-SPAN is planning to
cover Spirit of America’s Iraq election event this Sunday from 2pm to
4pm Eastern (11am to 1pm Pacific). Please watch. Your support has
made this possible. Please forward this message far and wide and
encourage people to tune in.Iraq’s elections are an historic event. This broadcast will provide a
unique, more complete picture of the elections with ground-level news
and views from the Iraqi people. You will get much more than the
typical focus on violence and terrorism. We’ll have reports, photos
and video from all corners of Iraq. The broadcast event is described
more here: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/site/blog/459You can see reports and photos now at:
http://www.friendsofdemocracy.info. And, during the show on Sunday,
we will be publishing the discussion at
http://www.friendsofdemocracy.info and asking for your comments.
For members of THE DAILY BRIEF: If you’re going to be in Washington D.C. tomorrow and would like to be part of this panel, drop me a line and I’ll see if I can hook you up.
Here’s part of an email I received from Jim Hake of Spirit of America talking up Friends of Democracy:
Spirit of America’s work with Friends of Democracy to provide a full
picture of Iraq’s elections is coming to fruition. This project has
been to provide a ground-level view of the elections from the people
and bloggers of Iraq (yes, I know, bloggers are people, too). There
are lots of good reports already on the Friends of Democracy site at
http://www.friendsofdemocracy.infoThe information is not “candy coated” – it simply does more than
emphasize terrorism and violence. It provides good news and bad.
Please link to the site and check it for news. It will be especially
good on election day. We’ll have reports and photos coming in from all
corners of Iraq.
Iraqi election news from (GASP!) Iraqis.
How cool is that?
I work down the hall from a Marine Major whose primary purpose seems to be changing internet chat rooms from a teenager’s toy for trading porn and pirated music into a weapon of mass communication. Daniel Drezner has a story that will make the Major very-very happy.
Another note about my student in Iraq —
He has established a website that he hopes will be a clearinghouse for good news about Iraq. He just got it started, but it looks pretty promising. Some of the stories are his own, I think. Others he has gleaned from various sources. And he’s soliciting more!
Here’s the URL: www.iraqgoodnews.com.
Total before I turned into a pumpkin: $350.00. Some of you were busy today. Bless you and the fine work you do.
Don’t forget to surf around Spirit of America (SOA) and see all the good work previous contributions have done and bookmark the SOA site when you’re over there. The current Blogger Challenge is over today, but SOA takes contributions all year long.
Holding at $200.00. Today is the final day of this Blogger Challenge. Thank you a million times to all those who contributed.
Don’t forget to surf around Spirit of America (SOA) and see all the good work previous contributions have done and bookmark the SOA site when you’re over there. The current Blogger Challenge is over today, but SOA takes contributions all year long.
Currently up to $200.00. Wow, I never figured we’d bust $100. That’s just amazing.
If you’ve ever watched the news or read blogs or heard a story on the radio and thought to yourself, “God, I wish I could DO something to help over there.” This is one of those things you can do. Click the button and help our folks help the Iraqis. Surf around Spirit of America (SOA) and see all the good work previous contributions have done.
I KNOW money is tight for folks at this time of year. If you have to wait until you get your tax return back to do anything extra, don’t forget to bookmark the SOA site when you’re over there. The current Blogger Challenge is over on the 15th, but SOA takes contributions all year long. I don’t even want to know how some of the other bloggers got into 6 figures. I like our total so far…feels more like I walked around the office with my hat out.
Currently up to $75.00. You all ROCK!
If you’ve ever watched the news or read blogs or heard a story on the radio and thought to yourself, “God, I wish I could DO something to help over there.” This is one of those things you can do. Click the button and help our folks help the Iraqis. Surf around Spirit of America (SOA) and see all the good work previous contributions have done.
I’ve got the button above set up to go to the SOA General Fund so they can use the money where ever they need it most. If there’s a pet project you want to contribute to, by all means go for it. This has nothing to do with me what-so-ever. For me this is purely a St Francis thing.
Update: Whoever you all are that contributed another $75.00 today to make the total $150.00, thank you, thank you, thank you.