A Soldiers Blog

Head of U.S. Team Searching for Iraq Arms May Leave: "In a potential setback to the so farfruitless hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, thehead of the U.S. search team, David Kay, told administrationofficials he is considering leaving the job as early as nextmonth, U.S. officials said on Thursday. (Reuters)"

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U.S. Troop Strength in Iraq to Spike with Rotation: "U.S. Army troop strength in Iraqwill spike, at least briefly, as more troops are kept in thecountry as part of a major rotation in coming months, Pentagonofficials said on Thursday. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Is the search for weapons over? (19 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA



Sharon gives ultimatum on peace deal: "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday that Israel was willing to move some Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip but delivered an ultimatum that Palestinians had only a few months to make peace or Israel would impose its own solution."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Japan Orders Air Force Team to Get Ready for Iraq: "Japan issued orders on Friday for membersof its air force to prepare to leave for the Middle East,marking the start of its contribution of military personnel tosupport the reconstruction of Iraq. (Reuters)"

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U.N. OKs $1.4B for Iraq Kuwait Victims: "A United Nations panel has approved paying an additional $1.4 billion in damages to the victims of Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, officials said Thursday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



An Email from a Captain in Iraq: "From The Corner .
Via Silflay Hraka .
* * *
An Email from a Captain in Iraq
We knew there was a dinner planned with ambassador Bremer and LTG Sanchez. There were 600 seats available and all the units in the division weretasked with filling a few tables. Naturally, the 501st MI battalion got ourtable. Soldiers were grumbling about having to sit through another dog-and-pony show, so we had to pick soldiers to attend. I chose not to go.
But, about 1500 the G2, LTC Devan, came up to me and with a smile, asked me to come to dinner with him, to meet him in his office at 1600 and bring a camera. I didn't really care about getting a picture with Sanchez or Bremer, but when the division's senior intelligence officer asks you to go, you go. We were seated in the chow hall, fully decorated for thanksgiving when all kinds of secret service guys showed up.
That was my first clue, because Bremer's been here before and his personal security detachment is not that big. Then BG Dempsey got up to speak, and he welcomed ambassador Bremer and LTG Sanchez. Bremer thanked us all and pulled out a piece of paper as if to give a speech. He mentioned that the President had given him this thanksgiving speech to give to the troops. He then paused and said that the senior man present should be the one to give it. He then looked at Sanchez, who just smiled.
Bremer then said that we should probably get someone more senior to read the speech. Then, from behind the camouflage netting, the President of the United States came around. The mess hall actually erupted with hollering. Troops bounded to their feet with shocked smiles and just began cheering with all their hearts. The building actually shook. It was just unreal. I was absolutely stunned. Not only for the obvious, but also because I was only two tables away from the podium. There he stood, less than thirty feet away from me! The cheering went on and on and on.
Soldiers were hollering, cheering, and a lot of them were crying. There was not a dry eye at my table. When he stepped up to the cheering, I could clearly see tears running down! his cheeks. It was the most surreal moment I've had in years. Not since my wedding and Aaron being born. Here was this man, our President, came all the way around the world, spending 17 hours on an airplane and landing in the most dangerous airport in the world, where a plane was shot out of the sky not six days before.
Just to spend two hours with his troops. Only to get on a plane and spend another 17 hours flying back. It was a great moment, and I will never forget it. He delivered his speech, which we all loved, when he looked right at me and held his eyes on me. Then he stepped down and was just mobbed by the soldiers. He slowly worked his way all the way around the chow hall and shook every last hand extended. Every soldier who wanted a photo with the President got one. I made my way through the line, got dinner, then wolfed it down as he was still working the room.
You could tell he was really enjoying himself. It wasn't just a photo opportunity. This man was actually enjoying himself! He worked his way over the course of about 90 minutes towards my side of the room. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to shake a few hands. I got a picture with Ambassador Bremer, Talabani (acting Iraqi president) and Achmed Chalabi (another member of the ruling council) and Condaleeza Rice, who was there with him.
I felt like I was drunk. He was getting closer to my table so I went back over to my seat. As he passed and posed for photos, he looked my in the eye and "How you doin', captain." I smiled and said "God bless you, sir." To which he responded "I'm proud of what you do, captain." Then moved on.
* * *
"

In Command Post: Irak



Ñòîðîííèêè Õóñåéíà ïðîíèêëè âî âðåìåííûå âëàñòè in IraqWar.Ru



Mukhabarat Agent: No WMDs here!: "No WMDs in Iraq but plenty of chaos!"

In Back to Iraq 2.0



America's enlightened warriors: "Preparing the mind for battle
Via the Baltimore Sun
December 18, 2003
* * *
On the theory that preparing the mind for battle is as important as preparing the body, the top officer in each service provides a reading list of recommended books for enlisted personnel to commissioned officers. The Marine Corps, which for many Americans has the image of being the toughest of the tough, offers the most extensive reading list, with about 175 books divided among each rank.
They include classics on warfare, such as The Art of War, by Sun Tzu (for staff sergeants and lieutenants); and The Peloponnesian War, by Thucydides (for colonels). The U.S. Constitution is recommended for low-ranking enlisted personnel and junior officers.
There are memoirs by enemies, including World War II German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and by Civil War generals, such as William Tecumseh Sherman. There are books on courage, firepower and military innovation. And there are best sellers, such as Fields of Fire, by former Navy Secretary James H. Webb Jr., and Diplomacy, by former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger. There are heroic tales and examinations of stunning defeats.
For senior officers, the largest category centers on the Vietnam War. "Marines are expected to read at least two books a year from this list," according to the list's introduction. "The lessons learned from the books can be used to be better leaders both in and out of the Corps."
Following is a sampling of books from the list of recommendations by Marine Corps rank, compiled by Tom Bowman, The Sun's military affairs reporter.

Private, private first class, lance corporal
Starship Troopers, by Robert A. Heinlein. A recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the universe - and into battle with the Terran Mobile Infantry against mankind's most frightening enemy.
The Bridge at Dong Ha, by John Grider Miller. On Easter morning 1972, Marine Capt. John Ripley, the sole U.S. adviser to the tough 3rd Battalion of the South Vietnamese marines, braved intense enemy fire to blow up a bridge and stop a major invasion from the north.

Corporal and sergeant
The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane. One of the greatest war novels, it is the story of the Civil War through the eyes of Henry Fleming, an ordinary farm boy turned soldier.
The Buffalo Soldiers: A Narrative of the Negro Cavalry in the West, by William H. Leckie. Chronicles the importance of African-American units in the conquest of the West.

Second lieutenant and first lieutenant
Grant and Lee: A Study in Personality and Generalship, by J.F.C. Fuller. An analysis of the Civil War battles commanded by Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee; argues that Grant was among the best generals ever.
How We Won the War, by Vo Nguyen Giap. North Vietnam's military commander discusses "just wars of national liberation" from tactics for insurgency operations to the political guidelines for enlisting the populace on the insurgent's side.

Captain
Once a Legend: "Red" Mike Edson of the Marine Raiders, by Jon T. Hoffman. Edson earned the Medal of Honor and lasting fame during a desperate, two-day defense of Guadalcanal's vital airfield.
On Guerrilla Warfare, by Mao Tse-tung. Written by the future Chinese leader in 1937, it served as an instruction manual for guerrilla fighting.

Major
Guerrilla Warfare, by Che Guevara. A leader of the 1959 overthrow in Cuba discusses the need for revolution to topple governments in Latin America. He details his style of hit-and-run tactics that proved successful.
It Doesn't Take a Hero : The Autobiography of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. The general who commanded U.S. and allied forces in the 1991 Persian Gulf war talks about his life, from his teen-age years spent in the Middle East to his time as a young officer in Vietnam and then to the gulf war.

Lieutenant colonel
Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant. Considered among the best military memoirs, the two-volume work was published by Mark Twain and completed in the last month of the Civil War general's life. He offers firsthand accounts of the waging of war.
Take That Hill! Royal Marines in the Falklands War, by Nick Vaux. The book chronicles the actions of Britain's 42 Commando Royal Marines and their actions in the Falklands during the 1982 war with Argentina.

Colonel
The Marine Corps Search for a Mission 1880-1898, by Jack Shulimson. Although the Marines distinguished themselves fighting on the Barbary Coast, their essential mission and identity remained unclear throughout most of the 19th century. The book tells how the Marine Corps got out from under the thumb of the Navy and became a distinct and separate branch of the military.
Seeds of Disaster: The Development of French Army Doctrine, 1891-1939, by Robert A. Doughty. Discusses the failure of the French Army to turn back the Nazi attacks in the spring of 1940. Although France possessed the technology to fight, it lacked the right tactics and leadership.

Brigadier general through general
The Best and the Brightest, by David Halberstam. The story of how the U.S. got involved in Vietnam through the "best and brightest" policymakers appointed by John F. Kennedy.
Maverick Marine: General Smedley Butler and the Contradictions of American Military History, by Hans Schmidt. A two-time Medal of Honor recipient, Butler, beginning in 1898, served on American foreign military expeditions from Cuba to the Philippines, China, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti, France and China. After a rescinded court-martial and premature retirement in 1931, he renounced war and devoted his energies to causes ranging from labor unions to the anti-war movement of the 1930s.
* * *
"

In Command Post: Irak



Iraqi Scientists Going on U.S. Payroll: "Hundreds of Iraqi scientists and technicians who the Bush administration says worked on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs for Saddam Hussein will be paid by the United States for their role in postwar projects, partly to keep the Iraqis from selling their expertise elsewhere. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Poll: Public Confident of Osama Capture: "Public confidence that Osama bin Laden will be caught is rising along with approval of President Bush's handling of foreign policy and terrorism in the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's capture, an Associated Press poll says. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS IN DECEMBER!: " (Ann Coulter)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



More troops headed to Iraq in new year in CNN - War in Iraq



Double legal terror blow for Bush (18 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA



Pentagon Adjusts Iraq Deployment Plans: "The Pentagon is sending an additional brigade of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to Iraq and extending the deployment there of another 82nd Airborne unit in what officials said Thursday is a minor adjustment to their plan for rotating fresh forces into Iraq next year. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Rumsfeld approves deployment of additional troops to Iraq: officials: "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has approved the deployment of an extra brigade of the elite 82nd Airborne Division to Iraq in January and extended that of another brigade to maintain combat power, senior US defense officials said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.N. to Meet With Iraq Council, Coalition: "Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday called for a Jan. 15 meeting of the key players in Iraq to pin down what role they want the United Nations to play as the country moves from U.S. occupation to a democratically elected government. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



UN's Annan Wants Meeting on UN Role in Iraq: "U.N. Secretary-General KofiAnnan on Thursday proposed a Jan. 15 meeting with the IraqiGoverning Council and the U.S.-led coalition to see what rolethe United Nations should play if it returns to Baghdad. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Arresting Children: ""Two days ago there was a demonstration after school finished, against the coalition and for Saddam. Yesterday the American army came and surrounded the whole block. They just crashed into the school, 6, 7, 8 into every classroom with their guns. They took the name of every student and matched the names to the photos they got from the day before and then arrested the students. They actually dragged them by their shirts onto the floor and out of the class." They wouldn't give their names. The children at Adnan Kheiralla Boys' School in the Amiriya district of Baghdad were still scared, still seething with rage. Jo Wilding writes about the event from Baghdad."

In Electronic Iraq



One Small Business in Iraq, Indicative of Many: "In 1953 an Iraqi man named Aziz Mikhail Zablok opened a small shoe store in Baghdad. This was no small feat, for when Aziz was 12 years old; he had begun working to help support his widowed mother of four. He eventually learned to make shoes while working for the International Shoe Company. With his brother, he opened a small shop on Rashid Street in Baghdad selling imported shoes. Eventually they began making their own in the back of the shop. Things continued to improve, and in 1958 they bought and opened a factory, then many more shops. Their business, priding itself on handmade, high quality shoes would grow into over 20 successful stores throughout Baghdad. Dahr Jamail traces the history of the family business from the coming of Saddam's regime, through the US invasion, to the present day occupation."

In Electronic Iraq



Another Home Pillaged, More Illegal Detentions: "On December 9th, at 10pm, US soldiers stormed a home in Al Ewadiyah neighborhood of Baghdad. Taharoh Muhammad Munahi Al Rufayai, a 43-year-old college professor; Leith, her brother and a retired army officer; and their elderly aunt Fahad. The soldiers forced the inhabitants to stand outside at gunpoint for five and a half hours in their bed clothes while they searched and pillaged the home, destroying much of its contents while looking for weapons and members of the resistance. Twenty soldiers picked through the home, while many more waiting outside with the family members, amidst hummers and light tanks, while helicopters circled above. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."

In Electronic Iraq



Stryker Brigade gets first combat in IraqWar.info



New look, new mission: "New look for a new mission."

In Back to Iraq 2.0



Poll: Public Confident of Osama Capture: "Public confidence that Osama bin Laden will be caught is rising along with approval of President Bush's handling of foreign policy and terrorism in the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's capture, an Associated Press poll says. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Baker had a "constructive" meeting with Putin in Moscow: White House: "US envoy James Baker had a "constructive" meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on lightening the burden of Iraq's debt, the White House said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq