A Soldiers Blog

Who Is Abu Musab al-Zarqawi?: "There is no dispute that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has led a campaign of violence in Iraq. But he may not be the terrorist mastermind the Bush administration claims."

In New York Times: World Special



Iraqi Cleric's Militia in Sadr City Promises to Hand Over Arms: "The handover is part of a deal to disband Moktada al-Sadr's insurgent force and end weeks of fighting with American forces."

In New York Times: World Special

Soldiers Angels In ACTION

God love them one and all!!! I got to meet one of my soldiers Friday night. I have been writing and sending packages since April without a word from him. Then, out of the blue, we got the call. He apologized for not writing and said that he doesn't have much time for that since he is out on missions and may not even get to talk to his wife for a month. He is one of the first responders when they are called in to clean up an area -- he is a gunner on top of a humvee . He is from Boston, but says he is behind our president 100%. He says they are doing the right thing and most of the Iraqi people appreciate us being there. He said he has seen first hand the mutilation of people who went against Saddam Hussein. He also said what goes right over people's heads is a photo of a woman in front of a computer. A woman never could have done that under Saddam Hussein. He also is not surprised that we haven't found WMDs because he wondered how we were going to find them when Saddam had buried fighter jets and weapons arsenals in the sand. They only way they have been able to recover them is with metal detectors -- and there are hundreds and hundreds of miles of open sand. At the end of his 2 week R&R, Rob said he was ready to go back and complete the mission. He said he just couldn't tell us how much they all appreciate us -- we keep them going. It hurts my heart to see the dedication and bravery of these young men and women and how some in this country spit right in their faces. If we end up going down the road John Kerry and his bunch want to take us, our grandchildren may never enjoy the freedoms our brave military men and women have fought so hard to preserve.

Gay

-------Original Message-------



Dear Friends,
I got this email this morning and it's so telling of the media slant. I only send these to further encourage the work of Soldiers' Angels (lest we forget) and perhaps to try to convince everyone that the media is our fiercest enemy as they attempt to demoralize Our Military!!! Most of them, anyhow. Gosh, I could rip them to pieces...if I only could!!!!!!! Maybe I will. Any volunteers...?!?!? You're welcome to pass this along to those that still somehow think the Dan Rather's, the CNNers, MSNBCers, NPRers, etc. of the world have any lick of credibility.
God Bless Our Soldiers. I can't even tell you.................But you all feel the same way, don't ya's!!!
Love Nila

Nila,

Hey there my special angel. Sorry I have not been writting to you..... there was a major mission over here and my unit was the main effort. I know you don't watch the news but we took back one of the main cities that were a problem over here. Yes it was alot harder as usual then the new reported.... but I have grown use to that by now. Well the mission is winding down some and so I spent an hour or so reading email now that I got back to the base. Well still have more notes to send out but thanks for all you emails and jokes... I love them.




SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

Thousands of Angels Seeking Help with Getting Holiday Stockings for the Troops
Soldiers' Angels launch Operation Holiday Spirit

(PRWEB) October 7 , 2004 -- Having a must do mindset the members of Soldiers' Angels have made it their number one priority to get Christmas stockings to all of the men and women deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world during this upcoming holiday season. What started as a small wish of Patti Patton-Bader, the founder, has sparked attention from several large corporations, a radio-talk show personality, and a Hollywood actor.

Also in this campaign is the efforts of VFW in Centerreach, New York who has agreed to pack all of the stockings.Soldiers' Angels, a non profit organization started by a mother whose son informed her that members of his unit were not receiving mail from home. The organization has been sending letters and care packages to our men and women of the military since June of 2003. “May no soldier go unloved” has been Patti Patton-Bader’s motto since the beginning of what started out as one woman’s dream has grown to over 14, 000 members supporting our military. To date the organization has about 10,000 military members in its adoption program. While the numbers keep growing everyday the members have not lost focus of their mission and that is to “provide aid and comfort to our military…”

Since starting the Stockings for Troops campaign the organization has received 331 cases of items from Neutrogena they plan on putting in the Christmas stockings. AT&T, the only carrier whose phone cards work from many locations where our military are currently deployed, is matching minutes on their phone cards. Ms. Patton-Bader and the rest of the Angels believe that if our military cannot be home for the holidays, they can a bit of home to our military. Between now and November 20th Soldiers’ Angels hopes to send 140, 000 Christmas stockings to the military men and women defending our countrites freedom far from home. The organization would like to fill each stocking with a card of encoragement, an AT&T phone card, some holiday candy, hot chocolate packets, instant soup, a sand scarf, and other holiday items. They have set up a special link on their website, www.soldiersangels.com for monetary donations.

They are asking that all donations of stockings, AT&T phone cards, cards, and other holiday items to fill the stockings be sent to the
VFW Post 4927,
31 Horseblock Road,
Centerreach,
NY 11720.
All monentary donations can be sent to
Soldiers' Angels,
1792 E. Washington Blvd.,
Pasadena, CA 91104.
You may call John Adams of the VFW at (631) 585-7390 or Patti Patton-Bader at (626) 398-3131 for more information on items needed or how to donate.



PRESS RELEASE: Thousands of Angels Seeking Help with Getting Holiday Stockings for the Troops

Marine thanks students for support
While on leave, Johnston visits Chestnut Mountain Elementary
By PEARCE ADAMS
The Times

A Chestnut Mountain Marine was on a mission Friday: Seek out those who showed him support during his seven-month tour of duty in Iraq.

Pfc. Justin Johnston found them at Chestnut Mountain Elementary School.

The 20-year-old visited a group of second-graders to thank them and their teacher, Lori Whitmire, for writing letters to him while he was overseas.

Whitmire's class last year also sent letters to Johnston.

Johnston, currently on a three-day leave, was shot in the hip April 22 while he was on patrol in Fallujah.

About six months later, he fielded students' questions like "Did it hurt?"

"My mind went blank," said Justin Johnston, who has since recovered fully. "It was like being hit by a 2-by-4 and then burnt with the red-hot tip of a cigar."

While he was at the school, Johnston ran into teachers he had when he was a student at Chestnut Mountain.

"It's amazing," said Betsy Elrod, a physical education teacher at the school since 1991. "I can't believe one of my students has been in a war and been shot."

At the time, he was on patrol with about 20 Ma-rines near Fallujah. The bullet penetrated his right hip and put him out of action for about six weeks, he said.

"Our company was one of the first into hell on earth," Johnston said after speaking to the students.

He said his patrol was in tall grass about 650 yards from Fallujah when they came under attack from mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and rifle fire.

"A medic checked my wound and told me to make my way back on my own," Johnston said. "I had my weapon in one hand and my pants in the other. They were still shooting at me."

Judy Johnston, Justin's mom, said a Marine officer called her home, initially saying he had been hit by shrapnel.

His father, Joey Johnston, was on a business trip to Southeast Asia at the time. Later, they learned that their son had been shot.

According to the U.S. military 1,064 American soldiers have died in Iraq since the war started last March.

Johnston arrived at the school about an hour after he landed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. Earlier in the week, he returned to Camp Lejeune, N.C., where his unit is based."When I saw him step off the bus, it was the best day I've had," Judy Johnston said.

Monday, Justin Johnston said he will return to Camp Lejeune. A combat leave would allow him to return home Oct. 22, he said
Marine thanks students for support - gainesvilletimes.com

Military Update: Draft rejected, but manpower crunch is real
By Tom Philpott, Special to Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, October 9, 2004

To ease fears fueled by the Internet that the Bush administration has secret plans to reinstitute a military draft after the Nov. 2 election, House Republican leaders on Tuesday forced a floor vote on the issue and then watched with satisfaction as colleagues rejected the idea, 402-2.

“The administration … the Department of Defense … the House of Representatives clearly reject … returning to military conscription,” said Rep. John McHugh, R-N.Y., who as chairman of the military personnel subcommittee served as floor manager for a bill he opposed.

Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., had introduced HR 163 in January 2003, as U.S. forces gathered on the borders of Iraq. Rangel wanted to underscore the burden of a preemptive war on volunteers, a disproportionate number of whom, he argued, are racial minorities or from lower-income families.

If more American families had “kids going off to war,” Rangel said at the time, the president would be more reluctant to start one.

European and Pacific Stars & Stripes

USMC Lima Company Expected In ET Today After Duty In Iraq
By: By BILL JONES/Staff Writer
Source: The Greeneville Sun
10-09-2004
Members of a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve unit that includes a number of Greene County residents, apparently will return to Northeast Tennessee this afternoon or tonight aboard two separate flights.

But as of Friday night, the Marine Corps had not announced the exact timing of the unit’s return or of plans for welcoming ceremonies that are to be held at the Appalachian Fairgrounds in the Washington County community of Gray.

A Marine Corps spokesman at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Gray, where Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, is based, said Friday afternoon that the young Marines are expected to be flown to Tri-Cities Regional Airport.

One flight, the spokesman said on Friday, was expected to arrive late this afternoon, while the second half of the 180-man unit is expected to arrive later tonight.

As a result of the unit taking separate flights, the spokesman said, two separate welcoming ceremonies will be held at the Appalachian Fairgrounds adjacent to the Armed Forces Reserve Center.

The first welcoming ceremony was being planned on Friday to begin about 6:30 p.m., while the second is expected to take place about 11 p.m., according to the Marine Corps spokesman.

However, the father of one local Lima Company Marine said on Friday evening that his son had told him not to come to the fairgrounds in Gray before 9:15 p.m. Saturday

Greene County Online

Up to three Iraqis have been shot and killed in separate incidents in Ramadi and Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad.


One Iraqi was killed and five wounded on Saturday when clashes broke out between US forces and unidentified fighters in Ramadi, the city hospital said.

The clashes broke out as US marines were conducting searches in the city, 113km west of Baghdad, according to Dr Dhia Abd al-Karim of Ramadi General Hospital.

The US military had no immediate information on the incident. Ramadi has seen repeated bombings and clashes in recent weeks.

Elsewhere, two Iraqis were shot and killed by US forces during a deployment of dozens of US troops in heavy vehicles in Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad, Aljazeera has learned.

A number of army vehicles have been deployed at entrances to Haifa Street in the middle of the capital.

Shootings were heard in the area.

In the Green Zone, a rocket or mortar exploded, sending up a large cloud of smoke over the heart of the American and Iraqi government quarters.

The blast occurred about 1:45pm (1045 GMT). There was no immediate report of damage or casualties.



Aljazeera.Net - More deaths in Iraq fighting

U.S., Iraqi troops expand offensive

Rocket attack hits Baghdad hotel
CNN
October 8th, 2004


BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- More than 2,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops are targeting insurgents in the northern section of Babil province, even as insurgents targeted a hotel near Baghdad's Green Zone.

The U.S. military announced the Babil offensive on Thursday.

The operations are part of a larger effort by U.S.-led forces to establish security ahead of the January Iraqi elections.

The operation in the south-central Iraqi province of Babil began Tuesday following an intense offensive begun last week in the Sunni Triangle city of Samarra, a move that the commander of the 1st Infantry Division declared a success on Wednesday.

Iraqi security forces, led by a SWAT team, and elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, captured 13 suspected militants in the town of Haswa in Babil province in a Wednesday afternoon raid, the U.S. military said Thursday.

This comes after raids conducted by the forces "drove insurgents east of the Euphrates River to Haswa," a unit statement said. Insurgent "forces retaliated with small attacks" on Marines from the town.



Occupation Watch:?U.S., Iraqi troops expand offensive

Australian PM Howard wins re-election, ensures Aussie troops remain in Iraq
12:10 PM EDT Oct 09
MIKE CORDER



SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Prime Minister John Howard scored a convincing victory in Australia's federal election Saturday, winning a historic fourth term in a vote ensuring the staunch U.S. ally keeps its troops in Iraq.

With more than 70 per cent of votes tallied, Howard appeared likely to increase his government's majority in parliament - exceeding most analysts' predictions that the result would be very tight.

"My fellow Australians . . . I am truly humbled by this extraordinary expression of confidence in the leadership of this great nation by the coalition," Howard told cheering supporters of his conservative alliance in Sydney.

Labour party leader Mark Latham earlier conceded defeat before supporters in western Sydney, saying he had called Howard to congratulate him.

"Tonight was not our night," Latham told the crowd.

The election was widely seen abroad as the first referendum for the three leaders who launched the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, with President George W. Bush facing a ballot Nov. 2 and British Prime Minister Tony Blair probably facing voters next year.

The Labour party had vowed to bring the roughly 900 Australian troops deployed in and around Iraq home by Christmas, while Howard insisted they will stay until the U.S.-installed government asks them to leave. Australian troops have not suffered any casualties and none have combat roles.


Australia-Election

Dinner Cruise with NiCole Robinson

"'Margaret' of NBC's Emmy Award winning 'The West Wing'"

On the Lady Baltimore Cruise

Proceeds to benefit Soldiers' Angels (www.soldiersangels.com)
Ship at the Inner Harbor
November 13, 2004
7:00 – 10:00 p.m
Tickets - $85.00 / person
(Limited seating at Guest of Honor’s Table Available - Call for details)

Includes buffet dinner, dancing, open beer/wine/soda bar, live music, door prizes and fun!
Music by: Wright Music Productions
For tickets send check or money order to:
Soldiers’ Angels
5046 Freter Road
Sykesville, Maryland 21784
OR
visit: http://www.soldiersangels.homestead.com/NiCole-Robinson-Dinner-Cruise.html

For more information call: Kathleen Bair 410-295-0168 or Jean Keltner 410-552-1434

Afghan Election Ends IN Peace
By Sayed Salahuddin
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's historic presidential election closed on Saturday without any of the feared large-scale violence but the vote was thrown into turmoil instead by a boycott called by most of the candidates.

All 15 of President Hamid Karzai's rivals said they were withdrawing from the election because systems to prevent illegal multiple voting had gone awry. The move effectively left Karzai as the only candidate in the fray.

Election officials nevertheless refused to halt the process, which appeared to have gone smoothly across the rugged Islamic nation despite fears that many Afghans would be too afraid to participate.

"Halting the vote at this time is unjustified and would deny these individuals the right to vote," said election official Ray Kennedy.

The impoverished nation was voting to choose its first elected president and perhaps end over a quarter-century of war.

It was not immediately clear how much credibility the poll would have after the boycott or whether it would lead to further divisiveness in the country, a patchwork of ethnic groups and often warring tribes held together for the past three years by the U.S.-backed interim government.

Fears of sabotage by Taliban militants who had vowed to disrupt the polls were overtaken halfway through the voting day when it became clear some workers were using the wrong pen to mark people's fingers after they voted.

This meant the ink could just be washed off and the voter could potentially cast a ballot again.

During the campaign, some candidates expressed surprise that as many as 10.5 million out of the country's 28 million people had registered to vote, and said they believed many people had received multiple voter cards. The indelible ink was aimed at preventing them from voting more than once.

The decision by Karzai's rivals to boycott the poll was made at an emergency meeting. Eighteen candidates are on the ballot but two withdrew this week in favor of Karzai.

Later all but one of the 15 demanded fresh polls and said they would not recognize any government elected on Saturday. Continued ...


Top News Article | Reuters.com

Spc. Jessica L. Cawvey, shown in an undated photo, was the fifth member of the 1544 Transportation Company, based in Paris, Ill., to die since the start of the war in Iraq ). Cawvey, 21, was killed and two others seriously injured in an explosion Wednesday, Oct 6, 2004, as their convoy traveled a main supply route in Fallujah. (AP Photo/Illinois National Guard) Yahoo! News - Top Stories Photos - AP

A picture released by the US Army shows soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, conducting house-to-house searches in the northern city of Samarra. The United States may send more troops to Iraqto protect elections in January against insurgent violence if US commanders decide they are needed, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said.(AFP/US army/File) Yahoo! News - Mideast Photos - AFP

Ex-spy master praises CIA’s effectiveness
MU graduate advises caution in revamping.


By JOSH FLORY of the Tribune’s staff
Published Saturday, October 9, 2004
The nation’s capital has been well-stocked with high-profile Missourians lately, but one Show-Me State native recently stepped away from one of Washington’s most secretive jobs.

James Pavitt, a St. Louis native and a 1968 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, retired in August as the deputy director of operations, or DDO, at the Central Intelligence Agency.

One of three main branches at the CIA, the directorate of operations is responsible for the "clandestine collection of foreign intelligence." Pavitt, in other words, was in charge of U.S. spies who operate in countries around the world.

Named DDO in 1999, Pavitt’s tenure coincided with one of the most turbulent periods in the agency’s history.

Besides supporting military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the CIA has faced harsh scrutiny for faulty intelligence about Iraq’s weapons programs and for America’s failure to prevent the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

In a telephone interview this week with the Tribune, Pavitt defended the work by his agency.

"The fact of the matter is that many, many attacks have been thwarted, have been stopped because of good intelligence and good intelligence work," he said. "The fact of the matter is that intelligence is not, though, perfect. It can’t be."

Pavitt earned a history degree at MU before attending Clark University in Massachusetts as a National Defense Education Act fellow. Before he could finish his studies, Pavitt was drafted and became an Army intelligence officer, working in Berlin. After leaving the Army, Pavitt worked on Capitol Hill before applying to the CIA.



Ex-spy master praises CIA?s effectiveness

Iraq War News
U-S, Iraqi troops detain suspected insurgents in northern Iraq in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror



Bigley 'escaped before execution': "The Foreign Office has refused to discuss reports that Iraq hostage Ken Bigley managed to escape briefly before being recaptured and beheaded."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



Blast Heard in Central Baghdad - Witnesses: "A blast echoed over central Baghdad onSaturday and white smoke rose from the direction of the GreenZone housing Iraqi government offices and the U.S. and Britishembassies, Reuters witnesses said. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



US Iraq ally Howard wins reelection in Australia: "The conservative government of Australian Prime Minister John Howard won a fourth straight term in office as Australia's booming economy overshadowed criticism of his staunch support for the US-led war in Iraq. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Sadr Militia to Disarm Under Iraq Peace Deal: "A Shi'ite militia led by Moqtadaal-Sadr will start to disarm in Baghdad from Monday following adeal reached on Saturday with Iraq's interim government andU.S. officials, the chief Shi'ite negotiator said. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



al-Sadr expected to hand over weapons: "Militiamen loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr will begin handing over weapons to Iraqi police next week in a major step toward ending weeks of fighting with American soldiers and restoring peace in Baghdad's Sadr City district, a senior aide to the radical cleric said Saturday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Rocket or mortar explodes in Green Zone: "A rocket or mortar exploded Saturday in the U.S.-protected Green Zone, sending up a large cloud of smoke over the heart of the American and Iraqi government quarter."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Israelis, Hamas militants clash in Gaza: "Israeli troops shot at Hamas militants about to fire an anti-tank missile Saturday, setting off an explosion that killed one man and wounded three, the army and hospital officials said."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



IRAQI SECURITY FORCES AND MULTI-NATIONAL FORCES FOIL CAR BOMB ATTACK, DETAIN 14 in CENTCOM: News Release



THREE SUSPECTS DETAINED DURING SEARCH FOR SUICIDE BOMBER in CENTCOM: News Release



IRAQIS TAKE OVER TRAINING ROLE in CENTCOM: News Release



U.S.: No Terror Connection to Schools Disk: "Federal officials said Friday there is no terrorist connection to a computer disk found in Iraq that contained information about schools in six states. The disk was made by an unidentified Iraqi man who was doing research and had no connections to al-Qaida or the Iraqi insurgents battling U.S. forces, according to the FBI. The man did have links to the Baath Party that ruled Iraq under Saddam Hussein, but that's true of many former government officials and community leaders. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S, Iraqi Troops Foil Car Bomb Attack: "U.S. and Iraqi forces foiled a car bomb attack and detained 17 suspected insurgents in operations in the north of the country, the U.S. command said Saturday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Bedouin tribesmen held in Egypt bombing: "Dozens of Bedouin tribesmen have been detained on suspicion they supplied the explosives for coordinated car bombings at two Egyptian resorts that killed at least 33 people, most of them Israelis, officials said Saturday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S, Iraqi troops foil car bomb attack: "U.S. and Iraqi forces foiled a car bomb attack and detained 17 suspected insurgents in operations in the north of the country, the U.S. command said Saturday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military in Iraq has discovered two computer disks containing photographs, layouts and other material pertaining to American schools in six states, U.S. government officials said.

The FBI is examining the materials, but a Department of Homeland Security official said the intelligence community determined there was no threat.

The military retrieved the disks in Iraq within the last couple of months, and they were turned over to the FBI, one official said Thursday.

"There is no threat associated with this," another government official said.

The schools are in Fort Myers, Florida; Salem, Oregon; Jones County, Georgia; New Jersey; Michigan; and California.

Operation Holiday Spirit
Thousands of Angels Seeking Help with Getting Holiday Stockings for the Troops

Soldiers' Angels launch Operation Holiday Spirit



(PRWEB) October 7 , 2004 -- Having a must do mindset the members of Soldiers' Angels have made it their number one priority to get Christmas stockings to all of the men and women deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world during this upcoming holiday season. What started as a small wish of Patti Patton-Bader, the founder, has sparked attention from several large corporations, a radio-talk show personality, and a Hollywood actor.



Also in this campaign is the efforts of VFW in Centerreach, New York who has agreed to pack all of the stockings.Soldiers' Angels, a non profit organization started by a mother whose son informed her that members of his unit were not receiving mail from home. The organization has been sending letters and care packages to our men and women of the military since June of 2003. â??May no soldier go unlovedâ?? has been Patti Patton-Baderâ??s motto since the beginning of what started out as one womanâ??s dream has grown to over 14, 000 members supporting our military. To date the organization has about 10,000 military members in its adoption program. While the numbers keep growing everyday the members have not lost focus of their mission and that is to â??provide aid and comfort to our militaryâ?¦â??



Since starting the Stockings for Troops campaign the organization has received 331 cases of items from Neutrogena they plan on putting in the Christmas stockings. AT&T, the only carrier whose phone cards work from many locations where our military are currently deployed, is matching minutes on their phone cards. Ms. Patton-Bader and the rest of the Angels believe that if our military cannot be home for the holidays, they can a bit of home to our military. Between now and November 20th Soldiersâ?? Angels hopes to send 140, 000 Christmas stockings to the military men and women defending our countrites freedom far from home. The organization would like to fill each stocking with a card of encoragement, an AT&T phone card, some holiday candy, hot chocolate packets, instant soup, a sand scarf, and other holiday items. They have set up a special link on their website, www.soldiersangels.com for monetary donations.



They are asking that all donations of stockings, AT&T phone cards, cards, and other holiday items to fill the stockings be sent to the VFW Post 4927, 31 Horseblock Road, Centerreach, NY 11720. All monentary donations can be sent to Soldiers' Angels, 1729 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104. You may call John Adams of the VFW at (631) 585-7390 or Patti Patton-Bader at (626) 398-3131 for more information on items needed or how to donate.

Operation Holiday Spirit
Thousands of Angels Seeking Help with Getting Holiday Stockings for the Troops

Soldiers' Angels launch Operation Holiday Spirit



(PRWEB) October 7 , 2004 -- Having a must do mindset the members of Soldiers' Angels have made it their number one priority to get Christmas stockings to all of the men and women deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world during this upcoming holiday season. What started as a small wish of Patti Patton-Bader, the founder, has sparked attention from several large corporations, a radio-talk show personality, and a Hollywood actor.



Also in this campaign is the efforts of VFW in Centerreach, New York who has agreed to pack all of the stockings.Soldiers' Angels, a non profit organization started by a mother whose son informed her that members of his unit were not receiving mail from home. The organization has been sending letters and care packages to our men and women of the military since June of 2003. â??May no soldier go unlovedâ?? has been Patti Patton-Baderâ??s motto since the beginning of what started out as one womanâ??s dream has grown to over 14, 000 members supporting our military. To date the organization has about 10,000 military members in its adoption program. While the numbers keep growing everyday the members have not lost focus of their mission and that is to â??provide aid and comfort to our militaryâ?¦â??



Since starting the Stockings for Troops campaign the organization has received 331 cases of items from Neutrogena they plan on putting in the Christmas stockings. AT&T, the only carrier whose phone cards work from many locations where our military are currently deployed, is matching minutes on their phone cards. Ms. Patton-Bader and the rest of the Angels believe that if our military cannot be home for the holidays, they can a bit of home to our military. Between now and November 20th Soldiersâ?? Angels hopes to send 140, 000 Christmas stockings to the military men and women defending our countrites freedom far from home. The organization would like to fill each stocking with a card of encoragement, an AT&T phone card, some holiday candy, hot chocolate packets, instant soup, a sand scarf, and other holiday items. They have set up a special link on their website, www.soldiersangels.com for monetary donations.



They are asking that all donations of stockings, AT&T phone cards, cards, and other holiday items to fill the stockings be sent to the VFW Post 4927, 31 Horseblock Road, Centerreach, NY 11720. All monentary donations can be sent to Soldiers' Angels, 1729 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104. You may call John Adams of the VFW at (631) 585-7390 or Patti Patton-Bader at (626) 398-3131 for more information on items needed or how to donate.

Iraq War News
Explosion damages Istanbul cathedral: "An explosion shattered windows at the seat of the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians in Istanbul on Thursday, officials said. There were no reports of injuries."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. Navy helicopter crashes in Kuwait: "A U.S. Navy helicopter crashed Thursday immediately after takeoff in Kuwait, but all seven crew survived, the 5th Fleet's headquarters said."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. report: Iraq didn't have WMDs: "Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction programs had deteriorated into only hopes and dreams by the time of the U.S.-led invasion last year, a decline wrought by the first Gulf War and years of international sanctions, the chief U.S. weapons hunter found."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. 'almost all wrong' on weapons (7 Oct 04) in Radio Free USA



IRAQ: Refurbishment of schools in the south continues: "BASRA, 7 Oct 2004 (IRIN) - Salah Sabah, a maths teacher and an assistant at Irshad Primary School in the southern city of Basra, has been visiting the Educational Directorate regularly since the year 2000 to ask for help to rehabilitate his school."

In IRIN: Iraq Crisis



U.S. raises security alert in Green Zone after foiled bombing: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - U.S. authorities raised the security alert in the heavily guarded Green Zone after an improvised bomb was found in front of a restaurant there, officials said Thursday. Twenty Iraqis were arrested in the north in operations against those suspected of planting bombs against U.S. and Iraqi targets."

In Modesto Bee: Iraq



Accusations say U-N and other officials profited from illicit Iraq oil sales in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror



More than 200 detainees freed from Abu Ghraib after latest review at facility in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror



Blair faces final judgment on WMD: "The Government is facing up to confirmation Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



Muslim loses Iraq war legal bid: "A Muslim reservist airman who refused to take part in the Iraq war because of his religious beliefs has lost his landmark legal battle over his prosecution by the RAF for going absent without leave."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



Soldier killed, two wounded near Fallujah: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - An explosive device hit a U.S. convoy near the rebel-held city of Fallujah, killing one soldier from the 13th Corps Support Command and wounding two, the military said in a statement Thursday."

In Fresno Bee: Iraq



Bomb discovered at Green Zone restaurant: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - An improvised bomb was found in a restaurant in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, home of the U.S. Embassy and key government offices, American officials said Thursday."

In Fresno Bee: Iraq



Detainees released from two Iraq prisons: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - About 240 detainees were released from U.S. and Iraqi custody Thursday under a review process set up following the prisoner abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib prison, the U.S. military said."

In Fresno Bee: Iraq



Prepping for the debate...Saddam's danger?...Pakistani violence in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror



Only Hussein Had Full Picture: "WASHINGTON â?? Shortly before the U.S. bombing and invasion of Iraq last year, Saddam Hussein gathered his top generals together to share what came to them as astonishing news: The weapons that the United States was launching a war to remove did not exist. (Los Angeles Times)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Report Accuses Ex-Head of U.N. Oil Program: "Vivid allegations of widespread corruption at the U.N. oil-for-food program by the top U.S. arms inspector have added credibility to accusations the United Nations looked the other way while Saddam Hussein's government skimmed billions of dollars and offered kickbacks to European and Arab countries and officials. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Afghan government says drug smugglers were behind political attack yesterday in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror

Iraq War News
IRAQ: Syrian refugees face difficulties in troubled capital: "BAGHDAD, 6 Oct 2004 (IRIN) - The Syrians in and around Baghdad may be Iraq's most unusual group of refugees. Many of the 500 Syrians live in central Haifa Street, scene of numerous bombings and firefights between insurgents and US forces in recent weeks."

In IRIN: Iraq Crisis



Report may undercut Bush's Iraq rationale: "The final report of the chief U.S. arms inspector for Iraq is expected to undercut a principal Bush administration rationale for removing Saddam Hussein: that Saddam's Iraqi government had weapons of mass destruction. Weapons hunter Charles Duelfer will provide his findings Wednesday to the Senate Armed Services Committee."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Car bomb kills 10 Iraqis near Baghdad: "A car bomb exploded Wednesday at an Iraqi military camp northwest of Baghdad, killing 10 Iraqis and wounding more than 20, officials said, in the latest attack on security forces that are key to U.S. plans for fighting the insurgency."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Al-Sadr followers agree to cease-fire: "Followers of renegade Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have agreed to a cease-fire with Iraq's interim government aimed at ending weeks of fighting in the vast Baghdad slum of Sadr City, a mediator said Wednesday. However, key members of the cleric's movement insisted terms of the deal had not been finalized."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Car Bomb in Western Iraq Kills at Least 10: "A suicide car bomb blew up near aNational Guard center in western Iraq on Wednesday, killing atleast 10 people, as U.S. and Iraqi forces struggled to quellinsurgents bent on derailing elections due in January. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Bremer changes tune, defends U.S. actions in Iraq: "EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - A day after suggesting that the United States didn't initially send enough troops to Iraq to stem lawlessness, the former top U.S. administrator in Iraq softened his assessment, saying he only recognized the problem with the benefit of hindsight and insisted there are enough soldiers on the ground now."

In Fresno Bee: Iraq



UK patrol escapes Basra bridge bomb: "A roadside bomb exploded as a British patrol was crossing a bridge in Basra, killing one Iraqi and injuring ten others, including four policemen."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



in



Car bomb hits Iraq military camp; 10 dead: "A suicide car bomber struck Wednesday at an Iraqi military camp northwest of Baghdad, killing 10 Iraqis and wounding more than 20, Iraqi officials said."

In Kansas City Star: Iraq

Report: Deal With Iraq Rebel Chief
CBS News: Iraq Crisis: "Reports of a new truce with Shiite militia leader Muqtada al Sadr come amid fresh violence across Iraq. Troops hit an insurgent stronghold south of Baghdad, a bomb struck Basra and clashes erupted in Mosul."

Iraq War News
Rumsfeld questions Saddam-Bin Laden link: "Donald Rumsfeld queries whether there were ever ties between Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



Three Headless Bodies Found in North Iraq City: "Police found two decapitated bodiesin the northern Iraqi city of Mosul Tuesday, two days afterdiscovering another beheaded corpse near a bus station, localpolice and hospital officials said. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Four U.S. Soldiers Charged With Murder: "Four soldiers accused of smothering an Iraqi general during an interrogation last fall have been charged with murder, bringing the total number of U.S. troops charged with murder in Iraq to at least 10. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



IRAQ: Kurds continue to flee cities of Sunni triangle: "SULAYMANIYAH, 5 Oct 2004 (IRIN) - Pressured by Iraqi insurgents who see them as US collaborators, or caught in the crossfire between Coalition forces and local militias, Iraqi Kurdish families continue to flee their homes in the Sunni Arab cities of Fallujah, Ramadi, Samarrah andBaquba in central Iraq for the Kurdish-controlled north."

In IRIN: Iraq Crisis



One U-S soldier killed, two injured by homemade bomb in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror



Two hostages executed in Iraq: "A militant group claimed to have killed two hostages in Iraq - one a Turk and the other an Iraqi who was a long-time resident in Italy, the Arab news network Al-Jazeera reported."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



Professor sues U.S. over war coffin photos: "WASHINGTON (AP) - A journalism professor sued the government Monday to force the Defense Department to release pictures of flag-draped coffins of soldiers arriving in the United States from wars overseas."

In Fresno Bee: Iraq



Sadr City 'targeted by US forces': "Coalition aircraft in Iraq reportedly bomb a militant Shia stronghold, as the US vows to crush insurgency."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)

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Iraq War News
Two blasts rip through Baghdad, killing 21: "Two car bombs ripped through crowded Baghdad streets on Monday, killing at least 21 people and wounding 96, as insurgents step up their campaign to undermine the country's U.S.-backed interim government and drive the United States and its allies out of Iraq."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Australian election is referendum on Iraq war, U.S. ties: "John Howard appears poised to become Australia's second-longest serving prime minister when the country goes to the polls Saturday, despite criticism over the war in Iraq and his dwindling credibility. (Chicago Tribune)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Samarra victory encourages Iraqi forces: "SAMARRA, Iraq â?? Bloodied by weeks of suicide bombings and assassinations, Iraqi security forces emerged Sunday to patrol Samarra after a morale-boosting victory in this Sunni Triangle city, and U.S. commanders praised their performance."

In kgw.com: Iraq News



Another Two Airstrikes in Fallujah: "

From The Australian :

Nine people were killed in two pre-dawn raids by United States planes on suspected rebel targets in Fallujah, west of the capital of Baghdad today, according to a local hospital.

Doctor Adel Khamis of Fallujah general hospital said the second of the two strikes killed nine people, three of them women and two children.

He said 14 people were wounded in the strike, while no casualties were reported in the first raid.

Death tolls provided by one side or the other cannot be verified independently.

A military statement said US forces â??conducted a precision strike against a building where approximately 25 anti-Iraqi forces network members were moving weapons on the outskirts of Fallujahâ??.

In a second raid, â??multinational Force-Iraq once again struck members of the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi terrorist network operating in central Fallujahâ??, the military said.

â??In the last month, multinational Forces have successfully conducted ten offensive strikes on the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi terrorist network. Each action removed foreign fighters from the streets of Fallujah and strengthens the safety of Iraq,â?? the US statement said.

A senior US military source claimed last week that more than 100 Zarqawi operatives had been killed in recent weeks in strikes on Fallujah, a no-go zone for ground troops.

"

In Command Post: Irak



Bomb threat plane diverted to UK: "A Singapore Airlines plane en route from Frankfurt to JFK airport in New York was diverted to Manchester Airport following a bomb threat."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



IRAQI BORDER PATROL GETS NEW EQUIPMENT in CENTCOM: News Release



MARINES CAPTURE FOREIGN FIGHTERS IN AL ANBAR in CENTCOM: News Release



IRAQI NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS GRADUATE FROM TRAINING in CENTCOM: News Release



1ST CAV'S BLACK JACK BRIGADE TO COMPLETE YEARLONG ROTATION in CENTCOM: News Release



KOREAN SOLDIERS ASSUME OPERATIONAL AUTHORITY FROM MULIT-NATIONAL BRIGADE NORTHWE in CENTCOM: News Release



PRECISION STRIKE IN FALLUJAH in CENTCOM: News Release



MNF PRECISION STRIKE TARGETS ANTI-IRAQI FORCE TRAINERS in CENTCOM: News Release



Indonesia confirms identity of women hostages in Iraq: "Indonesia confirmed the identity of two women being held hostage by militants in Iraq and appealed to Muslim leaders in the Middle East to help secure their release. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Ransom plea may save hostage Bigley: "The brother of British hostage Ken Bigley is investigating whether it might be possible to buy his sibling's life."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



Four civilians killed in Fallujah strike: "Four civilians were killed and 12 injured in a series of overnight strikes in rebel-held Fallujah, the city hospital said Sunday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Iraq's `Nuclear Mastermind' Tells Tale of Ambition, Deceit: "WASHINGTON â?? On most days now, Mahdi Obeidi rides his new mountain bike, plays with his grandkids and works on getting a U.S. patent for technology he originally developed to build a nuclear bomb for Saddam Hussein. (Los Angeles Times)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Pope Denounces Kidnappings in Iraq: "Pope John Paul II denounced kidnappers for using human beings as bargaining chips, and said Saturday that journalists were paying a heavy price in their work during conflicts. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq