Tammy Bruce: Military Archives

Military Archives

The Marines Move Further Out of the Stone Age

It's about time. You know I love our military, it is the best in the world. And will get only better when the avoidance of recruiting woman, and their exclusion from combat, ends. This is a good first step.

Marines step up female recruiting

The Marines are looking for a few good women. Actually, they will take as many as they can get. Faced with the difficulty of recruiting during a long and unpopular war, the U.S.

Marine Corps has started marketing itself to women in a concerted way for the first time. It is running ads in magazines like Shape, Self and Fitness, which appeal mainly to female readers, as well as through more mainstream outlets like "American Idol," where the message is a unisex one of patriotism rather than macho swagger.

The new campaign aims at athletic women, not just all women graduating from high school, and the messages conveyed are much more egalitarian.

...One is Ana Castillo, a senior at William Chrisman High School in Independence, Mo., who mailed in a reply card last September after seeing an ad in a women's fitness magazine in the waiting room of a doctor's office.

Castillo seems to be precisely the kind of young woman being sought by the advertising. She plays soccer and softball at high school and says she is hungry to prove herself on more dangerous fields.

"The Marines are the toughest," she said in a telephone interview. "They have the longest boot camp, the highest standards. The Marines want people to actually want to be in the Marines, not just be in it for the money." She will turn 18 on June 24 and plans to leave for boot camp on July 7, after her high school graduation.

Like anyone entering the Marine Corps today, Castillo is keenly aware of where she is probably headed. "I'm OK with it," she said. "If I get sent to Iraq, I'm going to be ready."

Brava.

UPDATE:

Well, to say I'm a little disappointed in most of the comments here would be an understatement. While I love you all, let me remind you that "Semper Fifi" and "They are not physically equipped to do the same job a man can do..." and "small soldiers and cops are just not good enough..." and "putting women into the front lines of combat is insane and suicidal..." among so many other comments are backward and stubborn. I'm also disappointed I have to remind you of this following story, because I posted on this in early March and don't recall any of you pontificating on this post having the apparently Superior Male Understanding and Courage to salute our most recent Silver Star recipient:

A 19-year-old medic from Texas will become the first woman in Afghanistan and only the second female soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest medal for valor.

Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown saved the lives of fellow soldiers after a roadside bomb tore through a convoy of Humvees in the eastern Paktia province in April 2007, the military said. After the explosion, which wounded five soldiers in her unit, Brown ran through insurgent gunfire and used her body to shield wounded comrades as mortars fell less than 100 yards away, the military said.

Yeah, sounds like she proved women are just too small and physically un-equipped to do a soldier's job. Funny though, I think the five men she saved that day just may disagree with all of you. And don't any of you dare suggest this is some sort of anomaly--how would you know when women are kept from the battlefield specifically because of Stoneage stubborness? The fact is, there are so few of us directly on the front line the odds are significantly against women being in a position to perform gallantly, making Special Brown's actions even more statistically significant.

Now grow up and remember that a woman went through hell to give you the gift of life, and women will also go through hell, and back, to fight for this nation and save her.

Sheesh.

Posted by Tammy · April 21, 2008 12:50 PM · Permalink · Comments (17)
Authentic Feminism | Military

Charges Dropped Against Another Haditha Marine

The fact that charges were ever brought against any of our Marines in this instance is a crime in itself.

Charges against Marine in Haditha case dropped

Military prosecutors dropped all charges on Friday against a U.S. Marine accused of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault in the 2005 shooting deaths of two dozen unarmed Iraqi civilians at Haditha.

The charges against Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum, 26, were dismissed "in order to continue to pursue the truth seeking process into the Haditha incident," the Marines said in a statement. Word of the development came as jury selection was about to begin in Tatum's court-martial on charges of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and aggravated assault at the Camp Pendleton Marine base in California...Prosecutors have dropped charges against four other Marines in the case

Here's a reminder of what one of the military's investigating officers, Marine Lt. Col. Paul Ware, reported last year about one of the Marines accused in the Haditha case and the so-called evidence against our troops. His rebuke of the charges makes clear the Haditha prosecutions are nothing more than a politically correct witch hunt.

Investigator Urges Clearing of Marine in Killings at Haditha Home

An investigating officer in the case against a U.S. Marine accused of murdering civilians in Haditha, Iraq, has recommended that charges against him be dropped, concluding that the government's allegations that the Marine executed a group of men are "unsupported and incredible." [...] "To believe the government version of facts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary and sets a dangerous precedent that . . . may encourage others to bear false witness against Marines as a tactic to erode public support of the Marine Corps and mission in Iraq," Ware wrote.

Posted by Tammy · March 28, 2008 01:46 PM · Permalink · Comments (1)
Corruption | Good News | Military

Texas Teen Second Woman To Receive Silver Star

Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown is the second woman since World War II to be awarded the Silver Star.

And for some reason, the out-of-touch, some in uniform some not, still argue women shouldn't be in combat. In this instance, a woman in combat saved the lives of five fellow troops. Now tell me again what the problems are with women on the front lines?

Woman Earns Silver Star in Afghan War

CAMP SALERNO, Afghanistan (AP) — A 19-year-old medic from Texas will become the first woman in Afghanistan and only the second female soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest medal for valor.

Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown saved the lives of fellow soldiers after a roadside bomb tore through a convoy of Humvees in the eastern Paktia province in April 2007, the military said. After the explosion, which wounded five soldiers in her unit, Brown ran through insurgent gunfire and used her body to shield wounded comrades as mortars fell less than 100 yards away, the military said.

Pentagon policy prohibits women from serving in front-line combat roles — in the infantry, armor or artillery, for example. But the nature of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, with no real front lines, has seen women soldiers take part in close-quarters combat more than previous conflicts.

The military said Brown's "bravery, unselfish actions and medical aid rendered under fire saved the lives of her comrades and represents the finest traditions of heroism in combat."

Brava Monica. Brava. And a heartfelt thanks to the Brown family for raising such a remarkable young woman.

Posted by Tammy · March 9, 2008 11:09 PM · Permalink · Comments (18)
Good News | Hero | Military | War on Radical Islam

Barack Hussein Obama--Believe Him

Do yourself a favor and believe every word he says. When I say this man is the most dangerous candidate for president we may have ever seen, I mean it. The disarmament agenda he spews in this video is classic George Soros theory aimed at knocking America into a second-world country, putting us at grave risk to tyrannical regimes around the world. It is craven self-loathing, aimed at ending the future of our country, capitalism and liberty. And imagine, Obama says these things with the world at war and as genocidal regimes continue to build their bombs despite 'promising' not to do so, or being 'banned' from doing so.

Hooyah! We're Bombing, Big Time, al-Qaida in Iraq

This is a very big operation in Iraq. Operation Phantom Phoenix just this morning dropped 40,000 pounds of explosives on al-Qaida strongholds just outside of Baghdad. Send our troops your prayers as they continue to dispatch the Islamist Death Cult enemy.

U.S. bombs 'safe haven' for al Qaeda in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- American warplanes Thursday pounded a region of Iraq considered a "safe haven" for al Qaeda in Iraq, dropping 38 bombs in the first 10 minutes of the attack, the U.S. military said.

The bombardment near the Arab Jabour area on the southern outskirts of Baghdad is part of a new countrywide push against insurgents called Operation Phantom Phoenix, the military said.

Forty targets were hit simultaneously, with a total of 40,000 pounds of bombs dropped, according to a military news release. The attacks follow a series of "kinetic strikes" there since December 31, a military official said... "The Air Force provided two B-1 bombers and four F-16 fighter jets, aiming at three large target areas. Each bomber passed over twice and the F-16s followed to complete the set," the release said.

U.S. soldiers will work with the Iraqi security forces and anti-insurgents called Concerned Local Citizens "to continue these offensive operations to keep pressure on the enemy," the military release said.

Phantom Phoenix is a joint Iraqi and U.S. operation to "pursue and neutralize remaining al Qaeda in Iraq and other extremist elements," said Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq, the formal name for the U.S.-led forces.

Posted by Tammy · January 10, 2008 11:19 AM · Permalink · Comments (8)
Good News | Military

Soldier Surprises Daughters; Hides in Christmas Present

No doubt the best Christmas present ever.

This is the sacrifice we have given the rest of the world to liberate them from tyrants they've been incapable of booting. Think of this the next time some politician (like Billary or Barack Winfrey) whines that we have to 'restore our reputation' around the world.

Posted by Tammy · December 26, 2007 08:07 AM · Permalink · Comments (6)
Good News | Military

Our Troops and Their Christmas Gift to Iraq

When it comes to the current events we all deal with, here's a bit of news about Iraqi Christians and their Christmas. It is something that reminds us of the importance of our work, the remarkable accomplishment of our troops, and the grace of God, especially when we are challenged the most. And next time you hear Barack Winfrey or any other out of touch politician preen him or herself on having been against the war from the beginning, think of this story, the millions liberated, made safe and now able to look to a more hopeful future.

Iraqis Crowd Churches for Christmas Mass

Thousands of Iraqi Christians made their way to church through checkpoints and streets lined with blast walls, many drawing hope from a lull in violence to celebrate Christmas Mass in numbers unthinkable a year ago...

"We did not celebrate last year, but this year we have security and we feel better," said Rasha Ghaban, one of many women at the small Church of the Holy Family in Karradah, a mainly Shiite district in downtown Baghdad where many Christians live. "We hope our future will be better, God willing."

Families streamed into the church's courtyard, wrapped in heavy winter jackets to protect them from the early morning chill. Young children with neatly combed hair held their parents' hands, and women stopped by the front door to pick through a basket of small lacy headscarves, placing them over their hair before walking in...

Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, leader of the ancient Chaldean Catholic Church and Iraq's first cardinal, celebrated Mass before about 2,000 people in the Mar Eliya Church the eastern New Baghdad neighborhood of the capital.

"Iraq is a bouquet of flowers of different colors, each color represents a religion or ethnicity but all of them have the same scent," the 80-year-old Delly told the congregation.

Muslim clerics—both Sunni and Shiite—also attended the service in a sign of unity.

"May Iraq be safe every year, and may our Christian brothers be safe every year," Shiite cleric Hadi al-Jazail told AP Television News outside the church. "We came to celebrate with them and to reassure them." [...]

In northern Iraq's much safer Kurdish autonomous region, worshipers headed to the town of Ain Kawa, near Irbil. Some 1,600 Arab Christian families from Baghdad and nearby regions have settled there, said the local mayor, Fahmi Sulafa.

"Here, I feel my soul is at rest," said Matti Gordese, a 40-year-old father of four originally from Baghdad. "I can practise my religion without feeling that suddenly, a bomb will explode and kill you in God's house."

We owe that peace to everyone. Why? Because God has given our great nation the power and compassion to do so. Because, in short, we can. It is when we, as a nation or individuals, make choices based on what's possible--choices we make that allow the best or the worst of ourselves to prevail--that God notices.

Making the bold choice to liberate Iraq is one of the reason I grew to admire President Bush so much. I hope as this year ends and as we enjoy Christmas that his resolve to confront tyrants will return and that God helps us make the right choice next year for our leader during this monumental time in history.

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Posted by Tammy · December 25, 2007 11:00 AM · Permalink · Comments (4)
Faith/The Divine | Military | War on Radical Islam

A Soldier and His Dog

How a troop and a dog named Cinnamon in Afghanistan personify the meaning of Christmas, the joy of love, the power of loyalty and the gift of grace and compassion. Get your tissues ready for those happiness tears, you're going to need them. I did. (HT Duchess)

I love us.

Posted by Tammy · December 24, 2007 12:32 PM · Permalink · Comments (2)
Animal Issues | Good News | Hero | Military

Pearl Harbor--Never Forget

Image courtesy of Home of the Heroes.

I've noted a number of times how we owe Europeans, and especially the English, a deep apology for not intervening sooner in World War II. Until the strike on Pearl Harbor, we allowed so-called Pacifists and isolationists to determine this nation's (non)reaction to genocide and naked aggression. Some attitudes haven't changed. Thank goodness we as a nation have. So much for 'pacifism' and 'peace.' Because we waited and did nothing as the Axis powers raped the world, millions died. Of all the things we learned during World War II, from its beginnings in 1933 when Japan invaded China, it is to never mistake not being at war for peace.

Today is the 66th anniversary of that tragic day when the disease of fascism attacked us at home. Eventually it always does and on December 7, 1941 our looking away emboldened the enemy as they struck without warning. That, like September 11th, was a day of murder forcing our reluctant nation into war.

Here are some details of that day which lives in infamy:

The dead from the attack numbered 2,390 Americans, including 1,177 on the battleship Arizona.

Japanese commander Mitsuo Fuchida, who led 184 bombers and fighters over Oahu, sent the message "Tora! Tora! Tora!"

The translation: "Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!" -- which means the attack has caught the enemy by surprise.

Avoiding hits from Japanese planes, the USS Detroit headed into the Pacific in search of the enemy. And at war's end, it was among the first ships to steam into Tokyo Harbor when Japan formally surrendered on Sept. 2, 1945.

As we all remember this date, each year there are fewer survivors to tell the tale. Here's one of them, recounting what it was like when all hell broke loose:

Day of Infamy: 'I was one of the lucky ones'

With the day that would live in infamy unfolding a few hundred feet below him, Army Air Forces Lt. Roy Reid dismissed his buddy's initial assessment of what was going on in this place called Pearl Harbor.

"That black smoke below, it wasn't cane sugar burning," Reid told Lt. Roy Taylor. Bullets hit the plane, and the cockpit filled with smoke. Reid would have to land the B-17 bomber amid pandemonium.

Seconds later, with the front half of his airplane on fire, the back half of it missing, and that black smoke now everywhere, Reid did what he'd been trained to do: He hit the brakes..."What I saw shocked me. At least six planes were burning fiercely on the ground. Gone was any doubt in my mind as to what had happened. Unbelievable as it seemed, I knew we were now in a war. As if to dispel any lingering doubts, two Japanese fighters came from our rear and opened fire.

"Lieutenant Schick, who had been hit once while in the plane, had managed to get out, but a bullet fired from a Japanese plane had struck him in the head. He was picked up by an ambulance and taken to the hospital but died later that day.

"We then ran for the protection of the nearest hangar. Inside the hangar, a sergeant had just opened a door counter in the supply section and was laying out .45- caliber automatics and loaded ammunition clips. We each grabbed a gun and a couple of ammo clips and headed for the back door. The sergeant yelled at us to come back and sign for the guns. One of us hollered back something along the lines of, "Forget it — there's a war on!"

For all of you who have served and are serving now: we will never forget. My generation, we 40-somethings, know we live the extraordinary lives we do because of your courage and sacrifice. Do not be concerned--we will make sure your work, your success, and your legacy will continue. Thank you all for wearing the uniform. And to the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, at Pearl Harbor and throughout that horrific war and the wars that followed, thank you for your gift to this nation, and a free world.

And as a little aside--do you know what happened on December 7, 2001? The Taliban surrendered at Kandahar in Afghanistan. Yes, we will win wars, but unfortunately the world will always cough up another fascist enemy. And because of the example of those who came before, our boys defeated that beast called the Taliban on the same historic day. And as this war continues, we know we fight in the name of everyone who has died for this nation.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

Related Links:

BBC's Coverage from December 7, 1941

National Geographic: Remembering Pearl Harbor

National Pearl Harbor Survivors Association

A note by Maynard

When in Hawaii, be sure to visit the Arizona Memorial. There is a platform in Pearl Harbor built over the USS Arizona, which still lies where it sank in shallow water on that terrible day. The harbor is so calm and beautiful that it's almost beyond imagination that our ships were once in flames, and the sky was filled with enemy aircraft. That's why you need to see the sunken ship, which is the tomb of so many sailors. (Most of the ships caught at Pearl were eventually patched up and put back into service, but the Arizona was beyond repair.)

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Posted by Tammy · December 7, 2007 12:06 AM · Permalink · Comments (7)
History | Military | Tyrants

Oorah!

Apparently, we're killing the enemy in Iraq. If not the rotten heads, at least the putrid Islamist footsoldiers. Via American Thinker:

Al Qaeda is finished in Iraq: From the Horse's Mouth

In his speech released yesterday Abou Omar Al Baghdadi the supposed leader of the Islamic State in Iraq which is Al Qaeda in Iraq said that only two hundered Mohajeroon are left in Iraq. Mohajeroon which means immigrants in Arabic are the foreign terrorists who came to fight in Iraq. This is yet the most stunning admission by Al Qaeda in Iraq that they are totally destroyed and from the tens of thousands of foreign terrorists they had, almost all of them are killed and captured and only two hundreds are left.

This is the quote translation of what Al Baghdadi said in his latest speech: "... with all that, the Mouhajeron in Mesopotamia left the world and went quickly to meet their lord after they sacrificed their money and their blood sometimes in the martyrdom operations and sometimes by throwing themselves in front of the enemy that only two hundreds Mouhajeron are left today in our beloved Iraq..."

I think we've got 200 bullets to share, no? Oorah!

Posted by Tammy · December 6, 2007 07:13 PM · Permalink · Comments (4)
Military | War on Radical Islam

Our Friends The Chinese Strike Again

And all the Bush admin does when it comes to insult after insult, attack after attack, is blather another, "Please Sir, may we have another Sir?"

U.S. aircraft carrier denied access to Hong Kong

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China has refused permission for a U.S. aircraft carrier and accompanying vessels to visit Hong Kong for a long-planned Thanksgiving holiday visit, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.

The Kitty Hawk group and its crew of 8,000 U.S. airmen and sailors had been expected in Hong Kong on Wednesday, but will now spend the holiday on the South China Sea.

Hundred of relatives of crew members of the USS Kitty Hawk had flown to Hong Kong to celebrate Thanksgiving with their loved ones. Hong Kong has been a regular port of call for U.S. sailors on "R & R" (rest and recuperation) since the Vietnam War..."I've seen some spouses and family come in, they're now sightseeing ... they'll adjust," said another U.S. consular official who asked not to be named.

The Chinese move comes as a surprise just weeks after a visit to China by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, which he said he hoped would lead to a long-term dialogue.

"At present, it appears the USS Kitty Hawk strike group will not be making a port call in Hong Kong as previously planned as a result of a last minute denial by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs," State Department spokeswoman Nicole Thompson said.

The United States was pressing China for an explanation and to reconsider its decision, she added...The move by Beijing coincides with "airspace controls" on Wednesday which Xinhua news agency said affected the air travel plans of 7,000 people in south and east China.

The controls were introduced for "unspecified reasons".

First, they poison our pets and children, then they fund Islamists terrorists worldwide, then they put a date rape drug in kids' toys, then they send anti-freeze throughout the world to be used in medical products and toothpaste, now they keep our troops and their families separated during the holiday.

Yeah, I say let's get as deep into bed with these beasts as possible just to make sure the eff up is as complete as humanely possible.

UPDATE:

Guess what? The Chinese changed their minds. How nice. They're touting their reversal as an illustration of their 'humanitarian' nature. Yeah, like how the mass murderer decides not to kill you so to prove his mercy and decency. (HT Pat S.)

In a reversal, China allows USS Kitty Hawk to spend Thanksgiving in Hong Kong

China's Foreign Ministry gave approval for U.S. Navy ships to spend Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday in Hong Kong, hours after the warships were turned away.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Beijing was allowing the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk and the other ships in its strike group to enter Hong Kong on humanitarian grounds.

"We have decided to allow the Kitty Hawk strike group to stay in Hong Kong during Thanksgiving, and it is a decision out of humanitarian consideration only," Liu told reporters at a regular media briefing. "China has informed the U.S. of this."

We truly must look at China as we would a nation being run by the equivalent of the Jim Jones. At some point something's gonna blow.

Posted by Tammy · November 21, 2007 08:08 PM · Permalink · Comments (6)
Fed Incompetence | Military | Tyrants

Happy Birthday Marines!

232 years old

We owe you everything. Literally. Thanks. Everyone please use this thread as your way to say thanks to all our troops and the Marines especially on their (our) special day.

Links:

Marines Homepage

USMC Press on the birthday

DOD: President Thanks Veterans for Service to Country

Posted by Tammy · November 10, 2007 03:56 PM · Permalink · Comments (8)
Good News | Hero | Military

Hero Paul Tibbets, Pilot of Enola Gay, Dies

Paul Tibbets

Then-Colonel Paul Tibbets with the Enola Gay

Paul Tibbets, the man who helped to end World War 2 by piloting the plane the dropped the bomb on Hiroshima has died at the age of 92. Tibbets remained throughout his life a man who knew the importance of his act, and had no regrets. Thank you General Tibbets and may God rest your soul.
Pilot of plane that dropped A-bomb dies

Paul Tibbets, who piloted the B-29 bomber Enola Gay that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, died Thursday. He was 92 and insisted for six decades after the war that he had no regrets about the mission and slept just fine at night.

Tibbets' historic mission in the plane named for his mother marked the beginning of the end of World War II and eliminated the need for what military planners feared would have been an extraordinarily bloody invasion of Japan. It was the first use of a nuclear weapon in wartime.

And they had reason to fear. You know how we cringe, appropriately, at the over 4,000 troops lost since the liberation of Afghanistan and Iraq. In the one month battle for the Japanese island of Okinowa, the United States and our allies (the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) suffered these stunning casualty numbers:

12,513 dead or missing,
38,916 wounded,
33,096 non-combat losses,
79 ships sunk and scrapped,
763 aircraft destroyed

12,513 dead in one month. For one island. Yes, invading Japan would have been a human bloodbath beyond comprehension. The dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved truly countless lives, on both sides.

Here is a clip from the video "Atomic Cafe" featuring Paul Tibbets and his recounting of his mission piloting the Enola Gay.

Posted by Tammy · November 1, 2007 01:39 PM · Permalink · Comments (5)
Hero | History | Military

Fallen Marine's Father Wins Lawsuit; Homophobe Phelps Ordered to Pay Up

A jury in Kansas just reminded people everywhere, to the tune of an $11 million dollar judgment, that anti-gay bigotry and attacks on this nation and our heroes will not be tolerated. Not only is this verdict a statement against lunatics like Phelps, it is a message from the heartland of our nation that tolerance and genuine compassion is at our core; not the sick fanaticism of a few disturbed malcontents. I am so proud of us.

Father of slain Marine wins case against funeral protesters

The brokenhearted father of a Marine killed in Iraq won a long-shot legal fight today after a federal jury in Baltimore awarded him nearly $11 million in a verdict against members of a Kansas church who hoisted anti-gay placards at his son's Westminster funeral.

The jury's announcement 24 hours after deliberations first began was met with tears and hugs from the family and supporters of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, whose March 2006 funeral was protested by members of the Westboro Baptist Church with signs including "Thank God for dead soldiers."

Snyder's father, Albert, won on every count of his complaint, as well as $2.9 million for compensatory damages and $8 million for punitive damages...

The Marine's father from York, Pa., sued the church and three of its members for intentionally invading his privacy because his deceased son did not have that right any longer. For the claim to be successful, the jury needed to conclude that the church's actions at the funeral -- and later, in a posting about Matthew Snyder on its Web site -- were "highly offensive to a reasonable person," according to the jury instructions.

Indeed.

Posted by Tammy · October 31, 2007 04:06 PM · Permalink · Comments (13)
Gay Issues | Mental Health, Lack Of | Military

More Proof Iraq Has Nothing to Do with the War on Terror

Now if the Dems would just clue bin Laden in on this fact, they'd all be on the same page. In the new bin Laden audio, it seems the Chief Beast is upset that things aren;t going so well in Iraq, and admit that indiscriminate murder of Muslim civilians might not be such a good idea. The Dems and Leftists had better tell him to stop all that talk that indicates al-Qaida and other Islamist terrorists are in trouble. Haven't Reid and Pelosi briefed him on how we're losing?

US military: 11 dead in Iraq airstrikes

The airstrikes came a day after Osama bin Laden scolded his al-Qaida followers and other insurgents, saying they have been "lax" for failing to overcome fanatical tribal loyalties and unite in the fight against U.S. troops.

The message of his new audiotape reflected the growing disarray among Iraq's Sunni Arab insurgents and bin Laden's client group in the country, both of which are facing heavy U.S. military pressure and an uprising among Sunni tribesmen.

The Christian Science Monitor has a good roundup of other assessments of the new audio, noting,

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden lamented the lack of unity among insurgents in Iraq in a new audiotape. Analysts say that Mr. bin Laden's latest tape adds to evidence that the group has failed to extend its strength or spread its message inside the troubled country.

While this news is several years late, it is a reminder of the kind of success we can have when we actully allow the military to kill the enemy. Some time ago Bush decided to implement a Peace Corp strategy in Iraq, which only added years and more death to what should have been a short, merciless routing of our savage enemy.

Let's hope we keep pounding them.

Posted by Tammy · October 23, 2007 09:23 AM · Permalink · Comments (4)
Military | War on Radical Islam

Greenspan says the war is about oil?

A gripe by Maynard

**Scroll after the jump for an update**

Okay, this is one of my pet peeves, and I'd like to straighten it out for good.

Fox is reporting that:

America's elder statesman of finance, Alan Greenspan, has shaken the White House by declaring that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil....

...it is his view on the motive for the 2003 Iraq invasion that is likely to provoke the most controversy. "I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil," he says.

Is there something shocking or disreputable in this? Greenspan is stating an obvious truth that is acknowledged by all. No, he's not saying we went to war to steal oil, or anything of the like. But the fact that Iraq sits on or perilously near the lion's share of global oil reserves made Saddam Hussein's adventures a threat to the entire world. Saddam aspired to become the region's top military power, and his ruthless reputation would have effectively made him the world's oil czar. Instead, thanks to George Bush, this genocidal maniac finished his miserable life at the end of a rope. Anyone that doesn't see this as a good thing has a screw loose, morally speaking. (Feel free to question whether the war has been properly handled, or to express dismay at the troubled aftermath. These are important questions. But in asking them, never forget that Saddam was one of the biggest monsters on Earth.)

In the first Gulf War, President Bush Sr. was explicitly clear about the role oil played. In his speech of 9/11/90, Bush was quite candid:

Vital economic interests are at risk as well. Iraq itself controls some 10 percent of the world's proven oil reserves. Iraq plus Kuwait controls twice that. An Iraq permitted to swallow Kuwait would have the economic and military power, as well as the arrogance, to intimidate and coerce its neighbors — neighbors who control the lion's share of the world's remaining oil reserves. We cannot permit a resource so vital to be dominated by one so ruthless. And we won't (Applause.)

By the way, Fox also reports that...

Greenspan, a Republican whose 18-year tenure as head of the US Federal Reserve was widely admired, will also deliver a stinging critique of President George W. Bush’s economic policies.

He is certainly referring to deficits and earmarks and the wobbly dollar. Greenspan is one of those rare straight-shooters in the political arena, and he's garnered respect from both sides of the aisle.

Additional note from Tammy:

Greenspan has clarified his comments to the Bob Woodward in an article for Monday's Washington Post. Read the whole article. It really sheds light on a few things.

Greenspan: Ouster Of Hussein Crucial For Oil Security

In the interview, he clarified that sentence in his 531-page book, saying that while securing global oil supplies was "not the administration's motive," he had presented the White House with the case for why removing Hussein was important for the global economy.

On Monday, Oct. 24, 2005, President Bush nominated Ben S. Bernanke, chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, to succeed Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan when he retires in January. Learn more about Bernanke's background and nomination.

"I was not saying that that's the administration's motive," Greenspan said in an interview Saturday, "I'm just saying that if somebody asked me, 'Are we fortunate in taking out Saddam?' I would say it was essential." [...]

Though Greenspan's book is largely silent about Iraq, it is sharply critical of Bush and fellow Republicans on other matters, denouncing in particular what Greenspan calls the president's lack of fiscal discipline and the "dysfunctional government" he has presided over. In the interview, Greenspan said he had previously told Bush and Cheney of his critique. "They're not surprised by my conclusions," he said.

As for Iraq, Greenspan said that at the time of the invasion, he believed, like Bush, that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction "because Saddam was acting so guiltily trying to protect something." While he was "reasonably sure he did not have an atomic weapon," he added, "my view was that if we do nothing, eventually he would gain control of a weapon."

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Posted by Maynard · September 15, 2007 11:37 PM · Permalink · Comments (11)
Economy/Economics | Maynard Post | Military

Obama tries To Prove His Surrender His Bigger Than Hillary's

I simply don't know how else to put it. His new declaration also makes him look ridiculous, but appeases the Leftist Surrender Monkeys and will help explain his withdrawal from the race by the end of the month.

Obama: Withdraw from Iraq immediately

CLINTON, Iowa, 12 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, in a speech in Iowa Wednesday, called for the immediate drawdown of U.S. combat troops in Iraq.

Under the Illinois senator's plan, combat brigades would immediately begin withdrawing one or two brigades at a time, with a complete withdrawal by the end of 2008, CNN reported.

"Let me be clear: There is no military solution in Iraq, and there never was. The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq's leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops," Obama said in his speech. “Not in six months or one year -- now.”

Obama reminded his audience in Clinton, Iowa, that he opposed the war in Iraq "from the beginning."

Yep, there's no clueless coward like a proud one.

Posted by Tammy · September 12, 2007 05:50 PM · Permalink · Comments (4)
Leftists | Military | War on Radical Islam

At Least Someone Is Killing the Enemy

Lebanese troops returning home as heroes

A little while ago it was Ethiopia routing Islamist terrorists, now the Lebanese military is teaching everyone a lesson that, gee, if you actually fight back against these monsters, you'll win.

Perhaps the Lebanese could send a memo to Bush and Rice with instructions on how a war against terrorists is actually fought, and it does not involved lunch meetings.

Three cheers for the determination, persistence and bravery of the Lebanese and their army.

Lebanese troops withdraw after killing 222 Islamists

BEIRUT (AFP) — Thousands of people cheered Lebanese troops withdrawing Tuesday from a battleground in north Lebanon where the army said it had killed at least 222 extremists during a 15-week standoff.

Defence Minister Elias Murr hailed the battles that culminated Sunday at the Naher al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp as a key victory that prevented the Fatah al-Islam group from spreading throughout Lebanon.

"This victory allowed us to put an end to the worst threat ever faced by the Lebanese," Murr told a press conference. "Fatah al-Islam could have spread throughout the country like cancerous cells."

Army units were still combing the camp on Tuesday, hunting down the last remnants of the Al-Qaeda-inspired militants.

Bravo.

Posted by Tammy · September 4, 2007 05:30 PM · Permalink · Comments (6)
Internationalism | Military | Terrorism | War on Radical Islam

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Supports the Troops

Looks like I'll be getting my coffee at the Coffee Bean, at least until September 3rd, which is how long their great promotion in support of our troops will be running. SondraK has the details, with a HT to The Ugly American. Buying coffee for the troops is a top priority and this is an easy and smart way to do it. Visit the following link for additional information and details. It is important to support businesses who make decisions like this. Stabucks has yet to make any special effort to support our heroes. Perhaps I can get to like the Coffee Bean coffee during this period of time.

coffee, tea or SondraK???

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is currently running a wonderful promotion at all of their in-store locations.

Donate a purchased pound of Coffee Bean coffee or tea to Soldiers’ Angels and in turn they will take 10% off your entire order.

The promotion runs through the end of Monday, September 3rd.

I myself ponyed up a pound of eye-opening Sumatra while purchasing my usual Friday morning iced latte.

Speaking as someone who suffered through 8 years of Navy coffee, I think this is a really awesome way to say “Thank You” to all of our brave men and women currently serving overseas : )

Posted by Tammy · August 11, 2007 02:06 PM · Permalink · Comments (4)
Food/Drink | Good News | Good Samaritans | Military

The Problem of Media Versus the Military

The issues we face today aren't necessarily new or unique. Example: the attitude and of the Establishment Media versus the military (HT SondraK).

"It appears we have appointed our worst generals to command forces, and our most gifted and brilliant to edit newspapers! In fact, I discovered by reading newspapers that these editor/geniuses plainly saw all my strategic defects from the start, yet failed to inform me until it was too late. Accordingly, I’m readily willing to yield my command to these obviously superior intellects, and I’ll, in turn, do my best for the cause by writing editorials - after the fact."

Who said it? You'll be surprised. (Answer after the jump).

Posted by Tammy · June 24, 2007 11:38 PM · Permalink · Comments (1)
History | Mainstream Media | Military

Bush Further Prepares for Surrender in Iraq

As I noted a few days ago when Muqtada al-Sadr returned to Iraq and we welcomed him like a statesman, our surrender is official and well underway. The only thing missing now is a slew of Black Hawk helicopters crashing in the desert.

U.S. Commanders Talking to Iraqi Militants About Cease-Fires

U.S. military commanders are talking with Iraqi militants about cease-fires and other arrangements to try to stop the violence, the No. 2 American commander said Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno said he has authorized commanders at all levels to reach out to militants, tribes, religious leaders and others in the country that has been gripped by violence from a range of fronts including insurgents, sectarian rivals and common criminals.

"We are talking about cease-fires, and maybe signing some things that say they won't conduct operations against the government of Iraq or against coalition forces," Odierno told Pentagon reporters in a video conference from Baghdad.

President Bush and his incompetence has reduced the greatest military in the world to asking the enemy to stop shooting at us. And they will, of course. It will buy them time, and means instead of looking to win the war, we now simply want to save face and get out.

How dare President Bush allow this to happen. We now are asking the savages who murder innocent people, who cut peoples heads off, who still have two of our troops, for leniency and mercy. A cease-fire helps only the savages who will use that time to rearm, celebrate and plan. It's a pathetic move that will inspire and embolden the enemy worldwide. His cowardice should disgust every decent person on Earth and should outrage every Gold Star family in America.

Big Bikes of Rolling Thunder Pay Tribute to War Dead

One of the many reasons why we love us. A salute to all our bikers on this official day as we salute our fallen troops.

War veterans old and new nail their colours to mast in motorcycle rally

HARLEY-RIDING Vietnam veterans, some of them now sporting grey ponytails, converged on Washington for the Memorial Day weekend to remember and reflect on the war that changed their generation.

An estimated 400,000 motorcyclists arrived for the 20th Rolling Thunder event. Many were veterans sporting leather vests advertising their platoon, their tour of duty, fallen comrades - and their devotion to their Harley Davidson.

Some had ridden across the US in a pilgrimage to "the Wall", the name given to the stark monument that records the names of the 58,000 US servicemen who died in Vietnam...

Opinion polls show Americans are deeply dissatisfied with the way the Iraq war has gone. But, in this crowd at least, the President, George Bush, would find vastly more supporters than critics...Keith Eastman, from Dayton, Ohio, who was in Vietnam, wants to see the US stay the distance.

"I want us to leave but after we win, and I think you'll find most of the vets feel the same way. We were pulled out of Vietnam and we didn't like it," he said.

Posted by Tammy · May 28, 2007 12:39 PM · Permalink · Comments (0)
Hero | Military | Patriotism

American Troops Free al-Qaida Hostages in Iraq

When allowed to fight the enemy our troops naturally set people free. Literally.

There could be no more perfect example of this, along with the perfect timing of Memorial Day weekend, than the news that our troops in Iraq have freed 42 prisoners held hostage in an al-Qaida prison. This news, of course, also proves the Democrats correct once again--that Iraq has nothing to do with the WoT, and there is absolutely no relationship between our work in Iraq and the savages who attacked us on September 11th.

Troops free 42 Iraqis held by al-Qaida

BAGHDAD - U.S. and Iraqi forces freed 42 kidnapped Iraqis — some of whom had been hung from ceilings and tortured for months — in a raid Sunday on an al-Qaida hideout north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.

Military officials said the operation, launched on tips from residents, showed that Iraqis in the turbulent Diyala province were turning against Sunni insurgents and beginning to trust U.S. troops...The U.S. military said troops located the hideout in a joint air and ground operation launched after receiving the tip.

U.S. officials said the hostages were kept in a small, concrete and mud compound and were forced to sleep on dirty linens in cramped rooms. Soldiers found rotting food in the building, the U.S. military said.

Some of the men suffered broken bones. Some had been captive for as long as four months. One said he was just 14 years old, Caldwell said.

Posted by Tammy · May 28, 2007 12:09 AM · Permalink · Comments (0)
Military | War on Radical Islam

Now This is the Way to Run a War

The ease with which the Ethiopians drove the Islamists from Somalia reminded us that our issue wasn't the strength of the enemy, but the president's reticence to allow our military to fight.

Here's another lesson, this time from the Lebanese, on how to fight the savages among us--you let your military do their thing.

Army given ‘carte blanche' to enter camp, kill militants

BEIRUT — The Lebanese army has carte blanche to do whatever it deems necessary to end its bloody standoff with Islamic fundamentalists, a senior Lebanese cabinet minister said Friday, including forcibly entering the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in violation of a decades-old agreement with the Palestinians...

“If [the Palestinians] are capable of resolving the problem politically or militarily, …we'd prefer that. If they can't, we're obliged, the Lebanese army is obliged, to continue the battle,” Mr. Fatfat said in an interview at his apartment in the Lebanese capital. “The army has been given carte blanche to go in and finish Fatah al-Islam.”

History proves that unless you do indeed finish off the enemy, they come back to fight another day. This worldwide (civilization) bizarre obsession with negotiating with the barbaric genocidal enemy is beyond me, but at least this order from Lebanon indicates someone remembers the concept of actually defeating your enemy, completely and finally.

Posted by Tammy · May 25, 2007 10:26 PM · Permalink · Comments (4)
Internationalism | Military | War on Radical Islam

Our Remarkable Young Men

Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack Jr., our slain kidnapped soldier in Iraq, was one soldier in the most astounding military in the history of humankind--a volunteer force made up of the sons and daughters of American families. He is now remembered, and honored, by one of his friends, another young man who has already served this nation, and has pledged to do so again in the name of his murdered buddy. There are many reasons why I love us, but this truly exemplifies how American families continue to raise quiet, decent heroes.

Soldier slain in Iraq joined Army to 'keep us free'
In Torrance, a childhood friend of Pfc. Joseph Anzack's vows to reenlist to honor him.

At 11 a.m. Thursday, Richard Geraldo, 19, added two candles to a memorial to his childhood friend Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack Jr. that was created about midnight on the steps of the main entrance to South High School in Torrance.

"I set some candles down with a vow: I'm sorry I couldn't be there, Joe, but I'll make it up to you by going over there and doing your job." Geraldo, who was recently discharged from the Marine Corps because of a medical problem, said he was working with a recruiter to get back into the Marines as soon as possible...

Geraldo said that he and Anzack parted ways in the ninth grade. But, he said, "I joined the military for the same reasons he did — to keep us free."

The memorial, with American flags, dozens of candles and bouquets of flowers surrounds a sign that reads: "We love and miss you, Joe Anzack. You're our hero."

Posted by Tammy · May 25, 2007 12:15 AM · Permalink · Comments (1)
Hero | Military | Patriotism

One of Our Kidnapped Soldiers Believed Found

Joseph Anzack Jr., 20 of California, Byron Fouty, 19, of Michigan, and Alex Jimenez, 25, of Lawrence

UPDATE: CONFIRMED. Military officials have told the family of Pfc. Joseph Anzack Jr. of Torrance, California, that his body has been recovered. Keep the Anzack family, and all the families of our troops, in your prayers tonight and always.

***

The fact that this is happening in 2007 is due exclusively to the president's refusal to take on the enemy. The fact that there is still an al-Qaida, a Taliban in Afghanistan and a "Triangle of Death" in Iraq is continuing proof that the president has failed.

Now, the tortured body of an American soldier has been found in the Euphrates River. If this was the United States of Tammy, the al-Anbar province, where al-Qaida and Saddam's Baath Party remnants have established their base, would be given the Dresden treatment. It is past time for the Islamist enemy to experience what quelled the Japanese and German enemies of America and civilization went through.

Body Believed to Be Missing U.S. Soldier Found in Iraq

BAGHDAD — Iraqi police discovered a body floating in the Euphrates River south of Baghdad Wednesday that is believed to that that of a missing U.S. soldier.

Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, told reporters that U.S. authorities took custody of the body but have not determined if it was that of one of three soldiers missing since May 12...The man had been shot in the head and chest, Babil police Capt. Muthana Khalid said.

Iraqi police using civilian boats searched for other bodies on the river in Musayyib, about 40 miles south of Baghdad, and U.S. troops intensified their presence on a nearby bridge as helicopters flew overhead, witnesses said.

Hassan al Jibouri, 32, said he saw the body clothed in a U.S. military uniform with head wounds and whip marks on its back floating on the river Wednesday morning. He and others then alerted police.

Desperately heartbreaking and completely unnecessary. How dare President Bush and this administration allow an environment to exist where the enemy is so arrogant and and empowered.

The news may be worse. Iraq Slogger is now reporting that three bodies, in two difference locations, have been found. Pray for all the families of those young men, and everyone who has a loved one serving.

Posted by Tammy · May 23, 2007 10:46 AM · Permalink · Comments (10)
Military | Tragedy

Senate Obsesses on Surrender Bill/Approval Rating Plummets

As they continue to finesse cutting and running while

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At Least Someone Is Killing the Enemy

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Supports the Troops

The Problem of Media Versus the Military

Bush Further Prepares for Surrender in Iraq

Big Bikes of Rolling Thunder Pay Tribute to War Dead

American Troops Free al-Qaida Hostages in Iraq

Now This is the Way to Run a War

Our Remarkable Young Men

One of Our Kidnapped Soldiers Believed Found

Senate Obsesses on Surrender Bill/Approval Rating Plummets