Iran War

For the first time in a long time I feel real good about the future of Iraq. I always believed that left alone to do their mission the military would prevail. Political success will follow military success. What I was afraid of was Americans turning their backs on our allies and pulling out as we did when we cursed Indo China to the Killing Fields. I now sense a watershed has been reached and America will stay in Iraq till the Iraqis ask us to leave. Keep in mind that we are waiting for Japan, Germany, Bosnia, Kosovo, Georgia, Haiti, South Korea, Colombia, Yemen, Djibouti, Afghanistan, Philippines, and Qatar to ask us to leave. So far I think Saudi Arabia is the only country that has told us we were no longer needed, at least until another army shows up on its border.

What was the turning point? As predicted by Rush many weeks ago key Democrats have admitted that troops may have to stay in Iraq until the region is stable enough for Iraqis to take care of themselves. What Rush said was that no Democrat would saddle his or herself with a disastrous defeat in that region. The last Democrat debate proves him right.

Why the admission? Because Hillary has locked up the Democrat nomination and is now running in the center by playing tough for the national audience. Obama and Edwards followed suit so as not to kill VP possibilities.Patton once said, “America loves a winner, and will not tolerate a loser.” After Petraeus gave his report the people decided they would continue toward victory. General Petraeus is responsible for this watershed in another way, he literaly wrote the book on COIN, Counterinsurgency Warfare. The 242 page manual on how to defeat an insurgency and win hearts and minds of the people, Iraqi and American, is now being implemented full scale in Iraq.

Michael Yon reports on how COIN is being successfully used by Marines like SSGT Lee.

From the counterinsurgency manual that every Marine and Soldier should read:

1-119. The presence of the rule of law is a major factor in assuring voluntary acceptance of a government’s authority and therefore its legitimacy. A government’s respect for preexisting and impersonal legal rules can provide the key to gaining it widespread, enduring societal support. Such government respect for rules—ideally ones recorded in a constitution and in laws adopted through a credible, democratic process—is the essence of the rule of law. As such, it is a powerful potential tool for counterinsurgents.

Three suspects were detained. SSG Lee took two of the prisoners and the Iraqis took the other one elsewhere. The two taken by SSG Lee apparently truly were just shepherds. Their proximity had made them natural suspects,but SSG Lee wasn’t sure if they were involved. Seen here, their hands are not bound. They were blindfolded and told to keep their hands behind their backs. They were given water and treated respectfully.

SSG Lee made sure the Iraqis treated them well during transport, and when we returned to the tiny base, Captain Koury told the Marines not to leave any of the prisoners alone with the Iraqis. The Iraqis can be rough on prisoners—the culture can be rough—but mentoring seems to be working where it occurs. Back at the tiny base, the blindfolds on the shepherds were freaking out a puppy that someone had adopted. The puppy was growling and barking at the shepherds, but nobody paid attention until he got irritating. Then, someone picked him up and petted him and he finally shut up. The shepherds were released soon after.

The statements that SSG Lee had insisted that the police get from villagers led to the detainment of one “Mr. R,” and raids were planned based on information he provided.

Another factor supporting the watershed is that the Sunni tribes are turning from Al Qaeda.

Soon we met up with a group of 1920s men; I counted 19. They were outfitted with AKs and ammo pouches. Most did not want their photos taken, but this man wanted everyone to see, and he threw his arm around one of our soldiers and pointed to my camera. Our guys do not trust the 1920s, but the relationship is working when it comes to killing al Qaeda and reconstruction in Baqubah. Al Qaeda only knows how to kill and intimidate. 1920s are concerned about water projects and so forth, and they help with more than fighting. Their goals include returning Baqubah back into civilization.

A few months ago we called them terrorists. Today we call them Concerned Local Nationals. When we were in a good mood, we used to call them illegal or rogue militias. Now we call them Neighborhood Watches, or in this case, “Baqubah Guardians.” It’s truly working well. They do not have uniforms and most who wish to join have not been hired as policemen yet.

Finally this week Americans had a good look at Akmadinajad. While totally missing the point that the madman has no power he is nevertheless the face of Iran and the media portrayed him unchallenged as an evil enemy. While many of us have been saying for years we are at war with Iran that fact seems to have slowly seeped into the American psyche. It helps that commanders in the field are finally being heard, commanders who have seen first hand Iranian Quds units smuggling in the IED’s that are responsible for 70% of our casualties. It helps that the Bush administration is finally speaking out. The path is slowly being made to actually doing something about Iran. There will be setbacks; we might loose Lebanon to Syria. However our future, at least as it applies to Iran, no longer hangs on next November’s election.

Taserboy

You would think that the citizens of a country that invented free speech would have some understanding of what that means. Basically it means Congress will not pass any law, like McCain Feingold, that infringes on your right to speak or express your opinion, especially about your Government. It doesn’t mean you can hijack an event by making an ass out of yourself. Should I walk into Denny’s and start screaming out posts from my blog the owners have every right to throw my but out and that is in no way an infringement of my First Amendment rights. Nevertheless a lot of Americans think that way, like when John Rocker was chastised by the Braves. Tell your customers at Baskin Robbins how fat they are and see how long you work there. Free speech doesn't work like that.

I feel more sorry for the cops than Taserboy; he set them up following in this UCLA student’s footsteps. This is so easy to do that if I had less scruples I could make a comfortable living for myself. I wouldn’t have had any ethical misgivings setting up O.J., talk about easy! I wonder what Tom Riccio got for the tape? We in corrections try and have a camera going when there is any kind of incident or even when it looks like there might be an incident. That’s because we expect to get set up, expect to get sued, and expect to go to court. A camera can be your best friend and witness. The most vital policy in the prison was the Use of Force policy, we devote an eight-hour course to train all new staff followed up by a two-hour refresher course annually. Knowing policy can save your assets and even keep you out of jail. It can save your life or cost you the life of a fellow officer.

The safety of the officers is the highest priority in a prison. Our Use of Force policy allows the use of chemical agents and electronic shock when anyone’s safety is in jeopardy. Case in point, an inmate who refuses to leave his cell can be mased rather than risk injury to the officers and the inmate. Injury is likely when six officers try to forcibly remove someone from a small concrete cell filled with metal bunks and desks. We also have a device called the Bandit that delivers a taser-like eight-second shock that immobilizes the person it is strapped to. We use this on high-risk inmates that are going to court. Many judges will order you to remove an inmate’s restraints so as not to prejudice a jury. The bandit can be worn under the clothes. Any threatening behavior including standing up and screaming will result in a ride on the Bandit.

Some idiot on Fox is calling it deadly force! Deadly force means death is a likely result, such as with firearms. Tasers are less than lethal, although rare accidents can occur they don't often result in injury. We have to be gassed, maced, and take a ride on the Bandit as part of our training in those devices. I guess I should count myself lucky they don’t require us to be shot as part of our firearms training. The ACLU, and you’ll be hearing them weigh in on Taserboy, considers the Bandit to be a torture device. I actually rode it twice and while it hurts like hell it ain’t that bad. We have elderly female officers that took it stoically while Taserboy screamed like a little girl. Of course he was playing for the camera. As soon as he was warned that he would be tasered if he failed to quit resisting he began to scream “Don’t taser me! Don’t taser me!” He knew he had them.

I don’t presume to know these guys Use of Force policy but I hope they were following it. The guy was obviously resisting arrest but I can’t say if he was a threat to the officers or himself. That is the officer’s call. I do know that they were about to go down some stairs and that can be very dangerous with an unrestrained unwilling prisoner. He was not restrained when tasered, near as I can tell, he would not consent to restraints. Were the officers supposed to roll around on the floor with him until he gave up? We use chemical agents and tasers as tools that gives us an alternative to more dangerous use of force. When we think of five or six officers on a person we assume they should easily get control of that person. Try it sometime. We would do it a lot during drills and it can be really difficult. It’s not like a six on one fight; the officers don’t get to knock the snot out of the person. The mission is to get him restrained without injury to anyone. Even in drills where we were trying to be careful this resulted in a fair share of minor injuries. Getting tased hurts but does not result in injury. Now if he was restrained as I heard one witness say then these officers are in trouble.

A side note, what I find hilarious about this besides the obvious comedic effect of seeing Taserboy get tasered, is it happened to Kerry. The left loves to do disgusting things in the name of free speech, loves civil disobedience, confrontation with cops, screaming, shouting, etc. You don’t see conservatives do this so the left seldom gets a taste of it’s own medicine. But then of course Kerry took Taserboy’s side.

Karl Rove

Karl Rove has some words for Republicans. Some say he knows his stuff so maybe we should listen.

As the latest government-heavy plan announced by Hillary Clinton yesterday once again shows, the answers politicians offer on health care highlight the deep differences between liberals and conservatives. This is a debate Republicans cannot avoid. But it is one we can win--if we offer a bold plan. Conservatives must put forward reforms aimed at putting the patient in charge. Increasing competition will ensure greater access, lower costs and more innovation.

Power to the people? Competition? This man is evil!

Socialized medicine inevitably leads to poor quality, inefficiency, rising taxes and rationing.

What gives him that idea?


Hospital Kitchen, Cuba
Just because you’re on a waiting list for critical surgery doesn’t equate to rationing does it?

Government can help poorer and older Americans get quality health care without sacrificing what everyone wants--the ability to choose their own doctor and health coverage that meets their family's particular needs. What reforms will do that?
• Level the tax playing field. , … every worker should get a deduction for health-insurance premiums.
• Tax-free savings for health costs.
• Portability. People should be able to take their health insurance with them when they change jobs.
• Arming consumers through more competition.
• Pool risk, lower costs..
• Greater transparency.
• Stop junk lawsuits. Emphasis mine-Rancher.
• Build on the progress already made by putting patients in charge and letting competition work.

He expands on those points, I encourage you to read the article. I wonder how the rest of the world feels about this issue, this country is a huge safety net for those abroad who want high quality care NOW. If we go socialist where will they go? Cuba?

Dumb and Dumber

If Michael Vick was stupid what level of dumb is O.J. Simpson? He has a gangster type mentality that when you have something he believes is rightfully his, he and his homies will go get it. Armed. Nevertheless the dumbest gangster knows to keep his mouth shut. Imagine being O.J.’s lawyer. Lawyer: “Was my client properly Mirandized before he admitted being at the alleged crime scene?” Police: “Doesn’t matter, he admitted it on FOX News.” O.J. says, and I think in his mind he really believes this, that he was running a sting operation. That means he feels he is a law unto himself. The poor guys he corralled into helping him realized early on that they really weren’t properly deputized and therefore have decided to sing like canaries. No doubt he was trying to retrieve the memorabilia so he can sell it and give the proceeds to the Golmans.

Everyone deserves a fair trial but I don’t see how O.J. can get one, I’ve yet to meet anyone who thinks he didn’t brutally murder his ex-wife and her boyfriend. But then whose fault is that?

Note to self: Never have cold-blooded murderer as best man, wedding may be wrecked.

And now there is audio.

Iran War

"Tonight the President didn’t give us a plan to end the war or a justification for continuing the war.", so said Edwards in the Democrat rebuttal to a sitting wartime President’s call for unity and fortitude in defending our allies in Iraq. First let me quote someone far wiser than me, Machiavelli:

Wars begin where you will, but they do not end where you please.

Nor when you please. You can certainly pull out of Iraq but the war will continue and because a huge victory will be granted to our enemies it will expand. Maybe to our front door. Machiavelli again:

The Romans never allowed a trouble spot to remain simply to avoid going to war over it, because they knew that wars don't just go away, they are only postponed to someone else's advantage.

In this case ours. Like it or not we are the new Rome and Pax Americana falls on us. There can only be two results from a premature pullout, the country erupts into full scale civil or Iran quickly gains control through Sadr. There will be no civil war because as Steve Schippert explained back in May, the antagonists are Al Qaeda and Sadr, both backed by Iran. Al Qaeda, with full Iranian support, will move the front elsewhere as men and material will no longer be needed in what they themselves admitted was the main theater of operations against America. Iraq may for a time become more peaceful, except for those who trusted and helped us. Another quote you’ve all heard, at least in part, by George Santayana:

Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Another quote, this time from our Commander in Chief.

In 1972, one anti-war senator put it this way: "What earthly difference does it make to nomadic tribes or uneducated, subsistence farmers in Vietnam or Cambodia or Laos whether they have a military dictator, a royal prince or a socialist commissar in some distant capital that they've never seen and they never heard of?" A columnist for The New York Times wrote in a similar vein in 1975, just as Cambodia and Vietnam were falling to the communists. "It's difficult to imagine," he said, "how their lives could be anything but better with the Americans gone." The headline of that story dated "Phnom Phen," summed up the argument: "Indochina without Americans: For most, a better life." The world would learn just how costly these misimpressions would be.

Steve Schippert also asked back in May in an open letter to Democrats this:

As members of the party that is constantly reminding America of the superiority of its members' compassion, I find it personally curious that none such seems to exist for the Iraqi people. How else can your readiness, nay impatience, for a withdrawal of United States military forces from their country be explained?

Though I was a Marine deployed in the Gulf War, I did not fully understand the 'geopolitics' then. Yet, since 1991, I have quietly borne the internal burden of conscience when our leadership abandon the Shi'a of southern Iraq after inspiring them into a rebellion and guaranteeing their protection. That burden was magnified over a decade later when the mass graves were unearthed after the fall of Saddam. What I knew in my heart was confirmed through my eyes. Driven largely by the weight of that burden of conscience, I understand fully today.

Just as I understand that the pursuit of the 'status quo' was a dishonorable geopolitical aim in 1991, I also understand that abandoning Iraqis with ruthless terrorists in their midst in pursuit of "counterterrorism" is beyond dishonorable. It is, in fact, incredulous.

Please read the whole letter.



One last thing. No one mentions the Kurds. Iranian Kurds can tell you the Persians are not their friends. Atlas Shrugs has some graphic pictures of the atrocities the Mullahs have inflicting on Kurdish children! Neither Sunni nor Shia have been kind to the Kurds either. Should we turn over Iraq to Iran and Sadr what happens to Kurdistan, northern Iraq? There is no civil war there, they love Bush and America, in fact you would be hard put to find a better ally in the whole region. Will we at least stay and protect them or will Kurdistan become the next killing fields?

Victory Gardens

20,000,000 Greatest Generation Americans answered the call to “Plant more in ‘44”. This freed up tons of food, trucking, and gas to put towards defeating America’s enemies. Today it would accomplish the same thing. Any drop in the demand for oil means a drop in the price of oil, which is bad news to Iran, Venezuela, and other oil rich enemies and sponsors of terror. American farm producers would be little hurt because of access to global markets and the new emphasis on using grains as fuel and fuel supplements. American truckers are shorthanded as is despite the incoming Mexican trucks. Those trucks from Mexico can’t do anything other than deliver their Mexican products to their destination and then head home. Our not so good trade imbalance would improve.


There are benefits to the gardener also. Money saved, a better fresher diet, and a little more exercise add to the quality of life. Knowledge gained and food in the pipeline is a safety net should God forbid the trucks stop coming.

Osama

Osama, what’s up! Haven’t heard from you in how long? Beard looks nice. So, Al Gore has a new convert, good to see you're taking up so many of the leftist loons causes. Got to say your talk of tax cuts caught many conservative’s attention but sad to say not enough to embrace a Caliphate. Iraq is becoming a little disenfranchised with its Islamic governance if Mohammed at IRTM is any judge, and I think he is. Iranians will commemorate the 19Th anniversary of the massacre of political prisoners; the Mullacracy may have killed 30,000 men women and children in 1988. Tuff sell, I'm afraid I aint buyin'.

Which brings me to ask, why you talking to us and not your minions? They are the ones dying to hear of Al Qaeda’s victories and are a little pissed that you seem to be ignoring them. Your Jihadis want to know what’s up with Anbar, why the surge is so successful. What the hell happened in Somalia? Where are you at and what are you doing to turn things around? When do they get another 9/11? Instead they get some rambling Marxist tripe that many think was written by the American traitor Gadahn! Osama, I know and you know that your presence is symbolic. No one expects you to traipse around in your depends killing infidels like your glory days against the Soviets. But even if your beard has fallen off your future martyrs deserve a better pep talk than the tired Democrat talking points you trotted out once again.

Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson is now running. The big buzz on when and how and he missed the debate and announced on Leno etc. is now water under the bridge that wont amount to a hill of beans by January. (Mixed metaphors?) Fred was on Hannity just now and when asked about Iran had the following comments that stood out in my mind.

They’re killing our people... We cannot allow this to go on forever... They think they can get away with everything... No options can be taken off the table...

I think he gets it.

USMC

Uncle Sam's Misguided Children.

But not when it comes to war! Hoo-Rah!

and She called…
Blacks, Whites…wait
African Americans and Caucasians, Asians, excuse me.
Vietnamese, Philippines, Koreans and Jamaicans or
Haitians, waitin’ Hispanics y’all.

Please be patient
Mexican, Puerto Ricans, Venezuelan, Cuban, v Dominican, Panamanian Democrats
I beg your pardon, you partied with the late, great Reagan?
Republican, Independent, Christian, Catholic,
Methodist, Baptist, 7th Day Adventist, 5 Percenters,
Hindu, Sunii Muslim, Brothers and Sisters who never seen the New York city
skyline when the twin towers still existed.
But still She called.

From the bowels of Ground Zero she sent this 911 distress signal.
Because She was in desperate need of a hero,
and didn’t have time to decipher what to call ‘em,
so she called ‘em all Her children.
The children of the stars and bars who needed to know nothing more than the fact that she called.
The fact that someone attempted to harm us
this daughter who covered us all with her loving arms.
And now these arms are sprawled across New York City streets.
A smoke filled lung, a silt covered faced,
and a solitary tear poured out of her cheek.
Her singed garments carpets Pennsylvania Avenue and the Pentagon was under her feet.
As she began to talk, she began to cough up small particles of debris
and said, “I am America, and I’m calling on the land of the free.”
So they answered.

All personal differences set to the side
because right now there was no time to decide which state building the Confederate flag should fly over,
and which trimester the embryo is considered alive,
or on our monetary units, and which God we should confide.
You see, someone attempted to choke the voice
of the one who gave us the right for choice,
and now she was callin.
And somebody had to answer.
Who was going to answer?

So they did.
Stern faces and chiseled chins.
Devoted women and disciplined men,
who rose from the ashes like a phoenix
and said “don’t worry, we’ll stand in your defense.”
They tightened up their bootlaces
and said goodbye to loved ones, family and friends.
They tried to bombard them with the “hold on”, “wait-a-minute’s”, and “what-if’s”.
And “Daddy, where you goin?”.
And, “Mommy, why you leavin?”.
And they merely kissed them on their foreheads and said “Don’t worry, I have my reasons.
You see, to this country I pledged my allegiance
to defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic.
So as long as I’m breathin, I’ll run though hell-fire,
meet the enemy on the front lines,
look him directly in his face,
stare directly in his eyes and scream,
“I AM AMERICA! WE WILL NOT BE TERRORIZED!
WE WILL NOT BE TERRORIZED!
I REFUSE TO BE AFRAID!
I’LL FIGHT YOU ANY COUNTRY, ANY CONTINENT, ANY TERRAIN.
I’LL FIGHT TO MY LAST BREATH!”

And if by chance death is my fate,
pin my medals upon my chest,
and throw Old Glory on my grave.
But, don’t y’all cry for me.
You see, my Father’s prepared a place.
I’ll be a part of his Holy army standing a watch at the Pearly Gates.
Because freedom was never free.
POW’s, and fallen soldiers
all paid the ultimate sacrifice
along side veterans who put themselves in harms way.
Risking their lives and limbs just to hold up democracy’s weight,
but still standing on them broken appendages anytime the National Anthem was played.
You see, these were the brave warriors that gave me the right
to say that I’m Black. Or white.

Or

African American or Caucasian,
I’m Asian, excuse me.
I’m Vietnamese, Philippine, Korean, or Jamaican.
I’m Haitian, Hispanic

Y’all, Please be patient.
I’m Mexican, Puerto Rican, Venezuelan, Cuban,
Dominican, Panamanian, Democrat
I beg your pardon, you see I partied with the late, great Reagan.
I’m Republican, Independent, Christian, Catholic,
Methodist, Baptist, 7th Day Adventist, 5 Percenters,
Hindu, Sunii Muslim,

Brothers and Sisters We’re just Americans.
So with that I say
“Thank You” to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines,
for preserving my rights
to live and die for this life
and paying the ultimate price for me to be…FREE!