Lowering of US and NC Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of Camp Lejeune Marines Sgt. Pongo and Capt. Navas

Governor Roy Cooper today ordered all United States and North Carolina flags at state facilities to be lowered to half-staff beginning Tuesday, March 10, 2020 in honor of Gunnery Sgt. Diego D. Pongo and Marine Corps Capt. Moises A. Navas. Sgt. Pongo and Capt. Navas died while accompanying Iraqi Security Forces in north central Iraq on Sunday. They were both assigned to the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, Marine Forces Special Operations Command at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.



In tribute, flags are to remain at halfstaff through sunset on Sunday, March 15, 2020.



Statement from Governor Roy Cooper:



"We are deeply saddened by the news that two Camp Lejeune Marines lost their lives in service to our country on Sunday. I am grateful for Capt. Moises A. Navas and Gunnery Sgt. Diego D. Pongo's courage, and our thoughts are with their loved ones."



As a show of respect, individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the duration of time indicated.



Please note, all North Carolina flag announcements are issued in accordance to regulations outlined in the US Flag Code.



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Published at 3:52pm on Tuesday, March 10, 2020

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President Obama Addresses Nation September 10, 2014

"Territorial control of the ISIS" by NordNordWest, Spesh531 - BBC's recently updated map of ISIS controlled areas (This is the most recent source)BBC's map of Syria.Noria Research's map of Syria.Map and information on claimed areas.Some info in Aleppo and Ar-Raqqah Governorate (Jan 19, 2014)Derived from:File:Saudi Arabia location map.svgFile:Jordan location map.svgFile:Syria location map.svgFile:Iraq location map.svg. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.


President Obama has addressed the nation during prime time regarding the growing threat of the Islamic State (formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant or the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), a self proclaimed caliphate that claims religious authority over all Muslims in the world. A video of his complete remarks are above, and a transcript from the White House is below.

More information can be found at the following locations:

The White House Fact Sheet

Wikipedia (I adapted a map from there for this post)

VOX: 17 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ISIS AND IRAQ

The Long War Journal: US strategy against Islamic State to mirror counterterrorism efforts in Yemen, Somalia




Transcript:

My fellow Americans — tonight, I want to speak to you about what the United States will do with our friends and allies to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL.

As Commander-in-Chief, my highest priority is the security of the American people. Over the last several years, we have consistently taken the fight to terrorists who threaten our country. We took out Osama bin Laden and much of al Qaeda’s leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We’ve targeted al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen, and recently eliminated the top commander of its affiliate in Somalia. We’ve done so while bringing more than 140,000 American troops home from Iraq, and drawing down our forces in Afghanistan, where our combat mission will end later this year. Thanks to our military and counterterrorism professionals, America is safer.

Still, we continue to face a terrorist threat. We cannot erase every trace of evil from the world, and small groups of killers have the capacity to do great harm. That was the case before 9/11, and that remains true today. That’s why we must remain vigilant as threats emerge. At this moment, the greatest threats come from the Middle East and North Africa, where radical groups exploit grievances for their own gain. And one of those groups is ISIL — which calls itself the “Islamic State.”

Now let’s make two things clear: ISIL is not “Islamic.” No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL’s victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state. It was formerly al Qaeda’s affiliate in Iraq, and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and Syria’s civil war to gain territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border. It is recognized by no government, nor the people it subjugates. ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way.

In a region that has known so much bloodshed, these terrorists are unique in their brutality. They execute captured prisoners. They kill children. They enslave, rape, and force women into marriage. They threatened a religious minority with genocide. In acts of barbarism, they took the lives of two American journalists — Jim Foley and Steven Sotloff.

So ISIL poses a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria, and the broader Middle East — including American citizens, personnel and facilities. If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region — including to the United States. While we have not yet detected specific plotting against our homeland, ISIL leaders have threatened America and our allies. Our intelligence community believes that thousands of foreigners — including Europeans and some Americans — have joined them in Syria and Iraq. Trained and battle-hardened, these fighters could try to return to their home countries and carry out deadly attacks.

I know many Americans are concerned about these threats. Tonight, I want you to know that the United States of America is meeting them with strength and resolve. Last month, I ordered our military to take targeted action against ISIL to stop its advances. Since then, we have conducted more than 150 successful airstrikes in Iraq. These strikes have protected American personnel and facilities, killed ISIL fighters, destroyed weapons, and given space for Iraqi and Kurdish forces to reclaim key territory. These strikes have helped save the lives of thousands of innocent men, women and children.

But this is not our fight alone. American power can make a decisive difference, but we cannot do for Iraqis what they must do for themselves, nor can we take the place of Arab partners in securing their region. That’s why I’ve insisted that additional U.S. action depended upon Iraqis forming an inclusive government, which they have now done in recent days. So tonight, with a new Iraqi government in place, and following consultations with allies abroad and Congress at home, I can announce that America will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat.

Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy.

First, we will conduct a systematic campaign of airstrikes against these terrorists. Working with the Iraqi government, we will expand our efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions, so that we’re hitting ISIL targets as Iraqi forces go on offense. Moreover, I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are. That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.

Second, we will increase our support to forces fighting these terrorists on the ground. In June, I deployed several hundred American service members to Iraq to assess how we can best support Iraqi Security Forces. Now that those teams have completed their work — and Iraq has formed a government — we will send an additional 475 service members to Iraq. As I have said before, these American forces will not have a combat mission — we will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq. But they are needed to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces with training, intelligence and equipment. We will also support Iraq’s efforts to stand up National Guard Units to help Sunni communities secure their own freedom from ISIL control.

Across the border, in Syria, we have ramped up our military assistance to the Syrian opposition. Tonight, I again call on Congress to give us additional authorities and resources to train and equip these fighters. In the fight against ISIL, we cannot rely on an Assad regime that terrorizes its people; a regime that will never regain the legitimacy it has lost. Instead, we must strengthen the opposition as the best counterweight to extremists like ISIL, while pursuing the political solution necessary to solve Syria’s crisis once and for all.

Third, we will continue to draw on our substantial counterterrorism capabilities to prevent ISIL attacks. Working with our partners, we will redouble our efforts to cut off its funding; improve our intelligence; strengthen our defenses; counter its warped ideology; and stem the flow of foreign fighters into — and out of — the Middle East. And in two weeks, I will chair a meeting of the UN Security Council to further mobilize the international community around this effort.

Fourth, we will continue providing humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians who have been displaced by this terrorist organization. This includes Sunni and Shia Muslims who are at grave risk, as well as tens of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities. We cannot allow these communities to be driven from their ancient homelands.

This is our strategy. And in each of these four parts of our strategy, America will be joined by a broad coalition of partners. Already, allies are flying planes with us over Iraq; sending arms and assistance to Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian opposition; sharing intelligence; and providing billions of dollars in humanitarian aid. Secretary Kerry was in Iraq today meeting with the new government and supporting their efforts to promote unity, and in the coming days he will travel across the Middle East and Europe to enlist more partners in this fight, especially Arab nations who can help mobilize Sunni communities in Iraq and Syria to drive these terrorists from their lands. This is American leadership at its best: we stand with people who fight for their own freedom; and we rally other nations on behalf of our common security and common humanity.

My Administration has also secured bipartisan support for this approach here at home. I have the authority to address the threat from ISIL. But I believe we are strongest as a nation when the President and Congress work together. So I welcome congressional support for this effort in order to show the world that Americans are united in confronting this danger.

Now, it will take time to eradicate a cancer like ISIL. And any time we take military action, there are risks involved — especially to the servicemen and women who carry out these missions. But I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil. This counter-terrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist, using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground. This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years. And it is consistent with the approach I outlined earlier this year: to use force against anyone who threatens America’s core interests, but to mobilize partners wherever possible to address broader challenges to international order.

My fellow Americans, we live in a time of great change. Tomorrow marks 13 years since our country was attacked. Next week marks 6 years since our economy suffered its worst setback since the Great Depression. Yet despite these shocks; through the pain we have felt and the grueling work required to bounce back — America is better positioned today to seize the future than any other nation on Earth.

Our technology companies and universities are unmatched; our manufacturing and auto industries are thriving. Energy independence is closer than it’s been in decades. For all the work that remains, our businesses are in the longest uninterrupted stretch of job creation in our history. Despite all the divisions and discord within our democracy, I see the grit and determination and common goodness of the American people every single day — and that makes me more confident than ever about our country’s future.

Abroad, American leadership is the one constant in an uncertain world. It is America that has the capacity and the will to mobilize the world against terrorists. It is America that has rallied the world against Russian aggression, and in support of the Ukrainian peoples’ right to determine their own destiny. It is America — our scientists, our doctors, our know-how — that can help contain and cure the outbreak of Ebola. It is America that helped remove and destroy Syria’s declared chemical weapons so they cannot pose a threat to the Syrian people — or the world — again. And it is America that is helping Muslim communities around the world not just in the fight against terrorism, but in the fight for opportunity, tolerance, and a more hopeful future.

America, our endless blessings bestow an enduring burden. But as Americans, we welcome our responsibility to lead. From Europe to Asia — from the far reaches of Africa to war-torn capitals of the Middle East — we stand for freedom, for justice, for dignity. These are values that have guided our nation since its founding. Tonight, I ask for your support in carrying that leadership forward. I do so as a Commander-in-Chief who could not be prouder of our men and women in uniform — pilots who bravely fly in the face of danger above the Middle East, and service-members who support our partners on the ground.

When we helped prevent the massacre of civilians trapped on a distant mountain, here’s what one of them said. “We owe our American friends our lives. Our children will always remember that there was someone who felt our struggle and made a long journey to protect innocent people.”

That is the difference we make in the world. And our own safety — our own security — depends upon our willingness to do what it takes to defend this nation, and uphold the values that we stand for — timeless ideals that will endure long after those who offer only hate and destruction have been vanquished from the Earth.

May God bless our troops, and may God bless the United States of America.

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St Louis Welcomes Iraq Veterans Home

Graphic Courtesy Jan 28 Group



The above video is a press conference held by organizers (see website)of a grass roots effort to show gratitude to those who served our nation in Iraq.

St Louis held the first large scale welcome home parade for veterans of the Iraq War on January 28th. I have collected a few videos of the parade and embedded them below as an expression of gratitude to these men and women who served our nation in Iraq.













Part One




Part Two

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SSG Salvatore Giunta Will Receive Medal of Honor Watch Live at 2pm

**update** The event is over, and can be seen on the C-SPAN program page. If it becomes available in an embeddable player, I'll post that here as well. --TP


**update** Here is the video of the ceremony:

desmoinesregister on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

Watch live here at 2pm.

SSG Salvatore Giunta, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade speaks with Pentagon reporters via satellite from Vicenza, Italy. SSG Giunta will become the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.





Official Narrative [from US Army]


On Oct. 25, 2007, Spc. Giunta’s platoon was conducting a movement to contact to interdict enemy forces on the Gatigal Spur, in order to provide over watch for 2nd and 3rd platoon’s exfil back to Combat Outpost Vimot, and the Korengal Outpost. While conducting their exfil from the platoon’s blocking position, Spc. Giunta’s platoon was ambushed by 10 to 15 enemy personnel who utilized an “L” shaped, near ambush that was within 10 meters of the platoon’s main body. The enemy fired 10 Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and three PKMs (machine guns) from the apex of the ambush and additional AK-47s from throughout the ambush line.


The enemy initiated the contact with an RPG and a burst of PKM (fire), which immediately hit and wounded two members of the lead team, Sgt. Brennan and Spc. Eckrode. Another RPG in the initial volley hit extremely close to Spc. Giunta’s position. While Staff Sgt. Gallardo moved back to his Bravo Team to get situation reports, Spc. Giunta provided covering fire by leading his team in suppressing enemy positions, assigning sectors of fire and commanding his M-203 gunner to engage close targets. While advancing toward Spc. Giunta’s team, Staff Sgt. Gallardo was struck in the helmet by an AK-47 round, which caused him to fall to the ground. Despite being under heavy fire by PKM, RPG, and small arms, Spc. Giunta immediately left his covered position in order to render aid to his squad leader. As he moved to provide assistance, Spc. Giunta was struck by two bullets; one of which impacted his chest area but was stopped by his Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert (E-SAPI) plate, and one round which impacted the Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon-D (SMAW-D) rocket he was carrying across his back. Without hesitation, Spc. Giunta recovered from the impacts and ensured his squad leader was not injured. He then began bounding his team forward in an attempt to maneuver on the enemy.


Spc. Giunta and his fire team were quickly pinned down by effective enemy machine gun and small arms fire from multiple positions at close range. Spc. Giunta, along with Pfc. Clary and Staff Sgt. Gallardo, quickly prepared fragmentation grenades and continued the assault by throwing two volleys of them at enemy positions that were approximately 15 meters to their west. They then assaulted forward through those positions, secured Spc. Eckrode, and began treating his wounds. Realizing that Sgt. Brennan was missing, Pfc. Clary and Spc. Giunta continued to push forward along the enemy’s ex-filtration route, despite taking small arms fire from enemy personnel who were attempting to cover their withdrawal. Moving in the lead and rapidly closing with the enemy, despite receiving effective fire, Spc. Giunta overtook two enemy combatants attempting to drag off Sgt. Brennan, who had been incapacitated by his wounds. Spc. Giunta engaged one enemy combatant at close range and killed him, which cause the other enemy combatant to drop Sgt. Brennan and flee. Spc. Giunta then began immediate first aid on Sgt. Brennan, and also helped his squad leader to adjust security, further consolidate casualties, and prepare for Medical Evacuation operations.


Spc. Giunta’s selfless actions and personal courage were the decisive factors in changing the tide of the battle, ensuring that Sgt. Brennan was not captured by the enemy, and preventing the lead fire team from being destroyed by the enemy’s near ambush. Despite bullets impacting on and around himself, Spc. Giunta fearlessly advanced on the enemy and provided aid to his fallen comrades. His actions saved the lives of multiple paratroopers and changed the course of the battle in his platoon’s favor.


For exceptionally valorous actions during Operation Enduring Freedom VIII while assigned as a rifle team leader in Battle Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry. Spc. Giunta’s unwavering courage, aggressiveness, selfless service, and leadership while under extreme enemy fire were decisive in his platoon achieving fire superiority, defeating an enemy near ambush, and preventing the capture of a fellow paratrooper by the enemy. His actions reflect great credit upon himself, the Rock Battalion, the Bayonet Brigade Combat Team, Combined Joint Task Force-82, and the United States Army.

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WikiLeaks Lies: The "Full Video" Released Has 20 Minutes Missing

...and the 20 minutes that are missing completely exonerates the Americans. Coincidence? I think not. I think that WikiLeaks is so focused on making American soldiers look bad, that they will do anything.

This is what Wiki Leaks is calling the "full video" of the incident that they describe as the "murder" of "civilians killed in Baghdad". Video that is causing outrage in Europe, Islamic countries, and among the American Left. The "full video" is nearly 40 minutes long.


Besides being dishonest about this being footage of mass "murder" and of those killed being "civilians", Wiki Leak is also being dishonest about this being the "full video". It's not. The so-called "full video" is missing 20 minutes of footage.


The editors of Wiki Leak are one part magician and one part defense lawyer. Like a good defense lawyer they are careful never to lie outright; just the convenient omissions coupled with spin which make innocent parties look guilty, and the guilty innocent.


Like a polished magician they want you to look at one hand -- the journalists, the casual manner in which the insurgents are talking to one another, the brutality of death in war, the wounded children -- so that your eyes are distracted from the hand which holds that which is important that you not see in order for the illusion to be complete -- the insurgent with an AK-47, the insurgent with a loaded RPG, the insurgent carrying a spare RPG round, firefights happening near the scene, the convoy which the Reuters cameraman is aiming his lens while surrounded by insurgents, the expressions of anger by the soldiers that insurgents had brought children to the area, the rescue of the children and their evacuation to two US bases for treatment.


But among the many glaring omissions in their perverse and evil slight of hand magic trick which is their narrative of innocence massacred, one sticks out more than anything else: 20 minutes of missing video.

Source: The Jawa Report (go read the entire article over there)


Previously

WikiLeaks Post Video, Claim US Troops Murdered Civilians: Here is the Truth 

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WikiLeaks Post Video, Claim US Troops Murdered Civilians Here is the Truth Multiple Updates

**1.53PM update #3** Rusty Shackleford does it again...shows video proof of RPG (what Lefties had been calling a Zoom Lens being used by the Reuters Reporter)[link] I've swiped the animated image and posted it here in all it's glory.


Why is that Lefties and lefty libertarians are always so eager to make excuses for armed terrorists and are so quick to pounce on the forces of good, like our soldiers and our own police? Do they hate our civilization that bad? Or do they just enjoy being contrarians?


**11.36AM update #2** I found a chorus of approval for the WikiLeaks video at Daily Paul (a pro-Ron Paul website) [link] and expressions of hatred for America and our soldiers in the comment thread. Only one comment on the first page expressed anything remotley pro-American, and the commenter acknowledged a fear of being 'black-listed' at the website for daring to express a dissenting opinion. [link to comment][link to screenshot with text highlighted]  


**10.42AM update #1** More information on the editor of WikiLeaks: Julian Assange is president of a NGO and Australia's most infamous former computer hacker. He was convicted of attacks on the US intelligence and publishing a magazine which inspired crimes against the Commonwealth.


Read more at America Power. I believe that it will become even more clear that this organization is inherently anti-American.











A friend on Facebook, Paul D. Metcalf, posted a link to a video released by WikiLeaks alleging to show US Troops murdering civilians in Baghdad. I watched the video and found nothing wrong with what our pilots did. I commented on the link on Paul's page, saying something along the lines, "I see nothing wrong with what they did. If I were there, I would have engaged the targets as well." Paul, not being interested in hearing that, gave me the boot. I have noticed that that is something that a lot of people who call themselves "libertarian" minded or say they are for liberty. When confronted with an opposing opinion...they go nuts and shut down dialogue before they are proven wrong.


I had it in mind to go through the video and grab some screen captures of the terrorists (who WikiLeaks...and by extension, Paul were calling civilians) carrying weapons and seeking to kill American soldiers. Come to find out, that has already been done by some fellow Counterjihadists. I will link to some of them after I embed the videos purporting to show American soldiers murdering civilians...when they are quite plainly killing armed terrorists.


Here are the videos, the first is a very transparent propaganda piece:
















The Weekly Standard [link to article] has answered this piece very nicely, and an excerpt follows:

Wikileaks, the website devoted to publishing classified documents on the Internet, made a splash today with a video claiming to show that the U.S. military "murdered" a Reuters cameraman and other Iraqi "civilians" in Baghdad on July 12, 2007. But a careful watching of the video shows that the U.S. helicopter gun crews that attacked a group of armed men in the then Mahdi Army stronghold of New Baghdad was anything but "Collateral Murder," as Wikileaks describes the incident.


There are a couple of things to note in the video. First, Wikileaks characterizes the attack as the U.S. military casually gunning down Iraqis who were innocently gathering on the streets of New Baghdad. But the video begins somewhat abruptly, with a UAV starting to track a group of Iraqi males gathering on the streets. The voice of a U.S. officer is captured in mid-sentence. It would be nice to know what happened before Wikileaks decided to begin the video. The U.S. military claimed the Iraqis were killed after a gun battle with U.S. and Iraqi security forces. It is unclear if any of that was captured on the strike footage. Here is what the U.S. military had to say about the engagement in a July 2007 press release:


Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, both operating in eastern Baghdad under the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, along with their Iraqi counterparts from the 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Division National Police, were conducting a coordinated raid as part of a planned operation when they were attacked by small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. Coalition Forces returned fire and called in attack aviation reinforcement.


There is nothing in that video that is inconsitent with the military's report. What you see is the air weapons team engaging armed men.


Second, note how empty the streets are in the video. The only people visible on the streets are the armed men and the accompanying Reuters cameramen. This is a very good indicator that there was a battle going on in the vicinity. Civilians smartly clear the streets during a gunfight.


Third, several of the men are clearly armed with assault rifles; one appears to have an RPG. Wikileaks purposely chooses not to identify them, but instead focuses on the Reuters cameraman. Why?


Fourth, there is no indication that the U.S. military weapons crew that fired on this group of armed men violated the military's Rules of Engagement. Ironically, Wikileaks published the military's Rules of Engagement from 2007, which you can read here. What you do see in the video is troops working to identify targets and confirm they were armed before engaging. Once the engagement began, the U.S. troops ruthlessly hunted their prey.


Fifth, critics will undoubtedly be up in arms over the attack on that black van you see that moves in to evacuate the wounded; but it is not a marked ambulance, nor is such a vehicle on the "Protected Collateral Objects" listed in the Rules of Engagement. The van, which was coming to the aid of the fighters, was fair game, even if the men who exited the van weren't armed.

And now, WikiLeaks has released what they say is an unedited video...yet it begins in the middle of an engagement.


Here is that video:
















As I commented on Paul D. Metcalf's Facebook Page, I can see nothing wrong with what the US Military Pilots did. I would have pulled the trigger myself and engaged as they did. These men were clearly armed and a clear and present danger to our troops.


I was going to do some screen grabs, but the trusty Rusty Shackleford over at The Jawa report already has [link to article]. Here is an excerpt of what he (and his fellow Jawas have posted regarding this traitorous lie being told by the anti-war freaks at WikiLeaks:

Contrary to all of the "context" given by Wiki Leak which try to lead the viewer into thinking the US Military "murdered" several Iraqis including two who worked for Reuters, the video clearly runs contrary to the narrative. 

I've embedded the Wiki Leak video below. Just ignore all the propaganda they write before and after the video and watch it.

A crowd of men surround at least two armed insurgents. The voices indicate that a Bradley and some Humvees are headed in the direction and that a recent engagement has taken place.

So, the helicopter pilot and ground controllers see armed men with a convoy approaching and taking fire and .... Wiki Leak has the nerve to call thismurder?

They've even embedded it on a site they call "Collateral Murder."

These people are beyond stupid, they're evil.

Worst case scenario this is a few innocent being accidentally killed in the fog of war.

But the video doesn't even appear to be worst case scenario. It appears, in fact, that the video shows armed insurgents engaging or about to engage US troops. The Reuters camera men had embedded themselves with the insurgents. This makes them enemy combatants themselves and should have been shot.

Reuters has a long history of its local stringers embedding themselves with terrorist forces. Perhaps they do this because they are sympathetic, perhaps they do this to get "the story", but it matters little to those engaging insurgents.

When you embed yourselves with terrorists you know the risk. You are producing propaganda for them. You have become one of them.

Anything less than this understanding is purposeful naivite about "objective journalism". In war there can be no objective journalism. You're either with us or the enemy. If you want to stay neutral stay out of the war zone.

As for those who went in to pick up the bodies? Perhaps they were innocents. I've no idea.

But you drive your van into an active military engagement? What the hell were you thinking?

You are stupid. Innocent, but stupid. You're asking to be killed.

And if you brought children into the midsts of an ongoing military engagement that makes you more than stupid: it makes you criminally negligent.

"It's their fault for bringing their kids to a battle," says one of the Americans on the video. Indeed it is.

People, this is war. This happens in war. It can't be avoided. If you want to end civilian casualties then end war. Start by asking armed Islamists to put down their weapons. But you won't do that because your real objection isn't war, it's America. Which is why anti-war activists around the globe never protest al-Qaeda, only America.

They're not anti-war, they're anti-American.

Again, watch it. It's tragic, yes. War is tragic.

The people at WikiLeaks are so anti-war (and in my opinion, anti-American) that they cannot see what is before their eyes. They have no qualm about letting facts get in the way of telling a lie or stop them from propagandizing against America. 

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Special Forces: Untold Stories Navy SEALs in Panama

Visit Support The SEALs to learn how you can help defend 3 of our heroes who are fighting for their freedom against the word of a terrorist.

As part of an effort to show support for the 3 Navy SEALs being charged with roughing up a terrorist responsible for the murder and mutilation of Americans in Iraq, I will be posting on the history and training of America's elite military forces for the duration of their courts martial trial.

This is the first in the series, and is a re-telling of the US Navy SEALs experience during the removal of General Manuel Noriega from Panama in December 1989-January 1990. He was captured, detained as a prisoner of war, and flown to the U.S. Noriega was tried on eight counts of drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering in April 1992.

More information on Operation Just Cause can be found at Global Security. And more information on the lessons learned from the Psychological Component of the operation can be found at Psywarrior.

This is a 5 video play list. Give it a moment or two between videos to load.

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All Charges Dismissed Against Blackwater Contractors

D.C. Federal District Court Judge Ricardo Urbina has dismissed all charges against several Blackwater guards, who were accused of voluntary manslaughter and various serious firearms offenses in connection with a September 16, 2007, shooting in Baghdad. A copy of the opinion, which can be found here, chastises the government for improper conduct:

In their zeal to bring charges against the defendant in this case, the prosecutors and investigators aggressively sought out statements the defendants had been compelled to make to government investigators in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and in the subsequent investigation. In so doing, the government’s trial team repeatedly disregarded the warnings of experienced, senior prosecutors, assigned to the case specifically to advise the trial team on Garrity and Kastigar issues, that this course of action threatened the viability of the prosecution. The government used the defendants’ compelled statements to guide its charging decisions, to formulate its theory of the case, to develop investigatory leads and, ultimately, to obtain the indictment in this case. The government’s key witnesses immersed themselves in the defendants’ compelled statements, and the evidence adduced at the Kastigar hearing plainly demonstrated that these compelled statements shaped portions of the witnesses’ testimony to the indicting grand jury.2 The explanations offered by the prosecutors and investigators in an attempt to justify their actions and persuade the court that they did not use the defendants’ compelled testimony were all too often contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility.

Source: Volokh Pundit

This is not going to please Lefties and America haters...especially the ones at BlueNC.

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Coming in 2010: Pat Dollard's "Young Americans"

I will be carrying episodes of Pat Dollard's documentary "Young Americans" in 2010. This is the trailer for the series...

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Iraqi Shoe Thrower Gets Three Years in Prison

BAGHDAD - The Iraqi journalist who threw shoes at then-President George W. Bush was convicted Thursday of assaulting a foreign leader and sentenced to three years in prison, lawyers said. He shouted "long live Iraq" when the sentence was read.

The verdict came after a short trial in which Muntadhar al-Zeidi, 30, pleaded not guilty to the charge and said his action was a "natural response to the occupation."

Source: MSNBC

You know, I really didn't get why all the Progressives were laughing about the guy throwing a shoe at the President.

Now, I'm laughing at the guy who was stupid enough to throw a shoe at the President.

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Flag Line in Raleigh To Celebrate V-I Day!

Patriots of Raleigh, North Carolina! Join us this Saturday in a flag line on Capital Blvd. We will form a line of American flags along the Blvd from the Calvary St intersection extending North as far as necessary. No signs, just flags. No groups or clusters of people, everyone evenly spaced out, one flag every 20 feet. Start time is set as 12:00 noon. For all the outta-towners coming, here's a mapquest link to the location: CLICK HERE

Direct inquiries to: Bubba@WhatBubbaKnows.com

Source: What Bubba Knows

Find out more about V-I Day at Zombietime.

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Video Proof: The Surge Worked!

Despite Harry Reid declaring the War in Iraq lost [Common Dreams, Say Anything, You Tube], the surge was a success, and we have won in Iraq.

Video Proof:




Check out more from JD Johannes at Outside The Wire.

November 22, 2008 is Victory in Iraq Day. Let's Celebrate Victory!!!

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Victory in Iraq Day Coming Nov 22nd!!!

For those of you who have noticed that the Legacy Media have quit covering the Battle of Iraq...there is a good reason...we have won!!!

Bloggers across the Free World will be celebrating that day with posts, and I have something special planned as well, so check back by as I have multiple posts planned for VI Day!

Find out more about this celebration of our victory at Zombietime.

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An Interview With Ambassador Crocker

The Long War Journal has a transcript from an Oct. 10 interview in Baghdad between Bill Murray and Ryan Crocker, US Ambassador to Iraq. Crocker became Ambassador in March 2007 after spending three years in the same post to Pakistan. Ambassador Crocker assumed his duty in Iraq just as the US military was ramping up for the surge. He is one of the most experience diplomats in the US Foreign Service, having previously served as ambassador in Lebanon, Syria and Kuwait. Crocker joined the Foreign Service in 1971 and expects to retire in early 2009.

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Dear Mr. Obama

Here is the video Rush Limbaugh just talked about put out by Joe Cook, an injured iraq war veteran:




**1.01 PM** Hr is the second video put out by Joe Cook, where he explains Economics to the Democratic candidate for President.



Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark on Marxist Obama.

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The John Batchelor Show For Sept 7th

It's Sunday night, and that means it's time for John Batchelor! Here is his website. And here is where you can listen to the John Batchelor show live online: New York, WABC-AM 770 7-10PM ET; Washington DC, WMAL-AM 630 7-9PM ET;  San Francisco, KSFO-AM 560;  Los Angeles, KFI-AM 640; Schedule for Tonight: First Three Hours Last Three Hours Enjoy! Oh, and for those who might have missed it, Barack Hussein Obama mentions his Muslim Faith. Don't believe me? Check it out below: This guy just can't put two sentences together without a teleprompter!!!

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Vehicle Seized With Iranian Bombs

According to Voices of Iraq, a vehicle with 27 Iranian made bombs has been seized, and the driver arrested in Wassit, Iraq. Wassit is near Kut, and is about 80 miles southeast of Baghdad.

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Afghan-Pakistan Clashes and Iranians in Iraq

I am glad to see that we will not afford our enemy a sanctuary across international borders (I wish we would do the same with Mexico), and we are engaging the enemy:

The Afghan Army clashed with the Taliban in the Pakistani tribal agency of Mohmand on June 10. While initial reports indicated the US conducted a targeted airstrike against a Taliban or al Qaeda target in the tribal agency, the aircraft appear to have been supporting Afghan troops. Pakistani soldiers were reported to have been killed in the fighting.

The fighting started after Afghan forces attacked a Taliban force as it attempted to cross the border. Between 10 and 13 Pakistani soldiers were killed after Afghan and US forces pursued Taliban forces fleeing into Pakistan.

"The militants launched a cross-border attack into Afghanistan," an unnamed Pakistani security official told Reuters. "At least 10 of our soldiers were killed in a counter-offensive by forces in Afghanistan." Geo TV reported 13 Pakistani soldiers, including a major, were killed. An estimated 50 Pakistani soldiers were manning an outpost in Suran Dara along the Afghan-Pakistani frontier. Only 10 have been accounted for.

Source: The Long War Journal

I wonder when we'll start going across the border in Iran to stop their "Special Groups" and "Explosives Experts" from going into Iraq and killing American soldiers? When will people begin to realize that Iran has been at war with us since President Jimmy Carter installed the Ayatollah Khomeini and jump started the Iranian Islamic Revolution?

BAGHDAD – Coalition forces captured a suspected Iranian-trained Special Groups explosives expert Wednesday in Numaniyah, about 180 km southeast of Baghdad near Al Kut.

Acting on intelligence information, Coalition forces targeted a suspected Iranian-trained improvised explosive device expert. Using information provided by Special Groups criminals already detained, the targeted criminal is believed to have traveled to Iran several times for explosives training. Intelligence sources also said the suspect has numerous Iranian contacts with whom he would meet when smuggling weapons and bomb-making materials into Iraq.

Coalition forces entered the suspected criminal’s residence and subdued him without firing any shots after the man made a move toward a weapon.

“Significance progress is being made, and Iraqi people are a big part of the operations to stop terrorists throughout Iraq,” said Navy Lt. Patrick Evans, MNF-I spokesperson.

Source: MNF-Iraq

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Michael Yon Returning To Action

Citizen Journalist Michael Yon is heading back to cover the war:

I have left the United States and am heading back to the war.

Heavy promotion of Moment of Truth in Iraq is over. I conducted approximately 100 radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews, therefore was unable to do much more than track the war from afar. There are more radio interviews scheduled, but I’ll be talking from downrange. Moment of Truth in Iraq hit #6 on the Amazon bestseller list, and #2 on Barnes and Noble, which greatly surprised me.

Michael Moore has stopped the copyright infringement on my work, but his attorney has not responded to my attorney’s requests to negotiate a settlement. Out of courtesy, we’ll give Mr. Moore a little more time. But if he refuses to afford us the professional consideration of returning communications, we’ll have to file a lawsuit and meet them in court.

Source: Michael Yon


Godspeed, Michael. And I sincerely hope that you sue the pants off Michael Moore.

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Progressives and Pauleroids Weep, For Bush Did Not Lie!!!

On many key judgments before the war, the report itself found that statements on Iraq's biological weapons capacity, its nuclear and chemical weapons programs, the president and his cabinet secretaries generally followed the intelligence assessments of the spy services. On some issues there was disagreement. When Mr. Cheney said in September 2002 that he did not know if Al Qaeda and Iraq cooperated on the September 11, 2001, attacks, the CIA and FBI believed at that point there was no connection.

...President Bush believed the nation could not take the risk that they could. But on the question of meaningful links between Al Qaeda and Iraq, something the anti-war movement believes never existed, the evidence suggests a more nuanced picture than Mr. Rockefeller has portrayed. This is where Mr. Ford's January 31, 2003, memo comes into play.

Mr. Ford's memo came on the eve of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His words demolish a talking point for Democrats who still say Al Qaeda had nothing to do with Iraq until the coalition of the willing invaded. Mr. Ford wrote that the former emir of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab Zarqawi "has had a good relationship with Iraqi intelligence officials." He added that intelligence on Qaeda "revealed the presence of safe house facilities in the city as well as the clear intent to remain in Baghdad. Also, foreign NGO workers outside of Iraq who are believed to provide support to al-Qaeda have also expressed their intent to set up shop in Baghdad."

Source: Gateway Pundit

So much for Barack Obama's vaunted "judgment" on being against the war in Iraq from the very beginning! Like most progressives and progressitarians, Obama let his Bush Derangement Syndrome dictate his actions and beliefs.

This reminds me of Quinn's First Law: Liberalism always generates the exact opposite of its stated intent.

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