M. Zuhdi Jasser

Contributing Editor M. Zuhdi Jasser is the founder and Chairman of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy based in Phoenix Arizona. He is a former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, a physician in private practice, and a community activist. He can be reached at Zuhdi@aifdemocracy.org.

He is a Muslim who has written many articles concerning the actions and stories that we may not have been aware of, but he wants to educate us on what is actually happening in the USA. He has claimed to be a moderate Muslim, and he has proven himself to be one so far.

I have three links to articles he has written which you may find interesting. You may also want to see his perspective on these issues. Let me know what you think.

First, we have the beheading of a woman who was married to the man who was in charge of Bridges TV. Yeah, this is the programming place that is going to show us how moderates behave?

Exclusive: The Plight of Women under Islamism: Time for Muslims to Shed the Denial.
M. Zuhdi Jasser.

There is no more powerful retardant to change and reform among individuals and in a community than human denial.

According to Andrew Benz, Orchard Park Police Chief, on Thursday, February 12, 2009, Muzammil H. Hassan, the founder and CEO of Bridges TV, walked into the police station at 6:20 PM and told officers that his wife was lying dead at the Bridges TV offices. Later, Benz confirmed on WIVB Channel 4 that she was decapitated. [Continue reading.]

Source: Family Security Matters.

Next we have an article relating to the freedom of speech vs Muslims.

Islam and freedom of speech.
By Jeff Jacoby, Globe Columnist | March 8, 2009

Geert Wilders is a member of the Dutch Parliament and head of the Freedom Party. In 2008 he released "Fitna," a controversial film about the Koran and jihadist violence. Wilders was condemned as an anti-Muslim agitator but also hailed as a defender of Western values and free speech. In January, a Dutch court ordered Wilders prosecuted for allegedly inciting hatred against Islam. Last month he was invited to screen "Fitna" at Westminster, but the British government barred him from entering the country. He was recently interviewed by Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby, who prepared the following edited excerpts:

Q: You've said that England today is more Chamberlain than Churchill. Explain what you mean.

A: Well, Chamberlain was the biggest appeaser to a totalitarian ideology called fascism. Now we face the threat of another totalitarian ideology called Islam, at least according to me. And instead of defending our freedom, defending our values, when I was invited a few weeks ago to show "Fitna" in the House of Lords, they denied me entry to the United Kingdom.

Q: The letter from the British home secretary said: "Your statements about Muslims and their beliefs . . . would threaten community harmony, and therefore public security, in the UK."

A: What really happened is that she was pressured. In the English press, there was a lot of news that Lord Ahmed [Nazir Ahmed, a British peer] threatened to have 10,000 Muslims demonstrating in front of Westminster. [Continue reading.]

Finally, Dr. Jasser speaks out about President Obama's ridiculous idea of reaching out to the Taliban.

FSM National Security Team Panel.
M. Zuhdi Jasser

President Obama’s recent overture to the Taliban not only sends a dangerous message of appeasement to our sworn enemies, but it sends a lethal message of abandonment to all those who have suffered the oppression of the Taliban. He is effectively telling the Taliban that “we will work with you.” Is President Obama unable to see the evil that has been perpetrated against humanity over the years by these Islamists? How can a Presidential candidate who campaigned on a message of “change” turn around as President and completely abandon those who seek change away from the thugs and theocrats of the Taliban of Afghanistan?

There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that the Taliban can be trusted or serve as any type of viable “partner” in a negotiation of the future of Afghanistan and global security. They have in fact repeatedly proven to be sworn enemies of freedom and liberty. They will tell the Obama administration what it wants to hear in order to get American advocates for liberty out of Afghanistan and allow them to reestablish their Islamist oppressive regime in the region. Rather than empowering our anti-Islamist Muslim allies in the region who are already underfunded and outmatched, President Obama is giving our ideological allies the signal that the United States “would rather sit with your oppressors and get short term assurances of stability than sit with real agents of anti-Islamist change.” President Obama may yearn for quick solutions, but in so doing he places our long term global security in peril.

Source: Family Security Matters.

I agree with him on that. *sigh*

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

Chinese Dissident’s Family Defects

I have some very good news and sad news from Radio Free Asia today. One of the Chinese dissident's family was able to successfully defect to the United States. Unfortunately, they had to leave behind their husband and father who is a civil rights lawyer in China. Here is the article below.

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WASHINGTON, March 12, 2009 — The wife and children of a top civil rights lawyer under close surveillance by the Chinese authorities have arrived in the United States after walking across the border to Thailand, Gao Zhisheng’s wife Geng He has told Radio Free Asia (RFA).

Geng said her daughter, 15, and son, 5, had suffered “great hardship” in China from living under virtual house arrest in their Beijing home. “I left China because my family had been under tight surveillance for a long time. We experienced —in our careers and daily life— great hardship and difficulty,” Geng told RFA’s Mandarin service in her first interview since arriving in the United States on March 11 to seek asylum.

“My daughter was unable to attend school. Because she was unable to attend school, she tried to commit suicide several times,” Geng said. “I had no place to turn. So I fled with my children.” Geng said she had left a note for Gao, an Army veteran who lost his law license after he criticized the government for its treatment of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement.

Gao began a rolling hunger strike among fellow civil rights activists to protest the ill-treatment of lawyers and rights activists at the hands of police and local government officials.

“I left a note for my husband that I was leaving with the children,” Geng said. “I said in my note that our daughter is miserable because she couldn’t attend school. I said I was miserable and I had to take the kids and leave,” said Geng, in tears.

Dangerous route through Thailand.

Geng and her children left China on Jan. 9 and arrived in Thailand on Jan. 16, leaving for the United States on March 10. Describing the family’s dramatic escape, Geng said they first left Beijing very quietly, unnoticed by the state security police who usually followed them.

“We could not travel by air. We took a train,” Geng said, adding that Gao was unable to accompany them because he couldn’t throw off the police on his tail.

“Eventually, with the help of friends, we freed ourselves from police surveillance and we walked to another country,” she said. Geng said friends who helped her leave China were members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement.

“We walked day and night. It was extremely hard. I did not even know the names of some of the towns we passed through...It was extraordinarily difficult to get us out of China. The friends who helped us escape took enormous pains, some even risking their own lives,” Geng said.

She said she hadn’t been in touch with Gao since leaving China. “On Feb. 4, when we had arrived in the second country, I heard from a friend that he had been detained. I am very worried,” said Geng, who has no idea of Gao’s whereabouts.

'Very fragile state'.

Now in the United States, Geng said she has few specific plans. “The first step is to get here and to give my daughter a chance to heal her mental scars,” she said. “She is in a very fragile state. When she feels better, I will arrange for her to get an education. It’s important to get an education.”

She said her son asked repeatedly for Gao, and whether his father had been sent to prison again. Gao’s whereabouts remained unclear for months after he was subjected to a secret trial by the authorities on unspecified subversion charges in 2006.

Lauded by China’s own Justice Ministry as one of China’s Top 10 lawyers in 2001 for his pro bono work in helping poor people sue government officials over corruption and mistreatment, Gao was once a member of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. He resigned from the Party in 2005.

Gao’s fortunes took a sharp downturn after he wrote an open letter to President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao in October 2005 urging them to end the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, detailing a range of abuses they suffer in custody, including torture, beatings, and execution.

Report on abuses.

In its most recent report on human rights around the world, the U.S. State Department noted that Gao’s whereabouts remained unknown. It also noted the authorities had revoked the professional licenses of several prominent lawyers, including Gao and of Teng Biao, who offered to represent Tibetans taken into custody for their role in the March 2008 Tibetan uprising in Lhasa. “Government-employed lawyers often refused to represent defendants in politically sensitive cases, and defendants frequently found it difficult to find an attorney,” the report said.

“Officials deployed a wide range of tactics to obstruct the work of lawyers representing sensitive clients, including unlawful detentions, disbarment, intimidation, refusal to allow a case to be tried before a court, and physical abuse.”

Provided by a family friend. Gao Zhistheng's wife Geng He and their children, after leaving China.

Original reporting in Mandarin by Tang Qiwei. Mandarin service director: Jennifer Chou. Written for the Web in English. Edited by Sarah Jackson-Han.

Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
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Articles also included in this e-mail:
North Korea Bans Foreign Cars.
Mental Health Cases Sweep China.
Buddha Images Stolen in Laos.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg!

Afghan Women Celebrate Culture, Achievements

by Capt. Stacie N. Shafran
Panjshir PRT

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (March 12, 2009) – More than 100 Afghan women and girls celebrated their accomplishments and culture during an International Women’s Day celebration March 8 in the Bazarak district of Afghanistan’s Panjshir province.

The event, organized by the Panjshir director of women’s affairs, featured a series of speakers who highlighted economic, political and social challenges, as well as accomplishments of the valley’s women. “Panjshir has very smart women,” Deputy Gov. Abdul Kabiri said. “They are working beside the men for the development of society. With education, we can have doctors and teachers. … Our society needs everything.”

One of the most popular presenters, a former Afghan judge named Rahila, was recognized as “Panjshir’s Woman of the Year.” Rahila spoke about the Afghan education system during her speech. “We tend to pay more attention to boys, valuing them more than the girls, who are often uneducated,” she said. “Women are half of the society. They can participate in whatever they want.”

The judge acknowledged that during the majority of her 17-year career, men were displeased with her role. “Don’t be discouraged,” she said. “One day your daughters can be like me.”

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Dawn Allison-Hess, intelligence noncommissioned officer for the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team and representative of the PRT’s women’s affairs section, shared a similarity between Afghan and American women. “The reason I can stand before you as a woman serving in the U.S. military is because of the hard work, sacrifice and dedication of countless women who came before me,” said Allison-Hess, who’s deployed from Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas. “I am grateful for their dedication, as I know your daughters and granddaughters will be grateful to you for selflessly striving to secure their futures.”

Following the speeches, the women and girls feasted on a traditional Afghan lunch of pilau, a rice dish made with raisins and carrots.

“This was an opportunity of a lifetime to meet with the women who influence the lives of Panjshir,” said Air Force Maj. Valerie Trump, the PRT’s nurse practitioner, who is deployed from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

“The female judge and the doctors impressed me the most because of their hearts and their powerful minds,” she said. “It was a proud day for me to be a part of their celebration. I believe the Panjshir women are the key to affecting change in their families and, ultimately, this will improve the quality of life here.”

Photo: Former judge Rahila addresses the crowd at the International Women’s Day celebration March 8 in Pajshir province’s Bazarak district.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ TCU, SGP and Rosemary's Thoughts. Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg!

Video Potpourri

This is a 'must see' video created by Uncle Jimbo. It is a message for President Obama dealing with our precious men and women in uniform and the responsibility that is now all in the hands of him. It's no longer a campaign or a game. It's life or death. Please watch it. You can subscribe to Uncle Jimbo at YouTube.

I keep losing the videos, so I shall be giving you their links starting with this one: Mr. Obama- Wars Don't End, They are Won or Lost.

This next video is one of my Christian groups that I follow. Okay, the video is pretty shakey (I don't know what the camera dude was doing, but it wasn't holding still! lol), but this is a great group. Their name is Waymasters aka thebluegoose79. The name of this song is Oh What A City. If you'd like to purchase any of their CD's, you may do so over at Amazon.com. At this time there are 5 CD's listed but some may be sold out. Do not despair. If you order one that is out of stock, Amazon.com has already reordered. You will receive it shortly. ;)

I went back to check out some of their songs, and I just have to add this one. It is titled, "God Sent An Angel".

I've lost this video as well. Here is the link: Waymasters - God Sent an Angel.

It wouldn't be a video potpourri without Zo, www.MachoSauceProductions.com. This one is titled, CPACIN'.

Yes, I know, but all is not lost. Here is the link this remarkable mind: CRACKIN'.

Wow. What a combination, eh? Military issues, Christian songs, and a true-blue Conservative tellin' it like it is. Yes, I believe my job here is complete. Have a great day.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

I would like to share these videos with my friends over at Linkfest: third world county: Minding Our Own Business, Political Byline: Tragedy In Alabama, Pink Flamingo: Shooting The Messenger For Telling The Truth, Leaning Straight Up: Shocker: Obama Restores Embryonic Stem Cell Research Funding, Conservative Cat, Right Voices: The AT&T Rewards Referral Is A Scam/Stay Away From ATT, Sunday Morning Satire, Pink Flamingo: The New Ship of State - The USS Incompetent, Woman Honor Thyself: WHT, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe, Caffeinated Thoughts: Friday Friends 9-13-09. This is a post from a friend of mine. I hope you'll visit his site. He has some great writings. The Tygrrrr Express: Bernie Goldberg, Armstrong Williams, and more.

Cross-posted @ Talon, The Conservative Underground, Smart Girl Politics and Rosemary's Thoughts. Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg!

Dispatches From Michael Yon

Michael Yon is one of our best military correspondents, and I have several of his dispatches to share with you. During my so-called hiatus, Michael sure did pick up his pen. I'll share the e-mails with you as well. From here on, it is all Michael.

2/10/09.
Greetings,

The Afghanistan-Pakistan war increases in complexity with each passing year. Fighting will likely be more intense this year -- probably kicking off in earnest at around April or so -- than ever before. It's dangerous to try to predict the course of a war, though my guess is that 2010 will see even greater fighting than 2009. By Fall of 2010, we likely will know if our new President has gotten hold of this tiger.

Please click for the latest dispatch. How Much is Afghanistan Really Worth to Us?

The good news is that Iraq just keeps doing better and better. Truly an amazing turnaround.

2/11/09.
Greetings,

This information can save your life. (The Eagle Went over the Mountain.) The enemy already knows the tactics they are using, but likely not all NATO/ISAF forces are aware.

Any enemy that repeatedly attacks U.S. Marines deserves at least grudging respect. The Marines respect this enemy, and that's saying a lot. Too bad the Marines have to kill so many of these guys; many would probably make good police or soldiers if they were not in cahoots with the enemy.

21 February 2009.

About 10 years ago, I read a PhD. dissertation by Army psychologist Major Jeffrey Stolrow. The selection and training of special operations soldiers is difficult and expensive. Probably at no time do we have enough special operations forces in uniform, and Dr. Stolrow's study was part of an effort to more efficiently identify recruits with a high probability to complete selection courses. Ideally, 100% of those who pass screening would become special operations soldiers, but the failure rates continue to remain high. I recall Dr. Stolrow explaining over the phone that there seemed to chemical markers in the blood that could indicate higher potential for success during selection, and that these markers were related to stress and the ability to stay calm or quickly bounce back after high-stress situations.

But ultimately it would seem that selection is as much art as science. The Special Forces soldiers I have known tend to be nothing like what is portrayed in the movies. Typically, even other Special Forces, and special operations soldiers, would have difficulty picking their own brethren out of a crowd. They almost never "look the part."

Please see "Ultimate Stress Test: Special Forces Training."

2/24/09.
President Barack Obama has spoken tonight: "The United States of America Does Not Torture." According to the President, we have stopped torturing prisoners.

What do you think?

This is what I think.

3/2/09.
Greetings,

My few words on torture created an uproar. Am in the process of writing more on the topic. Those who propose that the United States should use wholesale torture are clueless about the realities we face, and in fact their words make them out to be no better than our enemies. Many people seem to believe that by using torture we prove we are tough. Some would disagree. Our enemies use torture yet we stack their bodies high.

Meanwhile, my guess is that friendly casualties in Afghanistan during 2009 will likely double what we saw during 2008. I plan to spend about six months there this year, and to go to Iraq, in order to bring back the good, the bad and the ugly, untainted by the politics that surrounds topics such as torture.

A small dispatch awaits. This one is interesting, "Tactical Success, Strategic Defeat."

3/4/09.
The reports I'm getting from Iraq are mostly good, except those reports from the North where the savages are clinging on. We are losing good soldiers up there, though Iraq in general has fallen relatively quiet. I'll try to get to Mosul and tell some soldiers' stories. With as much time as I spend in that place, I should buy an apartment.

It's going to be a long year in Afghanistan. Not looking forward to more hearing loss that's bound to occur. You can't always wear earplugs, and you never know when a rifle will start firing next to your head.

Gordon Brown is delivering an outstanding address to our Congress. If you didn't get to see it, you might want to read a transcript.

The words I've written on torture have spurred such an outcry that it seems important to pause and clarify.

Please read: TORTURE: Some Thoughts.

3/5/09.
Big media has caught on with the situation in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, now 2009, they have only caught up to 2006. This year will likely be far more brutal than we have ever seen. At the going rate, my guess is that the Coalition will begin to fall apart by about 2011. The Canadians are wobbling and getting a standing count. They'll likely be TKO by 2011. The British are hanging tough.

Godspeed to General Petraeus and our people. I will be there. On Afghanistan.

3/6/09.
Greetings,

The debate on torture is starting to simmer and is heading to a boil. The CIA is in the cross hairs and is reported to have destroyed nearly 100 videos of interrogations.

Many torture supporters apparently do not recognize the dark irony. The irony that even the perception that torture occured is coming back like a razor-sharp boomerang.

Please read and comment. Dark Times.

3/8/09.
President Obama has some words on War and Rendition.

I'll return to the United States next week and prepare my gear for a long journey back into war. The truth in Afghanistan is quickly becoming as politically muddled as we saw in Iraq. I'll do my best to keep 'em straight.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

3/9/09.
Am heading to Singapore for some research on al Qaeda, then back to he U.S. for a short trip. Writing is 95% homework and fieldwork.

Please see my latest piece in Townhall Magazine. (Victory in Iraq - Next Stop, Afghanistan.)

3/10/09.
At the current rate, we are unlikely to ever get out of Afghanistan with anything resembling success. After more than 7 years at war there, the Afghan Army is reported to have only a single battalion (far less than a thousand soldiers) who can operate independently. Incredible.

Meanwhile, Iraq is Obama's to lose. Will keeping his misinformed campaign promises result in a new Iraq war?

Please read and comment, "The Pathetic Afghan Army & Will Obama Fumble Iraq?"

--
Very Respectfully,

Michael Yon

Update: This is an e-mail Michael received from Colonel Bill Hix to set the record straight (as he sees it). Cln Hix believes the ANA and ANP are doing better than Michael and others do. Read it here as Afghan Army.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

Founders' Daily Quote: 6-11 Mar 09

Fri. March 6, 2009.
"War is not the best engine for us to resort to; nature has given us one in our commerce, which if properly managed, will be a better instrument for obliging the interested nations of Europe to treat us with justice."

--Thomas Jefferson, letter to Thomas Pickney, 29 May 1797

That was before the 'One World'ers' came along...

Mon. March 9, 2009.
"On every unauthoritative exercise of power by the legislature must the people rise in rebellion or their silence be construed into a surrender of that power to them? If so, how many rebellions should we have had already?"

--Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, Query 12, 1782

You have the guns, remember? Oh, that's right. We have them, too. See how that works? That's how we stay free. If you do not understand this simple point, just stay out of the way. You will always be a slave to whichever master comes along. Just be grateful you live in America.

Tue. March 10, 2009.
"If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the General Welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one, possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one, subject to particular exceptions."

--James Madison, letter to Edmund Pendleton, 21 January 1792

Here, here.

Wed. March 11, 2009.
"If the present Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise in a body to which the people send 150 lawyers, whose trade it is to question everything, yield nothing, & talk by the hour? That 150 lawyers should do business together ought not to be expected."

--Thomas Jefferson, autobiography, 1821

Someone quick! Tell Congress to get rid of all the lawyers! Oh happy days. Hey, I can dream, can't I? Have a nice day.

Source: PatriotPost.us - Subscribe here.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

Gotta Earn Your Votes

This e-mail which I am going to share with you discusses the difference between drawing the district lines for political purposes and drawing political lines to favor people of color. It doesn't matter whether you look at black or brown (although brown is not mentioned in this SCOTUS decision), what should matter is that each citizen is represented properly. Now THAT is something I am still waiting to see...

Supreme Court Decision Against Racial Gerrymandering Hailed

Washington, D.C. - Project 21 Chairman Mychal Massie today hailed a new U.S. Supreme Court decision prohibiting the use of the Voting Rights Act to supercede other laws to create predominantly black voting districts, saying the decision is a new protection against the abuse of civil rights laws for potential partisan gain.

"It continues to confound me that those whose party is responsible for preventing blacks from voting until 1964 now want to illegally redefine voting districts because it serves their best interest," said Massie. "It should go without saying that creating special black voting districts - for partisan gain or otherwise - is against the spirit of civil rights."

In the case of Bartlett v. Strickland, a 5-4 decision by the Court struck down the redistricting of District 18 in North Carolina. The prevailing concern among lawmakers involved in the redistricting process after the last census was adherence to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. This requires the political process to be "open equally" to minority voters. In doing so, a state law prohibiting the division of counties to create voting districts was violated to raise the percentage of blacks of voting age in the new District 18 from 35 percent to over 39 percent. One of the affected counties challenged the North Carolina General Assembly's process.

This decision is important because it can prevent the political manipulation of voting district boundaries based on race. In his majority opinion, Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote: "Section 2 does not guarantee minority voters an electoral advantage."

District 18, as previously drawn, gave Democrats a 59 percent to 41 percent electoral advantage among registered voters. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), however, criticized the decision as a "cramped reading" of the Voting Rights Act and a "serious blow" to civil rights.

"The only cramped reading is on the part of Leahy and his ilk. Even if his rhetoric is spoken without intended malice, his comments aid the nefarious work of partisans who seek to preserve ill-gotten political gains under the guise of promoting civil rights," added Project 21's Massie. "It's amazing the things that liberals can say with a straight face."

Project 21 is a black leadership network dedicated to promoting free-market ideals and the diversity of opinion among black Americans.

Project 21, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization sponsored by the National Center for Public Policy Research, has been a leading voice of the African-American community since 1992. For more information, contact David Almasi at (202) 543-4110 x11 or Project21 AT NationalCenter DOT org, or visit Project 21's website at www.project21.org/P21Index.html.

I like the idea of treating and expecting differing voices from each individual. Isn't that what keeps us individuals? If we are to be respected, if we are to insist on fairness, then we should first give respect and fairness to others. It's about time someone opened their eyes to this phenomenon.

After all, it isn't that hard. All it takes is a little common sense. But then again, this is all decided in Washington DC. What can we expect? MORE! That's what!

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ The Conservative Underground, Smart Girl Politics and Rosemary's Thoughts. Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg!

Female Marines Interact With Afghan Women

by Lance Cpl. Monty Burton
Special Purpose MAGTF

FARAH PROVINCE, Afghanistan (March 10, 2009) – Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment — the ground combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Afghanistan — now have a special group of people to help them complete their mission in Afghanistan. The task force’s all-female Marine team is interacting with the Afghan female population in southern Afghanistan — a task considered culturally unacceptable for the male Marines operating there.

A similar program has been used in combat operations in Iraq, but this is the first time Marine forces in Afghanistan have employed the concept, officials said. Marine Capt. Mike Hoffman, commanding officer of 3/8’s Company I, said the all-female team is an important asset for his Marines. “[The team] provides us access to half of the population that we normally do not have access to,” Hoffman said. “They did extremely well interacting with the female villagers.”

Marine 2nd Lt. Johanna Shaffer, the team leader, said their first mission, a cordon-and-search operation in support of Operation Pathfinder, was very successful. “We were accepted by both the men and women villagers and were able to obtain valuable information about the way they lived and what they thought about the Marine Corps operating in the area,” Shaffer said.

During the mission, the female Marines donned brightly colored head and neck scarves as a sign of cultural respect to the Afghan women. “The scarves showed the Afghan women that we were women too, and we respect their culture,” Shaffer said. “They automatically felt more comfortable with us. They showed us their homes, and even though they didn’t have much, they were still very generous to us. They accepted us as sisters, and we’re glad that we were here to help them.”

Although Afghan women tend to be more reserved than Afghan men, they still have a large influence on their children, Shaffer said, so engaging with them is important. “If the women know we are here to help them, they will likely pass that on to their children,” she said. “If the children have a positive perspective of alliance forces, they will be less likely to join insurgent groups or participate in insurgent activities.”

Hoffman said the female Marines also were accepted by the village men. “They were not opposed by the villagers,” Hoffman said. “They had no problem allowing [the team] the chance to interact with their women.”

The concept employed by her team varies greatly from the program in Iraq because of differences in Afghan culture, Shaffer said. “The cultural background here is completely different than that of Iraq,” Shaffer said. “Women here are more timid than in Iraq. There is less of a chance that an Afghan women would try to harm us, because they understand that we are here to help them."

“We also do not know much about the daily life of Afghan women,” she continued. “This provides us not only the opportunity to learn about the women, but also to build and maintain faith and trust of the Afghan women.”

FARAH PROVINCE, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Second Lt. Johanna Shaffer shares a cookie and a smile with an Afghan child while under the watchful security of Marines assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment (Reinforced), during her all-female team's first mission Feb. 9, 2009, in Farah Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The all-female team is an asset used by Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Afghanistan to engage with the female Afghan population. Shaffer, the team leader, is assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 3, the logistics combat element of SPMAGTF-A. 3/8 is the ground combat element of SPMAGTF-A. During their first mission, the team deliberately donned brightly colored head and neck scarves as a sign of cultural respect to the Afghan women. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Monty Burton).

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ TCU, SGP and Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg!

Gifted Girls Enjoy New School

by Sgt. Rodney Foliente
4th Infantry Division

CAMP ECHO, Iraq (March 9, 2009) — Some of Diwaniya’s brightest female students happily participated in their new school’s opening, Feb. 26. The Irshad Secondary School for Girls, which enrolls some of the brightest teen girls in the city, was built by the Army Corps of Engineers working with the local government, contractors and laborers.

“With my partners, the Iraqi engineers, and with diligent effort, we were able to provide for you this beautiful school,” said Lt. Col. Dwight Davies, with the Corps of Engineers. “It is a great joy and privilege to provide an opportunity for such gifted young ladies to learn and evolve and support the future of Iraq.”

The students of this school are among the top 20 percent of young female students from within and around the city.“We are happy for this school. It is very nice,” said a young student in English. She then showed off and said it in French and Arabic.

“Our old school was too small and not ours. We borrowed it, shared it with others,” she said, describing the crowded situations and sometimes being unable to have a full day of school.

The size of the school provides a better environment for teaching these girls, said Shuhad, an English-speaking teacher.“I have girls of my own,” she said, explaining why she wanted to teach young girls. Shuhad said she enjoys teaching and is happy for the new school. “I can participate in helping small girls in building their personalities and to be good people and good members of society to build the future of Iraq,” said Shuhad.

“I have three kids, so for me it’s pretty inspiring and pleasant to see [students] with so much energy and enthusiasm. I was so impressed,” said Mike Klecheski, Provincial Reconstruction Team leader for Diwaniya province.

“This country is making a lot of progress and to the extent that we can be partners in this progress is wonderful,” said Klecheski. He stressed the importance of the partnership with the Government of Iraq. “We work very closely with them,” he said. “Construction of a school like this is really a partnership, in every sense of the word.”He said efforts such as the opening of the school help[s] strengthen the bond between the two countries and develops a greater working relationship to benefit the sovereignty of Iraq.

“Not only are we dealing with Iraqis, but we’re dealing with the future generation of leaders and elites,” said Klecheski. “It was a great day and a lot of fun.” Klecheski continued. “It’s days like this that really make this a fantastic job because you really feel like you’re directly contributing. This is a culmination of a lot of work and it’s nice to be able to celebrate that. We are so happy that Iraq is making such great progress.”

Students at the Irshad Secondary School for Girls wave flags and display flowers as they sing and chant during the opening ceremony of the school, Feb. 26. The school enrolls the top 20th percentile of girls aged 13-15 from Diwaniya and surrounding areas.

Source: CENTCOM.

Pastor Assassinated During Service

Earlier this morning, during the 8 am Church service at the First Baptist Church, Pastor Fred Winters was gunned down by a stranger in Maryville, Illinois. Why? We do not know. No description of the suspect has been released, and no one has the guts to call it a hate crime.

While the attack was in full mode, some of the parishioners tackled this mental midget. For more more information, please read, "Pastor shot to death at Illinois church", written by Joel Currier, Jeremy Kohler and Nicholas J.C. Pistor from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Please send up prayers for all these people. This is horrible.

Now a few words from the Editor. Who is this assassin that he gets to have his name withheld from the public? This pastor was white. He was also a Christian. Could these two facts have anything to do with the situation? I am not saying they did. I do not know that. I'm just asking.

I am, however, tired of everyone thinking that Christians are some sort of fruitcakes that you can just gun down and get no retaliation. Have you ever heard the saying, "What goes around, comes around"? No matter if we do something about it or not (which 'not' is the usual case, because we are mostly law-abiding), GOD SAW YOU. He will make you answer for whatever you do on this earth during your life.

So what can you do to escape God's wrath? You can accept His offer of grace.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's One and Only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

John 3:16

Believe in Jesus Christ, His One and Only begotten Son, repent of your sins, turn from the life you are living and follow Jesus. Jesus has said:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

Matthew 16:24-28

There is also this:

More Than Conquerors.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified, He also glorified.

What then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all--how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is always interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as
sheep slaughtered."
Psalm 44:22

No, in all these things we were more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:28-39.

I must confess, as I was writing this there were things that came to mind. I have been dishonest with myself. I have beared false witness against me. I try to do so many things that I know I cannot actually achieve, I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders which I should place all burdens at the foot of the Cross, I do not care for myself as I should, I have let myself go, have I given up? All these things I repent to You, oh Lord. Please help me in my struggles and draw me closer to You. Help me, Lord. I need You. In Jesus' precious name I pray, AMEN.

I hope if you are reading this, you will see that no matter where you are in your life, no matter what age, no matter what religion or lack thereof, no matter what sins, you, too, can and will be forgiven by the Father, God, if you only seek His Son's forgiveness. If you need any help, please feel free to e-mail me. I will try to do my best. If I cannot help you, I shall try to find someone who can. Please do not just lose your life. You are too precious to Him. Thank you.

PS. If anyone thinks it is too harsh to speak the truth to people who do not our beloved Lord, they are the problem with religion today. People know when you are lying to them, and they really do not approve of this! I don't blame them. I can't stand it myself.

Are people who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour condemned to hell? Yes. But not by God. They are condemned by their own choice. All you pro-choicers out there, ya got that? It is all of our responsibility to try to keep others from falling off the narrow path. We will be judged for this, especially if we do nothing when we could have and should have done something. Even a prayer would help. You'd be surprised at the power of an earnest prayer!

No one is doing more harm to Christianity than Christians. Soft services. No connecting current events with the Bible. Following foolish idols. (For that matter, any idol at all.) We are so watered down that if they threw the whole lot of us in the ocean, I'm afraid we would sink. We must clean our own home first. Quickly! Thanks for reading. That has been weighing heavy on my mind and in my soul.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Today I am having an open trackback. This means you can (track)post your best post here. Remember to link me to your article before you trackback. You don't have trackbacks available? Why not use Wizbang Stand Alone Trackback? Everyone have a nice day.

Friends who've shared their posts for your reading pleasure through Linkfest:
1. Woman Honor Thyself: Israel beats Sweden 3-2 in Davis Cup.
2. Potbelly Stove: Chinese Naval Adventurism.
3. Right Voices: The ATT Rewards Referral Is A Scam..Stay Away From Att.
4. Get Back Living Mobile - How to Fix the Recession: Its a Linkfest World.
5. third world county: Grading The One.
6. Stageleft:. Life on the left side: It Died, And Should Have Stayed Dead.
7. Mark My Words: It's Only A Joke.
8. Woman Honor Thyself: Madrid Train Bombings: 5 YearS Later.
9. Walls of the City: commercial appeal compilation.
10. Nuke's: Obama vs Miss South Carolina.
11. Stageleft: Life on the left side: Civil Disobedience.
12. Walls of the City: no brass for you!
13. Woman Honor Thyself: Muslim attacks Christian Minister..World Yawns.
14. Mark My Words: Straw is easy to burn.

Cross-posted @ The Conservative Underground, Smart Girl Politics and Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg!

Conflicted Over Army ROE

Again we have the Army trying to protect their information (which is essential) running up against the silliness of blocking some websites here at home from our men and women serving in Afghanistan. The Rules of Editing have apparently blocked sites such as Blackfive and War Is Boring.

These are two excellent sites which provide much necessary information. God only knows we do not have a media covering the war. Oh, wait a minute. Yes they do...if they're bleeding or someone screams 'Torture!', then they're all over it. Back to reality...

Here is the article which has me conflicted:

Dispatches from FOBistan: The Army’s Woeful IT Policies Poison the War Effort.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, AFGHANISTAN — In January, when I first arrived here, I made an alarming discovery about the state of IT in the Army. Practically all of the blogs and other online tools I use to stay informed and connected to my colleagues (see here, for example) did not work. More accurately, they are deliberately blocked by a series of web filters, both automatically and manually constructed, in an effort to restrict inappropriate uses of the Internet from Army computers. This is a noble goal—I prefer that they block porn from office computers—but it is so unevenly implemented as to make me wonder what its real intent is.

...it also speaks to a deeper problem in how the military in general is approaching IT issues in the field: it makes absolutely no sense. Many of the blocked blogs are sources for deep, intelligent, and even essential analysis, news, and discussions. In fact, I only know they are blocked because I read them and see value in them. Moreover, when the Army’s own Command General Staff College is requiring its students to blog (how lucky they can actually read that news, as it is on SWJ), blocking other blogs, especially ones written by think tankers and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists of the very wars we are fighting, is nonsensical. The military wants to be relevant, it wants to be able to compete in the “information battlespace” (a wretched term I use only for simplicity’s sake), yet it cripples anyone’s ability to have situational awareness. It would be one thing if the Army were good at disseminating information internally, but they’re not. [Continue reading.]

I have offered my services to Joshua Foust, and you should think about offering yours as well. We must not forget about our men and women in uniform fighting for our very lives. You think you have it bad now? Wait until there is sharia law! Not on their watch. And I'm not about to let them think for one minute that we've forgotten them or that they are not loved and appreciated.

We are not the land of the free and the home of the brave because we sat on our butts...

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ Talon, The Conservative Underground, Smart Girl Politics and Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg!

Sustainers, PRT, Cavalry Troopers host Iraqis Economic Seminar

Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

www.mnc-i.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RELEASE No. 20090306-01
March 6, 2009
3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Public Affairs

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Coalition forces and members of the Balad Provincial Reconstruction Team hosted the first Iraqi banking and finance conference in the area with Iraqi business investors, future entrepreneurs and local government leaders Tuesday to discuss how investors can find businesses to invest in to develop the local economy in the Balad district.

Soldiers from 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and the 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment worked with the provincial reconstruction team to provide a safe environment for approximately 80 economic leaders, including city managers from the cities of Yathrib, Ishaki and Dubuiya, to network together to discuss future business opportunities.

Amir Abdul-Hadi, the Mayor of Balad district, said to the group there are many profitable projects in the Balad district but that investors’ money and business knowledge is needed to build the business.

“We will support you (business leaders) with the security issue,” Abdul-Hadi said. “We’re going to support you with anything you need to build your business or factories for the sake of developing this area.”

Joe Pinon, the leader of the PRT from the U.S. State Department, said he meets with Iraqi investors everyday wanting to invest in business and people with business ideas but no money. He said the best thing we can do for the Iraqis is to connect them together to work among themselves.

“The best solution is to have Iraqis meet each other and invest with each other,” Pinon said.

Maj. Rebecca B. McElwan, the commander for the 106th Finance Management Company, said Iraqi provincial leaders do not get together on a regular basis. She said conferences like this helps provinces merge and work together for a common goal to support the Iraqi banking industry.

“Bankers are leaders in their communities,” McElwan said. “They represent the banking community and the business community as well.”

Source: MNF-Iraq.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ The Conservative Underground, Smart Girl Politics and Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg!

Hey There, Everyone

I'm still here working my fingers to the bone trying to get through this whole mess of tags and moving my other blogs over to my blogger site. I have been trying to keep up with current events somewhat, but I cannot stand depressing people. Know what I mean?

Sorry about not keeping up with the posting. Please don't go away. This so-called vacation is doing well for me. It is giving me back some vitality and perspective. I can't stand copy/pasting e-mails and calling it a post.

I know I do that sometimes, but when it takes over my whole day, then it's time to stop. Either I'm allowing myself to be taken advatage of or I'm lazy. I do not like either case, and you deserve better.

I want to go back to the days when I searched for the stories that no one else is covering. Most of the articles written nowadays you can find in some form from Instapundit, Michelle Malkin, Always on Watch, Atlas Shrugs, Little Green Footballs, Gateway Pundit, Right Truth, Woman Honor Thyself, Vets for Freedom, and many more. Then there's us little people. We try to come up with something original, and we're very good at it. Unfortunately though, people can only read the same info a few times before they get bored.

That is why I try to get the news from other countries. Sometimes it's about our country, sometimes it's about issues we'll never hear about in the USA unless I report it.

So. Now that I've mumbled on about nothing, I guess I can call this a post and be proud of myself that I at least got something on the computer. Not. Just facing facts. I'm busy! ;)

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Today I am having an open trackback. This means you can (track)post your best post here. Remember to link me to your article before you trackback. You don't have trackbacks available? Why not use Wizbang Stand Alone Trackback? Everyone have a nice day.

These are some friends I've shared this post with: The Virtuous Republic: The Virtuous Republic, The Pink Flamingo: She's too sexy for the job, too sexy to be POTUS/This hurts, third world county: “Forget-Me-Not”, Conservative Cat, Right Voices: As The Unions Crumble Obama Proclaims: “We need to level the playing field for workers and the unions that represent their interests,”, The World According To Carl: Dr. James White Responds To Sean Penn’s Anti-Christian Bigotted Rant Made At The Oscars, and The World According To Carl: Dallas Cowboys Cut Terrell Owens, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

These are some posts my friends from Linkfest want to share with you:
1. Mark My Words: I hope Obama fails = treason?
2. Conservative Cat: Speaking Ellie.
3. third world county: Obama’s Plan to Balance the Budget.
4. Nuke's: WWFOT: woof-woof.
5. Mark My Words: Sarah Palin - pro-choice?
6. Adam's Blog: Can Obama Hit the Reset Button?

Cross-posted @ The Conservative Underground, Smart Girl Politics and Rosemary's News and Ideas.

Afghan Security Forces Shouldering More Responsibility

by John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (March 5, 2009) – The Afghan National Army continues to improve as it assumes more security responsibility, the U.S. commander in charge of the training effort said Wednesday. Since its inception about six years ago, the corps of Afghan soldiers has grown to an 80,000-strong force that increasingly takes the lead role in security operations, Army Maj. Gen. Richard P. Formica said.

Formica -- who commands Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, responsible for Afghan national security force growth and training -- acknowledged that progress with the army has outpaced progress with the police. “As we look out towards 2009 and into 2010, we must sustain the momentum that is with the Afghan National Army while adding focus to the Afghan National Police,” he told reporters here via video teleconference.

Appearing with Formica, who assumed command in November, was Canadian army Brig. Gen. Alan Howard, assistant commanding general for Afghan National Army development. Howard, who has helped to oversee Afghan National Army development for nearly a year, said the army has undergone an “amazing evolution,” has garnered the respect of the local populace and continues to expand its capabilities. “The Afghan army is certainly and fully participating in security operations here in Afghanistan. And in many cases, they actually lead,” he said, adding that the corps is focused on growing to 134,000 soldiers by December 2011.

In recent weeks, the Afghan army has shown its humanitarian capabilities, assisting flood victims in northern Afghanistan and acting as first responders in some cases of domestic crises, Howard said. “They're also extremely well respected by the local population,” he said. “Each time I'm out with them, I am simply amazed on the interface that they have with the locals.”

U.S. Army Col. Stephen Yackley, deputy to the commanding general for Afghan National Police development, said the national police force is focused on three areas: security operations, reform and development.

Afghan police helped to provide security recently for voter registration ahead of an election cycle slated for August. Police also work side by side with their army counterparts on routine security missions throughout the country, he said.

But the command also is focusing on tamping down corruption among the police ranks. The corruption often stems from the mishandling of police salaries, with about half being paid in cash, Yackley said. “Sometimes that pay wouldn't arrive,” he explained. “Sometimes because of literacy problems, the policemen would get less than they were supposed to. So there was potential for skimming in that area.”

The colonel said nearly 60 percent of the police force is receiving their salaries via electronic transfer, which is expected to reduce the level of corruption related to pay.

But widespread illiteracy -- with CIA estimates citing 60 percent of Afghanistan’s male population as unable to read and write -- exacerbates more than the issue of corruption. “We've got good people, hardworking people, in many cases, but literacy does hold us back in some of the development areas, and we're trying to address that as we go along,” Yackley said.

Afghan national policemen march, demonstrating the discipline they've learned over the past eight weeks, before their graduation from Shouz Regional Training Center, Herat province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Feb. 26, 2009.

Source: CENTCOM.

Founders' Daily Quote: 5 Mar 09

Thursday, March 5, 2009.
"[C]ommercial shackles are generally unjust, oppressive and impolitic. ...[I]f industry and labour are left to take their own course, they will generally be directed to those objects which are the most productive, and this in a more certain and direct manner than the wisdom of the most enlightened legislature could point out."

--James Madison, speech to Congress, 9 April 1789

You hit that nail on the head. Now what do we do about the unions that own our legislature?

Source: PatriotPost.us - Subscribe here.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

Toomey To Replace Specter?

For all of you live in Pennsylvania, we have another chance to make things right. Former Congressman Patrick Toomey has agreed to put his hat in the ring to run against Arlen Specter. This is wonderful news!

Former Congressman Pat Toomey (R, PA-15), current Club for Growth President, just announced on Bobby Gunther Walsh’s 1-On-1 Show, WAEB, 790AM, that a Primary challenge to Senator Arlen Specter is “now back on the table.”

Mr. Toomey acknowledged that “Senator Specter cast the deciding vote on the very worrisome stimulus Bill, when he could have negotiated with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama for more productive tax cuts and less wasteful spending.” Pennsylvanians need to do some soul searching about who will really represent us in the Senate.

Pat Toomey would not be the 100th Person in the Senate. He would serve Pennsylvania through principled leadership and with acute thinking. As an entrepreneur, former investment banker, business owner, Congressman, co-founder of a local Lehigh Valley bank, and national policy leader, Mr. Toomey will give instant credibility and acumen to banking and finance issues on Capitol Hill. He is a fiscal and social Conservative.

The last time Pat ran against Specter, he lost by 49.6 to 50.4. President Bush stumped for Specter, and I have never forgotten that. I stopped giving money to the RNC! I just recently started to contribute again, after they elected former Lt. Governor Michael Steele to be the Chairman. Be careful, Michael. I don't like this in-fighting against Rush. You're supposed to stand up us, not the other side. Hmm...

Anyway, let's spread the word. Here is the link to this message: TOOMEY: SENATE RUN 'BACK ON THE TABLE'. Have a nice day.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ The Conservative Underground, Smart Girl Politics and Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg!

Founders' Daily Quote: 4 Mar 09

"Harmony, liberal intercourse with all Nations, are recommended by policy, humanity and interest. But even our Commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand: neither seeking nor granting exclusive favours or preferences; consulting the natural course of things; diffusing and diversifying by gentle means the streams of Commerce, but forcing nothing; establishing with Powers so disposed; in order to give trade a stable course."

--George Washington, Farewell Address, 19 September 1796

Source: PatriotPost.us - Subscribe here.

If only someone would speak to Congress and exlain this to them...

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

Coalition, Afghans Find Goodwill At Traditional Games

U.S. Forces - Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (March 3, 2009) – As U.S. forces and their NATO counterparts here were thinking recently about ways to win the trust and cooperation of local people in their fight against radical insurgents, village elders suggested a way to come together in common interest: a sporting event.

Such was the start of the Feb. 20 “do-rah” games in the Deh Rawood district of Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province. For some, it was the chance to see a familiar game played against other villagers. For others, it was the opportunity of a lifetime to watch a sport rarely seen by foreigners. For everyone involved, it was the opportunity to bring communities together in a way only a sports tournament can.

With security greatly improved in what had been one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan, some 1,500 people participated in or came out to watch the five-hour event, hosted by coalition civil affairs soldiers in partnership with Afghan soldiers and police.

"The genesis for the idea was rooted in multiple interviews with the elders in the Deh Rawood area," a civil affairs team leader said. "All the elders indicated that they thought it would be a great idea to have an athletic competition."

Everyone joined together to make the tribal elders' idea a reality. Civil affairs coordinated the setup of the games and provided funding for prizes and refreshments. Villagers created the field and Afghan forces provided security.

The request for participants went out across the district and people were excited to take part, Deh Rawood Police Chief Omar Kahn Ankalm said.

"Four teams from different villages took part in today's tournament," Ankalm said. "The people are having a good time. They are happy to be playing."

The villages of Lundyanah, Mian-do and Lublan, as well as people from the Deh Rawood bazaar, had teams that participated in the tournament. The games provided a means for the people to demonstrate their abilities as well as provide a reason to bring a village together, Ankalm said.

"Do-rah is a sport that is unique to the area, and I thought nothing would showcase the pride and competitive nature of the people more than a do-rah tournament," the civil affairs team leader said. "At first, the game was confusing. But after the rules were explained, the games were very interesting to watch."

The game is played inside of a large ring which acts as the out-of-bounds. In the center of the ring is a second ring, where the action happens.

"There are two groups playing -- one inside the middle ring and one outside the middle ring," Saed Asman Sadad, the district chief for Deh Rawood explained. "The goal is to hit the legs of the other team. If your group is hit too many times, you lose."

There are four people on each team. The team outside the middle ring tries to tag the legs of the other team with their “fotho,” a large, Afghan body scarf, Sadad said. The other group tries to kick the fotho-wielding group below the waist when they step inside the middle ring. If they are successful, then the teams change positions. The fotho-wielding group remains in their position, regardless of how many times they score hits, until one of them gets kicked.

The game is refereed by two judges who determine if the kicks and whips count. They award points subjectively. The most aggressive team receives the most points. Judges stop the game once they feel one team has had enough.

“Enough” came after five hours when the Deh Rawood bazaar team took first place, the Mian-do team took second, and the Lundyanah team finished third. The three teams took home trophies, and the players from each of the teams took home medals.

With the successful turnout and enthusiasm, coalition and Afghan forces are considering more community events, the civil affairs team leader said. He also said the games would not have been as successful if it were not for the support of the government representatives in the district.

"A significant reason the event was so successful is because of the cooperation and enthusiasm that the district chief and [Afghan National Police] chief of police had for the event," the civil affairs team leader said. "They both addressed the crowd prior to the games. Due to their efforts and the effectiveness they have had in the area, the games went off without any problems."

Two do-rah teams battle it out during a goodwill tournament of the traditional Afghan sport in the Deh Rawood district of Oruzgan province, Afghanistan, Feb. 20. The games were hosted by coalition and Afghan forces.

Source: .

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

Engineers Establish Presence In Basra

by 1st Lt. Aaron Saari
610th Engineer Support Co.

COB ADDER, Iraq (March 3, 2009) — “Who doesn’t want to go to Basra?” Pfc. Andrew Logan, from New Richmond, Ohio, and a few other soldiers raised their hands following their platoon sergeant’s question.

It was the beginning of December 2008 and 3rd Platoon, 610th Engineer Support Company of the 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, from Fort Lewis, Wa., was preparing to move south from the relative luxury of Contingency Operating Base Adder to the drastically different living conditions in the British-controlled Basra province.

The platoon, which specializes in horizontal construction, is still working at COB Basra located at the Basra Airport more than two months after making the initial move. They have been building the infrastructure required for U.S. forces to assume control of the second largest city in Iraq following the planned British departure from the country this spring. The Soldiers of the platoon spent the weeks before Christmas preparing a living area for housing units and have spent the month of January constructing a fueling point that will support the U.S. Soldiers who will replace the British soldiers.

New construction on U.S. bases in Iraq may sound counter-intuitive considering U.S. forces are required to end operations in Iraq by the end of 2011, but sometimes it is necessary to take two steps forward and one step back. Less than a year ago, COB Basra received more than 400 indirect fire attacks per month. In the two months that the platoon has been operating in Basra, the COB has received only one indirect fire attack. Because the level of security in the area has made such an immense leap forward, the British are prepared to turn the province over to United States control in the coming months.

British and U.S. forces in Basra have been working together for months in preparation for the transition. Lt. Jacobus Van Der Merwe, a troop commander in the British Royal Engineers who recently finished constructing a Joint Security Station in the city for the U.S. military police, said, “It is great seeing our countries work hand in hand. We are preparing the US-Iraqi stations in the city while the US engineers are preparing the COB. In the end, it will be a smooth transition because we have been living and working with each other for so long.”

Though they are working upwards of ten hours per day, the soldiers of 3rd Platoon rarely have anything negative to say about living and working with the British. After a month of operating at COB Basra, Pfc. Logan has even had a change of heart. “I really like working here in Basra,” he said. “It’s a lot different from all of the U.S. bases in the country and the days are going by quickly because we are constantly busy building. I hope we stay here the rest of the deployment.”

With many projects on COB Basra still to be completed and only six months of the platoon’s fifteen month tour remaining, it would be no surprise if his wish comes true.

Pfc. William Morgan scoops dirt to fill dump trucks with the 35,000 cubic yards required for the current construction project in Basra, Iraq.

Source: CENTCOM.

Founders' Daily Quote: 2/23--3/3/09

March 3, 2009.
"I think all the world would gain by setting commerce at perfect liberty."

--Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Adams, 7 July 1785

Obama's desire is to 'remake' America into...what? A slave market? That is the ultimate opposite of a free market. He is punishing those who are successful, giving to the dredges on society (not the temporarily displaced, but the ones who know how to 'work' the system) and corrupt, removing choice from schools, cutting the Military budget, etc. He is trying to control the market, and that is why it is tanking. Not to mention the Marxist government policies.

March 2, 2009.
"The prosperity of commerce is now perceived and acknowledged by all enlightened statesmen to be the most useful as well as the most productive source of national wealth, and has accordingly become a primary object of its political cares."

--Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 12, 27 November 1787

There is a warning in those words, and we would be wise to heed it. Government, ALL TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT ON SITE.

February 27, 2009.
"Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? It is feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom. Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American. ...[T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people."

--A Pennsylvanian, The Pennsylvania Gazette, 20 February 1788

AMEN!

February 26, 2009.
"To suppose arms in the hands of citizens, to be used at individual discretion, except in private self-defense, or by partial orders of towns, counties or districts of a state, is to demolish every constitution, and lay the laws prostrate, so that liberty can be enjoyed by no man; it is a dissolution of the government. The fundamental law of the militia is, that it be created, directed and commanded by the laws, and ever for the support of the laws."

--John Adams, A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America, 1787-1788

John, there's just one thing you've forgotten to take into consideration. When it comes time for the Congress to receive their come-up'in's and a Constitutional Convention will not do, this militia shall be in the hands of the free to fight against the tyrants!

February 25, 2009.
"Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom of Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretence, raised in the United States."

--Noah Webster, An Examination of the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, 10 October 1787

Mr. Noah Webster, We wouldn't have signed the Constitution into existence without this amendment. The people, not the government, own this country. And above that, God owns all His people!

February 24, 2009.
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined."

--Patrick Henry, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, 5 June 1778

I love this guy!

February 23, 2009.
"[W]hen the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, the British Parliament was advised by an artful man, - who was governor of Pennsylvania, to disarm the people; that it was the best and most effectual way to enslave them; but that they should not do it openly, but weaken them, and let them sink gradually, by totally disusing and neglecting the militia."

--George Mason, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, 14 June 1778

He understands. They come for our arms, our means to rid this weight put around our necks by these cretons, and we shall fight back with everything it takes. Do not ever fall asleep.

Source: PatriotPost.us - Subscribe here.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.

CPAC Is Wrong

I have to come out of my hiatus (I'm still working on the 'C's in the tag section before I can start moving my posts over, arghh!). I have to let you know that you are hoodwinked by this LIBERAL RINO, Mitt Romney. I do not care if Hugh Hewitt likes him, so what? Does that make it right? NO.

There are many things wrong with this man, starting with his pro-ABORTION, pro-HOMOSEXUALITY, pro-BIG GOVERNMENT, pro-GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTH CARE, stances. Has anyone actually looked at what he did to Massachusetts? Have you investigated?

My good friend Gregg Jackson has done more investigating than anyone I know (or don't know for that matter), and he does not compromise. He does not back down. He demands answers for which Romney has never his questions.

Just so you know, Gregg used to be on the air with Kevin on station WRKO in Massachusetts. That's right. He was a constituent of Romney's. He knows first hand what it's like to live under this arrogant person. (You may now listen to Gregg at station KDAR 98.3 FM or streamline. It is on Sunday's at 8 pm PCT. It is a Christian talk show, and you may call in at 805-656-5327.)

Here are three articles written by Gregg and are on TownHall.com:

Romney Secrets The Media Are Hiding From You, November 9, 2007.
Romniacs Ignore Evidence Against Their Messiah, November 14, 2007.
Romney Hoax Fails To Fool Evangelicals That He Is a Conservative, December 11, 2007.

Please his articles. You will have your eyes opened at least. If not, you could gain some insight into some of the facts are and make your own conclusions. You know the media isn't going to educate you. I don't agree with everything he says or the way he says it, but I know he is not a liar. I cannot say same thing about Romney. As I a matter of fact, I am quite sure I can say the exact opposite and win in a court of law...truth is an absolute defense against someone trying to sue me for slander or defamation of character. Can you imagine a polititian actually trying that? Wow. What a sight that would be. Then we could do evidentuary proceedings. Yeah, try it Romney!

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ The Conservative Underground, Smart Girl Politics and Rosemary's News and Ideas. Digg!

Troops In Iraq After 2010 To Focus On Training

by Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 1, 2009 – The U.S. military will conduct “a very different mission” in Iraq after combat troops withdraw in August 2010, with troops slated to remain there through 2011 serving primarily as trainers and advisers, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Sunday on CNBC’s “Meet the Press.” Gates said the residual force in Iraq – currently estimated at 35,000 to 50,000 – will have a limited counterinsurgency mission but will focus primarily on training Iraqi security forces. Gone will be combat brigades, replaced by “advisory and assistance brigades” that Gates said will build on current successes in building Iraqi security capability.

“Iraqi forces already are standing up in a significant way,” Gates said. “They organized the security for the provincial elections last month and did a very good job.” U.S. forces supported these efforts through planning and logistics help, but the Iraqis maintained the lead.

Gates conceded that Army Gen. Raymond Odierno, commander of Multi-National Force - Iraq, and many other ground commanders would have preferred to keep more combat troops in Iraq longer. “So having a somewhat larger transition force mitigates the risk of having the combat units go out sooner,” Gates said.

The secretary called the move from a combat force to a transition force a step toward fulfilling the terms of the exit strategy established in the status or forces agreement with Iraq. “In the absence of any new agreement with the Iraqis, we have to be at zero by the end of 2011,” Gates said. “So that 50,000 or 35,000 is a way station on the way to zero.”

Any extension of the U.S. presence in Iraq is “completely hypothetical” at this point and would come only through a completely new agreement negotiated with the Obama administration at the Iraqis’ initiation, Gates said.

Obama has acknowledged that as commander in chief, he “always retains the flexibility and the authority to change or adjust a plan if he thinks it is in the national security of the United States,” Gates said.

“The fact is, I don’t think any of us believe that will be necessary. I would characterize the likelihood of significant adjustments to this plan as ‘fairly remote,’” he said. “We have a signed agreement with the Iraqis that says we have to be out of there by the end of 2011, and that is what we are all planning on.”

Gates conceded that the problems over the security situation in Mosul, Arab-Kurd tensions and the need for a law to structure Iraq’s oil industry continue to loom.

“There is no question, we have had a significant military success,” he said. “There has been real progress on the political side, but there is clearly unfinished business in that arena as well.”

Significant progress made during the past six to 12 months is expected to continue, he said, meaning that the risk faced by the residual force in Iraq after August 2010 is likely to be “substantially less” than in the past.

But Gates said it’s too soon to characterize the success of the overall mission in Iraq. That, he said, will depend on where Iraq stands when the United States ultimately leaves.

“If Iraq is basically stable, if the level of violence remains at the relatively low levels that it is now, if they have had national elections, if they are an ally of the United States, I would call that a substantial success,” Gates said.

Marine 2nd Lt. Joshua Donathan, 26th Brigade Military Transition Team, teaches a class on how to search suspects to Iraqi soldiers Feb. 25.

Source: CENTCOM.