Category Archives: The War

It’s not the economy, stupid

Posted on July 7, 2007 | Comments Off on It’s not the economy, stupid

This seems absolutely right to me. Terrorism is the No. 1 political issue, whatever people tell the polls, and no amount of babble about health care and global warming is going to change it. It’s why I don’t think Hillarity or Obama have a snowball’s chance in Texas in July. So far only Rudy and Fred consistently talk the talk. If the Dems have anyone, he/she isn’t in sight.

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Posted in The War

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Teflon Don’s leave

Posted on July 6, 2007 | Comments Off on Teflon Don’s leave

"It’s dusty, around 115-120 degrees, and generally not as nice as Idaho, Oregon, and Alaska. Now, of course, I’m back in Iraq, where we have all of that and bullets, too."

But he had fun on home leave in the aforementioned places, cooking, attending a wedding and doing a little target shooting. Pix and words here. 

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Posted in Iraq, The War, Troops

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Austin advises Iraq

Posted on July 5, 2007 | Comments Off on Austin advises Iraq

“’They (the Iraqis) have their own system and we are working within that system with Austin leveraging their experience and processes. There are things inherent in government concepts that just work,’ he said, explaining that there are models in place within the realm of civics that are essential to the running of any government."

I’m not sure I’d call Austin’s a city government that works, much less a model, considering its perpetual problems: the police periodically shooting minorities to death, the uneven, pot-holed roads that never seem to be repaired, the two months it took us to get a replacement garbage can, despite repeated pleas, and the interminable council meetings due to all the protests of this or that. Doesn’t Iraq have enough problems already?

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Posted in Iraq, Texana, The War

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Happy 231st, America

Posted on July 4, 2007 | Comments Off on Happy 231st, America

On this wet and dreary Fourth of July, we couldn’t get up the energy to attend the annual neighborhood parade led by Mr. Boy’s cub scout pack. So he missed seeing his chums and we missed seeing their parents. But there’s still plenty of time for fried chicken, potato salad, apple pie and iced tea, on this, the country’s 231st birthday. It’s too wet for fireworks, even for the sparklers we planned, so we’ll watch them on television. An old Army friend recently wrote that he thought the country and the Army were in peril, in this age of Islamic terrorism. Perhaps. But I have always thought that the nation was too tough, too resilient to be imperiled for long, and I believe that the Long War will be no exception. If you’re an American, I know you will understand my sentiment. If you’re not, as seablogger Alan Sullivan says, you have my condolences.

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Posted in Scribbles, The War

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SSG Jimy Malone, R.I.P.

Posted on July 3, 2007 | Comments Off on SSG Jimy Malone, R.I.P.

Staff Sergeant Malone, of Wills Point, Texas, a small town east of Dallas, "was G.I. from a very young age. His grandmother, Monah Malone, said he talked about joining the military after watching ‘Top Gun’ as a boy. He picked a specific branch – the army – in seventh grade and followed through on his dream after finishing high school."

Almost the whole town, a place known for its wild roses, turned out for his memorial service.

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Posted in Iraq, Obituaries, The War, Troops

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Those would-be bombers

Posted on July 2, 2007 | Comments Off on Those would-be bombers

Walid Phares, on the Counterterrorism blog, has a few questions about the thwarted London and Glasgow bombings. Well, twelve, but they’re interesting. Like the noted Saudi neurologist said to be the Brit’s chief suspect. He looks as cold and calculating as Atta did. As Instapundit says, obviously, the doctor wasn’t driven by poverty and hopelessness.

Via Pajamas Media

UPDATE  "Why if one didn’t know better one would think Britain under attack by a transnational organization led by the cream of the dissident intelligensia of the Islamic world." —Wretchard.

For "the cream," they certainly are inept, considering that none of the attacks succeeded. 

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Posted in The War

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Winning hearts and minds

Posted on June 29, 2007 | Comments Off on Winning hearts and minds

This is one of the most balanced reports I’ve seen from the BBC, and it’s a reasonable take on the continuing problems of the Afghanistan campaign.

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Posted in Afghanistan, The War

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