After the Wedding of the Century yesterday, Blackfive suggested we go public with part of something that we are working on. Short version for now, but there is a chance to send one of us on embed for at least three months, and to maybe do some good things for the troops while that is being done. What we need are advertisers/sponsors who would like to have their organization thanked, linked, and possibly even their logo displayed on every post that goes up here (and maybe even at another well read site). To sweeten the pot, in addition to Sole, Prime, and Choice advertising/sponsorship opportunities, there is a way to obtain some tax advantages as well. Finally, above the embed, is the chance to sponsor some special events during that period of time. If you are interested in the possibility of being an advertiser/sponsor, drop me a line at wolf1 at laughingwolf dot goes here net and I can send full details including marketing demographics. LW

Guess the AP meant it when they said they aren't playing along with the fraud:Days after the U.S. officially ended combat operations and touted Iraq's ability to defend itself, American troops found themselves battling heavily armed militants assaulting an Iraqi military headquarters in the center of Baghdad on Sunday.Not sure what the seven "militants" hoped to achieve. They're all dead and they "made the papers" - if that was their goal they succeeded. But they wouldn't have without a White...

These guys are nuts.

BAGHDAD — Days after the U.S. officially ended combat operations and touted Iraq's ability to defend itself, American troops found themselves battling heavily armed militants assaulting an Iraqi military headquarters in the center of Baghdad on Sunday. The fighting killed 12 people and wounded dozens.(link) Don't you hate it, just hate it, when you go and declare an end to combat operations

Seems to me it is past time to re-clench the fist – this time with a big hammer in it: Iran is paying Taliban fighters $1,000 for each U.S. soldier they kill in Afghanistan, according to a report in a British newspaper. The Sunday Times described how a man it said was a "Taliban treasurer" had gone to collect $18,000 from an Iranian firm in Kabul, a reward it said was for an attack in July which killed several Afghan government troops and destroyed an American armored vehicle. […] In addition to the $1,000 bounty on U.S. troops, the unnamed man said Iran paid $6,000 for the destruction of a U.S. military vehicle. Full story here.

Stephen Hawking is a pretty smart guy, but when he starts running his computerized lips saying that God did not create the universe he chafes my cones. He has no earthly way of knowing that and he ought to stick to noodling about how things he can actually comprehend work. That got me thinking about the whole concept and so here is my view from between the believers and the unbelievers. I think the most arrogant thing a human can do is to state categorically that God either does or does not exist. The very idea that you could know with certainty that there is no Prime Mover or that you know exactly who that Prime Mover is should lead you to pause for a moment of self doubt. Recently there have been a spate of high profile atheists mouthing off about how religion is the refuge of small-minded fools who are simply trying to find meaning in their otherwise dismal lives. You would be hard-pressed to find a more annoying collection of overly-confident jackasses around. How in the Hell could anyone state with metaphysical certitude that there is no God. How can you prove that? And if you can’t prove it shouldn’t you speak with at least a caveat or two, maybe “I have seen no evidence that a God the Creator exists” that is a fair statement that pretty much encapsulates my beliefs. But to stand and ridicule believers when the only real basis for doing so is “I don’t believe your belief” well that’s horse crap. In the end they have no answer at all about where all that exists came from. A touch of humility would go a long way for these folks. Well it took less than a paragraph to dismiss the atheist argument. That said, I don’t think believers are in much stronger a position. Even if you only take the major religions, there are hundreds of millions of people who have completely irreconcilable positions as to who God really is. Muslims have Allah, Jews have the Old Testament God, Christians have Jesus- a God become man returned to God, Buddhists have, well Buddha- a man become a self aware God, and Hindus have a panoply of amazing God creatures. If any of these groups is right about who God really is then all the others are wrong. The question I have is why any of these Gods would have created so many unbelievers and the chaos and violence that has wrought. The rest at UJ.com

Imagine you come home from work one day to a notice on your front door that you have 45 days to demolish your house, or the city will do it for you.  Oh, and you’re paying for it. This is happening right now in Montgomery, Ala., and here is how it works: The city decides it doesn’t like your property for one reason or another, so it declares it a “public nuisance.”  It mails you a notice

State Department Squirms On Garand And Carbine Imports A lot of things have changed in the federal government since President Harry S. Truman put his famous "the buck stops here" sign on his desk. This week, Fox News reported that it couldn't get a straight answer from the State Department about its decision in March to disapprove the importation of more than 800,000 M1 Garand rifles and

Take note of these Chinese troops in Kashmir, with Islamabad's apparent permission, securing their route to the western sea with a new highway and -- India fears -- perhaps a railroad. China's railroad made an appearance in the Grand Strategy post. [China has] just built a hugely expensive railroad through their Xinjiang province, in part to be able to access some of those buried resources in Afghanistan. They can't afford for the region to fall into chaos such that they cannot extract resources. They also wish to compete with Pakistan, Iran and especially India for influence. Watch this development, as it is both expected and yet still quite interesting.

Above: My buddy Chuck Ziegenfuss, in People Magazine. (Page 120 of the latest issue, not available online.) A great bit of well-deserved publicity for the Soldiers' Angels Valour-IT program, too. Chuck, we learn, lives in Hawaii and is planning to redeploy later this year. He's been posting some photos from his new home over at his place for his expected company from the magazine world. (Along with an introductory message for potential guests. You can't be too careful these...

One of many idyllic beaches in Hawaii.

Seriously, we take visitors and strays.

Actually, we haven't been speaking of Afghanistan lately - a measure of the success of White House's emphasis on Iraq. But here's the full text of Secretary Gates' speech to the American Legion - one I was privileged to view in person. A quick excerpt:"...beginning a responsible transition to Afghan control next summer is so important. That being said, as the President has frequently noted, we are not turning off the lights next July. As in Iraq, our drawdown will...

That's right! You feminazis have not gotten on my last nerve. Why? Because now you're messing with Taylor Swift! Nobody messes with Taylor Swift and escapes the vile, sarcastic snarkiness of CJ!! Now, before you ask why a suave, sophisticated 30-something is trolling around a site called "Teenagerie", I'm not. I'll give the hattip right [...]

An Iraqi reality television program broadcast during Ramadan has been planting fake bombs in celebrities' cars, having an Iraqi army checkpoint find them and terrifying the celebrities into thinking that they are headed for maximum security prison. The show "Put Him in [Camp] Bucca" has drawn numerous protests but has stayed on air throughout the fasting month, broadcasting its "stings" on well-known Iraqi personalities.The unwitting celebrities are then secretly filmed, Candid-Camera-style, as they reacted with shock, disbelief and anger as...

Saw these figures reported on TV the other day...The few jobs being created in a stagnant economy do not seem to be going to veterans, as the unemployment rate for former service members rose in July to 8.4 percent overall and to 11.8 percent for Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans.The national unemployment rate for July, however, remained steady, at 9.5 percent. Most of the job losses were the result of elimination of temporary government jobs.At a glance that seems to be...

At the Daily Telegraph is a story about an investigation into some missing weapons that are feared to be in the hands of the Taliban: ...Serious questions are being asked about a cover-up by commanders in Helmand after the 59 Minimi machine guns were not reported missing for almost a year. The theft was revealed only when American forces recovered two of the guns following a battle with the Taliban. Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary, who was told about the incident this week, is said to be furious that the weapons were allowed to be taken by the insurgents and, potentially, could have been used against British troops... Read the whole report at the DT.

Memo to colleagues from AP standard's editor:To begin with, combat in Iraq is not over, and we should not uncritically repeat suggestions that it is, even if they come from senior officials. The situation on the ground in Iraq is no different today than it has been for some months. Iraqi security forces are still fighting Sunni and al-Qaida insurgents. Many Iraqis remain very concerned for their country's future despite a dramatic improvement in security, the economy and living conditions...

If you're visiting here from People Magazine, Welcome, or, as the local lingo goes, Aloha! (Which incidentally means Hello, Goodbye, I love you, and "42."  Not sure about the last part, but given that the Hawaiian alphabet only had 13 letters (AEIUOHWLKPM) you have to make the most of the words you do have, I suppose.) If you stay a while, you'll be sure to get insulted, I try to get around to

Thanks to Susan Katz Keating, our friend,Chuck Ziegenfuss, was in a story about Soldiers' Angels Project V.A.L.O.U.R. - IT in People Magazine. It's in the current issue. Here's a copy of the cover:

Tantor sends this gem: All during Ramadan the Iraqi TV show "Put Him In [Camp] Bucca" has been planting fake bombs in the cars of prominent Iraqis, busting them at bogus checkpoints, and filming the fun. To add to the comedy, the cops tell him they may have to execute him. And really, what's funnier than a car bomb? There's a video of one caper, which is funny even if you don't understand Arabic: http://hotair.com/archives/2010/09/03/fun-new-iraqi-tv-prank-show-planting-fake-bombs-in-peoples-cars-at-security-checkpoints/ Those silly Iraqis. #End Posted via email from blackfive's posterous

Matt highlighted another in an endless stream of spot on pieces from Charles Krauthammer. I read it and it made me feel good because me & Dr. K were on the same sheet of music. I know that I don't play in his league, I don't think anyone does since WFB is gone. But I felt like a happy apprentice who got confirmation of being on target with the piece I wrote while Obama was blathering. UJ: He is uninspiring and it is obvious that he considers the fight against Islamic extremists to be a distraction from his true mission, fundamentally transforming and rescuing America from its failed past. Dr. K: These wars are a distraction, unwanted interference with his true vocation -- transforming America. UJ: When Obama announced more troops for Afghanistan he also announced the date of our withdrawal and he doubled down on that gutless, feckless and failure of a policy again. Dr. K: Such an impression could only have been reinforced when, given the opportunity in his Oval Office address this week to dispel the widespread perception in Afghanistan that America is leaving, Obama doubled down on his ambivalence. UJ: Get back to bankrupting our economy Mr. President, our military will carry on without the leadership you cannot bring. Dr. K: He could not have made more clear where his priorities lie, and how much he sees foreign policy -- war policy -- as subordinate to his domestic ambitions. UJ: Obama is a politician and that is where he feels comfortable. he even felt obligated to remind us that “ending” the Iraq War was a campaign promise of his. Dr. K: Most emphatically from Iraq, where Obama has long made clear that his objective is simply ending combat operations by an arbitrary deadline -- despite the fact that a new government has not been formed and all our hard-won success hangs in the balance -- in order to address the more paramount concern: keeping a campaign promise. Up next I will compare my radio chops to Rush Limbaugh. Let the UJ abuse begin.

Probably the most important column that you'd read today is from Charles Krauthammer about President Obama's reasons for setting a hard withdrawal date for Afghanistan. ...How did Obama come to this decision? "Our Afghan policy was focused as much as anything on domestic politics," an Obama adviser told the New York Times' Peter Baker. "He would not risk losing the moderate to centrist Democrats in the middle of health insurance reform and he viewed that legislation as the make-or-break legislation for his administration." If this is true, then Obama's military leadership can only be called scandalous... Read the whole piece at the WashPo. And over at Commentary, Peter Wehner, adds more. ...Here is a paragraph from a June 23 Washington Post article on the controversy then surrounding General Stanley McChrystal: McChrystal’s apparent disdain for his civilian colleagues, and the facts on the ground in Afghanistan, have exposed the enduring fault lines in the agreement Obama forged last fall among policymakers and military commanders. In exchange for approving McChrystal’s request for more troops and treasure, Obama imposed, and the military accepted, two deadlines sought by his political aides. In December, one year after the strategy was announced, the situation would be reviewed and necessary adjustments made. In July 2011, the troops would begin to come home. [emphasis added] These are damning admissions — war policies not only being influenced by partisan considerations but in important respects being driven by them. In embracing a new counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, President Obama made the right decision. At the same time, he made a political accommodation on the withdrawal date, which we now know is undermining our efforts... Read the whole piece at Commentary. I believe that most reasonable people would agree that socialized medicine should not be the driving factor in military decisions. To be fair, this is the text of President Obama's speech on the end of combat operations in Iraq, which we should note, turned into a speech about the American economy:...Within Afghanistan, I have ordered the deployment of additional troops who–under the command of General David Petraeus –are fighting to break the Taliban’s momentum. As with the surge in Iraq, these forces will be in place for a limited time to provide space for the Afghans to build their capacity and secure their own future. But, as was the case in Iraq, we cannot do for Afghans what they must ultimately do for themselves. That’s why we are training Afghan Security Forces and supporting a political resolution to Afghanistan’s problems. And, next July, we will begin a transition to Afghan responsibility. The pace of our troop reductions will be determined by conditions on the ground, and our support for Afghanistan will endure. But make no mistake: this transition will begin – because open-ended war serves neither our interests nor the Afghan people’s. Our most urgent task is to restore our economy, and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work. To strengthen our middle class, we must give all our children the education they deserve, and all our workers the skills that they need to compete in a global economy. We must jumpstart industries that create jobs, and end our dependence on foreign oil. We must unleash the innovation that allows new products to roll off our assembly lines, and nurture the ideas that spring from our entrepreneurs. This will be difficult. But in the days to come, it must be our central mission as a people, and my central responsibility as President... Reading between the lines, there is some wiggle room there on withdrawing, but not much. So is the Presidential military leadership really 'scandalous'? Is his Afghanistan policy based upon deal making to end the war and be able to fund government expansion? Looks like Jimbo, as usual, was ahead of the crowd of columnists on this one.

Continuing a discussion begun here. Here's our combined Iraq "violence chart" from the previous entry (click the graphic for a larger version): Two points can't be denied: Enemy attacks ("security incidents"), along with deaths of Iraqi civilians and American troops, plunged rapidly throughout the summer and fall of 2007, and continued downward thereafter.Violence was ongoing in Iraq. Rather than characterize how this period of rapid decline in violence was described to the American public via the media, I'll let them...

The Marine Corps Times reported last week that: Corps’ special operators to get new rifle By Tony Lombardo The MK17 SCAR-Heavy fires 7.62mm rounds from a 20-round magazine and features inter changeable barrels measuring 13, 16 and 20 inches. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command is in line to receive 250 ambidextrous MK17s and other SCAR variants within a year, said Air Force Maj. Wes Ticer, a spokesman for U.S. Spe cial Operations Command. “Currently, there is no assault rifle in our inventory with the 7.62 round,” Ticer said. Additionally, MARSOC may soon field the MK13 grenade launcher and MK20 sniper rifle, Ticer said. The launcher features atelescoping buttstock, allowing it to be used independently or while mounted to a SCAR rifle. It fires all types of 40mm grenades with an effective point range of 100 meters, and 300 meters for an area target. Special Operational Combat Assault rifles — SCARs for short — are intended to augment or replace a handful of SOCOM weapons, including the 5.56mm M4A1 carbine, 5.56mm MK18 close-quarter carbine, 7.62mm MK11 sniper security rifle, 5.56mm MK12 special purpose rifle and the 7.62mm M14 long-range rifle. A 5.56mm SCAR, the MK16 SCAR-Light, was also cleared for full-rate production, but SOCOM has no current plans to purchase it, Ticer said. It lacks a significant “performance advantage” over the M4 to warrant the expense, Ticer said.... More here at NBC13 It's been at least 4-5 decades since the Colt AR (M16 etc) was introduced. 'Bout time.

As seen through a night-vision device, U.S. Army Sgt. Joseph P. Khamvongsa returns fire against an insurgent attack on Combat Outpost Badel, Afghanistan, Aug. 25. 2010. Khamvongsa, a forward observer, is assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Gary A. Witte

Is happening this weekend in Indy. I'll be there in style with Mrs. BlackFive representing you all. Here is TSO's post about getting married. Any suggestions on activities or things to prevent the groom from making a break for Guatemala?

Or "how I spent my summer vacation." A full re-cap of the American Legion National Convention at Burn Pit. It was a pleasure to be the Legion's guest at Milwaukee - this is a group truly plugged in to veterans' and national security issues. Stand by for more announcements on projects I've got in the works with these fine folks... But I've moved slightly southward from Wisconsin, for THE event of the weekend. Remember this story? When Caro and I...

Jonn Lilyea: "Yeah, I talked with the Discovery Channel gunman." Apparently James Lee turned up at Code Pink/Iraq Veterans Against War rallies, so Al Gore environmentalism wasn't his only passion. Video interviews at the link....

Poorer Richard's America I got his book to review and the first thing I wondered is whether the idea of Ben Franklin commenting on modern day America would work. Obviously we have problems where Ben and his alter ego Poor Richard could shed some light, but would it aggravating to read in a stilted unfamiliar voice and would it be effective over the course of a book. Well it does and it was a lot of fun to sit and consider how the experience of Ben could inform the current problems we face. When Obama was campaigning the call was for hope and change. Hope that Obama could make the world a better place and change well apparently to pretty much everything. Since his inauguration the hope has faded and the change doesn't seem to have been for the better. The rise of the Tea Party has got large numbers of Americans thinking about just what the core principles of our country are. Gadsen flags are flying, constitutions have been broken out and the role of government is surely in question. This book is not a Tea Party manifesto in any way, but many of the issues all of us are considering are considered and Poorer Richard's common sense frames many of them without a partisan feel. Poor Richard wrote as the voice of the common man, the kind of things most of us grew up hearing from parents and grandparents. I think there has been a loss of that in the most recent generations, a belief that the simple wisdom is not nuanced enough for this complicated world we live in. Well that is BS and this book is full of reminders why the smarty pantses who want to tell us all how to live might want to check themselves. We have brainiacs who think that the answer for every problem is for the masses to bow to the will of the elites who know what is best for them. Poorer Richard points out that hard work ought to be rewarded not punished. The crazy thing is that this needs to be said. He reminds that running up debts you can't pay is unwise, who knew? There have been many characters running around in powdered wigs and tri-cornered hats recently. Ben's alter ego is a welcome addition to the crowd.

Several of you have contacted me about the dogs of a soldier deployed overseas (possibly Iraq) who were dropped off at the shelter by the "friend" in who's care they were entrusted. To be honest, the story sort of smelled to more than one of us, and some digging was done. Thanks to a good Friend on the ground where this occurred, the smell is less though there are still some questions. It does appear that two dogs were dropped off at a shelter, with the story that they belonged to a soldier deployed overseas (apparently Iraq but not confirmed). They were dumped by a "friend" of the soldier who had been given custody; however, the "friend's" wife apparently was allergic so rather than do something responsible, the "friend" dumped them at the shelter. One of the things mitigating the smell was the actions of the shelter, which kept them longer than normal, did not put them down, and worked to find them a home together. The Friend on the ground is working to find out more details, and to get a unit, name, or something else so that we can let the soldier in question know what is going on. Meantime, a home has been found at a resort nearby, and the people there are taking care of them while efforts to contact the soldier are underway. They've declined help, but know that there is a network of people ready and eager to help as necessary. If you know a unit deployed from Arizona, or know of someone from Arizona deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, please share this story with them. If they contact me using the e-mail on the right, I will get them in touch with the people who have the dogs. They are being well cared for. As for me, I hope the "friend" in question isn't just some s***bird who made up a convincing tale. If the story as told is true, however, I suggest they run far and fast before the troop gets home, because I know how I would react to the complete and total douchebaggery displayed. For dumping the dogs in a kill shelter with no apparent effort to find them a home first makes one a buddyf****r extraordinare. LW UPDATE: Thanks to RNLTLucas, some things may be happening. Thanks to all the good wishes and offers to help the dogs and the soldier.

You may have heard that combat in Iraq ended this month. You may even believe it. If so, the following could explain why. Here's a graph from an earlier post, with a couple of additions. This depicts American combat deaths in Iraq from late 2006 to now, as recorded and reported by icasualties.org. For a full explanation of what you're seeing, click here. The vertical dashed line is at January, 2009 - when Barack Obama became President of the...

The following op-ed, which first appeared at Military.com was sent to me by Rep. John Boehner's office in response to President Obama's speech last night. I present it to you now in its entirety: Last night in his Oval Office address to the nation, our Commander-in-Chief said it's time to "turn the page" on our [...]

*poof* Good evening. Tonight, I’d like to talk to you about the end of our combat mission in Iraq, the ongoing security challenges we face, and the need to rebuild our nation here at home. I know this historic moment comes at a time of great uncertainty for many Americans. We have now been through [...]

Here is the transcript of President Obama's speech to the troops at Fort Bliss today. Notice that the word "success" is nowhere to be found and the word "victory" is only something he says he won't use. THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. (Applause.) Everybody have a seat. Well, listen, I am extraordinarily honored to be with [...]

A break from convention coverage because one of my favorite milbloggers needs your help....

The moment some folks have been waiting for... I'll add comments to the post below as the speech progresses......

Here's the full text of House Minority Leader John Boehner's speech today, as released. Apparently this one's getting some attention around the blogosphere. I'll be live blogging it from here on the convention floor, so my thoughts will be added (in italics) as he delivers... Item one: there was a brief intermission to allow the setup of the teleprompter for Congressman Boehner. He's the first to use one here... Washington (Aug 31) House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) Remarks to...

The American Legion's Patriot Award was just presented to Duane Jackson and Lance Orton, the two Legion members who foiled the Times Square bomber earlier this year. Their actions prevented a catastrophe, and while that foiled attack was big news for a while, there's a bit of irony in that the event is one already fading from our national memory thanks to the actions of two alert heroes....

Live video feed here The degree of interest and response to this speech is slightly greater than that for Secretary Gates. Not surprising in the largest veterans' group in America. "There will always be unfinished work" - the opening line. VA's budget increase over the past year is the largest in 30 years, and will increase next year, too. "Eliminate veterans homelessness by 2015." This is VA's key goal for the next few years. "No longer need to document a...

A Soldier's Perspective proudly announcing the launching of a new interactive forum where readers of this blog can discuss whatever comes to their minds. This forum is a great place to upload images and names of Nigerian scammers, discuss stories that may not have been covered on ASP, tell everyone what a moron you think [...]

President Obama tomorrow will address the nation and announce the end of the American combat mission in Iraq. Prior to making the announcement, the White House has announced that the Commander in Chief will visit Fort Bliss, TX to honor the service and sacrifice of the more than 1 million Americans who have served in [...]

In 2000, I made a conscious decision to change my field of specialty within the Army. The catalyst for that decision was the murder of 17 Sailors on the USS Cole in the Port of Aden. In 1998, hundreds of people were killed in the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. Two years prior to [...]