BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi authorities reported the arrests Wednesday of two guards and an official who supervised Saddam Hussein's hanging and said the guard force was infiltrated by outsiders who taunted the former leader and shot the video showing his body dangling at the end of a rope.

The unauthorized video, which ignited protests by Saddam's fellow Sunni Arabs in various Iraqi cities, threatens to turn the ousted dictator into a martyr. Saddam was shown never bowing his head as he faced death, and asking the hecklers if they were acting in a manly way.
The Bush administration sent conflicting signals Wednesday about the taunting and baiting that accompanied the execution, with the White House declining to join criticism of the procedure and the State Department and U.S. military publicly raising questions about it.

The investigation will continue

The investigation will be conducted by a committee of the interior ministry, Sami al-Askari, an advisor to al-Maliki, told the Associated Press

The video, believed to be filmed on a witness's cellphone during Saturday's execution, was circulated widely on the internet and was broadcast by Al-Jazeera television.

On it, witnesses can be heard shouting insults at Saddam moments before the gallows trap door opens and the deposed Iraqi leader plummets to his death.

Many witnesses chant slogans from radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a major backer of al-Maliki.

Saddam is heard shouting angry retorts at those insulting him.

The video, though grainy, is graphic. Saddam can be seen swinging by his neck, his eyes open and his neck twisted to the right.

Full Saddam Execution Video
podcast

play/download

To Much Bandwidth Crashed the first link 5 am this morning I rehosted saddam video as long as it lasts anwarweb.net link was dead this a.m.

http://content.mojoflix.com/1/13481/video_13481_13481.wmv

http://www.anwarweb.net/saddamdown.wmv

Saddam's Last Moments

Play Podcast Clip

Clutching a Quran and refusing a hood, Saddam Hussein went to the gallows before sunrise Saturday, executed by vengeful countrymen after a quarter-century of remorseless brutality that killed countless thousands and led Iraq into disastrous wars against the United States and Iran. Full Story

The fog of the “new cold war”

From Economist.com

And guess who's winning, so far

LIKE analogies involving the second world war, the “new cold war” is not a phrase to use lightly.

Or maybe at all. Russia is not now seeking military domination of Europe. It is not a one-party state. Nor does it claim to be the embodiment of an ideological success story. The once-towering edifice of Marxist-Leninist ideology is as ruined as social credit or syndicalism. An exposition of “sovereign democracy”, as the Kremlin now grandly calls its scheme of things, would barely fill a postcard, let alone a textbook.

To compare all this to the Soviet Union of Leonid Brezhnev's era may look not only insulting, but absurd. The West’s differences with Russia seem mere nuances when set against the gulf between the modern world and the suicide bomber.

But to argue only that the old cold war is dead and gone is to risk missing the point. Whatever we end up calling it, a new period of deep-seated rivalry is approaching—and perhaps has already begun. As in the mid-to-late 1940s, such things take a bit of time to sink in.

Point one: Russia is different. Whether you think of it as Gazpromistan, or as Kremlin Inc, the Russian state now is as inelegant a creature as ever it was in communist times. It is an authoritarian bureaucratic-capitalist arrangement in which a squabbling elite, drawn largely from the security services, extracts enormous rents from raw materials, steals some, and uses the rest to vie for power, spouting nationalist and sometimes xenophobic rhetoric to maintain popularity.

In short, it turns wealth into power, and then power back into wealth. At home—and abroad.

Point two: Russia is a threat. The Soviet cocktail of communism and imperialism was a hard sell. Especially towards the end, it meant poverty and dictatorship, plus foreign domination. Russia’s main weapons now are more subtle and potent: cheap gas, and money for the right people. The orgy of greed and moral myopia in Moscow in the past 15 years has shown that lawyers, accountants and bankers are willing to forget professional ethics for huge fees.... rest of article

Saddam and His Half Brother Were Sent to the Gallows Tonight

podcast 10

podcast 11

Free Real Player

Saddam and His Half Brother Were Sent to the Gallows Tonight

Ever Since Aug 3rd 1990 when SPC Allen ran out of the Sat Com and said the 82nd was Deploying to Saudi and we spent the rest night on duty talking about Nostradamus and the beginning of WW III. With that started a long 14 months or so for me and my buddies at the 21st USAFAD in Corlu,Turkey.

Before then I had never even heard of Saddam and knew little of his country. Well needless to say that changed quickly and here we are 16 years and 4 months later he is finally gone. About damn time and good riddance to old Saddam.

What his death does in the grand scheme of these things today is so minimal. We are and will still be in Iraq for some time to come and the reality is no matter what we do from here on out Iraqis will have to determine Iraq's fate what more could we or should we do is debatable. Sooner rather than later we will have to face the fact that they are headed for civil war and misery. We can delay, prolong and other wise slow its pace but it is coming whether it starts tomorrow or 10 years from now. They will descend further into a abyss and it won't be pretty. Iraq might even become more vile and broken for a while but there will be a fight and hey you know what maybe after they have wiped enough of each other out and determined the victorious faction another Iron fisted totalitarian regime will cobble together what is left and will rule with brutal fear and torture and there will be something resembling peace. Iraq is doomed to repeat this cycle over again and there is no social engineering that can change that the sooner we realize it the better. Lets beef up the Troops go on a terrorist killing rampage and withdraw and leave the Iraqi People to their destiny whatever that might be, but I think we now know what it will most probably be. Let’s save Freedom and Democracy for people who want it.

Tal Afar Aerial Attacks

Check out this footage of US aerial attacks over the city of Tal Afar, Iraq.
wmv, 7.59 MB

Submitted By: Anonymous

download or watch

Podcast 8

Podcast 8

Fight against terrorism similar to

anti-communist Cold War

As Rummy leaves he once again compares the GWOT to the Cold War

By Cal Thomas

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld leaves office on Friday after six turbulent years of rebuilding the military for a post-Cold War era, while simultaneously overseeing service members he calls, ``the best-led, the best-equipped, the best-trained, the most capable -- in the world.'' As we met in his office on the 65th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was reflective about the past and worried about the future.

Rumsfeld regrets using the phrase ``the war on terror'': ``I say that because the word `war' conjures up World War II more than it does the Cold War. It creates a level of expectation of victory and an ending within 30 or 60 minutes (like) a soap opera. It isn't going to happen that way.''

It's not a war on terror, he adds, because ``terror is a weapon of choice for extremists who are trying to destabilize regimes and (through) a small group of clerics, impose their dark vision on all the people they can control.''

Rumsfeld believes much of the public still does not understand the intensity of the struggle. He says he hasn't read the entire Iraq Study Group Report, just the summary and news accounts, but has this take on the conflict: ``I personally believe that the consequences of allowing the situation in Iraq to be turned over to terrorists would be so severe -- because Iraq would become a haven to plan attacks on the moderate countries in the region and the United States. (It would) diminish the ability of the United States to provide protection for the American people.''

Many commentators have tried to compare this war with World War II or Vietnam. Rumsfeld, however, prefers the Cold War comparison because, like the Cold War, ``which lasted 50 years, you couldn't say (in the middle of it) whether you were winning or losing. There aren't straight and smooth paths. There are bumpy roads. It's difficult. The enemy has a brain. They're constantly making adjustments.''

About opposition, Rumsfeld recalled a time ``when Euro-communism was in vogue and people were demonstrating by the millions against the United States, not against the Soviet Union. And yet, over time, people found the will -- both political parties and Western European countries -- to persist in a way that ultimately led to victory.''

Rumsfeld's implication is clear: The same leftists who opposed U.S. strategy in standing against communism now stand in opposition to America's position against Islamo-fascism. If they were wrong about communism, might they also be wrong about today's enemy?.........Rest of article

Cold War Vets Blog Podcast Burst

My Odeo Channel (odeo/a39c8658cfa552e4)

Podcast 6 Sandstorm-In-Iraq
Podcast 7 GWOT

Sign The Cold War Medal Petition Here

View Current Signatures - Sign the Petition

To: Secretary of Defense

WHEREAS: In 1998, the United States Government recognized the contribution of United States military service members' sacrifices during the Cold War with a bland and impersonal recognition certificate that had to be requested from the Department of Defense; and

WHEREAS: No Campaign Medal exists to recognize the dedicated participation of these service members who "Stood Watch" in the cause of promoting world Peace and stability, and who also participated in hundreds of military exercises and operations that occurred between the start of the Cold War on 02 September 1945 and the end of the Cold War on 26 December 1991; and

WHEREAS: Millions of Cold War Veterans prevented communist world domination and nuclear war, and it is fitting that these service members who served Honorably during this era receive proper governmental recognition for their efforts in the form of the timely award of the Cold War Service Medal; and

WHEREAS: During this period, thousands of these service members were killed, wounded, and became missing in Cold War overseas operations, which were separate and distinct from other recognized wars such as the Korean War and the Vietnam War; and

WHEREAS: The United States Government has not properly recognized the dedicated service of these Veterans who sacrificed so much, with many of their actions and activities shrouded in secrecy to this day, more than a decade removed, so that they receive and maintain no identity as Cold War era Veterans; and

WHEREAS: The award of the Cold War Service Medal to these Veterans by the United States Congress, via the Secretary of Defense, is supported by the Cold War Veterans Association, and supported via resolution by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, the Air Force Sergeants Association, the Naval Reserve Association, the State Guard Association of the United States, and other Veterans organizations; and

WHEREAS: Advocates For Cold War Veterans' Honor, feels that concerned People who support the award of the Cold War Service Medal to these service members, that they begin to heal the wounds of Cold War Veterans, their families and friends affected by that, and that they bring Honor back unto their loved ones, themselves and their country: now therefore

BE IT RESOLVED: That the undersigned, joining with Advocates For Cold War Veterans' Honor, do support authorization of the award of the Cold War Service Medal to these service members by the Secretary of Defense as directed by Congress and Senate; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That per the Fiscal Year 2002 National Defense Authorization Act, also known as the United States Senate Bill S. 1438 (Enrolled), Section 556, Paragraph (2), this law states: "It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should consider authorizing -- the issuance of a campaign medal, to be known as the Cold War service Medal, to each person who, while a member of the Armed Forces, served satisfactorily on active duty during the Cold War;" and

BE IT PETITIONED: To the Secretary of Defense, that the names and tally of the undersigned be taken into consideration in the evaluation-reevaluation process, allowing authorization for award of the Cold War Service Medal to these deserving Veterans and service members, and that this is initiated on this date 01 September 2002 by Advocates For Cold War Veterans' Hono

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

BE IT PETITIONED: To the Secretary of Defense, that the names and tally of the undersigned be taken into consideration in the evaluation-reevaluation process, allowing authorization for award of the Cold War Service Medal to these deserving Veterans and service members, and that this is initiated on this date 01 September 2002 by Advocates For Cold War Veterans' Hono

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Scary Revisionist

Anti-American Trash

Europe and the Cold War (Audio)

A discussion of Takahiko Tanaka's article International Relations in the Formation of Cold War Structure. (Click on the Discussion papers link on the left to read the article). Takahiko discusses the paper with Darius Zifonun and Jonathan Lewis. Recorded 31 May 2005. Language: English
from Centre for New European Research.

Revisionist Anti-American Trash

European revisionist history portraying Europe as poor subjugated victim by the two pronged Super Powers quest for global domination. (as if US and USSR were conspiring to rule or co-rule world together). Tanaka argues the disintegration of patriarchal society and rejection of Capitalism basically ended Cold War not the hundreds of thousands of young men and women who spent years of there lives on the line protecting them and their right to live in a nice little socialist cocoon.

Western Europe's (gallant lol) resistance and the end of patriarchal society helped end this evil global governance by USA and USSR and was a large factor in end of Cold War. Tanaka claims when fathers lost control of the family it made this kind of global governance more difficult and ultimately made the Super Powers two pronged global domination impossible as it existed structurally during the cold war.

In other words the intellectuals believe and are teaching Western European government's resistance to US policy and the breakdown of the traditional family structure there helped end the Cold War and free Western Europe from global co-rule by US and USSR. Single moms and Western Europe's resistance of US agenda freed them from Capitalism and Communism. This is what young Europeans are learning in their Universities what revisionist garbage.

Tanaka's assertion that the US and USSR co-operated to stabilize and govern the globe and were ruling the world with this fictional world wide confrontation is so far from reality it is scary.

We need to wake up in this country to the ultra European liberal socialism and what it is indoctrinating the youth with over there and you wonder why we are hated so much in Europe? This is why, it is not quite the madrassas but it is just as damaging to us in the long run.

We need to wage a campaign against these kinds of anti-American lies here and abroad. I am no right wing nut I am a Democrat, but this garbage comes from these uber socialist ideals in Western Europe and it must be dealt with. I would rather spend money fighting this kind of propaganda than I am worried about old Osama in a cave in tribal territories in Pakistan. If we keep ignoring it we will become more and more isolated in the world.

Hear it for yourself:

My Odeo Channel (odeo/a39c8658cfa552e4)
Episode 5

Listen






...................................................................................................


Missing Soldier Classified as Captured

Missing Soldier Classified as Captured An American Soldier missing in Iraq since late October probably was captured by the enemy, the Pentagon said, making official what the U.S. military there has suggested for more than a month. ...More

US Air Force loses out in Iraq war

Aging planes, budget shortages, and ground casualties are a sharp reversal from the success of air power in Kosovo.

By Richard Whittle | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON – Fresh from its successes in Kosovo in 1999 and its initial Afghanistan campaign in 2002, the US Air Force was riding high on the notion that air power could transform warfare. But the war in Iraq has changed that.

Now the service's planes are wearing out. It is so short of cash that it plans hefty cuts in personnel. And its combat mission has changed so that, for perhaps the first time in Air Force history, hostile fire has killed more of its ground personnel than its pilots and airmen.

AGING FIGHTERS: With F-16s like these at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, the Air Force now has a fleet that's 25 years old, on average.

Fighting nonstop since 1990

By his reckoning, the Air Force has been in combat since 1990, when its surveillance planes and fighter-bombers first started patrolling over Iraq in the wake of Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. After the 1991 Gulf War, Air Force pilots policed "no-fly" zones over Iraq for 12 years, along with Navy and British fliers.

Air Force fighter jets, bombers, and aerial refueling tankers played key roles in both the 1999 NATO air war to force Serbian troops out of Kosovo and in the 2002 campaign to oust the Taliban from power in Afghanistan. And the service's planes have seen action every day in Iraq and Afghanistan since the wars there began.

But if the past three years have made the Air Force stronger, it's in "much the same way that a death by cuts makes you stronger," says Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace industry analyst with the Teal Group, a Fairfax, Va., consulting firm.

For example: The average age of Air Force planes is now a quarter-century, and wear and tear from the wars are forcing the service to place limits on how some are flown.

General Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne announced earlier this year that the service's new top priority is buying aerial refueling tankers to replace a fleet that includes aircraft nearly half a century old.

To free up more money for aircraft, the Air Force plans to cut roughly 40,000 people, reducing its force to 315,000 by fiscal year 2009. "The Air Force is sitting on the oldest aircraft we've ever had," Moseley says. "There's no way out of that but to seek efficiencies in the personnel account." rest of article..........

By Aida Akl Washington, D.C. 14 December 2006

Is the Post-Cold War World Safer?

Aida Akl's Focus Report (MP3 2.84 MB)
Aida Akl's Focus Report (RA 905 KB)
Listen to Aida Akl's Focus Report (RA 905 KB)

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked the beginning of the end to the Cold War, which, by most accounts, made the world safer. But some analysts say lingering Cold War legacies and new threats make today's world just as dangerous.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union brought the world to the brink of war. When the Soviets installed nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962, the United States responded with a naval blockade. And most experts say the standoff could have resulted in a nuclear showdown.

The 12-day Cuban Missile Crisis ended with the dismantling of the missiles and the recognition that neither power was willing to risk a nuclear disaster.

William Keller, Director of the Mathew B. Ridgeway Center for International Security Studies at the University of Pittsburgh remembers that time. "When I grew up, we used to have our bomb shelters in our neighborhoods and had to be prepared - a whole generation, in fact, maybe two generations - for a war of all-against-all with a very unsafe environment," he says. "At one point [by the 1980s], we [i.e., the United States and the Soviet Union] had over 60,000 nuclear weapons at the ready. So the nuclear threat is greatly reduced. It has been replaced by smaller and, indeed, I think more manageable threats."

Nuclear Threat

Uranium conversion facility near Isfahan, Iran

Some people, Keller says, envision terrorists armed with nuclear weapons to be the greatest potential threat today. And some analysts worry that terrorists might succeed in stealing or smuggling nuclear material from unsecured sites across the globe. But others dismiss the notion, saying it is unlikely that terrorists would be able to acquire atomic bombs, let alone develop the capacity to deliver them in the near future.

But Gordon Clark of the Maryland-based advocacy group, Peace Action, argues that the spread of nuclear weapons technology to states like North Korea and possibly Iran, and the changing nature of conflict, make for a more dangerous world...........complete article

3rd Inf. Div.








Watch this slideshow tribute to the 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq.
wmv, 5.62 MB

Submitted By: Anonymous

A Letter From Jim Rhodes to Nike Vets

SOURCE: Ed Thelen's Nike Missile Web Site

Thanks to:
Hector Ed Autry
Cold War Veteran
CWVA Heartland Region

Hi Ed, my names is Jim Rhodes, a Nike Ajax Vet and a member of
the Cold War Veterans Association.

Ed for sometime now the CWVA has been very involved in getting congress
to consider and approve the Cold War Victory Medal for all vets of the
Cold War who's service was honorable.

Presently the US House of Representatives is legislating the
Nation Defense Authorization Act for FY 2006, known as H.R. 1815.
The Cold War Victory Medal is found in Sec's 565 & 1134 of the Act.
The Cold War Period ran from 1945 to 1991, which would include most
Nike Veterans of the regular army and I believe the ANG
who served active duty in ARADCOM 180 days or more
(not quite sure on this point).

With your assistance and approval, we need help in getting the
"word out" to as many Nike Vets as possible on this legislation.

I understand it did pass the first round in the house
and will now go to the US Senate and US House Conferees
for further consideration, therefore, as of today there exists
an approximate 30 to 45 day window to get the word out on this.

As an example I have sent letters to my 6 US Representatives
and 2 US Senators asking for their favorable consideration in
voting for this legislation.

All Nike Vets who served during the Cold War Period, might want to consider
mailing their respective US Reps and US Senators of the state
in which they reside to support the this legislation.

Naturally, no one can determine the final outcome,
given budgetary processes involved,
but if we want the Cold War Victory Medal,
we have to do what it takes to move it forward.

Nike Veterans served in a very strategic component of our nations defenses
and deterrent during those years.

For me, I say they deserve this medal for what they did.

Thank you,

Jim Rhodes, Nike Veteran

Submitted By Julie http://www.myspace.com/ptsdadvocate

TAKE A MINUTE, HONOR A HERO, SAVE A LIFE This coming Friday, Dec. 22 will be the ONE YEAR anniversary of SPC Joshua Omvig's passing due to Military Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PLEASE take a MINUTE, light a candle (on the right of his website, below) as a beacon for ALL THOSE HEROES with PTSD, so they might find this site which contains the answers and help they may need. ALSO, pass this site link ON to EVERYone you know (I know, spamming, but this type of spamming saves lives), as it was by doing so that THIS site has SAVED LIVES! Let's see how many LIVES WE CAN SAVE by Dec. 22. 2006 Visit OFTEN! Click on this link to get to Josh's website: http://www.joshua-omvig.memory-of.com/ current hits 35, 864 at 6am CST Dec.16, 2006 Josh's Aunt Goaling to Make a Difference, Julie Fight for Our Vets, They Fought for YOU! http://joshua-omvig.memory-of.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/PTSD_Military/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SLOOMS/

When it comes to the Middle East bloggers and many in mainstream media write such ignorant garbage regurgitating there own political views and call it news and commentary. Please, most of these bloviators never have been there other than "embedded" in the green zone or chasing a news story for a week or two. They fundamentally know little or nothing about the cultural nuances of the region. They make the mistake of imposing their western belief system in a place it does not apply . The US effort in Iraq typifies this narrow thinking and is the primary reason efforts there have been a disaster in my opinion as far as results and by results I mean some semblance of a govt in Iraq. Never mind a democracy how arrogant for us to think we could reverse centuries of division and hate by installing a democracy lol what a joke.

Read this power point on how to win in Anbar: this Power Point presentation.

Click Play Twice 2nd time after 30 sec ad

Army Capt. Travis Patriquin was killed on Dec 6th He wrote this Power Point presentation so even a 4th ID General could understand it. The Presentation is on how to win in Anbar Province from it is a must-see.

If more men like Travis were running policy in Iraq this insurgency wouldnt be where it is today . How many more Men like Travis can we afford to loose before we get it right over there. He was truly one of our best and brightest.

More about Travis

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2006/12/great_in_the_wo.html
http://www.fumento.com/weblog/archives/2006/12/maj_megan_mcclu.html
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/165518,CST-NWS-soldier08.article
http://www.defenselink.mil/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=10275
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/bolingbrooksun/news/169975,6_1_NA15_SOLDIER_S1.article

New Pin-up

Sent to us by Steph In Ridgecrest, California

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Test

F-35 JSF Lightning II

Watch the X-35B (experimental Marine version of the F-35) as it became the world's first plane to have a short take-off, fly super sonic, and then vertically land - all in one flight!
wmv, 7.7 MB

JSF Lands Early on First Flight

Associated Press | December 15, 2006

FORT WORTH, Texas - The new stealth fighter jet that will replace an aging fleet of military planes took off for the first time Friday but landed about 30 minutes into a planned hourlong flight.

Lockheed Martin Corp. officials did not immediately comment on why the Joint Strike Fighter, also known as the F-35, landed early. The company planned an afternoon news conference to discuss the flight. The jet was escorted by three jets that provided safety and took pictures.

Earlier this week, Britain signed an agreement committing to the next development and production phase of the new Joint Strike Fighter, resolving a dispute between the Pentagon and its biggest overseas partner over sharing technology for the advanced fighter jet.

Along with Britain, the Netherlands and Canada have signed agreements, and Australian officials were in Washington on Tuesday to sign their own deal.

Turkey, Italy, Norway and Denmark have until the end of the year to sign.

Runway tests for the F-35 that began last week were completed earlier this week. Officials had been waiting for good weather for the maiden flight, which almost did not happen Friday because of fog and windy conditions.

The takeoff was witnessed by hundreds at the Lockheed Martin facility where the planes are being built in what could be the largest defense contract ever, $275 billion (?210 billion) over the next two decades. The Pentagon plans to make roughly 2,400 planes.

The U.S. military will use the F-35 to replace aging planes used by the Marines, Air Force and Navy, including jets like the F-16, the F-18, and the Harrier jet.

Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed and its subcontractors are making three different versions that will be used by the different branches. The Marine version will be able to make vertical takeoffs.

Immigrants in the Military - Five years after 9/11

Immigration Policy Center

918 F Street, NW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20004

ESSENTIAL TO THE FIGHT:
Immigrants in the Military,
Five Years After 9/11
by Margaret D. Stock

PDF Download

Excerpt

Changes in Enlistment Statutes

In January 2006, Congress substantially changed the
military enlistment statutes, repealing the separate statutes
that had previously governed enlistment in each of the services
and replacing them with a single statute. This new statute gave
the Secretaries of the separate services authority to waive the
requirement that a person seeking to enlist have U.S.
citizenship or LPR status if they determine “that such enlistment is
vital to the national interest.”22 The new statute also deleted
the former statutory distinction between “time of peace” and
“time of war.”23 Although a senior Pentagon official has testified
before Congress that he is aware of this new authority,24
the military services to date have made no public effort to
enlist immigrants who are not LPRs or naturalized citizens.

New Visas for Translators

Recognizing that immigrants could provide special assistance to
the armed forces as translators, Congress in 2006 also
passed a law providing for up to 50 immigrant visas per year for
translators serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.25 Given the great
need for Arabic, Pashto, Dari, and other translators, it is not
clear why Congress chose this low number. The Pentagon did,
however, provide additional avenues for qualified translators to
serve in the military. The Army in particular devised a special
“9L” translator aide program for enlisted soldiers26 and sought
recruits through Arabic language advertising during World
Cup soccer matches.27 Recruits like Kuwaiti-born Corporal
Yousef A. Badou, a Marine who has served three tours of duty
in Iraq and who speaks Arabic fluently, are said to be “force
multipliers” for the armed forces in that they strengthen the
military far more than their numbers alone would suggest.28

AGENCY ACTIONS TO ENHANCE
MILITARY IMMIGRATION BENEFITS

In response to these changes in the law, U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency in the
Department of Homeland Security charged with processing
the immigration-related petitions of military members,
held its first overseas military naturalization ceremonies in
2004.29 More than 1,000 immigrant members of the military
became citizens in overseas ceremonies in FY 2005.30
USCIS also announced that it had reduced the processing
time for military naturalization applications substantially by
instituting a special procedure that allowed military members
to consent to the use of their enlistment fingerprints for
immigration purposes.31 Many military members, however,
have continued to report problems with their applications
due to USCIS’s inability to complete security checks in a
timely manner.32 Finally, more than 100 immigrant military
members earned their citizenship posthumously after dying
in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.33 A few have died while

their naturalization applications were being processed, such
as Army Reserve Specialist Kendell K. Frederick, who was
killed while traveling in a convoy on his way to a base in Iraq
where he could check on his citizenship paperwork.34

Sources

• 21 NDAA 2004, §1703.
• 22 10 U.S.C. §504 (2006).
• 24 Statement of David S. C. Chu, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, before the Senate Committee on the Armed Services,
• regarding “Contributions of Immigrants to the United States Armed Forces,” July 10, 2006.
• 25 National Defense Authorization Act of 2006, §1059, Pub. L. 109-163, 119 Stat. 3136.
• 14 INA §329A, 8 U.S.C. §1440-1, added by Section 2 of the Posthumous Citizenship for Active Duty Service Act of 1989, Pub. L. 101-249,
• 104 Stat. 94 (Mar. 6, 1990).
• 15 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004, Pub. L. 108-136 [hereinafter NDAA 2004].
• 16 NDAA 2004, §1701(a).
• 17 NDAA 2004, §1701(b).
• 18 NDAA 2004, §1701(c)(2).
• 19 NDAA 2004, §1701(d).
• 20 NDAA 2004, §1702. The Selected Reserve includes members of the Reserve Components who are obligated to “drill” on a regular basis and
• who are more likely to be mobilized.

Cold War Program Declassified

Air Force details secret MiG program - Military Affairs - MSNBC.com



Mig 25 foxbat

A news conference was held Thursday at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, which has a MiG fighter on display. ...

Thanks to Mercurial Mike

http://mikesmercurialmusings.blogspot.com/2006/11/air-force-details-secret-mig-program.html


Story in PDF Form

Air Force confirms pilot's death

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates The U-S Air Force now says a pilot whose F-16 fighter jet crashed north of Baghdad last week was killed in action.

The Air Force says Troy Gilbert's identity was confirmed through D-N-A analysis of remains that were recovered at the crash site.The military had earlier classified Gilbert as "whereabouts unknown."U-S forces investigating the crash had said insurgents reached the site before U-S forces could.The jet crashed while supporting ground combat by coalition forces in Anbar province.

SURVEY:

House Homeless Vets in Empty VA Space?

It is estimated that over 22% of VA offices, storage, facility rooms are
vacant. Some veterans organizations advocate this space should be used,
particularly during winter/inclement weather months, to temporarily provide
shelter for homeless veterans.

What do you think?...


http://home. pacbell.net/ veterans/ xhomeles. htm

National Guard  Turns 370

In 370 years and more than eighteen 20-year enlistments, the  weapons have changed, but the Guard's contribution but the Guard's contribution to the nation's defense has remained paramount. It  all started in 1636 when Massachusetts Bay Colony ordered existing militia  companies to form into three regiments.Full Story 

Humvee v. Tank

Amazing range footage

Watch amazing footage of a Humvee vehicle firing a missile at a tank from long range.
wmv, 613Kb

The Cold War Declassified - Part One

For decades, the Cold War overshadowed world politics. Events and crises were hotly debated, but how well did citizens—or their leaders—understand events as they unfolded? What do we know now that we didn’t know then? Robert Johnson, Professor of History at the University of Toronto,examines how new archival evidence is changing the picture.

Download The Cold War Declassified - Part One
[mp3 file: runs 51:30]

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Veterans Report is the most comprehensive newsletter available to help Veterans stay current on benefits changes, learn about important legislation, get great discounts, and use the benefits earned in service. Make sure that you and your colleagues subscribe for this free update publication.

11 DECEMBER 2006

Hospitalized Veterans Writing Project
Illinois Veterans History Project
Law Clinic to Help Veterans
How the Montgomery GI Bill Works for You
National World War I Museum
Senators Respond on Delay of Bill
Featured Job: Ground Radar Systems Tech
Study Analyzes VA Mental Health Spending
VA Continues Services at Waco
VA Replacing Old Identification Cards
2007 Disability Compensation Rates
Expeditionary Sailors Have New Website
Marines Continue 'Toys for Tots' Program
Personal Products Needed for Walter Reed
Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
TRICARE Benefits for National Guard, Reserve Retirees
Print and Post This Week's Veterans Report
Headline Military News

The following is from The Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW

N. Huntingdon man seeks recognition for Cold War vets


Nike project

Project Nike was a U.S. Army project developed in 1945 to produce a line-of-sight, anti-aircraft missile system. Nike was selected because it is the name of the Greek goddess of victory. The nation's first operating missile system began in 1953 and named Ajax, after a hero of the Trojan War celebrated in Greek mythology. The second generation of the Nike system was the Hercules missile, named for the mortal whose valor and strength earned him the right to live with the gods in Mt. Olympus after his death.

By Patti Dobranski

TRIBUNE-REVIEW Saturday, November 11, 2006

When Rege Holecko turned 17 in the summer of 1947, the fallout from World War II was fading into history as a new menace -- the Cold War -- was emerging.

The following year, Holecko graduated from high school and joined the U.S. Army National Guard.

During his 38-year military career, he was among those veterans who served at one of the 20 Nike missile sites at strategic locations surrounding Pittsburgh and Philadelphia during the Cold War's 46-year era of hostility between the United States and the former Soviet Union.
Holecko spent a portion of his military career as a launcher platoon sergeant at the former Rural Ridge missile site in Harmarville, Allegheny County.



Today, the 76-year-old North Huntingdon Township man is on a new mission. He is seeking recognition for local veterans by spearheading an effort to erect a marker at a veterans' memorial in Irwin.

"Too many people don't realize what a dangerous job it was," Holecko said. "We conducted drills with live Nike Ajax missiles that were stored below the surface of the earth. We put them in position, ready to launch. What we were able to do made the Cold War a victory for the United States."

From 1945 to 1991, thousands served at domestic missile sites, always prepared to launch anti-aircraft weapons if the nuclear arms race erupted into live combat between the superpowers.
The Norwin Historical Society has taken the first step toward assisting with the completion of the estimated $1,000 project by pledging $500.

"We've always done projects such as memorials and have decided to donate to this one. We will make this happen," said President Carl Huszar. "Our goal is to support the local Cold War vets. The Nike site in Irwin was an active Army base. A stone could recognize the Cold War era."
Although Irwin Council said it could not support the effort financially, the board gave its blessing to pursue the project.

There is movement in the U.S. Senate and House to recognize the Cold War veterans. A bill that would award military service medals to members of the armed forces who served honorably during the Cold War era is before the Committee on Armed Services.

In Pennsylvania, 13 of the 20 Nike missile sites were situated around the Pittsburgh area.
In Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Air Defense Site PI-36 was located in northern North Huntingdon Township near the Penn Township border. The Oak Hollow YMCA and the Norwin Soccer Club now occupy the property.

Keith Brown, 59, of Penn Township, served as a launch crewman at the North Huntingdon Nike site controlling the Hercules system, the second generation of the anti-aircraft missiles, from 1968-70. He supports the hometown effort to recognize Cold War vets. "It doesn't hurt to have the recognition," he said. Brown hopes the memorial will educate area residents about the significant role the North Huntingdon-Irwin region played in world history .
" I don't think they understood what was underground here," he said. "The Nike Ajax had defensive anti-aircraft. The Nike Hercules had offensive, highly explosive warheads that could detect targets on radar and destroy them."

There were casualties in the Cold War.

On May, 22, 1958, at Site NY-53 near Middletown, N.J., eight Ajax missiles exploded, killing 10 men and injuring three others, while civilian ordnance personnel and soldiers were installing new arming mechanisms. No residents were injured during the accident.

In addition to the North Huntingdon missile site, there was a second Westmoreland County site in the Herminie-Cowansburg area. The former PI-37 is now home to a machine shop.

As the air defense plan diminished over the years as other military needs arose, the Nike system was deactivated. By 1974, all active sites were closed.

Holecko said he views his effort as a small token of appreciation for local vets.
"I just want to recognize the vets from the North Huntingdon-Irwin area," he said.

Patti Dobranski can be reached at pdobranski@tribweb.com.

Send a Christmas Card
To Any Hopitalized Veteran or Serviceperson

Address your Christmas card to:

"Any Hospitalized Veteran" Name of VA facility Address, City, State, Zip

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This is something nice to do...and it really does mean alot to them~



The holiday season is a nice time to remember family and friends. It is also a good time to give thanks for all the freedoms we have due to the courageous men and women who serve in our great military. If you would like to bring some holiday spirit to a Wounded Warrior at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, you may send to the following address. A holiday card with a short note thanking them for their service and personal sacrfices will go a long way. Your act of kindness will never be forgotten.


A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001

A little humor for Sunday Morning

Fifty-one years ago, Herman James, a North Carolina mountainman, was drafted by the Army.On his first day in basic training, the Army issued him a comb.That afternoon the Army barber sheared off all his hair.On his second day, the Army issued Herman a toothbrush. Thatafternoon the Army dentist yanked seven of his teeth.On the third day, the Army issued him a jock strap. The Army has been looking for Herman for 51 years

Andrews Introduced the Cold War Victory Medal Legislation in 2006

ANDREWS AMENDMENT CREATES COLD WAR VICTORY MEDAL FOR VETERANS

In this year’s Defense Authorization bill, I introduced an amendment that would create the Cold War Victory Medal, which would be awarded to those brave veterans that served during the period of 1945-1991. This bill passed the House and now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Some incorrectly characterize the period from 1945-1991 as “peacetime,” save the Korean and Vietnam Wars. This, however, fails to take into account that the Cold War was a global, ongoing military operation that was in fact very dangerous and sometimes fatal for the soldiers engaged in this campaign.

The Cold War was not just an ideological struggle. Rather, it was a large-scale military campaign that used deterrence and military deployments in order to prevent a third world war. It was a unique period in our country’s history, and I believe it deserves a unique medal. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to include this amendment in the final bill.

M1 vs. IED

This insurgent propaganda video shows an M1 Abrams tank being hit by an IED. The M1 gets knocked several feet in the air and keeps on rolling. Would this be considered an insurgent outtake video?
wmv, 1.2 MB

Phalanx Test Firing

Phalanx provides ships of the U.S. Navy with a "last-chance" defense against anti-ship missile littoral warfare threats that have penetrated other fleet defenses. More
wmv, 1.5 MB

Submitted By: Anonymous

* Download the video (wmv, 1.5 MB)

IRAQ STUDY GROUP REPORT

Download the report
PDF - 962KB

Pearl Harbor Memories

My father, Harry Karp, joined the military at 17 as he wanted to join his country. His mother had to sign for him. He served 4 years. He has vivid memories of December 7, 1941 and his video testimony is here at Google

Video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1165196537345359734&q=pearl+Harbor

Besides December 7, he talks about, since this is Christmas time, the Bob Hope Christmas USO Show and how funny and entertaining Mr. Hope was. Also, he remembers a touring baseball team, made up of professional baseball players and headed by Joe Dimaggio, that played a local military Pearl Harbor team. I believe he said that the major leaguers beat the local team as one of the professionals hit four home runs.

As for today, December 7, 2006, as his thier custom, my father will go to the local VFW and meet with other Pearl Harbor survivors for dinner. There are nine of them left.

Thank you, Marshall Karp, Dover, OH

I was born Dec 7th 1969 today has double meaning for me . We must never forget the Bravery of the men and women at Pearl Harbor that day and the 4 years that follwed . Then they quietly came home and built this nation and were just as productive and selfless and in peace as they had been in war. Both of my gradfathers served from North Africa to Germany during WWII. They are heroes to me they are both gone now but they will live on as they not only passed on there genes but there example of how they lived. Americas greatest generation who can argue with that . On my birthday I raise my Glass to you Harry may you and your 8 friends have a good dinner tonight and many more I hope.

Marshall hope you wouldn't mind if I if post your fathers video on the blog below. Everyone needs to remember.

Sean P. Eagan
New York State Director
Cold War Veterans Association

CWVA NY 716-708-0505
Fax 248-708-6410

Hi Sean,

Thank you for your email and regards to my father.  Please do feel free to
post the video and I will email your message to my father.

Marshall Karp

IED Damage

This video was taken by a U.S. soldier documenting several IED attacks on his patrols. Luckily for him and his buddies, nobody was hurt.

IED,

Iraq,

wmv, 11.8 MB Download File

Watch Now

I

politics,
bush,
war,
terrorism,
news,
war on terror,
military,
middle east,
iran,
mediaq

DISCOVERY TIMES CHANNEL DOCUMENTARY:

12/5/2006

In November 2006, more than 50 veterans of the U.S. armed forces from around the country were vying for seats in Congress. At no other time in history have so many veterans run for national office at the same time. The award-winning filmmaking team of Brent and Craig Renaud (OFF TO WAR) follow five of these veterans as they criss-cross their districts asking constituents for their vote.

TAKING THE HILL tells the story of a group of veterans, most with no prior political experience or aspirations, who have chosen political action as a means to further answer the call of service to their country. The two-hour world premiere of TAKING THE HILL will air on the Discovery Times Channel on December 12, 2006 at 9:00 PM ET/PT.

Beginning in February 2006, when U.S. Army veteran Mike Lyon brought together the veteran candidates in Washington, D.C.,in a loose coalition called the Band of Brothers 2006, the Renaud brothers have followed the candidates as they travel throughout their home states: Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. Although most of the veterans considered themselves politically independent or in some cases Republican, during their active military careers, they have come together this year to run as Democrats. From Eric Massa, a retired Navy commander in rural New York State; to Rick Bolanos, a Purple Heart recipient in Vietnam; to Tammy Duckworth, an Army captain who lost both her legs when a grenade hit her helicopter in Iraq, this documentary will follow the stories of these veterans as they head into their respective political battles.

Having spent much of their working lives in the military, these veterans do not have personal wealth to fund their campaigns, nor do they have the political connections it takes to easily raise the vast amounts of money necessary to compete politically at the national level. TAKING THE HILL is about a group of outsiders fighting political battles and motivated by a desire to serve their country -- not by going to war this time, but by going to Washington. TAKING THE HILL is produced by Downtown Community Television (DCTV) for the Discovery Times Channel. Brent Renaud and Craig Renaud direct and produce for DCTV. Diana Sperrazza is executive producer for the Discovery Times Channel; Jon Alpert is executive producer for DCTV. {Source: George Weber, 29 Nov 06]

Force protection

Hunting Juba

"This is a photo of (William Davis) during a counter IED/sniper operation. I'm in an old industrial building in 'Downtown Baghdad.' I was in HHC, 515th FSB, 5th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Force Protection."

Submitted By: William Davis

CNN Sniper Video

From FP-5 Fire Power Forward
http://bdelapla.typepad.com/firepowerforward/



Salerno last year. This young Marine along with the entire 3/3 battalion left Afghanistan and after a short break were deployed to Iraq. After 7 months in the An Bar province, they were relieved by the 2/3 Marines and have recently redeployed to their home station in Hawaii.

I recently received the following email from the father of a 3/3 Marine that we had served with inTrinityhome1 Salerno last year. This young Marine along with the entire 3/3 battalion left Afghanistan and after a short break were deployed to Iraq. After 7 months in the An Bar province, they were relieved by the 2/3 Marines and have recently redeployed to their home station in Hawaii.


Recently CNN showed an insurgent video of the sniper killing of an American soldier in Iraq. The decision by CNN to air the film on national television was beyond bad judgement. Our anger turned to outrage when we found out the victim was 2nd Lt. Joshua Booth from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines. Not only are his pregnant wife, child, and parents forced to come to terms with the death of this twenty-three year old Marine, but they now know his final moments and violent death has been gratuitously aired for the world to witness. Bobbye and I know the video could easily have been of Daniel or any number of Marines we have come to know, since the killing took place in Haditha, Iraq.

I found CNN's explanation proved to be bland and devoid of substance. There are any number of guesses as to why CNN chose to air the insurgent video; however, in my judgement, none are of overriding value. I am further distressed the video has not been discussed and editorialized to any degree in the mainstream press.

I cannot imagine the WWII press airing footage sent to them by Nazi Germany or the Imperial Japanese Army depicting the killing of American soldiers in Europe or Marines on Iwo Jima. I've always believed the media's support for the troops never went much beyond ratings and their financial bottom line. 2nd Lieutenant Booth's killing, now aired on a world stage, reinforces my opinion.

I would ask everyone to consider making a conscious decision to boycott CNN in protest and avail yourselves of another national news source. Further, I would ask you to forward this email to friends and relatives for their consideration.

I have watched this bit of "journalism" when it was aired on CNN International last week and I have to say that it was disturbing at best. Of course it was preceded with all the warnings as to the graphic nature of what was about to be aired and a brief description of the decision process used in producing it. I found both to be lacking. The warnings took on the enticing nature of promotion and the justification was a weak attempt towards public service alluding to the emerging threat of a "new" shift in insurgent tactics in utilizing snipers.

I certainly share this father's outrage but I find CNN's motivations to be a bit different. Maybe it was a function of watching this piece on the international channel rather than with the domestic newscasters but I found the pandering to an anti-U.S. policy sentiment to be blatant and the timing of its release during the run-up to the mid-term elections less than coincidental.
I have to wonder if no other major news outlet aired these video pieces because they didn't have them or because they didn't find them news worthy. If they didn't have them, it leads to the question of how CNN came to possess these insurgent created items and why they would choose CNN to give them to. If everyone had them but only CNN showed them, it baffles me why many will continue to chastise Fox News for a pro-administration bias but proudly hail the credibility of what is fast becoming an American based Al-Jazeera.

My heart and utmost gratitude go out to the Booth family. To the 2/3; Semper Fi and come home safe. Those who truly care know all the good things that you are doing.

Unbelievable CNN hits New Low

Keep the faith. You and your soldiers families shouldn't have to endure that kind of propaganda from CNN the long deployments are hard enough. No news value and I frankly would expect this from Aljazeera. I will support your boycott but lets not stop there CNN has sponsors and they must be held accountable. I will post your letter at CWVA forum and blogs will try to spread word.


Sean P. Eagan
New York State Director
Cold War Veterans Association

Blackwater Sniper

This video shows a Blackwater sniper team, inserted on top of a building, taking out insurgents in Najaf.
wmv, 10.4 MB

Cold War relic gets splashy redesign

Civil Defense insignia bows out after 67 years

By David Dunlap
New York Times News Service
Published December 1, 2006

The stark insignia of civil defense--a C and D forming a red circle in a white triangle on a blue disk--died Thursday after a long eclipse.

It was 67 years old and lived in the mind's eye of anyone who remembers air-raid drills, fallout shelters and metal drums filled with what had to be the stalest biscuits in the world.

Its demise was announced by the National Emergency Management Association, the group that represents state emergency managers.

The CD insignia, which the association called "a relic from the Cold War," was eulogized by Richard Grefe, the executive director of the American Institute of Graphic Arts.

"The old mark fits in the same category of simplicity and impact occupied by the London Underground map," Grefe said.

Tom Geismar, a principal in Chermayeff & Geismar Studio, a design firm, said the insignia was "authoritative and appropriate for the serious work" of civil defense.

The insignia was born in 1939, said Michael Bierut, a partner in the Pentagram design firm. Its father was Charles Coiner, the art director of the N.W. Ayer advertising agency, who also designed the National Recovery Administration's blue eagle.

The CD insignia was called anachronistic in 1972 by the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency, successor to the Office of Civil Defense. "The image was World War II vintage," the agency said.

The EM symbol was endorsed by R. David Paulison, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, successor to the civil preparedness agency. He attended the announcement in Washington.

The new image was developed by Morrie Goodman, an emergency communications specialist and the senior managing director at AGG International, a marketing firm.

Goodman said he first tried to update the classic triangle, using EM initials, but wound up with something that looked like the America Online logo. He was then directed by the association to take a fresh approach.

In the new logo, the letters EM and the words "Public Safety, Public Trust" are wreathed in blue and gold arcs, symbolizing movement, and three gold stars, standing for the local, state and federal levels of disaster preparedness and response.

"We now have a new symbol of what our profession is all about," Goodman said.

Geismar sounded less sure. He said the stars and swooshes seemed "more appropriate to an upstart airline."

The CD insignia is survived by countless metal drums, still languishing in school basements, with biscuits that have become even staler.

Hector Ed Autry
Cold War Veterans Association
Kansas City, Missouri