Saturday, December 9, 2006

82% of Americans Clueless About Iraq Leader

Flag of Republic of Iraq
Open Thread:

Do Americans really have a clue about what's happening in Iraq or are they forming opinions based on biased media reports, rumors, and hearsay?

Let's ask a simple factual question:

Who is the Iraqi Prime Minister? What is his name?

If you know, count yourself in the 18 percent who have enough of a handle on current events to warrant an opinion.

If you are in the clueless 82 percent, well, if you have to be told....

Source.

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Thursday, December 7, 2006

Combat Camera: Pipeline Rocket Attack in Kirkuk

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Matthew Lloyd directs emergency vehicles following a rocket attack on a pipeline feeding a 10,000 - liter holding tank at the Northern Oil Company in Kirkuk, Iraq, Nov. 27, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel BendetU.S. Army 2nd Lt. Matthew Lloyd directs emergency vehicles following a rocket attack on a pipeline feeding a 10,000 - liter holding tank at the Northern Oil Company in Kirkuk, Iraq, Nov. 27, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet

Iraqi firefighters attempt to keep a blaze under control following a rocket attack on a pipeline feeding a 10,000 - liter holding tank at the Northern Oil Company in Kirkuk, Iraq, Nov. 27, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel BendetIraqi firefighters attempt to keep a blaze under control following a rocket attack on a pipeline feeding a 10,000 - liter holding tank at the Northern Oil Company in Kirkuk, Iraq, Nov. 27, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet

Alex Ritson, a reporter from BBC World Service, conducts an interview with U.S. Army Capt. Andrew Brown in Kirkuk, Iraq, Nov. 27, 2006, to discuss current issues with the Northern Oil Company's pipeline security. Brown is the commnder of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel BendetAlex Ritson, a reporter from BBC World Service, conducts an interview with U.S. Army Capt. Andrew Brown in Kirkuk, Iraq, Nov. 27, 2006, to discuss current issues with the Northern Oil Company's pipeline security. Brown is the commnder of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet

U.S. Army Sgt. Sammy Burkett, from 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, provides security as soldiers from his unit conduct an investigation following a rocket attack on a pipeline feeding a 10,000 - liter holding tank at the Northern Oil Company in Kirkuk, Iraq, Nov. 27, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel BendetU.S. Army Sgt. Sammy Burkett, from 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, provides security as soldiers from his unit conduct an investigation following a rocket attack on a pipeline feeding a 10,000 - liter holding tank at the Northern Oil Company in Kirkuk, Iraq, Nov. 27, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet

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Dec. 7: Pearl Harbor Remembered

A date which will live in infamy
"A date which will live in infamy"

The attack on Pearl Harbor remembered 65 years later:

RESOURCES, IMAGE COLLECTIONS

U.S. DoD Pearl Harbor Special
Pearl Harbor Attack 65 Years Ago Presents Parallels, Lessons for Terror War

Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941
Overview and Special Image Selection
(DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY) -- The 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was one of the great defining moments in history. A single carefully-planned and well-executed stroke removed the United States Navy's battleship force as a possible threat to the Japanese Empire's southward expansion. America, unprepared and now considerably weakened, was abruptly brought into the Second World War as a full combatant.

Pearl Harbor Attack, Index of Action Reports

Pearl Harbor Attack, Additional Action Reports

Remembering Pearl Harbor
(National Geographic) -- Multimedia Map and Time Line: Photos, footage, firsthand accounts, and narration bring the attack on Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, to life—moment by moment, target by target.

USS Arizona Memorial
(National Park Service) -- Oil droplets bubble to the surface of Pearl Harbor above the USS Arizona, creating a vivid link to the past. On a quiet Sunday morning December 7, 1941 a Japanese surprise air attack left the Pacific Fleet in smoldering heaps of broken, twisted steel. Here, peace was interrupted and paradise lost. In hours, 2,390 futures were stolen, half of these casualties from the battleship Arizona.

Pearl Harbor Memorial Panorama

Pearl-Harbor.US
Pearl Harbor. Dawn, 7 December 1941. More than half of the United States Pacific Fleet, approximately 150 vessels and service craft, lay at anchor or alongside piers in Pearl Harbor. All but one of the Pacific fleet’s battleships were in port that morning, most of them moored to quays flanking Ford Island. By 10:00 a.m. the tranquil Sunday calm had been shattered, 21 vessels lay sunk or damaged, the fighting backbone of the fleet apparently broken. Smoke from burning planes and hangers filled the sky. Oil from sinking ships clogged the harbor.

Death was everywhere.

Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941
(EyeWitness to History) -- The surprise was complete. The attacking planes came in two waves; the first hit its target at 7:53 AM, the second at 8:55. By 9:55 it was all over. By 1:00 PM the carriers that launched the planes from 274 miles off the coast of Oahu were heading back to Japan.

National Museum of the Pacific War

Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund

Pacific Avation Museum, Pearl Harbor

Locally, DC Metro

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2006
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
The White House
Sixty-­five years ago, more than 2,400 Americans lost their lives in a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. On National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we think of those who died on December 7, 1941, and honor all those who sacrificed for our liberty during World War II.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim December 7, 2006, as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I encourage all Americans to observe this solemn occasion with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I urge all Federal agencies, interested organizations, groups, and individuals to fly the flag of the United States at half staff this December 7 in honor of those who died as a result of their service at Pearl Harbor.
National World War II Memorial

National Park Service: National World War II Memorial

NEWSBYTES

Survivors Honor Pearl Harbor Victims
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) -- Nearly 500 survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor were here Thursday to honor those who died in the surprise attack 65 years ago.

Pearl Harbor Survivors Gather
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) -- This will be their last visit to this watery grave to share stories, exchange smiles, find peace and salute their fallen friends.

One Last Mission for Ship Sunk in Pearl Harbor Attack
Scientists in Md. Hope Arizona Stability Study Might Aid Others
(Washington Post) -- For 65 years, the wreck of the USS Arizona has been leaking oil from its grave at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, staining the water, visitors often say, as if it were the ship's blood.

Survivors return to Pearl Harbor for final reunion
(USA Today) -- For decades after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, survivors returned to retell their stories and recite their mantra: "Remember Pearl Harbor."

"We're getting to be fewer and fewer in numbers," says Lee Soucy, 87, of Plainview, Texas. Soucy recalled treating injured sailors who jumped from flaming ships during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet. He was in Hawaii this week for the last time.
Former Pearl Harbor Enemies Meet
HONOLULU (KITV) -- When they last encountered each other 65 years ago, one was standing on the USS West Virginia, and the other was dropping the torpedoes that helped sink it.

Damn the torpedoes!: Pearl Harbor shattered conventional thinking
(Navy Times) -- Three U.S. events led to the development of naval aviation — the weapon Japan used so effectively Dec. 7, 1941 — and all three shared a connection with Hampton Roads, Va.

Pearl Harbor, 65 years later
ARLINGTON, VA. (CSM) -- On this day in 1941, the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked. The bombing killed 2,388 Americans, put much of the Pacific fleet out of commission, and came while the Japanese ambassador in Washington was preparing for a diplomatic appointment at the State Department. Among the losses was the battleship Arizona, which went down with nearly all hands on board. It is still there as a national shrine.

News Wirephotos

Pearl Harbor Vets Reconcile in Hawaii
HONOLULU (AP) -- Sixty-five years ago, Takeshi Maeda and John Rauschkolb tried to kill each other at Pearl Harbor. This week, now both 85, they met face-to-face for the first time _ and shook hands.

Congress Votes to Save Internment Camps
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Notorious internment camps where Japanese-Americans were kept behind barbed wire during World War II will be preserved as stark reminders of how the United States turned on some of its citizens in a time of fear.

Kenneth Taylor; Flew Against Pearl Harbor Raiders
(Washington Post) -- Kenneth M. Taylor, 86, an Army Air Forces pilot who managed to get airborne under fire near Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and shot down at least two Japanese attacking aircraft, died Nov. 25 at an assisted living residence in Tucson. He had been ill since hip surgery two years ago.

Ken Taylor: The Reluctant Hero

MULTIMEDIA

Pearl Harbor Memories



Tora Tora Tora: The Real Story of Pearl Harbor



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Dec. 7: Pearl Harbor Remembered

A date which will live in infamy
"A date which will live in infamy"

The attack on Pearl Harbor remembered 65 years later:

RESOURCES, IMAGE COLLECTIONS

U.S. DoD Pearl Harbor Special
Pearl Harbor Attack 65 Years Ago Presents Parallels, Lessons for Terror War

Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941
Overview and Special Image Selection
(DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY) -- The 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was one of the great defining moments in history. A single carefully-planned and well-executed stroke removed the United States Navy's battleship force as a possible threat to the Japanese Empire's southward expansion. America, unprepared and now considerably weakened, was abruptly brought into the Second World War as a full combatant.

Pearl Harbor Attack, Index of Action Reports

Pearl Harbor Attack, Additional Action Reports

Remembering Pearl Harbor
(National Geographic) -- Multimedia Map and Time Line: Photos, footage, firsthand accounts, and narration bring the attack on Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, to life—moment by moment, target by target.

USS Arizona Memorial
(National Park Service) -- Oil droplets bubble to the surface of Pearl Harbor above the USS Arizona, creating a vivid link to the past. On a quiet Sunday morning December 7, 1941 a Japanese surprise air attack left the Pacific Fleet in smoldering heaps of broken, twisted steel. Here, peace was interrupted and paradise lost. In hours, 2,390 futures were stolen, half of these casualties from the battleship Arizona.

Pearl Harbor Memorial Panorama

Pearl-Harbor.US
Pearl Harbor. Dawn, 7 December 1941. More than half of the United States Pacific Fleet, approximately 150 vessels and service craft, lay at anchor or alongside piers in Pearl Harbor. All but one of the Pacific fleet’s battleships were in port that morning, most of them moored to quays flanking Ford Island. By 10:00 a.m. the tranquil Sunday calm had been shattered, 21 vessels lay sunk or damaged, the fighting backbone of the fleet apparently broken. Smoke from burning planes and hangers filled the sky. Oil from sinking ships clogged the harbor.

Death was everywhere.

Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941
(EyeWitness to History) -- The surprise was complete. The attacking planes came in two waves; the first hit its target at 7:53 AM, the second at 8:55. By 9:55 it was all over. By 1:00 PM the carriers that launched the planes from 274 miles off the coast of Oahu were heading back to Japan.

National Museum of the Pacific War

Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund

Pacific Avation Museum, Pearl Harbor

Locally, DC Metro

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2006
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
The White House
Sixty-­five years ago, more than 2,400 Americans lost their lives in a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. On National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we think of those who died on December 7, 1941, and honor all those who sacrificed for our liberty during World War II.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim December 7, 2006, as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I encourage all Americans to observe this solemn occasion with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I urge all Federal agencies, interested organizations, groups, and individuals to fly the flag of the United States at half staff this December 7 in honor of those who died as a result of their service at Pearl Harbor.
National World War II Memorial

National Park Service: National World War II Memorial

NEWSBYTES

Survivors Honor Pearl Harbor Victims
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) -- Nearly 500 survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor were here Thursday to honor those who died in the surprise attack 65 years ago.

Pearl Harbor Survivors Gather
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) -- This will be their last visit to this watery grave to share stories, exchange smiles, find peace and salute their fallen friends.

One Last Mission for Ship Sunk in Pearl Harbor Attack
Scientists in Md. Hope Arizona Stability Study Might Aid Others
(Washington Post) -- For 65 years, the wreck of the USS Arizona has been leaking oil from its grave at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, staining the water, visitors often say, as if it were the ship's blood.

Survivors return to Pearl Harbor for final reunion
(USA Today) -- For decades after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, survivors returned to retell their stories and recite their mantra: "Remember Pearl Harbor."

"We're getting to be fewer and fewer in numbers," says Lee Soucy, 87, of Plainview, Texas. Soucy recalled treating injured sailors who jumped from flaming ships during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet. He was in Hawaii this week for the last time.
Former Pearl Harbor Enemies Meet
HONOLULU (KITV) -- When they last encountered each other 65 years ago, one was standing on the USS West Virginia, and the other was dropping the torpedoes that helped sink it.

Damn the torpedoes!: Pearl Harbor shattered conventional thinking
(Navy Times) -- Three U.S. events led to the development of naval aviation — the weapon Japan used so effectively Dec. 7, 1941 — and all three shared a connection with Hampton Roads, Va.

Pearl Harbor, 65 years later
ARLINGTON, VA. (CSM) -- On this day in 1941, the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked. The bombing killed 2,388 Americans, put much of the Pacific fleet out of commission, and came while the Japanese ambassador in Washington was preparing for a diplomatic appointment at the State Department. Among the losses was the battleship Arizona, which went down with nearly all hands on board. It is still there as a national shrine.

News Wirephotos

Pearl Harbor Vets Reconcile in Hawaii
HONOLULU (AP) -- Sixty-five years ago, Takeshi Maeda and John Rauschkolb tried to kill each other at Pearl Harbor. This week, now both 85, they met face-to-face for the first time _ and shook hands.

Congress Votes to Save Internment Camps
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Notorious internment camps where Japanese-Americans were kept behind barbed wire during World War II will be preserved as stark reminders of how the United States turned on some of its citizens in a time of fear.

Kenneth Taylor; Flew Against Pearl Harbor Raiders
(Washington Post) -- Kenneth M. Taylor, 86, an Army Air Forces pilot who managed to get airborne under fire near Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and shot down at least two Japanese attacking aircraft, died Nov. 25 at an assisted living residence in Tucson. He had been ill since hip surgery two years ago.

Ken Taylor: The Reluctant Hero

MULTIMEDIA

Pearl Harbor Memories



Tora Tora Tora: The Real Story of Pearl Harbor



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Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Combat Camera: Training Iraqi Police in Tall Afar, Iraq

Melvin Sandford, a civilian security specialist, checks over equipment for a group of Iraqi police officers before a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. Sanford is contracted by the Department of Defense to train and evaluate Iraqi police and security forces. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. MickleMelvin Sandford, a civilian security specialist, checks over equipment for a group of Iraqi police officers before a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. Sanford is contracted by the Department of Defense to train and evaluate Iraqi police and security forces. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. Mickle

Iraqi police and U.S. Army soldiers from Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment conduct, a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. The Soldiers are responsible for training and evaluating Iraqi police. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. MickleIraqi police and U.S. Army soldiers from Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment conduct, a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. The Soldiers are responsible for training and evaluating Iraqi police. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. Mickle

U.S. Army Sgt. Chad Caudill notes problems from residents during a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. MickleU.S. Army Sgt. Chad Caudill notes problems from residents during a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. Mickle

Melvin Sandford, a civilian security specialist, greets a group of children during a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. MickleMelvin Sandford, a civilian security specialist, greets a group of children during a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. Mickle

U.S. Army Cpl. Brian Zerde secures a corner during a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. MickleU.S. Army Cpl. Brian Zerde secures a corner during a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. Mickle

Melvin Sandford, a civilian security specialist, positions himself as rear security for a group of Iraqi police officers during a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. MickleMelvin Sandford, a civilian security specialist, positions himself as rear security for a group of Iraqi police officers during a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. Mickle

U.S. Army Pfc. Patric Crenshaw passes out candy and toys after a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. MickleU.S. Army Pfc. Patric Crenshaw passes out candy and toys after a dismounted patrol through Tall Afar, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. DeNoris A. Mickle

More Combat Camera Images on THE TENSION

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Terrified by Santa

Terrified by Santa
Nothing says Merry Christmas quite like a photo of sweet little toddlers screaming at Santa.

A couple of years ago, the Chicago Tribune asked readers to send in their "Scared of Santa" photos. Those photos are included here, as well as additional photos sent in by SouthFlorida.com, Sun-Sentinel.com and Chicago Tribune readers in subsequent years.

New photos are added to the end of the gallery.

Enjoy!

Click here to see the Scared of Santa gallery.

Cata Claus
The classic PhotoShop

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Monday, December 4, 2006

Combat Camera: On Patrol in Jabella, Iraq

U.S. Army soldiers with Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment (C-3/509th PIR) cross a foot bridge over an irrigation canal while on patrol in Jabella, Babil province, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. C-3/509th PIR is conducting a patrol to foster good relations with the residents of Jabella. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Sean A. FoleyU.S. Army soldiers with Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment (C-3/509th PIR) cross a foot bridge over an irrigation canal while on patrol in Jabella, Babil province, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. C-3/509th PIR is conducting a patrol to foster good relations with the residents of Jabella. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Sean A. Foley

U.S. Army Spc. James Lindsey, a radio telephone operator with Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment (C-3/509th PIR), walks past a sign during a patrol in Jabella, Babil province, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Sean A. FoleyU.S. Army Spc. James Lindsey, a radio telephone operator with Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment (C-3/509th PIR), walks past a sign during a patrol in Jabella, Babil province, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Sean A. Foley

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Pablo Jimenez and Staff Sgt. Carroll Urzendowski, both with Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment (C-3/509th PIR), patrol a street in the market area of Jabella, Babil province, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Sean A. FoleyU.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Pablo Jimenez and Staff Sgt. Carroll Urzendowski, both with Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment (C-3/509th PIR), patrol a street in the market area of Jabella, Babil province, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Sean A. Foley

U.S. Army Pfc. Sean Humphries, a squad automatic weapons gunner with Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment (C-3/509th PIR), pulls security from a watch tower at an Iraqi police station in Jabella, Babil province, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Sean A. FoleyU.S. Army Pfc. Sean Humphries, a squad automatic weapons gunner with Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment (C-3/509th PIR), pulls security from a watch tower at an Iraqi police station in Jabella, Babil province, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Sean A. Foley

U.S. Army Cpl. Matthew Ashmead, a combat medic attached to Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment (C-3/509th PIR), takes a knee during a halt while on patrol in Jabella, Babil province, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Sean A. FoleyU.S. Army Cpl. Matthew Ashmead, a combat medic attached to Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment (C-3/509th PIR), takes a knee during a halt while on patrol in Jabella, Babil province, Iraq, Nov. 24, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Sean A. Foley

NEWSBYTES

Iraqi Forces Capture Insurgents; Iraqi Children Wounded by Rocket Attack
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2006 (AFPS) -- Iraqi forces captured eight suspected insurgents and provided security in a northern Iraqi town, coalition forces foiled a mortar attack, and two Iraqi children were wounded by a rocket-propelled-grenade attack yesterday and Dec. 2 throughout Iraq, military officials reported.

National Guard Responds to Midwest Winter Storms
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2006 (AFPS) -– Hundreds of National Guardsmen responded over the weekend and today to devastating winter storms in Illinois, Missouri and Kansas, National Guard officials reported.

Bush Meets With Top Iraqi Shiite Leader in Washington
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2006 (AFPS) -– The United States is committed to working with the Iraqi government to make it capable of securing Iraq from the extremists seeking to derail the young democracy there, President Bush said here today after meeting with a top Iraq Shiite leader.

‘Nothing Happens Until Something Moves’ Illustrates TRANSCOM Mission
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill., Dec. 4, 2006 (AFPS) -– A Post-It note over one of the computers in the Deployment and Distribution Operations Center here says, “Nothing happens until something moves.”

America Supports You: Scrapbook Project Helps Students Support Troops
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2006 (AFPS) -– An America Supports You corporate team member is coordinating creation of what it calls the world’s largest scrapbook as a way for the nation’s students to show their support for America’s servicemembers.

Baghdad counts on local improvements
Baghdad, Iraq (CENTCOM) -- Baghdad is facing some challenging times and for the situation to get better, most officials believe local residents need to see that their government is working and improvements are taking place.

Joint Statement by Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., regarding recent sectarian violence
BAGHDAD (CENTCOM) -– “On behalf of the U.S. Mission and the Multi-National Force in Iraq, we condemn in the strongest language the recent car bombings attacks and retribution killings by extremists against peaceful Iraqis in Baghdad.

Medics Earn Their Keep in the CAV
Afghanistan (CENTCOM) -- One of the biggest moments in the life of child is their right of passage from grade school to the realm of high school. That feeling is like no other in the world. The night before that first day of high school, the children are up all night preparing outfits, hair styles, speaking slang and anything else they may need to make a good first impression because everyone knows that you will never get a second chance to make a first impression.

U.S. Navy Assumes Command of CTF 152
MANAMA, Bahrain (CUSNC) -– U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Allen G. Myers relieved Italian navy Rear Adm. Emilio Foltzer as Combined Task Force (CTF) 152 commander Dec. 3 during a change of control ceremony aboard ITS Etna (A 5326).

CENTCOM MULTIMEDIA

Video: Air Force Report - EOD
This edition features a story on the U.S. Air Force's Explosive Ordnance Disposal craftsmen clearing explosive devices from beaches near Misawa Air Base in Japan. Hosted by Staff Sgt. Chris Decker.

Audio: OIF Update 25 Nov. 2006
Iraqi special forces along with coalition forces continue looking for a kidnapped U.S. Soldier by conducting a raid in a Baghdad neighborhood. Iraqi police targed a insurgent cell suspected of carrying out IED attacks.

More Combat Camera Images on THE TENSION

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Update: Privacy, What Privacy?

 The Decline and Fall of Western Civ.: Barbarians have Crashed the Gate
Open Thread:

  • When is enough, enough? A new full-body x-ray machine to be tested this month at a US airport has raised concerns about privacy issues with some rights advocates saying the technology amounts to a virtual strip search, reports AFP.

    The "Backscatter" machine to be used at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona will enable screeners to detect non-metallic devices and objects as well as weapons on a person's body, authorities say.

    But critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, say the machine can display graphic images of nude bodies and its use will pave the way to widespread abuse of the images taken, with some possibly being posted or traded on the Internet.

    The danger in this kind of screening is in how easy the process could move from testing to standard procedure. Similarly, it may easy for authorities to dismiss individual resistance to this kind of privacy invasion by offering an alternative: simply travel in something other than an airliner. Is that reasonable?

  • Folks who whined about the NSA eavesdropping on foreign calls should really have a fit over new federal rules that go into effect Friday that require U.S. companies to keep track of all the e-mails, instant messages and other electronic documents generated by their employees.

    AP reports the rules, approved by the Supreme Court in April, require companies and other entities involved in federal litigation to produce "electronically stored information" as part of the discovery process, when evidence is shared by both sides before a trial.

    The change makes it more important for companies to know what electronic information they have and where. Under the new rules, an information technology employee who routinely copies over a backup computer tape could be committing the equivalent of "virtual shredding," said Alvin F. Lindsay, a partner at Hogan & Hartson LLP and expert on technology and litigation.

  • Also sure to cause a spell of teeth gnashing is the news from AP that without notifying the public, federal agents for the past four years have assigned millions of international travelers, including Americans, computer-generated scores rating the risk they pose of being terrorists or criminals.
    The travelers are not allowed to see or directly challenge these risk assessments, which the government intends to keep on file for 40 years.

    The scores are assigned to people entering and leaving the United States after computers assess their travel records, including where they are from, how they paid for tickets, their motor vehicle records, past one-way travel, seating preference and what kind of meal they ordered.


X-Ray
  • Sky Harbor International Airport here will test a new federal screening system that takes X-rays of passenger's bodies to detect concealed explosives and other weapons, according to AP.

    The Transportation Security Administration said it has found a way to refine the machine's images so that the normally graphic pictures can be blurred in certain areas while still being effective in detecting bombs and other threats.

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Sunday, December 3, 2006

Combat Camera: Soldiers Search for Weapons

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, left, deputy commanding general for security, Combined Joint Task Force 76, 10th Mountain Division, meets with Afghan Gen. Mulwana, right, and village elders during a key leaders engagement in the village of Landikheyl, Afghanistan, Nov. 25, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. CloudenU.S. Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, left, deputy commanding general for security, Combined Joint Task Force 76, 10th Mountain Division, meets with Afghan Gen. Mulwana, right, and village elders during a key leaders engagement in the village of Landikheyl, Afghanistan, Nov. 25, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. Clouden

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jon Ours, with Task Force Gauntlet, 10th Mountain Division, uses a metal detector to search for buried weapons caches in the village of Landikheyl, Afghanistan, Nov. 25, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. CloudenU.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jon Ours, with Task Force Gauntlet, 10th Mountain Division, uses a metal detector to search for buried weapons caches in the village of Landikheyl, Afghanistan, Nov. 25, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. Clouden

U.S. Army soldiers of 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) and U.S. Air Force explosive ordnance disposal personnel prepare to dig through the mountainous region of Landikheyl, Afghanistan, Nov. 25, 2006, in search of weapons caches. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. CloudenU.S. Army soldiers of 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) and U.S. Air Force explosive ordnance disposal personnel prepare to dig through the mountainous region of Landikheyl, Afghanistan, Nov. 25, 2006, in search of weapons caches. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. Clouden

U.S. Army soldiers from the 102nd Infantry Regiment, Connecticut Army National Guard, prepare to take up security positions on a hilltop in Landikheyl, Afghanistan, after searching for weapons caches in the region Nov. 25, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. CloudenU.S. Army soldiers from the 102nd Infantry Regiment, Connecticut Army National Guard, prepare to take up security positions on a hilltop in Landikheyl, Afghanistan, after searching for weapons caches in the region Nov. 25, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. Clouden

An Afghan army soldier and Afghan Gen. Mulwana watch as U.S. Army soldiers with Task Force Gauntlet, 10th Mountain Division, and U.S. Air Force airmen with Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit destroy weapon caches surrounding the village of Landikheyl, Afghanistan, Nov. 25, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. CloudenAn Afghan army soldier and Afghan Gen. Mulwana watch as U.S. Army soldiers with Task Force Gauntlet, 10th Mountain Division, and U.S. Air Force airmen with Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit destroy weapon caches surrounding the village of Landikheyl, Afghanistan, Nov. 25, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. Clouden

U.S. Army soldiers prepare to board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Landikheyl, Afghanistan, Nov. 25, 2006, after performing a search for weapons caches in the mountainous region. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. CloudenU.S. Army soldiers prepare to board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Landikheyl, Afghanistan, Nov. 25, 2006, after performing a search for weapons caches in the mountainous region. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. Clouden

NEWSBYTES

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2006 (AFIS) -– His recent trip to the Middle East reaffirmed his conviction to help the unity government in Baghdad find a political solution to the situation in Iraq, President Bush said here yesterday.

America Supports You: Commissaries, Fisher House Offer Scholarships
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2006 (AFIS) -– The Defense Commissary Agency and the Fisher House Foundation have teamed up for the seventh year to offer educational scholarships to children of military families and retirees.

Outdated Images of Detention Center, Mission Frustrate Guantanamo Troopers
U.S. NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba, Dec. 1, 2006 (AFIS) -– A 28-year-old block guard here whose mission is to ensure the safe care and custody of enemy combatants said he wishes the world had an accurate picture of the place where he serves.

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