Friday, January 12, 2007

Rep. David Wu: There Are Klingons in the White House

There Are Klingons in the White House


Here's a video of Oregon's First Congressional District Rep. David Wu (D) exposing the sectarian divide between the Vulcans and Klingons currently serving in the U.S. government. Perhaps Wu, pretending to be Starship Enterprise helmsman Sulu, has simply confused the line "lay in a course" for "stay the course?"

Only Wu knows. Warp speed, dude.

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Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Combat Camera: Live-Fire Excercise

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Robert Walls, assigned to the 82nd Sustainment Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, takes aim with a rocket propelled grenade-7 weapon system during a joint-live fire training exercise in Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price U.S. Army 1st Lt. Robert Walls, assigned to the 82nd Sustainment Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, takes aim with a rocket propelled grenade-7 weapon system during a joint-live fire training exercise in Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Robert Walls from the 82nd Sustainment Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, fires an M-4 during a live-fire exercise in Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price U.S. Army 1st Lt. Robert Walls from the 82nd Sustainment Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, fires an M-4 during a live-fire exercise in Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price

U.S. Army and Navy personnel assigned to Multi-National Division Central South, conduct weapons familiarization during a joint live-fire training exercise in Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2006. The exercise was hosted by the Polish army and attended by the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force personnel assigned to Camp Echo, Iraq. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price U.S. Army and Navy personnel assigned to Multi-National Division Central South, conduct weapons familiarization during a joint live-fire training exercise in Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2006. The exercise was hosted by the Polish army and attended by the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force personnel assigned to Camp Echo, Iraq. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price

A U.S. Navy explosive ordnance disposal sailor prepares to fire a rocket propelled grenade-7 during a combined live-fire exercise in Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price A U.S. Navy explosive ordnance disposal sailor prepares to fire a rocket propelled grenade-7 during a combined live-fire exercise in Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price

Polish army Maj. Walter, left, of the Polish maneuver group, Multi-National Division Central South, Camp Echo, coordinates with U.S. Army soldiers regarding proper safety procedures during a combined live-fire exercise in Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price Polish army Maj. Walter, left, of the Polish maneuver group, Multi-National Division Central South, Camp Echo, coordinates with U.S. Army soldiers regarding proper safety procedures during a combined live-fire exercise in Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price

Polish army soldiers assigned to the Polish maneuver group, Camp Echo, re-load magazines to ensure a full combat load during a joint live-fire exercise in Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price Polish army soldiers assigned to the Polish maneuver group, Camp Echo, re-load magazines to ensure a full combat load during a joint live-fire exercise in Ad-Diwaniyah, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dawn M. Price

COMBAT CAMERA More Combat Camera Imagery on THE TENSION

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President Bush: The New Way Forward in Iraq

President Bush
He was for victory before Democrats were against it.

The President's new Iraq strategy is rooted in six fundamental elements:

  1. Let the Iraqis lead;
  2. Help Iraqis protect the population;
  3. Isolate extremists;
  4. Create space for political progress;
  5. Diversify political and economic efforts; and
  6. Situate the strategy in a regional approach.
Fact Sheet: The New Way Forward in Iraq

Transcript of President's address

Live Transcrpt

Excerpts:

Tonight President Bush will address the Nation from the White House to lay out his plan for a new way forward in Iraq.

On the new strategy:
Tonight in Iraq, the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged in a struggle that will determine the direction of the global war on terror – and our safety here at home. The new strategy I outline tonight will change America’s course in Iraq, and help us succeed in the fight against terror.

On the role of the Iraqis:
Only the Iraqis can end the sectarian violence and secure their people. And their government has put forward an aggressive plan to do it.

On securing Baghdad:
Our past efforts to secure Baghdad failed for two principal reasons: There were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighborhoods that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents. And there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have. Our military commanders reviewed the new Iraqi plan to ensure that it addressed these mistakes. They report that it does. They also report that this plan can work…and Prime Minister Maliki has pledged that political or sectarian interference will not be tolerated.

On what Iraq must do:
I have made it clear to the Prime Minister and Iraq’s other leaders that America’s commitment is not open-ended. If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people – and it will lose the support of the Iraqi people. Now is the time to act. The Prime Minister understands this.

On the economic component:
A successful strategy for Iraq goes beyond military operations. Ordinary Iraqi citizens must see that military operations are accompanied by visible improvements in their neighborhoods and communities. So America will hold the Iraqi government to the benchmarks it has announced.

On protecting the American people:
The challenge playing out across the broader Middle East is more than a military conflict. It is the decisive ideological struggle of our time…In the long run, the most realistic way to protect the American people is to provide a hopeful alternative to the hateful ideology of the enemy – by advancing liberty across a troubled region.

On what victory in Iraq will look like:
The changes I have outlined tonight are aimed at ensuring the survival of a young democracy that is fighting for its life in a part of the world of enormous importance to American security…The question is whether our new strategy will bring us closer to success. I believe that it will…Victory will not look like the ones our fathers and grandfathers achieved. There will be no surrender ceremony on the deck of a battleship…A democratic Iraq will not be perfect. But it will be a country that fights terrorists instead of harboring them – and it will help bring a future of peace and security for our children and grandchildren.

On bringing our troops home:
[To]step back now would force a collapse of the Iraqi government…Such a scenario would result in our troops being forced to stay in Iraq even longer, and confront an enemy that is even more lethal. If we increase our support at this crucial moment, and help the Iraqis break the current cycle of violence, we can hasten the day our troops begin coming home.

MILNEWS

Bush Outlines New Strategy for Course Ahead in Iraq
By Donna Miles
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2007 (AFPS) -– President Bush’s new strategy for Iraq, announced tonight in a televised speech to the nation, includes more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops on the ground in Baghdad and Anbar province, increased responsibility for the Iraqi government and Iraqi security forces, and more diplomatic and economic initiatives.

Bush to Increase Army, Marine Corps, Praises Troop Accomplishments
By Donna Miles

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2007 (AFPS) -– President Bush tonight announced plans to increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps so they’re better postured to confront 21st-century threats and praised troops serving today for their service and sacrifice.

White House Official: Iraqi Participation Key to Bush’s New Strategy
By Jim Garamone
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2007 (AFPS) -– President Bush’s new strategy in Iraq will hinge on the Iraqi government and security forces stepping up and making decisions they have avoided, a senior White House official said today.

Press Coverage (differing viewpoints)

Bush Says Failure in Iraq Would Be Disaster for U.S.
WASHINGTON (FOX News) -- President Bush on Wednesday night vowed to send more than 20,000 troops to war-torn Iraq to help the country "break the current cycle of violence" and "hasten the day our troops begin coming home."

Bush Takes Blame in Iraq, Adds Troops
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush on Wednesday acknowledged for the first time he erred by failing to order a military buildup in Iraq last year and said he was increasing U.S. troops by 21,500 to quell the country's near-anarchy. "Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me," Bush said.

Bush to send more troops to Iraq, admits mistakes
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- President George W. Bush told skeptical Americans on Wednesday he was dispatching about 21,500 extra U.S. troops to Iraq, and in a rare admission, said he made a mistake by not deploying more forces sooner.

Bush announces new Iraq strategy
(Al Jazeera ) -- George Bush is telling Americans that he will send about 21,500 extra US troops to Iraq and admitting that it was a mistake not to have more forces fighting the war in the past.

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The Decline and Fall of Western Civ for 10 Jan.

The Decline and Fall of Western Civ.: Barbarians have Crashed the Gate
After reading: wash, rinse and repeat.

  • Continuing bitter partisanism instead of fulling their promise to work together, Democrat leaders said Tuesday that they intended to hold symbolic votes in the House and Senate on President Bush’s plan to send more troops to Baghdad, forcing Republicans to take a stand on the proposal and seeking to isolate the president politically over his handling of the war, reports The New York Times.

  • In the same vein, yesterday on the eve of President Bush's announcement of a new Iraq policy, Sen. Edward Kennedy spoke out ahead of President Bush, in an attempt to prevent any open discussion by Congress by proposing legislation that would deny Bush money for sending more troops to the war unless the president gets "clear and specific new authorization" from Congress.

    USA Today reports that Kennedy stated:

    "The American people sent a clear message in November that we must change course in Iraq and begin to withdraw our troops, not escalate their presence," the Massachusetts Democrat said in remarks at the National Press Club. "The way to start is by acting on the President's new plan."
    Kennedy often draws parallels between the war in Iraq and the Vietnam War. In this case he would be correct, it is the Democrats who prevented a victory in Vietnam, and they seek to create the same conditions to prevent a victory in Iraq.

  • At this point it is interesting to note that the U.S. finally took care of some unfinished "Black Hawk Down" business President Clinton left dangling when a senior al-Qaida suspect wanted for bombing American embassies in East Africa was killed in a U.S. airstrike, a Somali official said Wednesday, a report that if confirmed would mean the end of an eight-year hunt for a top target of Washington's war on terrorism, according to The Associated Press.

    Perhaps it is also important to point out that the this is another example of how the U.S. will have to eventually deal with terrorists. As the GM commercial says, "Pay me now or pay me later."

  • KSTP TV reports kids in St. Paul were kicked off a school bus for speaking English.

  • The Daily Mail reports in the past six months, "image spam" has seen a massive increase and now represents 35 per cent of all junk email, according to security software firm F-Secure.

    The emails, generally containing stock tips, come from gangs and even bored teenagers in the United States and Russia trying to inflate prices in a swindle called "pump-and-dump."

    Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer, said:

    "Image spam is taking up 70 per cent of the bandwidth bulge on account of the large file sizes every single one represents."

  • Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is to kick off a four-day tour Saturday to Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela, whose leaders share his defiance towards the United States, media said, reports AFP.

  • Reuters reports Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was sworn in on Wednesday for a new six-year term that he vowed to use to press a radical socialist revolution including nationalizations that have roiled financial markets.

    A leading anti-U.S. voice in the world and in the vanguard of a shift to the left in Latin America, Chavez now wants to scrap presidential term limits and lead the OPEC nation for decades.

    "Chavez interprets the election result as giving him a blank check to develop a program that runs against the interests of Venezuela and only serves to benefit himself," Omar Barboza, a leading opposition official, told Reuters.

    USA Today reports, his right hand raised, Chavez declared: "Fatherland, socialism or death -- I swear it," invoking the Cuban leader's famous call to arms.

    Chavez also alluded to Jesus, saying: "I swear by Christ -- the greatest socialist in history."

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Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Aircraft Attack Al Qaeda Haven, USS Eisenhower Moves off Somalia

The AC-130 gunship's primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and force protection. Missions in close air support are troops in contact, convoy escort and urban operations. Air interdiction missions are conducted against preplanned targets or targets of opportunity. Force protection missions include air base defense and facilities defense. (U.S. Air Force photo) The AC-130 gunship's primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and force protection. Missions in close air support are troops in contact, convoy escort and urban operations. Air interdiction missions are conducted against preplanned targets or targets of opportunity. Force protection missions include air base defense and facilities defense. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Aircraft Attack Al Qaeda Haven, Ike Moves off Somalia
By Jim Garamone

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2007 (AFPS) -- U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunships struck al Qaeda targets in Somalia yesterday, news sources reported last night.

U.S. Launches Airstrike in Somalia
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- A U.S. airstrike hit targets in southern Somalia where Islamic militants were believed to be sheltering suspects in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies, Somali officials and witnesses said Tuesday. Many people were reported killed. Read it.

U.S. Hits Al Qaeda In Somalia
(CBS/AP) A U.S. airstrike hit targets in southern Somalia where Islamic militants were believed to be sheltering suspects in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies, Somali officials and witnesses said Tuesday. Many people were reported killed.

CBS Video

U.S. strikes at al Qaeda in Somalia, "many dead"
MOGADISHU (Reuters) -- A U.S. warplane hunting al Qaeda suspects killed many people in south Somalia as other air strikes also hit the remote region where fugitive Islamist fighters are hiding, officials said on Tuesday.

Also See
USSOCOM: United States Special Operations Command

Arabian Sea (Jan. 4, 2007) - USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Commanding Officer, Capt. Dan Cloyd, watches from auxiliary control as a wave crashes alongside the Military Sealift Command (MSC) fast combat support ship USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8) during an underway replenishment. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and embarked Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7) are on a regularly scheduled deployment in support of Maritime Security Operations and the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Shanika L. Futrell (RELEASED) Arabian Sea (Jan. 4, 2007) - USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Commanding Officer, Capt. Dan Cloyd, watches from auxiliary control as a wave crashes alongside the Military Sealift Command (MSC) fast combat support ship USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8) during an underway replenishment. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and embarked Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7) are on a regularly scheduled deployment in support of Maritime Security Operations and the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Shanika L. Futrell (RELEASED)

Also See
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)

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U.S. Submarine, Japanese Ship Collide

USS Newport News (SSN 750)
USS Newport News (SSN 750)

US Navy submarine and merchant vessel collide in Strait of Hormuz
By U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs
No US sailors or merchant crew were injured when a US Navy submarine and a commercial cargo vessel collided in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday evening January 8, 2007.

The collision between USS Newport News (SSN 750) and the Japanese-flagged motor vessel Mogamigawa occurred at approximately 10:15 in the evening (local time) in the strait of Hormuz while the submarine was transiting submerged. Read it.

U.S. Submarine, Japanese Ship Collide
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine collided with a Japanese oil tanker in the Straits of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world's oil supplies travel, officials said.

Newsphoto
Kozo Eguchi, left, director of Kawasaki Kisen Ltd., explains about collision to photographers in front of a scale model of Mogamigawa, the company's tanker, in Tokyo Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007. A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine and the tanker collided in the Arabian Sea, the U.S. Navy and Japanese government said Tuesday. No one was seriously injured. (AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara)

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Sunday, January 7, 2007

Combat Camera: Reconstruction Team Assesses Needs

U.S. Army soldiers with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team secure a perimeter while assessments are being conducted on schools and medical facilities in Tagab, Afghanistan, Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. QuartermanU.S. Army soldiers with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team secure a perimeter while assessments are being conducted on schools and medical facilities in Tagab, Afghanistan, Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. Quarterman

U.S. Army soldiers with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team ask a man if he knows who has the keys to a school in Tagab, Afghanistan Dec. 20, 2006, so a civil affairs assessment can be performed on the school. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. QuartermanU.S. Army soldiers with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team ask a man if he knows who has the keys to a school in Tagab, Afghanistan Dec. 20, 2006, so a civil affairs assessment can be performed on the school. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. Quarterman

U.S. Army 1st Lt. William Warner, from the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team, conducts rooftop security while civil affairs assessments are being performed on schools and medical facilities in Tagab, Afghanistan, Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. QuartermanU.S. Army 1st Lt. William Warner, from the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team, conducts rooftop security while civil affairs assessments are being performed on schools and medical facilities in Tagab, Afghanistan, Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. Quarterman

U.S. Army soldiers with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team meet with Afghan National Army members at a school in Kora Valley, Afghanistan, to conduct a civil affairs assessment of the school Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. QuartermanU.S. Army soldiers with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team meet with Afghan National Army members at a school in Kora Valley, Afghanistan, to conduct a civil affairs assessment of the school Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. Quarterman

U.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. Air Force technical sergeant, all with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team, meet with Afghans to conduct service assessments of schools and medical facilities in Tagab, Afghanistan, Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. QuartermanU.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. Air Force technical sergeant, all with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team, meet with Afghans to conduct service assessments of schools and medical facilities in Tagab, Afghanistan, Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. Quarterman

U.S. Army soldiers with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team meet with Afghan National Army members at a school in Kora Valley, Afghanistan, to conduct a civil affairs assessment of the school, Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. QuartermanU.S. Army soldiers with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team meet with Afghan National Army members at a school in Kora Valley, Afghanistan, to conduct a civil affairs assessment of the school, Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. Quarterman

A U.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. Air Force technical sergeant, all with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team, conduct a rooftop service assessment of a school being occupied by members of the Afghan National Police to keep attackers out Kora Valley, Afghanistan, Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. QuartermanA U.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. Air Force technical sergeant, all with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team, conduct a rooftop service assessment of a school being occupied by members of the Afghan National Police to keep attackers out Kora Valley, Afghanistan, Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. Quarterman

U.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. Air Force technical sergeant, all with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team, conduct a rooftop service assessment of a school being occupied by members of the Afghan National Police to keep attackers out of Kora Valley, Afghanistan, Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. QuartermanU.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. Air Force technical sergeant, all with the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team, conduct a rooftop service assessment of a school being occupied by members of the Afghan National Police to keep attackers out of Kora Valley, Afghanistan, Dec. 20, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. Quarterman

More Combat Camera Images on THE TENSION

Collections from Amazon.com:
War Photography
Combat Photography

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