Saturday, April 7, 2007

USS John C. Stennis Returns to OEF Missions

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGEPERSIAN GULF (March 28, 2007) - A U.S. Navy flight deck director from the air department's aircraft handling division directs an EA-6B Prowler aircraft assigned to the "Yellowjackets" of Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (VAQ) 138 onto a steam-powered catapult aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jon Hyde (RELEASED)

USS John C. Stennis and Carrier Air Wing 9 Return to OEF Missions
From USS John C. Stennis Public Affairs
April 5, 2007

USS JOHN C. STENNIS, At Sea -– The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 returned to the North Arabian Sea April 4, following its first port visit in the Middle East.

CVW 9 returned to conducting missions for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and will provide close air power support and reconnaissance to International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops on the ground in Afghanistan participating in OEF. ISAF is comprised of more than 35,000 troops, with contributions from 37 nations.

As a Combined Forces Air Component Command (CFACC) asset, CVW 9 integrates closely with multi-national coalition forces to prevent and counter Taliban attacks. Carrier aircraft provide close air power support and deliver ordnance on enemy positions designated by ground forces. Read it.

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Friday, April 6, 2007

Combat Camera: No Haven for Terrorists

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGEA Soldier blends in with his surroundings to get the drop on the enemy. U.S. Army photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall. April 05, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGEIt is difficult to see these Soldiers as they hunt for the enemies of the Iraqi people. U.S. Army photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall. April 05, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGESoldiers clear an abandoned house. U.S. Army photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall. April 05, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGESoldiers and Iraqi police mask their movements in the open with smoke. U.S. Army photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall. April 05, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGEA Soldier throws another smoke grenade. U.S. Army photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall. April 05, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGEAn Iraqi policeman has a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, which can penetrate a wall if needed. U.S. Army photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall. April 05, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGEA Soldier walks across an irrigation wall during the patrol. U.S. Army photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall. April 05, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGESgt. Martin Jones looks for suspicious activity. U.S. Army photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall. April 05, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGEA Soldier watches for IEDs as well as enemy activity. U.S. Army photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall. April 05, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGESpc. Bryan Winton and a fellow Soldier observe their surroundings before crossing an open area of ground. U.S. Army photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall. April 05, 2007

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Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Combat Camera: Spring Offensive in Afghanistan

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGEU.S. Army soldiers from Task Force Fury walk along the border with Pakistan in Khowst Province. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac A. Graham, April 02, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGEA Soldier from the 203rd Regional Police Advisory Team inspects the border with Pakistan in the Tirzaye District of Khowst Province. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac A. Graham, April 02, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGESpc. Victor Piacente, from the Connecticut National Guard, scans his sector while his convoy stops for a break during an extended patrol in Gardez Province. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac A. Graham, April 02, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGEA Soldier from Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Field Artillery Regiment pulls security in Khowst Province. The Afghan Soldier on the hill is patrolling the area. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac A. Graham, April 02, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGESoldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Field Artillery Regiment walk the border with Pakistan in Khowst Province. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac A. Graham, April 02, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGEAfghan National Policemen man a guard shack on the road leading across the Pakistan/Afghanistan border below checkpoint 7 in the Tirzaye District of Khowst Province. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac A. Graham, April 02, 2007

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGEA Soldier from the Connecticut National Guard patrols Gardez Province. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Isaac A. Graham, April 02, 2007

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Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Deploys to Persian Gulf

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGEPACIFIC OCEAN (April 3, 2007) - Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Paula Gray covers up as a C2-A Greyhound, from Carrier Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30, takes off from aboard nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is deployed in support of operations in U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice John Scorza (RELEASED)

Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Deploys to U. S. Central Command
From USS Nimitz Public Affairs Office

USS NIMITZ, At Sea (NNS) -- More than 6,000 Sailors and Marines attached to the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployed from their homeport of San Diego on April 2.

The Nimitz CSG will join the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) CSG and relieve the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) CSG, currently operating in the Persian Gulf. Read it.

UPI Image: NUCLEAR AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS NIMITZ HEADS FOR IRANIAN WATERS

Nimitz carrier group heads for Gulf
SAN DIEGO, April 2 (UPI) -- The nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz was scheduled to leave San Diego Monday for service in the Persian Gulf. Read it.

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Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group on Deployment

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.SOUTH CHINA SEA (April 3, 2007) - An F/A-18C Hornet, assigned to the “Fist of the Fleet” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 25, breaks the sound barrier while performing a supersonic flyby of USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during an air power demonstration. The air power demonstration was performed by Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 and featured participation from each of the eight squadrons assigned to CVW-14. Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is underway in support of operations in the western Pacific. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Burden (RELEASED)

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.SOUTH CHINA SEA (April 3, 2007) - Sailors aboard the Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) prepare for cycle of flight operations. Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 embarked on Ronald Reagan is on a surge deployment in support of U.S. military operations in the area. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joe Painter (RELEASED)

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.SOUTH CHINA SEA (April 3, 2007) - An E-2C Hawkeye, from the “Black Eagles” of Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 113, performs a flyby over the flight deck of USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during an air power demonstration. Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 performed the air power demonstration featuring an exhibition from all eight of the air wing’s squadrons. Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is underway in support of operations in the western Pacific. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John P. Curtis (RELEASED)

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.SOUTH CHINA SEA (April 3, 2007) - During an air power demonstration for the crew of USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), an SH-60F Seahawk, assigned to the “Black Knights” of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 4, hovers while a member of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 11, Detachment 15, fast-ropes to the flight deck. The air power demonstration was performed by Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 and featured participation from each of the eight squadrons assigned to CVW-14. Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is underway in support of operations in the western Pacific. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Burden (RELEASED)

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.PACIFIC OCEAN (March 30, 2007) - Lt. j.g. Frank Crouse debriefs flight deck personnel after a successful flight deck drill on board USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 are underway in support of operations in the western Pacific. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph M. Buliavac (RELEASED)

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.SOUTH CHINA SEA (March 28, 2007) - Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) comes alongside Military Sealift Command (MSC) ammunition ship USNS Kiska (T-AE 35) for an ordnance offloading evolution during Exercise Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration/Foal Eagle (RSOI/FE) 2007. Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is underway in support of operations in the western Pacific. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Burden (RELEASED)

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.SOUTH CHINA SEA (March 28, 2007) - Commander United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command United States Forces Korea, Gen. B.B. Bell, left, watches the landing of an F/A-18E Super Hornet with a group of distinguished visitors (DV) and Republic of Korea nationals aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). The visit was scheduled to familiarize the group with aircraft carrier operations and to allow them to see the capabilities of Reagan. Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is underway in support of operations in the western Pacific. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Scott (RELEASED)

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.SEA OF JAPAN (March 27, 2007) - Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) maneuvers into position for a photo exercise (PHOTOEX) with the members of Ronald Reagan Strike Group and ships from the Republic of Korea as part of Exercise Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration/Foal Eagle (RSOI/FE) 2007. The exercise demonstrates a commitment to the ROK/U.S. alliance and enhances combat readiness through combined and joint training. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Burden (RELEASED)

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House Nixes Global War on Terror

Unnamed terrorists.
Terrorists without a name.

Perhaps the struggle should be called "the war that must not be named."

According to The Military Times, the House Armed Services Committee is banishing the global war on terror from the 2008 defense budget.

Only it is not because the war has been won, lost or even called off, but it is because the committee’s Democratic leadership doesn’t like the phrase.

A memo for the committee staff, circulated March 27, says the 2008 bill and its accompanying explanatory report that will set defense policy should be specific about military operations and “avoid using colloquialisms.”

“You have to wonder if this means that we have to rename the GWOT,” said a Republican aide, referring to the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medals established in 2003 for service members involved, directly and indirectly, in military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world.

“If you are a reader of the Harry Potter books, you might describe this as the war that must not be named,” said another Republican aide. That is a reference to the fact that the villain in the Harry Potter series, Lord Voldemort, is often referred to as “he who must not be named” because of fears of his dark wizardry.
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Murtha: Military Draft Would Ease Burden

John Murtha
John Murtha

Open thread:

The Associated Press reports a military draft would ease the burden placed on soldiers and their families, Rep. John Murtha, a leading Democratic critic of the Iraq war, said Tuesday.

"A draft is the fairest way, if we're going to fight a war, to fight it, because everybody has responsibility," Murtha, echoing comments he made last week to CNN, said in a phone interview from his district in western Pennsylvania. "Everybody should share in this responsibility. Everybody should have the chance to serve."
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Tuesday, April 3, 2007

The Decline and Fall of Western Civ for 3 Apr.

The Decline and Fall of Western Civ.: Barbarians have Crashed the Gate.
The Speaker submits and other mixed messages...

Welcome to another uninspired edition of DFWC:

  • AP reports San Fran Nancy Pelosi is in the Middle East attempting to spread Haight-Ashbury values to folks who are probably the state sponsors of terrorism. Perhaps Nan is simply urging America's enemies to hold on for just a while longer because the complicit Democrats will soon to return to what they regard is their endowed place of power: when Dems lose, the election has been stolen; when Dems win, it is a mandate from all the people.

    In any event, at the same time perplexing and disquieting is the image of an American leader, second in line to the Presidency, wrapped in the submissive symbolism of the traditional Muslim veil. Perhaps it's just a Democrat thing. Remember oompa loompa Kerry and tank man Dukakis?

  • The Washington Post reports President Bush today offered no compromise in his standoff with Congress over funding for the Iraq war.

    President Bush also denounced "irresponsible" Democrats for going on spring break after approving an unpalatable, pork-ridden spinach and peanut bill with a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.

    Simply put, Congress will need to approve money to fund the war effort, or risk being responsible for a situation where American troops in the field are left without without the resources necessary to defend themselves.

    "Democrat leaders in Congress seem more interested in fighting political battles in Washington than in providing our troops what they need to fight the battles in Iraq," Bush said. "In a time of war, it's irresponsible for the Democrat leadership -- Democratic leadership in Congress to delay for months on end while our troops in combat are waiting for the funds."

    <...>

    "They need to come off their vacation, get a bill to my desk, and if it's got strings and mandates and withdrawals and pork I'll veto it," the president said. "And then we can get down to the business of getting this thing done."
    Extra bias from Jennifer Loven at The Associated Press.

  • Also in the news, AP reports Congressional critics of President Bush's Iraq policy "seem to be rooting for failure," former White House chief of staff Andrew Card said Tuesday.

    "We should be rooting for success," Card said. "I'm very upset that I see many of his critics, who are partisans, Republicans or Democrats, who seem to be rooting for failure. You know, they don't like his plan, therefore they want it to fail."

    Sadly, Democrats have made anti-Bush anti-war the party's defining platform. As such, the are married to defeat and have no option but to follow their flawed political strategy into oblivion.

    • Here's an update on a story I covered in Sunday's DFWC about an undergraduate student's papier mache sculpture of Obama as a messianic figure -- entitled "Blessing,"which went on display Saturday at a downtown gallery run by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

      David Cordero, 24, made the sculpture for his senior show after noticing all the attention Obama has received since he first hinted he may run for the presidency, AP reports.

      "All of this is a response to what I've been witnessing and hearing, this idea that Barack is sort of a potential savior that might come and absolve the country of all its sins," Cordero said. "In a lot of ways it's about caution in assigning all these inflated expectations on one individual, and expecting them to change something that many hands have shaped."

    • Britain called for direct talks with Iran to resolve a dispute over 15 captive Britons Tuesday after its first contact with the chief Iranian negotiator, according to AP. The announcement followed the sudden release of an Iranian diplomat in Iraq that raised new hope for resolving the standoff.

      Meanwhile, AFP reports the U.S. Navy said Tuesday it had stepped up vigilance following Iran's recent seizure of 15 British marines and sailors for allegedly entering Iranian waters.

    • AFP reports President Bush said he took climate change very seriously Tuesday, a day after the Supreme Court ruled that the government must regulate greenhouse gases, seen by climate change alarmists as a potential watershed in fighting global warming.

      It's a good thing someone is paying attention, too. That term "potential" doesn't mean "actual" -- no matter how many ways you try to spin it.

      Bush said that "whatever we do, it must be in concert with what happens internationally. Because we could pass any number of measures that are now being discussed in the Congress, but unless there is an accord with China, China will produce greenhouse gases that will offset anything we do in a brief period of time.

    • The New York Coal Trade Association, headquartered in New York City, recently held its 94th annual banquet and meeting at the New York Hilton. The New York Sun reports one of the guest speakers was Bob Murray, founder and CEO of Murray Energy Corporation and probably one of the few CEOs brave enough to challenge the militant climate control movement that threatens the future of America's economy. In his speech, he dared to say that he regards Al Gore as the shaman of global doom and gloom. He is not joking when he says, "He is more dangerous than his global warming."

    • And finally, The Daily Mail reports the Rolling Stones guitarist has admitted how he snorted his own father's ashes in a drugs binge.

      The 63-year-old detailed in a magazine interview how he mixed the ashes with cocaine and inhaled them.
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    Combat Camera: Airmen Mentor Afghan Soldiers

    CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.An Afghan National Army trainee provides perimeter security during training at the Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC) in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 15, 2007. Approximately 19 U.S. Air Force members provide guidance and mentorship for the instructors, officers and trainees at KMTC. The Internation Security Assistnae Force and the U.S. military provide the maximum amount of guidance for the Afghan National Army to independently sustain the security of its own country. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.

    CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.Senior Master Sgt. Robert Spaulding provides mentorship to Capt. Abdul Rahman, Military Police commander, during training at the Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC) in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 15, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.

    CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.Afghan National Army trainees prepare to learn perimeter security during training at the Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC) in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 15, 2007. Approximately 19 U.S. Air Force members provide guidance and mentorship for the instructors, officers and trainees at KMTC. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.

    CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.Afghan National Army trainees learn how to secure a perimeter during training at the Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC) in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 15, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.

    CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.An Afghan National Army trainee learns how to provide perimeter security during training at the Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC) in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 15, 2007. Approximately 19 U.S. Air Force members provide guidance and mentorship for the instructors, officers and trainees at KMTC. The International Security Assistance Force and the U.S. military provide the maximum amount of guidance for the Afghan National Army to independently sustain the security of its own country. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.

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    Sunday, April 1, 2007

    Combat Camera: Engineers Help Open School

    CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.Children wait outside the newly-opened boys' school in Rabat, Afghanistan, for members of the 27th Engineer Battalion to hand out school supplies, March 16, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher

    CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.Wali Jan, senior teacher; Mohammad Hashim, Sarobi sub-governor; and Mado Khan, Rabat village elder cut the ribbon on the new Rabat boys' school in Rabat, Afghanistan, March 16, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher

    CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.Army Staff Sgt. Ajaya Martin, assigned to the 27th Engineer Battalion, offers a new soccer ball to a young Afghan child. Members of the 27th Engineer Battalion handed out school supplies, soccer and volley balls, and farm equipment to Afghans at the Rabat boys' school opening in Rabat, Afghanistan, March 16, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher

    CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.Sgt. Bobbie Pettway, assigned to the 27th Engineer Battalion, offers school supplies to a young Afghan girl at the Rabat school opening, March 16, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher

    CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.Spc. Justin Hitt, assigned to the 27th Engineer Battalion, fills a book bag with school supplies for a young Afghan girl at the Rabat school opening in Rabat, Afghanistan, March 16, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher

    CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE.Spc. Justin Hitt, assigned to the 27th Engineer Battalion, fills a book bag with school supplies for a young Afghan girl at the Rabat school opening in Rabat, Afghanistan, March 16, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher

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    The Decline and Fall of Western Civ for 1 Apr.

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

    It's the end of the world as we know it...

    • CBS News reports an anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ infuriated Catholics and even led to threats, but the artist says offers to buy or exhibit the piece have been pouring in.

      Now, a new piece of art showing Senator Barack Obama as Jesus Christ is now on display at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, MyFox Chicago reports.

      Well, I know it may not be politically correct, though I am not the one making all the fuss. I am, however, left wondering -- enough to ask out loud -- just what would chocolate Jesus do?

    • If President Bush vetoes an Iraq war spending bill as promised, Congress quickly will provide the money without the withdrawal timeline the White House objects to because no lawmaker "wants to play chicken with our troops,"' Sen. Barack Obama said Sunday, reports the Guardian.

      In a statement that won't set well with the anti-war left, Obama said:

      "My expectation is that we will continue to try to ratchet up the pressure on the president to change course," the Democratic presidential candidate said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'I don't think that we will see a majority of the Senate vote to cut off funding at this stage."

    • The Herald-Tribune reports, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, architect of the the U.S. failure in Vietnam, said Sunday the problems in Iraq are more complex than that conflict, and military victory is no longer possible.

      Of the war, more importantly, both prophetic and foreboding, Kissinger said:

      "The role of America in the world cannot be defined by our internal partisan quarrels."

      "All the leaders, both Republican and Democratic, have to remember that it will go on for several more years and find some basis for common action."

    • As Al Qaeda rebuilds in Pakistan’s tribal areas, a new generation of leaders has emerged under Osama bin Laden to cement control over the network’s operations, according to American intelligence and counterterrorism officials, The New York Times reports.

      Experts also say they believe the fighting in Iraq will produce future Qaeda leaders.

    • The Washington Post reports the standoff between Britain and Iran over 15 detained British sailors and marines sparked protests in Tehran and London on Sunday, as a poll in a British newspaper indicated that 7 percent of Britons believe their country should be readying for military action against Iran.

    • With all the news of the Democrats' confrontation with President Bush over Iraq, the partisan assault for the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, the conduct of the Iraq war and alleged abuses in government surveillance by the FBI, it may come as a surprise to many outside the beltway that congress is on spring break for two weeks.

      The Washington Post reports that some on both side of the conflict see Democrats' plans to widen their assault on the president as "risky."

      Though he has vetoed only one piece of legislation since taking office, Bush has vowed to veto 16 bills that have passed either the House or Senate in the three months since Democrats took control of Congress. So much for the Democrat's delusions of being in power. Democrats need to remember that they were voted into power on a slim margin provided by candidates running on a campaign platform more Republican that the Republicans who lost.

      In any case, with the signs of al Qaeda rebuilding, news reports that Iran, Syria and Hezbollah are preparing for a possible military confrontation with the U.S. in the summer, the hostage standoff between Iran and Britain, and the hotbed of terrorism in Iraq, it may be "risky" to cut and run from the region.
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    Grace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War by Andrew Carroll

    BOOKS IN THE NEWS

    CLICK HEREGrace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War by Andrew Carroll
    (From the Publisher) -- The first book of its kind, Grace Under Fire is an inspiring and spiritual collection of letters and e-mails by U.S. troops and their families from the American Revolution through the War on Terrorism.

    Andrew Carroll, editor of the bestselling War Letters, went through his massive archive of seventy-five-thousand previously unpublished wartime correspondence to pick out the most intimate, dramatic, historic, and insightful letters and e-mails ever written about God, religion, and spirituality. The fifty best of these are featured in this incredible book, and they emphasize how extremely important faith has been, and continues to be, in the lives of U.S. troops and their families.

    What is especially remarkable about Grace Under Fire is the sheer diversity of the collection, which includes several extraordinary letters by two brothers who fought on opposing sides of the Civil War; a prophetic letter by Rabbi David Goode, one of the famed Immortal Chaplains who gave his life for his fellow soldiers; a lighthearted letter by a World War II nurse who met the Pope; and a profound and impassioned reply to the timeless question, “Where is God in wartime?” by a doctor serving in Iraq.

    Warfare can reveal the worst in human nature, but it can also bring out the best, and these correspondences are a testament to the heroism, compassion, grace, intelligence, and inherent goodness of American troops and their families. And although the letters and e-mails featured in this book were written in times of armed conflict, they transcend the subject of war. They are about determination, hope, patriotism, fighting for something greater than one’s self, and, of course, the enduring value of faith. Regardless of whether we have served in the military or not, we can all find inspiration and courage in these powerful and insightful words.

    Reviews
    Praise for Grace Under Fire

    "Andrew Carroll has done a wonderful job bringing together letters from different individuals and different time periods, linked together by one common thread: a strong belief that God is in control, regardless of the outcome. Grace Under Fire brings the importance of faith on the battlefield front and center and is an inspiring reminder that none of us is alone, even in the most dire of circumstances."
    -- Sara Horn, author of A Greater Freedom: Stories of Faith from Operation Iraqi Freedom and publisher of AGreaterFreedom.com.

    “Personal letters from troops on the front lines are among the most honest and intimate expressions of the human heart. Through Andrew Carroll’s passion for preserving these letters we see history unfolding, heroes struggling with irresolvable dilemmas, and glimpses of God in the face of death. Anyone living with difficult circumstances will find in these letters the strength and grace to persevere. You may discover, as I have, that Grace Under Fire is one of the most inspirational books available today.”
    --Frank Selden, author of Finding Faith in the Fury

    “Grace Under Fire gives us a wonderful glimpse into the hearts of people who we pray for and respect greatly. You will find yourself experiencing every conceivable human emotion as you read these real life stories amidst the challenges of war. Andrew Carroll’s work helps us appreciate the heroic people who have fought bravely on behalf of our freedom. Read it and you will treasure your heritage as an American.”
    -- Jim Graff, President of Significant Church Network

    “For generations a letter from or to a loved one serving in uniform has been a lifeline back to the home front. Now, thanks to Andrew Carroll, we get a few small glimpses of those ‘connections of affection’ -- the ordinary insights, the humorous anecdotes, and the philosophical and spiritual musings of soldiers today and generations past. I found myself often stopping to ponder the lives of the men and the women who wrote these letters and the tremendous sacrifices some of them record. It’s a moving -- and sobering -- experience every American should undertake.”
    -- Tom Neven, Marine Corps veteran and author of On the Frontline: A Personal Guidebook for the Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Challenges of Military Life

    About the Author
    ANDREW CARROLL is the founder of the Legacy Project (www.WarLetters.com) and the editor of several bestselling books, including Letters of a Nation, Behind the Lines, and War Letters, which was also the inspiration for the PBS documentary of the same name. A portion of his proceeds from Grace Under Fire will be used to send free copies of the book to U.S. military chaplains around the world.

    Buy now from Amazon.com:
    Grace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War by Andrew Carroll

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    Grace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War

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