I have a round-up of good pieces by milbloggers to share this morning, touching on a variety of related topics.
Smash is there to say goodbye to Rummy;
Donald Rumsfeld is not universally loved in the Pentagon. I'm told that he can be a tough, stubborn, and demanding boss. Rumsfeld is infamous for firing off short memos -- known colloquially as "snowflakes" -- asking next-to-impossible-to-answer questions or demanding revolutionary changes. He came to the building in 2001, promising to transform the Department of Defense from a Cold War force to a more flexible, agile military, better prepared to face the challenges of the Twenty-first Century. Almost six years later, that transformation is well underway, but not yet complete. Along the way, Rumsfeld has stepped on many toes, and slaughtered many sacred cows. Inevitably, he made some enemies, especially among the senior officers and long-serving bureaucrats who were heavily invested in the "old way" of doing things.But the troops, and a solid majority of the officers, love him. This is abundantly clear from the warm reception Rumsfeld receives as he walks up to the podium.
The Standard Narrative goes something like this: There is a massive deployment of US forces to the far side of the world. This action is more or less just and warranted. The troops charge into battle, sometimes many battles. All the while, there's an understanding everywhere of an end-state - a point at which the war's goals will have been accomplished and then, most importantly, everyone can come home.
The information front in the Long War is perhaps the war's most vital. And it is one front where the West is perceived as losing. While Coalition forces and Middle Eastern allies face shadowy transnational terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda and its affiliates on the battlefields of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere, the battle for hearts and minds is being fought on the Internet, print, cable and satellite television, and other forms of media. In Iraq, the al-Zawraa satellite television network is broadcasting insurgent propaganda 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
It all began almost a month ago. A local sheik came to the Army unit in charge of the sector he lived in, announced his desire to fight the insurgents, and asked for help in doing so.
I rarely listen to CBCpravda on the radio as it usually puts me in a snit before the 14street bridge. but I had it on this morning.
they report the latest killing in Iraq as people screaming that the government failed to protect them. apparently they dont get angry at the bombers just at the US and the police.
Ive noticed a major shift left again since pravda thinks they have a shot at getting another lib in to raid the treasury.
With regard to Bill Roggios' post:
Incendiary enemy propaganda is a very justifiable target for the Coalition.
If the stuff is coming out of an Egyptian-owned satellite, warn them to shut it down. When they don't, the Coalition should shoot down the satellite.
In a war where the weapons of choice of the bad guys are primitive IEDs and RPGs, reaching out to geosynchronous orbit should have a chilling effect!
I read the Arab News and Islamonline and Al Jeezera.
Until I started to read the Arab News after 9/11 I was blissfully unaware that Jews were descended from pigs and monkeys.
It was quite the eyeopener to read the left wing talking points from sites like Babble and The Nation and the Greens and Al Gore being paraded on Jihadunspun which is based in one of Canadas' own media meccas, North Van.
I wonder where the heck is Baghdad Bob now? Is he a self employed consultant, working in NY and London? /half sarc
The MSM turned Bahdad Bob into a late night comedy act. IMO, that was very appropriate. In my experience, it is just a fact that many, many people take their political views from -cool- celebs like Jon Stewart and Rick Mercer.
Posted by: concrete at December 12, 2006 11:37 AMKate: Interesting topic on the war in Iraq.
http://www.battlefront.com/cgi-bin/bbs/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=52;t=000345;p=0
h/t cjunk.
The out going Penn Senator, Rick Santorum, gave a vitally important farewell speech to the house. The entire speech was about the number one threat to the free world and the blind enablers allowing the threat to become reality. He absolutely gets all the battlefronts, including the information (truth) war. No punches were pulled and not a hint of pcism.
thegatesofvienna.com
Posted by: irwin daisy at December 12, 2006 3:31 PMSubject: THREE CHEERS FOR AUSTRALIA
I wish the leaders of our country would take a stand like Australia
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Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.
A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown.
Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state and its laws were made by parliament.
"If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you," he said on national television. "I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia, one the Australian law and another the Islamic law, that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option," Costello said.
Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country.
Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off".
"Basically, people who don't want to be Australians, and they don't want to live by Australian values and understand them, well then they can basically clear off," he said. Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.
>>Canada ... ARE YOU LISTENING?
“IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It! I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.”
However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the "politically correct" crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia.
However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand.
This idea of Australia being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle.
This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.
We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, Learn the language!
Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push but a fact because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented.
It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, Because God is part of our culture.
We will accept your beliefs and will not question why, all we ask is that you accept ours and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.
If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like " A Fair Go", then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet.
We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. By all means keep your culture but do not force it on others.
This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, "THE RIGHT TO LEAVE".
If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.
Now this is pretty easy really, when you think about it. I figure if we all keep passing this to our friends (and enemies) it will also, sooner or later get back to the complainers. Let's all try, please.
PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE, PERHAPS WE CAN CREATE A GROUND SWELL AND SEND OUR CANADIAN POLITICIANS THE MESSAGE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF US BELIEVE AS THE AUSSIES DO...
.... This is passed on to you with the hope that you and yours agree and will duly pass it on in the hope that its message will reach those for whom it is intended, particularly in Canada.
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia
But, will they have the decency to leave? It takes integrity to say I'll never assimilate with the mores, laws and culture I am living among, it would be the right thing to take my attitudes elsewhere.
Australia is dead right, you are not a citizen, not an asset to the community, if you live in the shadows as a fifth column. Multi-culturalism with its misplaced permissions are the root of this disaster. Immigration is should be a privilege. Host countries need to enforce that concept.
Posted by: penny at December 12, 2006 7:56 PM