New thread without a retarded title.

http://www.michaeltotten.com/

http://michaelyon-online.com/

http://michaelyon-online.com/wp/gates-of-fire.htm

8/23/2007 11:18:09 AM

8/23/2007 12:33:07 PM

http://michaelyon-online.com/wp/the-ghosts-of-anbar-part-ii-of-iv.htm

good one

8/27/2007 2:36:18 PM

iraq? are we still there?

8/27/2007 2:37:38 PM

http://www.michaeltotten.com/

new one

8/28/2007 7:53:11 PM

http://michaelyon-online.com/wp/ghosts-of-anbar-part-iii-of-iv.htm

Man I love this stuff.

We can win

8/30/2007 3:08:35 PM

Quote :

"Man I love this stuff. We can win"

Of course we can win. The vast majority of people there want us to "win." The past few months things have gotten better (they are still shit and can it can go south quickly).

The worst thing we can do is leave now. You break it you buy it. We owe it to the people of Iraq to see this through. We invaded their country so now we gotta fix it and pay the price.

[Edited on August 30, 2007 at 3:20 PM. Reason : .]

8/30/2007 3:20:03 PM

The issue isn't whether we can win or not, the issue is do we have the ability to sustain our presence in Iraq.

The answer to that question, politically, is: probably not
The answer to that question, militarily, is: probably not

8/30/2007 3:28:29 PM

Positive news makes me go

8/30/2007 4:00:56 PM

http://www.indcjournal.com/archives/003097.php

Nice article about Fallujah

9/6/2007 1:19:32 PM

Quote :

"We invaded their country so now we gotta fix it and pay the price."

And the best way to fix a country is with guns and bombs, right?

We should withdraw and pay reparations.

9/6/2007 1:56:30 PM

is that sarcasm?

cause i sure hope it isnt serious.

9/6/2007 1:58:32 PM

The policy recommendation is completely serious.

9/6/2007 2:01:00 PM

who would you like to write the "reparations" cheque to?

Al-Maliki?

or should we just have Free Ice Cream Day for all Iraqi citizens?

9/6/2007 3:49:55 PM

Quote :

"or should we just have Free Ice Cream Day for all Iraqi citizens?"

Something like that, most likely.

We'd have to figure out how best aid Iraqis without killing them (or others).

9/6/2007 3:52:35 PM

We've spent enough money on the Iraq war to almost give every single Iraq citizen $25,000 (that means man, woman, and child). We could have just paid them from the outset to like us and let us take over their gov., and things would have turned out a lot better.

9/6/2007 4:20:22 PM

Quote :

"who would you like to write the "reparations" cheque to? Al-Maliki?"

WhyTF to him?

Reparations should be paid to all the people who have lost anything because of the war. Life, family member, property, money, job, education, etc.

9/6/2007 4:54:18 PM

^, ^^, ^^^

i understand the sentiment, and it's all very noble...

but giving every Iraqi 40 acres and a mule does nothing to support a stable government and restore the huge void in the balance of power of Southwest Asia and the Middle East that we created when we eliminated Saddam, dismantled the Iraqi army, and reduced the economy of a largely industrialized and nominally pro-Western nation of 25 million people to below the level of most developing Third World countries.






[Edited on September 6, 2007 at 5:14 PM. Reason : ]

9/6/2007 5:09:17 PM

Quote :

"Reparations should be paid to all the people who have lost anything because of the war. Life, family member, property, money, job, education, etc."

That sounds pretty good.

Quote :

"and reduced the economy of a largely industrialized and nominally pro-Western nation of 25 million people to below the level of most developing Third World countries."

Some 2007 estimates place Iraqi GDP per capita above what it was in 2002. Really, Iraq's GDP per capita has been horrible for as far back as I can find numbers. It did get even worse a for while, but as I said, some (the CIA, for example) claim the country is doing better now.

9/6/2007 7:13:46 PM

http://www.michaeltotten.com/

Nice long read.

9/10/2007 11:24:51 AM

This drawing by an Iraqi child depicts the American-Iraqi alliance against Al Qaeda. Notice the sword is Iraqi and the muscle is American.

9/10/2007 1:00:58 PM

that kid needs to be expelled. Drawing violent pictures and mentioning Al Qaeda all in one picture? wow...what would they have done to this kid if he lived in free America??? /Sarcasm

9/10/2007 1:10:47 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/09/10/iraq.deadbodies/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

They've got volunteers to collect all the dead people just from baghdad!

Quote :

" "I only think about one thing: That one day, I will face the same fate as these people have faced, and will there be someone to take care of me and bury me, too?""

It seems some positive news is that they've resigned to their fates.

9/10/2007 1:13:38 PM

http://www.michaeltotten.com/

Read that. I am serious.

9/10/2007 1:31:52 PM

Quote :

"Don’t Ask Me What I Think about the Petraeus Report Ask the battalion commanders. By Michael Yon Weeks ago, as the deadline for General David Petraeus’s progress report on the war loomed, journalists were already asking me what I thought of it. Then, as now, I do not know what to think of the report since it is not yet published. Even this coming week, after listening to the general’s testimony before Congress, I will have to read the report and transcripts numerous times, sleep on the information, and reflect on it in light of my own observations of the situation in Iraq. The outcome of the war in Iraq, and to some extent the greater War on Terror, will largely depend upon our decisions today. The outcome is too important for quick words. Many will try to be the first to report on the report, and their reports likely will be the most unreliable. To form reasonably accurate ideas about what truly is going on in Iraq one must speak with many people. When I first went to Iraq, aside from talking with as many Iraqis as possible, I identified key Coalition military people. I did not necessarily define “key” in terms of either rank or position. Rather, I sought out people whom I believed to be competent, informed, and truthful. Between December 2004, when I first landed in Baghdad as an independent writer, and now, I’ve identified plenty. For the purpose of the upcoming report, instead of journalists inquiring about what I think, they should be asking Iraqis. Iraqis, in my experience seem to have little problem freely expressing their opinions (women included), and seem particularly inclined to air grievances. To get an excellent and intelligent perspective from Iraqis, I recommend reading the “Iraq the Model” blog site. When I return to Iraq shortly, I will continue to engage Iraqis from all backgrounds, in my consideration of the impact of, and reaction to, the commanding general’s report. The reaction and input of military people will also undoubtedly be folded into the news about the General Petraeus’s report. I recall times when mainstream reporters flitted from soldier to soldier doing what I call “opinion shopping.” A variation on this theme would be the more typical tactic of asking a retired general or a newly minted private to render an opinion on a tactical or strategic matter, about certain salient points with which they couldn’t possibly be well acquainted. But here is a hint to journalists who are seeking truth — good or bad. There is one group of officers whose input has invariably proved both relevant and revelatory for me in compiling my work: battalion commanders who are commanding infantry or special operations units. Special operations people are unlikely to go on record, but the special operations people that I’ve talked with tend to be very knowledgeable and frank, and their input on background is critical. As for the infantry battalion commanders, they are the proverbial sweet spot. Battalion command sergeant majors can be excellent, too, but they often will not go on record. Battalion commanders will tend to be willing to go on record, and will tend to talk to journalists. It’s important to understand why I think battalion commanders — especially infantry commanders — are the best bet for unmitigated truth coming from just the right places on the ground; they are the best bet because they have SA: Situational Awareness. Good journalists don’t go around interviewing privates and young sergeants about strategic situations because privates and young sergeants don’t know what they are talking about. I know. I was both. Also, you don’t want to rely heavily on people who are too high ranking, because they can be too politically compromised. Discerning which officers to talk to is rather like the story of the three bears: Some beds are too big, some beds are too small, but one bed is just right. For this report, the fairy tale translates into something like this: company commander (captain; too small for purposes of the upcoming report); battalion command (lieutenant colonel; just right); brigade commander (colonel; getting too large, but usually is also a good interview); division commander (major general; too large). The “just right” place is battalion commander, or “BC.” The BC typically will interact with Iraqis six to seven days per week. The BC will be outside the base and downtown just about daily, so he is not insulated. He is interacting, but he also is exposed to higher-level information and goings-on. An infantry BC might command about 700 soldiers, and his responsibilities are vast because they begin and end with life and death. A BC will see Iraqis get killed due to policy decisions, and moreover he will see his own people get injured or killed. Any BC who had tolerance for B.S.before the war tends to have it sandblasted away. Being in combat personally, and having to explain to parents at home why their son or daughter was injured or killed, can have that abrasive effect. The BCs are vetted and tend to be exceptional individuals with exceptional SA about their particular battle-space. It usually doesn’t take long to register the reasons these seasoned individuals were chosen for the BC position. Most of the BCs I’ve encountered are 40-45 years old. They’ve done multiple combat tours and lived around the world, so their bigger picture has matured into a broader context. Iraq is often not their defining moment, but more a whistle stop. That said, there are downsides, especially to relying strictly on one or two BCs. While they are leading combat units, they work like plow horses. The work load can be severe, and though they tend to have much broader context than most people, during their combat tours their focus is isolated to their own battle-spaces. Therefore they are most knowledgeable about their own battle-space and their contiguous battle-spaces. They seem to lose context for the broader Iraq while they are at war, and then redevelop that context when they leave, with the addition of an increasingly informed experience-set. Most importantly, BCs who are in combat tend to be strikingly frank. They are too involved with day-to-day real war to be concerned with sugar, and so they often will say things that likely were not, let’s say, approved by higher command, which tends to be more insulated from the battlefield. Higher commanders often have a great deal of combat experience, but they tend to start taking on different roles and can be more guarded in their talk. So, while the BC position is just right, talking with only one or two may not give the most accurate portrayal because they will tend to be focused on their own environment. Therefore it’s necessary to talk with numerous BCs. It’s important to get British input, but though their military is extremely competent, they can be more difficult to get on record. So, I would suggest that to audit the upcoming report, reach out to about ten BCs from around Iraq: Nineveh, Anbar, Diyala, Baghdad. Check the cities of Basra, Samarra, Tikrit, Kirkuk and others. While some BCs may be guarded, others will be shockingly frank, and in aggregate, a reporter can begin to develop a feel for the place as seen through an excellent perspective. Additionally, they will be drawing on the reports of those who are not always going to tote someone’s party line. Caveat emptor: Do not merely rely on the Public Affairs Office (PAO) in Baghdad to ask for introductions. They might stack the deck. Search the web and you can find which units are where, and with that you can figure out ways to reach out to the units without a middleman. The BC will still likely clear any conversation with a journalist with their PAO, but now you have short-circuited any PAO attempt to give you a “happy tour.” I guarantee that if you get ten battalion commanders to talk, the result will not be a “happy tour,” but a realistic feel from the people who know. — Michael Yon is an independent reporter whose work is reader-supported. To make the investment in his future work, contribute here. "

[Edited on September 10, 2007 at 3:43 PM. Reason : kk]

9/10/2007 3:42:57 PM

http://michaelyon-online.com/wp/hunting-al-qaeda-part-i-of-iii.htm

holla

9/12/2007 12:40:00 PM

conspiracy





http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/09/12/iraq.soldiers.dead/index.html?iref=topnews

9/12/2007 10:32:01 PM

Is there any particular reason to keep updating this thread, without adding your own commentary.

I try to read some of his posts, but I have to admit, he's wordy as hell.

9/12/2007 10:39:19 PM

I dont know about you, but I cant get enough of actual news coming from the ground. Before I started reading about changes on the ground, all I heard was massive amounts of negative news.

And the soap box needs some real facts about the ground truth in Iraq(at least where these reports are coming from).

And I dont know enough about Iraq, Islam, and the social political complexities that exist on the ground in Iraq to make any comments that have any real meaning.

You guys are more than welcome to jibba jabba about it though

[Edited on September 13, 2007 at 8:22 AM. Reason : jibba]

9/13/2007 8:20:40 AM

So in other words you're just spamming a biased source all over these forums without adding anything to it.

"look the soldier gave an iraqi child a candybar and the child smiled at him instead of blowing him up, that means we're loved by the people and winning the war, correct?"

9/13/2007 8:22:53 AM

it begins


I just like reading their dispatches. Take from it what you will. Everyone comes into this thread with their own biases. Nothing anyone says on here changes anything anyway

[Edited on September 13, 2007 at 8:24 AM. Reason : ff]

9/13/2007 8:23:29 AM

No one has discussed anything about this thread once. We are fully capable of cruising his website, adding his blog to our rss agregator, etc. Stop bouncing it back up if you aren't going to discuss it.

9/13/2007 8:58:12 AM

Or, I will.

Let people know that one of them has been updated.

If people find other good sites, they can post them here.

kkthx

9/13/2007 9:36:18 AM

http://www.michaeltotten.com/

Andbar part 2.

Quote :

"“It was nothing we did,” said Marine Lieutenant Colonel Drew Crane who was visiting for the day from Fallujah. “The people here just couldn’t take it anymore.” What he said next surprised me even more than what I was seeing. “You know what I like most about this place?” he said. “What’s that?” I said. “We don’t need to wear body armor or helmets,” he said. I was poleaxed. Without even realizing it, I had taken off my body armor and helmet. I took my gear off as casually as I do when I take it off after returning to the safety of the base after patrolling. We were not in the safety of the base and the wire. We were safe because we were in Ramadi. "

9/18/2007 8:42:02 AM

sigh, I hate image shack

[Edited on September 18, 2007 at 6:54 PM. Reason : ds]

9/18/2007 6:54:06 PM

http://reason.com/news/show/122023.html

Good article on Iran and the unrest there by Totten.

9/20/2007 4:15:26 PM

Quote :

"Kianoosh Sanjari is a member of the United Student Front in Tehran. At 23, he has been imprisoned and tortured many times. His last arrest was on October 7, 2006, after he wrote about clashes between the Revolutionary Guards and supporters of the liberal cleric Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi. Charged with “acting against state security” and “propaganda against the system,” he was released on $100,000 bail last December. Some months later, he fled to Iraq and moved to the Komala camp. Unlike most Iranian visitors who use Komala as a safe house, Sanjari didn’t bother remaining anonymous. He told me his real name and said I could publish his picture. If you can read Farsi, you can read his blog at ks61.blogspot.com. “I’m just now coming out of Iran,” he said. “It’s a hell there. I know the sufferings. I am inclined to accept any tactic that helps overthrow this regime.” “Does that include an American invasion of Iran?” I asked. “Maybe intellectuals who just talk about things are not in favor of that kind of military attack,” he said. “But I have spoken to people in taxis, in public places. They are praying for an external outside power to do something for them and get rid of the mullahs. Personally, it’s not acceptable for me if the United States crosses the Iranian border. I like the independence of Iran and respect the independence of my country. But my generation doesn’t care about this.” Sanjari has fierce and intimidating eyes, the eyes not of a fanatic but of a deadly serious person who is not to be messed with. He spoke slowly and with great force. “They repress people in the name of religion,” he said. “They torture people in the name of religion. They kill people in the name of religion. The young generation now wants to distance themselves from religion itself.” Islamists seem to fail wherever they succeed. Perhaps Islamic law looks good on paper to Muslims who live in oppressive secular states, but few seem to think so after they actually have to put up with it. "

9/20/2007 4:18:51 PM

Quote :

"The young generation now wants to distance themselves from religion itself"

hell yeah

9/20/2007 4:23:42 PM

Quote :

"“But I have spoken to people in taxis, in public places. They are praying for an external outside power to do something for them and get rid of the mullahs."

LET'S ATTACK IRAN BECAUSE THE HANDFUL OF PEOPLE THIS KID HAS TALKED TO WANT THE US TO ATTACK...

dejavu?

9/20/2007 4:26:42 PM

Thats one way to take the article......

9/20/2007 4:45:25 PM

http://www.michaeltotten.com/

Quote :

"“What’s the most important thing Americans need to know about Iraq that they don’t currently know?” I said. “That we’re fighting Al Qaeda,” he said without hesitation. “[Abu Musab al] Zarqawi invented Al Qaeda in Iraq. The top leadership outside Iraq squawked and thought it was a bad idea. Then he blew up the Samarra mosque, triggered a civil war, and got the whole world’s attention. Then the Al Qaeda leadership outside dumped huge amounts of money and people and arms into Anbar Province. They poured everything they had into this place. The battle against Americans in Anbar became their most important fight in the world. And they lost.” "

9/24/2007 10:10:58 AM

Quote :

"“We don’t need to wear body armor or helmets,” he said. "

ill leave mine on thank you very much colonel

9/24/2007 11:43:50 AM

http://www.michaeltotten.com/

bttt

10/1/2007 1:10:55 PM

why do you keep bringing this up when obviously no one cares and you're not bringing anything new into it?

10/1/2007 1:13:12 PM

In other news, US troop deaths were half this much as they were last month. I have no intention of politicizing this, its just something good to hear.

10/1/2007 4:21:47 PM

Quote :

"why do you keep bringing this up when obviously no one cares and you're not bringing anything new into it?"

bttt for new dispatches, which I would hope would generate some discussion with all the smart and mature people that frequent soap box

10/2/2007 9:39:48 AM

http://www.michaeltotten.com/

New dispatch.

http://michaelyon-online.com/wp/under-distant-stars.htm

[Edited on October 9, 2007 at 10:51 AM. Reason : ss]

10/9/2007 10:25:09 AM

Direct from an officer in the field

Quote :

"We are not fighting a faceless enemy here, however. We have detained at least 120 criminals and insurgents in just the past few months to include those directly linked to the attacks on our soldiers. While most detainees end up in a holding facility run by the Army in Baghdad, a very small percentage are prosecuted in the Iraqi Criminal Court System. To date, we have had one prosecuted in this manner and two more selected for such prosecution. This is a big deal because someone found guilty in the Iraqi System can go to prison for 10-30 years as opposed to 1-5 years under our detention. The personal relationships built by the Troopers of 1-4 CAV with individuals on the streets here is the key. Like any good relationship, we care for the people in our area without condition. We are there every hour of every day and do our best to change the conditions on the ground that allow an insurgency to flourish. We will never detain or kill them all so we work to create an environment where they cannot survive. One other example, recently we had seven IEDs discovered or detonated in a single seven day span. On every one, we got a phone call from a local national telling us exactly where it was or we were called immediately after and told who emplaced it. For the record, not one IED was effective. C Troop even caught one emplacer who videotaped his buddies setting in the IED and then blowing it (no one was injured!). Thinking quickly, the 1st Platoon maneuvered through some side streets and the perpetrator literally ran right into them with the video on a thumb drive in his pocket! Perhaps one of the tightest cases ever! While the situation is always fragile, we have the initiative and the enemy here spends much more time reacting to us than we do to him. He can hide from us but he cannot hide from his neighbor. Once abandoned streets are now filled with families and budding entrepreneurs who continue to open new small businesses every week. We have made available grants for small businesses in our area and they have become immensely popular as you can imagine. I cannot walk the streets without children asking me for a soccer ball and “chocolate” (meaning any kind of candy) and adults asking for a micro grant application or for the status of the one they already filled out. They use these grants to open new businesses or improve their existing one and it is working well. Our area now has a men’s fashion store, fish markets, pharmacies, bakeries, and even two new gyms. We recently helped refurbish a once neglected clinic into a first class location for health care. They have a small lab, dentists, a sonogram machine, x-ray machine, and other new equipment. Our medical platoon recently spent several hours with local doctors and nurses treating patients for every day aches and pains with donated medical supplies from a humanitarian organization. I even watched our physician’s assistant pull a watermelon seed out of a young girl’s ear (sound familiar to any one?). We also recently completed work on a soccer field that is used nightly by the young people here. Much to our surprise, on the opening night, each team had “1-4 CAV” printed on the back of their soccer jerseys. It is not uncommon for us to see guys with these jerseys on walking down the street. A second soccer field will open shortly. Next we are working to repair transformer and powerline issues, open a private doctor’s office, and recruit locals to serve in the Iraqi Police. There is always plenty to do. Other good news; It is over! 1-4 CAV has the highest reenlistment rate of any battalion level unit in all of Baghdad; and A Troop has the highest reenlistment rate of any company level organization in all of Baghdad for this fiscal year. I don’t know how many companies are in Baghdad right now but there are a lot! Each year, units are given a reenlistment mission inorder to retain good soldiers in the Army. For example, the Squadron had a mission to reenlist two soldiers who are still on their initial enlistment during this fiscal year. Well, we reenlisted forty-two. While each soldier reenlists for their own personal reasons, I think it is safe to say that these soldiers believe in what they are doing, they see a difference because of their efforts, and they have tremendous NCO leadership. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? "

http://michaelyon-online.com/

[Edited on October 15, 2007 at 12:43 PM. Reason : dd]

10/15/2007 12:42:42 PM

http://michaelyon-online.com/wp/listening-respectfully.htm

The speech that the former commander in Iraq made a few days ago.

I tend to agree with him about the media.

10/15/2007 2:55:20 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl6t9G979js

Encouraging news from the south. I hope the progress keeps the militias influence in check.

10/16/2007 9:08:33 AM