Where's the war?

Wow, I just can't get over the amount of news coverage yesterday. Did you see it? Amazing! Yeah, neither did I....


Have you noticed that even an anniversary of the Iraq Campaign doesn't get coverage? Even with protesters running amok in D.C.? Ok, not so much... more like a busy stroll.....

The MSM just doesn't want to bring anyone's attention to Iraq now that there is good news.....
There's even less news about Afghanistan. THAT campaign has never gotten enough press. No hotels for the media....

According to Glenn Beck, on the radio right now:

Iraq made up 3% of the news this time. 27% last year.......
Cable news - 1% vs 24%

And there is 0% that shows the good news about the great things that the soldiers are doing.

They stopped covering the war right after General Petraeus's report.

I guess no one wants to see good news....

Iraqis are happier with the M-16

M-16 replacing AK-47 as weapon of choice in Iraq


This is more good news that you won't easily find in the MSM. Yes, its been reported as cronyism and pork between Colt, that EX-Marine Murtha, (see comments there) and other assorted lobbyists/politicians. Yes, it probably is exactly that. BUT, there are MANY reasons why this is a necessary improvement.

For one thing, the weapons currently being used by Iraqi soldiers and militia are not standardized. Saddam's military had been supplied with weapons by numerous foreign and domestic sources And face it, those AK's are old, worn out, and need to be replaced. Why would we replace them with a weapon not made in the USA?

The AK-47, while a fine weapon in its own right, does not lend itself to precision shooting. A break with the weapon of the past will necessitate the Iraqi soldier in learning new and improved warfare habits. "Spray and Pray" will no longer be an option. Fire discipline teaches small unit discipline. And, after awhile, with training, the good habits compound themselves into professionalism.

While the argument about which weapon is better; or whether the 5.56 round is adequate; or even about the actual quality of the Stoner design for the desert; will never end, the adoption of the M-16 and M-4 as the Iraqi military standard as a political move is OUTSTANDING.

Iraqi soldiers, if nothing else, have grown to respect our Marines and Soldiers while fighting by their side. They want to be as professional as our military, especially their enlisted ranks. Respect for the non-com is unheard of in the mid-east. And then they meet ours. No one shows disrespect to a Gunny or First Sergeant. The Iraqis see that officers depend on the non commissioned officers to carry out the mission. They want that responsibility and respect.

“Most of the soldiers think they will be just like the Americans, and that is making them very happy,” said Capt. Rafaat Mejal Ahmed, the Iraqi 1st Division weapons and ammunition officer.

At Military.com:

In a move that could be the most enduring imprint of U.S. influence in the Arab world, American military officials in Baghdad have begun a crash program to outfit the entire Iraqi army with M-16 rifles.

The initiative marks a sharp break for a culture steeped in the traditions of the Soviet-era AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle, a symbol of revolutionary zeal and third-world simplicity that is ubiquitous among the militaries of the Middle East.

"We in the U.S. know that the M-16 is superior to the AK ... it's more durable," said Army Col. Stephen Scott, who's in charge of helping the Iraqi army get all the equipment it needs to outfit its forces.

"Our goal is to give every Iraqi soldier an M-16A2 or an M-4," Scott said. "And as the Iraqi army grows, we will adjust."

Scott added the mass of AK-47s from various manufacturers floating through the Iraqi army's inventory could cause maintenance and reliability problems.

"I'm also a fan of AKs," Scott said. "But keep in mind most of these AKs have been sitting around in bunkers or whatnot for 30 or 40 years [and] are in various stages of disrepair."

After seeing some of the firing range training himself, Scott added that he "asked the Iraqis how they liked the weapon and they said it was far superior, it was more accurate ... and more reliable."

And, at the least, weapons found in enemy hands will be easily traced back to the source. Allied units will be harder to infiltrate. And captured weapons will be harder to supply.

All in all, this is a good development.

Fred does not pander

The good fellows over at Society for Independent Thinking put out a good description of Fred Thompson and why he's not getting any press:

And, of course, there’s the AP dog-and-pony show, wherein they ask the candidates stupid yearbook questions, instead of dealing with substance. Thompson’s responses, while certainly not pleasing to the AP (that is, they wouldn’t have been had the AP gotten the joke) were sure-fire crowd-pleasers to those of us who understood where Thompson was coming from:
What’s your favorite joke? Presidential debates.
What’s your favorite keepsake? Trophy wife.
What’s your favorite nickname? Mr. President.
And, of course, there’s my new favorite poke in the eye: What do you like to do on a ‘lazy day’? Campaigning.

Al Quaeda is defeated

Via the incredible Michael Yon (check out his site. Donate.)

Iraqi Islamic Party: “Al Qaeda is Defeated”

“Al Qaeda in Iraq is defeated,” according to Sheik Omar Jabouri, spokesman for the Iraqi Islamic Party and a member of the widespread and influential Jabouri Tribe. Speaking through an interpreter at a 31 October meeting at the Iraqi Islamic Party headquarters in downtown Baghdad, Sheik Omar said that al Qaeda had been “defeated mentally, and therefore is defeated physically,” referring to how clear it has become that the terrorist group’s tactics have backfired. Operatives who could once disappear back into the crowd after committing an increasingly atrocious attack no longer find safe haven among the Iraqis who live in the southern part of Baghdad. They are being hunted down and killed. Or, if they are lucky, captured by Americans.

Marine Sees Himself On News One Year After Combat

by C. Dickson, 12-30-06

Ted Dickson, at 22, is now a freshman in college and enjoying every minute of it. Perhaps a little too much his parents think, but after four years in the Marines, the newly discharged Corporal and newly enlisted Guardsman was, for the moment, focused on his abs at Gold's Gym.

And then it happened, looking up, he saw himself with his Fire Team back on the streets of Husayba in Anbar Province, Iraq. It was November of 2005 and there they were. Adrenalin pumping, climbing over walls, battering down doors, and taking the town one house at a time.

The CNN news reader spoke over the video a few more seconds and it was over. There was still time to get on the treadmill before heading home for supper on this Friday December 29, 2006.

Ted and 3/6 I Co. 1st Plt. are in the CNN news clip "Iraq Troop Increase?" starting at 1:08 through 1:30.

For those curious as to why footage that old was used, this Hugh Hewitt audio "T.F. Boggs, Bill Roggio, Froggy Ruminations" may shed some light. Start at 10:32.