Citizen Soldier Video
h/t: Jawa Report.
Sunday night Trackpost to Stop the ACLU, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
New Poll Shows GOP Broken Promises Hurting Canadian Troops
This was just too inept to forgo commentary…
In, Democratic Party Fauxtoshops Veteran, LGF chronicles how the democratic party claims a new poll shows our brave American soldiers aren't getting the resources they need to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There's just one glitch, they're featuring a photo of a Canadian soldier instead of an American.
So the party that criticizes the GOP for not paying enough attention to our service men and women doesn't even have the wherewithal to recognize a member of their own military?
Let's not forget, over the past 20 years it has been democrats and liberals who've voted to cut defense spending, and reduce the size of the military.
Let's also not forget that recently certain high-ranking members of the democratic party have publicly declared their intention to cut the funding for the Iraq war if they take control of the house and senate.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Other Key al-Qaeda Suspects Reported Captured
From South Asian News:
Kabul - In an operation launched by Afghan coalition forces in eastern Afghanistan, a known al-Qaeda facilitator and six other suspected al-Qaeda associates were detained, coalition forces said.
The commander of the Hizb-i-Islami militia in Hafezan in the eastern province of Nangarhar, Gulbuddin Hikmatyar, was arrested after credible intelligence led Afghan and coalition forces to his compound, the statement said.
No shots were fired and there were no injuries reported.
Hikmatyar, the former prime minister of Afghanistan, announced jihad or holy war against what he called the US invasion of Afghanistan four and half years ago and the joint opposition of the Afghan government by Taliban and al-Qaeda in the fight against coalition forces.
Two other al-Qaeda suspects were arrested last week in the south- eastern province of Khost.
Read more: Seven al-Qaeda suspects arrested in eastern Afghanistan.
Bill Roggio has some very good background information about Hekmatyar:
On the day of the fifth anniversary of the 9-11 attack, Coalition forces score a high value target in Afghanistan. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the commander of Hezb-i-Islami and ally of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, has been captured during a joint U.S. and Afghan Army raid in “eastern Afghanistan.” Hekmatyar, contrary to his rhetoric gave up to the Coalition forces without a fight. Hekmatyar's arrest is said to be part of an 'ongoing operation.'
Hekmatyar has been designated by the U.S. Department of State as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" and "has participated in and supported terrorist acts committed by al-Qa'ida and the Taliban." The 9-11 Commision report indicates Osama bin Laden kept lines of communication open with Hekmatyar. "bin Laden apparently kept his option open, maintaining contacts with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who, though an Islamic extremist, was also one of the Taliban's most militant opponents," states the report.
Read more: Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Reported Captured.
Canadian Reporter Suspended for Praising War Effort in Afganistan
OTTAWA (Reuters) - One of Canada's top television reporters has been suspended from her job for praising the country's increasingly troubled military mission in Afghanistan, the company said on Friday.
Christine St-Pierre, a veteran Ottawa correspondent for French-language public broadcaster Radio-Canada, wrote an open letter to Canada's 2,300 troops telling them to ignore mounting criticism of the mission.
Five Canadian soldiers were killed last weekend, prompting ever louder calls for Ottawa to review the mission. One opposition party wants the troops to come back next February, two years ahead of schedule.
"We owe you all our respect and our unfailing support … dear soldiers, your tears are not in vain, your tears are brave," St-Pierre wrote in the letter, which Montreal's La Presse newspaper published on Thursday.
Radio-Canada suspended her for breaching internal regulations that stipulate employees are not allowed to express their opinions on controversial issues.
Entire article (H/T: Allahpundit), Radio-Canada reporter hit for backing Afghan mission.
I grew up in Canada, so I know how liberal-minded the country is. Many Canadians view the Afghan conflict as America's war. In fact, a recent poll claims that a majority of Canadians blame American foreign policy for the terrorist attacks on 9/11. So why should they send troops to Afghanistan, right?
(Some American's react to the poll results.)
How different would the poll results have been had the terrorist plot, by militant islamists, to destroy several Canadian targets succeeded? Who's foreign policy would Canadians have blamed then? Anyone who blames a nation's foreign policy as having caused a terrorist attack is seriously misguided. The terrorists are the cause of the attack. Not the other way around.
Disagreeing with a nation's foreign policy does not give a rogue group of people the right to murder nearly 3000 innocent civilians. Terrorist groups like al-Qaeda do not represent a State or foreign government. So they can not be held accountable for their actions in the traditional sense.
Furthermore, these people (the terrorists) made a conscious decision to use violence instead of petitioning their respective governments to raise grievances against the United States. Many governments in the middle east repress their constituents and when challenged, they simply deflect criticism by blaming the United States or Israel.
I think Christine St-Pierre did the right thing by praising the troops in harms way. Too few reporters and news agencies do that these days. It makes me wonder… would she have been suspended if she had criticized the mission instead? Probably not.
If you want to see the brave actions of Canadian troops at work, check out one of my previous posts…
LTC Randolph C. White Jr. Speaks the Truth in Graduation Speech
The following video (courtesy: Mahone Productions) of LTC Randolph C. White delivering a graduation speech to Infantrymen who completed training at Ft. Benning, Georgia, on April 21st, 2006. This is a must-see video and a reminder to everyone why America is engaged in an important struggle against Islamo-fascists.
(H/T: Blackfive, US Army Infantry Graduation Speech.)
Canadian Troops Gettin’ It Done
(H/T: Blackfive, Canadians Ambushed - Scott Kesterson video)
Sangin, Helmand Province, Afghanistan:
Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon "Red Devils", from Edmonton, Alberta taking care of business after coming under enemy fire. Another fine example of the tough-fighting and good work coalition troops are doing in Afghanistan…
WARNING: Contains graphic language.
- KGW.com embedded video: Fire Fight, Sangin
- Direct link (if you're having trouble with the embedded player)
More videos and stories from Afghanistan from Scott Kesterson can be found on his blog at KGW's Afghanistan blog and the video archive.
al Qaeda Suspects Captured
From CNN World:
Four al Qaeda suspects captured
(CNN) — Four suspected al Qaeda operatives believed to be involved in planning attacks against Afghan and Coalition forces in eastern Afghanistan were captured in a raid early Saturday in Khowst Province, according to a Coalition spokesman.
Col. Thomas Collins said their capture "should put all terrorists on notice."
"Each day we gain greater intelligence and greater ability to find terrorists who offer nothing to the Afghan people but fear and intimidation," Collins said.
"Extremist-related documents" and two rifles were confiscated in the raid, he said.
The Coalition forces encountered no resistance and no troops were wounded on the mission, he said.
Up to 80 Taliban Dead in U.S.-Led Strike
(Associated Press):
U.S. warplanes struck a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan, killing up to 80 suspected rebels, military officials said Monday. The local governor and a doctor said 17 civilians also were killed… Wounded villagers at a hospital described how aircraft bombed mud-brick homes where Taliban rebels were hiding, having fled there from a religious school after the airstrikes started.
