USMC Individual Ready Reserve

C.I.R. Press Editorial

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Many on the left are treating this like it is some kind of massive draft (example: ThinkProgress "Name the Draft"), wanting to scare people in to thinking “you or your child is next.” It is nothing of the sort and most of those believing that simply do not understand how the military works. I ask you to read the following and then maybe you will view it as what it really is, people who signed up to serve and are now being called to do so.

Master Sgt. Michelle Ruckman, mobilization operations staff noncommissioned officer in charge at Marine Corps Mobilization Command in Kansas City, Mo., said the Marines won’t be mobilized all at once, but rather “100 here and 60 there” as manpower officials request them.

And more from the USMC:

"Although the move probably won't be popular among affected Marines,” Benjamin said it shouldn't be completely unexpected. "When you did your first time around (on active duty), you know it was a possibility," he said. "And knowing that it was a possibility, it's something that they should have always kept in mind."

Cpl. James Johnson, a postal clerk about to leave for his third deployment during his four years in the Marine Corps, said he applauds the decision to commit more Marines to the mission. That will help get the job done faster so U.S. troops can come home sooner, he figures. "So I think it's good. It will be a relief to the active force," he said.

"I always told my guys that they were joining the Marine Corps to be a Marine and possibly, if called, to fight for their country," he said. "I told them that any benefits they got were just the icing on the cake. So I have no sympathy for people who complain about being called up to serve their country."

Speaking to a Marine vet, who has returned from Iraq:

If he's called back, Mr. Anderson said there's a reasonable chance he'd be assigned to Camp Lejeune to replace a Marine being sent overseas. The prospect doesn't please him. "I've been in the rear, doing the support stuff, and it was some of the unhappiest times I spent in the Marines," he said. "I enjoyed what I was doing more when I was overseas, instead of dealing with all the politics.”

"But I have to continue on the path I'm on now," he said. "And if they call me, I'll hit the pause button."

And more cold hard truth from the source:

In addition, the service is excluding Marines who are in their first year of IRR service. Officials are deliberately avoiding activating Marines who have recently been in a combat zone.

He noted that about 2,600 Marine reservists are serving within U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility. “They’re part of our total force,” he added. “They’re a resource we should be able to tap into in times of war and contingency.”

The Marine Corps drew on its Individual Ready Reserve in the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom, involuntarily calling up roughly 2,000 Marines, and in the 1991 Gulf War, when about 8,300 IRR members were involuntarily activated, O’Connor said.

In conclusion it is a little fact that people being critical like to avoid. People just back from combat are exempt, so don’t pull any of that “yanking by the collar men still bleeding and sending them back to battle.” Also every person called is not sent to combat, many will replace people currently serving here. And in the intelligence world they are just adding more manpower, more people to analyze and in a more expedited fashion deliver results.

War is not a thing that takes breaks for peoples lives, when you are needed you are needed. And in the military people tend to take contracts more seriously than others in civilian life, because their contract is one that stands to defend his/her country and fellow brother and sister in arms. This is part of what they signed up for, many years of peace leads society to feel it is a simple X number of years to get education… no it is more than that and these things are unknown to the general public until wartime.

Maybe it is only the Marines that understand the commitment they show, fighting in every war since the US has stood. I asked some co-workers and friends, they are fine with being called up. Not because they think it will be fun… because it is their duty and what they signed up for.

-md

Emmy time?!

C.I.R. Arts and Entertainment Department

For kicks a good friend has convinced me to give up some of my time to watch the Emmy’s with the idea to see who says the nuttiest crap about the President and world events. This is a huge sidetrack from my normal topics, but I figured I would have some fun. This will be the first Emmy’s I have ever watched, most likely the last.

It will be interesting how well “24” does, considering it is such a nasty program depicting horrible civil rights violations for the dumb reason of saving lives. This should be fun…

-md

And the summation is...

I know many are making a fuss about the intro, with the plane crash scene and the crash in KY yesterday. I guess there is some truth to that but the entire intro was obviously in "the can" well before any news yesterday. But for a moment if you can erase the plane scene I think the intro was pretty funny.

Conin started out quickly by a joke saying that recipients must report gift baskets to the IRS, “Ya, boy… the Bush Administration just keeps sticking it to the working man.” I think is what most fail to realize is that it was a joke. For anyone that sat there and shouted “YEAH” that is sad. If you really want to believe anyone in that room is running off a “working man” salary you are insane. As a matter of fact I thought Bush was giving the rich tax breaks?

I don’t know what kept things on time, was it really Bob being suffocated or the warning at the beginning? “Heavy handed political comments are punished by making you make out with Al Gore in a Prius.”

Then came Alan Alda, his initial Emmy’s were the result of him playing soldier, ugh. Not to mention the writer of the novel to which the series “MASH” was based was a Republican and hated the way Alda portrayed his character as a left-winger. Now he wins for his part on West Wing – Wasn’t he the Republican candidate? I guess him playing a republican shows he is in deed one helluva actor.

Daily Show Clip:
SECSTATE Rice saying she doesn’t deal with hypothetical’s. Jon Stewart quips “In her defense the last time the administration dealt with a hypothetical we invaded Iraq.”

Bill Maher Clip:
“God told him to invade Iraq. You see, that’s what happens when you mix the New Testament and Old Milwaukee.”

Daily Show Wins and they play another clip of them taking VPOTUS to task on the accidental shooting. Apparently the only clips they have to use are ones of them taking on the Administration. No Gore, Biden, Clinton, clips on hand?

ALERT: Alec Baldwin did NOT win the Guest Actor award! Thank God! (Isn’t he supposed to be in France or something?)

Directing for a Drama Series:
Jon Cassar for “24”

Writing for a Variety:
Daily Show And of course they used a clip of Stewart making fun of the shooting incident, again.(oddly enough in Bill Maher “skit” they used photos of those they hate to be them… weird. Kristol, Snow, Hannity, Gingrich, Limbaugh, Coulter, O’Reilly, Delay, VPOTUS. They left out POTUS! Don't they still hate him?)

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:
Tony Shalhoub for “Monk” (Why do I mention this you ask? Because I think he is a great actor and really like the show.)

2 hours and 20 minutes before anyone cared to mention support for troops serving overseas. Thank you Mr. and Mrs Soprano.

Lead Actor in a Drama Series:
Kiefer Sutherland for “24” ( F U terrorists, and thank God the liberal fake President Sheen didn’t win.)

Drama Series:
“24”!!!

All in all I was quite surprised; the actors were on their best behavior. Pretty damn boring actually. And in La-La land a strong minded and handed National Security platform wins top two honors. Maybe there is hope out there.

Joe Rosenthal Dies at 94.

“To get that flag up there, America’s fighting men had to die on that island and on other islands and off the shores and in the air,” Mr. Rosenthal wrote. “What difference does it make who took the picture? I took it, but the Marines took Iwo Jima.”

Not too many journalists are that humble these days. And I try to give credit where credit is due. The NYT's piece was a good one and I recommend all read it. Close friends have told me that the negative is in deed the most exposed (used) in the Archives history.

Illegal to have the upper-hand on terrorists!

C.I.R. Press Editorial

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Over the last weeks we have been rejoicing about the uncovering of a massive terrorist plot to blow up planes mid-flight coming from England. How was that done? By intelligence work performed by the English government in cooperation with multiple other countries. This was a massive success and thank God that it was stopped.

And on the heels of that success comes Federal Judge Anna Diggs Taylor ruling that the NSA TSP is illegal. Fantastic, almost moments after a plot is prevented… the thought that people angry over legitimate counter-terrorist activities apparently trumps the idea that the program could, and very well may have already prevented multiple planes or other plots (bridges being blown up) and no one knows how many lives saved. If there is another attack, you know on whose hands I will place the blood.

Ironically, she is a judge appointed by President Carter who also signed in to law FISA. He also holds the title of being the first to go around FISA less than a year after HE signed it in to law! Executive Order #12139 I guess the fact that she helped Carter get elected means it is ok for him to overlook FISA but not the current president.

This is a disgrace, not because of the politics but because of the fact that it is a court order that only hampers our fight on terrorism. It essentially has the possible implication of making terrorist attacks on our homeland more likely to succeed. How many of those have there been since 9/11 and POTUS stared down the terrorists? NONE. Could it possibly have anything to do with efforts and changes President Bush has made in the intelligence community? YES.

-md

[UPDATE: 20060817 1445hrs] DoJ to appeal.
[UPDATE: 20060823] “This potential conflict of interest merits serious investigation,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “If Judge Diggs Taylor failed to disclose this link to a plaintiff in a case before her court, it would certainly call into question her judgment.”

1 apology, another coming?

C.I.R. Press Editorial

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Well a republican retired USMC Colonel has apologized regarding his comments over the Haditha controversy. I’d say that is a pretty stand up thing to do, the question is will that other Congressman apologize or continue to consider them cold blooded killers prior to any charges?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. lawmaker apologized on Tuesday to U.S. Marines under nvestigation in the deaths of two dozen Iraqi civilians in Haditha in a statement his office said spared him from a libel lawsuit.

Minnesota Republican Rep. John Kline, a retired Marine Corps colonel, issued a three-paragraph statement under a deal with lawyers for Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, one of the Marines under investigation.

Wuterich's lawyers filed a libel lawsuit against another congressman, Democratic Rep. John Murtha of
Pennsylvania, on August 2 following his comments on the case.

"Some news outlets have promoted incomplete statements attributed to me that gave the false impression that I have concluded those involved committed unlawful acts," Kline said in the
statement provided by his office.

"I am, of course, very concerned regarding any allegations surrounding misconduct by U.S. troops in Iraq. Such allegations must be taken seriously, but we should never rush to judgment before all the facts are known and the military criminal justice process is completed," Kline said.

Kline added, "I want to express my sincere apology" to the Marines in the unit that was in Haditha last November 19…

-md

Republicans Safeguard America

C.I.R. NOTE

In a C-Span poll:

"Which party is better suited to deal with terrorism?"

Republicans: 59%
Democrats: 35%

Both are ill-suited: 5%
Both are equally suited: 1%

The difference...

C.I.R. Press Editorial

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Here in the US we have anti-war students and activists, that hate the military and the job they perform. We have a Congressman who calls them murderers, “killing in cold blood.”

In Israel:

“Amidst all the firing, we still got to work and started doing Shiatsu, Reflexology, and all kinds of Massage on the soldiers. Sometimes it was so fast and awkward, it was just done on a thin mattress we brought laid over rocks on the ground or on the cots they slept on.”

“No one wanted to stop though. We wanted to see the next smiling relieved face as we helped these soldiers both physically, mentally, and spiritually. Unfortunately, it was time to go though and we had to wish our new friends goodbye. The last thing we all said to each one of them was watch over yourself. I pray to whoever is out there that they do.”

Wow, talk about “SUPPORTING THE TROOPS!”

-md

The SECDEF Stays.

C.I.R. NOTE

With all the calls for resignation over the years and then the tongue lashing the SECDEF received on the Hill last week, I came upon a poll done by C-SPAN. In recent weeks the answers to the polls have left me thinking only liberals are watching C-SPAN. The responses have seemed like the voters have been going off DNC talking points. So it surprised me to see the current results, while not an overwhelming endorsement…

Should Defense Secretary Rumsfeld resign?
Yes 46%
No 54%
(5355 voters)

Murtha to be sued.

VS.

C.I.R. Press Editorial [UPDATED]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – I will start out by saying I have no idea how this will play out, as I am sure liberals will argue that Rove is behind this. I on the other hand tend to believe the Marine, that he just wishes to clear his name and fellow Marines that were prematurely convicted by Murtha.

The only thing Murtha’s comments seemed to have done has hurt morale. And what good does that do? The key points:

1) “A Marine Corps staff sergeant who led the squad accused of killing two dozen civilians in Haditha, Iraq, will file a lawsuit today in federal court in Washington claiming that Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) defamed him when the congressman made public comments about the incident earlier this year.”

2) "This case is not about money; it's about clearing Frank Wuterich's name, and part of that is to identify where these leaks are coming from," Zaid said in an interview. "Congressman Murtha has created this atmosphere that has already concluded guilt. He's created this environment that really smells, and he's the only one who has done that."

3) “The move by Wuterich is rare, as statements made by members of Congress generally are protected under the "speech or debate" clause in Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution. But legal experts said the clause grants immunity only for what lawmakers say in legislative proceedings and does not apply to news releases, speeches and other public comments.”

I think this will be interesting, and is long overdue. In recent times we have had odd lawsuits. Finally one all liberals and conservatives should be behind. A Marine accused of the unthinkable with little or no proof wants his good name cleared. In addition you have the remarks coming from a former Marine, even more of a stab in the back. So it is Marine vs. Marine turned politician. I wouldn’t dare try to guess what the outcome will be, but I think you all can guess what I am spending my wishes and prayers on.

If the Marines are convicted of crimes, they deserve the worst possible punishment. However, that does not change the fact that Murtha decided to be the judge and convict them prior to the investigation.

-md

Others blogging: ChickenHawk Express: 1 2, Murtha Must Go, Red Hot Cuppa Politics, The_City_Troll, Right from the Right, (Developing...)

[UPDATE:]

(Source) Asked about this in the interview, Murtha said the information came from Gen. Michael Hagee, the commandant of the Marine Corps, in a one-on-one conversation the day before Hagee made a trip to Iraq. Hagee did not use the term "in cold blood," he added.

Col. Dave Lapan, a Marine spokesman, disputed Murtha's account.

He said the commandant did brief Murtha about the Haditha incident. But he said that was on May 24, a week after Murtha made his public comment. The next day, May 25, Hagee left for Iraq, he said.