Clipmarks | Marines Clips

Victory in Anbar

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:58:45 GMT

clipped by: Rustee

Clip Source: outsidethewire.com

The road Abraham travelled passed through villages and cities whose names have changed or been lost to the ages.

One of those is the ancient city of Anbar.

Persians, Romans and Arabs all fought battles over this ancient city.

The Roman leader Gordian died at Anbar.

The Arab General Khalid wrested the city from the Persians.

Centuries later, U.S. Marines and Soldiers fought house to house in the same city. We know it now as Fallujah.

Scarsely two years ago, Al Anbar province was thought to be lost. But just yesterday, control of the province was handed over to the Iraqi government.

This victory will not be splashed across the headlines above the fold. It will be buried under a hurricane, a Vice Presidential nominee and the Republican Convention.

But it is a victory worthy of the ages as the coalition and Iraqi citizens defeated one of the greatest evils of our time.

Like Abraham, Gordian and the others of history who tread the banks of the Euphrates river--they have made their mark.

U.S. Marines/Iraq War Veterans at DNC

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:11:12 GMT

clipped by: sahara
clipper's remarks: What have you done for your country lately?

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: protest, politics, war, military

War is a Racket

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:44:50 GMT

clipped by: sahara
clipper's remarks: Wars are really a continuous stream of coordinated acts of terrorism, related to money and power instigated by the people who will benefit from the war and its expected end result. War is an instrument to expand economic power by destroying the national institutions and intelligent people of the victimized nation.

Clip Source: www.rense.com

US General Smedley Butler wrote in his 1935 classic, "War Is a Racket": "I helped make Mexico safe for American oil interests in 1914," "I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested." Butler acknowledged that he'd spent most of his thirty-three years in the Marines as "a high class muscle man for Big Business, Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism[ts]."

Tags: war

Biden's refusal to apologize for Haditha

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:49:48 GMT

clipped by: sillysam

Clip Source: www.rushlimbaugh.com

t's a transcript of Biden in June of 2006 on Meet the Press talking about the Haditha massacre. Now, when you hear Biden talking about this you must keep in mind that he was totally wrong about Haditha, just like Jack Murtha was and Biden has not apologized nor has Murtha. Eight of the Marines charged for that so-called massacre and the cover-up have already been exonerated. One case is still pending. Here's Russert: "Let me ask you a question on Iraq about Haditha, some of the other alleged atrocities. The fact is, our government knew about that for some time. How high up the chain, based on your information, do you think this goes?" Biden: "Secretary of Defense." Russert: "What should be done about Rumsfeld?" Biden: "He should be gone. He shouldn't be in his office tomorrow morning, but I'm so tired of saying this on your show. I've been saying this for two years." "Well, the president knew about Haditha in March." "Well, we can't get rid of the president.

Neocons Call for War on Russia

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 05:33:16 GMT

clipped by: zizzy
clipper's remarks:

Writing in the Washington Post today, Robert Kagan goes even further, suggesting that the Georgia-Russia conflict may be the start of World War III:

Do you recall the precise details of the Sudeten Crisis that led to Nazi Germany's invasion of Czechoslovakia? Of course not, because that morally ambiguous dispute is rightly remembered as a minor part of a much bigger drama.

[...]

The mood is reminiscent of Germany after World War I, when Germans complained about the "shameful Versailles diktat" imposed on a prostrate Germany by the victorious powers and about the corrupt politicians who stabbed the nation in the back.

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

Bill Kristol: [Georgia] has had the third-largest military presence -- about 2,000 troops -- fighting along with U.S. soldiers and marines in Iraq. For this reason alone, we owe Georgia a serious effort to defend its sovereignty. Surely we cannot simply stand by as an autocratic aggressor gobbles up part of -- and perhaps destabilizes all of -- a friendly democratic nation.

Washington Times: It is in America's interest to exert maximum pressure on Russia to withdraw its troops and halt the interference in Georgian territory. This latest act shows the need for greater resolve in establishing a European security system that can be an effective check on Russian power

Navy Invented Sex

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:12:28 GMT

clipped by: DeMaistre

Clip Source: strategypage.com

A Marine and a sailor were sitting in a bar one day arguing over which was the superior service.

After a swig of beer the Marine says, 'Well, we had Iwo Jima.'

Arching his eyebrows, the sailor replies, 'We had the Battle of Midway.

'Not entirely true', responded the Marine. 'Some of those pilots were Marines, in fact, Henderson Field on Guadalcanal was named after a Marine pilot killed at the Battle of Midway.'

The sailor responds, 'Point taken.'

The Marine then says, 'We Marines were born at Tunn Tavern!'

The sailor, nodding agreement, says, 'But we had John Paul Jones.'

The argument continued until the sailor comes up with what he thinks will end the discussion. With a flourish of finality he says...... 'The Navy invented sex!'

The Marine replies, 'That is true, but it was the Marines who introduced it to women.'

Tags: humor, jokes

Report From a Forgotten War: Second in a Series

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:48:43 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Taliban leaders also provided a haven for Usama bin Laden's Al Qaeda to launch the 9/11 attack. In November 2001, when they were deposed by the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance, many of the Taliban fled south to Pakistan and east into Iran. This spring, they came back, intent on overthrowing the democratically elected government of President Hamid Karzi. That's when the Marines of TF 2/7 arrived "in country" to train and mentor Afghan Army and police forces.

It's been a challenging assignment for the 1300 Marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen of TF 2/7. The unit's Area of Operations (A/O) is more than 28,000 square kilometers — roughly the size of Vermont. There is only one paved highway. Overland transport to some of the fifteen forward bases and combat outposts where TF 2/7 operates often takes more than 24 hours of continuous day and night movement. Until this week — when four CH-53 transport helos and four Cobra gunships arrived, the task force had to rely on NATO aircraft...

Clip Source: greatafghanistanadventure.blogspot.com

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

Camp Bastion, Helmand Province, Afghanistan — This British-built fortress, perched on a plateau in southwestern Afghanistan, is well named. Surrounded by miles of open desert, the citadel has its own concrete runway, water supply, sewage, electricity, Level 3 Trauma Hospital, even fire mains — all constructed in the last 30 months.

The heavily-armed camp is home to British, Danish, Estonian and Czech troops of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). It's also home to Task Force 2/7 (T/F 2/7), built around the legendary 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment out of Marine Corps Base 29 Palms, California — a good place to prepare for this austere terrain and oppressive heat. Camp Bastion is an outpost of sanity in an otherwise insane part of the world.

Helmand Province is the heartland of the Taliban — the Islamic radicals who won a bloody civil war to rule Afghanistan in 1996. Once in power, the Taliban imposed strict Sharia law

Tags: camp bastion, helmand province, afghanistan, british, danish, estonian and czech troops, 2nd battalion, 7th marine regiment, nato aircraft

Bucking your party

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:53:48 GMT

clipped by: sillysam

Clip Source: article.nationalreview.com

McCain bested Obama again when Warren asked for an example of a time in which he “went against party loyalty and maybe even against your own best interest for the good of America.”

Clip Source: article.nationalreview.com

When McCain got the question, everyone in the room thought he would bring up campaign-finance reform, the issue on which he has alienated the Republican base for years. But he didn’t. “Climate change, out-of-control spending, torture,” he said. “The list goes on.” McCain’s prime example, though, was his story of opposing Ronald Reagan’s decision to send a contingent of Marines to Lebanon as a peacekeeping force. “My knowledge and my background told me that a few hundred Marines in a situation like that could not successfully carry out any kind of peacekeeping mission, and I thought they were going into harm’s way,” McCain said

McCain answered the whole question without touching on campaign finance; he had so much more life experience to draw on that he could swamp Obama without using everything he had.

OOO -Rah

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:40:17 GMT

clipped by: bmeuppls
clipper's remarks: Stories from Fallujah about our bravest and finest...

Clip Source: www.nicedoggie.net

Major Doug Zembiec was killed in action while leading a raid in Baghdad on May 11th 2007. There is perhaps no greater testament to the type of warrior he was than there was at his funeral.

Operation Al Fajr, the final battle of Fallujah, is well known. Lesser known is that seven months before the Marines had fought the insurgents to a bloody stalemate in the city in what has been called the First Battle of Fallujah. In March and April of 2004, 2nd Bn. 1st Marines, among others, fought bloody block to block battles in the Jolan district, pushing the growing numbers of insurgents away from the city outskirts.

Major Doug Zembiec, then a Captain, led Echo Company 2/1 during the heavy fighting of March and April, but the culmination was a ferocious fight on April 26. On that day, Capt. Zembiec became a hero leading a company full of them.

Tags: military

We're doomed to perpetual war.

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:55:20 GMT

clipped by: papananook
clipper's remarks: Interesting article. I hate all war, especially inefficient ans stupid wars. but all wars. It's a racket.

Clip Source: www.tomdispatch.com

To the problem of an overstretched, over-toured military, there is but one answer in Washington. Both presidential candidates (along with just about every other politician in our nation's capital) are on record wanting to significantly expand the Army and the Marines.

, if only both parties weren't so blinded by the idea of our "global reach," by a belief, however wrapped in euphemisms, in our imperial role on this planet, and by the imperial Pentagon and presidency that go with it

Nor was the problem limited to Rumsfeld himself. It included his chief lieutenants. According to Batiste, Rumsfeld surrounded himself "with like-minded and compliant subordinates who [did] not grasp the importance of the principles of war, the complexities of Iraq, or the human dimension of warfare." The overall effect was tantamount to murder: Rumsfeld "tied the hands of commanders while our troops were in contact with the enemy."

CONEY ISLAND MOB BEATS EX-MARINES RESCUING GIRL

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:59:05 GMT

clipped by: Smoke TNT

Clip Source: www.nypost.com

August 11

A wolf pack of at least 30 thugs viciously attacked two hero ex-Marines in Brooklyn after they rescued a teenage girl who was being assaulted

And when the brother of one of the former servicemen tried to come to his rescue during the July 25 melee in Coney Island, he was beaten into a coma.

The former leathernecks, Valentyn Olenyev, 23, and Boris Bukler, 22, Russian émigrés who served tours in Iraq, were walking a female friend to her parked car on West 23rd Street at 12:30 a.m. when they spotted two men holding the screaming teen by her hands and legs.

"She was screaming, and all we did was look to help her. I got a bottle smashed over my head, and after that, I started fighting. But I got beat down.

"I was getting my ass kicked by 50 people."

he was pounded senseless by 240-pound Timothy Dixon, 23, who was swinging a metal baseball bat.

Bukler said, "Those in the crowd were yelling, 'Hey, white boys, you're in the 'hood now!' We were yelling back, 'We don't care - we live here!'

Another Military Wife

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 03:33:09 GMT

clipped by: Imnclady
clipper's remarks: Killed by her husband...this is from my home town and we have had too many wives killed by their military husbands...just abusing them isn't enough, Oprah brought that to light on her show. Either they are crazy from the beginning or the military does it to them...I say mostly the military and what they experience in war, but thats no excuse....

Clip Source: www.enctoday.com

Hearing delayed for Marine accused of murdering wife

FAYETTEVILLE - A court appearance for a Marine corporal charged with killing his Army nurse wife has been rescheduled for September, after prosecutors agreed to a defense request to preserve several pieces of evidence.

The decision kept Marine Cpl. John Wimunc (why-MONK) from making a physical appearance Tuesday in Cumberland County District Court. Attorneys declined to discuss the evidence at issue.

Wimunc's next hearing is now set for Sept. 22. He is charged with murder, arson and felony conspiracy in the death of 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc.

The 24-year-old was a maternity ward nurse at Fort Bragg's Womack Army Medical Center. Her husband served as a combat engineer at Camp Lejeune.

John Wimunc's colleague, Lance Cpl. Kyle Alden, who's accused of helping with the crime, is expected to make an court appearance later Tuesday.

Tags: military, marines, murder

The Ghost of Ernie Pyle Lives

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:45:34 GMT

clipped by: bmeuppls
clipper's remarks: Excellent reporting from a cameraman not afraid to take risks...

Clip Source: www.nicedoggie.net

In the movie “Hamburger Hill”, Sgt. Franz famously tells a reporter questioning his men, “I got more respect for those little bastards up there. At least they take a side, you just take pictures.” Such is not the case with FOX News cameraman Chris Jackson. Jackson is embedded, along with Col. North, with the 24th MEU operating in Helmand Province Afghanistan. On Sunday August 3rd, the humvee he was riding in was struck by an IED. Although injured his self, Jackson rushed back to the burning humvee and pulled a wounded sergeant, one of two Marines wounded in the explosion, from the shotgun seat. He looked the sergeant over and saw a leg wound, and then the rounds in the humvee began to cook off from the heat of the fire engulfing the vehicle. Jackson, assisted by other Marines, pulled the wounded Marine to cover behind the second humvee.

Tags: iraq

Sleep Is The Enemy

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:28:12 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

SAN DIEGO -- By the time the sun began to rise one recent Friday over his Mira Mesa neighborhood, Mitch Hood had been up for about 18 hours.

He punched a caffeine tablet out of a blister pack and washed it down with two cans of Red Bull. He finished it off with a gulp of Pepsi.

He figured this would keep him awake four more hours. Then, he jumped back into his video game.

Hood, 25, spent two tours with the Marines in Iraq. Now, like many other veterans and millions of civilians, he faces a new enemy: sleep.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have nightmares and I'm going to get stuck there," he said. "I try with all my strength not to sleep."

Sleep and wakefulness issues were the most common health problems described by recently returned soldiers, researchers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center found in a study published last year.

Obama's Civilian National Security Force

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:03:15 GMT

clipped by: sahara
clipper's remarks: How is it possible their candidate is seeking to create some kind of massive but secret national police force that will be even bigger than the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force put together?
Now, maybe he was misquoted by the Congressional Quarterly and the Chicago Tribune. I guess it's possible. If so, you would think he would want to set the record straight. Maybe he misspoke. That has certainly happened before. Again, why wouldn't the rest of my colleagues show some curiosity about such a major and, frankly, bone-chilling proposition?
Are we talking about creating a police state here?
The U.S. Army alone has nearly 500,000 troops. That doesn't count reserves or National Guard. In 2007, the U.S. Defense budget was $439 billion.
Is Obama serious about creating some kind of domestic security force bigger and more expensive than that?
If not, why did he say it? What did he mean?

Clip Source: www.worldnetdaily.com

For several days now, WND has been hounding Barack Obama's campaign about a statement he made July 2 in Colorado Springs – a statement that blew my mind, one that has had me scratching my head ever since

In talking about his plans to double the size of the Peace Corps and nearly quadruple the size of AmeriCorps and the size of the nation's military services, he made this rather shocking (and chilling) pledge: "We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

Now, since I've never heard anyone inside or out of government use the phrase "civilian national security force" before, I was more than a little curious about what he has in mind

If we're going to create some kind of national police force as big, powerful and well-funded as our combined U.S. military forces, isn't this rather a big deal?

Tags: obama, ss, security, elections