President Orders Flags Lowered to Half-Staff Until Sunset on August 30th to Honor the Victims of the Attack in Kabul

A Proclamation Honoring the Victims of the Attack in Kabul, Afghanistan
AUGUST 26, 2021



As a mark of respect for the U.S. service members and other victims killed in the terrorist attack on August 26, 2021, in Kabul, Afghanistan, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, August 30, 2021. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

Published at 7:11pm on Thursday, August 26, 2021

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Lowering of US and NC Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of NC Native Sgt. Javier Jaguar Gutierrez

Governor Roy Cooper has ordered all United States and North Carolina flags at state facilities to be lowered to half-staff beginning Monday, February 10, 2020, in honor of Sgt. Javier Jaguar Gutierrez, who lost his life during an attack in Afghanistan. Sgt. Gutierrez, who was born in Jacksonville, North Carolina, was stationed at Fort Bragg before his assignment to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

In tribute, flags are to remain at halfstaff through sunset on Sunday, February 16, 2020.

Statement from Governor Roy Cooper:

"We are grateful for Sgt. Gutierrez’s service, and our prayers are with his loved ones and all who are mourning."

As a show of respect, individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the duration of time indicated.

Please note, all North Carolina flag announcements are issued in accordance to regulations outlined in the US Flag Code.



Published on Tuesday, Feb 11, 2020

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Lowering of United States and North Carolina Flags on October 9th in Honor of NC Army National Guard Sgt. James Allen Slape

A 23-year-old soldier from Morehead City died Thursday in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, the North Carolina Army National Guard said.

Sgt. James Allen Slape was wounded by an improvised explosive device, spokesman Lt. Col. Matthew DeVivo said in a news release.

Slape had gotten out of his vehicle and was working to clear the area of explosives when a bomb detonated, said Commander Grant Neeley, a spokesman for Resolute Support, a NATO-led mission to train and advise Afghan security forces.

In a written statement, Neeley said Slape was evacuated to a medical facility, but staff there were unable to save him.


PRESS RELEASE
Governor's Office
October 7, 2018
Raleigh, NC


Lowering of United States and North Carolina Flags in Honor of NC Army National Guard Sgt. James Allen Slape



Governor Roy Cooper has ordered all United States and North Carolina flags at state facilities to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset Tuesday, October 9 in honor of North Carolina Army National Guard Sergeant James Allen Slape of Morehead City, who was killed in Afghanistan on October 4, 2018.



"National Guard members step up and answer the call to service wherever they are needed, whether at home to help during a natural disaster or overseas to protect our national security," said Governor Cooper. "They leave their homes, their families and their jobs and put their lives on the line for us. On behalf of the people of North Carolina, I honor the service and sacrifice of Sgt. James Slape and offer our deepest sympathy to his loved ones and his fellow soldiers."

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Brit Sniper Kills Two Terrorists at 1 1/2 Miles!!!

Hero sniper Craig Harrison, 35, nailed the killers with a rifle bullet each as the pair manned a machine gun - then for good measure let rip a third shot that took out their weapon.


His marksmanship was all the more amazing because the enemy were firing on his trapped troop leader from 3,000ft BEYOND his rifle's effective range.




Ace marksman ... Craig Harrison
Household Cavalryman Craig, of Cheltenham, Gloucs - who went on to be the scourge of the Taliban by killing a dozen more and wounding seven - said of his record-breaking feat yesterday: "They were firing on the troop commander - I gave them the good news. They didn't f****** like it."


Source: The Sun
Hat Tip: Ace of Spades








Just Wow!!!!!

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Honoring Corporal Jonathan Ayers

In loving memory of CPL Jonathan Ayers from DI=Dream Imagination on Vimeo.

Yesterday I had the distinct honor and privilege of attending the
ceremony honoring the valor of Cpl Jonathan Ayers and the presentation of the
posthumous award of the Silver Star to his family.
I expected a somber event, but it was instead, by direction of Cpl Ayers mother,Susan, it was a celebration of his life. Cpl Ayers served with Chosen Company, 1st Bn, (Airborne) 503rd Infantry of the 173rd ABCT in Afghanistan.
That company compiled an impressive combat record there, but at a cost. Over 60 of the Chosen were awarded Purple Hearts, 16 of them posthumously. Cpl Jonathan Ayers was killed in action in the battle of Wanat, where 9 Sky Soldiers lost their lives.
According to those who witnessed Cpl Ayers heroics, he epitomized the
nickname by which the battalion is known: The Rock.

At another spot on the observation post, Spc. Jonathan Ayers laid
down continuous fire from an M-240 machine gun, despite drawing huge volumes of small-arms and RPG fire from the enemy.

At least 5 or 6 RPGs exploded all around him and he never even flinched. Those that saw what he did said, "He just kept rocking on that 240." The
survivors said it was the most heroic thing they'd ever seen. Like a
movie. They feel he saved their lives.He kept the enemy from getting
anywhere near COP.

Source: Blackfive

Our nation still produces heroes, and they are grown all around us.

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Warthogs Tear Into The Enemy in Afghanistan

A portion of an email from a Hog Driver:

...I just had a rather exciting flight. "Balz" and I launched to support standard tasking and were immediately retasked airborne to a Troops In Contact (TIC) situation near the location the French lost 10 troops two days ago. Unlike the French, these were Army SF supported with attack helos and us.

From the second we showed up it was a running gun battle with the SF guys taking RPGs, sniper and Heavy machine gun fire. We took out two sniper positions with confirmed kills in the first 5 minutes. The helos were marking the locations they were taking fire from with WP (white phosphorus) rockets and we were cleaning things up with the 30MM.

I shot 1100 rounds of 30MM and my wingman shot 750. I then used WP rockets to get my #2's eyes on a heavy machine gun position so he could put a 500lb airburst on it. Which he did.

In the middle of the fight we were running low on gas so I sent Balz to the tanker and I remained on station single ship suppressing enemy fire on a helo trying to extract the team. I told Balz to have the tanker drag him as close to the fight as the KC-10 crew felt comfortable...

Source: Blackfive (read the rest and watch a video of an A-10 gun being tested)

Remember that we are able to celebrate this Labor Day weekend because of the guys and gals who are in the military. Here is a photo from 2007 of Sara Palin visiting with wounded troops in West Germany:

Labor Day is a holiday created by socialists, but we can take the opportunity to spend more time with our families while the Communists wax nostalgic for the days of Stalin, Lenin, and Marx. Use it as a teachable moment for your children if you are so inclined, in order to counteract the socialist drivel your children are being fed in public schools, if you have chosen to allow them to indoctrinate your children. You should consider home schooling your children, or enrolling them in a suitable charter school of correct ideological foundations. 

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Hamid Karzai: Pakistan Is The Source Of Terrorism In My Country

A portion of the transcript:

Hamid Karzai: The problem of terrorism, as it is affecting Afghanistan, is not entirely an Afghan problem. As a matter of fact, a greater part of this problem is a regional problem, and a greater part of this problem is unfortunately coming to us from Pakistan. So the Americans, the international coalition – when they say they are continuing to work in Afghanistan, and yet the security is not there, they are right, because they have not gone to the right place to fight terrorism.

Interviewer: Which is?

Hamid Karzai: Which is the sanctuaries that the terrorists have in Pakistan.

Interviewer: But Pakistan, actually, recently... I have noticed that there is a very strong declaration from the Afghan government against Pakistan. You have accused the Pakistani government of being behind your attempted assassination, the last one, and the most dangerous thing is that you have threatened that you would go behind the borders just to find Al-Qaeda, and Taliban as well, which means you will go to Pakistan. Right now, Mr. President, if you don't have the power to secure the situation in Afghanistan, do you think you have the power to go behind the border?

Hamid Karzai: When I said that Afghanistan would go in self defense beyond the Durand Line, [it] was in response to a statement that came from terrorist networks from Pakistan, from someone called Baitullah Mahsoud – you must have heard of him, and from someone called [Maulana] Fazlullah. They declared that they would cross the border and come into Afghanistan, to kill Afghans and the international troops. Now, for me, the president of a sovereign country – when there is a threat issued to me beyond my borders by someone, what is my responsibility?

Interviewer: That's right, but the question is: Do you have the power? Can you do it?

Hamid Karzai: The power is the power of the government, of the institutions of the government, and of the people. Afghanistan is known in history – and Afghanistan has proven that in history – that when the Afghan people decide to defend themselves, they always win – as we have always won.

Source: MEMRI TV clip of excerpts from an interview with President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, which aired on Dubai TV on July 14, 2008.

Watch the interview.

Commentary

The War on Terror (World War IV) is not limited to fighting against governments (such as Omar Mohammed's Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein's Iraq, or Syria, Iran, North Korea, Sudan...etc), but also against organizations that are not governments. In this war, the umbrella organization called al-Qaeda is an enemy, as are Hamas, Hezbollah, Fatah, Abu Sayyaf, Jamaat ul Fuqra, and dozens of other terror groups worldwide.

Fighting this war to a successful conclusion will involvemany things, but one of the most important ingredient is not allowing terrorists to have sanctuary anywhere in the world. They must always be pursued, and never allowed to rest or re-build their strength.

Previously, the Democrats have agitated for more troops to go to Afghanistan. Wanna bet they'll change their minds once they realize there might be some possibility of going into Pakistan to fight the terrorists, even as the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, Barack Obama, once suggested?

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Afghan-Pakistan Clashes and Iranians in Iraq

I am glad to see that we will not afford our enemy a sanctuary across international borders (I wish we would do the same with Mexico), and we are engaging the enemy:

The Afghan Army clashed with the Taliban in the Pakistani tribal agency of Mohmand on June 10. While initial reports indicated the US conducted a targeted airstrike against a Taliban or al Qaeda target in the tribal agency, the aircraft appear to have been supporting Afghan troops. Pakistani soldiers were reported to have been killed in the fighting.

The fighting started after Afghan forces attacked a Taliban force as it attempted to cross the border. Between 10 and 13 Pakistani soldiers were killed after Afghan and US forces pursued Taliban forces fleeing into Pakistan.

"The militants launched a cross-border attack into Afghanistan," an unnamed Pakistani security official told Reuters. "At least 10 of our soldiers were killed in a counter-offensive by forces in Afghanistan." Geo TV reported 13 Pakistani soldiers, including a major, were killed. An estimated 50 Pakistani soldiers were manning an outpost in Suran Dara along the Afghan-Pakistani frontier. Only 10 have been accounted for.

Source: The Long War Journal

I wonder when we'll start going across the border in Iran to stop their "Special Groups" and "Explosives Experts" from going into Iraq and killing American soldiers? When will people begin to realize that Iran has been at war with us since President Jimmy Carter installed the Ayatollah Khomeini and jump started the Iranian Islamic Revolution?

BAGHDAD – Coalition forces captured a suspected Iranian-trained Special Groups explosives expert Wednesday in Numaniyah, about 180 km southeast of Baghdad near Al Kut.

Acting on intelligence information, Coalition forces targeted a suspected Iranian-trained improvised explosive device expert. Using information provided by Special Groups criminals already detained, the targeted criminal is believed to have traveled to Iran several times for explosives training. Intelligence sources also said the suspect has numerous Iranian contacts with whom he would meet when smuggling weapons and bomb-making materials into Iraq.

Coalition forces entered the suspected criminal’s residence and subdued him without firing any shots after the man made a move toward a weapon.

“Significance progress is being made, and Iraqi people are a big part of the operations to stop terrorists throughout Iraq,” said Navy Lt. Patrick Evans, MNF-I spokesperson.

Source: MNF-Iraq

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Arabs Volunteer To Fight In Afghanistan Against al-Qaeda?

WASHINGTON — The leader of the tribal confederation that has fought to expel Al Qaeda from most of Iraq's Anbar province is offering his men to help gin up a rebellion against Osama bin Laden's organization along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

In an interview, Sheik Ahmad al-Rishawi told The New York Sun that in April he prepared a 47-page study on Afghanistan and its tribes for the deputy chief of mission at the American embassy in Kabul, Christopher Dell. When asked if he would send military advisers to Afghanistan to assist American troops fighting there, he said, “I have no problem with this, if they ask me, I will do it.”

The success of the Anbari tribal rebellion known as the awakening spurred Multinational Forces Iraq to try to emulate the model throughout Iraq, including with the predominately Shiite tribes in the south of the country. Today, the tribal-based militias formed to protect Anbaris from Al Qaeda are forming a political alliance poised to unseat the confessional Sunni parties currently in parliament in the provincial elections scheduled for the fall and the federal ones scheduled for 2009.

During his nomination hearing for taking over the regional military post known as Central Command, General David Petraeus said one of the first things he would do would be to travel to Pakistan to discuss the current strategy of the government in dealing with Al Qaeda's safe haven in the Pashtun border provinces. A possible strategy for defeating Al Qaeda would be an effort there along the lines of the Anbar awakening to win over the tribes that offer Osama bin Laden's group protection and safe haven.

Source: Michael J. Totten



No wonder the Legacy Media doesn't cover the war in Iraq (or Afghanistan) very much these days. These kind of stories do not fit the America-hating template of failure.

Still, things are not all rosy in Afghanistan, or even in Pakistan.

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U.S. Marines In Helmand

US marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit in southern Afghanistan.
Photograph: David Guttenfelder/AP

For two years British troops staked out a presence in this small district center in southern Afghanistan and fended off attacks from the Taliban. The constant firefights left it a ghost town, its bazaar broken and empty but for one baker, its houses and orchards reduced to rubble and weeds.

But it took the U.S. Marines, specifically the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, about 96 hours to clear out the Taliban in a fierce battle in the past month and push them back 10 kilometers, or six miles …

The marines’ drive against the Taliban in this large farming region is certainly not finished, and the Taliban have often been pushed out of areas in Afghanistan only to return in force. But for the British forces and for Afghan residents, the result of the recent operation has been palpable …

Major Neil Den-McKay, the officer commanding a company of the Royal Regiment of Scotland based here, said of the U.S. Marine’s assault: “They have disrupted the Taliban’s freedom of movement and pushed them south, and that has created the grounds for us to develop the hospital and set the conditions for the government to come back.” People have started coming back to villages north of the town, he added, saying, “There has been huge optimism from the people.”

For the marines, it was a chance to hit the enemy with the full panoply of their firepower in places where they were confident there were few civilians. The Taliban put up a tenacious fight, rushing in reinforcements in cars and vans from the south and returning again and again to the attack. But they were beaten back in four days by three companies of marines, two of which were dropped in by helicopter to the south east …

Marines from Charlie Company said the reaction from the returning population, mostly farmers, has been favorable. “Everyone says they don’t like the Taliban,” said Captain John Moder, 34, commander of Charlie Company. People had complained that the Taliban stole food, clothes and vehicles from them, he said …

Source: The Captain's Journal, where the author also offers analysis and wonders is we will repeat the mistakes of others in Afghanistan.

Commentary

The article reveals a difference in approach to warfighting doctrines. The British were apparently satisfied to "hole up" in the district with a fort mentality that focused on holding ground, and falling back to the medieval idea of abandoning agricultural lands in the face of conflict, and retreating to a central strong point. Even after the US Marines cleared out the province, the British seemed to not have caught on.

The results of the current Presidential Election will be very important in determining whether or not we have the intestinal fortitude to continue with a long-term strategy of helping the Afghanis become strong enough to resist the Taliban on their own, and to help them establish an economic and agriculture system that can displace the poppy fields, much to the dismay or druggies, libertarians, and Ron Paul Supporters everywhere.

Who is more likely to continue our current policy in Afghanistan? McCain or Obama?

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Freedom Watch Afghanistan

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Afghanistan National Security Forces Order of Battle

The Long War Journal is pleased to publish the first release of the Afghanistan National Security Forces Order of Battle (ANSF OOB). The ANSF OOB, like the Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle, is based on open source information. We believe the ANSF OOB is a good representation of the Afghan military and police structure. The OOB will be updated and published on a quarterly basis.

Go read the Order of Battle.

And Obama's Security Coordinator has been captured in Pakistan.

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Another Media Attempt to Harm Our Troops Fails

The Left, which includes most of the Media, is so against this war that they are willing to lie in order to support their agenda to get us out of Iraq.
I have documented others' findings on this matter before, and here is another one exposed: The New Republic, who's only response to the discovery is a terse statement as follows:

NOTE TO READERS:

Several conservative blogs have raised questions about the Diarist "Shock Troops," written by a soldier in Iraq using the pseudonym Scott Thomas. Whenever anybody levels serious accusations against a piece published in our magazine, we take those charges seriously. Indeed, we're in the process of investigating them. I've spoken extensively with the author of the piece and have communicated with other soldiers who witnessed the events described in the diarist. Thus far, these conversations have done nothing to undermine--and much to corroborate--the author's descriptions. I will let you know more after we complete our investigation.

--Franklin Foer

Matt Sanchez wrote the following:

I was at Camp Falcon earlier this month and didn't recognize any of what Scott Thomas described. So, I e-mailed the public affairs officer Major Luedeke at Camp Falcon:

Per COL Boylan's request, I have prepared the following:

1. There was no mass grave found during the construction of any of our coalition outposts in the Rashid District at any time. Such a discovery would have prompted an investigation and close attention paid at levels higher than ours to making sure that the victims were properly interred and attempts would have been made to determine their identities. It is difficult to fathom that a unit's leadership would condone Soldiers disrespecting the remains of anyone in the fashion described.

2. Due to the threat of IEDs, our combat vehicles are driven professionally and in control at all times. To be driving erratically so as to hit dogs or other things would be to put the entire vehicle's crew at risk and would be gross dereliction of duty by the noncommissioned officer or officer in charge of the vehicle. Drivers aren't allowed to simply free-wheel their vehicles however they see fit, and they are *not* allowed to be moved anywhere with out a vehicle commander present to supervise the movement. Therefore- claims of vehicles leaving the roadways to hit animals are highly dubious, given the very real threat of IEDs and normal standards of conduct.

3. As for the alleged woman with severe burn scars, we have nobody matching that description here at FOB Falcon. As Soldiers, we practice the value of Respect: "Treat people as you want to be treated." If the blogger and his friends can't live the Army value of respect, I have little doubt that someone around them who does would have made an on-the-spot correction. The Falcon dining facility is not a spacious one. Anyone being rude, loud or raucous calls immediate attention to himself. It is hard to fathom that anyone would be able to get away with such callous behavior without somebody intervening and stopping it from happening.

These type of stories are part of I believe are part of a 5GW-type of campaign being conducted against our troops, against our people, and designed to provide moral support to the anti-American War Protesters here, and the enemy in the Theater.

For a more detailed timeline of how this particular story unfolded and fell apart, visit Gateway Pundit, where Jim has been following developments of this story.

He also links to others who are covering the story.

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