Pearl Harbor survivor reflects on the historic attack

The Middle East Problem

The Middle East conflict is framed as one of the most complex problems in the world. But, in reality, it's very simple. Israelis want to live in peace and are willing to accept a neighboring Palestinian state. And most Palestinians do not want Israel to exist. As Dennis Prager explains, this is really all you need to know. In 5 minutes, understand how Israel was founded, and how, since that auspicious day in 1948, its neighbors have tried to destroy it, again and again.

War Photographers' Retreat

Update: Our new website is here: War Photographers' Retreat

Sgt Marc Solowski, Sgt Tad Donoho, and Tim Hetherington in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan. Photo by Sgt. Santana Rueda

In April, LA Times' Reporter Ned Parker wrote one of the toughest (good) articles To Live And Lose in Misurata on the Kadaffi attacks on Misurata Libya. In his story, he detailed the death of two highly esteemed colleagues: Tim Hetherington & Chris Hondros.

Readers of this blog might remember that Hetherington's film Restrepo took up a good part of 2010 for me, when I worked on it as the military outreach coordinator. His death came as a huge blow, but fortunately I had spent enough time with Tim to know that one must continue on. Shortly after, David Emerson of The Trauma Center in Boston wrote to me, asking if they could have a retreat in Tim's honor.

The result is The War Photographers' Retreat, a four-day, free event exclusively for photojournalists whose work takes them in and out of conflict and war zones. The WP Retreat will be held 25-28 August in Cambridge MA. The offerings will be four free days of yoga, massage and acupuncture in the company of other war photojournalists. There is no charge for the event, which is limited to ten participants.  Application directions are on the "About" Facebook Page.  This is an all volunteer-effort, and the organizers are even arranging free homestays for those who do not have the resources to pay for a hotel.

The Dart Society has joined in as a sponsor and to help us spread the word. I would like the assistance of the LA Times Pressmen to do the same. If you know of any conflict photojournalists, please share this link with them.

Sebastian Junger On The Role Of Journalists In War

"As someone who has spent a lot of time with soldiers in the field, I understand the very common suspicion – even dislike – that some people in the military harbor for the press. I know that journalists don’t always act well, don’t always care about the subjects of their work and don’t always disencumber themselves from their political opinions while on the job. The military needs the press, however. No society can call itself democratic if the press does not operate freely; a war without journalists is a war where no one is accountable for their mistakes."

Read the rest at: The Sebastian Junger Community.

Update on war photographer Joao Silva: A long time journalist who has covered wars for over twenty years, Silva lost both legs above the knee due to an IED. He was outside of Arghandab when this happen. Flown to Landstuhl, Mr. Silva's wife has been flown in. According to tweets, Mr. Silva had woken up and was coming out of sedation. Prayers and good wishes are appreciated. In addition, three soldiers with him suffered concussions. Prayers are with them and their families as well.

Friday On The Milblogs

"You’d think all the criticism from left-wing websites like the
Huffington Post, Daily Kos, and Salon would royally piss off the Army.

But at least one Army report finds the sites’ posts to be consistently “balanced.”

• Milblogs and ranked by Army weekly: Noah Shachtman at Wired, Danger Room
• From the scene: SF raid turns up naught in Jalalabad: Tim Lynch at Free Range Int'l.
  
• Death Of A Rancher: Paul Greenberg at The Patriot Post
• In Marja -lead, follow or get out of the way: Colonel Gary Anderson, Small Wars Journal
• "Why the fuck are they out there digging?" Blast from the past: Lt. Rajiv Srinivasan
• The Final Inspection, a poem: Solomon Fein, (Oldest Military Blogger)

"The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass."

Solomon Fein, World's oldest milblogger and Normandy D-Day veteran, age 87
with his grandchildren Jen and Dan

Tuesday On The Milblogs

"We were not interested in the political dimensions of the war, only the experience of thesoldiers, so we limited ourselves to the things soldiers had access to. We did not ask any generals why theywere in the Korengal, for example, because soldiers don’t have that opportunity, either."

An interview with "Restrepo" documentary filmmakers
Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington
on The Kitchen Dispatch

• Badly burned Iraqi boy returns home from the U.S.: Army Times
  
• La Jolla (CA)Rotary Club Fundraiser For School In Jalalabad: PR Log
• Dirt Roads & Potholes: Richard's Milblog from Afghanistan
• NGOs, local governments and communities explained: Humanitarian Exchange Magazine
• Supporting the fight: 270 days in Afghanistan
  
• Kunar Province. 500 patients in 2-day clinic: Combined Joint Task Force -82 (ABN)

"American and Afghan doctors observed patients together but American doctors did not provide direct healthcare to Afghan patients. Instead, they served as mentors and advisors to the Afghan doctors."

Monday On The Milblogs

“Life here is good,” said an Afghan laborer who declined to give his name as he lugged merchandise from his car to a store on the Boardwalk. “The prices we sell at are different to those out in the city.” -Iason Athanasiadis reporting on the impending takeover of American-run businesses at Kandahar Air Field in the popular boardwalk area

• Strip Mall at Kandahar -TGI Friday? Really?: The Global Post
• In Mali: Helping Them Help Themselves: Doctors Without Borders
  
• Cash-for-work program started in Kunar Province: PRT-Kunar
• Fundraiser for the 173rd Airborne: From Cow Pastures To Kosovo
• The Kandahar Offensive: Avoid The Snake Oil: Small Wars Journal
• Blogger who won award for Best Marine blog resurfaces: Castra Praetoria

The Most Honorable Mission, Sending Home Fallen Angels: Soldiers Angels Germany

"Even though it's difficult to see one of their own make the ultimate sacrifice, for Sarkis, 26, from Crofton, Md., it's an honor to be able to send the Angels back home with honor and dignity, while bringing closure to their families." -Soldiers Angels Germany

Sunday In The Milblog World

Restrepo, a documentary on the 173rd Airborne in the Korengal Valley
The Kitchen Dispatch shares the whole press kit.

(This is L.A., after all).

From Milblogs and Beyond

• Final Thoughts On Leaving Iraq: Ramblings From A Painter
• (Close to home) Police Ambushed in Ciudad Juarez, 8 Killed: L.A. Times
  
• Afghanistan --The Taliban Fear Contractors: Feral Jundi
  
• Coast Guard Rescues, repatriates 90 Haitians: Coast Guard News
• Al Qaeda Kills 15 In Phillipines: Long War Journal
• Kandahar Air Field Mortared: Kandahar Wake Up Call
• A Jirga in SE Afghanistan: Captain Cats Diaries

"Reconciliation in the Southeast is an elusive idea, another project hastily being pushed on people, sponsored by foreigners in order to expedite their own withdrawal, rather than having any genuine commitment to ensuring a long-term sustainable peace."
-Captain Cats Diaries

Army Lieutenant sounds off on the civilian bus firings and the media

U.S. Army Lt. Rajiv Srinivasan's thoughts on the mix of arrogance and ignorance he sees in many journalists who come to rugged outposts:

"what I lack confidence in is the media’s ability to portray the vigorous intellectual debate that goes through a platoon leader’s mind during such life and death matters. I have little confidence in a reporter’s ability to understand what it’s like to own the lives of a platoon of 20 year-old kids. I have very little confidence in a news outlet’s willingness to tell the whole truth if it means selling fewer papers or receiving lower ratings."

More news from milblogs & beyond

• A Good Day, Part 2: A Major's Perspective
• Increasing Danger, McChrystal's leadership called into question: Free Range International
• "Vice and Virtue" police raid western restaurants in Kabul: Times Online
  
• Finding God At Gitmo: An Interview by Timothy Dalrymple
• A Tradition Of Corruption: Knights in Afghanistan
  
• Through the eyes of a military child: Army Live, The Official Army Blog
• Sarajevo Street Scenes: Curmudgeon, An Unlikely Army Chaplain
• We don't know what he's singing, but we want Vodka: Russian Airborne Troops Video
  
• Daily life of a teenage girl in Iraq: Days Of My Life
• 

Besides War: Logan Lynch Teaches A Photography Class In Afghanistan

Assignment: Take a photo of an animal and play with camera angles. Photo taken by Samir

"Last year, Logan Lynch, an eighteen year old high school graduate, met up with Amy Sun, one of the lead coordinators along with Keith Berkoben of FabLab Afghanistan. The two hit it off --meaning Logan was adept at rising to all of their directions. Logan was rewarded with being asked to work with Fab Lab. His latest challenge involved creating a photography class for the young men and women who take classes at the Jalalabad Fab Lab computer center."

Read The Rest At The Kitchen Dispatch

Also on the war:

• Iraqi boy receives medical aid in Michigan, The Burn Pit
• Navy Doc implements new sleep course in Iraq Leatherneck
• Near Kabul, two US troops killed The Los Angeles Times
• Something more sinister at work in the collateral murder cases? Our Army Life
• "Eight of the ten district governors are illiterate." Ann Marlowe, Peace Later!
  

Photo by Samsoor

The Thunder Run

For several years now, The Thunder Run has scanned military blogs for fresh, original and meaningful content written by those on the front lines of war, at home, as well as timely news. The Thunder Run is now on Facebook.

Please "Fan" The Thunder Run to get news written by those in the fight. David Marron has done a terrific job culling through the blogs.

A Little Pink in a World of Camo: I Will Always Be a Marine Wife

There are incredible posts written by military spouses everyday. Here is one by a 23 year old wife and mother, who just lost her husband this week. -Kanani

"I did not ever imagine I'd be watching an honor guard escort a metal box draped in an American flag off a jet. Never did I imagine that on Friday I would be heading to Florida to make funeral arrangements. This is not how it was supposed to happen."

Read the rest at: I Will Always Be a Marine Wife

Memorial Watching On Facebook

"It's not only the tragedy of losing them to a war, it's the beauty of their spirit that never fails to overwhelm --makes me pause to catch my breath."

Read The Rest At: The Kitchen Dispatch

War and the Art of Waiting

"....war has left me with an ineffable wallop, as if I've been punched in the gut. It's like always having an odd taste in my mouth: no matter how many times I brush my teeth or gargle, no matter how many mints I pop, it's still there."
Read the rest at:
The Kitchen Dispatch

Saddam has been executed

Fox News reporting that al Arabiya has announced that Saddam has been executed.

Still and video cameras were in the chamber at the time of the execution. How long before it's on YouTube?

Stay tuned for video

AFP/Getty Images

Photo by Karen Ballard