The Squirrels Return

After a long and wonderful visit with family in North Dakota, the Squirrel family has returned to the nest. A virus and subsequent colds extended our stay, but we were still sad to leave the chilly and beautiful West. The return to the daily grind and pace of city life leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth. We have got to get outta here! At any rate, gentle readers, I hope that your Thanksgiving was a joyous, relaxing, and pleasant one! I have a post lolling about in my acorn-sized brain. It has to do with the following quote:

"Listen to your enemies, they will tell you your faults." - Ben Franklin

On the Road

Well, I'm leaving for a Thanksgiving trip tomorrow. I may or may not have time to blog, so if I don't see you... have a fantastic Thanksgiving! We'll see you sometime next week.

Movie Review: Casino Royale

In 1995 I saw the first of the Mr. Brosnan Bond films. I was so disappointed that I did not return to the well. Mr. Brosnan was really the anti-Bond. His lack of masculinity was a real turn-off... especially for a guy like me who works in that Community. His bedding of stunning women was not believable and he didn't work the character with any kind of ease. So I have been hoping a praying that the entirely mundane Mr. Brosnan would just go away.

My prayers, apparently, were answered.

Shaken, not stirred.

Daniel Craig plays a convincing Bond. Although there were a couple points that he seemed to show his "feminine" side, it was actually pretty plausible. A cool thing about this movie is that it about Bond at the very beginning of his career, so it is a bit more emotional. He isn't yet the killing and screwing machine that he later becomes. In short, go see it. By the way, it is worth seeing it on the big screen.

Toothpaste and Tube

So, reading my Washington Times just now, I came across this quote in an article on House Democrats by Mr. Charles Hurt.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats emphasized the need for Republican cooperation.
"We really need bipartisanship," said incoming Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, the Illinois Democrat who helped lead the filibusters of President Bush's judicial nominees.

A nice example of trying to put the toothpaste back into the tube. I'm sorry, but you can't be as bitterly partisan as the Democrats (think Chief Justice Roberts' nomination process) and then demand fair play.

The real question is: Do the current Republicans have the spine to stand up to this sort of nonsense?

Ia Drang Valley, 1965

41 years ago today, the 1st Cavalry Division was in the fight of its life in the Ia Drang Valley. Their epic battle was documented by its Commander, Hal Moore and a journalist, Joe Galloway. Later, parts of the book were made into a movie by Mel Gibson... We Were Soldiers Once... and Young. The battle rages for a few more days. In that time, check out the book or movie and learn about the U.S. Army's first battle against the North Vietnamese Army regulars. One piece of history that was saved may be read here.

It reminds me of The Old Guard toast...

Toaster: "Here's to us and those like us!"

Everyone: "Damn few left!"

Consequences II

While perusing the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) today, I found an article on page A2 by Mr. Alan Murray: Drug Makers’ Politics Produces a Bitter Pill. I almost skipped over it because of a Boeing article on the next page. I’m glad I didn’t. Welcome to another unintended Consequence from midterm elections 2006. I take the liberty of reprinting parts of it here:

Since election day, drug stocks have gotten clobbered. Pfizer, Wyeth, Eli Lilly and Novartis have tumbled 5% or more; GlaxoSmithKline, Merck and Johnson and Johnson are down 4% or more; and Bristol-Myers Squibb is down 3.5%.

Add it up, and you’ve got nearly $50 billion in market value wiped out by Democratic victories.

Holy crap! $50 billion dollars gone in a week. That is truly something. Part of the reason that this happened is that these pharmaceutical companies bet heavily on Republicans maintaining power. While I’m sure that they would have loved to spread the love around, the Democrats have come out as these firms' natural enemy.

The list of Democrats lobbing mortars at the drug firms is long and violent. Remember the Clinton Administration painting these firms as faceless, evil entities (all the while testing Viagra no doubt). Remember Hillary Health Care? Remember Al Gore talking about the little old lady who couldn’t afford to eat? Please.

The truth is that the only reason we have all of these great drugs is because the companies keep trying to solve problems. I don’t think that the average American realizes how much education a typical researcher has to have for this kind of work. I have a buddy who works for a drug company. He has 2 ph.Ds and is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine on top on it. Does he make good money. Hell yes. Could I do his job? Not a chance!

But thanks to him and his team, we have a somewhat larger variety of drugs that are helpful and safe. Safe is really key. Clearly we don’t want these drugs to be unsafe. In fact, the FDA has grown exponentially over the years. Regulations have grown even faster. Thanks to PETA and their leftist sympathizers, animal testing is really gone. Hey, I’m all about some humane treatment, but you can’t demand that companies don’t cut corners on one hand and then demand that they lower prices on the other (under threat of legislation). But I digress…

$50 billion dollars of capital have magically disappeared. Most of us have holdings in these companies in our IRAs and 401(k)s. The American people just voted money out of their own pockets… and it had nothing to do with taxes at all. I’d call that an unintended consequence.

A Little Levity

Okay, so I haven't posted entertaining links in awhile. With the coming Red Dawn, levity will be even more important. Enjoy.


Hmm. Now I know what I’m getting the Missus for Christmas… or maybe not.

This is the kinda stuff you need to know to win 1 Against 100 (hellooo, new gameshow people)!

I guess it was a slow news day? Really slow.

Please. Please. Please. Please. Don’t.
Seriously, you’re both gross.

Consequences I

This is the start of an ongoing series outlining the changes that are already occurring due to DNC controlled agenda. I have to point out, as I have so many times before, that elections have consequences. I intend to point out those consequences that were probably overlooked by those who chose to stay home or entered a protest vote.

The head of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre is understandably upset. The change in congress has brought about a brand new round of nightmares for gun owners. From his blog at NRA News:

Monday, November 13, 2006
Banning BB Guns

You might think that Massachusetts can't become any more anti-gun.

Well, think again. Now there's a proposal to ban BB guns in Massachusetts. Complete with a BB gun amnesty period. And a BB gun buyback program.

Millions of kids have grown up with BB and pellet guns. I don't know of any that were turned into criminals by their Daisy Red Ryder BB gun.

But that doesn't matter to the politicians in Massachusetts. They think BB guns are bad, and they want them outlawed.

In fact, these politicians not only plan to ban BB guns in Massachusetts, they're sending letters to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island to ask those states to do the same.

In the words of one of these anti-gun politicians, their goal is to make "New England an area free of pellet guns and BB guns."

'Scuse me, but isn't Massachusetts the same home state of some of the bravest patriots to fight in the Revolutionary War? Paul Revere must be rolling over in his grave right now.

In Massachusetts, they've gone from the cradle of liberty to a state that treats its residents like children.

From.my.cold.dead.fingers.

The Way Ahead

After some reflection, I believe that I have determined the first steps of what needs to happen for conservative politics from here. Interestingly, in the past couple of years Republican didn't necessarily equal conservative. As I mentioned earlier when conservatives look, smell, and act like conservatives, they govern and win re-election handily. The first part of our framework is taking a look at our resources after the electoral enema.

As we look at the conservative landscape, it is hardly the wasteland that the media makes it out to be. On Wednesday, Rush Limbaugh said,

"I feel liberated... I no longer have to carry the water for people who don't deserve it."

I couldn't agree more. With some remarkable exceptions, the vast majority of those that lost their seats did so because they simply didn't listen to the people.

So, the landscape that remains is exponentially more conservative (though less populated) than it was last week. Setting aside social issues (because I believe that it was largely irrelevant this election) and national security (because you know where we stand) the most important issue was fiscal responsibility. I believe that the Republican leadership will rightly dust off the Contract with America and look at what happened. Here is what I believe will start us off on the correct course.

1. Speaker Hastert stepped down as Majority (now Minority) Leader on Wednesday and Majority Whip Boehner with him. We need to support real conservatives for these posts. In that vein, I support Mike Pence for Leader and John Shadegg for Whip. These are the men who, had they been elected leaders last year, may have been able to stop the tide.

2. Ken Mehlman has done a really good job as Chairman of the RNC. As Chairman he is directly responsible and did the right thing by resigning. In his place I support two different candidates. One is Newt Gingrich. Mr. Gingrich was the architect of the Conservative Revolution of '94 and is just the person to get us back on track. I have met him on a couple of occasions and was seriously impressed with his intellect and class.

The other individual that may be good for the position is Michael Steele. Mr. Steele just barely lost a very close Senate race in Maryland. He is black and done a fantastic job of bringing blacks over from the DNC to endorse him. Most of the blacks that I know are very conservative people whose loyalty is sorely misplaced. Mr. Steele could fix that. I haven't completely thought through his selection and would entertain the thoughts of my gentle readers. Is he a viable mouthpiece outside the metro DC area?

3. Replace Secretary Rumsfeld with someone OTHER THAN Gates. I've had the "pleasure" of working under Mr. Gates and can say that he is an idiot. Gates was a Soviet maniac who completely missed the implosion of the USSR. In fact, he spent a remarkable amount of time castigating those that forcast it. He was later fired as DCI. He is a terrible choice.

4. With the Rumsfeld debacle, I have decided that the President simply no longer deserves my unabashed support. His prosecution of the GWOT was the only thing that he got right (even the SCOTUS nominations were initially botched) and now the military feels betrayed. Ditching Rumsfeld (or allowing him to resign... whatever) was spectacularly poor timing and replacing him with Gates was a kick in the nuts. So much for the leader of the Party. Time to focus instead on 2008. Who will lead us into a country of smaller government, fiscal responsibility, and meaningful national security? I'm not sure, but the time to start the search is now!

Stay involved. These hard issues will not go away, but they will come second place to retribution by the Democrats. Impeachment is in the air and will distract the "leaders" of our country from the hard work that needs to get done. Take a moment to flush your system of all the election hype, spin, and high blood pressure. Don't watch the news, throw out the opinion section of the Sunday paper, whatever.

But... don't give up. The sun still rises, the economy is rockin' along, your family still needs you, your job is still as important. Take a break. Come back to conservative activism when you're ready. Keep reading the blogs you like *ahem* and catch some shuteye. There are plenty of firefights ahead... take 10, have a smoke, drink some water, and get your gear ready... we're going to need your help soon.

What Happened

I woke up this morning surprisingly content at the outcome of the elections. I personally believe that there were three over-riding factors in the loss of Congress by the Republicans.

1) People perceive the President as somewhat imperial and not at all in tune with their hopes and fears. The truth is that Mr. Bush is not a conservative. He began this term with a narrow election victory and immediately declared that the American people has handed him a mandate. He then continued to spend like an Orange County housewife, ignored immigration, didn’t pursue leakers of classified information (at least with the full weight of the U.S. Government), and steadfastly refused to work at any bipartisan issues.

Generally, I believe that this left a lot of people (including myself to some degree) with a bad taste in their mouths. Additionally, without a conservative White House to guide the Party, we get the circus that just lost us the House.

2) When conservatives look, smell, and act like conservatives, they tend to win handily. Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress developed a tin ear, choosing instead to commit themselves to the tangible benefits of power rather than to leading with a sense of purpose. Scandal and corruption rocked the Republicans… Mark Foley and the pages, Curt Weldon, Tom DeLay, Bob Ney, etc. These morally deficient individuals should have been rooted out long ago, but were not.

The Congressional Republicans have left the reservation, able to control their own budget and completely ignoring conservative reformers. As the illegal immigration debacle was unfolding, Speaker Hastert and the rest of the crew supported John Boehner (a “moderate” Republican) or Roy Blunt (closer to “hippie”) for Majority Whip, ignoring the true conservative reformers (like Mike Pence and John Shadegg). In fact, the only thing that this Congress got right was the Supreme Court (for which I’m grateful). The Republican Congressional Caucus has earned its new minority status.

Incidentally, the Senate is an even larger culprit than Congress. Congress did, to their credit, attempt to push through important (if not complete) legislation, only to be completely crushed in the Senate. Of course the way this actually works is that these efforts are only political plays and not meaningful attempts as governance… but I digress.

3) National security is the single most important issue (coupled with the two factors above) that have cost the GOP. Illegal immigration was a massive issue with broad support of constituents on both sides of the aisle. Half-hearted attempts like building 700 miles of fence (but not fully funding it) are seen for what they are… a ridiculously small band-aid. Also, allowing leaks of classified information does not sit well with 95% of the populace. All government leaders should be moving quickly to prosecute and control this information.

Most heavily in the national security realm is Operation Iraqi Freedom. The American citizenry has been absolutely pummeled with negativity from the MSM, the left, and the rest of the world regarding Iraq. Fatigue has absolutely settled in on this issue and people just want it to go away. Many don’t care that the price may be very expensive in the future, they are just plain weary (much like filing for bankruptcy, knowing that it is the easiest path, but still willing to screw yourself and others). As a soldier, I can say that your military is still up for the fight and we are proud of what we have accomplished. Trust us, our friends and families are tired of worrying about us too. Despite hearing “the real story” they have had to sacrifice quite a lot and pray for an end.

Interestingly, a fellow here at my work tried to tell me that we were in a quagmire in Iraq, “just like Vietnam.” I countered that he had it precisely wrong, that this is al-Qaeda’s Vietnam. They can neither stay in Iraq or afford to leave it. It is continually depleting their resources and they are actually finding it harder to get others to go and martyr themselves in Iraq. All the violence going on? It is, simply put, a civil war. The same may have happened had we simply assassinated Hussein, meaning, that it has been coming for some time.

I think that the general opinion on Iraq is that things simply can’t continue as they are currently going. We need some sort of plan. Nobody, of course, knows what that plan looks like. Fatigue.

Three essential elements. Notice that this election was not an indictment of conservatives, but one of governance. Not convinced? Look at how all the ballot initiatives played out... conservative victories as far as the eye can see. So, the vast majority of Americans are conservative (many of the Democrats elected yesterday were conservative Democrats). This election was not about differences in ideology, it was about a crew that has ignored the people and is now paying the price.

Coming soon... The Way Ahead

Please Vote

Well gentle readers, it is election day. While it is clear where I placed my vote, the most important note is that you get out there and vote. A lot of my fallen brothers would love to cast a vote today, but you'll have to do it for them. Check in and let us know that you made it to the polls.

Thank you. That is all.

Midterm Elections Tomorrow

Pundits have declared that the election tomorrow revolves around a singular issue… the Iraq War. This is, of course, a glaring example of how the dialogue is controlled in the public discourse by the media. It is the Global War on Terrorism, one of which is an effort named Operation Iraqi Freedom. If the GWOT is important to you, and you are still undecided, I recommend that you read the latest from Victor Davis Hanson. He writes,

“What is written about Iraq now is exclusively acrimonious. The narrative is the suicide bomber and IED, never how many terrorists we have killed, how many Iraqis have been given a chance for something different than the old nightmare, or how a consensual government has withstood enemies on nearly every front.

Long forgotten is the inspired campaign that removed a vicious dictator in three weeks. Nor is much credit given to the idealistic efforts to foster democracy rather than just ignoring the chaos that follows war — as we did after the Soviets were defeated in Afghanistan, or following our precipitous departure from Lebanon and Somalia. And we do not appreciate anymore that Syria was forced to vacate Lebanon; that Libya gave up its WMD arsenal; that Pakistan came clean about Dr. Khan; and that there have been the faint beginnings of local elections in the Gulf monarchies.

Yes, the Middle East is "unstable," but for the first time in memory, the usual killing, genocide, and terrorism are occurring in a scenario that offers some chance at something better. Long before we arrived in Iraq, the Assads were murdering thousands in Hama, the Husseins were gassing Kurds, and the Lebanese militias were murdering civilians. The violence is not what has changed, but rather the notion that the United States can do nothing about it; the U.S. has shown itself willing to risk much to support freedom in place of tyranny or theocracy in the region.”

Any honest analysis of the conduct of the war places much of the blame for the current situation in Iraq squarely on the Democratic leadership. Since Bush’s ‘illegal’ election in 2000, the DNC has been dedicated to one cause, and one cause only ... destroying GWB and returning to power in Washington DC. This included sabotaging America's efforts to defeat Islamic terrorism. The Democrats return to power and the destruction of George Bush was all-important, everything else came in second, including our troops.
I personally don’t believe that significant flocks of people will vote against the Republicans because of the GWOT. There are plenty of other issues that are important. The Republicans are listening and have got the message… BE CONSERVATIVES. Don’t forget, 2008 is around the corner. We will see meaningful debate regarding immigration, the GWOT, and taxes. Scandals aside, conservatives will do what their constituents want them to do.

The other element… the left fails to realize that your typical American is living better than they ever! Noticed the Dow Jones Industrial Average lately? All-time highs! Eighty percent of Americans own their homes. Cars are incredibly inexpensive. Anyway, you get the idea. The new phrase has changed from “a chicken in every pot” to “a plasma screen in every house.” Wow, have times changed! Life is good and people know it. So, I join JD in encouraging all of you to go and vote. I hope that you vote conservative, but simply exercise the right that so many of my brothers bought for you.

Before You Vote, Think About This

Howdy, JD here. There is lots of buzz in the media about voter turnout. I realize that this is not a presidential election, but I would like to point out what happens when the Democrats control the military. If conservatives stay home on election day, President Bush will still control the military, but the Democrats will be one big step closer to power and if they control the House, they will have a heavy impact on the military’s budget.

I was on active duty when Jimmy Carter was elected. Lots of small things happened to us that the public did not see on the front pages of the newspaper. Military pay stagnated. A junior enlisted man with a family became eligible for food stamps. Reenlistment bonuses went to zero. Funding for training dried up. Often we found ourselves walking around Ft. Benning with a stick with a nail in the end of it picking up trash instead of training. Funding for spare parts dried up. I remember at one time our unit had a line of six M113A1 personnel carriers in the motor pool that were being used for parts. Later I spoke with an Air Force Officer who had been doing the same thing with F15’s. It goes on with weapons systems not being upgraded and other things. Readiness suffered. Ronald Reagan had to spend a lot of money to fix this.

Take note that when Bill Clinton entered office, the Army had 18 active divisions. When he left there were only 10. We could really use those missing divisions these days. His administration was the one that decided that promotions at the CIA and the Pentagon should be based more on diversity than qualifications.

The point is that recent Democratic administrations were not interested in the military (and now John Kerry has opened his mouth and proved me right). What they are interested in is social engineering. That is, using government power and funding to try push a social agenda. I think that in time of war this is very dangerous.

I am not all that happy with the Republicans at the moment. If you check out the HHS appropriations bill , the earmark spending is amazing. I used to live in North Carolina. There are more illegal aliens in North Carolina that there are people in South Dakota. Immigration needs to be dealt with, too. However, we are at war and the military is important. You can’t fight terrorists with harsh language (some of the Democrats won’t even do that). The Democratic record with the military does not inspire confidence.

So the message is go vote. If you think that the military is important and it is important to win, then vote Republican.

F* The Army Times

As I’m sure most of you have heard, the Army Times (and the Navy, MC, and AF Times) have published an editorial calling for Secretary Rumsfeld to step down. I would like to point out that these are not “professional military publications.” Examples of military professional publications include a plethora of journals and magazines such as “Infantry”, “Soldier”, and “Inside the Navy.” Instead, these weekly periodicals are published by the Gannet Corporation, better known for publishing USA Today.

I have been a subscriber of the Army Times for years, but let it lapse earlier this year because I could get better, less biased information from sites like military.com. For example, they run a little blurb called “How Others See the Military” and put in an often disparaging cartoon. I wrote dozens of times to point out that I get that viewpoint from EVERY OTHER media outlet and didn’t appreciate the ‘help’… and never received a response.

I am not a fan of Secretary Rumsfeld and have never been. My opinion is based on (too much) personal interaction with the Secretary and his staff and is my own. It is a really hard job and I would never want it. That being said, to have the military times periodicals publish such a hit job right before the election smacks of dirty pool. Your average American doesn’t know that these papers don’t speak for the military. What a bunch of shitbirds.

DEATH!

Saddam Hussein has been sentenced to death for his monstrous life. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy. It will be interesting to see how his execution will affect the rest of Iraq.

Worse than 'pound me in the ass' federal prison

More Immigration Information

I have posted about immigration, over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. Surprisingly, all my effort has resulted in absolutely zero change. My belief that the entire universe revolves around me is slipping away. That aside, my proactive efforts to change our current illegal immigration problem has included the following:

1. Letters, emails, and phone calls to my federal representatives.

2. I have donated not-inconsiderable amounts of money to candidates who are very vocal proponents of meaningful reform (gotta reward good behavior).

3. I have also sent several hundred dollars to the Minutemen.

4. I have tried to spread information via this blog (did all five of you get that? Heh).

All these efforts will continue because that is part of fighting the good fight. I strongly believe that this is a national security issue that cannot be ignored. I also believe that I will see an offensive nuclear strike in my lifetime, and I don’t want it to occur here on our soil.

Now there is a pilot program giving citizens an opportunity to help out the Border Patrol sitting where you are right now! As very few people know, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced the Virtual Border Watch Program with initial funding of $5 million. Pretty cool, but nothing is cooler than implementation, and that is what happened yesterday.

The Texas Border Watch Test Site appears to be easy to use. I registered for a login and password and now have access to eight pilot cameras. If I see something suspicious, I am supposed to click a button to alert authorities. I haven’t seen anything suspicious yet (say, is that a burrito in your pocket? Or are you happy to see me.) Anyway, I’m sure that there will be glitches, but please go over and sign up. Hopefully, increased interest will generate more money to improve the system. I always get excited when I see government thinking outside the box. God Bless America.

Introducing... JD!

The first guest posting here in the Squirrel's Nest. As most of you know, I live here in the Washington D.C. area on the East Coast. My political environment has now been warped and I decided that I needed some good ol' midwestern perspective. In that vein, longtime reader (and frequent commenter) JD hails from South Dakota and has graciously agreed to share his insights with us. So, without further ado...

Greetings from flyover country. The Fastest Squirrel has invited me to contribute to his blog, so here is my first post. I live in South Dakota…truly flyover country. I am a veteran and once served as an Infantryman in the cold war days after the end of the Vietnam War. I work in Information Technology and post as “JD.” I wish there was a cool story about why I am JD, like Matt is Blackfive, but JD is simply my initials. I thought that it would be good to pass on what the coming election looks like from out here.

So what is important to the people of South Dakota? Go to the website of our lone member of the House of Representatives, Stephanie Herseth and you will find that she is a member of the Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and Resources committees. She knows her state and focuses on ranches, farms, hunting, fishing, and veterans. The NRA thinks she is okay. Lots of kids out here join the military. When I walk around work, I see lots of pictures of kids in uniform. I see kids in blue Air Force Uniforms. I see a picture of a kid in desert camo with a SAW slung over his shoulder in front of palm trees. But it is not just kids, the Air Guard from Sioux Falls is deployed to Iraq. One of my coworkers went with them. Congresswoman Stephanie has a good record with vets.

Anyway, Stephanie is a Democrat. She is being opposed by a Republican named Bruce Whalen. Bruce is a political newcomer, an American Indian who has spent ten years in the Army National Guard. Stephanie is running a good campaign. Bruce is running a low key campaign. For a while the link to his web site from the state GOP website had the url to his website misspelled. Stephanie has a good record sponsoring and co-sponsoring legislation on Agriculture and Veterans affairs. She has also expressed support for Nancy Pelosi for speaker. She supports her state(which is very conservative), but she also supports Democratic Party initiatives. I can’t help but wonder if the House goes Democratic and starts anti-military foolishness like refusing to fund certain military operations, what will Stephanie do? And this is a big question for all politicians, but particularly Democrats, do you do a good job of supporting your state only to turn your back on National Security?

I think that it would be cool to have an American Indian that had served in the Army Guard for our Representative, but he is certainly an underdog and I have no way of guessing at the sort of voter turnout he may inspire on the reservations here.

Ballot initiatives are a big deal out here, too. This will probably draw more people to the polls. Up for a vote are: a ban on abortions (note: there is only one abortion clinic in the state), at tax on cigarettes, a repeal of the tax on cell phones, a proposal to repeal the video poker lottery(4th try), and a judicial accountability law that would allow people to sue judges(this appears to be aimed at controlling activist judges, possibly a test for similar legislation in other states).

So, as the election approaches here in South Dakota our Representative to the House is saying all the right things about local issues. We also have the prospect of a Democratic takeover in the House of Representatives as a possibility and we don’t know if our Democratic Representative will support House initiatives that go contrary to what we believe is the best thing to do. This shadows a national question. If the Democrats have the right answers on many local issues, but are completely wrong on a big one like National Security what do you do? It seems to me that if you don’t do National Security correctly, then the local issues won’t matter.

Good News From Iraq

Multi-National Corps - Iraq (MNC-I) sends:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20061102-03
Nov. 2, 2006

Coalition Forces kill assassination team
Multi-National Corps – West PAO

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq- An Al Qaeda assassination team was killed by Coalition Forces in Fallujah Tuesday. Coalition snipers heard gunshots and quickly responded to the murder of an off-duty Fallujah policeman by gunmen in civilian clothes. The Marines from 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 5 immediately engaged the armed gunmen and killed two of them.

The third gunman was killed as he attempted to flee in a vehicle.

“We honor the service of the Fallujah policeman Hamed Mohammed Jassim,” said Coalition spokesperson Marine Lt. Col. Bryan Salas. “He stood against the murder and intimidation campaign of the terrorists to help bring security and prosperity to his neighbors in Fallujah. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Assault rifles and other items were recovered from the gunmen.

Gotta love those snipers. I have been through a couple Army sniper programs and got to target through a reticle in Somalia. Much to my chagrin, I have to admit that the Marines freakin' rock. So like they say on the Sniper Teams, "Go ahead and run, you'll only die tired." Sweet.