Michael Yon invited by Brits and US to embed again

by Kay B. Day

Michael Yon has been invited to embed again by both Great Britain and the US.Michael Yon isn’t a correspondent who sparks a neutral reaction in the reader. You either love him or you don’t. There’s not much of an in-between.

In April Yon’s embed in Afghanistan ended abruptly. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, was in charge and some of Yon’s fans blamed the general. The official reason given was “overcrowding by journalists.”

In a dispatch announcing the change, Yon wrote, “Haven’t seen a journalist in weeks.”

In the preceding month, Yon had pulled no punches in his dispatches,  criticizing Canadian Brig. Gen. Daniel Ménard who commanded Task Force Kandahar. Yon took some heat for that one too, until the truth came out.

Click to read more ...

MSNBC's Brezezinski goes to bat for Obama on spill

by Kay B. Day

The video pretty much says it all. You can't blame MSNBC's Mika Brezezinski for going to bat for President Barack Obama, though. At least she's honest about where her ideology lies. Considering 14 journalists went to work for the Obama administration AFTER they basically helped sway voters [allegedly] to hit the Democrat Party button, the vid shouldn't really shock us.

 Thus the nation and national media are neck deep in what might be called donkey droppings. So to speak. And if we look backward, it's obvious Sen. John McCain was right about Brezezinski when he told her in September, 2008, "You're an Obama supporter."

CAAFlog blogger covers SEAL trial with finesse as defense duels with prosecutor

By Kay B. Day

CAAFlog blogger Dwight Sullivan is a rare bird. He has a legal background, but he writes like a seasoned journalist and in this rare case, I am using ‘seasoned journalist’ as a compliment. Sullivan has been posting firsthand accounts of the trial of SO2 Matthew McCabe’s legal battle to defend his honor and his freedom.

McCabe faces minor charges over the detention of an alleged terrorist in Iraq, but the most serious charge he’s dealing with is an accusation he did ‘unlawfully strike [the alleged terrorist] in the midsection with his fist.’ The alleged terrorist is Ahmed Hashim Abed who is suspected of planning and implementing the murders and desecration of bodies of private contractors in Iraq.

Sullivan has covered McCabe’s trial in a Norfolk (Va.) courtroom from the first day on Monday. I’m betting a lot of his readers are like me. Each day I’d check the CAAFlog site multiple times to see if there was anything new.

Sullivan’s last update on McCabe's trial implied the defense had a good day on Wednesday. It appears McCabe’s civilian defense attorney Neal Puckett and his associate Haytham Faraj are successfully picking apart ‘evidence’ such as very questionable eyewitness testimony from sailor Kevin Demartino and a recording  of a deposition of another eyewitness, the alleged terrorist.

Click to read more ...

Top war correspondent’s embed in Afghanistan halted

By Kay B. Day

Top war correspondent Michael Yon's embed in Afghanistan comes to a close. [Photo used with permission, Michael Yon]No one reporting on the Global War on Terror has done a more effective or honest job than Michael Yon. For one thing he knows the military, having served in U.S. Army Special Forces. With his camera and his pen, he enabled readers to see aspects of war corporate media could or would not divulge.

On Saturday, April 10, Yon posted a message on his magazine-style website. “[A] message came from military that this embed has ended.” He headed off to pack his bags.

Click to read more ...

A salute to Lt. Col. Smith

Lt. Col. W. Thomas Smith, Jr., has often answered questions for The US Report when we need a military expert. Smith was recently promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Joint Services Detachment of the SC Military Dept. The ceremony was conducted Feb. 21 at SC National Guard Headquarters in the capital city of Columbia. Among the distinguished guests was Medal of Honor recipient Col. Charles Murray who presented Smith with an autographed copy of ‘Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty’ by Peter Collier and Nick Del Calzo.

Click to read more ...