An interim report on the surge of deodorant sales in D.C.

ur brave and competent fighting men in Iraq and our Iraqi allies racked up more successes with their Independence Day capture of key al-Qaeda leader Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani — the terrorists' "most senior Iraqi" and "intermediary between the chief of al-Qaeda-in-Iraq and the international group's top leaders, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri" — on top of their killing 29 enemy and capturing 23 during last week's Operation Ithaca. Well done, U.S. Central Command, Multi-National Force - Iraq, 1st Cavalry Division, 4th Infantry Division, 82nd Airborne Division, Iraq Ministry of Defense, 5th Iraqi Army Division, and every one of our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Guardsmen, Airmen, and Multinational Force Allies winning this World War for the peoples of all peace-loving nations.

This and the other top terrorists our Freedom's Defenders have captured during the Surge are singing like canaries, providing us more information about al-Qaeda's operations and methods which has proved most valuable to our war effort and our Troop's security.

What the U.S. military has learned from al-Mashadani and other operatives they've seized is that "there is a flow of strategic direction, of prioritization of messaging and other guidance that comes from al Qaeda senior leadership to the al Qaeda in Iraq leadership," Bergner said.

Bergner emphasizes that that there is a "clear connection between al Qaeda in Iraq and al Qaeda senior leadership outside Iraq."

Equally important, the Iraqi people are continuing to turn against such murderous rejects of the human race.

"We had some very specific intelligence that was provided to us from the local populace," said Lt. Col. Andrew Poppas, a squadron commander with the 82nd's 73rd Cavalry Regiment.

Poppas said the tips often came in the form of handwritten notes slipped to his GIs or to soldiers with the 5th Iraqi Army Division. Unmanned aerial vehicles were used to confirm the information and then monitor the movements of the al-Qaida terrorists-turned-targets.

The Surge is clearly working.

[Operation] Ithaca appeared to be the kind of battle that U.S. planners had in mind for the vaunted surge aimed at securing Iraq's major cities — forcing insurgents into the countryside where larger and more-mobile U.S. units could bring air power and UAV surveillance to bear.

The statement noted that no U.S. casualties were reported and the 5th Division performed well. The operation also secured the release of eight Iraqi hostages as well as the seizure of three arms caches.

Osama bin Laden, if he's really alive, has to feel the noose tightening. Our Troops are forcing him to constantly respond to his many losses that they keep handing him in Iraq and the broader Middle East, and to the increasing threat such poses to his personal safety, means of communications, and freedom of movement. While al-Qaeda is struggling just to stay alive over there it has no real hope of again rising up to plan, much less execute, any viable attacks against us here.

God bless the courageous men and women of our Armed Forces. Many, many grateful American citizens besides myself thank you and support your efforts in behalf of our freedoms.

The good news doesn't end there. We have even more reasons to thank and support those exceptional men and women in our country's all-voluntary Military:

[T]he Army is still ahead of its year-to-date [recruiting] goal and is expected to make its year-end goal. June marked the second month in a row that the Army missed its active-duty recruiting goal, according to statistics released today by the Defense Department. The active Army, with 7,031 accessions, came up almost 1,400 recruits below its 8,400-person goal. However, officials noted that it remains 741 recruits ahead of its year-to-date goal....

The other three services met or exceeded their active-duty recruiting goals for June. The Navy recruited 3,999 sailors, 102 percent of its goal. The Marine Corps signed on 4,113 Marines, 110 percent of its goal, and the Air Force met its goal by recruiting 2,233 airmen.

Five of the six reserve components met or exceeded their June goals.

The Army Reserve and Army National Guard both came out on the plus side for June. The Army Reserve recruited 5,255 members, almost 400 troops more than its goal, and the Guard met its goal, with 5,342 recruits.

The Navy Reserve recruited 1,013 members, exceeding its goal by 8 percent. The Marine Corps Reserve signed on 1,078 members, 109 percent of its goal. The Air Force Reserve met its 597-airman goal.

Only the Air National Guard, with 779 recruits, missed its goal, by 25 percent.

Maj. Anne Edgecomb, an Army spokeswoman, expressed optimism that July, August and September will tip the scales toward the plus side for active-duty recruitment. Traditionally, these are the Army's biggest recruiting months due to the new crop of high school graduates....

In addition, she noted that retention remains high, 101 percent of the goal for the active Army, 119 percent for the Army Reserve and 107 percent for the Army National Guard.

"It's a testament to the quality of our young people that so many have already stepped forward to defend our nation and that so many servicemen and -women have chosen to continue to serve," Edgecomb said.

Even more good news on the home front: Not only has our Dow Jones Industrial Average "moved above 14,000 for the first time ever," taking "just 57 trading days to make the trip from 13,000," the Conference Board is reporting that "long-term Treasury bond yields have begun to reflect a better outlook for the U.S. economy" and nondefense "capital goods orders, a key investment indicator, have risen 20% in real terms since January." Today's low inflation rates and high employment rates are also in our positive future, according to Federal Reserve board chairman Ben Bernanke.

Although regular Americans have true cause to celebrate all this good news from the front as well as here at home, it has made Demosurrenderat Party politicians only more miserable as they contemplate yet another increase in their personal stockpiles of Speed Stick® 24/7 Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Stick, Icy Surge™ (pun very much intended).

Labels: Good News, Sealing the fate of freedom's enemies, Troop Victories, World War IV

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