Operation Enduring Freedom, specifically the 2001 war in Afghanistan,
was the first step to President Bush's war on terror.  It is known as
the greatest special forces war ever fought because of the US's heavy
reliance on a few highly-trained operatives on the ground pinpointing
targets for a high-tech force in the air.  



The war was fought between the Coalition (consisting mostly of US
forces)/Northern Alliance (Afghan rebels) and the Taliban (Afghan
government)/Al Qaeda (led by Osama bin Laden).  The was was pretty much
one-sided, with the Northern Alliance ground offensive easily sweeping
through Kabul, the capital of the Taliban, and Kandahar, the military
stronghold of the Taliban.  The one battle that the Coalition/Northern
Alliance arguably lost was the Battle of Tora Bora, in which Osama bin
Laden was cornered but somehow escaped.



Now, it is the insurgency that is causing problems for the new government led by Hamid Karzai.  



The war is seen as a "good war" by both sides of the political aisle.



For more information, read:

Foreign Affairs: The Afghan Quagmire (November 2001)

Bush's Speech           

Galenet Article One

Galenet Article Two

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/enduring-freedom.htm




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President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a
southern sympathizer and a self-proclaimed modern-day Brutus, on April
14th, 1865 (five days after the end of the Civil War). Booth snuck into
Lincoln's viewing Booth at the Ford's Theater while Lincoln was
watching "Our American Cousin" and shot him in the back of the head.
Booth then jumped down onto the stage and ran out the back door. The
ensuing manhunt eventually caught up with him in the swamps of the
Potomac River. He was shot, and his co-conspirators were hanged.

The event has many interesting stories associated with it:
Lincoln
had a dream in which he walked into the East Room of the White House
and saw a casket. He asked the soldiers why there was a casket and the
soldiers told him that the President had been assassinated. He had the
dream three days before being assassinated.Robert Todd
Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's son, stood by his father's body as he passed
away. Strangely, Robert Todd Lincoln would also stand by the sides of
Presidents Garfield and McKinley (both shot by assassins) as they lay
dying.Robert Todd Lincoln once fell onto the train tracks but was saved by Edwin Booth, John's brother.Boston Corbett, the soldier who fatally wounded Booth, shot him in the exact same spot that Booth shot Lincoln.
There are also several conspiracy theories about the Lincoln Assassination:
Vice
President Johnson indirectly communicated with Booth on the day of the
assassination. He stood to gain the most from the death of Lincoln.Confederate
Secretary of State Judah Benjamin might have ordered the assassination
of the opposing head of state for tactical reasons. Benjamin destroyed
all of his records after the surrender, and then fled to England and
never returned.Secretary of War Edwin Stanton disliked Lincoln
for his moderate stance on many issues. Stanton prevented Ulysses Grant
(and his military escort) from attending "Our American Cousin" with
Lincoln (and potentially saving his life). He also lowered security on
the bridge that Booth used to flee into Maryland. He also destroyed a
few pages of Booth's diary before it was used as evidence in court.
For more information, read:
The American Presidents by David Whitney
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer (The History Channel)
The Greatest Presidential Stories Never Told by Rick Beyer
http://members.aol.com/RVSNorton/Lincoln.html



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Lincoln's Assassination

This episode is an analysis of the environmental impacts of the current
war in Iraq.  There are several major categories, each of which will be
discussed.  This episode is meant to be an overview of the
rarely-discussed ecological situation in Iraq, rather than a persuasive
piece towards one viewpoint or another.  The entire episode will
revolve around environmental issues--political and strategic issues and
biases will not be included.





Negative Effects:Oil Fires: Saddam lit oil wells on fire, resulting in
      extreme air pollution.Oil Spills: the oil wells spilled into the
      surrounding ground and sea, ruining vast expanses of animal habitats.Depleted Uranium: DU munitions used by Coalition
      forces have chemically wounded thousands of Iraqis and Americans.War Machines: Military vehicles and structures
      wreak havoc through the fragile deserts of Western and Northern
       Iraq.Munitions: Unexploded ordinances and explosion
      craters have wrecked acres and acres of potential farmland.Water Pollution: Unnatural or unhealthy chemicals,
      such as oil and human biomass, have entered waterways in large
      quantities, thereby rendering them unusable.Infrastructure Damage: The lack of leadership in Iraq
      means that significant environmental problems, such as broken sewage
      systems, never get fixed.Fiscal Allocation: Funds allocated to defense could
      have been used to pursue environmentalist initiatives.
Positive Effects:Iraq War is a major catalyst for the “alternative
      energies initiative?.Saddam’s ecologically harmful policies will no
      longer devastate the Iraqi ecosystem.Iraq’s
      relationship with the United Nations has improved, meaning that UN
      environmental agencies can now safely enter the region.


For more information, read:

Environmental Science by Richard Wright

The Gulf War Aftermath by Mohammed Sadiq

Desk Study on the Environment in Iraq by the United Nations Environment Program

The Iraq Quagmire by the Institute for Policy Studies

The Environment Consequences of the war in Iraq by the UK Green Party



Special thanks to: Captain Christopher Green, Corporal Trent Davis, and Master Sergeant Jonny Lung



Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine


Iraq's Environment

John McCain Sr: Admiral, Commander of Fast Carrier Task Force in South Pacific during WWII

John McCain Jr: Admiral, Commander of Pacific Command during Vietnam War

John McCain III: Navy aviator, shot down in Hanoi, tortured as a
prisoner of war for 5.5 years, currently running for Republican
nomination for President of the United States



Other presidential candidates with military experience are:

Chris Dodd: Army ReserveMike Gravel: Lieutenant, Counter-Intelligence Corps (West Germany)Ron Paul: Captain, Flight Surgeon (US Air Force)Duncan Hunter: Lieutenant, US Army Rangers

For more information, read:

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198503/delenda.est.carthago.htm

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jsmccain.htm

www.realclearpolitics.com

http://www.azcentral.com/news/specials/mccain/articles/0301mccainbio-chapter3.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/15/politics/15mccain.html?_r=1&adxnnl;=1&oref;=slogin&adxnnlx;=1198992044-jBYur2uP0d4d90Hp7uLjtA





Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine 

The John McCains

The title of this episode comes from the following George Orwell quote: “Serious
sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred,
jealousy, boastfulness, disregard for all rules and sadistic pleasure
in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus the shooting."
This is meant to be a fun episode on the similarities between football, chess, and war.  Please take each analogy with a grain of salt.

Football (two armies fighting to reach the opposing camp/end zone):
Kick-off Team: SkirmishersQuarterback: Tactical CommanderHead Coach: Strategic CommanderHalfback: Light Infantry ReservesFullback: Heavy Infantry ReservesTight End: Heavy CavalryLinemen (offensive and defensive): Heavy InfantryWide Receivers: Light CavalryCornerbacks: Light CavalryLinebackers: Light InfantrySafeties: Heavy CavalryKicker: Artillery


Chess (two armies fighting to defeat the opposing commander):
Pawns: Heavy InfantryRooks: ArtilleryKnights: Light CavalryBishops: Light InfantryQueen: Heavy CavalryKing: Tactical Commander



Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

Sports - War minus the Shooting

This episode is written by Russell Holman of Merrimack, New Hampshire. 
If you would like to submit a script to Military History Podcast,
please send me an email at militaryhistorypodcast@gmail.com



The mighty American military during WWII would have been nothing
without its surprisingly-important rationing system.  Food kept the
United States going, so therefore, it is well worth studying. 
Throughout WWII and the years beyond, the US entered/exited several
"eras" of rations:

A RationsB RationsK RationsC RationsLRRP RationsMREs

For more information, read:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/mre.htm

http://www.olive-drab.com/od_rations.php

http://nsc.natick.army.mil/media/print/OP_Rations.pdf





Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

Operation Enduring Freedom

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