Last of the Color

The last of the autumn leaves are being viewed in the Mid-Atlantic region.Scattered red maples and oaks still have some color on them,as well as the exotic Asian pears.
The snowbirds are present in force.Firearms deer season is fast approaching.The white-tailed deer are having their last calm days for a few weeks or so.
The first lowland snow flurries can't be far in the future.

Afghan War Progress:Militants Low On Funds

Taliban militants trying to unseat the Afghan government and reinstate their radical Islamist reign are finding their funding drying up,the result of the predominant U.S. Marine and other coalition forces being active in Helmand and neighboring Kandahar Provinces.From threatening poppy growers to processing and smuggling heroin,the militants' fund-raising habits are being disrupted,forcing them to resort to unearthing stashes of old weapons and ammunition.
Mullah Omar,the Taliban leader in hiding since U.S. forces and the Afghan Northern Alliance drove him from power in 2001,issued a plea for Muslims to fund the militant cause.He spoke in a greeting on Eid-al-Adha,the major Muslim observance.
Afghan villagers and farmers are bolder in standing up to the militants with the coalition troops around.Soon,the Marines and British troops will be setting up self-defense units of 50 Afghans apiece,formalizing their independent streak.A similar tactic proved successful in Iraq,tapping anti-Al Qaida sentiment there and focusing it on dislodging that Islamic militant group.
Although neither the Taliban nor Al Qaida in Iraq are likely to disappear entirely,they are being marginalized over time,to the point where indigenous security forces can contain them.They are being pushed to outlying villages and the cover of darkness.
The NATO defense alliance plans to completely turn security over to Afghan forces by 2014.NATO emphasizes,however,that this is a goal.If conditions in certain areas do not warrant the transfer of authority,U.S. and allied troops may remain on station there.
Scholars point out that the ultimate challenge is setting up honest governments the locals can rely on,backed by competent indigenous security forces to defend them from the gruff Islamic militants.

Carnival Splendor Arrives Home

The cruise liner Carnival Splendor has safely docked in San Diego,several hours ahead of schedule.The ship had been protected by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Morgenthau(WHEC 722).The Morgenthau is homeported at Alameda,California.A Hamilton class high endurance cutter,the Morgenthau has a complement of 162.
Many of the Hamilton class cutters saw combat duty in Vietnam.They are heavily armed with several guns and a Phalanx Close-In Weapons System,and have long-range capability,with a range of 14,000 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots.
A U.S. Navy corpsman aboard the cutter was available for any medical needs of the cruise liner's passengers and crew.Fortunately,it appears they suffered only varying degrees of discomfort and aggravation.
On this Veterans Day,America salutes you,our military men and women.
Carnival Corp(CCL)

Cruise Ship Phones Back

Cell phones aboard the disabled Carnival Splendor are working again,providing a clearer picture of conditions on the vessel.A third tugboat has joined the small armada helping the cruise liner,which should arrive in San Diego by late Thursday.
An NBC affiliate employee who is cruising on the Splendor said people are trying to keep their spirits up.Musicians are providing some entertainment for the passengers.The inner cabins are still in the dark,and have to keep their doors propped open for fresh air and light.
There is still no hot food.It is a "diet cruise" of fruit,salad and small sandwiches.Many of the passengers say they will never take another cruise.
Carnival Corp(CCL)

Early Edition:Military Aid Arrives At Cruise Ship

Help has begun arriving off the coast of Baja California,Mexico,where the cruise liner Carnival Splendor was disabled by an aft engine room fire early Tuesday.The first of two tugboats had reached the liner as of Tuesday evening,a Carnival spokesperson said.
The fire left the huge ship without plumbing,air conditioning and cooking.Carnival said the Splendor should reach San Diego by late Thursday.The company is arranging for hotels and flights home for the passengers,and will provide full refunds plus a future cruise for them.
The Splendor had left Long Beach,California on Sunday with 3299 passengers and 1167 crew.The U.S. Navy responded to a request for aid.Sailors sent eight planeloads of food-including plenty of Spam-water and other supplies from an air station to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan(CVN 76),which will in turn supply the Splendor by helicopter.
Navy personnel who have been delivering the supplies report that the passengers are in good spirits,taking photos of the Navy helicopters.
There have been no serious injuries reported,but two passengers and one crew member had panic attacks.A U.S. Coast Guard cutter is shadowing the Splendor.Security is a concern,given the disabled liner's vulnerability to drug traffickers and terrorists.
Update:Both tugboats are now pulling the Splendor,and the operation is proceeding without incident.The liner's crew got auxiliary power going last night,so cold water is now on tap.For some historical context,see this week's post in International Daybook,which you can reach from the link list in the right column.
Carnival Corp(CCL)

Wintry Hints

Hard freezes have descended on the Mid-Atlantic region,greeting motorists with frosty windshields in the morning.It was below 0 Celsius in some locations.The winter ahead is predicted to be average for the region,which will seem mild after last winter's multiple blizzards.
Snowbirds were seen at feeders this morning,and some human snowbirds are already making their annual migration to Florida from Canada and New England.The cheaper sacks of birdseed are stacked at the store for today's budget-conscious shoppers.

D.C. Area Mystery:Assailant Targets Sea Services

A serial assailant has been attacking sea services facilities in Northern Virginia.Tuesday morning,it was discovered that the shooter had fired on a U.S. Coast Guard recruiting station at a Woodbridge,Virginia mall.
The individual has also taken pot shots at the Pentagon;on two occasions,at the Marine Corps museum in Quantico;and at a Marine Corps recruiting station.The same weapon was used in the Marine Corps shootings.
An FBI profile theorized that the person has a grudge against the Marine Corps,but the attack on the Coast Guard calls that motivation into question.
No one has been injured in the shootings,which took place in pre-dawn hours.At least some of them were believed to have been carried out from a highway.There are no suspects in the incidents so far.
What would normally be considered safe postings have suddenly taken on menace for the service members who work in the area,as well as the civilians who have business there.
Update:The FBI has ascertained that the Coast Guard shooting was from the same weapon as the other four attacks.