Free Republic

"The number you have called cannot be connected."Ever heard a recording like this on your telephone? On Sept. 11, 2001 messages like that were commonplace in New York and Washington and incredibly frustrating for first responders trying to coordinate rescue operations and families attempting to contact loved ones. Now think about that kind of message being heard by virtually every cell phone subscriber in an entire country. That may be about to happen in Iraq. If it does, it could well derail progress made in recent months and have long-term adverse consequences for U.S. interests in the region. In December...

GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghanistan , March 12, 2008 – With the growth of Afghan national security forces since the establishment of democracy in Afghanistan, the need for consolidated information and authority has become essential. Sgt. 1st Class Eric R. Lasica (left,) a joint regional coordination center mentor with 508th Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, assists Afghan National Police 2nd Sgt. Farhad Sidiqi, the battle noncommissioned officer for the center, on a map-reading program in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, March 4, 2008. Photo by Spc. Nathan W. Hutchison, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. One way...

/10/2008 - BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFPN) -- Multi-National Force - Iraq officials here have recently established a new team of experts to help improve coordination of communications policy, services and infrastructure initiatives throughout Iraq. The Iraq Communications Coordination Element recently began operating under the direction of Brig. Gen. Steven J. Spano, Multi-National Force - Iraq's deputy chief of staff for communications and information systems. Members of the ICCE will help the Iraqi government identify gaps and opportunities in current and future communications initiatives and then help with prioritizing, integrating, and synchronizing these different efforts across the country. The idea is to...

The Yahoo link is a video link. I'm posting it to stress a point about the English language. While there have been many discussions about making English the official language of the USA, I seldom involve myself with the politics of the proposal. Instead, I have always maintained English is the worldwide language of commerce. This video clip supports my position. Not requiring English proficiency, especially in the USA, almost certainly assures certain people will be imprisoned in the lower class.

KANDAHAR: Taliban militants destroyed a telecom tower in southern Afghanistan, the second such assault in two days, after warning phone companies to shut down their towers or face attacks. Militants burned the base station of a Roshan mobile phone company tower in Kandahar city late Saturday, said Qarim Agha, a police officer in the area. He said authorities tightened security around other telecom towers in the city. Last week, a Taliban spokesman said militants would blow up towers across Afghanistan if mobile phone companies did not switch off their signals overnight. The militants fear US and other foreign troops are...

Two Canadian bird smugglers were foiled on Sunday when they tried to cross the U.S. border with four exotic pigeons stuffed into their jackets. The discovery was made as the two Canadian citizens attempted to enter the United States through the Lewiston Bridge border crossing, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. When the men were asked to remove their jackets, authorities found four live pigeons stuffed into the inside pockets. Kevin Corsaro of CBP public affairs said they could face criminal charges. “The smuggling of such birds increases the chances that a communicable bird disease, such as exotic newcastle or...

LEWISTON, N.Y. -- Border agents pulled four live birds from the pockets of a pigeon collector and a traveling companion trying to enter the United States from Canada. The pair were stopped Sunday at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge border crossing. They told inspectors they were on their way to visit an uncle near Rochester, says Customs and Border Protection spokesman Kevin Corsaro. The Uxbridge, Ontario residents, whose names were not released, were asked during a secondary inspection to remove their coats and that's when the birds were found. One man told CBP officers he is a pigeon collector who belongs to...

Anyone else using Vonage? I hooked mine up yesterday in 5 minutes. The quality is outstanding. So far so good. A good month and Bellsouth and MCI can kiss my arse..

Can't access data on PDA Phone, and "all circuits are busy" when I dial my cell provider's cutomer service lines (all of them). Local stations are inaccessible on DishTV. I know there was a major line out of Dallas down on Monday that mucked up air traffic at DFW, among other things, but yesterday everything worked fine for me. I've searched Google News but can find nothing regarding what's going on today.

Construction continues at the site of the new Al Mamoon telecommunications center in Baghdad, Iraq. The center will improve Radio, telephone, cell phone, and internet service in the Baghdad region and connect Baghdad with the rest of the country and the world. Photo by Sgt. Jerry Saslav, 65th PAOC, Massachusetts Army National Guard. BAGHDAD — Communication in Baghdad can be an exercise in frustration, a hit-or-miss proposition due to both geography and technology issues. That will change as reconstruction of a major communication facility continues.The war resulted in the destruction of the Al Mamoon telecommunications. The Al Mamoon was the...

We are customers of McLeodUSA Communications. They serve businesses and customers in several states. Our phones went down two hours ago and there is no answer from customer service. I did finally get through to someone in sales who told me that it was a "nationwide, catastrophic failure" and that all of the their techs are working on it. Is anyone else a McLeodUSA customer or is any other network having issues?

Soldiers Bring Mobile Communications to Battlefield New vehicle gives commanders more choices, faster. By Spc. Ben Hutto3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq, Aug. 21, 2007 — Staff Sgt. Matthew Hancock looked over the schematics the 82nd Airborne had put together for a mobile tactical operations center and knew that he could build something similar for his battalion. "This is the first time a mechanized Army unit has engineered, built and deployed a vehicle like this. We are proud of what we’ve done. We feel like we have raised the bar for the Army."Staff...

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2007 – Pakistani, Afghan and U.S. troops teamed up to stop a group of Taliban insurgents from crossing the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan during a March 7 incident, officials said. Pakistani border forces reported that an insurgent vehicle was attempting to enter Pakistan from an area where Afghan and U.S. soldiers were attacked near the Afghan village of Shkin, in Paktika province. Afghan and U.S. forces responded with two 105 mm artillery rounds, resulting in a direct hit on the insurgents’ vehicle. Secondary explosions were observed, leading the force to conclude that the vehicle was...

Paris-based satellite company Eutelsat is investigating "unidentified interference" with its satellite broadcast services that temporarily knocked out several television and radio stations. The company declined to say whether it thought the interference was accidental or deliberate. The problem began Tuesday afternoon, blocking several European, Middle East and northeast African radio and television stations, as well as Agence France-Presse's news service. All transferred their satellite transmissions to another frequency to resume operations. Theresa Hitchens of the Center for Defense Information think-tank in Washington DC, US, says there have been cases of deliberate satellite jamming in the past, but it is hard...

The Al Mamoon stairwell stands ready for removal. Story by Norris Jones Gulf Region Division US Army Corps of Engineers BAGHDAD -- A 13-story 1600-ton rectangular concrete stairwell, the last remnant of the old Al Mamoon Exchange and Telecommunication Center near Baghdad, was removed Saturday to make room for a new seven-story telecommunications building on the nearly 230 by 442 foot site. “(The) facility will be a visual symbol that Iraq is connected to the global community,” said Karem, a Gulf Region Division resident engineer in Baghdad’s International Zone.The Ministry of Communication offices will be in the building as...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan, Aug. 7, 2006 -- Coalition commanders and prominent religious leaders in the Khost Province conducted their first shura, or meeting, July 26 to provide a forum for open discussion of provincial issues. Army Lt. Col. David A. Bushey, Task Force Wolfpack commander, and Navy Cmdr. John F. Wade, commander of the Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team, clarified Coalition policy toward the religion and culture represented by the mullahs in attendance. “We make three promises to all Afghan citizens, “ Bushey told the assembled mullahs. “The soldiers under our command will respect your religion, they will...

Nokia's days as the world's number one mobile phone vendor could be numbered, according to analysts. A new report from Strategy Analytics found that over the last four quarters, Motorola has averaged growth of around 52 percent, while Nokia has managed just 32 percent.

Jefferson hires crisis-seasoned PR aideCongressman target in corruption probe Friday, July 07, 2006 By Bruce Alpert Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-La., points to a map as he talks with Congressman William Jefferson at a presentation during a briefing on the levee system in Southern Louisiana in New Orleans, Thursday, July 6, 2006. The briefing covered the state of current levee reconstruction and what actions need to be implemented in the future to ensure South Louisiana residents are safe from the flooding associated with hurricanes. (AP Photo/Bill Haber) WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, the target of a high-profile public corruption probe,...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (May 25, 2006) -- A Milwaukee native was awarded the Bronze Star May 19 for his loyal devotion to duty during times of danger and distress while deployed to Iraq. Master Gunnery Sgt. James G. Apriesnig was acting as communications chief for Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team-8, 2nd Marine Division, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2005 to February 2006 in Fallujah, Iraq. Apriesnig planned and supervised the installation, operation and maintenance of a communications architecture that provided connectivity between the headquarter element, a reconnaissance battalion, three infantry battalions and three military...

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (May 16, 2006) -- As the hot Iraqi sun was beating down, sweat ceaselessly dripped from the faces of Marines erecting a radio tower. They grimaced while pushing a metal extension of an expandable antenna in the air as commands to tighten up the slack on guidelines were yelled. The tower seemed intimidating as it hovered more than 25 feet above the Marines' heads and could have crashed down if they weren't careful, but that didn't deter them and eventually the system was set up and secured. Marines of Communications Company, 1st Marine Logistics Group, must overcome...

A U.S. appeals panel sharply challenged the Bush administration Friday over new rules making it easier for police and the FBI to wiretap Internet phone calls. A judge said the government's courtroom arguments were "gobbledygook." The skepticism expressed so openly toward the administration's case encouraged civil liberties and education groups that argued that the U.S. is improperly applying telephone-era rules to a new generation of Internet services. "Your argument makes no sense," U.S. Circuit Judge Harry T. Edwards told the lawyer for the Federal Communications Commission, Jacob Lewis. "When you go back to the office, have a big chuckle. I'm...

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 3, 2006 – A unique Afghan National Army communications unit reached a milestone recently by demonstrating its capability to plan, deploy and establish a communications station. Maj. Abdul Anan (left) and Capt. Gul Mohammed, officers with the Afghan National Army's Communications Support Element, perform radio checks during the unit's first deployment recently. Courtesy photo   The Communication Support Element is providing ANA leadership with the capability to extend command and control systems to a deployed operations center anywhere in Afghanistan. The battalion-sized unit is being developed to support the needs of the National Military Command Center in...

Communications Center Aids Iraqi Police Response The Joint Communications Center and local initiatives to reduce the threat of vehicle-borne improvised explosvie devices have contributed to increased public safety for the citizens of Tal Afar. By U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class John J. Pistone Multinational Security Transition Command—Iraq TAL AFAR, Iraq, May 2, 2006 — Located high above the city, in what is known as “The Castle,� Iraqi police are receiving much needed assistance in their fight against terrorism. Nestled safely behind the wall of this castle is the Tal Afar Joint Communications Center, a joint environment where Iraqi...

Standing in his K Street office with a headset glued to his ear, Andrew Jay Schwartzman thinks of himself as a guerrilla leader launching lightning raids against the nation's big communications companies to defend the public interest. In a corner office three blocks down K Street, former Federal Communications Commission chairman Richard E. Wiley commands an army of lawyers on behalf of many of the country's major telephone, cable and media groups. Operating at opposite ends of the spectrum, the two are among the thousands of lawyers......

UDIENZA AI PARTECIPANTI ALLA PLENARIA DEL PONTIFICIO CONSIGLIO DELLE COMUNICAZIONI SOCIALI Alle 12.30 di questa mattina, nella Sala Clementina del Palazzo Apostolico Vaticano, il Santo Padre Benedetto XVI ha ricevuto in Udienza i partecipanti alla Plenaria del Pontificio Consiglio delle Comunicazioni Sociali ed ha loro rivolto il discorso che riportiamo di seguito: DISCORSO DEL SANTO PADREYour Eminences,Your Excellencies,Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Vatican today on the occasion of the annual Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. I wish first to thank Archbishop Foley, President of...

President Bush will have to reassure his Republican base that the United States is winning the war in Iraq and the economy is improving before his anemic poll numbers begin turning upward, election pollsters and strategists say. Mr. Bush's numbers fell last week to the lowest levels of his presidency as insurgent violence in Iraq worsened and as criticism increased over the administration's handling of the economy and its approval of a proposed takeover of terminal operations at six U.S. ports by an Arab-owned firm. A half-dozen polls show that Mr. Bush's overall job-approval numbers have fallen to the 38...

A century-old hobby filled with dots and dashes is embroiled in a debate about its future and what level of training should be expected of those called on to help during local and national emergencies. Morse code, a slowly dying language, has become radio's equivalent of Latin: historically important, but increasingly irrelevant in a world of cell phones, computers and instant messaging. With mariners and the military having moved to other technologies long ago, ham radio operators are virtually the sole practitioners of a technique that made national and international communication possible with the telegraph.

Last month, a briefly worded press release went nearly unnoticed. It simply read: "Effective January 27, 2006, Western Union will discontinue all Telegram and Commercial Messaging Services. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you, and we thank you for your loyal patronage." After 155 years, and millions of telegrams and Telex messages, a major part of American history quietly slipped into obscurity. For more than 100 years, Socorro was part of that history. With today's telephones, cell phones and e-mail, we can contact almost anyone we wish immediately and cheaply. This wasn't always the case. In Socorro's early days,...

When another disaster on the scale of Hurricane Katrina comes along, the League will be able to deploy "ham gear ready to go," thanks to manufacturers' donations of Amateur Radio gear, ARRL members' generous monetary contributions and a federal grant. The ARRL Ham Aid-sponsored "Go Kits" now being assembled at League Headquarters are the third leg of a program that's already reimbursed certain out-of-pocket expenses for ham radio hurricane zone volunteers and helped restore Amateur Radio backbone infrastructure along the US Gulf Coast. "To me, this is a first step in ramping up ARRL's ability to support Amateur Radio volunteers...

Patrick Dorinson, a former fundraiser in Bill Clinton's presidential campaign and former member of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration, has been selected as the new communications director of the California Republican Party. There was no official confirmation from the party, which will hold its statewide convention this weekend in San Jose. Capitol sources said the decision to tap Dorinson, a Republican who served as the chief spokesman of the state's electricity grid during California's energy crisis, was reached several days ago. The party's official announcement was expected as early as Tuesday, but Dorinson confirmed his hiring today. Dorinson, 54, currently a...

On Friday, February 10, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman launched the state's first regional, multi-county interoperable communications hub. The county communications system allows the first responders and emergency service providers in central Nebraska to speak and share information across varied radio systems. The governor helped to develop Nebraska's state plan for bridging the gap between the different bands and brands of radio systems used by ambulance, fire, and police agencies. Nebraska's statewide communications plan calls for the continued development of similar regional radio network hubs that will eventually allow for an efficient statewide system of interoperable communications without the expense of...

TIKRIT, Iraq , Feb. 13, 2006 – In battles fought on the frontlines today in Iraq, knowledge and communications are essential to facilitate interaction between U.S. troops on the ground, Iraqi Forces and coalition forces. A new database is now in place to provide dynamic communications for soldiers on the battlefield. “The quandary Army-wide is in instantaneous communications and information collaboration,” said U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Edwin K. Morris, battalion intelligence officer from the 445th Civil Affairs Battalion at Forward Operating Base Speicher. "The engagement tool in the network exchange is designed for anyone interacting with people, facilities and organizations."...

As scary as the idea may sound, the Israelis may not be bluffing. Their defense experts display no doubt whatsoever that Israel's Air Force can cripple Iran's nuclear program if necessary. The trick, they say, is to go after the system's weak spots. "You need to identify the bottlenecks," says a senior Israeli military source, asking not to be named for security reasons. "There are not very many. If you take them out, then you really undermine the project." Shlomo Brom, a former Israeli armed forces chief of strategic planning, says the destruction of two or three key facilities would...

In a cosmic version of laser tag, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft and an Earth-based observatory successfully exchanged laser pulses with each other while millions of miles apart. The feat sets a new record for laser transmission in space, a process which may one day be used to communicate across interplanetary distances and provide scientists with a powerful tool to measure the movement of planets and test fundamental principles in physics. MESSENGER was launched in 2004 on a six-year voyage to Mercury. In late May of 2005, scientists used the spacecraft’s Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA), an instrument designed to map Mercury’s surface,...

CAMP HABBANIYAH, Iraq (Dec. 21, 2005) -- Marines deployed on a combat tour to Iraq find many different ways to relax and spend their free time. They play video games, watch movies, read books and even take online college courses. One Marine, though, uses his free time to make a direct impact oh the mission to turn Iraq over to a stable government capable of protecting its citizens. Cpl. Russell R. Hall, a wire man assigned to a six-man communications detachment with the 2nd Marine Division Training Center here, spends his free time ‘instructing the instructors’ as members of the...

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Dec. 6, 2005) -- Marines from Force Protection Platoon, 8th Communications Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Headquarters Group, II MEF (FWD), prove on a daily basis they are not just communication savvy. These 26 men, who are at the tip of the spear behind the armored metal of military vehicles, provide much more than their communication ability; they easily transform into a lethal combat team for convoy operations. On a day where many Marines and sailors enjoyed a warm Thanksgiving dinner aboard Camp Fallujah, Marines from Force Protection Platoon traveled through the streets of Fallujah to an...

Well, now that the Fitzgerald imbroglio is largely over and it's political oxygen depleting powers have begun to subside, it's time to take stock. The Bush Administration has apparently dodged two bullets with the indictment of a little known (if somewhat powerful) aide on relatively minor charges after two years of an investigation that could have effectively crippled the Presidency if it had panned out as the Press and the Democrats (what's the difference) were hoping and praying it would. It dodged the second bullet when Harriet Miers made the wise decision to withdraw her nomination and the President showed...

CAMP VIRGINIA, Kuwait —As Fort Huachuca soldiers wait for their communications equipment to arrive, some are fine-tuning systems that have been in Kuwait for years. A number of tropospheric systems were at Camp Doha were moved to Camp Virginia, where members of the 11th Signal Brigade repaired, checked out and inventoried the four tropos — as called by GIs — that send radio signals into the atmosphere and scatter the signals back to Earth to be used by the Army. Staff Sgt. Jeremy Brown said the systems will eventually head for Iraq, where soldiers of the 40th Signal Battalion will...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Osama bin Laden is hiding out with a small core of mainly Arab supporters, and the al-Qaeda leader now only sends messages by courier because his communications network has been destroyed, senior Pakistani military and intelligence officials said Sunday. There have been no fresh clues to bin Laden's whereabouts, but he generally is believed to be in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. "In our opinion, the reports on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden are more speculative stories rather than based on accurate intelligence," said Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, chief spokesman for Pakistan's army. Pakistan...

MANITOWOC MAN FOUND GUILTY OF EXPORTING RESTRICTED ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS TO CHINA MILWAUKEE — The United States Attorney’s Office announced yesterday that a jury in Federal Court in Milwaukee, Wis., convicted Ning Wen, 56, of Manitowoc, to nine counts of conspiring to export more than $500,000 in restricted electronic components to the People’s Republic of China. The charges also include money laundering and making false statements to the FBI. U.S. Attorney Steven M. Biskupic stated, “The case involved the export of restricted electronic components that had a wide variety of uses including military radar and communications applications. The verdict helps insure...

ROME, SEPT. 20, 2005 (ZENIT.org).- A Polish priest, Father Dariusz Gronowski, has written a doctoral thesis on communications theorist Marshall McLuhan, showing the influence that mass media has had on the Church. Father Gronowski is a professor at the School of Institutional Social Communication in the University of the Holy Cross in Rome. In this interview with ZENIT he delves into the faith of McLuhan (1911-1980), an aspect that is frequently overlooked about the Edmonton, Alberta, native who first coined the expression "global village." The priest's dissertation has been published under the title: "L'impatto dei Media sulla Chiesa secondo Marshall...

The title of this new book on Reagan--The GREATEST Communicator, by Dick Wirthlin--got me thinking: If Wirthlin's book title is apt, that means Reagan was a better communicator than Lincoln. But what I want to know is...

BEIJING, China (UPI) -- Voice over Internet Protocol VoIP development is posing a threat to state-protected telecom carriers, calling into question China`s willingness to let technology advances into the marketplace. VoIP services took a big bite of nearly three percent out of China Telecom`s revenues in the first half of 2005 according to BDA, a technology consultancy in Beijing. BDA`s research director Dongming Zhang told UPI, 'China Telecom`s long distance revenue totaled $1.805 billion in the first half of 2005, down by 2.8 percent from $1.858 billion in the first half of 2004.' 'The decline in long distance revenue can...

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNI) and Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) are working together to help bring communications back to installations affected by Hurricane Katrina. According to Tina Donbeck, CNI’s Information Technology (IT) Program Manager, Applications Branch, “NRL has offered up their Infralynx Assured Communications System. It consists of two mobile communication vans, which will deploy to the Gulf Coast and provide classified and unclassified connections. The vans also have satellite capabilities that will help with radio communications,” she said. CNI’s IT Department is also helping to set up wireless connectivity for the ships in Mayport, Fla. “It...

SAN JOSE, Calif. - A high-speed wireless networking technology that's still being tested around the world will be deployed at an evacuation shelter and other spots on the U.S. Gulf Coast hit by Hurricane Katrina. The technology called WiMax will bring the Internet to remote areas where the existing infrastructure has been destroyed or never existed. The network will be used for Internet telephone service and information exchange. Intel Corp., a major WiMax supporter and maker of chips, shipped equipment Thursday to San Antonio's decommissioned Kelly Air Force Base where thousands of evacuees are being taken. The gear is expected...

WASHINGTON — Responding to mounting criticism, the Federal Communications Commission issued a statement Tuesday (Sept. 6) reiterating that it is working with communications providers to restore networks destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Federal officials have been harshly criticized for failing to respond promptly to the catastrophic storm that destroyed New Orleans and devastated the Gulf Coast. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco late last week blasted carriers for failing to restore communications across the state. In a joint statement, FCC commissioners said the agency "has been in continual contact with the industry and has taken prompt action, where necessary, to provide regulatory...

ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, this week called on the Amateur Radio community to exercise patience as the Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans flooding relief and recovery efforts move into high gear. "I know many people would like to move now," Haynie said. "Please don't. I know many of you want to enter the fray, come to the coast and get involved. Please, not yet." Haynie instead advised hams eager to assist to make sure they're prepared, refresh their skills and knowledge of protocols and procedures. The ARRL now is seeking experienced Amateur Radio emergency volunteers to help supplement communication...

CODAN, an Adelaide company that supplies remote-area long-distance communications to Afghanistan, may inadvertently have helped al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden escape a US missile strike. The Institute for War and Peace Reporting, a news agency that works closely with local people in war situations, reported in late 2001 that the al-Qaeda leader escaped from a house in Kabul three hours before it was hit. Quoting an al-Qaeda source, the report said terrorist spotters across Afghanistan had used the sophisticated Codan radio network to warn bin Laden of the approaching missile attack. "Bin Laden's foreign legion is equipped with a sophisticated...

PR Machine Behind Cindy Sheehan? ABC7 Looks At The Financing Of 'Camp Casey'  By Mark Matthews With the President back at his Crawford ranch, the anti-war protest right outside his ranch is getting a lot more media attention. ABC7 looks at who is financing the operation and who's providing on-the-ground support. The camp at Crawford is full of Cindy Sheehan supporters, people from all walks of life. But off to the side are a small group of professionals, skilled in politics and public relations who are marketing her message. Cindy Sheehan kneels before a cross with her son's name on...

With the President back at his Crawford ranch, the anti-war protest right outside his ranch is getting a lot more media attention. ABC7 looks at who is financing the operation and who's providing on-the-ground support. The camp at Crawford is full of Cindy Sheehan supporters, people from all walks of life. But off to the side are a small group of professionals, skilled in politics and public relations who are marketing her message. Cindy Sheehan kneels before a cross with her son's name on it, touches his picture, wipes her tears. It's an outpouring of emotion that is part of...