Jun 27 2007
Al-Qaeda Left With B-Squad Warriors
al-Qaeda continues to take a beating in Iraq and incompetence is starting to show in their actions, meaning al-Qaeda must be scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of fighters and strategists:
Killings, kidnaps and arrests marked a new bloody day in conflict-torn Iraq on Wednesday, with at least three Iraqis killed and 10 others wounded in northern Baghdad and 14 militants killed by their own explosives near Tikrit.
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In other developments, Iraqi security forces killed 14 gunmen, captured 114 others and arrested two suspected militants in several areas of Baghdad during the past 24 hours under the Baghdad Fardh al-Qanoun (Law Enforcement) – security plan, sources said.
The forces managed also to free three captives, defuse two bombs and confiscate large amount of weapons and ammunition in different areas of Baghdad, mainly in Kadhimiyah City in northern Baghdad, the source added.
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In related news, fourteen militants were killed in northern Iraq on Wednesday when they accidentally blew themselves up in the Shurqat district, north of Tikrit.
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In Baquba, gunmen stopped a mini-bus carrying Iraqi students, kidnapping eight males, the Association of Muslim Scholars said Wednesday, adding that the kidnappers left the female students.
I wonder if Allah gives out virgins for blowing themselves without taking out any innocent women and children in the process? But the real blunder, in my mind, is kidnapping children. al-Qaeda leaders turned tail and ran from the battles in Bagouba (supposedly some trying to escape dressed as women in one report I saw but now cannot find) and have been butchering Iraqi Muslims left and right. Kidnapping Iraqi children is a clear sign of desperation and will only inflame the Iraqi street and move more of them to ally with the Iraqi government and the US. That is really a dumb, brutal mistake on al-Qaeda’s part.
Barring any huge mass casualty attacks between now and the wekend, this month is looking like the lowest civilian casualty rate month since August of 06 in Iraq.
Also, despite a large MNF-I offensive, this months MNF casualties are down from last month.
To recap, more agressive MNF operations are seeing LESS casualties, increased AQI kills and captures, and decreasing civilian casualties. The writing is pretty much on the wall.
But Reid told us the surge has failed a while back.
My faith in Harry is crushed.
“…14 militants killed by their own explosives near Tikrit.”
Gosh, I hate it when that happens.
CP
What we are observing now is for example if you blockaded Philly and went house to house looking for felons with illegal arms and those with outstanding wants and warrants.
If you pull the ring tight enough and get the neighbors behind you to throw out the trash a cleanup results.
The report about AQ leaders going tranny was from Michael Yon, here.
Merlin, what concerns me is the post-surge, especially when things are going so well. Will AQ eventually come back after the US troop reduction?
Bush’s consideration of US troop reduction next spring is driven by the ’08 election politics.
Lurker:
What would be the accusation against President Bush if he said “no, I will NOT consider US troop reduction”?
Keep in mind we’re talking about approximately a year down the road.
Lurking in Fantasyland
Surge going well? Not according to US officers who say the paltry gains will not be held by the Iraqis themselves.
One commander said that about ONE unit in ONE location. It has been widely taken out of context to make it appear as if it was meant as a critique of the entire local security force across the entire country. It wasn’t. It was meant to apply to one specific area.
And if you look at what has been going on particularly in Anbar and now in Diyala, you notice that it is going far beyond “holding” after we leave. The Iraqis are taking it upon themselves to do the clearing out themselves. And looking at places like Ramadi, they seem to be doing a fine job of keeping AQI out of cleared areas.
Take a look at Roggio’s posting today for the context of that report you twisted.
The above having been said, there were serious problems with the the 5th IA division and the police in Baqubah. The commander of the 5th IAD was sacked just (about a month) before current operations kicked off and Michael Yon reports that the unit is improving. The police in that city might be a different story and could require a pruge/recruit/train cycle as we have had to do in other areas to get up to standard. Most Iraqi units are approaching 100% strength with some units, particularly in Anbar, having been below 40% strength only a year ago. Sunni recruits are pouring into an army that had been nearly 100% Shiia before Anbar turned around.
Then it’s necessary.
Hey, MerlinOS!!
Check this link!!
What do you think?
We Will Decisively Win in Iraq…in 2008 – Part I
Maybe we won’t win yet but will eventually but it contains lots of good data for us to consider. And great for your day job, perchance?
That report is two years old but great data.
That report is one year old but great data.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6239896.stm
take this supposed success off your list-and doubtless many others.
You haven’t said anything new.
Patraeus said to expect bad things to happen and to expect casualties this summer but things will continue to get better.
This is just one setback offset by many great successes. Nothing new.
Dont believe anything put out by BBC, they are by their own admission biased and their stories without exception take on a specific political slant. That is by their own internal investigation result.
One of my favorite places to drop a line in the water is the 1,000 Islands portion of the mighty St. Lawrence between Clayton and Alex Bay, and I’ve been guided by the grandson of Sophie LaLonde, who invented 1,000 Island dressing for her husband to feed his guests on shore lunches.
You can hardly drop a line without getting a rock bass, small mouth, northern or muskie on the hook, and the locals tell me when you go after the BIG muskellunge you tie a gang-hook onto a baby duck’s leg and use the baby duck for bait (I stuck with minnows and Hula Poppers).
It appears that AJ has gone after the bait in his al-Qaeda revelations; the question now is can he spit the hook out – or did he swallow it???:
As McClatchy’s Baghdad correspondent, Mike Drummond, wrote on Saturday:
Lies, damn lies, and [government] statistics. If you just call every dead Iraqi a member of “al-Qaeda” – it makes even collateral civilian deaths a victory!!!
Not to mention Maliki himself says the US strategy of
alliances with native Sunni tribes against…whomever…will only lead to a more intransigent Sunni insurgency if and when …whomever…
is defeated.
Wow, now we’ve actually got “Booklicker” and “THECENTERISABUNGHOLE” actually talking to HER little old bad sefl!
Talk about a Leftist Nutbag…..Sheessssh!