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| Axis of Evil |
| News from the Other Side: Kurds fighting Ansar al-Islam |
| 2002-12-12 |
| Armed confrontations have flared-up against between two Kurdish groups, ending a period of peace enjoyed by the Kurdish population in northern Iraq. Oh? The Talabani guys aren't fighting the Barzani guys, are they? On late December 3, a group of fighters belonging to Ansar Al-Islam, an armed group accused by Kurdish authorities of relations with Al-Qaeda, unleashed a sudden offensive on sits of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in areas between Halabja and Khormal. After a short while, Ansar Al-Islam fighters seized control of the PUK sites, killing 42 PUK fighters and wounding many others. We knew that... According to Ansar Al-Islam sources, they lost only four fighters in the skirmishes, although PUK argues that the number of killed Ansar Al-Islam elements exceeds this figure. Days later, the PUK mounted a counter-attack on the same sites captured by Ansar Al-Islam but no fighting was reported as Ansar Al-Islam fighters had already withdrawn. PUK pushed mass military reinforcements towards Halabja to pave the way for an all-out offensive on the sites of Ansar Al-Islam. According to unofficial sources, the PUK forces received orders from PUK leader Jalal Talabani, currently in London to attend an Iraqi opposition meeting, not to broaden the scope of fighting and to wait for this return. Wants to lead the fighting himself? Has something up his sleeve? Wants to have a home to come back to? Meanwhile, PUK sources said Wednesday, December 11, they killed 24 members of Ansar Al-Islam including Afghan Arabs (Palestinians and Syrians) by shelling their sites. Ansar Al-Islam categorically denies the reports. "Nope. We ain't dead." Bloody clashes erupted between Ansar Al-Islam and PUK shortly after the September 11, 2002 [sic] attacks on the United States, with PUK exploiting the attacks to accuse Ansar Al-Islam with links to Al-Qaeda. The accusation gained further momentum by the declared so-called âwar on the terrorismâ and the presence of Afghan Arabs who fought in Afghanistan between the ranks of Ansar Al-Islam. Walks like a duck, quacks like a duck... A number of PUK leaders including Talabani and Barham Saleh, president of the PUK government, visited Washington for direct support in its fight against Ansar Al-Islam. But the United States has refrained from directly interfering in the confrontations. Actually, Talabani said they could take care of it themselves, and Iran also offered to help, for what that'd be worth... Ansar Al-Islam is made out of three armed groups that broke out of the Islamic Movement in Kurdistan which was led by Sheikh Othman Abdel Aziz. This includes Al-Islah Group, led by Mullah Fateh Krikar, Al-Tawheed Movement and the Hamas group. A local Hamas? Or a tentacle of Sheikh Yassin's? The three groups joined together under Krikar who was arrested on charges of links with Al-Qaeda. Ansar Al-Islam is now led by Mullah Abu Abdullah El-Shafei, who used to lead Al-Tawheed Movement before it joined Ansar al-Islam. Nice to know. The Bad Guys were having a little organizational trouble after Mullah Krekar was jugged. I guess all the rivals for the Seat of All Power have been killed off. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |