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| Iraq | |
| U.S. Troops Arrest Gang Members in Iraq | |
| 2003-08-26 | |
| Hundreds of U.S. soldiers raided a northern Iraqi town on Tuesday in a bid to smash a crime ring wanted for murder, gunrunning and a terrorist attack on a police station that killed an American soldier earlier this month. Backed by tanks, helicopters and Bradley fighting vehicles, the soldiers stormed Khalis, 42 miles north of Baghdad, hunting for the gang’s notorious leader, Lateef Hamed al Kubaishat - known as Lateef by U.S. forces, said Col. David Hogg, commander of the 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade. The raid, codenamed "Operation Jimmy Hoffa," netted at least 24 members of the "terrorist organization" but Lateef appeared to have eluded capture, Hogg said. They still haven’t found Jimmy Hoffa either, maybe you should have picked a better name. "Their primary focus is probably criminal activity, but they have attacked coalition forces through direct and indirect means," Hogg told The Associated Press. "As long as he (Lateef) is in place we will not be able to establish the conditions for the Iraqi police to establish law and order in the area." Iraqi informants dressed in U.S. Army camouflage uniforms, their faces covered in black balaclavas and their eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, sat in the back of Humvees helping soldiers identify members of Lateef’s gang. U.S. soldiers with plastic zip-ties - used to handcuff detainees - hanging from their flak jackets combed scores of flat-roofed houses while curious residents watched from the dusty streets. Men and women were ordered to sit against walls as soldiers filtered through their homes looking for weapons and gang members.
Now that’s going too far! Lateef was imprisoned and serving multiple life sentences for murder until Saddam Hussein granted amnesty to all prisoners in October as the United States ratcheted up its case for invading Iraq, according to U.S. intelligence officers. That’s one reason for all the crime in Iraq, Sammy let all the thugs out of jail. U.S. Army officers in the area have said they are being attacked by Baath Party loyalists, Fedayeen Saddam militia fighters and criminal gangs who simply want the region to remain unstable so they can carryout their activities unhindered. "This operation will go a long way to show the Iraqi population that we are doing this for them. It’s part of our mission to provide a safe and secure environment so they can continue to build government structures and security structures," Hogg said. Untill we get the Iraqi police up and running, this is a job we’ll have to do. Making a public show of bagging these thugs is good PR. | |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 Iraqi informants dressed in U.S. Army camouflage uniforms, their faces covered in black balaclavas and their eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, sat in the back of Humvees helping soldiers identify members of Lateef’s gang. Approvers -- straight out of Sleeman's anti-Thug playbook. He sent approvers (informants) out with troops to make sure the troops picked up the right people. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2003-8-26 10:21:10 AM |