Article

2006-06-11 Iraq

The US military has intensified its offensive against al-Qaida in Iraq, staging 38 more raids based on information uncovered during the hunt that led to the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in an air strike.

The fresh raids came as al-Qaida issued urgent appeals for money and volunteers to fight American forces, after al-Zarqawi's death left it without a clearly recognised leader. The al-Qaida appeals suggested al-Zarqawi's network may be feeling the heat from the US raids, which have extended beyond Hibhib to include a series of locations in and around Baghdad.

In a video news conference relayed from Baghdad to the Pentagon, spokesman Major General William Caldwell displayed a suicide belt, explosives and Iraqi army uniforms uncovered in 17 raids conducted in the immediate aftermath of al-Zarqawi's death. The raids targeted people whom the US had been monitoring in the build-up to the strike, which was delayed until al-Zarqawi had been pinpointed because they were giving "indicators at different points in time as to where Zarqawi might be," he said.

In the next two days another 38 raids were conducted, some directly related to information obtained in the earlier raids, General Caldwell said.

Two official statements posted on the website used by al-Qaida urged Muslims to volunteer to fight in Iraq, saying al-Zarqawi's death should remind them of their "duty" to fight infidels. "Iraq is the front line of defence for Islam and Muslims. So, don't miss this opportunity to join the Mujahidin and the martyrs," said one signed by Abdullah Rasheed al-Baghdadi, who succeeded al-Zarqawi earlier this year as head of the Mujahidin Shura Council, the umbrella group that includes al-Qaida.

"This is a compulsory duty for all Muslims in these days," it said. Another statement in the name of Hamil al-Rashash (Holder of the Rifle) was desperate. "Help, help! Support, support!" it said. "Assistance, assistance! Where is your money? And where are your men? Wake up before it gets too late and before all the curses of Earth and heaven fall upon you."

The military has portrayed the strike against al-Zarqawi as the culmination of weeks of intelligence gathering from multiple sources, including an al-Qaida informant. General Caldwell said it was unlikely anyone would receive the $33 million reward offered for al-Zarqawi.
After action pics show the remnants of one of the bomb casings. Very thin metal, making the JDAMs concussion bombs. Z's insides had probably been turned into jelly.

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-06-11 00:06|| || Front Page|| [19 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Seems the apologists, admirers, and talking-head "experts" should take a look at al-Baghdadi's pleas. He sounds a bit desperate - making them sound exceptionally stupid.

Posted by flyover 2006-06-11 00:48|| 2006-06-11 00:48|| Front Page Top

#2 QUAGMIRE!

Posted by CrazyFool 2006-06-11 01:03|| 2006-06-11 01:03|| Front Page Top

#3 A lot of the outcome will depend on what kind of "leader" Zarqawi was. If he promoted the best in the organization, then the network could reform itself fairly quickly. If he was conducting purges of anyone who he found remotely threatening and was surrounding himself with yes men and dullards, then the network may recover slowly or never at all.

Posted by 11A5S 2006-06-11 01:11|| 2006-06-11 01:11|| Front Page Top

#4 My thoughts are along the lines of calculating how many IED's, how mny kidnappings, how many other violent attacks will NOT be carried out in the coming week - because the perps were pre-empted - how many coalition and Irqui Army and police forces will not becme casualties.

Any success that yields intel that thwarts a significant number of future attacks ultimately produces a cascade of pre-emption. The more good guys AREN'T whacked, the more there are to chase down the miscreants.

The best defense is indeed a good offense. Hunt the bastards down here they live.

What we need are more "honey pot" fake jihdi websites, encouraging all jihadi recruits to "report for duty" at some isolated location - which we can then obliterate.

Posted by Lone Ranger 2006-06-11 02:37|| 2006-06-11 02:37|| Front Page Top

#5 Keep after it. Don't let up on these jihad turds. Stress the fact we are winning keep pounding it home. Our Warriors are winning and are winners. Jihadis are losers and failures.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2006-06-11 07:40|| 2006-06-11 07:40|| Front Page Top

#6 Did Zarq die with his ~~boots~~ New Balance sneakers on?

Posted by Captain America 2006-06-11 07:50|| 2006-06-11 07:50|| Front Page Top

#7 Send ~~lawyers~~ martrys, guns and money ole Zark has lost his tan

Posted by 6 2006-06-11 08:22|| 2006-06-11 08:22|| Front Page Top

#8 Dang, where's Ogetia RBs MasterTune Smith?

Ole Zark is ded,
ole Zark is ded.....

Posted by 6 2006-06-11 08:25|| 2006-06-11 08:25|| Front Page Top

#9 17 raids, but how many dead? We don't need more prisoners and seizing supplies is a temporary paliative. We need to be killing Zarq's friends, just as we killed him.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-06-11 10:52|| 2006-06-11 10:52|| Front Page Top

#10 Old Zark is dead, a candle lights his head.

From Oklahoma

Posted by Criger Ebbung6193 2006-06-11 12:22|| 2006-06-11 12:22|| Front Page Top

#11 New Balance are the last ones still made in the USA.

Posted by 3dc 2006-06-11 12:22|| 2006-06-11 12:22|| Front Page Top

#12 We may not need more prisoners but we might want more intel, NS.

Posted by lotp 2006-06-11 12:24|| 2006-06-11 12:24|| Front Page Top

#13 More Prisoners mean more dead Jihadis. Got to keep a few alive to root out the others. There are still plenty of ~~"insurgents"~~ terroists to be dealt with. AQ in Iraq is not the only terrorists group.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2006-06-11 16:48|| 2006-06-11 16:48|| Front Page Top

#14 Good hunting TF 145.

Posted by TweedleDee 2006-06-11 17:20|| 2006-06-11 17:20|| Front Page Top

#15 #10 my thougts exactly,
"Poor Zarq is dead
Poor Zarq is dead
He's lookin' oh so peaceful and serene and serene)
He's all laid out to rest
With his hands acrost his chest
His fingernails have never been so clean

He loved the birds of the forest
And the beasts of the fields
He loved the mice and the vermin in the barn
And he treated the rats like equals (which was right)

Poor Zarq is dead
Poor Zarq is dead
His friends are weepin' wail for miles around
The daisies in the dell
Will give out a different smell
Because poor Zarq is underneath the ground

Poor Zarqis dead
A candle lights his head

He's lookin' oh so purty and so nice
He looks like he's asleep
It's a shame that he won't keep
But it's summer and we're runnin' out a' ice"

Posted by bruce 2006-06-11 18:51|| 2006-06-11 18:51|| Front Page Top

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