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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Bad guys retreating from the Syrian border |
| 2005-05-11 |
| Intense fighting in a string of towns along the Syrian border in northwestern Iraq showed signs of subsiding Tuesday, as U.S. forces wound down an assault on foreign insurgents. By daybreak, clashes had waned, as insurgents who had suffered heavy casualties in recent days retreated to safe houses in the communities at the western edge of Anbar province, according to Col. Bob Chase, operations chief for the 2nd Marine Division. Insurgents kidnapped the province's governor, Raja Nawaf Farhan Mahalawi, but it was unclear whether his abduction was intended as retaliation for the military operations. An Iraqi military officer in Anbar said the kidnapping took place when the governor, his son and a local police chief were traveling to observe the U.S. assault and were ambushed by armed men. It was believed to be a joint operation conducted by two insurgent groups, al Qaeda in Iraq and Ansar al-Islam. In a statement posted in a mosque in the city of Hit, west of Ramadi, al Qaeda in Iraq said the governor, his son and four bodyguards had been taken. "The governor . . . is being interrogated now to know if he committed crimes along with the occupation or stood against the holy warriors," the statement said. Chase, the Marine officer, said local people were supporting the Americans' efforts. "We are getting a lot of information from the locals in the area and a very positive reception. They are giving up locations of where these people are hiding out, and each one drives another operation," he said. In Washington, Lt. Gen. James T. Conway said three Marines had been killed and fewer than 20 wounded in the campaign. Conway said insurgents were standing and fighting rather than fleeing. "This is a determined enemy," he said. "He has the skill and the ordnance, the weapons to be able to resist fiercely, as we're seeing here." As the fighting between Marines and insurgents began to ebb Tuesday morning, families streamed eastward out of Qaim, a border town 200 miles northwest of Baghdad. "If we haven't fled, we would die in our houses either from hunger or the bombings. For 10 days there is no electricity, and water and all the food we have is decayed," said Dhiab Ahmed, 49, who waited for a bus to Ramadi with his wife and four children. "We are victims as we are among the two fighting sides. They have to understand that they should fight outside the city." Hamdi Alousi, head of Qaim hospital, said in a telephone interview that 21 civilians had been killed and dozens wounded by fighting in the city, including five hospital workers killed by munitions he said were fired by U.S. aircraft at around 7 a.m. But Chase said U.S. aircraft had struck no targets in that vicinity Tuesday. Early on Tuesday, Marines also repelled an attempted suicide bombing near Qaim, when two insurgent vehicles approached a Marine convoy traveling near a bridge close to military base. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #22 Unfortunately for peace in the region, as separate from humanitarian concerns, that last bit involving the West Bank and Gaza will never happen. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-05-11 23:56 |
| #21 OP- From your lips to God's ears, sir. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2005-05-11 22:56 |
| #20 GP - they wouldn't be worth digging you up...sir |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-05-11 22:10 |
| #19 It's up to the SOF and CIA to follow and squash the cockroaches back at their syrian whorehouses. I'll run throught them like crap through a goose... |
| Posted by: George Patton 2005-05-11 22:02 |
| #18 So we have a brigade (not a batallion - batallions aren't commanded by a colonel) on the Syrian-Iraqi border, breaking things and killing people, and once we "pacify the area", the Iraqi border guards will move into the area to secure it from further infiltrations. We've got a blocking force on the border. The enemy has fought as if they have received some halfway-decent military training in the past. I expect to see news of a "heavy battle" on Friday or Saturday, requiring backup provided by one or two Army division assets, and a fighting "withdrawal" from the province WESTWARD by all. Destination: the port of Sidon, in southern Lebanon. If I heard of activity by the 6th Fleet in the Med, with lots of ships "disappearing", port of call unknown, I could almost guarantee the entire scenario. The next step would be to flush all the Arabs from Gaza and the West Bank, and tell Israel to patrol its new borders, courtesy of the US Government. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2005-05-11 21:24 |
| #17 Overheard in a wadi near the Syrian border: "Wallah! They killed Achmed! THOSE BASTARDS!" "See if the bullet had his name on it..." |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-05-11 15:33 |
| #16 The spiders most definitely are back. |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2005-05-11 15:23 |
| #15 Well I don't know about Syrians, but according to Jihad Unspun the big, giant killer spiders are back! Karamat: Deadly Giant Spider Attacks US Troops In Iraq |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-05-11 14:08 |
| #14 An LA Times article from a roundabout source had on Fallujah had this: There is evidence that organized foreign fighters were present. One dead guerrilla bore Syrian identification. A number of insurgents believed to be foreigners wore similar black "uniforms," each with black flak vests and weapons superior to those of their Iraqi allies. Likely the 'uniform' is similar to this. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-05-11 10:46 |
| #13 See my post 'Normality returns to Mosul' for positive news. I actually cut the second half about how the Kurds are an important force for stability. BTW the journo was an Arab. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-05-11 08:19 |
| #12 Slightly OT, but Google news is now including this mob http://www.occupationwatch.org, which just seems to give a Leftist (synonomous with worst possible and defeatist) spin on MSM news reports. Seems to? Here is a list of organizations supporting this newest propoganda outlet for terrorist supporters: Founding organizations of the International Occupation Watch Center are: Bridges to Baghdad CodePink: Women for Peace Global Exchange Focus on the Global South United for Peace and Justice ZENKO These are leftist/fifth columnist organizations. |
| Posted by: badanov 2005-05-11 07:56 |
| #11 Passports don't make them members of the Syrian army, whose involvement would officially implicate the Syrian government. My guess is Assad will preserve deniability and say the uniforms were stolen. |
| Posted by: too true 2005-05-11 07:45 |
| #10 Is the Syrian Army in Iraq? They have been since we invaded; read "Thunder Run" and be amazed at constant, almost casual references to Syrian passports. Early reports from the battlefield were filled with reports of Syrians. Sure, some of them are probably Paleos. Most aren't. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-05-11 07:43 |
| #9 I am thinking of going back to Alta Vista. Given the location of most of the companies that provide search engines they are all going to have a leftist slant, Google is just one of them. The Bay area is full of them, remember this is where the grass roots support for Boxer and DiFi is based. I don't even attempt to use Google news, they actively filter any classical liberal thought or new outlets out. That is done by humans not some fancy programing. As far as the uniforms go don't be suprised about what we find out I am guessing we killed way more thatn "100" of them. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-05-11 06:09 |
| #8 I'm sure Charles at LGF would completely agree with you, phil_b, and likely be the first to say that Google is now on the Dark Side. He's documented the facts fairly thoroughly about what news sources they include / exclude - and, IMHO, embarrassed them with his direct queries and demands for explanation - which they're never quite able to produce. Google is no longer my engine of choice. I'm scouting for a replacement - this is a good resource for others in my shoes looking to replace the Google asshats. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-05-11 05:47 |
| #7 Slightly OT, but Google news is now including this mob http://www.occupationwatch.org, which just seems to give a Leftist (synonomous with worst possible and defeatist) spin on MSM news reports. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-05-11 05:26 |
| #6 "Hamdi Alousi, head of Qaim hospital, said in a telephone interview that 21 civilians had been killed and dozens wounded by fighting in the city, including five hospital workers killed by munitions he said were fired by U.S. aircraft at around 7 a.m. But Chase said U.S. aircraft had struck no targets in that vicinity Tuesday." WaPo. Typical. Call the local symp / scared hospital "spokesman" to get the total fucking bullshit civilian body count. Amazingly, it never jibes with the facts. What, no direct hits on the Hospital Nursery? Maternity Ward? No preemies killed? Who'da thunk it, eh? I guess we're slacking off. I want to know about the baby ducks, puppies, and kittens, myself. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-05-11 05:05 |
| #5 re uniforms, I'd bet on paleos although doubtless Syrian based. Some have been captured, so I guess we will find out in a few days. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-05-11 04:24 |
| #4 Charles over at www.LittleGreenFootballs.com is asks an interesting question after U.S. Troops have found "insurgents" in uniforms near the Syrian border. Is the Syrian Army in Iraq? |
| Posted by: RG 2005-05-11 02:56 |
| #3 Bomb and sock-puppet...I'm with you but I am certain the ROE's will tie the on scence commander's hands. It's up to the SOF and CIA to follow and squash the cockroaches back at their syrian whorehouses. |
| Posted by: anymouse 2005-05-11 01:17 |
| #2 Anytime a message is posted like this at a mosque it should be removed by the imams. If it is not the mosque should be burnt to the ground with the imam in side of it. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-05-11 01:10 |
| #1 Pursue the bastards to the Syrian border and beyond. If Syrian forces try to intercede on behalf of the pursued, drop them too. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-05-11 01:05 |