Al-Qaeda is driven from Mosul bastion after bloody last stand

Times online ^ | July 6, 2008 | Marie Colvin

[Kaslin]

The murder toll is dropping, the insurgents are on the run. Our correspondent is on the front line as the Iraqi army takes control

Al-Qaeda’s forces in Iraq suffered a big blow last month when American forces shot dead Abu Khalaf, one of its main leaders

The hunt began just after dawn. Iraqi armoured personnel carriers surrounded the turbulent Zanjali district in the northern city of Mosul, blocking off roads as police acting on an urgent tip-off swept in and searched from house to house.

They were looking for an Al-Qaeda bomb – a big one. Their intelligence suggested it could be detonated as early as today.

As the search intensified, I accompanied Colonel Tawfeeq Abdullah on a tense drive through Mosul to check on the operation’s progress.

A gunner loomed out of the open hatch in the roof of our Iraqi army Humvee, swivelling a heavy machinegun and scouring the bullet-pocked streets for enemy.

[Americanwolf]

Score one for the good guys

[Kaslin]

Indeed

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Well..now lets see how the American MSM and the NY Slimes spins this one.

Oh, wait...no need to cover anything positive that happens in Iraq. I forgot.

[tflabo]

God bless our brave military....the real heroes.

[Americanwolf]

yeah no doubt... The MSM has forgotten the Iraq war and is no focusing on the # of lives lost in Afghanistan... got to love the doom and gloom media /s off

[SevenofNine]

Sweetttt

[doc1019]

Yep, hard to spin something you don’t talk about (print). ;-)

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

But the REAL question is...”Did the Iraqi Army have search warrants for the houses they searched?”

Let me guess, the Iraqi Army is not well versed in Miranda.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

forgot that there is no need to report anymore.

[Our man in washington]

It’s very early, but we haven’t had an American casualty in Iraq yet this month, and the end of June was pretty light as well. If we drop below 20 casualties for the month, the news will be all Afghanistan, all the time.

[OldNavyVet]

I’ve read Lawrence’s book, and I’m beginning to see General David Petraeus as another Lawrence of Arabia.

[bray]

One more insect dies at the cockroach motel.

Pray for W and Our Victorious Troops

[Rembrandt]

Does this mean the next episode of “Sects in the City” will be cancelled?

[jveritas]

We have won the war in Iraq. God Bless President Bush and our brave troops.

Soon I will translate and post a recent thread from Ekhlaas terrorist forum where a very prominent member of the forum indirectly admits defeat in Iraq by saying that the front has now moved from Iraq to Afghanistan he explained why it happened that way.

[musicman]

Does this mean the next episode of “Sects in the City” will be cancelled?"

That was GREAT!!!!

[Allegra]

I'd better pack my Trivial Pursuit game.

Looks like it's getting boring over there. :-D

[woofie]

Marines must have broke down the doors and killed innocent Al Qaeda...

Murtha

[Americanwolf]

“Marines must have broke down the doors and killed innocent Al Qaeda...”

Murtha.....

TWO WORDS shut JACK!

[Americanwolf]

sorry that should have been SHUT UP JACK MURTHA

[denydenydeny]

“If you are fighting to install sharia [Islamic law] on this country, you are going to have to be killed”

To borrow a phrase from our Democrat friends, that's a common-sense policy everywhere.

[Southack]

"We have won the war in Iraq. God Bless President Bush and our brave troops. Soon I will translate and post a recent thread from Ekhlaas terrorist forum where a very prominent member of the forum indirectly admits defeat in Iraq by saying that the front has now moved from Iraq to Afghanistan he explained why it happened that way."

Radicals have less chance in Afghanistan than in Iraq...and we have clobbered them in Iraq already. Moreover, the further that the front moves from Iarael and the U.S., the more difficult recruiting (and fund raising) becomes for Al Qaeda.

Life is good (for us)!

[jveritas]

Exactly correct my FRiend.

[SevenofNine]

LOL!

Come on dont’ forget NCAA Football season going start LOL!

[BIGLOOK]

[monkeycard]

“If you are fighting to install sharia [Islamic law] on this country, you are going to have to be killed,” said Colonel David Brown, an American adviser to 2nd Division.

Words to live by.

[patriciaruth]

Ping to our Merry Band of Patriots.

Yesterday when I took down the flag that had been sent to us from Mosul several years ago from the unit that had been in the mess hall suicide bombing at FOB Marez (replacing it with one just sent to us from Camp Anaconda at Baldad), I was remembering the terrible fighting that Stryker brigade endured and the horror al Qaida visited upon the civilians.

This news article is very welcome news.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!!!

[Tymesup]

“Oh, wait...no need to cover anything positive that happens in Iraq. I forgot.”

Coverage is happening, anyway. Look at the commercials - people cheering returning soldiers, there’s one with Tom Hanks, the guy who lost his arm in Iraq 4 years ago being saluted at Yankee stadium, 13 soldiers being saluted ...

[82ndABNOfficer]

Al-Maliki has declared victory but CNN isn’t covering it... We have WON!

[82ndABNOfficer]

Al-Maliki has declared victory but CNN isn’t covering it... We have WON!

[82ndABNOfficer]

Al-Maliki has declared terrorism defeated in Iraq, both Sunni and Shia extremists.... Yet no coverage from CNN?

[woofie]

What happened to the Iraq civil war? for that matter what happened to the Arab Street?

[karnage]

You da man!

[bruinbirdman]

“If you are fighting to install sharia [Islamic law] on this country, you are going to have to be killed,” said Colonel David Brown, an American adviser to 2nd Division.

A declaration all Americans should understand.

yitbos

[goldstategop]

Gen. David Petraeus deserves much of the credit with his "Surge" strategy. The Democrats reviled him and tried to undermine him at every turn. But he got the job done. What the American don't know is our boys did a bang up job. We have got even Al Qaeda's respect. How about some from the Democrats?

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Kaslin]

General David Petraeus does indeed deserve credit for the surge strategy. Yeah, they didn’t even listen to him when he was the first time on capitol hill. Some even called him a liar without having heard a word he had said

[Kaslin]

We have indeed won the war in Iraq. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said yesterday that Iraq defeated terrorism

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Now McCain needs to really bring this up and we need conservative commercials highlighting this!

[Tunehead54]

Do you have an Iraqi document/translation ping list? You’ve done great work in the past - let me know. Thanks! ;-)

[SuziQ]

for that matter what happened to the Arab Street?

The 'Arab Street' has spoken in Iraq, the MSM just didn't like what it had to say. ;o)

[jveritas]

Thank you very much. One of the freepers used to have the ping list but since the Iraqi documents website was shut down there are no more documents to translate. I posted the important documents that I translated on my FR profile page.

[PigRigger]

Thanks for the ping.....indeed....very good news....!

[dalebert]

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[dalebert]

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