Terrorist camp wiped out by US

The Scotsman ^ | March 31, 2003 | PAUL GALLAGHER

[MadIvan]

THE destruction of a "massive terrorist facility" in northern Iraq, thought to have been run by a radical group associated with al-Qaeda, is a huge boost for the allied campaign.

Missile and air strikes have been targeted at a remote mountain base run by the Ansar-al-Islam group since the start of the war on Saddam Hussein’s regime. The US General Tommy Franks said ground troops had now seized control of the "literally huge" terror camp and were searching the area for intelligence.

He added: "The exploitation of that is in its very early stages. There will be a lot of speculation and a lot of discussion. We’ll see how it goes over the days ahead." At least 120 militants were killed in the attack led by US special forces troops.

General Franks said the base was in Northern Iraq but did not give any further details. It is believed to be one run by the Ansar-al-Islam group, which Washington claims is connected to al-Qaeda.

Ansar-al-Islam has been operating from a base in the remote mountains of north-east Iraq, along its border with Iran. As many as 800 fighters were thought to have been based there in a band of territory north of Halabja.

The base is within territory controlled by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, although its remote location has allowed Ansar-al-Islam to operate relatively freely in the area.

The elimination of the Ansar-al-Islam was one of the key aims of the US-led invasion after the targeting of Saddam Hussein and his regime.

It is believed the coalition attacks were helped by intelligence from the Kurdish peshmerga militia which also want to see the terrorist group ousted from the region. The PUK mobilised an estimated 5,000 fighters to help US special forces launch a ground assault on the Ansar-al-Islam base.

The faction has been involved in bloody fighting with PUK peshmerga guerrillas and in one attack on a village in the region, it butchered 42 captured PUK fighters. It has also been blamed for assassinations and terrorist attacks, including a suicide car bomb at a PUK checkpoint last weekend which killed five, including an Australian TV cameraman.

Ansar-al-Islam has become increasingly isolated after Iran distanced itself from the group last year, expelling its alleged leader Najm Faraj Ahmad, also known as Mullah Krekar, after he was detained in Tehran.

Krekar was arrested in Norway earlier this month and charged with planning terrorist acts. If any evidence of a chemical weapons programme or other terrorist activities is discovered by US soldiers at the Ansar-al-Islam base it would bolster the case for war.

[MadIvan]

Don't lose heart. We are winning, in spite of the media. And we are on our way to astonishing the world again.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[Peach]

Al Qaeda - dead. Regime - dead. Arnett - dead.

[RichInOC]

You're right. Psychotic...but absolutely right. We've got to take these bastards.

[Gamecock]

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?! Hell no! And it ain't over now!

Man, I patterned my college career after him. My freshman year was the best three years of my life.

[cake_crumb]

Distruction of Ansaar al Islam sites is always good news!

[AAABEST]

I'm not sure if I would kill Arnett, as I'm not 100% sure he's in the Iraqi Army or working fwith their intellegence assets yet. However after seeing just a few secs of his interview, I'm pretty sure he's vying for Iraqi citizenship or a job with an Arab news outfit.

[Salvation]

**Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?! Hell no! And it ain't over now!**

Nomination for the Quote of the Day!!

[RichInOC]

I was taking Peach's post as a parody of Bluto's speech from "Animal House"...but seriously, two out of three ain't bad.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[cake_crumb]

....The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

[NELSON111]

"The Germans? Forget it...he's on a roll."

[cake_crumb]

"The Germans? Forget it...he's on a roll."

LOL...good point. There wasn't much difference between them anyway. BOTH countries were out to rule the world.

[CatOwner]

"....The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor."

It would appear that you haven't seen the movie Animal House with John Belushi.

[BullDog108]

You must have missed the movie..... ;^)

[SamAdams76]

Forget it. Seven years of college down the drain...

[Keith]

Thanks Ivan. Compare this with the crapola on this event in the Guardian. Sheesh. Who runs the Guardian, Hussein?

[cake_crumb]

"It would appear that you haven't seen the movie Animal House with John Belushi."

Oh...LOL...yeah, I have, but not for years and I'm afraid I don't....um....remember the details of the movie very well...though I know I've seen it more than once.

[MadIvan]

The Guardian is a left wing paper. I wouldn't stoop to using it as an emergency toilet paper substitute.

Regards, Ivan

[NELSON111]

As others have pointed out now...Salvation was quoting John Belushi from Animal House...where Belushi is relenting the fact that it is not over for their frat. I...of course...was quoting two of the frat brothers who were listening to Belushi's rant. I didn't think you got it from your post...but I was trying to be cute anyay;-)