IRAQ: TAG-TEAM TERROR

New York Post ^ | 2/17/04 | AMIR TAHERI

[kattracks]

February 17, 2004 -- THEY are known as "Arab Afghans" and have been at the forefront of terrorist wars in more than a dozen countries for almost a quarter of century. They fought in Afghanistan in the 1980s, and in the 1990s waged merciless wars in Egypt and Algeria. They made their European debut in ex-Yugoslavia and are still active in Chechnya.

[dennisw]

great info!!

[TADSLOS]

Many had shared that illusion. Iran's former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, for one, predicted last May that the Americans would "gather their things and go" once they lost 500 men in Iraq. Well, that has not happened. And the message is reaching the most diehard Ba'athists.

Draining the swamp. The really nasty snakes will be compelled to surface.

[dennisw]

The nihilists target all those who provide a society with the services it needs for a normal life. A study of the list of recent victims of terror in Iraq makes this abundantly clear.

The wide use of car bombs (a killer app if there ever was one) and suicide bombs (decapitating Kurdish leadership) have all the hallmarks of Al Qaeda style Islamikazis. Most are Arabs. These are genius tactics, feral fiendishness but such evil is permissible for 3rd worlders and Muslims. First in Israel, now in Iraq, where they assassinate fellow Muslims instead of Jews.

[optik_b]

I wonder if some in Israel like what is going on, feeling that it takes the focus of these Islamic killers from Israel to a new battleground.

[exnavy]

I like the use of the term "last stand" when refering to muslim fighters.

[tbpiper]

The aim of the Ba'athist remnants was to inflict casualties on the Americans in the hope that the United States would do "another Somalia" and run away, leaving them as the only armed and organized force in a chaotic situation.

Very similar to the Democrat's foriegn policy.

[AmericanVictory]

However, since they are foreigners to Iraqis, we should be able to use this like the North Vietnamese overstepping in the Tet Offensive to cause the Iraqis to rise up against it and drive out the "foreign fighters." It would be nice if we sent the Ayatollahs and Saudis a message that in a couple of years they're not going to have the oil money to fund the "foreign fighters" with.

[Prodigal Son]

Good informative article by the NYPost here.

[livius]

Interesting analysis!

[Poundstone]

I think this article's analysis is probably quite accurate. If so, it really validates Bush's call last year to "bring 'em on." We need a slaughtering ground where we can blow away these murdering vermin by the thousands. Yes, we will continue to lose soldiers, and many innocent Iraqis will die. But, unfortunately, that's the price the world has to pay to put these murderers to death. And that's the only way we're going to weaken their organization sufficiently so that we have a chance to stamp it out.

[angkor]

Most came from well-to-do families, especially from the Gulf states

Maybe I missed it, but the author never seems to identify these "Afghan Arabs".

Of course it's the usual suspects: Saudis, Egyptians, and Pakistanis.

[Stallone]

Annihilation works for me.

[varon]

BUMP