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Your assertion means nothing. What "northeast" do you say we were fighting in? The 173rd dropped in to no resistance. They did encounter resistance in Kirkuk and Arbil - along the line of Kurdish control - and around the Ansar enclave on the Iranian border. Do you have a shred of proof that we encountered Iraqi forces in between? Any at all?

205 posted on 04/27/2004 10:57:56 AM PDT by lugsoul (Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin on the mountainside.)

Ansar al'Islam had a small bit of territory between Iraqi and Peshmerga (Kurdish) forces. Neither side made any heavy effort to dislodge the terrorist enclave for fear of provoking the other side. This is the place that the IRAQI government brought US and international media to show the world that the Ansar group was not manufacturing chem/bio at that site. That is where the high-speed/low-drag comm gear was observed by a member of the press, but not included in the overall tour.

The fact that the Iraqis under SH were able to walk in there without provoking violent response shows some communication and coordination between the AQ offshoot and SH's government, yes?

251 posted on 04/27/2004 12:14:11 PM PDT by ex 98C MI Dude (Proud Member of the Republican Attack Squad)

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