Posted on 09/24/2004 6:46:32 AM PDT by marty60
U.S. Creates Task Force to Target Al-Zarqawi
Friday, September 24, 2004
WASHINGTON U.S. military planners have assembled a special task force charged with finding and neutralizing Jordanian terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (search), U.S. officials told FOX News.
Known as Task Force 626, the operation is assembled along the same lines as that of Task Force 121 (search), which searched months before capturing Saddam Hussein and is still hunting Usama bin Laden.
Task Force 626 is smaller than its higher-profile sibling but is similarly made up of CIA operatives, special operations troops from the Navy and the Army, and a handful of investigators.
Members of 626 have fanned out in areas ranging from Baghdad to Fallujah and other areas in the contested al Anbar province in search of al-Zarqawi. While al-Zarqawi is still at large, officials say the task force and other military units have been very successful in eliminating many leaders of his group's leadership.
Many key al-Zarqawi figures have been "whacked," one official told FOX News, citing the missile strike that took out al-Zarqawi's spiritual guide and advisor late last week.
Officials believe they may have taken out as much as half of the members of the senior leadership of al-Zarqawi's group, Tawhid and Jihad (search) whose name is loosely translated as "Monotheism and Holy War," but they caution that the group harbors many more figures who could rise up and take their places.
Tawhid and Jihad this week claimed responsibility for kidnapping and killing two Americans Jack Hensley (search) and Eugene Armstrong (search). The group is still holding Briton Kenneth Bigley (search).
Associated Press. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2004 ComStock, Inc. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright 2004 Fox news
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When Islam was founded, most Christians did believe in the Trinity though.
It had to do with Gen Pershing, who reportedly lined a few mostly Muslim males between the ages of 19 & 40 in front of a firing squad, soaked the bullets in pig's blood, then shot all but one. The one was released to inform his buddies that this would happen to all of them unless they ended the insurrection--which they did. The prospect of being denied 72 virgins was too much.
If Zarqawi is captured, I suggest they slaughter a pig, then cut off his limbs, one by one, with the same knife. And televise it.
Yea - it doesn't take much to match DNA. A blood smear or tiny piece of meat will do.
Haven't heard that one.
BTW I have dropped my keyboard and I'm having some trouble with it. Besides getting new one, is there any easy way to fix it? The main problem seems to be with the left shift key.
Ping
I'm glad to see they have a plan. go to it, and best of luck.
Heads on pikes - simple but effective.
Actaully, if they make a strike at the United States proper while Bush is President that is exactly what will happen.
this truely is the battle against pure evil.
this should have happened last year!
I don't know. We announced the hunt for Saddam, and it didn't hurt. Announcements might cause a subtle change in someone's behavior. Something detectable.
I agree. They've been working on this.
I think this task force was formed awhile ago.
They mentioned this now because so many people are outraged and asking if anything is being done.
IMHO it's just to reassure everybody who wants Zaqawi's head.
The bodies of the last two Americans were found in Baghdad area.
Pretty sure Berg was in Iraq.
I can not wait til this guy is dead. I hope they take him alive, then I want the the Prime Minister of Iraq to have his head sawed off.
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