Posted on 05/05/2005 6:51:28 PM PDT by smoothsailing
Zarqawi Losing Support Among Iraqis, General Says
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2005 – Any remaining support among Iraqis for fugitive Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is fading as his network's attacks continue to take aim at their country's security forces and civilians, the director of operations for the Joint Staff said at a Pentagon news conference today.
Marine Lt. Gen. James T. Conway, who commanded the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force during two combat tours in Iraq, said he's "absolutely confident" that if Zarqawi stays in Iraq, he'll be captured or killed.
"And I might add that I think his stock is running pretty thin with the Iraqi people," Conway said. "He continues to take credit for some of these massive attacks where Iraqis -- Iraqi civilians in particular -- are killed in large numbers. And it's our belief, and I think some of the trends are starting to indicate, that there's a saturation point that the Iraqi citizens are starting to get to." Iraqi citizens more frequently are providing authorities with tips helpful in fighting the insurgency, he noted.
Conway addressed reports that Zarqawi narrowly avoided capture during a recent raid on a hospital in Ramadi and that the terrorist mastermind might have been at the hospital because he is ill or injured.
"(The raid) was not based, necessarily, upon information that Zarqawi was there," Conway told reporters. "We have not been able to confirm that Zarqawi was either wounded in a firefight in Rawah or was receiving treatment at the hospital. We were simply told that a group of insurgents were there, and the Marines and soldiers responded, circled the hospital, and went in." No evidence of Zarqawi's presence at the hospital was found, he noted.
The general said forces involved in the search for Zarqawi respond any time they receive a tip that might lead his way. "And as you might imagine, with a $25 million reward on his head, we get a lot of tips and a lot of rumors of Zarqawi sightings," Conway said. The general noted he was "absolutely confident" that the terrorist leader would be captured or killed.
Conway said the capture in Pakistan of Abu Faraj al-Libbi, operations chief for Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terror network, was accomplished with no U.S. military involvement.
"I think that the Pakistani people should be delighted that their security forces have completed such a sophisticated operation," the general said. "Remember, this guy tried to kill their president twice. He was their No. 1 terrorist, and now their commandos have taken him down and put him behind bars."
Conway said that with Libbi now in custody, other terrorists have something to think about. "I think it should send a strong message to bin Laden and his followers that you are not going to rest in peace as long as this global war on terrorism is in search of you and your compatriots," he said. "We will hunt you to your dying days and either capture you, or kill you if you resist."
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2005/20050505_908.html
Arioch7 out!
who the heck is doing all the blowin up of people over there if it aint that guys outfit?????
Serious question.
Excellent news.
Al Franken?
I vote kill too. But if they have to take him alive shoot him a couple times anyway ...
lmao :o)
Im with ya, sarge!
#4
http://memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=650
That would be my guess...
Sick Lindie on him first.
I thought that most of his support was from outside Iraq to start with.
apparently one doesnt need a college degree over there for that kinda work.
bump
fyi
Isn't it about time?
reminds me of a quote from Braveheart can't remember the exact words but it was something like "bring him to me alive if possible, dead...just as well"
I am thinking he will be caught by the end of May... sounds like they got close at the hospital.
Problem is after the Z-man is either captured or killed, how many of his lieutenants are still going to be able to run the show. Z-man is probably not a one man show. They ust have an orderly chain of command that spells out who steps up as the prior leader is killed. But as many recent reports from our military have indicated, we are really taking a lot of them out by capture or death. And their moral appears to be dwindlng. Perhaps it will become difficult to find and retain enough rugheads willing to run suicide missions in rigged cars and trucks as things they do prove not to have any effect on the majority. Obviously they now have to face more pissed off Irqai's that are getting tired of seeing their kids and police blown up in the streets. There could and has been hoped to be, a violent backlash against the terrorist groups as well as the Iraqi insurgents. And we must stay focused. Many areas of Iraq are safer then walking in some of our big cities. And the Iraqi Army and Army speical OPS groups are getting better each day at taking out the scum bags.
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