U.S. Warplanes Back Unprecedented Sunni-Led Offensive

WP ^ | August 30, 2005 | Ellen Knickmeyer and Omar Fekeiki

[jmc1969]

RAMADI, Iraq, Aug. 30 -- U.S. warplanes backed Sunni Arab tribal fighters on Tuesday in what tribal leaders called an unprecedented Sunni-led offensive to drive out Abu Musab Zarqawi's forces.

Three days of ongoing fighting in towns near the Syrian border killed at least 61 people, at least 56 of them Tuesday, said Dr. Ali Rawi, emergency-room director at the hospital in the largest city near the fighting, Qaim, about 200 miles northwest of Baghdad.

Forty-two of them wore the black training-suits and athletic shoes favored by Zarqawi's fighters, Rawi said.

Others appeared to be fighters of a rival tribe or civilians, he said.

Tuesday's bombings and clashes in the towns of Husaybah and Karabilah marked some of the fiercest fighting yet in a growing rift between Zarqawi's insurgents and some tribes of their Sunni Arab base.

The clashes came after insurgents kidnapped and killed 31 men belonging to the Albu Mahal tribe because they had joined the Iraqi security forces, said Sheikh Muhammed Mahallawi, one of the tribe's leaders.

"We decided, either we force them out of the city or kill them," with the support of U.S. bombardment, Mahallawi said.

His tribe also had asked local residents not to aid or house Zarqawi's fighters, he said. Some of the local people refused the request, in a show of support for Zarqawi, he said.

Zarqawi's group said in a statement posted in local mosques that it had lost 17 men.

The fighting, while localized, met the constantly stated U.S. aim of "driving a wedge" between foreign-led insurgents--Zarqawi is Jordanian--and their Sunni Arab base. Resentment of Zarqawi's fighters earlier this month sparked clashes in Ramadi, where Sunni Arab tribes rallied to block his forces in their stated aim of driving Shiite Arabs from the city.

[Coop]

Three days of ongoing fighting in towns near the Syrian border killed at least 61 people, at least 56 of them Tuesday, said Dr. Ali Rawi, emergency-room director at the hospital in the largest city near the fighting, Qaim, about 200 miles northwest of Baghdad. Forty-two of them wore the black training-suits and athletic shoes favored by Zarqawi's fighters, Rawi said.

That's my kind of progress, and it's difficult to argue with a metric like this one.

[Coop]

identify and kill these traitors...

If you had savages pointing AK-47s at your children's heads, saying they'd die unless you cooperated, I have a feeling you'd cooperate to.

Let's step back a bit. Identify them, interrogate them, and then go from there.

[Coop]

Its over for the Zarq man...the end is near...the hand that feeds him just bit him on the a$$.

Yeah, well, unfortunately you've been saying that for about two years now. All he's got to do is make it across the border into Iran and he's safe as can be.

[BunnySlippers]

I wonder if they're just an islamic branch of the Heaven's Gate Cult.

Are they wearing purple shrouds and Nikes?

[1rudeboy]

Some of the local people refused the request, in a show of support for Zarqawi fear for their lives, he said.

[Dog]

I going to be right one of these days....:-)

That's me FR's optimist.

[wallcrawlr]

I think you failed to read the article.

Some of the local people refused the request, in a show of support for Zarqawi,

Doesnt look like fear to me.

[Coop]

I going to be right one of these days....:-) That's me FR's optimist.

You're absolutely right, my friend, and FR could use many more of you! Keep the faith.

[traumer]

"Forty-two of them wore the black training-suits and athletic shoes favored by Zarqawi's fighters... "

[LS]

The real crime of this war is that the media isn't even doing half its job in really putting these terrorist casualties in perspective. By my calculations, we've killed close to 5,000 of these scum since 2003. As a % of the anti-US population, that's a huge # (even accounting for foreign fighter) and no army in history has sustained those kinds of losses.

[Coop]

I read the article. I also saw which paper wrote the article. We have no idea if it was a show of support by all or even any of them. That was my point. If we subsequently determine that to be the case, then I'm all for your suggestion.

But it amazes me that as many Iraqis risk their lives daily in this environment. It puts most of us softies to shame.

[Sprite518]

Another mop up operation. Keep the pressure on boys! I love it! Now if Iraq can become the Japan (economy wise) of the middle east the terrorist days will be numbered along with the Traders in our country that hope we fail over there.

[Sprite518]

I have mixed feelings. One part of me wants to smoke him, and the other wants him tried like Saddam...

[dighton]

Forty-two of them wore the black training-suits and athletic shoes favored by Zarqawi's fighters ...

“Don’t bother running, you’ll only die tired.”

[Sprite518]

Well we can warn Syria... You let him in, and we are coming after him... If they try to get in the way, then we will shoot to kill.

[Sprite518]

They hate us so much... Except for our shoes... LOL!

[IchBinEinBerliner]

Taking into consideration the trials of OJ and Michael Jackson, I would prefer they smoke him.

[Sprite518]

No I do not want him tried in the USA. I want him tried in Iraq. He will not stand a chance..

[Sprite518]

Here is a good web site to counter the leftist about Iraq..


http://www.mnf-iraq.com/