Insurgents Seize Key Town in Iraq: Al Qaeda in Iraq's Black Banner Flying From Rooftops

WP ^

[jmc1969]

Abu Musab Zarqawi's foreign-led Al Qaeda in Iraq took open control of a key western town at the Syrian border, deploying its guerrilla fighters in the streets and flying Zarqawi's black banner from rooftops, witnesses, residents and others in the city and surrounding villages said.

A sign newly posted at the entrance of Qaim declared, "Welcome to the Islamic Kingdom of Qaim." A statement posted in mosques described Qaim as an "Islamic kingdom liberated from the occupation."

Zarqawi's fighters were killing officials and civilians seen as government-allied or anti-Islamic, witnesses, residents and others said. On Sunday, the bullet-riddled body of a woman lay in a street of Qaim. A sign left on her corpse declared, "A prostitute who was punished."

By the weekend, however, Zarqawi's forces had fought back and taken control of Qaim, residents said. Accounts from the town described a rare, prolonged overt presence of the foreign fighters.

The Albu Mahal tribe as of Sunday remained in control of its village outside the city. However, a car bomb placed by Zarqawi's fighters in front of the home of a tribal leader, Sheikh Dhyad Ahmed, killed the sheikh and his son on Sunday, resident Mijbil Saied said.

A Zarqawi fighter said any Marines and Iraqi forces had left Qaim, with "nothing left of their crosses."

Shops selling CDs, a movie theater and a women's beauty parlor were newly burned, apparently targeted by Zarqawi's group under its strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Zarqawi's fighters had taken control of the town's hospital, one of its medical workers, Dr. Muhammed Ismail, said. The hospital's director then ordered all patients to leave, fearing the presence of Zarqawi's fighters would draw air strikes on the clinic, Ismail said.

Zarqawi fighters manned checkpoints on the four entrances to the city.

[pollyannaish]

In this case...could you share some of that Kool-Aid?

I am so unbelievable sick of the difd-difd attitude of the press, the left and even some around here.

Give the man a flippin break! I seriously doubt if there is a single one of us that could have come through the fire he has faced since he became president without breaking. And no, I am NOT kidding.

[wildcatf4f3]

they may be beheaded either way

[Mr. Silverback]

The last time these guys took over a border town, the Apaches and Strike Eagles had them all in sandwich bag-sized pieces in about 20 minutes.

Enjoy the 72 virgins, guys. Too bad for you they all look like Cindy Sheehan and Helen Thomas.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Is that the sound of a window shade flapping in the wind?

[PureSolace]

I have the feelign that many Zarqawi "aides" and "right hand men" will soon meet their maker. :)

[justshutupandtakeit]

We hear yet again from Whiners United,the Armchair General Association, known for and wide for its great grasp of tactical and strategic concerns. I am sure you also wait breathlessly for each new pronouncement of approval.

[Gum Shoe]

"Zarqawi blew up the head of a tribe along with his son that were contesting Zarqawi's presence in Qaim."

This kind of stuff starts serious Blood Feuds in that culture. Zarqawi may be winning a few small battles here and there, but I think he's loosing the war.

[justshutupandtakeit]

It appears this activity is not the choice of these fools. There is no way al Quada can challenge us militarily and have any hope. Does it indicate that these cells are being revealled to our forces? And that ordinary people are tired of being the victims of its killing campaign?

[patriciaruth]

Secret even in success....

[ncountylee]

Orange bombs please.

[Gum Shoe]

"...and flying Zarqawi's black banner from rooftops..."

Soon to be on ebay.

[DCPatriot]

I'm sure the Bush kool-aid drinkers will flame you, but you are 100% corrrect. Pres. Bush has lost his nerve and clarity of purpose. Very sad.

You think so?

I think you're trolling...looking for a fight.

[gooleyman]

We hear yet again from Whiners United,the Armchair General Association...

-----
That's General Armchair, "SIR" to you lieutenant. Just kidding. We all think we know better than the ones on the ground over there, when in fact we don't and can't. We just happen to live in a country where we can agree and disagree outwardly with our leaders, both military AND civilian without fear of having our heads bashed in for it. None of us here at the forum know for sure what they are doing over there. There is always BS fed to the media so that BS can get to the enemy and cause them to react in somewhat predictable ways. And when they do, our guys are waiting at the pass for them. With that in mind, we shouldn't take whatever the media says as gospel.

And yes, I like approval, but I also relish a good knock-down drag out every so often. Verbal of course. I'm getting a little too old for the physical type...smile.

[gooleyman]

I am so unbelievable sick of the difd-difd attitude of the press, the left and even some around here.

-----
Me too. What happened to the days of Clintoon, when he was a Saint if he did or a Saint if he didn't. Boy those were the days. Too bad the media clowns can't just tell it like it is rather than taking sides. But I used to be a journalist in High School, so I can kind of see their point. If I had followed that career line, I would probably slant my stories too. The good part is, they don't have the power they used to have or else Dubya would never have won either election. The alternate media, you and me, hehe, the pajamahadeen, are here to save the day. I would feel worse if they were winning, but actually WE ARE. Did you ever think back in the Clintoon days that we'd be looking at the possibility of 2 conservative Justices being appointed? I thought Clintoon would get the chance to stack the courts, but God kept the Court in decent health until 'toon was gone. I'm thankful for that. Roe-V-Waders...beware!!!

[American in Israel]

Well, I am sorry you feel so strongly that I am wrong. I tried to explain the current philosphy, do not mistake me that I think it will work in the end.

Arabs do have a high sense of honor, and we do too. If we become just as barbaric as them, I think they have won the war.

No I do not think they will learn, they are far too corrupt. But some will understand and walk away from Islam and the certain destruction that is entailed. That is worth it, many many people will find freedom from what we have done. That is a beautiful thing.

But in the end, I truely believe that this path will result in a nuclear war, because Jihadi are that stupid. I expect Iran to drop nukes on our troops in Iraq triggering a war that will wipe Islam from all the countrys around Israel.

I do not want to wipe out Arabs, I want to wipe out Islam and that is the difference. You see this as a race issue, I see this as a doctrinal issue. Do not forget that all of Indonesia has been taken over by Islam, they are not Arabs.

You can win a war with a people group by killing them, but you can not win a war with a doctrine that way. If we focus on killing Arabs, we will just enrage Islam world wide. But every bit we walk the talk that their Leaders promise but never deliver, we take the steam out of the Jihad.

If we win this villages support, we have the border. Kill them all and let God sort them out is good for the movies and for Nazis, but it is not the American way.

However in a way I do agree with you in this; I think we should take Islam on head on, not keep dancing around the fire. In Iraq, they are a occupied people, what we are doing is right. But as to fighting terrorism our method is dead wrong. We should be advertizing that since both of these Islamics have been part of the attacks on America, we have destroyed their countrys. This goes along with a teaching in the Koran that if you attack a superior village and cause harm to your village you are dung.

We need to speak what they understand. Every time they attack, we should drop a bomb on their home country, provided of course that they are not under occupation. That is illegal.

So we should get out of Iraq ASAP. And bomb Mecca. That I think we both agree on.

[gooleyman]

I think we should keep on the offense...

-----
Me too...BUT...there's a time for it. I think we would have spread ourselves too thin going into Syria AND Iran at the same time dealing with Iraq and Afghanistan. I've been called "General Armchair" this morning, so I might as well talk the talk and walk the walk. They already call us imperialists for just going into Iraq. What do you think they'd call us for the other two? Not that it matters what they call us, but we have to be mindful of our real capabilities. We now have to support the political process there in Iraq and see it through. Then kick-tail wherever else we need to.

Thanks for paying attention to my tagline. I've had that tagline almost since taglines began, but I did a calculation the other day and was staggered. I did it over and over again because I though my calculator HAD to be defective. We have over 2700 abortions on average, daily in the US alone! TWENTY SEVEN HUNDRED!!!!! I hadn't looked at it that way. Sorry to go off topic, but I was and still am FLOORED. Take care.

[gooleyman]

I'll just say that those who think allowing what few friends we have in that region to be killed as part of some genius rope-a-dope strategy are delusional or wicked.

-----
Call me naive, but I don't think that's what we're doing. Why would it make sense strategically to "allow" a friend to be killed. That's one less friend you have in the region. And friends in that region take a long, long time to make.

No, the enemy is just that...the enemy, and will use every strategy he can to defeat you. Including killing your friends. We are doing those things too, to defeat them. If we were doing a "rope-a-dope" I think there would be many more than 1900 of our soldiers dead. I have a little more faith in our military than that.

I heard a football coach say once that you are less likely to get hurt if you're the one doing the hitting, so hit hard everytime.

[r9etb]

Fight in a PC manner, and you get PC results

Congratulations. Only took 7 posts for this crap to show up.

[dinok]

"One big difference, in Vietnam, there was no danger to the hippies and looser leftists. In this war, if we loose, they will all be beheaded. Once they realize that, they will have a slightly different attitude."

The lefties can not conceive of us ever loosing and Muslim nuts walking our streets cutting off the heads of immoral people like them. To the average lefty...we conservatives are the enemy.