Iraqi Military Reports Arrest of 200 Insurgents in Tal Afar, Mostly Foreign Fighters

Associated Press ^ | 09/08/05 | JACOB SILBERBERG, Associated Press Writer

[JustaCowgirl]

Good news.

[Jemian]

Ping

[highlymotivated]

The Iraqis should say just three easy words to the TERRORISTS.

1. READY!

2. AIM!

3. FIRE!

[wildcatf4f3]

Good news only if they shoot them

[Dog]

Lookie here.

[jveritas]

Great news.

[Cap Huff]

Thanks for the ping.

[JustaCowgirl]

The kidnappers, who had kept their captive bound and gagged.

I'm not sure what the end of this sentence was supposed to be, but I hope it was exceptionally violent.

[EQAndyBuzz]

"TAL AFAR,Iraq -- U.S. and Iraqi forces have encircled the insurgent stronghold of Tal Afar, and Iraqi authorities on Thursday announced the arrest of 200 suspected insurgents there _ most of them foreign fighters. "

Interrogate them, then shoot them. Wrap their bodies in pig entrails and hang them at both the Iranian and Syrian borders.

[thelastvirgil]

After having read innumerable accounts of terrorists ambushing Iraqi police and military trainees, and shooting them in the backs of their heads, it is beyond my comprehension to understand why this news story doesn't read "Iraqi Security Forces Execute Two Hundred Foreign Terrorists Immediately After Their Capture".

Fighting fire with fire is the long-term, effective solution that will reduce the number of sheetheads willing to cross into Iraq to meet Allah.

[Coop]

That is a whole lotta sleazeballs off the streets and potential sources of intel.

[Coop]

And a belated ping! :-)

[Dog]

Yeppers...one of these bozos could give us the big cheese.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Hang em high.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Looking good.....

See this:

Tal Afar: Calm Before the Storm in Sarai ~~ Iraq War continues with Offensive Action

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Earlier action:

Battle along the Northern Ratline

******************************************************

September 03, 2005

Battle along the Northern Ratline

By Bill Roggio

U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched the largest operation since Fallujah last November. Over 5,000 U.S. and Iraq troops strike at the town of Tal Afar, which is located west of Mosul, along the northern ratline from Syria. The insurgents have taken heavy casualties, and U.S. Army helicopter pilots are learning to spot IED deployments via air, and react accordingly.

During the course of the day, at least 30 insurgents were killed as U.S. troops conducted house-to-house searches in the baking sun. Apache attack helicopters that circled the city of 250,000 all day killed 27 people, including eight who were attempting to conceal roadside bombs in old tires, commanders said. No American or Iraqi army casualties were reported.

While the composition of the force is unclear, it appears at least two Iraqi Army battalions are in the fight. They were airlifted by Iraqi Air Force C-130 transports several days ago (see the one sentence blurb at the end of this AP report). The 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment is also engaged in Tal Afar. There are likely five to six battalions participating (Iraqi battalions are about 600 to 800 men strong).

As the Washington Post points out, Tal Afar is a contested town, and has been the subject of repeated cordon and search operations. The effort to fully secure the town has not yet been made. While this is pure speculation, the size of the assault team and the inclusion of Iraqi Army units indicates a significant force ( a battalion or greater – about 1,000 men) may remain to secure the city. If true, this might indicate a transition from the harassing operations to clear and hold operations, a crucial step to securing the peace and defeating the insurgency.

Whether or not Coalition troops remain in force in Tal Afar, the Coalition still maintains the initiative in western and northern Iraq (see The Anbar Campaign for a list of successive operations). As the Anbar Campaign has shown, insurgent IEDs or suicide attacks cannot prevent the U.S. military from operating at the time and place of their choosing.

Iraqi Army units are now entering the fight with significant formations capable of independent operations. During the operations along the Euphrates, typically an Iraqi Army company was embedded within a Marine battalion. In Tal Afar, two Iraqi battalions have been deployed, using their own airlift. The times are changing, and al Qaeda and the insurgents' comfort zone is slowly shrinking.

Posted 12:15 AM | Permalink | Print Article

[SeaBiscuit]

Excellent!

[Calpernia]

>>>>Saudi Arabian Trading and Construction Co.

Do you remember seeing this company mentioned in regards to that Maine BioTech Co.?

Or am I thinking of another story?

[JustaCowgirl]

Great info! Thanks for posting that.

[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks for post. Tal Afar has been in the making for some time.