Posted on 09/15/2005 12:48:53 AM PDT by Straight Vermonter
Terrorist Scorecard | |
The Iraqi "Deck of Cards" Scoreboard | |
Centcom's New Iraq Scorecard | |
Saudi Arabia's Most Wanted Scorecard | |
Saudi Arabia's New Most Wanted Scorecard | |
The Round-up Blog | |
|
Ping
SMILE! Just the MSM networks up to tricks again...move along!
Thanks, as always, for the ping.
Regarding the first item, it is worth going to the press conference transcript here:
http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2005/tr20050914-3903.html
There is a lot of additional information there, like the information that we've got sources inside al-Qaeda Iraq feeding information to our guys! Evidently AQ knows it, so the colonel had no problem discussing it. Catch this quote:
"But the interesting thing is that it gives us a great feel for what the insurgents are doing, what their plans are. They also know that we have sources, and it causes them to be very disruptive. They don't trust anybody within their organization, and they shouldn't because some of these sources have moved up to pretty high-level positions, and it helps us quite a bit."
Also, many of the foreign fighters today are inexperienced, and estimated to be about 15-17 years old. The colonel makes it clear that in his opinion, AQ in the north of Iraq is unravelling.
It is worth remembering that the Afghan hero Ahmed Shah Masood was killed by suicide bombers posing as journalists. They too had explosives hidden in their cameras.
The MSM loves to talk about how easy it is to replace people in AQ. They always talk about the new generation and how Iraq is a better training ground than Afghanistan was.
Bull.
These guys are getting rudimentary training at best. Those with know how are being captured/killed far faster than they are able to pass this knowledge on.
A secondary item to consider is that we have recently killed a couple of "envoys" and financiers. These are the guys how go to the money men in Saudi etc and ask for money for the "holy warriors". This is a very personal business. People don't give large sums to people they don't know. By killing the contacts the pipeline between money men and the terrorists can be kinked if not cut.
2 words---no prisoners
Thank you SV.
RE: AQ Leadership
From the Col. Brown conference:
"The leadership is severely disrupted. We captured Abu Talha, the number-two al Qaeda leader in the north of Iraq. And right after that we got Abu Bara, Madhi Musa (sp), Abu Zab (sp), the next six leaders that would step up and take over. Nobody's taken over now. It's not a very popular position because if they step up, they get captured or killed."
I think one or two of the guys mentioned may have been what has recently been called a "facilitator" or "terror consultant."
I think also about all the jokes and cynical comments we've waded through in the last year or so about "another Zarqawi lieutenant" being eliminated, but this man's on the scene comments show that real progress has been made. Not a joking matter, but something to be happy about.
Yeah!
Thanks
Many key al Qaeda leaders in Iraq have been captured or killed in recent months, Brown said, affecting terrorist operations. Brown said enemy mortar attacks in his area have decreased to about six a month, compared to around 300 monthly prior to the January elections. And "we have not seen well-trained foreign fighters" since the elections, Brown said. Foreign terrorists captured these days are poorly trained and "very young," he noted, ranging in age from 15 to 17 years old.
Stuff you likely won't see on tonight's evening news...
A crisp salute to all our coalition forces, as well as Iraqi citizens risking their lives, making the world a safer place.
Should have added this portion to my earlier post on Mosul:
Zayd also was the author of a scathing letter to Zarqawi, where he lamented the morale and living conditions of the terrorists in Mosul, and the notable decrease in the effectiveness of attacks... His most telling and prophetic quote... the fall of Mosul in the hands of the mujahedeen is possible, and because it relieves the pressure off the other cities such as al-Qaim, Tal Afar.
Success in Mosul has certainly led to the fall of Tal Afar. Well wait to see if he is correct about Qaim; we suspect he is.
If you haven't read the transcript of Col. Brown's remarks it is well, well worth it. I linked it here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1484861/posts?page=4#4
That's where he openly comments about having sources in AQ, and how AQ knows that fact and has to constantly guard their backsides. An incredibly candid press conference.
Fantastic transcript, thank you. I've bookmarked it for future reference. It really deserves a thread of its own, or at least more exposure. Maybe we can convince the mods to bump this one up.
Salutes, Oorahs and Hooahs up indeed! Out troops ROCK!
http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2005/tr20050914-3903.html
Also take a few moments to browse the collection of articles making up StraightVermonter's thread. The level of success in the GWOT reflected in these articles is simply stunning!
God bless our troops!
Interesting that they're using drones.
Bump for some wonderful news!
Pinging the good news on the WOT that the mediots never tell us about.
Would you please add me to your ping list, SV?
I heard the report about 80% percent destruction of alQaeda yesterday, but this collection of fact-laden articles is phenomenal! THANK you!
Our troops are nothing short of AMAZING!!
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