IRAQ: Insurgents seize 5 towns near Syria ~ tell residents in 'death letters' to abandon their homes

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Tuesday, September 27, 2005 | Anna Badkhen, Chronicle Staff Writer

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Camp al Qaim, Iraq -- A senior U.S. Marine commander said Monday that insurgents loyal to militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had taken over at least five key western Iraqi towns on the border with Syria and were forcing local residents to flee.

In an interview with The Chronicle, Lt. Col. Julian Alford, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines Regiment stationed outside the western Iraqi town of al Qaim, said insurgents in the area had been distributing flyers they called "death letters," in which they ordered residents of this western corner of volatile Anbar province to leave -- or face death.

"Basically, the insurgents say if they don't leave they will ... behead them," said Alford, who took command this month of about 1,000 Marines stationed in the dusty desert area populated by roughly 100,000 Sunni Arabs.

"It appears that al Qaeda in Iraq is kicking out local people from a lot of these towns out there," he said. Alford said he did not know why the insurgents were forcing townspeople to leave, but he estimated that as many as 100 families per day were passing through a Marine checkpoint just east of the troubled area, their cars packed with their belongings as they flee east alongside the Euphrates River on the ancient Silk Road.

Two weeks ago, Marine spokesmen denied initial reports that insurgents had taken control of the area and were enforcing strict Islamic law, whipping men accused of drinking alcohol, burning a beauty parlor and shops that sold CDs and executing government workers for collaboration with the Iraqi government.

[GSlob]

Why would they want to discard their human shields? Now these towns could be obliterated.

[Rennes Templar]

They're running out of places to put Syrian "insurgents".

[saquin]

I don't necessarily see this as bad news. It seems they're helping us out by getting the innocent civilians out of the blast zone. I hope any town that is "taken over" by jihadis will be promptly turned to glass.

[cripplecreek]

Well I hope we can cut off the terrorists lines of retreat and exterminate them with extreme predjudice. We can call it operation panty raid.

[oceanview]

how many insurgents can there be to "take over 5 towns"?

hey, this is an easy one - if they are evacuating the populace for us, just blow those towns to hell from the air.

there is some part of this story that is missing.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

However things are likely to change shortly and this may be the last stand for the significant forces of the Terrorists:

From the Fourth Rail today:

Operation Hunter Redux

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

September 28, 2005

Operation Hunter Redux

By Bill Roggio

Last week, the Coalition announced that Operation Hunter (or Sayaid), designed to bolster Coalition forces in the region of Qaim on the Syrian border, was underway. Yesterday, Iraq's Chief of Interior Ministry Commandos stated that Iraqi commandos will conduct sweeps in the border area beginning Tuesday (it is unclear if this means operations are currently underway, or if the deployment is moving forward). KUNA intimates the operations will be an Iraqi led endeavor, but no doubt the Marines based in Qaim as well as Special Operations units, Air Force, Naval and army artillery assets will participate.

This news coincides with an article in the San Francisco Chronicle that claims al Qaeda has gained control of the desert towns of Husaybah, Karabila, Sada, Qaim, and Ubaydi. Earlier this month, similar rumors about Haditha were reported, while the claim of the establishment of the "Islamic Republic of Qaim" were dismissed by Marine Major Neil Murphy as a "crock".

Recently, Lieutenant Colonel Julian Alford, commander of the 3/6 Marines in Qaim reports the terrorists are threatening the townsfolk with beheadings if they did not clear the area. LTC Julian states "For the time being, they run these towns." Al Qaeda is posting signs warning residents not to cooperate with the Coalition, and has passed out flyers threatening to behead residents of the towns if they do not leave. Colonel Stephen Davis, commander of the Marines Regimental Combat Team 2, states that “Marine forces have played a game of cat and mouse with the insurgency up and down the Euphrates River valley.”

The likelihood is that Colonel Davis, LTC Julian and Major Murphy are all correct. al Qaeda has continually run up the black flag in this region and elsewhere to grab media headlines, and the Marines have continually moved in to eject the terrorists or have conducted numerous strikes at their infrastructure and leadership. There have not been enough forces available to police every town in western Anbar, and the Coalition's strategy of targeted airstrikes and raids is designed to keep the enemy off balance. LTC Julian alludes to this when he states "have seen a lot of guys in black pajamas and black ski masks and with weapons, and we've killed a number of them."

Whether or not al Qaeda controls the small towns in the region is irrelevant. What does matter is the Coalition, and particularly the Iraqi Army, is prepared to move into Qaim in force. LTC Julian states the operations along the eastern end of the Euphrates River has driven the insurgents and al Qaeda westward. He estimates that upward to 400 fighters are in the region, and the majority are foreign. There are 3,000 Iraqi soldiers prepared to move into the region “soon”.

The pieces are in place to move on Qaim. Col. Davis states the City of Hit is secure, with a strong Marine and Iraqi security force presence. The elimination of the al-Ahwal Brigade in Hit underscores Coalition’s freedom of action and the level of cooperation from the local population in Hit. Rawah has a major base of operations. Habbaniyah, Ramadi, Khan Al Baghdadi, Al Asad Air Base, the Haditha Dam and Qaim all sport a significant Coalition presence, including Iraqi security forces [see this article on US and Iraqi forces being moved into the area and the accompanying map]. The Euphrates is clearly being segmented to force the insurgents into smaller and smaller regions.

The San Francisco Chronicle inadvertently gets to the heart of the issue, when it states “Insurgent forces have in the past controlled major towns in Iraq, especially in the so-called Sunni triangle north and west of Baghdad, including Fallujah, Ramadi and, most recently, Haditha.” These cities were major jewels in al Qaeda and the insurgency’s crowns.

Today, Fallujah, Ramadi, Hit and other towns along the eastern branch of the Euphrates River are under Coalition control [with the exception of Haditha, whose status is unclear]. al Qaeda and the insurgency now claim they control the towns of Husaybah, Karabila, Sada, Qaim, and Ubaydi. These are towns with small populations on the outer edge of Iraq, far from the core of power in Iraq. The insurgency is being driven westward, and the Coalition is in pursuit.

This does not mean that al Qaeda and the insurgency cannot conduct attacks within Baghdad and other major cities. They continue to do so, and will be a deadly foe for some time. But these attacks do not forward the goals of al Qaeda and the insurgency - driving the Americans from Iraq and destabilizing the Iraqi government. With without control of territory and safe havens within Iraq, conducting an effective insurgency becomes increasingly difficult, particularly for al Qaeda, whose brutality has been rejected by large swaths of the native insurgency.

Posted 07:40 AM |

[hlmencken3]

Many of these reports of terrorists taking over whole towns have proved to be false. Is there any confirmation from other reputable sources?

[sono]

I've found both The Fourth Rail and The Adventures of Chester reports on the battles for Anbar far more informative than any of the so-called MSM>

[Polybius]

-- A senior U.S. Marine commander said Monday that insurgents loyal to militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had taken over at least five key western Iraqi towns on the border with Syria and were forcing local residents to flee.

That is fantastic news.

(Town + Jihadis) - Civilians = Free Fire Zone

[talleyman]

Why would they want to discard their human shields? Now these towns could be obliterated

My thoughts exactly.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See #7...and this thread from yesterday:

FORCES KILL AL QAEDA IN IRAQ EMIR OF BAGHDAD

[GAB-1955]

Why would they want to discard their human shields? Now these towns could be obliterated.

They could be trying to establish an area of "free Iraq," with its own government, to gain foreign recognition and support.

[wayoverontheright]

I don't necessarily see this as bad news.

Exactly. Me either. Consider that they obviously felt that the center of Iraq was no longer safe for them to take over, they are perched within "running distance" of the Syrian border.

I hope we do this right, that is, I hope we are willing to continue killing them EVEN AFTER THEY CROSS OVER INTO SYRIA.

Assad has done nothing we asked him to do, if we engage the Syrian army, then so be it. There must be consequences to Assad for not listening, and this is our opportunity.

[Bacon Man]

All the civilians are gone? Carpetbomb the whole area.

[rip033]

Great Opportunity. AQ is stupid if they are trying to organize into large formations and garrisons. This is what the US Military does best. Destroy large enemy formations at will with minimum loss. Air power and arty can do the house cleaning.

[BurbankKarl]

I heard this morning that the towns have extensive tunnel systems underneath them to Syria.

It is time to stop pussyfooting around in Iraq!!!

[Williams]

I doubt they have taken over these towns. they are terrorizing the residents out but it's not the same as taking over the local governmenta and placing forces to defend the town. OTOH it doesn't sound sufficient to keep these guys off guard as stated in the article. Sounds like the area needs to be held and secured.

As for Syria, I have long thought our forces need to eventually turn left for Syria, and right for Iran. No sign we are being that aggressive yet.

[sheik yerbouty]

'Turban Renewal"

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I heard this morning that the towns have extensive tunnel systems underneath them to Syria.

Wouldn't be surprised but hadn't heard that before.