Troops arrest dozens after al-Zarqawi taken out (US Begins to Roll Up Iraq Al Qaeda Network)

MSNBC ^ | 06/09/06

[MikeA]

39 raids conducted based in part on intelligence from al-Zarqawi safe house

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces have arrested more than two dozen individuals over the past two days based on intelligence gathered from the scene of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s killing, a top U.S. general said Friday.

Also, fearing that insurgents will seek revenge, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki imposed driving bans in Baghdad and the restive Diyala province, where the terrorist was killed.

Maj. Gen. Bill Caldwell said U.S. troops conducted 39 raids late Thursday and early Friday, some based on information gleaned from searches in the hours after the al-Qaida leader’s death.

Speaking to the British Broadcasting Corp., Caldwell said troops carried out the raids in which troops “picked up things like memory sticks, some hard drives” that would allow American forces to begin dismantling al-Zarqawi’s al-Qaida in Iraq organization.

A targeted individual was killed and at least 25 people were captured, he said. One raid discovered small arms, ammunition and other items hidden beneath the floor of a building in the Baghdad area.

He said the latest information was helping U.S. forces unravel the source of al-Qaida’s weapons and financing.

The U.S. military’s search of al-Zarqawi’s bombed safe house yielded documents and information storage devices that are being assessed for potential use against his terror network, a military officer said.

[MikeA]

In some ways these follow-up raids (17 Wednesday, 39 Thursday) after the death of the monster may be more important in knocking Al Qaeda off balance in Iraq than the death of the vermin himself. Both actions taken together, the analysts who claim this will make little difference in the war in Iraq are just simply full of it. The intel. being gathered in all these raids are setting off a chain reaction of grievous destruction to their network there. I stick by my prediction this will cut the insurgency's remaining lifespan in half to about 2 years.

What we need to do now is seal off the border with Syria and hit terrorist targets inside of Syria that support the terror effort in Iraq. This one-two-three bunch will knock them so badly off balance and hopefully convince the Syrians to shut down shop on these people within their territory that we might be able to deal a death blow to Al Qaeda's Iraq operation by the time the summer is over. We just need to grow some balls and take advantage of this opportunity. Syria has been warned enough! Time to take action.

A picture from these raids:

[mainepatsfan]

All the thugs are going to be looking over their shoulders.

[FlingWingFlyer]

They didn't find that computer with the information about 26.5 million U.S. vets' on it did they?

[Right_in_Virginia]

Excellent news!

[cripplecreek]

The fact that somebody sold him out must breed a lot of unease and mistrust to go with the info collected.

[Jackknife]

Our men need to be unleashed. If people really want them home, that has to happen first.

[syriacus]

Mission Accomplished (to the nth degree, it seems)

[GSlob]

Well, but wouldn't it make sense to keep his liquidation under wraps for a while [something like couple days]? After all, were it not broadcast, how soon would his network be alerted that the boss did not show up for a meeting?

[jazusamo]

The importance of the follow up raids are huge. This could break the back of the al-Quaeda insurgent movement in Iraq. Looking forward to when real results are released which may be quite a while.

[elhombrelibre]

This is when it all comes together. Now, they can unravel the net. Now, the long hard work pays off.

[Richard Axtell]

I don't want to be too optimistic, but if we consider that Iraqi governmental negotiations with Sunni insurgents have been ongoing, and that the price for allowing them both an amnesty and participation in the political life of Iraq would be everything they know about remaining Al Qaida terrorists, Saddam's dead-enders, and foreign operative including Iranian agents... the effect on the insurgency might be quite dramatic and it may happen soon. Don't expect Chris Mathews to second my analysis.

[bray]

This is going to be a bigger victory than anyone can imagine. The dots are going to come together and the Iraqi Army will become a very valuable asset in the terrorist's defeat. The Pentegon is downplaying this to give the troops time to round up these cockroaches.

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

[DoughtyOne]

Hugh Hewitt just mentioned that we hit Zarqowwi and within one hour hit 17 more locations. Now this 39 on top of that...

I see you mentioned it in your comments. Despite this, our media is playing this off as not much of a big deal. I'd say 80% of the U.S. public think it's a big deal.

I'll guarantee you that the hundreds of people that would have been killed by those taken into custody, think this is a mammoth deal.

It seems the press isn't capable of comprehending that their numbers are safer after these arrests. Honestly, the press must have a death (credibility wise) wish.

[pissant]

Good news PING

[SamAdams_Lite]

The President is convening a War Council next week at Camp david to plan out the our next moves in the WOT.

[poindexter]

All the thugs are going to be looking over their shoulders.

And pointing fingers at each other!

[Plutarch]

He said the latest information was helping U.S. forces unravel the source of al-Qaida’s weapons and financing.

I am sure no leftists in the U.S. need worry about what they might find.

[Cementjungle]

The MSM's going to have to find a new batch of "military experts" to quote in their hit pieces.

[SevenMinusOne]

The systematic and deliberate destruction of al Qeada continues - These past 96 hours have been absolutely both tactically and strategically devastating to them in Iraq - (which only follows the past 6 months of a complete as$-kicking).

[SandRat]

OH!!! THIS IS GOOD!!