A look at Operation Lightning Hammer II in Ninewa and Salahadin

The Long War Journal ^ | 9/7/2007 | Bill Roggio

[Tennessean4Bush]

With Operation Lightning Hammer II underway in Iraq’s north, the provinces of Ninewa and Salahadin are a major focus of the latest offensive. Over half of the troops allotted to Lightning Hammer II are operating in Mosul, Tal Afar, and a region known as the Za'ab triangle in northern Salahadin province. Most of the troops conducting offensive operations in Ninewa and northern Salahadin are Iraqis.

“The Za'ab triangle is the main effort for our operations,” said Col. Stephen Twitty, the commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade, 1st Calvary Division during a Pentagon press briefing on September 7. Twitty runs the battlespace in Ninewa province, and recently assumed command of segments of northern Salahadin province in support of Lightning Hammer II. “[The Za'ab triangle] is an area that has seen very little coalition presence in previous months.” The Za’ab triangle is delineated by the Tigris River and Ninewa, Irbil, and Kirkuk provinces, and has served as an al Qaeda safe haven.

[Tennessean4Bush]

Good info

[Tennessean4Bush]

bttt mice elf

[elhombrelibre]

Ping.

[pissant]

More great work by the most patriotic citizens we have.

[Tennessean4Bush]

ditto

[jveritas]

From the terrorist forums that I have been reading, it is clear that the remaining terrorists have fled to the Mosul area. However our troops are not letting them make a safe refuge there, they are going to annihilate them in their last refuge and that is what Lightning Hammer operation is about.

[Marine_Uncle]

By all appearances, a growing majority of Iraqi have a common enemy to fight. With these current changes in alliances taking place between the IG and what where resistance/insurgent groups, al Qaeda simply will be driven out of the country.
We see some very positive changes as how extreme variances in the population mix are starting to come together. Obviously a very good sign. With this new emerging nationalism taking root, perhaps Iraq's insurgency will die out within a year or less. Of course I had predicted that tune a few times before.