Iraqi interior minister claims counterinsurgency campaign a success so far
Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabr claimed Saturday that a two-week old counterinsurgency campaign was a success and expressed confidence that the Shiite-led government would bring Iraq under control within six months.
Jabr said that an ongoing campaign code named Operation Lightning to drive militants out of Baghdad had led to 1,318 arrests, and claimed it was showing some success in drastically reducing the number of car bomb attacks in the capital.
"Operation Lightning has forced the terrorists to flee outside Baghdad," Jabr told a news conference. "For us, it has been more than 90 percent successful."
His comments came as insurgent attacks claimed the lives of at least 23 people in and around Baghdad Saturday, including a suicide bomb attack that killed three elite police commandos inside one of his own Interior Ministry complexes.
It has also been criticized by Sunni Arabs who say the operation has been particularly heavy handed with the minority. Sunni Arabs are thought to make up the core of the insurgency.
"I'm worried about the way the recent security plan has been implemented, especially after a number of negative aspects have appeared" Iraq's Sunni Arab Vice President, Ghazi al-Yawer, told a London-based pan-Arab newspaper.
"That's why I call for not breaking into people's homes without a legitimate reason and for depending on thorough security information and not on biased information," he added.
Jabr said, however, that the campaign had successfully targeted car bombers _ one of its main targets.
Before Operation Lightning, there were an average of 12 car bombings in Baghdad a day and that number has now dropped to less than two a day, he said. There have 26 bombings involving cars since the operation began on May 29, according to an Associated Press count.
Jabr added that 36 insurgents had been killed during the operation, including eight foreign Arabs. Lightning's bounty so far includes $6 million in cash, 8 car bombs, 37 missiles, 325 automatic weapons, 52 mortar rounds, 13 rocket-propelled grenades, 36 pistols, 37 hand grenades, 1,217 forged documents and various types of ammunition and explosives.
Operation Lightning was only a first step of a campaign to eventually rid Iraq of the violence that has killed at lest 934 people since his government took over on April 28.
"Within the coming six months, God willing, we will spread security all over Iraq," he said, adding that Iraq's people had to help.
"If the people of Iraq will not help us, then we can't put an end to the terrorism." he said.
By DONNA ABU-NASR - Associated Press Writer
June 11, 2005, 1:13 PM EDT
DAMASCUS, Syria -- Syrian forces raided a suspected terrorist hideout near the capital, killing two men, arresting a third and foiling alleged bombing plots that targeted the nation's Justice Palace, the official news agency reported.
A member of the Syrian security forces was killed and another was wounded in the Thursday clash in the Daff al-Shouk suburb of Damascus, according to a late Friday report by SANA.
The group's leader, Abu Omar, and an accomplice were killed and another suspect was arrested, SANA said. Identification cards found with the two slain gunmen identified them as Omar Barakat and Arfan Yassin, both Syrians.
The previously unknown group called itself Jund al-Sham for Jihad and Tawhid.......(Excerpt)