Posted on 07/18/2007 4:35:16 AM PDT by james500
The U.S. command said Wednesday the highest-ranking Iraqi in the leadership of al-Qaida in Iraq has been arrested, adding that information from him indicates the group's foreign-based leadership wields considerable influence over the Iraqi chapter.
Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, also known as Abu Shahid, was captured in Mosul on July 4, said Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a military spokesman.
"Al-Mashhadani is believed to be the most senior Iraqi in the al-Qaida in Iraq network," Bergner said. He said al-Mashhadani was a close associate of Abu Ayub al-Masri, the Egyptian-born head of al-Qaida in Iraq.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Why don’t you read the ABC article and see what this guy’s job was before you start acting like he’s a small fish.
Why don’t you read the ABC article and see what this guy’s job was before you start acting like he’s a small fish.
I am glad he was captured; however, this reason would justify attacking Saudi Arabia (and other "allies").
Are you familiar with what happened to the Luftwaffe after the introduction of the P-51? Our guys started slaughtering their fighter jocks. Fast promotions and hurried training put inexperienced pilots in positions they never would have gotten near in the early days of the war. If we had known who was in all those planes getting shot down, there would have been a headline every couple of days reading "Top Luftwaffe pilot shot down by 8th Air Force."
The same thing's happening with Al Qaida, not least because we are trying to gut their command structure, and doing a pretty good job of it.
Identify the movie and you get a cookie.
The deck of cards was all Baathists, and something like 90% or more have been gotten.
I'm no fan of Saudi Arabia, but their government is a target of Al Qaida cells, whereas Iraq's government was an ally of Al Qaida. Heck, there have been (and most likely are) Al Qaida in America but we won't be invading ourselves anytime soon.
Here is my honest sentiment on the Iraq War: I like seeing al qaida get killed and lining up to get killed; however, I do not like to think of the USA as the “hired hessians” for the House of Saud and the other Arab weak sisters. They need to tow the line and pay in blood, not just oil, for their safety. Saddam was their problem, and Israel’s, but not the UN’s or the USA’s.
Al qaida is a sunni group; Iran is shia. These are our two top “muslim facist” foes (though I wonder what Iran has done that can’t be traced back to decades of US gaming them both internally and against Iraq). Why not step aside and let them wreak their violence upon each other until they see the light (if ever)? I am afraid the answer is because we need oil and its free flow through the straits.
I know these ideas will chap some folks’ hides, but this is the way I currently see it. I am open to counterargument.
The ‘Surrender-Crats’ are deeply saddened.
(al-Qaida in Iraq? No way!)
Well, the reality is that we do need the oil. This need didn't just spring up a few years ago, and it isn't going to go away in a few years. It is in our interest to keep the region operating to some reasonable degree. We could as you say leave them alone and let them work it out themselves, but unfortunately some in the region aren't content to just sell us oil... they also want to kill us. That's where we need to step in and deal with it proactively.
Just wondering...
I have heard that his wife's name is Up. They named their first kid Dy. And they sign their Ramadan cards 'Up, Chuck, and Dy'.
Yes, they are so very interested in fighting each other. That’s why Al Qaida attacked buildings in Tehran on 9/11.
I think (hope) you are playing naive for the sake of a one-liner; But I'll bite: who did al qaida attack before 9-11? One answer is the Soviets, after which they did a lot of killing of each other (sunni vs. sunni).
But just ask who is killing who in Iraq and/or why Saddam and the colonial powers had such a heck of a time imposing order in the ME. Or why Iran fought Iraq.
How so? The government of Saudi Arabia is an ally in the WOT. They are combatting AQ in the Kingdom. AQ has declared war on the Royal Family so there is no reason for us to get involved unless they ask for our assistance. The situation in Iraq and Afghanistan are not analogous to our other allies. We didn't take down their governments by invading their countries. Also, AQ has declared Iraq their central front in their war against us.
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