Tuesday Crackdown: Al Qaeda Rounded Up Throughout Iraq
MNf-I:
Coalition forces disrupt al-Qaeda network
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces killed one terrorist, captured two wanted individuals and detained eight suspects during operations Tuesday targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq associates in central and northern Iraq.
Coalition forces conducted a precision operation targeting associates of al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders in Kirkuk. When the ground force arrived at the target building, they called for the building’s occupants to come out and an armed man emerged. Perceiving hostile intent, Coalition forces engaged and killed the armed terrorist.
Additional intelligence from the operation led to a follow-on location where Coalition forces targeted an alleged emir of foreign terrorists in the At Tamim province. The targeted individual is also believed to be involved in the use of explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, against Coalition forces and was involved in recent car-bombing attacks in the area. The ground force detained one suspected terrorist on site without incident.
In another operation, Coalition forces captured the alleged al-Qaeda in Iraq military emir of Muhmadiyah believed to be involved in weapons facilitation and attacks against Coalition forces. In addition to the targeted individual, the ground force detained two other suspected terrorists.
Intelligence gained during previous operations led Coalition forces to Tarmiyah, where they conducted two coordinated operations and captured three suspected terrorists, including an alleged associate of the al-Qaeda in Iraq emir of the northern belt.
East of Balad, Coalition forces targeted an associate of al-Qaeda in Iraq believed to be responsible for coordinating attacks against Coalition and Iraq security forces in the Salah ad Din province. One suspect was detained on site.
In another operation in Samarra, Coalition forces targeted an associate of an al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader involved in foreign terrorist facilitation who was killed during an operation Sept. 10. The ground force detained two suspected terrorists during the operation.
“Every day we’re removing terrorists from the ranks of al-Qaeda in Iraq,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. “We will continue to pursue individuals who facilitate and conduct attacks against the Iraqi people.”
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I’m getting the feeling that this latest round-up may be sign of more than just AQI on the run.
After these chiefs are captured, to be sure they will be replaced, the level of enemy AQI disintegration is now quickened, much more so than before.
All you WW2 buffs out there, this may be our ‘breakout from Normandy’, if the Surge was our ‘D-Day’. Or, this could be more, could be after the Bulge, when the Germans were finally exhausted and we raced throughout Germany.
Which scenario fits? I don’t know, but this story, as low key as it’s printed, seems to me anyway, to actually mean a helluva lot.
What say you all?
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:24 amIt definitely seems like the pace of arrests/kills has accelerated in the last few days. We recovered a hand written note from the bombed out house of that Tunisi guy last week; looks pretty certain we recovered a lot more. Every operation has to lead to yet more intel.
I am convinced AQI carefully monitors American media and websites. When the Dems got their asses kicked over the Petraeus report and it became obvious Bush had won and we were going to be in it for the long haul, I suspect it was a major blow to AQI’s morale. Attacks on US and Iraqi civilians are down, we are rounding up and killing buckets of bad guys…perhaps we have actually broken their will.
I hope so! There have been so many blind alleys in Iraq thus far, it sure would be nice if we could take the heat off our guys in the near future.
October 2nd, 2007 at 10:55 amSo I see a couple of things:
1. Even when the Surge level of troops are withdrawn, we must keep up the aggressive surge tactics that have been working.
2. The awakening has to spread from Anbar, which it currently is, and become the Iraqi Awakening. That takes boldness from us, and local Iraqi’s.
But clearly, we must keep acting, not re-acting, except to intelligence. Keep pushing. I think this story is the important story of the day, if not few weeks. Tide turning? Are enemy AQI retreating, or is this a now a rout?
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:15 am