In case you missed this

[AFTiger 282]

It wasn't in the morning news.

Iraqis lead final purge of Al-Qaeda

Marie Colvin in Mosul

American and Iraqi forces are driving Al-Qaeda in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror.

After being forced from its strongholds in the west and centre of Iraq in the past two years, Al-Qaeda’s dwindling band of fighters has made a defiant “last stand” in the northern city of Mosul.

A huge operation to crush the 1,200 fighters who remained from a terrorist force once estimated at more than 12,000 began on May 10.

Operation Lion’s Roar, in which the Iraqi army combined forces with the Americans’ 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment, has already resulted in the death of Abu Khalaf, the Al-Qaeda leader, and the capture of more than 1,000 suspects.

The group has been reduced to hit-and-run attacks, including one that killed two off-duty policemen yesterday, and sporadic bombings aimed at killing large numbers of officials and civilians.

Last Friday I joined the 2nd Iraqi Division as it supported local police in a house-to-house search for one such bomb after intelligence pointed to a large explosion today.

Even in the district of Zanjali, previously a hotbed of the insurgency, it was possible to accompany an Iraqi colonel on foot through streets of breeze-block houses studded with bullet holes. Hundreds of houses were searched without resistance but no bomb was found, only 60kg of explosives.

American and Iraqi leaders believe that while it would be premature to write off Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the Sunni group has lost control of its last urban base in Mosul and its remnants have been largely driven into the countryside to the south.

Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq’s prime minister, who has also led a crackdown on the Shi’ite Mahdi Army in Basra and Baghdad in recent months, claimed yesterday that his government had “defeated” terrorism.

“They were intending to besiege Baghdad and control it,” Maliki said. “But thanks to the will of the tribes, security forces, army and all Iraqis, we defeated them.”

The number of foreign fighters coming over the border from Syria to bolster Al-Qaeda’s numbers is thought to have declined to as few as 20 a month, compared with 120 a month at its peak.

Brigadier General Abdullah Abdul, a senior Iraqi commander, said: “We’ve limited their movements with check-points. They are doing small attacks and trying big ones, but they’re mostly not succeeding.”

Major-General Mark Hertling, American commander in the north, said: “I think we’re at the irreversible point.”

Link

[autigeremt 6,660]

Of course not......it shows we are winning.

[LegalEagle 22]

Woohoo! No Al-Q; no terrorist!

Now we need to bring our boys home! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED AGAIN!

CONGRATS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!

[AURaptor 1,125]

"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week," the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Harry Reid, told journalists.

April 14, 2007

[otterinbham 0]

Well, in other news, this might make the entire Iraq War moot as an issue. Because if Iraq is truly now a legitimate country, then it has a sovereign right to ask American forces to leave. In which case we won't be arguing timetables at all:

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idU...=22&sp=true

Iraq says may agree timetable for U.S. withdrawal

By Dean Yates and Ahmed Rasheed

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki raised the prospect on Monday of setting a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops as part of negotiations over a new security agreement with Washington.

It was the first time the U.S.-backed Shi'ite-led government has floated the idea of a timetable for the removal of American forces from Iraq. The Bush administration has always opposed such a move, saying it would give militant groups an advantage.

The security deal under negotiation will replace a U.N. mandate for the presence of U.S. troops that expires on December 31.

[CCTAU 3,336]

Well, in other news, this might make the entire Iraq War moot as an issue. Because if Iraq is truly now a legitimate country, then it has a sovereign right to ask American forces to leave. In which case we won't be arguing timetables at all:

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idU...=22&sp=true

Iraq says may agree timetable for U.S. withdrawal

By Dean Yates and Ahmed Rasheed

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki raised the prospect on Monday of setting a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops as part of negotiations over a new security agreement with Washington.

It was the first time the U.S.-backed Shi'ite-led government has floated the idea of a timetable for the removal of American forces from Iraq. The Bush administration has always opposed such a move, saying it would give militant groups an advantage.

The security deal under negotiation will replace a U.N. mandate for the presence of U.S. troops that expires on December 31.

If this happens to be the case, we would have to comply. Any negative repercussions in the future could not be attributed to us doing the dim cut and run. We would have fulfilled our end of the bargain with the Iraqi government. And that is how most REAL Americans would like to see our government ran, by staying true to our word.

[Tigermike 3,046]

And that is how most REAL Americans would like to see our government ran, by staying true to our word.

And that is the dims real problem. Check it out. Written by a democrat.

[LegalEagle 22]

"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week," the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Harry Reid, told journalists.

April 14, 2007

He was wrong; we won. Now, let's bring our soldiers home.

[otterinbham 0]

"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week," the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Harry Reid, told journalists.

April 14, 2007

He was wrong; we won. Now, let's bring our soldiers home.

You're right. He was wrong. Utterly, completely wrong. And had his views prevailed, we would be looking at a far less favorable position.

That should give any intelligent, reflective person pause when it comes to giving Harry Reid and his ilk the reins of the country.

[AFTiger 282]

Well, in other news, this might make the entire Iraq War moot as an issue. Because if Iraq is truly now a legitimate country, then it has a sovereign right to ask American forces to leave. In which case we won't be arguing timetables at all:

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idU...=22&sp=true

Iraq says may agree timetable for U.S. withdrawal

By Dean Yates and Ahmed Rasheed

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki raised the prospect on Monday of setting a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops as part of negotiations over a new security agreement with Washington.

It was the first time the U.S.-backed Shi'ite-led government has floated the idea of a timetable for the removal of American forces from Iraq. The Bush administration has always opposed such a move, saying it would give militant groups an advantage.

The security deal under negotiation will replace a U.N. mandate for the presence of U.S. troops that expires on December 31.

True dat. Victory, no?

[LegalEagle 22]

"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week," the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Harry Reid, told journalists.

April 14, 2007

He was wrong; we won. Now, let's bring our soldiers home.

You're right. He was wrong. Utterly, completely wrong. And had his views prevailed, we would be looking at a far less favorable position.

That should give any intelligent, reflective person pause when it comes to giving Harry Reid and his ilk the reins of the country.

The thing much dumber than Reid's statement was starting a war in Iraq in the first place. Had it not been started, then Reid would not have made such a blunder.

[AURaptor 1,125]

"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week," the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Harry Reid, told journalists.

April 14, 2007

He was wrong; we won. Now, let's bring our soldiers home.

Bring the troops home and bring Harry Reid home from Washington.

[AURaptor 1,125]

The thing much dumber than Reid's statement was starting a war in Iraq in the first place. Had it not been started, then Reid would not have made such a blunder.

Of course, we should have left Saddam in power, his sons to terrorize and rape their country , the Oil for Food scam still up and running , because the " containment " plan was working oh so well for the previous 10+ years.

[Justin5 20]

Well, in other news, this might make the entire Iraq War moot as an issue. Because if Iraq is truly now a legitimate country, then it has a sovereign right to ask American forces to leave. In which case we won't be arguing timetables at all:

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idU...=22&sp=true

Iraq says may agree timetable for U.S. withdrawal

By Dean Yates and Ahmed Rasheed

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki raised the prospect on Monday of setting a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops as part of negotiations over a new security agreement with Washington.

It was the first time the U.S.-backed Shi'ite-led government has floated the idea of a timetable for the removal of American forces from Iraq. The Bush administration has always opposed such a move, saying it would give militant groups an advantage.

The security deal under negotiation will replace a U.N. mandate for the presence of U.S. troops that expires on December 31.

True dat. Victory, no?

Yeah, 'Mission Accomplished'.