NationStates Jolt Archive

:D Iraqi forces seize 131 suspects in raid

Iraqi soldiers, backed by US helicopters, are reported to have seized 131 suspects in a dawn raid on insurgents planning attacks on the holy city of Kerbala.

The Defence Ministry says troops also retrieved tonnes of explosives.

The Defence Minister, Hazim al-Shaalan, described it as a very successful operation based on intensive surveillance.

Several suspected militants were reported killed in the operation, which began late on Friday and culminated in the dawn raid just outside Kerbala, about 100 kilometres south-west of Baghdad.

Officials say say those arrested included foreigners using fake Iraqi identification papers.

Three tonnes of TNT explosive, hundreds of rocket-propelled grenade launchers and at least three prepared car bombs were also found.

Kerbala, an important Shi'ite Muslim holy city, has been targeted by militants several times in the past.

Next week the city will draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims for Arbain, a major mourning ceremony.

Earlier this week Iraqi police commandos said they killed 85 militants in a raid on a suspected insurgent training camp near Baghdad, hailing it as a breakthrough against the insurgency.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200503/s1332013.htm :D :D :sniper:

Take that insurgents!

220 insurgents killed or captured in a week

Nicely done.

Gotta love it when the bad guys take a beating

Of course, there are going to be those who say that capturing insurgents, even when it's done by Iraqi forces, acting on information from Iraqi civilians, is illegal.

Ah well.

I doubt the terrorism will cease to much though in Iraq, a lot of them keep flocking in over the Iranian/Syrian border...

The terrorists were getting sloppy when some release a video of them, unmasked, in normal looking clothing threatoning to kill someone unless their country (I can't remember which one) pulled all their troops out of Iraq. The problem was, that country didn't have any in Iraq. Terroists are supposed to be loud, threatoning and look menacing on their videos, but these guys looked very DIY. The hostage was released eventually.

I doubt the terrorism will cease to much though in Iraq, a lot of them keep flocking in over the Iranian/Syrian border...

I call that the "Roach Motel" effect. Terrorists check in, but they don't check out (well, they DO check out, but not they way they were expecting).

I think it's quite interesting that these raids are being credited more and more to the Iraqi forces. American involvement in terms of Offensive Operations is mentioned less now than ever. Though these Iraqi troops aren't representative of the general state of armed forces in Iraq, I think it's a good thing for the International Community to see.

As good as this news is I still feel pessimistic. The battleground in Iraq is a training ground for terrorists just like Afghanistan was in the 80's. The terrorists (foreign and domestic) won't likely stop coming as long as America is there. Yet America can't just leave either. Catch 22.

The terrorists are honing their abilities with every blow they are dealt. They want to survive, so they will. They will learn how.

They rather like the idea of fighting Americans. Even dying while doing so has a romantic feel to it. Hard to beat someone with a mentality like that.

As good as this news is I still feel pessimistic. The battleground in Iraq is a training ground for terrorists just like Afghanistan was in the 80's. The terrorists (foreign and domestic) won't likely stop coming as long as America is there. Yet America can't just leave either. Catch 22.

The terrorists are honing their abilities with every blow they are dealt. They want to survive, so they will. They will learn how.

They rather like the idea of fighting Americans. Even dying while doing so has a romantic feel to it. Hard to beat someone with a mentality like that.

You need to see the other thread. Apparently, the insurgents want to find an "exit strategy".

Of course, there are going to be those who say that capturing insurgents, even when it's done by Iraqi forces, acting on information from Iraqi civilians, is illegal.

Ah well.

Why is capturing them illegal? Torturing afterwards, yes, but capturing?

Why is capturing them illegal? Torturing afterwards, yes, but capturing?

There are people on this forum who believe that an insurgent is just an innocent civilian defending his country, and that detaining him, no matter how many Americans he kills, or Iraqis he bombs, is illegal.

Of course, it sounds like they want to quit now...
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/f37f03d2-9d9d-11d9-a227-00000e2511c8.html

There are people on this forum who believe that an insurgent is just an innocent civilian defending his country, and that detaining him, no matter how many Americans he kills, or Iraqis he bombs, is illegal.

Of course, it sounds like they want to quit now...
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/f37f03d2-9d9d-11d9-a227-00000e2511c8.html

The article indicates that some Sunni, former political insiders, and ex-Baathist insurgents wish to find security deals in the shifting political balance. To strike a deal like that cleric Al Sadr (sp?).

I wonder how much of this could have been avoided if we had proveded a better political avenue for such people in the first place. I wonder how many insurgents actually wish to defect to the new government. I also wonder why this hasn't been more widely reported; perhaps negotiations are already underway?

The article indicates that some Sunni, former political insiders, and ex-Baathist insurgents wish to find security deals in the shifting political balance. To strike a deal like that cleric Al Sadr (sp?).

I wonder how much of this could have been avoided if we had proveded a better political avenue for such people in the first place. I wonder how many insurgents actually wish to defect to the new government. I also wonder why this hasn't been more widely reported; perhaps negotiations are already underway?

We seem to have come to an accomodation a long time ago with Shiite insurgents (remember al-Sadr?). A political deal. The Sunnis, however, were angry at having lost their power. The former Baathists were a factor - we said no Baathist could hold power. And to complicate matters, Zarqawi shows up. So, we made mistakes, and they made mistakes. And in the process, someone had to figure out that fighting was not getting the results.

Better to negotiate now, than to lose everything. I think a major factor in stopping the violence is the fear of being left behind politically.