twa Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 A little good news : US delight as Iraqi rebels turn their guns on al-Qa'eda By Oliver Poole in Qaim (Filed: 04/07/2005) American troops on the Syrian border are enjoying a battle they have long waited to see - a clash between foreign al-Qa'eda fighters and Iraqi insurgents. Microsoft Tribal leaders in Husaybah are attacking followers of Abu Musab Zarqawi, the Jordanian-born terrorist who established the town as an entry point for al-Qa'eda jihadists being smuggled into the country. The reason, the US military believes, is frustration at the heavy-handed approach of the foreigners, who have kidnapped and assassinated local leaders and imposed a strict Islamic code. Fighting, which could be clearly heard at night over the weekend, first broke out in May when as many as 50 mortar rounds were fired across the city. But, to the surprise of the American garrison, this time it was not the target. If a shell landed near the US base, "they'd adjust their fire and not shoot at us", Lt Col Tim Mundy said. "They shot at each other." The trigger was the assassination of a tribal sheikh, from the Sulaiman tribe, ordered by Zarqawi for inviting senior US marines for lunch. American troops gained an insight into the measures the jihadists had imposed during recent house-to-house searches in nearby towns and villages. Iraq factfile Shops selling music and satellite dishes had been closed. Women were ordered to wear all-enveloping clothing and men forbidden from wearing western clothes. Anyone considered to be aiding coalition forces was being killed or kidnapped. That included those with links to the government - seen as a US puppet - such as water or electricity officials. As a result local services had collapsed. Captain Thomas Sibley, intelligence officer of 3rd battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, based in Qaim, said: "People here were committed supporters of the insurgency but you cannot now even get a marriage licence. "The tribes are the only system or organisation left and they appear to have stepped in. "In the last week our camp in the town was attacked and the attackers got ambushed on the way back by two machineguns and mortar fire. That is good news for us." Baghdad recently warned that Iraqi insurgents, many of them nationalists rather than Islamists, and al-Qa'eda cells were working more closely together than in the past. That was brought into doubt when the bodies of three foreigners, believed to be insurgents, were discovered in Ramadi, apparently killed by Iraqis. But the extent of the jihadist presence in Hasaybah - and therefore the subsequent tension - is unique. Foreign fighters first started to arrive two years ago after Zarqawi bought properties to use as safe houses for arrivals before they could be funnelled east towards Baghdad and other major cities. The police fled in November. In mid-June, al-Qa'eda units took over key buildings, including mosques and government offices. "Al-Qa'eda in Iraq" flags were raised. The city, 240 miles north-west of Baghdad and adjacent to the insurgent centre of Qaim, is so dangerous that soldiers in the US base sleep in bunkers because of mortar and rocket attacks. Following al-Qa'eda's seizure of the main buildings a number of residents fled. Arkan Salim, 56, who left with his wife and four children, said: "We thought they were patriotic. Now we discovered that they are sick and crazy. "They interfered in everything, even how we raise our children. They turned the city into hell, and we cannot live in it anymore." iraq@telegraph.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor 36 Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 Awesome!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 I'm lovin' it!! I'm also not surprised. Sunnis will eventually learn what a terrible price it is to pay to make a deal with the devil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy-the-Greek Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 This is great news. This should be getting alot more press from the major news outlets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateCitySkin Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 This is a unique turn of events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpillian Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 Woww -- not many things on Tailgate make me literally smile -- however, this DOES! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoCalMike Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 Well yeah I mean the Insurgets and the Terrorists are not the same group and do not have the same goals in mind. Maybe now some people will better understand it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 I was hoping that when they started kidnapping Iraqis that this would happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thiebear Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 Originally posted by Larry I was hoping that when they started kidnapping Iraqis that this would happen. outsiders are outsiders... there is little difference... Once things are set right and it spreads throughout the middleeast this will be looked back on and laughed about... by all still living... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baculus Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 An interesting twist on events, and not terribly surprising. Whatever you have to say about Iraq before the war, it was a secular nation, so the insurgents can't be too happy with the attempt to impose Sharia law, making their women cover up from head to toe, and murdering their elders and local leaders. Who knows, maybe some of the insurgents will realize that they may fare better by fighting alongside their fellow iraqis who are police and in the new military. After all, the sooner they get on their feet, the quicker the U.S. will leave, which is their goal. The link to the story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/04/wirq04.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/07/04/ixworld.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 Originally posted by Baculus ...the insurgents can't be too happy with the attempt to impose shia law, making their women cover up from head to toe, and murdering their elders and local leaders. I think you mean law of sharia, not shia law. Al Quaeda and its wahabbist followers views shiites as heretics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redman Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 It's nice news, but the extent of the jihadists' rules and upsetment of the local Iraqis way of life before the Iraqis finally acted is a cautionary note. I'd like to see more of this in more places in Iraq before I start rejoicing that a corner's been turned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbooma Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 This is a huge thing, and very good for us and everyone trying to help Iraq. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baculus Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 I think you mean law of sharia, not shia law. Yeah, I shouldn't post when I am trying to celebrate this past weekend, especially without proof-reading and spell-checking. :-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sisko Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 Gee, and I thought the Muslim world was a monolith. Capable only of one train of thought...kill all infidels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 Originally posted by Yusuf06 Gee, and I thought the Muslim world was a monolith. Capable only of one train of thought...kill all infidels. Well, that's true. But they all have different definitions of "infidel". (Yes, this was (kind-of) a joke.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.