visionary Posted August 30, 2005 Share Posted August 30, 2005 U.S. Warplanes Back Unprecedented Sunni-Led Offensive Fierce Fighting in Growing Rift Between Zarqawi Insurgents and Sunni Arab Tribes By Ellen Knickmeyer and Omar Fekeiki Washington Post Foreign Service Tuesday, August 30, 2005; 11:45 AM RAMADI, Iraq, Aug. 30 -- U.S. warplanes backed Sunni Arab tribal fighters on Tuesday in what tribal leaders called an unprecedented Sunni-led offensive to drive out Abu Musab Zarqawi's forces. Three days of ongoing fighting in towns near the Syrian border killed at least 61 people, at least 56 of them Tuesday, said Dr. Ali Rawi, emergency-room director at the hospital in the largest city near the fighting, Qaim, about 200 miles northwest of Baghdad. Forty-two of them wore the black training-suits and athletic shoes favored by Zarqawi's fighters, Rawi said. Others appeared to be fighters of a rival tribe or civilians, he said. Tuesday's bombings and clashes in the towns of Husaybah and Karabilah marked some of the fiercest fighting yet in a growing rift between Zarqawi's insurgents and some tribes of their Sunni Arab base. The clashes came after insurgents kidnapped and killed 31 men belonging to the Albu Mahal tribe because they had joined the Iraqi security forces, said Sheikh Muhammed Mahallawi, one of the tribe's leaders. "We decided, either we force them out of the city or kill them," with the support of U.S. bombardment, Mahallawi said. His tribe also had asked local residents not to aid or house Zarqawi's fighters, he said. Some of the local people refused the request, in a show of support for Zarqawi, he said. The U.S. military confirmed six dawn air strikes on two residences believed to house insurgents in and around Husaybah. When survivors of that attack escaped and drove three miles to another residence in Karabilah, the U.S. aircraft bombed that house as well, dropping two bombs, a U.S. military statement said. The military said it believed the precision-guided bombs killed several insurgents. It gave no word on civilian casualties. Residents said one of the air strikes hit a Zarqawi weapons cache, setting off loud secondary explosions. Another targeted building was a former clinic that had been taken over by Zarqawi, residents said. Zarqawi's group said in a statement posted in local mosques that it had lost 17 men. The fighting, while localized, met the constantly stated U.S. aim of "driving a wedge" between foreign-led insurgents--Zarqawi is Jordanian--and their Sunni Arab base. Resentment of Zarqawi's fighters earlier this month sparked clashes in Ramadi, where Sunni Arab tribes rallied to block his forces in their stated aim of driving Shiite Arabs from the city. An Iraqi Zarqawi commander said Monday that Zarqawi's forces had dropped that order so as to retain Ramadi as a base. © 2005 The Washington Post Company http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083000735_pf.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Posted August 30, 2005 Share Posted August 30, 2005 His tribe also had asked local residents not to aid or house Zarqawi's fighters, he said. Some of the local people refused the request, in a show of support for Zarqawi, he said. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083000735_pf.html That should have resulted in summary execution and exile of the remaining family members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chomerics Posted August 30, 2005 Share Posted August 30, 2005 That should have resulted in summary execution and exile of the remaining family members. And Saddam was a bad guy because? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 And Saddam was a bad guy because? Way to look at it superficially. Zarqawi is the scum of jihadist scum and murders Iraqis by the truckload. Supporting him over the directives of your tribal leaders after he kidnapped relatives(or at least townspeople) means you are also scum. I never said execute the family, only exile them. Offer a more robust counter and I'll address it if I get the chance. Otherwise you're guilty of not having any perspective on a situation. I think watching torture videos, having 'rape rooms' is a far cry from executing people who align themselves with the bombers of children and people at prayer and those attempting to restore some order to the society. BUt then you knew that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Punani2 Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 I'd never think this would happen. Good to see though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cskin Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 Those who refuse should be considered inslamofacists themselves....and those directly responsible for the decision to refuse the request of the tribal elders KILLED....bullets placed through their brains. Only when the Iraqi citizens refuse refuge and support of Zarq. and his minions..... will the Iraqi people realize freedom and the withdrawal of Coalition forces. I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexRS Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 Sounds like we have taken the Sunni side in this civil war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted August 31, 2005 Author Share Posted August 31, 2005 Sounds like we have taken the Sunni side in this civil war. Civil war???? explain yourself... do you mean between Zarqawi and his outsiders trying to terrorize Iraq with the help of Saddam's dead enders vs those Sunnis brave enough to take a stand and fight back and try to kick them out? Or are you implying something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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