Al Qaeda Seizes Town in Iraq: The Washington Post

[visionary]

Insurgents Seize Key Town in Iraq

Al Qaeda in Iraq's Black Banner Flying From Rooftops

By Ellen Knickmeyer

Washington Post Foreign Service

Monday, September 5, 2005; 10:03 AM

BAGHDAD, Sept. 5 -- Abu Musab Zarqawi's foreign-led Al Qaeda in Iraq took open control of a key western town at the Syrian border, deploying its guerrilla fighters in the streets and flying Zarqawi's black banner from rooftops, witnesses, residents and others in the city and surrounding villages said.

A sign newly posted at the entrance of Qaim declared, "Welcome to the Islamic Kingdom of Qaim." A statement posted in mosques described Qaim as an "Islamic kingdom liberated from the occupation."

Zarqawi's fighters were killing officials and civilians seen as government-allied or anti-Islamic, witnesses, residents and others said. On Sunday, the bullet-riddled body of a woman lay in a street of Qaim. A sign left on her corpse declared, "A prostitute who was punished."

U.S. Marine spokesman Capt. Jeffrey Pool said Marines had no word of any unusual activity in Qaim, but added it was possible that insurgents were acting in areas out of Americans' sight.

Qaim, within a few miles of the Syrian border, has been a major stronghold for insurgents ferrying fighters, weapons and money from Syria into the rest of Iraq along a network of Euphrates River towns.

Many of the towns along the river have appeared to be heavily under the insurgents' domination, despite repeated Marine offenses along the river since May. Residents and Marines have described insurgents escaping ahead of the offensives, and returning when the offensives are over.

While the stepped-up U.S. offensives have been unable to drive out insurgents permanently, the U.S. attacks are credited by some with helping disrupt insurgent networks and reduce the number of car-bombings and suicide attacks in the rest of Iraq.

U.S. Marines last week launched days of air strikes against suspected insurgent safe houses in the area, in some of the heaviest known uses of air power in recent months. A Sunni Arab tribe, the Albu Mahal tribe, simultaneously vowed to drive Zarqawi's fighters from the area, with the aid of the U.S. air strikes.

U.S. and Iraqi officials welcomed what they called signs that insurgents were losing support from their Sunni Arab base in the west.

By the weekend, however, Zarqawi's forces had fought back and taken control of Qaim, residents said. Accounts from the town described a rare, prolonged overt presence of the foreign fighters.

The Albu Mahal tribe as of Sunday remained in control of its village outside the city. However, a car bomb placed by Zarqawi's fighters in front of the home of a tribal leader, Sheikh Dhyad Ahmed, killed the sheikh and his son on Sunday, resident Mijbil Saied said.

It was unclear whether any Iraqi forces were in Qaim. A Zarqawi fighter said any Marines and Iraqi forces had left Qaim, with "nothing left of their crosses."

Armed insurgent fighters loyal to the Jordanian-born Zarqawi openly traveled Qaim's streets. The fighters included both Iraqis and foreigners, including Afghans The foreign-led fighters hung rooftops with Zarqawi's al-Qaeda banner of black backgrounds with a yellow sun.

Shops selling CDs, a movie theater and a women's beauty parlor were newly burned, apparently targeted by Zarqawi's group under its strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Residents said Zarqawi's fighters were killing most government workers, but had spared doctors and teachers.

Karim Hammad Karbouli, a 46-year-old resident still in Qaim, said he was waiting only for his brother to come with a pickup truck so Karbouli could load up his household and leave. Karbouli feared both Zarqawi's fighters and U.S. bombs, he said.

Zarqawi's fighters had taken control of the town's hospital, one of its medical workers, Dr. Muhammed Ismail, said. The hospital's director then ordered all patients to leave, fearing the presence of Zarqawi's fighters would draw air strikes on the clinic, Ismail said.

Zarqawi fighters manned checkpoints on the four entrances to the city.

Boylan, in Baghdad, also said that any redeployment of forces back to the United States to help with the aftermath of hurricane Katrina would not affect the U.S. ability to carry out air strikes. The Air Force announced over the weekend it was sending home 300 Air Force members whose base is in Mississippi.

© 2005 The Washington Post Company

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/05/AR2005090500313_pf.html

[twa]

Well at least they have quit hiding...MUCH easier to kill.

[Spaceman Spiff]

**** em up.

[Brown 43]

Nuke the town!

[Prosperity]

Nuke Iraq!

[Ignatius J.]

Nuke the world!

[Larry]

Um, it doesn't exactly sound like the town wants them. If so, then the town could be considered, in effect, hostages.

Shoot the hostages?

All that said, however, if they've really come out in the open, then that sounds to me like an opportunity. My biggest question would be: Can I get enough force into that area to cut off any possibility of their escape, without them seeing me?

[Fred Jones]

If we nuke Iran and Iraq we whould be killing two birds with one stone.

[Thiebear]

Dont forget Halebop so we get the aliens also...

[Gallen5862]

I think we will be able to retake the town.

[Cskin]

Simple: Drop pamphlets over the city asking all of those not supporting Al-Qaeda to leave. Encircle the city from a distance and identify all of those seen to be a organized insurgency group. Allow people safe haven out of the city. Drop 50 MOAB bombs and 50 Daisey Cutters and level the city. No more Al-Qaeda in Quaim because there is no more city for which to hide.

These islamofacists know we're not going to simply destroy the city..... they know that hiding amidst the civilians and holding them hostage that we're not going to pound them into the stoneage. I say we pound them into the stoneage and make known we will not tolerate their existance in Iraq anymore...... the city be dammed

[Ancalagon the Black]

I say we pound them into the stoneage and make known we will not tolerate their existance in Iraq anymore...... the city be dammed

And if al-Qaeda (God forbid) took over a city like DC, would you be espousing the same tactics?

[Cskin]

I'm doubting the American people are going to stand by while Al-Qaeda takes over Washington DC. In fact, I'll place my bets that John Q. Citizen would neutralize them before the authorities could conger up a plan. :doh:

Furthermore, I believe these citizens could stop AL-Qaeda from taking over that border town if they really wanted. There is more citizens there than islamofacists forces. They simply allow them in and roll over to their demands. They've been doing it since we've been there.... standing by while their fellow citizens are decapitated, shot in the head, or blown to bits in homicide attacks. When are they going to say enough is enough? Maybe when one of their cities is wiped off the earth at the expense of a couple hundrend so called "innocent" civilians and they realize we're not going to tolerate Al-Qaeda in Iraq anymore nor the actions of the citizens allowing them into the city and setting up shop. Is there not one citizen there that can give viable intelligence as to their holdout and give the coordinates to a member of the Coalition forces? Hummmm.........

[Ancalagon the Black]

They don't want them there, and they're terrified. These are trained forces with significant weaponry. What chance does the citizenry have against them? Blaming the citizens is like blaming Denmark for being taken over by Germany during WWII.

[Cskin]

But one of them... one that hates their control over his/her way of life and the hijacking of their religion... cannot get word to the coalition forces which mud hut their huddled in planning the attacks and defense of the city? Something doesn't sound right.... sounds to me they're remotely supportive of their cause... which essentially makes them guilty by association.

[Ancalagon the Black]

But one of them... one that hates their control over his/her way of life and the hijacking of their religion... cannot get word to the coalition forces which mud hut their huddled in planning the attacks and defense of the city? Something doesn't sound right.... sounds to me they're remotely supportive of their cause... which essentially makes them guilty by association.

OK, you're confusing several points here.

First, we're talking about the citizenry of the town, not the insurgents. The insurgents are al-Qaeda terrorists. They are spread throughout the town and have established a reign of terror.

Second, what do you mean "which mud hut they're huddled in"? These are trained fighting forces, not some cartoon. And why would they tell anyone in the city about their tactical deployment?

Surely, there are probably some sympathetic citizens, just as there were Nazi sympathizers in France and Denmark. But the overwhelming majority of the citizenry is being terrorized...literally.

[NavyDave]

DC wouldn't be taken over even the thugs have a dislike for errorists and even though they go to a farrakhan rally they would put a cap in a juhadist's a$$ when it comes down to be dominated and their rights taken away from them.

[Larry]

They don't want them there, and they're terrified. These are trained forces with significant weaponry. What chance does the citizenry have against them? Blaming the citizens is like blaming Denmark for being taken over by Germany during WWII.

But, don't we blame France for that?

[China]

I'm doubting the American people are going to stand by while Al-Qaeda takes over Washington DC. In fact, I'll place my bets that John Q. Citizen would neutralize them before the authorities could conger up a plan. :doh:

Conger? As in Darva Conger? So the authorities would neutralize Al Qaeda in the US by marrying them off? Oh, you meant conjure.

...Nevermind.

[codeorama]

In fact, I'll place my bets that John Q. Citizen would neutralize them before the authorities could conger up a plan. :doh:

.

True, and exactly the reason we shouldn't be over there.

[halter91]

Kill em all, let God sort em out.