Violence is 'off the chart' in area on Iraq border

[ECH1969]

Uprooting the criminal gangs that control this violent border town and defeating a small but well-trained insurgent force here may be left to new Iraqi security forces when they begin moving into the western desert this year, Marine Maj. John Reed says.

Until Iraqi forces can be deployed to this remote outpost, a small contingent of Marines is focused on stopping foreign religious warriors, or jihadis, from entering Iraq, and rounding up insurgents that launch attacks here.

Untamed even by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, the area has been a haven for insurgents, smugglers and thieves who wage daily battles among themselves in the city, Reed says.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=721&e=5&u=/usatoday/20050419/ts_usatoday/violenceisoffthechartinareaoniraqborder

[RamboLiberal]

1. How the hell can you claim you are winning?

When you can't even patrol the city? This reminds me of a Kurt Russell movie.

Unable for safety reasons to patrol the city on foot and in vehicles, troops are limited in their ability to gain important street-level intelligence. So the Marines primarily mount counterattacks on insurgents and criminals who fire into the camp. Last week, the Marines averted disaster when three car bombers backed by 30 insurgents assaulted the camp.

[bemildred]

2. Well, having the military complain about violence being off the chart

does give one pause for thought. Something is going on here, but
you don't know what it is, "do you, Mr. Jones?"

[chlamor]

3. Rebellion Escalating Again Across Iraq

Rebellion escalating again across Iraq

Fintan Dunne, BreakForNews.com



April 20, 2005

Rebellion escalating again across Iraq:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050420/wl_mid
east_afp/iraq

Attacks by resistance fighters are escalating again across Iraq, as violence returns to the levels seen before January, 2005.

Two US soldiers were killed Tuesday evening in a sucicide car bomb attack in Baghdad, the military said. Six died and 44 were wounded outside an Iraqi army recruitment center. Four Iraqi soldiers were also killed in an attack Tuesday against an army patrol in Khalidiyah, west of the capital. At least two Iraqis were killed in three more blasts in the capital on Wednesday.

Rebels are mounting large scale raids against police stations, such as one in the northern city of Mosul on Monday when a 50-strong group unsuccessfully tried to overrun local police. Marines in Husaybah, Western Iraq have been forced to hunker down in defensive positions. They primarily mount counterattacks after assaults on the camp.

"We're facing a well-developed, mature insurgency with the support of the local population" of about 100,000 townspeople, Marine Maj. John Reed says. "There is no Iraqi security force here. They are not effective. There are no police. They are dead or doing something else."

[maddezmom]

4. link is broken

:hi:

[central scrutinizer]

5. stop saying that!

They had elections - they were liberated - move on now and turn your attention back to Michael Jackson.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. I think things are worse than this ... and isn't it curious .....

..... the day this is posted I hear on DC's news station, WTOP, a 'special report' by a guy they have in Iraq who is out on patrols with US soldiers. He reported that there is still ongoing fighting and that "Iraq is still a very dangerous place" for US servicemen.

It just strikes me that Prancing Prezit Precious is working hard to hide this from the country ...... or ....... they're softening the country for some bad news and trying to set up the spin before they make the shot.

I trust this bunch as far as I can throw them ... rat fuckers.

[drduffy]

8. one thing

they may be doing is preparing our (correction) country to enter Iran to 'dry up' the source of terrorists entering Iraq. Same hypothesis works for Syria. They have an agenda for dominance and they will do whatever to ensure its success.

dems et. al. should working on strategies how to stop further invasions should they occur. And they should be working on ways to spread this message before the invasions occur. Maybe preclude them? I wish we were that organized.

[daleo]

7. This sounds like the way they talked about Fallujah, before destroying it.

"We're facing a well-developed, mature insurgency with the support of the local population" of about 100,000 townspeople, Marine Maj. John Reed says. "There is no Iraqi security force here. They are not effective. There are no police. They are dead or doing something else."

We know what Bush's solution was there. How many mid-size Iraqi cities can he destroy before his domestic support clues in?

[drduffy]

9. they intend

to forward with their agenda regardless most any outcry.