Granny in Iraq: Armed and Dangerous
BY Herschel Smith
17 years ago
As I discussed in Iraq: al Qaeda’s Quagmire, Reorganizations and Defections Within the Insurgency in Iraq and Al Qaeda’s Miscalculation, al Qaeda and affiliated fighters and foreign terrorist elements are taking a pounding by U.S. forces in Iraq. These kinetic operations continued today from Ramadi to Tikrit to Tarmiyah.
Coalition forces killed three terrorists Saturday while conducting an operation to deny sanctuary to al-Qaeda in Iraq and foreign terrorists Southwest of Samarra. During the course of operations, Coalition forces observed an individual, who emerged from the target area, get into a nearby boat and meet up with another boat carrying several individuals. Coalition forces further observed the group beginning to transfer equipment and weapons. Perceiving hostile intent, supporting aircraft engaged, killing three terrorists. The ground force discovered a cache of weapons on site.
South of Samarra Sunday, Coalition forces captured an associate of an al-Qaeda in Iraq network believed to be responsible for trafficking funds to senior terrorist leaders. Reports indicate the individual has made numerous recent attempts to communicate with the terrorist leaders. In addition to the targeted individual, five suspected terrorists were detained during the operation.
Coalition forces also conducted an operation in Ramadi targeting associates of an al-Qaeda in Iraq network reportedly involved in foreign terrorist facilitation. Three suspects were detained on site without incident.
In other operations, Coalition forces captured a wanted individual and seven other suspected terrorists south of Tarmiyah. The targeted individual is reportedly a close associate of the leader of a terrorist network operating in the region. Intelligence reports led the ground force to the target area where the individual identified himself.
Farther north in Tikrit, Coalition forces detained three suspects while targeting an associate of a senior leader of an al-Qaeda network operating outside of Iraq who is attempting to reside in Mosul.
But in order for the advances to be permanent, something else must take the place of U.S. kinetic operations. Solution? Concerned citizens. One reason for al Qaeda’s misadventure in Iraq is armed and concerned citizens. Many Somalians and Syrians have been in Haditha (close to the border) and elsewhere in Iraq, but Between Baghdad and Arab Jabour:
“The al Qaeda that’s here is not guys … from Syria or Somalia. They are local people who grew up here,
On October 16, 2007 at 10:33 am, wjamyers said:
Your usage of spurious makes no sense and I can’t figure out exactly what you meant to say.
From the subscription required:
http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/unabridged?book=Third&va=spurious
Main Entry: spu·ri·ous Pronunciation Guide
Pronunciation: spyrs, -pyür- sometimes ÷ -pr.- or -p.r-
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin & Late Latin; Late Latin spurius false, from Latin, of illegitimate birth, from spurius, n., bastard (often used as a praenomen)
1 : of illegitimate birth : BASTARD
2 a : outwardly similar or corresponding to something without having its genuine qualities : FALSE, COUNTERFEIT b : simulative in symptoms or development without being pathologically or morphologically genuine
3 a : of falsified or erroneously attributed origin or authorship : FORGED, INAUTHENTIC b : of a deceitful or fictitious nature or quality : FRAUDULENT c : faulty in reasoning or conclusion : ILLOGICAL, SPECIOUS
4 : marked by spuriousness or falseness
5 : of an excrescent or superfluous character : undesirably intrusive : EXTRANEOUS
6 : irrelevantly inapplicable : lacking correspondence to reality : vaguely ambiguous : PSEUDO
synonym see COUNTERFEIT
Please elucidate because I’m certain you didn’t mean counterfeit.
On October 16, 2007 at 10:42 am, Herschel Smith said:
Pertaining to lineage. More of a botanical useage … like in appearance but different in function or birth.
On October 16, 2007 at 11:05 am, jagcap said:
Hmmm… from the rest of the sentence, I figured you meant “spontaneously” and the spellchecker did you wrong…
On October 16, 2007 at 11:31 am, Herschel Smith said:
I did mean of a different origin (maybe an obtuse usage), but your suggestion sounds nice. If it makes everyone happy, re-read the post and imagine the word “spontaneous” in the sentence. With English teachers all around me waiting to pounce, I must not write these things so late at night …
On October 16, 2007 at 1:09 pm, Herschel Smith said:
Further thoughts. I don’t think that spontaneous rightly describes what has been festering for four years. Neither does the word spurious describe how important this is. I didn’t do a good job with this.
America is the greatest nation on earth partly because of the independent thinking of individuals and family units, this independent thinking holding great institutions such as the state, church and corporations accountable. This is one reason I believe that everyone should be a gun owner.
After reading Ralph Peters’ new book, I had acquiesced to the idea of the importance of tribes in understanding this culture (and all of the Middle East). But after thinking more about it, I am finding myself more in agreement with Nibras Kazimi, who claims that this is not a good thing. Statism tends to reduce the family unit in importance and remove it from its rightful role of fundamental building block of society. It appears to me that tribe can have the same effect.
While I don’t think that there is anything necessarily wrong with “orchestrating” the neighborhood watches and groups of concerned citizens, I think it is better to see people finally deciding that enough is enough all on their own. Not because a tribal shiekh says so, but because they believe so. They have taken up arms to retake control of their neighborhoods from the criminals who stole them, and this is a good sign for Iraq. This type of awakening has a different genesis than one that is born out of meetings of tribal elders.
Anyway, that’s the fundamental point.