Here are the Left's freedom fighters at work in Iraq. Who are we fighting in Iraq? Extremists who are working to create a Taliban-like state.

"When the terrorists took over the city," the commander of the Third Armored Cavalry Colonel H.R. McMasters said in a State Department briefing yesterday, "they replaced all the imams from the mosques with Islamic extremist laymen; replaced all teachers from the schools with people who "preached hatred and intolerance"; and kidnapped and murdered large numbers of people, "including a Sunni Turkmen imam and a city councilman who was shot about 30 times to the head in front of his family.

"The enemy here did just the most horrible things you can imagine," McMasters said, "in one case murdering a child, placing a booby trap within the child's body and waiting for the parent to come recover the body of their child and exploding it to kill the parents." Because the local population had been so badly treated by the terrorists, and because Iraqi Army forces were integrated into operations, McMasters said, the civilians have given very good intelligence about the terroristsÂ’ whereabouts and activities.

The main engagements in this fight happened from September 2 through September 6, McMasters said. With between 3,500 and 3,800 U.S. forces and 5,000 Iraqi troops taking part, 118 terrorists were killed and 137 captured, he said. U.S. losses were one killed and 11 wounded, most of whom have returned to action. Iraqi losses were eight killed and 19 wounded, he said.

At length the terrorists abandoned the fight and tried to escape by blending in with the local population, he said, but the Iraqi forces were very good at spotting them and the civilians pointed them out to the coalition. A further 104 of the enemy were captured in outlying areas surrounding Tall Afar on September 12, he said.

Source: State Department press release.

Posted by: Rusty at 12:46 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 Have a link to this? Source: State Department press release. doesn't quite cut it... TY!

Posted by: Ariya at September 14, 2005 03:09 PM (noCGr)

2 Linked....because I just love the name 'Ariya' Here's the thing, though. Why is it that I have to link my sources but not the AP or Reuters?

Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at September 14, 2005 04:21 PM (JQjhA)

3 You need to come up with your own "anonymous sources" Rusty. Then you too can say anything you want.

Posted by: Oyster at September 14, 2005 04:45 PM (fl6E1)

4 I was watching a press conference by Col. H.R. McMaster, the commander of the 3rd ACR who just kicked ass and took names in Tal Afar, and he mentioned that. He also said they had found a house that contained chemical weapons. It was on CSPAN yesterday, and it was an excellent briefing.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at September 14, 2005 05:17 PM (0yYS2)

5 Same press conference. I didn't notice the chemical weapons thing.

Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at September 14, 2005 05:33 PM (JQjhA)

6 It was a brief mention.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at September 14, 2005 07:11 PM (0yYS2)

7 Hmm interesting. This is a major sucess I must say. I say this because it is an example that we are infact better than the terrorists. I find that too often our oppressive anti-terrorist tactics, in examples like Guantanamo Bay & ABu Ghraib, cause more hatred and terrorism. COunter-terrorism to often violates the very rights we are fighting for, and hence causes the civilians of the Middle East to hate us more than terrorists, or their previous oppressive regimes. However, as inspiring as this article is, you have to look at any article with skeptisism. One from the Department of State is obviously somewhat bias for well, the state. And we must look as this as only an example. A great and positive step foreward, but nonetheless, until presented with proof that it is the norm, i will not accept it as such, call me a pessimist, but i just dont trust things until I see them from news sources on both sides of the political spectrum.

Posted by: Ash at October 17, 2005 03:33 PM (v4xco)

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