A few weeks ago, a friend asked me in regards to our upcoming trip to Europe "What should we do if someone tries to pick our pockets or rob us?" I simply replied "Hand over fist ass beating my friend." This might seem a little excessive to our gentler cousins in Europe, who often view American reactions to crimes a bit overboard, but it serves as an effective symbol of what can and will happen if someone tries to violate your person or belongings. In an archaic sense, might makes right. This same "paradigm" is being applied to a lucky number of insurgents in Iraq at this very moment.
Although I have recently made mention of the progress made in Iraq with the U.S. military effectively opening up to tribal leaders in the Anbar province, who reciprocated in kind by expelling Al Qaeda from their region, there are still regions which contain die hard jihadists. These last vestiges of the fascist Islamic movement in Iraq, which have no hope or desire for reconciliation, are all located in provinces near the Iranian border, where they have been receiving direct aid from the Quds and IRGC forces. Earlier this week, the U.S. military said "Time's up. Its time for a hand over fist ass beating." Early Monday 10,000 U.S. soldiers along with 7,000 Iraqi army and paramilitary units launched "Operation Arrowhead Ripper" in the city of Baqubah, long known as a base for hardcore jihadist elements in Iraq, and the subsequent location of where Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had his departure ticket punched by a pair of U.S. Air Force F-16's. The operation will be aimed at completely clearing, disarming, and neutralizing the city in a scene reminiscent of the 2004 charge "Operation Phantom Fury" into Fallujah. Only after Phatom Fury was completed did Fallujah become completely passified and no longer a safe haven for insurgent activity. As of Wednesday, June 20th, there have been 30 confirmed terrorist/insurgent deaths, with 1 American death after a soldiers vehicle was struck by the insurgent weapon of choice, an IED. This following exerpt is a release from the Iraqi government and interpreted through MSNBC.COM....
The citizens received the valiant Iraqi army forces with overwhelming joy as the soldiers were waving to them with the V for victory sign,” the ministry said in a statement
The head of a Sunni insurgent group that has turned against al-Qaida and is cooperating with U.S. and Iraqi forces in the area said his fighters were participating in the operations and had succeeded in clearing several neighborhoods in eastern and western Baqouba.
The militant leader, who declined to be identified for fear of retribution, spoke as his fighters linked arms, chanted and danced while women ululated in celebration. An Associated Press reporter also saw residents in the Mustafa area in western Baqouba serving food to fighters who had battled al-Qaida and starting to repair their stores.
(Just in case you all don't believe me here is the link http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19324875/)
Now that opening line was an official statement from the Iraqi government, so its bound to sound a little rosy, but it nevertheless represents the two dichotomies that exist in Iraq at this moment. On the one hand, gentle persuasion and effective diplomacy with the varying tribes has won over the populace of what was once Iraq's terror base. On the other, there are times when no amount of outreach or diplomacy will work, and it comes down to displaying and using overwhelming force in order to completely obliterate the enemy. This delicate "ballet," in the most ironic sense of the word, is necessary to separate those who resent the U.S. presence in their country but are willing to negotiate, and those who would fanatically destroy themselves and others in order to harm American soldiers, sailors, and airmen. Ask any soldier or Marine returning from the theater and he or she will tell you, force is the universal language in Iraq. I can already hear the outrage coming from the left, calling this notion stupid, archaic, out of touch, and on and on and on. Well, its also reality, and thats what really irks the liberal base in this country. In a very real war being fought on the ground, there is little room for idealism, and because thats what every member of the U.S. military I've spoken to has told me, from Colonels to Corporals, thats what I'll believe. Here's to hoping that Baqubah, and indeed all of Iraq, continues to go in this fasion.
Although I have recently made mention of the progress made in Iraq with the U.S. military effectively opening up to tribal leaders in the Anbar province, who reciprocated in kind by expelling Al Qaeda from their region, there are still regions which contain die hard jihadists. These last vestiges of the fascist Islamic movement in Iraq, which have no hope or desire for reconciliation, are all located in provinces near the Iranian border, where they have been receiving direct aid from the Quds and IRGC forces. Earlier this week, the U.S. military said "Time's up. Its time for a hand over fist ass beating." Early Monday 10,000 U.S. soldiers along with 7,000 Iraqi army and paramilitary units launched "Operation Arrowhead Ripper" in the city of Baqubah, long known as a base for hardcore jihadist elements in Iraq, and the subsequent location of where Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had his departure ticket punched by a pair of U.S. Air Force F-16's. The operation will be aimed at completely clearing, disarming, and neutralizing the city in a scene reminiscent of the 2004 charge "Operation Phantom Fury" into Fallujah. Only after Phatom Fury was completed did Fallujah become completely passified and no longer a safe haven for insurgent activity. As of Wednesday, June 20th, there have been 30 confirmed terrorist/insurgent deaths, with 1 American death after a soldiers vehicle was struck by the insurgent weapon of choice, an IED. This following exerpt is a release from the Iraqi government and interpreted through MSNBC.COM....
The citizens received the valiant Iraqi army forces with overwhelming joy as the soldiers were waving to them with the V for victory sign,” the ministry said in a statement
The head of a Sunni insurgent group that has turned against al-Qaida and is cooperating with U.S. and Iraqi forces in the area said his fighters were participating in the operations and had succeeded in clearing several neighborhoods in eastern and western Baqouba.
The militant leader, who declined to be identified for fear of retribution, spoke as his fighters linked arms, chanted and danced while women ululated in celebration. An Associated Press reporter also saw residents in the Mustafa area in western Baqouba serving food to fighters who had battled al-Qaida and starting to repair their stores.
(Just in case you all don't believe me here is the link http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19324875/)
Now that opening line was an official statement from the Iraqi government, so its bound to sound a little rosy, but it nevertheless represents the two dichotomies that exist in Iraq at this moment. On the one hand, gentle persuasion and effective diplomacy with the varying tribes has won over the populace of what was once Iraq's terror base. On the other, there are times when no amount of outreach or diplomacy will work, and it comes down to displaying and using overwhelming force in order to completely obliterate the enemy. This delicate "ballet," in the most ironic sense of the word, is necessary to separate those who resent the U.S. presence in their country but are willing to negotiate, and those who would fanatically destroy themselves and others in order to harm American soldiers, sailors, and airmen. Ask any soldier or Marine returning from the theater and he or she will tell you, force is the universal language in Iraq. I can already hear the outrage coming from the left, calling this notion stupid, archaic, out of touch, and on and on and on. Well, its also reality, and thats what really irks the liberal base in this country. In a very real war being fought on the ground, there is little room for idealism, and because thats what every member of the U.S. military I've spoken to has told me, from Colonels to Corporals, thats what I'll believe. Here's to hoping that Baqubah, and indeed all of Iraq, continues to go in this fasion.
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