Which also means, coincidentally, it's a bad month for anti-War Democrats. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2006/06/mil-060620-afps02.htm
"BAGHDAD, June 20, 2006 – The coalition continues to hammer at the al Qaeda network in Iraq, a senior coalition official said here today, warning that the network didn't die when the coalition killed its former leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. snip But as the terror group attempts to regenerate, it is very vulnerable, he said, and the coalition is continuing to strike against it. During the past four days, the coalition took out Mansur Sulayman Mansur Khalif in the area of Yusufiyah. Caldwell said Mansur was in the top five of the al Qaeda organization and was considered its "spiritual" leader. He was a close associate of Zarqawi. Killed with him was an al Qaeda cell leader. Since June 4, coalition and Iraqi forces killed 11 other leaders of the organization from Ameriyah to Baghdad to Yusufiyah. They captured four other al Qaeda leaders since June 8. "
This is especially bad news for Al Queda and the Democrats, as it means we will be able to garner even more actionable intelligence from these guys. Lucky for them we do not engaged in beheadings, vicsious torture, and desecration of bodies.
"The al Qaeda leaders understand that this is a key period for Iraq's new government. Part of a letter found on a memory stick at one of the houses raided following Zarqawi's death showed that insurgents fear the Iraqi forces and understand they must win quickly or not at all, officials said. "
That last is important, as it explains why we are hearing so much from the Left Wing Democrats about "cutting and running." They, as well as al Queda in Iraq, know that now that the Iraqi government has been formed and more and more territory is turned over to Iraqis that the tide is turning i9n our favor, and they need to get as much milege oput of doom and gloom as they possibly can before elections in November. They then can claim credit for what is already happening
But yesterday, we whittled Al Queda a bit more…and we do it from the top down. Zarqawi, one of the most evil persons ever to grace the planet is currenlty decomposing, as are 6 others of his "HQ Staff." This crud Mashhadani and his partner Abu Tarq join him as worm food.
Just to remind you of what has transpired since Zarko bit the dust:
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/Releases/2006-06/060620b.htm
"The general said that since the strike on Zarqawi, Coalition and Iraqi security forces have conducted 452 operations at the company level and above; what he described as the normal amount of operations for a one-week period of time.
Of the 452 operations conducted, Caldwell said 255 were combined operations, utilizing both Coalition forces and Iraqi security forces; and 143 were Iraqi security forces only, operating independently.
From those operations, the general said 759 anti-Iraqi elements were detained, more than 104 anti-Iraqi elements were killed, and 28 caches were discovered."
Even more can be found here:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YTI5ZmY0OTM2N2M0YWQ3NjE5OTA0NDg2ZjA1ZWMyYmE=
But you won't hear it trumpeted on TV like the deaths of those two PFCs
The War [Michael Ledeen]
Here's a story that probably won't make the evening news because of the bad news in the last graph:
Coalition Kills 15 Terrorists, Detains 3, Captures Senior Leader American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, June 20, 2006 – Coalition forces in Iraq killed 15 terrorists and detained six other suspects and a senior terrorist leader during raids yesterday and today near Baqubah, military officials reported today. "
Read the whole thing…there's a good kicker at the end.
The Democrats have been taking advantage of the nature of this war. While the enemy fights in a brazenly barbaric manner that plays entirely for the consumption of the American media, ad to the benefit of the opposition politcal party, our most effective efforts are being done by young Intelligence analysts who spend thier days in rooms pieceing together tiny bits of information, which lead to bigger bits…which become big developements.
And in this war, big developements lead to even more intelligence, and things begin to snowball. Both the Democrats and al Queda in Iraq are trying to get somethings done before that snowball consumes them.
Both are trying to maintain credibility with those they hope to bring to their cause. Both are losing ground..and it;s because things are going right for the United Sates in a War with Terrorists.
Ironic, isn't it?
