(Reuters) Exclusive-Iraqi death squad leader escapes U.S. raid - PM

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/KAR648870.htm

EXCLUSIVE-Iraqi death squad leader escapes U.S. raid - PM

BAGHDAD, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Iraq's most notorious death squad leader escaped a major U.S.-led raid on a Shi'ite Muslim militia stronghold in Baghdad, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Thursday.

In an interview with Reuters, Maliki said Wednesday's ground and air assault on the sprawling Sadr City slum targeted Abu Deraa, a feared warlord held responsible for a rash of brutal sectarian killings and kidnappings of Iraqi Sunnis.

The operation, carried out by Iraqi special forces with U.S. advisers and air support, killed 10 people, according to a U.S. military statement.

Maliki said the raid had his backing but argued that it was conducted in a heavy handed way that could wreck a political deal he had worked on with Moqtada al-Sadr, a radical anti-American cleric who controls the Mehdi Army Shi'ite militia.

"I said we agree on arresting wanted criminals and we do not care whether they are Sunnis or Shi'ites, but that was not an arrest operation," said Maliki, who is himself a Shi'ite.
"Do you send in planes to arrest one person?" he asked.

[Botany]

1. escaped a major U.S.-led raid or tipped off?

We have created thousands of armed Shi ite and Sunni thugs
in Iraq.

Mission Accomplished

[Kagemusha]

2. I'd think not telling Maliki would be to not tip the guy off.

But who knows.

[Botany]

5. it was a U.S. & Iraqi run raid

and do you want to bet if some of the Shi Iraqi troops might
be working for the other side. 1 cell phone call might be all that
is needed.

[Kagemusha]

9. Guess that's why Maliki is denying it all the stronger then.

Makes him look like a stooge.

[Nihil]

10. Maybe just the usual incompetence?

> ... ground and air assault on the sprawling Sadr City slum ...

Hmm ... air assault on a "sprawling slum"? Yeah, that'll help ...

> The operation, carried out by Iraqi special forces with U.S. advisers
> and air support, killed 10 people

"Iraqi special forces"? Didn't think they had that much in their regular
forces never mind any specials ... or do they just mean "tame militia"?
(our side are "special forces", their side are "insurgents"?)
Or is it "special" forces like they have "special" schools?

"US advisors"? More mercs?

The only unquestionable point is that by killing 10 more people, they have
successfully increased the numbers of Iraqis happy to kill Americans.

Shit, dead bodies? Must be another "victory" guys ...

[ECH1969]

3. Why has the US given the Iraqi Army the ability to call in airstrikes?

Iraqi special forces backed by US air strikes killed five people and wounded at least six in a Shi'ite district of Baghdad, witnesses said, in a raid the US military said was targeted at a death squad commander.

It said the Iraqi forces came under fire and called in US air support. The raid did not appear to have any connection to the hunt for a US soldier who went missing on Monday.

http://www.sabcnews.com/world/the_middle_east/0,2172,137268,00.html
---------------------------------------------------------------

If the US wanted the mission done they should have done it themselves.

[acmavm]

4. Yeah, they've done so well up to now.

[ECH1969]

6. When it comes to raids against one man there is nothing better

then the US military, just ask Zarqawi or Saddam.

The mistake in Tora Bora is Rummy left it up to the Northern Alliance backed up with airpower on the ground.

[acmavm]

7. Excuse me but how many raids did it take to get either one of

those two? And how many damn innocent civilians died to get those two? And do we know the truth about the capture of Saddam? I wonder.

[ECH1969]

8. What don't you know the truth about?

Saddam has been releasing statements consistantly the past 2 years from his lawyers. If there was some special way he was captured we would have heard about it.

[acmavm]

11. We did. The capture didn't go like the propaganda photos and

story apparently. And Zaq was killed so many times I lost count. And each time they failed the killed innocent people.

And as for American being able to hit a target, tell me how many 'high-value' targets do you think our military scored during Shock and Awe? According to the governments own count, absolutely NONE. But they sure killed a lot of old people, women, and kids.

Enough of this conversation.

[ECH1969]

12. So do you really think Afghan or Iraqi forces can catch killers like that

With less of a cost in innocent life? That is the point you seem to be making and I can't say I agree as shown by the case here.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jack Rabbit]

14. "Do you send in planes to arrest one person?"

Bush does, when he thinks he needs to make a show of it.

Vote Republican. We're doing something in Iraq.