A Raid in Iraq, And a Glimpse Into the World Of (Foreign) Infiltrators

[Barrett808]

A Raid in Iraq, And a Glimpse Into the World Of Infiltrators
Foreign Arab Fighters Had Posed as Merchants
By Daniel Williams
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, January 20, 2004; Page A15

BAGHDAD, Jan. 19 -- After midnight Monday, Ardashees Mherian heard the pitter-patter of footsteps on his roof and rushed upstairs to see what was going on.

The footsteps quickly turned into the rat-a-tat of automatic rifle fire, the bangs of exploding grenades, angry shouts and awful moans. His little house in far southeast Baghdad was caught in a raid by U.S. soldiers on suspected foreign fighters who lived around the corner.

"I was surprised. I did not know such people lived here," he said. "On the other hand, this is Baghdad. We're used to shooting and explosions. Life here is one big war."

The raid took the lives of two men from Yemen and one from Syria, U.S. officials said. Grenades and automatic rifle fire damaged the house where they lived, and blood stained the floor and walls in an interior courtyard. When Mherian ventured onto his roof at dawn, he found the corpse of one of the Arabs in a pool of blood.

The raid and its results provided a rare glimpse into the opaque world of foreign Arabs who U.S. and Iraqi officials say have infiltrated Iraq to fight U.S.-led occupation forces.

(more)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30119-2004Jan19.html