So far, so good. The huge Diyala operation in Iraq started yesterday and already 35 al Qaeda operatives and linked partisans have been arrested. Here's some of the details from the article here at Yahoo News:
You can see here that the quote came from the Iraqi spokesman and so it is pretty clear that this operation is similar to the one in Mosul where the Iraqis took the lead and will probably be given the press on this. But don't be fooled - there are 10,000 U.S. troops involved in this, it is that big. And it's my guess that there will be considerable air support throughout this operation.
I don't have the link handy but there were also reports out that quite a few IED's were discovered in this initial phase of the operation, also.
It will be interesting to see if we see more of these "captures" as opposed to battle deaths - to see whether al Qaeda in Iraq is really willing to put their lives on the line for this final battle for Iraq.
"Up to midday our forces detained 35 wanted for terrorism and others involved in crime, murder and setting of explosions," defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari told AFP.
The operation involves Iraqi police and soldiers, backed by US troops, conducting searches for militiamen and illegal weapons in Diyala, which remains one of the most dangerous places in Iraq.
You can see here that the quote came from the Iraqi spokesman and so it is pretty clear that this operation is similar to the one in Mosul where the Iraqis took the lead and will probably be given the press on this. But don't be fooled - there are 10,000 U.S. troops involved in this, it is that big. And it's my guess that there will be considerable air support throughout this operation.
I don't have the link handy but there were also reports out that quite a few IED's were discovered in this initial phase of the operation, also.
It will be interesting to see if we see more of these "captures" as opposed to battle deaths - to see whether al Qaeda in Iraq is really willing to put their lives on the line for this final battle for Iraq.
Iraq nabs 35 in Al Qaeda crackdown
BAQUBA, Iraq (AFP) - Iraq forces supported by US troops said on Wednesday they had arrested 35 suspects as a major crackdown on fighters in the Al-Qaeda bastion of Diyala province entered its second day.
"Up to midday our forces detained 35 wanted for terrorism and others involved in crime, murder and setting of explosions," defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari told AFP.
The operation involves Iraqi police and soldiers, backed by US troops, conducting searches for militiamen and illegal weapons in Diyala, which remains one of the most dangerous places in Iraq.
Thousands of soldiers moved in on Tuesday, setting up a perimeter around the provincial capital city of Baquba, erecting extra police checkpoints to prevent non-residents from entering or leaving the area.
"Iraqi security forces are controlling the entry routes into Diyala to stop terrorists from escaping to other provinces," Askari said.
The US military said earlier this month that a force of 30,000 Iraqi soldiers and police would take part in the offensive, although Iraqi newspapers have said 56,000 are involved.
There has been no confirmation of the number from Iraqi officials.
The offensive follows similar Iraqi military operations in the southern provinces of Basra and Maysan, and the northern province of Nineveh, as Iraq forces try to shore-up recent security gains in the war-torn country.
Fed by the Euphrates and Diyala rivers, Diyala was once the granary of Iraq and the country's orange capital with its lush orchards, but its multi-ethnic population has proven one of the most dangerous to control.
In an interview with AFP last week, Colonel Ali al-Karkhi, commanding officer of Iraqi forces in Khan Beni Saad, said Diyala was "the most dangerous province in Iraq."
The province, which has a long border with Iran has been a centre of weapon smuggling, has suffered repeated suicide bombings, thought to be mostly orchestrated by Sunni Al-Qaeda operatives.
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