It really doesn’t matter how many top Al Quaida leaders are taken out by U.S. and Iraqi troops. The fact is, that the insurgency is a far more efficient attack machine than it was during the beginning of the U.S. occupation of Iraq. All Al Quaida leaders are easily replaced.

http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/r...i?ArtNum=96197

Attacks Hit Vital Security In Iraq

Source: Washington Times

Published: May 23, 2005

Author: By Sharon Behn

Iraq's insurgents are conducting increasingly sophisticated and lethal attacks on the private security companies that are crucial to the nation's reconstruction and the eventual departure of U.S. troops, contractors and U.S. officials say.

These contractors and officials point to the surprising level of planning and brutality involved in a May 8 attack on the British security company Hart Security Ltd., which provides protection to convoys, homes and individuals in Iraq.

Twelve out of 18 Iraqi and international guards were killed in the attack, in which insurgents ambushed a convoy escorting cargo for the U.S. forces from Baghdad to a base in al-Asat, about 90 miles west of the city.
Once resistance from the security team ended, the attackers moved in to finish off the wounded, then piled several of the bodies on top of a bomb so they could not be removed without setting off an explosion, sources said.
The terrorists taped the event, presumably to develop a training and recruiting tool and to study to refine their techniques. The six-minute video is available on the Internet with a claim of responsibility from the terrorist group Ansar al-Sunnah Army.

Security specialists said the terrorists appeared to have calibrated mortars in advance of the attack, permitting direct hits on the five-vehicle convoy just as it hit a series of hidden bombs laid out in a "daisy chain" along the road.

The militants then managed to split up the convoy and systematically wipe out members of each smaller component.
Such attacks "have become much more organized and much more complex," said one retired special-operations officer working as a security manager for a firm operating in Iraq.

In 2003, they were random small-arms fire. Then they escalated to roadside bombs — sometimes command-detonated or with tripwires. Then they escalated to car bombs that would run a ramp and pull into a convoy or traffic circle.

"And now they are very well organized, rehearsed, orchestrated, using a combination of rocket-propelled grenades, [roadside bombs] set in a daisy chain to get the wounded as they exit the vehicles, heavy machine guns, small arms and hand-thrown grenades," he said.




Bush commented on the above story by stating that increased terrorist attacks are a sign that they are growing desperate. But in the past, each time the terrorists have stepped up their attacks Bush utters the same nonsense.

Also Chaney has been spouting off recently about how we are breaking the backs of the Terrorists. How many times in the past has the administration said this before? I really wish the administration would stop commenting about how “we’ve broken the backs of the terrorists”. Every time the administration says this, in a matter of months the terrorist attacks become more lethal and more numerous.

Hopefully in this country, THE REAL PATRIOTS, will step up and demand a structured timetable for troop withdrawal.

We’ve seen a massive increase in death since the Iraq elections, not a decrease. But if Bush and his supporters see an increase of terrorist killings as a victory for the U.S. it clearly indicates who the desperate ones truly are.

The American people by ever growing majorities see how useless and senseless this war is. THAT’S NOT GOING TO CHANGE. Let Democracy prevail---in America.

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"Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it. " --Noam Chomsky

I opposed the Iraq war because I don't favor needless and illegal wars, but we can't withdraw our troops. This ill-advised war has claimed over 1700 soldiers, hundreds of contractors, thousands of Iraqi civilians, and a large chunk of taxpayer money. We have passed the point of no return. We can't withdraw without the Iraqi government being able to defend the country or we will have prosecuted a needless and illegal war with nothing to show for it.

As much as we care about our soldiers and want to protect them, the time to protect the soldier was before we put them in harms way; we are too far along to do anything other than work hard, support them, and hope for the best.

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"George W. Bush surrounds himself with smart people the way a hole surrounds itself with a donut." —Dennis Miller

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"George W. Bush surrounds himself with smart people the way a hole surrounds itself with a donut." —Dennis Miller

And if the Iraqi soldiers are never very affective against the terrorists, then what? How will we know when it is time to withdraw our forces? More important, when do we recognize that it's useless to stay there. Would you be willing to keep U.S. troops there during fragmentation and comprehensive all out Civil conflict? We cant trust the Bush/Military assessments as to how this war is progressing. The current administration will alway be tossing rosy assessments our way. There will always be yet one more reason we have to stay there. So who do we trust on this?

There will come a point when as a nation we will be willing to invest only so much of our national treasure and sacrifice only so many human lives for this conflict. When we reach that point how do we answer for those who have already been sacrificed. . ?

If Americans keep turning against this war in increasing numbers, that will have a detrimental affect on both the war and the state of this country. PJ, I admire and respect your intellect. But I respectfully disagree with your contention that the time to protect the soldier was before we put him/them in harms way. With great passion, I don't believe it will ever be too late to protect soldiers. I don't want to keep sacrificing soldiers for a worthless cause. PJ, I know your'e an independent thinker. I also know that you articulate yourself better that almost anyone on this board. I would be willing to debate this further with you. Only because in this kind of debate I can learn as well as express.

So....maybe it's time for you Dems and libs to wake up and realize how serious this fight is? These people are smart...and they are adaptable. And the worst thing about them is this: they can easily find followers who are willing to "die" for their cause......even if it means blowing themselves up in the process.

I saw just yesterday that they've already come up with a way to get around the new "armored up" vehicles we have.

But the good news is our offensive raids are turning up weapons caches, insurgents, terrorists, and we even found ....and savied....some Iraqi hostages that were chained to a wall and had been beaten.

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"This is a time for a national imperative not to fail in Iraq." Condoleeza Rice, January 11, 2007

I disagree. This war was going to be fought somewhere. Better there than here, IMO. Those who seem to believe if only we had left the terrorists alone; they'd leave us alone.....must have already forgotten about 9/11. They are NOT going to "leave us alone" no matter what we do. And they were NOT going to leave us alone even if we had NOT gone into Iraq. That's wishful thinking.

They don't like our cultural nfluence. So.....even if we were to leave ALL Arab soil....which we are NOT going to do......they would still have some gripe with us.....some reason for wanting us all dead. After all....they can come over here, attend our schools and universities, take advantage of all we have to offer.......but we are to stay OUT OF THEIR ARAB lands. Whatever they accomplish in "wins" over us....they will simply move on to the next thing...and they will demand more. They hate Christians and Jews.....and they have declared "jihad" on all of us.

And it's about time some of the naysayers in this country get on-board and help in this fight. OR at least shut up and stop helping them. Playing politics with this is beyond the pale. It's too important to all of us.

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"This is a time for a national imperative not to fail in Iraq." Condoleeza Rice, January 11, 2007

I agree. And the Democrat leadership is doing our country a real disservice in trying to turn more and more Americans against this war. You're right; it is hurting our country. And it's time for it to stop.

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"This is a time for a national imperative not to fail in Iraq." Condoleeza Rice, January 11, 2007

Here is my solution... it is an all or nothing shot in the dark.


Everybody in America needs to shut up about the war for ONE(1) (UNO) (ICHI) month.... I honestly believe that if we all provided a unified front for roughly 30 days... the "insurgency" or "terrorists" will give up.

In this day and age of information sharing... Every word written or broadcast can circle the globe in minutes. They HEAR and READ what we think.

JP does have a good point about "getting on board". If the left wants to protect the troops and the right wants to win the war... we just need to stop arguing over it for a small amount of time. Americans can do ANYTHING when we want to.

We could win in Iraq in ONE month. Our parents, grandparents and for some of us great-grandparents sacrificed life and liberty to push back a global menace.... They went hungry and some lost everything. They dropped their plans and their lives to help the world. Are we going to argue like petulant children when confronted with the same type of problem?

Daily, I drive by a monument to that "greatest Generation" and I look at the names that I cannot read as I drive past... And I think of all the soldiers and civilians that stood united for freedom.

Do you think that when all the bodies have been buried and the fires put out and the tyranny destroyed and the dust clears... that YOU will be represented on a similar monument to freedom? Or one to division of greatness?

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I was banned from godlike productions... and loved it.

You obviously followed Cheney and Bush around the corner from Incompetence to Fantasy but now you seem to have sprinted past them all the way around the bend into Total Insanity. Please seek professional help.

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"Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it. " --Noam Chomsky