Al Qaeda seeing "supply line" into Syria threatened

[gilliam]

April 13, 2005: Al Qaeda is seeing its “supply line” into Syria threatened by increased American and Iraqi military activity along the border. Yesterday, there was a major battle near the town of Qaim. Over a dozen terrorists were killed, and many more wounded when American and Iraqi troops raided the headquarters of a smuggling operation. This is the third major raid against smuggling gangs in the last two weeks. American military intelligence, and Iraqi police detectives, are getting better information on smuggling and support operations for al Qaeda, and other terrorist organizations. Thus dozens of al Qaeda leaders and technicians have been arrested in the last month, and now the smuggling operation is being hammered. Without the source of supplies, and sanctuary, and the technical experts, it becomes more difficult to sustain the terror campaign in Iraq. Meanwhile, 55 kilometers northeast of Baghdad, a thousand American and 500 Iraqi troops raided a terrorist base, capturing sixty suspects. There was one Iraqi soldier wounded, and no American casualties. The operation took four days to plan and rehearse.

 

[vern_humphrey]

gilliam:

Meanwhile, 55 kilometers northeast of Baghdad, a thousand American and 500 Iraqi troops raided a terrorist base, capturing sixty suspects. There was one Iraqi soldier wounded, and no American casualties. The operation took four days to plan and rehearse.

Non-professionals may not understand the significance of that – it is both good intelligence and good OPSEC. Operations like this are a sign things are definitely going our way.