I must admit when I first heard this story, I too assumed bombs,
until I read further clarification. I have been gone all day, and was checking to see how this was progressing. I didn't see too much at all on the regular sites (MSN, CNN, Local news), and am surprised (unless I missed the story) to find it fizzled out. At least according to this Times On-Line, who say Iraq initiated this operation:
"The operation, which doubled the population of the flat farmland in one single airlift, was initiated by intelligence from Iraq security forces, says Lt Col Skip Johnson commander of the 187 Battallion, 3rd Combat Brigade of the 101st Airborne. "They have the lead," he said to reporters at the second stop of the tour. But by Friday afternoon, the major targets seemed to have slipped through their fingers. Iraqi Army General Abdul Jabar says that Samarra-based insurgent leader Hamad el Taki of Mohammad’s Army was thought to be in the area, and Iraqi intelligence officers were still working to compare known voice recordings and photographs with the prisoners in custody."
Full Story:
Time On-line Then I found this article for the UK, suggesting the "timing" of this "attack." For those of us who are suspicious of the past timing of terror alerts, (i.e. poll numbers in the dumpster?) this could be questionable as well.
"The operation came at a time when support at home for President Bush and his campaign in Iraq is running very low, and when the international media were preparing to focus on the third anniversary of the war, just three days later."
Full story:
BBC News As far as pulling out, I don't know to be honest. I would say yes, stay a little longer, but I won't say stay indefinitely. If we need more American troops to train, get going, but if this is going to last throughout my lifetime and never end, I say get the hell out.
Btw, I DO think it matters how we got there. We have every right to know if we were misled and/or lied to. This isn't some mamby pamby, close your eyes to it, turn the other cheek type thing, this is a war in which many lives were lost, and if was unjust or unecessary, hell yea, I wanna know.
TIS
