Baqubah: The Noose Tightens
Michael Yon gives us another update from Operation Arrowhead Ripper, and he tells us the US and Iraqi forces have come close to liberating Baqubah. Yon also reports that the Iraqi Army has performed well in the operation, but that the Iraqi police leave a lot to be desired:
For security reasons, the Iraqi Army (IA) was not included in the initial planning of Arrowhead Ripper, yet with each succeeding day the IA has taken a larger role in the unfolding attack. The Fifth Iraqi Army Division is considered an increasingly competent group of fighters, and from the limited scope of 5th IA that I personally witnessed, that judgment seems correct. The 5th is committed to battle. Whereas the Iraqi Army is coming into the fight, and playing increasingly critical roles, the local police force is less impressive.On the night of the 23 June, for instance, a police checkpoint called in to say they were under heavy small-arms attack. The same checkpoint then called frantically saying they were under RPG attack. The next even more frantic call was about a mortar attack. Yet when a Shadow UAV and Apache helicopters were dispatched, they saw no activity in the immediate area. Colonel Steve Townsend, commander of 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, brought this up to a senior Iraqi officer at a meeting on Sunday the 24th, and the Iraqi officer answered with some disgust that those particular police panic at the sound of two shots, and that each member of that police detail needs two Humvees protecting them in order to feel safe.
The lack of intestinal fortitude of the police aside, the operation appears to be exceeding expectations. As in Anbar, the residents of Diyala have had their fill of al-Qaeda, if not the native insurgencies. AQI has alienated the populace by acting, well, like al-Qaeda. They've killed children, beheaded civilians, and imposed a Taliban-style morality police on the populace. In their zeal, they have destroyed their credibility in Iraq.
For instance, they have a new smoking cessation program that is reminiscent of Stephen King's short story, Quitters, Inc. The shari'a court of AQI approved the amuptation of the two "smoking fingers" as a permanent punishment for polluting one's body with tobacco. That's actually the lenient punishment; others have been murdered for their nicotine habit.
Even more oddly, AQI has begun punishing people for carrying vegetables suggestively:
Other AQI edicts included beatings for men who refused to grow beards, and corporal punishments for obscene sexual suggestiveness, defined by such “loose” behavior as carrying tomatoes and cucumbers in the same bag. These fatwas were not eagerly embraced by most Iraqis, and the taint traveled back to the Muftis who sat in supreme judgment.
Read the entire post, and don't forget to drop a few dollars into Michael's tip jar to defray his expenses.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on June 25, 2007 11:40 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)
Comments (11)
Posted by Shoprat | June 25, 2007 12:30 PM
Trying to escape while dressed as women? Is cross-dressing allowed by the Koran?
It's looks like Iraq's army is coming together but what is it with their police force? They are either cowards or terrorist sympathizers. I lean toward cowardice as I read your link.
I don't care for smoking but cutting off fingers to punish people for smoking?
Posted by Gary Gross | June 25, 2007 12:35 PM
As I said here, this is great news. We weren't aggressive enough after Saddam's fall but that doesn't appear to be a problem this time.
As for the question "Trying to escape while dressed as women? Is cross-dressing allowed by the Koran?"
The answer is yes if it's done to defeat the enemy (infidels).
Posted by NahnCee | June 25, 2007 12:49 PM
...but what is it with their police force? They are either cowards or terrorist sympathizers. I lean toward cowardice as I read your link.
If you were an AQ enabler who wanted to draw American forces into an ambush, how would you do it? Might you make three different phone calls with increasing desperation claiming to be under attack, and demanding that someone come to rescue you?
Then, if some other Iraqi called you merely panicky would that mean that the other Iraqi was also complicit in the plan and is covering for you?
Personally, I'd be looking very very closely at the local Iraqi police and asking them how good with electric drills they are, personally, each and every one of them.
Posted by Carol Herman | June 25, 2007 12:54 PM
I wouldn't even be surprised, that Al Kay-da, in cahoots with haniyeh in gazoo; came up with the publicity spritz ... of Alan Johnson gift wrapped in a bomb belt; and Shalit's voice, after more than a year of silence, hitting the propaganda outlets ... BECAUSE IRAK IS GOING WELL!
And, the Soddie's spend money making sure Americans get scammed.
While, the Soddie's aren't doing well, either. Given that their big honcho, prince "abda-dabda" ... came out with his plans to be the Mideast's deal maker.
I'm glad we have Michael Yon in Irak. And, imbedded in some of the action. It does show that American soldiers have gained lots of experience in dealing with savages. We didn't get this out of Vietnam. But we have this now! And, I'm glad we're moving forward.
What will Israel do about the tape of Shalit speaking about needing rescue and hospitalization. It just amazes me these aren't considered war crimes. And, haniyeh gets a pass.
I still think, however, that the media has failed to score a victory, in years and years.
Posted by AnonymousDrivel | June 25, 2007 2:42 PM
"...corporal punishments for obscene sexual suggestiveness, defined by such “loose” behavior as carrying tomatoes and cucumbers in the same bag..."
And sometimes a tomato and a cucumber is just a tomato and a cucumber. Don't these guys know Freud? Oh, wait. Wrong millenium. Obviously not.
Jeez. These Islamists are so uptight from their bastardized Koranic interpretation as to be wholly dysfunctional. These folks are pathological in spirit and mind as their actions attest.
Posted by NoDonkey | June 25, 2007 3:14 PM
These people are wide open for ridicule.
Dressing like women? Problems with vegetables co-habitating?
Wide open for a Monty Python style skit, or South Park.
Might work. I saw a History Channel episode that claimed that the KKK was brought down by a kids radio program, that mocked their code. The kids made their fathers feel ashamed about being a part of the organization.
Never underestimate the power of ridicule and humor.
Posted by John Gault | June 25, 2007 3:26 PM
Wow, now that's a bunch of sick bastards. To even think of that as being sexual you would really need a warped mind.
Posted by Del Dolemonte | June 25, 2007 8:03 PM
I think the AQ goons, when captured, should be "tortured" by being forced to listen to the classic Beach Boys' 1960s album "Smile", which includes a Brian Wilson epic called "Vegetables" (Jan and Dean also did a great cover of this song at about the same time)
A few snips of the lyrics:
"If you brought a big brown bag of them home
I'd jump up and down and hope you'd toss me a carrot
I'm gonna keep well my vegetables
Cart off and sell my vegetables
I love you most of all
My favorite vege-table
Oh oh taba vega vegel
Oh badumday oh dum do dum de dooby do
Oh badumday oh dum do dum de dooby do
Chomp chomp chomp chomp do-do-do do-do-do
Bop bop bop bop do-do-do do-do-do
I know that you'll feel better
When you send us in
Your letter an'
Tell us the name of your
Your favorite vege-table
I know that you'll feel better
When you send us in
Your letter an'
Tell us the name of your
Your favorite vege-table"
BTW, the AQ prisoners should also be forced to look at pictures of Mike Love.
Posted by DJ Elliott | June 26, 2007 5:22 AM
The hesitency of the IA at first is because it just had its CO relieved for cause last month. They are still getting a feel for what the new CO considers acceptable or not.
As to the IP, US police would require Army backup in the same environment or they would quit or die.
- Judging by some of the actions of the NOPD in Katrina, the IP has been very good...
- Judging by NYPD, not so good...
About average for police.
That is why militaries exist and the police do not take care of all extreem violent situations. The police are nether equipped or trained at that level.
Posted by Bennett | June 26, 2007 7:26 AM
I know some anti-smoking fanatics here in the US that I think would secretly admire AQ's extreme approach to enforcing the tobacco ban.
But veggies unlawfully cohabitating? How bizarre. Would it be proper if there were a marriage ceremony for them at the grocery store first? Maybe Mr. Cabbage could officiate.
Posted by Immolate | June 26, 2007 8:08 AM
Silly people... it isn't about vegetables being together. It's about them being *seen* together. The tomatoes enhance the phallic imagery inherent in the cucumber. Titillating, no?
The one common theme in societies that brutally repress sexuality is a pervasive obsession with sex. Chicken, meet egg.