U.S. Launches ‘Operation Swarmer’
16 March 2006 9:24 am by Taylor Marsh
U.S. Launches “Operation Swarmer”
U.S. forces, joined by Iraqi troops, on Thursday launched
the largest air assault since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, targeting insurgent
strongholds north of the capital, the military said.The U.S. military said the offensive dubbed Operation
Swarmer was aimed at clearing “a suspected insurgent operating area”
northeast of Samarra and was expected to continue over several days.“More than 1,500 Iraqi and Coalition troops, over
200 tactical vehicles, and more than 50 aircraft participated in the operation,”
the military statement said of the attack designed to “clear a suspected
insurgent operating area northeast of Samarra.”
U.S.,
Iraqis Launch 'Operation Swarmer'
It's the biggest air assault since the 2003 invasion. We talked about the
AC-130 gunships
a couple of weeks ago. Want to bet they're in this battle?
They're concentrating in Salahuddin province, where Samarra is
a main city, the place where the attack on the Golden Mosque occurred. It is
an area outside Baghdad in the Sunni triangle.
Just days away from the 3rd anniversary of Bush's preemptive measure
that has seen Iraq tumble into civil crisis, Iraqis still do not have a permanent
government. The parliament has been sworn in, but they can't agree on anything,
so they've disbanded indefinitely, because no one can agree who will be in charge.
It said the attack began with soldiers
from the Iraqi army's 1st Brigade, 4th Division, the U.S. 101st Airborne Division's
3rd Brigade Combat Team and the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade conducting a
combined air and ground assault to isolate the objective area.Air power backed the operation and delivered troops
from the Iraq army's 4th Division, the Rakkasans from 1st and 3rd Battalions,
187th Infantry Regiment and the Hunters from 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment
to multiple objectives.The military said forces from the 2nd Commando Brigade
then completed a ground infiltration to secure numerous structures in the
area.
After all the voting, the dying, the sacrifice, all the Iraqis
can do is agree to disagree. There's not much we can do about that, but we're
there, the anniversary is Sunday, so what the hell, why not bomb?
The reality remains that we're not bombing terrorists. We're now
bombing Iraqi citizens who are the insurgency, with Bush ready to bug out after having lost Iraq, as he hands the whole mess off to a “blue ribbon panel.”
Meanwhile, Iran has agreed to talk with the U.S. about Iraq. The
White House is stepping lightly, but agreed to allow our U.S. ambassador to
Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, to enter into discussions.
Hallelujah! Engagement with Iran. Beats the hell out of Deadeye's
bluster.
But with the Iraqi parliament sworn in, it also starts the clock
on the constitutional 60-day period to select a president, prime minister and
cabinet. The Shiites seem to be split between al-Hakim and al-Jaafari right
now.
Insurgents, start your engines. Americans, man the bombs.
