Al Qaeda fight to death in Iraq bastion - Sounds better than Iraqi people fight to death

[NNN0LHI]

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/6/23/worldupdates/2007-06-22T232832Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-304311-4&sec=Worldupdates

BAQUBA, Iraq (Reuters) - Thousands of U.S. soldiers on the offensive north of Baghdad are facing fierce resistance from hundreds of al Qaeda militants who are ready to fight to the death, an American general said on Friday.

The militants are making their stand in and around the Iraqi city of Baquba, 65 km north of Baghdad, where the U.S. military on Tuesday launched one of its biggest operations since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

1. What country are these "Al Qaeda militants" exactly from?

And do they find Al Qaeda Membership Cards on their bodies?

[Parche]

2. Al-Kida

"Al-Kida, Al-Kida, Al-Kida" thats all we hear..............:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :hi:

[A-Schwarzenegger]

3. Seriously----what is this supposed to mean or imply, and how does the US military

determine or qualify these fighters as "Al Qaeda"?
Doesnt it imply they are non-Iraqis, without having to say
where they are from, that their allegiance is not to Iraq?
How are they defined as Al Qaeda? Do they have markings, ID,
membership cards from Al Qaeda? How many captured or killed
of these fighters are determined to be from another country?

[Oilwellian]

4. Greenwald wrote an interesting piece on this

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/06/23/al_qaeda/index.html

[A-Schwarzenegger]

6. "Welcome to the latest in Iraq propaganda."

From your link (Thank you! by the way):

"Everyone we fight in Iraq is now 'al-Qaida'.

Josh Marshall publishes an e-mail from a reader who identifies what is one of the most astonishing instances of mindless, pro-government "reporting" yet:

It's a curious thing that, over the past 10 - 12 days, the news from Iraq refers to the combatants there as "al-Qaida" fighters. When did that happen?

Until a few days ago, the combatants in Iraq were "insurgents" or they were referred to as "Sunni" or "Shia'a" fighters in the Iraq Civil War. Suddenly, without evidence, without proof, without any semblance of fact, the US military command is referring to these combatants as "al-Qaida".

...much more....
An important & insightful piece. I can't believe this isn't getting more attention.

[magellan]

5. Meaningless

My father, who joined the Marines in '46 (as soon as he was old enough) and fought twice in Korea, told me tonight that this is the most politicized "war" he's ever seen -- the politicization having begun, from his perspective, with Korea and increasing with each war thereafter. He's thoroughly disgusted with the current state of our government and its meddling in military affairs, with it dictating what is said and done and constantly replacing military commanders who don't agree. The government propaganda, like in this article, enrages him.

He's 78 and said this is no longer the country he swore to protect and serve 61 years ago. Meaning if he were 17 again, he wouldn't enlist to defend this crap.