U.S. warplanes bombed alleged safe houses of Abu Musab Zarqawi's fighters near the Syrian border Tuesday in one of the strongest uses of air power in months, backing what leaders of one Sunni Arab tribe described as an unprecedented tribal push to drive out Zarqawi's forces.
Neither U.S. nor Iraqi officials gave death tolls. An emergency-room director, Dr. Ali Rawi, in the largest nearby city, Qaim, said at least 56 people were killed in Tuesday's air strikes and fighting, the majority of them apparently followers of Zarqawi.
American forces, probably special forces, must be with the Sunn tribe to call in the air power. So this is more than just "red on red" battles that we've seen in the past where we watched Sunnis battle jihadis. This represents cooperation between the US and Sunnis to fight the jihadis.
This shows why the Syrian effort to support suicide bombers in Iraq is doomed to failure. It just angers the Shias, Kurds, and even the Sunnis in growing numbers. As Iraqi forces nail down the interior of Iraq and increase the relatively safe areas, US forces are freed to move west toward the Syrian border to hit the enemy and disrupt enemy efforts to reach the population centers.
In the east, that two-time insurrectionist Moqtada Sadr is causing trouble again:
After a clash Wednesday night in Najaf that they blamed on a rival Shiite militia, Sadr's armed followers poured into Baghdad and at least six other cities. Twenty-one members of parliament and three cabinet ministers loyal to him suspended their work in protest. Two days later, Sadr's followers organized some of the biggest demonstrations in recent years; ostensibly protests over government services, they were effectively shows of strength.
Sunni Baathist enemies of the government are happy to work with Sadr in order to gain the numbers they need to regain power. Again and again I've asked why that SOB Sadr is still alive and walking free. Who believes he has given up violence? Who believes he won't try violence again? Who thinks he hasn't learned some lessons from two failed attempts that might help him cause real trouble for us? Like makeing sure that an important mosque blows up with Americans nearby in order to blame us? And who thinks Iran won't try to use that idiot Sadr for their own purposes?
I am seriously getting angry that we are foolish enough to let Sadr run free to cause problems. As we grind down the jihadis and their Baathist buddies are we going to let Sadr start a new revolt in the Shia regions backed by poor supporters of the last two efforts?
No more Sadr do overs. Enemies of the state should be dealt with ruthlessly. And permanently.
