Last week, the Washington Post reported that the border city of Qaim was overrun by al Qaeda jihadis, who soon afterward declared it the “Islamic Republic of Qaim” and proceeded to implement Shariah law. These claims have been under no uncertain terms refuted by the Marines:
Maj. Neil Murphy, a spokesman for II Marine Expeditionary Force, told Marine Corps Times that reports detailing an all-out al Qaeda takeover in Qaim were a “crock of crap.”
“Sure, anyone can hang up a poster. That does not mean anything,” Murphy wrote in an e-mail response to questions. “We have a battalion there. [The insurgents] are continually moving to try and find safety, but we are rooting them out and we’ll root them out of Qaim, too.”
The security situation in Western Anbar is by no means stable, as the recent combat in Qaim, Husaybah and other towns along the Euphrates River demonstrates. Pro and anti al Qaeda tribes are engaged in open combat. But al Qaeda as been on the receiving end of some devastating air attacks, which cost them three leaders. Their ability to take and hold territory is greatly exaggerated by the media.
The Washington Post had this story right when they referred to al Qaeda’s declaration as a show of force, yet proceeded to project an image of al Qaeda strength and command of the city. Perhaps they should have crosschecked the statements of their unidentified sources in Qaim with the battalion of U.S. Marines currently stationed there.
9 Comments
Bill:
This and the coverage of Katrina makes me ask a question:
At what point does the misinformation put out by the media become a national-security issue?
If the media–by reporting rumors, distortions, unattributed opinions, and outright lies instead of facts–can delude a majority of the public into believing the opposite of what is actually happening, is the government justified in arresting journalists, editors, publishers, and producers as enemy agents?
For example, if a crucial and largely successful war is portrayed as a losing quagmire, or if a remarkably comprehensive rescue effort is spun into a colossal failure, can the government make the argument that in order to protect the safety of the citizens, the media outlets disseminating this propaganda must be shut down?
I am genuinely torn. Six years ago I wasn’t, but today I am. Does the press deserve to be free if it exists only to generate income, shill for a political ideology, and incite the masses, thus threatening all of us?
Good to hear this refuted…shortly after the UK Guardian pronounced the Islamic Republic of Haditha had been set up, I had an email conversation with Bill and neither of us gave it much credence. Taking over a Sunni dominated neighborhood temporarily is, contrary to the way the media reports it, not equivelant to Hitler’s 3rd Panzer Division marching in and seizing a city. I’m not sure if the misreporting of the situation is intentional or just plain neglegence and laziness on the part of the media…it might be a little of both where the slightest event that might be percieved as bad news for the war effort becomes blown out of context by the reporter whose extent of military knowledge comes from playing RISK as a child.
Mixed Humor,
I suspect its a bit of all of the above. The shame of it is that Ellen Knickmeyer has done some realy good reporting from Iraq. It appears she was a bit too willing to bite on the jihadi bait. I won’t judge her motivations. But it would be nice to see her set the story straight.
Well, if there is no Iraqi army to hold the town, the Marines cannot keep on marching into it on a continual basis.
Neither can the friendly tribes seal the place from terrorist inflitration, especially when part of the townsfolk are siding with the enemy.
Qaim is a microcosm of Tall Afar with insurgent infiltration a serious issue and neighborhoods possibly under their control. Until there is a Clear and Hold, you will see the ideologically sympathetic press (MSM) continue to report each and every insurgent infiltration as a decisive victory.
It appears now that the western reactionary left has made the insurgency in Iraq as their defining moment, and until we have Iraq pacified, which will happen in about 12 months, we will have to put up with their constant whining and prejudicial military misreporting. There is a lot more hanging on Iraq than it appears on first blush.
If Tall Afar’s Hold operation succeeds, which it should, then Qaim, Samarra, Baquba and Haditha should be in the bag – with the main cities of Mosul, Fallujah, and now Ramadi already in the bag.
Qaim, Samarra, Baquba and Haditha should be in the bag – with the main cities of Mosul, Fallujah, and now Ramadi already in the bag.
?????
I hope someone has a better grasp of this than I currently do? I would like to know where we are staying on for holding operations. I will try to find out, but the best I can think of to answer the question is to check out the major “basing operations” of the Iraq battalions. They will be there when we eventually leave.
Never give the credit for an article only to the first name on the list. In Washington Post report there are 4 names involved. Two of them are locals reporting from Baghdad and Baqubah and I don’t bleieve them whatever they say. Too many “reporters” of the kind are seeing at the scenes of terrorist attacks in minutes or even before…
But there is other guy who really do the work, right from Tal Afar:
Jonathan Finer, maybe the same guy who won this scholarship back in 1999
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1998/12.10/scholars.html
“But his outlook changed when he visited Greece and Italy the summer before his junior year and encountered Europeans with a global view of culture and politics” – oh no, what global view? Greece has a terrorist movement of communist inspiration for years, with large popular support, Italy (nice guys though) have segrena and other moonbat commies… but not too many. I was in both places also.
I think he is reporting OK despite his “European outlook”, he’s very courageus to be on front line. But maybe the story is spinned in Washington DC – one banner+several executions = islamic republic. Doubleplusungood, if 1984 say you something….
Ellen Knickmeyer: a brave woman, her reports regarding Lima Company back in May are gut wrenching… and very sad. For me, one reason more to support US actions, despite good men being lost.
Here is 10 September already, 9 September in US … never forget, never forgive !
The big problem is the asymmetry. To establish law and order, working infrastructure, schools, clinics etc in a town takes a lot of good people and a well equipped security force with no corruption.
On the other hand, to destroy all this is easy and can be done by a small group of violent men with no special skills. Destruction is 1000 times easier than construction.
Iraq govt takes aim at more rebel towns
10 Sep 2005 10:15:21 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds further comment, background)
BAGHDAD, Sept 10 (Reuters) – Iraq’s defence minister said that following Saturday’s assault on the rebel stronghold of Tal Afar government forces were ready to strike insurgents in four other northwestern towns.
Saadoun Dulaimi told a news conference troops had killed 141 insurgents and captured 197, many of them Arabs from countries other than Iraq, in the past two days at Tal Afar and said the operation might last no longer than three more days.
“We received letters from other towns and cities as well,” he said, referring to communications the government said it had received from people in Tal Afar complaining of an influx of fighters, some of them foreign, into the town in recent months.
“We tell our people in Ramadi, Samarra, Rawa and Qaim that we are coming,” Dulaimi said. “There will be no refuge for the terrorists, criminals and bloodsuckers.”
Ramadi and Samarra, 100 km (60 miles) west and north of Baghdad respectively, are important population centres and have seen fighting in the past between U.S. and Iraqi forces and insurgents from the Sunni Arab minority.
Qaim, close to the Syrian border, and Rawa, both lie in the Euphrates valley, which the government says is a route for foreign fighters entering Iraq from Syria.
Dulaimi gave no indication of when any operations might start in these other towns.
“This military operation in Tal Afar is to clear it of terrorists,” he said. “The plan was made three months ago. We have tried every peaceful solution. That was the priority. But we got no response.
“This operation will take less time than you think … You will see in the next two days that our forces are capable and will flush the terrorists out and wipe them out.”
He later said it could last no more than three days.
The military’s deadliest enemies have always been here at home.