Posted on 04/26/2009 3:46:53 PM PDT by Cindy
The US military broke up an Iranian-backed terror cell associated with Muqtada al Sadr's Mahdi Army during a raid in Al Kut in central Iraq. Iraqi officials are claiming the US military conducted the raid without approval.
Coalition forces killed one Iranian-backed terrorist and captured six others during a raid that targeted a financier that supports both the Mahdi Army Special Groups and the Brigade of the Promised Day. One woman was also killed during a gunfight that broke out during the raid; the woman was caught in the crossfire.
The Brigade of the Promised Day was created by Sadr last June after he announced the disbandment of the Mahdi Army in June 2008. The Brigade of the Promised Day is supposedly assigned to attack Coalition forces only, but the group has not been linked to any attacks since its formation last summer.
The raid indicates the Mahdi Army Special Groups are working directly with Sadr's new militia. The Mahdi Army Special Groups is a term used by the US military to describe the factions within the Mahdi Army that broke away from Sadr during infighting in 2007 and 2008. The Asaib al Haq, or the League of the Righteous, is the largest and most deadly faction. The US began to directly associate the Mahdi Army with the Iranian terror groups in November 2008 after drawing a distinction between the two in order to create a rift in Sadr's movement.
Al Kut was a known Mahdi Army and Special Groups hot spot before the Iraqi government launched an operation against the Iranian-backed Shia terror groups during the spring of 2008. Al Kut served as a hub for operations and a weapons storage depot for the Special Groups.
Raid sparks controversy over US-Iraq agreement
(Excerpt) Read more at longwarjournal.org ...
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/025852.php
pril 26, 2009
“Iraqi government rushes to defend Iranian-backed jihadists”
BAGHDAD (AP) —
SNIPPET: “The U.S. military, however, strongly denied that it overstepped its bounds and said it notified Iraqi authorities in advance — in accordance with the rules that took effect this year governing U.S. battlefield conduct.”
I’d bet the farm they did whatever notification was necessary.
No need to bet, I’m sure of it.
DOLLARS TO DONUTS THE IRAQIES WANTED TO TIP THEM OFF AND THAT IS WHY THEY ARE MAD.
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