Tal Afar offensive begins

[TomClash]

TAL AFAR, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. and Iraqi troops on Tuesday launched an offensive against insurgents in the northwestern city of Tal Afar -- not far from the Syrian border.

"Dozens of tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles and Apache helicopters have moved in to a neighborhood in the town which is thought to be a stronghold of insurgents," said senior Baghdad correspondent Jane Arraf, who is embedded with U.S. troops.

One American soldier and four insurgents have been killed in the operation, Arraf said. U.S. and Iraqi forces have detained 23 suspected insurgents.

Some 4,000 U.S. troops moved into the Tal Afar area in recent weeks.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/06/07/iraq.main/index.html

[Inland]

1. Yet another corner a-turned. nt

[Roland99]

2. And 21 of the detainees will be set free in a week or two.

The other two will probably end up dead.


Doesn't look like it's all that close to the Syrian border, either.

[aneerkoinos]

3. umpteenth time

How many times have they "cleared" Tal Afar, so far?

[bemildred]

4. Yet another hamlet "thought to be a stronghold of insurgents".

This is all working so well, why stop now?
:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. Near the Syrian border

Watch that line boys...