Al Qaeda's Zarqawi shifts tactics - U.S. military

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/GEO060331.htm

Al Qaeda's Zarqawi shifts tactics - U.S. military


BAGHDAD, March 30 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has shifted tactics, focusing his suicide bombers on Iraqi forces and civilians instead of American troops, the chief U.S. military spokesman said on Thursday.

"What we are seeing him do now is shift his target from the coalition forces to Iraqi civilians and Iraqi security forces," Major General Rick Lynch told a news conference.

While monthly U.S. casualties have been falling since November, attacks on Iraqi forces are escalating as Zarqawi attempts to undermine efforts to build up the army and security forces, Lynch said.

"The number of attacks against Iraqi security force members has increased 35 percent in the last four weeks compared to the previous six months," said Lynch.

[MadMaddie]

1. I see a Tet Offensive coming....

our troops and the existing Iraqi troops are in great danger!!

[tocqueville]

3. the offensive won't come from Al-Quaeda

they don't have the ressources. But the Sunnis and Shiites have....

[MadMaddie]

4. Exactly....

[xdeathstarx]

18. Zarqawi

Has attacked civilians from the start with Jaamat Al-Tawid Wa'l Jihad. But he targeted coalition forces just as much. When he started to gain Al-Qaeda support and took over Fallujah, he then changed to "Al-Qaeda in Iraq". He REALLY started battling coalition forces hard, but still attacked civilians on the side. When we ran him out of Fallujah, he ran to Mosul, where he set up another Al-Qaeda stronghold. After 1/24 stryker drove him out of there, he was crippled and he realized attacking coalition forces in large numbers hurt his numbers of personal.

Since then, he sorta shifted from "drive out the Americans and kill off the Shia" to, "create as much chaos as possible by hitting civilians and security forces".

He then gave up his leadership posistion and an Iraqi, joined up with 6 domestic insurgent groups, and renamed the group "The Mujahadeen Sura Councel".

Since then attacks from that group have been low-key on coalition forced, while heavly targeting the Shia and Iraqi security forces. Seeing as that would spin the country into a civil war faster, while keeping his personal numbers up.

So far, he has been successful in creating more chaos with civil strife. So expect this trend to continue.

[0007]

2. It took sixteen Generals and twelve Admirals and thirty White

House human beings and the prez to come up with this story?

[sabra]

5. LOL - always blame the boogie man

because of course there is no civil war...

[coalition_unwilling]

7. They probably used Power Point and Visio to make

their story more compelling. :sarcasm:

[megatherium]

14. It's a little-known fact but Abraham Lincoln was the first president to

use PowerPoint.

http://www.norvig.com/Gettysburg/sld001.htm

[coalition_unwilling]

16. I think Lincoln's PowerPoint was a guy called Sherman (eom)

[pinniped]

6. More boogeyman B.S.

How the F do they know who allegedly shifted what?

Does he sign his name to each bullet and piece of shrapnel?

Since al-Zarqawi is this alleged super boss of Iraq and everywhere else and in between, and allegedly calls all the shots in Iraq and everywhere else, and has allegedly shifted his tactics, I expect to see zero US casualties from here on out.

[Lexingtonian]

8. funny how they prefer to attack the ARVN over Americans

Oops, my bad, did I say 'ARVN'? I meant "the Shiite militia-army of the Iraqi government".

[cantstandbush]

9. Now that we've noticed, they will shift back, just wait. n/t

[frylock]

10. GOLDSTEIN!!!

end transmission.

[Roland99]

11. Since when was he "Al Qaeda"?

:eyes:

[tatertop]

12. See post 10 and think 'two minutes hate.'

Bush lies because it works.
Dumbmericans do not think and do not want to know
the facts. They want someone to hate, and Bush gives it to them.
Day in and day out.

[xchrom]

13. the numbers might be falling -- but they certainly

have not stopped killing americans.

and since our people shouldn't be there -- they are NOT defending us, freeptoids -- then they are dying senselessly.

[Karmakaze]

15. Wait a minute! I thought he was attacking civillians all along?

Are they now admitting that he WASNT attacking civillians before?

Or what?

I'm confused.

[warrens]

17. Just noticed that, did they?

Bunch of fucking geniuses we got running our military. He switched tactics last fall, for crying out loud. In large part because we are keeping our guys behind blast-proof walls at night.

[xdeathstarx]

19. Actually...

Last fall was when we saw the most co-ordinated attacks in Baghdad and elsewhere.

Examples:

A VBIED goes off, causing a distraction. Then, another VBIED 100m away, rams a blast-wall protecting the traget, blowing a giant hole in it. Then another VERY large VBIED goes through the hole, and hits the target.

A VBIED goes off at a bus station, creating numerious casualties. Then, as the medics and security forces arrive at the hospital to drop off the wounded, another goes off at the hospital creating even more casualties.

A VBIED hits a police station. As help arrives (Coalition forces). The roads are blocked by IED's. Another VBIED is ran in and the area is mortered. All the while, 50+ AIF are engaging coalition forces and Iraqi security forces.

Attacks like this, we would see WEEKLY. Since the 3RD ID left in Winter, and Zarqawi has given up his command. Large-scale attacks like this really don't happen anymore. They just don't have the leadership or the logistics anymore. They may regroup this summer...but it'll be VERY hard for them unless they can get more foreign fighters across the Saudi and Syrian border.