Reuters: Gunmen storm Iraq jail, free 140

[Eugene]

Gunmen storm Iraq jail, free 140
06 Mar 2007 17:10:16 GMT
Source: Reuters

MOSUL, Iraq, March 6 (Reuters) - Dozens of gunmen stormed an Iraqi jail
in the northern city of Mosul on Tuesday and freed up to 140 prisoners
in one of the biggest prison breaks since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003,
police said.

Militants attacked Mosul's northwestern Badoush prison just after sunset
in the ethnically mixed city and overwhelmed police, who were forced to
call the U.S. military for backup.

Most of the prisoners were believed to be insurgents, police said.

It was unclear if there were any clashes between gunmen and police during
the incident.

Saddam Hussein's nephew, Ayham Sabawi, escaped the same prison in
December after he was accused of financing the Sunni insurgency against
U.S. forces and the Shi'ite-led government.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/KHA659520.htm

[tanyev]

1. Now that's a surge.

[endarkenment]

2. darn you got there fustest. nt.

[Roland99]

3. Bush: U.S., Iraqi forces making progress

By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent 45 minutes ago

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070306/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush;_ylt=AkToN9zgqnAHbvTw96GGT6es0NUE

WASHINGTON -
President Bush, in a guarded assessment of the war in Iraq, said Tuesday "there are some encouraging signs" in a security crackdown in Baghdad by U.S. and Iraqi forces.

Facing Democratic opposition to his troop build-up in Iraq, Bush said military commanders should be able to carry out their mission "without undue interference from politicians in Washington."

"Other members of Congress seem to believe that we can have it all: that we can find al-Qaida, pursue national reconciliation, initiate aggressive diplomacy and deter Iran's ambition in Iraq — all the while withdrawing from Baghdad and reducing our force levels," the president said.

"That sounds good in theory, but doing so at this moment would undermine everything our troops have worked for. There are no shortcuts in Iraq."

[saigon68]

16. "there are some encouraging signs"

The idiot Chimp doesn't yet realize, they are going "somewhere else" to cause trouble

SHEESH

[maddezmom]

4. Geebus

While they are all pacifying Sadr City all hell is breaking loose. :eyes: Someone is making progress and it's not US troops.

[gratuitous]

5. Why, those dirty birds!

Don't they know that the U.S. forces are surging in Baghdad and Sadr City? Why did they all go to Mosul, instead of facing down the American wehrmacht where it's concentrating its efforts? Geez, it's like the insurgents are trying to hurt our morale, break our will, and generally are not supportive of the troops.

Send Bill O'Reilly to Mosul to explain it to them!

[donkeyotay]

10. How dare they not cooperate with us? Bad insurgents. Bad.

No one could have anticipated that the insurgents wouldn't agree to the surge.

[Acadia Blue]

6. This just gets worse and worse. That shrub has totally made a

disaster of every single thing he has done. And Osama is not cautht yet. 57 percent in Louisiana still support shrub and more than 60 something in Mississippi. How I hate to be from the South now.

[sabra]

7. k & r

[maddezmom]

8. not a peep about this on Faux...chatting up taking out the Al-Qaeda hideout

from a few days ago. :eyes:

[rman]

9. Oh good. More stability.

[SledDriver]

11. Freedom is on the March!

n/t

[maddezmom]

12. Iraq police said they thought insurgents had mustard gas

The prison break in Ninawa province was one of the largest insurgent operations in recent months. According to Iraqi police, 300 gunmen believed to be connected to the Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaida-affiliated group that has declared an independent Sunni state in western Iraq, stormed the Badoosh prison west of Mosul at around 5 p.m.

Firing tear gas and what police said was mustard gas, the gunmen overwhelmed guards and took control of the prison and released 140 prisoners, most of whom were suspected of being al-Qaida members.

A prison guard shot and killed four of the prisoners and wounded two others, but most of the released prisoners escaped into nearby villages, police said.

By nightfall U.S. and Iraqi forces surrounded the neighborhood and searched for the escapees, Iraqi police said. Helicopters circled the area.

U.S. officials didn't respond to queries about the incident, which, if accurately portrayed by Iraqi police, would mark a major advance in insurgent tactics. While insurgents recently have detonated bombs near chlorine tanks in Baghdad in an effort to sicken bystanders, they hadn't previously used toxic gas to disorient police during attacks.


link:http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/16846929.htm

[truthisfreedom]

15. Mustard gas has very specific symptoms. Very icky ones.

[Eugene]

13. 42 prisoners recaptured - Reuters factbox

FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, March 8
08 Mar 2007 10:20:11 GMT
Source: Reuters

March 8 (Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq as of 1000 GMT
on Thursday:

MOSUL - U.S. forces killed seven insurgents and arrested six others during an
operation while targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq, the U.S. military said.

MOSUL - Police arrested 42 prisoners on Wednesday who were among around
140 prisoners freed by militants from Badoush prison on Tuesday in the northern
city of Mosul, police said.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PAR836840.htm

[maddezmom]

17. AFP: Iraq recaptures 42 Qaeda escapees

Iraq recaptures 42 Qaeda escapees Thu Mar 8, 8:17 AM ET



MOSUL, Iraq (AFP) - Iraqi forces have recaptured 42 of the 140 prisoners who escaped when Al-Qaeda militants stormed a jail outside the northern city of Mosul, security officials said Thursday.

Brigadier General Mohammed Al-Wagaa, who runs the Mosul police operations room, said the fugitives had been rounded up in various regions of the city since Tuesday's brazen attack by heavily-armed insurgents.

Hasham al-Hamadani, the chairman of Nineveh province's security committee, confirmed the figure and denied reports that two of executed dictator Saddam Hussein's nephews were among those who had escaped.

"They have never been in Badush prison," he said.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070308/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestqaedaprison_070308131733

[maddezmom]

18. Insurgents storm facility, free Saddam's nephew

Insurgents storm facility, free Saddam's nephew
By Leila Fadel
McCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents raided an Iraqi government prison west of the city of Mosul on Tuesday and freed the son of Saddam Hussein's recently executed intelligence chief, Barzan Tikriti, a local provincial council member said Wednesday.

Hisham Hendawi, a member of the provincial council in Ninewa province, said Mohammed Barzan, whose father was decapitated in a botched hanging on Jan. 15 and whose uncle was Saddam, was among an estimated 140 prisoners who escaped when gunmen overwhelmed guards at the Badoosh prison. It is not known how many guards, if any, were killed or wounded.

The Islamic State of Iraq, a Sunni insurgent group that has declared an independent Islamic state in western Iraq, on Wednesday claimed responsibility for the raid, one of dozens of Sunni insurgent operations this week that seemed to show the limits of the joint U.S.-Iraqi security plan in Baghdad.

more:http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/nation/16858846.htm?source=rss&channel=cctimes_nation

[POAS]

14. As the Nazies learned in France

it takes only a small number of "insurgents" who have the cooperation of the populace to hold down a much more sizable force of regular military. It gets to be like fighting ghosts that disappear into the walls. We fight them in Sadr City but they are popping up in Mosul.