Official: 13,000-17,000 insurgents in Iraq

[edbermac]

Thank you George W Bush!

"WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military faces between 13,000 and 17,000 insurgents in Iraq, the large majority of them backers of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his Baath Party, a senior military official said Tuesday.

Those figures came to light the same day an apparent suicide bombing killed more than 20 people in central Baghdad as they waited in line to apply to be police officers, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.

The bulk of the insurgency is made up of 12,000 to 15,000 Arab Sunni followers of Saddam's party, the official told CNN. The Baath Party was overthrown by a U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.

Of those, the source said 5,000 to 7,000 are considered "committed" fighters, with the rest considered "fence-sitters," criminals or "facilitators" who contribute material support or sanctuary to the guerrillas."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/02/08/iraq.main/index.html

[global1]

1. And The Census Was Taken House To House - Iraqi's Were Asked ....

are you an insurgent? And so it came to pass that the number of insurgents in Iraq is between 13 -17,000 - depending upon whether they want the American's out of the country or don't want the Sunni's, Shiite's or Kurd's to get controlling interest.

I'm trying to be funny here - how do they know the number? Come on!!!

[LSK]

2. did they send out a survey or something???

Maybe some insurgents didnt mail back the questionaire??? ;)

[tabasco]

3. So we're back to the "Saddam loyalists and dead-enders" meme

They're really trying hard to milk that sham election for everything it's worth.

This time next year our troops will still be dying thanks to idiots that believe this propaganda.

[blueknight]

4. bullshit!

there is no way they know the number. they have insurgents entering the country everyday:argh:

[K-W]

5. Backers of Saddam = Sunni's

I hate the media so much it burns.

[leesa]

6. Didn't Rummie just say there were 200,000 yesterday??

They are just twisted.

[LSK]

7. yeah, they are North, South, East, West of the city