tomder55
Jun 25, 2009, 05:53 AM
This is an example of Obama diplomacy in action .
Bill Roggio of the Long War Journal has the details
US releases Iraqi Shia terror group leader - The Long War Journal (http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/06/us_releases_shia_ter.php)
Jan. 20, 2007, five American soldiers were killed and three seriously wounded in Iraq. Iranian IRGCs Quds forces disguised as U.S.soldiers attacked our troops as they held a previously arranged meeting with local officials in Karbala . Four of the soldiers were alive when they were abducted from the scene. They were handcuffed and murdered in a remote location when a rescue was attempted .
When U.S. forces captured Ali Mussa Daqduq, a high-ranking Hezbollah terrorist in Basrah this information was confirmed. Daqduq was sent by Iran to Iraq to organize terror cells to strike coalition forces. The network was directed by Qais Qazali. Qazali and his brother, Laith Qazali. Both were captured by US forces.
This is where Obama diplomacy comes into play.
According to Roggio :
Laith al Qazali was freed … "as part of a reconciliation effort" as well as an attempt to secure the release of captive British hostages, according to a report in The New York Slimes.
The US military claimed that Laith's release is part of a reconciliation effort with the League of the Righteous, but the real aim appears to be the release of five British hostages who were captured by the group.
"As part of a reconciliation effort between the government of Iraq and Asaib al Haq, the decision has been made to release Laith Qazali," Lieutenant Colonel Brian Maka told The New York Times. "Asaib al Haq has pledged to representatives of the Iraqi prime minister to give up violence and move the group towards peaceful integration into Iraqi society. An unconditional cease-fire will be undertaken by the group."
But the League of the Righteous has long demanded that the US military release Qais, Laith, and other members of the terror group in exchange for the five Britons captured in March 2007 during another complex operation at Iraq's Finance Ministry.
The real purpose of the release of Laith was explained by Sami al Askari, a spokesman for Prime minister Nouri al Maliki. The issue of reconciliation is merely a pretext for a prisoner / hostage exchange.
"This is a very sensitive topic because you know the position that the Iraqi government, the U.S. and British governments, and all the governments do not accept the idea of exchanging hostages for prisoners," Askari told The New York Times. "So we put it in another format, and we told them that if they want to participate in the political process they cannot do so while they are holding hostages. And we mentioned to the American side that they cannot join in the political process and release their hostages while their leaders are behind bars or imprisoned."
A one-to-one exchange of Shia terrorists for the British hostages will take place over the next week. It is unclear if Qais or Daqduq will be released in the exchange, but in the past, the League of the Righteous has been adamant that they be released.
The release of the League of the Qazalis and other senior leaders of the terror group does not bode well for the improved security situation in Baghdad and wider Iraq as the US prepares to withdraw from Iraq's cities. The Iraqi military dealt the terror group and its Iranian backers a deadly blow during the offensive against the Shia terror groups in central and southern Iraq that began in Basrah in March 2008 and resulted in thousands of Mahdi Army fighters killed and thousands more wounded, and the death of several of its senior military leadership. The movement itself was fractured and was forced to pull out from provincial elections.
The League of the Righteous still conducts operations against Iraqi and US forces in Baghdad and central and southern Iraq. The group has not honored previous ceasefire agreements, and the release of its senior leadership may give the group new life.
The Asaib al-Haq terrorist network kidnapped five British civilians May 31, 2007 at the Iraqi finance ministry in Baghdad.. The civilians pleaded for the British government to negotiate their release. Asaib al-Haq told Iraqi government officials that they would release the Brits in exchange for the Qazali brothers and Daqduq. The Bush administration refused because the Iraqi's refused to prosecute the terrorists if they were released to them.
Obama officials have stated that the release of Laith Qazali was for the greater good of “reconciliation “ .But it is clear that this release was part of a quid pro quo for the release of hostages. Not surprisingly what they got in exchange were dead hostages.
It appears that Obama is sufficiently embarrassed for being duped that he has cancelled invitations to Iranian diplomats to Fourth of July barbeques at US embassies.
Bill Roggio of the Long War Journal has the details
US releases Iraqi Shia terror group leader - The Long War Journal (http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/06/us_releases_shia_ter.php)
Jan. 20, 2007, five American soldiers were killed and three seriously wounded in Iraq. Iranian IRGCs Quds forces disguised as U.S.soldiers attacked our troops as they held a previously arranged meeting with local officials in Karbala . Four of the soldiers were alive when they were abducted from the scene. They were handcuffed and murdered in a remote location when a rescue was attempted .
When U.S. forces captured Ali Mussa Daqduq, a high-ranking Hezbollah terrorist in Basrah this information was confirmed. Daqduq was sent by Iran to Iraq to organize terror cells to strike coalition forces. The network was directed by Qais Qazali. Qazali and his brother, Laith Qazali. Both were captured by US forces.
This is where Obama diplomacy comes into play.
According to Roggio :
Laith al Qazali was freed … "as part of a reconciliation effort" as well as an attempt to secure the release of captive British hostages, according to a report in The New York Slimes.
The US military claimed that Laith's release is part of a reconciliation effort with the League of the Righteous, but the real aim appears to be the release of five British hostages who were captured by the group.
"As part of a reconciliation effort between the government of Iraq and Asaib al Haq, the decision has been made to release Laith Qazali," Lieutenant Colonel Brian Maka told The New York Times. "Asaib al Haq has pledged to representatives of the Iraqi prime minister to give up violence and move the group towards peaceful integration into Iraqi society. An unconditional cease-fire will be undertaken by the group."
But the League of the Righteous has long demanded that the US military release Qais, Laith, and other members of the terror group in exchange for the five Britons captured in March 2007 during another complex operation at Iraq's Finance Ministry.
The real purpose of the release of Laith was explained by Sami al Askari, a spokesman for Prime minister Nouri al Maliki. The issue of reconciliation is merely a pretext for a prisoner / hostage exchange.
"This is a very sensitive topic because you know the position that the Iraqi government, the U.S. and British governments, and all the governments do not accept the idea of exchanging hostages for prisoners," Askari told The New York Times. "So we put it in another format, and we told them that if they want to participate in the political process they cannot do so while they are holding hostages. And we mentioned to the American side that they cannot join in the political process and release their hostages while their leaders are behind bars or imprisoned."
A one-to-one exchange of Shia terrorists for the British hostages will take place over the next week. It is unclear if Qais or Daqduq will be released in the exchange, but in the past, the League of the Righteous has been adamant that they be released.
The release of the League of the Qazalis and other senior leaders of the terror group does not bode well for the improved security situation in Baghdad and wider Iraq as the US prepares to withdraw from Iraq's cities. The Iraqi military dealt the terror group and its Iranian backers a deadly blow during the offensive against the Shia terror groups in central and southern Iraq that began in Basrah in March 2008 and resulted in thousands of Mahdi Army fighters killed and thousands more wounded, and the death of several of its senior military leadership. The movement itself was fractured and was forced to pull out from provincial elections.
The League of the Righteous still conducts operations against Iraqi and US forces in Baghdad and central and southern Iraq. The group has not honored previous ceasefire agreements, and the release of its senior leadership may give the group new life.
The Asaib al-Haq terrorist network kidnapped five British civilians May 31, 2007 at the Iraqi finance ministry in Baghdad.. The civilians pleaded for the British government to negotiate their release. Asaib al-Haq told Iraqi government officials that they would release the Brits in exchange for the Qazali brothers and Daqduq. The Bush administration refused because the Iraqi's refused to prosecute the terrorists if they were released to them.
Obama officials have stated that the release of Laith Qazali was for the greater good of “reconciliation “ .But it is clear that this release was part of a quid pro quo for the release of hostages. Not surprisingly what they got in exchange were dead hostages.
It appears that Obama is sufficiently embarrassed for being duped that he has cancelled invitations to Iranian diplomats to Fourth of July barbeques at US embassies.