Iraq - Killing Terrorists

The tide has indeed turned in Iraq. Terrorists are being killed or captured by the score.

At least 80 insurgents have been killed by Iraqi special forces backed by US troops in a raid on a training camp near the city of Tikrit, officials say.

An Iraqi commando unit engaged in heavy fighting before seizing control of the camp, 160km (100 miles) north-west of Baghdad, on Tuesday.

Iraqi officials confirmed that at least seven Iraqi commandos died, alongside insurgents from a number of countries.

Correspondents say it is the heaviest blow to the insurgency in months.

Not a good sign when you see the phrase "correspondents say". The BBC is admitting it is relying on others for their reporting on Iraq. Wonder why and why they don't give credit to the correspondents involved?

In a separate operation on Tuesday in the northern city of Mosul, the US military said, 70 suspected insurgents were arrested by Iraqi forces.

Well, at least the Beeb are giving credit to the Iraqi forces.

Earlier this week, US troops killed up to 26 insurgents after an ambush south of Baghdad.

176 terrorists killed or captured. Nice work!

Also in the capital, witnesses said shopkeepers fought a gun battle with insurgents on Tuesday, killing three of them.

Correspondents say the incident is the first time private citizens are known to have retaliated successfully against insurgents.

There's that phrase again. Maybe the Beeb is using it to give cover for their errors. This is not "the first time private citizens are known to have retaliated successfully against" terrorists.

Here are a few examples.

In the stories of "community policing": "A group of Huriyah citizens captured four terrorists who were responsible for ambushes against security forces in Iraq along Highway 6. They kept hold of them Special Police Commandos could pick them up... Residents gathered outside to greet the commandos with applause. An announcement from the Mosque loudspeakers welcomed the arrival of the Iraqi Police." In one day of recent operations, Iraqi citizens led the troops to a roadside bomb north of Ar Ramadi, and to two weapons caches in Fallujah. Elsewhere, "opposition to the insurgency apparently boiled over into bloodshed yesterday 25 miles south of Baghdad as the townsmen of Wihda attacked militants thought to be planning a raid on the town and killed seven.

UPDATE

After I emailed the BBC and pointed out that this is not "the first time private citizens are known to have retaliated successfully against" terrorists, low and behold, the BBC stealth edited out that part. Isn't technology wonderful?
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