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June 10, 2009
Obama Releases Iraqi Shia Terror Group Leader That Killed US Soldiers
As part of 'reconciliation effort,' U.S. military releases Iran-backed jihadist that killed 5 US soldiers
US releases Iraqi Shia terror group leader
Long War Journal
The US military has released a senior member of a deadly terror group backed by Iran that has been directly implicated in the kidnapping and murder of five US soldiers in Karbala during a complex operation in early 2007.
Laith al Qazali was freed last weekend "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 Times.
Laith is the brother of Qais Qazali, the commander of the Qazali network, which is better known as the Asaib al Haq, or the League of the Righteous. Qais Qazali was a spokesperson and senior aide to Mahdi Army leader Muqtada al Sadr. The terror group, which was part of the Mahdi Army until the spring of 2008, has received extensive financial and military support from Iran's Qods Force, the external division that backs Hezbollah and is tasked with supporting the Khomeinist Islamist revolution.
The League of the Righteous was directly implicated by General David Petraeus as being behind the January 2007 attack on the Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Karbala as well as other high-profile terror attacks in Iraq. Five US soldiers were killed during the Karbala attack and subsequent kidnapping attempt. The US soldiers were executed after US and Iraqi security forces closed in on the assault team.
The attack on the Karbala Provincial Joint Coordination Center was a complex, sophisticated operation. The assault team, led by tactical commander Azhar al Dulaimi, was trained in a mock-up of the center that was built in Iran. The unit had excellent intelligence and received equipment that made them appear to be US soldiers. Some of the members of the assault team are said to have spoken English.
Laith's release part of hostage exchange
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 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.
Wild Thing's comment..........
Say what??? No way!
We KNOW President Bush would not have allow this . This Muslim Obama administration is an anti-american trojan virus that needs to be destroyed and removed.
Here is one of the soldiers this terrorist killed. 1st Lt. Jacob N. Fritz KIA
This is appalling. It’s appeasement at its worst.
The terror group, which was part of the Mahdi Army until the spring of 2008, has received extensive financial and military support from Iran's Qods Force, the external division that backs Hezbollah and is tasked with supporting the Khomeinist Islamist revolution.
The Qazali brothers are top tier "plausible deny-ability" terrorists. Their links to Iran are legendary. Iran was able to directly kill U.S. troops using their hands. Not 'Iraqi freedom fighters'. Iranian agents.
This release isn't just being soft on terrorism. It's being soft on state sponsored terrorism.
I am appalled at this. A lot of effort went into catching these guys and proving those links. To let it all go to waste is beyond disheartening.
Posted by Wild Thing at June 10, 2009 05:46 AM
Comments
There should be no need for GITMO, there should be no prisoners (or captured misguided souls causing manmade disasters). They should be exterminated on contact, like the cockroaches they are.
If you have vermin or pests in your home you call a pest exterminator, not some who will come in and "capture" the pests to release them in a different location.
Bob A.
Posted by: Bob A at June 10, 2009 09:14 AM
Charity begins at home, administer some street justice. Hang a few of them from the city lamp posts, better yet display them, like they do our captives, butchered!!!
Posted by: Jack at June 10, 2009 11:04 AM
obama and his facist gang don't give a rat's shit about five American soldiers. Those soldier's lives are expendable trading material as afar as obama cares.
Qazali is a very real muzlim terrorist leader supported by Iran. In a real world he would have been heavily interrogated then executed.
Buck ofama!
Posted by: TomR at June 10, 2009 12:12 PM
Obama has released 4,000 prisoners in Iraq since taking office. He did not turn them over to the Iraqi Government. He released them on to the streets. That our solders trained the Iraqis to such a degree that the attack rate for the year is still going down is nation building for the history books.
It does not change that the policy was to sabotage the country. Just as the Democrats sabotaged South Vietnam and Cambodia after they impeached Nixon so that the United States "lost" the war in Vietnam. I wonder how many millions dead they are hoping for this time.
Posted by: Avitar at June 10, 2009 05:21 PM
BobA., good example about the pests.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 11, 2009 12:15 AM
Jack, good way to put it..."Charity begins
at home".
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 11, 2009 12:18 AM
Tom, DITTO and AMEN!
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 11, 2009 12:22 AM
Avitar, good point, I wonder too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 11, 2009 12:24 AM
