Weapon caches seized in Iraq, al-Qaeda suspects held

Middle East News

Jun 8, 2008, 9:18 GMT

Baghdad - Iraqi security forces seized weapons caches, one of them near a suspected al-Qaeda safe haven in the northern Iraqi city of Samarra, while US-led multinational forces captured a suspected al-Qaeda leader and his associate in Mosul, the US military said Sunday. Acting on a tip-off by local people, Iraqi forces seized a weapon cache on the side of a berm near a house believed to have been used as a hideout for al-Qaeda in Iraq group in Samarra, the US military said in a statement. Two SA-7 shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile launchers and missiles with rounds were found on the site as well as mostly unserviceable ammunition. The SA-7 missile is designed to destroy aerial targets. 'The find is the latest in a series of cache discoveries in the greater Samarra area over the past 40 days,' the statement said. Among the uncovered caches was one containing more than 300 rockets in a well in the al-Jazeera desert west of Samarra. In Baghdad's Sadr City district, the stronghold of Shiite Mahdi Army militia, Iraqi troops uncovered several weapon caches on Saturday, according to a US military statement. Over 295 mortar rounds, machine guns, Russian-made sniper rifles, 123 grenades and artillery shells, 109 anti-tank mines and home-made explosives were among the uncovered weapons. Iraqi troops moved into the slum area of Sadr City on May 20 after months-long clashes with the Mahdi Army militia of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The move came following a truce between both the government and al-Sadr. In the northern city of Mosul, US forces captured an alleged leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq group and another terror suspect during an operation on Sunday, the US military said. The alleged al-Qaeda leader is believed to have been in charge of overseeing all bombing operations in east Mosul while his associate is allegedly a wiring expert, who orders and controls bombing attacks in the area, according to the military.

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guadalcanal diaryJun 8th, 2008 - 16:21:23

:Pre-emptive post:

Hey Lance/Marge,
Please explain this story. If the U.S. and its' soldiers are so horrible, why are so many stories like this popping up? Apparently, the arabic speaking folks on the ground in Iraq are choosing to side with the Americans over their Arab brethren...what is it that they know, that you seem completely unaware of. Some might suggest, since they're there and you are here, that you're ignorant buffoons who have allowed themselves to be used as mouthpieces for the enemies of both the Iraqis and the Americans. Did you have trouble making friends as children? Or is your self hating world view all you've got? American ain't perfect, but in a world full of 3's and 4's, any 7 or 8 looks perfect flipping good.

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Weapon caches seized in Iraq, al-Qaeda suspects held

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