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Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Sun Apr 03, 2005 at 01:52:48 PM EST
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The Iraqi branch of al Qaeda has taken credit for yesterday's attack on Abu Ghraib prison in which 44 U.S. soldiers and a dozen Iraqi prisoners were injured.

Al Qaeda's wing in Iraq said on Sunday seven suicide bombers spearheaded its brazen overnight raid on Abu Ghraib prison that wounded 44 US soldiers, according to an Internet statement.

The web statement claims dozens of American lives were taken.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group said its fighters killed "dozens of Americans," destroyed more than 15 vehicles and shot down an Apache helicopter. It said 57 fighters attacked watchtowers from four sides and "silenced them" as seven suicide bombers detonated vehicles laden with explosives around the facility.

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    Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack | 19 comments (19 topical)
    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 03, 2005 at 02:51:37 PM EST
    Does anyone besides me feel like Sanchez (indeed, the Bush administration itself) bears some degree of responsibility for this specific attack? As you noted, the torture was explicitly authorized by Sanchez and went all the way up to Rumsfeld at least, and the selection of Abu Ghraib as a target hardly seems random.

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 03, 2005 at 04:01:22 PM EST
    Good point Justin. These are desperate times, you think we could just offer to give them Ricardo and leave the enlisted men out of it?

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 03, 2005 at 04:08:39 PM EST
    Well, at least this latest attack was only Al Qaeda, not the greatest threat to America and Americans.

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 03, 2005 at 05:24:00 PM EST
    Yeah, I heard about that Ghost...in the words of Judge Greer, that is just "incredible" =)

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#5)
    by Darryl Pearce on Sun Apr 03, 2005 at 06:48:15 PM EST
    Dubya talks a good speech: "Our immediate strategy is to eliminate terrorist threats abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. The theory here is straightforward: Terrorists are less likely to endanger our security if they're worried about their own security. When terrorists spend their day struggling to avoid death or capture they are less capable of arming and training to commit new attacks. We will keep the terrorists on the run until they have nowhere left to hide." Whoever spends "their day struggling to avoid death" are less capable. Even US!

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 03, 2005 at 07:23:05 PM EST
    So where the f is Osama Bin Laden, anyway? At least Clinton managed to imprison the Blind Sheik.

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#7)
    by desertswine on Sun Apr 03, 2005 at 07:28:49 PM EST
    This really bodes ill if they can still mount attacks of this size.

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Apr 03, 2005 at 10:02:32 PM EST
    I'm kind of amazed at the comments here. The "Blind Sheik" was living in America, and had successfully avoided prosecution several times despite being up to his eyeballs in terrorism. Clinton hardly bothered to go after him at all, treating Terrorism as an inconvenient political football kicked into minimal law enforcement. The record of Clinton (and Sandy Burglar-Scissorhands) was one of refusing to take chances to kill bin Laden and destroy Al Qaeda, early, when they had the chance. Sudan offered bin Laden in 1996 and Clinton refused. We could have strangled that monster in his crib. Next, the attack had nothing to do with "abuses" which is ridiculous, as bad as what went on it was nothing to what happened in Bosnia let alone what Saddam did (co-incidentally, the Hague has released early, a Bosnian Serb Army commander, convicted of mass killings and torture. He served only 4 years of a 7 year sentence). It has everything to do with a violent, sectarian attempt to intimidate the majority of Iraqis who are not Sunnis aligned with Saddam or Al Qaeda. If Al Qaeda fights openly against the US Army and Marines they will be utterly destroyed. It won't even be Hue (where the Marines essentially wiped out Vietcong, years after the few surviving southern Vietcong thought Tet a northern conspiracy to kill them). This is more like the kamikaze attempts at Okinawa, or suicide charges into Marines and GIs there. I'm sure it will kill more people for no good reason at all. But Al Qaeda and the terrorists lost, too bad few can understand it. Was it worth it? Did we let other fish (Iran, Saudi, Pakistan) off the hook? These are things worth discussing, but America hating or simply not understanding our awesome strength absent the Soviet Union is childish. This attack was not even Hue (initial confusion and enemy advantage/surprise, end result the Marines blasting apart the City and killing/capturing around 11,000 Vietcong/NVA to the cost 142 dead Marines). CNN and LAT reports that the Marines reacted instantly, no Marines were killed, and numerous terrorists were, despite using a car bomb and attacking rescuers. That anyone would print Al Zawahari's fantasies and think it anywhere close to the truth is fooling themselves. Admiral Doenitz was threatening the Allies with Death right up to his surrender.

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 01:55:55 AM EST
    "Our immediate strategy is to eliminate terrorist threats abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. The theory here is straightforward" The theory IS straightforward. It is known as COLLECTIVE GUILT. It is a racist conception common to genocide. What crime did the 100,000+ Iraqi civilians commit? They were living with their families in a disarmed country that had been ravaged, losing a million civilians in the last decade, half of them children. Then Bush invades, and kills tens of thousands of COMPLETELY INNOCENT PERSONS. Bush declares in effect that his own failure to guard our country convicts these innocent Arabs of the crimes of a handful of former CIA operatives and the brother of the guy who owned part of Bush's oil company. No evidence is ever produced to even suggest that Iraqis had anything to do with 911. And certainly the dead civilians had nothing to do with it. Then Bush lies the country into this unnecessary war, in order to install airbases. Abu Gharaib, as an ad campaign to draw terrorists to both of our countries followed. The racist pogrom on Fallujah followed. Toxics have been spread throughout that country; the rebuilding is a myth, and Iraqis are bearing the collective guilt that the Racist Bush Doctrine has heaped on them. And we know that Centcom has released 4,000 shoulder-fired missiles to hostiles who were there or able to get there through the understaffed Centcom unsecured borders. We know that 280 tons of high-explosives previously under the full control of the UN inspectors has been lost. 650,000 lbs. of ammunition has been handed out, like Christmas candy. Collective guilt theories are inherently racist. Bush failed the country on 911, and profited from that failure. Then his criminal negligence in sending only 2,000 troops to capture or kill that brother-of-his _business partner, allowed that brother to escape. Bush also turned down 3 offers from the military to kill Al-Zarkawi. But, no, figureheads are needed to sell the need to rape the Republic on the greasy BIRD of the Bush's cynical and racist wild goose chase. The record of Clinton was a great result of the Republican party showing no reserve in willingness to attack and undermine his presidency. They EXCORIATED him for the 17 soldiers killed in Somalia. Bush is up to 1,535 killed, around 10,000 permanently maimed. Paul Krugman says that even 1,000s more won't deter Bush from his racist warcrimes which are justified on the (Nuremberg-discredited) collective guilt theory. You do the math, Jim. Attacking Clinton with ferocity on 17 soldiers, or snoozing through the destrution of a multitude of our best soldiers, to come up with bupkis. Not one WMD. Except the ones they gave to the terrorists they made.

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#10)
    by Che's Lounge on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 08:18:27 AM EST
    Yes and Iraq is NOTHING like Vietnam. At least that's what the wingnuts have been telling us for the last two years. So why the lengthy comparisons?

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 11:53:17 AM EST
    These last two posts are proof positive that some come to the debate with the orthodoxy in place and demand that the facts be made to fit them.

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 02:05:15 PM EST
    the last post is proof positive that some come to the debate with made to fit facts, and demand the orthodoxy be in place. lol!

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 02:33:14 PM EST
    Paul in La La land.. What crime did the 100,000+ Iraqi civilians commit? (He we go again.... You must have that line permanently pasted in word.) The same as hundreds of thousands of Japanese & Germans .... Casualties of war... losing a million civilians in the last decade, half of them children. Yes...because Saddam murdered them. Where were you then...?? I don't recall you bashing him like you do GW. Is it just the US that you hate Paul? Toxics have been spread throughout that country; the rebuilding is a myth....650,000 lbs. of ammunition has been handed out, like Christmas candy LOL... very good weed in LA I think. Where do you get this stuff? (Your talking points, not the weed) I suggest you try talking to a returning soldier if you want the true story. Does anybody else find this constant blathering with no substance annoying?

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#14)
    by john horse on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 02:38:28 PM EST
    Jim, re: "If Al Qaeda fights openly against the US Army and Marines they will be utterly destroyed." You've given away our strategy for destroying Al Queda. Now they'll know better than to fight us openly so that they will be utterly destroyed. You make me sick. Next, you will say that "the attack had nothing to do with "abuses" which is ridiculous, as bad as what went on it was nothing to what happened in Bosnia let alone what Saddam did ."

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#15)
    by Sailor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 03:00:15 PM EST
    che's right, iraq IS nothing like viet nam. bush had a plan to get out of viet nam.

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 03:02:12 PM EST
    "Posted by B.B.: "The same as hundreds of thousands of Japanese & Germans .... Casualties of war... " The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor (the US, by that time, nevermind that Hawaii was sovereign before the Marines got there). The Nazis attacked US shipping. The Iraqis? Attacked NOTHING of the US. See the difference? That's the same difference between WAR and INVASION, which is something different entirely. Bush's INVASION is like Hitler's invasion of Poland. Hitler said that the Poles were castrating Germans; Bush said that the Iraqis had stockpiles of camel dung and some hot air balloons. Well, no, he said they had nukes, biological and chemical weapons. Didn't have any of that. Had the camel dung. "Yes...because Saddam murdered them. Where were you then...?? I don't recall you bashing him like you do GW. Is it just the US that you hate Paul?" Where was I then? Protesting some cat named Reagan and another named Bush (1) for ARMING Hussein, and covering for him at the UN. You don't recall my bashing Hussein? Then you haven't read much, here or elsewhere. I was calling for Hussein's arrest and trial for genocide, a genocide that Reagan denied was happening, TWENTY years ago. You also seem to be unclear on the fact that the US CIA put Hussein into power in the first place. Maybe you hate America, eh? You certainly seem to hate facts. "Toxics have been spread throughout that country; the rebuilding is a myth....650,000 lbs. of ammunition has been handed out, like Christmas candy" "LOL... very good weed in LA I think. Where do you get this stuff? (Your talking points, not the weed)" The spread of toxics? Several sources, but check out how the Aussies, our allies, are doing special testing of the region around Basra because they do not want to take over the Polish deployment where the US has been dumping uranium. The 650,000 lbs of ammo missing is by Centcom admission, as are the 4,000 shoulder-fired missiles which are missing, and the 280 tons of high-explosives. Rumsfeld admits to doing NO planning for the occupation. He and George didn't write a single order to guard Iraq's (previously-)secured dumps. "Does anybody else find this constant blathering with no substance annoying?" I, for one, do. Why don't you stop blathering with no substance? And leave your ad hominem attacks on the side of the road while you're at it.

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#17)
    by Johnny on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 05:29:54 PM EST
    I thought we took care of this Al Qaeda thing when we invaded Afghanistan...

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 06:22:47 PM EST
    Jim R - You stole my thunder. Pity to haves such a great post wasted on deaf ears.

    Re: Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack (none / 0) (#19)
    by jimcee on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 09:00:19 PM EST
    Honestly there seems to be no doubt that the "insurgents" are so desperate that they have to attack a "named" compound to get the big press to get a negative international press account of recent Iraqi events. It seems odd that TL is.. well..as most correspondents here take some sort of perverse euphoria at a desperate attack by el Queda, in Iraq, a last ditch effort. So this this is what Talk Left has been reduced to, that good news here is a bunch of wounded American soldiers as well as couple of Iraqi detainies. Is this what TL wants as its legacy? If it is, it is the most sad refrain the Left has made in many years and that is saying a lot. PS, I noticed that TL has avoided the bit about the Sunni clerics saying that the Sunnis would be better off joining the new Gov't and not covering for foreigners that kill Iraqis in general. Heaven knows, if you kill innocents in the Iraqi souq the American Left will support you if it makes Bushco look bad. And that is really pitiful.

    Al Qaeda Claims Credit for Abu Ghraib Attack | 19 comments (19 topical)