Informants Guide U.S. Troops In Baqouba

Exclusive: U.S. And Iraqi Forces Use New Tactic To Hunt Al Qaeda In Former Stronghold

(CBS)  This is what can happen to you when you try and help U.S. soldiers in Iraq: You may be led away blindfolded with your hands bound, as one man was.

But it was for his own protection.

He is an informant. Only minutes before he was working with the U.S. soldiers, pointing out al Qaeda's houses, CBS News chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan reports exclusively.

Why is he taking this chance? Because, he says, al Qaeda burnt down his house and killed his brother.

"They blew up houses and arrested people for no reason. They want to make the Americans leave so they can occupy Iraq," he said through a translator.

Al Qaeda was in charge here until 10 days ago, when U.S. and Iraqi soldiers came to liberate the city. If you smoked in public, if you mixed the wrong kind of vegetables on your vegetable cart, you got beaten, tortured or worse.

Col. Steve Townsend says locals told them it was in this square that al Qaeda publicly executed well over 100 people.

"We found an al Qaeda torture house with torture implements in it. We found three al Qaeda aid stations equipped to varying degrees, one pretty sophisticated with oxygen and defibrillators and stuff like that," he said. "So I don't think we've had a lack of contact; what we have had is a heavy lack of fighting."

That has not meant a lack of danger for Townsend's soldiers. One controlled detonation failed to blow up an IED buried deep underground. So they tried again.

With more explosives, the earth erupted, shattering glass and knocking out power. It was one of 15 roadside bombs the soldiers found in an area the size of one U.S. city block.

Finding the culprits is not easy. Wires were traced to this empty house from which IEDs could be triggered across the city. But the family just across the road insisted they knew nothing about the men living there — a familiar tale.

Townsend's Iraqi counterpart compelled the father to swear on the Quran as he grew more and more distressed during the interrogation.

In the end, the soldiers believed him and keep moving through the city. Desperate families approached to find out if it's safe to return to their homes. But that still depends on how long U.S. soldiers are there to keep al Qaeda out.

[prinzowhales]

Nice way to reward an informant--keep his face uncovered in an area where he could be under observation by opposing forces and blow his cover in a CBS story...of course, 'al Qaeda' doesn't read CBS...they release much of their news releases from their London offices...probably somewhere in the Ministry of Defense.

Its just like 'al Qaeda' being stumped by Bush's 13 miles of border fence on our southern border..."we cannot penetrate the defenses of the Great Satan...let us be content to wage jihad so as to regulate the vegetables in the Baqouba market," one high-ranking 'al Qaeda' was reported to have said by an informant. Just another sorry chapter in the Stupid People's War.

[dfv21102]

June29, 2007-06-30
Dear Ms. Logan:

I really hope you get to read this. It's a thousand-to-one chance, but here it is:

You are a journalist. You are doing exactly what you are supposed to do. If war, poverty, child abuse are dirty, so be it. You are there to capture the things that you see, not things the way you see them. Yes, people are tired of war scenes and atrocities, only because they are afraid of becoming immune to the dark side of humanity. Perspective...perspective is probably the only thing that matters in this world. Without it, we cannot function with others. With it, we can change things. It is sometimes necessary for people to scream out repeatedly to people who have been numbed with bloodshed. It doesn't help to "balance" the news with "feel good" stories. I know. Read the below link about my brush with becoming a "Duplessis Orphan", undoubtedly THE biggest child abuse scandal in history, involving not 24, but 7000 orphans.

I wish you well, Ms. Logan. You're there, I'm here.

And I depend upon you.

Thank you so much.

Dan Vojir
http://thedevilanddanvojir.blogspot.com

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by FeelFree1 at 12:46 AM : Jun 29, 2007



Sounds like mass murder of a people who initially had done nothing to us
Posted by toldyouso21 at 11:09 PM : Jun 28, 2007

You still don't get it do you feely1? or you either toldyouso21. That is the same thing that is happening right now except it's not the US thats doing it. We kill as defense, they kill as offense. Look around and think with the mind of a fanatic (unless thats what you are already doing). It will be clear just as soon as we leave.
besides both of you know me better than that.

[drummer94]

The "truth" is loony-toon fvcked up and now all his support is crumbling down around him like a house of cards. Meanwhile 3600 have paid the ultimate price and thousands more will never be the same. If you still want to win (what will you win again giant?) blouse-up your boots and ship out.

[gigantus2]

The truth hurts, doesn't it?

[gigantus2]

Seems like you simpletons have what you wanted...a U.S. loss. Yes, you rooted for our failure and you have it. Now, ya'll clean it up, as you contributed to it. Your hatred is unprecedented. Puzzling. Sad. Catastrophic for all of us.

[panhandlpete]

I question how the US soldiers and the Iraquis could determine IF this informant was being truthful or just wanted someone to kill those who had hurt him. This would have been a perfect time to put a gun in his hand and see if he was "macho" enough to do his own revenge. We have wasted 19 BILLION DOLLARS trying to train the untrainable, and the ones who did learn must have taken up with the insurgency(no longer used) or Al Qaeda.

THIS IS A CIVIL WAR. It is not the fight of the American soldiers....how long will these degenerate leaders prolong it and how many more young men and women must die FOR OIL, EGOS, and MONEY?

[drummer94]

Well, that's one brave soul. If Iraqi's really want to save their country from the big bad wol, er, Alkida, they need a million brave souls. And the guy who lived across the street from where the wires led? Yea, he's innocent alright. NOT!

[smirk5]

Things you don't hear Bush saying anymore:

"Freedom's on the march"

"Victory"

[iceman_1960]

"Informants Guide U.S. Troops In Baqouba. Exclusive: U.S. And Iraqi Forces Use New Tactic To Hunt Al Qaeda In Former Stronghold"

Well, so much for the favorite BIG LIE of the radical right, that "the media never reports positive developments in Iraq."

[smirk5]

BAGHDAD - Five U.S. soldiers were killed and seven wounded in an attack on their combat patrol in southern Baghdad, the U.S. military said Friday.

The complex attack Thursday began with a roadside bomb, the military said in a statement. Small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades followed shortly after the blast, it said.

All seven wounded soldiers were evacuated to a military hospital, and one has since returned to duty, the military said.

More U.S. soldiers dead on Bush's losing gamble.

[smirk5]

Excuse me.
Look at the facts I posted. More Dems were against the war when the war was POPULAR with the people.

The Repubs supported it when it was popular.

Now that the war is unpopular, who's doing most of the switching?

The Republicans.

[rhs648]

Actually, more Democrats were against the war when it was unpopular than the Republicans. Nearly all of the Republicans were for it before they were against it. It looks like the Repubs depended more on the political winds than the Democrats.

Posted by Smirk5

They are all politicians. Holding onto their power is more important than "doing the peoples work." Why give the democrats more credit when both democrats and republicans put themselves before the people first and foremost?

[smirk5]

It is sad that Bush didn't stick hard to Afghanistan to finish that job properly and to go after Bin Laden. Putting Bin Laden's head on a stick would have done much more to fight terror than creating and training thousands of extra terrorists in Iraq. Instead, Bush pursued the "create more enemies" strategy in Iraq and we see the results every day.

[rhs648]

Sounds like mass murder of a people who initially had done nothing to us. Forget it. We don't need to add genocide to our torture, illegal invasion, occupation, money wasting, WP bombing and concentration camp portfolio. We also don't need to confirm that all we were there for was the oil and everything else was just a lie and a scam.

Posted by toldyouso21

Let Al Qaeda, the Iranians, and other terrorist groups have Iraq. That way, genocide, torture, and murder will be acceptable. Many people see these people as the underdog thus justifying their actions. Some of us may not care what happens to the Iraqis, therfore it may be in our interest to let the chips fall where they may. To many people, Arabs shedding Arab blood or Muslims shedding Muslim blood is ok as long as Americans are not involved.

[smirk5]

In the house, 126 Democrats voted against the war.
Only 6 Republicans voted against it.

In the Senate, 21 Democrats voted against the war.
Only 1 Republican voted against it.

Who's starting to do the most flip-flopping here?

Obviously, it's the Republicans.

If the Republicans can't stand on their convictions, how can they stand against Al-Qaeda?

[smirk5]

Actually, more Democrats were against the war when it was unpopular than the Republicans. Nearly all of the Republicans were for it before they were against it. It looks like the Repubs depended more on the political winds than the Democrats.

[rhs648]

So Cons, Republicans are slowly distancing themselves from Bush's Iraq policy. When the rats jump off the ship en masse out of fear of the 2008 elections, will you admit they never really had the stomach to face Al-Qaeda to begin with? After all, if one can't stand on principle up to the 2008 elections, how can they stand firm to defeat Al-Qaeda?

Posted by Smirk5

They are politicians. Politicians stick-up their finger to see which way the wind is blowing. The democrats found that opposing the war in Irag is popular with many people. Many of those politicians who voted to support the war are now against it. Why should republican politicians be any different?

[smirk5]

pwrslm,

How do you find all the time to post while fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq?

[smirk5]

So Cons, Republicans are slowly distancing themselves from Bush's Iraq policy. When the rats jump off the ship en masse out of fear of the 2008 elections, will you admit they never really had the stomach to face Al-Qaeda to begin with? After all, if one can't stand on principle up to the 2008 elections, how can they stand firm to defeat Al-Qaeda?