U.S. military launches new air campaign south of Baghdad, sees further links to Iran

[RamboLiberal]

Source: San Diego Union-Tribune

The U.S. military has launched a new air campaign against militant safe havens and weapons smugglers south of Baghdad as it seeks to choke the flow of bombs and weapons reaching Baghdad, a top commander said Thursday.

Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, who leads the 3rd Infantry Division, also said he and other commanders feared insurgents would try to stage a massive attack ahead of a pivotal report due in mid-September to the U.S. Congress on political and military progress in Iraq.

“We've been fighting this enemy now for a while. He's the most vicious enemy we've ever seen. He has no respect for human life and what he's going to try to do is to do some catastrophic attack that's going to influence the debate back in Washington,” Lynch told The Associated Press. “We've got to stop him from doing that by taking the fight to him all the time.”

Lynch said he gave the order on Wednesday for the division's 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade to begin Operation Marne Husky, the latest in a series of offensives in the capital and surrounding areas.


Read more: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20070802-1311-iraq-usgeneral.html