US Soldiers Storm Northern Iraqi Town Hunting for Gangster in Bid to Boo

[Judi Lynn]

U.S. Soldiers Storm Northern Iraqi Town Hunting for Gangster in Bid to Boost Security
By Andrew England Associated Press Writer
Published: Aug 26, 2003

KHALIS, Iraq (AP) - Hundreds of U.S. soldiers raided a northern town on Tuesday in a bid to smash a crime ring wanted for murder, gunrunning and a terrorist attack on a police station that killed an American soldier earlier this month.

Backed by tanks, helicopters and Bradley fighting vehicles, the soldiers stormed Khalis, 42 miles north of Baghdad, hunting for the gang's notorious leader, Lateef Hamed al Kubaishat - known as Lateef by U.S. forces, said Col. David Hogg, commander of the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade.

Soldiers caught 24 members of the "terrorist organization" but Lateef appeared to have eluded capture, Hogg said.

"Their primary focus is probably criminal activity, but they have attacked coalition forces through direct and indirect means," Hogg told The Associated Press. "As long as he (Lateef) is in place we will not be able to establish the conditions for the Iraqi police to establish law and order in the area." (snip/...)

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA7CK3RTJD.html

[Spentastic]

1. What?

"Lateef Hamed al Kubaishat - known as Lateef by U.S. forces".

As opposed to "Lucy" or something, is this a joke of some sort?

[bowens43]

2. Now they're gangsters.......

terrorists, saddam sympathizers, outside agitators, foreigners etc etc . Wow, the US sure is having some bad luck there in Iraq. All these evil groups preventing the Iraq population from throwing rose petals under the feet of their saviors.

[shugah]

3. the way your subject line showed up

is pretty funny! "...Hunting for Gangster in Bid to Boo." tee hee. "okay, lateef! we found you! BOO!"

more seriously--i have been noticing this tendency to refer to various iraqi's as "so-and-so, known as such-and-so," and have been wondering at the propoganda value of it--i think it is mainly intended to make the iraqi people seem more like "characters" than real people--or maybe the names have too many syllables, and are thus too difficult to pronounce? :shrug: anyway "lateef, known as lateef" is just a little bizarre.