Poignant: Mosul AQ Leader Dies of Heart-Ache And Gunshot Wounds, But Mostly Gunshot Wounds

He leaves behind three wives and a goat.

The Mosul leader of al Qaeda in Iraq was shot to death by Iraqi soldiers during a combat operation in the northern Iraqi city Wednesday, a U.S. military statement said.

U.S. and Iraqi troops have been taking on militants in the Baquba area and throughout Diyala province

It comes as the U.S. records its lowest monthly troop death toll since November, reflecting military hopes that the recent military buildup is making strides.

Iraqi soldiers spotted al Qaeda's emir of Mosul -- known as Safi -- riding in a pickup truck in northeastern Mosul and began chasing his vehicle, the military said in a statement released Thursday.

After pulling over, Safi and two bodyguards emerged from the truck and opened fire on the soldiers, but they were shot dead, the military said.

"The death of Safi will further disrupt senior AQI leadership in Mosul, which has been unstable since May, due to the combined efforts of Coalition Forces and ISF (Iraqi security forces) offensive operations," said U.S. Army Col. Stephen Twitty, commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

This story, with its rather hopeful lead, is from CNN of all places.

How fucking pathetic is that media companies follow the New York Times around like dogs in heat? It seems it wasn't permissible to note that the military was making progress in Iraq, or that we'd suffered the lowest casualties in a year, until the NYT signaled it was now okay to do so.

Do these people have no pride? Are they incapable of evaluating information on their own? Do they really need to subcontract their common sense and "news judgment" to the NYT's editorial board?

Thanks to Retired Geezer.

posted by Ace at 10:28 AM

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