Update on Thursday's Air Strikes in Arab Jabour

Intel on the targets came from Sunni fighters in the province, who don't seem to want Al-Qaida in the neighborhood.

The targets consisted mainly of weapons caches and powerful roadside bombs buried deep underground—key defensive elements for al-Qaida in Iraq insurgents, said [USAF Col. Peter] Donnelly and Army Col. Terry Ferrell, commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.

The bombing campaign was part of a nationwide operation that the U.S. military began on Tuesday in an effort to rid Iraq of al-Qaida fighters.

Col. Donnelly also said to the military's knowledge, no civilians were killed. That hasn't been independently confirmed, but he added three strikes were called off "because unmanned surveillance planes showed civilians in those areas."

That doesn't sound like widespread carefree carpet bombing to me.

posted by Dave In Texas at 11:36 AM

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