"The Same Folks" Indeed

As noted in an earlier Post:

"The same folks that are bombing innocent people in Iraq were the ones who attacked us in America on September the 11th, and that's why what happens in Iraq matters to the security here at home."--George Dubya Bu$h, Press Conference, July 12, 2007
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And sure enough, the truth of Bu$h's declaration is further confirmed:


U.S. Intensifies Air War in Iraq

This comes as the U.S. continues to intensify its air war in Iraq. The Associated Press reports the Air Force and Navy aircraft dropped five times as many bombs in the first six months of this year as it did in the same period in 2006. The Air Force has also been expanding its air bases in Iraq and adding entire squadrons of attack planes to its fleet in Iraq. Meanwhile the Air Force is preparing to start using a new robotic fighter jet in Iraq known as the Reaper. The AP describes the Reaper as a hunter killer drone that can be operated by remote control from thousands of miles away.

Source: Democracy Now, July 16, 2007

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Saudis' role in Iraq insurgency outlined

Sunni extremists from Saudi Arabia make up half the foreign fighters in Iraq, many suicide bombers, a U.S. official says.

About 45% of all foreign militants targeting U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians and security forces are from Saudi Arabia; 15% are from Syria and Lebanon; and 10% are from North Africa, according to official U.S. military figures made available to The Times by the senior officer. Nearly half of the 135 foreigners in U.S. detention facilities in Iraq are Saudis, he said.

Fighters from Saudi Arabia are thought to have carried out more suicide bombings than those of any other nationality, said the senior U.S. officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the subject's sensitivity.

Source, and full story, LA Times, July 15, 2007