ABC News: Insurgent Training Camp Found in N. Iraq

Score a victory for the good guys – this is one training camp that won’t be used for nefarious purposes anytime in the near future. The question remains, how was this well-armed professional operation (from the description, at least) funded?

My guess is all those millions in ransom are playing a part in that. Thank you, our Italian and Swiss friends, among others. Your money is being put to good use, as we knew it would.

March 22, 2005 – Iraqi commandos backed by U.S. ground and air fire uncovered an apparent insurgent training camp today that hosted fighters from as far away as the Philippines, senior officials tell ABC News.

The discovery was made after the members of Iraq’s 1st Police Commando Battalion – who are part of the fighting forces of Iraq’s interim government – were attacked while on a noontime patrol north of Baghdad, near Samarra.
[…]
Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team also responded in support. The U.S. military said an “undetermined number” of the attackers were killed, and no Task Force Liberty soldiers were reported killed or wounded.

The fight lasted about 90 minutes. Once the insurgents broke contact, they fled by either boats back toward nearby Lake Tharthar or into local areas by vehicle or on foot.