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Marines find apparent training camp for PLF
United States Marines may have uncovered "smoking-gun" evidence supporting one of the coalition's justification for war in Iraq. The Los Angeles Times reports soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Regiment found what appears to be a large-scale terrorist training camp for the Palestinian Liberation Front, as well as documents indicating Iraq recently sold weapons to the terror group for its fight against Israel. "This proves the link between Iraq and terror groups," the Times quotes Capt. Aaron Robertson, the battalion's intelligence officer, as saying. According to the paper, the 25-year-old hidden compound could have accommodated 600 recruits at one time. Its 20-plus cement buildings contain an obstacle course, parade deck, lecture halls, dining halls, barracks, administrative offices and small jail cells likely used to teach students how to survive as a prisoner of war. The obstacle course is described as being better than some used to train American forces. Uniforms, books and bomb-making materials were found inside the largely abandoned facility, along with a clay table-top model of a city, which the Times likens to those used by military officers in planning an attack. Intelligence officers were studying what city the model's design was meant to replicate, according to the paper. Marines also recovered documents from the PLF and its political arm, the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
Documents are good
Large murals of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein cover the walls on the outside, while side-by-side pictures of Hussein and PLF leader Abu Abbas fill the walls inside. Other photographs showed Abbas posing with senior officers of the Iraqi Republican Guard. Slogans on walls linked the PLF and Iraqi causes, including one that, in Arabic said, "Live the Dream of Both Causes Against the Invading Enemy: the Jew." Another read "Beginning In This Prison Is The Flower of Our Manhood."
I'm going to stay away from that last slogan, gentle readers. Feel free.
The camp is due east of the Diallo River on the southwest edge of Baghdad, set away from main roads and surrounded by berms and large trees. Outfitted with electricity, running water, air-conditioning and a sewer system, the facility is described as having better conditions than nearby residences.
You don't expect terrorist's to suffer like the common folk, do you? I mean, they're holy warriors! They're better than you.
The U.S. has long insisted regime change is needed in Iraq because it allegedly has weapons of mass destruction and harbors terrorists.
Which the looney left denied.

I would think this camp might have been run by the PLF as a training cadre, but I wouldn't think it trained PLF fighters — they haven't managed to carry out a successful attack since 1992, and their leadership's pretty much folded back into the PLO. I'd say it's more likely a training facility for Fatah thugs — it'd be interesting to see how many al-Aqsa Martyrs and Tanzims went through their training here. Maybe the documents will shed some light on that.

Posted by: Steve 2003-04-08
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=12727