ALL EVILS CONVERGE (part 3):

Kurds, Americans battle suspected terrorist positions (BORZOU DARAGAHI, March 30, 2003, ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Kurdish guerrillas working with U.S. special forces attacked well-trained Islamic militants allegedly linked to al-Qaida-- an operation that one Kurdish
leader said left at least 120 militants dead and dealt "a very serious blow" to terrorism.

Heavy machine gun fire and bombardment were reported Saturday around the northeastern city of Halabja near positions of the Ansar al-Islam extremists, who have been under
sporadic attack by U.S. forces for a week.

Barham Salih, prime minister of the Sulaymaniyah-based Kurdish government that is a U.S. ally, told The Associated Press the attack on the militants was important in the war against terror. He added that many of those killed were Afghan Arabs who had fought and trained in Afghanistan.

"It was a very tough battle," said Salih. "You're talking about a bunch of terrorists who are very well-trained and well-equipped."

On Friday, thousands of Kurdish rebels swept through Ansar's stronghold, dislodging many of the militants from mountain villages they controlled.

Seventeen Kurds and between 120 and 150 Ansar militants were killed, Salih said.

Two suspected al-Qaida militants were also killed in a separate shootout earlier this week near Halabja, about 50 miles southeast of Sulaymaniyah, Kurdish officials said.

The war on terror regimes is the war on terrorism is the war on terror. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 30, 2003 10:19 AM