U.S., Iraqi forces launch Operation Swarmer

Yeah, neat name. But for some reason all I can think of is how many more people will die as a result of this glorious powerful operation. Can we think of no better way to solve problems?

The U.S. military and Iraqi forces launched the largest air assault in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion in a bid to root out insurgents hiding around Samarra.

Operation Swarmer began early today with more than 1,500 U.S. and Iraqi troops, about 200 tactical vehicles, and more than 50 aircraft, the U.S. military said in a statement e-mailed from Baghdad. Samarra is about 80 miles (125 kilometers) north of Baghdad on the Tigris River.

The goal of the raid is to ``clear a suspected insurgent operating area northeast of Samarra,'' the military said. The assault is expected to continue for several days as a thorough search of the area is conducted, it said.