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| Iraq-Jordan | |
| ANTI-IRAQ FORCES FIRE FROM MOSQUE IN MOSUL | |
| 2004-06-25 | |
Iraqi Security Forces secured the Sheikh Fatih police station in southwestern Mosul after terrorists attempted to take it over at about 11:20 a.m., June 24. Anti-Iraqi forces were shooting from the Mohammed Nuri Mosque across the street from the police station. Coalition forces moved to the site to support the Iraqi Security Forces and were fired upon from the mosque as well. Iraqi Security and Coalition forces returned fire on the terrorists in the mosque. At about 1 p.m., Coalition forces reported that Iraqi Security Forces and Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment took back the Sheikh Fatih police station from the anti-Iraqi forces. Iraqi National Guard soldiers secured the mosque as well. There was no word on casualties at the time.
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| Posted by:Steve |
| #11 Rex, I agree that the Kurds deserve our thanks, respect and admiration. However, as RWV pointed out, we had their backs for a long time since the "end" of GW I. State, Bremer, et al. can't, for political purposes relating to Turkey and the rest of Iraq, perform a Lewinsky on the Kurds. [A Lewinsky? You mean design a line of high end hand bags? - ed.] Haven't you heard that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. At the present time, we have to pay more attention to the Sunnis and Shiites. The Kurds understand this. That's why they only groused a little bit when Allawi and al-Yawar were named by the Governing Council. The best thing we can do for the Kurds is make sure that nobody pushes them around and that they get first dibs on reconstruction money since much of what they deserved under oil-for-food was diverted by Saddam. |
| Posted by: Tibor 2004-06-25 4:35:07 PM |
| #10 Are you saying that the Kurds are just paying us back a debt for keeping them alive after Gulf War I? I'm not clear about what point you are making, #9. If in fact payback of "debt" is what you are implying, then somebody should remind the Shiite mullahs about the debt they owe us for Operation Southern Watch, yes??? |
| Posted by: rex 2004-06-25 4:31:10 PM |
| #9 The Kurds are good people. That's one reason why the Air Force spent so much time and treasure protecting them with Operation Northern Watch. The Gulf War never really stopped for the Air Force, Operation Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch exacted a toll on people and equipment. Operation Iraqi Freedom just let them take the bombers downtown. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-06-25 4:18:16 PM |
| #8 Good one, #7. Yes, even the dolts in Ankara recognize and appreciate albeit in a warped fashion the extraordinary role of the Kurds in this Iraq War. Too bad that the WH and State Dept. are fuzzy on how terrific the Kurds have been as allies. The coalition countries who sent a few thousand or a few hundred soldiers or peacekeepers as the case may be have each been rewarded handsomely and been praised in various WH press conferences, but nary a word about the courage and stand up braveness of the Kurds who have been there for our GI's from Day 01 and have lost lives for allying themselves with us. Find me a speech where GWB or Bremer or Powell have specifically honored the Kurds. The fact that the US taxpayer has only had to pay for 300 American GI's to supervise the Kurds in Kurdistan whereas we pay for 130,000 GI's to babysit the Sunnis and Shiites has never ever been mentioned. The fact that not one GI has lost his life at the hands of a Kurd is never praised. The fact that the State Dept. careerist Bremer kisses the bottoms of various mullahs and Sunnis 24/7 and ignores the pleas of Kurdish allies makes me sick to my stomach. The first successful training of police whatever you call them by Americans was with the Kurds. Duh. Of course it would be Kurds who are attacking terrorists in a mosque, why would we even think otherwise???? Kurds are nominal Sunnis. They could give 2 hoots about the alleged sacredness of mosque if it's clear the mosque is a terrorist hide out. |
| Posted by: rex 2004-06-25 3:44:30 PM |
#7 Turkey is getting increasingly tense over the Kurdish role in the war in Iraq...Awwww, ain't that just too bad. Talk to the tail. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-06-25 3:28:42 PM |
| #6 And Mosul was re-taken from Hussein by the Kurds, #4. http://www.krg.org/docs/reports-papers/mcDowall-turkey-mosul-kirkuk-apr03.asp"Turkish tensions over Mosul and Kirkuk" 11 April 2003 IWPR (Institute for War and Peace Reporting)By David McDowall Kurdish advances into key oil cities have raised alarms in Ankara over a possible Kurdish political entity in Iraq. Turkey announced yesterday that it has sent some 15 military observers to monitor developments in northern Iraq after Kurdish forces, in coordination with the Americans, took control of key oil towns there. With Kirkuk and now Mosul "liberated" by Kurdish forces, Turkey is getting increasingly tense over the Kurdish role in the war in Iraq... |
| Posted by: rex 2004-06-25 3:24:25 PM |
| #5 Wasn't Mosul the subject of an article a few days back about Kurds moving back into areas from which Saddam had ejected them during his "Arabization" effort? In any event this is good news. I suspect that the Iraqis will be a lot less worried about bullet holes in the mosques after 30 June than we are now. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-06-25 3:20:56 PM |
| #4 No, rex, Mosul isn't in Kurdistan. Real close to Kurdistan, but not actually in it. It's mostly Sunni, although it's outside of the Triangle proper. Mosul was under control of the Hussein regime prior to the war. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2004-06-25 3:11:53 PM |
| #3 Mosul, Mosul...why does that city ring bells...isn't Mosul in Kurdistan?...so "Iraqi" forces fighting back are probably Kurds. |
| Posted by: rex 2004-06-25 3:02:42 PM |
| #2 They're starting to get the idea that they will have to defend their freedom through use of arms if need be, (and the need is definitely there). Hopefully they can get enough training soon enough to out-gun the terrorists. Anyone know anything about the training they're getting (or have)? |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2004-06-25 3:02:40 PM |
| #1 Iraqi National Guard soldiers secured the mosque as well. Plan is working, then. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-06-25 2:57:53 PM |