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Iraq-Jordan |
80 hard boyz killed in battle with US, Iraqi troops |
2005-03-23 |
A raid by U.S. and Iraqi forces on a suspected rebel training camp left 80 militants dead, the single biggest one-day death toll for rebels in months and the latest in a series of blows to the country's insurgency, Iraqi officials said Wednesday. The U.S. military announced late Tuesday that its air and ground forces backed Iraqi commandos during a noontime raid on a suspected guerrilla training camp near Lake Tharthar in central Iraq (news - web sites). Seven commandos died in fighting, the U.S. military said, but it didn't give a death toll for rebels. Iraqi officials said Wednesday 80 rebels died in the clash the largest number of rebels killed in a single battle since the U.S. Marine-led November attack on the former insurgent stronghold of Fallujah that left more than 1,000 dead. On Sunday, U.S. forces killed 26 assailants after they were ambushed south of Baghdad. Also Wednesday, a mortar shell or rocket landed on an elementary school in western Baghdad, killing at least one child and injuring three others, according to a police official who asked not to be named out of fear of retribution by attackers. Kids fled the schoolhouse, abandoning backpacks and books on desks littered with glass shards. One teacher wept outside as parents rushed to collect their children. On the political front, Abbas Hassan Mousa al-Bayati, a top member of the United Iraqi Alliance, said negotiators from his Shiite-dominated bloc and a Kurdish coalition could tap a Sunni Arab to head the ministry of defense, which oversees the Iraqi army battling the insurgency. "The defense ministry will go to a Sunni Arab because we do not want Arab Sunnis to feel that they are marginalized," al-Bayati told The Associated Press. "They will be given one of the four major posts because we want them to feel that they are part of the political formula." Al-Bayati said his group and the Kurdish coalition, which together won 215 seats in the new 275 seat National Assembly, were expected to name a president on Saturday, the next step toward forming a new government. Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani is expected to fill the post. Fuad Masoum, a member of the Kurdish negotiating team, said no definitive decisions on divvying up the 32-member Cabinet have been made. He declined to confirm that a Sunni Arab will be named defense minister, but said that it was one option under consideration. Handing the post to a Sunni Arab could help undermine support for the insurgency, while assuaging Sunni fears that the Shiites will dominate all aspect's of the country's upcoming government. The army chief of staff could be a Shiite, al-Bayati said. He added that his bloc was pressing for a Shiite to head the Interior Ministry, which oversees the police Iraq's other main security force and that a Kurd could become foreign minister. Amid the political wrangling, top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani had been scheduled to talk with Talabani on Wednesday. But the meeting was canceled due to "security concerns," said Meithemn Faisal, an official from al-Sistani's offices in Baghdad. |
Posted by:Dan Darling |
#24 This was a solid hit. We need more of them like this. Or else need them to stay stupid and attack a bunch of Kentucky Boys again. I'm still grinning that the Haj's hit guys who grew up in a gun culture, and got their clocks cleaned by the KY National Guard's cannon cockers and truck drivers - Allan help them if they ever hit the KY-ARNG Infantry. To seriously develop intel fully into operations, it takes 30-60 days for this sort of enemy. Turning point was the elections, and that apparently aopened the floodgates for the Iraqis to out the rat-bastards amongst them. Timeline is right. Best thing is that this was a training facility of some sort - meaning we got hard to replace parts of their infrastructure: the trainers, especially if we got bomb-maker trainers. For the cannon fodder, you dont need a lot of training, just indoctrination, which they do in their towns at the mosqs. All you need to do is put them behind the wheel of a VBIED, and tell them "you are delivering it for us, take this route, park it then leave". Then follow them 100 yards behind in another vehicle and when they are driving by the *real* target, you command detonate the VBIED. Or hand them a rifle and let them take the brunt of return fire in an ambush, while the ambush setup guys get away. But bomb makers? You can't take any old Achmed or Habib off the street and expect him to be a competent Muj bomb maker without some serious training. And this just put a big hole in that bucket for the Muj. |
Posted by: OldSpook 2005-03-23 10:47:50 AM |
#23 This was a solid hit. We need more of them like this. Or else need them to stay stupid and attack a bunch of Kentucky Boys again. I'm still grinning that the Haj's hit guys who grew up in a gun culture, and got their clocks cleaned by the KY National Guard's cannon cockers and truck drivers - Allan help them if they ever hit the KY-ARNG Infantry. To seriously develop intel fully into operations, it takes 30-60 days for this sort of enemy. Turning point was the elections, and that apparently aopened the floodgates for the Iraqis to out the rat-bastards amongst them. Timeline is right. Best thing is that this was a training facility of some sort - meaning we got hard to replace parts of their infrastructure: the trainers, especially if we got bomb-maker trainers. For the cannon fodder, you dont need a lot of training, just indoctrination, which they do in their towns at the mosqs. All you need to do is put them behind the wheel of a VBIED, and tell them "you are delivering it for us, take this route, park it then leave". Then follow them 100 yards behind in another vehicle and when they are driving by the *real* target, you command detonate the VBIED. Or hand them a rifle and let them take the brunt of return fire in an ambush, while the ambush setup guys get away. But bomb makers? You can't take any old Achmed or Habib off the street and expect him to be a competent Muj bomb maker without some serious training. And this just put a big hole in that bucket for the Muj. |
Posted by: OldSpook 2005-03-23 10:47:50 AM |
#22 Of course, Al Reuters is reporting the "Insurgents'" side. Seems they only lost 10 and whupped up real bad on the Commandos and the US. They declared a victory in this fight. Why oh wy does Reuters persist in reporting the obvious lies of these terrorists? Fair and Balanced? Reuters can take a hike. |
Posted by: Deacon Blues 2005-03-23 7:24:43 PM |
#21 Is this the record for arabs killing arabs in combat? Obviously the killing by execution number is much higher. |
Posted by: Penguin 2005-03-23 6:40:29 PM |
#20 Den wha' dey call 'em bathists? |
Posted by: Omavith Gleart2765 2005-03-23 5:45:23 PM |
#19 hehe Mrs.D Although I would start them off on a bath filled with water, and progressivly guide them to pond status. But run the bath yourselves cos am sure the Sunni's couldnt run a bath let alone a navy successfully |
Posted by: MacNails 2005-03-23 3:11:06 PM |
#18 Give the Sunnis the defence ministry. I'll bet the rest of the deal is that the Kurds get to "recommend" the senior Army general and the Kurds get to "recommend" the senior AF general and the Sunnis get to "recommend the senior Navy admiral. |
Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-03-23 3:01:08 PM |
#17 Defense? Great, some fool to ensure that the Baath infiltrators remain in the army. |
Posted by: someone 2005-03-23 2:51:38 PM |
#16 Iraq, graveyard for terrorists. |
Posted by: Damn_Proud_American 2005-03-23 1:46:06 PM |
#15 Jeez BigEd, looks like 8 Martyrs are just shit out of luck. (Unless they do "Sloppy Seconds") |
Posted by: Bodyguard 2005-03-23 12:38:58 PM |
#14 |
Posted by: BigEd 2005-03-23 12:29:48 PM |
#13 Mass. version - "Fit for a King, priced for a Dukakis!" |
Posted by: Raj 2005-03-23 12:26:08 PM |
#12 LOL RC |
Posted by: Frank G 2005-03-23 12:11:19 PM |
#11 a suspected guerrilla training camp near Lake Tharthar "Come for the sauce, stay for the steak!" |
Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-03-23 12:01:15 PM |
#10 This Iraqi unit is very good, as Iraqi units go. And this mission looks like the commandos got very pissed off. Noontime assault and the press release at DefenseLINK says they took direct and indirect fire on arrival. Lots of dead NON Iraqis, also. |
Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2005-03-23 11:19:48 AM |
#9 This was a solid hit. We need more of them like this. Or else need them to stay stupid and attack a bunch of Kentucky Boys again. I'm still grinning that the Haj's hit guys who grew up in a gun culture, and got their clocks cleaned by the KY National Guard's cannon cockers and truck drivers - Allan help them if they ever hit the KY-ARNG Infantry. To seriously develop intel fully into operations, it takes 30-60 days for this sort of enemy. Turning point was the elections, and that apparently aopened the floodgates for the Iraqis to out the rat-bastards amongst them. Timeline is right. Best thing is that this was a training facility of some sort - meaning we got hard to replace parts of their infrastructure: the trainers, especially if we got bomb-maker trainers. For the cannon fodder, you dont need a lot of training, just indoctrination, which they do in their towns at the mosqs. All you need to do is put them behind the wheel of a VBIED, and tell them "you are delivering it for us, take this route, park it then leave". Then follow them 100 yards behind in another vehicle and when they are driving by the *real* target, you command detonate the VBIED. Or hand them a rifle and let them take the brunt of return fire in an ambush, while the ambush setup guys get away. But bomb makers? You can't take any old Achmed or Habib off the street and expect him to be a competent Muj bomb maker without some serious training. And this just put a big hole in that bucket for the Muj. |
Posted by: OldSpook 2005-03-23 10:47:50 AM |
#8 The Iraqi commandos are getting very good. They are being taught by the Special forces and for the first time are fighting like the Americans. Pheer the 3l1t commandos you terrorist swine! |
Posted by: mmurray821 2005-03-23 10:37:18 AM |
#7 1. A sunni arab defense minister I dunno, depends who they come up with. Yawer? I thought they had him lined up for parliament speaker, and hes not really a military guy, AFAIK. Pachachi aint a military type at all. Maybe they have someone up their sleeve, but I think this is just talk, to show theyre reasonable. More like they give the Sunni Arabs the speakership, and on of the two VP slots. Allawi gets the other VP slot. Talabani for Prez, and Jaafari for PM. Maybe this guy Rubaie for DM, or the Kurd who is currently FM. Chalabi will angle for something important, and just might get it (but probably not DM) And Hakim has to get something important too. 2. Commando - an elite unit to take special actions, etc. Why is Iraqi commando any less likely than any other commando. Im missing something. 3. Follow up - over 70 insurgents arrested in Mosul. things are on a roll, it would seem. 4. Is it just a coincidence this happens after all those Zarq aides are captured? I dont think so. |
Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-03-23 10:14:24 AM |
#6 Just me or does this sound completely stooopid? It sounds very stupid. Apparently, they still don't understand the proper correlation between actions (or in this case, inaction) and consequences. |
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-03-23 10:04:25 AM |
#5 Wow--26 the other day, and now 80? Excellent! There's gonna be a raisin shortage in Paradise! |
Posted by: Dar 2005-03-23 10:02:02 AM |
#4 " that its air and ground forces backed Iraqi commandos during a noontime raid on a suspected guerrilla training" What in the hell is a Iraqi "commando"? This is like saying Hulk Hogan is a Urban Commando. |
Posted by: Poison Reverse 2005-03-23 10:01:45 AM |
#3 Abbas Hassan Mousa al-Bayati, a top member of the United Iraqi Alliance, said negotiators from his Shiite-dominated bloc and a Kurdish coalition could tap a Sunni Arab to head the ministry of defense, which oversees the Iraqi army battling the insurgency. "The defense ministry will go to a Sunni Arab because we do not want Arab Sunnis to feel that they are marginalized," Just me or does this sound completely stooopid? Give them the Ministry of Silly Walks instead. |
Posted by: Howard UK 2005-03-23 9:53:28 AM |
#2 assuming it is true, the 80 dead terrorist trainees is very, very good news - however, they don't say where this happened; also I don't think the terrorist really have 'training camps' as such; they may have various recruitment/training/command/logistics activities within a short distance (as in Fallujah pre Nov 2005). |
Posted by: mhw 2005-03-23 9:34:14 AM |
#1 Pursuit phase? Please, please, please! |
Posted by: Shipman 2005-03-23 9:33:25 AM |