Article

2003-06-10 Iraq

Four U.S. Soldiers Wounded Tackling Iraq Hotspots

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Posted by Frank G 2003-06-10 10:19 am|| || Front Page|| [5 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Iraqis are angered by American troops frisking women? Right. How about Saddam's security forces raping, torturing and only then, killing women when he was in power? Of course, these are Saddam's henchmen, who did unto others - they're not too thrilled when somebody else is in charge.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2003-06-10 10:35:40|| 2003-06-10 10:35:40|| Front Page Top

#2 But many residents in the tense areas around Baghdad say local anger is fueled by U.S. troops frisking women and bursting into houses.

But, of course, Saddam's supporters tend to lie about things like this happening (ref Iraqi/Sunni press reports yesterday that "18 soldiers raped, then murdered a couple of girls" -- later denied by Centcom).

In Baghdad, shots were fired from a crowd of around 300 people when U.S. troops detained looters at a warehouse believed to contain munitions, the military said.

Have we sent all of our snipers home? It seems like a couple of them, in good positions, could make firing an AK in a crowd a terminal situation...

Posted by snellenr 2003-06-10 10:42:26|| 2003-06-10 10:42:26|| Front Page Top

#3 Why so many arrests? Are our soldiers not empowered to engage combatants!?

Posted by mjh 2003-06-10 10:58:08|| 2003-06-10 10:58:08|| Front Page Top

#4 The 4th Infantry Division continued in its efforts to locate remaining pockets of paramilitary forces and Baâath party loyalists to create a secure and stable environment north of Baghdad. Three hundred eighty-four people have been detained for interrogation, 30 are confirmed as pro-regime. Twelve individuals attempted to escape by boat, but were captured. Four soldiers were wounded, though none of their injuries were life-threatening.

Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division (ID) conducted a raid on a house believed to hold the individuals responsible for an attack on Coalition Forces on June 7. They detained two individuals and were informed four more were at a local hospital. Upon inspection of the hospital, soldiers detained two other individuals. The 4th ID also conducted a raid in at a weapons market in Tayji, detaining three individuals selling detonation cord and explosives. They also conducted a raid on a suspected arms cache in Baqubah, where they detained 31 individuals, and confiscated 13 rocket-propelled grenades and various small arms. Finally, they raided a site in Taji, detaining six people, seizing 40 grenades, 90 rocket-propelled grenades, four boxes of anti-tank mines, and associated small arms.

Looters traveling in seven vehicles fired at a 4th Infantry Division patrol in Bayji. The patrol returned fire, and captured one vehicle, while the other six vehicles attempted to escape. The fleeing vehicles were located by an AH-64 Apache helicopter, and a flash checkpoint was established which captured the remaining vehicles, detaining nine individuals, and seizing anti-tank mines in their possession.

Forty Seersucker anti-ship missiles were discovered and confiscated by 1st Armored Division (AD) forces in a Baghdad suburb. Coalition personnel will destroy the missiles.

101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division soldiers investigated possible mortar fire in Mosul, and subsequently discovered and seized a 120mm mortar with 39 rounds, and a number of enemy fortifications. Soldiers also received small arms direct fire while traveling in a two-vehicle convoy passing through a Mosul traffic circle, slightly injuring one soldier. A patrol searched the site, and detained two Iraqi gunmen armed with five AK-47s, and two rocket-propelled grenades.

101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division soldiers conducted a cordon and search of a suspect weapons market in Mosul, where they detained five personnel and confiscated two 9mm Sub-machine guns, approximately 6,000 rounds of ammunition, numerous magazines, and approximately 1,434,400 Dinar.

From Central Command

Posted by Chuck 2003-06-10 11:16:26|| [blog.simmins.org] 2003-06-10 11:16:26|| Front Page Top

#5 MJH:

Intel, pure and simple.

If you just kill them then you hinder your own efforts to find what the extent of the resisitance or organization is. If you capture them, they can be interrogated and the intel gained used to roll-up more enemy fighters.

-DS
"the horns hold up the halo"

Posted by DeviantSaint 2003-06-10 11:28:43|| [www.livejournal.com/~deviantsaint] 2003-06-10 11:28:43|| Front Page Top

#6 So the rule of thumb is: capture 'em, hang 'em by their thumbs until they squeal on their buddies, then kill 'em.

Simplisme, non?

Posted by mojo 2003-06-10 12:47:00|| 2003-06-10 12:47:00|| Front Page Top

#7 "But many residents in the tense areas around Baghdad say local anger is fueled by U.S. troops frisking women and bursting into houses."

It's a bit hard to read, English is his third language, but new blogger
*G. in Baghdad*
pretty much debunks this.

"they divided themselves into squads of 30 men with one translator for every squad or at least the peopel i was with had one -we will speak about him later-they would go into the street start with the first house, knock at the door politely telling the peopel of the house that they r here to search for weapons asking them if they have any, and trying to explain for them that its allowed to keep only 2 pieces of arms ( a klashnikove and a pistol ),
then they would wait for a few moments while the women move to a different part of the house, the soldiers would go into the house usually two or three working there way very gently through the chickens, pots, boxes, children and bundles of blankets. they would ask the family member accompanying them to open the bedroom wardrops or any locked boxes shying away from the women and making sure they dont look at them.
to cut the story short they were professionals genteel and culturally sensitive."

Posted by John Anderson 2003-06-10 19:22:57|| 2003-06-10 19:22:57|| Front Page Top

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