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| Iraq |
| 100 Iraqis killed in violent clashes |
| 2003-06-13 |
| Almost 100 Iraqis were killed overnight in two of the bloodiest attacks since the fall of Baghdad. In the first confrontation, US troops were reported to have killed at least 70 people in a raid on a "terrorist" training camp about 90 miles north-west of Baghdad. One US soldier was wounded and an Apache helicopter was lost in the attack — which began early yesterday and was still in progress today, according to a US military source. "It is a large operation. It is ongoing," he said. "It is a large force with special operations troops." The exact location of the alleged terror camp has not been released. A further 27 Iraqi fighters were shot dead today following a failed ambush. US central command said the firefight took place after an "organised group of attackers" fired rocket propelled grenades at a 4th Infantry Division tank patrol in Balad, about 35 miles north of the capital. Run Away! The tanks returned fire, killing four of the attackers, and forcing the remainder to flee. Tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles supported by Apache helicopters pursued them, killing a further 23 men, according to a statement issued by central command. Ahhh The "sidewalk of death" The latest clashes - on the same day as three smaller ambushes in which no one was hurt - are the latest signs of the problems facing troops as they try to contain violent, anti-US factions. In the last week three American troops and many Iraqis have been killed in skirmishes. The increase in attacks against occupying forces comes despite - or possibly because of - a massive US operation aimed at eliminating what central command describes as "Baath party loyalists, paramilitary groups and other subversive elements". Almost 400 people have been seized in the first three days of Operation Peninsular Strike, in which more than 4,000 soldiers poured into the towns of Duluiya and Balad. Meanwhile, 74 "suspected Al-Qaeda sympathisers" were seized last night in a raid by the 173d Airborne Brigade near Kirkuk, according to central command. Troops also seized a "sizeable" weapons cache in a raid on a police station in Khaneqin and arrested two suspected weapons dealers in Bayji. Central command said the men "may have information pertaining to a June 5 attack on US forces". In another operation, Iraqi police and members of the 4th Marine Regiment detained six people in a joint raid on suspected Ba'ath party members in al-Hillah. And yes, Chuck "Not Taylor", you can always find news on Iraq at Centcom ;-) |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #4 The increase in attacks against occupying forces comes despite - or possibly because of - a massive US operation aimed at eliminating what central command describes as "Ba'ath party loyalists You have to remember that this is an article in Al Guardian, one of the left-wing rags in the UK. Most Guardian reporters are anti-American, and all have zero knowledge of military operations. The Guardian's military coverage makes the NYT or WSJ coverage look professional, and neither (outside of the editorial pages) is particularly insightful. Just check out the Guardians coverage of both the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns for a good laugh. The Economist, the know-it-all and self-important British news magazine recently published an article about how the war in Iraq isn't over yet. That's like saying the WWII did not end with the German and Japanese surrenders. Of course there was mopping up to do among die-hards. Bands of Japanese soldiers cut off in isolated outposts continued attacking allied troops for years. German sniping continued for a while - the allies hunted down and secretly killed Nazi bitter-enders for years. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2003-06-13 16:18:31 |
| #3 "The increase in attacks against occupying forces comes despite - or possibly because of - a massive US operation aimed at eliminating what central command describes as "Ba'ath party loyalists" The implication being if we had NOT gone looking for them they would have stayed at home playing parcheesi? I thought the whole point of this exercise was to find and eliminate these elements, in which case it would seem to be proceeding rather well. |
| Posted by: Hodadenon 2003-06-13 13:40:47 |
| #2 UN and EU take note. THIS is how you do peacekeeping. By eliminating threats to peace, not by looking at them and wagging your finger. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-06-13 11:36:28 |
| #1 I wonder if the al Qaida guys are really Ansar? Right neighborhood for them, I think. Guardian forgot the column of blacked-out vehicles stopped by the Marines headed for Iran. |
| Posted by: Chuck (not Taylor) 2003-06-13 11:35:39 |