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| Iraq-Jordan | |
| Smell of Burned Flesh, Blood Smeared on Najaf's Streets | |
| 2004-08-26 | |
| Jay Deshmukh, Agence France Presse The smell of burned flesh filled the air and blood smeared the deserted streets of Najaf's Old City yesterday after heavy US airstrikes on Shiite militia positions around Iraq's revered Imam Ali shrine. From early yesterday, heavy US artillery fire followed fighter plane missile attacks, devastating neighborhoods in the historic heart of the central city. As the US campaign lessened in the hot afternoon sun, frightened residents barricaded themselves indoors, determined to bear the brunt of the crippling summer heat rather than wander the empty streets. Those who did venture out, or peep through the broken windows or blasted door frames, could barely disguise their fear. "It was the heaviest attack in many days especially the first during daytime," said Ali Jasim, a 36-year-old civil servant holed up in one house. "Not only did airplanes drop missiles, but Apache helicopters fired at suspected militiamen in our area and tanks crawled all over the place firing at whatever they saw. All the three at the same time." One young man who was standing outside his house shot by soldiers from the helicopter, he said. "You can see his blood all over that corner in the mud," Jasim said pointing. Shiite militia holed up in the neighborhood fought against the American and Iraqi soldiers. "The militia has a lot of snipers around. They shot at a lot of Iraqi soldiers who have been moving around in the area since Tuesday," he said. Hundreds of heavily-armed Iraqi National Guardsmen and US Marines had fanned out across the Old City around the shrine late Tuesday. But the Iraqi security troops were invisible in the afternoon. Some residents thought they would return later for another overnight assault. Instead, US tanks crawled through the streets and Humvees were stationed at various intersections. Thick black smoke rose from a nearby residential block. "The worst thing is that all entries to the city were blocked. Many of us who have families and had gone out early in the morning were worried as they could not get back to their homes," said Sayed Haider Al-Yasiri. Guiding an AFP correspondent to a nearby street corner, Yasiri pointed out an unexploded bomb lying outside a shuttered shop. "Look at this and see what has happened out here. Imagine if a child picks it up," he said, dressed in a white robe and chewing on a mouthful of tobacco. Scared residents of the Old City, who have born the brunt of the battle since fighting first flared three weeks ago, were yesterday helpless and angry with the US military. "We want to get rid of the militia, but not in this way. Such heavy pounding would destroy whatever is left of our homes," said Mohammed, a taxi driver. The mute spectators to the fight are dozens of those broken lampposts, hanging electric wires, spent cartridges and glass splinters, gaping holes and the fear etched on people's faces. "Why can't there be a peaceful solution to this whole issue?"
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| Posted by:Fred |
| #32 You all of you scum, did you realize that this peoples are defending themselves against an army of invaders and another one of Iraqi mercenarythemselves for a puppet regime because scum like you hassols your country one day will be nuked |
| Posted by: 179 2004-08-26 2:13:45 AM |
| #31 that was just his braggin that among the Army of Stevesâ¢, that he had the biggest hose... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-08-26 6:41:45 PM |
| #30 It was just this day last year that Steve D was transformed into a Super Hoser. We miss 'ya at the tank. I'm free from 9 till 11 pm weekdays. |
| Posted by: Shamu 2004-08-26 5:57:21 PM |
| #29 Super Hose on your #2 comment: Right on the mark. A recent John O'Sullivan column discusses how readers must now be able to discern dailies such as the NYT with the skill of Kremlin Watchers. Of course those folks worked for intelligence or State. Only some of us can read an article like this one and see what is omitted, and know how to fill in the blanks. But it's damn hard to do even if your reading skills and antennae are top-level. Result: Most folks would read it and conclude only the innocent are the victims. Watching Sunday morning shows, Nightline, etc. require top-notch LISTENING skills. Oh my. |
| Posted by: chicago mike 2004-08-26 4:33:21 PM |
| #28 Summer phase, waiving his cute little hammer and sickle around. |
| Posted by: Mike 2004-08-26 2:30:47 PM |
| #27 Mike I only got a glimpse, was the troll still in summer phase? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-08-26 11:47:28 AM |
| #26 Scared residents of the Old City, who have born the brunt of the battle since fighting first flared three weeks ago, were yesterday helpless and angry with the US military. âWe want to get rid of the militia, but not in this way. Such heavy pounding would destroy whatever is left of our homes,â said Mohammed, a taxi driver. This guy sounds like he's either Palestinian, of Palestinian descent, or was educated in a Palestinian school. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-08-26 11:03:22 AM |
| #25 No prob. |
| Posted by: jules 187 2004-08-26 10:52:27 AM |
| #24 Sorry, Jules. I meant 179. |
| Posted by: BH 2004-08-26 10:43:58 AM |
| #23 187: did you realize that this peoples are defending themselves against an army of invaders Correction: they were defending themselves. Now they are stinking little pools of drying blood and burnt flesh. A vast improvement, don't you think? |
| Posted by: BH 2004-08-26 10:43:34 AM |
| #22 #10-Yep, Sistani is just one more mystic posing as an Islamic savior. To #179-Yes, there is truth in what you say- but you're missing the biggest other truth-that if your Islamic "brothers" would act like human beings, it wouldn't lead to others treating them like dirt. We aren't interested in installing puppet governments; we are interested in removing any and all tyrants from our world. Hopefully, your people will realize that it IS within themselves to join the modern world and leave worn-out ideas and death-producing cults behind you. |
| Posted by: jules 187 2004-08-26 10:14:11 AM |
| #21 ...179, shaddup or we get the spiders. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2004-08-26 9:13:56 AM |
| #20 Yep, there he is, on page 179 of the Roger Tory Peterson's Field Guide to the Trolls of Greater Rantburg & Vicinity the "Common Red Marxian Troll." |
| Posted by: Mike 2004-08-26 8:37:04 AM |
| #19 Indeed there is, CL, but it's enforced by a shoot-on-sight order. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-08-26 2:58:59 AM |
| #18 I'm puzzling over the "hassols" part. Is this a reference to Joan Hassol the famed jam maker? |
| Posted by: Classical_Liberal 2004-08-26 2:58:44 AM |
| #17 Isn't it kind of late for trolling? I thought there was a nightime curfew on trolls at Rantburg. |
| Posted by: Classical_Liberal 2004-08-26 2:52:11 AM |
| #16 AC - I'll bet when he gets to 100 he'll be issued a nuke hand grenade. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-08-26 2:40:05 AM |
| #15 All of your caves are belong to us! |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-08-26 2:35:31 AM |
| #14 Tell me, 179, does Stalinist bullshit like you just posted actually still have an audience in Europe? Are you backward ass swamp-dwellers and troglodytes really that gullible? |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-08-26 2:30:47 AM |
| #13 Yes, we do. We look forward to you writing the instructions for the nuke that will be used against us hassols. Thank you so much for bringing these delusions to our attention, brave 179. I hereby promote you to 178. Keep up the good work. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-08-26 2:25:08 AM |
| #12 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: 179 TROLL 2004-08-26 2:13:45 AM |
| #11 Deshmukh this. The march, as it comes, inevitably, the drums, bang the drums, load a rocket, shoot, shoot qui...! |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-08-26 1:38:47 AM |
| #10 This is his Apocalype Now moment and, well, there's no napalm, so... One has to wonder what goes through the mind of an AFP reporter, thoroughly steeped in anti-US rhetoric and BS, seeing the Jarines & Cav reducing this "force" at will, using only a tiny fraction of their firepower, and applying it with great restraint. Anyone who is even remotely honest with himself has to be feel the quandry - the schizophrenia of their position. Everyone is changed by war - and those who force themselves to stay when they would rather run away screaming eventually begin to get it, much like the embedded press did during the push to Baghdad and early fighting in the city. This Jay Deshmukh, an unfortunate moniker (heh), will get it if he watches the US forces peacefully withdraw when the Shi'a "march" arrives. And that's another topic... Sistani is reasserting himself, his power, with this grandstanding stunt. This march is meant to demonstrate it. A demonstration for Allawi, Tater, the US /UK, and Teheran. I think he'll turn out to be an asshole who'll demand to subvert any real democratic reforms, but we'll see. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-08-26 1:26:49 AM |
| #9 "You couldn't make this stuff up." Almost a comedy but dramtic to the max. AC-130s sanitiseing approachs, Apaches, noise, prayers, chanting and dancing. A devils dance. For what? Freedom! Freedom from what? From something some hold dear. Tyrants! They know this and they use it. And GIs pay. It's the children that matter. Turn the next generation and civility has a chance. Try TV! |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-08-26 1:19:03 AM |
| #8 AC130 video is actually a couple years old from Afghanistan but it gives you the idea. Its long (little more than 7 minutes) and not for kids. |
| Posted by: 2% 2004-08-26 1:15:54 AM |
| #7 Got one for that too Sea. Here |
| Posted by: 2% 2004-08-26 1:08:42 AM |
| #6 I heard on the radio a report that the US sent AC130's along the main street leading to the shrine, firing at all the cars parked along the road. All of the cars had "significant" secondary explosions. Hmmm... |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2004-08-26 1:03:34 AM |
| #5 but Apache helicopters fired at suspected militiamen in our area Quite impressive to behold. |
| Posted by: 2% 2004-08-26 1:00:24 AM |
| #4 "Smell of burned flesh, blood smeared...." Hmmm, thought this might be an expose of conditions in a French retirement home during vacation season. Maybe the editor quashed it but decided to re-use the imagery. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-08-26 12:51:04 AM |
| #3 Blood In Najaf (with apologies to Tex Ritter) 1. There was blood on the Imam and blood all around, And a great big puddle of blood on the ground. 2. A Jihadi lay in it all covered with gore, And he never will fire an RPG any more. 3. Oh, pity the Tater Tot, all bloody and red, For a JDAM fell near him and bashed in his head. 4. There was blood on the Imam and blood all around And a great big puddle of blood on the ground. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-08-26 12:42:17 AM |
| #2 AFP reporter has no reports of civilian casualties so he, instead, detects the smell of burnt flesh. In the absence of refugees, the AFP reporter points out that people are inconvenienced by the daytime fighting which prevents them from taking a stroll. In the AFP all Iraqi windows are broken and all Iraqi housing districts are smoke-filled. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-08-26 12:34:30 AM |
| #1 My question is why do we still have "civilians" in this town? Wouldnt it be prudent to abandon ones home if it has become a war zone rather than bitch and moan when you have to see one of tater's tots get opened up on a nearby wall? You know, there wouldnt even be a fight there if tater wasnt pussy and hiding out in the mosque. âLook at this and see what has happened out here. Imagine if a child picks it up,â Take the child elsewhere. Houses and buildings can be rebuilt and you staying there isnt going to accomplish anything except for putting you and your children at risk. So if you are there it is of your own free will. âWe want to get rid of the militia, but not in this way." Tater isnt going to come out if we offer him roses. He has proved that, so now we offer him bullets. He didnt want to play nice so we have to play hard. You want him out, this is what its going to take. You want an alternative when there isnt one. |
| Posted by: 2% 2004-08-26 12:21:49 AM |