(Mosul) Attack on U.S. Base in Iraq Leaves 24 Dead -thread #3

[maddezmom]

By MICHAEL McDONOUGH, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - An explosion ripped through a mess tent at a military base near Mosul where hundreds of U.S. soldiers had just sat down to lunch Tuesday, killing 24 people and wounding more than 60, officials said. A radical Muslim group, the Ansar al-Sunnah Army, claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack on a U.S. base in Iraq (news - web sites).


The dead included U.S. military personnel, U.S. contractors, foreign national contractors and Iraqi army, said Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of Task Force Olympia in Mosul.


The attack came the same day that British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) made a surprise visit to Baghdad and described the ongoing violence in Iraq as a "battle between democracy and terror."


Lt. Col. Paul Hastings, a spokesman for Task Force Olympia, told CNN that the toll was 24 dead. He added that more than 60 were wounded.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=540&e=1&u=/ap/20041221/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq


Thread #1
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1088376&mesg_id=1088376

Thread #2
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1089046

[Renew Deal]

1. This is just sickening.

Bush and the rest of the criminals should pay for their crimes.

[Sugarbleus]

165. My VNV hubby is sick to his stomach...took sedatives and

went to bed. History repeating itself...

[BlueEyedSon]

2. C'mon, isn't it better that we're fighting them over THERE????

:puke:

[Renew Deal]

4. Fucking Bullshit

We are not even fighting the right people. Iraq and Iraqi's didn't attack us and weren't going to. Fucking bullshit!

Note: this is not directed at you.

[MisterCompletly]

45. Help please.

How do I respond to those that respond to this defense with "Germany did not attack us, Japan did and the Germans were not going to attack us."

I get stuck every time someone on the other side hits me with this.

[Beaverhausen]

49. Germany and Japan were allies. If we declared war on one...

...we declared it on them all.

I read this recently...can someone verify?

edit- Saddam and Osama had no such alliance, of course.

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Beaverhausen]

63. Remind them about the Iran-Iraq war.

and remind them they are idiots!!!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

134. Go read about December 11, 1941

Germany declared war on the United States right after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. That's something that a lot of historians tend to overlook.

There is a series of books by Winston Churchill about World War II that really should be required reading by every United States citizen. He wrote beautifully, and the story is captivating - especially since you know how it ends before you begin reading.

[Walt Starr]

55. Germany declared war on us first

We immediately declared war on Japan, Germany declared war on us, then we declared war on Germany. Read the declaration of war on Germany.

http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/germwar.html

[shrike]

64. Correct

I just had to set someone straight on this whole issue. Never argue with an armchair historian.

[Kemet]

60. didnt read the whole thread but

didn't Germany declared war to the US after Japan attacked and not the other way around?
I may be wrong though.

on edit
Well someone said it first.

[geek tragedy]

61. Germany declared war on us. It's a stupid comparison. eom

[Name removed]

75. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Walt Starr]

77. Ask them when precisely Iraq declared war on the U.S.

They didn't. That's the problem with their logic.

[geek tragedy]

90. You have no answer to bald-faced lies? eom

[Name removed]

95. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Walt Starr]

96. Maybe it was because the U.S. has propped up dictatorships

in the region for decades upon decades?

:shrug:

[Spazito]

100. The Islamic world did? I don't think so...

Al Qaeda is NOT the Islamic world.

[Name removed]

104. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Walt Starr]

105. So now you're claiming that Al-Queda represents all of Islam?

:wtf:

[Name removed]

108. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jesus H. Christ]

118. You claimed the "Islamic world" (sic) declared war on us first.

Nevermind how much that's an equivalent of "them negroes is out to rape our white women."

It's still a claim. Ridiculous and bigoted as it may be.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

135. No, the "Islamic world" did no such thing

A bunch of whackjobs led by Osama bin Laden attacked the United States.

If you're talking to someone who claims "Islam" attacked the US, you're talking to someone who's not as smart as a cow.

Find a nice Holstein, and have a more intelligent conversation.

[saigon68]

175. Actually a Guernsey is much more attentive to Engish

Holsteins are better milk cows, but more Germanic in their language skills.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

159. But it's the proud subject of many a RW clone email. eom

[radar]

70. Germany Declares War on US 11December...

1941: Germany and Italy declare war on US
Germany and Italy have announced they are at war with the United States. America immediately responded by declaring war on the two Axis powers....
BBC ON This Day...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/11/newsid_3532000/3532401.stm

GOOGLE germany declares war on us
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=germany+declares+war+on+us

And German U-Boats were prowling about the Atlantic

http://www.mikekemble.com/ww2/merchantnavy1.html

Oct. 19, 1941 - SS Lehigh sunk off African coast by U-126
http://www.usmm.org/lehigh.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=u-boat+attacks+us+ww2+chronology

[Sterling]

107. Tell them to read a history book cuz the Germans declared war

on us first.

[Viking12]

110. Germany was actively attacking US merchant vessels summer 1941

[Name removed]

114. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lastliberalintexas]

116. And that has jackshit to do with Iraq

Didn't realize you were still here.

[LynnTheDem]

130. Neither did I realize he was still here.

And you're not the last liberal in Texas, by the way, I'm here to keep you company. I like Texans who aren't fooled. :)

We're at Ft. Hood; what part of Tx are you at?

[MGKrebs]

121. I think it would help if you (or they) got away from the generalization

"Islamic". Unless the point is to consider all Muslims enemies.

[LynnTheDem]

129. How come you misspelled "completely"?

It always seems like SOME PEOPLE are asking questions that aren't quite...right.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

136. Hey, FREEPER

They were NOT "Islamic" attacks, you bagger.

They were terrorist attacks.

Sort of how the United States invaded and occupied Iraq, only not as fancy.

[jamesinca]

145. Those things you mentioned have also been linked

to bin Laden and al-Queada or its affiliates/subcontractors/sympathizers etc. bin Laden has also been connected to helping the Somalia warlords that shot down a few Blackhawk helicopters back in '93. bin Laden has also been found to have been working in Kosovo, but with little to no success at getting an extremist group started there. Night club bombing in Bali, bin Laden too.

If such broad generalizations are to be made then lets look at white people here in the states. Atlanta Olympics of '96 (Eric Robert Rudolph), Federal building in Oklahoma '95(Timothy McViegh). I think we need to declare war on white people because they hate us for our freedoms. Lets not forget the Unabomber and his 35,000 word manifesto of 1995.

There is a difference between bin Laden and Islam. bin Laden is not Islam anymore than Rev. Paul Hill or the Rev. Michael Bray are Christians. Those two ministers by the way made their fame by taking part in the fire bombing of planned parenthoods and shooting the Dr.s in the parking lot. Sinn Fein is not Ireland either.

[Zhade]

143. Another dead, ignorant Nazi Freeper FUCK!

Feels good when they fall!

[NuttyFluffers]

160. germany declared war on us first. right after pearl harbor, btw.

nd then hit whoever told you that with a rolled up newspaper and spray them with water and say "bad republican! bad! bad! no red meat for you! go to your room and learn your history!"

[termo]

169. Germany declared war to US during WWII

by respecting its pact with Japan,
it wasn't the way around,
even if US gov wanted to do it.

[3days]

7. We are serving up Americans on a silver platter

No wonder we don't have to fight them over here.
This makes me so sick and sad and disgusted. Half our country voted to keep this idiot in office who puched this down our throats.
Stupid
Stupid
Stupid

[Ganja Ninja]

3. I'm so sick of hearing this self serving democracy BS.

These people don't give two shits about democracy. Learn the lesson of Vietnam. It isn't about democracy it's about Independence.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

5. They are not fools

They know we love democracy in Iraq only if our guy wins.

[malaise]

119. People worldwide do care about democracy

But we also have eyes and ears and we can see what happens after the Western version is imposed on their societies. Those that haven't been attacked covertly or overtly have been battered by policies that have destroyed their industries, forced cut backs in basic human services that were provided by the state after we did our part and paid our taxes. That was the arrangement they told us.

Our governments (who must be acceptable to yours or know that we can all expect chaos a la Venezeula, Argentina - pick a country)are telling us that their hands are tied to the neoliberal and globalization model imposed by mulilateral lending agencies, GATT and WTO - Jeffrey Sach's model.

Well after 20 plus years of IMF and World Bank policies, check the value of our currencies - pick a country. Watch the way in which education, health, transportation, security etc have all deteriorated in our countries. We have watched as our own industries have been destroyed; we have watched as transnational companies squeeze out our own who have been farmers for hundreds of years. We watched a lot of things and we have all the data that we need. The model being imposed on us by people chatting rubbish about democracy non stop, while grabbing our resources, and devaluing our lives, has made our lives harder in every sphere.

Then of course we've all been bombarded by cable so we have a good idea about what's going on in your republic in terms of democracy.

Many of us just laugh at the illusion because across our part of the hemisphere every one else votes for their leader except you.

Yes we all want democracy but as defined by us, not anyone else with their own interests superceding ours. Yes we want democracy but nothing that I have read in academic texts coming from those who are still thinking in the US, suggests that there is anything there but a plutocracy with millions of alienated people facing the same policies and problems as the rest of us.

Sadly the US and UKs version of democracy no longer fools most people in developing countries.

Like many of you, we came to terms with the reality that all this apple pie rubbish about democracy is an illusion. We have all the data we need.
When multinationals are willing to grab water from poor developing countries for profit while many of our citizens don't have water, just who do they think they are fooling when they shout democracy.
The good news is that this is merely a moment in history and there will be another 'post-Vietnam' moment that will give us decade to deliver some humanity to our populations.

I remember when Jeffrey Sachs was the neo-liberal/structural adjustment guru. Today he agrees with me. He saw in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union that he had created unbelievable suffering to the people in that part of the world - and he walked away from it.

The world won't put up with this for much longer. You can turn people back economically but they wake up - they have no choice.
This too will pass. The edges are badly frayed.

[Johnny_Ramone]

131. Amen Brother!

I'm with you...

[donheld]

158. Welcome to DU

Johnny_Ramone :hi:

[Johnny_Ramone]

171. Thank You!

Appreciate the welcome-I have been lurking here for a VERY long time!

[Johnny_Ramone]

132. Whoops!

I should have said, "Amen sister!"

[anitar1]

153. "People Worldwide Do Care About Democracy"

Agree 100%--

[opihimoimoi]

174. Thank you for an excellent informative POST. This should be made a Thread

[Walt Starr]

6. From last thread, here's the breakdown as seen to this point

Hallibuton issued a statement that four KBR employees and three subcontractors were amongst the dead. Earlier accounts had 13 soldiers amongst the dead. If these accounts are true, that leaves four Iraqis amongst the dead.

[aneerkoinos]

14. 18

US soldiers according to Beeb, and counting. So mercs too?

[Walt Starr]

20. Okay, by comparison the bloodiest day of Vietnam was 17 Nov 65

The 7th Cav lost 155 men near the Cambodian border that day.

[Chico Man]

51. That was 1965

We need to account for advances in medical technology since then.

How many would have died in Vietnam if a remote mess-tent were to be hit by a rocket?

[Walt Starr]

57. Doesn't matter

We had been building up to that point for several years.

By comparison, Iraq would be about 1962, and casualty rates are much higher in Iraq.

[VolcanoJen]

8. Pentagon says four missiles were fired, only one struck target

They're starting to talk at the Pentagon. They've confirmed the number of casualties, but have yet to break them down.

Just reported on CNN.

[leftchick]

17. I heard them say on CNN... 'they got lucky"

seems the attackers 'get lucky' every day! :eyes:

[VolcanoJen]

25. The attackers claim it was a suicide bomb.

Who's lying? Who's telling the truth?

And CNN just reported NINETEEN DEAD US SOLDIERS.

[Walt Starr]

31. The Pentagon says four rockets and three missed

I'm betting the one that committed suicide was an Iraqi insurgent infiltrator who was transmitting a signal that allowed for triangulation on the position for guidance of the rockets.

[benburch]

39. I think it was just a guy with a vantage point and a walkie-talkie

It was suicide because of course we triangulated on him and killed him very quickly.

Taking out the forward observer is a priority in any artillery attack.

[Walt Starr]

42. That could do it

:shrug:

I wonder if we'll ever be allowed to know?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

177. it was NOT a rocket it was an inside the mess tent job...C4 explosive ....

is what i've gleamed from MSM....Iraqi workers : another fuckup by Rummy and his "on the cheap" war :grr: :grr: :grr:

[JohnOneillsMemory]

9. AP story psy-ops: quotes Patrick Henry "Give me liberty or give me death"!

(This is from the AP story on this deadly attack.)

>snip<
Redmon and photographer Dean Hoffmeyer are embedded with the 276th Engineer Battalion, a Richmond, Va., unit that can trace its lineage to the First Virginia Regiment of Volunteers formed in 1652. George Washington and Patrick Henry were two of its early commanders. Henry created the unit's motto, ''Liberty or Death.''

The Ansar al-Sunnah Army claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on the Internet. It said the attack was a ''martyrdom operation'' targeting a mess hall in the al-Ghizlani camp.

Ansar al-Sunna is believed to be a fundamentalist group that wants to turn Iraq into an Islamic state like Afghanistan's former Taliban regime.
-----------------------

Um, ok. George Washington vs the Taliban... got it, right.
I guess Freedom is On the March...?

Maybe 'Freedom is not Free. It's Mandatory. Have a cluster bomb.'

Only US deaths count, not Iraqis.

[Renew Deal]

10. nice catch

Where would that info come from?

[Just Me]

12. Hey,...occupation IS liberation,...death IS freedom,...chaos IS democracy.

The Bush regime says so,...therefore, occupation and death and chaos are "good" because those things are really liberation and freedom and democracy which all people seek and deserve.

:cry:

But for the neoCONfascists' aggressive war of choice against a country that did NOT threaten us,...this would NEVER HAVE HAPPENED!!!

:cry: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[OldLeftieLawyer]

138. "embedded"

What crap that concept is, and how readily the MSM allowed its whorish self to be treated like the two-dollar trick it is.

Embedded. Why not just call them "mouthpieces," because that's all they are?

Anyone who thinks Afghanistan isn't still owned by the Taliban and that Karzai is, at best, the mayor of Kabul, is living somewhere in a galaxy far, far away.

This kind of "reporting" is an insult to the great journalists who died in WWI and II and Vietnam.

[HereSince1628]

11. well, today reached Vietnam proportions

and I quite honestly don't feel good about that.

Where have all the young ones gone?
Long time passing?

Where have all the young ones gone?
Long time ago?

Where have all the young ones gone?
They've gone to graveyards everyone!

When will we ever learn?
Oh, when will we EVER learn?

[MisterCompletly]

16. No song will suffice now

We will walk away from this cesspool or drop the hammer soon. I have no clue as to what the choice will be but with the admin in charge I suspect a massive response.

[HereSince1628]

34. At this moment I am sorrowful, and a song is all I can offer.

I could make all sorts of rationalizations about how we are getting just what we deserve, but I won't.

It's a very bad day for Americans in Iraq.

[MisterCompletly]

40. And even more since 1628 vs my short lifetime in the real

Thanks for the words and keep on keeping on...

[bunny planet]

52. will * now use this as his excuse for the draft being reinstated or for

prolonging our presence there. He'll use the 'we can't cut and run' rhetoric. What a sorry excuse for a President he is, he is utterly without shame, a monster.

[lebkuchen]

13. Now we're at 24 dead 60 wounded

Bush's idea of "I feel great" Christmas.

[Olive]

15. (BBC) Eighteen US soldiers have been killed ...

Eighteen US soldiers have been killed in an explosion at a US military base in Mosul, making it the worst single incident for the US military in Iraq.

Six Iraqi civilians were also killed in the attack which happened in a dining tent at the base at noon (0900 GMT).

The US military said there was a single explosion in the Camp Merez base, south-west of the northern city.

...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4116487.stm

[lebkuchen]

19. As Chuck Hagel noted today on "Meet the Press"

events have worsened, not improved, in Iraq.

What is Bush going to do about it, other than not punish those directly involved in incompetence i.e. Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and Feith?

[DS1]

22. He just left for Camp David, of course

[lebkuchen]

28. Bad time for Rummy to declare he will sign death certificates by hand

Eighteen will take him twenty minutes, at least.

[DS1]

30. I was thinking of sending him a 10-pack of bic pens for Xmas

Wrapped, of course.

[lebkuchen]

36. I can sent him a pack of Skilcraft U.S. Government Fine Points for free

Save your money.

[Rose Siding]

156. We should all send him pens- that's a great idea

Maybe I'll send him one too.

[NuttyFluffers]

161. if lucky he might misplace one and sit on it...

then i can finally crack a smile at the name of rummy...

[VolcanoJen]

21. I just read that... Eighteen US Soldiers killed; attackers claim suicide..

.. attack, rather than mortars/rockets as Pentagon claims.

:-(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4116487.stm

Eighteen US soldiers have been killed in an explosion at a US military base in Mosul, making it the worst single incident for the US military in Iraq.

<snip>

A statement attributed to the Ansar al-Sunna militant group on an Islamist website said one of its suicide bombers carried out the attack.

The suicide claim has not been confirmed. Witnesses said they heard several explosions and saw smoke rising from the base.

Military officials initially said rockets or mortar rounds struck the camp, but Lt Col Paul Hastings, a spokesman for Task Force Olympia in northern Iraq, said the incident was still under investigation.

[Walt Starr]

23. So Halliburton was LYING about four employees and three subcontractors????

SAY IT AIN'T SO!!!!!!!!

[VolcanoJen]

24. CNN just reported Pentagon Confirms 19 US Soldiers dead

The numbers just keep changing... :-( :-( :-(

[Walt Starr]

26. Damn!

This is now the bloodiest day in Iraq, isn't it?

[peacebird]

141. so why is the stock market reacting so joyfully, and reaching such highs??

halliburton and other war profiteers must be due a windfall, i guess....

[osaMABUSh]

148. Right, the stock market rise was rather sickening

You'd think just on a pure 'bad news for business' basis the market would go down. From a human perspective, it seems in bad taste for the market to go up on day like today.

In Bush's America, the rich get richer and the poor, well, they die.

[VolcanoJen]

35. Yeh... so was Halliburton lying, or are their casualty numbers...

... not included in the "official" numbers?

24 dead; 18 US soldiers and 6 Iraqi civilians, according to BBC.

CNN reports that the Pentagon confirms 19 US soldiers dead.

Which is it?? What's the real number???

[michael098762001]

112. Mosul bombing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/index.shtml
says 19
did you compare the time/date stamp of the cnn vs. bbc numbers

[michael098762001]

115. Halliburton

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=a1Cbvlw132dM&refer=top_world_news
Dec. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Insurgents fired explosives into a dining tent at a U.S. Army base in Iraq's northern city of Mosul today, killing more than 20 people, including at least 14 U.S. soldiers and seven civilians doing work for the Pentagon contractor Halliburton Co.
Last Updated: December 21, 2004 17:58 EST

[Politicub]

140. So that's 34 for now

20+14. It's sick how the halliburton casualties somehow "don't count."

As much as I hate halliburton -- the grunts who work for them out in the field are regular people with families.

There's so much frenzied emotion in the US today, that Bush, Rumsfeld and Rove were itching for something to justify unleashing a horrific genocide upon the Iraqi people.

I weep at the number of our young men and women who have given their lives for this war built completely on a foundation of LIES.

[Walt Starr]

29. I'm betting somebody had a radio transmitter

and they triangulated on that guy to direct the rockets. Pretty low-tech so long as somebody's willing to let themselves get offed to take a bunch with them!

[NNN0LHI]

66. "a radio transmitter"? Why not a cell phone?

Or they maybe they used our own GPS system to calculate the targeting data? Everyone has them these days. After all, these are the same guys who's ancestors thought up algebra. The Iraqis ain't short on smarts.

Don

[Walt Starr]

74. You need some form of triangulation

The technology to triangulate via a simple radio signal is cheap and accurate. Triangulating a cell phone is not.

GPS is definitely a possibility and if this was how they determined coordinates, watch for civilian GPS to be turned off.

[lebkuchen]

33. which makes Chuck Hegel a genius

Things are NOT improving in Iraq, JUST as he had so noted on "Meet the Press."

Kudos, Chuck.

[KoKo]

76. BBC is Blair controlled now...don't think we will hear the truth from them

either. They had a higher count on their website this a.m....guess they got "the word" to tone it down..Can't have Blair in Baghdad for a "photo-op" and have mayhem in Mosul...spoil it.

[spotbird]

18. Since they hate us for our freedom, and we're not free anymore,

shouldn't they love us?

When I think I can't hate what they've done any more, I find out I'm wrong.

[medeak]

27. Poor Rumsfield - now he has to sign all those letters n/t

[KansDem]

94. Yeah, crank up the ol' AutoPen...

Make sure it doesn't have a "dead battery" though...:eyes:

[Fleshdancer]

32. ABCNews says 19 soldiers dead....

It was breaking news sent to my email but I don't know if this is still the accurate number. Here's the message:

Breaking News from ABCNEWS.com:

U.S. MILITARY SPOKESMAN: 19 U.S. SOLDIERS KILLED IN MOSUL ATTACK TODAY

[VolcanoJen]

37. CNN also says 19 US soldiers dead, confirmed by Pentagon

Can't find a link.

What's the story here? The numbers are climbing, and there has to be more than 24 total at this point.

[Walt Starr]

41. If we believe the Pentagon, the BBC and Halliburton

then there were 32 dead: 19 soldiers, 4 KBR employees, 3 subcontractors, and 6 Iraqis.

[VolcanoJen]

44. That seems to be the right number, Walt.

And, if the misinformation coming out of Iraq today is any indication, that number will climb.

[Walt Starr]

48. It fits with a statement from the general, too. Mayhaps 8 people died

after the intial attack, so numbers of dead could still increase.

[VolcanoJen]

53. Deadliest single attack since we invaded Iraq.

Good time to take a vay-cay, huh, Chimperor??

:grr: :mad: :grr:

[Walt Starr]

58. I think we can consider the official number of dead to be 32 now

Considering the numbers fit and all.

Fucking bastards in the White House.

[VolcanoJen]

62. The American People must DEMAND that Rumsfeld step down NOW!!

Secretary Rumsfeld is personally responsible for the soldiers' safety at their camp in Mosul, yet he failed to provide for their security by building a permanent, fortified mess hall.

RUMSFELD: STEP DOWN NOW!!!!!!

[barb162]

99. I don't think so; we'll end up with someone worse considering this

administration, someone like Wolfowicz

[Fleshdancer]

46. I guess it depends on the badly wounded soldiers....

My Christmas wish is for all the wounded soldiers to heal and go back home where they belong. Some may not make it though which would make the fatality numbers climb. From what I understand, the first several hours are crucial in times like this.

[RamboLiberal]

68. Send Rummy some Aleve for Writer's Cramp

Not that he gives a Cheney! :grr:

[Renew Deal]

69. The second highest single day death toll.

The highest was the 3rd day of the war. 30 US plus 4 British.

[ewagner]

38. Aside from the tragedy

of JUST BEING THERE in the first place., there is another tragedy here in an incompetent office who did not secure the facility....heads should roll for this one and they shouldn't stop rolling until they reach the WH.

[Fleshdancer]

50. good point. n/t

[leftchick]

56. it should have been breaking news a long time ago....

The US has not secured ANYTHING in Iraq. The main supply routes, bases, the green zone, oil pipelines, airport road... NOTHING! AmeriKans are so stupid!

[KoKo]

80. Maybe they had to send extra troops to guard Blair and secure him...

We know they don't have enough troops to do everything. Blair's visit must have required alot of extra power. :shrug:

[leftchick]

84. they are not guarded by troops...

the use our highly tax payer paid mercenaries. All of the US puppets use them...

[0007]

89. ....and they shouldn't stop at the Oval office, how long before

people take to the streets?

[noshenanigans]

43. *Now* who's "Disgruntled"?

This is truly sad. It should be a call to arms for more security at the bases and less outsourcing and funneling of money purely for corporate greed. It won't be, though. It will be spun like a top over and over again to "prove" that violence is only worse because of the upcoming elections, and more people have died and will continue to die simply because we are so successful at introducing peace.

Now everyone, please report for the Two Minutes Hate.

[rocktivity]

47. They weren't able to hit the actual bases before...

they seem to be getting to the Green Zone at their leisure now. They're giving us our 350 tons of explosives back...

:headbang:
rocknation

[Renew Deal]

67. I don't think it was inside the Green Zone

The green zone is in the Baghdad area. Mosul is north.

[Walt Starr]

79. But they are regularly hitting the Green Zone

and now they can strike into the heart of our bases.

[vpigrad]

59. "The tents weren't armored,"

said one guy that was there! Bushie lies when he says he wants to protect the troops. I don't care one way or the other, but the president shouldn't lie like that.

[benburch]

65. How could you armor a tent, anyway???

Just asking...

[Walt Starr]

72. Actually, this is a permanent emplacement and construction on a

hardened concrete mess hal;l had begun, but was halted some time ago due to concerns over the safety of the contractors.

[kapp]

157. Previous attacks on mess hall.

From NewsNight Tuesday evening.

"The catastrophic attack was only the latest on this mess hall. According to those on base, insurgents have fired mortars at the tent more than thirty times this year. Concerns about the vulnerability of the soft-sided tent is one reason contractors are building a new concrete and steel dining hall on the base. Construction - behind schedule."

(Embedded reporter) "They had hope to have that facility opened by Christmas, (but if) you look at it, you can tell it still has a ways to go."

I can understand the concern regarding the safety of the contractors. But let us also bear in mind that the new dining hall was in concern for the safety of the troops. I'm sure safety is a predominant concern over there.

We must do all that we can to protect our troops. We can all agree on that, whether or not one agrees with this war. (And more aren't, at least according to polls.) Surely there could have been a way to expedite the construction, especially considering the amount of times the facility has been attacked.

[Renew Deal]

73. With prostitutes?

;)

[leftchick]

71. BBC: Attack on US troops is worst yet (bush* quote)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4116487.stm


<snip>

Nineteen US soldiers have been killed in an explosion at a US military base in Mosul, making it the worst single incident for the US military in Iraq.

Six Iraqi civilians were also killed in the attack which happened in a dining tent at the base at noon (0900 GMT).

The US military said there was a single explosion in the Camp Merez base, south-west of the northern city.

US President George W Bush offered his condolences but stressed that troops had a vital mission of peace in Iraq.

He said that it was sorrowful when lives were lost at any time of year but particularly in the week before Christmas.

<snip>

"I'm confident democracy will prevail in Iraq," he said.

:puke:

[KoKo]

81. Condi will be playing some nice comforting organ music for him tonight

at Camp David. Laura is probably off with the "girls" skiing in Aspen...

[Solly Mack]

78. Pictures/Slideshow: Mosul

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031779796661

Click on link on page

Mission: Mosul - Mortar attack slideshow

Attack In Mosul

[KoKo]

82. Richmond Dispatch reporting 24 killed and 64 wounded/ BBC not truthful

Amazing...from the article. updated 3:36 p.m.


FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq - A deadly precise rocket attack killed 24 and wounded 64 in a dining hall tent inside a U.S. military compound outside Mosul today.

[Walt Starr]

83. somebody is lying then, because at least 25 are dead

By my count, the number of dead is now at 32. Pentagon says 19 troops. Halliburton says 4 KBR employees and 3 subcontractors are dead. BBC says 6 Iraqis dead.

That adds up to 32. If we dump the BBC and forget about the dead Iraqis, that still adds up to 26. If we decide Halliburton is lying and accept the BBC numbers, 25 are dead.

So, either somebody is lying or "journalists" can't do math.

I vote for "journalists" being incapable of math.

[KoKo]

87. It must be so bad they are hiding it. The Richmond reporter should

know the accurate figures..he's on the ground. But, Pentagon has the right to not release numbers...because it's "War." Richmond reporter could be fired if he tells the truth. I wonder if they won't break it down so that they say it's Iraq Police who died were wounded with minimum soldier casualties. The "contractors" don't count...nor do the Mercenaries... We're probably seeing lots of juggling in those numbers until they can get it to sound like "no big deal," just more Iraqi's murderering other Iraqi's.

[Solly Mack]

85. We really won't know actual death count for at least 24 hours

The wounded that will most likely die will do so within the first 24 hours.

[Cooley Hurd]

92. Pictures from the slide show... :(

Fuck!:grr:

[dhinojosa]

101. Soldier: 'I can't hear, I can't hear!'

Bush Voter: "I can't read, I can't see, Kerry is a flip-flopper, Kerry looks like Herman Munster, I can't understand."

[donheld]

86. I'm devistated by the loss of life

I hope America learns it's lesson. My co-workers want to nuke them for this, but i say we brought it on ourselves.

[LynnTheDem]

133. What part of "WE INVADED IRAQ" do so many Americans NOT get???

HITLER INVADED POLAND.

AMERICA INVADED IRAQ.

There is no difference between the two.

A WAR OF AGGRESSION is a WAR OF AGGRESSION.

There was NO JUSTIFICATION for America to INVADE Iraq.

NONE.

If & when America is INVADED, most of us would ATTACK and try to KILL the INVADERS. Except rightwingnuts; they'd be too busy invader boot-licking, and saying the invaders should JUST NUKE America.

DUHHHH!!! WTF IS WRONG with half the people in this God-forsaken country?????!!!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

139. Thank you, thank you!!!

I keep saying to these assholes who call them "insurgents," "How about if our country were invaded and occupied by another country to whom we'd done nothing? What would you call the Americans who would then fight, in any possible way, to take back our country? Would you call them 'insurgents,' or would you call them 'patriots'?"

[Catchawave]

88. Amazing, virtually no news coverage today !?!

Just jiggling casualty numbers. The prez is going on holiday vacation. Robert Blake. Baby stories. A funeral. Last minute shopping tips. Ah, just another day at the news morgue. It's almost like they're working too hard to keep the Mosul story out of the line up.

Damn, I'm mad.

[rudlop]

93. its disgusting

I cant believe the non coverage. What is going on?

[michael098762001]

113. Mosul coverage

http://news.google.com/?hl=en&ncl=http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php%3Fcontent_id%3D61315

778 stories.
That isn't nada.

[leftchick]

144. it is no where near the coverage of...

a blue dress monica wore! :argh:

[rudlop]

91. Rockets?

Was it a rocket, mortar, or other that exploded? Cable news is reporting rockets. Must have been a big rocket.

[benburch]

111. Sounds like an artillery rocket to me.

The Iraqis had some 200 multiple rocket launchers in their inventory at the start of this war, and of course had stores of rounds for same at the various weapons depots we so carefully guarded. :(

Typical for such rounds would be a maximum range of 15,000 meters, and a warhead of 21 kg, HE. Such a weapon would be more than enough to do such damage.

Also, these could easily be fired from an improvised launching box. You do not require the mobile rocket launcher vehicle to do it.

[Warren Stupidity]

172. Accurate rockets are not

Which is why they are deployed in multiple rocket launchers. You fire a barrage of them at troop concentrations hoping that some of them will actually hit their targets. There have been a lot of 'improvised rocket launcher' attacks, and they have generally been completely ineffective.

One rocket? Not likely, but they could have gotten lucky.

It is all a bit beside the point. The point is that sunni Iraq is in a state of rebellion and its resistence leadership is clever and resourceful. Meanwhile southern Iraq, shiite Iraq, has been patiently waiting for the elections, which they will win, so that they can then establish a Iranian-aligned theocracy. We cannot allow that to happen so either the election will be perpetually postponed or we will fix the election. I vote for 'fix the election' we are sure good at that. Regardless, the shiite leadership will then be forced to play their hand. I wonder what cards they are holding? Time for the Bad Mullah again?

Oh and of course the Kurds are quietly building their Kurdish state in advance of the breakup of Iraq. Right next to them the Turks are also waiting for the breakup so that they can clobber the Kurds, whose nascent state threatens the stability of their own Kurdish region.

You have to wonder what our 'leaders' were thinking, if anything, when they deposed Saddam. Had they ever read a history of the region?

[MGKrebs]

97. "soldiers had specifically raised concerns..."

"CNN personnel who have visited the base said the soldiers had specifically raised concerns that they could be targeted by insurgents at meal time..."

cnn.com

[leftchick]

102. Complete opposite of NPR report....'heavily guarded"

The base was heavily guarded and very secure. An attack like this was a lucky strike for the enemy! :puke:

[Walt Starr]

98. Numbers started out at 20, went up to 22, then 24, now back down to 22

on the Conservative News Network.

Meanwhile, DU has added it up to 19 soldiers dead (source: Pentagon), 4 KBR employees dead (source: Halliburton), 3 subcontractors dead (source: Halliburton), and 6 Iraqi soldiers dead (source: BBC).

At the current rate of disinformation in this one, I figure by tomorrow, the officially reported position will be 3 Iraqis dead, 2 U.S. soldiers wounded, and a contractor will have gotten a splinter.

Don't let the truth slip down the memory hole on this one.

Edited to add the following. MSRNC now reports 14 American Soldiers dead with a total of 24 deaths. Faux has not corrected the Pentagon statement of 19 dead soldiers and says "at least five others killed" which is so far, the best reporting of the cable Snooze channels.

It's a sad day in America when Faux Snooze gets it closer to the truth than the rest!

[LanternWaste]

103. "I was not angry since I came to France UNTIL THIS INSTANT!"

There is a particular scene in the last act of Shakespeare's Henry V. The young king finds out (after the battle is over yet before he actually is ware that his forces are victorious) that the French, in a fit of loser's-pique massacred all the English youths who had stayed behind to tend the supplies.

Henry arrives at the scene and howls, "I was not angry since I came to France UNTIL THIS INSTANT!"

Bush's* Glorious Little War has now been moved to a new level. Up to this point, I've felt sadness, indignation and awe at the ineptitude of this administration, but (like Henry), "I was not angry at this administration UNTIL THIS INSTANT!"

I've HAD it with his polly-anna, buckaroo, inane, mis-spoken Holiness and it's time for him to GO!

Does anyone realize how much this will embolden a new wave of attacks on our troops? This is going to spiral out of control and soon unless Bush* is stopped.

"Would you look around you now
and tell me what you see?
Faces full of hate and fear...
Faces full of me..."
(Chicago Transit Authority)

[LibDemAlways]

106. "Battle between democracy and terror"

How the hell could anyone equate invading and occupying a country, bombing innocent civilians, destroying an infrastructure, and generally creating chaos with "democracy"? It's an ongoing battle between the invader/occupiers and the occupied - a struggle we have no chance of ever "winning."

[ausiedownunderground]

109. Golden op for DoD to slip Fallujah dead in here!!!!

These Mosul death numbers could give the DoD an opportunity over the next week to slip KIA's from Al Anbar into the official overall death count. Our independent media over here in OZ continues to report and show heavy fighting out of Fallujah and "The triangle of Death". DoD death reports appear to have come to a halt as of Dec 14th in this area. This is very similiar to how deaths were reported out of Najaf and Karbala during the fight against The Mehdi Army in April 2004. One or two deaths reported initially and then a 10-15 day lull where it appeared that US troops were immune to bullets and bombs. Then suddenly a surge in reported deaths all back dated to the "lull" period in reporting. It should be interesting to see how these recent numbers flucuate!
It is also worrying if this Guerilla operation involved a missile strike. If the guerilla's can co-ordinate an accurate missile strike on a US base then a lot of recent reports involving guerilla's shooting down fully loaded US Chinook's doesn't seem to far fetched. It appears that the realities of this war might just start to be seeping into the US public's beautiful minds!!! Welcome Americans to "The Truth"!!!

[aquart]

117. KBR failed to fulfill their contract for a concrete dining hall.

Lots of excuses, but the bottom line is they failed and our men died.

[Zech Marquis]

120. OMG, what happened?

:( this is just as bad as you can get..a major attack on GIs who ere just..eating, then suddenly gone. 24 more fmailies having their lives changed forver...and 59 million dumbfucks wanted 4 more years of this shit, huh? :argh:

[leftchick]

122. IraqNam!

same war, different location and victims, same profiteers!

[dzoner]

123. Reply to #120 above.

They will just add more "we support" ribbons to the backs of they're 3 ton SUV's and feel like they are really supporting the soldiers.

[goforit]

124. This is just out of control!!!

God bless those who fall victim to Bush!!

[malaise]

127. As Peaceful as

Baby Jesus I guess.
US President George W Bush offered his condolences but stressed that troops had a vital mission of peace in Iraq.

[countryjake]

125. Fort Lewis Awaits Word On Mosul Casualties

It galls me that our prez had the nerve to say how especially sad this was to happen so close to Xmas...isn't a dead soldier a dead soldier, no matter when he's killed? Lots of folks associated with this base down by Olympia, WA are so incredibly nervous & terrified they will "get the next call" that holidays are the last things on their minds!



Fort Lewis Awaits Word On Mosul Casualties

~snips from the report~

The task force is part of I Corps, based at Fort Lewis, and includes members of the active Army, reserve and National Guard, along with U.S. Marines and Iraqi security forces. The main unit is the 4,000-member, Fort Lewis-based 1st Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division, a Stryker Brigade, named for the armored vehicle the unit uses.

The 1st Brigade had been in Mosul since October, when it relieved another Fort Lewis-based Stryker unit.

Since the war began, 31 soldiers from Fort Lewis have been killed in Iraq. There are 6,700 Fort Lewis soldiers in Iraq, though Costello said he did not know how many were based in Mosul.

[MaineDem]

126. Two Mainers dead, 12 wounded in Mosul attack (Local reporter on scene)

By BILL NEMITZ
Portland Press Herald staff writer

MOSUL, Iraq — A powerful explosion ripped through a crowded dining facility at Forward Operating Base Marez during the noon lunch hour Tuesday, killing 24 people and wounding 64.

Two of the dead and 12 of the wounded were members of the Maine Army National Guard's 133rd Engineer Battalion.

Battalion officials said names of the casualties were being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

http://news.mainetoday.com/midday/

[Solly Mack]

137. My deepest sympathies to their families

Please tell them I'm so sorry.

[readmylips]

146. 70 percent of military voted for bush....

well...they got what they asked for; dead sons and daughters.

[Bush was AWOL]

151. You wanna back that up with a link?

I don't believe it. I'm friends with quite a few that have served and are serving and that doesn't seem to reflect their thoughts of Bush.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

179. More like 50-50 Bush/Kerry votes

Kerry may even have had a clear majority with deployed troops.

[leftchick]

147. sad sad sad....

:cry:

[ckramer]

128. Bush = War = Deaths

It's too late for those Bush voters to realize that.

[peacebird]

142. but at least GAYS can't get married

because obviously to LOVE someone of the same sex is much worse than death....

grrrr.

[Mr_Spock]

154. Thank Gawd fer dat

:eyes: :D

[osaMABUSh]

149. Tony Blair must feel like a total arse being in Iraq today

He, of course, licks Bush's boots and was sent in to show support at Bush's command but then an attack of this magnitude pushes his PR stunt to the back pages.

Oh, and BTW, I sense a Rummy resignation very soon.

[IowaGuy]

155. Of course * is dealing with it by attending the....

Kennedy Center honors.....can't miss those photo-ops...

[Bush was AWOL]

150. I feel awful for their families

bad timing around the holidays.

[LynnTheDem]

152. It's 29 dead to date; US military figure @ 22= for soldiers only

19 US troops dead
3 "coalition" troops dead
7 dead contractors

[Bitter Betty]

162. My sincerest condolences to the families

How many casualties must we endure before they get our soldiers out of that festering sore we opened?

[daleo]

163. Will the right wing spin this for Bush?

And use this to "prove" how brave he was to make that Thanksgiving turkey run? I bet this Rush fellow uses this angle soon.

[SKKY]

164. Does anyone else think someone had help from the inside to get this done?

[Renew Deal]

166. It's speculated.

Though not directly. One of the theories is a suicide bomber. How would this person get in there?

[SKKY]

167. Lots of local contractors/Iraqi civilians are being "employed"...

...by the coalition in a variety of positions. When I was in Somalia, lots of locals worked for us at the airport in Mogadishu where we had our main base of operations. It's pretty common practice.

[Renew Deal]

170. Were you one of the fighters in Somalia?

Are you one of the Black Hawk Down guys?

[SKKY]

173. Ha Ha Ha. No. I was stationed on the USS TRENTON...

...which was part of the USS INCHON Amphibious Assault Group. I would helo from the ship to the Airport quite frequently- 2-3 times a week. We were parked, anchored I should say, about 2 miles off the coast during the pull-out. Funny thing about that is, one of Aideed's sons was a Marine stationed on the INCHON. I believe he's now the one running the country.

[Paleocon]

168. Where are Rumsfelds glib replies now????

Hey...

You go to war with the mess hall you have, not the mess hall you wish you had...

:mad:

[lebkuchen]

176. What is it with Rummy's love affair with canvas in a war zone?

Can anyone explain?

[Paleocon]

178. I love the smell of canvas in the morning...

It just says.... "victory"...