Iraq's Abu Ghraib Prison Attacked; 56 Hurt

[UpInArms]

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=636742

BAGHDAD, Iraq Apr 3, 2005 — Insurgents attacked the Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad, injuring 44 U.S. forces and 12 prisoners, the U.S. military said Sunday, while six people were killed elsewhere in Iraq following a period of declining attacks that had raised hopes the insurgency might be weakening.

At least 40 militants fired rocket-propelled grenades and set off two car bombs at the infamous prison as darkness fell Saturday night, 1st Lt. Adam Rondeau said. Soldiers and Marines stationed at the detention facility responded, and the resulting clash and gunfight lasted about 40 minutes. No one escaped.

"This was obviously a very well-organized attack and a very big attack," Rondeau said.

On Sunday, U.S. military officials raised the casualty toll from 20 to 44 U.S. service members, and said some of the injuries were serious.

...more...

[Erika]

1. But we liberated Iraq and they are happy

Why are we there? I heard some military say they were so glad they could rebuild the infrastructure for the Iraqis. How about rebuilding our own infrastructure?

[Teaser]

2. 44 americans hurt?

When I went to bed it was 20.

[NightOwwl]

3. Another Presidential promise not kept.

President Outlines Steps to Help Iraq Achieve Democracy and Freedom: May 24, 2004
A new Iraq will also need a humane, well-supervised prison system. Under the dictator, prisons like Abu Ghraib were symbols of death and torture. That same prison became a symbol of disgraceful conduct by a few American troops who dishonored our country and disregarded our values. America will fund the construction of a modern, maximum security prison. When that prison is completed, detainees at Abu Ghraib will be relocated. Then, with the approval of the Iraqi government, we will demolish the Abu Ghraib prison, as a fitting symbol of Iraq's new beginning.(Applause.)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/05/20040524-10.html

Another lie ignored by the incompetent, collagen-lipped, hair-plugged shills masquerading as "journalists."

[LynnTheDem]

4. WHOSE "raised hopes"???

BAGHDAD, Iraq Apr 3, 2005 — Insurgents attacked the Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad, injuring 44 U.S. forces and 12 prisoners, the U.S. military said Sunday, while six people were killed elsewhere in Iraq following a period of declining attacks that had raised hopes the insurgency might be weakening.

Iraq insurgency has worsened: US intelligence (March 19, 2005)

Though US President George W Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have been giving the impression that the insurgency situation in Iraq is improving, the American Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), which monitors the situation daily, says it has worsened.

http://www.zeenews.com/links/articles.asp?aid=207678&sid=WOR

[rocktivity]

29. The insurgency attacks haven't slowed, they've consolidated.

:scared:
rocknation

[anarchy1999]

30. Okay, now I'm really confused. Which is it, better or worse?

Right now, IMHO, I'm leaning towards the worse side of things. Just me, thats all.

[Dirk39]

5. Concentration Camp liberated by Freedom Fighters

Freedom Fighters and Antifashists attacked the Concentration Camp "Abu Ghraib" west of Baghdad, injuring 44 U.S. Concentration Camp Guards. Mercenaries of the fashist criminal Bush-Junta.

Or do I get anything wrong?

Hello from Germany,
Dirk

[UpInArms]

13. sounds right to me

:cry: for my lost country

[anarchy1999]

16. Thank you Dirk, for still caring.

n/t

[readmylips]

6. Iraqi Minutemen....

how funny.

[anarchy1999]

15. Funny, but not. Not at all. Just something more to cry over.

n/t

Freedom Fighters on the border of the US? WHAT?

"Something's happening here...
What it is
Ain't exactly clear...
Stop now,
What's that sound...
Everybody, Look
What's going round?"

See ya.

[daleo]

7. No enemy body count claims at all, which is most unusual.

"It wasn't immediately known if any of the insurgents carrying out the attack were arrested or suffered casualties."

You have to wonder about that. It must have been a cleverly executed attack. 44 wounded and 0 dead seems extremely unlikely.

[UpInArms]

25. seems like only one "rebel" was "killed"

http://www.wbir.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=24569

excerpt:

Yesterday's attack at the Abu Ghraib prison touched off a 40-minute gunfight as rebels fired rocket-propelled grenades and set off two car bombs. One of the rebels was killed.

...more...

hmmmm....

[Laurab]

34. I thought the same thing

EXTREMELY unlikely. One of the articles I read said they "refused" to say whether any insurgents were arrested or killed. (From truthout).

This is media manipulation at it's most blatant, and I am guessing it is far from the truth.

[jayfish]

41. Apparently You've Never Seen...

"Terminator 2".

Jay

[anarchy1999]

8. I'm surprised no one has asked the obvious yet? How many prisoners

were able to escape from/during this "attack".

What a disaster and it has been a long time coming. Sorry.

[Tsiyu]

9. It is an ABSOLUTE SIN

The way the media have avoided this story and shoved the Popefest down our throats.


Hello media? You are telling the parents of all those dead troops that THIER KIDS DON'T MATTER. That the deaths of a brain-dead woman in Florida and a decrepit pontiff are more significant than the deaths of the people fighting *'s unjust, illegal war.

It is not possible for me to have any more disdain for the press than I have at this moment in time.

Media: YOU ARE ALL WHORES!

[saigon68]

11. Well put-- and thank You

[Frederik]

12. Shamelessly downplayed

Even today, nothing on CNN. Just the pope 24-7.

[Auntie Bush]

37. You took the words right out of my mouth...but you said it better!

[Tsiyu]

38. How unsanitary! LOL And thank you all.

Sorry. We always say that around here, but I bet your mouth is really clean anyway, being a good Dem an all!

I am so disgusted about this. Today, my cousin related what a Vet told her: that he too feels this whole War is a waste of soldiers' lives. When the vets feel that way, you know it's an absolute sin of the worst magnitude.

Thanks to all who agree with me. Makes me feel so not alone here with my sorrow for our soldiers and their families..

[anarchy1999]

10. Are "we the people" going to get angry yet?

How much more is it going to take?

Guess we all just need some more "reality TV".

Sorry for the anger and cynicism.

Sad for us all.

[underpants]

14. They were HORRIBLY under manned as it was

Which is one of the main reasons that what happened there happened there, that and:

-soldiers not trained in POW handling
-NO chain of command
--Getting directions from at least three different sources
-Soldiers following the directive set by the DoD head and the White House.

[NNN0LHI]

17. Remember back when soldiers in combat were "wounded"?

Someone gets "hurt" when they twist their ankle. Now you are "hurt" when you catch a bullet in the face.

Don

[underpants]

18. Him? Oh he's just hurt

Walk it off soldier!!!

Yeah it used to be more than a little different than it is in this new reality.

[acmejack]

32. It used to be a lot different!

If someone had told me our Country would become this back in 1968, I would have thought that person a fool. I now know who the fools are.

[UpInArms]

19. I had thought that "casualty" was

"killed" and not "wounded".

What's up with that?

[0007]

20. How many dead?

Or is junior holding back the media from giving anymore information?

[anarchy1999]

21. What if we all started a media blitz today, just imagine on a Sunday

we thousands of DU'ers demand coverage. Is it possible? I'd like to think so, so who is in? I'll make the first call if just one person will back me up. Where do we start?

[UpInArms]

22. here's a list

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[anarchy1999]

23. And here is more, come on DU'ers, we are made of so much!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=106&topic_id=8816&mesg_id=8816

I'm on hold right now with CNN. Please join in!

On hold, the attack is being covered, radiofree, CNN,

Please don't repeat again Bush.

[enough]

24. kick

nominated

[anarchy1999]

26. Let the phones and faxes ring, I've already started making mine.

CNN answered with voice mail, I got an actual person at Meet The Press, said he was a Dem and Hung up? WTF? To the phones everyone, no more death watches and funerals, okay? I personally have had enough!!!!!!!!

[allemand]

27. Zarqawi group claims Abu Ghraib attack: report

The Al Qaeda-linked group of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has claimed responsibility for a massive assault on Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

"Your brothers in the organisation of Al Qaeda in the land of two rivers attacked Abu Ghraib prison where Muslim men and women are detained," a statement on an Islamist website said.

The authenticity of the statement could not be verified.

- AFP

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200504/s1337204.htm

[jmatthan]

28. KGO and Karel reported US 18 soldiers dead

http://jmpolitics.blogspot.com

Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland

[Viva_La_Revolution]

35. TVLies reports NBC says 18 dead

but the link on their page to NBC is broken.
http://www.tvnewslies.org/news/#war

Insurgents attack Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison (link http://www.msnbc.msn.com/error.htm? )
A group of 40 to 60 insurgents attacked the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq late Saturday in a well-coordinated assault that inflicted 18 American casualties, U.S. military officials told NBC News.

[Ninga]

31. I am overwhelmed with grief and anger.....I have become

paralyzed. I need to do something worthwhile.

Media phone and fax numbers anyone???

[demgurl]

33. I really wish the MSM would cover this.

My husband and I are actually fighting over this. He says that MSNBC and all the rest, who report American soldiers were killed, spoke too soon and are wrong. I insist it is part of the conspiracy Georgie Boy has with the media and they are keeping real numbers under wraps. My husband will do most anything to avoid people thinking he wears a tinfoil hat. I wish I could prove it to him that these reports are true. I wish I could prove it to the States and everyone residing here.

[Theres-a]

36. nominated

[TrueAmerican]

39. I believe the causaulties are Air Force

I think because it's unusual for Air Force causualties and that is why the slow news or no news at all. They don't know how to spin it yet.

[TrueAmerican]

40. Here's a recent news article....

Algonac VFW helps Air Force security unit stay in touch


By Kyle Lohmeier
Voice Staff Writer

When Senior Airman Alan Beaulieu of Algonac returns to active duty in the Air Force later this year or early next year, he and the 568th Security Forces Squad of the 435th Security Forces Group will be able to keep in touch with loved ones back home, thanks to the Algonac Veterans of Foreign Wars post, which gave scores of prepaid phone cards to Beaulieu to take with him.
"On some bases, we only get two, 15-minute phone calls a week. Oh yeah, the cards will come in handy,“ Beaulieu said.

Beaulieu said the unit provides security for both stateside bases, where they act as police, and foreign air bases, where they take on patrol and perimeter security roles.

"Deployment is a whole different deal. Our berets are taken away and we wear hats and do patrols. We're protecting all the convoys and took over Abu Ghraib Prison from the Army. We control base entry and patrol the perimeter,“ Beaulieu said.

Click here to return to story:
http://www.voicenews.com/stories/032905/loc_vfw001.shtml