US Pounds Insurgents in Central Iraq

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=3&u=/nm/20031118/ts_nm/iraq_baquba_dc

<snip>Monday's attack was the second of a three-night operation dubbed "furious fire" by the Task Force 367 of the Second Brigade, Fourth Infantry Division.


Two F-15s flew from Qatar to drop four 500-pound bombs on farmhouses and other sites in the opening scene of the two-hour assault around a highway which U.S. troops have dubbed "RPG alley."

Operation coordinators said two men with assault rifles fled from the target site buildings in the middle of a field.

"One killed, one got away," the voice of a soldier crackled over the radio after asking permission to shoot.

Apache helicopters then employed artillery fire on other locations outside the town, some 36 miles northwest of Baghdad, followed by a dozen 155 mm howitzers and over two dozen 120 mm mortars, shaking the ground for miles around. There were no final details on casualties or damage.

It was the first time U.S. forces have bombed abandoned buildings in the Baquba area, said Captain Steve Miller, speaking from the operation control room which was formerly used by Saddam's army.

[jenk]

1. furious fire???

:wtf:

more like futile firing frenzy

[leftchick]

2. From the end of the article....

<snip>"This is a new level as far as attacking buildings. These are buildings we've been attacked near or from or could be attacked from again the future," Miller said.

The seven buildings are scattered around palm groves and fields northwest of the town. He said the amount of fire, which sent stray desert dogs running for cover, was 10 times more than U.S. troops had employed here before.

Young said the operation was partly intended as a show of force to deter the insurgents.

"We had taken action on these targets before, but this is to demonstrate one more time that we have significant firepower and we can use it at our discretion," he said.

......this is insane.... :(

[Wwagsthedog]

3. US pounds innocent civilians in central Iraq or was that Vietnam?

Or Afghanistan? Or whatever defenseless people?

[kalian]

9. Palestine...

ring a bell?

[htuttle]

4. Two F-15s, a dozen Apaches, over 36 artillery pieces, scores of mech inf

"One killed. One got away."

:eyes:

There were only 2 of them, but they were vicious! With big gnashing teeth!

[markses]

5. Probably two luckless teenagers smoking a little hashish

I know I used to do my thing with my friends in abandoned buildings in NY.

Insane. These Iraqi insurgents really write the book on fire control:

They fire one RPG and take down two helicopters. We fire off the equivalent of the arsenal of the the entire Bermudan armed forces and hit one dude, leeting his friend get away. Sheesh...:eyes:

[kalian]

8. Oh yeah....

:eyes:

[Spazito]

6. Very interesting, the news in Canada is reporting that...

far from bombing empty buildings, Iraqi homes were destroyed and it showed Iraqis searching through the rubble. It is very sad how little of the truth is allowed over the US airwaves.

[kalian]

7. Bullshit....just like in 1984....

"our glorious troops are battling the Eastasians in furious
firefights!"
This shit is propaganda for the home crowd...make it look as if our
"glorious troops" are not just paper targets.

[Just Me]

10. They are killing people,...

,...taking that "savage" intimidation approach that will simply make them even more evil in the eyes of those they claim to "liberate". They are so sick. Someone please medicate these empty-hearted, murderous people into submission.

[0007]

11. M T

Yes Sir, call it operation "M T" ---

Oh How, the Carlyle boy love this, 'eh?

[pinniped]

12. Damm no more farmhouses.

Where are these so-called "insurgents" going to hold their labor meetings?

They're bombing abandoned buildings, warehouses and farmhouses because Halliburton probably has a contract to build those.

[bpilgrim]

13. I Heard The Taliban Were Punding Cities in the South of Afghanistan...

but i'm sure it's all in my head since haven't we allready conquered there AND brought and installed democracy to the gratefull citizens a long time ago... right :shrug:

anybody got a link ;->

peace

[gratuitous]

14. I think ABC News characterized it as "retaliation"

ABC News had a report on the indisciminate bombing, which called it "retaliation," apparently for the helicopter collision over the weekend. If it was an accident, as many reports indicated, why is "retaliation" necessary? Makes me think of the kids who hide under the bed when they hear Rage-a-holic Dysfunctional Dad stub his toe.

[ze_dscherman]

15. Kick

From an Financial Times article on the same subject:

Young said the operation was partly intended as a show of force to deter the insurgents.

"We had taken action on these targets before, but this is to demonstrate one more time that we have significant firepower and we can use it at our discretion," he said.


http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1069131954629&p=1012571727102

[truthisfreedom]

16. "bush bombs frightened Iraqi people to boost photo op in UK"

with his usual disregard for human life, bush killed more than {redacted total} Iraqi citizens today under the auspices of "repressing insurgents and punishing guerillas." the distraction, according to karl rove, was justified considering how many millions of dollars were already being spent by the UK to supress protests and silence dissent in Britain on the eve of bush's visit there. rove calculated that the required replacement of bombs spent killing civilians would more than offset bush's apparent loss in the polls once the kickbacks from bomb manufacturers are delivered to bush's "war chest" during next year's fundraising, making bush's visit to the UK and the required deaths in Iraq "well worth it."

[teryang]

17. They have no idea who they are bombing

Vietnam bomber pilots used to call this a dumpex.