Unreported war: US document reveals scale of conflict

[floda]

By Robert Fisk

29 July 2004 "The Independent" -- Iraq, we are told by Mr Blair, is safer. It is not. US military reports clearly show much of the violence in Iraq is not revealed to journalists, and thus goes largely unreported. This account of the insurgency across Iraq over three days last week provides astonishing proof that Iraq under its new, American-appointed Prime Minister, has grown more dangerous and violent.

But even this is only a partial record of events. US casualties and dozens of Iraqi civilian deaths each day are not included in the reports. But here are the events, as recorded by the United States military on 20, 22 and 23 July. Few were publicly disclosed.

20 July Baghdad

A US aircraft was attacked by a surface-to-air missile over Baghdad airport. An improvised explosive device detonated under a bridge near al-Bayieh fire station. A second bomb exploded when the "Facility Protection Service" arrived. In other areas, there were four bombings, three RPG assaults and six gun attacks, almost all on US forces.

North of Baghdad

A civilian supply convoy was attacked at Samarra. A bomb exploded on a bus in Baquba, killing six. A mine went off in Balad. A US convoy was attacked with RPGs and gunfiree at Salman Pak. There were roadside bombings of US forces at Mandali, Samarra, Baquba, Duluiya and Muqdadiyeh, and three grenade attacks (at Tikrit, Samarra and Kirkuk, with shootings at Muqdadiyeh, Balad, Hawija, Samarra, Tikrit and Khalis.


more...

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article6572.htm

[NMDemDist2]

1. kicked and nominated n/t

[wolfgirl]

2. kick n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Just another day

under US occupation in Iraq.

The place is going to make Afghanistan looks safe and friendly. The US has retreated to the Green Zone and the new bases, while the rest of the country descends into chaos.

[lottie244]

4. Could there be a clearinghouse for each family with a dead US military

to report in with a phote and/or a name of their dead loved one? This may be the only way we will ever get to know how many of our military have actually been killed in Iraq. I just don't believe the numbers being reported.

[xchrom]

5. good stuff

[leftchick]

6. sad that a huge proportion of the American public is not aware of this....

But that was the plan after "giving Iraq back to Iraq".
<sigh>... :(

[Disturbed]

8. Another con job from the Neocons (Neo Fascists)

The US Puppet Govt. in Iraq will fail. The Iraqis have been colonized before and will not allow the US & the UK to colonize them. The Neo Fascists screwed up in a huge way with their rose colored glasses on when they calculated that Iraqis would allow themselves to be taken over by the West just because the Saddam regime was toppled. Iraq was secular and contained but now the factions are in power struggle. Their first priority is to oust the Imperialists then they will hash out power blocks. It still seems that Iraq could be three distinct territories.

[leftchick]

13. and sadly...

Every single fact you have laid out was predicted to happen by many people and protesters around the globe BEFORE this quagmire. Stupid muriKans... :grr:

[frylock]

7. this should be sent to that numbnuts, whore stephasloppiness..

he thinks the 'raq is "stabilized".

[wishlist]

9. Where are the imbedded reporters now? They are too scared to report

On the few occasions we see reporters in Iraq they seem scared to death and a few (like Campbell Brown who was in Baghdad reporting on the prison scandal) have expressed how terribly dangerous it is and virtually impossible to travel outside military confines.

[lucky777]

10. Heard on Limbaugh today about how we're "winning" over there

(Nothing else on the car radio).

We need to force reporters to go over there and get the fuck out of the Green Zone.

Why doesn't Ted Koppel go over there and try to walk around?

[KansDem]

11. Is it just me or is this a highly organized and motivated force in Iraq...

...that is fighting the US?

After reading the timeline, it appears the US is not fighting a rag-tag gang of "insurgents" and "Saddam loyalists" who attack randomly, but rather a highly organized and motivated army of guerrillas who methodically plan their attacks.

[bobbyboucher]

12. Out of control.

Didn't I hear somebody predict this?

[Jackpine Radical]

16. Well, if you were listening to me before the war

you'd have heard me predict it.

Pretty damn obvious what was gonna happen.

[rfkrocks]

14. the place is falling apart and the media hides

:kick:

[enough]

15. another kick

and another nomination

[Swamp Rat]

17. And Powell is asking the Saudis to contribute forces over there...

They want more armed Arabs to go to Iraq to "help us?"... the very same people already contributing to the "insurgency?" Man, Bush&Co are STUPID! We are about to lose the ground war BIG TIME!

Bush&Co will resort to nuclear war if they remain in power.

[struggle4progress]

18. kick

:kick:

[Imalittleteapot]

19. kick

[G_j]

20. its too dangerous for reporters

we will NEVER know the truth about a lot of what is going on.