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| Iraq |
| U.S. Raids Saddam’s Hometown, Kills 6 |
| 2003-11-17 |
| EFL: In a show of force backed by tanks and mortars, U.S. forces assaulted dozens of suspected guerrilla positions in Saddam Hussein’s hometown before dawn Monday, killing six alleged insurgents and capturing others, officials said. U.S. forces fired a satellite-guided missile carrying a 500-pound warhead at a suspected insurgent sanctuary 10 miles south of Tikrit - the second use in as many days of the powerful weapon amid a U.S. drive to intimidate the resistance. 500-pound JDAM, that’s the baby version. In Baghdad, troops mounted their biggest-ever hunt for weapons and explosives in a middle-class Baghdad area, angering residents who said their small arms were needed to protect themselves in the crime-plagued capital. The military also announced that soldiers in the city of Ramadi west of Baghdad arrested an organizer of the Fedayeen guerrillas responsible for bomb attacks and ambushes on U.S. forces. The suspect, Kazim Mohammed Faris, was a "high value target," a military statement said. "Barkeep, a glass of your best giggle juice for Mr. Faris!" In Tikrit, U.S. forces carried out more than 38 attacks from Sunday night to early Monday, destroying 15 suspected safehouses, three training camps and 14 mortar firing points, said Lt. Col. William MacDonald, a spokesman of the 4th Infantry Division. Six suspected Saddam loyalists were killed and 21 arrested, he said. In Samara, three Iraqis who fired on American soldiers were killed in an ensuing clash Sunday night. In Muqdadiyah, two Iraqis fired a rocket-propelled grenade on U.S. soldiers on combat patrol aboard a Bradley fighting vehicle. The soldiers returned fire and killed the two, Macdonald said. The policy of reporting enemy dead continues, excellent! While troops have been targeting suspected insurgent targets, U.S. forces have also carried out dozens of raids aimed at apprehending suspects and seizing weapons and bomb-making materials. One such "cordon-and-search" raid early Monday in Baghdad’s middle-class Azamiyah district netted 21 suspects along with 30 Kalashnikov AK-47 automatic rifles, about a dozen shotguns and 10 handguns. Most suspects had violated a coalition rule allowing only one weapon - a single AK-47 - per house. Some 2,000 troops of the 1st Armored Division - backed by tanks, armored vehicles and low-flying helicopters took part in the nighttime raid, sealing off a 20-block area and searching every single building inside it. No more Mister Nice Guy. In Tikrit, hundreds of U.S. troops in tanks and assault vehicles marched through the crowded downtown area Monday in a show of force intended to deliver a stern warning. "They need to understand that it’s more than just Humvees that will be used against the resistance and we will crush the resistance," said Lt. Col. Steven Russell, a battalion commander in the 4th Infantry Division. It’s our boy Lt. Col. Steve again. No one can stop the Army of Steve’s! Bwahahaha! |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #11 "Some 2,000 troops of the 1st Armored Division - backed by tanks, armored vehicles and low-flying helicopters took part in the nighttime raid, sealing off a 20-block area and searching every single building inside it." -Exactly right. Seal off city blocks at a time. Make note of assholes & houses that carry arms beyond the one AK rule. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2003-11-17 9:23:00 PM |
#10 U.S. Raids Saddam’s Hometown, Kills 6Six? Is that all? Damn, guys, you've got to aim better! |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2003-11-17 5:08:05 PM |
| #9 Carl - Never forget Custer's famous last words: "Gosh, I wish I'd studied harder at West Point!" |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-11-17 2:04:20 PM |
| #8 speaking of LTC Steve, WaPo this AM had interesting article on the cordoning off of Saddams hometown "auja". Apparently was Col. Steve initiative, at first his superiors thought he was crazy then they like it. Auja locals arent happy, but Iraqis from outside Auja (including Mayor of Tikrit) think its a great idea. Interesting in that it shows you can get tough on selected locales (within reason) and not alienate the rest of the country. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-11-17 1:54:53 PM |
| #7 In Tikrit, hundreds of U.S. troops in tanks and assault vehicles marched through the crowded downtown area Monday in a show of force intended to deliver a stern warning. I love this! Ram it right down their throats. Cause And Effect asshats. Learn it...Live it....or get THUMPED! |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2003-11-17 12:43:04 PM |
| #6 Chuck, sorry, but the only Custer quote that I know about is "Where did all those f**king Indians come from ?" |
| Posted by: Carl in N.H. 2003-11-17 12:07:38 PM |
| #5 Good job, LTC Steve. Sit on their chests and punch 'em in the face a few times to get their attention. |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-11-17 10:55:20 AM |
| #4 Oops, I was wrong, it wasn't a 500-lb JDAM: Marking the launch of Operation Ivy Cyclone II, U.S. occupation forces used for the first time since the end of "major combat" in Iraq a satellite-guided missile at a site of suspected resistance fighters in north-central Iraq, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP). "An Army Tactical Missile System (ATACS) ... was fired at noon today at a former regime training area," 25 kilometers (15 miles) west of Kirkuk, said Lieutenant Colonel Bill MacDonald, adding: "We are getting more aggressive." "It is the first time since the end of major combat that munition of this type has been utilized," said MacDonald. He said the weapon hit the target, but it was not immediately clear whether there were casualties. "It was a pretty substantial training facility, there was former regime leadership in there, probably mid-level people, some involved in financing anti-coalition attacks," he said. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-11-17 10:23:19 AM |
| #3 Now that the nights are cooler in Iraq, the infrared vision equipment works better. I've always hoped we could pick up our activity during the cooler months. |
| Posted by: mhw 2003-11-17 10:21:45 AM |
| #2 U.S. forces fired a satellite-guided missile carrying a 500-pound warhead at a suspected insurgent sanctuary 10 miles south of Tikrit - the second use in as many days of the powerful weapon amid a U.S. drive to intimidate the resistance. Was this a fast reaction to some intel? Or did we just want to show off the swoooooooosh. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-11-17 10:18:25 AM |
| #1 Just remember that Wes Clark liked to talk to the press a lot, too. I always suspect an officer who gets his name in the paper a whole lot. Custer was another. That may be totally unfail to Lt. Col Russell, but he may be the most quoted officer in Iraq. And that's... thought provoking. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2003-11-17 10:09:14 AM |