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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Iraqi counter-terrorist update: |
| 2004-04-07 |
| Wedensday afternoon, Ukrainian troops retreat from southern Iraqi town of al Kut in face of Sadr militia offensive, serious coalition reverse that cuts highway to Basra. In Karbala, Polish troops kill Sadr’s main spokesman. US Marines take center of Sunni Triangle town of Fallujah, bomb mosque with 40 Sunni insurgents inside. Another 36 killed overnight. Fighting spreads north where US troops confronted near Kirkuk by unidentified insurgents possibly including al-Qaeda linked Ansar al Islam. |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |
| #5 Are teh Ukrainians, Poles et. al. good enough to go house-to-house? |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-04-07 3:01:13 PM |
| #4 KIEV (AFP) - Ukrainian troops withdrew from the Iraqi city of Kut, south of the capital Baghdad, after heavy fighting with supporters of radical Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr who now control the city, the defence ministry said. "At the request of the Americans, and to preserve the life of our military, the commander of the Ukrainian contingent decided to evacuate the civil administration staff and Ukrainian troops from Kut," the ministry said in a statement. "The operation began at dawn on Wednesday ... under escort from attack helicopters," the ministry added. Withdrew "At the request of the Americans", huh? Sounds like we're clearing the friendlies out of the way. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-04-07 11:58:22 AM |
| #3 From AP: In Kiev, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said its troops evacuated about 20 coalition representatives -- Americans, Britons, Poles and others -- from the Kut city hall after Shiite fighters launched mortar and infantry attacks overnight. The civilians and Ukrainian forces moved to a camp outside of town. "There were no Ukrainian casualties, but several dozen militants were killed," ministry spokesman Lt. Col. Andriy Lysenkohe said. OK, that sounds better, evacuate civilian aid workers from the hot zone and dig in. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-04-07 11:20:46 AM |
| #2 pretty much all of this is confirmed elsewhere. No one has said that Basra highway is cut, i guess they got that by looking at the map. Presumably can drive AROUND Kut, since outskirts are reportedly still in coalition hands. No one else reports center of Fallujah taken, but with raids in center, and Marines pushing steadily in, its plausible. Fighting near Kirkuk is in Hawji, a predominantly Sunni Arab town, where fear of the Kurds makes this place very hardline. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-04-07 10:58:49 AM |
| #1 Debka, so have your salt lick handy. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-04-07 10:52:29 AM |