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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Iraqi civilians offer cars and bus to US military to transport wounded |
| 2004-04-07 |
| U.S. begins to reconstruct firefight with militia Nicholas Riccardi and Alissa J. Rubin Los Angeles Times Apr. 6, 2004 12:00 AM BAGHDAD - It turned nasty Sunday afternoon. A U.S. military patrol was navigating the pitted streets of the Baghdad slum that is the stronghold of firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr when it ran into about 30 members of the cleric’s personal army. But instead of laying down their arms as ordered, militia members showered the Americans with small-arms fire, pipe bombs and rocket-propelled grenades. The echoes of gunfire raining down from the rooftops sent Iraqi police fleeing their precincts and forced the American patrol to duck into an abandoned building. Two other patrols wound their way into the heart of the slum, and they were attacked almost simultaneously on all sides. Militiamen toppled market stalls into the narrow streets to create makeshift roadblocks. It took more than four hours and a dozen tanks to quell the fighting. When the bullets finally stopped, dozens of Iraqis and eight U.S. soldiers were dead, with 40 more American troops wounded. On Monday, military officials had only started to reconstruct the chaotic chain of events that led to what commanders said was the largest sustained fighting they’d seen in Baghdad since President Bush declared an end to major combat in May. "There is nothing more confusing, literally in the entire universe, than an ambush, especially one where the buildings and the road networks are so narrow," said Maj. Gen. Martin Dempsey, commander of the 1st Armored Division, which is based in Baghdad. "You’re not exactly certain whether you’re being shot at by three people or 33." snip The militia’s occupation of police stations was the reason why the U.S. patrols rolled into Sadr City in the first place. U.S. military officials had heard that the cleric’s followers in the holy city of Najaf, 80 miles south of Baghdad, had attacked a coalition base during a protest at about noon Sunday. They said they also discovered through intelligence that Sadr was directing his followers in the capital to seize police stations and government buildings. U.S. officials sent in troops to watch the buildings and disarm militia members. The first ambush killed about four soldiers and injured several others, officials said. Outnumbered, the soldiers fell back nearly 1,000 feet to an abandoned building and dug in there, Dempsey said. Over the next 2 1/2 hours, quick-response forces with Bradley fighting vehicles rolled into the area, only to be pinned down by heavy fire from black-clad militia members hiding on rooftops and in alleyways, officials said. One armored personnel vehicle and one truck were destroyed, and casualties mounted. American troops managed to reach their wounded and began pulling them out. Military officials said they got an unexpected assist from some Iraqi civilians who offered their cars and, in one instance, a bus to take wounded troops to safety. |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #8 Chuck, after this, I'm not sure that any armed shia power is going to be tolerated. I just saw a Rasmussen poll that showed Bush dropping. Probably no big deal at this point. Nevertheless, W has to win this fight. He has about 2 months to get it done...for real this time. |
| Posted by: remote man 2004-04-07 7:36:13 PM |
| #7 It's like Tet in another way. Some maintain that Giap wanted the VC beaten up good, to pave the way for the North to take over the South without the VC in the way. Sistani is holding his militia in the wings, waiting for Sadr to get decimated, and leaving him the armed Shia power. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2004-04-07 7:24:10 PM |
| #6 R.C. This is where the Administration needs to get out there in front of the public and tell them what is happening and tell the truth. (That is why they get the big bucks!) I watched a little bit of Rummey's Q&A today and it looked like the press there was not very interested -- as if they had already made up their minds what to print and were only looking for 'spicy stuff' (hense the tone of their questions...). Another difference is that there was no Internet (that we know of...) 30 years ago. The press no longer completely controls news content for a large segment of the population. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-04-07 6:40:23 PM |
| #5 I dunno, it is beginning to look like the Tet -- massive losses for the bad guys, no general uprising like they expected, and the press and traitorous politicians trying to turn it into a defeat. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-04-07 6:25:13 PM |
| #4 Mike, in the Tet offensive the North Vietnamese thought the South would rise up, they did not. The Viet Cong were slaughtered and broken as a force. The only thing the North gained was a political victory. This very well might be a replay of all of that, but the political victory is less likely. Still watch who goes wobbly and who stands firm. |
| Posted by: ruprecht 2004-04-07 5:51:30 PM |
| #3 As I keep saying . . . there's a lot of friendlies in Iraq. This is no "Intifada" or "general uprising" or "Tet offensive"--I don't give a bridge in Massachusetts what Ted Kennedy says. To our boys in the thick of it: good luck, good hunting, and come home safe. |
| Posted by: Mike 2004-04-07 5:46:57 PM |
| #2 Whoa. Can't express enough respect to our guys. Thankfully, some Iraqis also have true courage. |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2004-04-07 5:44:25 PM |
| #1 Nex time call for SKerry to talk to them..... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-04-07 5:36:25 PM |