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| Iraq-Jordan | |
| Coalition Strikes at Sadr: AC-130 Blows Hell out of Building | |
| 2004-05-05 | |
| A coalition soldier and at least 10 Iraqi militants have been killed in an ongoing battle between U.S.-led coalition forces and radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s militia in Karbala. U.S. forces late Tuesday also conducted operations against al-Sadr in Diwaniyah, east of Najaf, capturing one of the cleric’s offices and seizing weapons next door from a girls’ school. In a statement aimed largely at al-Sadr’s militia, the Mehdi Army, Shiite officials have called on all armed forces to preserve the "sanctity" of the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala and condemned the presence of nonofficial armies and the storage of ammunition there. The statement followed a meeting Tuesday of Shiite officials -- both in and outside the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council -- who are intent on defusing tensions in the southern cities and reversing the deteriorating security situation. see post below The coalition has said it intends to destroy the militia and arrest or kill al-Sadr, wanted in connection with the killing of a rival cleric. In Karbala, members of the Mehdi Army attacked the house of the mayor early Wednesday, said a police official. Coalition forces returned fire, and the exchanges lasted until dawn. A coalition soldier -- whose nationality was not released -- was killed Tuesday night during an operation against the militia, according to the Polish-led multinational division based in Karbala. Coalition forces have taken over buildings that the militia once occupied in an effort to establish law and order in the predominantly Shiite city, the division said. In Diwaniyah, officials said an AC-130 gunship fired 40 mm rounds on al-Sadr’s office. The military said its reconnaissance indicated more than a dozen militia members armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades were inside. The militants apparently escaped before the building was struck, officials said. Damn! Military officials said they seized three mortar guns, 70 mortar rounds and rocket-propelled grenades from a girls’ school next to al-Sadr’s office. They said they believe the Mehdi Army used the school to launch attacks. No, I’m sure the mortar rounds and rpgs were just for the girls’ recess recreation. Girls can get pretty catty at that age, you know. Al-Sadr is believed to be holed up in Najaf with members of his militia. Al-Sadr’s militia launched an uprising last month against the coalition and its supporters in Baghdad’s Sadr City neighborhood and southern cities.
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| Posted by:sludj |
| #12 #2 seizing weapons next door from a girls’ school. Our local pinkos won't even let my kids play dodge ball in school |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-05-05 10:29:16 PM |
| #11 Kill em...they'll get hot enough later.... bastards |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-05-05 9:29:18 PM |
| #10 Directed energy could also be non-lethal microwave. Gets the skin very hot...but doesn't kill you. |
| Posted by: remote man 2004-05-05 9:06:31 PM |
| #9 CF - Look at this discussion from yesterday. |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-05-05 4:34:05 PM |
| #8 "What is 'directed energy weapons" I think that would be a laser. Think ABL but probably with a solid state laser vs a chemical one... |
| Posted by: Anonymous4744 2004-05-05 4:32:48 PM |
| #7 From AC-X Replacement Gunship Global Security.org: Special operators want the new gunship, or AC-X, to be much smaller than a C-130, with fewer crew members. They want it to be stealthy, with the speed and maneuverability of a long-range jet fighter. They want it equipped with directed energy weapons and non-lethal technologies, and it should be able to engage targets from any angle-above and below, front and back Cool. What is 'directed energy weapons'? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-05-05 4:28:33 PM |
| #6 The AC-130 has been in the news a lot lately, deservedly so since it is one of our most effective weapons in the WoT with a combination of precision, staying power and hitting power that no other system can quite match. It is worth noting that there are only 21 of these in the inventory and 8 of these are the Vietnam vintage H models. The DoD has requested 8 more AC-130Us. There is also a program for an AC-X replacement gunship, but this is probably several years down the road. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-05-05 4:22:01 PM |
| #5 Nah. They're just Buffy fans. |
| Posted by: Eric Jablow 2004-05-05 4:14:38 PM |
| #4 Sadr will hold up in a Leprosarium if need be. He's that kinda guy. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4743 2004-05-05 3:31:14 PM |
| #3 Hiding behind women, rallying in mosques, stashing weapons in a girl's school. Is there nothing that jihadist strategy can't do? When is Sadr gonna hole up in an orphan's hospital? |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-05-05 3:10:07 PM |
| #2 seizing weapons next door from a girls’ school. These boys have got to deal with those issues they have about educating women. |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-05-05 2:48:56 PM |
| #1 Go get 'em, Spooky! Mash them Taters. |
| Posted by: Mike 2004-05-05 2:03:27 PM |