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| Iraq-Jordan |
| G.I.’s Kill Scores of Militia Forces in 3 Iraqi Cities |
| 2004-05-08 |
| EFL The Americans pursued Mr. Sadr’s militia forces in the warrens and alleyways of two of the holiest Shiite cities, Karbala and Najaf, where the rebels have barricaded themselves for more than a month. Mr. Sadr’s militiamen in Karbala fired rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47’s at more than 100 soldiers, who moved low along walls and inched their way down a mile-long stretch of road, returning fire as roadside bombs exploded near them. The soldiers reportedly killed at least 25 insurgents in Karbala, 12 in Najaf and at least 41 in two separate battles around Kufa. There were no United States casualties reported Friday, but a Pole and an Algerian working for a state-run Polish television network were killed by gunmen as they drove through the town of Mahmudiya on the road from Baghdad to Najaf. The firefights were the most intense since the American military started an operation here on Tuesday night to crush Mr. Sadr’s thousands-strong militia, called the Mahdi Army. The stiff resistance seems to indicate that many of the militiamen are prepared to fight to the death. In Baghdad, Shiite followers of Mr. Sadr held a rare joint Friday Prayers service with Sunni Muslims at the hard-line Abu Hanifa Mosque in the Adhamiya neighborhood, once a stronghold of Saddam Hussein and the scene of fierce battles involving American soldiers last month. Organizers said the cooperation showed that Iraqis were united against prisoner abuse. The fighting in Karbala erupted when members of Mr. Sadr’s militia attacked an American patrol on Thursday evening and another on Friday morning, resulting in firefights that lasted for several hours. By Friday morning, the fighters had laid trunks of palm trees and boulders across the main avenue. A dozen Bradley fighting vehicles and two armored personnel carriers rolled around the obstacles as more than 100 soldiers made their way on foot along the low-slung buildings on either side. At one point, a sniper blew away the head of an insurgent looking around the corner of an alley. A rocket-propelled grenade whistled past the faces of more than a dozen soldiers crouched against a wall. At least one Bradley fighting vehicle took a direct hit from the same type of projectile, though no one inside was wounded. One soldier fainted from heat exhaustion, and two were dragged into Bradleys and given water before they collapsed. Some soldiers found a hose by a house and doused one another with it after taking off their helmets. Roadside bombs exploded along the length of the street. Soldiers had to sprint past some that had not been detonated. The Bradleys fired powerful 25-millimeter cannons at figures darting down alleyways, even as insurgents poked their AK-47’s around corners and sprayed the area. By the time the last bullet was fired, bodies lay strewn across the roads. One Iraqi crouching in a bush had been killed by shrapnel from three grenades. In the middle of the street, a man in a beige robe writhed in a pool of blood for half an hour before falling still. |
| Posted by:Paul Moloney |
| #8 The ambushers were Feydaheen Saddam most likely. THey ahd laid in weapons, had the training and the organizatio to operate loosely in the manner that the IED forces did. Unfortunately for them, time and materials are catching up, that and the US forces have learned how to counter these activities, and they Feydaheen no longer have the command and support structure in place to regenerate and retool themselves. Sadr's guys are the derge - its been said many of them are freed convicts whom Saddam cut loose as the invasion began. Their behavior demonstrates a lack of military training and acumen, and basically means they will die quickly and in large numbers when upa gainst a well trained and equipped adversary - including the Iraqi provisionals if they are so motivate and guided by the US (i.e. the Kurds would mop the floor wih them were it politically possible to put Kurdish units into Baghdata and Najaf). Right now the criminal element in the Mahdi Army will soon wear out its welcome - they are theives and revert to type. And pretty soon the local sheiks will get pissed enough to do something about it. And that somthing involves cold steel and nighttime visits. Or bullets thru black face masks. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2004-05-08 10:04:30 PM |
| #7 RWV - The only result from the death of most jihadis is a sanitation problem best solved by rats, wild dogs, crows, and maggots. What? There are no buzzards or vultures in Iraq? The 78 killed is probably closer to 100, because some of the dead insurgents are buried under tons of rubble, and others there is not enough left to determine an exact # of dead. Those rats and maggots of yours will convert that to skeletal material by the time the rubble is cleared. Charles - At one point, a sniper blew away the head of an insurgent looking around the corner of an alley. Blow'd the head clean off - Clint Eastwood |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-05-08 5:17:53 PM |
| #6 Zhang Fei, I suspect that most of the guys who were out ambushing convoys in April are wormfood. Sadr's guys are probably the B or C team as the Army and Marines keep benching more and more of the regulars. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-05-08 4:35:16 PM |
| #5 I think Sadr's guys are the B-team. The guys out ambushing convoys took quite a toll on GI's in April. These may have been ex-Republican Guard people (i.e. Saddam's henchmen), whereas Sadr's folks appear to be rank amateurs plucked off the street. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-05-08 2:53:28 PM |
#4 G.I.’s Kill Scores of Militia Forces in 3 Iraqi CitiesWell, it's a start. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-05-08 11:55:48 AM |
| #3 "I think they had enough today," Captain Adcock said of the insurgents as he chewed on a cigar after the battle on Friday. "They may get ready and go back tonight. But right now they've had enough." Even the most hardcore jihadist can't sustain loss ratios like this for long. 100 to 1 would be catastrophic, but 77 to 0 has to be disheartening. The difference between the combat death of a hero and that of a fool is whether or not it has meaning. The only result from the death of most jihadis is a sanitation problem best solved by rats, wild dogs, crows, and maggots. Perhaps a few of them are glimpsing this truth. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-05-08 10:49:53 AM |
| #2 The stiff resistance seems to indicate that many of the militiamen are prepared to fight to the death That would be the best outcome all around. I just hope and pray our losses are minimal in getting there. |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2004-05-08 10:20:00 AM |
| #1 At one point, a sniper blew away the head of an insurgent looking around the corner of an alley. I would love to see the look on the "insurgents" behind the guy. |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-05-08 8:13:20 AM |