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Iraq-Jordan
109 Terrs Killed in US Offensive (Good Job)
2004-10-02
At least 109 insurgents and one American soldier were killed overnight in a major offensive launched by U.S. and Iraqi forces in the city of Samarra, U.S. military officials said Friday. In the largest operation seen in Iraq's Sunni Triangle city in months, an estimated 3,000 U.S. troops moved into Samarra late Thursday. It was a response to what the United States called "repeated and unprovoked attacks by anti-Iraqi forces." "This, they say, is the definitive battle for Samarra," CNN Correspondent Jane Arraf said amid heavy fire Friday morning as she traveled with the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division. Dr. Khalid Ahmed said at least 80 bodies and more than 100 wounded were brought to Samarra General Hospital, but it was not immediately clear how many were insurgents. The hospital was running out of supplies, Ahmed said.

Also Friday, U.S. warplanes and tanks attacked the vast Baghdad slum of Sadr City, The Associated Press reported. "We will spare no effort to clean all the Iraqi lands and cities from these criminals and we will pave the way through these operations not only for the reconstruction but also for the general elections," said Qasim Dowoud, minister of state for national security, according to the AP.
Posted by:Fawad

#14  "Yes, he's an ambulance chasing spokesdoctor."

Lol - who must also be a member of the Clan of the Cave Bear since his ability to count is demonstrably fucked. I'm less certain where the inability to distinguish between dead jihadis and baby ducks should be attributed. Fear of the still-breathing jihadis, perhaps. Is this Baghdad Bob in a hospital smock?
Posted by: .com   2004-10-02 2:22:00 PM  

#13  The Fuchs armored cars are what the Iraqis have, in addition to their old soviet/Russian stuff - I know they are, in some places, operating BTRs and BMPs at a platoon level.

Thanks, OS. Judging by the CNN video, I still think it was poor writing. Anyway, admitting that the Iraqis had some sort of armor would disrupt the meme that the ING is a "half-trained rabble of foot-troops hastily assembled by the U.S."
Posted by: Pappy   2004-10-02 2:11:27 PM  

#12  Yes, he's an ambulance chasing spokesdoctor.
Posted by: Classical_Liberal   2004-10-02 11:09:34 AM  

#11  Dr. Khalid Ahmed wasn't he in Fallujah a few months go complaining about all the terrorist civilian casualties?

He seems to get around....
Posted by: CrazyFool   2004-10-02 10:49:31 AM  

#10  109 mutants w/ toes up. Way to go!
Posted by: dennisw   2004-10-02 8:33:08 AM  

#9  1 to 109 kill ratio? Air support is sure doing it's job.
Posted by: Charles   2004-10-02 8:24:31 AM  

#8  I want a copy of the name generator. I will donate it to my local hospital.
Posted by: Shipman   2004-10-02 7:32:27 AM  

#7  I don't know. 'Hupemble Creque' is not THAT bad. (Although I don't think I'd like to be the 3411th Hupemble). I mean, imagine having a name like 'Englebert Humperdink' for REAL.
Posted by: Bryan   2004-10-02 2:45:00 AM  

#6  Bryan - I've run into that too, though I got a different name. Fred said something about writing a program to give the anonymous posters random funny names, but didn't know why it was affecting regular posters who have intact cookies.

If it were me, I'd be insulted by the name you got. Sounds Phrench. ;-P
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2004-10-02 1:54:03 AM  

#5  I meant to write, "By the time that image gets to OTHER Arabic TV channels...." I forgot for the moment this is CNN we're talking about.

"Hupemble Creque3411" is me. Where do these names come from?!
Posted by: Bryan   2004-10-02 1:25:45 AM  

#4  If this Jane Arraf is the same 'journalist' who used to sit in Baghdad during Saddam's reign of terror spouting platitudes about how fine everything was, then it's not only poor writing, but the accuracy of the report has to be questioned.

Note the careful, PC opening phrases:
"....US military officials said Friday."
"It was a response to what the United States called ...."
"This, they say, is the definitive battle for Samarra ...."

Also when you pick apart the sentence, "On Friday, U.S. and Iraqi forces using tanks, backed up with air support, were going through the city sector by sector," it is unclear whether the forces are under separate or unified command and who's in tanks and who's providing the air support.

I just saw her latest report on CNN. She says Iraqi "Special Forces" have gone in with the Americans.

In one clip there's a mosque in the background with something burning and sending up smoke in front of it. She makes it clear that it's not the mosque that's burning and the mosque is undamaged.

But I'm sure that by the time that image gets to the Arabic TV channels there'll be a different interperetation attached to it. Or maybe they just wont comment on it, letting the image speak (falsely) for itself.


Posted by: Hupemble Creque3411   2004-10-02 1:19:54 AM  

#3  The Fuchs armored cars are what the Iraqis have, in addition to their old soviet/Russian stuff - I know they are, in some places, operating BTRs and BMPs at a platoon level.
Posted by: OldSpook   2004-10-02 12:47:18 AM  

#2  Actaully the air support part was obvious from all the video coverage I saw on FOX. Does anyone go anywhere in Iraq without armored support?
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2004-10-02 12:39:48 AM  

#1  On Friday, U.S. and Iraqi forces using tanks, backed up with air support, were going through the city sector by sector...

This is either poor writing, or CNN just leaked that the Iraqis have armor (and air support) now. I'm opting for the former.
Posted by: Pappy   2004-10-02 12:33:01 AM  

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