Link to hear phone call here. Probably not fit for family viewing! :-)
An Oregon couple received a frightening phone call from their son in Afghanistan when he inadvertently called home during battle.
Stephen Phillips and other soldiers in his Army MP company were battling insurgents when his phone was pressed against his Humvee. It redialed and called his parents in the small Oregon town of Otis.
Sandie Petee, Phillips' mother, and her husband, Jeff Petee, weren't home at the time of the call. They returned home to find a three-minute voice mail on their answering machine. "His friend died a year ago in Iraq and I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, this may be the last time I hear my son's voice on the phone,'" Petee said.
They heard shooting, swearing and shouted pleas for more ammunition on the phone call from their son. "They were pinned down and apparently his barrel was overheating," said Jeff Petee. "It's something a parent really doesn't want to hear. It's a heck of a message to get from your son in Afghanistan."
The three-minute call ended abruptly. "You could hear him saying stuff like, he needs more f*cking ammo, or he needs another f*cking barrel," said John Petee, Phillips' brother. "At the end, you could hear a guy saying 'Incoming! F*cking RPG!' And then it cut off."
As soon as the voice mail stopped playing, the Petees began trying to reach their son in Afghanistan. The family figured out Petee had tried to call home earlier that day, but he didn't leave a message and the phone later redialed during battle.
They eventually reached their son. "I finally got a hold of him," Sandie Petee said. "He was embarrassed, he said, 'Don't let Grandma f*cking hear it.'"
Stephen Phillips is scheduled to return home next month, when his f*cking tour is complete, his mother said.
#1
Hi mom. Things are going well and ... bang, bang ... fuuuuuuck! Incoming!! things are same old same old. Take that, goat raper! Just want you not to worry. Everyone is treating me real well. Get me some more fucking ammo damnit! Anyway, tell dad I'll go fishing with him when I get back. Gotta run. Here they come gentlemen. Make your shots count, will you please? *click*
#2
A few years ago, my wife's cell phone, lying at the bottom of her purse, got bumped and speed-dialed me at the office while she was in the checkout line at the grocery. Once I realized what was going on, I decided to have a little fun. I started calling "Let me out! Let me out! . . ."
Posted by: Mike ||
05/06/2008 8:08 Comments ||
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#3
the other day my cell phone recorded probably the worst fight I have ever had with my spouse. It was a true and accurate PMS moment recorded for posterity.
#7
Friend of mine returned home not too long ago - there were the stories he told the parents and spouse, then there were the stories he told his close friends.
Hung out some returnees in Dallas a few weeks ago - bought drinks, showed them pictures of the family and told them they thank them so much, how much what they do is appreciated. Some said that fighting fires was crazier than what they do (they were also curious as to whether firefighters really do throw crazy BBQs). I had to give them the larger praise, "When you are fighting a fire, there are certain rules with which the fire must abide to."
After re-reading this popped into my head. "hello madda, hello fadda, here I am atta, camp by kabul. Life is good here, jihadis playing, and they say we'll have some fun if sharia stops its reigning.."
#9
Slats Elmavimp7985, on behalf of all those who can't understand because they haven't the experience, thank you. Not everyone is as wise, and those who can't understand are as likely to take away the wrong idea about things as they are to become more supportive. Mr. Wife never quite recovered from the stories his uncle told -- with photos no less, the young idiot! -- about Green Beret humour in Viet Nam.
Master Sgt. Brendan OConnor on Wednesday received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Armys second-highest valor award, for his actions during a 17-hour battle in Afghanistan.
The 47-year-old Special Forces medical sergeant spoke with humor and humility after the medal was pinned on his uniform in a ceremony at Bank Hall on Fort Bragg. My word! OConnor said, reacting to praise by a three-star Army general and a four-star Navy admiral. My name is Brendan OConnor, and I didnt fully approve that message.
In his self-effacing remarks, OConnor apologized to his children for missing birthdays and thanked his wife, Margaret, for what she has done in raising their family in his absence. Margaret OConnor writes a Home Front column for The Fayetteville Observer.
Master Sgt. OConnor, who resigned his commission as an officer and then took the rigorous training to become a Special Forces medical sergeant, said his momentary courage pales in comparison to people who cope courageously with difficult situations daily, such as Capt. Ivan Castro, who is blind, and Harry Hubbard, a friend who suffered a stroke in his mid-30s.
The audience included former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy, a friend of the OConnor family, and former 7th Group commanders.
The heroism of OConnor and his team in the face of an attack by 300 Taliban fighters received national attention April 20 in a segment on the CBS news show 60 Minutes.
Adm. Eric Olson, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command at Tampa, Fla., pinned the award on OConnors uniform. Olson hailed the contributions of the Green Berets and said the demand for Special Forces may grow as conventional forces are reduced overseas. Master Sgt. Brendan OConnor exemplifies the spirit of these warriors, Olson said.
The admiral wore his white Navy dress uniform. OConnor was in his green Army dress uniform.
OConnor led a quick reaction force June 24, 2006, in Kandahar provinces Panjwai District, described by Special Forces as one of the most hotly contested areas of southern Afghanistan. He maneuvered his force through Taliban positions and crawled alone through enemy machine-gun fire to reach two wounded soldiers, the citation said. He tied a signal cloth to his back to identify himself to aircraft overhead. While under fire, he provided medical care and carried a wounded soldier more than 150 yards across open ground. He climbed over a wall three times under enemy fire to help wounded soldiers seek cover. Then he took over as the operations sergeant and rallied, motivated and led his team.
Thank God for men like Master Sgt. OConnor, said Lt. Gen. Robert Wagner, commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg.
Maj. Sheffield Ford said after the ceremony that OConnor picked up Sgt. Joseph Fuerst and carried him over his shoulder and ran while under fire. Knowing that bullets were coming in all around him, he didnt hesitate, Ford said. He continued to get up and move because he knew he had to get Joe back if he was going to have a chance to try to save him. Fuerst died, and Staff Sgt. Matthew Binney survived, Ford said.
Former Sgt. 1st Class Abram Hernandez received the Silver Star, the Armys third-highest award for valor, on April 17 on Fort Bragg for his actions in the same battle. Master Sgt. Thomas Maholic was killed in the fighting and received the Silver Star posthumously Nov. 15.
During training, Special Forces medics, who have extensive training and upon whom the entire team depends, are told to wait for others to bring the wounded to them, but OConnor realized the soldiers needed immediate help and the battle was not going to stop, Ford said.
Staff Sgt. Charles Lyles said OConnor paused before going out on the mission to make sure he was taking everything he would need. The seconds he took to make sure he had everything ready, I believe, made the difference, Lyles said.
Staff Sgt. Brandon Pechette remembers OConnor being calm and cool and very intelligently funny while we were there, keeping the morale high, which is very important because we were such a small force against overwhelming odds.
The award came 40 years after OConnors father was killed in Vietnam.
The last time soldiers of the 7th Special Forces Group received Distinguished Service Crosses was in July 1964, Wagner said. Capt. Roger Donlon received the Medal of Honor, the nations highest valor award, for his actions in the same battle, he said. He was the first Medal of Honor recipient of the Vietnam War.
#4
USN, frankly, who the hell cares if he can read or not? I would rather have one MSGT O'Connor than a thousand Stephen Kings.
Posted by: Rambler in California ||
05/06/2008 16:47 Comments ||
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#5
that was a slam on SK: he was quoted yesterday as saying that if you cannot read you will end up in Iraq or the military. As a once former addict to his works they are all coming off the shelves tonight. I am sorry if you mis-interpreted my comment.
and i agree, the Good Master Sargeant is way beyond anything SK could ever hope to achieve.
#7
I haven't read Steven King Since he went from (Good) Science Fiction, to (Bad) Horror of the throw Bloody Guts around variety. Christine was the last story of his I've read.
Lost me permanently then and there, (Movie doesn't follow the book story, it's worse if possible)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
05/06/2008 19:30 Comments ||
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#8
God bless Sgt. O'Connor.
If the stupid and illeterate will all go to Iraq, then how does sk explain the horrible translation of his books to movie format? His best book, The Stand, had the good guys base up in Boulder if that means anything. The rest of his books were best summed up by Family Guy, "oooh oooh I'm a lamp monster!"
I guess I don't have to go looking for that hardback 1st print of The Stand anymore. I think in that spot will go Liberal Fascism - seems appropriate.
KABUL, Afghanistan - Three accidental explosions in the Afghan capital have left six people dead and more than 20 wounded, including some counternarcotics police, officials said Monday.
A policeman dropped a rocket-propelled grenade that exploded as his unit set off from Kabul on Monday on an opium poppy eradication mission north of the city, said Interior Ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary. One policeman was killed and at least eight were wounded, said Dr. Ahmad Zia Aftali, chief of the hospital where the injured were taken for treatment. However, Khodadad, a policeman who goes by one name and witnessed the blast, said in all more than 15 were hurt.
Also Monday, three children died and two others were wounded when an old artillery shell they were playing with exploded, Bashary said.
We'll be blamed for that, of course ...
Another police official, Sayed Ekramudin, said two civilians were killed and 13 others wounded in an explosion Sunday at a refuse dump in the city's northern outskirts. Ekramudin said a truck had hit a buried explosive.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
You'd think that by now, after decades of war, natural selection would have removed those who think artillery shells are toys from the gene pool. Must be a recessive gene, probably associated with maleness.
#2
Most of these deaths are hunting for brass. It sounds nicer to say the kids were playing than to say that their parents made them go out and gather old ammo for the brass.
Thousands of angry Somalis rioted Monday over rising food prices and the collapse of the nation's currency, culminating in clashes with government troops and armed shopkeepers that killed at least five protesters, witnesses and officials said. Shops and markets throughout Mogadishu quickly shut their doors as protesters, including many women and children, stoned storefronts and chanted slogans accusing traders of cheating them.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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Islamic insurgents killed at least three Ethiopian soldiers during a gunfight in the Somali capital on Sunday, a witness said. Mohamed Toshow said both sides exchanged fire after an attack on an Ethiopian water tanker in southern Mogadishu.
Ethiopian troops supporting the shaky U.N.-backed transitional government come under daily attack by Islamic insurgents, who receive support from Ethiopia's archenemy Eritrea.
In an unrelated incident, inter-clan fighting in western Somalia killed at least 12 people and wounded at least 15 others during a land dispute, residents said Sunday. Osman Enow, a resident in the town of Luq, said a dozen people had been killed when fighting broke out on Saturday night and that the wounded were being treated under trees because there were no hospitals in the area.
Mohamed Abdi Kalil, the deputy governor of Gedo region, where Luq is located, said," The clash was triggered by a land dispute, but the ensuing escalation of violence was attributed to a long-simmering rivalry between the clans. We are planning to send a group of elders from both warring sides to iron out the differences."
Posted by: Fred ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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Detained Harkatul Jihad (Huji) leader Arif Hasan Sumon yesterday confessed to a court that he along with three other Huji members took four bombs to the Pahela Baishakh celebrations at Ramna Batamul on April 14, 2001 and detonated them remotely.
After his five-day remand in two phases under Criminal Investigation Department's (CID) custody, he gave the confessional statement before Metropolitan Magistrate Waliul Islam between 2:30pm and 5:30pm yesterday.
In the statement, he said he and three other Huji activists--Jewel, Sujan and Jony-- carried out the bomb attack at Ramna Batamul. He said three of the four bombs kept in a food containers exploded. The police later recovered the unexploded bomb.
Sujan died in the blast since he failed to move away before the bombs were detonated. Jony had pressed the button of the remote.
Sujan died in the blast since he failed to move away before the bombs were detonated, CID sources said quoting Sumon's statement. A CID source said, "In the two-page statement, Sumon said Jony had pressed the button of the remote."
Sumon in the statement said Huji leaders Mufti Hannan, Abu Taher, Maulana Tajuddin and Abdur Rouf planned the attack and were present near Ramna Batamul when the bombs were detonated. Sumon also disclosed that they had visited the spot a day before the attack.
Sumon is also an accused in a case filed in connection with the August 21, 2004 grenade attack on an Awami league rally on Bangabandhu Avenue. Earlier, detained Huji boss Mufti Hannan in his confessional statement said Sumon carried the bombs to Ramna Batamul.
This article starring:
ABDUR RUF
Harkatul Jihad
ABU TAHER
Harkatul Jihad
ARIF HASAN SUMON
Harkatul Jihad
Magistrate Waliul Islam
MAULANA TAJUDIN
Harkatul Jihad
MUFTI HANNAN
Harkatul Jihad
Posted by: Fred ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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A bomb attack on a security checkpoint in Russias restive Chechnya province killed five policemen just days ahead of Dmitry Medvedevs inauguration as new president, said police officials on Monday. The attack occurred just outside the capital Grozny on Sunday, the latest blow to a fragile peace established under Medvedevs mentor, President Vladimir Putin. Five interior ministry personnel were killed as a result of an explosion, said Ramzan Edilov, head of the police department of Staropromyslovsky district. According to provisional information, the device was home-made, as nuts, bolts and ball bearings were found at the scene, said Edilov, adding, The search for the criminals is underway, they will be found and liquidated.
Another policeman died on Sunday from gunshot wounds after two police jeeps came under automatic weapon fire on the outskirts of the capital, Russian news agencies reported, citing unidentified police sources. Officials were unable to confirm the shooting incident and most officials refused to talk about the blast. The suppression of Chechen separatists rebels has been touted as one of the main achievements of the eight-year government of Putin, who launched the second Chechen war in 1999. The first war, launched against pro-independence rebels by President Boris Yeltsin in 1994, was widely regarded as a black spot on the latters presidency.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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(Xinhua) -- Two rebels of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were killed in southeastern province of Sirnak, Turkish General Staff said in a statement issued on its website on Monday.
The General Staff said two PKK rebels were killed by Turkish Security Forces as they were trying to sneak into Turkey to carry out terrorist attacks, adding that the security forces seized two Kalashnikov rifles and their ammunition clips.
Meanwhile, the security forces seized seven other Kalashnikovs and 113 ammunition magazines in another operation carried out in mountainous areas of Sirnak, added the statement.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has banned musical alerts on mobile phones in the Tribal Areas, Geo News reported on Monday. The channel quoted a TTP spokesman as saying that TTP Naib Amir Maulvi Faqir Muhammad had banned playing music in vehicles as well as on cell phones. He said that violators would be punished according to the Shariah law.
This article starring:
MAULVI FAQIR MUHAMAD
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
Posted by: Fred ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
and another one bites the dust....
Posted by: Jan ||
05/06/2008 1:06 Comments ||
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#7
I'll go for that.
"Pop goes the Weasel" sucks the thousandth repitition through crummy speakers. (The Ice Cream is really Yogurt, and sucks as well)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
05/06/2008 19:35 Comments ||
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#8
I vote for non stop gospel music
Posted by: Ebbatle Protector of the Leprechauns7911 ||
05/06/2008 22:13 Comments ||
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PARACHINAR: Militants on Monday attacked the Pewar village in Kurram Agency to disturb the law and order situation in the agency, official sources have said. They said that both light and heavy weapons were used in the attack, adding that no casualties were reported. The attack was launched from mountains in the Mangal tribe area, the sources said. Elders of the Turi tribe have demanded the NWFP governor and political administration take action against those disturbing peace in the area.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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MINGORA: Militants shot dead a Frontier Reserve Police (FRP) constable on Monday at Kalakot area of Matta. After killing Constable Haroonur Rashid, the militants fled the scene. Meanwhile, the authorities have put security on high alert in Swat following rising activities of militants in different areas. Security forces are strictly checking all vehicles at Fizza Gut, Kanju, Braim and Veeni checkposts to restrict the activities of militants.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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A tribal elder and former secretary general of Awami National Party (ANP) Bajaur Agency was kidnapped on Monday by unidentified gunmen near Government College. Gul Afzal Khan was en route from Haji Lawang area to Civil Colony when he was intercepted by armed men near Commerce College, residents and officials said. No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, and authorities said they were investigating the incident.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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An army official was injured when the Baitullah Mehsud-led local Taliban launched their first attack on the army after peace talks in South Waziristan failed, BBC Urdu reported on Monday. Security forces shelled various suspected positions in the Jandola and Manzai areas after the attack. However, no causalities were reported. According to the local administration, the Taliban attacked a Baloch Regiment patrolling team in the Sankai Raghzai area at about 12pm on Monday. An army official was seriously injured as a result. He was taken to the Jandola Scouts Hospital. According to the BBC, there were also reports of people fleeing certain parts of South Waziristan after the attack.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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Here wo go with the old "it isn't 100% so there must be something wrong story.
They never say that about universal health care.
WASHINGTON The deaths of two U.S. soldiers in western Baghdad last week have sparked concerns that Iraqi insurgents have developed a new weapon capable of striking what the U.S. military considers its most explosive-resistant vehicle. The key words are explosive-resistant you idiot.
The soldiers were riding in a Mine Resistant Ambush Protective vehicle, known as an MRAP, when an explosion sent a blast of super-heated metal through the MRAP's armor and into the vehicle, killing them both.
Their deaths brought to eight the number of American troops killed while riding in an MRAP, which was developed and deployed to Iraq last year after years of acrimony over light armor on the Army's workhorse vehicle, the Humvee.
The military has praised the vehicles for saving hundreds of lives, saying they could withstand the IEDs, or improvised explosive devices, which have been the biggest killers of Americans in Iraq. The Pentagon has set aside $5.4 billion to acquire 4,000 MRAPs at more than $1 million each, making the MRAP the Defense Department's third largest acquisition program, behind missile defense and the Joint Strike Fighter.
But last Wednesday's attack has shown that the MRAPs are vulnerable to an especially potent form of IED known as an EFP, for explosively formed penetrator, which fires a superheated cone of metal through the vehicle's armor. Your butt would be vulnerable to my foot if I had the chance.
Military officials are still trying to determine whether last week's attack is a sign of "new vulnerabilities (in the vehicle) or new (weapons) capabilities" on the part of insurgents, said Navy Capt. John Kirby, a spokesman for Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
U.S. officials don't know if the EFP that pierced the MRAP was larger, redesigned or a lucky shot from an old one. But explosive experts in Iraq are investigating, said Col. Jerry O'Hare, a military spokesman in Iraq.
The attack comes at a precarious political juncture in Iraq. U.S. officials have accused Iran of shipping EFPs across the border and arming militias. They charge that despite assurances from Iran that it would curtail its shipment of EFPs, new weapons have arrived this year.
So far, military officials in Baghdad don't know whether the EFP used in the attack was Iranian-made or if it was shipped to Iraq this year. From where, Iran?
Five of the eight soldiers who've died in MRAPs were killed in April, said Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman. Earlier in the month, a soldier was killed when an explosive struck an MRAP and it rolled over. Another two died in April when their MRAP rolled over and they drowned, Morrell said. Gee, they don't float either.
#3
If the MRAP was listed as a MPAP (mine proof ambush proof) vehicle, I would be concerned. Any vehicle can be defeated by strong enough explosive device. Even Abrams tanks have been destroyed. EFP's are expressly designed to defeat armor. What should be important is how many MRAPs have survived attacks that would have destroyed a Humvee.
Posted by: Rambler in California ||
05/06/2008 16:45 Comments ||
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#4
rambler i was gonna make the same point about abrams tanks by the molten copper slug
#6
One Cougar survived 5 separate attacks that would have destroyed a HUMVEE - the last one blew the right half of the front axle off and launched the engine about 30 yards away from the vehicle. The crew survived with NO major injuries. Of course, the Cougar was a write-off at that point.
#7
MRAPs are nothing more than distilled money used to counteract generic IEDs. By using our advantage in money we have eliminated our enemies advantage in easy access to cheap explosives. Now that they can only succeed with manufactured weapons they can make fewer attacks and have a new vulnerability in a supply chain that can be exploited.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Officials in Iraq are reporting that three women have been slain in an attack on a brothel in northern Iraq.
A statement says that Sunni Muslim militants are suspected in the attack, which left two other women wounded.
There's been a string of morality-related attacks on women in Iraq, including the bombings of hair salons and murders of women not wearing traditional garb.
Meanwhile, hospital officials say at least four Iraqis died overnight after clashes in Baghdad's Sadr City. Some 21 people were wounded. The sprawling slum has been the site of fierce fighting between the Mahdi Army militia and U.S. and Iraqi troops.
#3
I'll try this name, its pretty daffy and it meets my world view.
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang was a classic bad joke/shaggy dog story publication. Comics on tv in the old days used to demean each other by accusing the other of using Capt Billy's as a source book.
The Lions of Islam are obviously a bunch of female phobics. My PhD psychotherapist lady says that they show all the symptoms of being latent homosexuals, pedophiles and or just bat cases about women.....of course all you have to do is read a couple of chapter in the Quran to understand why they seem to react to women that way.
Posted by: Ebbatle Protector of the Leprechauns7911 ||
05/06/2008 22:12 Comments ||
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The U.S. military says 3,500 soldiers sent to Iraq last summer as part of the so-called surge will soon be leaving. What's with the "so-called"? Whazzat mean, anyway? I understand they're mocking the term, but what's its derivation? TW?
A military statement released late Monday says the soldiers will redeploy to the U.S. in the coming weeks.
The increase in troops - along with the rise of Sunni fighters who turned against al-Qaida and a truce called by Shiite militias and global warming and high gas prices - has been credited with helping dramatically cut violence across Iraq in the last 10 months. Credited? You think there's some other mystical explanation? Ya gotta love the AP!
Posted by: Bobby ||
05/06/2008 06:22 ||
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#1
Last month elements from Ft. Riley were returning from Iraq. Superdelegate bo supporter Governor Kathleen "not enough troops in Kansas for emergencies" Sebelius dropped the political soap and went to Lawrence for the KU basketball celebration instead of welcoming home troops. Logistically she could have made both events.
I was at a certain 40 year deployment anniversary in Dallas not too long ago and there was much talk about situations and slant stories like this - it is not going unnoticed.
#2
As an aside, in bringing back to the US Army soldiers, does this mean that Afghanistan is going to be "given" to the USMC? That is what the Marines have been wanting. I just wonder if it is official.
Posted by: Dar ||
05/06/2008 13:51 Comments ||
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#4
Unintended consequence to this return surge: that will mean there are more troops home come November and less deployed to have their absentee ballots lost / misrouted/ never counted. Wonder how many will vote "D"?????
#6
I can't help with the derivation, Bobby dear. Sorry. But by using so-called the writer does not have to attribute the use of the term, and thus conveys his doubt of the veracity or understanding of those who do. An alternative to scare quotes. It's been around for a while, unlike scare quotes which, as far as I can tell, have been used for only a few years.
Deaths and injuries are soaring in the Sadr City as U.S. troops increase their military and economic pressure on the city home to more than 2.5 million people. More than 532 people among them camp followers women and children have been killed in the past two weeks, hospital sources in the city said.
The sources, refusing to be named, said they have so far treated 2,563 serious injuries. Most of the deaths and injuries, the sources added, have occurred due to random shelling by U.S. warplanes and helicopter gun ships.
U.S. snipers are also responsible as many of the hits are in the head, chest and legs, the sources said. They never hit them in the arms, cruel people, these US snipers.
At least 14 percent of those killed and injured so far are children, 12 percent women and the rest are men of different ages. Except for the 120 percent baby ducks, fluffy bunnies and kittens.
The troops have blocked all entries to the citys for the third week and the sources said their supplies of medicine and other essential items were dangerously low. The Zahra Maternity Hospital in the city has been closed and the other two hospitals in are working under extremely difficult circumstances.
U.S. shelling has destroyed at least 310 buildings, damaged 625 shops and wrecked 180 vehicles, police sources say.
Schools have been closed for more than a month and government offices as well as municipal services have stopped functioning.
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC ||
05/06/2008 04:24 ||
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#1
random shelling by U.S
We DO NOT engage in 'random shelling' - we aim at stuff, and we hit what we aim at. Sounds like some militia 'projection' going on here - the writer figures random shelling is 'normal because that's what HIS guys do.
#5
If the morons had watched what happened elsewhere in Iraq starting with Fallujha they would never had picked a fight with the US troops. They really need to spend more time on that situational awareness survival trait.
#8
Actually, hidden among the horse pucky is some potentially usefull information:
It sounds like ~3,100 people have been killed and wounded in Sadr City. Of that number 74% are adult males (~2,300).
Hospital sources say 532 people have died. Bill Roggio reports the US and ISF have killed at least 502 criminals. Thus it appears that 95% of the dead are bad guys.
I conclude that very few children and women have been killed. Virtually all of the women and children casualties have been wounded.
It goes without saying that, except the 502, all other casualties could have been hit by us, by the JAM or debris.
I think we come out looking pretty good.
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
05/06/2008 11:57 Comments ||
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#9
Not to disagree, Al, but you did a fair amount of reading between the lines.
Prolly the AP will pick this up and run with it...
Posted by: Bobby ||
05/06/2008 12:27 Comments ||
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#10
The problem is that we have gotten way too good at avoiding civilian casualties.
War shouldn't be clean. It should be messy, ugly, nasty.
If war becomes too tidy people might forget to avoid it when possible.
#11
"due to random shelling by U.S. warplanes and helicopter gun ships"
We learned a long time ago that "random shelling" is the way to go. Sometimes we end up killing a camel in the desert, sometimes we get fluffy bunnies, and once in a while we get a terrorist's grandmother. Ya just never know.
But whoever is posting that crap from "iraq updates" can stop now. The only purpose I can see to posting it here is to push emotional buttons. Why would anyone want to publish Iranian propaganda here?
#12
The only purpose I can see to posting it here is to push emotional buttons. Why would anyone want to publish Iranian propaganda here?
Because one should always know what the other side is passing out as 'information'. It's a requirement for us professionals; it's advisable for Rantburg readers.
If you want nice comfortable articles that support your viewpoint, there's plenty of places to look. Or you can look away. Your choice.
#13
Bobby,
I agree about reading between the lines. Add salt as needed. However facts remain:
1) number of dead claimed by hospital is close to number of bad guys intentionally killed by U.S.
2) Bill Roggio admits his is an underestimate because it doesn't include DOW etc.
3) This doesn't leave very many left over for kids,women, fluffy bunnies etc.
Feel free to disagree.
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
05/06/2008 14:09 Comments ||
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#14
Thanks Pappy, you took the words out of my mouth. That's the very reason I posted the article. This type of crap is on Arab Satellite TV 24/7.
I always say if you know what bullshit looks like and smells like you can avoid stepping in it. Knowledge is power.
We have to be really cleaning the Mahdi Army's clock. They and their Iranian handlers are doing everything to get us to stop. Note the Iranian decision to not talk to the US while we are defeating their proxy fighters in Iraq.
#17
Again, nominal "journalists" use terrorists as a source for stories. Wherever there is an attack on jihadis, they always report large numbers of civilian casualties, while claiming - unless denial is impossible - that their own escaped unharmed.
Do we have an independent media, when they insist on re-spewing terr-prop?
We do not have an independent media. We have a global media-industrial complex. This is not the free press of the Founding Fathers, it is effectively an unelected, unaccountable shadow government whose only loyalty is to its own interest and to the depraved value systems of its own members and of its characteristic internal culture.
Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs is fond of saying that the "media are the enemy." With certain qualifications (not all media conform to Media-Industrial Complex values), this is nothing less than the literal truth. It is the central fact and the crucial issue of the current global war.
Yes, Frank is a major lib, but that fact only makes this damning indictment of media culture all the more credible.
Victory in the current war will be achieved only when an authentic free press is restored in the western world, and the Media-Industrial Complex is discredited and its 50 year reign of cultural terror brought to an end.
#19
My temporary daughter thought we are neglecting Iraq in favour of the next war with Iran. She now understands that is a journalist issue, not a question of the attention span of our Armed Forces. She's learnt a lot of unexpected things since she joined us two weeks ago!
#22
You're sweet to say that, Chinegum McGurque5166, but she's got perfectly good parents of her own, who have some difficulties that need handling at the moment. I've graduated from Mrs. wife to Aunt trailing, though. :-)
BALAD, Iraq Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Force teams, advised by U.S. Special Forces, engaged Special Groups criminals conducting a small arms fire attack in Baghdad in two separate operations, May 4 and 5, killing seven and detaining two.
During the May 4 operation, ICTF killed one Special Groups criminal who was attacking an Iraqi Police station and Coalition forces with small arms fire from a rooftop.
As the team left the area, they were attacked again by small arms fire from three more gunmen. The ICTF returned fire, killing two.
In the al-Shoalah neighborhood in northern Baghdad, the ICTF conducted an operation May 5 to prevent Special Groups activity and disrupt improvised explosive device networks. During the operation, Special Groups criminals attacked the team with an IED and small arms fire. As a firefight developed, U.S. Special Forces authorized a Coalition aircraft to engage the enemy. The aircraft fired four rounds killing one enemy fighter.
The ICTF then cleared two structures in the area and detained two individuals for questioning. After clearing the two structures, the ICTF left the neighborhood and were attacked by three more gunmen. The ICTF returned fire killing all three.
Operations to enforce the rule of law, detain criminal elements and disrupt their networks continue across Baghdad, said Col. Bill Buckner, MNC-I spokesman. We are chipping away at their ability to intimidate innocent Iraqis and conduct their criminal activities.
#1
nice to see Buckner found respectable employment after that gig with the Red Sox
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/06/2008 9:13 Comments ||
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#2
Someone recently mentioned the "flypaper syndrome" about these operations. The syndrome still seems to be in affect as it seems the bad guys can't resist attacking even when the Iraq Army is trying to disengage.
#3
I think it would be a hoot for PSYOPS to try to identify as many Iranians al-Quds as possible during these operations, then all at once, send a very carefully timed bulk mailing to their families in Iran.
"Condolences from the US military for having to kill your son, who was sent to Iraq to murder innocent Muslim Iraqi civilians on behalf of your government. You might want to ask them why they did this.
Clashes between the Mahdi Army and US and Iraqi forces continued in Baghdad over the weekend as efforts to complete the security barriers separating the southern portion of Sadr City from the Mahdi Army-controlled north. The US military has moved another battalion of Strykers into the Sadr City. In the South, Iraqi troops cleared another militia-controlled neighborhood in Basrah.
Baghdad battles
US and Iraqi forces have killed 18 Mahdi Army fighters in Sadr City and New Baghdad since the afternoon of May 3. Nine Mahdi Army fighters were killed in Sadr City and northern and eastern Baghdad during the nighttime and early morning hours of May 4-5 after attacking US forces, planting roadside bombs, or preparing to launch mortars and rockets.
US soldiers killed four more Mahdi Army fighters in the eastern district of New Baghdad after coming under attack on May 4. And US troops killed five more Mahdi Army fighters in Sadr City as they attempted to stop the barrier from being built late May 3 and early May 4. No US soldiers were reported killed in any of the incidents.
US and Iraqi forces have inflicted heavy casualties on the Mahdi Army in Sadr City and surrounding neighborhoods since the fighting broke out in Baghdad on March 25. According to US and Iraqi reports compiled by The Long War Journal, 502 Mahdi Army fighters have been killed in and around Sadr City. These numbers do not include Mahdi Army fighters who may have died after being wounded in the fighting.
With heavy fighting inside Sadr City, the US military is beefing up its forces in the area. Multinational Forces Iraq has moved an additional battalion to the Sadr City region over the past several days. The 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division has moved from northwestern Baghdad province into the Sadr City area over the past week. This is the ninth US battalion known to be operating inside Sadr City. Two Iraqi Army brigades and a National Police brigade are also operating inside Sadr City.
Raids on the Iranian-backed Special Groups
US and Iraqi special forces teams have renewed their raids against the Special Groups, the Iranian-backed elements of the Mahdi Army. Ten Special Groups leaders and operatives have been captured during raids in Baghdad and Hillah since May 2.
On May 4, Coalition special forces captured two Special Groups operatives, including the main target, in the Rashid district in Baghdad. The main target was a commander who was "wanted for facilitating the import of Iranian-made munitions into Iraq" as well as directing mortar and rocket attacks and operating safe houses for his operatives.
Iraqi special forces conducted two raids -- one in Hillah and one in Baghdad -- on May 2. The Hillah Special Weapons and Tactics team captured two men "charged with conducting a series of attacks against a Coalition forces base with indirect fire weapons." Four associates were also captured during the raids.
Iraqi Special Operations Forces captured a "mid-level Special Groups leader" and an associate during a raid in Baghdad on May 2. The Special Groups leader led a 50-man company that conducted mortar and rocket attacks against Iraqi and Coalition forces. The commander also directed kidnappings and murders.
Iraqi troops clear another neighborhood in Basrah
As operations against the Mahdi Army continue in Baghdad, Iraqi security forces press the offensive in Basrah. Soldiers from Quick Reaction Force 1 cleared the Mahdi Army-controlled neighborhood of Al Latif.
"The clearing of Al Latif resulted in several cache discoveries, including dozens of automatic weapons, mortars and improvised explosive devices," Multinational Forces Iraq reported in a press release. "The QRF 1 also detained several criminals, and raided and demolished the residence of a known IED maker and militia leader."
Al Latif is the fifth Mahdi Army-controlled neighborhood cleared in Basrah since Operation Knights' Assault was launched on March 25. Iraqi security forces have cleared the Al Huteen, Hayaniyah, Taymiyyah, and Qiblah neighborhoods over the past several weeks.
Quick Reaction Force 1 is the new designation for the 1st Iraqi Army Division, the most experienced unit in the Iraqi military. This unit deployed from Anbar province at the opening days of the Basrah operation to assist in the offensive.
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC ||
05/06/2008 04:05 ||
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#1
captured a "mid-level Special Groups leader"
I wonder if he had a cell phone and computer. Or at least a pay ledger.
#3
I hope that this operation runs through to completion. Tater and his tots need to be totally totalled, so we do not have to mess with them any more.
A lot of lives, both US and Iraqi, could have been saved if we took out Tater 4 years ago. Well, better late than never.
Posted by: Alaska Paul in Thorne Bay, AK ||
05/06/2008 16:56 Comments ||
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#4
For those complaining about the survival of Tater, there was NOT the political will in Iraq 4 years ago to take him out. It was only AFTER the collapse of the Sunni militias and their conversion to Sons of Iraq {the Iraqi version of Kit Carson Scouts}, that Tater became politically vulnerable; also, the Iraqi Army and Police had 4 years of training and vetting so that they became reliable. The average length of a counter-insurgency campaign is 10 years historically, the US is a couple of years ahead of the curve in Iraq.
#6
The Iraqi Shiites loved young Master Sadr four years ago, for the sake of his father. They had to learn to hate him for his very own sake before they would help get rid of him.
Indonesian police arrested a member of Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian terrorist group, for his suspected role in a suicide bombing on the resort island of Bali in 2005, Agence France-Presse said.
The arrested man, Faiz Fauzi, 28, was a close aide to Malaysian Noordin Mohammad Top and helped Top plan the 2002 suicide bombings on Bali which killed 202 people, 88 of them Australians, AFP said, citing a police spokesman.
He was also an associate of Azahari Husin, another JI leader, who was killed in November 2005 in Malang, East Java, Indonesian police spokesman Abubakar Nataprawira said.
Jemaah Islamiyah, which is linked to al-Qaeda, is blamed for a 2004 bomb attack outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta that killed nine people, a Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta in 2003 that killed 12 and a second attack in Bali in 2005, when three suicide bombers killed themselves and 20 other people.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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(Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan military said Sunday that its Air Force successfully bombed a target of Tamil Tiger rebels in the northern district of Mulathivu in the afternoon.
Officials from the Media Center for National Security said Air Force fighter jets pounded a supply facility and storage deport of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) around 4:30 p.m. (1100GMT) in the Puthukudirippu area. They said the air strike caused heavy damage to the LTTE supply facility.
Meanwhile, defense officials said 17 rebels were killed and 43 others were injured in several sporadic clashes in the northeastern Welioya area on Saturday. They said seven soldiers were also killed and seven others were injured in the clashes.
Having taken over control of the Eastern Province last July, Sri Lanka's security forces are currently battling LTTE rebels in the north with an aim to crush them before the end of 2008.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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COLOMBO - Tamil rebels mounted an attack on a joint navy and army security base in north-western Sri Lanka on Monday, a military spokesman said. The military said government forces opened retaliatory fire and repulsed the attack, but Tamil rebels claimed that they seized arms and ammunition from the base and killed three sailors.
The attack was mounted on the beachfront Kondampiddy camp, 320 kilometres north of the capital, in the early hours of Monday by rebel cadres who arrived in a small flotilla of boats, the military said. However, as government troops opened retaliatory fire, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerrillas ran away fled towards the north-east with their casualties onboard their boats, which then became targets of government ground troops supported by artillery, the military said.
One soldier was injured and another was missing following the pre-dawn confrontation, the military added.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/06/2008 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Master Sgt. Brendan OConnor on Wednesday received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Armys second-highest valor award, for his actions during a 17-hour battle in Afghanistan.
KABUL, Afghanistan - Three accidental explosions in the Afghan capital have left six people dead and more than 20 wounded, including some counternarcotics police, officials said Monday.
Islamic insurgents killed at least three Ethiopian soldiers during a gunfight in the Somali capital on Sunday, a witness said. Mohamed Toshow said both sides exchanged fire after an attack on an Ethiopian water tanker in southern Mogadishu.
(Xinhua) -- Two rebels of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were killed in southeastern province of Sirnak, Turkish General Staff said in a statement issued on its website on Monday. 
The 
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Officials in Iraq are reporting that three women have been slain in an attack on a brothel in northern Iraq. 
Deaths and injuries are soaring in the Sadr City as U.S. troops increase their military and economic pressure on the city home to more than 2.5 million people. More than 532 people among them 
BALAD, Iraq Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Force teams, advised by U.S. Special Forces, engaged Special Groups criminals conducting a small arms fire attack in Baghdad in two separate operations, May 4 and 5, killing seven and detaining two.
US and Iraqi forces have killed 18 Mahdi Army fighters in Sadr City and New Baghdad since the afternoon of May 3. Nine Mahdi Army fighters were killed in Sadr City and northern and eastern Baghdad during the nighttime and early morning hours of May 4-5 after attacking US forces, planting roadside bombs, or preparing to launch mortars and rockets. 
(Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan military said Sunday that its Air Force successfully bombed a target of Tamil Tiger rebels in the northern district of Mulathivu in the afternoon. 
COLOMBO - Tamil rebels mounted an attack on a joint navy and army security base in north-western Sri Lanka on Monday, a military spokesman said. The military said government forces opened retaliatory fire and repulsed the attack, but Tamil rebels claimed that they seized arms and ammunition from the base and killed three sailors.
