Iraq War News
Four Lebanese truck drivers missing in Iraq in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror
Second day of battles across Iraq in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror
U.S. Troops, Al-Sadr Militants Clash: "Coalition troops battled militiamen loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in several Iraqi cities Friday, the second day of fighting that has shattered truces to end a widespread rebellion two months ago."
In Kansas City Star: Iraq
Saudi forces arrest a top terror suspect: "Saudi police arrested a top Saudi terror suspect, officials said Friday, weeks after the al-Qaida-linked cleric reassured followers he was "taking all necessary precautions" to evade a government sweep."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
4 Lebanese truck drivers missing in Iraq: "Four Lebanese truck drivers are missing in Iraq, the Foreign Ministry said Friday. Contacts are underway to find out whether the four have been kidnapped, a ministry official said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraq Shiite cleric seeks heart treatment: "Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, changed planes here Friday on his way to London, where he will receive treatment for a heart condition."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
BAGHDAD POLICE TAKE DOWN CRIMINAL THEFT RING in CENTCOM: News Release
AL-DHARI RELEASED TO IRAQI AUTHORITIES in CENTCOM: News Release
Iraq's top Shiite cleric flies to for London for heart treatment in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror
Saudi terror suspect nabbed in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror
Top terror arrests...More Iraqi fighting... Keyes reportedly to run in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror
Coalition Troops Battle Al-Sadr: "Coalition troops for the second day in a row are battling militiamen loyal to radical Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, whose aides are calling on the U.N. and the Iraqi government to help them restore a truce."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
U.S. Says Security Preventing New Troops for Iraq: "The United States hopes nationswill contribute troops by next month to a new force to guardU.N. staff in Iraq but U.S. Ambassador John Danforthacknowledged on Thursday volunteers were scarce. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Light blogging for a couple of days: "Just got back from an overnight embed and I'm exhausted. No sleep for last two days (more or less.) And I've got to file for TIME and another draft due on a story I'm working on. So it will be light here for a couple of days. Oh, and I just spent an hour deleting about 100 spam messages. Jesus, I hate you guys. You can't get on the board, so just stop trying, OK?..."
In Back to Iraq 2.0
How did Iraqis feel?: "The Daily News story is up. How'd you like more on that one?"
In Back to Iraq 2.0
Attacks wound 15 U-S soldiers in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror
Italian Troops Clash with Shi'ite Militia in Iraq: "Italian forces clashed withShi'ite militia fighters in the southern city of Nassiriyaearly on Friday and tensions were still high, an Italianmilitary spokesman said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Clinton accuses Bush of contracting out US security to Pakistan: "Former US president Bill Clinton accused President George W. Bush's administration of contracting out US security and the hunt for Osama bin Laden to Pakistan, in its zeal to wage war in Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Friday, August 6, 2004
Thursday, August 5, 2004
Iraq War News
Iraqi Fighters Shoot Down U.S. Helicopter in Najaf: "Fighters loyal to Moqtada al-Sadrshot down a U.S. helicopter on Thursday in fierce clashes inthe Shi'ite city of Najaf that threatened to unravel a dealagreed in June to end an uprising by the militant cleric. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Fighting Flares in Iraq's North: "BAGHDAD - Insurgents and Iraqi security forces battled in Mosul on Wednesday, leaving at least 22 people dead in a northern city often cited as a success story in restoring order to Iraq. (Los Angeles Times)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US-led force to guard UN in Iraq: "UN staff will have to rely on the US-led multinational force for protection in Iraq, the UN says."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)
IRAQI NATIONAL GUARD ASSIST IRAQI POLICE TO REPEL ATTACK in CENTCOM: News Release
Fierce Clashes in Iraqi Holy City of Najaf: "U.S. marines and Iraqi security forcesfought fierce battles with supporters of radical Shi'ite clericMoqtada al-Sadr in the holy city of Najaf on Thursday, withmarines calling in helicopters for backup, witnesses said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US soldiers offer dark tale of prison life in Iraqi abuse case: "US soldiers testified against Private Lynndie England, photographed holding a leash tied to an Iraqi inmate's neck, placing her at the center of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Car Bomb South of Baghdad Kills at Least Five: "A car bomb attack on a police stationsouth of Baghdad on Thursday killed at least five people andwounded 21, a health ministry official said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
'Al Qaida agent' among suspects: "A senior al Qaida agent was among twelve men arrested in anti-terror raids across England on Tuesday, it has been reported."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
WHO'S PAYING FOR THE WAR?: " (William F. Buckley)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi Fighters Shoot Down U.S. Helicopter in Najaf: "Fighters loyal to Moqtada al-Sadrshot down a U.S. helicopter on Thursday in fierce clashes inthe Shi'ite city of Najaf that threatened to unravel a dealagreed in June to end an uprising by the militant cleric. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Fighting Flares in Iraq's North: "BAGHDAD - Insurgents and Iraqi security forces battled in Mosul on Wednesday, leaving at least 22 people dead in a northern city often cited as a success story in restoring order to Iraq. (Los Angeles Times)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US-led force to guard UN in Iraq: "UN staff will have to rely on the US-led multinational force for protection in Iraq, the UN says."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)
IRAQI NATIONAL GUARD ASSIST IRAQI POLICE TO REPEL ATTACK in CENTCOM: News Release
Fierce Clashes in Iraqi Holy City of Najaf: "U.S. marines and Iraqi security forcesfought fierce battles with supporters of radical Shi'ite clericMoqtada al-Sadr in the holy city of Najaf on Thursday, withmarines calling in helicopters for backup, witnesses said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US soldiers offer dark tale of prison life in Iraqi abuse case: "US soldiers testified against Private Lynndie England, photographed holding a leash tied to an Iraqi inmate's neck, placing her at the center of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Car Bomb South of Baghdad Kills at Least Five: "A car bomb attack on a police stationsouth of Baghdad on Thursday killed at least five people andwounded 21, a health ministry official said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
'Al Qaida agent' among suspects: "A senior al Qaida agent was among twelve men arrested in anti-terror raids across England on Tuesday, it has been reported."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
WHO'S PAYING FOR THE WAR?: " (William F. Buckley)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Monday, August 2, 2004
Iraq Today
Top Iraqi cleric condemns church bombings: "Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric on Monday condemned as "hideous crimes" the coordinated bomb attacks on five churches in Baghdad and Mosul that killed 11 people and marked the first major attacks Iraq's minority Christians since the insurgency began."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Revealed: coalition forces imprison Iraqi children (1 Aug 04) in Radio Free USA
Fair price for a life? Army pays Iraqi family £390 after shooting girl dead (1 Aug 04) in Radio Free USA
Claim : Babylon damaged By Military: "From Reuters, via the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) :
In Command Post: Irak
Internet video shows militants killing man identified as Turkish hostage in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror
Roadside bomb kills two American soldiers in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror
Iraq Government Blames Zarqawi for Church Bombings: "Iraq's government blamed al Qaeda allyAbu Musab al-Zarqawi on Monday for a series of church bombingsthat killed at least 11 people, saying the aim was to sparkreligious strife and drive Christians out of the country. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Allawi tells Kuwaitis Iraq upholds UN resolutions on eve of invasion anniversary: "Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi assured his Kuwaiti hosts that Baghdad upholds UN resolutions demarcating the border between the two countries and providing for war reparations, state KUNA news agency reported. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blasts on Iraqi Christian Churches Kill 11: "Assailants launched the first major attack on Iraq's minority Christians since the insurgency began, triggering a coordinated series of explosions outside five churches in Baghdad and Mosul that killed 11 people and injured more than 50. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Terrorism Suspects Traced to Iran: "PARIS - Despite its periodic crackdowns on the terrorist network, Iran has served as a refuge for Al Qaeda operatives suspected of plotting attacks in Europe and the Middle East and of playing a central role in the Iraqi insurgency, European investigators say. (Los Angeles Times)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Top Iraqi cleric condemns church bombings: "Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric on Monday condemned as "hideous crimes" the coordinated bomb attacks on five churches in Baghdad and Mosul that killed 11 people and marked the first major attacks Iraq's minority Christians since the insurgency began."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Revealed: coalition forces imprison Iraqi children (1 Aug 04) in Radio Free USA
Fair price for a life? Army pays Iraqi family £390 after shooting girl dead (1 Aug 04) in Radio Free USA
Claim : Babylon damaged By Military: "From Reuters, via the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) :
Foreign forces in Iraq have caused severe damage to the site of ancient Babylon, one of the world's most renowned archaeological treasures, and need to leave the area as soon as possible, Iraq's Culture Minister Mofeed al-Jazaeri said."
Heavy equipment, helicopters and other machinery used by Polish-led forces based at Babylon, 100 kilometres south of Baghdad, are causing irreparable harm, Mr Jazaeri said.
" Just their presence, with their heavy equipment, is harmful in and of itself ," the minister told Reuters, saying that helicopters landing and taking off were a particular problem.
[?]
Describing anecdotal accounts of the damage, Mr Jazaeri said ancient roofs and walls had collapsed and buildings had decayed.
He also said that workers employed by United States contracting firm Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR), a subsidiary of Halliburton, had been digging and building in the area around Babylon, causing further damage.
[?]
Polish commanders and KBR representatives were not immediately available for comment.
Iraqi officials raised the issue of the Babylon damage in June with the former US governor in Iraq, Paul Bremer, and the former coalition commander, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, who issued a statement saying they were aware of the complaints.
In Command Post: Irak
Internet video shows militants killing man identified as Turkish hostage in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror
Roadside bomb kills two American soldiers in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror
Iraq Government Blames Zarqawi for Church Bombings: "Iraq's government blamed al Qaeda allyAbu Musab al-Zarqawi on Monday for a series of church bombingsthat killed at least 11 people, saying the aim was to sparkreligious strife and drive Christians out of the country. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Allawi tells Kuwaitis Iraq upholds UN resolutions on eve of invasion anniversary: "Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi assured his Kuwaiti hosts that Baghdad upholds UN resolutions demarcating the border between the two countries and providing for war reparations, state KUNA news agency reported. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blasts on Iraqi Christian Churches Kill 11: "Assailants launched the first major attack on Iraq's minority Christians since the insurgency began, triggering a coordinated series of explosions outside five churches in Baghdad and Mosul that killed 11 people and injured more than 50. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Terrorism Suspects Traced to Iran: "PARIS - Despite its periodic crackdowns on the terrorist network, Iran has served as a refuge for Al Qaeda operatives suspected of plotting attacks in Europe and the Middle East and of playing a central role in the Iraqi insurgency, European investigators say. (Los Angeles Times)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Friday, July 30, 2004
Iraq War News
By Toby Harnden in Sadr City
SOMETHING about Sadr City was not quite right. An hour earlier, there had been the usual throngs of barefoot children running out from between the piles of rotting garbage and pools of sewage to wave at American soldiers.
But as the four Humvees and two Bradley fighting vehicles of the Iron Deuce platoon of Warrior Company rumbled out from Camp Eagle towards the centre of the slum, the main streets were empty apart from a tethered donkey and a few wandering goats.
Small knots of men peered out from alleyways. A lone figure appeared from a rooftop and then vanished. “It’s kind of quiet around here,” said Specialist Daniel Brown, driving Humvee Alpha Three Six. Just 21, he had already seen more action in the past six weeks than many infantrymen do in two decades.
Sergeant Michael Williams and Staff Sergeant Robert Miltenberger surveyed the scene through the sights of their M-16 rifles.“Staff Sergeant, if anything happens and I get hit, my bandages are in my left cargo pocket,” said Sgt Williams, 30, a tobacco-chewing father of four and self-proclaimed “grunt from Texas”. ”Okay,” said Staff Sgt Miltenberger, at 38 one of the oldest men in the platoon. “I though for a moment you wanted me to tell your wife you loved her.”
From the Humvee behind, a loudspeaker began to blare out a message in Arabic prepared by the “psyops” –psychological operations – team. “To all Iraqis, peace be upon you…Help us make your proud community safer and turn in your functional weapons for cash.”
Many soldiers were skeptical about the “weapons buy-back” programme was worthwhile. With $200 being offered for an AK-47 – around four times the local value – the danger was that the Mahdi Army might give in guns simply to get money to buy more.
Led by Moqtada Sadr, a 31-year-old fiery Islamist cleric, the Mahdi Army is engaged in a deadly fight for control of Sadr City, named after his father, a revered religious figure. The younger Sadr enjoys only minority support – perhaps 10 or 20 per cent - but a Mahdi reign of terror in the area has helped stifle opposition.
Home to an estimated 2.5 million impoverished Shia, Sadr City, was formerly called Saddam City, a calculated insult from Saddam Hussein, whose dictatorship had systematically oppressed Iraq’s majority Shia population. After a year of relative calm, Sadr’s men killed eight soldiers from the 2nd Battalion of the US Army’s 5th Cavalry Regiment after mounting an ambush on April 4th, the day the mechanised infantry unit took responsibility for the area. Hundreds of Mahdi men died.
Apart from publicising the weapons buyback scheme, the aim of the afternoon patrol was to visit the Tatheeb police station to assess the morale of Iraqi police officers, most of whom deserted their posts on April 4th, and monitor Mahdi activity in their neighbourhood. With the six vehicles parked in defensive positions outside the police station, Lieutenant Dave Swanson, the 25-year-old West Point graduate commanding the Iron Deuce platoon, went inside to talk to the chief of police.
Removing his helmet to reveal a completely bald pate, Lt Swanson began to discuss the problem of policemen failing to turn up for work. “I don’t quit my job and they’re shooting at me too,” he explained through an interpreter. As he spoke a shot rang out from the south, quickly followed by two more. “AK”, he said. “First one sounded like a misfire.” Ordering two soldiers onto the roof, he calmly continued his conversation.
Minutes later, there was a much louder bang as a Rocket Propelled Grenade was fired at the vehicles outside. It was followed by the throaty rattle of an RPK light machine-gun from the south and then more AK-47s, this time from the east. “Looks like we’re about to have us a little shoot out,” said Lt Swanson.
Outside, the psyops team had been handing out leaflets about the weapon buyback to children who were taking them across the street to their parents. The adults were tearing them up the leaflets and throwing them on the ground. About eight children had been gathered around a Humvee when the first Mahdi shots were fired.
Staff Sgt Miltenberger, stationed on the roof, yelled down into the station courtyard that he could see a gunman firing from around a corner. “Well, as soon as he comes round the corner, you pick him off.” The NCO opened fire to the south. “Get him,” shouted Lt Swanson. “Shoot him Milt.” Fire was now coming in from three sides, leaving only the entrance to the police station clear. “Get everybody in here,” ordered Lt Swanson, detailing Sergeant 1st Class Eric Ivey, 29, the platoon sergeant, to assign each man a position.
A full-scale gun battle was now raging with the machine gunners from all six vehicles outside laying down a carpet of fire. The rattle of the RPK ceased suddenly. “I was just informed the Bradley took that RPK out,” said Sgt Ivey. Out in the street, a wailing chant was being broadcast. “Is that a call to worship?” Lt Swanson asked the police chief. It was too early for that. Instead, someone at the mosque was beckoning people to battle.
More and more Mahdi men were flocking to the area. “See if we can draw them to us and take them out,” said Lt Swanson to Sgt Ivey. “Then we’ll roll out.” The three-man psyops team had driven out in an unarmoured Humvee. Lieutenant Peter East, 27, normally the night battle commander from the base Tactical Operations Centre, came into the police station. This was his first combat patrol. “I got an RPG near me, about 15 to 20 feet away,” he said. “That was pretty sweet. This is what I wanted to see.”
With most of his 24 soldiers and the three psyops soldiers inside the police station there was no sign of the assault abating. “White One, White Four,” said Sgt Ivey to Lt Swanson, now on the roof. “What do you want to do?” Taking the fight to the enemy in the six vehicles was impossible because of the vulnerability of the psyops Humvee. Remaining at the police station would only further endanger the platoon and the Iraqi police. An RPG slammed into one of the Humvees, bouncing off the armour. It was time to leave, Lt Swanson decided.
There was a swift discussion about which route to take. Each road had been assigned a code name and there were two basic choices – head through the safer, southern sector via Florida and Arrows, the long way back, or head north through the eye of the storm and straight to base.
“Let’s head down Copper,” said Lt Swanson, plumping for the most direct route. “We’ve got to just shoot through and hope nothing hits us.” The heavily-armoured Bradleys were to take the front and rear.
If a Humvee was hit and taken out of action, the Bradleys were to draw up beside them to shield them from fire while any casualties were pulled out. By this time an AK-47 had opened up opposite the police station. With the crews of the Bradleys laying down suppressing fire, the soldiers from the Humvees ran out of the police station and clambered back into their vehicles. “Let’s get your asses out of here,” shouted Lt Swanson.
Sgt Ivey, taking up the rear, spotted a man with an Ak-47 creeping down an alley beside the police station. “He had blue jeans and a shirt on,” he recalled afterwards. “He got two shots off but they went over my head. I put four in his chest and he just fell backwards.” Another gunman appeared from the alley opposite. “I just held the trigger and squeezed off a few rounds. I think I got him in the leg.”
A third gunman appeared from the alley where the first had been shot. “I could hear the rounds bouncing off the vehicles and landing at my feet,” said Sgt Ivey. “I just grabbed my guys and we dove into the back of a Bradley.” As the six-vehicle convoy moved off towards route Copper, the Mahdi fire intensified. In Humvee Alpha Three Six, in the middle of the group, Sgt Williams let out a battle cry. “Yeehaah,” he screamed as he aimed his M-16. “Come on! Get some!”
As the vehicles sped up Copper, the shooting subsided and the crowds swarmed onto the streets. At the intersection with route Bravo an old
refrigerator and the metal frame of a car had been put down to block the road. Specialist Brown braked and pulled the Humvee to the right as the convoy threaded its way through.
An old man dressed in a white robe beckoned the vehicles up the street towards a burning barricade of tyres and rubbish. A common Mahdi tactic is to use barricades to slow down or trap vehicles and then mount an ambush. Lt Swanson ordered a u-turn.
Alpha Three Six swung around. “Let’s do it baby, let’s do it!” whooped Sgt Williams as an RPG whooshed past from behind the barricade. “Hell, yes! Come on! I wasn’t feeling very loved. I hadn’t got shot at in a while.”
Sgt Jacob Kramer, 29, on the 7.62mm machine gun mounted on top, shot at each muzzle flash from the buildings to the right. Lt East, in the lead Humvee, spotted a gunman running towards his vehicle from a side street. “He was carrying one of the few AKs I’ve seen with a
shoulder stock,” he said afterwards. “I fired three shots and hit him almost dead centre. “His whole body hunched over and he fell forward. There was a dark reddish spot spreading across his chest. The way the bullets are made, if you hit someone there it’s a pretty fair assumption he’s going to be dead.”
The patrol headed south and back to the longer route home to base. Alpha Three Six plunged through a deep trench filled with effluent, sending it spraying up into the vehicle and onto the street. Speeding along, the convoy passed a clothes shop dedicated to the Brazilian footballer Ronaldo and a barber’s called “Georg Michael”. By the playground US soldiers call Disneyland, some children waved. One boy raised him arms to simulate firing a shot.
As the convoy arrived back at Camp Eagle there was relief there had been no casualties but also excitement. “You missed the fun,” shouted one soldier at another on guard duty and then laughed. “He’s going to be all bent out of shape.”
An estimated seven or eight Mahdi Army members were killed in the afternoon firefight. While the Mahdi had been unsuccessful this time, the swiftness with which they attacked and then set up barricades to block off escape routes indicated a growing tactical sophistication.
That evening, Lt Swanson led a six-vehicle Bradley patrol that claimed 12 more Mahdi lives with no American casualties.
The next day, the men of Iron Deuce were gathered at a cigarette factory that had been designated for guns to be handed back. Seven hours into their duty a grand total of two AK-47s and one vintage Russian machine gun had been received.
There had been little pause to reflect on the enemy dead. “It’s an odd feeling to kill someone,” said Lt East, from Connecticut. “It’s not sadness. I’m not happy about it. It’s just a strange feeling knowing you’ve done that.” Sgt Williams was angry at the way the Mahdi fought. “They’re
fighting us like cowards,” he said. “We’re out there trying to help them and they’re shooting us, using children as shields.”
For Specialist Brown, from Dallas, the war in Sadr City is primarily about protecting his platoon. “None of it bothers me really, he said. “I’m just out there doing what I have to stay alive – keep all of us alive – and go home.”
Ends
Iraq War News
SOMETHING about Sadr City was not quite right. An hour earlier, there had been the usual throngs of barefoot children running out from between the piles of rotting garbage and pools of sewage to wave at American soldiers.
But as the four Humvees and two Bradley fighting vehicles of the Iron Deuce platoon of Warrior Company rumbled out from Camp Eagle towards the centre of the slum, the main streets were empty apart from a tethered donkey and a few wandering goats.
Small knots of men peered out from alleyways. A lone figure appeared from a rooftop and then vanished. “It’s kind of quiet around here,” said Specialist Daniel Brown, driving Humvee Alpha Three Six. Just 21, he had already seen more action in the past six weeks than many infantrymen do in two decades.
Sergeant Michael Williams and Staff Sergeant Robert Miltenberger surveyed the scene through the sights of their M-16 rifles.“Staff Sergeant, if anything happens and I get hit, my bandages are in my left cargo pocket,” said Sgt Williams, 30, a tobacco-chewing father of four and self-proclaimed “grunt from Texas”. ”Okay,” said Staff Sgt Miltenberger, at 38 one of the oldest men in the platoon. “I though for a moment you wanted me to tell your wife you loved her.”
From the Humvee behind, a loudspeaker began to blare out a message in Arabic prepared by the “psyops” –psychological operations – team. “To all Iraqis, peace be upon you…Help us make your proud community safer and turn in your functional weapons for cash.”
Many soldiers were skeptical about the “weapons buy-back” programme was worthwhile. With $200 being offered for an AK-47 – around four times the local value – the danger was that the Mahdi Army might give in guns simply to get money to buy more.
Led by Moqtada Sadr, a 31-year-old fiery Islamist cleric, the Mahdi Army is engaged in a deadly fight for control of Sadr City, named after his father, a revered religious figure. The younger Sadr enjoys only minority support – perhaps 10 or 20 per cent - but a Mahdi reign of terror in the area has helped stifle opposition.
Home to an estimated 2.5 million impoverished Shia, Sadr City, was formerly called Saddam City, a calculated insult from Saddam Hussein, whose dictatorship had systematically oppressed Iraq’s majority Shia population. After a year of relative calm, Sadr’s men killed eight soldiers from the 2nd Battalion of the US Army’s 5th Cavalry Regiment after mounting an ambush on April 4th, the day the mechanised infantry unit took responsibility for the area. Hundreds of Mahdi men died.
Apart from publicising the weapons buyback scheme, the aim of the afternoon patrol was to visit the Tatheeb police station to assess the morale of Iraqi police officers, most of whom deserted their posts on April 4th, and monitor Mahdi activity in their neighbourhood. With the six vehicles parked in defensive positions outside the police station, Lieutenant Dave Swanson, the 25-year-old West Point graduate commanding the Iron Deuce platoon, went inside to talk to the chief of police.
Removing his helmet to reveal a completely bald pate, Lt Swanson began to discuss the problem of policemen failing to turn up for work. “I don’t quit my job and they’re shooting at me too,” he explained through an interpreter. As he spoke a shot rang out from the south, quickly followed by two more. “AK”, he said. “First one sounded like a misfire.” Ordering two soldiers onto the roof, he calmly continued his conversation.
Minutes later, there was a much louder bang as a Rocket Propelled Grenade was fired at the vehicles outside. It was followed by the throaty rattle of an RPK light machine-gun from the south and then more AK-47s, this time from the east. “Looks like we’re about to have us a little shoot out,” said Lt Swanson.
Outside, the psyops team had been handing out leaflets about the weapon buyback to children who were taking them across the street to their parents. The adults were tearing them up the leaflets and throwing them on the ground. About eight children had been gathered around a Humvee when the first Mahdi shots were fired.
Staff Sgt Miltenberger, stationed on the roof, yelled down into the station courtyard that he could see a gunman firing from around a corner. “Well, as soon as he comes round the corner, you pick him off.” The NCO opened fire to the south. “Get him,” shouted Lt Swanson. “Shoot him Milt.” Fire was now coming in from three sides, leaving only the entrance to the police station clear. “Get everybody in here,” ordered Lt Swanson, detailing Sergeant 1st Class Eric Ivey, 29, the platoon sergeant, to assign each man a position.
A full-scale gun battle was now raging with the machine gunners from all six vehicles outside laying down a carpet of fire. The rattle of the RPK ceased suddenly. “I was just informed the Bradley took that RPK out,” said Sgt Ivey. Out in the street, a wailing chant was being broadcast. “Is that a call to worship?” Lt Swanson asked the police chief. It was too early for that. Instead, someone at the mosque was beckoning people to battle.
More and more Mahdi men were flocking to the area. “See if we can draw them to us and take them out,” said Lt Swanson to Sgt Ivey. “Then we’ll roll out.” The three-man psyops team had driven out in an unarmoured Humvee. Lieutenant Peter East, 27, normally the night battle commander from the base Tactical Operations Centre, came into the police station. This was his first combat patrol. “I got an RPG near me, about 15 to 20 feet away,” he said. “That was pretty sweet. This is what I wanted to see.”
With most of his 24 soldiers and the three psyops soldiers inside the police station there was no sign of the assault abating. “White One, White Four,” said Sgt Ivey to Lt Swanson, now on the roof. “What do you want to do?” Taking the fight to the enemy in the six vehicles was impossible because of the vulnerability of the psyops Humvee. Remaining at the police station would only further endanger the platoon and the Iraqi police. An RPG slammed into one of the Humvees, bouncing off the armour. It was time to leave, Lt Swanson decided.
There was a swift discussion about which route to take. Each road had been assigned a code name and there were two basic choices – head through the safer, southern sector via Florida and Arrows, the long way back, or head north through the eye of the storm and straight to base.
“Let’s head down Copper,” said Lt Swanson, plumping for the most direct route. “We’ve got to just shoot through and hope nothing hits us.” The heavily-armoured Bradleys were to take the front and rear.
If a Humvee was hit and taken out of action, the Bradleys were to draw up beside them to shield them from fire while any casualties were pulled out. By this time an AK-47 had opened up opposite the police station. With the crews of the Bradleys laying down suppressing fire, the soldiers from the Humvees ran out of the police station and clambered back into their vehicles. “Let’s get your asses out of here,” shouted Lt Swanson.
Sgt Ivey, taking up the rear, spotted a man with an Ak-47 creeping down an alley beside the police station. “He had blue jeans and a shirt on,” he recalled afterwards. “He got two shots off but they went over my head. I put four in his chest and he just fell backwards.” Another gunman appeared from the alley opposite. “I just held the trigger and squeezed off a few rounds. I think I got him in the leg.”
A third gunman appeared from the alley where the first had been shot. “I could hear the rounds bouncing off the vehicles and landing at my feet,” said Sgt Ivey. “I just grabbed my guys and we dove into the back of a Bradley.” As the six-vehicle convoy moved off towards route Copper, the Mahdi fire intensified. In Humvee Alpha Three Six, in the middle of the group, Sgt Williams let out a battle cry. “Yeehaah,” he screamed as he aimed his M-16. “Come on! Get some!”
As the vehicles sped up Copper, the shooting subsided and the crowds swarmed onto the streets. At the intersection with route Bravo an old
refrigerator and the metal frame of a car had been put down to block the road. Specialist Brown braked and pulled the Humvee to the right as the convoy threaded its way through.
An old man dressed in a white robe beckoned the vehicles up the street towards a burning barricade of tyres and rubbish. A common Mahdi tactic is to use barricades to slow down or trap vehicles and then mount an ambush. Lt Swanson ordered a u-turn.
Alpha Three Six swung around. “Let’s do it baby, let’s do it!” whooped Sgt Williams as an RPG whooshed past from behind the barricade. “Hell, yes! Come on! I wasn’t feeling very loved. I hadn’t got shot at in a while.”
Sgt Jacob Kramer, 29, on the 7.62mm machine gun mounted on top, shot at each muzzle flash from the buildings to the right. Lt East, in the lead Humvee, spotted a gunman running towards his vehicle from a side street. “He was carrying one of the few AKs I’ve seen with a
shoulder stock,” he said afterwards. “I fired three shots and hit him almost dead centre. “His whole body hunched over and he fell forward. There was a dark reddish spot spreading across his chest. The way the bullets are made, if you hit someone there it’s a pretty fair assumption he’s going to be dead.”
The patrol headed south and back to the longer route home to base. Alpha Three Six plunged through a deep trench filled with effluent, sending it spraying up into the vehicle and onto the street. Speeding along, the convoy passed a clothes shop dedicated to the Brazilian footballer Ronaldo and a barber’s called “Georg Michael”. By the playground US soldiers call Disneyland, some children waved. One boy raised him arms to simulate firing a shot.
As the convoy arrived back at Camp Eagle there was relief there had been no casualties but also excitement. “You missed the fun,” shouted one soldier at another on guard duty and then laughed. “He’s going to be all bent out of shape.”
An estimated seven or eight Mahdi Army members were killed in the afternoon firefight. While the Mahdi had been unsuccessful this time, the swiftness with which they attacked and then set up barricades to block off escape routes indicated a growing tactical sophistication.
That evening, Lt Swanson led a six-vehicle Bradley patrol that claimed 12 more Mahdi lives with no American casualties.
The next day, the men of Iron Deuce were gathered at a cigarette factory that had been designated for guns to be handed back. Seven hours into their duty a grand total of two AK-47s and one vintage Russian machine gun had been received.
There had been little pause to reflect on the enemy dead. “It’s an odd feeling to kill someone,” said Lt East, from Connecticut. “It’s not sadness. I’m not happy about it. It’s just a strange feeling knowing you’ve done that.” Sgt Williams was angry at the way the Mahdi fought. “They’re
fighting us like cowards,” he said. “We’re out there trying to help them and they’re shooting us, using children as shields.”
For Specialist Brown, from Dallas, the war in Sadr City is primarily about protecting his platoon. “None of it bothers me really, he said. “I’m just out there doing what I have to stay alive – keep all of us alive – and go home.”
Ends
Iraq War News
Iraq War News
Allawi seeks Muslim unity against terror: "Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi urged Islamic countries Thursday to "stand as one group" against terrorists and voiced support for formation of Saudi-led Muslim force to help stabilize his country."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
British parliament calls for more troops in Afghanistan: "LONDON (AP) - A British parliamentary committee called for more troops and resources to be sent to Afghanistan, warning the country could "implode" if its fragile situation is not shored up."
In Fresno Bee: Iraq
Sharon makes oblique reference to nukes: "The United States backs Israel's right to weapons of deterrence, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday, an oblique reference to Israel's secret store of nuclear weapons."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Militias said to set Sudanese on fire: "Arab militias chained civilians together and set them on fire in Sudan's western Darfur region, where tens of thousands have been killed in a 17-month conflict, according to a report by an African Union monitoring team."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqis delay national conference 2 weeks: "A national conference considered a crucial first step in the country's fledgling move toward democracy was postponed for two weeks, an organizer said Thursday, a day after a massive car bombing that killed 70 people."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
in
in
Iraqi militants kidnap Somali man; bomb death toll at 70: "BAQOUBA, Iraq (AP) - The insurgent group of Jordanian militantAbu Musab al-Zarqawi kidnapped a Somali truck driver in Iraq andthreatened to behead him if his Kuwaiti company doesn't stopworking there, according to a videotape aired Thursday."
In Fresno Bee: Iraq
Ukraine weighs withdrawal of troops from Iraq: "KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - Ukraine is negotiating with the United States and Poland to reduce and eventually withdraw its troops from Iraq, a top defense official said Thursday, becoming the latest country to consider pulling out its mission."
In Fresno Bee: Iraq
Saddam said to have prostate infection: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein suffers from a chronic prostate infection and has refused to have a biopsy to prove he does not have cancer, an Iraqi official said in an interview Thursday on Al-Jazeera television."
In Fresno Bee: Iraq
Iraqi militants say Pakistani hostages killed: "BAGHDAD, Iraq - A militant group holding two Pakistani contractors hostage said Wednesday it had killed the men but freed their Iraqi driver, the television station Al-Jazeera reported."
In kgw.com: Iraq News
IRAQ: Focus on 'brain drain' due to insecurity and freedom: "BAGHDAD, 29 Jul 2004 (IRIN) - Iraq?s capital, Baghdad, is facing a 'brain drain' as doctors, judges, professors and businessmen look for jobs and safety in neighbouring countries."
In IRIN: Iraq Crisis
Allawi seeks Muslim unity against terror: "Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi urged Islamic countries Thursday to "stand as one group" against terrorists and voiced support for formation of Saudi-led Muslim force to help stabilize his country."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
British parliament calls for more troops in Afghanistan: "LONDON (AP) - A British parliamentary committee called for more troops and resources to be sent to Afghanistan, warning the country could "implode" if its fragile situation is not shored up."
In Fresno Bee: Iraq
Sharon makes oblique reference to nukes: "The United States backs Israel's right to weapons of deterrence, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday, an oblique reference to Israel's secret store of nuclear weapons."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Militias said to set Sudanese on fire: "Arab militias chained civilians together and set them on fire in Sudan's western Darfur region, where tens of thousands have been killed in a 17-month conflict, according to a report by an African Union monitoring team."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqis delay national conference 2 weeks: "A national conference considered a crucial first step in the country's fledgling move toward democracy was postponed for two weeks, an organizer said Thursday, a day after a massive car bombing that killed 70 people."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
in
in
Iraqi militants kidnap Somali man; bomb death toll at 70: "BAQOUBA, Iraq (AP) - The insurgent group of Jordanian militantAbu Musab al-Zarqawi kidnapped a Somali truck driver in Iraq andthreatened to behead him if his Kuwaiti company doesn't stopworking there, according to a videotape aired Thursday."
In Fresno Bee: Iraq
Ukraine weighs withdrawal of troops from Iraq: "KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - Ukraine is negotiating with the United States and Poland to reduce and eventually withdraw its troops from Iraq, a top defense official said Thursday, becoming the latest country to consider pulling out its mission."
In Fresno Bee: Iraq
Saddam said to have prostate infection: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein suffers from a chronic prostate infection and has refused to have a biopsy to prove he does not have cancer, an Iraqi official said in an interview Thursday on Al-Jazeera television."
In Fresno Bee: Iraq
Iraqi militants say Pakistani hostages killed: "BAGHDAD, Iraq - A militant group holding two Pakistani contractors hostage said Wednesday it had killed the men but freed their Iraqi driver, the television station Al-Jazeera reported."
In kgw.com: Iraq News
IRAQ: Focus on 'brain drain' due to insecurity and freedom: "BAGHDAD, 29 Jul 2004 (IRIN) - Iraq?s capital, Baghdad, is facing a 'brain drain' as doctors, judges, professors and businessmen look for jobs and safety in neighbouring countries."
In IRIN: Iraq Crisis
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Iraq War News
U.S. allies defiant despite Iraq threats: "U.S. allies Poland, Japan and Bulgaria on Wednesday rejected threats of new attacks by militants if they don't pull their troops out of Iraq, and the U.S. death toll since the start of the war rose to 900 when a roadside bomb killed a soldier north of Baghdad."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Saudis say they found American's head: "The head of slain American hostage Paul M. Johnson Jr., who was kidnapped and decapitated by militants in Saudi Arabia last month, was found by security forces during a raid that targeted the hideout of the Saudi al-Qaida chief. Two militants were killed, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Hastert: 9/11 reforms unlikely this year: "Congress isn't likely to undertake major revisions of the nation's intelligence operations this year, House Speaker Dennis Hastert says, casting doubt on the Sept. 11 commission's push for immediate changes once its final report is released."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Berger: Incident was 'honest mistake': "Former national security adviser Sandy Berger says he regrets the way he handled classified terrorism documents, calling the whole thing "an honest mistake." Republicans say the matter raises questions about whether the former Clinton administration official sought to hide embarrassing materials."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
U.S. allies defiant despite Iraq threats: "U.S. allies Poland, Japan and Bulgaria on Wednesday rejected threats of new attacks by militants if they don't pull their troops out of Iraq, and the U.S. death toll since the start of the war rose to 900 when a roadside bomb killed a soldier north of Baghdad."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Saudis say they found American's head: "The head of slain American hostage Paul M. Johnson Jr., who was kidnapped and decapitated by militants in Saudi Arabia last month, was found by security forces during a raid that targeted the hideout of the Saudi al-Qaida chief. Two militants were killed, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Hastert: 9/11 reforms unlikely this year: "Congress isn't likely to undertake major revisions of the nation's intelligence operations this year, House Speaker Dennis Hastert says, casting doubt on the Sept. 11 commission's push for immediate changes once its final report is released."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Berger: Incident was 'honest mistake': "Former national security adviser Sandy Berger says he regrets the way he handled classified terrorism documents, calling the whole thing "an honest mistake." Republicans say the matter raises questions about whether the former Clinton administration official sought to hide embarrassing materials."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
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