Six marines reported killed in lengthy battle near Syrian bo

[seruriermarshal]

BAGHDAD (CP) - The U.S. military closed down two major highways into the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Saturday in the latest disruption caused by intensified attacks by anti-U.S. insurgents. U.S. and Iraqi negotiators reported progress in talks aimed at easing the fighting in Fallujah, while the besieged city saw its quietest day yet.


Canadian Press Photo



Meanwhile, a Foreign Affairs spokesman in Ottawa said Saturday that Fadi Fadel, a Canadian humanitarian worker kidnapped in Iraq (news - web sites) earlier this month and released Friday, had arrived safely in Amman, Jordan.


U.S. marines fought pitched battles against about 150 gunmen in Qaim, near the Syrian border, the city's police chief said. Six marines and scores of insurgents were killed in the 14-hour battle, an embedded journalist from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper reported. A U.S. military spokesman could not confirm the report.


Sections of the two highways, north and south of the capital, were closed off to repair damage from a mounting number of roadside bombs. Commanders suggested the routes remained vulnerable to attacks by insurgents who have been targeting U.S. military supply lines.


"We've got to fix those roads, we've also got to protect those roads," U.S. army Brig.-Gen. Mark Kimmitt said in Baghdad.


The military warned civilians found on the closed sections "may be considered to be anti-coalition forces" and come under U.S. fire.


Kimmitt said civilians would be redirected around the closed sections.


"There are many ways to get into Baghdad and many ways for getting out of Baghdad," he said.


Attacks by gunmen at the western, northern and southern entrances to the city have targeted key military supply lines, forcing the repeated closure of the main Baghdad-Amman road through the violent western district Abu Ghraib.


On Friday, militants showed video of a U.S. soldier captured during one such attack on April 9. Army Pfc. Keith Maupin of Batavia, Ohio, was captured in the same raid in which fighters seized truck driver Thomas Hamill, of Macon, Miss.


Meanwhile, two Japanese hostages - an aid worker and a freelance journalist - were released Saturday to the same group of Islamic clerics who negotiated the freedom of three Japanese hostages earlier this week.


Pierre Bechard of Foreign Affairs said Fadel, 33, arrived "safe and sound" in Jordan on Saturday and was in the care of his employers, the New York City-based International Rescue Committee.


A family member in Laval, Que., said they had been told Fadel would arrive home Tuesday night.


He was one of a number of foreigners kidnapped in a spate of abductions in Iraq.


This month has seen the worst violence in Iraq since the fall of captive Iraqi president Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) last year. U.S.-led forces are battling Sunni Muslim insurgents in Fallujah and a Shiite militia in the south.


Gunfire was nearly halted in Fallujah on Friday night and the quiet continued through Saturday. A nominal truce since April 11 had been repeatedly shaken by nighttime battles as both insurgents and marines dug in.


Talks toward ending the standoff were to resume Monday but the top U.S. military negotiator suggested their continuation depends on continued quiet.





"I can't stress enough how key it is for the ceasefire to hold over the next 24 to 48 hours," said Maj.-Gen. Joseph Weber, the top U.S. military negotiator.

The military announced Saturday a U.S. soldier was killed two days earlier when his patrol hit an anti-tank mine near Tikrit, north of Baghdad. His death brought to 89 the number of U.S. troops killed in violence since April 1.

More than 1,000 Iraqis have been killed. At least 686 U.S. servicemembers have died in Iraq since the war began in March 2003. That figure does not include the six marines reported killed near the Syrian border.

In the south, U.S. troops skirmished for a second day with militiamen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. His aides said Iraqi-led mediation aimed at resolving a standoff with the Americans had broken down.

Militiamen attacked two U.S. Humvees outside Najaf, sparking a battle, witnesses said. Al-Sadr loyalists also fired mortars at the Spanish army base in the city but there were no casualties.

A coalition soldier - apparently a member of the Spanish-led force in the city - was killed the night before in fighting with the militia, the U.S. military said.

Fighting on Friday also killed five militiamen, the military said. Soon after clashes Friday morning, a U.S. tank opened fire with a machine-gun on a car passing its convoy, killing two civilians. An AP reporter witnessed the shooting.

A senior Shiite cleric warned Saturday the standoff could deteriorate "into a war that will have terrible effects...a war that will not be in the interest of anyone, especially coalition forces."

Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Taqi al-Modaresi, a moderate cleric, said if U.S. forces move to capture al-Sadr, it would "incite strong anger" among Iraq's Shiite majority.

U.S. commanders have said they have no plans for the time being to enter Najaf - Iraq's holiest Shiite city - where al-Sadr's office is located. Some 2,500 U.S. troops deployed this week to the outskirts of Najaf on a mission to kill or capture the cleric.




RIP

:(

[seruriermarshal]

Now we must wait for more news .

I hear this message from http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/world/8456408.htm


6 Marines, scores of Iraqis killed in fierce battle

BY RON HARRIS

St. Louis Post-Dispatch


HUSAYBAH, Iraq - (KRT) - Six Marines were killed and scores of insurgent Iraqis slain in a fierce 14-hour battle Saturday between Marines and mujahedeen fighters who slipped into this town near the Syrian border.

According to Marines, an estimated 300 Iraqis from Fallujah and Ramadi launched an assault against the Americans in Husaybah around 8 a.m. local time, beginning with a roadside bombing and a flurry of 24 mortars.

When Marines responded to the bombing, they were met with small-arms and machine-gun fire as they neared a former Baath Party headquarters.

Marines responding to the call for help were mortared and strafed as they made their way into the city. Additional Marines then joined in the fight.

Fighting continued late into the night as Marine Cobra helicopter gunships strafed enemy positions near a downtown soccer stadium and Marine helicopters continued to take wounded to their main base 22 miles away at Camp Al-Qaim.

At least nine Marines were injured and about 20 Iraqis captured, Marines said. The detainees were taken to Camp Al-Qaim late Saturday night for questioning.

All of the Marines were killed in the first hour of the fighting, four of them when they went to clear out a house where Iraqi fighters were hiding.

The battalion commander, Col. Matthew Lopez, said he believed the Marines had crushed the insurgents' attack.

"I don't think they expected us to retaliate as hard as we did," said Lopez, 40, of Chicago, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines.

[LordHalbert]

There's not much news about this event yet.

Seems like a pretty big battle.

[Ratamacue]

Regardless of the casualties (RIP), it's a job well done.

[seruriermarshal]

There's not much news about this event yet.

Seems like a pretty big battle.

Sorry , I don't know where are this event . In Qaim or in Fallujah and Ramadi . Perhaps other friends will send more messages about this event .

[American Patriot]

Oo-rah.

[American Patriot]

This is pretty funny, hehe.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3C4312DA-9ADD-4D4D-A972-68153FBCA56E.htm

[seruriermarshal]

3 U.S. soldiers are killed in Iraq attack [In Baghdad]

Another sad message :


BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 17 (UPI) -- Iraqi gunmen reportedly fired rocket propelled grenades at a U.S. patrol in a Baghdad suburb Saturday, killing three soldiers and wounding three others.


Witnesses said a Humvee vehicle was set on fire in the attack, which occurred in the Shiite-inhabited suburb of al-Kamalia, east of Baghdad. They said they saw the bodies of three American soldiers lying on the road with their faces covered by a sheet.


There was no comment from the coalition authority.


Also Saturday, three powerful explosions echoed throughout Baghdad, but there was no information about the targets or locations of the blasts.




RIP

:(

[seruriermarshal]

A more detailed article about the same battle:

HUSAYBAH, Iraq - (KRT) - Lance Cpl. Dustin Myshrall knew things were going to be bad from the moment he responded to the call for help from his fellow Marines.


"There was nobody on Market Street (the city's busiest thoroughfare)," said Myshrall, 22, of Baton Rouge, La. "We were flying through the alleys and there weren't any of the little kids like you normally see. But we didn't know it was going to be this big."


In some of the fiercest fighting in recent weeks, five Marines were killed and dozens of Iraqi insurgents slain in a daylong battle that began early Saturday in Husaybah. Marines beat back the offensive by what was reported to be hundreds of Iraqis from another area who had slipped into this city just 300 yards east of the Syrian border.


According to Marine intelligence, nearly 300 Iraqi mujahedeen fighters from Fallujah and Ramadi launched the offensive in an outpost next to Husaybah, first setting off a roadside bomb to lure Marines out of their base and then firing 24 mortars as the Marines responded to the first attack.


At least nine Marines were wounded and more than 20 Iraqi fighters were captured in the 14-hour battle. The Iraqi prisoners were taken to the Marines' main base, Camp Al Qaim, 22 miles east of here, for questioning.


Late Saturday night, Marine Cobra helicopter gunships were still strafing enemy positions around the soccer stadium near downtown Husaybah while medical evacuation helicopters carried wounded Marines back to Camp Al Qaim.


Marines awoke Saturday to the flurry of mortar rounds following the roadside bomb. According to the Marines, the insurgents apparently ignited the bomb as a decoy.


A Marine unit responding to the bomb pulled in front of the former Baath Party headquarters here at around 8:30 a.m. local time (12:30 p.m. EDT) and were met by rocket-propelled grenades and machine gun fire.


The unit radioed for help, and a second group of Marines trying to reach them were hit by heavy mortar fire as they traveled along their normal route into the city. Once the second group of Marines arrived in the city, they were strafed by small arms and machine gun fire from insurgents hiding in homes along their route.


All of the slain Marines were killed in the first 90 minutes of the battle, when they went to clear a house and were ambushed by Iraqis hiding in the building.


The battalion commander, Lt. Col. Matthew Lopez, said he believed he was able to crush the enemy forces by calling in reinforcements from the rest of his 1,000-plus man unit at Camp Al Qaim.


" I don't think they expected us to respond with the kind of force that we did," said Lopez, 40, of Chicago.


Marines cordoned off the city of about 100,000 residents, halting all traffic in and out except for women and children who were fleeing the fighting.


At one point, many of the insurgents reportedly had gathered in a local mosque, and Marines were preparing to bomb the building. They decided not to attack, however, when they couldn't positively identify the occupants of the mosque.


According to Marine snipers reporting to their commanders by radio, some of the insurgents fired at Marines and then hid behind children.


"We're trying to get the snipers in position for a shot," Major George Schreffler told the other commanders through tactical radio communications. "They're looking at guys in blue uniforms and others with black clothes and black masks. Some are using children to shield themselves. We will not take shots in which we could possibly hit children."


By 2:30 p.m., Marines had begun sweeping through the city and closing down exit routes.


"Tell the Marines `be careful,' because there are a lot of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) on the East End Road," one commander told the other officers over the radio.


By 3 p.m., the entire battalion was either engaged in the fight or preparing to relieve those who were already fighting.


By 4:30 p.m., Marines had called in the first Cobra gunships, which strafed a number of enemy positions and backed ground units that were converging on enemy sites.


By 6 p.m., Marines had the insurgents on the run. Fire from 50-caliber machine guns, 40 mm grenades, M-16s and Marine mortars crackled and exploded through the city.


"Yeah, get some," said Pfc. Patrick Patenge, 19, of Mesa, Ariz.


For many of the Marines, the fight was a chance to finally strike back at an illusive enemy that has been killing and maiming their friends through roadside bombs, land mines and ambush attacks.


Sitting in the back of a green ambulance at the soccer field, Lance Cpl. Raul Gonzalez, 18, of Monroeville, Ala., said he was trying to help a fellow Marine who had been shot through the cheek when he was injured in the foot by a rocket-propelled grenade that did not explode.


Lance Cpl. Christopher Nimbus, 19, was wounded in the left shoulder by shrapnel when another rocket-propelled grenade exploded as he and another Marine were making their way into the town from the south.


"The other guy, he was hurt really bad," said Nimbus, who sustained a minor injury. "He had leg wounds and his arms were hit pretty bad."


Lance Cpl. Austin Herbel, 21, escaped injuries when one of his tires was shot out and a bullet came through the window of his Humvee and ricocheted around the interior of the vehicle.


"I'm one of the lucky ones," said Herbel, of Colby, Kan.


Myshrall, who was in one of the first groups to respond to the early assaults, knew all of the men who were killed. Four were his close friends.


"It's tough," said Myshrall, who drove the bodies of his friends to Camp Al Qaim so they could be taken back to the United States.


"It doesn't feel real. It doesn't look real."


Lance Cpl. Francisco Villegas, 28, also knew the men closely. He drove the truck that carried the captured Iraqis who may have killed his friends.


"It hurts," he said. "It hurts. You don't think it could happen to people you know, and especially these guys. They were exceptional. You just never thought it would happen to them. They were everybody's friend."

[seruriermarshal]

This is pretty funny, hehe.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3C4312DA-9ADD-4D4D-A972-68153FBCA56E.htm

Friend , can you find more news about this event ? thank you ......

[Soulhunter]

5 Marines killed in battle near Syrian border

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4667742/

[UkrainianAmerican]

RIP, heroes. :(

[seruriermarshal]

5 Marines killed in battle near Syrian border

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4667742/

And this report perhaps earlyer , I think U.S. army will have more information .

[Soulhunter]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3637005.stm

Five marines died in skirmishes on the Syrian border, according to a reporter at the scene, while four soldiers died in ambushes south and west of Baghdad.

[seruriermarshal]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3637005.stm

Five marines died in skirmishes on the Syrian border, according to a reporter at the scene, while four soldiers died in ambushes south and west of Baghdad.
Sorry , my ISP can't support this web site . Can you send this news ? thank you very much ......

[Pille1234]

as you wish:


'Nine US troops' killed in Iraq


US impatience with Sadr is growing
Nine US troops are reported to have been killed in clashes with insurgents in Iraq.
Five marines died in skirmishes on the Syrian border, according to a reporter at the scene, while four soldiers died in ambushes south and west of Baghdad.

At least seven Iraqis are also reported to have been killed in the fighting.

Meanwhile, a tense stand-off is continuing in the holy city of Najaf between US forces and supporters of radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr.

A spokesman for Mr Sadr said all mediation efforts have so far failed.

The Americans insist Mr Sadr must be captured or killed and his militia disbanded, but so far they have respected Shia calls not to attack the city.

The BBC's regional analyst Sadeq Saba, says it is hard to believe US troops can afford to wait at the gates of Najaf for long.

He says sovereignty is due to be transferred to Iraqis by the end of June and the Americans are keen to end rebellions by militant groups.

Scattered fighting

The US army said on Sunday four soldiers had been killed in two separate incidents.


"Three soldiers travelling in a 1st Armoured Division convoy were killed during a small arms ambush" near the southern city of Diwaniya around 1700 [1500 GMT] on Saturday, the military said in a statement.

Another army statement said "a soldier assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force was killed yesterday as a result of enemy action in the al-Anbar province," west of the Iraqi capital.

A reporter from the US St Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper embedded with coalition forces said five marines were killed in clashes with insurgents in Qaim near the Syrian border.

The journalist said marines have been fighting pitched battles with about 300 gunmen in the town.

Ten Iraqis are also reported to have been killed, and 20 captured during a 14-hour battle.

The US military has not confirmed the report.

[Salty Dog]

According to Marine snipers reporting to their commanders by radio, some of the insurgents fired at Marines and then hid behind children. :cantbeli:

[seruriermarshal]

as you wish:


'Nine US troops' killed in Iraq


US impatience with Sadr is growing
Nine US troops are reported to have been killed in clashes with insurgents in Iraq.
Five marines died in skirmishes on the Syrian border, according to a reporter at the scene, while four soldiers died in ambushes south and west of Baghdad.

At least seven Iraqis are also reported to have been killed in the fighting.

Meanwhile, a tense stand-off is continuing in the holy city of Najaf between US forces and supporters of radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr.

A spokesman for Mr Sadr said all mediation efforts have so far failed.

The Americans insist Mr Sadr must be captured or killed and his militia disbanded, but so far they have respected Shia calls not to attack the city.

The BBC's regional analyst Sadeq Saba, says it is hard to believe US troops can afford to wait at the gates of Najaf for long.

He says sovereignty is due to be transferred to Iraqis by the end of June and the Americans are keen to end rebellions by militant groups.

Scattered fighting

The US army said on Sunday four soldiers had been killed in two separate incidents.


"Three soldiers travelling in a 1st Armoured Division convoy were killed during a small arms ambush" near the southern city of Diwaniya around 1700 [1500 GMT] on Saturday, the military said in a statement.

Another army statement said "a soldier assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force was killed yesterday as a result of enemy action in the al-Anbar province," west of the Iraqi capital.

A reporter from the US St Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper embedded with coalition forces said five marines were killed in clashes with insurgents in Qaim near the Syrian border.

The journalist said marines have been fighting pitched battles with about 300 gunmen in the town.

Ten Iraqis are also reported to have been killed, and 20 captured during a 14-hour battle.

The US military has not confirmed the report.




Thank you very much , I search more web site , hope find more messages , thank you again ......

[Soulhunter]

According to Marine snipers reporting to their commanders by radio, some of the insurgents fired at Marines and then hid behind children. :cantbeli:

Of course that's hideous and disgusting! And I'm completely against it.

On the other hand it's just a 'military' tactic of the insurgents, since they can't fight the US on an open field they adapt their strategy. As a 'David' you have to improvise if you want to fight your 'Goliath'. That's not a justification, it's an explanation.

As the underdog you can't play by the 800-pound gorilla's rules. You would be instantly doomed. Therefore it's hypocritical for the US to talk about the rules of war etc.

[seruriermarshal]

According to Marine snipers reporting to their commanders by radio, some of the insurgents fired at Marines and then hid behind children. :cantbeli:

Of course that's hideous and disgusting! And I'm completely against it.

On the other hand it's just a 'military' tactic of the insurgents, since they can't fight the US on an open field they adapt their strategy. As a 'David' you have to improvise if you want to fight your 'Goliath'. That's not a justification, it's an explanation.

As the underdog you can't play by the 800-pound gorilla's rules. You would be instantly doomed. Therefore it's hypocritical for the US to talk about the rules of war etc.

Then 911 same ?

[Salty Dog]

According to Marine snipers reporting to their commanders by radio, some of the insurgents fired at Marines and then hid behind children. :cantbeli:

Of course that's hideous and disgusting! And I'm completely against it.

On the other hand it's just a 'military' tactic of the insurgents, since they can't fight the US on an open field they adapt their strategy. As a 'David' you have to improvise if you want to fight your 'Goliath'. That's not a justification, it's an explanation.

As the underdog you can't play by the 800-pound gorilla's rules. You would be instantly doomed. Therefore it's hypocritical for the US to talk about the rules of war etc.

that's not a military, or insurgent tactic for that matter. that is something terrorists do.

[Soulhunter]

Sort of.

Although that of course doesn't justify it. Anymore than the Iraq war was justified by the reasons the US gave at the time.

[Soulhunter]

marineDep: that all depends on which side you are.

For lots of Iraqis, Arabs and Muslims worldwide the US are occupiers and the insurgents freedom fighters.

For lots of Americans the US are liberators and the insurgents terrorists.

I don't expect you to understand that. But it was worth the try.

[A Soldier]

This is pretty funny, hehe.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3C4312DA-9ADD-4D4D-A972-68153FBCA56E.htm
The fact that they can put this out amazes me, they are the biggest pieces of ****. Notice how they call the Allies an "Occupation Force" , this news agency just stirs up more trouble and should be destroyed by a tomahawk missle. By publishing this they are themselves terrorists.

[Soulhunter]

Well if you look really close at the 'mighty Coalition of the Willing' Bush always speaks about, you'll see that that's a lot of garbage too. It's the US and the UK and some foreign troops between 20 and a few thousand troops. That's the same sort of brainwash. EVERYONE in this war is using propaganda and spin all the time.

[Salty Dog]

marineDep: that all depends on which side you are.

For lots of Iraqis, Arabs and Muslims worldwide the US are occupiers and the insurgents freedom fighters.

For lots of Americans the US are liberators and the insurgents terrorists.

I don't expect you to understand that. But it was worth the try.

i understand that, but terrorists hide behind children, not freedom fighters.

[Ichhabe]

This is pretty funny, hehe.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3C4312DA-9ADD-4D4D-A972-68153FBCA56E.htm
The fact that they can put this out amazes me, they are the biggest pieces of ****. Notice how they call the Allies an "Occupation Force" , this news agency just stirs up more trouble and should be destroyed by a tomahawk missle. By publishing this they are themselves terrorists.

Actally! I have read that article 3 times. I can not honestly say that I see something wrong in that.
Are there some parts that I am missing?

And sorry to say American Patriot: Can't see the fun in that- Care to explain?

[Pille1234]

****ing bloody month. I just hope the situation will not escalate any further.



Eleven more U.S. troops die in Iraq
Sunday, April 18, 2004 Posted: 12:16 PM EDT (1616 GMT)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Eleven U.S. troops have died from combat wounds over the weekend, the U.S. military announced Sunday.

Since the start of the war, 700 Americans have been killed, 504 of them in hostile actions.

Five Marines were killed in fierce fighting Saturday near Iraq's border with Syria, the military said.

And three U.S. soldiers were killed Saturday when their 1st Armored Division convoy was ambushed near the southern Iraqi town of Ad Diwaniyah.

A ninth American, who was assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Unit, also was killed Saturday in fighting west of Baghdad in the violent Al Anbar province.

Also on Sunday, officials announced two more deaths. A U.S. soldier was killed and two others injured Saturday when their tank rolled over in north Baghdad, and another soldier died of wounds received in a roadside bombing Saturday.

Two Iraqi cities that have been centers of fighting between insurgents and U.S.-led coalition troops -- Najaf and Fallujah -- were relatively calm Sunday.

No talks were scheduled about the situation in Fallujah, the city west of Baghdad where fierce fighting dominated the first two weeks of April.

Outside the Shiite Muslim holy city of Najaf in south-central Iraq, coalition forces remained deployed while militant cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army retained control of the town.

Minor clashes were reported elsewhere in southern Iraq between al-Sadr supporters and other coalition forces.

The coalition wants to capture or kill al-Sadr, wanted for questioning in the killing of a rival cleric. Coalition troops also would like to render his outlawed militia, which has been fighting U.S. soldiers, harmless. There are several parties, including Iranians, trying to negotiate with al-Sadr.

Also Sunday, Pope John Paul II called on Iraqi kidnappers to show "humanity" and free their hostages, including U.S. Army Pfc. Keith Matthew Maupin, 20, a reservist from Batavia, Ohio.

In his weekly appearance in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sunday, the pontiff said he was "following with great sadness the tragic news that is coming out of the Holy Land and Iraq." (Full story)

New Iraqi military leaders chosen
Amid concerns that Iraq's security forces were inadequate to the task of securing the country, defense minister Ali Allawi announced newly appointed military leaders in his ministry and said the new Iraqi military would eventually number 200,000.

"Iraqi forces will be defensive in nature, composed of volunteers only," Allawi said in Baghdad. "The military will serve their people without religious or sectarian or tribal or political discrimination."

Allawi also said he was confident Iraqi forces would be able to handle "the enemies of Iraq [who] are carrying out aggressive acts to get Iraq back to the old days."

Additionally, the coalition announced that the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps had captured a suspected anticoalition leader near the northern city of Tikrit early Sunday.

Hakeem Badour Khalaf, the coalition said, has been implicated in the deaths or injuries of at least three people, including two U.S. soldiers and an interpreter.

In Baghdad, the Advisory City Council helped in the selection of a mayor Sunday. The council heard from the final eight mayoral candidates who were chosen from more than 90 applicants.

The Coalition Provision Authority has the final say in the matter after the council provides a list of the three candidates with the most votes. Coalition officials said they expected to confirm the council's choice.

[Trident-za]

Very bad month for the coalition :( Hope the situation improves soon!

Note: before anyone gets all aggressively patriotic on me, I'm referring to casaulties (98 US KIA and 642 DoD confirmed WIA betwen 3rd April and 16th April) and not whether or not the coalition successfully beat up the insurgents.

[Spearin]

Yes, it has been a very bad month for casualties... CNN reports 11 killed yesterday which brings US deaths to 700 - 504 of which from hostile action. (Source (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/18/iraq.main/index.html))

So far this month, 91 Coalition troops have been killed from hostile actions. It has been the third most deadly month since the War began (November '03 - 110 KIA, March '03 - 92 KIA)(Source (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4766574/))

The month is barely half-way through... so April '04 may become the deadliest month thusfar if things remain the same.

[to free the oppressed]

Now we must wait for more news .

I hear this message from http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/world/8456408.htm


6 Marines, scores of Iraqis killed in fierce battle

BY RON HARRIS

St. Louis Post-Dispatch


HUSAYBAH, Iraq - (KRT) - Six Marines were killed and scores of insurgent Iraqis slain in a fierce 14-hour battle Saturday between Marines and mujahedeen fighters who slipped into this town near the Syrian border.

According to Marines, an estimated 300 Iraqis from Fallujah and Ramadi launched an assault against the Americans in Husaybah around 8 a.m. local time, beginning with a roadside bombing and a flurry of 24 mortars.

When Marines responded to the bombing, they were met with small-arms and machine-gun fire as they neared a former Baath Party headquarters.

Marines responding to the call for help were mortared and strafed as they made their way into the city. Additional Marines then joined in the fight.

Fighting continued late into the night as Marine Cobra helicopter gunships strafed enemy positions near a downtown soccer stadium and Marine helicopters continued to take wounded to their main base 22 miles away at Camp Al-Qaim.

At least nine Marines were injured and about 20 Iraqis captured, Marines said. The detainees were taken to Camp Al-Qaim late Saturday night for questioning.

All of the Marines were killed in the first hour of the fighting, four of them when they went to clear out a house where Iraqi fighters were hiding.

The battalion commander, Col. Matthew Lopez, said he believed the Marines had crushed the insurgents' attack.

"I don't think they expected us to retaliate as hard as we did," said Lopez, 40, of Chicago, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines.


RIP :(

[seruriermarshal]

Now allies must change war plan in Iraq .

RIP

:(

[J-10]

11 US soldiers killed in one day in Iraq


http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-04/19/content_1426355.htm

[Skaman]

11 US soldiers killed in one day in Iraq


http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-04/19/content_1426355.htm

What can someone say? Respect and condolences to their families I guess.

[Kilgor]

marineDep: that all depends on which side you are.

For lots of Iraqis, Arabs and Muslims worldwide the US are occupiers and the insurgents freedom fighters.

For lots of Americans the US are liberators and the insurgents terrorists.

I don't expect you to understand that. But it was worth the try.

i understand that, but terrorists hide behind children, not freedom fighters.

And they have al****era waiting around the corner to get footage of how "blood thirsty" americans are. Human shield and propaganda weapon all in one, children are quite handy in war for terrorists.

Freedom fighters love their country and children, terrorists dont give a ****. But im sure someone will make up some lame bull**** excuse justifying this sort of behavour.

[ForceReaper]

11 US soldiers killed in one day in Iraq


http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-04/19/content_1426355.htm

What can someone say? Respect and condolences to their families I guess.Your hollow condolences are not wanted by these men you show complete and utter disrespect for real soldiers that have died.I take serious offense to this! Whether you agree with the war or not show respect or STFU! Now you have Che Guevara as an Avatar you are a serious POS! Does your supposed command know you are a Communist Sympathizer? You are a disturbed individual!

[Skaman]

Whether you agree with the war or not show respect


That would be what I was doing. Yet I get flamed for this as well. Ammmmmazing.

[Kilgor]

Che was a stalinist ****bag and a poor soldier as well. More skilled at shooting people in the back of the head than fighting a real battle.

You wonder why people take offence at him ?
:roll:

[Ichhabe]

ForceReaper said:


Does your supposed command know you are a Communist Sympathizer?

rofl That was actually funny. rofl

I think Canada can overcome if Duc have those symphaties. And why do you care?

[Skaman]

Che was a stalinist ****bag and a poor soldier as well. More skilled at shooting people in the back of the head than fighting a real battle.

You wonder why people take offence at him ?
:roll:


Che was a romantic, a voice of the people, a revolutionary who stood strong against those who condemned him. He was a charismatic man with many great principles, and some less than ideal ones of course.

[Kilgor]

Hes a media myth, propaganda symbol to socialist and communist groups and most of all a fashion symbol.

Go to any anti war rally, che shirts and flags everywhere which is ironic because he was a warmonger and loved executing prisoners.

[ZedroS]

Hello

I've beem reading some news from The Independant about the Syrian border (http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=512807) and I read that :

"Another solder was killed when his Abrams tank overturned in Baghdad."

Do you have more information ?

[Brozozo]

Che was a homo. If he were alive today he'd be wrapping tacos at your local Taco Bell.

[Kilgor]

Pillow biter ... wouldnt suprise me.

But seriously.. he died on his knees begging for his life.

He'd be rolling in his shallow grave at the number of wannta be kiddie kommie revolutionists that worship him.

[ForceReaper]

Whether you agree with the war or not show respect


That would be what I was doing. Yet I get flamed for this as well. Ammmmmazing. "I guess" is NOT showing respect! Che a romantic you are seriously confused and delusional. Unbelievable!

Pillow Biter does seem to suit you well though!

[Shake n Bake]

ducimus, You're an insult to anyone who's ever served in the military. I seriously hope you die a gruesome death.

[Pille1234]

ducimus, You're an insult to anyone who's ever served in the military. I seriously hope you die a gruesome death.
Wooohooo! We have reached another low point. This forum has become a really lovely place. :slap:

[nerdman]

Freedom Fighters... I like to call them Oppression Fighters. As in, fighting to oppress.

[nerdman]

Che was a romantic, a voice of the people, a revolutionary who stood strong against those who condemned him. He was a charismatic man with many great principles, and some less than ideal ones of course.

I think you're just saying that because the man looked good in a Beret.

[MetalBoy]

Sadly its not uncommon for ignorant kids to idealize Che. What pisses me off even more is when I see Hispanic college students wearing those Che shirts around campus. Usually they just wear it cuz they think Che was some cool cultural hero, not because they are neccessarily communists. They have no f**ing clue. It's a sad sign of one's culture when their cultural hero was a commie guerrilla/terrorist.

[Skaman]

I am unsure of my political affiliation, part green, part Marxist, part socialist.

[J-10]

All kinds of cold war ideology are expired now. Make money, pragmatism is better.

[seruriermarshal]

All kinds of cold war ideology are expired now. Make money, pragmatism is better.

You wrong , Nobody have cold war ideology . some pragmatism help terrorist , then war so hard .

[ForceReaper]

ForceReaper said:

[quote] And why do you care? Why do I not like Communists? Something you probably could never understand or comprehend from my point of view! I was in the US Marines from 1983-2003 does that help you any?

[ForceReaper]

Hey J-10 if that is you in that avatar I can help you come to America! LOL

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Apart from the fact that Che was a communist I say respect to the guy who makes a stand against despots although to be fair he was backed by one but thats another story.

[seruriermarshal]

I find more message about this event :


CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq - Five Marines serving with the I Marine Expeditionary Force were killed as Marines battled enemy forces near Husaybah April 17.

A day-long series of firefights began around 8 a.m. when a Marine patrol reported they were under fire by enemy forces wielding machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

Additional Marines, backed by helicopter close-air support, were dispatched to the city and soon came under fire by enemy equipped with rifles and RPGs. The enemy forces were operating from positions in the vicinity of the former Ba'ath Party headquarters in Husaybah.

Marines continued to bring coordinated fire against an enemy force of about 120-150 fighters throughout the day and into the night. Enemy casualties are estimated to be 25-30 dead and an unknown number of wounded.

Enemy forces were observed setting up mortar positions. Women and children surrounded those positions, but it is unknown whether or not they were in those positions on their own free will.

Shots were also fired at medical helicopters carrying wounded Marines from the battlefield.

By Saturday evening, contact with the enemy dropped off significantly, however, fighting at the squad level was sporadic in the city.

Marines in Husaybah established blocking positions on routes in and out of the city and have cordoned off the area. Marines are maintaining those and other positions as operations against enemy forces continue.

The heightened presence of I MEF forces and the persistent presence of Marines in areas where Coalition forces have rarely operated in the past 12 months severely threaten the very existence of the anti-Iraq forces that have chosen to fight. The enemy has been increasingly drawn to the presence of Marines from the Syrian border to the Baghdad suburbs, and has been heavily engaged throughout the Al Anbar Province.

The names of the deceased are withheld pending next-of-kin notification.

[J-10]

All kinds of cold war ideology are expired now. Make money, pragmatism is better.

You wrong , Nobody have cold war ideology . some pragmatism help terrorist , then war so hard .

Strike terrorism!!!!!!!!

[J-10]

Hey J-10 if that is you in that avatar I can help you come to America! LOL

Hah, I know you like pretty girls from everywhere in the world, but this time, you are a bit later, hehehe. :)

[seruriermarshal]

All kinds of cold war ideology are expired now. Make money, pragmatism is better.

You wrong , Nobody have cold war ideology . some pragmatism help terrorist , then war so hard .

Strike terrorism!!!!!!!!

To terrorism , We must fight , No choose ......

[J-10]

All kinds of cold war ideology are expired now. Make money, pragmatism is better.

You wrong , Nobody have cold war ideology . some pragmatism help terrorist , then war so hard .

Strike terrorism!!!!!!!!

To terrorism , We must fight , No choose ......

To terrorism , We must fight, and in the meantime we must try to remove the source of producing terrorism.

[seruriermarshal]

All kinds of cold war ideology are expired now. Make money, pragmatism is better.

You wrong , Nobody have cold war ideology . some pragmatism help terrorist , then war so hard .

Strike terrorism!!!!!!!!

To terrorism , We must fight , No choose ......

To terrorism , We must fight, and in the meantime we must try to remove the source of producing terrorism.

Ok , in fact terrorism attack every freedom countries . And some countries support terrorism .

[Ichhabe]

ForceReaper said:

[quote] And why do you care? Why do I not like Communists? Something you probably could never understand or comprehend from my point of view! I was in the US Marines from 1983-2003 does that help you any?

You right. I could never understand. :D