Thwarted Ambush Was Highly Coordinated, U.S. Officials Say

[freethought23]

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 1 — American military officials said today that a pair of ambushes of American forces in central Iraq on Sunday reflected a level of planning, scale and coordination not seen among guerrilla forces since the regime of Saddam Hussein was ousted last spring.

<snip>

American forces killed 54 people in the intense firefight in the town of Samarra after soldiers delivering Iraqi currency to two banks were bombarded with small-arms and antitank-grenade fire, General Kimmitt, a senior military spokesman, said. He added that 22 attackers had been wounded and that one had been detained. On Sunday, the military put the number of Iraqis killed at 46.

A military statement said that "many of the dead attackers were found wearing fedayeen uniforms," a reference to the militias loyal to Mr. Hussein that put up some of the fiercest resistance to the American-led invasion last spring.

American military officials said that the attackers had been moving in cars, had split their force of 30 to 40 people into smaller groups at each bank, and had set up ambush points on routes into and out of the city.

"It is our belief that this was a coordinated effort," Col. Frederick Rudesheim told reporters at a news conference outside Samarra today. He said the attackers had launched the ambush with small-arms fire, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars.

The Associated Press quoted residents in Samarra as saying that American forces had responded by firing at random, prompting civilians to get guns and join the fight. The news agency said many civilians had expressed bitterness about recent American raids in the night.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/01/international/middleeast/01CND-IRAQ.html?hp

[roguevalley]

1. I'm always surprised that we're surprised the other guys are

intelligent and coordinated and willing to die to
defend their own country. Why should we be so damned
surprise that they are just like us?

[54anickel]

2. Wow. Didn't folks at DU predict there would be an increase in reports

of thwarted attacks? Sound them out in Iraq first, soon lots of "thwarted" terror attacks in US and around the globe.

Thought I read that somewhere here.

[Drifter]

3. With the number of ...

troops, and opportunity of attacks, it is amazing that it took this long for them to "thwart" an attack.

Just like Lyle Lovitt said when asked how he got Julia Roberts - "Even a blind chicken gets a kernel of corn every once in a while".

Cheers
Drifter

[freethought23]

4. American forces had responded by firing at random....

This is what I would do, too. You are being shot at and you can't tell where the shooting is coming from, so you just open fire all around you.

Unfortunately this is a feature of urban warfare, which results in all sorts of innocent people being killed. It will make everyone hate us more and more as long as we stay in Iraq, and this will create more and more supporters of the insurgency.

Another reason why we have to get out of Iraq, and soon.

[54anickel]

5. Still don't believe it. Conflicts with Iraqi witnesses. Thwarted attack

sounds much better than we just blew the crap out of civilians.

[joeybee12]

6. I don't believe it either--sounds like they're trying to force good news

on us.

[BeFree]

8. It's bad news, actually

It means the Iraqi military is back in the game. And I thought Rumfilled said there was no known organized opposition? Must be one of those unknown known things Rumfilled didn't know. Funny, how the Sec of Defense doesn't have a clue but DU'ers do.

[54anickel]

7. Well, I guess they will be retracting this one now.

Here's the latest headline:
US commander gives new toll for Samarra clashes, admits no bodies taken aw

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=247461

[loudnclear]

9. Told you so. The real point of this attempt is overlooked by media.

The important point was that they knew we were coming. The fact that we blew up some buildings and caused chaos is what thwarted the attack...there were never 54 insurgents...they just don't operate that way.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

10. 3 paragraphs tell so much...

Adnan Sahib Dafar, 52, an ambulance driver, walked with anger in and out of the morgue, pointing to the dead woman who lay on the bloody steel tray. The woman, Mr. Dafar said, had been an employee at the city's big pharmaceutical factory when she was caught in the crossfire.

"Is this woman shooting a rocket-propelled grenade?" demanded Mr. Dafar, who said he saw only eight dead Iraqis. "Is she fighting?"

Colonel Rudesheim, saying he had not seen any reports of civilian dead, argued that battles like this one will win the support of ordinary Iraqis.
<snip>

Christ. This ass thinks that acts like this will win the support of Iraqis?

[Bandit]

11. A pretty blatant discrepency in this short blip

"American forces killed 54 people in the intense firefight"
"He added that 22 attackers had been wounded"

Okay now that is 76 people hurt or killed

"had split their force of 30 to 40 people into smaller groups"

How did thirty or forty get to be 76?

[jobycom]

12. Highly coordinated, no doubt. But by whom? Us, or "them?"

Just wondering. I mean, it was very obliging of them folks to give us a good comeback victory after we've been shut out for so long.