U.S. launches ground battle to retake Fallujah

[Goldmund]

NEAR FALLUJAH, Iraq - More than 4,000 U.S. Marines and Army troops punched their way into northeastern Fallujah on Monday, kicking off a massive assault dubbed Operation Phantom Fury that seeks to put an end to half a year of insurgent control of the Sunni Muslim city.

The prelude to the assault on the Askari neighborhood was a crushing air and artillery bombardment of the city that rose to a crescendo by Monday evening, with U.S. strike jets dropping bombs around the clock and big guns pounding the city every few minutes with high-explosive shells.

Meanwhile, insurgents in Baghdad and nearby Ramadi tried to keep up the pressure on the coalition forces with new attacks, including one on a Catholic church in the capital.

Earlier Monday U.S. troops had fought their way into the city's western outskirts, seizing two bridges over the Euphrates River and helping Iraqi soldiers take the city's main hospital in the first stage of a major assault on the insurgent stronghold.

more:



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6403689

[Tesibria]

1. MSNBC Details (2 US soldiers killed so far...)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6403689/

[Goldmund]

3. Thanks, I updated the post

[maddezmom]

34. 5 as of this am

The U.S. military said three troops were killed and another 14 wounded in and around Fallujah during the past 12 hours, after thousands of U.S. troops and Iraqi forces punched into the city from the north in the main assault overnight. A total of five U.S. troops have died since the siege began.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=2&u=/ap/20041109/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[Whoa_Nelly]

35. My brain is playing tricks on me

First read the article headline as "US LUNACY ground battle to retake Fallujah".
Then, I remembered hearing on NPR yesterday that troops going into Fallujah have been required to write their dog tag info on all thier body parts using permenant ink to better identify themif/when blown to pieces. Looked for a link regarding that, but can't find one.

Maybe my eyes weren't deceiving me...Iraq and the toll of senseless deaths is lunacy. :-(

[maddezmom]

37. 14 troops killed in the last 2 days

A total of 14 Americans have been killed in the past two days across Iraq (news - web sites) — including three killed in Fallujah combat on Tuesday and 11 others who died Monday, most of them as guerrillas launched a wave of attacks in Baghdad and southwest of Fallujah, a senior Pentagon (news - web sites) official said.


The 11 deaths were the highest one-day U.S. toll in more than six months.


As fighting raged in Fallujah, Prime Minister Ayad Allawi declared a nighttime curfew in Baghdad and its surroundings — the first curfew in the capital for a year — a day after a string of insurgent attacks in the city killed nine Iraqis and wounded more than 80.


Anger over the assault on the mainly Sunni Muslim city of Fallujah grew among Iraq's Sunni minority. International concerns also grew, with warnings that the military action could undermine Iraqi elections in January and the U.N. refugee agency expressing fears over civilians' safety.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=535&ncid=535&e=2&u=/ap/20041109/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[Lefta Dissenter]

2. I'm afraid to turn on the tv

and find that they're analyzing what the Laci Peterson jury ate for their dinners throughout the weekend. :eyes:

[Randi_Listener]

4. Onward Christian soldiers!!

[bluedog]

5. while bush sits and watches

popcorn in hand..the real live "war" movie that he stated and directed..............No he did not star in this......as he never gets near any "action"....not in the Nam years or the present ones.

hes safe in his little world while the young and middle aged kill in his name.the innocents die in the name of freedom...shock awe and HELL brought to you by the U.S. regime of bush

[VegasWolf]

17. Can't we offer him some pretzels instead? n/t

[saigon68]

13. Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!

Refrain

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.

At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
Brothers lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.

Refrain

Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

Refrain

What the saints established that I hold for true.
What the saints believèd, that I believe too.
Long as earth endureth, men the faith will hold,
Kingdoms, nations, empires, in destruction rolled.

Refrain

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

Refrain

Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud and honor unto Christ the King,
This through countless ages men and angels sing.

Refrain

[sattahipdeep]

6. 4,000 troops....Heres a thought

By The Washington Post

HASH(0x220a534)

Sunday, November 07, 2004

WASHINGTON — Unprecedented security will frame President Bush's second inauguration, with officials
planning to use thousands of police from across the country, new screening technology for inaugural
guests and a military contingent that could include a combat brigade of up to 4,000 troops.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=966398&mesg_id=966398&page=

[Village Idiot]

7. A Telling Statistic:

"Another issue is the role of Iraqi forces fighting alongside the Americans. A National Public Radio correspondent embedded with the Marines outside Fallujah reported desertions among the Iraqis. One Iraqi battalion shrunk from over 500 men down to 170 over the past two weeks — with 255 members quitting over the weekend, the correspondent said."

[Dhalgren]

8. "Foreward, men! Uh...men? Hey, where is everybody?"

[VegasWolf]

18. "soon, we'll be there sooon!", Mike Douglas jungle movie, damn,

getting old, can't remember the name!

[Ganja Ninja]

11. What they neglect to mention is they aren't just deserting ...

they're switching sides.

[mike_c]

9. Fallujah is a citty of 300,000 souls...

...and apparently about one-third of them are still inside. Is the world expected to believe that there are 100,000 "terrorists" in Fallujah? Most are innocent civilians who are going to be slaughtered by U.S. Marines and their Iraqi quislings just to make a bloody show of force.

This was a setup for the beginning-- the "condition" for calling off the assault was handing over al-Zarqawi, who Fallujahans say is not in their city. He might not even be alive anywhere. But that's the point-- the people of Fallujah cannot give him up, therefore they will be slaughtered. They will fight of course. Who wouldn't?

[spinbaby]

21. Where did the other 200,000 go?

Refugees don't just disappear--they have to go somewhere. And 200,000 is a LOT of refugees.

[mike_c]

24. presumably dispersed throughout the triangle....

I've seen lots of news stories referring to Fallujah refugees staying with relatives elsewhere, including Baghdad. Many are undoubtedly in custody or simply wandering. The U.S. was arresting all men between 14 and 60 who attempted to leave-- which is why there are still so many women and children left-- they were presented with the Solomon-like choice of leaving their husbands and teenaged sons behind to die or staying to die with them.

I am so FUCKING angry and deeply ashamed of what is happening in Fallujah.

[bemildred]

25. Hiding in Saddam's vast underground bunkers ..... nt

[Ganja Ninja]

10. Media to America: "No time to cover election fraud stories ...

We got a war going on!"

The timing of this attack seems suspicious to me.

[bemildred]

14. Yep, lot's of bullshit being thrown out there.

[VegasWolf]

20. "chimp not worried about media, me just want to blow up things!" Freud

described awol perfectly, tiny penis syndrome.

[Briar]

12. What do they mean retake?

Fallujah is an Iraqi city in the hands of Iraqis. This is a reoccupation.

[annabanana]

15. Rumsfeld news conference on now...

(They don't expect significant civilian casualties......again) They are doing the same thing they did when they hurried into Bagdad... not much resistance, take a big building midtown, wonder where all the "bad guys" are.. then realize that they are, gulp, surrounded.

[BUSHOUT]

16. Scanned this version of events, didn't see this little knugget:

From AP story: Thousands of U.S. Troops Storm Fallujah

Another issue is the role of Iraqi forces fighting alongside the Americans. A National Public Radio correspondent embedded with the Marines outside Fallujah reported desertions among the Iraqis. One Iraqi battalion shrunk from over 500 men down to 170 over the past two week _ with 255 members quitting over the weekend, the correspondent said.

http://www.dunnconnect.com/articles/2004/11/03/ap/headlines/d867rk1g1.txt

On Edit: Oh yes, that is reported in there, my bad.

That blows me away. America can't get Iraqi troops to fight with them.

Alawi is a puppet and the vast majority of the population wants America out.

[bemildred]

19. Gee, I sure hope they left their weapons ...

:puke:

[VegasWolf]

22. New Visa Commercial, "Owning the "voting machines", Priceless!"

[bluedog]

23. killing maiming its not going to end

build it up......bomb it down.rebuild.....destroy once again.........

and the American "working" people pay yet again for this!!

[sattahipdeep]

26. "political risk" insurance

Before he got the top job in Iraq, this was Bremer’s business - selling
political risk, expropriation and terrorism insurance at Marsh & McLennan
Companies, the largest insurance brokerage firm in the world.

Armed with this clear political mandate, Lempres announces that the
agency is now "open for business" in Iraq, and is offering financing and
insurance, including the riskiest insurance of all: political risk. "This is a
priority for us," he says. "We want to do everything we can to encourage
US investment in Iraq." The news, as yet unreported, appears to take
even the highest-level delegates by surprise. After his presentation,
Lempres is approached by Julie Martin, a political risk specialist at Marsh
& McLennan.

"Is it true?" she demands.

Lempres nods. "Our lawyers are ready."

"I’m stunned," says Martin. "You’re ready? No matter who the
government is?"

"We’re ready," Lempres replies. "If there’s an expro on January
3, we’re ready. I don’t know what we’re going to do if someone sinks
$1bn into a pipeline and there’s an expro." Lempres doesn’t seem too
concerned about these possible "expros", but it’s a serious question.
According to its official mandate, Opic works "on a self-sustaining basis at
no net cost to taxpayers". But Lempres admits that the political risks in
Iraq are "extraordinary". If a new government expropriates and
re-regulates across the board, Opic might have to compensate dozens of
US firms for billions of dollars in lost investments and revenues, possibly
tens of billions. What happens then?

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=3899

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

27. Ahhhhhhhh yes..........

this whole thing IS all about money after all, isn't it? Anything for a buck and if people happen to lose their lvies, well, that's a terrible misfortune. Couldn't be helped, not our fault.
These people make it hard to retain any shred of serenity in a fucking crazy world.......:shrug:

[sattahipdeep]

36. "It's the best 18 months we ever had,"

"We made money and we made it fast." boasted Carlyle chief
investment officer Bill Conway to the Financial Times. :crazy:

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20041115&s=klein

[sattahipdeep]

28. Dozens of US soldiers captured in Falluja--Aljazeera

http://english.aljazeera.net/HomePage

[aneerkoinos]

32. Where did you see that bit?

I can't find such mention at aljazeera.

[sattahipdeep]

33. Latest stories in this section:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D6E6534F-75E3-4830-B5ED-827BF5094113.htm

Monday 08 November 2004, 20:40 Makka Time, 17:40 GMT

Thirty six US soldiers have been captured in the Iraqi city of
Falluja and are being paraded through its streets, according to
an influential Iraqi Muslim group

The Qatar-based spokesman said several eyewitnesses in Falluja
had confirmed the capture of the soldiers.

A spokesman for US-led forces in Iraq told Aljazeera.net
that the reports were baseless. :eyes:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/82CBAF0D-8EFF-47C3-8FAE-7E7E3F7C3F93.htm

[Darranar]

29. US attacks Iraq rebel stronghold

A full-scale US-led assault on the insurgent-held Iraqi city of Falluja is taking place - an attack which has been threatened for weeks.

Up to 15,000 US and Iraqi government troops are involved, backed by aircraft, tanks and artillery.

Witnesses report explosions and flares lighting up the sky, and the noise of battle echoing across the city.

The top US commander in Iraq, Gen George Casey, said there would be a "major confrontation" inside Falluja.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld described the insurgents as assassins, terrorists and the remnants of deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's regime.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3992263.stm

[Frumious B]

30. Another Bush blunder

I've heard in at least one report that the delay is this assault until after the election gave the insurgents time to fortify their positions and to move weapons and explosives into mosques that would not be bombed.

Here, then, is a prime example of George W. Bush putting his own political survival ahead of the physical survival of our troops. Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious.

[Trajan]

31. We have to destroy Iraq ....

to save it ....

Recognize that smell ? ... Cordite and rotting flesh ? ...

... it is the smell of 'freedom' ....

{/sarcasm}