A marine driving a shot-up humvee (KRT)
It's more than just an uprising in Fallujah; it's jihad.
FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) — Fighting overnight between U.S. forces and Iraqi insurgents killed 60 Iraqis and wounded more than 130, hospital officials said today, as mosques called for holy war against Americans and women were seen carrying weapons in the streets.Marines and gunmen were engaged in heavy battles in the Dubat neighbourhood on the eastern side of the besieged city and in other parts in the centre, witnesses said. U.S. warplanes opened fire on groups of Iraqis in the street.
Rocket-propelled grenade fire set a U.S. Humvee ablaze, injuring soldiers inside, witnesses said.
Among the dead were 26 people — including 16 children and up to eight women — killed when warplanes struck four houses late Tuesday, said Hatem Samir, head of the clinic at Fallujah Hospital. Others were killed in street battles before dawn and into the day today.
Messages from mosque loudspeakers called for "jihad," or holy war. Some gunmen in the street were seen carrying mortars, and some women carried automatic weapons.
Meanwhile, another story reports that "U.S. forces battling Sunni insurgents in this violent city apparently hit a mosque filled with people Wednesday, and witnesses said as many as 40 people were killed."
With reports of jihad against Americans being preached from these mosques, and other reports identifying those forty as "insurgents," this is not unjustified. But watch for the outcry.
Hundreds of U.S. marines and Iraqi police have surrounded Fallujah, west of Baghdad, since Monday in a large-scale operation aimed at uprooting Sunni Arab guerrillas behind attacks on Americans.Marines launched a major operation this week to root out Sunni Muslim guerrillas from Fallujah, west of Baghdad, one of their strongest bastions. But on Tuesday, the insurgents opened a new front with a bloody attack on marines in the nearby town of Ramadi.
Gunmen hiding in Ramadi's main cemetery opened fire on U.S. patrols, sparking a gunbattle in alleys and near the governor's palace, witnesses said, reporting at least two Iraqis killed. "A significant number" of marines were killed, and initial reports indicate it may be up to a dozen, a senior defence official said from Washington.
New fighting erupted in the same Ramadi neighbourhood today, witnesses said.
In the south, Shiite militiamen attacked coalition troops in five cities Tuesday in a revolt sparked by a U.S. crackdown on their leader, radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.Al-Sadr urged Iraqis to rise up against the U.S. occupation and vowed to die rather than be captured by U.S. forces. "America has shown its evil intentions, and the proud Iraqi people cannot accept it," he said in a statement. "They must defend their rights by any means they see fit."
Clashes continued overnight between militiamen from al-Sadr's al-Mahdi Army and coalition troops in Kut, Karbala and the mainly Shiite neighbourhood of Sadr City in Baghdad. At least 12 Iraqis were killed in Kut and four in Baghdad, along with two Iranians caught in the crossfire in Karbala, according to doctors.
The al-Mahdi Army appeared to be in control of Kut and Kufa, occupying government buildings and roaming the streets, as Iraqi police stood aside. Witnesses reported that a British civilian working for a private security company was killed when militiamen took over the company's office in Kut.
Signs were emerging of growing sympathy between Sunni Muslim insurgents and al-Sadr's Shiite movement. In mainly Sunni Ramadi, portraits of al-Sadr were posted on government buildings, schools and mosques, along with graffiti praising him for his "heroic deeds" and "valiant uprising against the occupier."
Iraq's Shiite majority has largely avoided anti-U.S. violence, shunning al-Sadr's virulent anti-U.S. rhetoric as well as the insurgency led by Sunnis in central Iraq. U.S. officials have expressed concern that al-Sadr could start co-operating with the Sunni guerrillas.
The Euphrates River city 56 kilometres west of Baghdad is a stronghold of the anti-U.S. insurgency that sprang up shortly after Saddam Hussein's ouster a year ago.
Marine Maj. Joseph Clearfield said the marines fought their way into the city from the north and south on Tuesday, reaching a point about a kilometre into the city.
The troops pulled back in the evening, but still occupied buildings in the city, Clearfield said.
"I think we killed a lot of bad guys," he said, adding that residents were coming forward with information on insurgents.
Heavy fighting also occurred Tuesday between marines entrenched in the desert and guerrillas firing from houses on Fallujah's northeast outskirts. For hours into the night, the sides traded fire, while teams of marines moved in and out of the neighbourhood, seizing buildings to use as posts and battling gunmen. Helicopters hovered overhead, firing at guerrilla hideouts.
U.S. authorities launched their offensive against al-Sadr and his militia after a series of weekend uprisings in Baghdad and cities and towns to the south that took a heavy toll in both American and Iraqi lives.
The fight against al-Sadr, who has drawn backing from young and impoverished Shiites with rousing sermons demanding a U.S. withdrawal, sent his black-garbed militiamen against coalition troops Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
American must not lose its nerve. Everyone knows
this action is ultimately aimed at demoralizing the
American people.
The enemy must be crushed, or we will be.
If they are going to use their mosques to call the faithful to war then the mosques should be military targets. Bomb 'em, preferrably during Friday prayers when they are full. They want to be martyrs, let it be so.
Anyone in any building that is calling for insurrection is a combatant and is a legitimate target. Jihadists who attack Coalition forces from mosques make those same mosques a target.
How times and attitudes change, i seem remember American politicians getting their knickers in a twist when the British armed forces had Irish terrorists held up in a church. The terrorists fled there after being chased and i distictly remember a Kennedy clan photo-opportunity where it was said that Americans would take a dim view of British forces entering a church. I wonder if this could be the same Irish terrorism that recieved so much American backing and funding.
Nothing quite like a reality check is there.
Why am i bitter and not quite as sympathetic as you would like well i was recently in Boston and saw many collection tins for Irish "charities" and for "prisoners families", what a bloody disgrace. Terrorism did not begin on 9/11 as some of you think, some of us have had to endure it for decades longer. So before advocating the bombing of mosques you should think about getting your own house in order first and revisiting some of your own recent history.
i recognize that the mosque had become a "legitimate" target because fighters had holed themselves up in it and where using it as a position to shoot at the marines. but it must be recognized that to alot of the "average" iraqi people will see it as a reason to hate the ocupation forces even more and will be seen as another reason to support sadr's forces.
something i read last night from a report that shocked me was a journalist was at al sadr's headquarters on tuesday night and the folks there where getting ready for a battle and 2 lower level sunni sheiks show up to deliver a messege from the head of the largest sunni arab tribe in the sunni triangle reason to say that the "army of mohammed" fully supports sadr and will fight with him. now this has some serious implications because if you have been following the past year in iraq the group "army of mohommad" has been mentioned many times before in taking claims for attacks against coalition forces. now if this means that the head of the largest sunni tribe is actually running army of mohammed then a couple months ago when we send our military commanders to talk to him asking for support against the insurgency then basically we where being tricked because he was running or envolved with the insurgency himself. bad scene.....
But...But....I always hear from Muslims that JIHAD is just their word for "inner struggle"...
More Islamic bull crap?
I have never.........eeeeeeever..seen an American politician wearing knickers......
NEVER confuse American politicians with the American people! That is a fatal mistake. Politicians, journalists and others within the beltway live in an alien planet. The American people have other "powers of recognition" and think patterns that the beltway inhabitants seem to have lost.
As for the mosque fighters, they have converted their holy places into fortresses which should be leveled.
Hlaefdige,
Don't confuse America with the Peoples Republic of Massachutes and it's fellow traveller the Peoples Republic of New York. Most Americans have considered the IRA a terrorist organization and have never offered those killers a dime.
Moving from the results of the Flight of the Swans to present time, shouldn't we all be focused on saving Western Civilization from Dark Age Muslims rather than finding reasons to divide our civilization?
haha u ameriKKKans... Do you really expect iraqi ppl to lie down and let the scum of the world run thier country? they are going to use every portal possible to call for Jihad, u can find written calls all over the internet. If u want to bomb innocent ppl just because ur a HEAP of illiterate redneck born-again christian inbred swine eating,beer drinkin, wrestling watching MORONS!!!well then u should admit to the fact.
What happened to america trying to liberate Iraq... now Iraqis are liberating Iraq from ameriKKKa and u bomb a mosque, and 4 houses within 24 hrs.. 16 chilren died in thier sleep. May God not let u sleep again.
The mosque became a legitimate target the moment the terrorists fired on the American and/or Coalition forces. If they had simply sat down to wait out the Americans (if they could) then the mosque would not have become a legitimate target. It is very simple if you think of it in the terms of "quip pro qo". We need to think in such terms if we want to win. We cannot artifically constrain our troops to match some political purpose back home.
Typical. Another ignorant savage who can't even spell. Maybe if you could, I might feel insulted. Instead you come across as just another pathetic loser. Did it ever occur to you that the kids died because Al Sadr's followers were using the Mosque for purposes it wasn't intended for? The blood of any innocent bystanders is on his head, not the US. If Al Sadr isn't a murderer, why didn't he turn himself in for a fair trial? What's he afraid of? If we're such a sorry society, why haven't Islamic scientiests and inventors made any contributions to modern society? It seems your Allah has blessed the Jews and Christians with all the advancements and luxuries. What are you doing wrong? Why hasn't Allah answered your prayers? Why are Muslim countries third world nations with millions in poverty and oil rich princes who ride around in Ferraris? Why didn't your Allah protect his mosque and his copy of the koran there? Why do your youths have to come to Western nations to get good educations? You ignorant dog, you pray to a black rock in Mecca and mock us for worshipping the living God. You think Mohammed was a prophet when there are no prophecies in the koran. You start jihad, then whine when some of your people get killed? What about the women and children on the planes on 9-11? What about the innocent civilians blown up by suicide bombers? Your thinking is as warped and twisted as your religion. You deserve to be stuck in 7th century Arabia. You're living the good life in the West, critisizing us while enjoying the benefits here you could never have in an Islamic nation unless you are a member of the ruling class. You standard of living is bettter here flipping our burgers and cleaning our toilets than you would in your perfect Muslim world. So enjoy it. Maybe eventually you or your children will learn something before it's too late. I pray for you.
why can't we have all our churchs in the united states declair a jihad against islam; sounds like a good idea to me, any comments?
what a jerk that saraaj is. whats he got against beer drinking pig eating rednecks? muslims in indonesia eat dogs,in india monkeys, and idi amin was a muslim and he ate his politcal enemies.
We deserve to listen to people like Siraj for we are the people who let these devils in. Our politicians or law makers do nothing to stop the influx of these Satanic people. Remember all the Muslims think the same way as Siraj does. They will rejoice in the death of every infidel killed.They may not dare to do so publicly in the west but will do so secretly in their homes.When will the eyes of the people in power open & send all of them home to their Islamic lands so that we can truly be free? The devil has taken over our politicians to side with these people to get their votes but all should remember that for them we are pig eating, wine drinking rednecks ,infidels, who Allah has given the permission to subdue or kill.
Oroman - The dog and other animals you mentioned have a lot more going than you. It is an insult to them to compare you to them.
ur a HEAP of illiterate redneck born-again christian inbred swine eating,beer drinkin, wrestling watching MORONS!!!well then u should admit to the fact.
Posted by siraaj at April 7, 2004 04:34 PM
Yep, I admit it. Hell, I wrestled for 21 years, drank 100s of gallons of beer, love ribs and pork chops, not too much into the inbreeding thing like you are siraaj, but the rest is true. Especially the "redneck" part of your rant. You remember that, would ya boy?
This redneck would love to wrap his toilet seat lid sized hands right around that little throat of yours, until you ceased to be. We're a free nation, independent since 7-4-1776, and no foul smelling, bad breathed, brown toothed, piece of crap muslim radicals, so cowardly that they hide behind women and children, are going to change that. You're not smart enough, and you're not men enough.
Simple minded dumb ass. KKK? America is a melting pot of all colors, but you already know that. Is it true what I hear about radical jihadis that dwell in caves? I hear for jihadis that to have a woman is a right, but to have a man is a priveledge. I wondered how the radicals kept themselves warm in the caves.
siraaj, Jesus said that "It is not what goes into a man's mouth that makes him unclean, but it is that which comes out of his mouth that defiles him." Matthew 15:11. I've had falaffel and hummus, why don't you have a beer and some fried pork skins with hot sauce and chill out?
To Christian,
You being a Christian, would know that it is against Christianity to kill others, enslave them, treat them disrespectfully. That's not to say that no Christian has ever done this, but there is not a single incident where Jesus tells any of His followers to do these things. He taught exactly the opposite. Love your neighbor. Turn the other cheek. Pray for your enemies.
We need to recognize what we are up against here. Jesus said that if you are not for me, you are against me. So there are two camps here. Also, he said you will know they are Christians by their love. So what do we know the Muslims by? Their hatred. Now you can argue that there has never been true Christianity practiced in this sorry world of ours, but that would be dishonest. There are many examples of Christians who sacrificed their lives for other people. Sir Thomas Moore gave up his life for what he believed in and did no harm. Anne Catherine Emmerich offered herself as a sacrificial victim to help others and did no harm. St. Patrick converted the whole nation of Ireland to the Christian faith, helped other people and did no harm. Fr. Maximilian Kolbe, who traded places with a Holocaust survivor and starved to death during WWII, all the while comforting those who starved with him in a Nazi death camp, did no harm. The difference between the Muslims practicing what they believe in and the Christians practicing what they believe in is that people truly live on the one hand and people live in slavery on the other. You can say that atrocities have been committed in the name of Christianity, but that is not what true Christians believe. For true Muslims, committing atrocities are a hallmark of their religious beliefs.
In the final analysis, who has done more good and who has done more harm? Also, let's not forget about history. Suleyman almost succeeded in taking over Europe in the 16th century but was routed by believing Christians who stood up and said, no, we will not live under this, grabbed their swords, said their prayers and sent him back to where he came from. This is the challenge that we are again faced with. Stooping tho the Muslims very low level will not will not help us to achieve the results that we must pursue.
Dear Saaj:
You want to call Americans illiterate and berate the US military? Then let me set you straight, you illiterate buffoon. First, let's begin with your obviously illiterate and grammatically inaccurate posting:
1) "THEIR" is spelled t-h-e-i-r. It is not spelled "t-h-i-e-r"
2) "Iraqi" like all proper nouns begins with an uppercase "I" not a lowercase "i". [It's rather interesting that you begin the word "jihad" with an uppercase "J", yet you don't use the proper format (e.g. uppercase "I" for "Iraqi"--it certainly indicates where your priorities are)].
3) "Innocent people" do NOT murder honest soldiers that LIBERATED the Iraqi people from a true murderer--Saddam. "Innocent people" do NOT call for the murder of truly innocent people--namely unarmed civilians of Western nations, who are almost invariably either Christian or Jewish. "Innocent people" do not barricade themselves with weapons in a mosque.
4) The word "Internet" has an uppercase "I" not a lower case "i".
5) The word "Christian"--again, like all proper nouns--begins with an upper case "C". (Refer to #2 above, particularly the word "Jihad")
6) The word "morons" is not a proper noun; thus, it does not require an uppercase "M", let alone having the entire word written in uppercase letters.
7) The letter "u" is a vowel. Unlike the vowels "I" and "A", the vowel "u" is not a single-letter word. The correct word that you should be using in your senseless and moronic diatribe is "you".
I think I've proven my point that you--clearly, a racist and religious bigot--are the true illiterate. Perhaps if you had spent more time in school actually learning something useful (e.g. math, grammar, science, etc.) instead of memorizing the Quran (clearly a waste of time, unless you plan to devote your life to Jihad--which you probably are doing), then you wouldn't be such an ignorant fool.
It is you--and your fellow hate-filled monsters--that are the people who will "not sleep again." Let me be clear of one point: You damn Muslim terrorists have not seen nor felt the the full and lethal force of the the world's most powerful military, the US armed forces. You damned Islamic terrorists may believe that Allah will help you; however, that is a mistaken belief. You should believe me when I say that our military has the power to vaporize you and your hate-filled "Islamic brothers". Allah will not be much help to you in fending off cruise missiles, Apache helicopters, Stealth fighters, B52 bombers, Special Forces soldiers, M1 Abrams tanks, smart bombs, to say nothing of the power of one of our nuclear weapons. In doing so, our military will send you on the express way to Hell, not to your cherished "Paradise, complete with 72 virgins."
Make no mistake: When our political and military leaders decide, you--and the other Islamic terrorist monsters--will feel a militaristic fury unlike you've ever felt. Then, you'll be on your knees begging for mercy from the fury and awesome firepower that's been unleashed on you. I only wish that I could see your face as you die in agony, and wither around like the cockroach that you are. May Allah have mercy on you...because the American soldiers won't.
By the way you, bigot, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was founded on the same type of bigotry that you and your "Muslim Brotherhood" espouse. Unlike any Muslim country, the United States is a very tolerant nation and the USA does not permit nor tolerate the kind of hatred constantly shouted by you and your "Religion of Peace" believers. It's very interesting that the ONLY democracy in the Middle East is Israel, and even Israeli Arabs enjoy freedom in Israel--you can't say that freedom applies to any citizens of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Libya, etc. So I ask the question: Who really should the KKK title be bestowed upon--tolerant Americans or the Muslims who preach hate, intolerance, and killing?
As for in-breeding: Americans don't practice polygamy, namely having every man take up to 4 wives. So, tell me, you buck-toothed, camel copulator, do the branches on your family tree intertwine? When was the last time you screwed your cousin, or your sister? If it hasn't happened lately, then rest assured, it probably will happen soon enough because the laws of probability dictate that with intertwining branches on your family tree, your female cousin will soon be 1 of your 4 wives, and she'll be giving birth to your child.
Rey, just remember that when you walk through the jungle the monkeys are going to scream at you and throw things. They are monkeys. It's what they do. ;-)
our actions will speaks the truth in the future..(inshallah).
Crush, you are a well trained little monkey, pity you can only say one thing. May Mohammed (Pigs Be Upon Him) welcome you with open arms when you get to hell. We need people like you to reinforce our perceptions of the ignorance and intolerance in the Muslim world. Thanks for proving us right again. Our actions speak for us also. Your mindless rhetoric will not protect you. Your mosques will not protect you. Your koran will not save you. Allah is a false god who cannot save you. Repent or you will die in your sins, like a pig wallowing in its' own filth.
What a lame-ass bulletin board.
America=Chickenshit-Nation
God forbid you ever need to deal with a real opponent. Posturing and strutting over your military prowess as you waste some defenseless third world country. Pathetic.
"Anyone in any building that is calling for insurrection is a combatant and is a legitimate target. Jihadists who attack Coalition forces from mosques make those same mosques a target.
"
Like you are calling to bomb mosques? --- YOU are a lgeitimate target I guess!