U.S. Troops Battle Insurgents In Mosque
As Video Surfaces Purportedly Showing Execution Of Iraqi Official
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An Iraqi policeman inspects the wreckage of a car used in a suicide bombing on a road in southern Kirkuk, 180 miles north of Baghdad, on Aug. 14, 2007. (AP Photo/Emad Matti)
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A man walks through a damaged neighborhood after a coordinated suicide attack in the town of Qahataniya, 75 miles west of Mosul, Iraq on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007. Rescuers dug through the muddy wreckage of collapsed clay houses in northwest Iraq on Wednesday, uncovering at least 250 bodies from suicide truck bombings the U.S. military blamed on al-Qaida, making it the deadliest attack since the war began. (AP Photo/Mohammed Ibrahim)
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An injured woman receives fist aid after a coordinated suicide attack in the town of Qahataniya, 75 miles west of Mosul, Iraq, Aug. 15, 2007. (AP)
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A U.S. Army soldier from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division climbs through a hole in a wall during a search operation in the Amariyah section of Baghdad, Aug. 16, 2007. (AP)
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An image taken from video shows an injured boy recovering in a hospital in Dahuk, 260 miles northwest of Baghdad, on Aug. 15, 2007. Four suicide bombs Tuesday killed at least 250 people and wounded 350 more, Iraqi military and local officials said. (AP Photo/APTN)
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The soldier was killed and another was wounded when troops stationed at a nearby outpost came under heavy small-arms fire from the Honest Mohammed Mosque late Thursday in Tarmiyah as they targeted about six insurgents who were believed sheltered inside, according to the military.
The U.S. forces then cordoned off the area and, unable to find the mosque's preacher, sent the Sunni mosque's groundskeeper into the building to persuade those inside to come out after they refused calls on loudspeakers, the military said.
"About 20 left the mosque and stated there was no one left in the mosque. This was not true," said Lt. Col. Michael Donnelly, a military spokesman for northern Iraq. He said those 20 had been detained.
Troops spotted gunmen on the roof so a missile was fired at the building, Donnelly said.
A police officer and a witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retribution, said U.S. troops stationed near the mosque came under fire before sunset prayers and the raid occurred as worshippers left the building after the services. The missile left a hole in the minaret, they said. The military said the roof of the mosque sustained only minor damage.
Mindful of the sensitivities surrounding places of worship, U.S. forces generally avoid directly raiding mosques in Iraq, instead providing a cordon while allied Iraqi security forces search the buildings. But the military claims Shiite and Sunni militants take advantage of the reluctance to use mosques as hideouts or as storage for weapons caches.
U.S. forces recently have launched a series of offensives aimed at chasing Sunni and Shiite extremists who have fled crackdowns in Baghdad and surrounding areas.
Tarmiyah, a predominantly Sunni town 30 miles north of Baghdad, was the site of a coordinated attack involving a suicide car bombing and gunfire against a U.S. combat post in mid-February. Two soldiers were killed and 17 wounded in that ambush.
South of the capital, a member of the militant arm of Iraq's largest Shiite party was elected governor of Qadasiyah province after his predecessor was killed along with the provincial police chief in an ambush a week ago Saturday.
The new governor, Sheik Hamid al-Khudhari, is the secretary-general of the Badr Brigade, the militant arm of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, a group led by powerful Shiite politician Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim.
The group has been competing with fighters loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia for dominance in oil-rich southern Iraq as British-led forces who have overseen the region prepare to draw down.
Al-Khudhari was elected by a narrow majority, with 22 of the 40 members of the provincial council voting for him, council member Ghanim Abid Dahash said.
The factional fighting is an example of the complex challenges facing Iraq, from both Shiite militias and Sunni extremists, who often target not just Americans but also their own sects in internal battles.
One of Iraq's most feared insurgent groups, meanwhile, posted a video Friday showing the execution of a Defense Ministry official accused of working with U.S. forces. The video, which could not be independently verified, appeared on an Islamist Web site known for extremist material.
In the tape, Alaa Abboud Fartous Diab said he was a former army officer and employee of the ministry. Unseen kidnappers displayed his identification cards, including a badge giving him access to Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, the site of the Iraqi government and the U.S. Embassy.
In the video, Diab is killed with two pistol shots to the back of the head.
The Ansar al-Sunna group, a sometime ally and rival of Al-Qaida in Iraq, operates mainly in the north of the country and has claimed responsibility for a string of attacks against U.S. troops, foreign civilians and Iraqis it labels "collaborators."
Iraq's divided politicians continued meetings a day after the announcement of a new alliance of Shiite and Kurdish parties that seeks to save the crumbling U.S.-backed government. The reshaped power bloc included no Sunnis and immediately raised questions about its legitimacy as a unifying force.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki hailed the political agreement as a first step toward unblocking the paralysis that has gripped his Shiite-dominated government since it first took power in May 2006. The key disappointment was the absence of Iraq's Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi and his moderate Iraqi Islamic Party.
The new Shiite-Kurdish coalition will retain a majority in parliament - 181 of the 275 seats - and apparently have a clear path to pass legislation demanded by the Bush administration, including a law on sharing Iraq's oil wealth among Iraqi groups and returning some Saddam Hussein-era officials purged under earlier White House policies.
Teams in northern Iraq, meanwhile, tallied the grim figures from the deadliest wave of suicide attacks of the war and - in a rare moment of joy since Tuesday's devastation - pulled four children alive from the rubble on Thursday.
Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf said Thursday that at least 400 were dead - apparently all members of the ancient Yazidi sect that mixes elements of Islam, Christianity and other faiths. Some authorities outside the central government have said at least 500 people died.
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See all 212 CommentsLOL!
Sorry...that one just stuck out for some reason.
This is the kind of situation our troops shouldn''t be in. I say bust out the Tomahawks (missiles, not hatchets) on the real "terrorist camps" and get out of the civil/religious war business. Haven''t made enough money off it yet GW and Co?
Posted by Rayuk at 07:57 AM : Aug 17, 2007
As someone who was born and raised amoung them, I have to admit you are right. They are so easy to figure out that it''s impossible to fight anyone anywhere with them in charge. You can sit down and plan moves KNOWING before you make them what these poor simple minded fools will do. That is what has happened here and we have to break out of this cycle or die, it''s that simple.
One cannot despise the Washington Regime enough! Who supports this Regime?--C & D Distributors of Lexington, South Carolina, who patriotically charged the Regime a million dollars to ship two 19 cent washers to Texas. Cheney''s Halliburton who gets billions in no-bid contracts. Blackwell, the mercenary firm run by a creeping-Jesus with a Bible in one hand and a child''s head in the other...and a whole lot of your tax dollars for supplying mercs for wages of up to $1000 a day...
They are talking about drafting Americans for the sake of Oil, Israel and Opium and putting them in combat for next to minimum wage-- is there anyone stupid enough to allow themselves to be drafted by the vile animals of the Regime? Have a 75 IQ?--they''ll give you an automatic weapon and turn you loose in Iraq. Have a record of cruelty to prisoners?--the Regime wants you to run its concentration camps at Guantanamo and the new Abu Ghraibs.
Troops Home Now! The borders are wide open, while the Regime prattles on about al Qaeda and the police commissioner of New York, Kelly, calls the internet, "the new Afghanistan." If there''s a drop of Irish blood in this Black and Tan looking pig, its looking for a key artery to block...
The way to properly handle this is to have un-uniformed locals armed and in the mosque whenever US troops are going to be in the area. Then as non-locals enter (ie those that are not usually using the mosque), have them searched. Anyone with a weapon is turned over.
Any neigborhood not supporting this plan does so at their own risk. By using this tactic, and using care to explain to the locals that the insurgets are the ones taking the battle to the mosque will help with relations instead of destroy them.
For everyone''s eddification, a black and tan is more than a mixture of two beers at a pub. The term Black and Tans refers to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force, which was one of two paramilitary forces employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary from 1920 to 1921, to suppress revolution in Ireland.
No wonder you want us out now.
Wake up Irishman! There is corruption everywhere in the world, and it doesn''t just ''support'' the US government''s attempt to keep your myserable life safe. The people suppling the washers would have been just as happy to charge YOU the same if they thought they could have gotten away with it.
Go sell crazy somewhere else, Irishman, we have plenty of liberals already.
just like earlier this week when al qeada attacked a bunch of harmless kurds, that had nothing to do with us forces or the iraqi govt.
I hope such madmen do get gunned down ASAP !!!
"LIBS are a such a hateful loathesome group."
Which would still mean that they are one hundred times better then you.
By the way - you might want to be careful - there''s quite a few libs out there protecting your a$$ right now.
You might want to tell them they are wasting their time on a piece of cr@p like you.
"these mutants are obviously completely deranged. how on earth would anykind of preacher allow armed men, to enter a place of worship. I am against this war, but we can only hope iraqis grow someballs and stop such insane actions.
just like earlier this week when al qeada attacked a bunch of harmless kurds, that had nothing to do with us forces or the iraqi govt.
I hope such madmen do get gunned down ASAP !!!"
I bet if they came knocking at your door and pointed a gun at you and asked politely to let them in or they''d cut the heads of your family, you''d let them in.
By the way - the Catholic Church during World War II and after World War II didn''t have a problem in helping the Germans carry out their crimes and in many cases, not only gave sanctuary to Nazi war criminals, but helped them escape justice.
Having said that, you mean to say that with all those tens of thousands of Iraqi police and military US taxpayers have paid to train, US forces couldn''t find a few Iraqis willing to take up the fight against the "insurgents" inside the mosque?
If so, it appears the US has far greater problems than the insurgents or "terrorists."
God have mercy on the man who invades another mans house when that man is prepared to burn it down around both of them just to expel the invader.
Posted by mcdazz at 09:27 AM : Aug 17, 2007
Thank you for proving my point.
"Thank you for proving my point."
That you''re a piece of cr@p?
No problem - any time.
Posted by mcdazz at 09:38 AM : Aug 17, 2007
You hate is only surpassed by your ignorance.
Yup, another card carrying ACLU liberal - that gets his panties all twisted up because he can''t solve the world''s problems by taxing the golden goose enough, so he do things like have abortion clinics on every corner, and build cosmetic surgery clinics for inner city kids.
You go ahead and roll on the floor laughing your a$$ off. Be careful though - that''s all you are, so there won''t be anything left (no pun intended) when you are done. We love to see the spectacle of another idiot making a fool of himself after believing Hillbilly is qualified to be a president.
-------------
And what did you think when those lobsterbacks and their Hessian mercenaries were in America? Would you have said, "You and your Patriot ilk couldn''t stand the British being in your country?" And, you would be absolutely right! And, as an American patriot, I don''t want my nation and its armed forces dishonoured by oppressing others for the sake of Oil, Israel and Opium.
I think your position against human freedom is obvious to all. It''s little wonder that you would stand for foreign occupation against those oppressed by foreigners. If you knew anything about the history of British occupation of Ireland...but you don''t...and inflicting terror and destruction on innocents seems to be your idea of valour.
"You hate is only surpassed by your ignorance."
Which has been well and truly surpassed by your stupidity as well as hatred and ignorance of "liberals" - even those that are keeping you safe.
Certainly there is no progress in parliment these days, not that there ever was.
The killing goes on and on and will continue to go on and on. There is NOTHING the US can do to stop it.
We should leave Iraq and save our soldiers lives.
A vet of any stripe trumps those who did not serve and yet orders others to go into harm''s way.
And go wash your mouth out with soap--start talking like an mature adult and not like gutter swaller trash.
Kind of like how the British are currently in America, or should I say control of, considering the Fed is owned by 5 British bankers and they pull all the purse strings. Well over 90% of our current "candidates" for president are in bed with them as well. We''re just illigitimate kids of that lovely relationship.
Posted by micma
Yeah, I imagine we''ll do something similar if the Dimnowits take hold of the country. I say no more protection in mosques. Illegals get no more protection in Churches here either. Everybody leave God alone.
Posted by mcdazz at 09:47 AM : Aug 17, 2007
Very original. Read some of the posts from those of your ilk.
Your hatred of ''lobsterbacks'' and ''black and tans'' doesn''t allow you to see the problem for what it is. I, personally, don''t have this problem. So, get objective, Irishman, then we''ll talk.
The thought, "I don''t want my nation and its armed forces dishonoured by oppressing others for the sake of Oil, Israel and Opium." is further proof you have gone around the bend, emotionally, on this subject - and have no POSSIBLE chance of being objective.
As far as my "position against human freedom", the way I see it is, you have the idea we are there to supress people because of your heritage. From everyone else''s perspective that has listened, we are trying to make two countries safe from terrors, ours and their. So, jam that into your stubborn Irish head, and file it away for future reference.
And, BTW, we aren''t here to debate, Ireland. That issue was settled.
The Fed isn''t owned by 5 British banks never has been. The Fed is crooked but it is American crooked. The Fed is also privately owned and prints money illegally against what the US law says. All of the big banks in the USA and Europe need busting up, too much power in too few people.
"Very original. Read some of the posts from those of your ilk."
Look how many Americans (including Liberals) have died or put their lives at risk for a war based on the lies of neo-cons and Republicanazis.
Take a look at how many innocent civilians have been killed because morons like you want war at any cost.
I hold you in the same esteem that I hold al-Qaeda in.
You are filth.
It''s obvious you don''t know the history of Ireland and the Brits involement.
Where do you want the US Military to stand and fight the Islamist Terrorist. Instead of sitting on the fence tossing rocks answer the question, WHERE DO YOU WANT THE US MILITARY TO STAND AND FIGHT THE ISLAMIST TERRORIST?
WW1 and WW2 were Democrat wars, so was Korea and Vietnam. You are smoking something bad!
God have mercy on the man who invades another mans house when that man is prepared to burn it down around both of them just to expel the invader.
The Iraqis want us out and they will destroy their own country to see that we leave. This struggle was lost years ago. It''s all over but the denying.
"Where do you want the US Military to stand and fight the Islamist Terrorist. Instead of sitting on the fence tossing rocks answer the question, WHERE DO YOU WANT THE US MILITARY TO STAND AND FIGHT THE ISLAMIST TERRORIST?"
How about in your kitchen?
The US is fighting the Sunni, because they harbor Al Qaeda.
The US is fighting the Shia because they are "backed" by Iran.
We condemned the Yazidi Kurds because they stoned a girl for daring to elope with "the enemy" (a Muslim)
Now we accuse Al Qaeda (who are in reality CIA puppets) of killing 400 defenseless Yazidi Kurds, who are the same people we gave Saddam the gas to use against.
Turkey invades the north to finish Saddam''s job, but the US says nothing.
Why not tell the truth, the US wants ALL Iraqis dead, so Bushco can steal the oil.
"mcdazz
WW1 and WW2 were Democrat wars, so was Korea and Vietnam. You are smoking something bad!"
Are you telling me that we shouldn''t have been involved in World War I and World War II?
At least they weren''t based on lies.
Korea and Vietnam on the other hand were a different kettle of fish.
While I have nothing but the utmost respect for soldiers who risk their lives, I have nothing but disrespect and contempt for Governments (Democrat or Republican) that lie to their own people for their own agendas.
There are times when wars need to be fought and there are times when war should be avoided.
In the case of the Iraq war (mark II), the reasons for going to war were based on lies and deception.
And it''s been a failure ever since thanks to the inept and corrupt Gov of GW Bush and his Republicanazis and Neo-Con liars.
This is the kind of answer one would expect, you just don''t get it one the Islamist Terror. You can''t even answer a simple question with an inteligent answer, you are avoiding answering with something coherent because you don''t have an answer. You don''t want to admit the Islamist Terrorist problem is a big as it is, if you did the next thing you would have to decide is WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE DOING ABOUT IT? Have another go at it, WHERE DO YOU WANT THE US MILITARY TO STAND AND FIGHT ISLAMIST TERROR, answer the question and stop being a Liberal WUSS.
Posted by mcdazz at 10:14 AM : Aug 17, 2007
More hate speach from the left. Come on hamburger boy, do you have anything intelligent to say?
You don''t know your history on WW1, WW2 and Vietnam they were Democratic wars by your rules. Islamists are much worse than Hitler, The Kaiser or Ho Chi Minn combined, you are just spouting Dem talking points.
The Washington Regime imported terror into Iraq and now there are hundreds of thousands of innocents dead. Hundreds of billions of dollars squandered...
You have no idea as to what my heritage is... empathy with the Irish, the Boer, the Indian, the Chinese who had to fight two wars against Britain trying to prevent the spread of the opium trade among the subjects of the Celestial Kingdom... anyone who has had to face the oppression and looting of the vile servants of the City, the "No-ability" of Europe, the plutocrat, the slaver, the abuser of sweated labour, the Hungarian patriots who stood against the tanks, the souls of Warsaw who fought tyranny to the end, the inmates of the Gulag-- such as Solzhenitzyn-- the patriots who wrested Thirteen Colonies from the hand of a mad inbred king--and yes, the War Pigs of the Washington Regime...yes, I have empathy for the opponents of these enemies of human freedom.
Universal human freedom is the friend of all true patriots who believe in the Republic and hate the kind of War Pig World Police State that the Washington Regime represents
"mcdazz
This is the kind of answer one would expect, you just don''''t get it one the Islamist Terror. You can''''t even answer a simple question with an inteligent answer, you are avoiding answering with something coherent because you don''''t have an answer...Have another go at it, WHERE DO YOU WANT THE US MILITARY TO STAND AND FIGHT ISLAMIST TERROR, answer the question and stop being a Liberal WUSS."
I answered with a nonsensical answer because it was a nonsensical question.
You fail to understand the root cause of Islamic Terrorisism, and therefore, you will never be able to defeat terrorism.
Here''s a few facts for you.
Prior to the invasion of Iraq, there was not a fundamentalist Muslim problem in Iraq.
Your hero GW Bush (the moron who claimed that God told him to go to war) has created a situation in Iraq where Muslim terrorists and Freedom Fighters alike, are attacking US soldiers.
Do you agree or disagree that the situation in Iraq, is like it is, due to your hero''s failures?
Do you think that we are at greater or less of a risk because of his actions?
If another country invaded the United States, would you allow them to destroy your cities and your home and do nothing about it?
Now tell me, a lot of Republicans are still stupid enough to believe that Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11.
Are you one of them?
"More hate speach from the left. Come on hamburger boy, do you have anything intelligent to say?"
I''ve been waiting for you to say something intelligent, but I guess I''d be waiting for an incredibly long time.
Hamburger boy? Was that the best you could come up with?
You really need to try again - perhaps you could use some of those few brain cells you have left to formulate an intelligent response.
Hamburger boy? Hamburger boy??
What the ***...? Is someone off his meds?
"mcdazz
You don''''t know your history on WW1, WW2 and Vietnam they were Democratic wars by your rules. Islamists are much worse than Hitler, The Kaiser or Ho Chi Minn combined, you are just spouting Dem talking points."
You sound just a little too paranoid for my liking.
"You don''''t know your history on WW1, WW2 and Vietnam they were Democratic wars by your rules."
Eh? You need to start writing more clearly or start thinking about what you''re trying to say.
Do you not understand the causes or WW1 and WW2 compared to Vietnam?
Stop trying to be clever with words and answer the question. WHERE DO YOU WANT THE US MILITARY TO STAND AND FIGHT ISLAMIST TERROR? Stop avoiding giving an inteligent with clever quips.
Answer the question, stop being a WUSS you just don''t have an inteligent answer.
WHERE DO YOU WANT THE US MILITARY TO STAND AND FIGHT ISLAMIST TERROR?
"I''''ll bet he is that Dumb ..... a question like that with all the information available out there and everywhere - If i were him, i''''ll be really mad at the Fo0l that lied to me !"
Exactly.
For some reason, Republicans feel the need to blame Democrats and Liberals for the Iraq war.
As drummer94 pointed out, we had a good reason for going into Afghanistan, however, our reasons for going into Iraq were all based on lies and deceit.
Our actions in Iraq have resulted in the blood bath that is happening in Iraq today.
Failures by the Bush administration - and not Democrats/Liberals - have caused the deaths of many hundreds of thousands of people, both directly and indirectly.
Regardless of political persusuasion, the blame lays fairly and squarely on those at the top.
In this instance, they are Republicans.
And we should be very angry at them for their lies and deceit.
Anywhere you put the US military to fight Islamist Terror you are going to get a replay of what is happening in Iraq, with all the car bombs andmass killing of civilians. It will attract the Terror loonatics, right now they are in Iraq.
Please use clean language in your postings too, thank you.
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