BAGHDAD, March 28, 2008
U.S. Forces Launch Airstrikes In Iraq
First Time Coalition Forces Have Been Directly Involved In New Battle For Basra
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Iraqi children inspect a government forces vehicle destroyed in fighting with the Mahdi Army in Basra, Iraq, Friday, March 28, 2008. Shiite militants clashed with government forces for a fourth day in Iraq's oil-rich south and sporadic fighting broke out in Baghdad, despite a weekend curfew in the capital. (AP Photo/Nabil Al-Jurani)
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This image taken from video shows a Mahdi Army militant carrying a rocket propelled grenade launcher patrolling a street in Basra, Iraq during a curfew on Friday, March 28, 2008. (APTN)
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Mahdi Army fighters stand in Basra, Iraq, Thursday, March 27, 2008. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki defiantly vowed to keep up the fight against Shiite militias in Basra Thursday despite protests by tens of thousands of followers of a radical cleric and deadly clashes across Baghdad and the oil-rich south. (AP Photo)
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In this image taken from video, children play on a burnt-out vehicle in Basra, Iraq during a city-wide curfew on March 28, 2008. (APTN)
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Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said in a speech that was broadcast on Iraqi state TV that, "We have made up our minds to enter this battle and we will continue until the end." (AP)
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U.S. Surprised By Iraqi Attack
The U.S. military is sending advisors to help the Iraqi army coordinate an attack against Shiite insurgents attempting to overthrow the government. David Martin reports.
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Iraqi Militias Focus On Basra
Muqtada al Sadr's Iran-backed militia fight for control of oil rich Basra, challenging the success of the U.S. surge and prompting a coalition air strike to aid Iraqi military. Lara Logan reports.
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More Bloodshed In Basra
Shiite militiamen continue to clash with Iraqi security forces in the southern oil-hub of Basra. As Lara Logan reports, the city under siege has become a battleground for the U.S. and Iran.
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The American support occurred as Iraqi troops struggled against strong resistance in Basra and retaliation elsewhere in Shiite areas - including more salvos of rockets or mortars into the U.S.-protected Green Zone in Baghdad.
It was the first time American jets have been called to attack militia positions since Iraqi ground forces launched an operation Tuesday to clear Basra of the armed groups that have effectively ruled the streets of the country's second-largest city for nearly three years.
Helping the Iraqis win in Basra could throw a monkey wrench into plans for withdrawing American troops, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.
U.S. officials say American combat troops would be sent into Basra only as a last resort but they expect more Iraqi troops will have to be committed to the battle. If they are, American troops would have to cover the areas left unprotected, Martin reports. That would force Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq, to choose between covering more territory with fewer troops or suspending the withdrawals that are bringing combat units home at the rate of about 3,500 soldiers a month.
One militia barrage slammed into the headquarters of the Basra police command late Friday, triggering a huge fire and explosions when one of the rounds struck a gasoline tanker, police officials said.
Earlier Friday, U.S. jets struck a building housing militia fighters and blasted a mortar team that was firing on Iraqi forces, British military spokesman Maj. Tim Holloway said without further details.
Many of those groups are believed to receive weapons, money and training from nearby Iran, the world's most populous Shiite nation.
The crackdown in Basra has provoked a violent reaction - especially from the Mahdi Army of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. His followers accuse rival Shiite parties in the government of trying to crush their movement before provincial elections this fall.
The violence that began in Basra has now engulfed at least seven southern towns or cities and 13 districts of the Iraqi capital, reports CBS News chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan.
Their anger has led to a sharp increase in attacks against American troops in Shiite areas following months of relative calm after al-Sadr declared a unilateral cease-fire last August.
Before dawn Friday, a U.S. aircraft fired a Hellfire missile in the Sadr City district - the Baghdad stronghold of the Mahdi Army - after gunmen there opened fire on an American patrol.
The U.S. military said the missile strike killed four militants, but Iraqi officials said nine civilians were killed and nine others wounded.
Another U.S. airstrike targeted a rocket-propelled grenade mounted vehicle in the mostly Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah, killing two militants, the military said separately.
Defying a curfew in Baghdad, Shiite extremists lobbed more rockets or mortars against the U.S.-protected Green Zone, which has come under steady barrages this week. The attacks prompted the State Department to order embassy personnel to stay inside.
At least two rounds Friday struck the Green Zone offices of Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, killing two guards and wounding four, his daughter and executive secretary Lubna al-Hashemi said.
In all, the U.S. military said 13 suspected militants were killed Friday and 26 on Thursday in Baghdad operations.
"As you know, we've been getting attacked and going after the enemy all day," said Maj. Mark Cheadle, a spokesman for the Baghdad area command.
An American soldier was fatally injured Friday in a roadside bombing south of Baghdad, the military reported without elaboration. The area is religiously mixed, and it was unclear whether he was killed in a Shiite district.
At least 26 people were killed Friday in fierce fighting in the southern cities of Mahmoudiya, Nasiriyah and Kut, according to police and army officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite who once maintained close ties to al-Sadr, has put his personal prestige on the line in the Basra crackdown, flying to the city five days ago to assume personal command of the operation there.
Al-Maliki has vowed there would be "no retreat" in Basra, the nation's commercial center and headquarters of the vital oil industry.
In Washington, President Bush said the battle against Shiite extremists presents "a defining moment in the history of Iraq" and a "necessary part of the development of a free society."
The United States has called the Basra campaign an important test of Iraq's ability to handle its own security affairs. But setbacks in the battle could increasingly draw in American forces, worried that a sustained fight - and the backlash in Baghdad and elsewhere - could wipe away many of the security gains of recent months.
The situation in Basra remained tense as a Friday deadline for gunmen to surrender their weapons and renounce violence expired, although a few complied. Al-Maliki's office announced a new deal, offering Basra residents unspecified monetary compensation if they turn over "heavy and medium-size weapons" by April 8.
Masked militia fighters, meanwhile, moved around freely in a southwestern neighborhood and there was little traffic, according to Associated Press Television News footage. Residents complained of rising food prices and power shortages.
The government relaxed a days-old curfew in Basra to allow people to move around in the city from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to facilitate shopping and other necessary tasks.
"The situation was better this morning so I went to a small market near my house. I was surprised that the price of vegetables and meat had gone up fivefold," said Ziyad Khalid, 27.
Hamid Saaid, 47, said he saw dozens of people lined up for bread and to fill canisters with clean water from a tanker truck.
In Baghdad, the Sunni speaker of Iraq's parliament called a special legislative session Friday in hopes of launching an initiative to negotiate a peaceful end to the Basra fighting.
But the main Shiite political bloc, the United Iraqi Alliance, and its Kurdish allies refused to attend. The alliance includes al-Maliki's party and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, the main political rival to al-Sadr's movement.
With so few lawmakers attending, parliament could approve no binding resolutions but instead established a committee to explore ways to mediate a settlement. The initiative was spearheaded by former prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who brought al-Sadr's followers into the government under his administration.
Al-Maliki has insisted the fight is targeting criminal gangs in Basra, not al-Sadr's movement.
However, al-Sadr's followers sharply condemned the prime minister during sermons Friday in mosques across the country.
"He imprisoned and displaced thousands of Iraqi people under the name of democracy. He is killing the citizens in the south of Iraq," Sheik Jalil al-Sarghi said, referring to al-Maliki as U.S. helicopters buzzed over the office where the prayer service was held.
In other developments:
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 535 CommentsPosted by MCVet at 07:23 AM
Thats the right wing, drive-by media for you.
Oh yeah, "when the Iraqis stand up, we''ll stand down"
How''s that workin'' out for ya, Mr. Bush?
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Posted by jamesm12341 at 08:06 AM : Mar 28, 2008
+ report abuse
Well now LYING is something YOU bootlickers should understand... you have swallowed how many now. I lost count after the 935 told to us to start this war. Sieg Heil Bush
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Posted by jamesm12341 at 08:00 AM : Mar 28, 2008
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Hummm Hillary doesn''t tell the truth and she''s embarrasssed and say''s I made a mistake. The Little Nazi lies and lies and lies, American''s continue to die and he LIES and LIES and LIES. No contest Sparky... NO contest at all. NINE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE TIMES this piece of Human Trash Lied to us folks. THEIR all there, laid out, documented for anyone to read. Go look at them, read them carefully and ask yourself what kind of person does this to America. Then ask yourself what kind of American DEFENDS that kind of thing. Is one more disgusting than the other? Not to me! Sieg Heil Bush!!
There is no brain, never was! ROFLMAO
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Posted by jamesm12341 at 08:01 AM : Mar 28, 2008
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Oh really... being you are so "Superior" maybe you can explain why you can''t address the issues here? It''s always the same with you poor simple minded Losers. Can''t address the LIES, can''t address the Blunders and can''t address the Incompetence of a 6 month war that''s been going on now into it''s 6th YEAR so you attack those who DO wish to find answers. Makes PERFECT sense! ROFLMAO Sieg Heil Bush... Did you momma drop you on your head as a youngster? There has to be some reason... must be!! Sieg Heil Bush
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Posted by Grim56Z at 08:01 AM : Mar 28, 2008
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About what? What does he have to do with this discussion anyway. I know you losers aren''t intelligent, Bush is LIVING proof of that, but you could try to make SOME sense... Sieg Heil Bush
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Posted by jamesm12341 at 08:06 AM : Mar 28, 2008
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I''d like to know the answer to his question. You do what Nazi''s have always done, attacked him personally but never answered the question. How many dead Americans would it take??
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Posted by FloydZepp at 08:19 AM : Mar 28, 2008
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LOL I''d like to know that one as well. Course he still hasn''t figured out that Bin Laden and Al Queda aren''t in Iraq either so this may take awhile. Sieg Heil Bush
Posted by MCVet " NO B.astard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor b.astard die for his country!! Mc Vet,Floyd Zepp two friggin cowards!!
Posted by FloydZepp
LOL! Tell him it''s a four with three "naughts" after it.
So when are we going to have al-Malaki hanged? When he won''t sign any oil PSA agreements either?
Funny we didn''t drop no bombs until they started messing with that pipe line.
More Death
More Debt
More Destruction
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Barack Obama offers hope for a peaceful, prosperous America.
What is your fascinating with the words Nazi and sig heil??
Are you in the closet? Come on out and show everyone who you admire
Posted by onlythereal
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Great post.
I can''t stand hearing people blast the United States and have no Idea how the rest of the world lives. Only people that have it SO good would B!tch about it
Posted by onlythereal
- While I agree there are many parts of the world that are pretty lame, I think you fail to realize that much of the world (like just about all of Europe, for instance) is actually very much like the USA in terms of personal freedoms. Some places even more (Netherlands).
And I dont hate you Christians, I just think you are stupid. But I respect you because I know that you cant know any better. You just dont have the intelligence.
Posted by fibonacc...move to the (Netherlands) maybe youll get hooked on heroin,pot,or become a homosexual....
Posted by DSR57 at 09:16 AM : Mar 28, 2008
Like the police seargent and fire captain arguing over where to park the fire truck instead of helping the crash victim?
And of course the famous false flag bombing of your own world trade center.
Then there is the Katrina nightmare.
The constant reports of adults shooting children.
School and college shooting capital.
California tent cities.
Average 50,000/year murder rate.
No one cares about anyone else.
An honest warm friendly person is not considered normal in America.
But, yea, you got tons of Chinese electronics and toys... whoopie!
- Yes, many have told me that. I dont live in the USA by the way.
Posted by underdogus at 09:36 AM : Mar 28, 2008
Not until I get my income tax rebate. Then I''m gonna buy some real nice shiney ones with white letter tires to show off and admire. Oh, the happiness of zionist-america.
Posted by onlythereal
Why don''t YOU take your miserable a$$ over to Iraq since YOU are so crazy about it! I wouldn''t mind seeing ALL of your kind sacrifice your a$$es over there. This country would be a much better place without YOU and your kind around. To set YOU straight about what you said. I LOVE America, I HATE bUSH, I HATE THE WAR, and I HATE HYPOCRITES LIKE YOU. Have you got it, bushie boy? And most of all, I''m going to keep on saying what I think whether ninnies like YOU like it or not! Ha!Ha!Ha! P.S. If YOU don''t like what I say, YOU MOVE AWAY OR SHUT UP!
right now he is busy learning arabic.....he was really confused few years back during the somalia crisis....he wasnt sure what language they spoke so he was getting nervous
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Posted by jamesm12341 at 09:36 AM : Mar 28, 2008
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It is sad to sit here day after day and continue to fight you "Superior" types so that NORMAL people can exchange Idea''s without being insulted or having their patriotism being challenged by the likes of you. Now maybe YOU are so superior that you can''t understand this but YOU freaks, and YES you are FASCIST, YOU are going to defend the "Party" against any and all complaints, regardless of what our Constitution says. Now I doubt this post will do YOU one once of good but those American''s who ARE NOT married to your "Party" and your "Fuhrer" are the people this is meant for. To all you AMERICAN''s out there who find all the LIES and FAILURE to be questionable and you are MAD as Helll, that''s why I come on here and attack these creatures. IF they treat you with the respect any citizen of this Nation deserves, then I will stop. Sieg Heil Bush
Posted by freakout101 ..etta boy,thanks to holy mount ZION.....$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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Posted by jamesm12341 at 09:35 AM : Mar 28, 2008
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YOU think people down here.. beneath you, we don''t talk to each other? Kinda arrogant ain''t ya? Hey tell you what Sparky those who are in the work force, you do KNOW that most work stations have one of these things in them don''t you? Anyway we talk to each other quite often and we LISTEN as well. Now stand up and let that INCOMPETENT LOSER you support hear ya!! SIEG HEIL BUSH!!
So, don''t tell people to leave until you leave theirs. Go drag yer ugly saxon arses back to Europe for that mater.
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Posted by melchg at 09:43 AM : Mar 28, 2008
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That''s the ONLY decision made in this HUGH blunder? LOL If the Top Sgt that taught me in ITR training were alive today??? LOL We have a much bigger problem my friend. What this clearly indicates is that the troops of the COUNTRY of Iraq will not fight for the Government of Iraq. Our troops are going to be NECESSARY if the nation is to remain at peace, or at least as long as all these tribes think they will remain anyway.
Posted by freakout101 ..etta boy,thanks to holy mount ZION.....$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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Posted by underdogus at 09:41 AM : Mar 28, 2008
+ report abuse
What do you people suggest? If you have any idea''s Now''s the time to let us hear them. I don''t know how anyone can do much worse so let us hear what you want us to do. Don''t just attack people like you are better than them. That''s not going to help ANY of us. Sieg Heil Bush
The strange thing about all this is that Basra belongs to Iraq, which supposedly had been conquered by US(SA) forces back in March of 2003! It now appears that we are having to re-take those areas that were supposedly "taken" 5 years ago.
As I remember it, after the conquest, when the Great Emperor Bush landed on the deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, there was a huge photo op with a banner in the background saying "Mission Accomplished". Apparently, that banner did not apply to the Iraqi war/"insurrrrrrgency"/civil war/whatever!
It applied to the fact that the Great Emperor was really able to have his "golden butt" landed on the aircraft carrier, and not to anything having to do with Iraq.
SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
sig heil (more of the same), McCain???
You know it, you evil swindling satanic moloch morons.
Posted by freakout101 at 10:06 AM : Mar 28, 2008
Maybe it starts with a J and ends with a P...LOL!
Iraq didn''t attack us. Only idiot Republican neocons believe that.
Which group of people would be least likely to kill the Messiah?
Keep in mind... leaving people hungry or in poverty, swindling, war, murder, lying, propaganda... would not be toterated.
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