U.S. Marines in fierce Nassiriya firefight -CNN

Reuters AlertNet ^ | 29 Mar 2003 16:07:53 GMT | Newsdesk

[11th_VA]

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - U.S. Marines were in a fierce firefight with Iraqi fighters on Saturday in the southern city of Nassiriya, CNN reported.

Marines on one side of the Euphrates River were blasting Hellfire missiles from Cobra helicopters and 25 mm cannons at Iraqis holed up in apartment buildings on the other side, according to a CNN correspondent traveling with a contingent of Marines from the 2nd Division.

The network reported machine-gun fire coming from the Iraqi side of the river. The embattled city 235 miles (375 km) southeast of Baghdad has seen heavy fighting during the 10-day-old war as U.S.-led forces try to secure supply lines on the road to the Iraqi capital.

The Pentagon said on Saturday that troops from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division had been placed near Nassiriya to bolster security for supply lines.

[Happy2BMe]

A U.S. Marine replaces the Iraqi flag at the entrance to Iraq (news - web sites)'s main port of Umm Qasr on March 21, 2003 with the Stars and Stripes and the flag of the Marine Corps. Marines briefly raised the U.S. flag over Umm Qasr after facing tougher than expected resistance in and around the southern Iraq port. Some time later, the flag was removed. No reason was given for the decision, but Washington has consistently stressed that invading U.S. forces want to liberate Iraq, not occupy it. (Desmond Boylan/Reuters)

[SolutionsOnly]

If CNN says 'Fierce', it could mean two kids with slingshots....

[WOSG]

They say: "according to a CNN correspondent traveling with a contingent of Marines from the 2nd Division."

The CNN guy must be soiling his underwear at the incoming fire. Marines are trained and ready for it.

[billorites]

Dammit! We're in a tight spot!

[AndyJackson]

Marines on one side of the Euphrates River were blasting Hellfire missiles from Cobra helicopters and 25 mm cannons at Iraqis holed up in apartment buildings on the other side

I think this is what you would call a deliberate attack [by the U.S. Marines for those dimwitted reporters out there].

[aristeides]

Didn't the Third Infantry Division get to this city on the second day of the ground war?

[Green]

The network reported machine-gun fire coming from the Iraqi side of the river

I thought this sentence was funny. Aren't both sides of the river in Iraq or are we geographically remapping Iraq as we go?

[Cold Heat]

Just talked to a girl at a local rally here that said her husband is in Nassiria. This is so close to home for so many.

I admire the courage of all the family's waiting for news. These sorry ass network reporters, (ABC, CBS and NBC, CNN, MSNBC and others like Reuters are not doing anything but worrying them un-necessarily.

I despise these pompous asses wherever they are and whoever they work for.

[Straight Vermonter]

Yeah should have read Iraqi controlled side of the river.

[dwilli]

If the Marines are on one side of this big river using hell fires and the Iraqis are on the other side with their machine guns, it might be a stretch to call it a firefight.

[kesg]

If CNN says 'Fierce', it could mean two kids with slingshots....

Exactly. This seems to be the media's latest Jedi mind trick. Firefights are always "fierce," Iraqi resistance is always "stiff" or "stiffer than expected," US troops are always "surprised" at the "stiffness" of the resistance, ad nauseum.

These types of adjectives, and reporting subjective reactions of people in the field, are merely another form of media bias, rather than objective reporting. What ever happened to the five Ws -- just tell me who, what, when, where, and why. Just the facts. Example: This morning, near Nassiriya, approximately W US troops engaged X Iraqis, the battle lasted Y hours, and then just give me the results of the battle. And tell me, if you can, why that particular battle took place (if we know and if military disclosure rules allow it).

[Cold Heat]

This is still a occasional problem area with the Saddam enforcers. they are trying to get the supply lines and we are corralling them and disposing of them as they appear.

The onezies and twosies are all along the route.

[Jarhead_22]

Marines from the 2nd Division

The 2nd MarDiv is in country now? I thought it was 1 MEF. Maybe the reporter meant the 2nd Marine Regiment?

[Illbay]

Funny how these "fierce firefights" typically have resulted in two marines wounded, no marines killed, and about 500 Iraqi dead plus 1,000 captured.

[tessalu]

This is guerilla warfare, and the troops should be allowed to take off all gloves.

[Illbay]

I'm sure the gloves are off, but they will continue to be careful with regard to women and children.

FWIW, another rumor has it that Saddam is now forcing young teenaged boys--13 and 14 year olds--to fight.

That's gonna be tough on our troops.

[Illbay]

No, they do mean 2MEU.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

A bunch of wacko suicidal Iraqis charging at Cobras with AK-47's (the corollary to the earlier group charging at an M1 with the same weaponry). Today is a good day for Iraqi wackos to die (in large numbers).

[servantoftheservant]

They're shooting at us! It's fierce, surprising, stiff, and unexpected. Nevermind the fact that they got slaughtered.

One wonders, if we're surprised by them shooting, why did we even bring guns along when we invaded?