Posted on 12/01/2003 7:06:18 PM PST by Pubbie
Its far more likely that they simply didn't bring their dead to the morgue. I mean, are insurgents going to go to the local authorities and just turn over 50 bodies?
My guess is the 46-54 is pretty accurate.
If these folks aren't happy that terrorists are dead, then they're not the ones we're trying to win over, and they also might just happen to get caught in the crossfire while they're "just crossing the street."
Exactly. There are some towns we are just never gonna "win over". We just have to concentrate on keeping them under control, and keeping our guys safe. That's it. Pour all the reconstruction money and "hearts and minds" stuff into the other 80-90% of the country where it will do some good. Don't waste it on these towns. All they'll understand is brute strength.
Oh, and find Saddam. Take away the fantasy of these people that he will "come back."
Coalition Forces Repel Ambushes in Samarra
By K.L. Vantran
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2003 Several soldiers and one civilian were wounded as coalition forces successfully repelled ambush attacks in Samarra, Iraq, Nov. 30, a military spokesman said today from Baghdad.
Elements of the 4th Infantry Division a tank company from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor reinforced with two squads of military police and four squads of infantry were assigned to provide security to Iraqi Currency Exchange teams as they conducted dinar exchange at two banks in the Iraqi city, said Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, deputy director of operations, Combined Joint Task Force 7.
Around 11 a.m. local time coalition forces reported contact with the enemy with simultaneous explosions of roadside bombs, said Kimmitt. The explosions wounded three coalition soldiers who were treated for shrapnel-related injuries and returned to duty.
When the Iraqi Currency Exchange teams arrived at the Samarra bank, the bank came under small-arms and rocket- propelled-grenade fire from multiple directions, said Kimmitt. The fire was "determined to be coming from windows and roofs of nearby buildings as well as from alleyways and nearby vehicles," he added. Coalition forces returned fire to defeat the enemy. Two coalition soldiers and one ICE team member were wounded, said the general. He estimated 24 of the enemy were killed.
As coalition forces moved north out of the city, they encountered a barricade and enemy fire, with five more enemy killed, Kimmitt said.
At the second bank, in the western part of the city, coalition forces were also attacked with small arms and rocket propelled grenades.
"Initial reports showed at least 12 attackers all armed with AK-47s and RPGs were seen running out and firing on coalition forces from a nearby mosque," said Kimmitt. After engaging this initial wave, the friendly forces also "came under fire from enemy forces who were using nearby roofs, gates and walls as cover," he added.
In a separate incident, in another section of Samarra, four men in a black BMW ambushed another coalition convoy. The coalition returned fire, wounding and capturing all four men, confiscating three AK-47s and two RPGs. Kimmitt said five coalition soldiers received non-life-threatening injuries, while an estimated 54 enemy personnel were killed and another 22 were wounded.
When asked if enemy forces were becoming more sophisticated, Kimmitt replied, "Any enemy looking at eight tanks, four Bradley fighting vehicles and 93 coalition soldiers and still decides to fight is making a dreadful mistake."
What is sophisticated, added Dan Senor, senior CPA spokesperson, is the successful implementation of currency exchange. The campaign was announced in July and implemented in October. Seventy-five percent of the currency is in circulation, he said. "This is an incredible success story a logistical success story that is only possible with the cooperation between the coalition and the Iraqi people."
Senor noted that Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, CPA head, continues to work with the Iraqi Governing Council on the implementation of the Nov. 15 political agreement that lays the foundation for a "free, democratic and sovereign Iraq."
"The governing council took two very important steps yesterday (Nov. 30)," he added. This included setting up committees to look at the process in the drafting of the transitional administrative law as well as at the preparations necessary for the process of direct elections for the constitutional convention.
There is no safe haven in Iraq at the present. The terrorist, distractors are going to go wherever we try to reconstruct and try to destroy it. The bad guys have to be wiped out.
And a replay of Mogidishu.
Assuming the number of dead is correct, and the dead civilians are actually civilians, it would require at least one man to carry away each body, which would make a minimum of 108 attackers. More'n likely, if there were that many dead, there whould be a large number of wounded as well, making the total number of attackers even greater (and some of the wounded should have been severely wounded enough to require being carried away). And 54 men carrying 54 bodies away should have been rather noticeable from both the ground and the helicopters. Unless 100% of the civilians in the area were sympathizers, I would think a few of them would have noticed the body evacuation and informed us of it and where they were taken. And if the civilians in the area are 100% sympathetic to the fighters (or more afraid of them than us), we got big troubles ahead.
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