U.S. Forces Fire Missiles at Mosque in Fallujah (more details)

wapo ^ | FALLUJAH, April 7 | Pamela Constable, Sewell Chan and Fred Barbash

[dennisw]

Attack Approved After Five Marines Shot From the Mosque

FALLUJAH, April 7 -- U.S. forces fired missiles at a mosque in the flashpoint city of Fallujah Wednesday after taking several hours of fire from insurgents who were using it as cover to attack Marines advancing through the city.

Five Marines had been shot from the mosque before commanders authorized the use of air power and laser-guided missiles against it. They had rejected the air attack several times, according to Marine officers and radio communications monitored from a command post by a Washington Post reporter.

"We've got to be careful," said one officer receiving a request for air support from the Marines around the mosque.

"We have some bad folks dug in," came the response. "They're creating a problem for us. What should we do? We need backup."

[veronica]

Five Marines had been shot from the mosque before commanders authorized the use of air power and laser-guided missiles against it....

'Nuff said.

[Heatseeker]

FWIW, in Sunni Islam there is no special sanctity attached to a mosque. It's simply a building you can worship in (or do other stuff in, as the guys were trying to do when they got an express ticket to 72virginland.

It is perfectly OK to pray anywhere else; some hold the best place to pray is out in the open sands.

[StriperSniper]

GET THIS IDIOT OUT OF THE LOOP!

Why? It seems like he was just doing what he had to in his place in the chain of command. I'd say to get him out only if he was gumming up the works and not requesting support. He was doing all he could without disobeying standing orders. He wasn't the one who issued those, he was following them.

It is higher up that the problem was, I'd bet very high up.

[OXENinFLA]

From the article.

The mosque was one of two that insurgents had used during fighting Wednesday in Fallujah, where four American contractors were killed and mutilated a week ago. The Marines managed to clear the second mosque without air power.

[MEG33]

We actually delayed the hit .

[JCEccles]

Chances are pretty fair that everyone in the Mosque was a bad guy. Anyone not involved in firing on Marines likely left long ago.

They obligingly bunched up and gave us the chance to take all of them out with a missile and a bomb.

Not very smart.

[RightOnline]

I say we show as much respect to their mosques as they show to our churches and to Jewish synagogues.

Level the sumbitches.

[CurlyBill]

Erase Fallujah

... then deny it ever existed.

[varina davis]

Live video on Drudge now from Al Jazeera -- not sure of region. Can't interpret, but interesting footage.

[Ukiapah Heep]

"We've got to be careful,"

This is true. We've got to be careful to trap all the attackers, slaughter each one methodically and painfully, and televise their deaths until the liberals wet their pants with compassion!

[Amelia]

If they don't want their mosques shot up, they don't need to use them as instruments of war.

If they make their mosques into targets, the mosques should BE targets. Their choice.

[Guillermo]

Yeah, what a great message to send..."You can't shoot at us, but, if you do it from a Mosque, we won't fight back!"

Time to take off the PC gloves and start imposing some discipline on these animals.

Glad to see we've taken a step in the proper direction.

[b4its2late]

Careful may arse. They hide in the mosque and shoot at us from it, they should go bye-bye, walls and all.

[petercooper]

Mosque Shmosque.

Level 'em.

[fish hawk]

Iraq's Monte Casinos need some leveling.

[ishabibble]

If I am not mistaken, Adolph Hitler is buried under a parking lot. A good idea then and a good idea now. My son is there now (USMC) and I watch all venues that show footage, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Today and CNN should be tried for treason, IMO.

[Lakeside]

"Too bad nobody told the Arabs before they desecrated Joseph's Tomb"

Or while they are even now ransacking/pilfering priceless Jewish artifacts from under the Temple Mound.

[sarasota]

Oh, you mean *that* kind of careful. Yes, that works for me.

[BenLurkin]

bump

[sarasota]

The Pentagon perhaps?