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."

[Teacher317]

The same goes for their children...

Isn't that right, Palestinians?

[genefromjersey]

You should see how this is being reported by AP,etc.:
Their story (written by people with Arabic-sounding names) claims the mosque was full of worshippers,who had just started noon prayers-and makes no mention of the fact the mosque had been used as a command post to attack troops for several hours prior to the rocket response.

This is a deliberate lie-being circulated worldwide-bu some of the same people who obviously had advance notice of the murder of 4 civilians a few days earlier.

[joesnuffy]

Deny the enemy all sanctuaries....this is where the weapons and personnel are being cached
Dont worry about what our enemies and detractors say about us...they'll hate us regardless of how much we appease them...

Never pay for the same real estate twice

[rhombus]

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

The JAGs run the wars now, why would the military be any different?

[b4its2late]

Sadr Aide Says Iraqis Capture Coalition Soldiers
Wed Apr 7, 2004 09:30 AM ET

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A top aide to the militant Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said on Wednesday that his supporters had captured a number of soldiers from the U.S.-led coalition during clashes currently taking place across a large swathe of Iraq.
"Some tribes have captured some occupation forces on the streets," Qays al-Khazali told a news conference in the Shi'ite Muslim holy city of Najaf.

He gave no further details. The news conference was broadcast by Lebanon's al-Manar television station, mouthpiece of the militant Shi'ite Hizbollah group.

There was no immediate comment on the report from the command of U.S.-led forces in Baghdad.

Khazali denounced a U.S. military pledge earlier on Wednesday to destroy Sadr's Mehdi Army militia.

"The Mehdi Army is the Iraqi people and destroying the Iraqi people is a crime," he said.

Sadr's militia has been battling the occupying forces across south and central Iraq since Sunday.

[sarasota]

Yeah, ok, so the terrorists took a prayer break. (Gotta pray 5X/day.) They were firing on our Marines.

[funkywbr]

Exactly! Our soldiers on the ground should not be hindered and unprotected by POLITICS.

If they are then Democraps can rightly say VIETNAM!!!

[Tax Government]

I think the world needs an AC-130 outfitted with gyro-stabilized, computer-image-recognizing, auto-sighting sniper rifles. Not a wall of fire, just plink-plop, plink-plop, all day long.

[1066AD]

radio communications monitored from a command post by a Washington Post reporter.
WTF ?

[joesnuffy]

It sounds like the timidness shown by Marine officers in allowing 5 of their troops to be shot from mosque is evidence of too much PC coming down from on high....

This will lead to great bitterness...

We need to let the Marines be Marines...and let them do what it is they were made to do...

Take the gloves GW..anyplace that ambushes our troops should be leveled...

Too much "Shuck n Jaw" not enough "Shock n Awe"
imo

[MEG33]

They used the Church of the Nativity like a urinal and they are burning Orthodox Churchs in Kosovo like firewood.

We didn't really bomb the Mosque,but a wall next to it,being used to fire at our Marines an embed in Fallujah is reporting on CNN.

[r9etb]

I see the FR Keyboard General Staff is back at it today, holding forth on how much better things would be if they were in charge. All I know is, the world is a much better place because they're not. Sheesh.

[LADY J]

"Some tribes have captured some occupation forces on the streets," Qays al-Khazali told a news conference in the Shi'ite Muslim holy city of Najaf."

Just confirmed on Fox cable that this is not true.

[notpoliticallycorewrecked]

Are you aware that there is a daily prayer post for our military men and women that are in harms way? It is part of the the Daily Dose of Dubya thread. You can Freepmail kayak to get you son listed.

[MEG33]

r9..nothing to match a thread I was on last night.

[notpoliticallycorewrecked]

Never pay for the same real estate twice

Oohh. I like. That statement works for several situations: parenting, war, and actual real estate transactions.

[MEG33]

They say 2 incidents of capture of western jounalists have occurred..just in on Fox.

[TexKat]

Good morning MEG33. Thanks for the ping.

Western reporters have been kidnapped in two incidents per Fox News.

[LADY J]

"They say 2 incidents of capture of western jounalists have occurred..just in on Fox."

Just heard that - and it has been confirmed. They are not naming the news organizations that they belong to.

[r9etb]

nothing to match a thread I was on last night.

Make that "we" were on. But the thread is young, and these folks probably haven't had their coffee yet....