Penhaul: Fallujah scene of intense gunbattles

CNN ^ | April 26, 2004

[NCjim]

U.S. Marines, backed by helicopter gunships and fighter jets, engaged in a raging firefight Monday with insurgents in Fallujah, a stronghold of resistance to the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.

CNN's Karl Penhaul described the scene Monday for the U.S. networks pool.

PENHAUL: Sporadic gunfire can still be heard echoing across this northwest corner of the city of Fallujah.

It was a very different picture though this morning and early afternoon because the area just behind me was the scene of some very intense gunbattles.

The Marines say [it was] one of the most intense gunbattles that they have had in the two or three weeks that the supposed cease-fire has been in place here in Fallujah.

Before dawn, the U.S. networks pool headed out with a Marine platoon. ...

The Marines went and occupied two buildings. They were occupying those so that they could look out for suspected Iraqi insurgents.

Snipers posed some positions on the other side and deeper into the city. They holed up in those buildings for about four or five hours. Then in the words of one Marine, "All hell broke loose."

Iraqi insurgents had massed around the two buildings occupied by Marines, and they opened fire with mortars, with rockets, with automatic weapons fire.

While we were inside that building, we saw rockets smashing into the sides of the buildings, rockets smashing through the windows.

We heard mortar rounds landing nearby, exploding and setting neighboring buildings on fire.

After about an hour and a half, the Marine commander gave the order for his troops to pull back, and that they did with the help of two U.S. tanks that were also called in to assist.

The Marines withdrew from two alleys and returned to one section of their base.

The firefight, though, continued for a good two hours after that. [There were] very heavy exchanges of gunfire; U.S. Marine Cobra attack helicopters were called in.

They were firing off missiles, and also we're told a mortar platoon from further back in the rear was firing off 8-millimeter mortars, and those impacted in a number of buildings behind us, setting them on fire and sending plumes of black smoke into the air.

Also, there was a mosque ... here; it had a minaret 50 to 60 feet high. Marine commanders say they were taking sniper fire from that minaret.

That minaret has now been leveled by U.S. military ordnance, missiles and mortars. There's nothing left at all of that minaret. ...

[NCjim]

Also, there was a mosque ... here; it had a minaret 50 to 60 feet high. Marine commanders say they were taking sniper fire from that minaret.

That minaret has now been leveled by U.S. military ordnance, missiles and mortars. There's nothing left at all of that minaret. ...

[Gurn]

Also, there was a mosque ... here; it had a minaret 50 to 60 feet high. Marine commanders say they were taking sniper fire from that minaret. That minaret has now been leveled by U.S. military ordnance, missiles and mortars. There's nothing left at all of that minaret. ...

Best news I've heard in months. Only about 8,000 more mosques to go.

Then we can start on the ones on our soil.

[Pearls Before Swine]

That minaret has now been leveled

A twofer for the ragheads. They get sniper shots because we respect religion, and propaganda points from the ruins afterwards. They really s**k, don't they?

[RightWhale]

firing off 8-millimeter mortars

Bottle rockets

[HiJinx]

Somebody on another thread asked what a minaret was, and I posted a picture, telling him that it is tactical high ground.

Unfortunately, it isn't very safe in the face of rocket/mortar fire!

Poor hadjis don't seem to understand that concept, I guess.

[tet68]

8mm mortars, must be firing that new submunition round.

[TheLion]

Way to go Marines. I think the insurgents will have a lot more respect for us as we do what is needed, even if it involves mosques.

[semaj]

"That minaret has now been leveled by U.S. military ordnance, missiles and mortars. There's nothing left at all of that minaret. ..."

Sweet!

[Prince Charles]

Also, there was a mosque ... here; it had a minaret 50 to 60 feet high. Marine commanders say they were taking sniper fire from that minaret. That minaret has now been leveled by U.S. military ordnance, missiles and mortars. There's nothing left at all of that minaret. ...

And that's the way all of 'em should be.

[HiJinx]

Ya gotta wonder...was that a typo, or ignorance?

[tet68]

8mm. Mortars, even I could carry that baseplate.

[ApesForEvolution]

WTH? Why are we fighting this war door to door? This is totally SCREWED UP. As if any losses are acceptable to these terrorist vermin. And if the Iraqis in that area won't help, they can die the same way. Massive ordinance.

[Robert_Paulson2]

I sincerely hope this kind of "truce" is what we are really talking about. flattened minarets, dead terrorists... and terrified terrorists.

[JLS]

Before the crash last evening I was reading a thread where some Iraqis claimed that Al Fallujah would be the US Stalingrad. Being the type of guy I am, I typed Stalingrad in on Google and maybe those who live in Al Fallujah might reconsider, here is some of what I found:

"In august 23rd, 1942 the city of Stalingrad had a population of 400.000.

February 24th, after military medics have searched in the city's ruins, they found:
1. Traktorozavodskiy District: 150 people alive*.
Before the battle the population was 75'000.
2. Barrikadniy District: 76 people alive*.
Before the battle the population was 50'000.
3. Ermanskiy District: 32 people alive*.
Before the battle the population was 45'000.

*Many of those were wounded, exhausted, sick and died later on in the hospitals. No records for other Districts have been found.

Mine clearing labours of the city was performed from 1943 to 1945. In addition to mining teams were involved 3927 civilians volunteers. Most of them were teens and women. For that period of the time were destroyed 1'552'055 explosive items, 382 0612 of those were mines. (Statistics for the city only)

Official records have not been published for casualties of poor instructed volunteers, involved in mine clearing labours. Statistics from independed experts:

1. On each square kilometer of Stalingrad Tractor Factory's territory were dropped approx. 2000 bombs (not counting small-gauge artillery and mortars).
2. On each running kilometer of the rail track were about 16 bomb craters.
3. On each running kilometer of pipelines were 15 direct hits."

[HiJinx]

After a dozen or so of these articles, something is starting to come out from between the lines. Each of the last 3 or 4 major firefights has taken place between a forward deployed element of Marines and the enemy in the vicinity of a mosque, which has subsequently been leveled.

Get the picture?

It's kinda like island hopping, only we're going from mosque to mosque in order to eliminate the vermin.

[semaj]

In case any of you are worried about the apparent Marine pullback, it is a classic feint and thrust, in which the Marines assume a weak position encouraging the accumulation of enemy forces (enticed by an apparent easy kill), they fall back in feigned weakness which further entices the opposing force to congregate at which point they are annihilated enmasse with superior fire power and artillery support. Economics 101. Management of resources. The United States Marine Corps..., no other outfit gives you more bang for your buck.(

[idkfa]

Must be 80mm, not 8mm.

[Jeff Head]

Time to stop with the intense gun battles with these animals and just do THIS.

[eggman]

That minaret has now been leveled by U.S. military ordnance, missiles and mortars. There's nothing left at all of that minaret.

Time to start leveling the rest of this rathole called Fallujah.

[aBootes]

81mm mortars, actually. I thought the 8mm = bottle rocket was quite funny.