Insurgents kill 66 Iraqis, 3 US troops (Warning, some graphic pix on thread)

Christian Science Monito ^ | , June 24, 6:58am EDT | wire service reports

[Graybeard58]

Insurgents launched coordinated attacks against police and government buildings across Sunni Muslim areas of Iraq Thursday, killing 66 Iraqis and three US soldiers less than a week before the handover of power.

The Iraqi Health Ministry said 268 people were wounded in the attack, but that tally did not include American injured.

The large number of attacks, mostly directed at Iraqi security services, was a clear sign of just how powerful the insurgency in Iraq remains - and could be the start of a new push to torpedo the June 30 transfer of sovereignty to an interim transitional government.

Some of the heaviest fighting was reported in Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, where two American soldiers were killed and seven wounded, the US 1st Infantry Division said. Attackers also targeted police stations in Ramadi, Mahaweel, and the northern city of Mosul, where car bombs rocked the Iraqi Police Academy, two police stations and the al-Jumhuri hospital.

Khalid Mohammed, an official at the hospital, said dozens of injured were brought there. At least 50 people died and 170 were wounded there, he said. A US soldier was also killed and three were wounded in Mosul.

In other attacks, four Iraqi soldiers were killed in an explosion near a checkpoint manned by Iraqi and American soldiers in the southern Baghdad district of Dora. Three US soldiers tended to what appeared to be a wounded American soldier on the road. The soldier's helmet lay nearby. Black smoke and flames shot up from a burning pickup truck.

[SMARTY]

True, and I think it's the reason they have never had or observed allegiance to any entity larger than a tribe. It's also the thing that makes them so fiercely loyal to the immediate and present 'elder' style leader and to possess no personal sense of belonging to all humanity. To them it is only ... 'Muslim/Not Muslim'. Observance of faith to the exclusion to all or any other authority or truth robs people of their humility.

Who was it who said 'people who possess no humility can be made the prey of any sort of fanaticisms.'

Didn't Hitler convince the German people of their superiority in order to demand and receive from them the extremes of mindless and fanatical devotion?

[mastequilla]

It seems like a lot of organizational skill and logistical support would be required to carry out the types of attacks we're seeing at the frequency we're seeing them. I find it hard to believe that this is being done by a lone guy working out of Fallujah. Instead, it seems to me to be pretty obvious that a well organized entity is at work, perhaps Iran or Syria.

[mastequilla]

He had an interesting perspective. He said Sadaam was the "evil cork" in the bottle, and once he was removed, the "genie" was let out. He said removing Sadaam was valid, but he didn't believe that the Iraqis will be able to rule themselves.

He thought either another "strong man" would have to step in, or that Iraq will be plagued with civil war and fracture into smaller states that will then be gobbled up by neighboring Arab states.

I think he nailed it right on the head. Iraq was (and is) an artificial state that has been held together since the 1920's by strongmen. Absent a ruthless leader the country will come apart at the seams much like Yugoslavia after Tito's demise or the Soviet Union after Gorby took his foot off the neck of Eastern Europe.

[Cap Huff]

True. It does raise questions. Also today, in a short release that Ragtime Cowgirl posted a little while ago the the MNF (or whatever they call themselves these days) said the coalition response was purely defensive action.

Before anybody panics, though, consider Wretchard's latest posted here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1159298/posts

[Destro]

coordinated Iraq attacks along with those in Chechnya - same pattern too.

[mastequilla]

The first mistake we made was to not keep the existing Iraq military organizations intact with new ledership. Anyone who has read Machiavelli recognizes his truism that: ...nothing is harder than to establish an existing order...those losing power fiercely resist and those gaining power see it as only a possibility..." The idea should have been to keep the form the same and replace the leadership.

I'd argue that we basically were dead wrong in the how we thought the Iraqi people would react to our invasion. We didn't expect a long insurgency, instead you had folks like Wolfowitz talking about drawing down last summer and being openly critical of folks like Gen. Shinseki who seemed to truly understand the size of the force needed for Iraq. A Rand study estimated we'd need half a million troops to have a presence equal to what we have in Bosnia (based on population size). The powers that be thought we could do this on the cheap, they ignored the Powell doctrine, and now we're paying the price. I can't imagine anyone arguing that the security situation in Iraq is better now than it was a year ago.

[TexKat]

Armed militants drive through the streets of Fallujah, Iraq, chanting pro-resistance slogans after battles with U.S. forces Thursday June 24, 2004. Militants launched coordinated attacks against police and government buildings across Iraq Thursday, less than a week before the handover of sovereignty. (AP Photo/Abdul-Kadr Saadi)

Iraqi police climb over the rubble of a destroyed police station in Ramadi, Iraq after a militant attack Thursday June 24, 2004. Militants launched coordinated attacks Thursday against police and government facilities across Sunni Muslim-dominated areas of central and northern Iraq, killing at least 23 people, including three U.S. soldiers, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

Iraqi doctors care for a room of injured men at the Baqouba, Iraq, hospital after battles in the city between Iraqi armed militants and U.S. troops with Iraqi police Thursday June 24, 2004. Militants launched coordinated attacks against police and government buildings across Iraq Thursday, less than a week before the handover of sovereignty. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Iraqi police secure the scene after a car bomb explosions which targeted the local police force in Iraq's northern city of Mosul, June 24, 2004. Insurgents killed 75 people on Thursday in a wave of attacks across Iraq aimed at sabotaging the handover to Iraqi rule in six days' time. Guerrillas struck in Baquba, Falluja, Ramadi, Mosul and Baghdad, wounding more than 250 people in an intensification of a bloody campaign by Iraqi rebels and foreign militants. Three U.S. soldiers were killed. Photo by Namir Noor-Eldeen/Reuters

Iraqi police officers stand near a crater caused by a car bomb in front of a police station in Iraq's northern city of Mosul, June 24, 2004. A series of car bomb attacks on police stations in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Thursday killed at least 40 people and wounded 60, Iraqi police said. (Namir Noor-Eldeen/Reuters)

U.S. Army military police Maj. Gary Link grasps the hangman's lever while showing the gallows used during Saddam's regime at the Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad, Iraq Thursday, June 24, 2004. (AP Photo/John Moore)

A video grab shows an Iraqi policemen at the scene of a car bomb explosion outside a police station in Mosul, June 24, 2004. Rebels bent on disrupting a handover to Iraqi rule bloodied five cities on Thursday with coordinated assaults on local security forces in which about 75 people, including three U.S. soldiers, were killed. The violence in Baquba, Falluja, Ramadi, Mosul and Baghdad intensified a sustained campaign by Iraqi insurgents and foreign militants to sabotage Iraq's formal transition from U.S.-led occupation to an interim government in six days' time. More than 200 people were wounded. REUTERS TV

An Iraqi youth carries a wounded boy away from the scene of a car bomb blast in the northern city of Mosul, June 24, 2004. A series of car bomb attacks on police stations killed at least 40 people and wounded 60, Iraqi police said. They said more bodies were still being brought in to hospitals. At least seven large explosions were reported in Mosul Thursday morning. (Namir Noor-Eldeen/Reuters)

The bodies of two policemen lie dead on the floor close to a police station in Baquba, 60 kms northeast of Baghdad. Sixty-six people were killed and 268 wounded in coordinated attacks by insurgents across central and northern Iraq, the Iraqi health ministry said in a provisional toll.(AFP/Ali Yussef)

Iraqis pull a burned body out of a destroyed car after one of four car bomb explosions, targeting police force in Iraq's northern city of Mosul, June 24, 2004. Rebels bent on disrupting a handover to Iraqi rule bloodied five cities on Thursday with coordinated assaults on local security forces in which about 75 people, including three U.S. soldiers, were killed. The violence in Baquba, Falluja, Ramadi, Mosul and Baghdad intensified a sustained campaign by Iraqi insurgents and foreign militants to sabotage Iraq's formal transition from U.S.-led occupation to an interim government in six days' time. More than 200 people were wounded. REUTERS/Namir Noor-Eldeen

An Iraqi soldier collects body remains of one of his colleagues after an explosion in Baghdad, June 24, 2004. Rebels bent on disrupting a handover to Iraqi rule bloodied five cities on Thursday with coordinated assaults on local security forces in which about 75 people, including three U.S. soldiers, were killed. The violence in Baquba, Falluja, Ramadi, Mosul and Baghdad intensified a sustained campaign by Iraqi insurgents and foreign militants to sabotage Iraq's formal transition from U.S.-led occupation to an interim government in six days' time. More than 200 people were wounded. REUTERS/Ali Jasim

Iraqi insurgents take position during clashes in Baquba, 60 kms northeast of Baghdad. Insurgents, some believed linked with terror suspect Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, unleashed attacks on four cities across Iraq leaving more than 35 dead including three US soldiers in an apparently coordinated onslaught.(AFP/Ali Yussef)

U.S. Army soldiers lift a destroyed car after an explosion in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, June 24, 2004. A car loaded with explosives went off in Baghdad's district of al-Doura killing five Iraqi soldiers and wounding three others, witnesses said. Rebels launched coordinated assaults on Iraqi police that turned several mainly Sunni Muslim cities into battle zones on Thursday and at least 23 people were killed, including three U.S. soldiers. REUTERS/Ali Jasim

A Cobra helicopter gunship (L) and UH-1 Huey search for insurgents after a U.S. Marine patrol from the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Marine Division was attacked near Falluja June 24, 2004. Falluja was one of several Iraqi cities hit by what appeared to be coordinated attacks. Photo by Bob Strong/Reuters

Iraqi men fight a fire in a house after U.S. airstrikes in Fallujah, Iraq, during battles between U.S. forces and Iraqi militants Thursday June 24, 2004. Militants launched coordinated attacks against police and government buildings across Iraq Thursday, less than a week before the handover of sovereignty. (AP Photo/Abdul-Kadr Saadi)

Iraq's interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi gives a speech during a ceremony marking the transition of authority for 11 ministries, in Baghdad, June 24, 2004. At rear is Interior Minister Falah al-Nakib (L). REUTERS/Awad Awad-Pool

Armed Iraqi insurgents chant pro-resistance slogans after clashing with U.S. forces in Falluja, June 24, 2004. Insurgents killed 75 people on Thursday in a wave of attacks across Iraq aimed at sabotaging the handover to Iraqi rule in six days' time. Guerrillas struck in in Baquba, Falluja, Ramadi, Mosul and Baghdad, wounding more than 250 people in an intensification of a bloody campaign by Iraqi rebels and foreign militants. Three U.S. soldiers were killed. REUTERS/Akram Saleh

[Paul Ross]

The most alarming thing is that the police in Falujah appear to be openly chummy with the 'insurgents', chatting amiably and high-fiving these RPG-wielding thugs...

[M. Peach]

"How is it that Israel knows where every Hamas thug is,"

I believe the difference is that Israel has been tracking these guys for years, while we just got there about a year ago. We don't have the same intelligence infrastructure that takes time to develop

I think most of the insurgents are imported, and therefore not a part of the local community.

[Kerberos]

"Instead, it seems to me to be pretty obvious that a well organized entity is at work, perhaps Iran or Syria."

I would tend to agree with you and that's kind of a scary thought. Not that I would agree with you but that another country or countries might be behind this.

[Alamo-Girl]

I join in prayer for our heroes and their loved ones!

[TexKat]

U.S. troops watch a plume of smoke rise above the town of Baqouba, Iraq, during battles in the city between Iraqi armed militants and U.S. troops and Iraqi police Thursday June 24, 2004. Militants launched coordinated attacks against police and government buildings across Iraq Thursday, less than a week before the handover of sovereignty. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

U.S. soldiers check out the scene along the main highway entrance into Baqouba, Iraq during battles in the city between Iraqi armed militants and U.S. troops and Iraqi police Thursday June 24, 2004. Militants launched coordinated attacks against police and government buildings across Iraq Thursday, less than a week before the handover of sovereignty. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

An Iraqi hospital worker attends to the dead at a hospital in Baqouba, Iraq after battles in the city between Iraqi armed militants and U.S. troops and Iraqi police Thursday June 24, 2004. Militants launched coordinated attacks against police and government buildings across Iraq Thursday, less than a week before the handover of sovereignty. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

An Iraqi man stands close to a pool of blood at the scene of one of the five car bombs that exploded in Mosul, 370 kms north of Baghdad. At least 66 people were reported killed as US forces reacted to an intensifying and apparently coordinated wave of attacks on four Iraqi cities, less than a week before the June 30 transfer of power to a transitional government.(AFP/Mujahed Mohammed)

An Iraqi youth collects belongings from the rubble of his house damaged in one of the five car bomb attacks that hit Mosul, 370 kms north of Baghdad. At least 66 people were reported killed as US forces reacted to an intensifying and apparently coordinated wave of attacks on four Iraqi cities, less than a week before the June 30 transfer of power to a transitional government.(AFP/Mujahed Mohammed)

A helicopter flies above a road in Fallujah, Iraq, in this image made from television, Thursday, June 24, 2004. Guerilla forces clashed with US forces in the restive Iraqi town 60 km (40 miles) outside of Baghdad Thursday. Amid the fighting, a US Marine helicopter made an emergency landing outside Fallujah. (AP Photo/APTN)

[TexKat]

Iraqis investigate a house on fire during clashes between U.S. forces and armed insurgents in the western city of Falluja June 24, 2004. Rebels bent on disrupting a handover to Iraqi rule bloodied five cities Thursday with coordinated assaults on local security forces in which about 75 people, including three U.S. soldiers, were killed. REUTERS/Akram Saleh

Iraqi men try to distinguish their house after it was attacked in an air strike during clashes between U.S. forces and armed insurgents in Falluja, June 24, 2004. Rebels bent on disrupting a handover to Iraqi rule bloodied five cities Thursday with coordinated assaults on local security forces in which about 75 people, including three U.S. soldiers, were killed. REUTERS/Akram Saleh

[BagCamAddict]

And once the new Iraqi Govt is in power, and they ASK us to stay and help, then the WORLD can no longer say we are acting unilaterally and that we're unwanted.

These terrorist actions (insurgents, my a$$) against Iraqi security forces will make more and more Iraqis angry at the terrorists among them... which will result in more intel... and more dead terrorists.

[sam_paine]

First, explain to me how that has anything to do with this discussion. Are you stating that non-Americans cannot honor contractual obligations?

[monday]

"This guy didn't have too much faith in the Iraqi people to be able to govern themselves."

That is a no brainer. Anyone who thinks they can govern themselves hasn't been paying attention. Iraq isn't a natural country like Iran. It is a collection of different tribes and ethnic groups which will never be able to live peacefully together without a brutal dictator like Saddam to force them.

We should force them to partition into three states. Shiite in the south, Sunni in the middle, and Kurd in the north. It would be much more peaceful in the area after we leave if we did.

[SMARTY]

No. Back up and read the stuff.

[Graybeard58]

Just chatted with my son Steve on line, he says he can still see smoke coming from the hospital they bombed.

[cgk]

Thank you. Considering Zarqawi's cult is claiming responsibility for most of these bombings, and apparently all of them today, insurgents isn't just politically correct, it's factually wrong. Zarqawi is a non-Iraqi terrorist and so is anyone who works for him.

[Graybeard58]

We should force them to partition into three states. Shiite in the south, Sunni in the middle, and Kurd in the north. It would be much more peaceful in the area after we leave if we did.

Sounds like a receipe for civil war.. and no, I don't know what the answer is for Iraq.